MSP #263: The Beanworld Podcast

Published: Dec. 15, 2010, 7:09 a.m.

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Beanworld

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This week on the show: Beans that talk, Ducks what walk, and there\'s something weird going on in a forest in Japan. Plus Warcraft breaks a record... AGAIN! And did someone just say magical fruit?

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NEWS\\n
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm shatters records\\n
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REVIEWS\\n
\\nStephen\\n
Stephen\\n
The Suicide Forest #1 (of 4)\\n
El Torres (w) \\u2022 Gabriel Hernandez (a & c) \\n
Just outside of Tokyo lies\\xa0Aokigahara,\\xa0a vast forest and one of the most beautiful wilderness areas in Japan... which is also the most famous suicide spot in the entire world. Legend has it that the spirits of those many suicides are still roaming\\u2014haunting deep in those ancient woods. This series from the creators of the acclaimed The Veil examines the lives of Alan, an average worker from Tokyo and his rather unhealthy relationship with Masami, and Ryoko, a forest ranger who recovers the suicide victim\'s bodies from the woods. We discover that behind Ryoko\'s unconcerned surface lies a secret, and these three lives will be forever changed by the darkness waiting for them in the Suicide Forest.

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[rating:3.5/5]

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Rodrigo\\n
DARKWING DUCK #7 (B)\\u2028
Written by Ian Brill\\u2028
Drawn by James Silvani\\u2028
SC, 32 pgs, FC, SRP: $3.99\\u2028
COVER A: James Silvani\\u2028
COVER B: Sabrina Alberghetti\\u2028
Experience the ongoing series that has fans \\u201cgetting dangerous\\u201d across the nation! In this issue we have the sorcery showdown of the century! In one corner: the evil, Italian enchantress Magica de Spell! In the other corner: the enigmatic necromancer Morgana McCawber! Oh\\u2026yeah\\u2026and Darkwing Duck is in it too. Miss this issue at your peril!\\n
[rating:3/5]

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Matthew\\n
Thunder Agents #2\\u2028
Written by NICK SPENCER\\n
Art by CAFU & BIT and CHRISCROSS\\n
Cover by GARY FRANK\\n
T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS doesn\'t let up on the throttle for a second as the team\'s assault on the Spider compound to rescue a captured teammate continues! Plus, special guest artist ChrisCross (FIRESTORM) illustrates a story spotlighting the backstory of doomed speedster Lightning!

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[rating:3/5]

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MAJOR SPOILERS POLL OF THE WEEK\\n
This week, Dr. Peter Coogan of the Institute for Comic Studies stopped by and dropped off this week\\u2019s Poll of the Week the pits the tag team of John Lennon and Paul McCartney against Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.

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Both these teams of creators worked in the 1960s and produced a solid body of work that laid the groundwork for much popular culture that came after them, and in both pairs each member seems to have brought the best in the other member.\\xa0 Think of McCartney\\u2019s work in Wings vs. his work in the Beatles, or Kirby\\u2019s solo work\\u2013neither accomplished alone what he accomplished while working with his partner (the same is true of Lee and probably Lennon too).\\xa0 But which team is better, more influential, which raised their chosen genre higher relative to what it was when they started and in comparison with others, etc.

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VOTE

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MAJOR SPOILERS DISCUSSION: Tales of Beanworld Volume 1 \\n
Tales of the Beanworld is an independently published comic book, created by Larry Marder. Beanworld features stories about the life and times of the Beans, minimalistic characters which Marder has been drawing since childhood. The stories borrow concepts from various world mythologies, popular concepts of ecology, and pop culture.\\n
The first issue was published in 1985, and the series ran 21 issues until 1993. The first four issues were printed independently (under the imprint The Beanworld Press. Starting with issue five, the title was released by Eclipse Comics. A total of four book collections were released, reprinting issues #1-16.\\n
The series was revived in February 2009 and is now published by Dark Horse Comics in deluxe hardcover editions.\\xa0 Wahoolazuma (February, 2009) reprinted the first nine issues. The second volume, A Gift Comes!, came out in July, 2009, reprinting the remaining twelve.\\xa0 A new one-shot comic came out in December, 2008. A third hardcover volume, Remember Here When You Are There!, came out in November, 2009, with all new material. Marder says that this completes the \\u201cSpringtime\\u201d cycle of Beanworld stories. Further volumes are planned.\\n
Contact us at podcast@majorspoilers.com

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Music from this episode comes from Armin Brewer (intro) and James Kennison (closing) from the Nobody\'s Listening Podcast. A big thanks to both of these guys for creating kick-ass music for the show!

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A big Thank You goes out to everyone who downloads, subscribes, listens, and supports this show. We really appreciate you taking the time to listen to our ramblings each week. Tell your friends about the podcast, get them to subscribe and, be sure to visit the Major Spoilers site and forums.

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