On the first dork of Christmas my true dork gave to me: a holiday dork special! Lexi & Ben run down the best and worst holiday music, food, movies, characters, traditions and alternatives. Happy Solstice!

FURTHER DORKSCUSSION:

The 12 Dorks of Christmas:

Best:

• Food: Stuffing (Ben), Nuts & Bolts (Lexi)
• Movie: Muppet Family Christmas (Lexi), A Muppet Christmas Carol (Ben)
• Song: I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas by Gayla Peevey (Lexi), Carol of the Bells (Ben)
• Character: Zero from Nightmare Before Christmas (Lexi), Ice-Type Jesus (Ben)
• Tradition: Opening one gift on Christmas Eve (Ben), Christmas morning (Lexi)
• Alternative: Solstice (Lexi & Ben)

Worst:

• Food: Cheap Christmas candy (Lexi), Gingerbread House kits (Ben)
• Movie: Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (Lexi), Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Ben)
• Song:  I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas by Gayla Peevey (Ben), I'm Getting Nuttin' For Christmas (Lexi)
• Character: Billy Bob Thornton as Bad Santa (Lexi), Tim Allen as Santa Claus (Ben)
• Tradition: Pictures with mall Santas (Lexi), Getting together with family (Ben)
• Alternative: Sitting at home crying (Ben), Being sick for Christmas (Lexi)

BONUS CONTENT:

Jess' picks:

Best:

• Food: Sticky buns (Christmas Day breakfast since I was a kid)
• Movie: Nightmare Before Christmas
• Song: Christmas Without You by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers
• Character: The Grinch
• Tradition: My mom gives everyone really elaborate stockings with little trinkets and snacks and we open them all together - it's v cute
• Alt: Hanukkah (one of my aunts and my cousins are Jewish and I think it's a dope holiday)

Worst:

• Food: chocolate oranges
• Movie: Jingle All the Way (one of the worst movies I've ever seen, period)
• Song: All I Want For Christmas Is You - I can't really describe why but something about this song just is like nails on a chalkboard to me
• Character: Frosty the Snowman (just like so cloying in every interpretation)
• Tradition: My family plays Monopoly on Christmas Day and it's SO LONG AND TERRIBLE
• Alt: Boxing Day

SOCIALS:

Here's where you can find us!

• Lexi' Hunt's website and twitter and instagram
• Ben Rankel's website and instagram and where to buy his book: Amazon.ca / Comixology / Ind!go / Renegade Arts
• Jess Schmidt's website, twitter and instagram
• Dork Matter's website(WIP) and twitter and instagram and reddit

Having fun  dorking out with Lexi & Ben? Help us get the word out by giving Dork Matters a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods. We'd appreciate it!

“I'm going to tear off your skin like wrapping paper and deck the halls with your guts!” - Robot Santa

SOCIALS:

Here's where you can find us!

• Lexi' Hunt's website and twitter and instagram
• Ben Rankel's website and instagram and where to buy his book: Amazon.ca / Comixology / Ind!go / Renegade Arts
• Jess Schmidt's website, twitter and instagram
• Dork Matter's website(WIP) and twitter and instagram and reddit
• This podcast is created on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Nations, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, and the Kainai. We also acknowledge the Stoney Nakota Nation, Tsuut'ina, and Metis Nation Region 3.

Help your dorky pals spread the word: share us on social media or give Dork Matters a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods! Thank you for helping us to share our love of all things Dork!

You better watch out! Scare savant Laura O'Conner joins Lexi & Ben yet again to dork out about her favourite ho-ho-horror sub-genre: holiday! We've got slasher Santas, festively frightful folklore, merry mutilations, and more. You better not cry!

FURTHER DORKSCUSSION:

Our holiday-horror reviews:

• Gremlins: recommend
• Santa's Slay: recommend
• Anna and the Apocalypse: recommend
• Krampus: Laura recommends, but I think Lexi and Ben don't???
• Rare Exports: recommend
• Christmas Evil: recommend
• Silent Night, Deadly Night: recommend if you like Christmas Evil
• Nightmare Before Christmas: Not horror, but recommend as a Christmas movie

BONUS CONTENT:

• You can find guest host, Laura O'Connor at @laurajoc and laurao.ca
• The Flop House Podcast
• Six well-known actors who totally got their dongs out in a film (NSFW) (Thanks, Lorna!)
• Why are so many god-awful Christmas movies filmed in Edmonton? 
• How Ghost Stories Became a Christmas Tradition in Victorian England (Thanks, Jess!)

SOCIALS:

Here's where you can find us!

• Lexi' Hunt's website and twitter and instagram
• Ben Rankel's website and instagram and where to buy his book: Amazon.ca / Comixology / Ind!go / Renegade Arts
• Jess Schmidt's website, twitter and instagram
• Dork Matter's website(WIP) and twitter and instagram and reddit

Having fun  dorking out with Lexi & Ben? Help us get the word out by giving Dork Matters a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods. We'd appreciate it!

“Jimmy Hoffa is not dead. He works at the National Enquirer with Elvis and Bigfoot.” - M.J. McGuire

SOCIALS:

Here's where you can find us!

• Lexi' Hunt's website and twitter and instagram
• Ben Rankel's website and instagram and where to buy his book: Amazon.ca / Comixology / Ind!go / Renegade Arts
• Jess Schmidt's website, twitter and instagram
• Dork Matter's website(WIP) and twitter and instagram and reddit
• This podcast is created on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Nations, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, and the Kainai. We also acknowledge the Stoney Nakota Nation, Tsuut'ina, and Metis Nation Region 3.

Help your dorky pals spread the word: share us on social media or give Dork Matters a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods! Thank you for helping us to share our love of all things Dork!

Get your dice bag out! We dork out about dungeons and dragons, talk about how we started playing, share our favourite tabletop rpg pods/shows, and roll some characters for a special upcoming episode! All with special guest, Jason Mehmel! Roll for advantage!

FURTHER DORKSCUSSION:

• The Adventure Zone
• Critical Role
• Fun City Ventures
• Friends at the Table
• Spout Lore

BONUS CONTENT:

• You can find guest host, Jason Mehmel at jasonmehmel.com, instagram, and twitter.
• Dungeons & Dragons
• Dungeons & Dragons
• Dungeons & Dragons

SOCIALS:

Here's where you can find us!

• Lexi' Hunt's website and twitter and instagram
• Ben Rankel's website and instagram and where to buy his book: Amazon.ca / Comixology / Ind!go / Renegade Arts
• Jess Schmidt's website, twitter and instagram
• Dork Matter's website(WIP) and twitter and instagram and reddit

Help us out by giving Dork Matters a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods!

“The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” -Gary Gygax

SOCIALS:

Here's where you can find us!

• Lexi' Hunt's website and twitter and instagram
• Ben Rankel's website and instagram and where to buy his book: Amazon.ca / Comixology / Ind!go / Renegade Arts
• Jess Schmidt's website, twitter and instagram
• Dork Matter's website(WIP) and twitter and instagram and reddit
• This podcast is created on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Nations, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, and the Kainai. We also acknowledge the Stoney Nakota Nation, Tsuut'ina, and Metis Nation Region 3.

Help your dorky pals spread the word: share us on social media or give Dork Matters a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods! Thank you for helping us to share our love of all things Dork!

We’re dorking out about Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon! What does each show do great? Who is the best sailor scout? Why is Tuxedo Mask the worst? This episode is dedicated to Lizzo (she knows what's up)!

FURTHER DORKSCUSSION:

• Crash Bandicoot
• Mario Kart
• Diablo Immortal
• Pikmin 4
• Cult of the Lamb
• Fable
• Critical Role
• The Fifth Element 
• Full House
• Rocky & Bullwinkle 
• Jahara Jayde
• Neopets
• Geocities
• Adam Ellis
• Babs Tarr
• National Film Board of Canada

BONUS CONTENT:

• LIZZO
• IS
• GOD

SOCIALS:

Here's where you can find us!

• Lexi' Hunt's website and twitter and instagram
• Ben Rankel's website and instagram and where to buy his book: Amazon.ca / Comixology / Ind!go / Renegade Arts
• Jess Schmidt's website, twitter and instagram
• Dork Matter's website(WIP) and twitter and instagram and reddit

Having fun  dorking out with Lexi & Ben? Help us out by giving Dork Matters a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods. It really does help us spread the word and get the dork out there.

“Endymion, you are my first love, my only love... even if we're reborn, in another life, we'll find each other... and then... We'll fall in love again..." - Princess Serenity

SOCIALS:

Here's where you can find us!

• Lexi' Hunt's website and twitter and instagram
• Ben Rankel's website and instagram and where to buy his book: Amazon.ca / Comixology / Ind!go / Renegade Arts
• Jess Schmidt's website, twitter and instagram
• Dork Matter's website(WIP) and twitter and instagram and reddit
• This podcast is created on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Nations, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, and the Kainai. We also acknowledge the Stoney Nakota Nation, Tsuut'ina, and Metis Nation Region 3.

Help your dorky pals spread the word: share us on social media or give Dork Matters a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods! Thank you for helping us to share our love of all things Dork!

Lexi & Ben are joined by fright flick expert Laura O'Connor as they conjure up the most harrowing horror and Halloween films to put a chill in your All Hallows' evening. They also talk ferrets, Return to Monkey Island, TikTok, Kevin Bacon (yes, again), Treehouse of Horrors, Edward Gorey, Jordan Peele, and more. We even share a few ghost stories! It's all treats and no tricks!

FURTHER DORKSCUSSION:

Horror/Halloween movies discussed:

• Tim Burton Catalogue
  • Beetlejuice
  • Pee-wee's Big Adventure
  • Batman Returns
• Demon Knight
• Jennifer's Body
• The Babadook
• We Need to Talk About Kevin
• The Others
• Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
• Trick 'r Treat
• Get Out
• Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
• Halloween
• Hatchet
• Friday the 13th
• The Haunting of Bly Manor
• The Haunting of Hill House
• Midnight Mass
• The Blair Witch Project
• Scream
• The Loved Ones
• Tucker and Dale vs Evil
• Frozen
• Sleepy Hollow
• The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
• Let The Right One In
• Child's Play
• Ernest Scared Stupid
• The Craft
• Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest
• Clue

BONUS CONTENT:

• You can find guest host, Laura O'Connor at @laurajoc and laurao.ca
• Return to Monkey Island
• Kevin Bacon + Goats

SOCIALS:

Here's where you can find us!

• Lexi' Hunt's website and twitter and instagram
• Ben Rankel's website and instagram and where to buy his book: Amazon.ca / Comixology / Ind!go / Renegade Arts
• Jess Schmidt's website, twitter and instagram
• Dork Matter's website(WIP) and twitter and instagram and reddit

Having fun  dorking out with Lexi & Ben? Help us out by giving Dork Matters a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods. It really does help us spread the word and get the dork out there.

“Jimmy Hoffa is not dead. He works at the National Enquirer with Elvis and Bigfoot.” - M.J. McGuire

SOCIALS:

Here's where you can find us!

• Lexi' Hunt's website and twitter and instagram
• Ben Rankel's website and instagram and where to buy his book: Amazon.ca / Comixology / Ind!go / Renegade Arts
• Jess Schmidt's website, twitter and instagram
• Dork Matter's website(WIP) and twitter and instagram and reddit
• This podcast is created on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Nations, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, and the Kainai. We also acknowledge the Stoney Nakota Nation, Tsuut'ina, and Metis Nation Region 3.

Help your dorky pals spread the word: share us on social media or give Dork Matters a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods! Thank you for helping us to share our love of all things Dork!

We dork out about our favourite cryptids! We also talk breakfast cereal, almond milk, potty (training?) humour, ghosts, storytelling, colonialism, terrible medieval art, cultural appropriation and crushing watermelons with your thighs! What an episode!

FURTHER DORKSCUSSION:

Cryptids discussed:

• Jackalope
• Honey Island Swamp Monster
• Canadian Lake Monsters
• Kinosoo
• Chupacabra
• The Jersey Devil
• Wendigo

BONUS CONTENT:

• Ben says he is Vector but Lexi and Jess say Ben is Captain Crunch
• Lexi calls herself Honey Bunches of Oats, Ben says Lexi is porridge, Jess says Lex is Special K
• Jess calls herself Cinnamon Crunch, Lexi and Ben agree because we don't argue with Jess
• Shope papilloma virus rabbit (content warning for awful)
• Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch
• Medieval cats
• Medieval elephants
• Chixdiggit! - Chupacabras
• Watermelons vs. thighs

SOCIALS:

Here's where you can find us!

• Lexi' Hunt's website and twitter and instagram
• Ben Rankel's website and instagram and where to buy his book: Amazon.ca / Comixology / Ind!go / Renegade Arts
• Jess Schmidt's website, twitter and instagram
• Dork Matter's website(WIP) and twitter and instagram and reddit

Having fun  dorking out with Lexi & Ben? Help us out by giving Dork Matters a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods. It really does help us spread the word and get the dork out there.

“Jimmy Hoffa is not dead. He works at the National Enquirer with Elvis and Bigfoot.” - M.J. McGuire

SOCIALS:

Here's where you can find us!

• Lexi' Hunt's website and twitter and instagram
• Ben Rankel's website and instagram and where to buy his book: Amazon.ca / Comixology / Ind!go / Renegade Arts
• Jess Schmidt's website, twitter and instagram
• Dork Matter's website(WIP) and twitter and instagram and reddit
• This podcast is created on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Nations, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, and the Kainai. We also acknowledge the Stoney Nakota Nation, Tsuut'ina, and Metis Nation Region 3.

Help your dorky pals spread the word: share us on social media or give Dork Matters a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods! Thank you for helping us to share our love of all things Dork!

Okay...so there is a lot of burping in this episode. Consider yourself warned - we never promised that we were classy, only that we are dorks and do dork things. What began as an artsy attempt to remake the first episode of Dork Matters devolved into a hilarious episode that covered a wide range of topics including:

• Stardew Valley
• The 7Up Challenge
• Off-leash dogs
• Kangol hats
• Musicals
• Bonny Prince Billy
• Fraiser
• And so much more

Bonus Content:

• Lorna and Jess pointed out the "which 3 fingers debate" is also part of one of the best scenes in Inglorious Bastards: "There's a whole scene where Michael Fassbender gives himself away as a British agent by raising three fingers a la Ben, instead of doing it Lexi-style with thumb and two fingers, which is apparently the German way."
  • The three fingers debate 
    Lexi apparently is a German spy from the 1940's and Ben is of this era. Which are you? Let us know on social media!!!
• Sad ass Bonny Prince Billy music.  Lexi insists that there is great joy in this music and we encourage you to check out more of his work!

Social Media! 

Here's where you can find us!

• Lexi' Hunt's website and twitter and instagram
• Ben Rankel's website and instagram and where to buy his book: Amazon.ca / Comixology / Ind!go / Renegade Arts
• Jess Schmidt's website, twitter and instagram
• Dork Matter's website(WIP) and twitter and instagram and reddit

Having fun  dorking out with Lexi & Ben? Help us out by giving Dork Matters a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods. It really does help us spread the word and get the dork out there.

"My tummy hurts." - Burping girls

SOCIALS:

Here's where you can find us!

• Lexi' Hunt's website and twitter and instagram
• Ben Rankel's website and instagram and where to buy his book: Amazon.ca / Comixology / Ind!go / Renegade Arts
• Jess Schmidt's website, twitter and instagram
• Dork Matter's website(WIP) and twitter and instagram and reddit
• This podcast is created on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Nations, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, and the Kainai. We also acknowledge the Stoney Nakota Nation, Tsuut'ina, and Metis Nation Region 3.

Help your dorky pals spread the word: share us on social media or give Dork Matters a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods! Thank you for helping us to share our love of all things Dork!

Your dorky hosts, Lexi Hunt and Ben Rankel, return to Stardew Valley. This time we're talking about game mods, spatial empathy, cult of the Lamb, Amber Hageman, Blood, Sweat & Pixels, the Stardew fandom, the music and Haunted Chocolatier! This is also the first episode of our second year of Dork Matters, yippee! 

FURTHER DORKSCUSSION:

• Amber Hageman
• Jason Schreir's book, Blood, Sweat & Pixels
• Caroline Jong's twitter thread

BONUS CONTENT:

• Bee Boss
• Haunted Chocolatier
• Bonus episode! Return to Stardork Valley: The Burpening

SOCIALS:

Here's where you can find us!

• Lexi' Hunt's website and twitter and instagram
• Ben Rankel's website and instagram and where to buy his book: Amazon.ca / Comixology / Ind!go / Renegade Arts
• Jess Schmidt's website, twitter and instagram
• Dork Matter's website(WIP) and twitter and instagram and reddit

Having fun  dorking out with Lexi & Ben? Help us out by giving Dork Matters a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods. It really does help us spread the word and get the dork out there.

"Apples, you eat their clothes, but oranges, you don't?" - Alex, Stardew Valley

Show Less

SOCIALS:

Here's where you can find us!

• Lexi' Hunt's website and twitter and instagram
• Ben Rankel's website and instagram and where to buy his book: Amazon.ca / Comixology / Ind!go / Renegade Arts
• Jess Schmidt's website, twitter and instagram
• Dork Matter's website(WIP) and twitter and instagram and reddit
• This podcast is created on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Nations, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, and the Kainai. We also acknowledge the Stoney Nakota Nation, Tsuut'ina, and Metis Nation Region 3.

Help your dorky pals spread the word: share us on social media or give Dork Matters a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods! Thank you for helping us to share our love of all things Dork!

Season 2 of Dork Matters begins September 28, 2022 with Return to Stardork Valley: Take 2 & bonus episode Return to  Stardork Valley: Take 1, The Burpenning!

SOCIALS:

Here's where you can find us!

• Lexi' Hunt's website and twitter and instagram
• Ben Rankel's website and instagram and where to buy his book: Amazon.ca / Comixology / Ind!go / Renegade Arts
• Jess Schmidt's website, twitter and instagram
• Dork Matter's website(WIP) and twitter and instagram and reddit
• This podcast is created on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Nations, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, and the Kainai. We also acknowledge the Stoney Nakota Nation, Tsuut'ina, and Metis Nation Region 3.

Help your dorky pals spread the word: share us on social media or give Dork Matters a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods! Thank you for helping us to share our love of all things Dork!

It's been one heck of a year. Lexi Hunt and Ben Rankel reminisce about the last 30 episodes of Dork Matters with editor/producer Jess Schmidt in an extra-special, extra-long, anniversary episode. We get into the good, bad, favourite and worst moments of making, producing and editing this podcast for over a year now. We also dork out about Wordle, graphic design, DeviantArt, Diet Coke, burping, Asian grocery stores, white dudes (again), Star Trek (as always), and a whole bunch more.

FURTHER DORKSCUSSION:

Back in 2021, under the milieux of pandemic interaction, real-life friends, Lexi & Ben, decided to start a podcast. A bold and original decision made all the bolder and more original-er by refusing to conform with modern podcast dictates that the show be niche. Today, in 2022, that podcast now has 30 episodes, spanning dozens of topics with thousands of listeners across at least 10 countries, possibly more.

BONUS CONTENT:

• Gum graft
• If you actually read the show notes, email us here. The first listener to do so wins a t-shirt, stickers, tote bag and a tiny drawing from each of the hosts. 

SOCIALS:

Here's where you can find us!

• Lexi' Hunt's website and twitter and instagram
• Ben Rankel's website and instagram and where to buy his book: Amazon.ca / Comixology / Ind!go / Renegade Arts
• Jess Schmidt's website, twitter and instagram
• Dork Matter's website(WIP) and twitter and instagram and reddit

Having fun  dorking out with Lexi & Ben? Help us out by giving Dork Matters a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods. It really does help us spread the word and get the dork out there.

"Welcome to Dork Matters. A podcast by dorks, for dorks, about everything that matters to dorks." -Lexi & Ben, Dork Matters

SOCIALS:

Here's where you can find us!

• Lexi' Hunt's website and twitter and instagram
• Ben Rankel's website and instagram and where to buy his book: Amazon.ca / Comixology / Ind!go / Renegade Arts
• Jess Schmidt's website, twitter and instagram
• Dork Matter's website(WIP) and twitter and instagram and reddit
• This podcast is created on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Nations, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, and the Kainai. We also acknowledge the Stoney Nakota Nation, Tsuut'ina, and Metis Nation Region 3.

Help your dorky pals spread the word: share us on social media or give Dork Matters a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods! Thank you for helping us to share our love of all things Dork!