184: The Walking Dead #175 - UtCC Finale

[00:00:01] Hey everyone, welcome to our podcast. I'm Mr. Blahg. And I'm Grace. And this is Under

[00:00:35] the Comic Covers Episode 184. And in this final episode we go under the comic covers of The

[00:00:42] Walking Dead 175, New World Order Part 1. Yeah, I'm going to admit I had a little bit of a hard

[00:00:51] time making it through that intro this time. So as many of you probably some of you already know

[00:00:58] because we posted this information on Facebook and on Twitter. But I'm sure many of you don't

[00:01:04] that this is going to be the final episode of Under the Comic Covers. We're closing up shop.

[00:01:12] It hurts to hear you say that aloud. Yeah, well it's...

[00:01:18] Yeah, I don't know how I'm going to do throughout the podcast. Maybe it'll be okay. I don't know.

[00:01:24] I've been super emotional the past few days. So we'll see.

[00:01:30] Yeah, I don't know how far into this we'll get. That's why I figured what we'll do is we'll just

[00:01:34] get go ahead and... We just said that now. First of all, I just want people to know that this is

[00:01:41] absolutely of our own decision. It just felt like it was the right time to do this for both of

[00:01:47] us. And I think also for the listeners. So nothing bad about this at all. This is all a 100%

[00:01:54] good thing. And we're still friends. We're still friends. Yeah, absolutely. No, this is a really...

[00:02:01] It's cool. And I just want to say that we're going to go ahead and basically back load all of the

[00:02:07] emotional stuff and all of the goodbyes and explanations and all that kind of thing all

[00:02:11] the way at the end of the episode. Not going to have the usual ending because you don't need

[00:02:16] to call us unless you want to but you can find the number. So we're going to go ahead and

[00:02:24] just go into this like a regular episode. Is that okay with you, Grace? Yeah, sure. Okay, cool.

[00:02:28] Then we'll save all the weepy man-tear stuff that's going to be coming because that is

[00:02:35] absolutely coming. Nothing sadder than man-tears. There's nothing sadder than man-tears

[00:02:38] and they're going to be flowing tonight. I know it. But tonight we are... We're not talking

[00:02:43] about paper girls. Sorry, we're not discussing Royal City and Copperhead.

[00:02:47] We've missed pretty much the last month and our apologies for that.

[00:02:53] We kind of figured we started with The Walking Dead way back on The Walking Dead cast and so

[00:03:01] we kind of felt it was right to end with The Walking Dead. Exactly. So here we are.

[00:03:05] Walking Dead number 175, the beginning of a new arc, New World Order part one of six.

[00:03:12] And I'm actually really excited to talk about this one. Yeah, I know.

[00:03:15] And immediately after I read it I was like, oh, damn, damn. I know kind of. And then I got into that

[00:03:23] bargaining phase of the stages of death where I'm like, maybe we could just do it once a month.

[00:03:28] Oh no, no, no, no, no. So... Yeah, someone asked me are you still going to read comics? I'm like,

[00:03:34] well, yeah. Yeah, no, absolutely that's not ending. We're just not... Yeah, so okay. Anyway.

[00:03:43] All right, all right. Cool, you still laugh a little bit of us. We do have some news tonight.

[00:03:48] We do have some news. Bring it on. Okay. I thought this one was fun and interesting.

[00:03:55] I'd heard about this, I want to say years ago, but I guess there was a recent decision

[00:04:02] and the jury sided with San Diego over the whole trademark over the words or title Comic Con.

[00:04:09] So I guess it was particularly against the lawsuit was against Salt Lake City Comic Con.

[00:04:16] Is that what it was? Yeah, so even though every... I don't really understand the whole entire

[00:04:22] background of it because everybody does Comic Con. But anyway, San Diego basically won

[00:04:31] and no one else now is going to be able to use the words Comic Con. Really? I guess Comic Convention.

[00:04:39] Even though I'm sure everybody will still call it... Still call the smaller ones Comic Con.

[00:04:46] I think they were trying to get like $12 million in damages and I guess they only got $20,000.

[00:04:56] They were only awarded $20,000. I mean, yeah, $20,000. Wow.

[00:05:00] Which this article I read noted that it was good because Salt Lake City Comic Con has only seen

[00:05:09] $3 million in profits since the founding way back in 2013. So I mean, 2013. So yeah,

[00:05:17] I don't think they could have... 213, the biblical Comic Con.

[00:05:20] Yeah. Anyway, so we'll probably see changes in a lot of the smaller Comic Con titles now.

[00:05:31] Anyway, so congratulations to San Diego Comic Con. Nice to meet you. Congrats.

[00:05:38] The second bit of news here is sex criminals returns. Yeah. January 24th they're back.

[00:05:46] I think it's issue 21, I want to say. The fifth arc is starting. I'm... I can't wait to read it.

[00:05:55] I know. I'm looking forward to it. Yeah. So let's see what they do with it. It's

[00:05:59] kind of been up and down but up for most of the last arc, I'd say.

[00:06:04] Yeah. Do you have any idea if there are any other podcasts that talk about that?

[00:06:09] About sex criminals? I have absolutely no idea.

[00:06:12] No, me neither. I have no idea. We'll have to look into that. That's funny.

[00:06:17] I mean, I think we're sort of a niche. I think so.

[00:06:20] We're a niche. Yeah, we're...

[00:06:23] Podcast where we covered something continuously. Yeah.

[00:06:29] So I don't know. Sorry.

[00:06:30] Maybe our listeners would know better on that question. I do not.

[00:06:34] What else do you listen to?

[00:06:35] I don't listen to any other podcasts.

[00:06:36] No, me neither.

[00:06:38] Okay. Why do I want to listen to them? Got us.

[00:06:45] I have to listen to you all the time though. I'm just kidding.

[00:06:47] Okay, the last bit of news here is that two once again, Mike works for a TV adaptation.

[00:06:57] And this one's like a live action, right?

[00:07:00] They have not... I don't think they've said that.

[00:07:03] Oh, okay. I wasn't sure.

[00:07:04] I don't think they've announced that but

[00:07:06] first there was going to be a live action series on Showtime.

[00:07:10] But I don't think they've ever made it past the point of the pilot development or something like that.

[00:07:15] Then, of course, more recently after we first started covering the two series on the podcast,

[00:07:21] it got another chance at being produced as an animated feature.

[00:07:26] And we talked about that. We were so super excited about that.

[00:07:31] There were some big names involved like Stephen Yon and Phyllis today.

[00:07:35] And I think back in the time at Robin Williams.

[00:07:37] Yeah, then it became David Tennant was going to take over for Robin Williams and he was still...

[00:07:43] Yeah.

[00:07:44] Yeah, yeah. So, but that... I never really heard how that went down.

[00:07:48] I just really probably three months ago heard a final thing from layman said,

[00:07:53] yeah, that's gone. But she was once again in the process of being adapted for the small screen.

[00:08:01] And John layman did confirm that a new quote Hollywood person, unquote,

[00:08:08] is trying to make Chew into a TV show. So it doesn't save live action or animated on the show.

[00:08:15] All right.

[00:08:15] So but then we'll have to wait for an announcement from that network

[00:08:20] you know, that's going to adapt it, you know, to the small screen to hear exactly

[00:08:25] when and what and how and all that. So anyway, I think it's exciting and layman's funny, you know,

[00:08:30] and we love John layman. Oh my God.

[00:08:33] He's an awesome person. And he's like, you know what preacher? It took 15 years to get to...

[00:08:38] Yeah, he's absolutely right.

[00:08:40] So, you know, he's cool with that. So anyway, I thought it was exciting.

[00:08:47] Do you know who interesting? Well, go ahead.

[00:08:50] I mean, Stephen Yen would be amazing, of course. But John Cho recently was just in the

[00:08:55] Exorcist, which is on TV. So he seems to have made the move over to network TV right now as well.

[00:09:01] So maybe, maybe John Cho.

[00:09:05] John Cho, no, he was in Flash Forward years ago, which I actually liked.

[00:09:09] Okay, I didn't realize that.

[00:09:11] I think that was him kind of long face.

[00:09:12] He could be an interesting Tony.

[00:09:16] I could see him.

[00:09:16] Yeah.

[00:09:17] Yeah. Hmm, I like it. I like it. Good stuff.

[00:09:22] I'll cast it for you. So we're...

[00:09:24] Absolutely. I'll work on that.

[00:09:26] Can we get it on the casting?

[00:09:28] In planning the casting? We'd like that.

[00:09:31] I do have one little item I want to bring up. I think I mentioned a couple of months ago

[00:09:35] about the difficult or maybe a few months ago now, the difficulties that Blue Moon comics

[00:09:39] and Santa Fele has been having. Yes, yes.

[00:09:41] That they lost their lease and their lease was up January 31st.

[00:09:46] They were going to have to move out and it was dire.

[00:09:50] And it got down to the wire and they found a place across the street and down the way.

[00:09:57] Used to be an old arcade called Starcade.

[00:09:59] So we'll still be on 4th Street in San Rafael.

[00:10:03] I'm extremely relieved and excited for my buddy Sam, the owner or co-owner, he and Stephen.

[00:10:11] And for my buddy Ryan, at least my ability to be able to hang out with Ryan

[00:10:14] so early, see him more regularly.

[00:10:17] Really happy for Blue Moon comics. Please.

[00:10:20] Anybody in the area, anybody who hears this.

[00:10:23] If you're anywhere near Blue Moon comics in San Rafael, please go.

[00:10:27] They need the business. It is absolutely desperate at this point.

[00:10:33] And they have a two year lease.

[00:10:34] And if that's not over, if that's...

[00:10:36] If they can't do better than they are now by then, it's gone.

[00:10:40] So support your local comic book shop people.

[00:10:44] You get to know the owners and the people whose lives really depend on it.

[00:10:49] And they get to know you and can recommend some really awesome stuff.

[00:10:53] They are absolutely my friends.

[00:10:55] And neither one of them has ever bothered to listen to a single podcast.

[00:11:00] Well, except the one you recorded in their studio.

[00:11:02] Except for the one in their shop.

[00:11:03] Yeah, in their shop. Absolutely.

[00:11:06] But other than that, yeah.

[00:11:09] I love them to death and I love them dearly.

[00:11:10] So I'm so happy for them.

[00:11:12] I love them.

[00:11:13] Blue Moon comics.

[00:11:14] Yay. They live.

[00:11:15] Yay, that's awesome.

[00:11:16] I'm very excited.

[00:11:17] That's the first I've heard of this name.

[00:11:19] Yes, I didn't.

[00:11:20] I did forget to mention it.

[00:11:21] The last I heard was when everyone else had the last update

[00:11:24] that wasn't as happy.

[00:11:25] So that's good.

[00:11:27] All right. Grace.

[00:11:30] Shall we go ahead and discuss a little walking dead?

[00:11:34] Yeah, let's do it.

[00:11:35] Oh boy. Here we go.

[00:11:39] Previously in the Walking Dead.

[00:11:41] Okay. So last issue what we had was basically a Negan issue.

[00:11:49] We got to see what Negan's been up to.

[00:11:52] We had a little cathartic moment with Maggie

[00:11:55] where she and Negan were both able to let go of their pasts,

[00:12:00] I believe, and move on.

[00:12:01] And Maggie made out with Dante and we're all,

[00:12:03] whew, happy.

[00:12:05] Made out.

[00:12:05] I don't know.

[00:12:06] Does that count?

[00:12:06] Okay. One can.

[00:12:07] You're right. It doesn't.

[00:12:08] One kiss. Fine.

[00:12:09] Breathe kiss.

[00:12:10] One very brief yet hot kiss.

[00:12:13] A little bit slobbery.

[00:12:14] A little slobbery.

[00:12:15] Okay, there's slobbers so maybe that counts.

[00:12:19] As far as what was also going on in that arc as well,

[00:12:22] you had a group heading over to Ohio of Moshone and Eugene

[00:12:29] and...

[00:12:30] Siddic.

[00:12:31] Siddic and the magna and her Sumiko?

[00:12:39] Kumiko?

[00:12:40] I think it's Kumiko.

[00:12:41] I can't remember.

[00:12:41] Yeah.

[00:12:43] And our new friend, Princess, heading on over to meet Stephanie

[00:12:50] in Ohio.

[00:12:51] And at last we see them.

[00:12:53] They're in a train station and all of a sudden

[00:12:56] all these crazy stormtrooper looking soldiers pop out with guns and like,

[00:13:02] oh, hands in the air.

[00:13:03] Get your guns down.

[00:13:04] You know.

[00:13:06] And it's like, oh my goodness, what's going on?

[00:13:08] And that's really where this one starts off with, right?

[00:13:11] It is.

[00:13:13] Yeah.

[00:13:15] What were your thoughts?

[00:13:17] Good issue.

[00:13:18] I mean, great at the end.

[00:13:19] Oh my god.

[00:13:20] Yes.

[00:13:21] I love when The Walking Dead can totally surprise me and they surprise me.

[00:13:28] Oh, didn't see that coming in no way, shape or form.

[00:13:31] Nope.

[00:13:32] Did not see that coming.

[00:13:37] You know, and I feel like Kirkman's been building this really since

[00:13:42] Michonne's reappearance after the time skip and then she was gone for a while.

[00:13:46] You know, then we didn't see her for a while.

[00:13:47] Yeah.

[00:13:48] Yeah.

[00:13:48] Yeah.

[00:13:49] He's been building it since at least then.

[00:13:51] That was cool.

[00:13:52] And maybe we thought that.

[00:13:53] Yeah.

[00:13:53] Maybe we thought the big thing was going to be the loss of Ezekiel, but no,

[00:13:59] maybe now it's that she gains her.

[00:14:01] Is that a boy or girl's name?

[00:14:03] I was guessing it's her daughter.

[00:14:04] She had two daughters.

[00:14:05] She had two daughters.

[00:14:06] Okay.

[00:14:07] LOD, I believe is how you know.

[00:14:09] LOD, okay.

[00:14:10] So yeah, that came out of nowhere, but I, oh my god, I loved it.

[00:14:16] This and this was a good solid issue.

[00:14:20] You know, really had a nice flow to it.

[00:14:22] It had some fun little things that I think we're going to be able to talk about.

[00:14:27] And I really, wow, if this, how does one say a game changer?

[00:14:33] This is a bit of a game changer.

[00:14:36] So new world order indeed as frightening of a term that is grace, your number three.

[00:14:46] My number three.

[00:14:46] Okay.

[00:14:47] I just did a bunch of listy things.

[00:14:49] So let me pick one.

[00:14:53] Okay.

[00:14:53] I'm going to go with this really little one, but I hate to admit it,

[00:14:58] but princess made me laugh in this issue.

[00:15:00] Nice.

[00:15:00] And she's growing on me.

[00:15:01] Nice.

[00:15:03] Yes.

[00:15:04] How is that possible?

[00:15:08] She was home where she is in this one.

[00:15:11] She just slid in there with her humor and I liked her.

[00:15:16] Yeah.

[00:15:16] And she's fucking crazy.

[00:15:18] But she, she acknowledges it.

[00:15:22] Oh, she's crazy.

[00:15:23] But the whole, you know, she, I mean the whole, what did she call it?

[00:15:29] Dong, what does she call it?

[00:15:31] Ding Dong.

[00:15:33] Ding Dong.

[00:15:35] The whole ding dong comment and just the fact that she's like, oh yeah, they picked me up on the way.

[00:15:42] They didn't even know me.

[00:15:43] I'm like, who the fuck says that?

[00:15:45] There's guns pointed at you, you idiot.

[00:15:47] And that kind of makes her lovable and oh, there was one other thing that just made me go,

[00:15:54] okay.

[00:15:55] Oh, the whole re-explaining her princess nickname that she gave herself.

[00:16:01] Yes.

[00:16:01] Yeah.

[00:16:02] Anyone who admits they gave themselves a nickname, they have no shame.

[00:16:10] They have nothing to hide.

[00:16:11] They have absolutely nothing to hide or they're really, really, really, really good actor.

[00:16:15] And I really, in Lance's face of just, oh fuck God, damn.

[00:16:20] Okay, just, you know.

[00:16:23] I'll deal with that later.

[00:16:28] Oh yeah, princess.

[00:16:30] She, I liked her.

[00:16:32] And, you know.

[00:16:33] I am so happy.

[00:16:35] Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm so happy to hear that.

[00:16:37] I really am.

[00:16:40] I absolutely loved her in this issue as well.

[00:16:43] I thought she was just hilarious, the whole armor covering their ding dong things.

[00:16:48] Are there the dead ones that specifically go after the ding dong?

[00:16:57] Oh, God, that's wonderful.

[00:16:59] All right, my number three.

[00:17:02] Lance Hornsby.

[00:17:06] I gotta say, I kind of like him.

[00:17:08] Oh, God.

[00:17:09] No, no, no, no, not because.

[00:17:10] The face of the Commonwealth.

[00:17:12] You like him like I like Gregory?

[00:17:14] Kind of, exactly.

[00:17:16] But I think the thing with Lance and I got my head around it later on.

[00:17:21] Actually after I had already written my top three and then I was thinking about him

[00:17:24] some more and I'm like, oh, he's HR.

[00:17:28] He's the head of HR.

[00:17:29] So no wonder why we all hate him because he has to have that stick in his butt.

[00:17:34] And I love the fact that the one soldier guy who's being all nice to Michonne saying,

[00:17:44] what something around like, you know, oh, here it is.

[00:17:47] Lance is kind of a prick, but you'll see his kind are essential to how we run things.

[00:17:51] It's so big they actually need the bureaucracy.

[00:17:55] And in this society, the bureaucracy probably works really, really well.

[00:18:00] And also part of my number three here is also not just Lance, but also the Commonwealth in general.

[00:18:08] This looks amazing and I can't wait to see what's behind all that.

[00:18:13] It scares me though.

[00:18:15] You know, I did not, their enthusiasm really scared me.

[00:18:19] Sidic and whoever else would, Princess, I guess, when they're concerts, football,

[00:18:25] that enthusiasm scared me because you know,

[00:18:30] uh, yeah, I just don't want something scary to be behind the facade.

[00:18:37] Sure.

[00:18:39] The other part of me was is like, wow, this could be a really easy or good or way

[00:18:51] to kind of wrap up the walking dead.

[00:18:53] Well, and not just necessarily wrap it.

[00:18:56] Yeah, something on your mind.

[00:18:59] Not necessarily.

[00:19:00] It just felt a little bit like that.

[00:19:01] What was that Will Smith apocalyptic type movie?

[00:19:06] I am legend or after Earth.

[00:19:10] One of those where he like the end, he's just like arrives at this

[00:19:15] safe haven kind of.

[00:19:16] Oh, I don't remember.

[00:19:17] I don't remember.

[00:19:18] I don't know, but it just kind of had that feeling that this could sort of be the end,

[00:19:22] a way to end it.

[00:19:24] Actually, I thought that what it could be would be an interesting and this could

[00:19:27] maybe lead to a way to end it would be also a look at how all of our survivors

[00:19:35] are able to integrate into a more functioning society.

[00:19:41] Well, that's what we thought about Alexandria so far back.

[00:19:43] Exactly.

[00:19:44] Well, no, exactly.

[00:19:44] And actually Lance really reminded me of the whole of the interviews.

[00:19:49] Yeah.

[00:19:49] And when you went into Alexandria.

[00:19:51] Yeah, absolutely.

[00:19:52] And I think we're, you know, I believe Rick,

[00:19:57] oh, God, see, this is where I get confused between the comic and the show.

[00:20:00] I know the shows got their special way of doing it, but I don't know.

[00:20:04] The questions.

[00:20:07] I can't remember if Rick ever instituted anything like that.

[00:20:10] I'm sure he did.

[00:20:14] I don't recall there.

[00:20:16] No, they didn't have three questions that yet answered that I recall.

[00:20:20] I don't remember.

[00:20:20] No, not that, but I mean something else.

[00:20:23] No, something good.

[00:20:25] I don't really remember anything like that.

[00:20:28] But anyway, I'm sure there was a process.

[00:20:31] I'm trying to think of when Magna and crew came in, you know,

[00:20:35] I'm sure there was a little bit of questioning.

[00:20:38] Yeah, a little bit, I'm sure.

[00:20:40] But it wasn't so in your face.

[00:20:43] It wasn't as bureaucratic.

[00:20:44] And I mean, this is this was very, you know,

[00:20:48] they didn't.

[00:20:48] I don't think they took him to the staging area.

[00:20:51] I think that was the staging area.

[00:20:54] No, that was the staging area was the little train car there.

[00:20:59] I know.

[00:21:00] I'm saying I don't think Rick.

[00:21:02] Rick and crew.

[00:21:03] No, you're right.

[00:21:03] No, they didn't.

[00:21:03] No, you're right.

[00:21:05] I'm sorry.

[00:21:05] The staging area.

[00:21:06] I'm making fun of Lance.

[00:21:10] He's in HR.

[00:21:11] It's smart to have somewhere to meet outside.

[00:21:15] You know, it's all very smart and understandable.

[00:21:19] And they're efficient.

[00:21:21] They're so efficient that Lance can like take a snooze

[00:21:24] while they're being attacked by zombies and go like,

[00:21:27] all right, let's just move on.

[00:21:29] Wow, you guys are really good job, guys.

[00:21:32] You guys are really, you know.

[00:21:35] Wow.

[00:21:36] I don't know.

[00:21:36] My, you know, my note is Lance Hornsby,

[00:21:41] the face of the Commonwealth.

[00:21:42] What a fuckwad.

[00:21:43] Fair enough.

[00:21:44] Yeah.

[00:21:44] You know, the set of panels where he's like taking off the gloves

[00:21:49] and picking up the pen.

[00:21:51] It just showed me that he's like taking his sweet ass time.

[00:21:56] And, you know, and it was very off-putting and just a display

[00:22:03] of power in a way and with everybody,

[00:22:06] his men with guns behind him.

[00:22:09] Anyway, I did not care for it.

[00:22:11] Would you say fuckwad?

[00:22:12] Is that what you said?

[00:22:14] But yeah, that's what, that happened to that in my notes.

[00:22:16] What a fuckwad.

[00:22:18] Yeah, fuckwad.

[00:22:19] That's a good word for him.

[00:22:20] He's definitely like Gregory 2.0, but I don't think he,

[00:22:24] Smarterger.

[00:22:25] I really don't think he is the top dog, you know?

[00:22:28] No, and even he even gave himself a title.

[00:22:32] I don't recall what it is, but basically HR manager.

[00:22:37] Head of HR.

[00:22:38] Yeah, he's in charge of, oh, look at that one,

[00:22:42] of like new recruit, not recruits.

[00:22:45] Yeah, that's what he said.

[00:22:48] Whereas he was yelling at us.

[00:22:52] It's blah, blah, blah.

[00:22:57] Okay, we'll find it at some point.

[00:22:59] What's your number two?

[00:23:01] As I'll look for it.

[00:23:02] Okay, he handles all new entries into the Commonwealth.

[00:23:05] There it is.

[00:23:05] Yeah, right as I did too.

[00:23:06] I just saw, yeah.

[00:23:07] Okay.

[00:23:08] I knew what Pam would look at.

[00:23:11] Right after the gloves.

[00:23:12] My number two.

[00:23:14] Okay, I'm going to choose this one.

[00:23:18] No, none.

[00:23:19] Michonne's answer to the customs or ways of living.

[00:23:24] That they love.

[00:23:24] Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:23:25] I love that and I loved the panel of her kind of looking sideways

[00:23:29] because her answer and the look on her face brought back

[00:23:33] because I never think about this anymore.

[00:23:35] I never think about the fact that she had her boyfriend

[00:23:38] and her boyfriend's best friend on freaking chains

[00:23:42] and she traveled with them for who knows how long.

[00:23:46] I don't even think about Michonne.

[00:23:49] She's a long way from that, yeah.

[00:23:51] Yeah, she's a long way from that

[00:23:52] but man, that was a way of life for her for sure.

[00:23:56] And so I like and I think of course it was on purpose

[00:23:59] but I like the fact that she was the one

[00:24:01] that the question was addressed to

[00:24:03] and she was the one that answered it

[00:24:05] and just the whole, the entire look on her face.

[00:24:08] Yeah, that's a great catch.

[00:24:09] Then she answered it with conviction and confidence

[00:24:13] and because that's not who she is anymore

[00:24:17] but I just had this flashback of the Michonne

[00:24:23] that we were introduced to and I was like wow.

[00:24:27] That's cool, that's a great catch.

[00:24:31] Wow and especially in this issue with what we find

[00:24:35] what a great direct link to her past like that.

[00:24:38] That's wonderful.

[00:24:41] Good catch.

[00:24:44] Thanks.

[00:24:44] Oh, I like that a lot.

[00:24:47] My number two actually was Princess.

[00:24:50] I'm going to change it to my one note that I have

[00:24:54] because I did love Princess and the whole thing as well

[00:24:58] but honestly this was vying for my number two as well was Eugene

[00:25:03] and dude he left definitely toughened up now didn't he?

[00:25:08] He's like, he is stern and just clear of mind like

[00:25:13] I want to talk to Stephanie and I don't trust you.

[00:25:16] I mean he's not, I love it.

[00:25:18] There's no sugarcoating at all on what he's saying

[00:25:22] and I love that Michonne backed him up in the way that she did.

[00:25:24] I loved everything about that interaction

[00:25:27] with our survivors.

[00:25:28] I thought it was fantastic.

[00:25:30] Yeah, I have that as on my list too.

[00:25:35] I just said loving me some Eugene and his arc in general

[00:25:39] and it really, this is one of the times

[00:25:41] and it's not the first time.

[00:25:42] This is probably the second or third time.

[00:25:43] I have something that's happened that's made me

[00:25:48] really reflect on Eugene's arc

[00:25:52] where he was in the beginning and where he is now

[00:25:55] and how he's really changed for the better

[00:25:58] and he's really become such an integral part of the community

[00:26:05] and even now if he's the one to find this new community

[00:26:13] how perfect is that?

[00:26:14] Because he is the one that brought them

[00:26:17] to this DC area in the first place.

[00:26:19] That's right.

[00:26:20] He gets them ultimately to Ohio and this Commonwealth

[00:26:25] and this new huge community and if it works out

[00:26:29] then I'm like, okay, Eugene really had a super full arc.

[00:26:36] Maybe one of the most full arcs.

[00:26:38] If this turns out well, maybe one of the most full arcs.

[00:26:41] If it turns out well, yeah.

[00:26:42] Well, it could still be very full

[00:26:44] because it really has been a very full arc and you're right.

[00:26:47] And I think he is somebody that was so

[00:26:50] shall I say pitiful and malleable.

[00:26:53] Kind of like just in brawl a bit.

[00:26:55] A little bit.

[00:26:56] The whole spying on them having sex.

[00:26:58] You know that pitiful.

[00:27:00] He's pitiful and you already said that.

[00:27:03] But that's like a malleable character

[00:27:05] that you can actually allow to grow.

[00:27:07] Like, you got your Rick Grimes that shows up

[00:27:09] like how you doing?

[00:27:10] I'm a perfect sheriff.

[00:27:13] It's where do you have to go?

[00:27:15] Oh, you got to make him crazy and then he can come back.

[00:27:19] With Eugene, you start off at the bottom

[00:27:21] and then you're able to kind of build, build, build.

[00:27:23] And with the death of Rosita, I think you see

[00:27:25] or I'm going to back up with the death of Abraham.

[00:27:31] You see the stronger part of him, the ammunition.

[00:27:34] He then has a purpose.

[00:27:36] We begin to see in a new beginning.

[00:27:40] He's making the bread and he's worked out

[00:27:41] all these other things that you know,

[00:27:43] that that's just great for his character

[00:27:45] than the death of Rosita.

[00:27:47] Now we have the basically the I give zero fucks Eugene.

[00:27:53] I think he's just like, I'm not going to fuck around.

[00:27:55] This is what I expect.

[00:27:56] This is what I want.

[00:27:58] Fuck you.

[00:28:00] Yes.

[00:28:00] And I love seeing that in his character.

[00:28:03] And you're right.

[00:28:04] It has been a phenomenal arc for Eugene.

[00:28:08] It has.

[00:28:09] And fuck the TV show for what they're doing

[00:28:11] with this character.

[00:28:12] Oh, God, I can't even go there.

[00:28:13] I think I'm done.

[00:28:14] I think I'm done with the TV show.

[00:28:17] I just I really am.

[00:28:18] It's gotten so shitacular.

[00:28:20] I just can't take it.

[00:28:22] So yeah, it's you call yourself something else.

[00:28:25] You're not the walking dead.

[00:28:27] I don't know.

[00:28:28] Yeah, I'm with you.

[00:28:29] Grumble, grumble.

[00:28:30] Oh man, shit.

[00:28:35] So are we at my number one?

[00:28:37] We are.

[00:28:38] I wonder what it could be.

[00:28:40] Yeah.

[00:28:41] Okay.

[00:28:41] Well, naturally it's the wall of the lost and

[00:28:47] Elodie's pick of Michonne and all that.

[00:28:51] Like we talked about before, did not expect it at all.

[00:28:55] And also what I love about it was the moment before we see the reveal.

[00:29:03] And you kind of know something is kind of like, you know,

[00:29:06] it's going to be meaningful for Michonne.

[00:29:08] But I didn't still I knew it was going to be meaningful for her.

[00:29:12] I knew something was going to happen.

[00:29:13] But I still didn't think that.

[00:29:16] I don't know why.

[00:29:17] No, no, no.

[00:29:18] I think maybe because we've never really seen her with her children.

[00:29:22] I don't know.

[00:29:23] It just wasn't forefront on my mind, but I love that spread where you see the back of everybody,

[00:29:30] you know, in the shock look of princess.

[00:29:32] But Michonne walking up, it's gorgeous as it's beautiful.

[00:29:36] And then of course the reveal and then Michonne and tears.

[00:29:39] It was really well done and really a wonderful reveal to me.

[00:29:47] And if anyone saw that coming, then I really feel bad that you missed out on the big reveal that

[00:29:53] I'm like, goodness, no kidding.

[00:29:55] I feel exactly the same way it was.

[00:29:58] It was extraordinary.

[00:30:00] It was it was a real shock and a book, 175 issues.

[00:30:07] And I got to say it doesn't necessarily feel forced.

[00:30:11] It doesn't feel fake.

[00:30:12] This feels earned.

[00:30:14] I'm like, oh my God, this is great.

[00:30:17] Will Michonne be reunited with her daughter?

[00:30:20] That is just so and that goes into my idea of what could the next chapter be?

[00:30:25] Is everybody kind of adapting and changing in this new community?

[00:30:28] You know, Michonne has a daughter again.

[00:30:31] But how old is your daughter at this point?

[00:30:33] You know, it's going to be so different.

[00:30:36] And one thing I also because this was my number one as well, obviously, obvi.

[00:30:44] Lance, I love when he's talking about the wall and what it means and what it is, you know,

[00:30:49] and he's kind of like, let them have their fun town still awake.

[00:30:53] You know, he's, you know, I think the faded weather beaten photos are the saddest.

[00:30:58] Then they're the really dedicated people who wrap the photos in plastic to protect them.

[00:31:03] It's so it says heartwarming as it is tragic.

[00:31:07] But that's exactly what Michonne's photo is.

[00:31:10] Sure.

[00:31:11] Trap them plastic, which tells us that you know her daughter is one of the most dedicated,

[00:31:18] still believing in her mom and she's there.

[00:31:21] This is going to be fucking awesome.

[00:31:23] Yeah, it is.

[00:31:27] It is.

[00:31:27] And I'm going to be there and reading it.

[00:31:30] Yeah, I too.

[00:31:31] I did love the whole wall and everything.

[00:31:37] And it was beautiful and tragic.

[00:31:39] And I love the fact that all of them were in awe of it or in they all felt it.

[00:31:50] Yeah.

[00:31:51] You know, they weren't like, you know, like Lance, of course, Lance, you know,

[00:31:55] he's probably seen it for years and years and years.

[00:31:56] So, you know, I can't fault him for.

[00:31:58] No, I bet he's going to be like say some douchey like, oh, this is fantastic.

[00:32:05] I can't wait to put it in the newsletter.

[00:32:07] You know, something like that.

[00:32:11] But you're right.

[00:32:12] Even princess has that look of like, oh my God, this is big, you know?

[00:32:19] Because it's all there no matter what says my mom Michonne.

[00:32:22] Oh, my mom Michonne.

[00:32:26] Wow, look at that.

[00:32:27] And I love seeing a picture of young Michonne.

[00:32:30] Pre-apocalypse.

[00:32:31] Yeah, pre-apocalypse Michonne, lawyer Michonne.

[00:32:34] Michonne all lawyer it up there.

[00:32:37] Michonne Esquire.

[00:32:41] My goodness.

[00:32:43] Yeah, amazing.

[00:32:45] And I just I'm just like that smiley super excited about like kind of

[00:32:54] nostalgic super excited like I don't know, like have those warm feelies about it.

[00:33:02] I think she's going to be there.

[00:33:03] I think she's going to be there and we'll see, you know, might not be super easy,

[00:33:06] but I don't know.

[00:33:07] I can't I cannot wait to see it.

[00:33:09] No, me neither.

[00:33:10] I really hope she's still okay and everything's fine.

[00:33:13] I mean, you know, it's going to be heartbreaking if you find out, oh,

[00:33:16] she just died last week.

[00:33:19] You know, broken toe.

[00:33:24] She's a staff infection from a paper cut.

[00:33:26] Yeah, exactly.

[00:33:27] Like, oh, a tooth abscess.

[00:33:29] Oh, you died like the Pharaohs.

[00:33:31] Fuck.

[00:33:33] No, I don't think that will happen.

[00:33:35] We have football, but no antibiotics.

[00:33:38] It makes it extra dangerous.

[00:33:45] Hopefully they've learned some natural healing in these ears.

[00:33:50] Anyway, okay.

[00:33:51] We went off in a kind of weird tangent there.

[00:33:56] We're allowed tonight.

[00:33:58] We are allowed tonight to go off in whatever tangent we want to go on.

[00:34:03] Come on.

[00:34:04] If ever there was a time, right people, right?

[00:34:07] You guys are nodding your head.

[00:34:08] That's right.

[00:34:11] Thank you.

[00:34:12] Thank you very much.

[00:34:15] Oh my goodness.

[00:34:16] Okay.

[00:34:17] Well, I think it's safe to say we both really enjoyed this issue.

[00:34:21] I did.

[00:34:21] I think it's safe to say we're both a little like almost pissed

[00:34:25] because we're not going to be able to talk about it on the podcast again next month.

[00:34:32] What the fuck were you thinking?

[00:34:35] Have you had that?

[00:34:36] I will admit, I've had that occasional whatever.

[00:34:39] We'll talk about that shortly.

[00:34:41] Not really.

[00:34:42] It's whatever.

[00:34:43] Okay.

[00:34:48] Okay.

[00:34:48] Grace.

[00:34:49] Shall we go ahead and move on?

[00:34:51] Yeah.

[00:34:52] Should we go ahead and move on to the mail?

[00:34:54] Yes.

[00:34:54] All right.

[00:34:55] Okay.

[00:34:55] But I want to preface this.

[00:34:58] Or are you going to preface it?

[00:35:01] Oh yeah, why don't you go ahead?

[00:35:02] Okay.

[00:35:03] I forgot.

[00:35:03] I just want to preface before we get into our mail, we received

[00:35:08] a lot of mail concerning the Facebook posts and on Twitter about us ending the podcast.

[00:35:16] So.

[00:35:16] Solely about us ending this.

[00:35:18] Solely about us.

[00:35:19] Ending the podcast.

[00:35:21] I can't begin to tell you guys how much all of that meant to me and I think I can say Grace as well.

[00:35:31] Of course.

[00:35:31] To read everything you guys had to say.

[00:35:36] Yeah.

[00:35:36] We loved it.

[00:35:37] I was definitely in tears more than once.

[00:35:39] Yeah.

[00:35:39] For sure.

[00:35:40] Yeah.

[00:35:42] But Grace and I have always felt that it is self-serving and weird for us to read things

[00:35:49] that are praising us.

[00:35:50] So we are not going to read those on the show.

[00:35:54] But we're going to read some of the ones we got about this issue.

[00:35:57] Yeah, a little bit of that creep in I guess.

[00:36:00] But I just.

[00:36:03] We're going to play Matt's call.

[00:36:04] We are going to play Matt's call.

[00:36:04] Because it's him saying it so it doesn't feel as weird.

[00:36:07] Good point.

[00:36:08] Yeah.

[00:36:10] That was my feeling on it.

[00:36:12] Fair enough.

[00:36:13] Yeah.

[00:36:14] So we're going to have a phone call as well.

[00:36:15] We took the time to call into the pretty much dead phone number.

[00:36:23] Yeah, yeah, I love that.

[00:36:24] I really did.

[00:36:25] So one last call.

[00:36:26] That was awesome.

[00:36:27] But I just want all of you to know how much it all did mean to us.

[00:36:32] I'll save that for the end again.

[00:36:34] It's going to be there.

[00:36:35] But these are pretty much just about the issue and Grace go ahead and take it away.

[00:36:44] Okay.

[00:36:45] Our first one here is from Dylan.

[00:36:47] And I have to say like some people of course have no clue that we were leaving either.

[00:36:51] Yeah.

[00:36:51] So yeah.

[00:36:53] Hey guys, the larger world has gotten way larger.

[00:36:56] Obviously the big reveal was Michonne's possible family reunion.

[00:37:00] I keep trying to figure out how that fits into

[00:37:04] the canon with what we know from the comics and Michonne game.

[00:37:08] But that's for another time.

[00:37:10] Still too early to know what to make of it.

[00:37:13] Okay.

[00:37:13] Well, I think it fits in perfectly with canon because we know that she has two daughters

[00:37:21] and she feels that she's abandoned them.

[00:37:23] But I think I never played the Michonne game.

[00:37:26] So I actually don't know what that's about.

[00:37:29] Well, the Michonne game, I think we do see the two daughters.

[00:37:34] I remember reading maybe an hallucination or something.

[00:37:38] And I think it was a real interaction but the two daughters were there and I went and looked today

[00:37:45] to find the other one's name.

[00:37:46] The other one's name was Colette.

[00:37:48] Oh, good job.

[00:37:49] Colette and Elodie.

[00:37:51] And so we see that and I looked up in the Wiki today to refresh my mind.

[00:37:58] I was digging and digging trying to find her interaction with Rick when she comes off the

[00:38:04] boat to see what we got.

[00:38:05] But I couldn't find it.

[00:38:06] So I went to the Wiki and I guess she went away and she left to him with the nanny.

[00:38:12] I don't know why she feels like she abandoned them but anyway, but they get separated.

[00:38:17] And she assumed they were dead and she blamed herself all these years for their death.

[00:38:24] Anyway, so I think it fits in super well with canon.

[00:38:28] Anyway, okay, go on with Dylan's letter.

[00:38:30] The thing I'm most happy about is that this community has football.

[00:38:34] No.

[00:38:37] It seems good so far.

[00:38:39] It would have been kind of silly for all the buildup to just end with another group

[00:38:45] immediately try to kill our survivors.

[00:38:48] Obviously we don't know anything yet but this definitely mirrors the Alexandria introduction

[00:38:54] in a lot of ways.

[00:38:55] I think back to how Alexandria having schools, parties and holidays was weird

[00:39:01] and this is just on a larger scale.

[00:39:03] Yeah.

[00:39:04] And probably not so weird because they were just having festivals and all that stuff as well.

[00:39:09] But speaking of scale, I thought it was interesting when they said they have 50,000 people or so.

[00:39:16] I wonder if he means in a network of communities or one big community?

[00:39:21] I think it's one big community.

[00:39:24] Who knows?

[00:39:25] We'll find out.

[00:39:26] Well, Kirkman knows.

[00:39:27] Kirkman knows.

[00:39:29] Regardless, it could be a big community.

[00:39:33] Regardless, it clearly astounds the group and its multitudes larger than any population we've seen before.

[00:39:42] But still, it's not quite a gigantic new civilization here.

[00:39:45] 50,000 people is about the same as the attendance of a Yankee game or the population of a smallish city in America.

[00:39:53] So this is huge, yes, but I'm glad we're not talking millions here.

[00:39:57] Frankly, that would just be unrealistic given the amount of death the apocalypse caused.

[00:40:04] I'm as intrigued as ever.

[00:40:06] The dialogue has been phenomenal lately.

[00:40:08] My only fear is this could be the beginning of the end of the book and I don't want that.

[00:40:14] Awesome show as always guys.

[00:40:16] Dylan, aka Pickles 312.

[00:40:18] Yeah, yeah, that was another thought I had expressed.

[00:40:22] I didn't get that foreign Dylan's letter when I was skimming earlier.

[00:40:25] That's pretty good.

[00:40:26] Yeah, I like it.

[00:40:28] Very nice.

[00:40:29] And Dylan, it's been great man.

[00:40:32] Thank you very much for all the times you've written in and

[00:40:38] roamers and lurkers, right?

[00:40:39] That's where we met way back when.

[00:40:43] Pickles has been with us since the beginning.

[00:40:46] Thank you dude.

[00:40:47] Thank you very much.

[00:40:48] Thank you.

[00:40:48] Big ups to Dylan.

[00:40:50] Next one here is from Jason, not the Jason, I think just a Jason.

[00:40:56] Not Daddy, not Podcast Daddy Jason.

[00:40:59] Another awesome Jason.

[00:41:01] Absolutely.

[00:41:02] Hello Mr. Blogging Grace.

[00:41:04] I thought it was funny last month when you welcomed me to the pain of waiting for the

[00:41:08] comic to come out each month when until recently I had to wait yearly for the hardcover books.

[00:41:14] Wait each month does suck but not as much as waiting each year.

[00:41:19] True that, okay.

[00:41:20] Okay.

[00:41:21] I think maybe at least I thought that he had read them all at once and now was now monthly

[00:41:28] so I didn't realize he was waiting for a year.

[00:41:30] Yeah, he's been waiting for a year at a time.

[00:41:32] Yeah.

[00:41:33] That's rough.

[00:41:34] Yeah.

[00:41:35] I just got the collector's edition with all volumes of lock and key

[00:41:39] and the first volume of manifest destiny for Christmas.

[00:41:43] Yeah.

[00:41:43] Right on.

[00:41:44] That is so great.

[00:41:46] Congratulations, you're going to have a great read.

[00:41:49] I'm going to have to go back and listen to the podcasts where you guys cover these books and

[00:41:54] make sure to definitely pick up all the other books you have covered so I can continue to listen

[00:42:00] to you guys.

[00:42:01] I'm just going to continue to listen to you guys.

[00:42:03] I've only listened to your Walking Dead podcast and a few others to basically

[00:42:06] preview a first issue of the book I may be interested in picking up.

[00:42:10] I'm really going to miss listening to you guys.

[00:42:12] Okay, so he knows.

[00:42:15] Yeah.

[00:42:16] Oh, thank you.

[00:42:18] There's still more in here.

[00:42:20] Okay.

[00:42:21] I think number 175 is very good.

[00:42:23] I can't wait to see what the Commonwealth looks like.

[00:42:26] Almost 50,000, but something has to go wrong.

[00:42:29] Lance has to be hiding something.

[00:42:31] I believe the soldier that is reassuring was shown is truthful.

[00:42:34] But once you get to how it all works, it's great.

[00:42:38] Good point.

[00:42:39] Good call.

[00:42:40] Yeah.

[00:42:41] Some might have said that about the sanctuary too.

[00:42:44] I'm definitely liking princess and her goofy lines that can entertain us when Negan isn't around.

[00:42:49] And oh my God, Michonne might be reunited with her kid.

[00:42:52] Talk about something totally unexpected.

[00:42:54] There's a lot to look forward to in this arc and I am excited.

[00:42:58] I wish you guys all the best.

[00:43:00] You're going to be missed.

[00:43:02] Jason.

[00:43:03] Thanks, Jason.

[00:43:04] Thank you so much.

[00:43:06] I kind of like that having a listener from the beginning and a brand new listener back to back.

[00:43:12] That's pretty awesome.

[00:43:13] Let's just have a letter that kind of came in.

[00:43:14] That's awesome.

[00:43:20] Okay, our next one is from Matt.

[00:43:23] Happy new comic day, Grace and Mr. B, but also a sad new comic day at the same time.

[00:43:29] I left you guys a voicemail, winky face onto the comic business as usual.

[00:43:36] Let me just start by saying this Lance fellow is a douche.

[00:43:41] This whole issue, I just wasn't sure if I trusted that guy or any of the snake oil he was selling.

[00:43:48] A heavily armored security force that seems to know what they're doing, by the way.

[00:43:53] 50,000 people, concerts, sports.

[00:43:56] Then you've got this ass hat Lance out in front,

[00:44:00] refusing to let anyone talk to Stephanie.

[00:44:04] Quizzing and threatening everybody.

[00:44:07] Then we got to the final page with Elodie's message about her mom.

[00:44:12] Wow, this might be the biggest thing since Rick was able to find Laurie and Carl.

[00:44:17] Actually, this may be the first reunion since then.

[00:44:21] I can't think of any others.

[00:44:23] Overall, I enjoyed the issue.

[00:44:25] I'm looking forward to seeing Stephanie and the rest of this huge community

[00:44:30] and meeting Michonne's daughter.

[00:44:32] P.S., I also chuckled at Princess's comment about Ding Dongs.

[00:44:38] I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts this week.

[00:44:41] Thanks for all of the podcasts.

[00:44:42] I will miss you guys.

[00:44:44] Best wishes and for the last time,

[00:44:47] Matt in the frozen plains.

[00:44:49] It's literally one degree Fahrenheit one right now of Iowa signing off.

[00:44:56] P.S., maybe we can keep things going in the form of an under the comic cover

[00:45:01] Facebook group to keep our community around to discuss the latest issues that we all know and love.

[00:45:09] If you need a volunteer moderator, I'd take the job, winky face.

[00:45:14] That might be a good idea.

[00:45:15] No, I like that idea.

[00:45:16] I mean, just for Black science and Saga alone.

[00:45:19] Oh my God.

[00:45:21] Yeah.

[00:45:23] P.P.S., now signing off.

[00:45:26] Thank you.

[00:45:27] Matt.

[00:45:30] Hearing that a happy new comic.

[00:45:42] Okay, that is going to be heavily edited right there from what you heard from where we are now.

[00:45:47] Our next letter here is from Vince.

[00:45:51] Hi, Grayson, Mr. B. Happy New Year.

[00:45:53] I last wrote in for Princess issue and said it was the only time anything the Walking Dead had

[00:45:58] disappointed me.

[00:46:00] Well, since then it's been this show that has been constantly disappointing

[00:46:05] while the comic went and totally redeemed itself.

[00:46:08] The Negan Maggie issue was great.

[00:46:10] And now this one, this issue really has me excited about where things are going again.

[00:46:16] An extra buck kind of suck, but variance the whole year is pretty cool.

[00:46:21] Although it takes me from $6 a month to $16 for little bros in mine.

[00:46:26] Kirkman.

[00:46:28] I said that all wrong.

[00:46:30] Uh, Kirkman.

[00:46:33] Oh no, that's wrong too.

[00:46:34] That sounds too heroic.

[00:46:36] Let's see.

[00:46:37] Kirkman.

[00:46:40] There we go.

[00:46:41] It sucks what the show has done to Eugene.

[00:46:44] I'm a denial about Carl still.

[00:46:46] Eugene was a bad mother in this one.

[00:46:49] It's so disappointing how quickly the show has become just plain dumb at times.

[00:46:54] Can't wait to hear you guys discuss the issue.

[00:46:57] Take care now.

[00:46:59] Bye bye then.

[00:47:00] Vince from San Jose, California.

[00:47:02] Thanks, Vince.

[00:47:03] That was kind of difficult to get through.

[00:47:06] Sorry, I think I was still the mat thing.

[00:47:08] I'm sorry, dude.

[00:47:10] It was like change of years.

[00:47:11] Kinda, yeah.

[00:47:15] Very good.

[00:47:18] Yeah, this was good stuff.

[00:47:20] Okay.

[00:47:20] Thanks, Vince.

[00:47:21] Thank you.

[00:47:21] Okay.

[00:47:22] This last one here, last letter here is from Lloyd.

[00:47:26] Oh fuck.

[00:47:27] Good buddy Lloyd.

[00:47:27] I'm going to say it this time.

[00:47:28] Oh.

[00:47:33] And yeah, okay.

[00:47:35] Are you guys really going to get through this issue?

[00:47:38] Well if you do and you want some comments, here are mine.

[00:47:43] We made it through.

[00:47:45] We made it through.

[00:47:46] This is like Lloyd's third letter today.

[00:47:49] As he realized we weren't coming back.

[00:47:51] Okay, my top three.

[00:47:54] Lance Hornsby, a.k.a. The Face.

[00:47:57] For real, Lance Hornsby.

[00:47:59] Somehow that name is perfect for this guy.

[00:48:02] He's the face of this new world order,

[00:48:05] the Commonwealth 50,000 people strong?

[00:48:08] Yikes.

[00:48:09] It's like Bruce Hornsby in the range, right?

[00:48:11] It's like mediocrity at its finest.

[00:48:15] That's Lance Hornsby.

[00:48:17] He is mediocrity at its finest.

[00:48:22] Oh man.

[00:48:24] Number two, Eugene Michonne at all.

[00:48:27] One nation under Rick, indivisible.

[00:48:30] I like that.

[00:48:31] Yeah, that's great.

[00:48:32] One, have you seen my mom Michonne?

[00:48:35] This changes everything.

[00:48:36] Yeah, it does.

[00:48:38] Yeah.

[00:48:39] Man, I'm going to miss you guys.

[00:48:41] If you ever plan to come back or do another podcast,

[00:48:44] you can count on me to be there.

[00:48:46] Please see my other email for the sad goodbye.

[00:48:49] And he has like a saddest emotion.

[00:48:53] He has a sad face gum drop.

[00:48:56] Oh my god.

[00:48:56] We got the message.

[00:48:58] Thank you very much.

[00:48:59] Yeah, we got all the messages and we really appreciate it.

[00:49:02] And yada, yada, yada.

[00:49:05] Oh, for fuck's sake.

[00:49:06] I felt like really, really guilty that Lloyd was only finding out today.

[00:49:12] I don't, I know.

[00:49:13] I kind of feel like I should have told him that.

[00:49:15] Because I know he cares.

[00:49:18] There are a lot of people I feel that way.

[00:49:19] I'm like, oh, God, I should have told him or her ahead of time.

[00:49:24] I don't know.

[00:49:25] I'm just trying to.

[00:49:28] It's all good.

[00:49:30] Okay, Lloyd, thank you so much.

[00:49:37] Grace, let's go ahead and move on to the one call we got.

[00:49:41] Matt, you've already written in, but I love that you've called in as well.

[00:49:47] So here you go.

[00:49:48] Here it is.

[00:49:49] I'm glad to know the phone line still works.

[00:49:51] Exactly.

[00:49:52] It's been so long.

[00:49:54] Hi, Grace and Eric.

[00:49:55] This is Matt from Iowa.

[00:49:57] And I just wanted to use this last chance to take advantage of your underused phone number

[00:50:02] and say thank you to you guys for the last couple years of all your podcasts.

[00:50:09] And just for this occasion, I dug up the first email that I ever sent in.

[00:50:14] It was on March 18th of 2015.

[00:50:18] And I think I started listening to the show a few months before that.

[00:50:22] So maybe at the end of 2014 sometime.

[00:50:26] And in my first email, I said how happy I was to have found a podcast that covers

[00:50:32] pretty much all of the titles that I was already reading and also discussing other

[00:50:37] titles that I was actually interested in.

[00:50:39] And that remained true, I think these past few years between titles that you covered

[00:50:48] every issue of as well as top of the stacked titles and other things you just kind of mentioned

[00:50:53] in passing.

[00:50:54] I can't even count how many different things that you guys recommended that I've picked up

[00:50:59] since then.

[00:50:59] So I just want to say thanks again and I wish you both the best.

[00:51:06] Thanks, Matt.

[00:51:10] That's great.

[00:51:11] And you know, I think reading people's messages and emails and I think that's

[00:51:17] the number one thing that hit me really is the people that picked up the stuff and joined

[00:51:25] us on our journey.

[00:51:26] And it means hearing that.

[00:51:31] Yeah.

[00:51:32] And you know, I do love the fact that I feel like I guess we are now into our farewell section

[00:51:40] here.

[00:51:42] Thank you all who wrote it.

[00:51:50] You know, we're I feel so good that we maintained, I believe a very good show for almost four years.

[00:52:04] We've made friends.

[00:52:06] We have gotten people to get into other stories and into other books and yeah, we had these

[00:52:16] goals when we started and you know, I felt like yeah, it happened.

[00:52:21] You know, we wanted to share our love of these stories with people and we wanted to turn people

[00:52:27] on to new stories.

[00:52:28] And like one of the first really probably was manifest destiny that we really was new to us.

[00:52:34] Yeah.

[00:52:34] And we it happened to be tagged on to The Walking Dead a lot in the beginning.

[00:52:41] So a lot of people picked it up and and that's still going and people are still

[00:52:45] writing in about it.

[00:52:47] And yeah, I just I don't know.

[00:52:51] And it's it's been this you know, okay, so it's been four years, you know, and you and I have gone

[00:53:00] through so many different things in our lives over the course of the last four years that

[00:53:10] none of you listeners have any clue about, you know, the things behind the scenes.

[00:53:15] I have had in this year and in the last five years, I've had a couple of extraordinarily

[00:53:22] difficult years.

[00:53:25] Grace, you have always been there for me the whole time.

[00:53:33] And the same, you know, and I felt like like when we started this, it was something we

[00:53:40] both needed.

[00:53:42] Yeah.

[00:53:42] A really whole lot.

[00:53:44] For me, a lot of it was just having something that was mine, something that was only mine.

[00:53:51] I mean, it was yours too.

[00:53:52] But I'm saying like outside of my family, you know, it wasn't that I'm so and so's mom

[00:53:58] or so and so's wife.

[00:54:00] This is mine.

[00:54:01] This is this is mine.

[00:54:03] This is something that we, you know, we built and it's my own identity and things

[00:54:09] like that.

[00:54:10] So it's, you know, it was and it still is very, very important to me, you know.

[00:54:17] Yeah.

[00:54:18] So listeners, you know, I kind of feel like I kind of feel like this is like a

[00:54:26] breakup of sorts in a way.

[00:54:28] Sort of.

[00:54:29] But not with you and I, but with us and the listeners.

[00:54:32] With us and the podcast and yeah.

[00:54:35] And this kind of commitment that we made, but it's like something that you,

[00:54:42] it's like something that you still love, but you want to end it before.

[00:54:49] We did.

[00:54:50] It goes down.

[00:54:51] Exactly.

[00:54:52] And this is what I wanted to say to listeners is that that's exactly it.

[00:54:56] We did not want this show to go sour.

[00:54:58] And in fact, as we both have been feeling that the show has began to feel like a

[00:55:03] bit of a chore on a weekly basis.

[00:55:07] And it wasn't like we dreaded it, but it was just something like, oh,

[00:55:12] fuck, I got so many other things going on.

[00:55:13] I just, I'm just tired.

[00:55:15] I don't feel like.

[00:55:15] Yeah, life and.

[00:55:18] And I think before, because of course this has happened, you know, with one or the other

[00:55:23] of us over the past, you know, three or four years, but it's always that the other one

[00:55:28] could, when you were like that, I could energize you and vice versa.

[00:55:34] Yep.

[00:55:34] Um, and now we just happen to be kind of a weird spot at the same time.

[00:55:41] Well, it just, it just, and, you know, we briefly talked about this today.

[00:55:47] I feel like there was that point where once we started kind of joking about it on the podcast,

[00:55:54] like, well, you know, maybe we'll stick around to the end of saga.

[00:55:58] Maybe the end of the walking dead.

[00:56:02] That I and, and, and, you know, we feel this look, you and I know each other so damn well at

[00:56:09] this point.

[00:56:12] And I've known that, you know, it's, I think it's just been time and

[00:56:17] I really didn't want to just start phoning it in.

[00:56:20] I didn't want to do all this for what?

[00:56:25] To give our listeners some, you know, half-assed show.

[00:56:29] Nope.

[00:56:30] You and I have always been about like having fun.

[00:56:33] That was the deal we made.

[00:56:36] We're sticking to it.

[00:56:38] And that's what this is, is, is us keeping a commitment to each other and keeping a

[00:56:43] commitment to you, the listeners that, um, I don't know, we have to move on, do

[00:56:50] something else.

[00:56:50] Grace, I'm hoping to maybe start focusing a little bit on the voice

[00:56:54] acting again.

[00:56:55] I've drifted away from that.

[00:56:58] I've got some ideas for maybe another podcast out there.

[00:57:01] I want to take a little break.

[00:57:02] We'll see what happens with it.

[00:57:03] I had a couple offers this and that, but you know.

[00:57:09] Oh good.

[00:57:10] Well, I'm going to focus on my health and my energy and get back to where I need to be.

[00:57:16] And it's good.

[00:57:17] But I mean, no, I just want everyone to know that we will miss this.

[00:57:20] And this is not easy at all.

[00:57:23] Like it's like on one point, like when we made the decision, we have, I think we both

[00:57:29] kind of simultaneously had a bit of relief.

[00:57:31] Yeah.

[00:57:32] Yeah.

[00:57:32] Then, and it was like, oh my God, what do you know?

[00:57:36] What was I thinking?

[00:57:37] I, I still want to do this and I do.

[00:57:41] And but I think it's better to leave when we still.

[00:57:45] I don't want to jump the shark.

[00:57:46] I really don't, I don't want to start phoning it in.

[00:57:49] That's just, that's how I feel about TV shows, right?

[00:57:52] It's how I feel about TV shows.

[00:57:55] Happy days and the walking dead and bingo.

[00:57:58] I don't want to go on longer than we should have.

[00:58:02] Yes, that's exactly it.

[00:58:05] And I do, let's leave why people like why some people still miss us.

[00:58:11] There you go, right?

[00:58:12] So it's leave them wanting or I don't know, die young, leave a beautiful corpse,

[00:58:17] whatever that saying is.

[00:58:20] One of those.

[00:58:21] I really am going to miss this.

[00:58:23] I do want you to know that I want listeners to know that.

[00:58:27] This has been a huge part of both of our lives for four years and, and I've loved it.

[00:58:34] I really have.

[00:58:35] I've loved being a podcaster.

[00:58:37] I love podcasting with you so goddamn much.

[00:58:40] It's opened up, you know, other opportunities for us, you know,

[00:58:44] got you into voice acting.

[00:58:45] It got us into, you know, meeting a lot of the creators and going to the Comic-Cons.

[00:58:53] Yeah.

[00:58:53] And oh my God, we got high with one of the creators and I'm not even going to say who,

[00:58:58] but he's such a wonderful person.

[00:59:00] I love so much.

[00:59:04] Really, we had some amazing times at the parties and the cons and our travels,

[00:59:09] me going to Atlanta, us going to San Diego, you coming up to San Francisco to put an

[00:59:14] image expo, I mean, and then just meeting so many people from around the world.

[00:59:25] God damn it's been cool.

[00:59:28] Chip Zodarski, damn fuck you man.

[00:59:30] You flaked out on us.

[00:59:31] I really wanted to have that interview, but you didn't show up.

[00:59:36] I got to say, I want to go ahead and say this right.

[00:59:38] We've of all the wonderful listeners and all these we've had,

[00:59:41] we've also had a couple of shit heels that have popped up and been pains in our asses for

[00:59:48] years, quite honestly, at least with one person.

[00:59:51] I'm not going to say who, but I bet they know who the fuck they are.

[00:59:55] There's maybe been two.

[00:59:57] There's two exactly.

[00:59:59] That's exactly what you're exactly right.

[01:00:01] I'm thinking of two shit heels.

[01:00:05] That just felt good to say and I'm just going to leave it at that.

[01:00:08] I wanted to say that.

[01:00:08] But you know, quite honestly, two really, you're right.

[01:00:11] That's nothing.

[01:00:12] That's nothing.

[01:00:13] We've had four great fucking years.

[01:00:15] Look, we've got, we are leaving with five star rating on iTunes.

[01:00:20] We have 72 ratings.

[01:00:22] Do we really?

[01:00:23] 72 ratings, 75 stars, two four stars.

[01:00:27] And one of those four stars was somebody who was just upset because I don't like anarchy.

[01:00:33] I can live with that.

[01:00:35] I can live with that.

[01:00:37] So I don't know.

[01:00:39] It's all good.

[01:00:40] It's all good.

[01:00:41] Yeah.

[01:00:41] And I just, okay, now I got to get into the Oscar thinking period.

[01:00:48] I'm going to go ahead and start with Big Daddy.

[01:00:51] Jason.

[01:00:53] Thank you, Jason.

[01:00:54] We know you're listening.

[01:00:56] Maybe.

[01:00:57] Oh no, he's still listening.

[01:00:58] I mean, he held our hands so much in the beginning.

[01:01:03] We definitely would not even be here in the slightest if it wasn't for Jason

[01:01:08] and for Jason and Karen's podcast.

[01:01:13] We appreciate it.

[01:01:16] Love you.

[01:01:17] Sorry if I pissed everybody off with my last Jedi review where we got political.

[01:01:24] You only pissed off probably half the people.

[01:01:29] Not everybody.

[01:01:29] Oh, but you know, the more and more I think about it.

[01:01:31] Yeah, fuck them.

[01:01:32] I don't care.

[01:01:33] Okay.

[01:01:34] But really, Jason, thank you so much for everything.

[01:01:37] Karen as well.

[01:01:38] You've been supportive as all fuck.

[01:01:40] I know she's not listening and I'm worried about that.

[01:01:43] We know she loves us.

[01:01:45] We do know that so much.

[01:01:48] I have to thank my buddy Roman.

[01:01:51] Again, somebody I know who's not listening, but my buddy Roman,

[01:01:53] Naked Romanowski, responsible for our intro and outro music all these years.

[01:01:59] You and I have never changed our intro and outro music all this time.

[01:02:03] I love it still.

[01:02:04] Me too, man.

[01:02:05] That's our sound.

[01:02:07] I've kept pretty much the exact same template this entire time and I love that.

[01:02:12] Um, so thank you, Roman, so much.

[01:02:16] You can find his music under Romanowski on iTunes.

[01:02:19] The song in particular that we use for our intro and outro is Lord of the Pants

[01:02:24] on the, uh, on the, um, I can't remember the name of the album right now,

[01:02:30] but just search for Lord of the Pants.

[01:02:32] There can't be that many captain something.

[01:02:35] Oh no, I don't remember what it is, but Roman, I love you and

[01:02:40] his mom just passed actually.

[01:02:41] Oh God.

[01:02:44] I know that's right.

[01:02:47] Okay, next up Kirk Manley, my man.

[01:02:50] Yeah, that's Kirk.

[01:02:51] He came up with our beautiful artwork for the podcast.

[01:02:58] How can you say beautiful when it's us?

[01:03:01] Come on, but his work was beautiful.

[01:03:03] Not us.

[01:03:04] I was so grateful that he covered the lower half of my face because I grew a

[01:03:08] beard like right after that was done.

[01:03:11] So that worked out really well and I'm really grateful for it.

[01:03:14] It's not really our face.

[01:03:16] It's our eyeballs.

[01:03:17] It's not much of anything in our heads.

[01:03:19] It's our foreheads and that's a lot of us.

[01:03:21] I've got more hair in there than I feel very vulnerable.

[01:03:25] What do you mean you have more hair?

[01:03:26] It's like covered by the logo.

[01:03:28] Oh, you're right.

[01:03:29] Well, that's just it.

[01:03:30] I have more hair.

[01:03:33] Kirk, thank you so much for everything.

[01:03:36] I don't know if you're listening.

[01:03:37] I have no clue, but uh, Kirk Manley, I think it's BatmanKM.com.

[01:03:43] I think it's maybe where he can find his artwork.

[01:03:46] Who else should we be thanking?

[01:03:48] My God, there's a whole list of people.

[01:03:51] I don't think we can go through all the listeners who've written in on these kind of things.

[01:03:57] But know that we read everything.

[01:04:00] We did.

[01:04:01] You try to respond to everyone on Facebook and we will respond to the emails

[01:04:07] that we didn't read on the podcast.

[01:04:09] We read them.

[01:04:11] Yeah.

[01:04:12] We read them and they meant a ton.

[01:04:16] They made me cry.

[01:04:20] They really did.

[01:04:23] I don't know.

[01:04:24] Thank you.

[01:04:25] Yeah.

[01:04:27] This has been a really fucking great experience.

[01:04:32] You know, it really has been.

[01:04:34] And then like we talked about before, all of the things that we've gotten to do,

[01:04:37] you and I got to interview Jason Momoa for the very first time that he talked about him

[01:04:43] being Aquaman.

[01:04:45] Right?

[01:04:47] He did.

[01:04:48] He yelled Dothraki at you.

[01:04:50] He did.

[01:04:51] I mean, that, that's that was hot.

[01:04:54] I was on stage with that.

[01:04:55] I was like, I need to get it.

[01:04:56] I was totally flushed.

[01:04:58] That whole room was flushed.

[01:05:00] Are you kidding me?

[01:05:00] It was amazing.

[01:05:01] That was such a cool thing.

[01:05:03] And again, our experience is a comic-con.

[01:05:05] I don't know.

[01:05:06] Maybe you're listening to Tiredy hearing about this.

[01:05:10] I don't know.

[01:05:11] Just afford us one luxury here.

[01:05:18] Thank you.

[01:05:20] Yeah.

[01:05:21] To you, Grace.

[01:05:23] And to you, Eric.

[01:05:24] And to everybody else who's been listening all this time.

[01:05:30] And I think that's about all I have to say.

[01:05:34] So thank you all.

[01:05:35] And thanks for joining us under the comic covers.