Unstable Molecules
Arts & Culture Podcasts
Unstable Molecules is a podcast dedicated to exploring the origins of the Marvel Comics Universe. Beginning in the 1950s with the comics, creators and company who went on to establish Marvel, Unstable Molecules focuses mainly on the period between 1961 and 1968 when the Marvel Comics Universe was established. Characters like Spider-man, Hulk, Thor, Ant-man and the Fantastic Four are discussed along with artists and writers such as Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and Stan Lee. As Stan would say: "Excelsior!"
Location:
United Kingdom
Genres:
Arts & Culture Podcasts
Description:
Unstable Molecules is a podcast dedicated to exploring the origins of the Marvel Comics Universe. Beginning in the 1950s with the comics, creators and company who went on to establish Marvel, Unstable Molecules focuses mainly on the period between 1961 and 1968 when the Marvel Comics Universe was established. Characters like Spider-man, Hulk, Thor, Ant-man and the Fantastic Four are discussed along with artists and writers such as Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and Stan Lee. As Stan would say: "Excelsior!"
Language:
English
Episodes
Treasury Edition 01 – Robert Kirkman’s Secret History of Comics
12/3/2017
In this special Treasury Edition we take a break from looking at comics to review the first episode of Robert Kirkman’s new documentary series...
Duration:00:21:16
Panel Breakouts Episode 010: Jack Kirby & the end of war!
4/14/2017
This episode briefly looks at war comics and Jack Kirby’s work for the final issues of Battle at the end of the fifties. We take a look at Kirby’s covers and stories in Battle issues 64-70 (June 1959 to June 1960). Accompanying information:
Duration:00:25:54
Panel Breakouts Episode 009: Love Romances #85
1/15/2017
We take a quick peek at the type of Romance anthology comic that the Marvel team was producing just before they created the superhero universe.
Duration:00:18:25
Panel Breakouts Episode 008: Teen-age Crossovers
1/2/2017
How the idea of the Marvel interconnected universe - where heroes would crossover or “guest star” in each other’s books - first occurred in the teen comics for girls - with characters like Patsy Walker, Millie the Model, Kathy Carter and others.
Duration:00:17:20
Panel Breakouts Episode 007: Young Romance #1 (1947)
10/2/2016
Joe Simon and Jack Kirby's Young Romance #1 (1947) launched the genre of the Romance comic which, at one point in the 1950s, sold more than any other genre. It's influence was felt in the early Marvel superhero comics,
Duration:00:11:01
Panel Breakouts Episode 006: Miss America Magazine #2 (1944)
7/27/2016
Patsy Walker's first appearance is in Miss America Magazine #2. Nov 1944 cover date in a seven page introductory story pencilled and inked by Ruth Atkinson.
Duration:00:07:54
Panel Breakouts Episode 005: Venus (1948)
7/3/2016
In her excellent history of American Romance comics, Love on the Racks, Michelle Nolan describes Venus as Marvel's first attempt to match a character to whatever trend she seemed to fit at the time.
Duration:00:08:17
Panel Breakouts Episode 004: Crazy, Wild & Riot (1953-4)
6/15/2016
Never to underestimate a trend, Atlas produced 3 imitations of MAD within months of the comic’s first issue - Crazy, Wild and Riot (3 titles) which saw 1st issues in December 1953, February 1954 and April 1954 - followed by Snafu later on. Atlas was the only company to produce more than 1 MAD imitation.
Duration:00:06:55
Panel Breakouts Episode 003: Dippy Duck (1957)
6/5/2016
Dippy Duck was the last of Timely/Atlas' Animal Funnies with a cover date of October 1957. It's also the last comic to bear the Atlas Logo.
Duration:00:09:43
Panel Breakouts Episode 002: Homer the Happy Ghost (1955 to 1958)
5/29/2016
Homer the Happy Ghost was a bi-monthly kids humour comic that ran for 22 issues between 1955 and 1958. It was clearly another of Goodman’s copycat titles, obviously ripping off Harvey Comics’ Casper the Friendly Ghost.
Duration:00:08:58
Panel Breakouts Episode 001: Patsy Walker #95 (1961)
5/23/2016
Over the last year I've been reading and researching material for the Unstable Molecules podcast, looking at the influences on the early Marvel universe's comics and creators. What I thought would be two or three episodes looks like being at least ten - before I even get to Fantastic Four #1. I'm hoping to get to that point by the end of the year. There's so much that feeds into the early Marvel comics universe that my original plan to get an episode out monthly has been held up be the sheer...
Duration:00:12:18
UM S00E05 Challengers of the Unknown
4/16/2016
We take a look at Jack Kirby's creation of the first Silver Age superhero team, The Challengers of the Unknown. Plus Kirby's work on Sky Masters of the Space Force. 0:00:00 - Kirby & the creation of The Challengers 0:04:12 - Kirby talks about Challengers (interview) 0:04:25 - About The Challengers 0:06:45 - Who are The Challengers? 0:07:52 - Showcase #6 0:10:53 - Showcase #7 0:16:50 - Showcase #11 0:18:30 - Showcase #12 0:19:52 - Challengers of the Unknown #1 0:21:54 - Challengers of the...
Duration:00:44:53
Who are The Challengers of the Unknown?
3/13/2016
The next episode of Unstable Molecules will be in the feed soon. It's all about Kirby's work on The Challengers of the Unknown before he joined Stan Lee at Atlas in 1958. After that I'll be adding episodes on War comics, Romance and Steve Ditko. In the meantime, here's a little something about the Challengers themselves...
Duration:00:01:09
UM S00E04 Dr Droom
11/14/2015
This time we look at Marvel's first attempt to create an ongoing superhero in 1961 before The Fantastic Four... The Amazing Dr Droom, occult detective. 0:00:00 - Intro 0:00:14 - "My eyes... They're becoming slanted!" 0:00:40 - Introducing Dr Droom 0:03:50 - Amazing Adventures #1 (June 1961) 0:06:40 - Comparison with Dr Strange's first appearance (Strange Tales #110) 0:08:30 - Amazing Adventures #2 (July 1961) 0:11:07 - Amazing Adventures #3 (August 1961) 0:12:35 - Amazing Adventures #4...
Duration:00:18:07
UM S00E03 Giant Monsters!
11/6/2015
Season Zero Episode Three: Giant Monsters! This time we look at what type of comics Atlas/Marvel were creating at the end of the 50s and why the giant beasts and alien invaders of the Monster Age became a crucial component of the formation of the Marvel Universe. It's these types of fantasy and SF comics that brought together the Marvel architects: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko. 0:00:00 - “I say there are better things left unsolved!” 0:01:00 - monsters: the context 0:03:01 - monster...
Duration:00:39:12
UM S00E02 Crisis at Atlas Comics
8/27/2015
In this episode we don't look at any individual issues or stories. Instead we take a look at the events in Martin Goodman's company during the 1950s: the type of comics Atlas produced, the distribution crisis and "Atlas Implosion", the death of Joe Maneely and Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby's return to the company. 0:00:00 - Take a peek! 0:01:15 - Martin Goodman's comics 0:02:16 - 1949 Goodman closes the Timely Bullpen 0:03:03 - Sales of comics in the 1950s & Atlas Distribution 0:04:04 - The...
Duration:00:15:55
UM S00E01 Revival of the Timely Heroes
8/25/2015
In this episode we cover the Timely Heroes revival (Human Torch, Captain America and Sub-Mariner) in 1953-54: Young Men #24-28 and Men's Adventures #27-28. These issues are reprinted in Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Heroes Volumes 1-2. 0:00:00 - It begins with a BANG! 0:00:22 - Post-War America; the context 0:01:34 - The revival of Captain America, The Sub-mariner and the Human Torch 0:02:32 - Anxieties of the era 0:03:01 - The Adventures of Superman TV series 0:04:48 - Overview of the...
Duration:00:56:20