Marvel Star Wars Explorers

As Sam and Brian are just settling in to podcast semi-retirement, they're immediately called back into action for their annual look back at their favorite comic book adaptations, best new oldies, biggest disappointments and favorite films of 2023. All that, plus they're talking about New Coke and the MCU's latest, Echo!

As your two best Star Friends reach the 200th episode of the podcast, they find themselves joined by some of THEIR best Star Friends, Sean and Eric, for a nostalgic look back at some of their favorite memories, moments, episodes, and guests from Marvel Star Wars Explorers throughout the years. Plus, they address the latest Gina Carano news!

As Joruus C'Baoth and Grand Admiral Thrawn try to wrestle control of the Empire from each other, we welcome Daniel Borders-Ashe back to the pod to close out our coverage of the Heir to the Empire trilogy and reflect on the various strengths and weaknesses of these adaptations and their source material! Along the way, we're also talking about Darth Maul, Tomorrowland, and Pokemon moves that are super effective on humans in the real world.

As The New Republic's forces and Thrawn's Imperial fleet race to find the mythical lost Katana Fleet, John Parton joins the podcast once again to debate whether the announcement of a new Star Wars movie is something to react to with cynicism or elation, to share with us his experience of reading the novel Dark Force Rising for the first time, and to describe for us Roger Moore's weird, too-old James Bond face.

As Grand Admiral Thrawn enacts a plan to retake the galaxy in the name of the Empire, we enact our plan to cover the much beloved trilogy that ushered in a new era of Star Wars fiction in our own galaxy by inviting our old Star Friend Melissa Thiede back for a conversation about our recent holiday acquisitions, the magic of Mara Jade, the divine art of Olivier Vatine, and the induction of two new devotees to the Cult of Snyder.

As Henry Jones Jr. and Sr. join forces to find the Holy Grail, we welcome timeless hero Sean Davis back to the podcast to tell us about his recent exploits in New Hampshire, the Star Wars movie he watched that afternoon, and to help us round out our adventures with Indy.

As Indy pursues fortune and glory in India, we welcome David Robertson back to the podcast to hear Sam talk about a Star Wars Holiday Special documentary, to hear Brian talk about his adventures at LA Comic-Con, and to share with us his memories of reading UK Indiana Jones comics a long time ago, on a continent far, far away.

As Indiana Jones fights Nazis and hunts for holy treasures, we find ourselves joined by our most treasured guest, and a bonafide Indy-head, Eric Ambler, who helps us strap our whips onto the periscope that is our journey into the wonderful world of Indiana Jones comic adaptations! We're getting into the specific joys of Indy in comic form, lamenting the losses of some iconic moments from the film, and then gorging on a dessert of Hostess treats.

As "The Dark-Robed Lord" Vader shoots a high energy ray at the solar panel of Leia's spacecraft, John Parton returns to the podcast to dive into the the joys of Darth Vader riding a triceratops, the culinary magic of El Pollo Loco, and the history of 1980's China and lianhuanhua leading up to the creation of this unique Star Wars comic.

As Howard finds himself reunited with old friends in order to take on Bzzk'joh and the Emporium Imperium, Josh Lee finds himself back on the podcast to chat with us about McDonaldsland characters and our differening relationships with Marvel Snap, then the cosmic axis shifts and we all fall down a rabbit hole of Howard the Duck content. Waaugh!

As Emperor Palpatine's latest clone desperately tries to cling to life, we find ourself once again joined by Jack Stovold for a comprehensive examination of ALL things Ahsoka, a discussion of obscure radio dramas and air rage of the mid-nineties, and to finally close the book on the strange chapter of Star Wars history that is the Dark Empire saga.

As Luke and Leia find themselves marooned on the mysterious planet of Mimban, Jenny Rudloff finds herself back on the podcast to talk with us about Star Wars shows she isn't watching, the alternate timeline in which this story was the basis for the second Star Wars film, what exactly a splinter of the mind's eye even is, and to hear about a cricket that got trapped in Brian's house.

As the Star Warriors burst from their two dimensional prisons into the glorious world of 3-D, Sean bursts his way back onto the podcast to hear about the latest craze in online auctions, to get heated with us about Ahsoka, and to explore the oft overlooked and somewhat baffling Star Wars comics of the eighties put out by Blackthorne Publishing.

Your two best star friends turn their eyes to the world of 70's and 80's film, as they pit four different Star Wars rip-offs against each other in a true battle beyond the Star Wars! We've watched and will discuss the high highs and lows lows of Message From Space, Starcrash, Battle Beyond the Stars, and The Man Who Saved the World (better known as Turkish Star Wars)! And who better to join us for a discussion of low budget sci-fi cinema of the past than our Canadian correspondent, Geoff Clarke? All that, plus we're giving our initial impressions of Ahsoka! May the Varda be with you!

As Thrawn strategically maneuvers his way upward through the Imperial ranks, we invite Derek Lavender back to the podcast to get hyped about Ahsoka, to examine the ways in which this comic succeeds and fails as an adaptation of a novel, and to gush about how much we love all versions of Thrawn, be they Legends or Canon.

As Artoo and Threepio search endlessly for a new master, we welcome Cam Siemer back to the podcast to discuss whether droids should be seeking masters at all, to board the Star Tours shuttle for a lightspeed trip to nostalgia, and to finally, truly close the book on exploring Marvel Star Wars published comics of the seventies and eighties.

As Wicket, Teebo, and Princess Kneesa fight repeatdly to save Bright Tree Village from harm, we fight for our right to welcome Eric Ambler back to the podcast to talk too much about Ahsoka, not enough (or probably too much) about the eighties, and then to celebrate and/or overanalyze the nature of fandom through the lens of some comics that were clearly written for children.

As General Luke Skywalker and his Padawan Annikin Starkiller defend Aquilae from the New Galactic Empire, we welcome Jake Beal back to the podcast to dive into our first episode of Phase 6 of Marvel Star Wars Explorers! We're kicking things off by talking about The Star Wars, a comic book adaptation of the first draft of Star Wars, and in the process trying to understand the enigmatic mind of George Lucas.

As Luke and Han answer an Alliance distress call, Sean and Eric answer our own distress call to discuss the final storyline of the Star Wars newspaper strip! We're also chatting about upcoming Star Wars television and video game releases, Darth Vader's friend group, and whether this is a fitting end to this run of comics, before picking our favorite characters and arcs, and teasing the future of Marvel Star Wars Explorers!

As the Star Warriors suddenly find themselves in the clutches of Bossk and Zuckass, we find ourselves in the company of Barm for a discussion of Andor's enduring rewatchability, the insane final installment of the Star trek newspaper strip, Bounty Hunters of the Star Wars universe, and the filmography of one Zack Snyder.