Let's talk about podcasting and how no one is an expert. Everything is Awesome is nearly 10 years old. I've been podcasting for nearly 19 years. Yet, an entire interview is missing. It happens to the best of us. None of us is perfect, and we should always be striving to learn from our failures.

"Failure is Success Training." ~ Kevin Smith

It's a short episode this week because of said failure above. We'll need to get them on the show proper in the future, but in the meantime, I need something for episode 198. With the help of an assistant, we compiled a summary of what Grim Philly is: both their tours and their podcast.

Quick production update: we'll be getting back to weekly releases soon, though maybe not until 2026 (I honestly haven't sat down yet to see what we can do). We are also shifting back to our ORIGINAL (from like 10 years ago) release day: Wednesday. While I have all the best intentions of getting episodes edited and scheduled 3-7 days in advance, I do spin a lot of plates (which are in addition to my three kids and day job). Shifting back to Wednesday means that if I fall behind, I don't have to try and put something together over the weekend, which is when I'm at my busiest, and can use Monday and/or Tuesday to get this show posted.

SUPPORT GRIM PHILLY

Grim Philly Tours | Grim Philly Podcast

THE SHOW

Everything is Awesome is produced by Starbird Media and edited by Kevin M. Gallagher, Jr. The Everything is Awesome logo is by Francois Jooste & Kevin M. Gallagher, Jr. For advertising rates, guest inquiries, or press coverage, email us at [email protected].

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everything-is-awesome/id1080785725
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6P4LLWBQD5DUFBCykh9adm
• YouTube: Coming Soon!
• Kev: TikTok, BlueSky, Twitter, Instagram, and Threads, all at @ThatNerdyKev. | ThatNerdyKev.com | MayorOfLevittown.com | AvatarStateRadio.com | GetEmNextYear.com.

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Please consider supporting The HEADstrong Foundation (https://headstrong.org). They are based in the Philadelphia area, minutes from the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. They assist families dealing with cancer with everything from meals to travel and housing. I've been working with them for nearly nine years now, and they are good people.

Listen, rate, and subscribe! Find Everything is Awesome on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and AwesomePodcast.com.

Please support Everything is Awesome by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. They have some math that gets us in front of more awesome people! Or tell a friend, word of mouth keeps the good vibes going.

Organizations & Causes We Support:

Make 5 Calls | HEADstrong Foundation | The Trevor Project | Black Lives Matter

BAM! We're back with another episode! Jordan Spector is a former multi-sport athlete who walked on to the football team at Temple University. After an injury cut his playing career short, he discovered his true passion for art. Since 2015, he has built a remarkable reputation for creating high-energy mixed-media sports artwork that captures the emotion and motion of the games we love. His work has been commissioned by pro athletes and major sports organizations alike.

Jordan and Kev discuss "What it means 'being from' Philly", their thoughts on the City Connect jerseys, and Jordan's artistic journey. From iconic moments to creating experiences, Jordan is creating a unique space for sports art.

SUPPORT JORDAN

Jordan's Art | The Immortals Experience | Best Friends | Atta Boy

THE SHOW

Everything is Awesome is produced by Starbird Media and edited by Kevin M. Gallagher, Jr. The Everything is Awesome logo is by Francois Jooste & Kevin M. Gallagher, Jr. For advertising rates, guest inquiries, or press coverage, email us at [email protected].

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everything-is-awesome/id1080785725
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6P4LLWBQD5DUFBCykh9adm
• YouTube: Coming Soon!
• Kev: TikTok, BlueSky, Twitter, Instagram, and Threads, all at @ThatNerdyKev. | ThatNerdyKev.com | MayorOfLevittown.com | AvatarStateRadio.com | GetEmNextYear.com.

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Please consider supporting The HEADstrong Foundation (https://headstrong.org). They are based in the Philadelphia area, minutes from the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. They assist families dealing with cancer with everything from meals to travel and housing. I've been working with them for nearly nine years now, and they are good people.

Listen, rate, and subscribe! Find Everything is Awesome on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and AwesomePodcast.com.

Please support Everything is Awesome by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. They have some math that gets us in front of more awesome people! Or tell a friend, word of mouth keeps the good vibes going.

Organizations & Causes We Support:

Make 5 Calls | HEADstrong Foundation | The Trevor Project | Black Lives Matter

Blows inside the podcast, kind of like we did to video game cartridges back in the '90s.

It works! Everything is Awesome works! But, for how long? Are we back, back? Or a few before Kev's mental health tanks again.

Folks, it's going to tank again, but I've set up some internal processes that will help keep this show on schedule. Now, for the good stuff:

This week, Kev sits down with the multitalented Tonya Todd—author, actor, activist, and host of Banned Books Conversations—for a thoughtful (and occasionally hilarious) chat about what activism looks like in everyday life. From the fight against book bans to finding creative ways to speak up, Tonya shares how art and advocacy intersect. Of course, things also get delightfully off track when Kev’s mind is blown by the fact that Tonya spent some time in the same Pennsylvania area he did, and the two dive into a discussion about Kurt Russell as Santa in The Christmas Chronicles.

Find Tonya

Tonya Todd’s Website | Tonya’s Books | Banned Books Conversations Podcast | Femme On Podcast And I Thought Ladies | 52 Love | Tonya on Instagram | Tonya on Facebook | Tonya on YouTube | Kev on Banned Books Conversations

Listen, rate, and subscribe! Find Everything is Awesome on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and AwesomePodcast.com.

Follow Kev: TikTok, BlueSky, Twitter, Instagram, and Threads, all at @ThatNerdyKev.

Check out more at ThatNerdyKev.com, MayorOfLevittown.com, AvatarStateRadio.com, and GetEmNextYear.com.

Please support Everything is Awesome by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. They have some math that gets us in front of more awesome people! Or tell a friend, word of mouth keeps the good vibes going.

Organizations & Causes We Support:

Make 5 Calls | HEADstrong Foundation | The Trevor Project | Black Lives Matter

Happy Memorial Day! I love sitting down and talking with Mike about life, podcasting, and more. Mike is one of the first Philly podcasting buddies I made, and while we don't talk often, I have so much respect for him.

We catch up, talk parenthood, podcasting, and more.

Find...

• Doom Thugs on Facebook @doomthugspodcast, the web at doomthugs.com, and on Twitch @doomthugs
• Kev on TikTok, BlueSky, Twitter, Instagram, Threads @ThatNerdyKev ThatNerdyKev.com | AwesomePodcast.com | MayorOfLevittown.com | Avatar State Radio | Get 'Em Next Year

Please support Everything is Awesome by leaving a 5-star review on iTunes. Apple's math gets us in front of more people's eyes and ears. You can also support us by telling a friend!

GO BIRDS.

My intro and outro to this episode say it all. FanExpo 2025 was important to me for many reasons. It brought me back to Everything is Awesome, which has been with me through ALL my trauma and what I can only assume is the onset of my fragile mental health. This show makes me happy, and I need to be here more with it.

I was also reminded about why we take shots, even if it is improbable to make them. Thanks for the reminder, Devan.

On the panel, we talk about the Go Birds mentality: what it means, why it's so special, and why it travels so well. What other fandoms share that mentality? All this and more.

Find...

• Devan Kaney on Twitter @Devan_Kaney, Instagram @DevanKaney, TikTok @devan.kaney | 94WIP | FOX29 | DevanKaney.com
• Craig Liggeons on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok @craigliggeons | Comic Book Gurus
• JJ on Get 'Em Next Year (getemnextyear.com)
• Kev on TikTok, BlueSky, Twitter, Instagram, Threads @ThatNerdyKev ThatNerdyKev.com | AwesomePodcast.com | MayorOfLevittown.com | Avatar State Radio | Get 'Em Next Year

Please support Everything is Awesome by leaving a 5-star review on iTunes. Apple's math gets us in front of more people's eyes and ears. You can also support us by telling a friend!

WARNING: The audio for the panel was recorded differently because the cable I needed changed from years past. That said, I can't believe how well it turned out despite the way we recorded it.

There's nothing like a live show, panel, or performance to get your creative juices flowing. And that's what This is Heavy: 40 Years of Back to the Future did for me. While I did panels at last year's FanExpo, I also worked a community table, which was wonderful but took so much energy out of me.

During this panel, I was just floored by how many of you actually cared about what my friends and I had to say about a 40-year-old movie. Beyond that, working with Dan, Stephen, and Meghan from I Like to Movie Movie reminded me how much I like to do things with friends. I hope to do more of this, especially with this crew.

This is a love fest on Back to the Future, I'm not sure what else to say. We touch on the legacy and why this film is still so important after 40 years, stand-out moments and aspects of the film, how we would cast this movie today, and much more.

Find your Senators | Find your Congressman | Make 5 Calls | Support HEADstrong Foundation | Trevor Project | Support Black Lives Matter

Find...

• I Like to Movie Movie on Apple Podcasts, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @moviemoviecast
• Kev on TikTok, BlueSky, Twitter, Instagram, Threads @ThatNerdyKev ThatNerdyKev.com | AwesomePodcast.com | MayorOfLevittown.com | Avatar State Radio | Get 'Em Next Year

Please support Everything is Awesome by leaving a 5-star review on iTunes. Apple's math gets us in front of more people's eyes and ears. You can also support us by telling a friend!

WE'RE BACK. For real. Fan Expo 2025 has energized me to return to Everything is Awesome and commit to it more than ever. I miss talking to people about their awesome things, and there are so many conversations you haven't heard.

I'm playing off the momentum to bring you FAN EXPO week! Today is a conversation I had with Ben Beck LAST YEAR about Fan Expo Philadelphia 2024, but the heart of the conversation is timeless. It's also a great way to kick off Fan Expo week because it gives a peek behind the curtain at what it takes to pull off running a panel.

Ben and I talk fandom, meeting celebrities, and even get into some podcast advice!

Find your Senators | Find your Congressman | Make 5 Calls | Support HEADstrong Foundation | Trevor Project | Support Black Lives Matter

Find...

• Ben Beck and his podcast at Welcome to Wilhem: https://welcometowilhelm.com/ and Altered Reality Entertainment: https://www.alteredrealityentertainment.com/
• Kev on TikTok, BlueSky, Twitter, Instagram, Threads @ThatNerdyKev ThatNerdyKev.com | AwesomePodcast.com | MayorOfLevittown.com | Avatar State Radio | Get 'Em Next Year

Please support Everything is Awesome by leaving a 5-star review on iTunes. Apple's math gets us in front of more people's eyes and ears. You can also support us by telling a friend!

Kev sat down a few weeks ago with the unofficial co-host of Everything is Awesome, Mike DeAngelo, to talk about 2024 and 2025, what they liked, and what they're looking forward to.

If you listened to the small episode we dropped last week, you know that Kev has been preoccupied with a death in his family, so the show notes are simple here, as the editing for this episode was started BEFORE things got bad and finished last week. So simple show notes!

Best of Film/TV/Games in 2024 and what they are looking forward to in 2025, plus their plans for various projects.

Find your Senators | Find your Congressman | Make 5 Calls | Support HEADstrong Foundation | Trevor Project | Support Black Lives Matter

Find...

• Mike DeAngelo on Twitter @tellest | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok @tellestbooks | Tellest.com | Etsy | Twitch
• Kev on Twitter, Instagram, Threads, TikTok @ThatNerdyKev ThatNerdyKev.com | AwesomePodcast.com | MayorOfLevittown.com | Avatar State Radio | We'll Get 'Em Next Year

Please support Everything is Awesome by leaving a 5-star review on iTunes. Apple's math gets us in front of more people's eyes and ears. You can also support us by telling a friend!

Quick Update from Kev about what's going on.

Ana Saia joins Kev for an engaging and thought-provoking conversation about social media’s evolution, cultural identity, and the art of storytelling. Kev kicks things off by marveling at the fact that podcasting is now a college class, leading to a discussion about generational differences between “Old Man Kev” and the next wave of creators.

The two dive into the progression of social media, from MySpace and Twitter to TikTok, and the ways these platforms have shaped how we connect. Ana opens up about her experiences growing up as a white-presenting Hispanic, the challenges of proving her cultural background, and embracing the complexities of different Spanish dialects. Together, they discuss their journeys with learning Spanish, reclaiming cultural authenticity, and how “No Sabo” moments have taken on new meaning.

Ana also shares how her cultural identity influences her work in acting and music and her love for emotional storytelling. They explore the heavy narratives often found in kids’ movies and discuss the creative challenges of transitioning from short-form to long-form content.

Find your Senators | Find your Congressman | Make 5 Calls | Trevor Project | Support Black Lives Matter

Find...

• Ana Saia on TikTok: @saianana | Instagram: @anasaiaofficial | YouTube: @saianana | The Reason, La Razón
• Kev on Twitter, Instagram, Threads, TikTok @ThatNerdyKev

ThatNerdyKev.com | AwesomePodcast.com | MayorOfLevittown.com | Avatar State Radio | We'll Get 'Em Next Year

Support Everything is Awesome by leaving a 5-star review on iTunes. Apple's math gets us in front of more people's eyes and ears :) You can also support us by telling a friend!