Bob Powers is the author of the new choose-your-own-adventure-style book "You Are a Miserable Excuse for a Hero."

The Hold Steady are a Brooklyn-based, Minneapolis-bred rock and roll band. They're known for grand songs about teenagers and tough times.

Chris Parnell is an actor best known for his long stint on Saturday Night Live. He's also appeared in films like Anchorman and recently, Kabluey.

Roger Bennett is co-author of "Camp Camp: Where Fantasy Island Meets Lord of the Flies." It's a collection of reminiscences and ephemera related to summer camp.

The Explorers Club are a South Carolina-based rock band, whose music recalls the Southern California rock of the 1960s and the melodramatic pop of Phil Spector.

Ze Frank is an internet super-celebrity, and the principal of zefrank.com. His year-long daily video blog project, The Show, was one of the first great successes of the video blog world.

Jay Smooth is a hip-hop radio host, blogger and vlogger. This interview was recorded live at Sketchfest NYC at the UCB Theater in New York.

Comedy from Michael Showalter and Pangea 3000, music from Dawn Landes. Recorded live in New York.

Scott Prendergast is the writer, director and star of the indie comedy Kabluey. The film, which also stars Lisa Kudrow, concerns a young man helping tend to his brother's children while his brother is serving in Iraq.

Blu is the MC half of the hip-hop duo Blu & Exile. They released their critically-acclaimed first album, "Below the Heavens," last year.