Penny Men

The Penny Men return for Hour Two of their journey through the Marvel ’90s animated universe! This time we finally get around to Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer and the Avengers, while somehow getting sidetracked by:Graggle SimpsonBeverly Hillbillies continuityMen in BlackRen & StimpyCadillacs and DinosaursAnd pretty much anything else that can be tenuously connected to Marvel Comics!We talk about:Why Spider-Man never seems to actually punch anybodyWhy Wolverine spends so much time waving his claws around without cutting anyoneThe ever-changing quality of ’90s animationAnd how Fantastic Four manages to turn 30 years of comic-book history into a surprisingly effective crash course on Dr. Doom, Galactus, the Inhumans and Johnny Storm’s ongoing romantic misfortunes!Then things get cosmic with Silver Surfer, including: CGI GalactusThanos being reduced to a cosmic whiny babyAnd whether the show actually belongs in the same universe at all!We also tackle the Avengers, where Vision, Wonder Man, Ultron, Jocasta and Ant-Man combine to create what may be the most complicated family tree ever assembled by people who absolutely should have known better!Plus: The Great Marvel Cartoon Technicality Debate65-episode seasonsCanadian voice actorsLaser gunsCrossover chartsAnd the shocking revelation that Graggle Simpson may or may not have been real!The Marvel ’90s universe keeps getting bigger! Unfortunately, so does our definition of what counts!

The Penny Men dive into the interconnected world of Marvel’s 1990s animated universe! We’re talking X-Men, Spider-Man, Hulk, Iron Man, Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer, Spider-Man Unlimited, and apparently enough Captain America appearances to make you wonder why there was never a Captain America cartoon!We discuss how all these shows connect, where the continuity gets weird, and why sometimes the best way to adapt 30 years of comics is to just take a bunch of different stories, shake them up, and hope nobody notices that Colossus is showing up about 20 years too late!We also get into: The surprisingly complicated history of the X-Men cartoonSpider-Man’s various attempts to get around killing peopleHydro-powered clonesAlternate Venoms and CarnagesAnd whether Spider-Man Unlimited even belongs in this universe anymore!Plus: The Incredible HulkShe-Hulk stealing the showRick Jones being everybody’s sidekickDoc Samson’s extremely questionable hairEvil HulksCanadian voice actorsAnd the important question of why Matt Frewer keeps getting hired to play guys with enormous heads!And if you were wondering whether we somehow found a way to bring Star Trek into a discussion about ’90s Marvel cartoons: obviously we did!It’s Marvel! It’s the ’90s! It’s all connected! Sort of!

The Fantasy Draft Lineup Podcast returns as Ben, Greg, and Tom tackle one of their most ambitious fantasy drafts yet: building the ultimate Magnificent Seven... using only video game characters!Inspired by The Magnificent Seven, Seven Samurai, A Bug's Life, and every great "assemble the team" story ever told, the guys break down the classic character archetypes before drafting seven heroes from across gaming history! There's only one catch: each team can only use one character from each video game franchise!Will Mario lead the charge? Does Pac-Man make the perfect second-in-command? Is Bubsy actually useful for once? Can Tingle be redeemed? And just how many Sonic clones from the 1990s can fit onto one team?Along the way, the conversation spirals into exactly the places you'd expectFantasy drafting the Magnificent Seven using only video game charactersBreaking down the seven classic team archetypesMario vs. Pac-Man vs. Sonic as team leadersBomberman appreciation hourStreet Fighter, Tekken, Dead or Alive, and fighting game representationThe golden age of 90s mascot platformersAero the Acrobat, Rocky Rodent, Mr. Nutz, Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel, and forgotten gaming mascotsMario side characters finally getting their chance to shineSly Cooper, Ratchet & Clank, Jak & Daxter, Crash Bandicoot, Zelda, Kirby, Donkey Kong, Mega Man, and dozens moreVillains, old mentors, villagers, love interests, and bonus character picksPredicting each other's fantasy draft choicesConstant detours into movie trivia, TV sitcoms, Pixar, Captain N, Shaw Brothers kung fu films, Bugs Life, Cheers, Batman, and absolutely everything else!Featured games & franchises include:Super Mario Bros.Pac-ManSonic the HedgehogThe Legend of ZeldaStreet FighterTekkenDead or AliveBombermanKirbyDonkey Kong CountryMega ManRatchet & ClankSly CooperJak & DaxterCrash BandicootStar FoxTingle's Rosy Rupeeland (well... Tingle, anyway)BubsyAero the AcrobatRocky RodentMr. NutzZero the Kamikaze SquirrelEarthworm JimVectormanJames PondSpy FoxCrocClayFighterAnd many, many more!If you love:Video game historyRetro gamingFantasy draftsTeam-building discussionsCharacter archetypesDeep-cut gaming referencesConsole mascot warsSNES and Genesis nostalgiaNintendo, Sega, PlayStation, and arcade classicsLong-form geek conversationsAnd completely unnecessary over-analysis......then this episode is for you!Who would make your Magnificent Seven? Which video game heroes would defend the village? Let us know your lineup!

This week, the Penny Men saddle up for a special Fantasy Draft Lineup episode inspired by one of the greatest ensemble stories ever told! Starting with Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai and its legendary Western remake, The Magnificent Seven, the guys break down what makes the perfect seven-person team!Greg walks through each member of the Magnificent Seven, exploring the unique role every hero fills—from the calm strategist and loyal second-in-command to the muscle, the sharpshooter, the reluctant veteran, and the eager rookie!Along the way, the conversation branches into:Star WarsThe Lord of the RingsDigimonDungeons & DragonsJohn Ford westernsTV Tropes, and the surprising influence these classic films have had on pop culture for decades!If you've ever wondered why so many great teams feel strangely familiar, this episode uncovers the timeless formula behind the "seven-man band" and challenges the hosts to build a Magnificent Seven of their own!

The Penny Men continue their Fantastic Four Rogues Gallery Roll Call and things immediately spiral out of control!The boys discuss the Wizard and the Frightful Four, debate whether Paste-Pot Pete is the greatest supervillain name of all time, and somehow end up comparing Medusa to Godiva!Along the way:Rama-Tut, Kang, Immortus, and Doctor Doom all become the same guy somehowGalactus arrives to eat the planetSilver Surfer discovers feelingsAnd Alicia Masters accidentally saves humanity!Elsewhere:The Red Ghost unleashes his communist super-apesThe Watcher refuses to interfere while constantly interferingPsycho-Man weaponizes emotionsDiablo throws evil chemistry capsules like a Hanna-Barbera villainAnd Dragon Man earns sympathy points as the world’s saddest artificial dragon!The conversation then explodes into:SkrullsKreeRonan the AccuserCaptain Marvel loreSpace cancerRoy Thomas continuity madnessAnd the revelation that the Hate-Monger is literally Adolf Hitler!Also: Zordon vs. MODOKSauron vs. Dragon ManAnimorphs connections nobody asked forGalactus herald rankingsAnd the important scientific question of whether planets need nutrients to be delicious!