Episode 1687 - Best of 2025!

It's our BIG Best of 2025 podcast! In the annual very lengthy podcast, Jimmy and Producer Joe welcome back friends Heidi MacDonald (The Beat EIC) and Avery Kaplan (The Beat Features Editor) to join in the fun. They each talk about their favorite picks of 2025 in comics, TV, streaming and film. There will be multiple great picks per category from some of them as well. Hang in there for the ride! As we always say, these picks are what we read/saw and we didn't read/see EVERYTHING. What are some of your faves of last year? 

Jimmy ends the year with some recent favorite picks in an extended Top 3 segment. 12 picks in comics, movies, TV, streaming & music! The Great Flood​, Good Tickle Brain​, Snoop's Holiday Halftime Party​, U​nfolding musical, Paddington the Musical, Daddy Issues​, Inside of You w/ Michael Rosenbaum podcast: Allison Mack episode, Culinary Class Wars s2, Cashero​, My Daughter is a Zombie​, K-Pop Demon Hunters: For the Fans​ Little Golden Book, Hazbin Hotel: Live on Broadway. Hear his thoughts on all of them and go check them out. Happy New Year! www.comicnewsinsider.com

Reviews: DC's I Saw Ma Hunkel Kissing Santa Claus​, Spider-Man: Holiday Spectacular, Sanda, Disney's Hulu's Family Guy Hallmark Channel's Lifetime's Familiar Holiday Movie​, Tinsel Town​, A Very Jonas Christmas Movie​, Shin Wooseok's Urban Fairy Tale: The Christmas Song - Part 1 & 2 Jimmy does his annual review of Christmas comics, TV and film. What's new this year? What's good? There's Santa, super-superheroes, angels, K-pop idols, pop stars and Kiefer Sutherland! Some of these reviews may surprise you as well as what Jimmy thiinks of them. Check them out if you haven't! 

We interrupt the Thought Bubble Festival coverage once more. This time for a last minute holiday gift guide! Jimmy gives out some good suggestions of what to buy for the nerd in your life. And if that nerd is you, then that's great too! From comics to merch to gift cards, he has some awesome ideas for you. So give it a listen and get shopping before time runs out! 

Reviews: DC KO #1/#2, DC/Marvel Batman/Deadpool #1, 1776 #1, Bat-Fam, Hazbin Hotel s2, Stranger Things vol 5, Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, In Your Dreams, Zootopia 2 We interrupt all of the Thought Bubble Festival interview goodness to review some recent comics, TV, film, streaming. Let us know if you've checked any out and your thoughts on them. And come back later this week for more Thought Bubble Fest interviews!

While on holiday in the UK, Jimmy also attended the Thought Bubble Festival comic convention. He got 19 interviews total. In this episode, you'll hear his chat with his good pal/fellow podcaster Barry Nugent. Barry talks about his work as a writer and founding/hosting the Geek Syndicate podcast (and its spin-offs). He and Jimmy talk about the first day of the con, the differences growing up in the 80s in the UK vs the US, podcasting, K-Pop Demon Hunters, current fave comics/TV/film and just what they thought of that Alice in Borderland season 3 finale. And that's it for the Thought Bubble Festival coverage! Thanks to everyone for taking the time and to the powers that be at TBubs (that's what us cool kids call it) for putting on another great convention! Go back and check out all the great interviews Jimmy got at the show.

While on holiday in the UK, Jimmy also attended the Thought Bubble Festival comic convention. He got 19 interviews total. He also visited friends on his way up to the convention. In this TBubs "adjacent" episode, you'll hear his interview with his friend Emma Vieceli. Emma couldn't attend the convention this year because she's been hard at work on her own musical. Unfolding is an incredible piece of musical work. We chat about how it came together, the challenges, staging it, future plans and more. And while she did take a step back from comics, she's not completely out of that world! We talk some of her more recent works and some recent "misses" that led her on her musical path. Come back over the next week to hear the rest and go back a few weeks to hear all the amazing interviews! Thanks to everyone for taking the time and to the powers that be at TBubs (that's what us cool kids call it) for putting on another great convention!

While on holiday in the UK, Jimmy also attended the Thought Bubble Festival comic convention. He got 19 interviews total. In this episode, you'll hear his interview with Marc Ellerby. Marc talks about his 10 years doing Rick and Morty comics, becoming a better artist and what's next. Come back over the next week to hear the rest and go back a few weeks to hear all the amazing interviews! Thanks to everyone for taking the time and to the powers that be at TBubs (that's what us cool kids call it) for putting on another great convention!

While on holiday in the UK, Jimmy also attended the Thought Bubble Festival comic convention. He got 19 interviews total. In this episode, you'll hear his talks with Karenza Sparks and Sara Kenney. Karenza chats about her grapic novel The Corus Wave, geology and her love of stamps. Sara discusses her book Acid Box, love of the 90s club scene and Wowbagger Productions. Come back over the next few weeks to hear all the amazing interviews! Thanks to everyone for taking the time and to the powers that be at TBubs (that's what us cool kids call it) for putting on another great convention!

While on holiday in the UK, Jimmy also attended the Thought Bubble Festival comic convention. He got 19 interviews total. In this episode, you'll hear his chats with Donya Todd and Katriona Chapman. Donya talks about her incredible graphic novel The Witch's Egg, the use of color in her work and inspirations. Kat takes Jimmy on a walking tour of the amazing Avery Hill Publishing exhibit in Harrogate. It features many of the cartoonists that have released books over the years with AHP. Fantastic exhibit well worth visiting. Come back over the next few weeks to hear all the amazing interviews! Thanks to everyone for taking the time and to the powers that be at TBubs (that's what us cool kids call it) for putting on another great convention!