X-Ray Vision

On Episode 8 of X-Ray Vision, Jason Concepcion and Cody Ziglar have a latte with The Riddler! In Previously On…(2:56) Jason and Zig briefly discuss the release changes in upcoming Disney films and mourn the cancellation of FX on Hulu’s Y: The Last Man. In the Airlock (13:44) Jason and Zig dive deep (deeeeep) into the trailers that emerged from this past weekend’s DC FanDome, including The Batman, The Flash, HBOMax’s Peacemaker and more. In The Omnibus (42:36), Jason continues his exploration of the ‘deadly games’ genre to further analyze the economic and sociopolitical ideas behind Netflix’s smash hit Squid Game. Next, writer & podcaster Dave Schilling drops by this week’s Hive Mind (58:59) for an astute conversation around what makes HBO’s Succession the best show on TV & why we love the Roys despite their awful behavior. Finally, in The Endgame (1:24:48) Jason and Zig play Top Fives for their ‘favorite’ fictional billionaires. Use #XRVEndgame & tweet at Jason to let us know what you think of their choices!

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PLUGS: 

Dave Schilling & Jonah Ray’s Galaxy Brains & Dave’s LA Times article on why men should wear skirts.

Zig’s twitter: twitter.com/yayforzig & his pod (co-hosted with Brodie Reed) The Dark Weeb: available wherever you get your podcasts!

The Listener’s Guide for all things X-Ray Vision!

Batman (’89), Directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton in the titular role with Jack Nicholson turning in a hammily deranged performance as the Joker; the film’s campy atmosphere and theatricality is both eye-catching and divergent from the gritty, more noir later Batman films of the 2000s. Available on HBOMax.

Flashpoint, a 2011 crossover comics series, the bulk of which was written by Geoff Johns with art by Andy Kubert. As alluded to by Jason, this series radically shifted the landscape of the DC universe and led to the The New 52 reboot of DC’s ongoing series.

1989: Bob Dylan Didn’t Have This to Sing About, by prominent cultural theorist and poet Joshua Clover originally published in 2009, which analyzes the year 1989 in popular music and the outgrowths (such as rap, grunge, acid house, etc.) that emerged in the following decade. Clover is currently a Professor of English & Comparative Literature at UC Davis. Available on Bookshop.com.

Peep Show, a British sit-com that ran from 2003 to 2015 and was written by Jesse Armstrong, among others. Following the lives of two best friends, the show, with its offbeat humor, unconventional POV filming style (hence the name ‘peep show’), and voiceover narration offering the internal monologue of the characters’ thoughts, never achieved wide audiences but garnered critical acclaim across its run. Available lots of places.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, please visit crooked.com/xrayvision.. 

For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

On Episode 7 of X-Ray Vision, Jason Concepcion and Rosie Knight play Red Light, Green Light, otherwise known as What’s the Time Mr. Wolf! In Previously On…(3:50) Jason and Rosie celebrate DC’s announcement of Jon Kent (aka the Superman of Earth) coming out as bisexual as well as the revival of the iconic Image comics series Saga by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples. In a mini-segment called The Editor’s Note (10:48), X-Ray Vision producer (and 007 superfan) Chris Lord joins to toast (with a vodka martini of course) No Time to Die and speculate on the future of the franchise. In the Airlock (26:30) Jason and Rosie dive deep (deeeeep) into the Netflix smash hit Squid Game to unmask why the show and its capitalist critiques resonate so strongly. Next, this week’s Hive Mind (59:50) features an insightful conversation between Jason and two of the producers behind Disney+’s anime anthology Star Wars: Visions. Finally, in The Endgame (1:19:50) Jason and Rosie select their own ‘Deadly Game’ in which to compete (and hopefully not lose). Use #XRVEndgame & tweet at Jason to let us know what you think of their choices!

Tune in every Wednesday and don’t forget to Hulk Smash the Follow button! 

Follow Jason: twitter.com/netw3rk

Follow Crooked: twitter.com/crookedmedia

The Listener’s Guide for all things X-Ray Vision!

Saga, An iconic epic space opera in the truest possible sense; this comics fantasia tells the story of a wife & husband from warring planets, one highly technologic, the other magical, and their interplanetary adventures with their daughter and an ever-changing cast of oddballs, bounty hunters, & a robot-computer-sex-addict-prince (you read that right). Available in multiple compendiums, single issues, & more.

Goldfinger, The 1964 third installment of the EON-produced 007 James Bond franchise, starring Sean Connery at the height of his prowess & charisma. While undoubtedly problematic for its portrayal of women and Koreans (specifically, characters Pussy Galore & Odd Job), the film also cemented the now trademark Bond formula of gadgets, close calls, & big action set pieces. It is considered by many to be the quintessential Bond film. Available on Hulu & more.

Call of Duty: Warzone, Introduced on March 10, 2020, this free-to-play Battle Royale style game takes the incredibly popular Call of Duty FPS franchise in a slightly new direction by limiting game modes and utilizing large scale (shrinking) maps to give players room to collect cash, weaponry, and fight each other off.

Battle Royale (2000), Literally the film by which most other works in this genre are named for and/or reference (see COD: Warzone above). Directed by Kinji Fukasaku and based on a book by Koushun Takami, the film follows the kill or be-killed antics of a group of delinquent school children. Highly controversial upon release for its violence & gore, it has gone on to such cult fame that it is essentially a widely popular film. Available here.

Gambling Apocalypse: Kaiji, A Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nobuyuki Fukumoto that has been ongoing since 1996 and chronicles the very misadventurous escapades of an inveterate gambler named Kaiji Ito. The series has garnered wide acclaim, both critically and commercially, in Japan and beyond.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, please visit crooked.com/xrayvision.. 

For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

On Episode 6 of X-Ray Vision, Jason Concepcion and Rosie Knight go raving with a Symbiote! In Previously On… they discuss the absolute madness that is Sony’s Venom: Let There be Carnage as well as the MCU reverberations of the film’s stinger (1:12). Then, in The Airlock, they dive deep (deeeep) into the finale of the Disney+ show What If…? and the ongoing multiversal trials and tribulations of the MCU (34:21). Next, Jason cracks open the Omnibus to explore the origins and popularity of the symbiote suit that ultimately becomes Eddie Brock’s Venom (1:00:25). In The Hive Mind, Jason chats with What If…? head writer A.C. Bradley and series director Bryan Andrews about Zombie Wanda, writing and directing animation, the tragic loss of Chadwick Boseman, and drinking whisky while writing Darcy Lewis and Party Thor (1:19:33). In The Endgame, Jason and Rosie play Face Off, pondering the question of which characters (if any!) from across all franchises, properties, and universes could possibly defeat Infinite Ultron (1:39:28). Use #XRVEndgame to let us know what you think!

Tune in every Wednesday and don’t forget to Hulk Smash the Follow button! 

Follow Jason: twitter.com/netw3rk

Follow Crooked: twitter.com/crookedmedia

The Listener’s Guide for all things X-Ray Vision!

Natural Born Killers, the controversial 1994 film directed by Oliver Stone with a heavily (emphasis on the word ‘heavily’) revised script by Quentin Tarantino, who later disowned the film. Stars Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis as a pair of traumatized mass murderers sensationalized by the media. Available on HBOMax.

VEEP, the critically acclaimed HBO TV series, created by Armando Iannucci (as an adaptation of his earlier sit-com The Thick of It) and starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer, all about the foibles of an egoistic vice president. Available on HBOMax.

Don Quixote, published in two parts in 1605 and 1615 by Miguel de Cervantes, and widely considered one of the foundational literary texts of all time; it follows a nobleman (Don Quixote) who deliriously desires to become a chivalric knight of yore and looks for prospective damsels in distress to rescue with the aid of his squire, a peasant farmer named Sancho Panza. Available everywhere you can get a book (go for physical if you can).

Gorr, The God Butcher, To be played by Christian Bale in the upcoming Taika Waititi directed fourth installment in the Thor franchise of the MCU - Thor: Love and Thunder. Gorr first appeared in Thor: God of Thunder #2 in 2012 and his name pretty much sums it up for what he’s after. For a while in the comics, Gorr wielded the Necrosword, forged by Knull, the progenitor of the symbiotes, thus the symbiote/Thor connection.

Venom: Lethal Protector, a 1993 six-issue series by David Michelinie and Mark Bagley that is the first to feature Eddie Brock and Venom as main characters and transformed the duo from villain to anti-hero.

Planet of the Symbiotes, a 1995 five issue series by David Michelinie about the invasion of Earth by an army of symbiotes.

Secret Wars, a 12-issue crossover series from 1984-85, written by Jim Shooter with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton, featuring The Beyonder, Battleworld, many heroes and villains, and the debut of the black Spider suit, which later became Venom.

Kirby Krackle, an artistic convention created by legend Jack Kirby that utilizes black as a negative space to portray unexplained energy, like blasts from explosions, ray guns, etc. The earliest known use dates to 1940 in Blue Bolt #5.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, please visit crooked.com/xrayvision.. 

For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

On Episode 6 of X-Ray Vision, Jason Concepcion and Rosie Knight go raving with a Symbiote! In Previously On… they discuss the absolute madness that is Sony’s Venom: Let There be Carnage as well as the MCU reverberations of the film’s stinger (1:12). Then, in The Airlock, they dive deep (deeeep) into the finale of the Disney+ show What If…? and the ongoing multiversal trials and tribulations of the MCU (34:21). Next, Jason cracks open the Omnibus to explore the origins and popularity of the symbiote suit that ultimately becomes Eddie Brock’s Venom (1:00:25). In The Hive Mind, Jason chats with What If…? head writer A.C. Bradley and series director Bryan Andrews about Zombie Wanda, writing and directing animation, the tragic loss of Chadwick Boseman, and drinking whisky while writing Darcy Lewis and Party Thor (1:19:33). In The Endgame, Jason and Rosie play Face Off, pondering the question of which characters (if any!) from across all franchises, properties, and universes could possibly defeat Infinite Ultron (1:39:28). Use #XRVEndgame to let us know what you think!

Tune in every Wednesday and don’t forget to Hulk Smash the Follow button! 

Follow Jason: twitter.com/netw3rk

Follow Crooked: twitter.com/crookedmedia

The Listener’s Guide for all things X-Ray Vision!

Natural Born Killers, the controversial 1994 film directed by Oliver Stone with a heavily (emphasis on the word ‘heavily’) revised script by Quentin Tarantino, who later disowned the film. Stars Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis as a pair of traumatized mass murderers sensationalized by the media. Available on HBOMax.

VEEP, the critically acclaimed HBO TV series, created by Armando Iannucci (as an adaptation of his earlier sit-com The Thick of It) and starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer, all about the foibles of an egoistic vice president. Available on HBOMax.

Don Quixote, published in two parts in 1605 and 1615 by Miguel de Cervantes, and widely considered one of the foundational literary texts of all time; it follows a nobleman (Don Quixote) who deliriously desires to become a chivalric knight of yore and looks for prospective damsels in distress to rescue with the aid of his squire, a peasant farmer named Sancho Panza. Available everywhere you can get a book (go for physical if you can).

Gorr, The God Butcher, To be played by Christian Bale in the upcoming Taika Waititi directed fourth installment in the Thor franchise of the MCU - Thor: Love and Thunder. Gorr first appeared in Thor: God of Thunder #2 in 2012 and his name pretty much sums it up for what he’s after. For a while in the comics, Gorr wielded the Necrosword, forged by Knull, the progenitor of the symbiotes, thus the symbiote/Thor connection.

Venom: Lethal Protector, a 1993 six-issue series by David Michelinie and Mark Bagley that is the first to feature Eddie Brock and Venom as main characters and transformed the duo from villain to anti-hero.

Planet of the Symbiotes, a 1995 five issue series by David Michelinie about the invasion of Earth by an army of symbiotes.

Secret Wars, a 12-issue crossover series from 1984-85, written by Jim Shooter with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton, featuring The Beyonder, Battleworld, many heroes and villains, and the debut of the black Spider suit, which later became Venom.

Kirby Krackle, an artistic convention created by legend Jack Kirby that utilizes black as a negative space to portray unexplained energy, like blasts from explosions, ray guns, etc. The earliest known use dates to 1940 in Blue Bolt #5.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, please visit crooked.com/xrayvision.. 

For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

On Episode 5 of X-Ray Vision, Jason Concepcion and Cody Ziglar stage an intervention to get Darcy & Howard the Duck into couples therapy! In Previously On… (1:25) Jason and Zig grab a cold one with Party Thor to catch up on the antics of the latest What If…? Then in The Airlock (18:06) they dive deep (deeeep) into their three favorite remaining Disney+ Star Wars: Visions shorts: “The Ninth Jedi” by Production I.G, “T0-B1” by Science SARU, and “The Elder” by TRIGGER. Then, in The Hive Mind (41:19), Jason welcomes Alex Damon of Star Wars: Explained to analyze the canonicity and lore potential of a few of the Visions shorts as well as give his overall thoughts on the anime anthology. Finally, in The Endgame (1:01:27), Jason and Zig play Fit Check: Spider-Verse Edition, ranking their Top Three Spidey universe costumes because “With great fits, comes great responsibility.” Don’t forget to order up your copy of Miles Morales: Spider-Man #30 out now, celebrating 10 Years of Miles Morales & featuring a short story by the one and only Cody Ziglar!

Tune in every Wednesday and don’t forget to Hulk Smash the subscribe button! 

Follow Jason: twitter.com/netw3rk

Follow Crooked: twitter.com/crookedmedia

The Listener’s Guide for all things X-Ray Vision!

• THOR: GOD OF THUNDER, by Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic, originally came out in 2012 and featured Young Thor, Modern Thor, and King Thor.
• Count Luchino Nefaria, a villain descended from a line of Italian noblemen who controlled the “Maggia,” the Marvel comics “Mafia,” and later acquired superpowers. Jason is referencing Brian Michael Bendis’ run on New Avengers.
• Akira (1988), the iconic post-apocalyptic cyberpunk anime film, directed by Katsuhiro Otomo about what happens to a biker gang when one of their members gains unbelievable telekinetic abilities. Available on Hulu. 
• My Hero Academia, based on the manga of the same name about a boy without superpowers in a world in which powers are common but still dreams of gaining them. The anime was produced by Bones. Available on Hulu, Crunchyroll, & more.
• Voltron, an adaptation of several different anime, first aired in 1984 and follows five space explorers who pilot a giant robot, aka Voltron. Available here.
• Patlabor, a multimedia franchise in Japan starting with the original manga, an anime show, multiple features, & more; set in a near future Tokyo and following the exploits, both thrilling and mundane, of a robotic division of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police.
• Astro Boy, known as Atom in Japan, an iconic character of manga and anime, created by Osamu Tezuka in 1951. The character has been featured in video games, TV, and film.
• Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by EA; after the events of Revenge of the Sith and the fall of the Republic, Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis evades the Empire & attempts to rebuild the Jedi Order.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, please visit crooked.com/xrayvision.. 

For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

On Episode 4 of X-Ray Vision, Jason Concepcion and Cody Ziglar have the high ground when talking about three incredible shorts in Disney+’s Star Wars: Visions (dropping 9/22)! In Previously On (1:26)… they go bananas (better than flinging their feces, right?) for the trailer of Hulu’s upcoming Hit-Monkey series as well as recap the latest episode of What If…? and predict what’s coming next. Then in The Airlock (17:09) Jason and Cody dive deep (deeeeep) on three shorts from Star Wars: Visions: “The Duel” (Kamikaze Douga), “Tatooine Rhapsody” (Studio Colorido), and “The Twins” (Studio TRIGGER). Next, Jason cracks open The Omnibus (42:23) to explore the life and work of visionary director Akira Kurosawa and his prominent influence on the Star Wars universe. In The Hive Mind (1:00:34), Jason, Cody, and writer Alicia Lutes question whether Star Wars needs cinema when it has such good serialized storytelling in Clone Wars, The Mandalorian, and more. Finally, in today’s Endgame (1:19:57 )Jason & co. award their Medals of Yavin to the best characters from these three Visions shorts. Who was your favorite? Use #XRVEndgame to let us know!

Tune in every Wednesday and don’t forget to Hulk Smash the subscribe button! 

Follow Jason: twitter.com/netw3rk

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Introducing… The Listener’s Guide for all things X-Ray Vision, including the properties name-dropped in the episode!

• Hit-Monkey #1 and especially Deadpool #19-21, which features a Spider-Man/Merc with a Mouth team-up.
• Basilisk, the anime series based on the manga of the same name by Masaki Segawa. The 24 episode first season is on Hulu & Funimation; a second series produced in 2018 set ten years later is not.
• Sword of the Stranger (2007) is an anime film produced by Bones. Available on Funimation.
• RoboTech, a US-produced series broadcast on Harmony Gold that spooled together stories from three unrelated mecha anime series.
• Toonami, is an Adult Swim programming block started way back in 1997 on Cartoon Network that primarily airs anime.
• Kill la Kill, an anime series produced by TRIGGER and showcasing their frenetic, fast-paced style. Available on Netflix, Hulu, or Crunchyroll.
• Promare, a 2019 mecha (i.e. robots) anime film co-produced by TRIGGER that showcases more of that same style. Available on HBOMax or to rent on iTunes or Amazon.
• The Hidden Fortress (1958), directed by Akira Kurosawa. Available on HBOMax, Criterion Channel, & Kanopy.
• George Lucas: A Biography by John Baxter.
• The Making of Star Wars by JW Rinzler.
• Rashomon (1950), directed by Akira Kurosawa. Available on Criterion Channel, HBOMax, Kanopy & to rent on Amazon or iTunes.
• The Simpsons, “Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo” (season 10, ep. 23). Available on Disney+.
• Yojimbo (1961), Sanjuro (1962), Kagemusha (1980), Ran (1985), and Dreams (1990), all directed by Akira Kurosawa, the inspiration for Sergio Leone & Clint Eastwood. Available on Criterion Channel, HBOMax, & Kanopy.
• Wolverine, written by Chris Claremont with art by Frank Miller and first published in 1982. The 4-issue arc covers Wolverine’s engagement to Mariko Yashida.
• The Asian Influence on Hollywood Action Films (2008), by Barna William Donovan.
• Astro Boy, known as Atom in Japan, an iconic character of manga and anime, created by Osamu Tezuka in 1951. The character has been featured in video games, TV, and film.
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars, if you’re listening to this right now, you probably already know it, but, if you don’t, check it out! Available on Disney+.

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, please visit crooked.com/xrayvision.. 

For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

On Episode 3 of X-Ray Vision, Christmas comes early for Jason Concepcion and rotating co-host Rosie Knight! In Previously On… they get the download on the Matrix Resurrections trailer (1:56), toggle their gamepads with the latest Marvel and DC video game news (8:02), talk about Marvel’s separation from Immortal Hulk artist Joe Bennett (16:49), geek out over the forthcoming Avengers Forever series (26:44), unwrap the Christmas extravaganza of Disney+’s Hawkeye (32:19), and give their hot takes on the first three episodes of FX on Hulu’s Y: The Last Man (44:09). In The Airlock (59:14), Jason and Rosie dive deep (deeeeeep) into predictions for the final episodes of the Disney+ show What If…? and contemplate the multiverse of possibilities for future Marvel animated projects. Then on The Hive Mind (1:28:03), Jason chats with Simu Liu, star of Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings. Finally, in The Endgame (1:41:11), Jason and Rosie each rank their Top Five Pop Cultural Apocalypses.

Don’t forget to Hulk Smash the subscribe button!

Follow Jason: twitter.com/netw3rk

Follow Crooked: twitter.com/crookedmedia

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, please visit crooked.com/xrayvision.. 

For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

On Episode 3 of X-Ray Vision, Christmas comes early for Jason Concepcion and rotating co-host Rosie Knight! In Previously On… they get the download on the Matrix Resurrections trailer (1:56), toggle their gamepads with the latest Marvel and DC video game news (8:02), talk about Marvel’s separation from Immortal Hulk artist Joe Bennett (16:49), geek out over the forthcoming Avengers Forever series (26:44), unwrap the Christmas extravaganza of Disney+’s Hawkeye (32:19), and give their hot takes on the first three episodes of FX on Hulu’s Y: The Last Man (44:09). In The Airlock (59:14), Jason and Rosie dive deep (deeeeeep) into predictions for the final episodes of the Disney+ show What If…? and contemplate the multiverse of possibilities for future Marvel animated projects. Then on The Hive Mind (1:28:03), Jason chats with Simu Liu, star of Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings. Finally, in The Endgame (1:41:11), Jason and Rosie each rank their Top Five Pop Cultural Apocalypses.

Don’t forget to Hulk Smash the subscribe button!

Follow Jason: twitter.com/netw3rk

Follow Crooked: twitter.com/crookedmedia

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, please visit crooked.com/xrayvision.. 

For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

On Episode 2 of X-Ray Vision, Jason Concepcion navigates his way through a moving forest to bring you his take on the latest MCU film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings! But first in Previously On… (1:23) Jason and rotating co-host Rosie Knight discuss Netflix’s newly cast live action reboot of Avatar, geek out over the stills from the upcoming Cowboy Bebop show, howl at the moon over rumors of a Marvel Werewolf By Night Halloween Special, and recap episodes 3 and 4 of What If…?. In the Airlock (32:15) they sing their praises of Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings, then Jason cracks open the Omnibus (51:43) and dives deep into the history and context of Shang-Chi’s comic origins as well as The Mandarin’s Ten Rings. For this week’s Hive Mind (1:10:11), X-Ray Vision welcomes Phil Yu (aka Angry Asian Man) to discuss Asian American representation in pop culture and, in the Endgame (1:23:50), all three throw down their Top Five Weapons & Gear of the MCU.

Don’t forget to Hulk Smash the subscribe button!

Follow Jason: twitter.com/netw3rk

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For a closed-captioned version of this episode, please visit crooked.com/xrayvision.. 

For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

On Episode 1 of X-Ray Vision, Jason Concepcion’s spidey-senses are tingling! Jason and rotating co-host Cody Ziglar talk about the excitement surrounding the upcoming Disney+ Star Wars: Visions anthology series, dissect the mind-blowing Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer, and Jason tells all about his unexpectedly iconic look at the Shang-Chi Premiere (1:42). Then, Jason and Cody dive deep (deeeeep) into Marvel Phase 4 & the shows WandaVision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and Loki currently streaming on Disney+ (24:50). Next, Jason unpacks the mythological origins of the character Loki (1:02:42) before welcoming X-Ray Vision’s very first panelist Jason Mantzoukas (1:15:57) to talk about how Marvel is changing TV and film to be more like comics. Finally, as the cherry on top of the superhero sundae, Jason Concepcion and Cody play a round of “Who’s Your Neville? Who’s Your Gollum?” (1:39:40). Because what are Podcasts if not Culture persevering?

Don’t forget to Hulk smash the subscribe button!

Follow Jason: twitter.com/netw3rk

Follow Crooked: twitter.com/crookedmedia

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, please visit crooked.com/xrayvision.. 

For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.