Frank Discussions

It's the (belated) Mothers' Day Special here at Frank Discussions, with a very special guest: the most formative female influence in my life, both generally and in relation to being a huge nerd. We talk about the Punisher's attitude toward laundry, the importance of staying hydrated while fighting crime, that time Frank invented workout fabrics, secret elf-superhero conglomerates/Lord of the Rings-Marvel crossovers, and more! Listener question from Alison Sampson (@alis_samp), via Twitter. Sample Discussion Questions: - What wash cycle is best for mithril? - *Is* the Punisher constipated, and if so, is that why he's so angry all the time? - Although it's true a lot of people don't like Star Wars, what's wrong with them?

On this episode Claire Napier (@illusClaire), co-Editor-in-Chief of the Eisner-nominated Women Write About Comics, drops some knowledge regarding Frank "Muscle Goth" Castle, dad ponytails, and the secret twist that explains literally everything about the Punisher. Listener question from Josie, via Facebook. You can find Claire's work at womenwriteaboutcomics.com.   Sample Discussion Questions: - Using only clothing items taken off dead mobsters, how long would it take the Punisher to fill his closet? - What is the best way to ensure, across all possible universes and realities, that an M. Night Shymalan Punisher movie never happens? - If you were the Punisher, what cleaning solutions would you use to get the blood stink out of your clothes, or is it just baked in there for life at this point?

Comics critic David Brothers (@hermanos; iamdavidbrothers.com) visits the Frank Discussions HQ to help puzzle out why, as people of color in a world that hates and fears us, we love the Punisher so much. It gets real, folks.

Comics artist Paul Jon Milne (@PallJonMilne; etsy.com/uk/shop/PJMillustration) comes by for a fond look back at the madness we call Punisher 2099. Apologies for the audio quality, BTW!

A dissection of the Punisher's true dad nature, with Sean McTiernan (@NoChorus) of the Come In All Units podcast (thewonderofitall.xyz/all-units/) and The Wonder of It All (thewonderofitall.xyz).

On this episode poet Meirion Jordan (@Meirion_Jordan) weighs in on whether the Punisher prefers hot dogs or pizza, how liking blues and jazz makes you not racist, and if the Punisher really does have a black friend. Listener question from @HugoBoylan, via Twitter. Meirion's books can be found here: https://www.serenbooks.com/author/meirion-jordan Sample Discussion Questions: - Have you ever eaten a hot dog stuffed crust pizza? Why? - Name three (3) rap names that are worse than Arc-Light. - If the Punisher were in Saudi Arabia in 1990, what are some other things he could do besides negotiate or kick butt?

On this episode Duncan Falconer (@DeadDem0nRider) weighs in on whether or not the Punisher works in the Marvel Universe. Reader question from @EmperorofChairs, via Twitter. Sample Discussion Questions: - Can you identify all the ways in which Marvel: Ruins is real shitty? - Are the Punisher's murders a) good or b) extremely good? - On a scale of 1 to Full Castle, if you were 14 and someone killed your pretend wife and kids, how mad would you go?