Halloween 2025 is here and once again the SOMC crew is joined by our King of Halloween Patrick. After spending many years sharing the love they have for the classic Universal Monsters, the crew takes a turn and talks about the monsters of the 80's. Patrick is our guide through the horror/ slasher movie icons, telling us what makes them great and what movies any horror fan should check out. There will be a few tricks but lots of treats but in the end remember to have a Happy Halloween.
Show notes provided by Chris LaBanca
Humans are social creatures. We band together for support and protection, especially in times of danger. That tendency to rely on one another is arguably one of our greatest strengths as a species! Unless, of course, there's something out there counting on us doing just that. Something that can rub, and fray, and tear at those bonds of humanity until none of us can trust any single person. Somehow, impossibly, including ourselves.
Join the Secret Origins crew as we huddle together for warmth and safety in an Antarctic outpost, and discuss John Carpenter's The Thing. But we (and the sled dogs) are not the only living creatures out here in this arctic wasteland. And we probably don't have long. Because, especially here, 'man is the warmest place to hide.'
Welcome once again to the bayou where James, Joe, Chris and Josh are continuing to follow the path of Swamp Thing. This time they are diving into Vol. 2 of Alan Moore's 'The Saga of the Swamp Thing'. Where they discuss Swamp Thing putting Alec Holland to rest, going to Hell to save Abigail's soul, what Abby learns in 'The House of Secrets' and more.
Show Notes provided by Chris LaBanca
Welcome, sports fans! It's Joe and Chris behind the sports desk again. And now that we're hitting our stride, we're going to aim to bring you a regular sports episode every two weeks, starting today.
We've got plenty to discuss between the MLB playoffs and NHL puck drop, so come hang out with us for a little while! As the divisional round of MLB playoffs is in full swing, it'll be no surprise that we start there. But it's not long before we start talking hockey - men's hockey, women's hockey, California hockey, and Florida hockey....we're all over the place today! But luckily, we've got a couple of time stamps to help guide your way if you want to hop, skip, and jump around at your own pace. Enjoy!
00:00 Introduction
02:00 Yankees talk - the series with Toronto, and what can the Yanks do to improve moving forward?
11:30 Mets talk - coaches have been fired; who will replace them?
23:30 General hockey talk
32:00 PWHL
40:00 San Jose Sharks deep dive
1:13:40 Tampa Bay Lightning deep dive
1:37:15 Wrap-up
Show notes provided by Joe Peluso
With back to back Stanley Cups under their belts, Chris and Joe
preview the 2025/2026 Florida Panthers upcoming NHL season. Employing lethal legerdemain in the front office, the brain thrust of the Panthers brought back to the ice almost everyone to make a rush at a "three peat" With his usual unerring stick to puck skills, Chris lays out the most important factors that could make a third straight Cup possible for the Florida fans.But will season ending surgery to centre Aleksander Barkov, and a lingering injury to forward Matthew
Tkachuk derail their best laid plans? Or can the Panthers "skate"
through the early part of the season, licking their wounds, and then strike feline-like at the rest of the league? The hockey world will be watching. Because not since the halcyon days of the New York Islanders has any team won three straight Cups.
It should be an interesting and wild season.
Show notes provide by Joe Peluso
Chris and Joe are back at the sports desk with another update on the world of sports that continues to thrill and dishearten its legion of fans. Like a screaming line drive smacked up the left-center field cap, the MLB postseason barrels on! The L.A. Dodgers took care of the Reds in short order (The Mets were watching from golf courses in Florida), as the rest of the contests continued at a frenetic pace.
Over in the NFL, the Buffalo Bills continue to dominate with Josh Allen leading the charge. And Josh Allen became a focal point of conversation, as the boys posited the merits of the "hybrid QB" Have the likes of Allen, Mahomes, and Jackson made the next Manning(s) or even Brady obsolete? Is the pocket passer past his prime?
Well, you can either drop back, roll out or step up after the ball
is snapped, but don't "pass" (OUCH!) on this episode!
In this week's episode Joe and Keith wrap up the last installment of Dexter by giving there thoughts and highlights on Dexter Resurrection.
Show notes provided by Joe Peluso
Back at the Mint Sports Desk with another NHL team preview, Chris and Joe take to the ice for the lowdown of the 2025/2026 New York Islanders season. Who's back, who's gone, free agents, the dreaded IL, the schedule, and chances for making the postseason are all covered once again with meticulous precision and proficiency by our master netminder, Chris.
Even Joe (lunatic Rangers fan that he is) respects and admires Long Island's hockey team for its rich, record setting history of play in the NHL. And so from Long Island City to the Montauk Point Lighthouse join us for this loooong Isles preview.
Oh, if you're headed to the game, give yourself some extra time that Long Island Expressway is a bear.
Show notes provided by Joe Peluso
The wild and wooly MLB season continues as teams scramble to get into the playoffs. There are serious scintillating scenarios that stagger the most seasoned supporter as each play could send your team to the showers, or propel them into the postseason. Join Chris and Joe as they try valiantly to
duck out of the way of the "high hard ones" and get back in the box to go yard with their observations and predictions.
The guys also examine the state of MLB's bullpens (and their
continued lack of effectiveness), and "the hangover effect"
(impossibly long seasons) of MLB and the NHL that could hamper a team's play in future seasons.
The NFL may have snatched the sports sobriquet of "America"s "Passtime" from MLB, but it is still abundantly clear that "the grand old game" is still our nation's "passion".
The crew of the U.S.S Mint Condition are together, join James, John, Josh, Joe and new crew member Toby as they follow the Enterprise back in time to save First Contact from being prevented by the Borg. The crew discuss time travel, why was Lily not remembered, was the Borg Queen a good idea and what would Gene Roddenberry have thought about this movie.
Grab your phaser and pulse rifles and remember "The line must be drawn here!"
Show notes provided by Joe Peluso
As the MLB and NFL seasons continue to give you "agita", remember October 7th is right around the corner. It is the glorious day when the NHL season begins, and the dreams of hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup in a packed arena, to the cheers of a raucous crowd, dance in one's head! Following up on our New York Rangers preview, Chris and Joe are back for the low down on The New Jersey Devils!
Chris brings to bear his extensive knowledge of the sport, and his articulate, and accurate predictions for the upcoming Devils' season. Schedules, injuries, free agents to be, special teams, and more, hit the ice for your prognostic pleasure.
Don't spend time in the penalty box because you aren't in the know. But take your seat on the bench, and be informed when it's time for your shift.
Show notes provided by Joe Peluso
Chris and Joe are back at the Mint Sports Desk for another update on the impending end of the MLB season, and the forthcoming playoffs.
Who's going to have the best record, win their divisions, and capture a wild card. And as the season heads to the warning track, seconds guesses abound, injuries continue to mount and confound (Have you heard the one about Anthony Volpe?), and some awesome baseball records
are challenged.
The guys touch briefly on the NFL, and ask the $64,000 question: When will the Giants start Jaxson Dart? Joe has a better question: When will the Giants win another football game?
Remember being a sports fan tests your patience, so put that
remote down when the Yankees go to the bullpen, or the Giants and Jets come out of their tunnels. Your large screen TV is too big a target.
Show notes provided by Joe Peluso
It's been a while since the back door to Mincondition was open
(digitally speaking), but with the seasons turning so have James and Joe returned with the latest informal confabs on the current status of the pop culture universe. And it might take a universe, or at least the Alpha Quadrant, to contain all the subjects approached in this episode! Wow! The guys packed a lot into this one!
Here's is but a sampling of what you will hear discussed in this
outing: A new Batman number one (only the fourth such issue since 1939!), the most recent Marvel/DC team-up featuring Batman and Deadpool, DC/KO, Superman:The Last Days of Lex Luthor, The Absolute Universe, Space Ghost, Speed Racer, and a list of recommendations that will put a strain on your wallet.
And then there's the BIG stuff: Skydance buys Paramount Plus,
Paramount Plus possibly acquiring the DCU, the future of Star Trek, the "mystery" surrounding syndicated TV shows and streaming services, the availability and access to new comics, Dexter Resurrection Season One, and the passing of Hollywood legend Robert Redford.
All this, and more, awaits you in this most recent Back of the
Store Episode! If you only listen to one podcast episode this year (Well, how about this month), it must be this one!
A little side note to those with a weak stomach: The horrific loss of the Giants to the Cowboys in week two of the NFL season somehow made its way into this installment. You have been warned.
Show notes provided by Joe Peluso
And--Chris and Joe are back again at the Mint Sports Desk,(WOW, are these guys on a streak!) to bring you the pre-season lowdown on everyone's favorite (Joe's bias) hockey team THE NEW YORK RANGERS! So put on those pads, lace up those skates, stretch, and get those legs moving and hands warm with stickhandling and shooting drills, because once the puck is dropped it's time to conquer your opponent with speed, grace and power. It's like no other sport on the planet! And
Chris is here to break down subtractions, additions, the arrival of a new head coach, offensive and defensive systems to be employed, and to answer fanboy Joe's questions about his beloved Broadway Blueshirts.
It's going to be an interesting year of changes, measured
expectations, and flat-out fun for the game that cautions you not to blink. GO RANGERS!!
Batman Day 2025 is coming this weekend 9/20/25. To get you ready to celebrate the Dark Knights 85th birthday your hosts James and Josh Muarry dive into the first story line of Batman during the New 52, Batman: The Court of Owls. Written by Scott Snyder with art by Greg Capullo. This artistic duo packs a one, two punch or writing and artwork that creates an amazing new story to the cape crusaders legacy.
Show notes provided by Joe Peluso
Some sports, and the stars that participate in them, are all about timing and repeatability. Marino Rivera, Pete Weber, and Tiger Woods come to mind, and now we have to add Chris and Joe to the list of guys who are there to deliver on time, and on target. It's a Mint sports episode that delivers the goods on The New York Knicks, the MLB Playoffs, the injury bug, and the the sports fanatics fascination with defense.
What is "spin rate",and how might it be more responsible for
injuries to MLB pitchers then was previously suspected? Who's the new head coach of the New York Knickerbockers? Who's in, and who's outside looking in as the baseball playoffs take shape? And of the four major sports, how important is defense to ultimate success? The guys take up all these topics as they rush in from the pen to put out the fire on the base paths, drive the lane to the basket, and screen the goalie for a score. Of course if Joe tries any of these things, he might be in
traction for a week. But the boys will soldier on with impeccable timing and rapid repeatability to bring you all the sports thats fit to (No,I'm not gonna say it.) talk about!
Show notes provided by Joe Peluso
Adaptations from one medium to another can be hit or miss. Some land, and some don't. Ken Kesey's novel "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" was not only a masterpiece of fiction, but when adapted to the big screen, garnered nine academy awards (Including, but not limited to, Best Picture, Best Director. Best Actor, Best Actress, and--no surprise--Best Adapted Screenplay). In our corner of the pop culture
universe, we fans have had many live action and animated features adapted from our favorite comics and stories for decades. But can an adaptation of Earth's Greatest Protector work in an animated film where he shows a side of himself rarely seen?
Join your host, Keith, Joe, and returning guest Dylan (who
suggested this topic) as the guys critique Action Comics #775 "What's So Funny About Truth, Justice, And The American Way" and the animated film it spawned "Superman VS.The Elite".
The twin works by creatives Joe Kelly, Doug Mahnke, Lee Bermejo (the comic book), and Michael Chang (the film's director) are deeply dissected by the boys as they work their way through all the action, drama, story and animation style that made both these offerings stand out. But beyond all the bright colors and animated mayhem, there are nuanced themes of duty, violence, fallen friendships, and loss that
are all brought to bear resulting in introspection and an examination of the human condition. The hallmark of any good work of fiction.
If you have never read the comic or seen the animated film, we think that after an hour of thoughtful discussion, you might give them both a look. Hidden gems are rare, but when discovered they sure as heck land!
Show notes provided by Joe Peluso
As "The Scooter" Phil Rizzuto used to say: "HOLY COW!" The guys are back at the sports desk faster than a "Ryan Express" fastball. That's Nolan Ryan for you youngsters out there. But as you might have surmised this current episode, along with the usual fare of MLB, NHL, NFL, and (unfortunately) the IL updates, will be testing and teasing you with sports Nicknames.
Your hosts Chris and Joe have some fun trying to stump each other with silly sobriquets and manic monikers of some of the most famous and legendary pro athletes who ever "cracked a dinger", or "put the biscuit in the net".
Hey, sports can be fun, even as Joe tears what's left of his hair
out of his head while watching Yankees games!
Show notes provided by Joe Peluso
Gathered from the four corners of the cosmos are assembled the world's four greatest podcasters! James! Chris! Richie! and Joe!, banded together to bring you the BIG Fourth Anniversary Episode! of The Secret Origins of Mint Condition!!"! (Cue the theme from The Super-Friends)
Dusting off Sherman's and Mr. Peabody's Way-Back Machine, the guys revisit the GREAT Batman v Superman debate from an era when Mint Condition had four walls. To say that this special episode dives deeply into the various eras of the two most iconic fictional characters in all of comics would be a gross understatement of epic proportions! Suffice it to say that this "return" shines new lights and perceptions on who exactly are Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent.
So much is discussed and disseminated in this episode, that it
would be a crime to reveal the contents and spoil your listening
enjoyment. And while the verbal repartee is measured and respectful, there are a few surprises contained herein that may shock and surprise.
And as we now enter year five, I know I speak for all the Mint
Faithful in publicly thanking James Louie for the creation of this
wonderful digital forum that has kept the spirit of Mint Condition Comics alive. Whoever thought that comic books and CBM's, Star Trek and Star Wars, Magic The Gathering and Pokemon, science fiction and fantasy--and yes--baseball and hockey could engender a universe worth of conversations that would ultimately spark into creation a loving family of friends who always dared to dream? Thanks, James.
Shows notes provided by Joe Peluso
After a lengthy road trip the boys are back in town for another "sports short"! Yes Chris, and Joe have made it back to the Mint Sports Desk to report on the head scratching MLB season, the NHL postseason and forthcoming pre-season, the plethora of New York Giants QB's (including Tommy Cutlets), and yes--even a nod to the NBA.
IL stints, rising stars, monumental base running gaffs, forthcoming free agents, power plays (or lack thereof), wild cards, and fan expectations are just some of the not so tepid topics tackled tenaciously by the guys.
Sink into your favorite chair, with the beverage of your choice,
and let Chris and Joe pitch, sling, and slap shot their sports
speculations at you faster than you can say "DOWN GOES FRAZIER!"
