Neal asks: When it comes to the Super Bowl, is the game just a break for the ads? Neal says yes, but that's mostly because he doesn't know anything about football. Nick disagrees. And Justique just has halftime show ennui.

Neal thinks that the NFL was crazy for letting MIA on the show in the first place, at which point Nick reminds him that terrorism is not a genetic trait. Justique, on the other hand, just hated Madonna's performance.

Once all of the Super Bowl talk is done, Nick wants to talk about Sheba, Baby (on Netflix and Amazon). The film has a water sports fight scene wherein Pam Grier rides a jet ski into battle, spraying casual racists with a flared barrel gun.

Kenny and Nick reunited!!! Will the HyperComboCast #28 tear them apart?!? LISTEN AND FIND OUT!!!!!!

We kick things off with some awesome listener feedback from David Rodriguez. After that, Nick takes a few moments to offer up his thoughts on Kenny's topic from HyperComboCast #27.

Here's the car accident background Kenny talks about from Capcom vs. SNK.

Then it's time for a passionate discussion about art direction in fighting games. Character art, backgrounds, loading screens, and all of the other design touches that set the tone for the entire game.

We cover fighting game series like Capcom vs. SNK, Mortal Kombat, Marvel vs. Capcom, Samurai Shodown, King of Fighters, Tekken, and more. Oh... and, you know there's some love in there for the HyperComboCast favorite, Marvel Super Heroes.

The character art from Marvel vs. Capcom 2 was awesome!!!

After the end theme, we discuss fighting games with the worst art direction.

And, finally, we want to know: which fighting games do you think have the best art direction? You can hit us up two different ways: email HyperComboCast@gmail.com or call our automated comment line at 412-567-7606.

ALSO: Hypno-Hustler.

On this week's Destruct-O-Cast: making a Super Haters comic strip from start to finish. Join Nick Marino as he details his creation process, revealing lots of little Super Haters secrets along the way!

It all starts with the plot, building it up through brainstorming and conversation. Then, after plenty of tweaks, the process moves onto the scripting phase.

Once the initial script is complete, it's time to put the characters in place. After the panels are composed, they're copied into another file and lettered.

The time-consuming lettering stage is also an opportunity to rewrite the dialogue and tighten up the jokes. Once that's finished, the webcomic is exported, uploaded, and posted to the Super Haters blog.

Above is the final product, Super Haters #339, which is then shared across multiple social media networks including Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Google+. AND THAT'S A WRAP!

The only people who can vote for the SPACE Prize are those who attended the previous year's show. So, for example, only exhibitors from 2011 can vote for this current crop of nominees... a crop which was culled from in-person submissions made at the 2011 Small Press And Comics Expo in Columbus.

So if you were a SPACE exhibitor last year, please consider voting for Time Log! I've made it really easy for you to read the webcomic:

• Visit the complete Time Log master list here on the AudioShocker.
• Read all three acts of the completed Time Log webcomic on Facebook.
• Read all three acts of the completed Time Log webcomic on Flickr.

And here are some quick facts about the webcomic to get you up to speed:

• The Time Log webcomic is a finite, 60-page story.
• It's a sequel to the Time Log one-shot, a 2010 comic book.
• The story is about a time traveling group of friends out to save reality.
• Stephen Foster, Neil Diamond, and Richard Nixon play important roles.
• The characters are named after the creators, but they're not based on us.

That's it! I hope you enjoy reading Time Log and I appreciate your consideration.

Another episode packed full of deep issues and ethical conundrums!

Just kidding. We're talking about Prince movies.

Kaylie is back to discuss Purple Rain, Under the Cherry Moon, and Graffiti Bridge.

Have you watched the Prince movies? Tell us what you think about 'em! Leave us a message on our automated comment line at 412-567-7606 and we'll play what you say on the podcast.

ALSO: Ross announces the debut of his new Wet Moon blog (Wet Moon 6 starts running on Friday!). And Nick teases some things to come in Super Haters.

PLUS: The return of the Rockycast! Ross and Kaylie are sick of anime, so Nick tries to convince them to watch Welcome to the NHK. And after the end theme, Kaylie disappears.

IN 2 WEEKS: Kelly is back for the Talentcast.
IN 4 WEEKS: Kaylie returns to discuss Mac and Me.

Double-sized episode!

39. Doctor Zhivago (1965)

Conrad's wife makes a cameo appearance in the film.

Too long. Too boring. Too famous.

38. Double Indemnity (1944)

Nick's in love! This film is a taut thriller that stands the test of time. Watch it!

37. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

Conrad's the only one that watched this movie about three soldiers returning home to the USA after WWII. It was good.

36. Midnight Cowboy (1969)

Hmmmmmmm. Yeah. This movie's the inspiration for the name of Rizzo the Rat.

NEXT: To Kill a Mockingbird and High Noon. EDIT: We forgot to mention It Happened One Night. That's #35.

Kenny kicks things off by discussing the new additions to the Street Fighter X Tekken cast, including this handsome fella:

But after that, then it's time for the real battle... comeback mechanics vs. self-imposed limitations!!!

Actually, it's not a battle. Instead, Kenny poses two different-but-related fighting games questions:

1. Do comeback mechanics like Soulcalibur's Ring Out or Street Fighter IV's Ultra Meter make the games unique or ruin the gameplay?
2. Do you have self-imposed limitations when you play?

Tell us about your self-imposed limitations or share your feelings about comeback mechanics by emailing HyperComboCast@Gmail.com or calling our automated comment line at 412-567-7606 (don't forget to tell us your name and the episode you're calling about!).

On this week's Destruct-O-Cast, Nick Marino (that's me!) and Justique Woolridge are joined by Brett Wallwork, Super Haters super fan!

Above: Brett on the left. Dorks on the right.

We discuss Brett's taste in comedy, his taste in candy bars, and his taste in Super Haters comics. (Actually, now that I think about it, we spend a lot of time talking about candy...)

Above: Brett's favorite story arc... one that doesn't exist.

We also toss around ideas for future Super Haters stories AND future Destruct-O-Casts, plus Nick teases what you can expect from the upcoming story arc.

Above: Brett's least favorite story arc... the current one.

Pittsburgh cartoonist Ed Piskor joins Nick Marino and Shawn Atkins to discuss hip hop history, the formulation of taste, hand lettering, comics reprints, and tons more.

Ed's recently embarked on an ambitious new project -- chronicling the genesis of rap music through a comprehensive Hip Hop Family Tree series for his Brain Rot webcomic on BoingBoing.net.

But this isn't Ed's introduction to the history of rap music. He's a passionate hip hop head with his own specific views on the development (and death) of the genre.

And we don't just talk about hip hop in this episode. We also dig into our mutual love of comics, covering topics such as: reading old original issues vs. recolored reprints, "Where's Waldo?" X-Men, The Kubert School, assembly line comics production, the proportion wheel, and emotional connection to source material.

After Neal and Nick pen the latest mega-dance hit -- Do the Martha Stewart -- live on the podcast, then it's time to talk about...

The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret. Nick (that's me!) is currently obsessed with it, especially loving the David Cross humor and the show's editing. While it's not new, it seems like everybody is suddenly feeling this comedy series.

Well, everybody except for Neal. But that's okay because he has his own British TV show that he's digging right now...

Sherlock. And Neal's not the only person loving this 21st century reinvention of Sherlock Holmes -- it's a pretty big hit on the interwebs. But it's led Neal to wonder: does British TV suffer from being too closely related to Shakespeare?

Got thoughts on Todd Margaret or Sherlock? Call our automated comment line at 412-567-7606 and we'll play your message on the show.

After that, Nick wants to talk about his new audiobook passion, Going Rogue... as read by its author, Sarah Palin! Plus, NealShyam.com got a revamp.

Finally, after the end theme, the guys take it back to the earliest days of the AudioShocker Podcast and reveal their confessions.

These are the booklets from Marvel Super Heroes, Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, and Marvel vs. Capcom... all for the original PlayStation.

And since the HyperComboCast is taking the week off, I figured it's only right to reward you for your patience with some new wallpaper!

As much as I look back fondly on my days playing fighting games on the PS1, let's be honest -- the arcade versions of these games are exponentially better.

Still, I hope you've enjoyed this trip down memory as much as I have. See you next Monday for the new http://www.audioshocker.com/tag/hypercombocast!!

On this week's Destruct-O-Cast, Nick Marino (that's me!) is joined by Andrew Kilian. He's the hyper-awesome artist behind the hyper-anatomy of Andrew Kilian Guest Week, a 5-page Super Haters story that debuted last fall.

NOTE: We spend a lot of time referencing our collaboration, so if you haven't already read it, you should check it out! It's a short read and only mildly NSFW.

Andrew and I kick things off by discussing his experience at The Kubert School. Then we chat about his major first comic book project, Majestic XII.

After that, we talk Super Haters! Why were the Haters liberating for Andrew? Why does he think perfection sucks? Plus: learn the shocking (or, uhhhh... not-so-shocking) secrets of our past collaboration and thrill as we tease a future collaboration!

Also, Andrew and I explain our respective approaches to comics creation. And we go through our story and reveal some hidden moments that you may have missed!

Kelly Thompson wants to know -- what do creators owe fans?

Does Ross Campbell owe you anything? Probably not. (photo shamelessly lifted from Tom Spurgeon's 2011 TCAF coverage)

Special guest Kelly (writer of She Has No Head, podcaster of 3 Chicks Review Comics, and blogger-er of 1979 Semi-Finalist) makes her triumphant return to lay down an ethical smackdown, discussing fan entitlement and creator responsibility.

Tell us what you think that creators owe their fans! Leave us a message by calling our automated comment line at 412-567-7606, and then we'll play what you say on our next show.

PLUS: Boogers, podcasting talk, Paris Hilton, Ross likes Hunger Games, Neal, superheroes in thongs, Galaxy Quest ringtones, and Tim Allen.

AND AT THE END: A talent throwdown!!! Kelly and Ross believe in talent... but Nick says he sorta doesn't. IS HE (and by he, I mean me) FULL OF SHIT???

P.S. If you dug our main topic on this show, check out Sequential Underground #30 - What Do Creators Deserve? for the flipside of today's conversation.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Tuesday's regular weekly series -- the AudioShocker Podcast -- is going bi-monthly (as in once every two weeks). That means the the AFI 100 Movies Podcast now has a new day and schedule -- alternating every other Tuesday with the AudioShocker Podcast!

41. West Side Story (1961)

Conrad and Nick both agree -- despite the goofiness of the music numbers and some weirdness with the casting, this is a well-made movie that deserves its place on the AFI 100 Years 100 Movies List.

40. North by Northwest (1959)

Conrad was a little bit bored by this classic Hitchcock thriller. He's pretty sure that he prefers the unofficial 90s teen remake, If Looks Could Kill.

NEXT: Doctor Zhivago and Double Indemnity.

Kenny dares to go where no HyperComboCast has gone before!

He kicks it solo to deliver an AUDIO COMMENTARY TRACK for 2010's The King of Fighters movie!

Watch along with Kenny by streaming TKoF on Netflix, or if you really love the AudioShocker, you can buy it from Amazon through our associate's link.

Thrill to the intense fights! Be awed by the heart-wrenching drama! Watch Maggie Q get her butt whooped by Ray Park!

Now that's what I call cinema.

Welcome back to the Destruct-O-Cast, a new weekly podcast devoted exclusively to the Super Haters webcomic! In this episode, Justique joins Nick (that's me!) to discuss the co-writing process.

We kick things off with some listener questions from Dana Spallinger (a.k.a. lunch bag artist supreme) and Shawn Atkins (a.k.a. comics storyteller gordita).

To leave us feedback of your own, tweet @super_haters, write on the Super Haters Facebook wall, or call our automated comment line at 412-567-7606 and we'll play your message on the show.

After that, Justique and Nick dive into the details of their co-writing relationship. Who's better with plots? Who's better with new ideas for characters? Who's better with character voices? Listen and find out!!!

NEXT: If he can get his Skype up and running, our guest will be Andrew Kilian. If not, we'll have a surprise guest on the show!

For me, one of the highlights of the show was meeting tons of awesome comic book fans. At our table, we hosted an AudioShocker Trivia Challenge where attendees could answer questions and win some kickass comics.

I started off by awarding sets of comics to fans who answered three questions correctly. But by Saturday afternoon, I ran out of sets! However, people still wanted to take the Trivia Challenge... so I started giving out my own self-published comics.

Now, for your viewing enjoyment, here are our illustrious winners:

To the best of my memory, here's what I gave away (from top to bottom):

• Mutant X #1-17
• A chunk of Aquaman and Adventure Comics (19 consecutive issues, including the Death of a Prince storyline)
• Chaos War #1-5 miniseries
• John Byrne's full run on West Coast Avengers
• Whilce Portacio's arc on X-Factor where they send baby Cable into the future
• A year of electric blue Superman (54 issues... some signed by Ron Frenz)
• WildCATs #1-13 (the Lobdell relaunch)
• A big hunk of Kyle Baker's Plastic Man
• The original WildCATs #1-4
• Christopher Priest's run on Steel
• The New Time Log (2 of 3)
• Zombie Palin (3rd edition)
• I forgot to take a picture, but I also gave away the full original run of Xombi.

DAMN! That's a lot of comics :)

An AudioShocker first! On this week's Sequential Underground, you get to choose your own adventure!!! We've got two podcasts... and two distinctly different paths for you to travel down...

Sequential Underground #33a - To Sketch Or Not To Sketch?
Mega artist Dave Wachter (from The Guns of Shadow Valley and That Hellbound Train) joins Shawn Atkins and Nick Marino for a sedate discussion about sketching at comic book conventions.

Sequential Underground #33b - Not Comics
Dave, Shawn, and Nick discuss almost everything except for comics in this stream of consciousness conversation about life, love, and uhhh... other stuff. NSFW.

Which path will you travel down? Will you choose the refined discourse of #33a... or the confessional spontaneity of #33b? The choice is yours.

Photos by the stupendous Seth Fronzoli.

[Note: We received some awesome feedback regarding our previous episode with Tom Scioli, #32 - The Superhero Virus. I forgot to read that feedback this week. SORRY! I promise I'll read it on #34.]

It's the ultimate battle you've all been waiting for... the supreme throwdown of all beef supremes... it's...

These AudioShocker co-founders and podcast co-hosts can't agree on anything in this episode covering important topics such as Beyonce's birthing process, British actors on TV vs. British actors in film, and Fletch vs. Fletch Lives...

Finally, after their massive battle of the brains, Neal and Nick put out a wild offer to listeners -- if you think you can do better, then DO IT. We want you to take the AudioShocker Podcast "I Can Do It Better" Challenge.

What's that, you ask? WELL I'LL TELL YOU: we'll let you and a friend host the AudioShocker Podcast for one full month. If, after that month, you've been able to produce weekly episodes better than us, we'll let you continue to host Tuesday's AudioShocker Podcast for three weeks out of every month... for eternity! For more info, email nick@audioshocker.com.

But if you're too chicken to do that and you just wanna leave us feedback, call our automated comment line at 412-567-7606 and we'll play your message on the show.

Kenny. Goes. Solo.

In this intimate podcast message, Dr. Riot shares the games he's looking forward to in 2012, a few solid fighting games tips, and some of the great things you can expect from the HyperComboCast in the coming months.

To leave us feedback for future episodes of the HyperComboCast, hit up our email HyperComboCast@Gmail.com OR call our automated comment line at 412-567-7606 and we'll play your message on the show.

Welcome to the debut of the Destruct-O-Cast, a new weekly podcast devoted exclusively to the Super Haters*! Nick (that's me!) dives into feedback from Facebook and Twitter, answering questions and dropping shoutouts.

Dan Greenwald asks about Nick's character creation process for the Haters, while Byron Winton wants to know what's up with Destruct-O-Tron's new political stance in the current Republican Motherhood story arc.

To leave us feedback of your own, tweet @super_haters, write on the Super Haters Facebook wall, or call our automated comment line at 412-567-7606 and we'll play your message on the show.

After the end theme, Nick sends out special thanks to the godfathers of the Super Haters, Neal Shyam and Seth Fronzoli. And here's a link to more about the band that partially inspired Destruct-O-Tron's name, Disasternauts (on the show, I call them Destructonauts... whoops!!!).

NEXT: Super Haters co-writer Justique joins in to discuss the creative process and answer more of your questions.

*In case you don't already know, Super Haters is a Mon-Fri superhero satire webcomic starring Destruct-O-Tron and Mind's Eye.

Featuring the triumphant return of Kaylie McDougal! She joins Ross Campbell and Nick Marino (a.k.a. me) to discuss... ERNEST P. WORRELL!

We watched Ernest Goes to Camp, Ernest Goes to Jail, Ernest Scared Stupid, and some... uhhhhh... other stuff:

Then it's time for a comics intermission!!!

We share some project updates, including the status of Ross' Leonardo one-shot for IDW's TMNT line, Kaylie's Dinogeddon webcomic, and a possible Kaylie guest week on Nick's Super Haters comic.

We also have a call-in from a past Super Haters guest artist, Andrew Kilian, who shares some thoughts about #118, an olde tyme Super Haters radio show, and a few other awesome things. To leave us feedback of your own, call our automated comment line at 412-567-7606 and we'll play your message on the show.

AND... speaking of #118, both Andrew and Brandon Williams shared their work spaces with us:

Then it's back to Ernest!

Including sexy Jim Varney and a preview of our upcoming Princecast (happening in a month or two).

NEXT EPISODE: Kelly Thompson returns to the podcast!

It's here!!! The award ceremony that no one's been waiting for... the 2011 YOU DON'T SUCK Awards!

Join our hosts -- Justique, Neal, and Nick -- as we pick the 2011 media that didn't suck the most. Listen to find out which nominees just didn't not suck enough to win! Thrill at the strange and confusing explanations behind our winners! And learn what media we would have picked if we'd judged different categories!

MOVIES (judged by Justique)
Captain America: The First Avenger

TV (judged by Neal)
Spy

WATCH INSTANTLY (judged by Justique)
Shin Chan

COMICS* (judged by Nick)
The Adventures of Gyno-Star

MUSIC (judged by Neal)
"Talk That Talk" by Rihanna

PODCASTS (judged by Nick)
Yamagato Industries Business Report

AND... for our prestigious 2011 YDS champions, here's the 2011 YOU DON'T SUCK Awards winners banner. Proudly display it on your websites and profiles, proclaiming "I DON'T SUCK!!!" to the world. (Click on the banner for a hi-res png that you can resize to your liking.)

*If you'd like to listen to a thoughtful and comprehensive round up of comics in 2011, check out Comic Book Pitt #82 feat. Nick!

To kick off 2012, I go solo to deliver my Personal Top 11 Fighting Game Moments from 2011!!!

11. Kuma's bear fart hyper combo.

10. Finding someone who'll take my copy of Super Street Fighter IV PC.
09. Giving up on Super Street Fighter IV.
08. The UMvC3 theme songs tournament.
07. Learning how to hook my new laptop up to my TV with an HDMI cord.
06. Learning how to advance one frame at a time in MAME.
05. Return of Hyper Combo Wallpaper.
04. Marvel vs. Capcom 3.
03. Discovery of World Heroes.

02. Posting YouTube videos of my terrible gameplay.
01. CLASSIFIED. Listen to find out!!!

Remember, we wanna hear from you! Leave us feedback via email HyperComboCast@Gmail.com OR call our automated comment line at 412-567-7606 and we'll play your message on the show.

First off, I've given each AudioShocker contributor their own page. So, for example, if you want to find out more about Shawn, you can hit up his about page and find out the AudioShocker shows he's been on, the AudioShocker comics he's drawn, and ways to contact him online.

Speaking of contact, I've reintroduced our Contact page, now with all the info you need to email us, friend us, or call us.

And, finally, I'm proud to debut a the new Podcasts section.

Before, if you wanted to find a past episode, you had to go to the sidebar, click on the show link, and then keep clicking on "Older Posts" until you dug up what you wanted. Time consuming and tedious.

But those days are in the past! Now, you can simply go to the sidebar, locate the series you want, and BAM! All of the episodes are listed out in reverse chronological order. And to make it even easier for you to enjoy our latest podcasts, the most recent episode of any given series will always be playable on its page.

Check 'em out:

• AudioShocker Podcast
• A Podcast with Ross and Nick
• Sequential Underground
• HyperComboCast
• AFI Movies Podcast

Also, as I mentioned on Friday, you can now download all of our Nik Furious produced podcast theme songs.

Coming up this week on our podcasts we'll be featuring a personal look back at my year of gaming on the HyperComboCast #25, the 2011 YOU DON'T SUCK Awards on the AudioShocker Podcast #211, the Ernestcast with Kaylie on A Podcast with Ross and Nick #119, a possible AFI Movies Podcast #19, and the debut of the Super Haters Destruct-O-Cast this Friday. Don't miss an episode :)

But remember -- just because these songs are free doesn't mean that you can use them for whatever you want! These songs are only for personal use and not for public broadcast of any kind (including other podcasts) without consent from Nick Marino a.k.a. Nik Furious a.k.a. me.

Anyway, these downloads are now available because I've decided to leave iTunes and Amazon and release all of my music for free from my website. Click here for more about my decision (and find out what you can expect from Nik Furious in 2012).

*For more about our new Podcasts page, as well as our updated About section, stop back here on Sunday, January 1st, 2012.

A conversation so

that it can't be summed up with only a few small words

Tom Scioli joins Shawn Atkins and Nick Marino to discuss indie comics, superheroes, artistic expression, and tons more.

Here's Tom's trailer for the American Barbarian print collection:

ALSO: Indie comics vs. superheroes (debunked!), ballpoint pens vs. art teachers (grudge match!), and novels vs. comics vs. movies (0-1-0).

What is American cuisine? Neal wants know, so Justique and Nick try to help him figure it out.

Is it a pretzel burger?

Or maybe s'mores pizza?

After that, we serve up more puppet conversation as Justique and Nick saw The Muppets, and Neal saw Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special. And finally, after the end theme, Nick explains why he's taking his Nik Furious music off of iTunes, Amazon, and other major music sales websites.

Conrad and Nick are trying to put their long-standing misunderstanding to rest -- did the original AFI 100 Years 100 Movies list come out in 1997 and the 10th anniversary revision in 2007? Or was it 1997 and 2008? Or 1998 and 2007? We're confused.

43. King Kong (1933)

Conrad thinks King Kong is most notable for the sets, stop-motion animation, and the rear projection used in the backgrounds.

42. Rear Window (1954)

Conrad and Nick were both pretty impressed with the way the apartment courtyard was used in the film. Nick appreciated the limited setting, but feels like the format has been improved upon greatly since the 50s. Conrad found the film's plot too predictable and he wasn't satisfied by the film's oddly perfect ending. Overall, a decent film, not great for us.

NEXT: West Side Story and North by Northwest.

Featuring special guest, Rachelle a.k.a. Morose Poet! And she wants to talk about C'Mon Ride It (The Train) and gaming.

Then we play a call-in from Andrew Kilian and Nick takes the opportunity to announce the Destruct-O-Cast, a Super Haters podcast launching in 2012.

To leave us feedback, call our automated comment line at 412-567-7606 and we'll play your message on the show.

We discuss the Captain America movie and Rachelle teaches us about SOCOM:

AND THEN (get ready cuz this is really exciting!)... Ross Campbell announces that he's going to be the artist on the upcoming Leonardo one-shot comic from IDW's new TMNT line!!! It'll be out sometime in the spring of 2012 (April, maybe?).

Next, Rachelle wants to talk about comics creation. In particular, she wants to talk about tools of the trade and studio setups. Here's her drafting table:

Here's Ross's work space:

And, uhhh... here's Nick's everyday setup (awkward):

After that, we talk about commercials, My Buddy, and more.

It's BONERIFIC!

Justique and Nick watched tons of Haruhi Suzumiya anime (Season 1, Season 2, and the movie) over the weekend. Unfortunately, Neal hates new anime.

Nick thinks Neal is now officially a weird (and/or creepy) uncle, but Neal thinks he's gonna be the "cool" uncle (if there even is such a thing).

Then a conversation about PBS donation drives leads to a rant about children's entertainment. And... is life more rigorous for kids now than it was before?

Finally, after the end theme, Neal confesses his love for romantic comedies.

Note from Nick: BUT WAIT... THERE'S MORE! The reason today's episode is going live a few hours late is because I was posting the latest release from the Unlicensed Attorneys at Law, my rap group. It's called the The Bacon and Eggs EP, and you can find it on SoundCloud, Bandcamp, PureVolume, YouTube, and the Unlicensed Attorneys website. It's three free songs with some extremely offensive NSFW work rhymes. Basically, it's not for everybody. But if you enjoy raunchy humor, then you'll dig the Attorneys.

It's the final battle in the Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Character Theme Song Showdown Tournament!! Kenny and Nick kick things off with a listener call-in by kickass artist Andrew Kilian (see Andrew's work in his Super Haters Guest Week collaboration with Nick!).

To leave us feedback of your own, email HyperComboCast@Gmail.com with your questions or comments OR call our automated comment line at 412-567-7606 and we'll play your message on the show.

And now... the conclusion of the UMvC3 theme song tourney!

Match 1: Nova

VS. Virgil

Match 2: Doctor Strange

VS. Firebrand

WHO WILL WIN THIS MOMENTOUS CHALLENGE??? Does Nova still own nick's heart? Will Kenny push Firebrand all the way to the win? Listen to find out who will be crowned the UMvC3 Theme Song Champion!

ALSO: Here's Round 1, Round 2, and Round 3.

SURPRISE AGAIN!!! Back after only one week, Conrad and Nick return to their AFI 100 Years 100 Movies countdown, recording over the phone via TalkShoe.

45. A Streetcar Named Desire

Conrad couldn't get enough of this thrilling, captivating 50s classic! Oh, wait... wrong movie. He was bored out of his mind by this one.

44. The Birth of a Nation

Conrad and Nick both shared in the pain by watching this silent, 187 minute, and horribly racist cinematic landmark. Ranking at #44 on the 1997 list, this film was nowhere to be found on the 2008 revision... leaving the guys wondering why this bigoted film was ever ranked on the AFI list in the first place.

NEXT: King Kong and Rear Window.

Which side of the table are you on? Dan, Shawn, and Nick discuss being comics creators vs. being comics fans.

Dan never wants to lose his passion as a fan, no matter what. Shawn has always approached comics with creation in mind, and for him being a fan has always been a secondary role. Nick was once a rabid fan, but as his passion to create comics increased, his passion to read comic books decreased.

ALSO: When is it inappropriate for creators to act like cranky fans? Where does the line begin and end? Have JMS and Dave Johnson both crossed the line?

Also, sandwiched between the theme songs (at around 25 mins in), Shawn and Nick discuss the idea of releasing webcomics in chapters. They each have their own ideas about what it means to use a chapters format, but the goals are the same -- create a more engrossing reading experience.

Nick loves the Warren the Ape show (a puppet-filled reality TV satire):

But Neal hates puppets. And Nick wants to understand why.

Then we talk about Rodney Dangerfield, from his Sum 41 music video cameo to the oft-forgotten My 5 Wives.

Nick watched the documentary Wham! Bam! Islam!, detailing the production and licensing of THE 99 (the superheroes, not the protest movement).

That leads into a licensing discussion, spinning off into a talk about Neal's short attention span for media and why he prefers TV over movies.

Also, Nick watched The Walking Dead: Season One and liked it. But Neal hates zombies.

Kenny and Nick kick off Round 3 of the Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Character Theme Song Showdown Tournament by responding to some listener feedback. We play a call-in from Pierce Johnson, who wants to know about playing fighting games on the PC. Kenny drops some knowledge and Nick has a gift for Pierce -- his unused copy of Street Fighter IV PC. Then we answer an email from Kurtis Homan about the Ultimate Fighting System card game.

To leave us feedback of your own, email HyperComboCast@Gmail.com with your questions or comments OR call our automated comment line at 412-567-7606 and we'll play your message on the show.

And now... the tourney!

Match 1: Ghost Rider

VS. Strider Hiryu

Match 2: Hawkeye

VS. Firebrand

During Match 1's discussion, Nick mishears a key piece of opinion from Kenny... will this mistake derail the entire tournament?!?!? Luckily, Match 2 is a much easier battle.

The winners of the two matches face off for the last spot in the finals. Which hot track will make it to the Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Character Theme Song Showdown Tournament, FINAL ROUND???

ALSO: Here's Round 1 and Round 2.

UPDATED: Here's the Final Round!

Punisher by Dan Greenwald

Here it is. The final Project Basement drawing. It's by Dan Greenwald, co-host of Sequential Underground podcast and the force behind the Comic Book Pitt podcast. Also, he's the creator of the comics Blue Wraith and Spacebase 01, among others.

As for this drawing, well I think it's very fitting for the final PB sketch. It's simple, it's fun, and it has personality. I don't know if it's a Bad Good Guy or a Good Bad Guy... what I do know it that it's just plain good.

NEXT: Nothing! Project Basement is over. Duh.

SURPRISE!!! We're back! Conrad and Nick return to their AFI 100 Years 100 Movies countdown with a new style and renewed determination.

47. Taxi Driver

After rewatching this Scorsese classic multiple times in the past few years, Conrad feels it deserves its placement on the AFI list.

46. A Clockwork Orange

Both Conrad and Nick rewatched this film, enjoying the weirdness of it but debating its merits as an AFI film. Conrad thinks it should remain at its original #46 placement, but Nick agrees with its lower spot on the revised 2008 AFI list. What do you think? Call our automated comment line at 412-567-7606 and let us know!

NEXT: If everything goes to plan, we'll be back in two weeks to talk about A Streetcar Named Desire and Birth of a Nation.

Ross found sexy Shadoweyes fan art by gravedigger1006:

Then it's time for listener feedback! We've got call-ins from a creepy guy and Rachelle (@morosepoet). You can leave your own call-in message through our automated comment line at 412-567-7606.

Anyway, Rachelle wants to know about drawing and music. Nick rambles for a while, and Ross manages to talk about music but not really answer the question.

And somehow we end up talking about Ernest:

Then, after the end theme, Ross gives a very non-spoilerish Wet Moon 6 update! (HINT: It's finished.)

Nick watched the new Sex Ed Couples Therapy sketch from last weekend's SNL and he loved it. Neal... not so much.

That leads into an intense Saturday Night Live discussion, spinning off into other comedy, including Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (Neal's favorite movie):

...AND SuperTwins, a new superhero comedy web series that Neal and Nick learned about at NYCC 2011:

ALSO: An Ox's Tale: The John Entwistle Story and other The Who documentaries.

Kenny and Nick reunite for Round 2 of the Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Character Theme Song Showdown Tournament!!! (Here's Round 1.)

Match 1: Iron Fist

VS. Virgil

Match 2: Doctor Strange

VS. Nemesis

Match 1 is a super close fight, while Match 2 is far more decisive. The winner from Match 1 goes up against the winner from 2... and it's a another super close battle! Who will advance to the finals? LISTEN TO FIND OUT!

P.S. Pierce, we didn't forget about your message! We'll answer it on the next show.

UPDATE: Here's Round 3.

Green Lantern by Shawn Atkins

Hmmm... Bad Good Guy? More like Jerk Good Guy... or maybe even Asshole Good Guy. Either way, this drawing by Shawn is gorgeous and it screamed "feature me on Project Basement" when I first saw it, so I don't care how bad Hal is!!!

Also, you can listen to Shawn and I bullshit about what comics creators deserve on the latest episode of Sequential Underground.

NEXT: The FINAL Project Basement... Punisher by Dan Greenwald.

Time Log one-shot

Buy the Time Log one-shot:

• Time Log one-shot ebook for the Amazon Kindle
• Time Log one-shot PDF at DriveThruComics
• AudioShocker Comics Archives v1 digital comic card

Time Log webcomic ACT I - read the whole thing on Facebook or Flickr

Time Log #0 Time Log #1 Time Log #2 Time Log #3 Time Log #4 Time Log #5

Time Log #6 Time Log #7 Time Log #8 Time Log #9 Time Log #10 Time Log #11

Time Log #12 Time Log #13 Time Log #14 Time Log #15 Time Log #16 Time Log #17

Buy Time Log ACT I:

• AudioShocker Comics Archives v1 digital comic card
• The New Time Log (1 of 3) [email nick (at) audioshocker (dot) com]

Time Log webcomic ACT II - read the whole thing on Facebook or Flickr

Time Log #18 Time Log #19 Time Log #20 Time Log #21 Time Log #22 Time Log #23 Time Log #24

Time Log #25 Time Log #26 Time Log #27 Time Log #28 Time Log #29 Time Log #30 Time Log #31

Time Log #32 Time Log #33 Time Log #34 Time Log #35 Time Log #36 Time Log #37

Buy Time Log ACT II:

• AudioShocker Comics Archives v1 digital comic card
• The New Time Log (2 of 3) [email nick (at) audioshocker (dot) com]

Time Log webcomic ACT III - read the whole thing on Facebook or Flickr

Time Log #38 Time Log #39 Time Log #40 Time Log #41 Time Log #42 Time Log #43 Time Log #44 Time Log #45

Time Log #46 Time Log #47 Time Log #48 Time Log #49 Time Log #50 Time Log #51 Time Log #52 Time Log #53

Time Log #54 Time Log #55 Time Log #56 Time Log #57 Time Log #58 Time Log #59 Time Log #60

Buy Time Log ACT III: COMING SOON!

What do comics creators deserve? Shawn and Nick discuss the question, from unknown webcomics creators to the most famous and successful creators in comic books.

Do webcomics creators deserve compensation from their fans? Should it be money, gifts, or just a constant stream of feedback?

Does the Jack Kirby estate deserve compensation from Marvel? Did Siegel and Shuster finally get a fair deal?

What should creators expect from corporate publishers? And what should they expect from creator-owned properties?

FIRST: Nick thinks Thanksgiving is a horrible holiday and he's worried that Neal is becoming the 1%.

THEN: Neal has a dilema: should he stop taking money from his 'rents?

PLUS: Nick disliked Super 8 for a number of reasons and he explains them all.

ALSO: GHOST IN THE MACHINE! Destruct-O-Tron (from Super Haters) has started a Twitter account -- @DestructOTron -- WTF?

AND: What is a précis?

A.K.A. Changing the Game pt 2!!!

Kenny and Alex get together to record their long awaited sequel to HyperComboCast #13 - Changing the Game pt 1, in which they express concerns that the more vocal competitive fighting game scene may have a dangerous effect on the creativity behind fighting games.

ALSO: The controversial "is it a fighter or not" game, Super Smash Bros Melee, kicks things off as Alex's prime example of this effect taking place. Could this be the most polarizing episode yet? Will Nick be unlocked for the next episode? Listen and find out!

Also, don't forget to send feedback to HyperComboCast@Gmail.com!

That's a wrap!!! I hope you've enjoyed the ride. I know I have.

Pete and I always knew Time Log would end back at the statue, right where it began in the Time Log one-shot (available for all Kindle-compatible devices on Amazon or as a PDF from DriveThruComics). But we didn't always know who would be on the statue and in what positions.

A few months ago, when we were plotting the end of Time Log, the revised statue configuration came to us and we knew it was right -- Ned, the songwriter and musician, sitting up top with Stephen Foster, the transcriber of his music, sitting at his feet. It's an inversion of the real-life Foster statue, which is seen at the very beginning of Time Log in the one-shot comic book:

Ned on this statue is "Old Ned" from one of Foster's hit songs (which, if you know anything about Foster's history, means that it's a largely traditional composition which Foster just transcribed). Take a look at the lyrics from "Old Ned" (version 1 and version 2). Makes you appreciate this new configuration even more, doesn't it?

There are a lot of things in life that outrage and frustrate me, especially social injustice. Unlike Pete from our story, I can't go back and meddle with the past. But I can create a new vision of the future, even if it's fictional. And that's just what I've done with this ending, together with my fantastic collaborators -- Pete Borrebach, Shawn Atkins, Paige Shoemaker, and Justique Woolridge.

We've put more hard work and sweat into Time Log than I can express in words. The one-shot was my first self-published full-length issue, not to mention the first comic book script Pete and I completed. The Time Log webcomic was Paige and Justique's first comics work! And I'm sure something was a first for Shawn, too.

We've learned a lot along the way experimenting with different artistic processes, printing procedures, sales tactics, and promotional methods. There are print copies of Time Log in California, Texas, Florida, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and (thanks to Pete's travels) possibly even Germany and Thailand.

Point is, Time Log may be just another webcomic to you, but it's a milestone to me.

I have to thank Ed Marino, Seth Fronzoli, and Stephanie Atkins for all of their support and help. They've been crucial to the creative, printing, and promotional aspects of this comic.

Lastly, get ready for the Time Log graphic novel, a tuned-up 100+ page collection of the one-shot combined with this webcomic. You'll be hearing more from me as it progresses.

Next week, I'll be back with links to the collected Time Log ACT III. See you then!

Ross talks about the talk he gave at the Center for Cartoon Studies, and how White River Junction has a lot of dead cats.

Then Ross and Nick share coincidence stories. Also, we chat about the West Lakes Great Lakes Avengers.

Nick didn't join a band recently, Ross wants to make digital music, and -- after the end theme -- we wonder: is our podcast too continuity heavy?

Neal couldn't take a shower this morning... and that made him cranky.

Above is the video I said I'd link to in the show notes.

Wake up early and go hard.

CORRECTION: Ooops! I forgot to link to Super Haters #300 when I first posted this.

Penultimate Log!!!

Next week will be our final installment, a very special Time Log comic that'll (appropriately) run on Thanksgiving. Thx for sticking with us through these last few pages.

I hope next week's conclusion will be as satisfying for you as it is for me!

Two artists with two very different paths... similar passions but opposing pursuits...

Katie Henderson's first love was animation. She recounts the desires and experiences that led her to follow her current path, living in Los Angeles and working hard to break into the animation business. While Katie's done comics in the past (see below, from Stick Cats #8), she doesn't necessarily feel it's the medium for her.

Shawn Atkins' first love was also animation. He tells of his journey that took him to the animation program at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. And he explains how comics have become his second love, dominating his professional focus and becoming his primary medium (see below, from Time Log #47). He loves the autonomy of creating comics and now he can't imagine ever stopping.

Join Nick Marino as he cross-examines these two creators, grilling them on their illustration inspirations and goals as cartoonists.

If you're a longtime AudioShocker listener, then you already know that I have unusual taste in movies. You may have heard me give a glowing review of something you hated. Or maybe I railed against a film that you and millions of others enjoyed.

Look, I'm not doing this just to be difficult, weird, or different. The fact is that my taste in film just happens to be difficult, weird, and different. It's always been that way since I was a little Nick and I'm pretty sure that'll never change.

So here's my disclaimer:
I have unconventional taste in movies. Keep that in mind when you listen to our podcasts. And, hopefully, once you get a feel for my taste in film, you'll come to understand how my taste relates to yours.

Let me use examples to illustrate my point. My favorite movie of all time is The Naked Gun. It gets a 9/10 on the Nick scale. That's as high as it goes. Nothing has ever received a 10/10 and I doubt anything ever will.

Some of my other favorite films include Kingpin, Total Recall, Balls of Fury, Good Guys Wear Black, Gleaming the Cube, and Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey. Now are you starting to understand?

Some movies I've enjoyed (and defended) that others have maligned include X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Soul Plane, The Animal, and Charlie's Angels.

I don't care for most movies made before 1970. My favorite genres are blaxploitation, raunchy comedy, martial arts, action comedy, sci-fi and animated fantasy. Are you starting to follow me yet?

Now let's take a look at some of the films I actively dislike. Those include Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, the Bourne series, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Knocked Up, and WALL-E.

Lest you think that I just hate on stuff other people like, there are plenty of films I haven't enjoyed that are commonly disliked -- Green Lantern, X-Men: The Last Stand, Waiting, Cyborg, and Grandma's Boy. Is this all making sense to you?

I'll end with a list of my favorite actors. Just because they're in a film doesn't necessarily mean I'll like the movie... but I'll give it a shot if it stars Rob Schneider, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Anna Farris, Chuck Norris, Pam Grier, Woody Harrelson, Fred Williamson, Terry Crews, or Seann-William Scott

Anyway, I hope this helps. I don't want to disappoint anyone with my movie recommendations, but I also have to be true to myself. So when you hear me say something is good, just reference this blog post to see where we have overlaps and where we disagree.

Neal wants to know why white people love Saag Paneer, Nick thinks Pittsburgh Italian food sucks, and he made a video about Herman Cain and pizza:

Occupy iTunes, Neal attended the Silicon Alley Talent Fair, he has stinky farts, and Nick watched Winnebago Man:

Justique watched Hellevator, and Nick misses good action comedies.

HERE COMES A NEW CHALLENGER! Kenny brings in a good local friend of his, John Amenta (ZanSam), to expand on the topic of, HyperComboCast #3 - Learning, and compare the differences between learning in the past (where Kenny started 20 years ago) as opposed to learning now (where John started).

Expect a deep conversation that includes a lot of Chicago area shoutouts, term definitions, civil debate, and other fun stuff.

Red Skull by Dan Greenwald

Here comes a new Good Bad Guy! Dan Greenwald, creator of the Comic Book Pitt podcast and co-host of Sequential Underground, delivers this hilariously patriotic Red Skull.

And it's surprisingly well-timed. It maybe not be the 4th of July... but it is Veteran's Day today! And not just that... Dan also celebrated his birthday this week!!! SOOO much serendipity it hurts.

NEXT: I'll finally draw something. And then we've got another awesome sketch by Dan!

We're still here! Sorry we've been MIA for a few weeks, but sometimes things are tough in the home stretch.

The good news is that I now have all of the remaining artwork for Time Log, and all that's left is coloring and lettering the strip. So the next two weeks will see the final strips of this story!

What's next once the webcomic concludes? THE GRAPHIC NOVEL! I'm currently transforming the Time Log one-shot (one of the original comics available for the Kindle... way back in the spring of 2010!) into the same half-page format of the webcomic. Then we'll be hunting for a publisher for the monumental collected edition.

But that's all in the future. For now, I'm excited to bring you the conclusion of this story over the next couple of weeks. I hope you enjoy the dash to the finish line!

FIRST: Ross and Nick get metaphysical!!! Nick's been having lots of compelling dreams lately and he's wondering what it all means. Ross tells stories about some of his dreams, plus he shares some dream art:

THEN: Action Jackson and why YOU should watch it (if you haven't already... or, if you have, go watch it again).

PLUS: Ross's upcoming Visiting Artist lecture at the Center for Cartoon Studies. And, after the end theme, a conversation about stuttering.

Nick's pasta, Amazon's design, flashing, and Neal's been watching Spy on Hulu Plus.

Nick watched the arm wrestling documentary Pulling John based on a recommendation by Andrew Kilian. It was awesome.

PLUS: Phonocasting vs. FM radio, and names that begin with N.

Welcome to Round 1 of the Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Character Theme Song Showdown Tournament!!!

Match 1: Rocket Raccoon

VS. Frank West

Match 2: Nova

VS. Phoenix Wright

Finally, the winner from Match 1 goes up against the winner from Match 2... and while I won't spoil the final fight, I will say it has a very marvelous outcome!!!

UPDATE: Here's Round 2.

Dan, Shawn, Juan, and Nick talk about shows! Conventions, expos, festivals, fairs.

We're talking about SMALL SHOWS (for example, PIX)...

...versus BIG SHOWS (for example, NYCC).

What makes a comic book show "small" or "big"? Is it scale? Is it theme?

What makes more sense for an indie comics creator? We discuss table cost, freebies, making personal connections, and tons more. Shows covered include: PIX, SPACE, Pittsburgh Comicon, SPX, NYCC, and more.

We start with a completely fictional recap of #201. Then we talk Halloween costumes! Justique was a baroque hottie, Nick was modern art:

Nick had a very Carl Weathers weekend. Plus, he watched Jean-Claude Van Damme in Assassination Games. Justique's been watching a lot of Shin Chan. Neal doesn't like Prime Suspect. And he's looking for boots... fashion boots.

And... Neal went on a date! And talked shit on Occupy Wall Street.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! It's the Darkstalkers episode.

Kenny and Nick are joined by Justique and Kayin to discuss the Darkstalkers (a.k.a. Vampire) series from Capcom.

From the gameplay to the character art and everything in between, we've got your ultimate Darkstalkers review right here!

BUT WAIT! There's more than just the video games -- we also discuss Darkstalkers anime, cartoons, manga, comics, and more.

PLUS: Check out our Darkstalkers wallpapers.

Here's what I tweeted about Assassination Games:

• Aight!!! It's #JCVD time!!! I'm watching Assassination Games and live tweeting the experience.
• I already hit technical difficulties :)
• I'm eating a veggie protein "sausage flavor" sandwich. Really good. Hahaha I know... who cares, right? Anyway, back to my tech problems...
• I rented Assassination Games from Amazon... first time I've ever tried that before. And the streaming player froze up on me just now...
• Granted, that's after I seeked back a few times and had it paused for a few mins. But still... it shouldn't be freezing this bad!!!
• I refreshed and tried to use Amazon's "Resume" button... but it didn't work. So I have to play from the beginning (I only watched 2 mins)...
• Anyway, on with Assassination Games! I like how it started with a Nietzsche quote... ties in nicely with my current reading: Infinity War.
• And BAM! There's Van Damme :) I love the disguise he has on, with the sideburns. Hilarious.
• I had to rewind it a sec to see if I could see when #JCVD slits the guy's throat. Can't see it.
• The quick kitchen fight scene was great! #JCVD
• Oooooo sponge bath. WAIT... that's Bianca, daughter of #JCVD ... right?
• Ahhh now he looks like himself. #JCVD walking into some kind of beat down building. Music has been great so far, BTW.
• Uhhhhhh weird apartment...
• Ahhhhh it's a fake facade. Very nice touch. Clever. I dig it. The real #JCVD apartment has class. And a butt-load of weapons. AND A TURTLE!

• There's the son of #JCVD Kris. Seems a bit out of place with these older guys.
• Kris is fine, but seems a bit miscast so far.
• Sooooo Scott Adkins... uhhh sponge bathing people and chopping wood. Odd.
• He better be a good fighter cause his acting is RAW.
• The Scott Adkins scene is so boring that I started reading @GynoStar instead of watching Assassination Games. It was worth it :)
• Oooo great song on the radio. Awesome RnB. Gotta check out the soundtrack credits after the movie...
• More #JCVD ... walking to the good song. And more secret rooms. Recurring theme. Hahaha JCVD make a diet joke. Hmmm blood diamonds?
• I like how understated #JCVD has become with his acting.
• FLASHBACK! With Bianca. She's very good!!! But Adkins still somehow boring despite the tension.
• So one of the guys who effed up Bianca is Van Damme's next hit. I get it. And he has new neighbors. Who suck.
• Hahaha funny ringtone. Chess. And... AN ASCOT? I like the guy who dispatches #JCVD in this movie.
• Ohhhh Van Damme's new neighbors are hookers.
• Soooooo the action scene. I'm sorry but Adkins is killing this for me. Oooo weird #JCVD playing the violin scene. Uh oh.
• Hookers getting beat. And #JCVD saves the day, I guess. It's a little confusing. Hmmm more drama.
• Okay, Adkins is good at the action! It's a... #JCVD fight scene!!! The cinematography is solid. Great lighting. Hahaha funny guns.

• Hahahaha #JCVD slipped up for a minute... showed some of his old style of acting! Great.
• What's up with this laser scene? Hahaha what?? His name is Roland Flint? So goofy.
• So the guy who likes to kill and torture people has a scrapbook with his brother in it? HAHAHA
• #JCVD back at home annddddd the hooker is petting the turtle
• That's not a euphemism. Seriously, the hooker was petting his turtle.
• Sooooo the characters in this film: killers or hookers. I don't think there's anything else.
• I'm confused about the Interpol subplot. What do they want?
• Plot thickens! Ascot guy is an ass.
• Awkward whore = killer analogy. Not very clever. Nice #JCVD neighbor confrontation though!
• I get the Interpol subplot now. Exposition! Courtesy the ascot ass.
• "do you dream?" aaahahahahjhaha
• Ha boob closeup with funny rnb. Good stuff.
• What type of underwear is she wearing? Odd bra. Like a strapless sportsbra. Ooo #JCVD kiss
• Adkins is a good fighter. I get it. And #JCVD is being creepy. I smell a turning point.

• Oh shit jumper cables. For the balls? I hope so.
• Whoa. I don't wanna spoil it. But whoa. Raw #JCVD moment
• The Amazon streaming is great quality. Got it running to my tv via hdmi from the laptop
• It's hard to say much now without giving stuff away. But barring a good surprise ending, Assassination Games would get a 6.5 out of 10
• Finally Scott Adkins gets some intensity in his eyes!
• Hahahaha OMG #JCVD with a samurai sword. Fantastic.
• Hrmm so there was the perfect place to end it but then they tried to do an emotional epilogue and that killed it.
• The samurai sword thing would have been the perfect over the top ending for #JCVD in Assassination Games.
• Anyway that's it for now. I'll do a final review later this weekend.
• Assassination Games (2011) - 6/10 - Great stuff (Van Damme's performance, fight scenes) mixed w/ average stuff (plot, overdone ending) #JCVD

Final thoughts: Overall, Assassination Games was a decent movie that tried a bit too hard to be poignant and emotional when it should have focused more on the action.

Also, it did a piss poor job with its female characters (one of them was gang-raped off camera and put into a coma, while the other one was brutally murdered)... so that definitely didn't aid in my enjoyment of the film.

But the movie did some things very right -- Van Damme turned out a solid performance, the fight scenes were quick and strong, and the samurai sword epilogue was outrageously fantastic.

The movie would have scored a 7/10 from me if it had ended on Scott Adkins' creepy smile that followed the samurai sword moment. Instead, the film tried to do a "touching" emotional ending that didn't work because I never effectively connected with the characters in a sentimental way. Not a horrible ending... but enough to knock Assassination Games down to a 6/10.

He decided to buy the AudioShocker Classic, Mulldusa from Super Haters, Time Log, and Zombie Palin. Here's what they look like in person:

I offered to hook him up, and I lowered the prices on those four shirts AS LOW AS THEY COULD GO! I know... crazy, right? That makes them only $10.40 a piece.

I'm feeling lazy and in honor of my cousin reminding me that we have t-shirts for sale, I'm going to pretend that I forgot about those low LOW prices and leave them there for a few weeks. Hell, I didn't even clear this with Neal. I'M JUST GONNA DO IT.

So go snag some AudioShocker t-shirts while they're cheap! We have a ton more designs, and most of them are pretty inexpensive ($13-17... and a couple that cost more than that). If there's something you want that you don't see, lemme know here in the comments and I'll try to add it.

So what are you waiting for? Go to the AudioShocker t-shirt store now!

Ross recaps his titillating New York Comic Con 2011 experience, including the announcement of his latest project, Glory. And... is it time for Ross to have a Morrison-esque psychedelic awakening?

Then we answer questions!!! We field Creature Girl's final post from Ross' long-running deviantART feedback thread. Ross rants about shared universes and Nick raves about comic book covers like this, this, this, this, and this.

And after the end theme (about an hour in), we answer Brandon's questions from last episode's comments. Also... The Fart from Secret Fort Mountain Awesome!!!

Neal loves 1995 and Nick doesn't understand.

Instead, Nick sees the immense beauty of 1991.

It's 1991 vs. 1995...

WHO WILL WIN? U DECIDE!

Nick rants about NYCC, MvC3 on the Xbox, and bad dpads...

THEN IT'S TIME FOR THE FEEDBACK!

Wait... no... Dr. Mario.

BUT THEN IT'S TIME FOR FEEDBACK!

Christian Wolfe sent us a fantastic email! He wants to know about learning how to use a joystick, and Nick likes his question. Kenny drops knowledge on the topic and his advice is don't feel like you have to use a joystick to play console fighting games nowadays (just don't rely on hot keys). BUT... Kenny still thinks it's a good idea to learn on a stick.

Next up is Kurtis Homan! He wants to know if we're going to EVO2012 (probably not). He also wants to know about the games we wanna see more of (Kenny = King of Fighters, Nick = World Heroes). And, lastly, he wants to know our personal standards for what makes a fight game good (so we go on a huge rant).

If you want to send us more feedback, email hypercombocast@gmail.com or call 412-567-7606. We want to hear from you!

Sexy Spider-Man by Chris Maverick

Naughty Good Guys? Well, that's not exactly what we're going for with this theme... but I think it's best if I let the artist put it in his own words. Take it away, Mav!

The funny thing here is that I wasn't actually *trying* to draw something naughty. I was at PIX (The Pittsburgh Indycomic eXpo) and decided to do some sketching. I thought maybe it would be cute doing a nice little picture of Spidey and MaryJane (see, in my reality, they're still married, because I hate retcons... as such don't even get me started on DC's New 52). I thought it would be a nice cute and touching and romantic moment. And then I chose to fade the shot out without showing their hands. Yep, that was a problem right there. The neat thing about artistic composition is it's just as much about what you DON'T see as what you do.

NEXT: I haven't drawn it yet... but goddamn it, it's my turn!!! Or maybe just more awesome sketches by Dan Greenwald.

Time Log lives!!! We're in the homestretch now, and it's safe to say that we're all a bit burned out. Don't get it twisted -- we all love this comic. But we've been coordinating a 5-person team of creators for a year-and-a-half now and that's a lot of work. We're looking forward to reaching the finish line.

Anyway, I'm just saying that to let you know that we're still working hard on the Log despite our slightly staggered release schedule. We may or may not have one for you next week -- it all depends on our timing. But I can guarantee you that we're nearing the end and it's gonna be an awesome finale!!!

We're live at Kiva Han in Oakland, Pittsburgh, PA, USA, Earth, Milky Way with our...

PIX (Pittsburgh Indy Comics Expo) 2011 recap!!!

We're talking about everything PIX, from comics to attendance to events and more.

Shoutouts to Pierce Johnson, Paige Shoemaker, Joe Wos, and Bill Boichel. Thx for making the show extra awesome!

This episode's hosts: Dan, Shawn, Justique, and Nick.

PLUS: Our suggestions for next year's PIX.

The Sequential Underground podcast recap of PIX 2011 will be airing... but it might be another day or so until it's ready to go. Check back soon because it'll be up before the end of the week!

Our New York Comic Con 2011 recap! Neal and Nick exhibited on the far end of Artist Alley in the Podcast Arena. Find out how it went! (Hint: It was good.)

Also, it's our 200th anniversary episode, so we talk about... uhhhhh... whatever the fuck we want. Yeaaaah. NYCC. Neal and Ross hanging out. Lenticular.

This episode was recorded LIVE in Brooklyn. In Neal's apartment. On Neal's bed. With a fuzzy laptop.

There's also another reason why HyperComboCast is on break this week -- because I was at the New York Comic Con. You can check out some pictures I posted over the weekend, or read my NYCC 2011 recap I posted last night. And make sure to tune in for AudioShocker Podcast #200 tomorrow where Neal and I will discuss our NYCC experience and celebrate our mega anniversary episode!

Here's Neal showing off his sweet t-shirt:

Here are a few of the awesome original comics we're selling at NYCC:

Here's Ross talking at the Image Comics Creator-Owned panel on Friday when they announced his new book, a relaunch of Rob Liefeld's Glory:

And here's our sign for the AudioShocker Trivia Challenge:

Catch you at the show!!!

Over one hour of hot Ross and Nick conversation! We're getting ready for NYCC 2011, so we discuss Ross' signing schedule with Oni and Image, plus what's happening at the AudioShocker booth!

The AudioShocker will be located at table D15 on the far side of Artist Alley... in the PODCAST ARENA!

Also, Ross discusses what it was like going to art school at SCAD, the Savannah College of Art and Design. (Thx to Nimhsay for today's topic)

Chances are SCAD looked nothing like this when Ross was there.

Also, Nick names off a bunch of comics that you can win at the AudioShocker booth (if he can manage to get them to the show, that is). [NOTE: Immediately after recording this episode, Nick threw out his back... so don't count on any heavy collections making it to New York!]

FIRST: After some food talk, Nick does a short recap of last weekend's PIX (Pittsburgh Indy Comics Expo). (You can read his thoughts on Day 1 and Day 2.)

Photo by Dan Greenwald of the Comic Book Pitt

THEN: Neal re-watched Back to School and found it poignant. Nick saw Balance of Power starring Billy Blanks and loved it.

AND: A little New York Comic Con conversation, a missed connection, Neal watched Tron Legacy, and he hates backup content for films and TV shows.

AFTER THE END THEME: Nick teases the prizes you can win from the AudioShocker at this weekend's NYCC!!!

We want your feedback!!! In fact, HyperComboCast #18 (in two weeks) is gonna made out of your feedback! Kenny set up a new email address -- hypercombocast@gmail.com -- and he wants to hear from you. We're even taking a one week break to give you time to hit us up. Send us questions, comments, and rants... we'll read 'em on the show!

Later this week, Nick's gonna be at New York Comic Con... so stop by and say hi! He's gonna have comics, podcast collections, prizes, and more! Find the AudioShocker at table D15 in Artist Alley.

Then Kenny and Nick close out the show with some thoughts about the new Dead or Alive 5 trailer. Is it gameplay? Is it just a fancy trailer thingy? Or is it some sort of elaborate cut scene?

Oh... and... BEAR FART HYPER COMBO.

Juggernaut by Scott Hedlund

The creator of our Good Bad Guys theme joins the fray! That's right -- the unstoppable Scott Hedlund is stopping by the Basement to check in on us and make sure we're doing it right.

Here's what he has to say about his drawing:

Everyone has a bad day and sometimes you just need a hug. But when you string a series of bad days together, you should expect a Juggernaut-sized hug! Enter: the Huggernaut! Equipped with an unstoppable need to give you a squeeze! His Crimson Bands reflect the tender core of this often misunderstood behemoth. Can anything stop the Huggernaut? How about some brotherly love?

Hehehe good one! Before we close out for today, I gotta send a mega huge THX to Scott for helping to revive Project Basement. I was ready to let this feature die a dishonorable death, but Scott saved the day and breathed some life back into it with his theme suggestion.

NEXT: Project Basement takes a week off while I head to the New York Comic Con. But we'll be back on in two weeks with a surprise!

The band's back together!!! Welcome back Paige and Justique -- you both did a fantastic job on today's comic :)

You can meet and greet (almost) all of the Time Log creative crew this weekend at PIX: The Pittsburgh Indy Comics Expo. Sadly, Pete won't be there... but you can kick it with me (Nick), Shawn, Paige, and Justique! Meet us in person and see if we look like our characters (hint: only one of us does). PIX is this Saturday and Sunday from 10-5.

AND... if you say the special phrase, you'll get a fantastic Time Log discount at my table! The special phrase is: SUPER-INTELLIGENT ULTRA-VIOLENT UNICORNS (and don't forget to mention this blog post to jog my memory!)

We're probably going to have to skip next week (not definitely but most likely) because I'll be in in the Big Apple for the New York Comic Con. Neal and I will be representing the AudioShocker in the Podcast Arena (near Artists Alley). I'll have copies of Time Log (the one-shot, plus the first two webcomics collections). So stop by and say hi!

FIRST: A call-in from Justin Rivers of the Distro1 podcast. He talks about his scrapped comics project (a topic we discussed on the show back in SU #22).

THEN: What's a bindlestiff? WAIT... WHO CARES? Shawn Atkins and Nick Marino recap their 24-Hour Comics Day 12-Hour Comics Day experience at the Toonseum. Shawn showed up 45 minutes late... but Dan Greenwald showed up 11 hours late!

Shawn and Nick toiling away at 24HCD (photo by Barry Linck)

Shawn did an artistic Gello Apocalypse story, while Nick drew a dramatic Stick Cats tail tale. Dan talks about past 24HCDs, including his 2010 story, Spacebase 01.

PLUS: It's time for PIX! Everybody's excited about the second year of Pittsburgh's fledgling indie comics show. Dan'll have more copies of Spacebase 01, Blue Wraith minicomics, and more. Shawn'll have this year's and last year's 24-hour comics, Phoenix 9, Explorers of the Unknown, Gello Apocalypse, and hopefully some prints.

Nick will have tons of comics both old and new (see above) including Zombie Palin, Super Haters, Time Log, Stick Cats, Passage, XLK, and more!

NEXT: A PIX and NYCC Recap!

DEEPCASTING! First up, it's MicroMachines, Galoob, and John Moschitta Jr.

THEN: Nick is confused about the gender revolution and he wants your help. Is Lil B's "I'm Gay" album title enlightened or a marketing ploy? (BTW, we call him Lil E... whoops!) Are Nick and Neal losing touch with youth culture?

AND: Nick watched the b-movie musical The Apple and it was fucking weird.

PLUS: Neal and Nick bond over their hatred of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. John Waters was Nick's favorite director when he was a kid.

AFTER THE END THEME: Nick shares a secret about his childhood and tries to force Neal to do the same.

It's NOT Mah-vel, baby!!! We're talkin' bout fighting game crossovers that aren't Marvel-related. (Cause we already did that.)

Kenny describes Fighters Megamix and it sounds like the craziest game ever.

Nick didn't realize King of Fighters was a crossover. Then there's Capcom vs. SNK versus SNK vs. Capcom! Nick likes the dumb fun of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. And Kenny talks about a ton more crossovers.

Also... Pepsiman.

Daredevil by Jason Bender

Jason Bender, come on down!!! He's new to the Basement, and he's brought a Bad Good Guy with him.

For those of you who don't know, Daredevil is Catholic. And he's not just religious... HIS MOTHER WAS A NUN. Can you guess her name? C'mon, just one guess. I'll give you a hint -- it's a Maggie.

So, yeah. That's makes this Daredevil pretty goddamn bad.

NEXT: Scott Hedlund, the creator of our v4 theme, joins the party!

I'd like to take a moment to highlight the wonderful composition of today's comic. Why? Because I think Shawn did a deceptively fantastic job of crafting a compelling image that fits both the tone of the moment and the progression of the plot.

Check out this stripped-down version of today's strip that showcases the positions of the characters on the page:

Awesome, right? The characters fall towards you through the Time Vortex! But, see, there's a lot more to it than that. Take notice of who's in the foreground and who's in the background.

Pete is the most prominent character in the mix, and he looks like he's about to land on your face. He also happens to be the cause of all the Time Log shenanigans.

Paige is floating behind him, back in her normal non-brainwashed attire. She was the surprise catalyst for a lot of the horrible future happenings in the story. She's also responsible for defeating the evil monster... a monster she helped create.

Shawn trails in the back, representing how she was swept up by the events of the story. Rarely was she a direct cause of the story's conflicts, nor was she much of a force for change. Rather, she often exemplified reason and knowledge when there was a great lack of those crucial qualities.

Of course, Nick is missing. But he's already had his Time Ripple appearance... not to mention the fact that we'll be catching up with him at the start of #56.

Anyway, I say all of that to say this: the composition of this image isn't just visually appealing -- it's also very symbolic. Characters receive placement and positioning in a way that lends itself to both their personalities and their development. Specifically, they're lined up based upon their associations with action and change.

And -- though you'll have to wait until next week to find out why -- this page is also a fantastic thematic transition from the chaos of the Time Ripple into the impending resolution of our story. So kudos to Shawn for drawing this incredibly rich image.

NEXT: Paige and Justique return!!!

Guest starring writer M. Nicholas Almand!

We're talking about the fashion in comic books, manga, and more. From Rob Liefeld to Starfire's misfire, and everything in between!!!

Thx to Diello for suggesting our topic on deviantART!

NEXT: Art school memories.

We're almost to #200!!! Neal wanted to watch Footloose on Netflix but it's not there. And he thinks Qwikster is dumb.

Nick wants to know -- What's your Netflix holy grail? Nick says Steel, Justique says Tales from the Crypt, and Neal says Footloose (sigh).

ALSO: Shout out to posterous.com (Neal hates you), Nick will be kicking it at Pittsburgh's Toonseum for this weekend's 24-Hour Comics Day, and Justique saw Blitz the Ambassador rock the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater and she loved it.

LISTENER FEEDBACK: We wanna hear your Netflix holy grail!!! What movie do you wish was streaming on Netflix? Call us and let us know. We'll play your answer on the next episode. Dial our automated comment line at 412.567.7606 and leave us a message!

Your fighters: Kenny and Nick.

The main event: Mortal Kombat the movie.

"It's so real, it hurts!!!"

FINISH HER!

Superman by Shawn Atkins

Today is a special day for Shawn Atkins. It's his final day as a bachelor!!! That's right -- he's getting married tomorrow. However, as of a few weeks ago, Superman is a bachelor again. So I guess the guys are just trading places.

BUT... the Superman you see here isn't your average hero, reboot or not. In fact, he's a Bad Good Guy. I mean, the real Superman would never deep fry a panda with his heat vision, right?

NEXT: A crisis of faith, courtesy of Jason Bender!