Episode 72: What If…? (featuring Danny Fingeroth)
Our guest, author Danny Fingeroth, is responsible for recent, excellent biographies of Jack Ruby and Stan Lee. But I first became aware of Danny back when he was writing and editing for Marvel Comics.
One of the many Marvel titles he worked on was What If…?, an anthology series which envisioned alternate takes on specific Marvel Universe realities. (What if Spider-Man had stopped the burglar who killed his uncle? What if the Sub Mariner had married the Invisible Girl?) Many of the conversations we have here on the MBCP carry What If…? premises (What if Manfred had lived? What if Kaufman and Ryskind had written Races?), so we thought having Danny on the show was the perfect opportunity to make a game of it.
Note for Patreon subscribers: The new bonus segment, featuring an extended conversation with Danny about the Marx Brothers and Jewish identity, Marvel Comics, and much more, will be available next week on our Patreon page.
Welcome Back: Danny Fingeroth interviews Gabe Kaplan at Marxfest, May 2024
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Official description: “Biographer, cultural critic, and comics veteran Danny Fingeroth joins Noah and Bob for a game of Marx Brothers ‘What If...?’ inspired by the multiverse series Danny worked on in his days at Marvel Comics. They ask, what if Groucho had become a doctor? What if Chico had been good with money? What if Zeppo had been good at...well, performing?
“Danny also discusses growing up in the Marxes' old New York neighborhood and how Lee Harvey Oswald's killer Jack Ruby helped get Gabe Kaplan to participate in Marxfest.”
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Footnotes:
Danny’s official site: dannyfingeroth.com
YIVO’s “Is Anything Okay? The History of Jews and Comedy in America” features Danny and Noah discussing the Marx Brothers
Danny and Noah will participate in an online “Did Someone Call Me Schnorrer?” panel for the Jewish Study Center later this month
