Frank and Squeaks are back with a packed episode covering the biggest movie, TV, and gaming stories making noise right now. They kick things off with a fast-moving CinemaCon roundup that hits Jumanji, Beyond the Spider-Verse, Zelda, Bloodborne, Resident Evil, anime in theaters, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day before shifting into a full trailer discussion for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. From there, they get into Daredevil: Born Again leak talk, Avatar movie reactions, Disney and Epic Games rumors, Mortal Kombat 2, Punisher: One Last Kill, and a long review-heavy discussion on The Boys. It is the kind of episode built for fans who want news, theories, and strong opinions all in one place.

Timestamps and Topics:

• 00:00 Intro, what they've been reading and playing, plus a tease for the upcoming Victor Barro interview about the Panels app
• 02:19 CinemaCon round-up featuring Jumanji, Beyond the Spider-Verse, Zelda, Bloodborne, Resident Evil, anime theatrical releases, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day
• 14:05 The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping trailer breakdown
• 18:21 Daredevil: Born Again leak talk, prison theories, and street-level Marvel speculation
• 23:26 Avatar: The Last Airbender movie leak reactions and animation discussion
• 25:22 Disney and Epic Games rumors, Fortnite, Disney Infinity, and what a merger could mean for games
• 29:57 Mortal Kombat 2 trailer reactions and why it already feels stronger than Street Fighter
• 35:06 Punisher: One Last Kill trailer breakdown and where Frank Castle fits in the MCU now
• 37:42 The Boys review, character arcs, likely deaths, and what is working best this season
• 50:29 Black Noir comic spoilers and whether the show could still pull off its biggest twist
• 53:52 Victor Barro interview begins, including the Panels app, DRM-free comics, indie creators, and the future of the platform
• 01:25:04 Quick Invincible thoughts and final reactions
• 01:25:54 Outro, review request, and Capital Creative Showcase plug

Key Takeaways:

• This episode moves fast and covers a wide range of major fandom topics without losing the personal back-and-forth that makes the show fun.
• The CinemaCon segment gives listeners a strong one-stop update on several high-interest movie and franchise stories.
• The Marvel section is one of the biggest hooks here, especially the Daredevil and Spider-Man speculation.
• The Boys conversation gives the episode a strong second half and should hit well with listeners looking for review-heavy discussion.
• Frank and Squeaks keep the tone casual, funny, and opinionated, which helps the episode feel more like hanging out than getting a news dump.

Memorable Quotes:

• "Why is he not taking photos?"
• "Mortal Kombat is taking itself seriously in the right way."
• "This is going to be the bridge that pulls him from Netflix to MCU."
• "There's some really good stuff out there."

Call to Action:
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Links and Resources:

Check out the Panels App: https://www.panels.app/

GeekFreaksPodcast.com is the source of all news discussed during our podcast. Check the episode description for links related to the Panels app, bonus reviews, and anything else mentioned during the show.

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Listener Questions:
Got thoughts on CinemaCon, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Daredevil, The Boys, or Punisher? Send us your questions and topic ideas for a future episode.

Apple Podcast Tags:
Geek culture, CinemaCon, Spider-Man Brand New Day, Daredevil Born Again, The Boys, Punisher One Last Kill, The Hunger Games Sunrise on the Reaping, Avatar The Last Airbender, Mortal Kombat 2, Beyond the Spider-Verse, Zelda movie, Resident Evil movie, Bloodborne, Marvel podcast, movie news, TV reviews, gaming news, pop culture podcast

Frank sits down with Aaron Cohen and Alex Schumacher to talk about Sticks and Stones: Holiday Special, a new comic centered on the Feynman family and their holiday misadventures. The conversation gets into how Passover, Hanukkah, and Purim shaped the book, why Ben makes such a strong lead, and how the team blends Jewish specificity with themes that feel familiar to anyone who grew up in a loud, loving family. Aaron and Alex also break down the book's comic strip DNA, the warmth behind its humor, and why this world has room to grow far beyond holiday stories.

• 00:00 Introduction and welcoming Aaron Cohen and Alex Shoemaker
• 00:37 What Sticks and Stones: Holiday Special is about, the Feynman family, and why releasing during Passover feels right
• 02:12 Representation, family traditions, and how the story connects Jewish identity with universal family experiences
• 03:29 Visual inspiration behind the book, including Sunday newspaper strips, classic cartooning, and old-school comic energy
• 05:41 Family memories, Passover traditions, and how real holiday experiences shaped the tone of the story
• 07:37 Why Passover felt like the perfect setup for a mystery story
• 08:09 Comic strip storytelling, all-ages humor, and the influence of books the whole family can enjoy together
• 09:45 Ben's deeper motivation and why wanting a seat at the adult table gives the story emotional weight
• 11:09 Ben's oversized suit, kid noir energy, and how his design reflects a child trying to act bigger than he is
• 12:18 Why Ben became the center of the story and how his imagination drives the whole book
• 15:03 Expanding the Feynman family, new characters, and future story possibilities
• 16:26 Protecting family, immigrant community parallels, and why the book feels relatable beyond one specific culture
• 22:38 Ralph's coloring, visual warmth, and how the page design supports the story's emotional center
• 28:47 Future plans for Sticks and Stones beyond holiday stories
• 32:30 Final thoughts on Ben and the larger story potential of this world
• 32:54 Rapid fire questions, favorite characters, and what holiday the family should tackle next

• Sticks and Stones: Holiday Special uses Passover, Hanukkah, and Purim to tell one connected family story.
• Ben works as a lead because he sees himself as the star of his own detective movie, which gives the book a playful inner voice.
• The creative team wanted the comic to feel deeply Jewish while still speaking to anyone who has experienced a big, chaotic family gathering.
• The visual style pulls from classic newspaper strips, animation, and old all-ages comics.
• Humor is treated as an act of love, not just a punchline, which gives the book its warmth.
• The team clearly sees this family as a long-term storytelling world, not just a one-off holiday concept.
• Future stories could move beyond holidays and into everyday family life, school stories, and more character-focused adventures.

"There's something universal in specificity."

"Ten people around a long table for two hours is a great place for a murder mystery."

"What he really wants ultimately is to be respected and be a part of the family and to be at the adult table and be taken seriously."

"You don't joke with someone and you don't gag with someone who you don't care about."

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Check out Sticks and Stones: Holiday Special

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Sticks and Stones, Holiday Special, Aaron Cohen, Alex Shoemaker, comic books, indie comics, Jewish comics, Passover, Hanukkah, Purim, family comics, all ages comics, Geek Freaks Podcast

Episode Summary:
Frank and Squeaks jump around a pretty fun mix of topics this week, starting with Star Fox officially showing up in the new Mario movie and the rumor that both a new Star Fox game and an Ocarina of Time remake could be on the way. They also get into the new Moana live-action trailer and whether Disney may finally be figuring out how to handle these remakes. The back half of the episode turns into a full spoiler discussion on the Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 premiere, with thoughts on Matt, Fisk, Bullseye, White Tiger, and where the season could be headed next.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 Frank and Squeaks open the show and talk about spring break
• 00:44 Capital Creative Showcase details and ticket code
• 01:40 Patreon shoutout and bonus perks
• 02:00 Star Fox is officially in the new Mario movie
• 06:37 Rumors of a new Star Fox game and an Ocarina of Time remake
• 12:13 What a modern Star Fox game should actually be
• 14:14 Moana live action trailer reactions
• 23:36 Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 spoiler talk begins
• 24:35 Does the season already have too many characters?
• 33:05 White Tiger, Karen Page, and what Matt is becoming
• 36:43 Bullseye, redemption, and the bigger picture this season
• 42:53 Final score for the Daredevil premiere
• 43:40 A few network updates and what's coming up
• 44:19 Comic recommendation of the week
• 45:53 Frank's pick: women's tackle football and the Golden State Storm
• 48:11 Outro

What We Get Into:
Star Fox being part of the Mario movie feels like Nintendo is slowly building something bigger without rushing into a giant crossover. Frank and Squeaks also talk about why Ocarina of Time could be the exact kind of game that gets more people to finally buy a Switch 2, especially if Nintendo keeps the remake pretty faithful. On the Star Fox side, they both seem to want something that mixes the old arcade style with a little more modern exploration. The Moana trailer gets a better reaction than expected too, mostly because it looks like Disney may actually be sticking closer to what worked in the original. Then the episode really settles into Daredevil, with both of them liking the darker tone, the action, and the way the premiere leans harder into the comic book side of the character. They both end up at an 8 out of 10 on the episode.

Quotes:
"Not everything needs to be MCU."
"This is that game, in my opinion."
"Moana has got a chance of being a really good standalone movie."
"We are getting closer to what it feels like to have a Daredevil comic in your hand."
"In the end, it's still just Vincent D'Onofrio versus Charlie Cox."

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Links and Resources:
Head over to GeekFreaksPodcast.com for more geek news and updates. That's our main news source for everything we cover on the show. You can also support us on Patreon for early episodes, bonus content, and occasional promo code drops.

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Got Thoughts?
Let us know what you thought about Star Fox in the Mario movie, whether Zelda rumors like this would push you toward a Switch 2, and where you landed on the Daredevil premiere.

Apple Podcast Tags:
Daredevil Born Again, Daredevil Season 2, Marvel, Kingpin, Bullseye, White Tiger, Star Fox, Super Mario Movie, Nintendo, Zelda, Ocarina of Time, Switch 2, Moana, Disney, Geek culture, Comic books, TV reviews, Gaming