007 experts and fans from around the world discuss the latest news and views on the James Bond universe. Contact the show via Twitter hashtag #askbond
Episodes
Thursday Apr 29, 2021
Thursday Apr 29, 2021
What did a year of lock down look like through the lens of James Bond fandom?
With some of us slowly emerging from pandemic lock down, the panel reviews the past 12 months through the lens of James Bond fandom. What were the things that kept us going, and what were the newsworthy events of a year like no other? In this extended episode, we run down our selections from A to Z.
The recording took place on January 1st, 2021 in the USA and UK.
James Page is co-founder of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential
Lisa Funnell (@DrLisaFunnell) is Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma
Bill Koenig runs the Spy Command at hmssweblog.wordpress.com
Sean Longmore shares his artwork @ThatTallGinger
Phil Nobile Jr is editor of Fangoria and shares his expertise at @PhilNobileJr
Ben Williams writes for MI6-HQ.com and MI6 Confidential
This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2021
Friday Apr 16, 2021
Friday Apr 16, 2021
What elements of the franchise make James Bond the spy we know and enjoy?
The panel discusses the key elements of James Bond from the novels to the films, identifying some of the things we believe makes 007 charming and successful. We share experiences of talking about Bond to non-Bond fans, some of them very close to us, and contrast our opinions about the relative quality of the films with those of our loved ones. We round out by talking about where to start to introduce a new reader or viewer to the franchise.
Along the way we revisit the sausage factory, discuss the ‘three [maybe two] Gs’, Bond’s seemingly limitless knowledge, the gamble that was Casino Royale, fan service failures, nostalgic nausea, brave decisions, artistic leadership, 24 ways of telling the same story, travelogues, globalisation, drinking, exotic Kentucky, musical puns, and shameless self-promotion.
The recording took place on March 26th, 2021 in the USA, UK, Spain, and New Zealand.
Paul Atkinson is co-founder of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential
Lisa Funnell (@DrLisaFunnell) is Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma
Bill Koenig runs the Spy Command at hmssweblog.wordpress.com
David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com
Sean Longmore shares his artwork @ThatTallGinger
This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2021
Wednesday Apr 07, 2021
Wednesday Apr 07, 2021
Join us as we watch the second half of 2015's Spectre together as a group experience.
We complete our SPECTRE odyssey as the second half picks up in Tangiers. Along the way, we ponder how much budget could have been saved with some cheese and a string, David gives packing advice, ponder promotions at Blofeld's call centre and question his paint choice, witness the world's biggest gender reveal, improve Stromberg's backstory, reveal how Sam Mendes ruined the ending, and Lisa finds the title for Bond 26.
The recording took place on September 18th, 2020 in the USA, UK, and Spain.
James Page is co-founder of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential
Calvin Dyson Reviews Bond channel can be enjoyed at youtube.com/calvindyson
Lisa Funnell (@DrLisaFunnell) is Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma
Bill Koenig runs the Spy Command at hmssweblog.wordpress.com
David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com
This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2021
Friday Mar 26, 2021
Friday Mar 26, 2021
The panel reviews the original first edition artwork by Kenneth Lewis and the UK quad poster by Dan Goozee.
Along the way they discover ‘70s wallpaper, panning for gold, Chekhov’s gun, narrowly avoided dramatic readings, missing rockets, salad spoilers, taxonomy rabbit holes, and space tuxedos.
Covers discussed
Sean's picks
Pan cover 1
Pan cover 2
Peter's pick (US Spanish paperback)
David's picks
Vintage
Pan (1970s)
Ben's picks
Croatian cover
Folio society
Posters discussed
Ben's picks
Italian poster
US Teaser
The recording took place on March 5th, 2021 in New Zealand, UK, Germany, and Spain.
Paul Atkinson is a co-founder of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential
Peter Lorenz runs the Illustrated 007 blog
Sean Longmore shares his artwork @ThatTallGinger
David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com
Ben Williams writes for MI6-HQ.com and MI6 Confidential
This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2021
Friday Mar 19, 2021
Friday Mar 19, 2021
Join us as we watch the first half of 2015's Spectre together as a group experience.
Is the first half of Spectre better than the second? We break this four-act oddity in the franchise into two parts for this watchalong. Along the way, we ponder Bond's choice of phone contacts, discover an unlikely IT guy, Madeleine's 'meet cute' story, volunteer Bill to watch all the publicity material again, and stumble upon the reason Felix Leiter can't go to Cuba.
The recording took place on September 11th, 2020 in the USA, UK, and Spain.
James Page is co-founder of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential
Calvin Dyson Reviews Bond channel can be enjoyed at youtube.com/calvindyson
Lisa Funnell (@DrLisaFunnell) is Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma
Bill Koenig runs the Spy Command at hmssweblog.wordpress.com
David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com
This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2021
Monday Mar 08, 2021
Monday Mar 08, 2021
Join us as we watch the next two episodes of James Bond Jr together as a group experience.
For this episode, we resurrect an oft-forgotten relic of the canon - James Bond Jr - as it celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Whether you grew up seeing it on TV, or have never watched it before, we over-analyze the contents of the third and fourth episodes and ask the questions nobody has before, such as: Which Felix is Gordo's dad? Who cemented in the Pentagon? What typeface makes its debut in the Bond series? Who prefers a rear entrance? What internet term applies to Gordo? And David cracks the problem of how to smuggle the world's largest diamond.
You can watchalong with us via these YouTube videos:
Episode 03: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SqaROscJXE
Episode 04: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGs-5v3XdMM
The recording took place on January 8th, 2021 in the USA, UK, Spain, and New Zealand.
Paul Atkinson and James Page are co-founders of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential
Calvin Dyson Reviews Bond channel can be enjoyed at youtube.com/calvindyson
Lisa Funnell (@DrLisaFunnell) is Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma
David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com
Sean Longmore shares his artwork @ThatTallGinger
Phil Nobile Jr is editor of Fangoria and shares his expertise at @PhilNobileJr
Bill Koenig runs the Spy Command at hmssweblog.wordpress.com
Ben Williams writes for MI6-HQ.com and MI6 Confidential
This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2021
Friday Feb 19, 2021
Friday Feb 19, 2021
What tone and iconography did 'From Russia With Love' set for Bond marketing?
The panel reviews the original UK quad poster and bring to the table some other posters used to promote the 1963 film, many of which riff on the original artwork by Renato Fratini. Along the way, they discover misplaced weaponry, the size of Pierce’s silencer, visits to the ‘talkies’, Ben’s new glasses, the multi-Bond theory, prosthetic masks, the wrong Casino Royale, film fonts from the early noughts, Red Grant’s poor job satisfaction, Connery’s Lego haircut, fake legs, font crimes, and greengrocers in the ‘90s.
UK Quad: http://assets.mi6-hq.com/images/news/frwl-poster1.jpg
Sean's pick: http://assets.mi6-hq.com/images/news/frwl-poster2.jpg
David's pick: http://assets.mi6-hq.com/images/news/frwl-poster3.jpg
Ben's pick: http://assets.mi6-hq.com/images/news/frwl-poster4.jpg
Peter's pick: http://assets.mi6-hq.com/images/news/frwl-poster5.jpg
The recording took place on February 12th, 2021 in New Zealand, UK, Germany, and Spain.
Paul Atkinson is a co-founder of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential
Peter Lorenz runs the Illustrated 007 blog
Sean Longmore shares his artwork @ThatTallGinger
David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com
Ben Williams writes for MI6-HQ.com and MI6 Confidential
This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2021
Friday Feb 12, 2021
Friday Feb 12, 2021
Which movies did the Bond celebs select in their communal Top 5?
For this episode, author Mark O'Connell joins us to explain his project to survey cast members, crew, authors, academics, and experts from the world of James Bond on their personal top five 007 adventures. We count down the results and compare to how the general public voted, and exclusively reveal the film that didn't quite make the celebs’ cut. Share your selections with a photo of your hand-written list and tag it #Top5Bonds on Twitter or Instagram.
The recording took place on February 12th, 2021 in the USA and UK.
James Page is co-founder of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential
Mark O'Connell's home base is markoconnell.co.uk
Calvin Dyson Reviews Bond channel can be enjoyed at youtube.com/calvindyson
Lisa Funnell (@DrLisaFunnell) is Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma
Phil Nobile Jr is editor of Fangoria and shares his expertise at @PhilNobileJr
This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2021
Sunday Feb 07, 2021
Sunday Feb 07, 2021
What is the legacy of Richard Chopping on Bond's look and feel?
The panel takes a look at the first edition of 'From Russia, With Love' by Richard Chopping. Why is it such a striking piece of art and how did covers that followed it emulate it? Then, each panelist introduces another dusk jacket or cover art for the same title worthy of praise, or merely of interest. Along the way, the panel discovers mysterious murders, art behind the Iron Curtain, the disappearing comma, and Soul Bass Bond.
Peter's pick
Sean's pick
Ben's pick
David's pick
The recording took place on January 29th, 2021 in New Zealand, UK, Germany, and Spain.
Paul Atkinson is a co-founder of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential
Peter Lorenz runs the Illustrated 007 blog
Sean Longmore shares his artwork @ThatTallGinger
David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com
Ben Williams writes for MI6-HQ.com and MI6 Confidential
This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2021
Sunday Jan 31, 2021
Sunday Jan 31, 2021
What alternative James Bond histories would we most like to see?
For this episode, the panel wonders what could exist with a single twist of fate in James Bond history. Take a peek into worlds that didn't happen as we explore the butterfly effect of the 007 timeline. We are joined for the first time by author Mark Edlitz whose latest book 'The Lost Adventures of James Bond' uncovers unmade, unseen, and forgotten 007 history.
The recording took place on January 29th, 2021 in the USA and UK.
James Page is co-founder of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential
Calvin Dyson Reviews Bond channel can be enjoyed at youtube.com/calvindyson
Lisa Funnell (@DrLisaFunnell) is Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma
Phil Nobile Jr is editor of Fangoria and shares his expertise at @PhilNobileJr
Mark Edlitz is author of 'The Many Lives of James Bond' and 'The Lost Adventures of James Bond'
This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2021