Author: Ian Casselberry

Overzealous Recycling 013: Lighten up, Francis

/ Ian Casselberry / Leave a comment

I’ve been wound really tight through most of the past week. This probably won’t surprise those who know me well. I tend to be a seether, to swallow irritation and annoyance until the kettle finally boils and shrieks to let that heat out.

— If you missed the last Overzealous Recycling, you can read it here —

It’s not one of my better character traits; I know that. I constantly need to do a better job of addressing things in the moment or shortly thereafter, rather than letting them build up. I feel like I’m better than I used to be, but when I do finally air my grievances, it can come across as a surprise to the recipient. I didn’t let on that I was feeling that way.

I always think I’m letting displeasure be known, but it probably gets lost under my default surly setting. So there I go, like Anger in Inside Out or Yosemite Sam with guns a-blazin’, if you’ll indulge a much older reference.

Continue reading →

The Podcass 003: Shazam! and some Uncle Ian stuff

/ Ian Casselberry / Leave a comment

After finally getting this show on track, a cold knocked me down for a few days. And I’d managed to avoid catching a cold all winter long. Dang it.

But The Podcass is back on track! First, Uncle Ian explains how he’s now driving a minivan school bus for his beloved nieces and we review the new superhero movie sensation, Shazam!

We’re now on iTunes! (Or are we all calling it Apple Podcasts now…?) Very excited to get past that velvet rope and be in the same market square as all the other podcasts out there. It’s a big, wide open space, however, so if you could help boost our signal with a rating or review, that would help tremendously.

Giving us a like on our Facebook page would also be a great boost. The support we’ve gotten so far from friends and followers has been fantastic.

Please subscribe to The Podcass! We’re on all of the popular podcast platforms, including:

You can also leave feedback at thepodcass@gmail.com and find the show on Twitter and Instagram. Hope to hear from you! Thanks for listening!

Shazam! stands out by embracing what makes the superhero fun

/ Ian Casselberry / 2 Comments

With one magic word, Shazam! keeps the fun train rolling for the DC cinematic universe. DC was already on the right track with the success of Wonder Woman and Aquaman, but taking a chance with a B-list (maybe even C-list) character who had a chance to reach a younger audience might have derailed that momentum.

Some fans and critics might feel like DC’s big-screen product won’t be fully established until the big names like Batman and Superman have been restored, and the cinematic universe is on a path to getting the band together in another Justice League film. But Marvel seized the superhero movie pedestal with lesser characters and by creating a slow build that stoked anticipation for a big payoff.

Another reason that Marvel has succeeded while so many other studios and franchises have failed in trying to build a cinematic universe is its realization that many different types of stories and genres could be featured within a superhero universe. Movies like Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man resonated with audiences because they were comedies as much as blockbuster spectacles. Humor has always been the honeypot for these movies.

Continue reading →

The Podcass 002: Waiting Room

/ Ian Casselberry / Leave a comment

The rhythm of the past week was thrown out of whack by an unexpected development. My baby niece hasn’t been feeling well and showed symptoms that prompted a trip to the emergency room. And that meant an hours-long wait in the ER.

No worries. My niece is fine. My sister, mother and I are a bit sleep-deprived, but we’re fine. But the waiting. And the waiting room…

We’re not yet on iTunes (or Apple Podcasts), but that should happen very soon. In the meantime, please leave a like on our Facebook page for a little signal boost. You can also subscribe to The Podcass on plenty of other podcast platforms, including:

You can also leave me feedback at thepodcass@gmail.com and find the show on Twitter and Instagram. Hope to hear from you! Thanks for listening!

Diving deep into the Batcave on Batman’s 80th anniversary

/ Ian Casselberry / Leave a comment

If you hadn’t already heard (or read) the news, today (March 30, 2019) is the 80th anniversary of Batman’s debut in Detective Comics #27. To commemorate the occasion, DC Comics published the 1000th issue of Detective Comics.

Typical of comic books these days, a whole bunch of variant covers were released for the landmark issue. This is the one I ended up buying, a retro-style cover by Michael Cho.


Surprising myself, I passed on the Frank Miller cover. As much as I love Miller’s work — and the heavy influence he’s had on Batman — that illustration was messy and dark. I wanted something more fun. Cho’s cover also alludes to how versatile Batman is as a character. He works in any genre, any style, something I wrote about five years ago.

— Happy Batman Day: Appreciating Different Caped Crusaders on 75th Anniversary —

A few months ago, my nieces stopped over for a visit. With their mother around, watching TV or playing with the iPad wasn’t an option. So the kids went to Uncle Ian’s room to find some toys to play with or books to read.

While we were doodling on sketch pads, Junior Niece asked me, “Why do you like Batman so much?” What do you mean, kid? Why do you ask think I like Batman?She then took some Blu-rays from my TV stand and set them down in front of me. Hmm, the kid had a point.

Continue reading →