I think every batman fan should listen to this. It's amazing how intricately Grant understands the character and finds value in using different approaches to superheroes in general rather than constantly limiting them to "grim" or "gritty" or "realistic". The man also sounds so zen and warm that his love for these characters shines through. I may not fully understand some of his stories (though rereading them is very rewarding because you can gleam a better understanding each time), but I can't deny that Morrison is one of the greatest comic writers of all time
Kevin Smith: I write Grant Morrison's Batman, who is always prepared for every eventuality, the ultimate humanist icon. Also Kevin Smith: *writes The Widening Gyre*
ShiftyShifts Thank you very much for being the 1st person I've seen to comment on that, all the other idiots just calling him "crazy''. Closeminded people are extremely irritating. That bit & just prior about the beings in Kathmandu was chillinducing & eye opening.
But what does the ‘Hidden Stone’ mean? I’ve been looking for an interview where Morrison tries to explain that metaphor further. But I haven’t found one.
Exactly. Society is an ecosystem (or many). It doesnt have to be someone pushing a button. Who could set something like that up. Well, its sort of a religion isnt it. One person/group controlling all of society. Yeah right, people arent that clever - controlling how everyone will behave
@muchtosay You give bankers far too much credit; pun intended :) The planet would go right on running if banking became extinct tomorrow. Nature abhors a vacuum. "99% of society spends their life working for something that doesn't exist" - no, sir. People work so they can get more than they had before they went to work. This is not rocket science, nor "spot the conspiracy". It's the basic motivation, and yet you just assumed that everyone is even dimmer than you are about this(!!).
Yeah but powerful people still conspire, just not on the level most people are interested in. The CIA did kill an Iranian democratically elected leader. Iran contra and the hostages being held until Reagan was in office did happen. Mk ultra was a real thing. Shit look at the Catholic church who ran a global conspiracy to allow pedos to escape prosecution. To assume everyone is too stupid is to assume conspiracy requires an impossible intellect. It clearly doesn't.
@@michaelhall5429 ..its a way to give a pass to the mass murderers. Grant is an official member of the British Empire. He joined the Conspiracy. HE probably HAD to...
Morrison in my opinion is the best of the best when it comes to comic writers and he's someone who just gets it. He lives the lore and the mythology and the history. Now I think maybe he is slightly crazy but still so charming. Just the kind of guy you'd like to hang out with and have some drinks with and talk comics.
Jack Harper Why does he have to be "slightly crazy"? Because you don't believe what he believes in or what he claims he experienced? I hate how things like that automatically get labeled crazy by modern society.
Not only did Marston, Elizabeth Hollaway and Olive Byrne have a menage a trois, the three of them formed a 3 way family, even naming their children after each other. The two women continued on after Marston's death. I love this podcast. For days I've been listening to writers and artists talk about comics I've been reading since the 70s. How awesome is that!
I thought I had listened to and watched every Grant Morrison interview, then I found this today............... and it is one of the best, easy. Thank you so much JFraser.
Thank you Kevin Smith for doing this with Grant Morrison. My world view has been changed tonight. I am waking tomorrow and doing something more with my life. I always knew and believed I will never stop learning and thats what makes life worth living but I NEED to know and do and experience more now. Thank you.
One year later: I honestly dont remember feeling that positive & ambitious but it must have been because I had just won visitation rights to my son. Short answer is besides fighting for my son, nothing. I didnt do anything. Nothing worth mentioning happened to me. My savings are spent. I wish sigul magik worked but it doesnt. Whatever, maybe I'll finally get laid with Tinder after 6 months of no luck so far. Gentleman Junkie has spoke.
I'm glad you got visitation rights with your son. That's wonderful. I won't feed you the usual spiel about looking on the bright side, because I'm sure you've heard it all before. It's not all happy-go-lucky, rainbow and sunshine. But here's the deal, none of this shit is concrete, it's liquid. It changes. Again, this is not going to be the usual advice, and who knows maybe I'm totally bonkers but this is the only plan I know that definitely improves a person's life... Lift heavy weights Eat steak rare Drink whiskey straight (vodka too) Drink coffee or tea black Take showers ice cold Breath deep into your lungs Do yoga Meditate Be nice to people all the time even if they're not nice to you I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it works, or at least it did for me. Best of luck, mate. If any of those work for you, let me know.
Jordan Rivas Pretty good advice except I'd disagree with the steak. I'd limit meat or cut it entirely. Watch the documentary "what the health" on Netflix. Trust me.
Experience chaos magick mates! Where do you think he draws his experiences and geniusfrom? Worth the study, specially Peter Carol. Not all writers of chaos magick are good though, be aware of that. Cheers and all the best to you all!
Doom Patrol is simply... incredible. What a unique and creative piece of work. One of my favorite that Morrison... or anyone... has ever done. It pushes the comics medium to the Nth degree. It's stuff that's on the level with all those comics people taut as 'the greats': Gaiman's Sandman, Watchmen, Moore's Swamp Thing, The Dark Knight Returns... these are all truly great. Many Vertigo titles tried to ape what Morrison did on this title in the following years, but there's only one Morrison, and only one Doom Patrol. The Invisibles and The Filth are great as well (The Filth is one of my favorite series of all time). There are some amazing individual issues of The Invisibles, but as a whole, DP was better (EDIT: IMO).
He's wrong though...the Killing Joke was written to be in continuity, which is why they had the Batgirl Special (July 1988) published right before it came out so that Babs wouldn't be Batgirl when Joker shot her also that's why they turned her into Oracle starting in Suicide Squad #29 (January 1989) and also we had 'A Death in the Family' just 5 months AFTER TKJ (12/88)...so yeah Batman DIDN'T" KILL Joker and YES it was a true origin because A.J. Liebman had Joker with a shrine to Jeannie in Batman: Gotham Knights 50 as a sub plot to the Hush Returns arc involving Riddler who witnessed her getting murdered.
without this podcast, i never would have become a christian. i was inspired by this podcast and grant to dabble in mystical experiences and magic. i had an expereince similar to morrisons and as i dug deeper on a long twisting journey, it lead me to Christ and God. it all started with this podcast
No comments?! Well...superheroes saved my child self and continue to do so when I practice discernment. I started reading comics in the 50s. Though I can no longer purchase comics I can find decent scans online so yay.
It's too bad he didn't do more stuff with Marvel. His X-men was f$%ing brilliant and he did a great limited series on the FF. If you're a fan of them go out and read it. You won't be disappointed.
This used to be the best podcast in the world, then Marc “DC cancelled my awful comic that no one read” Bernardin came along and it just turned into another generic ‘nerdy’ podcast. It’s a real shame.
This is priceless stuff and as a Scotsman, hearing Morrison doing "a proper Scotsman accent" at 2 hours 43 minutes into this goodness...that was the highlight amongst a trove of highlights for me. If I could roll this podcast up and smoke it, I would 🙂
I have read Morrison on JLA and Doom Patrol but have never read any of his Batman. I was really interested in Batman Inc. so I think that is where I wan't to start. He is a very fascinating writer and human being.
The Invisibles is probably the book that best sums up Morrison's work best. Having said that, the goofy books like Seaguy are great too. There is always more there than meets the eye. Also, All-Star Superman - it truly is beautiful.
Cameron Rae I have not read the Invisibles yet but I have heard great things. Right now I am trying to finish up his X-men run that I started reading years ago. I love the way he writes conflict and personal interactions into his stories. As goofy as his concepts get he just finds a way to make everything SO real. =) What is your favorite story out of all of his work?
Invisibles is great but it doesn't start picking up until the 2nd volume and its a really long investment reading-wise (I find that people who aren't already Morrison fans tend to not have the patience for it and give up on it early). IMO Flex Mentallo is the best representation of his work because it covers pretty much all of the themes he uses throughout his career except condensed in four issues -- Invisibles, Zenith, Doom Patrol.. it's all basically in Flex Mentallo.
Thanks for uploading this. First full length conversation I’ve ever heard with Grant Morrison. Shall now fall down the rabbit hole with his chaos magic theories
Morrison's been a favourite of mine ever since Zenith every week in 2000AD, but yeah, his run on 'Animal Man' was jaw droppingly good. Added to the Vertigo imprint giving creators an opportunity to own original content, that was one of the best moves DC ever made. And letting Morrison loose on American mainstream comics was great for the industry because whatever title they put him on, he raised the bar for that title.
I miss when the podcast was actually about Batman. The intro is corny as fuck but it’s special. There’s a million pop culture pods out there, but this was a special one that appreciated the topic. Shame it changed so much.
Hearing them talk about the Jesus story makes you imagine that maybe all of these ancient stories were never meant to be reflective of reality. Maybe the Ancients wrote makebelieve gods like these guys write comics.
+Juliaoceania I think you hit the nail on the head. the ancient myths and gods were all created in humanity's flawed image of themselves, but they spoke to tendencies and strengths of character within human beings and our relationships with eachother. It was never about them being literal "real" people, because there have been real people throughout history who exemplified such heroic qualities
The stories (plural) are primarily SYMBOLIC - which is precisely why we so poorly understand them. It is also why literal and factual interpretations of scripture widely misses the mark.
Would you consider doing a few more "Combined Pod Appearance" video for Fat Man on Batman? I'd like.... Mark Hamill(2) Walt Flanagan(3 if you include the Comic Book Men Live Show) Diedrich Bader(2) Scott Snyder/Greg Capullo Team Combo(4) Kyle Higgins(4) Geoff Johns(2) Jeph Loeb(2) Jim Lee(2) Neal Adams(5) Denny O'Neil(3) The Adams,O'Neil,Snyder/Capullo,& Higgins ones are more important to me,but I'd love Hamill,Flanagan,BaderJohns,Loeb,& Lee to be done too.
I'll consider it. I just did one where both Kevin Smith and Paul Dini pitch their idea for a TV show called 'Shadow of the Bat'. Here: ruclips.net/video/eOrWUNJOR7Q/видео.html
Interesting that Grant talks about the short life expectancy in Western Scotland and explains it as poor diet, then five minutes later talks about the presence of nuclear submarines nearby but doesn't seem to draw the connection between the increased cancer rates and the proximity of radioactive material
this is awesome.. grant morrison is probably my favorite comic writer to listen to telling stories and stuff.. Alan Moore is kinda interesting cause hes into magic and the occult too and all that but he takes himself too seriously lol.
I've listened to this in full twice now. Morrison's ideas and mindset about superheroes just clicks with me. He comes at everything from such a sincere and loving place for the material. People can't help but compare Morrison and Alan Moore (something they admittedly perpetuate willingly) but Morrison is totally different than Moore. Moore's work is jaded and bitter. You get the sense that he feels he's above the material. Moore wrote some of the best comics ever...but I think he's partially responsible for so many comics fans needing and wanting everything to be dark and gritty and deconstructive. Morrison isn't like that. Morrison's work is spiritual and enthusiastic. He wrotes dark material, sure. But it's all in service of the character and world he's writing in.
Read Alan Moore's run on Supreme. He does have a lot of love for Superheroes too. Well until the business practices of the industry killed all his desire to write more superheroes. But yeah, Watchmen and Marvelman comes from a place of love for those heroes, he just wanted to do something different and fresh, remix them. But everybody got the wrong idea, so in response, somewhat ironically but most likely intentionally, he took one of the worst examples of ripping off Moore without understanding him (Supreme was just a lame evil Superman) and made it into a love letter to classic Superman. Moore in no way does, or did, feel like he was above superheroes. He just wanted to do something different, because he loved comics a lot. And you can see that in all his works. They're all pretty distinct from each other. I'd also recommend 1963, pretty obscure, but clever. It's basically a fake anthology comic as if it was around in 1963, a loving pastiche of early Marvel, complete with fake letter columns! Fake members of the Bullpen with their own Lee-esque nicknames. Fake comics being advertised, and fake soapboxes by a fake Stan Lee. All that effort to be as authentic as possible is amazing. Tom Strong from his former imprint ABC is another good send up. I'm pretty Jim Lee going back on his word and selling everything Wildstorm and ABC to DC is the straw that broke the camel's back so to say. And then Promethea shows up in Justice League. Hmm. All his hatred today, just stems from corporate practices. He loved these heroes, but the most depressing thing I heard from his daughter is that all he could see in his times in comic book shops after his foray into the industry was no longer the heroes, but the shitty history behind the titles. He could look at a superhero comic and tell you about how so-and-so got cheated or exploited, and so he just gave up. It's also why he never wrote anything for Marvel (outside of a few pages in a charity comic), cause of Kirby and Ditko. I get it honestly. I always cringe whenever I see Bob Kane's name on a Batman comic, even the "with Bill Finger" doesn't feel right, seems smaller than Bill deserves. He does still love comics though, he has recommended plenty of comics and writers, unsurprisingly, they're all indies.
He made Superman interesting at a time when there didn't seem to be anything that he'd not done hundreds of times already. All Star Superman was a masterpiece.
I have to admit I'd never picked up on the ending of The Killing Joke but looking at it now it's so obvious I feel foolish not to have understood it. The laughter stops while the sirens continue. The puddles almost join up to connect the the light beam bridge but as they merge the light goes out. Ladies and gentlemen, Alan Moore. So I guess Batman realises while they're laughing that both he and Joker are beyond redemption. That's when he makes his decision.
This is amazing. Everyone should listen to the Scott Snyder interview as well. It's not as profound... But if you are into Batman, he's a great writer and it's a great listen.
The thing that pisses me off that Grant Morrison's written is redhead Jason Todd in Batman & Robin. I thought we'd left the pre-80's crisis universe, so that wasn't something I ever really bought into. Other than that, he's great.
Well i guess that was part of the themes he was trying to make batman face on his run, those parts of his past that erybody tries to forget or brush aside.
TheDarkRedbird Morrison wrote the Post-Infinite Crisis relaunch of the character so the pre-Crisis continuity was technically no more. Instead Morrison designed his version of Batman's world to draw from the entire publishing history and mishmash the different eras.
@@62SG even with Animal Man and JLA he ignored the Crisis. His versions acknowledge everything. Which DC has not completely figured out yet.. pathetic.
grant's mystical experience sounds like the assassins creed loading screen. Azure blue with gridlines....wonder if someone who worked on that game also visited Kathmandu.
Born in '53 so in the beginning we really only had two choices; Superman or Batman. And while I loved the Superman TV show, it was Batman for me. And then I saw Marvel take over the industry in the sixties with artists like Kirby, Ditko and Steranko. Had first editions of Fantastic Four, Spiderman, Iron Man and Daredevil and of course Nick Fury (The Howling Commandoes is another story - sort of Marvels's answer to Sgt. Rock.) Didn't like the Batman TV series. Was so looking forward to premiere night but my brother Eddie and I just watched in open-mouthed embarrassment. Strangely at the same time got to see the complete 1943 Batman serial at a local movie theater. No Bat-cave, no batmobile - it just sucked. I agree that good writing makes all the difference and so in that vein I'll simply add a link to a graphic novel I posted online that deals with another cultural icon. Enjoy. www.wickensbrew.com
So what comics is the whole "30s batman was like a young Batman, 60s batman was where he was a little older, 70s batman was now a bachelor" laid out in Morrison's run? Or was it just throughout the entire course?
I think he meant that he takes the entire 80 year Batman mythos into account when he writes Batman stories. He views it as if it is one continuous life for one guy.
I think every batman fan should listen to this. It's amazing how intricately Grant understands the character and finds value in using different approaches to superheroes in general rather than constantly limiting them to "grim" or "gritty" or "realistic". The man also sounds so zen and warm that his love for these characters shines through. I may not fully understand some of his stories (though rereading them is very rewarding because you can gleam a better understanding each time), but I can't deny that Morrison is one of the greatest comic writers of all time
batmankixass No ADS!?!?
Lol i didn’t read this right and came back here realizing grant was in the podcast earlier
Liкe Maбon vaб Modron (dhe бoy шho neveя greш ʌp, yn Шelsh mytholodgy), hi haz æ кind ov “eteяnal jouth” thiŋg goiŋg αn∴
he is my favorite writer period
Love these old Farman on Batman podcasts…
Morrison has got to be one of the most genuine creative minds I've ever had the pleasure to listen to.
genuine isn't the right word but creative is spot on.
@@ronaldraygun8007 shut it
Jou hæd peopøle liкe Djim Steraŋko goiŋg бacк ænd drawiŋg fяom Oяson Шelles'z шell∴
Morrison literally made me cry when he was talking about what Christ is, and I'm not even a Christian. I'm glad this man is writing stories.
Daje Smoll, Daje Бig
I know im late lol but I just ran into this video. Do you know the time stamp?
@@luna4164around 1:27:00
Kevin Smith: I write Grant Morrison's Batman, who is always prepared for every eventuality, the ultimate humanist icon.
Also Kevin Smith: *writes The Widening Gyre*
Cacophony was great though. Widening Gyre is a slog though.
Lol
"I am not the God of your fathers, I am the hidden stone that breaks all hearts." That is incredible, I got chill bumps from my head to my toes.
ShiftyShifts Thank you very much for being the 1st person I've seen to comment on that, all the other idiots just calling him "crazy''. Closeminded people are extremely irritating.
That bit & just prior about the beings in Kathmandu was chillinducing & eye opening.
Бeшare Glasшegian kuizine
But what does the ‘Hidden Stone’ mean?
I’ve been looking for an interview where Morrison tries to explain that metaphor further. But I haven’t found one.
I'm still out here listening to this once a year, like a weirdo. Still hoping for a "sequel".
Бatman'z monstяous M∴P∴D∴
There is one
Still
Still listening, at least once a year… what a resource 👍
Lovely
Grant Morrison is one of the most interesting, pure hearted, creative and inspiring people ever in comics. His Batman and X-Men stuff are my bibles.
I don't believe In conspiracy theories because there is nobody smart enough to run the planet! Grant is so spot on
Exactly. Society is an ecosystem (or many). It doesnt have to be someone pushing a button. Who could set something like that up. Well, its sort of a religion isnt it. One person/group controlling all of society. Yeah right, people arent that clever - controlling how everyone will behave
@muchtosay You give bankers far too much credit; pun intended :)
The planet would go right on running if banking became extinct tomorrow.
Nature abhors a vacuum.
"99% of society spends their life working for something that doesn't exist" - no, sir. People work so they can get more than they had before they went to work.
This is not rocket science, nor "spot the conspiracy". It's the basic motivation, and yet you just assumed that everyone is even dimmer than you are about this(!!).
Yeah but powerful people still conspire, just not on the level most people are interested in. The CIA did kill an Iranian democratically elected leader. Iran contra and the hostages being held until Reagan was in office did happen. Mk ultra was a real thing. Shit look at the Catholic church who ran a global conspiracy to allow pedos to escape prosecution. To assume everyone is too stupid is to assume conspiracy requires an impossible intellect. It clearly doesn't.
@@michaelhall5429 ..its a way to give a pass to the mass murderers. Grant is an official member of the British Empire. He joined the Conspiracy. HE probably HAD to...
YLÛMYNEJT PÂЯKYNSØN'Z
I'm from Glasgow and the street kid accent was a delight to hear and 100% accurate :)
Danny dhe Street iz liкe St. Marx Place
Glad this was archived here, since Kev wiped all the good episodes from history
They aren’t wiped, you have to pay a monthly subscription on some site though. But this the main one I always return to.
@@budgethornet7498 oh really? I was wondering why he took em down off youtube and soundcloud. I miss the greg capullo interviews.
Ow, Aj dō sow LΛV dhe sownd ov dhe Djapaneze toŋgue∴
It/s liкe listeniŋg tu æ бusy typeшriter∴
I was like fuck you kev ill never pay for this!
Now ive been subscribed for 3 months
Morrison in my opinion is the best of the best when it comes to comic writers and he's someone who just gets it. He lives the lore and the mythology and the history. Now I think maybe he is slightly crazy but still so charming. Just the kind of guy you'd like to hang out with and have some drinks with and talk comics.
Jack Harper Why does he have to be "slightly crazy"? Because you don't believe what he believes in or what he claims he experienced? I hate how things like that automatically get labeled crazy by modern society.
And chaos magick....
no Scots are just kinda like that
Leave Бatmite Alone
@@Crunch_Buttsteak nah he’s a mad man.
I understand all things have to grow and evolve , but I wish he still did the show this way. Classic stuff.
I agree with you. “Evolve or die.” But I wish he’d bring this format back every once in a while.
"Shaggy, Grant Morrison is fucking talking!!" made my day
"It's okay, he's just translating for dogs."
Marcus Frisbie Grant Morrison of all should know
I honestly feel this is the greatest podcast of all time.
used to be.
@@ConernicusRex I was talking about this specific conversation, even if it’s apparent that Smith has never read the invisibles but nothing is perfect.
I agree
@@ConernicusRex what has replaced this episode as the greatest podcast of all time in your opinion? Just curious. I want I check it out
Not only did Marston, Elizabeth Hollaway and Olive Byrne have a menage a trois, the three of them formed a 3 way family, even naming their children after each other. The two women continued on after Marston's death.
I love this podcast. For days I've been listening to writers and artists talk about comics I've been reading since the 70s. How awesome is that!
I could listen to grant Morrison tell stories all day lol
I've started reading Grants work for DC. And I feel like my brain has been through a blender, in a good way.
I thought I had listened to and watched every Grant Morrison interview, then I found this today............... and it is one of the best, easy. Thank you so much JFraser.
Thank you Kevin Smith for doing this with Grant Morrison. My world view has been changed tonight. I am waking tomorrow and doing something more with my life. I always knew and believed I will never stop learning and thats what makes life worth living but I NEED to know and do and experience more now. Thank you.
+Gentelman Junkie I'm curious. One year later, what are you doing? If you get comment notifications and see this, please let us know.
One year later: I honestly dont remember feeling that positive & ambitious but it must have been because I had just won visitation rights to my son. Short answer is besides fighting for my son, nothing. I didnt do anything. Nothing worth mentioning happened to me. My savings are spent. I wish sigul magik worked but it doesnt. Whatever, maybe I'll finally get laid with Tinder after 6 months of no luck so far. Gentleman Junkie has spoke.
I'm glad you got visitation rights with your son. That's wonderful.
I won't feed you the usual spiel about looking on the bright side, because I'm sure you've heard it all before. It's not all happy-go-lucky, rainbow and sunshine. But here's the deal, none of this shit is concrete, it's liquid. It changes.
Again, this is not going to be the usual advice, and who knows maybe I'm totally bonkers but this is the only plan I know that definitely improves a person's life...
Lift heavy weights
Eat steak rare
Drink whiskey straight (vodka too)
Drink coffee or tea black
Take showers ice cold
Breath deep into your lungs
Do yoga
Meditate
Be nice to people all the time even if they're not nice to you
I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it works, or at least it did for me. Best of luck, mate. If any of those work for you, let me know.
Jordan Rivas Pretty good advice except I'd disagree with the steak. I'd limit meat or cut it entirely. Watch the documentary "what the health" on Netflix. Trust me.
Experience chaos magick mates! Where do you think he draws his experiences and geniusfrom? Worth the study, specially Peter Carol. Not all writers of chaos magick are good though, be aware of that. Cheers and all the best to you all!
Doom Patrol is simply... incredible. What a unique and creative piece of work. One of my favorite that Morrison... or anyone... has ever done. It pushes the comics medium to the Nth degree. It's stuff that's on the level with all those comics people taut as 'the greats': Gaiman's Sandman, Watchmen, Moore's Swamp Thing, The Dark Knight Returns... these are all truly great. Many Vertigo titles tried to ape what Morrison did on this title in the following years, but there's only one Morrison, and only one Doom Patrol. The Invisibles and The Filth are great as well (The Filth is one of my favorite series of all time). There are some amazing individual issues of The Invisibles, but as a whole, DP was better (EDIT: IMO).
one of the best videos on RUclips, thanks
Co-signed.
Dyler Crews here, here!
it really is
Danny Dhe Street > danny de vito
God bless you for posting this. It's even hard to find on Kevin's websites and other podcast apps. All of these classic episodes are fantastic.
Morrison's right about Killing Joke. I always read it that way.
He's wrong though...the Killing Joke was written to be in continuity, which is why they had the Batgirl Special (July 1988) published right before it came out so that Babs wouldn't be Batgirl when Joker shot her also that's why they turned her into Oracle starting in Suicide Squad #29 (January 1989) and also we had 'A Death in the Family' just 5 months AFTER TKJ (12/88)...so yeah Batman DIDN'T" KILL Joker and YES it was a true origin because A.J. Liebman had Joker with a shrine to Jeannie in Batman: Gotham Knights 50 as a sub plot to the Hush Returns arc involving Riddler who witnessed her getting murdered.
@@winterssoldiers6044 Explains Moore's dismissal of the comic.
I have listened to this over and over and over
Thanks a ton for this, JFraser! Awesome entertainment AND education! I could listen to these two for hours on end.
thanx very much for putting this up mate :) been listening to your compilation of this around 80 times now.
Grant Morrison is amazing! He's a genius
I, m so impressed with this. Kevin is such a lovely dude, and a GREAT interviewer .
Does anyone know the Black Panther issue with the bird that he’s referring to?
I would like to know
Also curious
without this podcast, i never would have become a christian. i was inspired by this podcast and grant to dabble in mystical experiences and magic. i had an expereince similar to morrisons and as i dug deeper on a long twisting journey, it lead me to Christ and God. it all started with this podcast
i could happily listen to this day after day after day
Seven Soldiers is one of my faves. Such an industry legend.
No comments?! Well...superheroes saved my child self and continue to do so when I practice discernment. I started reading comics in the 50s. Though I can no longer purchase comics I can find decent scans online so yay.
Grant Morrison is a legend.
The Da Vanci of comics.
1:28:09 "Christ walks into the room and says 'I am not the god of your fathers. I am the hidden stone that breaks all hearts'" bro
I always listen to this to distract myself from an anxiety attack. Thank you so much. I have probably listened to this 50x.
He should branch out to 'Obese Man on Beastman' or explore the Judge Dredd universe in 'The Pudge on The Judge'.
Кevin Smith iz æ шordsmith∴
pretty funny that Peter Tomasi had that reaction to Damian, given how well he ended up writing Super Sons and beyond
I don't know anything about comics but this is awesome.
It's too bad he didn't do more stuff with Marvel. His X-men was f$%ing brilliant and he did a great limited series on the FF. If you're a fan of them go out and read it. You won't be disappointed.
It is been days I am trying to watch this entire video. It is been the must fun of my life.
This used to be the best podcast in the world, then Marc “DC cancelled my awful comic that no one read” Bernardin came along and it just turned into another generic ‘nerdy’ podcast. It’s a real shame.
2:20:20 - I've thought this for years. Morrison's absolutely right. Dick was meant to inherit the title, and Morrison found the perfect way to do it.
This is priceless stuff and as a Scotsman, hearing Morrison doing "a proper Scotsman accent" at 2 hours 43 minutes into this goodness...that was the highlight amongst a trove of highlights for me. If I could roll this podcast up and smoke it, I would 🙂
I love Morrison even more now
This is so good, thanks for putting it together JFraser360, much appreciated :D
I have read Morrison on JLA and Doom Patrol but have never read any of his Batman. I was really interested in Batman Inc. so I think that is where I wan't to start. He is a very fascinating writer and human being.
Nah you have to start in Batman. His entire run is connected. (Even post new 52) You'll want to read it twice it's magnificent web of a story!
The Invisibles is probably the book that best sums up Morrison's work best. Having said that, the goofy books like Seaguy are great too. There is always more there than meets the eye. Also, All-Star Superman - it truly is beautiful.
Cameron Rae I have not read the Invisibles yet but I have heard great things. Right now I am trying to finish up his X-men run that I started reading years ago. I love the way he writes conflict and personal interactions into his stories. As goofy as his concepts get he just finds a way to make everything SO real. =) What is your favorite story out of all of his work?
Invisibles is great but it doesn't start picking up until the 2nd volume and its a really long investment reading-wise (I find that people who aren't already Morrison fans tend to not have the patience for it and give up on it early). IMO Flex Mentallo is the best representation of his work because it covers pretty much all of the themes he uses throughout his career except condensed in four issues -- Invisibles, Zenith, Doom Patrol.. it's all basically in Flex Mentallo.
I've never even heard of Zenith. What's that about and where would you rank it amongst his other works?
Thanks for uploading this. First full length conversation I’ve ever heard with Grant Morrison. Shall now fall down the rabbit hole with his chaos magic theories
Grant Morrison is the bat god
This dude is nuts. But the best kind of nuts.
Phil Cowan Or he's telling the truth & it's too hard for people to swallow so they label him "nuts".
I wanna live in this mans head.
Listen to this often, thanks for this
2:14:00 and on is great especially the Robin dynamic.
Morrison's been a favourite of mine ever since Zenith every week in 2000AD, but yeah, his run on 'Animal Man' was jaw droppingly good. Added to the Vertigo imprint giving creators an opportunity to own original content, that was one of the best moves DC ever made. And letting Morrison loose on American mainstream comics was great for the industry because whatever title they put him on, he raised the bar for that title.
Also, when he inserted himself into the narrative of Animal Man was the last time he was ever seen with hair.
I miss when the podcast was actually about Batman. The intro is corny as fuck but it’s special. There’s a million pop culture pods out there, but this was a special one that appreciated the topic. Shame it changed so much.
In four hours they don't cover his multi-year epic The Invisibles and the arguably juicy Matrix controversy?
Got it.
Kevin never read it.
Hearing them talk about the Jesus story makes you imagine that maybe all of these ancient stories were never meant to be reflective of reality. Maybe the Ancients wrote makebelieve gods like these guys write comics.
+Juliaoceania I think you hit the nail on the head. the ancient myths and gods were all created in humanity's flawed image of themselves, but they spoke to tendencies and strengths of character within human beings and our relationships with eachother. It was never about them being literal "real" people, because there have been real people throughout history who exemplified such heroic qualities
the psyche and the archetypes
Yeshua literally existed though, regardless of your beliefs of if he is Moshiach.
The stories (plural) are primarily SYMBOLIC - which is precisely why we so poorly understand them.
It is also why literal and factual interpretations of scripture widely misses the mark.
“Daяк Кnight Яetuяns” шas æ бig hyt liкe Hytleя∴
This is my favorite video on the internet
I'm proud to say I have most or all of his graphic novels he mentions in these four hours. And I understand them too.
This is one of the greatest interviews ever, period.
Would you consider doing a few more "Combined Pod Appearance" video for Fat Man on Batman?
I'd like....
Mark Hamill(2)
Walt Flanagan(3 if you include the Comic Book Men Live Show)
Diedrich Bader(2)
Scott Snyder/Greg Capullo Team Combo(4)
Kyle Higgins(4)
Geoff Johns(2)
Jeph Loeb(2)
Jim Lee(2)
Neal Adams(5)
Denny O'Neil(3)
The Adams,O'Neil,Snyder/Capullo,& Higgins ones are more important to me,but I'd love Hamill,Flanagan,BaderJohns,Loeb,& Lee to be done too.
jeph loeb one
I'll consider it. I just did one where both Kevin Smith and Paul Dini pitch their idea for a TV show called 'Shadow of the Bat'.
Here: ruclips.net/video/eOrWUNJOR7Q/видео.html
Denny O'Neil!!
+Joseph Carr well, now he finally has his own channel.
+JFraser360 Fantastic stuff, man. Thanks!
Interesting that Grant talks about the short life expectancy in Western Scotland and explains it as poor diet, then five minutes later talks about the presence of nuclear submarines nearby but doesn't seem to draw the connection between the increased cancer rates and the proximity of radioactive material
Morrison is very open and sympathetic
thanks for putting this video.
I miss the original intro song... the early podcasts were the best by far
Amen
Thanks for putting this together greatly appreciated.
The fact that Kevin misses the “Knickersonandoff”joke is the saddest part of this podcast.
thank you for uploading this
this is awesome.. grant morrison is probably my favorite comic writer to listen to telling stories and stuff.. Alan Moore is kinda interesting cause hes into magic and the occult too and all that but he takes himself too seriously lol.
I'm reading dark knight returns right now, and i think i have to go back to the beginning.
Yo before he got a terrible cohost and stopped talking about Batman, this show was FUCKING GREAT.
(it's been hot garbage for years now, though.)
That was such a unique show, then Bernardin comes along and ruins it. Such a shame.
I've listened to this in full twice now. Morrison's ideas and mindset about superheroes just clicks with me.
He comes at everything from such a sincere and loving place for the material. People can't help but compare Morrison and Alan Moore (something they admittedly perpetuate willingly) but Morrison is totally different than Moore.
Moore's work is jaded and bitter. You get the sense that he feels he's above the material. Moore wrote some of the best comics ever...but I think he's partially responsible for so many comics fans needing and wanting everything to be dark and gritty and deconstructive.
Morrison isn't like that. Morrison's work is spiritual and enthusiastic. He wrotes dark material, sure. But it's all in service of the character and world he's writing in.
Read Alan Moore's run on Supreme. He does have a lot of love for Superheroes too. Well until the business practices of the industry killed all his desire to write more superheroes.
But yeah, Watchmen and Marvelman comes from a place of love for those heroes, he just wanted to do something different and fresh, remix them. But everybody got the wrong idea, so in response, somewhat ironically but most likely intentionally, he took one of the worst examples of ripping off Moore without understanding him (Supreme was just a lame evil Superman) and made it into a love letter to classic Superman. Moore in no way does, or did, feel like he was above superheroes. He just wanted to do something different, because he loved comics a lot. And you can see that in all his works. They're all pretty distinct from each other.
I'd also recommend 1963, pretty obscure, but clever. It's basically a fake anthology comic as if it was around in 1963, a loving pastiche of early Marvel, complete with fake letter columns! Fake members of the Bullpen with their own Lee-esque nicknames. Fake comics being advertised, and fake soapboxes by a fake Stan Lee. All that effort to be as authentic as possible is amazing. Tom Strong from his former imprint ABC is another good send up. I'm pretty Jim Lee going back on his word and selling everything Wildstorm and ABC to DC is the straw that broke the camel's back so to say. And then Promethea shows up in Justice League. Hmm.
All his hatred today, just stems from corporate practices. He loved these heroes, but the most depressing thing I heard from his daughter is that all he could see in his times in comic book shops after his foray into the industry was no longer the heroes, but the shitty history behind the titles. He could look at a superhero comic and tell you about how so-and-so got cheated or exploited, and so he just gave up. It's also why he never wrote anything for Marvel (outside of a few pages in a charity comic), cause of Kirby and Ditko.
I get it honestly. I always cringe whenever I see Bob Kane's name on a Batman comic, even the "with Bill Finger" doesn't feel right, seems smaller than Bill deserves.
He does still love comics though, he has recommended plenty of comics and writers, unsurprisingly, they're all indies.
The new Lex Luthor, Grant should be in BVS.
What a shame we got Jesse Eisenprick
Grant is an amazing writer. He did the best use of superman's powers during the electric period more so than his regular writers. JLA 7 I think
He made Superman interesting at a time when there didn't seem to be anything that he'd not done hundreds of times already. All Star Superman was a masterpiece.
Dude I love grant Morrison now cuz damn!!
39:42
“WHY CANT I GET LAID?!” - Grant Morrison
Kevin Smith and Grant Morrison should do a movie together
I always thought of Talia as a victim rather than a villain but his approach was interesting
I could listen to this all day!
Final interview starts around 2 hours and 45 minutes.
I have to admit I'd never picked up on the ending of The Killing Joke but looking at it now it's so obvious I feel foolish not to have understood it.
The laughter stops while the sirens continue. The puddles almost join up to connect the the light beam bridge but as they merge the light goes out.
Ladies and gentlemen, Alan Moore.
So I guess Batman realises while they're laughing that both he and Joker are beyond redemption. That's when he makes his decision.
I love this compilation. Thanks for making it.
Wow I've never read a comic book in my life but I'm grant Morrison fan from his disinformation lectures
+zeth stclair Read his Marvel Boy series
This is amazing.
Everyone should listen to the Scott Snyder interview as well. It's not as profound... But if you are into Batman, he's a great writer and it's a great listen.
The thing that pisses me off that Grant Morrison's written is redhead Jason Todd in Batman & Robin. I thought we'd left the pre-80's crisis universe, so that wasn't something I ever really bought into. Other than that, he's great.
Well i guess that was part of the themes he was trying to make batman face on his run, those parts of his past that erybody tries to forget or brush aside.
TheDarkRedbird Morrison wrote the Post-Infinite Crisis relaunch of the character so the pre-Crisis continuity was technically no more. Instead Morrison designed his version of Batman's world to draw from the entire publishing history and mishmash the different eras.
@@62SG even with Animal Man and JLA he ignored the Crisis. His versions acknowledge everything. Which DC has not completely figured out yet.. pathetic.
grant's mystical experience sounds like the assassins creed loading screen. Azure blue with gridlines....wonder if someone who worked on that game also visited Kathmandu.
Kyle Griffin That's interesting. His story about that gave me chills. I wouldn't be surprised if that's out there.
I'm listening this for a second time, recommend
Best Batman Beyond DarKnightReturns Number 1
Born in '53 so in the beginning we really only had two choices; Superman or Batman. And while I loved the Superman TV show, it was Batman for me. And then I saw Marvel take over the industry in the sixties with artists like Kirby, Ditko and Steranko. Had first editions of Fantastic Four, Spiderman, Iron Man and Daredevil and of course Nick Fury (The Howling Commandoes is another story - sort of Marvels's answer to Sgt. Rock.) Didn't like the Batman TV series. Was so looking forward to premiere night but my brother Eddie and I just watched in open-mouthed embarrassment. Strangely at the same time got to see the complete 1943 Batman serial at a local movie theater. No Bat-cave, no batmobile - it just sucked. I agree that good writing makes all the difference and so in that vein I'll simply add a link to a graphic novel I posted online that deals with another cultural icon. Enjoy.
www.wickensbrew.com
Grant Morrison & Kevin Smith! !! Thank you!!!!
absolutely eye opening stuff
Starblazer is the DC Thomson digest comic Grant is talking about 1979-92 @39:00
Before I listen, any major major spoilers in here? I’m relatively new to comics and want to get into reading Morrison
This is _Great_ stuff -
*Big Thanks* for posting this!
i fucking love grant
Morrison
1:43:30 he talks about The Dark Knight Returns
THANK YOU SIR!
Started playing this and a bald guy came out of nowhere
It's so rare for somebody to actually say something positive about Rob Liefeld & 90's Image comics.
Supreme and Prophet alone justify Rob Liefeld, let alone Deadpool..
@@panthergod supreme wasn’t good until Moore and Deadpool wasn’t good until Kelly.
@@chriscueva1866 nah, giffens run laid the groundwork for Moores retcon
So what comics is the whole "30s batman was like a young Batman, 60s batman was where he was a little older, 70s batman was now a bachelor" laid out in Morrison's run? Or was it just throughout the entire course?
I think he meant that he takes the entire 80 year Batman mythos into account when he writes Batman stories. He views it as if it is one continuous life for one guy.