How could a show about some guys running a New Jersey comic book shop be one of the highlights of my TV viewing week? By the mastery of Kevin Smith.

When the pilot for Comic Book Men went circulating around, I wasn’t one to jump at it, I’ll admit. I knew it involved Kevin Smith, whom I’m a fan of, but from the outside it seemed he’d be completely off-screen and uninvolved except for via the credits. It didn’t help that Clacker Michael didn’t give the pilot much praise, either — a guy who’s a seasoned veteran of the San Diego Comic-Con and has had deep conversations with some well-known — and not-so-well-known — comic book artists both in and outside SDCC. He helped break several Clacker SDCC cherries.

Now, with Comic Book Men deep into its second season, I’m coming out to admit I’m a fan. Not with the show, necessarily, but with the accompanying podcast … but not, necessarily, Kevin Smith’s SModcast.

The SModcast — or, at least one of them — is an accompanying podcast to AMC’s TV show. However, it is not the podcast you see when you’re actually watching Comic Book Men. That podcast … I’m not sure you can get anywhere. AND, if you can, please enlighten me and comment with a link to it! The SModcast — or, the Comic Book Men Companion Podcast — is something that gets put online after a particular episode airs, is about an hour long and features most or all of the cast of the show, minus — for the most part, at least recently — Kevin Smith. There’s some good stuff in there, but it’s a far cry from the edited down podcast we see on the show.

I knew the CBM SModcast existed some time ago, though knowing it wasn’t the actual podcast we saw on the show caused me not to bother with it. It’s fun, and it definitely has its moments, but … it’s not the same. I want that podcast we see being recorded on the show, dammit! Isn’t it strange to have a staged podcast on the TV show, but that podcast basically doesn’t exist outside the show? Then you head to iTunes or AMC’s website to find it, and it’s non-existent. I really don’t understand that. Very strange.

There’s another SModCo podcast called Tell ‘em Steve-Dave that’s said to be the inspiration for the Comic Book Men TV show, and it’s great stuff. It’s just not THE podcast that we’re seeing snippets from on the actual show. I love Comic Book Men — the whole thing is entertaining — but I want the rest of those podcasts. Come on, AMC, make it happen! Kevin Smith: you can make this happen, right? Hopefully I’m not making a fool of myself here, and the podcast isn’t flat-out available and righter under my nose, and you’ll all have a ball shoving it in my face. Please do! I want to find the damned thing if it’s out there.

Photo Credit: AMC