The Rantcor Pit #38 - You Seek Yoda!

It's Rantcor Pit time again!  JediCole and Eddie are back with a look at that most famous of the Jedi, none other than Master Yoda!

When a puppet becomes a principle character then something has gone very right on the big screen.  This was the case with The Empire Strikes Back and the pivotal Jedi-in-exile who would bring out all of Luke Skywalker's potential.  But this character had to be memorable and larger than life, even if he was smaller than many dogs!  How to achieve such a thing decades before the mastery of CGI pushed the envelope of practical effect to a point that has never been exceeded.

What could have been a monkey in a costume and mask was instead a fully realized member of the cast.  Yoda is one of the most iconic characters of the Star Wars franchise and we owe it all to George Lucas having faith in the work of Stuart Freeborn and the mastery of the art of puppetry brought to bear by Frank Oz.  

So join Cole Houston and Eddie Medina as they discuss Yoda the puppet, Yoda the character, and Yoda the legend.

Hey Kids, Comics! #148 - Summer Fun 2015

A day or two late as the JCU plays catch up, welcome to the latest issue of Hey Kids, Comics!

As #150 fast approaches, Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston are going to have a little fun this time.  Summer fun to be exact.  While it has been ages since the first such special issue, this one is going to be a little different than 101 episodes prior.  Considerably different.

Rather than touching on the times that comics let their hair down and had some fun with things, your hosts share their thoughts on favorite episodes from over the years and also take take a look at what comic characters do for fun.  Do for fun in the summer, that is, like when they vacation...

The Rantcor Pit Live #36 - Force Fails II (and the fate of TRPL #35)

Welcome to the latest edition of The Rantcor Pit Live.  This episode aired on Sunday, August 23, 2015 on Deep Ellum on Air.  Two weeks earlier Eddie Medina and Cole Houston were joined in the studio by DFW area artist and recent regular on JediGoddess Presents, Thomas Branch for the thirty-fifth episode of the show, "Creature Features - Episode II".  Unfortunately due to hard drive issues this episode, which aired live on August 9, 2015, was lost forever.  If you did not happen to watch that episode when it aired, we are saddened to say that you have missed that one completely.  There simply is not archive to share here.  Steps have been taken to prevent this loss of a show in the future.

Eddie Medina flies "Solo" this episode as JediCole was out of the studio for the week.  Joining Eddie this time is none other than Don't Tell My Wife I'm a Cult Leader co-creator Matt Rox. 

Just what is Matt looking at here?  Find out on the show.

A return to the "Force Fails" became the order of the day!  Matt was the perfect choice for the topic and the nuttiness ensued.  What do two local Dallas artists consider to be the failures of Star Wars? 

From concepts in the actual films to licensed products to just oddball things Star Wars, many were the fails!  Find out about alien hands, space racism, odd office supplies, and something no child should ever have seen in the 70s!  Even the Jedi Holocron gets in on the fun in a big way.  The fails just keep on comin' and The Rantcor Pit Live brings them to you!

The Rantcor Pit LIVE 08-23-15 by DeepEllumOnAir

Hey Kids, Comics! #147 - The Kids Are All Right

And Hey Kids is back!

Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston have returned to fore to take on all manner of comic book related topics.  And this week it is all about the kiddos!  That is to say, this issue takes a look at super-heroes who are minors.  

The child hero is an unusual dynamic that is replete with questions about why anyone thought it was a good idea!  What indifferent parent or ineffective government agency would allow someone too young to drive a car to go out on the mean streets to combat the criminal element?  What is the danger potential of a young child having the powers of a god?  Why would a seemingly advanced alien haul off and dispense super powers to a bunch of damn kids

Your hosts take a long look at the phenomenon of the child hero character and its place in comics over many decades.  From sidekicks to headliners, there were plenty of kids in the mix.  And not just the obvious ones like that Boy Wonder from Gotham!

The Rantcor Pit #37 - Ewok on the Wild Side

The Rantcor Pit has returned!  After over a month away (while we took time to provide a month of live shows as well as some much needed time away), the home of simple tricks and nonsense is back for your listening enjoyment!

As the title this time suggests, hosts Cole Houston and Eddie Medina take a little look at some little characters from the Star Wars saga.  The Ewoks.  The love/hate divide for the indigenous species of the forest moon of Endor is a fairly even split.  It would take the Gungans to become the truly divisive species among fans!

While JediCole falls mostly in the negative camp, Eddie comes to bat for the furry little warriors as they explore the life and times of Ewoks.  From a personal inside joke phrase revealed herein to Return of the Jedi to the made-for-television movies, this episode delves into the Ewoks from many an angle.  Their battle against the Empire brought the Rebel Alliance some short help, but there was far more to their story than one decisive battle.

Discover for yourself what The Rantcor Pit has to say on the subject of George Lucas' admonition of daring to be cute when toppling an empire as we return to our regular bi-weekly schedule!

This WILL Make Sense, We Promise You

The JediCole Universe Comic, Toy, and Collectibles Swap Meet

In conjunction with Convention Awareness Project – Texas, The JediCole Universe will present The JediCole Universe Comic, Toy, and Collectibles Swap Meet!   On August 22, 2015, the first Swap Meet event produced by JediCole in six years will bring together a variety of collectibles dealers as well as local artists showcasing and selling their work.  The JCU Swap Meet will be held in Arlington, Texas at the Bob Duncan Center in Vandergriff Park.  This indoor event features an inexpensive admission fee ($2.00, cheap) and free parking. 

Click on the picture to go to the JCU Swap Meet website!

If you live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area (or will be in the vicinity that day) you should check out what is available for sale at the Swap Meet!  Past events have been well attended and brought many a collector some elusive missing pieces for their collection.  JediCole will be there, of course, along with Mrs. JediCole (Whadjathink?), Eddie Medina (The Rantcor Pit; Figments), and VegaBomber (Do It Yourself). 

Visit the JCU table up on the stage to obtain your copies of You Are Here Volume 1 and Volume 2 at a special Swap Meet price of $9.00 per copy!  The JCU will also be selling a variety of cool collectibles as fund raisers for this and the CAP-TX sites.  There will also be hourly Door Prize drawings starting at 12 PM with the last drawing at 5 PM!

I hope to see you at the JCU Swap Meet next weekend!

                                                                       - JediCole

The JediCole Universe Comic, Toy,
and Collectibles Swap Meet
Saturday, August 22, 2015

11 AM - 6:30 PM

Bob Duncan Center in Vandergriff Park

Arlington, TX 76014

Hey Kids, a Week Off!

The Rantcor Pit Live #34 - The Force of July: Creature Features

At long last the final episode of "The Force of July" has made it to the JCU site!  This episode originally aired live on Sunday, July 26, 2015.

As the month-long series drew to a close, Cole Houston and Eddie Medina were joined in the Deep Ellum on Air Studio by G33K3 producer Randy "Hoody" Alexander and they mysterious Stephen .

The creatures of Star Wars was the topic at hand and the discussion got pretty lively.  Pop-culture references flew about like so many Mynoks and an observation was made about an Episode 7 critter that appeared in the San Diego Comic Con reel.

If you are keen on the monsters, creatures, and wildlife of that galaxy far, far away, then you have come to the right place!  Your hosts and their guest set out to explore wretched hives of scum and villainy as well as your various spaceports, swamps, meadows, and miscellaneous habitats.  From sentient aliens like Greedo and Oola to beasties like the Taun Taun and even the Rancor itself, creatures are the feature of this episode!



The Rantcor Pit 2015-07-26 by DeepEllumOnAir

Hey Kids, Comics! #146 - Where Does He Get Those Wonderful Toys: It's Magic

By the hoary hosts of Hoggoth, the latest story arc of Hey Kids, Comics! is drawing to a close!

So why the Doctor Stephen Strange invoking exclamatory introduction?  Why it is the subject matter of this week’s issue that inspired as much!  For in this very issue the artifacts and weapons of the mystical and arcane realms (which my actually be synonymous realms at that) are the topic of discussion!

Andrew Farmer and Cole Houston explore magical “toys” as the latest arc concludes.  Why no witch, magician, sorcerer, magus, wizard, adept, enchanter, shaman, conjurer, houngan, warlock, or thaumaturge worth his or her salt is without a few orbs, scrolls, staves, cloaks, or other mystical objects at their disposal.  From the far-famed Eye of Agamotto to the more obscure artifacts associated with the Demons Three, comics are chock full of magical doodads and thingamajigs! 

Prepare yourself for an occult journey into the enchanted gadgets employed by those schooled in the dark arts and those who just stumbled upon objects beyond human comprehension!  Thor’s hammer, Shaman’s medicine bag, and even a peculiar piece of Earthly hardware made magical are among the highlights of the final issue of “Where Does He Get Those Wonderful Toys?”