How Did This Get Made?

Last Looks: Monkeybone w/ Brad Meltzer

January 23, 2026

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • The *Monkeybone* 'Last Looks' segment featured corrections regarding the term 'Bingo Wings' for loose arm skin, the original concept of Nicolas Cage playing a puppeteer in a stop-motion sequence, and a listener's controversial theory linking Griffin Newman's plot analysis to Adolf Hitler. 
  • Author Brad Meltzer revealed that his research for his new thriller *The Viper* included visiting a funeral home where he learned about the practice of storing pre-selected burial outfits, and he shared insider details about the highly secretive Dover Air Force Base mortuary. 
  • Brad Meltzer confirmed he is working on a new Marvel project and discussed his current comic reading list, which includes *Deadpool/Batman*, *Godzilla vs. the Marvel Universe*, *Batman by Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez*, and *Ghost Machine*. 
  • The next movie announced for *How Did This Get Made?* will be the 1985 Disney sequel, *Return to Oz*. 
  • The segment concludes with a trailer for *Return to Oz*, highlighting its availability on Disney Plus and other rental platforms, while also promoting library digital media services like Hoopla and Libby. 
  • The hosts encourage listeners to support the *How Did This Get Made?* podcast by rating, reviewing, subscribing, and ensuring automatic downloads are enabled. 
  • The episode production team is acknowledged, including producer Scott Sonny, engineer Casey Holford, social media manager Zoe Applebaum, and a tribute is made to the late Avril Halley, with related content shared on Discord and Instagram. 

Segments

Podcast Intro and Ads
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: LinkedIn Jobs offers a hiring advantage, making employees hired through their platform 30% more likely to stay for at least a year.
  • Summary: Hiring the right people is crucial, and LinkedIn claims candidates hired through their platform have higher retention rates. Listeners are encouraged to post jobs for free and use LinkedIn Jobs’ AI assistant. Advertisements for Discover card acceptance and personalized M&Ms Valentine’s gifts are also featured.
Monkeybone Last Looks Theme
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(00:01:47)
  • Key Takeaway: The ‘Last Looks’ segment will address corrections regarding Nicolas Cage, Paul’s nudity flashback, and Edgar Allan Poe’s family.
  • Summary: The hosts introduce the ‘Last Looks’ segment, promising to cover listener corrections and omissions related to the Monkeybone episode. The segment theme song is played, and Paul Scheer reflects on the confusing nature of the film’s setting, ‘downtown’.
Listener Tagline and Theme Song
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(00:03:42)
  • Key Takeaway: A listener suggested an alternate title for Monkeybone as ‘Drop Dead Fraser,’ which Paul Scheer humorously related to his own unproduced spec pilot, ‘Drop Dead Frasier.’
  • Summary: The show acknowledges listener submissions for alternate movie taglines and theme songs, emphasizing that theme songs should be 15 to 20 seconds long. Paul Scheer plugs his AOL account for spec pilot submissions.
Upcoming Guest and Segments
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(00:05:31)
  • Key Takeaway: The episode will feature an exclusive deleted scene from the Monkeybone episode and an interview with author Brad Meltzer about his new book The Viper and insights into the witness protection program.
  • Summary: Paul Scheer outlines the rest of the show, including a deleted scene from the main Monkeybone episode. The special guest is NYT best-selling author Brad Meltzer, who will discuss his new book, The Viper, and share surprising information about the witness protection program.
Jason Broadway Plug
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(00:07:25)
  • Key Takeaway: Jason Mantzoukas is currently performing in the Broadway show All Out, based on short stories by Simon Rich, and listeners can get up to 20% off tickets using the code ALLOUTPOD.
  • Summary: Jason’s Broadway show All Out features a cast including Sarah Silverman and Craig Robinson, with music by the band Lawrence. A discount code is provided for listeners to purchase tickets.
Corrections and Omissions Start
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(00:09:36)
  • Key Takeaway: A listener correction identified the UK derogatory term ‘Bingo Wings’ for loose underarm skin, which relates to a detail in the Monkeybone opening cartoon.
  • Summary: The ‘Corrections and Omissions’ segment begins, addressing listener feedback on the Monkeybone episode. One submission detailed the origin of the term ‘Bingo Wings’ related to the film’s animated opening.
Henry Selick’s Original Vision
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(00:10:48)
  • Key Takeaway: Director Henry Selick originally intended for Nicolas Cage to play a puppeteer in Monkeybone, with the film switching to stop-motion when Cage’s character entered the coma, but producer Chris Columbus insisted the lead remain live-action.
  • Summary: A listener revealed that Henry Selick’s initial plan for Monkeybone involved Nicolas Cage as a puppeteer, with the film transitioning to stop-motion once the character fell into a coma. Producer Chris Columbus vetoed this concept, leading to the final Brendan Fraser cartoonist version.
Griffin Newman Hitler Theory
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(00:12:35)
  • Key Takeaway: A caller suggested that Griffin Newman’s theory about nightmare figures being unfulfilled creators could imply that Adolf Hitler’s evil actions were caused by his own ‘Monkey Bone’ taking over.
  • Summary: A caller aggressively questioned Griffin Newman’s defense of the film’s plot mechanics by applying the theory to historical figures. The hosts quickly dismissed the implication that Griffin was a Hitler apologist.
Downtown Lore Clarification
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(00:14:21)
  • Key Takeaway: A dedicated fan clarified that ‘downtown’ in Monkeybone is the collective realm of Earth’s nightmares, and Monkey Bone exists because he is Stu’s nightmare stemming from his early, scary artwork.
  • Summary: A listener provided detailed lore explaining that ‘downtown’ is the location where nightmares reside, and Monkey Bone’s existence is tied to Stu’s suppressed artistic impulses before he switched drawing styles.
Dreamscape Nudity Revelation
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(00:16:04)
  • Key Takeaway: Paul Scheer recalled being titillated by brief nudity, specifically involving Kate Capshaw, in the 1992 PG-13 movie Dreamscape.
  • Summary: While discussing alternate dream worlds, Paul Scheer suddenly remembered seeing nudity in the movie Dreamscape. He confirmed that the film, rated PG-13, contained brief nudity, which he attributed to Kate Capshaw.
Edgar Allan Poe IV Correction
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(00:17:03)
  • Key Takeaway: The actor playing Edgar Allan Poe in Monkeybone, Edgar Allan Poe IV, is likely a great-nephew, as the original Poe had no children, and this relative has built a career on Poe-related performances.
  • Summary: A listener provided background on Edgar Allan Poe IV, noting that despite the name, he is a distant relative who has capitalized on the Poe legacy through various performances, including a one-man play.
Rose McGowan on Fox Interference
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(00:18:33)
  • Key Takeaway: Rose McGowan stated that 20th Century Fox executives fired director Henry Selick midway through filming Monkeybone, turning what could have been a classic stop-motion film into a travesty due to artistic fear.
  • Summary: Rose McGowan’s 2016 social media post revealed that Fox executives fired Henry Selick, who later directed classics like Coraline, robbing the audience of a potential masterpiece. She also noted the studio changed the source material’s title from ‘Darktown’ to ‘Downtown’ out of fear of offending African Americans.
Brad Meltzer Interview: Funeral Home
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(00:26:04)
  • Key Takeaway: Brad Meltzer discovered during research that funeral homes keep a locked closet containing the specific, often idiosyncratic, clothing items people choose to be buried in.
  • Summary: Meltzer described finding a locked closet of pre-selected burial outfits during research, noting people often choose items specifically to spite family members, like a hat their ex-wife hated. This observation inspired the opening chapter of his new thriller, The Viper.
Brad Meltzer Interview: Dover AFB
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(00:32:17)
  • Key Takeaway: Dover Air Force Base serves as the highly secretive mortuary destination for all fallen US soldiers, astronauts, and government operatives, making it a hub of classified information.
  • Summary: Meltzer learned that Dover handles the remains of soldiers, astronauts (like those from space shuttle explosions), and intelligence agents, meaning the morticians there often have firsthand knowledge of classified deaths.
Witness Protection Evolution
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(00:40:39)
  • Key Takeaway: The primary clientele of the Witness Protection Program has evolved from mobsters to gang members, and currently, the number one group entering the program consists of accountants.
  • Summary: Meltzer explained that as organized crime figures were successfully prosecuted, the program shifted focus to gang members, and now the majority of participants are white-collar criminals like accountants. He noted that the program’s effectiveness is challenged today because people cannot easily disappear in an era of constant online surveillance.
Comic Book Recommendations
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(00:46:17)
  • Key Takeaway: Brad Meltzer is currently reading Deadpool/Batman, Godzilla vs. the Marvel Universe, Predator vs. The Marvel Universe, and highly recommends Batman by Matt Fraction and Jorge Jiménez and Batman: The Brave and the Bold for younger readers.
  • Summary: Meltzer shared his current comic reading list, highlighting the fun of the mashup books and praising the continuity ideas in the new Batman run by Fraction and Jimenez. He also recommended Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters and Hilo for younger readers.
Next Movie Announcement
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(00:53:37)
  • Key Takeaway: The next movie to be covered on How Did This Get Made? is the 1985 Disney sequel, Return to Oz, starring Fairuza Balk.
  • Summary: The hosts announced they will be moving on from Monkeybone to analyze Return to Oz, which is based on L. Frank Baum’s book, not the original film. The movie is described as a dark adventure featuring characters like the Nome King and Tik-Tok.
Return to Oz Trailer & Viewing
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(00:54:24)
  • Key Takeaway: Return to Oz is available for streaming on Disney Plus or for rent on major digital platforms, with a reminder to check local libraries for free access.
  • Summary: A trailer for Return to Oz played, featuring characters like the Gump and TikTok, and the movie can be streamed on Disney Plus or rented via Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, or Fandango at Home. Listeners are encouraged to utilize free digital media services offered by public libraries, such as Hoopla and Libby, even if Return to Oz is not currently available there. These library services offer free access to movies, TV, music, audiobooks, ebooks, and comics.
Listener Engagement & Support
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(00:55:22)
  • Key Takeaway: Listeners are urged to rate, review, comment on podcast platforms, and enable automatic downloads to support the How Did This Get Made? show.
  • Summary: Listeners using Apple Podcasts or Spotify are asked to rate and review the show, as this action makes a difference in visibility. Following the show and ensuring automatic downloads are turned on helps the program significantly. The official social media handle for the podcast is @hdtgm.
Production Team & Tribute
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(00:55:37)
  • Key Takeaway: The production team, including producer Scott Sonny and engineer Casey Holford, is thanked, alongside a remembrance for the late Avril Halley.
  • Summary: The segment acknowledged producer Scott Sonny, engineer Casey Holford, and social media manager Zoe Applebaum. Eternal gratitude is expressed for Avril Halley, and a beautiful write-up celebrating her life has been posted on the show’s Discord server and Instagram page. The next movie announcement hints at a return to Oz-related themes.
MMs Valentine’s Day Ad
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(00:56:07)
  • Key Takeaway: MMs offers personalized candy options for Valentine’s Day, allowing customers to print photos or custom messages on 20 different colors of candy.
  • Summary: MMs is promoted as a Valentine’s Day gift option where personalization includes printing photos, dates, or custom messages onto the candy. Customers can choose from 20 colors to create an unforgettable gift. Use the code GIFTMMS at MMs.com for 15% off the first order.
Lyft Podcast Promotion
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(00:56:37)
  • Key Takeaway: The Lyft podcast, hosted by Patty Sellers and Anne-Marie Chaker, features inspiring stories from women shaping the future and releases new episodes every Friday.
  • Summary: The Lyft podcast focuses on smart, inspiring stories featuring empowering women who are redefining industries. The show shares insights on healthy bodies, minds, and ideas about power. New episodes of Lyft with Patty Sellers and Anne-Marie Chaker are available every Friday wherever podcasts are found.