Episodes

  • Brand Meets Fandamonium at Comic-Con 2025 (Concl)

    Brand Meets Fandamonium at Comic-Con 2025 (Concl)
    Sep 1 2025
    In the conclusion of our annual coverage of geekdom’s biggest gathering, guests Kurt Ho and Eric V. continue to interview the Ricks about their experience at Comic-Con International 2025. Think: panels, purchases, parties—and at least some weirdness (looking at you, Megan 2.0). IN THIS EPISODE 📚 Rick W. shares the panels he attended—and some of their oddities 🦸🏽‍♂️ Rick M. on a panel with correlations with advertising industry—and missing host 🦾 Kurt Ho thanks Robotech promoters for keeping the faith 🚀 Rick M. reconsiders the “Star Trek Universe” panel in Hall H. 🔮 Kurt has an inspired idea for a panel at next year’s show 🛍️ Rick W. meets Johnny Bravo and buys a hell of a mystery box 💥 Rick M. zeroes in on vintage Justice League’s comics 🥷🏻 Eric V. targets Firefly—GI Joe’s answer to Boba Fett 🤩 How GI Joe bypassed Star Wars in Eric V’s art collection 🏪 Circle K, hold the candy bars: comics in the good ol’ days 🎬 The crew’s best—and freakiest—moments from Comic-Con 🎉 Ready Party One revisited—and the less said, the better 🛸 Kurt rounds things out about friends and fun traditions ✅ Tips to those who want to attend Nerd Mecca net year Brought to you by Taskin, the first name in ultra-stylish, premium-quality travel gear for 🛩-setters everywhere. 👐🏻Shop now and save 30% with promo code R&RTAKE30 at TaskinSF.com: ow.ly/Vh6M30r9EpF👐🏻 Approx. 18 min, 30 sec. Review privacy and cookie policies for SoundCloud, iTunes, Spotify and all other streaming services. Some audio and visual elements created using AI-based tools.
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    19 mins
  • Brand Activations: Lego, Hasbro & More at Comic-Con 2025

    Brand Activations: Lego, Hasbro & More at Comic-Con 2025
    Aug 24 2025
    🕶️ In their annual post-Comic-Con episode, guests Kurt Ho and Eric V. flip the script and interview the Ricks about their experience at Comic-Con International in San Diego, California. It’s time to go inside Mardi Gras for Comic Book Geeks—and inspired brand activations from Lego, Hasbro, and more. IN THIS EPISODE 🤓 135,000 strong: What happens in San Diego never stays there (at 01:38) 💥 Overall impressions from newbies & and novices (02:30) 🤘🏼 Party Central: “Ready Party One” rocks the cosplay (04:30) 🧱 Lego brand activation: Replicating Comic-Con in plastic bricks (05:10) 🤖 Galactus for the win: In a sea of cosplay, one towers over all (07:45) 💃🏼 Andor or else? The “Niamos!” flash mobs that never happened (08:08) 💩 Todd McFarlane unfiltered: The weirder side of Comic-Con 2025 (08:34) 🤬 Inside, outside, upside down: A cruel opening-day joke on attendees (09:40) 🚍 A trippy bus ride you can only catch on the way to Comic-Con (11:46) 🎸 Zartan’s Revenge: Cobra Command goes heavy metal with Cold Slither (12:35) Brought to you by Taskin, the first name in ultra-stylish, premium-quality travel gear for 🛩-setters everywhere. 👐🏻Shop now and save 30% with promo code R&RTAKE30 at TaskinSF.com: ow.ly/Vh6M30r9EpF👐🏻 Approx. 15 min, 30 sec. Review privacy and cookie policies for SoundCloud, iTunes, Spotify and all other streaming services. Some audio and visual elements created using AI-based tools.
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    16 mins
  • 💥Review: James Gunn’s Superman

    💥Review: James Gunn’s Superman
    Aug 10 2025
    It’s time for the Ricks’ official (and highly-spoilerific) review of one of the summer’s biggest movies: James Gunn’s Superman. From backstories to propaganda-posting monkey bots, and from half-baked controversies to crappy character haircuts (looking at you, Green Lantern), the Ricks give you the lowdown on the latest incarnation of everyone’s favorite Kryptonian. IN THIS EPISODE 🥳 Relief at DC Studios and Warner Bros (at 01:41) 🧐 Expectations: Super-Cautious–or Mucho Caliente? (02:24) 🎨 Not just a DC comic book movie–a live-action cartoon (03:06) 🎚️ A Bald Tech-Bro Billionaire vs. Krypton’s Last Son (03:33) 🐾 The CGI Dog Stays in (and Steals) the Picture (03:50) 🦸🏻‍♂️ Enter: The Justice Gang* (Working Title) (04:45) ❤️‍🔥 Loaded Gunn: From “Bright Burn” to the Positivity Bug (05:19) 🎭 Lois, Clark, Lex & Beyond: Characters in Focus (05:55) 🤖 Gary the Robot & Cousin Kara: Kryptonian Disconnects? (07:21) 🧪 A Litmus Test for Successful Superman Stories (08:24) 🚨 Has Superman Gone Woke? Or Was He Always That Way? (09:50) 🐵 About Those Propaganda-Posting Monkey Bots (11:44) 🏮 The Lamest Green Lantern: Guy Gartner (12:09) 😎 A Cameo by Christopher Reeve’s Son (12:40) 🧑🏻‍🌾👩🏻‍🌾 Debating Gunn’s Interpretation of Ma and Pa Kent (12:46) 🥱 A Whole New Take on Kal-El? Or Same-Old, Same-Old? (15:04) 🧠 Whither Brainiac? Or Lobo, Jason Mamoa’s Next DC Role? (15:35) 🦸🏿‍♂️ Mr. Terrific: The Side Character Who Lived Up to His Name (15:50) 🤘🏼 Final Grades: Is Clark Really a Punkrocker? Or Just a Poser? (16:57) Brought to you by Taskin, the first name in ultra-stylish, premium-quality travel gear for 🛩-setters everywhere. 👐🏻Shop now and save 30% with promo code R&RTAKE30 at TaskinSF.com: ow.ly/Vh6M30r9EpF👐🏻 Approx. 19 min, 50 sec. Review privacy and cookie policies for SoundCloud, iTunes, Spotify and all other streaming services. Some audio and visual elements created using AI-based tools.
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    20 mins
  • 🎬 3 Most Anticipated Movies of Summer 2025

    🎬 3 Most Anticipated Movies of Summer 2025
    Jul 10 2025
    🎥 Will James Gunn’s Superman soar—or be box office Kryptonite? Does Jurassic World: Rebirth have bite? In a crowded summer movie season, what’s in store for Ballerina, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Fantastic Four: First Steps, Freakier Friday, and more (including … Happy Gilmore 2)? In this special episode, the Ricks count down their list of the three movies they’re most excited to see this summer—how does it compare to yours? 🏖️ Living La Vida Laguna (at 00:56) 🙌🏼 Hollywood’s “Survive to ‘25” mantra (02:00) ✅ Rick M.’s caveat to the Ricks’ Top 3 (02:38) 💥 Is the third time the charm for Fantastic Four? (02:55) 🏎️ Can Brad’s Pitt crew rev up a blockbuster? (04:35) 🔪 Will the feel-bad movie-of-the-year be fun? (06:30) ⚔️ Can old warriors deliver new thrills? (07:25) 💎 Ready for the new adventures of Lois & Clark? (10:30) 🩰 She wants to be your private killer (13:10) 🧟‍♂️ One runner-up arrives 28 Years Later (15:45) Brought to you by Taskin, the first name in ultra-stylish, premium-quality travel gear for 🛩-setters everywhere. 👐🏻Shop now and save 30% with promo code R&RTAKE30 at TaskinSF.com: ow.ly/Vh6M30r9EpF👐🏻 Approx. 17 min, 05 sec. Review privacy and cookie policies for SoundCloud, iTunes, Spotify and all other streaming services. Some audio and visual elements created using AI-based tools.
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    17 mins
  • 🎬 Star Wars Road Trip: Inside Rancho Obi-Wan

    🎬 Star Wars Road Trip: Inside Rancho Obi-Wan
    Jun 23 2025
    🚀 Kurt Ho and Eric V. join the Ricks for a closer look at the brand called “Star Wars”—including the marketing deliverables, games, toys, and more on display at Rancho Obi-Wan, the largest private collection of Star Wars memorabilia in the world. Learn why the story that started “a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…” continues to take fans into the future. IN THIS EPISODE 👽 Welcome to Rancho Obi-Wan Museum of Star Wars Memorabilia (https://ranchoobiwan.org) (at 0:50) 😎 The backstory on Steve Sansweet’s personal shrine to all things Star Wars (at 1:20) ✈️ Planning (a long time) ahead for not-so-easy-to-score Star Tours (at 2:32) 🏢 At over 9,000 square feet, Rancho is saving Star Wars at scale (at 3:00) 👨🏼‍🚀 Why the docent may regret tapping Eric to share his Star Wars story first (at 5:05) 💥 When 400,000 posters, video games, books, action figures, and other collectibles aren’t enough (at 5:40) 🏛️ The Saga Museum: A vision to merge Rancho Obi-Wan, the “Sith”sonian, and others (at 9:00) 🤠 From set pieces to Death Star bongs: How Steve Sansweet snares one-of-a-kind Star Wars collectibles (at 10:50) 🧐 How Eric won a rare Star Wars fan commemorative by stumping the docent (at 14:12) 🪥 For the love of Bib Fortuna: Kurt wins a bet about Star Wars Toothpaste (at 15:52) 🤪 The overwhelming emotions of it all: becoming a Star Wars kid again (at 17:17) 🛏️ From Farrah, with love: The most unexpected collectibles for Kurt and Eric (at 19:53) 💪🏼 “You came in that thing? You’re braver than I thought"—Whose line is it, anyway? (at 22:12) 🫆 Name that character: Muftak, Salacious B. Crumb, Droopy McCool—or the Dongalorian? (at 22:50) ❝ “I’ve got a bad feeling about this:” Star Wars quotes you can also say in bed (at 24:00) Brought to you by Taskin, the first name in ultra-stylish, premium-quality travel gear for 🛩-setters everywhere. 👐🏻Shop now and save 30% with promo code R&RTAKE30 at TaskinSF.com: ow.ly/Vh6M30r9EpF👐🏻 Approx. 26 min, 10 sec. Review privacy and cookie policies for SoundCloud, iTunes, Spotify and all other streaming services. Some audio and visual elements created using AI-based tools.
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    26 mins
  • AI Trends: Google AI Goes Agentic, Oura Ring Says ‘Give Us the Finger’ & More

    AI Trends: Google AI Goes Agentic, Oura Ring Says ‘Give Us the Finger’ & More
    Jun 6 2025
    Insights on Google’s Agentic AI moves. Billie’s scratch-and-sniff deodorant billboard. “The Pineapple Pizza Wars” raging at the Chicago Sun-Times, sparked by an AI-generated summer reading list’s fake books. Oura Ring’s provocative new campaign, and more. IN THIS EPISODE: 🍔 Welcome BBQ surprises are the best kind of BBQ surprises (at 1:17) 🧨 “M:I The Final Reckoning”: No “Fallout,” but still fun (1:44) 🥋 Bruce Lee and “Warrior” parties like it’s 1888 (2:34) 🚀 Tony Gilroy’s “Star Wars: Andor” lands the dismount (4:21) 🤖 The droid you’re looking for? “Murderbot” has “Lost in Space” vibes (4:44) 🧟 “The Last of Us” pulls a Ned Stark—and the Ricks aren’t impressed (5:28) 🍿 “Lilo & Stitch’ steals box office gold from Tom Cruise & crew (6:50) 📚 The summer reading list that wasn’t, courtesy of the Chicago Sun-Times (8:20) 🛍️ Are agencies and retail brands ready for Google’s agentic AI? (9:24) 👀 Why SEO is more important than ever in the age of AI (10:49) 👃🏾 Billie’s scratch-n’-sniff deodorant billboard smells like the pits (11:43) 🥃 A whiskey brand’s scent-vertising & a ski trip with Longtime Listener Bill (13:03) ♨ Oura Ring’s new campaign begs you to “give us the finger” (15:00) 🔭 Outlook: Insights from Deloitte’s latest CMO survey (16:27) 🦁 Looking ahead to winners at the Cannes Lions Ad Festival (18:03) Approx. 20 min. Review privacy and cookie policies for SoundCloud, iTunes, Spotify and all other streaming services. Some audio and visual elements created using generative AI-based tools. Brought to you by Taskin, the first name in ultra-stylish, premium-quality travel gear for 🛩-setters everywhere. 👐🏻Shop now and save 30% with promo code R&RTAKE30 at TaskinSF.com: ow.ly/Vh6M30r9EpF👐🏻
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    19 mins
  • Brand Refresh Insights: Mountain Dew, Marvel's Thunderbolts* & More

    Brand Refresh Insights: Mountain Dew, Marvel's Thunderbolts* & More
    May 25 2025
    Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” satisfies. Marvel’s “Thunderbolts*” rebrand. Plus: loaded questions about surprising (and hilarious) brand refreshes for Mtn. Dew, PwC, and Panda Express. IN THIS EPISODE: 🫂Digital 'Halo' technology helps Michael B. Jordan play twins in “Sinners” ✱ Marvel gives “Thunderbolts*” a major rebrand in post-release campaign 💥 Can Marvel really pull off a movie like “Avengers: Secret Wars”? 🥤 Mountain Dew brand refresh goes wide with—tattoos? 📢 PwC upgrades its brand identity without spending $1 billion 🥡 Orange Chicken and a Song: Inside Panda Express’s “Pandaoke” Approx. 22 min. Review privacy and cookie policies for SoundCloud, iTunes, Spotify and all other streaming services. Some audio and visual elements created using generative AI-based tools. Brought to you by Taskin, the first name in ultra-stylish, premium-quality travel gear for 🛩-setters everywhere. 👐🏻Shop now and save 30% with promo code R&RTAKE30 at TaskinSF.com: ow.ly/Vh6M30r9EpF👐🏻
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    22 mins
  • 🍿 Eleven 1970s Sci-Fi Movies Better Than Star Wars?

    🍿 Eleven 1970s Sci-Fi Movies Better Than Star Wars?
    May 16 2025
    From the vault: In this episode from 2018, the Ricks respond to a Geek.com article about eleven 1970s sci-fi movies that were … better than Star Wars? Plus: iHop’s “iHob” rebrand revisited—and advice the Ricks would give their younger selves about a career in marketing. Brought to you by Taskin, the first name in ultra-stylish, premium-quality travel gear for 🛩-setters everywhere. 👐🏻Shop now and save 30% with promo code R&RTAKE30 at TaskinSF.com: ow.ly/Vh6M30r9EpF👐🏻 IN THIS EPISODE: 🥞 iHob Revisited: Results from iHop’s stunt re-brand as “iHob” (at 0:54) 💥 Geek.com says these 11 1970s sci-fi movies better than Star Wars … (at 2:24) 👽 … And the Ricks have some thoughts about it (at 3:11) 📈 The Ricks on advice they’d give their younger selves about a career in marketing Approx. 20 min, 08 sec. Review privacy and cookie policies for SoundCloud, iTunes, Spotify and all other streaming services. Some audio and visual elements created using generative AI-based tools.
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    20 mins