Comic Book Yeti!
...and a few odd thoughts!
It’s been a busy week! We at the Superfan Podcast had a ton of fun talking to Jimmy Gaspero over at Comic Book Yeti. Yes, we went on a podcast to talk about what it’s like to do a podcast. Where we talk to your favorite comic book creators about their favorite things…that aren’t comics. What was even more fun was when he asked us what we ourselves would talk about if we were guests on our own show. But TWIST. We each tried to guess what topic we thought the other might pick. Did we guess correctly? You should give it a listen, it was fun being on the other side of the mic.
So, what I did above with the whole “did we guess correctly? Give it a listen!” got me thinking. Would that be considered clickbait? I ask because I subscribe to what used to be a really great newsletter called The Skimm. It sums up everything relevant happening in the news, very briefly, and it links to reputable news sources that you can click on to read further. Ten years ago, it was great. Now, it links to sites you need a subscription to read, and the sponsors are out of control. The one thing that really bugs me though, is this right here:
This is clickbait crap. Number 11 is car insurance, by the way. I can’t stand clickbait like this. This used to be a great newsletter with actual links I could trust to click on. Now it’s this, and I’m super bummed out. Listening to our interview above will not bum you out.
And while I am on this little vent, I have a couple other things that really got to me this past week, and I may as well get them off my chest. Don’t worry, I’ll end this on a positive note.
I received an email response from someone who emailed me originally back in 2024. It was a cold email from someone I do not know, asking me some professional questions. I replied politely with answers, as I always try to do, and there was no response. Until this week. It was not a thank you. It was not a “sorry this got lost” email, it was what I would consider the equivalent of a professional booty call. You up? (Will you be at Anime Expo, would love to set up a meeting). Hell, no. I don’t know you. Who are you? They went back and dug up an email from two years ago and replied to it. That’s creepy as hell. Make note of this.
And this is super random, but videos of people pointing up to text you’re supposed to read while making a face, and that’s all they’re doing. To me, that’s the equivalent of a meeting that should have been an email.
Okay, enough of that. Now the good stuff that made my heart burst with joy this past week.
I really love it when I’m settling in to watch TV in the evening, and my dog jumps onto the couch to sit next to me. She gets super close and does that circle thing, and then curls up, flops her head on my lap and lets out a sigh like she’s had an utterly exhausting day.
Having brunch outside on a perfect warm day with a good friend is also so fun. Shared laughs, a mimosa, and maybe a crazy experience that you can recount. Or, even better, when one is having a crazy experience in that moment and can’t tell you about it until it’s over. And then it’s over and OH MY GOD. Then you can both laugh over what just happened together while eating fries. Isn’t that just the best?
I have songs that remind me of certain people. Most of them don’t know that I associate these songs with them, but I bet if I told them they would say that it makes sense. Last week when I was at my brother’s house, one such song came on whatever playlist he had on, and I thought of the friend it reminded me of, and my phone chimed and I got a text from that very friend! It was so cool! And two nights ago, I was watching a very random Netflix movie from 2020, and that same song was sung by the main character as she fed goats on a farm. Bizarre. I texted my friend a smiley and they texted one back.
And my absolute favorite thing this past week is when three different friends, none of who know each other, all sent me the same video:
…and I laughed and laughed. It was definitely when she got spooked the second time that got me. I love you guys! You all know me so well.
Have a great week, don’t let the bullshit get you down!
Seasons One and Two of the Superfan Podcast are now available!
Season One guests:
Rodney Barnes on Stephen King
Marc Guggenheim on Billy Joel
Kelly Sue DeConnick on Alan Alda
Matt Kindt on John LeCarre
Marjorie Liu on gardening
Patrick McDonnell on Frank Zappa
Season Two guests:
Jim Rugg on wrestling.
Maia Kobabe on K-pop
Johnnie Christmas on Midnight Mass
Paul Pope on Rowland S. Howard.
Erica Henderson on Terry Pratchett’s Discworld
Elsa Charretier on game-based dog training
Be sure to subscribe to the Superfan Signal Substack to get updates on Season 3! Each episode includes detailed show notes (with reference breakdowns) plus cocktail, mocktail, and dessert recipes inspired by our guests’ fandoms…because, of course, we did that.
If you listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and feel inclined, a 5-star review is always appreciated. It genuinely helps the show find new listeners and grow.
You can also find me on Instagram at @geekchic_promos, on Bluesky as @kris10simon, and over at the Editor Girl website.
See you next week!
Onward,
Kris
That video is 100% me. Somewhere Marcy has a photo of me correcting a street sign with a Sharpie.
Click-bait is chicken and egg. We can't create this "content" (I hate that word) if we don't start making money. We don't start making money if we don't get folks to click. What comes first? You'd hope that what got them in the position to make money is enough to keep them going. But a lot of times it just isn't. Sad.
I watched a greatttttt video from a down-the-middle type guy who dissected media/press since the 1790s and he broke it down with, newspapers in the 1950s to 2000s needed one headline to sell a paper while subscription models didn't even need that headline at all since they already built your trust. Now it's one headline PER story. Even the subscription model folks do it too. Sigh... life was better before the internet wasn't it?