The First Tape: DC Dave and Doug Adamson play Tape #1, which looks at …
The Monitor Tapes
In The Monitor Tapes, we explore:
- the origin of the show
- DC Dave and Doug Adamson
- the podcast format
- topics the podcast will cover
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Great first episode, Dave and Doug; consider me on board for the rest of what will hopefully be many voyages into the outer reaches of DC’s most influential event!
I figure I might as well offer my personal Crisis intro story since you both volunteered yours, even if mine isn’t exactly a “fish story.” I bought a Crisis TPB one day from a local mass media outlet (defunct for 25 years, more’s the pity), found the idea of a giant multiverse and it being threatened kinda fascinating, had no idea who anyone in the cast beyond the Superfriends were, was greatly disappointed that all those guys were being thrown away for the sake of a singular continuity that itself was massively convoluted by the time I was reading this tome (Why throw it all out when you’re just gonna use it all again anyway? Some commitment…), and was somewhat scared off from exploring DC much further at that time. Fortunately, I’ve been more adventurous in recent years, becoming familiar with the whole cast via Showcase/Finest TPBs and the various animated adaptations.
I figure you already have a load of episode topics already outlined for the next year or so, but just in case there’s a slot or two open down the line, might I humbly request…
-The two Crisis “100 Page Giant” Walmart issues that were released to tie in with the Arrowverse version. Likely the weirdest way I’ve ever seen material from this event packaged, but the two original short stories Wolfman wrote were a lot of fun and worked in a lot more of the extended DC media landscape, a touch I greatly admired. (The Fleisher Superman pastiche was pitch-perfect!)
-The “Tales from the Dark Multiverse” issue dedicated to COIE. What a weird idea: a multiverse-threatening event contained within a discrete multiverse bent on housing the worst possible manifestations of those. Even weirder, “Infinite Crisis” and “Dark Nights Metal” got that treatment as well, but in my view, those issues weren’t nearly as interesting. (My fave of the line? “Judas Contract” with a phenomenal take on Terra.)
-Your reactions to “Superman” after it releases, since a good quarter of this episode seemed to go in that direction. Not “Crisis” related, I know, but hey, I wanna check it out, too, and every other DC pod will probably gush about it then, anyway. (Still trying to get used to live-action Krypto.)
The magazine-style format sounds appealing to me more than anything else, so can’t wait til next month to hear what you and your guest have to say about Flash. (Obligatory trivia: DC purists insist Barry died, and that is what the universe supported for decades; Marvel fans know Barry slipped through a portal to Earth 616 and competed in a cosmic footrace with Quasar and other speedsters, under the slightly cheeky alias “Burnt Alien.” Both realities could be true at the same time!)
One last question: Where does the “Brick Crisis” name come from, and what do you guys have in the pipeline for between episodes of this show?
Thank you for being our first comment, Ben! Appreciate the listen, and the interest! We will answer your questions in the next episode! I think you’ll be surprised.
And we always want to hear Crisis Origin Stories!
Sounds like your show is off to a great start! I really enjoyed hearing how you both came to Crisis and your collecting journey with it. As someone who’s first DC comic was the 1989 Action Comics Annual, I came at it from a much different perspective that you two. I look forward to listening to your coverage.
Thanks Gene! Glad to have you on board.
Great intro episode and on board for all of it.
The concept is great, especially picking the brains of the guests to get their Crisis origins. While not an index show, will you be having episodes covering each issue? Hope those are in order.
Won’t go into too many details but I still have great love for the Crisis and feel each major crossover/Crisis since then have been a shadow of this original.
Ten years ago I did a very deep dive on all things Supergirl related in the Crisis so can’t wait to hear your thoughts on that. And interesting that Crisis #4 was both of your first issues given the Supergirl/Batgirl scene at the beginning is so great. What an opening!
Thanks for the listen Anj!
Thank you and congratulations for an entertaining debut, you two lads have great chemistry. Well done on meeting on Discord, I tried it for about an hour and ran away screaming, it reminded me of that Slack thing. I laughed at the banter about whether or not you’ll record together on what Doug kept referring to as his upcoming ‘vacation’. On a similar note, I need Doug’s pronunciation of ‘Lyla’ – to me, it’s pronounced like a female Lyle Norg, but Dave went Doctor Who companion!
I honestly don’t know why Doug reckons people might have problems with his lovely accent, he’s as clear as a 1930s BBC announcer. And you’ve a great voice for radio too, Dave. Very warm.
I won’t give you my Crisis origin here. Maybe one day!
I am stunned by the breadth of this show, I thought it’d just be the original Crisis on Infinite Earths, but you’re doing the live action telly stuff, cartoons, maybe even Infinite and Dark Crisis? Give yourself a break, ignore the later Crises! Don’t make your grandkids have to take over this podcast…
I don’t know that we wouldn’t have had The Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen and the TV cartoons and BBC Radio 4 DC dramas without Crisis, surely the creative atmosphere would still have been fostered by Jenette Kahn, Dick Giordano and Paul
Levitz?
Anyway, thanks again, I’m delighted to have two more lovely chaps dropping into my ears on a monthly basis.
Martin, thank you for your kind comments, and the listen!
Hi Dave & Doug – Finally got a chance to catch up on some podcasts — Loved the first episode of THE MONITOR TAPES! Enjoyed hearing your plans for the breadth of the series. Exciting stuff!
I won’t bore you with my own personal history with CRISIS, but maybe someday I could tell you on the show! *(not so subtle) hint/begging*
Some follow-ups on a couple comments in the show…
Dave shared the story about asking DC editors why they didn’t simply start all DC comics over from #1 after CRISIS. Well, you are in good company! Marv Wolfman wanted to do the exact same thing! From an interview with 13th Dimension:
https://13thdimension.com/why-marv-wolfman-didnt-like-the-ending-to-crisis/
Marv: Well, I never thought Crisis would be remembered. I seriously didn’t. I thought Crisis was the road map to where we… (Pauses) Because part of the pitch on Crisis, it was from January 1985 to December 1985. That whole 50th anniversary year. And then in January of 1986, we were supposed to start every book new, with a new #1. I fought for that for so long! And Dick Giordano, who was the editor-in-chief at the time, in his autobiography said that the only mistake he made was not doing that and he said the only reason he didn’t do it was he didn’t think he had enough good talent to actually re-create every book from scratch.
Regarding the number of characters in CRISIS, I have no idea. However, I do have the 6-foot CRISIS poster (by George Perez and Alex Ross) hanging on my office wall. The poster came with a handy-dandy key to all the characters on the poster, and that total was 562 individual characters. So safe to say the CRISIS comic had at least that many different characters in it!
https://www.facebook.com/alexrossart/posts/pfbid029ZYLsLg6e7LbwZTpf2V2v2EJq6NjdgvSyw6ACgPEQ2NZXWagKz4veXTJebQBm5gCl
Keep up the great work and looking forward to further episodes!
The Irredeemable Shag
The Fire & Water Podcast Network – JSA in the 90s & Once Upon a Geek
Thank you Shag for taking the time to listen and comment! We really appreciate it!
Dave and Doug – I really enjoyed your first episode! As others have said above, you guys have great chemistry. I am also impressed with your mandate to cover so many aspects of Crisis – that will be a lot of fun to listen to!
Hate to tell you Dave but I am one of those oldsters who bought every issue of Crisis as it came out. I agree that many of the things we love about DC would be different or non-existent without it, but for many years missed the multiverse until it came back. Even as a kid, it was never confusing to me.
Anyway, congratulations on your news show – fantastic start and I look forward to many more episodes!
Great start to the new podcast. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I understand Doug’s experience all too well growing in the middle of nowhere Ohio. Only got what books came to the grocery store and pharmacy magazine rack. Mostly Marvel in the early 90’s but occasionally a. Superman. I picked up a copy of the Crisis trade when I got older as I was trying to read the Classics of the comic world. It was my intro to so much of the DC universe. I knew about Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the Flash and even the Legion of Superheroes, but this was on a different level. So many characters I had never seen before. I will alas have a special place in my heart for Dannette Reilly from her small part in that book. She opened my world to the All Star Squadron and all the different corners of DC. There was so much to see and read. I’m still finding books from Pre-Crisis that haven’t read. Crisis was my Big Bang entrance into DC. I’m looking forward to joining you all on this ride.
A great first episode! I read the original COIE off the newsstand as it was released and absolutely loved the way that it brought together so many different strands of the DC multiverse. Of course, it then proceeded to wipe many of them out, but oh well, they did come back, right? All’s well that ends well?
I’m also currently buying and re-reading the facsimile editions from DC and my wife (a newer comics fan) is having the chance to read them for the first time.
Dave and Doug make a pretty good podcasting duo. Looking forward to more.
A bit late to the party, but enjoyed the podcast! My own Crisis origin is a bit involved, but it was very important to me as it took place during an important time in my life.
Great discussion and in promises to be a great series of episodes in store! I’m a bit perturbed by the “not-in-order” proposal, but am eager to learn a bit more about this particular topic since it and Who’s Who were part of a core block of my comic book collecting memories.
Here’s to the next episode!