No new episode this week, I’m afraid, because Al’s at the other end of the country.  We’d meant to mention this earlier but… uh, we forgot.  Sorry.

We’ll be back with a new episode next weekend, which should at least give everyone a break from reacting to the election result.

And if you haven’t listened to it yet, don’t forget our appearance on the Thumbcast.

As part of our bid to take over the universe, you can hear representatives of House to Astonish on not one, but two other podcasts right now.

First off, there’s the episode of The Thumbcast that we recorded on Tuesday evening, where we joined Thumbcast hosts Iain Hepburn and Craig McGill, along with Tachyon TV‘s Damon Querry and podcasting guru Ewan Spence, to record a SF, cult TV and generally geeky version of the BBC radio show Fighting Talk. You’ll find it at the Thumbcast’s website here, and it’s also available on iTunes. NB: contains swearing, dark comedy and references to 40-year-old UK TV shows.

Also, if you don’t normally check out the superb comics podcast Awesomed by Comics, you might want to give this episode a try, and listen for a familiar voice giving his opinions on Siege: Loki.

We’ve got a particularly good episode for you this time round, as we talk about the C2E2 convention, Marvel’s deal with Hachette, the Eisner award nominations and Kick-Ass’s performance. We also review Brightest Day, Turf and Kill Shakespeare, and consider the life of a paranoiac with a tricked-out car in the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe. All this plus vampire voices, a plea to the Avengers and a gang of old people.

As we mention at the end of the podcast, we’re going to be joining our friends from The Thumbcast for a special show next week, based on the format of the BBC Five Live show Fighting Talk – we’ll keep you updated and let you know when that goes live.

The podcast is here – let us know what you think, by commenting here, on twitter, via email or on a pair of stone tablets handed down from on high.

We’re back, after an accidentally long break, with chat on the Scott Pilgrim trailer, Marvel’s iPad app and the Smallville lawsuit, and with reviews of The Guild, Nemesis and X-Men: Second Coming. We also dabble in Hollywood happy endings with the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe. All this plus Eric B and Rakim, a packet of chocolate buttons, Jim Rugg’s Airwolf and a surprising ultimatum from Paul to Marvel Comics.

The podcast is here – let us know what you think, in the comments below, on Twitter, via email or spelling it out in precisely-timed fireworks.

Yep, it’s House to Astonish time again, and we’ve got a packed episode for you this time round, looking at the Longbox launch, Liefeld on Comixology, the Great Amazon Omnibus Gold Rush, Marvel projects gaining and losing actors, sales of Siege and Ultimate Comics X, Straczynski’s new DC assignments and Marvel’s new launches. We’re also reviewing Mystic Hands of Doctor Strange, Ghost Projekt and Green Hornet, and getting nautical in the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe. All this plus civic infrastructure works, selling bootleg CDs in indoor markets and libellously bad attempts at a Dutch accent.

The podcast is here – let us know what you think, either in the comments below, on Twitter, via email or by specially-commissioned aria.

Also, if you usually get the podcast through iTunes, then all ratings and reviews you guys leave are much appreciated – it sounds minor but these things really do help attract new listeners.

Join us for another episode as we look at the DC corporate/editorial reshuffle, the allegations of plagiarism against Nick Simmons, Siege‘s sales and the May solicitations. We also review The Weird World of Jack Staff, Ms Marvel and Captain Swing and the Electrical Pirates of Cindery Island and take a look at Marvel’s mythology in the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe. All this plus an opportunity to sell your car, the nineteenth Children of the Corn sequel and Shuma-Gorath, the Susan Boyle of the Marvel Universe.

The podcast is here – let us know what you think, either by commenting below, on twitter, via email or by leaving a backwards message in a hit 1970s record.

Our latest episode of House to Astonish sees us discussing Marvel and DC’s May launches, Captain America’s encounter with the Tea Party movement, Christopher Nolan’s involvement with the Superman movies, Spider-Man in 3D and BOOM! Studios’ new imprint. We’ve also got reviews of The Muppet Show, Human Target and X-Men: Pixie Strikes Back, and one of Marvel’s most embarrassing ethnic stereotypes takes the stage in the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe. All this plus Columbo, Contest of Champions on Ice and two guys in a shed 100 miles north of Saskatoon.

The episode is here – let us know what you think in the comments below, on Twitter, via email or by incongruous hieroglyphics on the wall of an alien tomb.

This time round, Paul and I are looking at the iPad, and wondering whether anyone actually knows what effect it’s going to have on comics. We’ve also got our regular round-up of the solicitations, a bit of chat on Diamond’s revised minimum order policy, and a few words on DC’s new Flash Ring promotion, Angoulême and The Beat leaving Publisher’s Weekly. We’ve also got reviews of Starman, New Avengers and Joe the Barbarian and we go back to the surprisingly deep well of awfulness that is the Ant-Man rogues’ gallery in the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe. All this plus the opposite of Occam’s Razor, the first cuckoo of spring and the possibility of an Alabama accent.

The podcast is here – let us know what you think, either by commenting below, by email, on Twitter or by writing it on your eyelids and blinking slowly at us.

There was no snow to speak of this week, so we managed to get hold of our books for review and thus perpetrate another podcast. This time round, we’re looking at the Spider-Man 4 debacle, Marvel’s Blackest Night exchange programme, Gail Simone’s return to Birds of Prey, Legion relaunches, the Avengers cancellations and David Finch’s exclusivity. We also review Amazing Spider-Man, Orc Stain and Super Hero Squad and delve into the animal kingdom in the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe. All this plus Team Blade, surfing-related villains, the return of siren noises and what would happen if Roger Dean drew One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.

The podcast is here. Let us know what you think by posting here, via email, on Twitter or interpretive dance.

Following our mini-break over the Christmas period (also the reason why I haven’t posted in a couple of weeks – I’ve been out of the country), we’re back with another instalment of the podcast. This time round, we’re looking at Earth One, the Marvel Adventures cancellation, DC’s plans for co-features and the X-Men First Class movie. We’re also reviewing Daytripper, X-Factor and The Tick, and we’ve got a special festive edition of the Official Handbook of the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe.

The big news for us is that we have a professional-level microphone now, instead of just having to bellow incoherently in the direction of the Macbook. What this should mean is that it’s a less echoing affair, that most background noise is cut out and that the podcast should be slightly quieter (so you may have to play it at a higher volume level than you’d usually play it at). Podomatic has also decided to start offering the ability to put chapters into a podcast, so I’ve done that too. Not sure whether it will make any practical difference, but it’s fun to play with the toys. The upshot of this, though, appears to be that the file is being distributed by Podomatic as an .m4a file rather than .mp3, so if that causes any problems (or at least ones that can’t be fixed by renaming the file extension) let us know.

The podcast is here – let us know what you think, either in the comments thread, on Twitter, by email or by yodelling at us off the side of an Alp.