Dan & Kat Talk

When Disney announced a full-immersion live-action role-playing Star Wars experience, it should not be surprised that Kat and Dan started saving up immediately. The three-day, two-night experience was intense, immersive, and incredibly personal. If you don’t have time to read the 10,000 word illustrated blog about our journey or simply prefer to listen to the recap, here’s our podcast version, recorded just days after Disney revealed they’d be closing the attraction at the end of September 2023. It’s detailed, it’s emotional, and it’s almost four hours long. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather just read the article?

This show is rated PG-13, in that there’s one f-bomb because Dan slipped up and couldn’t find it afterwards.

Hosts: Dan Amrich & Kat Auch

Links:
Our first trip to Galaxy’s Edge (Kotaku)
Galactic Starcruiser (Disney)
Costume guidelines (Disney)
Starcruiser’s closure (CNN)

Happy Star Wars Day! Dan & Kat Talk has been on hiatus since 2014 because Dan wanted to focus his time on Palette-Swap Ninja’s secret album project. Well…now it’s done, and what better way to apologize than with a huge double-sized special episode that explains just what was so darned important that it shut down D&KT for two and a half years? Kat takes the helm for an exclusive interview with Dan and Jude as they all discuss the origins of Palette-Swap Ninja (and its name) and the behind-the scenes story of the Beatles/Star Wars tribute that Nerdist called “the best parody album ever.” Plus, you’ll hear some rare demo tracks and special isolated mixes that you won’t hear anywhere else. All this plus Monty Python, the painful saga of recording drums, how the videos got made, something called “the white book,” and a shocking revelation about the number of children Jude supposedly has. Sure, the episode is twice as long as Sgt. Pepper and almost as long as Star Wars itself, but hey — we’ve been gone a while, so we have a lot to say! Enjoy this special, watch for Season 2 of Dan & Kat Talk soon, and may the Force be with you!

Hosts: Dan Amrich & Kat Auch

Music: Custom selections from Princess Leia’s Stolen Death Star Plans by Palette-Swap Ninja

Links:

Star Wars meets Sgt. Pepper's? INGENIOUS! I'll need assistance lifting my jaw from the floor.#TheFabFource https://t.co/izoG9iwVF7 via @CNET

— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) May 3, 2017

Subscribe to the show via RSS

Follow us on Twitter: @DanAndKatTalk

To close out our first season, we’ve got an outtakes show — all kinds of stuff that wasn’t good enough to play you until we wanted to take our holiday time for ourselves. We’ve got a full rehearsal of one of Chance Fortran’s adventures, Hugh Sterbakov going off script, a few dirty jokes, a lengthy improv with John Ross Bowie, the worst pronunciation of Latin ever, and the full version of that funky transition music you always hear. Thanks to all our guests, and thank for your support during our first season. Happy holidays!

Hosts: Dan Amrich & Kat Auch

Subscribe to the show via RSS

Follow us on Twitter: @DanAndKatTalk

And of course, comment below!

Personal 3D printers are the new hotness among nerdy hobbyists and tech-oriented DIYers. You’ve probably been curious about what they can do, and maybe even tempted to pick one up — but should you? We ask Tested‘s Will Smith to explain the current landscape, discuss budget and investment, and basically tell Dan whether he should get one for Kat for Christmas. Will also tries out some all-new You Must Choose options, and Chance Fortran meets his maker.

Hosts: Dan Amrich & Kat Auch

Links:

Subscribe to the show via RSS

Follow us on Twitter: @DanAndKatTalk

And of course, comment below!

‘Tis the season for milestone gift purchases — and guitars are big-ticket items that often find their way onto holiday gift lists. But how do you know which one to buy if a loved one simply says “I want a guitar”? How much should you expect to pay, what will you get for your money, and what should you avoid? We have the answers this week. Plus. Chance Fortran keeps it on the DL.

Hosts: Dan Amrich & Kat Auch

Links:

Subscribe to the show via RSS

Follow us on Twitter: @DanAndKatTalk

And of course, comment below!

Are you sure you haven’t already listened to this episode? Because this week we’re talking about time travel, and whether you see it as a piece of paper, a ribbon, a wormhole, or just an illusion, there’s no shortage of mind-bending theories about it in pop culture. Dr. Jude Kelley joins us — an actual science guy! — to discuss a few academic theories, apply them to the movies and books you already know, and see how Schroedinger’s Cat fits in to all of this. Plus, Chance Fortran gets a glimpse.

Hosts: Dan Amrich & Kat Auch

Links:

Subscribe to the show via RSS

Follow us on Twitter: @DanAndKatTalk

And of course, comment below!

He’s Barry Kripke on The Big Bang Theory. He’s Dr. Max von Sydow on Children’s Hospital. He’s that guy from TV shows like Reno! 911, Upright Citizens Brigade, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and all those cop shows that eventually use every character actor in Hollywood. He’s John Ross Bowie, and you’ve seen him. We searched long and hard for an expert on the career of John Ross Bowie, and we finally located him. We talk about how he worked his way up from humble college radio beginnings to humble New York City improv comedian to humble “geek on call” Hollywood actor to humble dad trying to get his daughter to stay quiet during a podcast recording. Plus, Chance Fortran changes the channel.

Hosts: Dan Amrich & Kat Auch

Links:

Subscribe to the show via RSS

Follow us on Twitter: @DanAndKatTalk

And of course, comment below!

Do you know the difference between Dagon and Ithaqua? We didn’t, so we called Eric “E” Neustadter to explain all about H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos and his world-ending pals, the Elder Gods. E talks about the connection to Dungeons & Dragons, the resurgence of this once-forgotten supernatural horror realm, the existence of an “evil Atlantis,” and what happens if you get on Cthulhu’s bad side (“you probably get eaten”). We also play a chipper round of You Must Choose, and we learn a shocking revelation about Chance Fortran.

Hosts: Dan Amrich & Kat Auch

Links:

Subscribe to the show via RSS

Follow us on Twitter: @DanAndKatTalk

And of course, comment below!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer redefined female action heroes in the 90s, not to mention prime-time dramadies. Our expert explores the history of the first major slice of the Whedonverse, reveals what the show was originally called and its connection to The Tick, offers the best episodes for new viewers (and compelling reasons why this show is still worth your time), and explains how Buffy is like the Dalai Lama. We also play a special round of You Must Choose, and later, Chance Fortran aids a lady in distress.

Hosts: Dan Amrich & Kat Auch

Links:

Subscribe to the show via RSS

Follow us on Twitter: @DanAndKatTalk

And of course, comment below!

When it comes to geek fandom, Star Trek really set the pace — and while the films and The Next Generation were the jumping-on points for a lot of modern fans, it really all goes back to 1966, when a brash Gene Roddenberry fought NBC to bring his vision of “Wagon Train in space” to American airwaves (in color!). Greg the Bunny/Warren The Ape creator, voice of Robot Chicken’s Skeletor and Star Trek superfan Dan Milano takes us through the formative period of the show, how it inspired the first rabid sci-fi fanbase of the modern era, and reveals the real reason why William Shatner delivers his lines that way. We also throw some You Must Choose curveballs, and Chance Fortran makes with the mentoring.

Hosts: Dan Amrich & Kat Auch

Links:

Subscribe to the show via RSS

Follow us on Twitter: @DanAndKatTalk

And of course, comment below!