I absolutely love The Legend of Zelda (NES), and in case it’s not obvious by this point, I really like making comics about it. Amidst all the Darknuts, Wizzrobes, and Like-Likes, the “door repair charge” guys are some of my most hated creatures in the game, though. Few things are more annoying than blasting open a rock, being pleasantly surprised that you found a secret, then suddenly finding yourself 50 rupees poorer.

What’s an old man doing in a sealed-off rock anyway!? I like to think today’s comic does the unthinkable: makes the door repair guy even more despicable.
And now, for the “thing” I mentioned last week…

It’s the Brawl in the Family Podcast! A few weeks ago, I thought it’d be fun to tackle something like this with Chris, and just see how it went. This is sort of a “test run”–if you guys want to see more, let us know! Or really, if you have any sort of comments or suggestions at all, don’t hesitate to post in the comments about it.

Here’s the thing: the podcast is a surprising amount of work with editing and such. Making it took about the time that two comics would normally take. So if I did a semi-regular podcast (one every 2 or 3 weeks, basically), it would mean one less comic within that “chunk” of time. Basically, the podcast would “be” the update several times a year (they’d come around as often as color comics, in other words). Is this a worthy trade-off to you? Let us know!

In the meantime, here’s a chapter list for info about today’s podcast.

[Act 1] Introduction (00:01) – Matthew and Chris introduce a potential new chunk of BitF, complete with a new theme song and a few familiar themes you may recognize.
[Act 2] Game Discussion–Fire Emblem: Awakening (01:28) – Series newcomer Matthew has finally opened his heart to this long-neglected franchise, and it is good. He details what makes the game so compelling, and why Nintendo fans should give it a chance. Later, the guys talk about Nintendo’s odd handling of digital distribution.
[Act 3] Comic Talk–467/468 (23:07) – Phantoon’s odd optical orifice is discussed here in more detail than anyone would probably want to know, as well as the original idea for comic 468 – Magic Tomes. Rated E10+ for talk of mythical Japanese monsters that have an eyeball for a butt.
[Act 4] Why Did They Do That? Nintendo Doomsayers(32:52) – A section built for a little venting, Matthew directs a bit of uncommon ire towards the constant negativity floating Nintendo’s way. The guys chat about post-launch droughts and what Nintendo can do to help their perception.
[Act 5] Leftovers: Trauma Team (42:33) – An impromptu segue gets everyone talking about the semi-overlooked Wii classic, Trauma Team. Chris discusses his fresh thoughts on the game, having just beat it, while Matthew remembers it fondly.
[Act 6] Music Break: “Fire Emblem Main Theme” (45:57) – This section is all about giving you guys a remix straight from Matthew’s (dad’s) keyboard. This time around, in the spirit of the podcast, the Fire Emblem Main Theme.
[Act 7] Closing Comments (48:00) – That’s a wrap! Please disregard the comments about the store for now, as we had to close it for a bit! But we hope you enjoyed listening.
[Epilogue] Patty and Selma’s Amazing Duet (48:43)

Also:

Our online store is currently closed while we work on improving the store and updating our merchandise. All placed orders are currently in the process of being fulfilled as we work through this delay with our merchandise. Please allow a period of 1-2 weeks for US orders and 3-5 weeks for international delivery during this time. Free bonus merchandise will be included in delayed packages! Please email orders@brawlinthefamily.com for further details. Thank you for your patronage, and thank you for your patience!

-Chris