Tag Archives: Dean Venture

4.15: The Silent Partners

This week on the podcast Bryan Dressel, Graham “The Question” Mason, and Nick “Namor” (He said “Aquaman, but angrier” twice) Friedemann talk about the penultimate episode of the season, which is more lore-heavy than laugh-out-loud funny. Still a very fun episode that pays off on rewatch.

INTRO MUSIC COURTESY
Bradley David Parsons inspired by JG Thrilwell

RESEARCH COURTESY
Brok Holliday


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4.14: Assisted Suicide

This week on the podcast Bryan Dressel, Graham “Superman” Mason, and Nick “The Huntress” Friedemann talk Assisted Suicide, which is the name of the next episode of the show and not the actual topic of discussion. Ahh, jokes. It’s like the show gave us a grande in a venti cup but filled it up just a little bit more.

INTRO MUSIC COURTESY
Bradley David Parsons inspired by JG Thrilwell

RESEARCH COURTESY
Brok Holliday


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4.13: Bright Lights, Dean City

This week on the podcast Bryan Dressel, Nick “Superman” Friedemann, and Matt “Manchester Black” Dykes talk “Bright Lights, Dean City” the brother episode to last week’s episode. Short review: Bryan is not a huge fan of it. He just “likes it” like Nick “liked” last week’s episode. At least there are some great recurring gags to make things better.

INTRO MUSIC COURTESY
Bradley David Parsons inspired by JG Thrilwell

RESEARCH COURTESY
Brok Holliday


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4.12: Everybody Comes To Hank’s

This week on the show Bryan Dressel, Nick “Starman” Friedemann, and Matt “Constantine” Dykes talk one of Graham’s favorite episodes, which is unfortunate timing as Graham couldn’t make it. Darn those jobs! Anyway, this is probably one of the best episodes of the season, or at least a decent episode if you’re Nick. Darn that hat!

INTRO MUSIC COURTESY
Bradley David Parsons inspired by JG Thrilwell

RESEARCH COURTESY
Brok Holliday


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4.11: Any Which Way But Zeus

This week on the show Bryan Dressel, Nick “Superboy” Friedemann, and Graham “Merc” Mason discuss this strangely forgettable episode that worked in some areas but not others. It’s certainly a weird one, carrying over elements from last week’s episode but still being very much a monster of the week. Your mileage will vary.

INTRO MUSIC COURTESY
Bradley David Parsons inspired by JG Thrilwell

RESEARCH COURTESY
Brok Holliday


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4.10: Pomp & Circuitry

This week on the podcast Bryan Dressel, Nick “I’m A Fucking Asshole” Friedemann, and Graham “Sue Storm” Mason talk Pomp & Circuitry, the episode that heralds in the great back half of the season. Come for the Ventures, stay for the co-hosts driving Bryan bonkers with their exquisite comic book knowledge.

INTRO MUSIC COURTESY
Bradley David Parsons inspired by JG Thrilwell

RESEARCH COURTESY
Brok Holliday


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4.09: The Diving Bell Vs. The Butter-Glider

This week Bryan Dressel, Nick “Batman” Friedemann, and Graham “Mr. Terrific” Mason get into the back-half of the season with an episode that’s got some problems. But hey, it’s got a Conjecture Cycle…so yay?

INTRO MUSIC COURTESY
Bradley David Parsons inspired by JG Thrilwell

RESEARCH COURTESY
Brok Holliday


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Are These They? Or: Why I love The Venture Bros

A LOOK AT WHAT MAKES THIS CARTOON SO COMPELLING FOR SO MANY PEOPLE.

Growing up as a 90’s kid retro cartoons were readily available thanks in large part to the Saturday morning ritual of too much sugary cereal (looking at you Fruity Pebbles and Trix!) being offered up to the God’s Hannah and Barbera. The old 60’s adventure cartoons always stuck with me so when Adult Swim first aired a show that spoofed Johnny Quest, the Hurculoids, and even the old Fantastic Four Cartoon (the one with H.E.R.B.I.E. and not the Human Torch because the executives were worried kids would pour gas on themselves and then light themselves on fire because kids are stupid,)  I was all for it.

The Venture Bros. combines that same self-indulgent 60’s campiness with something far more original. It takes the superhero and adventurer genre and turns it on its ear. Filled with pop culture references that never seem dated and science fiction tropes that never fail to entertain, Doc Hammer and Jackson Public, two men who I have spoken to personally, have created a timeless program filled with twists and turns that rival some of the best shows on prime time.

I don’t exactly remember when I got into the Venture Bros. It was just one of those things. It was streaming on Netflix and I was bored and through that boredom, I fell in love with some of the best characters created for television.

What appeals to me the most about this show is its fanbase. Maybe it’s just me but there doesn’t seem to be the same toxicity other fanbases suffer from. There are no rabid Venture Bros. fans lining up at McDonald’s to get their hands on special sauces and gatekeeping newer fans from joining in on the fun. I believe my wife said it best when she said that Doc would shut that shut it right down and never make another episode if he found out there was any sort of shenanigans like that going on.

No place is this welcoming fanbase better represented than at Dragon Con in Atlanta. Last year I cosplayed as the Blue Morpho and met up with some fellow VB Cosplayers at the fan booth in the Hilton. We all just sort of hung out together, laughing and having a great time getting our pictures taken. There is a great picture of me with a half-naked Traester wrapped in an American flag with a post-it note saying “Fix It!” I mingled with St. Cloud, a half dozen Henchmen, A Killinger and so many Monarchs and Dr. Mrs. The Monarchs.

The funny thing is, it’s such a low key and welcoming fanbase because Doc and Jackson created characters who are pretty welcoming when you think about it. Rusty is a damaged character and surrounds himself with equally damaged people who have, in a lot of ways, become a tight-knit family. His relationships with his sons, though strained, often lead to emotional gut punch moments like when Rusty asks “Brock, am I a bad person?” It so often comes out of nowhere that you are left slack-jawed because this show shouldn’t be that serious and heavy but it is and we’re grateful for it.

4.08: Pinstripes & Poltergeists

This week on the podcast Bryan Dressel, Nick “Dr. Manhattan” Friedemann, and Graham “Silk Spectre 2” Mason discuss the next episode of season four, which has some great moments but also feels like “we want to be done with the front half of this season.”

INTRO MUSIC COURTESY
Bradley David Parsons inspired by JG Thrilwell

RESEARCH COURTESY
Brok Holliday


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4.07: The Better Man

This week on the podcast Bryan Dressel, Nick “The Read Death” Friedemann, and Graham “Harley Quinn” Mason talk The Better Man, a super fun (and for some people forgettable but still very fun) Orpheus-centric episode.

INTRO MUSIC COURTESY
Bradley David Parsons inspired by JG Thrilwell

RESEARCH COURTESY
Brok Holliday


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