Author Archives: Alex K Cossa

Those Two Geeks 324: It’s a Wrestling Show With A Casual Fan

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Alex is joined by Ready, Nerd, Go! cohost Anco and the man responsible for Anco watching wrestling again, Cody, to talk about casual fan Anco’s experience watching AEW Forbidden Door 2025.

You can reach us at the following locations if you feel the need:
Alex and Joe can be found on X respectively @karcossa and @FirstRonin4.
You can also find Alex on Bluesky @karcossa.bsky.social.
Alex is on threads @Alex_K_Cossa.
ThoseTwoGeeks@gmail.com

Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay

Ready, Nerd, Go! 014: “When you dance with the devil, you wait for the song to stop.”

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Welcome to Ready, Nerd, Go! Graphic Policy’s newest podcast focused on tabletop role playing games (RPGs), hosted by Alex and Enko. With the rising popularity of D&D and other tabletop RPGs, we wanted to help folks who are interested in learning about the hobby take their first steps.

On the docket for this episode:

  • Campaign settings
    • What is a campaign setting?
    • Premade campaigns verses evolved games
    • Making campaign settings evolve

Music by Alex Grohl from Pixabay.
Email: ReadyNerdGo@gmail.com

Ink & Imagination 005: Will Eisner and the Fight for Creator Rights

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Welcome to Ink & Imagination, brought to you by Those Two Geeks.

In this episode, we dive into the life and legacy of Will Eisner, one of comics’ true visionaries. Best known for The Spirit and for pioneering the “graphic novel,” Eisner also became a tireless advocate for creator rights in an industry that often exploited its talent. From his own struggles with publishers to his pivotal role in reshaping how artists and writers claimed ownership over their work, we’ll explore how Eisner’s fight helped pave the way for the conversations, and protections, that define comics today.

Music by Nicholas Panek from Pixabay

Ink & Imagination 004: No More Heroes: British Comics in the 1970s

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Welcome to Ink & Imagination, brought to you by Those Two Geeks.

Britain in the 1970s was a nation in crisis; economic decline, strikes, and youth rebellion. In this turbulent era, comics reflected the clash between tradition and rebellion.

This episode explores the fading legacy of The Hotspur, one of the great boys’ papers of the mid-century, and the explosive rise, and fall, of Action, the short-lived but notorious comic dubbed “the comic the parents hate.” With its blood-soaked shark (Hook Jaw), violent street gangs (Kids Rule O.K.), and gritty working-class football strips, Action thrilled kids and horrified parents, sparking a moral panic that forced its withdrawal after just 36 issues.

But Action didn’t die in vain. Its rebellious spirit lived on in 2000 AD, paving the way for Judge Dredd, the British Invasion of comics in the 1980s, and the transformation of the medium worldwide.

From patriotic soldiers to punk-inspired antiheroes, this is the story of how British comics in the 1970s captured a society on the edge and changed comics forever.

For further reading, check out:
DownTheTubes.net
Paul Gravett
James Chapman, British Comics: A Cultural History
Pat Mills, Be Pure! Be Vigilant! Behave!: 2000AD & Judge Dredd: The Secret History 

Music by Nicholas Panek from Pixabay

Ready, Nerd, Go! 013: “For guys like me, the City washes away your sins. It’s a morality carriage wash.”

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Welcome to Ready, Nerd, Go! Graphic Policy’s newest podcast focused on tabletop role playing games (RPGs), hosted by Alex and Enko. With the rising popularity of D&D and other tabletop RPGs, we wanted to help folks who are interested in learning about the hobby take their first steps.

On the docket for this episode:

  • Homebrewing.
    • Not alchohol
    • What is homebrewing?
    • When should you do it?
    • How do you do it?
    • Player homebrew.
      • Mechanical adjustments verses reskinning a character (narrative adjustments).

Music by Alex Grohl from Pixabay.
Email: ReadyNerdGo@gmail.com

Ink & Imagination 003: Paper, Panic & Protection: Canada’s Comic Book Crackdown

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Welcome to Ink & Imagination, brought to you by Those Two Geeks.

In 1949, Canada passed one of the most unusual censorship laws in modern history: the Fulton Bill, which made “crime comics” illegal.

This episode dives deep into the fears, politics, and moral panics that fueled the legislation. We’ll explore how juvenile delinquency became a national obsession, how comics became an easy scapegoat, and what happened when Canadian Parliament decided to step in. Along the way, we’ll compare Canada’s hardline stance with the U.S. response, from Fredric Wertham’s Seduction of the Innocent to the Senate hearings and the Comics Code Authority.

From silenced Canadian creators to the collapse of a local industry, this is the story of how fear reshaped comics on both sides of the border; and what it cost us in art, imagination, and freedom.

For further reading, visit this Crisis of Innocence page.

Music by Nicholas Panek from Pixabay

Ink & Imagination 002: Heroes Without Borders (Immigration & Refugees in Comics)

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Welcome to Ink & Imagination, brought to you by Those Two Geeks.

What do Superman, the X-Men, and countless beloved comic book heroes have in common? They’re all stories shaped by the immigrant experience. In this episode, we explore how refugees and immigrants, both the real creators behind the comics and the characters they brought to life, defined the very foundations of the medium. From Siegel and Shuster’s refugee Superman to the international roster of the X-Men, comics have always reflected the struggles, hopes, and resilience of those seeking a new home. Join us as we uncover the human journeys behind our modern mythology; and ask what our world would look like if those borders had been closed.

Music by Nicholas Panek from Pixabay

Ink & Imagination 001: DC Comics and The Mob

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Welcome to the first proper episode of Ink & Imagination, brought to you by Those Two Geeks. In this episode, we look at the early days of DC comics and their ties to organized crime. The first unofficial episode can be found under Those Two Geeks 323.

For further reading, the book Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Books covers the subject in more detail, both of Superman’s creators and about Harry Donenfeld.

Music by Nicholas Panek from Pixabay

Ready, Nerd, Go! 012: “As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a thief”

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Welcome to Ready, Nerd, Go! Graphic Policy’s newest podcast focused on tabletop roleplaying games (RPGs), hosted by Alex and Enko. With the rising popularity of D&D and other tabletop RPGs, we wanted to help folks who are interested in learning about the hobby take their first steps.

On the docket for this episode:

  • What do you do when players don’t show up?
    • Scheduling issues.
    • Before it happens, talk about what happens if not everyone is there.
      • Group dynamics
  • Last minute drop outs?
    • Back up game options?
    • Cancelling the session.
  • Rotating cast of players
    • Games designed for pick up and play with players missing.
  • If the GM can’t make it?

Music by Alex Grohl from Pixabay.
Email: ReadyNerdGo@gmail.com

Those Two Geeks 323: The Dark Age of Comics

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Alex is alone this week, and decided to continue on from the last episode where he spoke about the early days of comics.

You can reach us at the following locations if you feel the need:
Alex and Joe can be found on X respectively @karcossa and @FirstRonin4.
You can also find Alex on Bluesky @karcossa.bsky.social.
Alex is on threads @Alex_K_Cossa.
ThoseTwoGeeks@gmail.com

Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay

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