Clobberin’ Time (for Apathy): Superman & Fantastic Four, with Stefan & Karl

2025-08-03

“What's funny is, people are talking about these movies being woke, but it's literally just what superheroes are supposed to be about — kindness, empathy, and protecting people that can't be protected. ” “These are times where we are told that you can't afford to look out for more than yourself — And to stand amidst that — to care about somebody even if it doesn't have some immediate benefit to me? Yeah, that's punk rock.” In a world spinning faster than a speeding bullet...

“These are times where we are told that you can't afford to look out for more than yourself — And to stand amidst that — to care about somebody even if it doesn't have some immediate benefit to me? Yeah, that's punk rock.”

In a world spinning faster than a speeding bullet — where doomscrolls rain like cosmic rays, truth is stretched, accountability is turning invisible, everything is on fire, and our foundation is becoming rocky — maybe what we need isn’t just another (super)hero — but a reminder of what everyday, real heroism looks like.

This week we're talking about SUPERMAN + THE FANTASTIC FOUR - not one, but two summer movies appropriate for the time we're living in. At first glance, it might feel like another studio cash grab — but these movies arrived right on time, reminding us of the power of hope, kindness, and the audacity to care in a world that tells us not to. “It’s clobberin’ time!” is more than just a tagline; it’s a call to stand together and fight the good fight, together.

So we gathered a couple of our favorite superhero sons of Cincinnati — Stefan K. James and Karl Preissner — longtime friends, early podcast guests (#11 + #12). Karl Preissner a longtime friend, allyship expert, and person who dances like no one is watching. And Stefan James is arguably my favorite Jamaican- Chinese- midwestern- Floridian father and business dude to nerd out on all things fiction and non-fiction. Both are gents who i don’t spend enough time talking to. They both joined to talk through their thoughts, feelings, and anxieties of the moment we’re in, and reflect on how these films can show us a better way forward. After all punk rock, and rebellions, are built on hope.

MENTIONS

EGOT:.wikipedia.org/wiki/EGOT
COMIC: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (Ryan North, Erica Henderson) goodreads.com/book/show/23732096-the-unbeatable-squirrel-girl-vol-1
FILM: Zero Dark Thirty (Kathryn Bigelow):.imdb.com/title/tt1790885
FILM: A Hidden Life (Terence Malik) -.imdb.com/title/tt5827916
SHOW: Andor (Tony Gilroy, Disney+):.imdb.com/title/tt9253284
COMIC: Invincible (Robert Kirkman) -.goodreads.com/series/66423-invincible
BOOK: The Ministry for the Future (Kim Stanley Robinson) -.goodreads.com/book/show/50998056-the-ministry-for-the-future
KIDS BOOK: Why? (Adam Rex, Claire Keane) - .goodreads.com/book/show/42453554-why
PERSON: Zohran Mamdani - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zohran_Mamdani
SHOW: Young Justice (HBO Max):.imdb.com/title/tt1641384