Retronauts Episode 543: Nintendo Power comics
Howard & Nester are not invited
With decades of hindsight, I think we can all recognize that Nintendo Power was less a "magazine" than it was an "advertising spectacular." Not only did it empower Nintendo of America to ship hundreds of pages of promotional material to millions of households, but those recipients actually paid money for the privilege.
Of course, advertising and art are not mutually exclusive; just as The Transformers: The Movie marketed a new line of toys while simultaneously telling an epic science-fiction tale, Nintendo Power featured plenty of creative material worthy of admiration. In particular, a number of talented artists drew comics centered around Nintendo properties which let readers enjoy a new side of the characters and worlds in a different medium.
Longtime listeners may recall we've talked about Nintendo Power on the podcast before, way back in 2014 and then again in a Patreon exclusive episode in 2020. This week, though, host Nadia Oxford welcomes Anthony John Agnello and Peter Malamud Smith to specifically look back at these official comics presenting alternate takes on Fox McCloud, Samus Aran, and more first-party pals.
Description: We tackle the finest form of pop culture hybridization: Video game comics that showed up in Nintendo Power! Nadia, Anthony John Agnello, and Peter Malamud Smith talk about Star Fox, Super Metroid, Zelda: A Link to the Past, and Super Mario Adventures.
Retronauts is a completely fan-funded operation. To support the show, and get exclusive episodes every month, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon.
MP3, 42 MB | 1:20:41 Direct download Retronauts on iTunes Retronauts at Audioboom
Artwork for this episode by John Pading and editing thanks go to Greg Leahy.
