Checkered Past
441 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 months ago - ★★★★★ - 35 ratingsFrom February, 1966 through August, 1967, DC Comics branded all their publications with a checkerboard masthead, lovingly known as "Go-Go Checks". Because, you know, the 60s. With the help of his husband and intrepid friends, Dr. Bobb will examine each of these issues in depth and tell you what you need to know!
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Episodes
Never Never on a Sunday (Batman 187)
January 22, 2024 19:08 - 1 hour - 102 MBIt's an 80-Page Giant! All about Batman! It's got a newspaper strip! An amusement park! AND a Batman from the future (spoiler alert: he's an idiot!) It's all here so dive right in, Batman #187 (did I mention it's an 80-Page Giant?!?)
The Gloves are Coming Off (Our Army at War 174/ Strange Adventures 194)
January 11, 2024 22:05 - 49 minutes - 68 MBSgt. Rock is crackin' up, man, he's headed straight for Section 8! But not before wiping out a squad of Ratzis! PLUS the sensational character find of 1966, Super-Glove! It's all here with Our Army at War 174 and Strange Adventures 194!
Howzabout Challenging the KNOWN For a Change (Challengers of the Unknown 53)
January 04, 2024 23:59 - 58 minutes - 80.5 MBThe Challs face the sensational character finds of 1966, D-Man and the Iron Dictator who are (checks notes) never to be seen again! But that won't stop our stalwart writer from dumping every idea he's ever had into this slim volume. Join us for Challengers of the Unknown #53!
Time, See What's Become of Me (Atom 28)
December 20, 2023 22:44 - 56 minutes - 77.5 MBChronos returns, and that CAN'T be good news for tenured professor of physics Ray Palmer, can it? Not when his fiancée, lovely lady lawyer Jean Loring, has become his own personal Barbie doll, along with the entire population of Ivy Town! Join us for The Atom #28!
I Was a Teenage Beowulf (Bob Hope 102)
December 14, 2023 14:32 - 58 minutes - 79.8 MBIt's finally happened - Bob discoveres that Tadwallader and Super-Hip are one and the same! Too bad Tad has taken off with his teenage hooligan pals to wreak havoc across small-town America! Join us for all the "fun" in The Adventures of Bob Hope #102!
A Giant Among Supermen (Action Comics 343)
December 05, 2023 19:21 - 1 hour - 92.3 MBOur favorite Christmas albums! Chucking mannequins through windows! Jimmy Olsen is an idiot! Plus Superman fights a creation of the Niphilim. All part of the fun here on Checkered Past, come on in!
I've Seen That Movie (Detective Comics 357)
November 21, 2023 00:04 - 1 hour - 85.2 MBRed and yellow, kill a fellow, but don't tell that to the golden-clad Elongated Man! PLUS - Batman and Robin, being impersonated by a couple of college pranksters? Say it ain't so! PLUS PLUS - The sensational character finds of 2023, Beefy and Boo-Boo! It's all here in Detective Comics #357!
Denver, James Denver (Our Fighting Forces 104)
November 16, 2023 18:17 - 48 minutes - 66.2 MBCapt. Hunter and Lu Lin help out fallen flying ace Jimmy Denver who in turn helps them infiltrate a VC prison camp in search of Hunter's psychic twin, but the real story is that Lu Lin finally gets long pants and sensible shoes! It's Our Fighting Forces #104!
The Devil, You Say (Superman 191)
November 10, 2023 00:52 - 51 minutes - 70.4 MBSuperman jumps on the acronymned criminal organization bandwagon when he pledges to protect a mysterious space jewel from the machinations of D.E.M.O.N. And when I tell you that you aren't prepared for what D.E.M.O.N. throws at the Man of Steel you must believe me! Billy D is here to break it all down with us, join the fun!
Valley of Derision (Metamorpho 9)
November 02, 2023 23:43 - 58 minutes - 79.9 MBWhat's to be done when you discover a hidden valley filled with ancient machinery? Toddle off with your idiot daughter, caveman secretary, and underling super-hero, of course! Metamorpho tangles with a deposed dictator, Java makes whoopee with the gentlewoman from Georgia and Sapphire goes for a midnight swim, all in Metamorpho #9!
The Cat's Meow (Lois Lane 70/71)
October 25, 2023 23:16 - 1 hour - 102 MBCatwoman emerges after 12 years in retirement to (checks notes) announce her retirement...she just has a few odds and ends to take care of first, like killing the Penguin, hypnotizing Lois, and turning Lois into a cat! Join the fun, won't you, as we dive into Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane (oh that sounded dirty, didn't it?)
Color Me Blue (Adventure 351)
October 12, 2023 00:48 - 59 minutes - 81.2 MBSir Prize and Miss Terious are finally unmasked and that's like the LEAST exciting thing that happens in this issue. It's Part 2 of our 2-part look at Adventure Comics 350-351 and as my grandmother would say, "it ain't fopr sissies!"
Devil's Half Dozen (Adventure Comics 350)
October 04, 2023 23:16 - 53 minutes - 73.3 MBSupergirl and Superboy...BANISHED from the Legion?!?! Say it ain't so! WHO can ever replace them? Sir Prize and Miss Terious, THAT'S who...but what is their startling secret? Sorry, you won't find out here cause it's part 1 of a 2-part episode! But tune in anyway!
You Devil, You (Sea Devils 32)
September 28, 2023 13:23 - 53 minutes - 73.6 MBThe Sea Devils are not known for making good decisions, but this issue takes the cake - if cake as we know it even exists in the far-off future of (checks notes) TWO HUNDRED YEARS from now! Find out what makes even Dr. Bobb angry enough to toss a comic to the floor!
Bless the Beast Boys and the Children (Teen Titans 6)
September 21, 2023 00:25 - 51 minutes - 71 MBBeast Boy faces the existential dread of (checks notes) being a teenager. No one understands him! Where does he belong? Well, at the circus - at least until he's hypnotized into a life of crime. Can the Titans help him? Find out here! It's Teen Titans v1 #6, guest starring Beast Boy!
Don't Drop the Soap (Jerry Lewis 97)
September 13, 2023 22:42 - 52 minutes - 72.4 MBA report from Baltimore Comic Con! A spirited albeit one-sided discussion of Wacky Packages! And speaking of wacky packages, have you heard about Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis' shower scene? All this and more with The Adventures of Jerry Lewis #97!
Stretched Too Thin (Plastic Man 1)
September 07, 2023 20:20 - 1 hour - 82.9 MBAt last! The DC Universe debut (almost) of the ORIGINAL (but not really) Plastic Man! Also the DC debut of Professor X (not that Professor X). But Professor Dr. Husband does give a RIVETING lecture on the history of napping! It's all right here, don't delay!
Absent Without Steve (Wonder Woman 166)
August 30, 2023 22:52 - 58 minutes - 81 MBI think we can all agree on three things that we all hate: Misogyny, Racial Stereotypes, and Steve Trevor. Find out why in this double-barrelled look at Wonder Woman 166!
On an Island With You (Blackhawk 226)
August 23, 2023 21:47 - 52 minutes - 71.7 MBBlackhawk Island has a big secret - and no, it's not the fact that 7 grown men are sleeping in the same room! Witness the terrifying plans of The Planner! PLUS! Time Machine Mailbag! It's Blackhawk #226!
Double Double Toil & Trouble (JLA #49)
August 15, 2023 23:14 - 44 minutes - 60.6 MBThe Justice League has double trouble when Felix Faust starts multiplying just like a renegade Carggite! Luckily it's the sixties when everyone knows that powerful magical creatures can be defeated by a mouse running loose. PLUS - think Flash Facts are neat? Wait til you hear all the FAUST FACTS we have for you! Let's go-go, it's Justice League of America #49!
Monkey See, Monkey Do (Tomahawk 107)
August 08, 2023 23:00 - 44 minutes - 60.7 MBA gorilla, 100 years before they were discovered by western science? Sure! Viking fortresses dotting the New England landscape? Absolutely! An electric-powered villain a century before electricity was fully understood? Bring it on! PLUS! Lots and lots of chest hair! It's Tomahawk #107!
Grease, Ahoy! (Capt. Storm 16)
August 02, 2023 13:19 - 51 minutes - 70.4 MBThe Admiral's daughter has her sights set on Captain Storm and that can only mean GREAT things for his career. PLUS a lot of missed opportunities for "your mom" jokes! It's Capt. Storm #16!
Brigadoom aka A Watery Grave (Aquaman 30)
July 25, 2023 17:42 - 49 minutes - 68.6 MBAquaman - dead?!? Say it ain't so! Never fear, our hydrated hero will soon deduce the mystery of the DIMENSIONAL TIME REFLEX (?) and put an end to Mongo and his ghostly black city. It's Aquaman #30!
Blights of the Round Table (World's Finest 162)
July 18, 2023 21:40 - 53 minutes - 72.8 MBKing Arthur and his knights! Smoke blowing tigers! Balloons in space! It's not easy tying all those things together BUT WE DID IT. Join us for World's Finest Comics #162!
Hard as a Rock! (Our Army at War 173)
July 11, 2023 20:34 - 45 minutes - 62.5 MBSo much war and sports talk we had to bring in a heterosexual consultant. Join us and Jake and Our Army at War #173!
The What Ship of Where, Now? (JLA 48)
June 14, 2023 22:05 - 1 hour - 103 MBIt's an 80-Page Giant! The JLA fight a foe from the far future who is suprisingly up to speed on WWII-era popular culture! PLUS you'll thrill in awe as our heroes navigate the spaceways in an open rowboat!
Goin' to the Chap-Hell (Flash 165)
June 06, 2023 21:19 - 49 minutes - 67.5 MBThe bells are ringing for Flash and his gal! But who will be fastest down the aisle - Flash, or Professor Zoom?!? It's Flash #165!
Let's Get Small (Doom Patrol 107)
May 18, 2023 13:16 - 40 minutes - 55.3 MBUltimax, terrorizing the city! Mento, crashing the global economy! Elasti-Girl, under arrest for subatomic espionage! Beast Boy, suffering the cruel misfortune of drinking milk RIGHT FROM THE CARTON. I'm exhausted just reading about it! Join us for Doom Patrol #107!
Faceless in the Crowd (Batman 186/Swing with Scooter 3)
May 09, 2023 19:41 - 1 hour - 93.6 MBChildhood local television! John Byrne's creepy children! Political commentary on the Supreme Court! 500 teenagers that all look the same (except for the fat one). OH YES, and The Joker gets a kicky new sidekick! It's Batman #186 and Swing with Scooter #3!
Big Top-Less (Strange Adventures 193/ Fox and Crow 100)
May 02, 2023 21:50 - 49 minutes - 68.1 MBWhat's more fun - a trip to the circus or an hour of talk therapy? Only Stanley and his Monster know for sure! PLUS a mad scientist finally does something useful for humanity - collects shirtless men in cages! It's Strange Adventures #193 and The Fox and the Crow #100!
Da Bomb Dot Com (Action Comics 342)
April 25, 2023 20:59 - 53 minutes - 98.4 MBSuperman, a living bomb! Supergirl, a mighty Amazon! Dr. Bobb and Dr. Husband, delirious from pet-interrupted sleep! Never fear, that just makes us EXTRA chatty! It's Action Comics #342!
Fathers, M'Iright? (Adventure Comics 349)
April 18, 2023 23:42 - 58 minutes - 107 MBNapoleon! Kublai Khan! kd lang! That's only a FEW of the significant historical figures you'll meet this episode! Join us for Adventure Comics #349!
The Summer Knows (Jimmy Olsen 97)
April 12, 2023 18:31 - 1 hour - 152 MBBritish television! Invaders from other dimensions! Eastern European royalty! Our pal Martin Gray joins us to discuss Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, and we didn't even have to use our signal watches!
With a Wink and a Nod (Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?)
March 28, 2023 23:52 - 1 hour - 135 MBIf I'm being honest, I didn't think we'd make it to 2 episode, much less TWO HUNDRED, but here we are! A new theme song! A new(er) comic to read! And lots of heavy emotions as Dr. Husbands reads, for the first time, "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow"! Come on in, the water's fine!
All That Glitters (Green Lantern 48)
March 22, 2023 11:17 - 44 minutes - 81.8 MBKnow who's got a birthday? Johann Sebastian Bach, that's who! Also Dr. Husband, but let's get right to business - how's Green Lantern going to fight a foe made entirely of the color yellow? WITH HIS FISTS, THAT'S HOW! Tune in now for Green Lantern #48!
The Brave and the Billy (Brave and Bold 68)
March 13, 2023 21:33 - 59 minutes - 108 MBBilly from The Brave and the Bob Pod joins us to discuss the curious case of the Bat-Hulk! PLUS other nonsense, as usual. It's Batman, Metamorpho, and The Brave and the Bold #68!
C is for Cookie (Rhymes with KOOKY) (World's Finest 161)
March 07, 2023 22:50 - 1 hour - 151 MBThis episode brought to you by the letter C, and the words Caveman, Colonoscopy, Car Lighter, Classical Music, and Crabs! It's World's Finest #161, an 80-Page Giant!
I'm Only Human (Metal Men 22)
February 28, 2023 00:42 - 49 minutes - 91.3 MBWHO is the Sizzler? WHY did G.I. Joe defect to the VietCong? WHAT is the secret of Dr. Bobb's meatball soup? ALL WILL BE REVEALED ON THIS EPISODE! It's Metal Men #22!
On the Outside Looking In (Detective Comics #356)
February 21, 2023 00:14 - 1 hour - 153 MBAlfred is dead, and I don't feel so good myself. But don't worry, turns out Alfred's not REALLY dead, he's just an all-powerful super-villain! Author Jim Beard joins us to explore the craftiest television-dictated character revival since Steve Trevor! PLUS the Elongated Man waxes poetic!
Superboy Sunday! (Superboy #133)
February 12, 2023 23:11 - 1 hour - 114 MBAn untold tale of Superbaby's arrival on Earth, and his first ADORABLE but-up of a crime syndicate! PLUS Robin mucks around and creates a new timeline! It's Superboy #133!
A Singular Smog (House of Mystery 162)
February 08, 2023 18:52 - 47 minutes - 86.5 MBGramps gets his moment to shine, but what benefit is civic pride when one is transformed into a monster? PLUS Marco Xavier gets his chance to meet Mr. V, AND the saga of Dr. Husband's missing wedding ring! It's House of Mystery #162!
Me No Like! (Tales of the Unexpected 97)
February 01, 2023 00:44 - 44 minutes - 82.1 MBRoger Boyd has one month to live – unless the Green Glob can set things right! PLUS Auto-Man runs afoul of a super-advanced mutant genius who somehow skipped English class! It's the Green Glob and Auto-man in Tales of the Unexpected #97!
Eye of the Tiger (G.I. Combat 120)
January 23, 2023 21:31 - 39 minutes - 71.8 MBYou can lead a Haunted Tank to the Patisserie but you cannot make him eat! Jeb Stuart's gotta capture a Nazi tank crew and he's gotta do it fast, good thing his pals Sgt. Rock and Johnny Cloud are around to offer some handy tips! PLUS the eprils of Sunday afternoon grocery shopping in the suburbs!
Winging It (Hawkman 16)
January 17, 2023 19:45 - 51 minutes - 93.6 MBYou know it's a ghreat story when flying gorillas don't even make the top five list of - pardon my French - ape-sh*t things! Hidden civilizations! Evil priest-kings! Mosaic analogues! Lady scheintists! PLUS the exciting saga of our new neighbor and her full septic tank! We're back, baby!
Robin Whines at Dawn (Batman 185)
December 24, 2022 15:08 - 1 hour - 153 MBIt wouldn't be Christmas without an 80-Page Giant! Robin flies solo (when he can shake himself out of his teenage pity party) PLUS Dr. Husband discovers that there's a such thing as Bat-Hound!
Last Chance Lois (Lois Lane 69)
December 14, 2022 15:34 - 1 hour - 110 MBNot one, not two, but THREE Insect Queens for the price of one! PLUS a roomful of Lois Lane mannequins, kitten problems, and my mother's irrational fear of gypsies!
I Was a Pteenage Pterodactyl (Star Spangled War Stories 129/Our Fighting Forces 103)
December 08, 2022 15:38 - 50 minutes - 91.8 MBTommy Miller has no wings but wait til you see him fly and hear his mournful SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEE! PLUS Captain Hunter and Lu Lin in another mildly entertaining adventure! AND - Kitten flirts with death at the jaws of Capt. Butler!
Red Dead Redemption (Challengers of the Unknown 52)
November 29, 2022 20:27 - 55 minutes - 102 MBRed Ryan - DEAD! Ace Morgan - DEAD! And I don't feel so great myself! PLUS is meanness really a villainous raison d'être? Join us for Challengers of the Unknown #52 and find out!
Julie Taymor Called (Adventures of Jerry Lewis 96)
November 22, 2022 19:47 - 51 minutes - 94.9 MBLarge-scale puppetry! Shakespearean romance! And a booze-loving kitten! All this PLUS Jerry Lewis battles a mad scientist, a giant monster, and overbearing parents! It's The Adventures of Jerry Lewis #96!
Surf and the World Surfs With You (Bob Hope 101)
November 15, 2022 01:24 - 51 minutes - 94.6 MBNubile young things in bathing suits! Politically incorrect stereotypes! Universal monster dopplegangers! PLUS Creepy old Hollywood stars! Who says the Beach movie is dead, not us!! Join us for all this PLUS Super-Hip in The Adventures of Bob Hope #101!