Fantastic Four #375 with Fantastic Four: First Steps screenwriters Ian Springer and Jeff Kaplan

On this episode Matt and special guest co-hosts Ian Springer and Jeff Kaplan try to figure out why this is not your parents' comics magazine by discussing 1993's FANTASTIC FOUR #375...but really they spend most of the time talking about 2025's FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS. Matt's first steps into this episode are filled with far too many "uhhhhs" and for those he apologizes, whereas Ian and Jeff talk about what it was like writing the iconic Fantastic Four for the big screen.  Aspiring screenwriters should pay extra attention because Ian and Jeff go deep on what their pitching and writing processes for FIRST STEPS was like. Of course this is DOES THIS COME IN CHROMIUM so no episode would be complete without a conversation about a very shiny comic, and boy howdy is FANTASTIC FOUR #375 just that.  What do two of the writers of the most iconic big screen version of Marvel's First Family make of their 1993 counterparts?  You'll have to listen to find out. Also, with a very minor bit of prompting by Jeff, Ian recites the opening narration from the A-TEAM verbatim.  It's downright fantastic! Support Ian and Jeff by watching FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS (now streaming on Disney+ and available to purchase on DVD/Blu-ray). Contact the show: [email protected] Follow Matt on BlueSky: @mattbegins.bsky.social  Intro music from the song "Doin' What We Do" by the always amazing Mustard Plug If it weren't for the generous help from Doug Wortel and Spillway Sound you wouldn't be listening to this podcast at all.