The Oh Gosh, Oh Golly, Oh Wow! Podcast

Excalibur #81: “Beginnings, Middles, and Endings”

This week, we reckon with change and cosmic constants like the fact Charles Xavier is still a jerk in Excalibur #81, “Beginnings, Middles, and Endings,” in which Brittanic and Meggan rekindle their bonds, Kitty and Douglock forge new ones, and Charles and Moira cheat on their partners. (Maybe? It's complicated.) Joining us on this jolly journey through melodramatic tropes is comics scholar Bryan Bove, who's ready to forgive a romantic cliché or two and so are we, because some of us are loopy from end-of-term burnout and some of us were up all night reading Lucifer fanfiction.

Excalibur #80: “Out of Time”

Excalibur #80 might be “Out of Time,” but we’ve got all the time in the world to talk about a bunch more cyberpunk (and a little cybersex!) in and around the conclusion of the Douglock Chronicles with returning guest Dr. Clare Wall! THRILL to our analysis of capitalism’s appropriation of cyberpunk. WONDER at our cogent analysis of the politics of otherness in the Legacy Virus plotline. And MARVEL as we ask important questions like: can it actually be called surgery if you operate blind in the middle of a laser gun fight with no idea what you’re doing?

Excalibur #79: “Twisted Logic”

What twisted logic brought us here, to Excalibur #79, “Twisted Logic,” in which the main characters aren’t member of Excalibur and child-size flatscans are more open-minded than a queer-coded Jewish mutant who’s sometimes a robot but hates them, apparently? We try to puzzle it out with the help of our returning guest, comics scholar Matt Linton! Plus—cultural contexts of the Legacy Virus and cyberpunk and how this comic might actually be about the humans of 1994 being really freaked out about Y2K.

Excalibur #78: “Fire in the Wild”

Things got tecno-organic so quickly, we didn’t notice until it was too late to separate our Dougs from our Warlocks. That’s right—it’s the debut of Douglock in Excalibur #78, “Fire in the Wild,” and we’ve got a great guest to help us sort out this epic/tragic romance (or lack thereof) between selfsoulfriends turned selfsoulmates! Jim Roberts, aka the very unofficial, very knowledgeable PR Manager to one Douglas Ramsey talks us through Cypher’s cyber history and why Douglock isn’t quite what any of us wanted, but he’s here so we’re going to make the most of it. Plus! Entirely too much discussion of a scene that spent entirely too much time talking about toilet paper.  

Excalibur #77: “Lowest Common Denominator”

If you’ve ever wondered what Kurt Wagner would look like as a kid, Excalibur #77, “Lowest Common Denominator,” has the answer, which is—either extremely cute or creepily cute depending on who’s penciling and inking which page! Our returning guest, comics and pop culture scholar John Darowski, helps us unravel Nightcrawler’s broken continuity while finding hope in what we’ve got, which is an uneven but largely charming story about a pagan witch teaching a little blue furry demon-elf that love is stronger than hate <3 Plus! An unexpectedly vigorous debate about Stan Lee’s Bullpen Bulletin obituary of Jack Kirby.

Excalibur #76: “Dog Years”

When you can teleport and so can your foster sister/girlfriend, going home again should be easy. But when you’re a persecuted mutant and a witch with a manipulative even-more-magical mother, it probably won’t be. So it is with Nightcrawler and Daytripper, who take a jaunt back to Germany and land right in the middle of a demon-spawned race riot. But this issue’s not all getting hit in the head with bricks from the Berlin Wall—there’s also a couples’ pole dance and a gravity defying hospital gown to talk about! And talk about it we do, with writer/artist/DJ/comedian Johnnie Walker! Also: cheesecake vs beefcake, incest taboos, and a heartwarming Ken Lashley story—this ep’s got it all!

X-Men Unlimited #4: “Theories of Relativity”

We’re relatively sure the team won’t fire Anna for making them talk about this outrageous and sometimes-funny but also eye-searing and fairly nonsensical comic book. In her defense—you wanted us to! In another victory for democracy, you voted, so here we are, discussing X-Men Unlimited #4, “Theories of Relativity,” aka the one where Mystique yeets baby Kurt over a waterfall and everyone is yelling always, constantly. It’s just us this week, which may have made us too comfortable because I think there’s more swearing than usual?

Excalibur #75: “Hello, I Must Be Going”

This week, we’re talking about Excalibur #75, “Hello, I Must Be Going,” and trying not cry through the loss of a beloved character who’s been with us since the beginning. But X-Men comics have taught us it’s best to face grief with good company, and we’ve got some fabulous company with us in writer and transfeminist activist Daisy Letourneur! We talk through trans readings of Rachel Summers and why this comic is an awfully awful sendoff for a queer character born to survive. Plus a hard-to-find Nightcrawler backup story that gave Anna hives, and the debut of Daytripper!

Content warning: this episode discusses a comic book with themes of suicidal ideation.

Excalibur #74: “In the Name of Love”

We’re not always in love with 90s superhero art but we are in love with analyzing its ins and outs and twists and turns and complex cultural contexts with super-awesome guests who know a thing or three about it, so… that’s exactly what we’re doing this week, talking excess, the creator-owner revolution, a little Excalibur #74, “In the Name of Love,” and lots of Rob Liefeld with comics and literary scholar Dr. Lee Konstantinou! Why did 90s superhero artists draw so dang much and what’s with all the butts? Why is everything metal and why is everyone grimacing? Why would anyone be surprised by Rory Campbell’s true identity? Plus—Bamf dolls!

Excalibur #73: “Memories Are Made of This”

We have always lived in the ‘90s. Or so it seems, when we’re this Ken-and-Barbie-doll-crotch deep in strange and violent and occasionally baffling eroticisms that challenge the vocabulary of our stalwart crew a time or two. But like the heroes we are, we persevere, combining our powers with those of fabulous returning guest Dr. Charlotte J. Fabricius to unpack all the non-existent packages in Excalibur #73, “Memories Are Made of This,” in which Siena Blaze keeps blazin’, Rachel is a one-woman environment club, and Rory is still obviously Ahab. Featuring digressions on Nightwing and Penthouse Comix that are totally relevant, we swear! 

Content Warning: The episode discusses sexual violence.