Cerebro with Connor Goldsmith

Are you gay? Do you love the X-Men?

Even if you answered no to both of those questions, this podcast is still for you! (Though, answering yes might take it from a 9.5 to a 10)

This podcast changed my entire view of the X-men as a franchise overall. I have to credit our illustrious host Connor with my newfound comic book obsession so buyer beware you may pick up a new hobby through this podcast, prepare your wallets!

The simple explanation is that each week host Conner Goldsmith and guest discuss a single X men charecter. Both the charecter's history in and out of publication, why the guest and or Connor love them, and take reader questions. But that explanation doesn't do the podcast justice.

Connor and his guests each being a look into the interesting edges of charecter (Do you read Cyclops as neuro divergent, is beast a self hating mutant, exactly how long has Iceman been written as gay) that the guests and Connor each bring with their lens on queerness, disability, trans experience, global poltics, and history. But again this description doesn't do right by the podcast.

The podcast is fun and funny. Connor from the start has been an amazing host easily stepping between times where he's recounting how the Thatcher era of politics shaped the identities if the Braddock siblings to cracking a joke about how Brian is the dumbest super genius ever and has to rely on Megan to explain the things everyone knows. And he's only improved as time has honed the skills. Each guest be they comic creators, social commentators, members of the fandom, comedians are all whip smart and just as entertaining as the host creating the energy of a good UK chat show. But even then I feel this isn't the description that does the show right.

Cerebro is a labor of love. It is about how this franchise, charecters, writers, and artists have impacted the lives of people. Be it how a woman saw herself reflected in the gifted kid struggles. How many a queer fan has seen the found family of the X men as a support structure. The amazement of how post 9/11 a Muslim woman was portrayed in the X-Men comics. Everyone involved loves these charecters and while willing to talk about their mess always speaks with love for them.

If you are looking to jump in starting from the begining is fine. If you just want to get a taste of what people think was the best episodes try the Hank McCoy, Bobby Drake, and Regan and Martinique Winguard episodes for what I fell are the "Three Faces of Cerebro".

Each week or so, Connor and a guest talk exTENSively about a character from the X-Men comic book franchise.

Connor jokes that this is a series about "homos talking about homo superior," but that's actually a pretty accurate description, and if you think that sounds like a good idea, it's not. It's a GREAT idea.

One word of warning: episodes are LONG - for some characters, you could probably read every comic they've appeared in and take less time than the episode. The length isn't padded, though, it's just that Connor and guest take a good, thorough dive not just into the character, but the fiction, the metafiction and the culture(s) they come from.

Since their introduction in 1963, The X-Men have added an unfathomable number characters. From the insanely powerful (like Jean Grey/Phoenix) to the seemingly mundane and over looked (like Roxy Washington/Bling!). Each week Connor and his guests manage to make us care, a least a little bit, about each character by delving into publication history and backstory.

The weekly guests are as varied as the characters they are discussing. From Pulitzer Prize winning journalist to comic book creators, from attorneys to college professors, Connor's guests bring a variety of fresh, obviously deep insights to characters both beloved and bemoaned.

While the episodes can get a bit long, I am always left wishing and wanting the next episode.

I will not spoil any of the episodes, but if you are looking for a particular place to start, I would suggest Episode 59 featuring Connor's Dad James. Their dynamic and back and forth is heart warming and fun.

Until Alex Summers gets his PHD make mine Cerebro.