428 - FCF: Prince of Cats

Two hosts, unalike in dignity, in fair Gobbledygeek, where we set our podcast. For this month’s Four-Color Flashback, Paul and Arlo pull out a boombox blasting Romeo and Juliet side B. In Prince of Cats, Ronald Wimberly passes the mic to Juliet’s cousin Tybalt, a sideways entry point into the events that lead to and inform the soapy classic. Oh, and did we mention this version stars a Black cast living in an ‘80s NYC where everybody participates in an underground samurai swordfighting ring? The boys discuss Wimberly’s ingenious distortion of Shakespearean language; his manga-influenced art; how the book enriches (perhaps even improves upon?) the play; and what it means to tell this story from a race-conscious perspective.   NEXT: oh hey, it’s that Christopher Plummer Geek Challenge we promised. Mike Nichols’ Wolf and Michael Mann’s The Insider go head-to-head. BREAKDOWN 00:00:48  -  Intro / Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet 00:23:00  -  Prince of Cats 01:03:45  -  (Interlude: Paul reads NSFW Shakespearean dialogue from Prince of Cats) 01:55:08  -  Outro / Next LINKS   Lighten Up by Ronald Wimberly, The Nib   MUSIC “Step Off” by Grandmaster Melle-Mel & The Furious Five (1984) “Sucker M.C.’s” by Run-DMC, Run-DMC (1983) GOBBLEDYCARES Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/ Help teachers and classrooms in need: https://www.donorschoose.org/ Do your part to remove the burden of medical debt for individuals, families, and veterans: https://ripmedicaldebt.org/ Register to vote: https://vote.gov/