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The Thrilling Adventure Hour
The Thrilling Adventure Hour: Thrilling Tales of Adventure and Supernatural Suspense!
Based on the popular Hollywood stage show and Nerdist Industry podcast, The Thrilling Adventure Hour is a rip-roaring adventure anthology in the tradition of old-time radio serials, brought to you by a carnival of Hollywood and comic's finest! In a timeless collection of original genre tales that harken back to the heyday of old-time radio entertainment, The Thrilling Adventure Hour brings to life the wild and wonderful worlds and characters serialized on stage by co-creators Ben Acker and Ben Blacker, and performed regularly by fan-favorite actors and comedians such as Paul F. Tompkins, Paget Brewster, Busy Philipps, Nathan Fillion, Linda Cardellini, Patton Oswalt, Neil Patrick Harris, and many, many more. And now those serialized characters will come to life on the pages of this hardcover anthology featuring all-new stories from the worlds of the TAH universe by top artists from the comics community! Each stand-alone tale celebrates and reinvigorates a new genre from the radio comedies of yesteryear, including science fiction, fantasy, westerns, superheroes, horror, war dramas, and many more. A unique, timey-wimey blend of silver age pulp and post-modern pop, this one-of-a-kind anthology promises something for everyone as this cult phenomenon jumps off the proscenium stage and onto the page for the first time in over eight years and 100+ consecutive shows around the globe!
136 pages, Hardcover
First published August 27, 2013
17 people are currently reading
967 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
August 9, 2020
The Thrilling Adventure Hour! I love the Thrilling Adventure Hour. For those of you unaware of its awesomeness, the Thrilling Adventure Hour is a radio show/podcast written by the Bens Acker and Blacker (really) and available for free on iTunes or through Nerdist. Sadly, it has ended its run, but there's still over two hundred episodes to go through, and they are DELIGHTFUL. The podcast is written in the style of old-time radio plays, a parody so gentle it becomes a love letter a la Altar Boyz! and Christian rock/boy bands. The tone kind of reminds me of the Middleman, actually; that same sort of joyful camp carried one step into absurdity, but with enough affection that it becomes fun rather than weird.
The Thrilling Adventure Hour podcast has multiple segments that it bops back and forth between, from Sparks Nevada Marshal on Mars (wild west IN SPAAAAACE) to Captain Laserbeam (superheroes) to Colonel Tick-Tock (I can't even begin to describe it) to Beyond Belief (supernatural/Nick and Nora antics, absolutely my favorite). It's a joy to listen to and I highly recommend that you do so, especially because it is FREE, my friends. Funded by ticket sales and swag.
Oh, also, it contains Paget Brewster and Paul F. Tompkins and Marc Evan Jackson and sometimes Nathan Fillion and occasionally Neil Patrick Harris and Molly Quinn and basically a lot of wonderful people, okay.
The Thrilling Adventure Hour Graphic Novel is... well, exactly what it sounds like. It's a graphic novel structured like the stage show, with short segments of each storyline, starting with Sparks Nevada and ending with my favorite, Beyond Belief. And really, really, it's a joy. The storylines and the writing are so true to the podcast (the Down in Moonshine Holler one IS a podcast episode, just transposed). They're hilarious and tons of fun, the art is good (well, usually, I question the Amelia Earhart Fearless Flyer section, but that's it), and Frank and Sadie adopt a Japanese entrail ghost! So I had lots of fun and I anticipate continuing to have fun with it.
One caveat: this may not be for you if you are not already a fan of the podcast. Which... you should be, so I'm not dinging it, but if you're not, the graphic novel may not be super accessible? Or it may be, I genuinely don't know as I sought it out specifically because I love the podcast. So give it a shot if it sounds fun to you, and if you can't find it, listen to the podcast, because that is free and also amazing, and then come back and have feelings about Frank and Sadie Doyle with me.
Good? Good.
The Thrilling Adventure Hour podcast has multiple segments that it bops back and forth between, from Sparks Nevada Marshal on Mars (wild west IN SPAAAAACE) to Captain Laserbeam (superheroes) to Colonel Tick-Tock (I can't even begin to describe it) to Beyond Belief (supernatural/Nick and Nora antics, absolutely my favorite). It's a joy to listen to and I highly recommend that you do so, especially because it is FREE, my friends. Funded by ticket sales and swag.
Oh, also, it contains Paget Brewster and Paul F. Tompkins and Marc Evan Jackson and sometimes Nathan Fillion and occasionally Neil Patrick Harris and Molly Quinn and basically a lot of wonderful people, okay.
The Thrilling Adventure Hour Graphic Novel is... well, exactly what it sounds like. It's a graphic novel structured like the stage show, with short segments of each storyline, starting with Sparks Nevada and ending with my favorite, Beyond Belief. And really, really, it's a joy. The storylines and the writing are so true to the podcast (the Down in Moonshine Holler one IS a podcast episode, just transposed). They're hilarious and tons of fun, the art is good (well, usually, I question the Amelia Earhart Fearless Flyer section, but that's it), and Frank and Sadie adopt a Japanese entrail ghost! So I had lots of fun and I anticipate continuing to have fun with it.
One caveat: this may not be for you if you are not already a fan of the podcast. Which... you should be, so I'm not dinging it, but if you're not, the graphic novel may not be super accessible? Or it may be, I genuinely don't know as I sought it out specifically because I love the podcast. So give it a shot if it sounds fun to you, and if you can't find it, listen to the podcast, because that is free and also amazing, and then come back and have feelings about Frank and Sadie Doyle with me.
Good? Good.
August 28, 2013
The Thrilling Adventure Hour is a live, scripted podcast that has a bunch of comedy stars and actors doing a more modern take on old-style radio. Last year, they launched a Kickstarter to do a graphic novel, among other things, and this collection is the end result. It's probably my favorite podcast, so diving right in made a lot of sense for me.
The good? The stories stay true to what we already expect from the minds behind Thrilling Adventure Hour. Some of the stories (like the "Moonshine Holler" short) are lifted straight from the podcast, others seemed new to me. It's fun to see a lot of the characters as they're envisioned, as opposed to knowing the actors who are portraying them on the podcast. The art is fun and incredibly colorful as well. As a fan, I really have no complaints.
The bad is that, while this can act as an entrypoint for new people, I can't imagine this drawing in a new audience. It's almost too good a portrayal in that regard where many of the jokes and catchphrases work because you hear it in your head, not because it necessarily works on its own. I want everyone to read the graphic novel, but they kind of have to listen to the podcast first for this to make a lot of sense.
Either way, I'm happy, and that's enough for me. Very glad this turned out well, and hopefully this won't be the last time we see a print version of the show.
The good? The stories stay true to what we already expect from the minds behind Thrilling Adventure Hour. Some of the stories (like the "Moonshine Holler" short) are lifted straight from the podcast, others seemed new to me. It's fun to see a lot of the characters as they're envisioned, as opposed to knowing the actors who are portraying them on the podcast. The art is fun and incredibly colorful as well. As a fan, I really have no complaints.
The bad is that, while this can act as an entrypoint for new people, I can't imagine this drawing in a new audience. It's almost too good a portrayal in that regard where many of the jokes and catchphrases work because you hear it in your head, not because it necessarily works on its own. I want everyone to read the graphic novel, but they kind of have to listen to the podcast first for this to make a lot of sense.
Either way, I'm happy, and that's enough for me. Very glad this turned out well, and hopefully this won't be the last time we see a print version of the show.
June 15, 2017
#37
Love the podcast! Love the graphic novel!
Love the podcast! Love the graphic novel!
January 6, 2018
This was a lot of fun but mostly made me miss the podcast.
September 10, 2019
taattua tah-laatua
January 7, 2014
I'm a HUGE fan of the Thrilling Adventure Hour podcast, but some properties don't translate well between mediums, and this is apparently one of them. A couple of the stories in this collection are fun, but for the most part they feel flat without the distinctive voices that make the show such a pleasure to listen to. Thrilling Adventure Hour stories are knowingly formulaic, but the actors give it the "wink and a nod" that tells the listener that this quality is just part of the campy quality of the overall program. On paper, it just feels like formulaic writing for the most part.
In short, if you don't listen to the show, don't read this. If you are a fan, read it with caution.
In short, if you don't listen to the show, don't read this. If you are a fan, read it with caution.
January 6, 2015
Very fun. I've actually never seen any of the Thrilling Adventure Hour theater performances, nor have I heard any of the podcasts. From descriptions, I gather they're something of a latter-day Firesign Theater, and after reading this book, I see nothing to refute that theory. This is a fun book, full of short stories that poke gentle fun at the conventions of old-time radio. The book walks the line between pastiche and parody, and is just plain fun. The book is labelled "Volume 1" which makes me happy at the thought of more to come!
December 8, 2014
listen to the podcast, then read the book in that order. both are awesome
April 19, 2019
When we were first getting into podcasts, my partner and I grabbed onto The Thrilling Adventure Hour like a burr grabs onto a sock. The rollicking stories and old-timey radio aesthetics brought us closer to entertainment our grandparents remembered. We deep dived into "Marshal on Mars" and "Beyond Belief" while dabbling in The Shadow, The Lone Ranger, and elderly Sherlock Holmes broadcasts. As time went on, however, we realized nostalgia's rosy glasses could only take us so far. The same experience happened in miniature with this comic anthology.
The anthology contains short comics for each of the The Thrilling Adventure Hour's series, including "Marshal on Mars," "Phillip Fathom," "Colonel Tick Tock," "Tales of the USSA," "Captain Laserbeam," "Amelia Earhart," "Ace American," and "Down in Moonshine Holler." The stories are funny and feel at once self-contained and part of a serial. The art is varied and adorable. The filler false advertisements for cigarettes and coffee have hilarious Depression Era charm. Charming is a good way to describe this book. It's meant to be a charming bit of pastiche nostalgia, at once a love letter and a satire of old storytelling tropes and forms.
However, I feel Acker and Blacker fail to fully transcend the problematic storytelling elements these old forms contained. Over hundreds of episodes, these not-so-happy-making elements wear a listener down, and the same happens in this anthology. It's easiest to see in "Sparks Nevada: Marshal on Mars" and "Tales of the USSA." "Marshal on Mars" is intended to be a parody of old radio Westerns like The Lone Ranger. Some of the problematic elements of Ranger stories were their poor treatment of women, LGBTQ folks, and Native American characters. As evidenced in the comic and the radio show, "Marshal on Mars" tries to poke fun and overcome these elements. Red Plains Rider is a talented bringer of justice in her own right and is respected planet-wide. Croach is treated like a character with his own concerns and character/plot arcs. Queer relationships are mentioned and presumably accepted galaxy-wide.
That's where the justice stops. Nevada's romantic pursuit of Red Plains Rider is supposed to be funny, but in the comic, his constant pestering of "hey do you wanna marry me" comes off at best as annoying and at worst as work-place harassment. Croach and his fellow Native-American metaphor Martians suffer worse. Like Tonto before him, Croach is abused and under-appreciated. He's the constant butt of jokes, and his culture is seen purely as a source of comedy. Any possible romantic relationship between him and Sparks is seen as gross, misery-inducing, and unsustainable, which would be fine if Mars had...literally any LGBTQ folks to offer positive rep. Mars is populated by only cis straight people (and robots), apparently.
I'm less familiar with the "USSA" stories, so I'm going just off the comic here. I'm putting it under spoilers because the thing is so short.
To say my feelings were mixed about The Thrilling Adventure Hour's comic is an understandment. There are some humorous moments and an obvious love of the form. There are terrible moments like described above. It was more than okay. It was less than stellar. I guess read this anthology if you're a fan of the show, but don't make an effort to seek it out before finding your limit on the bad kind of old radio nonsense.
The anthology contains short comics for each of the The Thrilling Adventure Hour's series, including "Marshal on Mars," "Phillip Fathom," "Colonel Tick Tock," "Tales of the USSA," "Captain Laserbeam," "Amelia Earhart," "Ace American," and "Down in Moonshine Holler." The stories are funny and feel at once self-contained and part of a serial. The art is varied and adorable. The filler false advertisements for cigarettes and coffee have hilarious Depression Era charm. Charming is a good way to describe this book. It's meant to be a charming bit of pastiche nostalgia, at once a love letter and a satire of old storytelling tropes and forms.
However, I feel Acker and Blacker fail to fully transcend the problematic storytelling elements these old forms contained. Over hundreds of episodes, these not-so-happy-making elements wear a listener down, and the same happens in this anthology. It's easiest to see in "Sparks Nevada: Marshal on Mars" and "Tales of the USSA." "Marshal on Mars" is intended to be a parody of old radio Westerns like The Lone Ranger. Some of the problematic elements of Ranger stories were their poor treatment of women, LGBTQ folks, and Native American characters. As evidenced in the comic and the radio show, "Marshal on Mars" tries to poke fun and overcome these elements. Red Plains Rider is a talented bringer of justice in her own right and is respected planet-wide. Croach is treated like a character with his own concerns and character/plot arcs. Queer relationships are mentioned and presumably accepted galaxy-wide.
That's where the justice stops. Nevada's romantic pursuit of Red Plains Rider is supposed to be funny, but in the comic, his constant pestering of "hey do you wanna marry me" comes off at best as annoying and at worst as work-place harassment. Croach and his fellow Native-American metaphor Martians suffer worse. Like Tonto before him, Croach is abused and under-appreciated. He's the constant butt of jokes, and his culture is seen purely as a source of comedy. Any possible romantic relationship between him and Sparks is seen as gross, misery-inducing, and unsustainable, which would be fine if Mars had...literally any LGBTQ folks to offer positive rep. Mars is populated by only cis straight people (and robots), apparently.
I'm less familiar with the "USSA" stories, so I'm going just off the comic here. I'm putting it under spoilers because the thing is so short.
To say my feelings were mixed about The Thrilling Adventure Hour's comic is an understandment. There are some humorous moments and an obvious love of the form. There are terrible moments like described above. It was more than okay. It was less than stellar. I guess read this anthology if you're a fan of the show, but don't make an effort to seek it out before finding your limit on the bad kind of old radio nonsense.
May 9, 2021
A lot can change in a couple of years...and a lot can change when you shift mediums. I absolutely ADORE this podcast, I was so sad when it stopped, and because of that I'd been wanting to read this graphic piece for awhile.
It was...not what I'd hoped for. Some of it hit the right note, but a lot of the stuff that was rich when performed live and radio-style fell serious flat when converted to the page. And - honestly? - a seven-year gap that includes major social upheaval means that stuff taken with a bit of an eyebrow wiggle and a pass at that time now just kind of reads as racist and weird.
Which sucks.
Overall, if you're a fan of the podcast, this is a fun little add-on to have in your collection. It definitely won't feel like "the real thing" and some of the aspects have become a lot more problematic in recent years, for sure. If this is your FIRST exposure to The Thrilling Adventure Hour? Yeah, NO, drop this and go listen to the podcast first. For SURE.
It was...not what I'd hoped for. Some of it hit the right note, but a lot of the stuff that was rich when performed live and radio-style fell serious flat when converted to the page. And - honestly? - a seven-year gap that includes major social upheaval means that stuff taken with a bit of an eyebrow wiggle and a pass at that time now just kind of reads as racist and weird.
Which sucks.
Overall, if you're a fan of the podcast, this is a fun little add-on to have in your collection. It definitely won't feel like "the real thing" and some of the aspects have become a lot more problematic in recent years, for sure. If this is your FIRST exposure to The Thrilling Adventure Hour? Yeah, NO, drop this and go listen to the podcast first. For SURE.
March 26, 2022
Get ready for a rollicking adventure with a couple that meets with a bang during a fight and both hold their own such that they banter and fall in love. Both fight monsters and ghosts all while finding the time to have a sip of a signature cocktail, even with a full bar-cart thrown in. I have never listened to the podcast and didn’t feel I missed anything. From their friend buying a haunted house and Frank and Sadie Doyle having to save the day. It goes from a ghost story to a more complex neighbourhood fraternity that worships some big bad old that has been locked up for a reason with an unbelieving detective and some romance with side characters. If you like Buffy the Vampire Slayer graphic novels this is a fun read.
Character – quirky & larger than life, snappy dialogue and noir comedy
Illustration – silver age pulp and post–modern pop cartoonish style with vibrant warm colours. It feels like old-timey detective fiction.
Tone – dramatic and amusing
Character – quirky & larger than life, snappy dialogue and noir comedy
Illustration – silver age pulp and post–modern pop cartoonish style with vibrant warm colours. It feels like old-timey detective fiction.
Tone – dramatic and amusing
March 21, 2021
This is 25 lbs. of fun stuffed into a 10.-lb bag. Having not enjoyed the podcast from which this originates, Thrilling Adventure Hour is a salvo of one-shot stories that is heavy on style and light on substance, but the proceedings are just so well done, and so much light fun that you can't help but love it. Just about all of the stories are set-ups for what will become series of their own, each one a deep dive into the madcap fun that can be had when sharp wit, punchy storytelling, terrific rt and a healthy dose of self-awareness combine in perfect harmony. This felt like it owed a big debt to the same energy conjured much earlier by a lot of Mike Mignola's Hellboy one-shots, but apart from that, there's very little that can take the shine off this one.
May 4, 2018
All the different art styles are well chosen for the adventures and it literally feels like you are reading a translation of the podcast on paper. Some styles evoke the characters so strongly that it's as if you can hear the actors on the page. A couple of the adventures are either retellings of something that happened or just an illustrated version of a podcast story but still gratifying to see on page.
November 26, 2021
I have only ever listened to the beyond belief segments of the thrilling adventure hour podcast so I think that put me at a disadvantage when it came to reading the graphic novel. It throws you into the stories as if you already know them, and unfortunately for me I did not! But that’s user’s error and no fault of the book itself.
I loved all of the varying art styles in the book as well as the beyond belief story!
I loved all of the varying art styles in the book as well as the beyond belief story!
November 12, 2025
It's been a while since I've listened to the show I admit, and if I'd read this when I actually bought it years ago maybe I'd have liked it more.
As it is - for the me the humor of the show doesn't really translate to the comic format, but everything I didn't like about the show is coming through clearly. I'd consider maybe one or two of the comics worth the time reading, but not enough to give it a better rating.
As it is - for the me the humor of the show doesn't really translate to the comic format, but everything I didn't like about the show is coming through clearly. I'd consider maybe one or two of the comics worth the time reading, but not enough to give it a better rating.
August 3, 2023
Overall just okay. I skipped a couple chapters since they didn't interest me. I was reading it mostly for Beyond Belief as that was the only segment from the podcasts that I listened to. That one did not disappoint. I heard the actors, Paget Brewster and Paul F. Tompkins voices in my head the whole time.
August 19, 2017
A lot of fun to read with amazing art. It brings the podcast stories to life. I love anthologies, and the Thrilling Adventure Hour has proven itself as a "radio" show, stage performance, and now comic mini series. Cheers Darling!
February 19, 2019
I had no idea what this was when I picked it up, so maybe if I’d had some familiarity with the podcast I might’ve enjoyed it more. It was silly and over-the-top reading for a holiday Monday, but not something that I’d revisit.
August 24, 2019
I love TAH so gosh dang much. As always, some segments hit a little harder than others, but boy was this a fun ride. The whole thing was fun, but Beyond Belief really did clinch it at the end. I’m hopeful for more TAH in comic form, as the other mini-series’ from the Bens have been quality as well
May 19, 2017
A gorgeous momento that brings life to a podcast I'm hopelessly behind on.
June 23, 2017
EVERYONE LISTEN TO TAH AND READ THIS THANKS <3
July 8, 2017
Great fun!
August 2, 2017
The best parts are Beyond Belief and Sparks Nevada, like the actual podcast. I would actually say 3 and 1/2 stars.
May 21, 2018
Clink
July 16, 2018
Love TAH. So sad it's gone. So happy it's a book!
September 12, 2018
Fun stuff, I will seek out more!
November 15, 2018
This has to be read as satire on the whole genre. Best story was Beyond Belief.
March 10, 2019
Very amusing, and fun to see the characters brought to life.
July 29, 2019
Schwach angefangen, später aber viel schönes dabei. Man-killing man killers killed by maan killer killing man. Captain Dad. Mathemathikschurken.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews