Mindless Ones

AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT MEANINGLESS UNTIL I REALISED YOU WERE SERIOUS

The drifting Reviewniverse brings Gary Lactus, Al To Astonish and His Bleak Majesty Douglas Noble in close contact with Ex-Mutants #3 (vol. 2) from Malibu, 1993. Synergy! Action sass! Batteries! Bottoms! Dive in!

Find Al To Astonish on Bluesky and at House To Astonish

Find His Bleak Majesty Douglas Noble HERE

Bother Gary Lactus HERE

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Weekly broadcasts on art, magic and politics from a group of old nerds with good taste.

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Writer/art-witch, Macbeth (2023), Sycamore (2024), Triskelion (2018). Their New Chapter Tarot is spectacular – creators are struggling to get money from Liminal 11, but you can find readings and more on Briggs’ Patreon!

What power do you find in old stories and archetypes?

Mystery. The power of possibility and unknowability. I find comfort in old stories that were written before things like capitalism took hold of culture. There’s something about an archetype that came about in a world I have no context for, but somehow still speaks to me as a human having a human experience. And thru the process of retelling old stories, the teller leaves a mark; they are shored up by thousands of mends and alterations.

How do you determine what shape your work should take?

Prepare for the most Art School answer possible. I’m making art in collaboration with the materials themselves. This is why I prefer analog methods; absolutely no shade to digital art, it’s just not my cup of tea. The found collage materials, shitty quality markers, bits of detritus I found on my desk all contribute something I can’t control to the work. Which I love. The other thing I think about is “what is this piece really about?” There’s what is said or intellectualized, and then what is felt. The form of the work is trying to express what is felt.

You’ve talked about how you cast yourself in the “best part” for your adaptation of Macbeth. What was the most enjoyable part of that performance, and was there any aspect of it that was daunting?

Honestly, the Self-Indulgent Time was great. When I started adapting Macbeth I didn’t have a publisher and there was no guarantee I’d land one. So why not be Lady Macbeth and fulfill a teenage daydream? Why not pack the pages full of references to my favorite medieval art?

And then the most daunting challenge: the Self-Indulgent Time. A comic creator, self inserting into their comic; groundbreaking. I’d oscillate between “I’m having so much fun!” and “I’m so cringe!”. With some distance, I can accept both as true.

Can you see yourself adding more autobiographical stories to Sycamore in the future?

Yes! I’m doing it now, actually. After a long period of creative burnout I’m making short auto-bio comics again.

What helps keep you going in a world that won’t stop piling EVENTS on EVENTS?

SO MANY EVENTS. After the last US election I decided to focus on building community, and I’m so glad I did. Making meaningful connections with folks in my local community has kept the horrors at bay and given me concrete actions to take. There’s a dash of “fuck you, I’m surviving this” in the mix, as well.

Finally, and most importantly, what’s the best thing about cats?

Their WHIMS. You know a cat trusts you when they start making weird little demands of you. My cat Malkina needs ice in the water fountain, to be praised for being excellent at business while walking all over my partner’s desk, and is inconsolable when I can’t make the squirrels appear outside her favorite window. I love how you can see them crunching the numbers in their little walnuts about how to communicate to me, a sub-par cat, their latest whim.

Island of Secrets comes to an end more amazing and incredible than the wildest dreaming mind could ever conjure in a million years.

Dan and Fraser’s Starlight Adventures can be supported on our Patreon where (at time of posting) you can listen forward to Episode 25 and hear two episodes of us tackling a pretty bad Gladiators game book.

IT’S SO GOOD, BABY WHEN YOU’RE AT THE WHEEL

HOW WAS THIS ALLOWED TO HAPPEN?! Well, it’s done now. Ghost Rider 11 has been fully digested by Gary Lactus, Maid Of Nails and Al To Astonish, who accurately said after recording, “I feel like I have advert poisoning”.

Find Maid Of Nails on Bluesky and Patreon

Find Al To Astonish on Bluesky and at House To Astonish

You can support SILENCE! using Patreon if you like.

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Caroline’s fancy free exploration in the ruins on Surprise Island finally starts to pay out some of its Indiana Jones promise – ALL SPONSORED BY JUST FLIP A COIN DOT COM!

THIS is the sound of ADVENTURE!

THIS is the sound of STARLIGHT!

THIS is the sound of Dan and Fraser having a LOVELY TIME thank you very much!

Dan and Fraser’s Starlight Adventures can be supported on our Patreon where (at time of posting) you can listen forward to Episode 25 and hear two episodes of us tackling a pretty bad Gladiators game book.

LOOK AT THIS!

WHEN I SAW MUSHROOM HEAD, I WAS BORN AND I WAS DEAD

It’s the Drifting Reviewniverse #3 and Gary Lactus, Al To Astonish and Maid Of Nails are supposed to be examining Ghost Rider #11 (Marvel, 1975). Unfortunately Maid Of Nails has gone missing and the adverts are far too interesting to concentrate on the comic itself. Despite this and quite amazingly, what you have here is an hour and a half of enthusiastic dissection that covers less than half the comic! We’re going to have to dive back in for Part 2 next week. OMGR!!!!!!!

Find Maid Of Nails on Bluesky and Patreon

Find Al To Astonish on Bluesky and at House To Astonish

You can support SILENCE! using Patreon if you like.

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Having dumped Nigel, Dan/Caroline has chosen to adventure with Liam. Liam is a young man with all the charm and charisma of an estate agent telling you his favourite facts about pylons. There’s a fair bit of wrestling fate into submission in order to maximise adventure. Intrigue is found, bladders are talking and stars shine on us all once again.

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ACTIVITY TROUSERS

This week (ahem), the Drifting Reviewniverse takes Gary Lactus and TT into everyone’s least favourite Chuck D, Charles Dixon’s Marc Spector: Moon Knight #12.

CURSE YOU, FATE! Your hosts do their best to choke it down and describe the experience. It’s a fun chat about a comic that wasn’t enjoyed by either of them.

Get more T.T. at Shelf Dust

You can support us using Patreon if you like.

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