So many things have happened in the world of pop culture since we last talked. Let’s take a look at some of those things and also take a look back at my years behind the mic. But first, if you’re new here:
Hi, my name is Jarrod, and I’m The Flash. The fastest man alive. Okay, not really. My name is Jarrod and I’m the host and creator of the Punch The Timeline podcast. I’m a huge fan of comic books and all other avenues of storytelling. This newsletter is my guide to all the good things you should be reading/viewing/listening to. I also throw in some travel pictures along the way. Let’s dive in, shall we?
Comics
Let me get this out of the way because I say it every week: Read Radiant Black. The book is entering its third year with a big storyline that promises to change everything. But you don’t have to take my word for it:
Amazing Spider-Man
Just a quick question, is everyone okay? This book is without a doubt the most polarizing book in comics right now, with people hating on the time jump, the Mary Jane situation, and then the spoiler of a death in the latest issue. I was intrigued by what happened to Peter in issue #1, but now that I know, this is where I step off of the train. I never fully committed to adding it to my pull list, and now I don’t have to.
Some real quick bits: I finished reading Sandman Mystery Theatre this weekend, but the book club on Twitter has not finished our discussion. After this book there is a story in 1994’s Starman that features Wesley and Dian that is highly recommended. The Eisner Award winning Sand and Stars is available in single issue (Starman 20-23), omnibus, and compendium form. Since Twitter is still unhappy with Substack and not allowing posts to be embedded, I’ll post the thread link here. SMT is peak Vertigo, and I imagine how easily it could become a TV show. Seek this book out.
TV
I’ll ask again. Is everyone okay? This last month has seen the end of Succession, Barry, Ted Lasso, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and many more. Ted Lasso’s ending was safe and felt temporary, while Maisel’s was a good ending to a story that suddenly covered decades. I’m bracing for the end of Mayans, which started back up last week.
The Rest of The Story
I was reading the local paper yesterday and was surprised that there was no mention of a 25 year reunion for my high school class. That thought brought on a realization. For the last 25 years, I’ve been in front of a microphone in one form or the other. I thought I would hit some of the highlights so you can know a little bit more about me.
1998: A local (country) radio station does a special for area schools called Senior Salutes. The Senior Class gets to play some songs and read bios about their classmates on air. This is one of the few school activities I volunteer for. I get in trouble for playing Nirvana and for screaming “Free Tibet!” at the end of the show. 5 months later I enroll at American Broadcasting School to begin training in radio.
1999: 2 months into the year, I get a call from the owner of the same radio station where I did Senior Salutes. His morning show DJ has quit and he needs someone to take the job ASAP. I accept. At 18 I am now the Program Director, Music Director, and on air host of the morning show. I learn a lot, but it is not a good place to work. The owner and his brother are not good people. I leave after he threatens me after a miscommunication during a live remote results in him using profanity on air. He goes back to the guy I replaced, who refers to my stint at the station as his “brief hiatus.”
2000: I get an intern job at a talk radio station. I am a board operator for local and college sports games and host a scoreboard show. I leave after a year when promises that I will be hired when they switch to sports talk do not come to fruition.
2004: One day I wake up and it feels like a radio station is running in my head. The songwriting bug hits me and I record some demos on cassette. I ask a friend to collaborate and we end up recording songs in his garage over the next few months. By the next year I’m in 2 bands and playing local shows.
2007: After some lineup changes and a brief hiatus (see what I did there?), I see the inside of a music studio as my band records an EP. More importantly, my friend suggests that we record something called a podcast. We get the first episode recorded and are off to the races. I can’t tell you how many times someone said “But I don’t have an iPod, I can’t listen” over the next 3 years.
2020: The pandemic brings back the urge to podcast when a coworker starts to get interested in comics and we have lengthy discussions that resemble a show. After some convincing, an addition to the lineup, and a name change, Punch The Timeline is born. I get to talk comics with friends and have done some great collaborations with other shows, which is something I look forward to continuing in the years to come.
Holy crap I need to get my Heels podcast The Duffy Dome wrapped up so I can watch and record the second season in real time. I also have a PTT outline on this very computer that needs to be recorded. Thanks for reading and subscribing. There’s so much going on in comics, TV, and movies this summer that we will need to talk about.
You can find me on Twitter and Instagram by searching for timelinepunch, and also here on Substack as
. I’ll talk to you soon. Oh, and I have a crazy trip coming up that we will talk about next time. In the meantime, check PTT’s most popular episode, where Devin and I talk about Image Comics’ The Department of Truth.See you on the internet.
Jarrod