Comic Book Bears Podcast

Comic Book Bears Podcast Issue #231: Of Maus and Moira

·1 hr 57 min·5 clips
Law student Caleb connects the banning of 'Maus' to a rising neo-fascist movement trying to establish a theocratic ethnic state.
The episode begins with the hosts—Bill Zanowicz, Brian Pittard, Steve Morey, and Caleb Alexander McKenzie—reconvening after a five-week break, the longest since the pandemic started. They immediately face technical issues as Caleb's internet crashes. The group discusses pandemic-related mental health, working from home monotony, and their shared status in the 'no-COVID club.' They express frustration over canceled concerts and reluctance to return to movie theaters due to Omicron. The conversation turns to comic book television, with praise for 'Superman & Lois' and 'Peacemaker,' and mixed feelings about 'The Book of Boba Fett.' Caleb rejoins after resolving his internet problems. The hosts then address significant news: the banning of Art Spiegelman's graphic novel 'Maus' by a Tennessee school board, which Caleb, a law student, condemns as neo-fascist censorship. They connect this to broader anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, like Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' bill, arguing such measures endanger queer youth. In the 'Geek Gets' segment, hosts share recent acquisitions, including Hanna-Barbera collections, a 'Dragman' comic, a desktop curling set, and MST3K memorabilia. For comic reviews, Steve discusses the surreal 'Monkey Meat' by Juni Ba, Brian critiques Jonathan Hickman's 'Inferno' #4 as an unsatisfying end to his X-Men run, and Caleb highlights the wholesome YA graphic novel 'Heartstopper' by Alice Oseman, emphasizing its importance for queer representation. Bill briefly mentions 'Nightwing' #87. The episode concludes with tangential discussions on football and the X-Men editorial history.

As heard by us

A long-awaited return turns technical trouble and pop-culture detours into the show's real opening act.

After more than a month away, the episode carries the easy charge of a reunion. Caleb Alexander McKenzie's internet drops out right as recording starts, and the panel turns frozen video and a Carbonite joke into loose, shared chaos before easing into a broader catch-up on…

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Why you'd press play

Press play for a Comic Book Bears comeback where a crashed internet connection becomes part of the reunion energy.

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