Mad Props with Chris Schnabel

What happens when you randomly draft a baseball team using cartoon characters, superheroes, anime legends, and video game icons?

On this episode of Mad Props, host Chris Schnabel takes on a completely different kind of baseball challenge: building a full starting lineup using randomly generated fictional characters.

From Nintendo favorites like Kirby and Luigi to Marvel superheroes like Spider-Man and Captain America, every pick presents a new challenge. Chris has to decide which character fits each baseball position, balancing speed, strength, athleticism, fielding ability, and even supernatural powers.

And not every character is exactly an All-Star...

It's fantasy baseball meets Super Smash Bros., Marvel, anime, and classic cartoons in a ridiculous experiment that asks one very important question: could this team actually win a baseball game?

Whether you're a fan of Mario Baseball, Nintendo, Marvel, Dragon Ball, The Simpsons, cartoons, or baseball, this episode brings all those worlds together for a different kind of Mad Props challenge.

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Mad Props is a Schnabel Studios Production

Chapters

00:00 – The Cartoon Baseball Challenge
01:14 – Chris Explains the Game and Draft Rules
04:01 – Drafting the First Fictional Baseball Players
07:01 – Finding the Right Positions for Superheroes
10:00 – Captain America, Kirby & Building the Infield
13:10 – The Roster Gets More Complicated
16:28 – Building a Better Team with New Characters
20:21 – Reviewing the Completed Baseball Roster
21:24 – Creating the Perfect Batting Order
25:10 – ChatGPT Evaluates the Lineup
27:49 – Rethinking Player Positions & Team Strategy
29:41 – Final Roster

The 2026 MLB Postseason is here, and Chris Schnabel is breaking down his entire playoff bracket on Mad Props — from the Wild Card round through the ALCS, NLCS and World Series.

Which teams are actually built for October? Which contenders could fall apart early? And who will emerge as the unexpected postseason hero nobody sees coming?

Chris goes through every Wild Card matchup before laying out his path through the American and National League brackets. In the AL, he explains why he believes the Yankees' dominant starting pitching could overcome questions surrounding their lineup and eventually set up an ALCS matchup with the Cleveland Guardians.

Over in the National League, Chris makes the case for Atlanta making a deep postseason run despite entering October as an under-the-radar team. He also breaks down Milwaukee, the Dodgers and why pitching could ultimately decide which teams survive October.

That leads to the World Series prediction: New York Yankees vs. Atlanta Braves.

Chris explains why the Yankees' rotation could be their biggest advantage, why Atlanta's combination of pitching and hot bats makes them dangerous, and what could determine a potential six or seven-game World Series.

Finally, it's time for the annual Chris Taylor Award — Mad Props' prediction for the unlikely player who suddenly becomes an October hero. Chris makes one selection from each of his World Series teams: Austin Wells for the Yankees and Mauricio Dubón for the Braves.

Plus: World Series MVP predictions, the biggest potential postseason upset and the one prediction Chris thinks he may seriously regret.

It's October. Let's talk baseball.

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Mad Props is a Schnabel Studios Production

Chapters

00:00 – 2026 MLB Postseason Preview
01:28 – American League Wild Card Predictions
05:14 – National League Wild Card Predictions
09:30 – Predicting the AL Playoff Bracket
12:10 – Predicting the NL Playoff Bracket
15:16 – ALCS & NLCS Predictions
16:39 – World Series Prediction
19:12 – The Chris Taylor Award
21:20 – Final MLB Postseason Predictions
22:32 – Final Thoughts

Welcome to Mad Props. Host Chris Schnabel throws it back to March 3, 2021, when civil rights activist Jim Obergefell joined the show to share the deeply personal story behind Obergefell v. Hodges and his unexpected path into civil rights advocacy.

Jim takes Chris back to 2013, when his longtime partner, John Arthur, was dying from ALS. After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down part of the Defense of Marriage Act, Jim spontaneously proposed to John after nearly 21 years together.

Because they lived in Ohio, where their marriage would not be legally recognized, the couple chartered a medical jet to Maryland and were married aboard the plane on the tarmac at Baltimore-Washington International Airport.

They simply wanted to spend John's remaining days as husband and husband.

Days later, civil rights attorney Al Gerhardstein explained that Ohio would still list John as unmarried on his death certificate and would not recognize Jim as his surviving spouse. Jim and John decided to fight back.

What began as an effort to have their marriage recognized eventually reached the United States Supreme Court as Obergefell v. Hodges.

Jim walks Chris through that journey, John's death, the emotions surrounding the Supreme Court case, and how a couple who never considered themselves political became part of a landmark moment in American civil-rights history.

The conversation also explores what happened to Jim's life afterward, his transition into activism, his work with Family Equality, Equality Vines, and why he came to view equality as something that cannot apply to only one community.

Jim also discusses the power of personal stories to change minds, why his and John's story resonated with people who held very different political and religious beliefs, discrimination in America, and the lessons he learned after unexpectedly becoming an activist.

The episode closes with Jim's advice for anyone who finds themselves facing an injustice they never expected to fight: don't automatically shy away from the moment simply because you never imagined yourself becoming an advocate.

Originally aired March 3, 2021.

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Mad Props is a Schnabel Studios Production

⏱️ CHAPTERS

00:00 – Welcome & The Story Behind This Throwback
02:22 – Jim Obergefell Joins Mad Props
02:49 – The Love Story Behind Obergefell v. Hodges
05:33 – Taking the Fight to the Supreme Court
10:10 – Becoming an Unexpected Activist
13:43 – Looking Back on the Historic Decision
17:05 – How Jim's Life Changed After the Case
20:20 – Family Equality, Equality Vines & Advocacy
21:27 – Fighting for Equality Beyond One Community
26:19 – Why Discrimination Still Exists
33:22 – Jim's Advice for Future Advocates
35:41 – Final Thoughts & Mad Props Outro

Welcome to Mad Props. Today, we are joined by author and filmmaker E. L. DuBois at Comicpalooza in Houston for a wide-ranging conversation about writing, Hollywood, filmmaking, the Ransom series, and using entertainment to tell stories that actually mean something.

E. L. opens up about how her own experiences with trafficking, sexual assault, domestic violence, homelessness and survival eventually pushed her toward storytelling. Rather than presenting recovery as a simple happily-ever-after, she wanted to create stories that reflected the complicated reality of surviving trauma and rebuilding a life afterward.

That journey eventually led from her memoir into fiction.

E. L. explains the inspiration behind Ransom, her paranormal series set against the isolation of West Texas, and how her love of Batman, horror, thrillers, action movies and dark humor influenced the universe she created. She also discusses her writing process, building playlists for her books, creating antiheroes and why she has little patience for filler in the stories she consumes or creates.

Chris and E. L. also dive into the realities of being an independent author, the importance of social media, maintaining creative control when Hollywood becomes interested in your work and why she has been unwilling to simply hand over the rights to her stories.

This interview is also the final installment of Mad Props' Comicpalooza interview series.

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Mad Props is a Schnabel Studios Production

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome to Mad Props & E. L. DuBois
02:17 – Comicpalooza, Hollywood & Celebrity Stories
09:24 – Social Media & Life as an Independent Author
13:56 – Turning Real-Life Experiences Into Stories
17:31 – Creating Ransom & the West Texas Horror Universe
22:09 – Survival, Advocacy & Life After Trauma
25:02 – Hollywood Stories & Meeting Celebrities
29:21 – Maintaining Creative Control in Hollywood
33:26 – Writing, Comfort Shows & Creative Inspiration
38:19 – Audiobooks, Movies & the Stories That Shaped Her
47:57 – Journey & Using Film to Tell Difficult Stories
50:09 – The Power of Impactful Storytelling
53:13 – Final Thoughts & Mad Props Outro

No guest this week — Chris Schnabel is opening up the Mad Props mailbag and answering your questions about the podcast, sports, Marvel, Nintendo, favorite guests, behind-the-scenes stories and more.

Chris kicks things off with his thoughts on Spider-Man: Brand New Day and why taking Spider-Man back to a more street-level story is exactly what he wanted to see from Tom Holland's version of the character.

From there, the mailbag goes everywhere.

Chris looks back at more than five years of Mad Props, including the interviews he immediately knew were special, guests who surprised him, embarrassing production mistakes, episodes that never made it to air, the interviews that required the most preparation and the guests he still keeps in touch with today.

Want your question featured in a future Mad Props mailbag? Send it to [email protected] or reach out @MadPropsPod on social media.

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Mad Props is a Schnabel Studios Production

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Welcome to the Mad Props Mailbag
02:29 – Spider-Man: Brand New Day
04:48 – Favorite Interviews & Mad Props Stories
06:26 – Can the Yankees Win the World Series?
08:23 – Production Mistakes & Surprising Guests
12:03 – Building the Perfect Yankees Team
13:46 – Underrated Mad Props Episodes & Podcast Growth
15:24 – Interview Preparation & Behind the Scenes
19:35 – Guests Chris Still Keeps in Touch With
22:13 – Sports, Yankees & Orlando Magic
25:37 – When Mad Props Became a Legitimate Show
28:01 – The Mad Props Episodes That Never Aired
28:53 – Nintendo NEEDS a New Mario Baseball
30:19 – Chris' Personality & Growth as an Interviewer
32:46 – What Happens With Guests Before Recording
33:32 – Interviewing Childhood Icons
34:50 – Dream Guests & "How Did I Book Them?"
36:53 – Outro

Welcome to Mad Props. Host Chris Schnabel throws it back to June 22, 2022, when legendary comic book artist Scott Koblish joined the show to talk Deadpool, Marvel, comic book movies, his career as an artist, and a lifetime spent in the comic book industry.

Chris originally met Scott at Lilac City Comic Con in Spokane, Washington, where Scott drew Chris and Mary as Deadpool. A few weeks later, Scott joined Mad Props for what became Episode 40 of the podcast.

Scott dives into his years working on Deadpool and why the character gives artists and writers a level of creative freedom that characters like Superman and Spider-Man simply can't. He discusses the challenge of making comedy work in comics, his work on The Secret History of the War on Weed, and creating new characters without the restrictions that come with decades of established continuity.

The conversation expands into The Boys, Umbrella Academy, X-Men, Justice League, Marvel and DC as Scott and Chris discuss how superhero storytelling has evolved beyond traditional comic books. Scott shares his perspective on comic book movies, adaptations that improve upon their source material, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and the incredible transformation of superhero entertainment from older television adaptations to the modern era.

Later, Scott reflects on the late George Pérez and the enormous influence Pérez had on him both personally and professionally. He shares memories of their relationship, Pérez's impact on generations of comic creators, and what it meant to spend time with one of his heroes near the end of Pérez's life.

Originally recorded June 22, 2022.

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Mad Props is a Schnabel Studios Production

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Welcome & The Story Behind This Throwback
03:00 – Scott Koblish Joins Mad Props
04:53 – Traveling the World Through Comic Conventions
13:17 – Drawing Deadpool & Why the Character Is Unbreakable
15:28 – The Secret History of the War on Weed
17:09 – The Boys, X-Men & Breaking Superhero Rules
24:10 – Comic Book TV, Movies & Adaptations
28:23 – How Superhero Movies Changed Comic Book Culture
31:04 – Comics, Mythology & Why Superheroes Endure
38:47 – How Scott Koblish Became a Comic Book Artist
47:36 – Remembering the Legendary George Pérez
56:53 – Scott's Current Projects & What's Next
59:26 – Outro

Welcome to Mad Props. Host Chris Schnabel sits down with legendary voice actress and musician Debi Derryberry for a conversation about Jimmy Neutron, Monster High, voice acting, music, conventions, and a career that has spanned decades of animation and entertainment.

Known around the world as the voice of Jimmy Neutron, Debi takes Chris behind the scenes of landing one of Nickelodeon's most recognizable roles, from auditioning for the original project to seeing Jimmy Neutron grow into a movie, television series, and character that fans still love decades later.

But voice acting is only part of Debi's story.

She shares how her career began with a love of singing and playing guitar, moving to Nashville to pursue country music, working as a session singer, and eventually finding her way into voiceover. Debi continues to make music today through her country band Honey Pig and her children's music, including the Debi Derryberry Kids YouTube channel.

They discuss children's music and YouTube, performing songs in character, conventions, interacting with fans, collectibles, Funko Pops, the unusual vocal techniques voice actors need to master, and why the voice acting community has remained so close.

Whether you grew up with Jimmy Neutron, Monster High, Nickelodeon, animation, or simply want to know what life behind the microphone is really like, this episode offers a look inside the career of one of animation's most recognizable voices.

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Mad Props is a Schnabel Studios Production

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Welcome to Mad Props & Introducing Debi Derryberry

07:01 – Auditions, Home Studios & the Modern Voice Actor
11:48 – Debi's Music Career & Moving to Nashville
18:02 – Building Debi Derryberry Kids on YouTube
25:06 – Singing as a Voice Actor
26:19 – How Debi Found Voice Acting
32:53 – Conventions, Fans & Iconic Character Voices
38:06 – How Debi Became Jimmy Neutron
41:09 – Final Thoughts

Welcome to Mad Props. Host Chris Schnabel sits down with writer Robert Saucedo at Comicpalooza in Houston to talk about Where Wolf, Curse of the Werewolf, horror-comedy, independent comics, monster movies, Texas storytelling, and the process of bringing a graphic novel to life.

Robert explains the wild premise behind Curse of the Werewolf: a reporter goes undercover at a furry convention to stop a werewolf from eating everyone.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Robert shares how his love of monsters, horror, comics and animation helped shape a series he describes as Rick and Morty meets Scooby-Doo. He and Chris dive into the lasting influence of Scooby-Doo, the possibility of bringing Where Wolf into animation, and how Robert went from a lifelong fan to writing and publishing his own nearly 300-page graphic novel.

They also get into the realities of independent comics, including finding the right artist, maintaining creative control, promoting your own work, selling at conventions, learning what actually gets people to stop at a booth, and using Comicpalooza to connect directly with readers.

The conversation eventually goes well beyond comics as Robert and Chris discuss Houston, Texas, monster movies, killer whales, hurricanes, tornadoes, concerts, music, film festivals, the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the random interests that can eventually become inspiration for a creative project.

Whether you're into horror comics, graphic novels, werewolves, Scooby-Doo, independent publishing, Comicpalooza, monster movies or the creative process behind making your own comic, this episode is a look at what happens when you take a weird idea seriously enough to turn it into something real.

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Mad Props is a Schnabel Studios Production

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Welcome Robert Saucedo
01:51 – Where Wolf, Scooby-Doo & Comicpalooza
05:09 – Conventions, Artist Alley & Connecting With Fans
09:00 – How Robert Became a Comic Book Writer
11:40 – Creating & Selling an Independent Graphic Novel
15:52 – Comic Books, Horror & Creative Influences
19:19 – Expanding the Werewolf Universe
23:21 – Killer Whales, Texas & Unexpected Inspiration
27:50 – Music, Movies & Pop Culture
32:13 – Film Festivals, Recognition & What's Next
34:21 – Outro

Welcome to Mad Props. Host Chris Schnabel welcomes sports broadcaster Perri Kitei for a conversation about her journey into play-by-play, working with the Portland Sea Dogs, breaking into sports media, and the viral foul ball moments that put her in front of millions of baseball fans.

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Perri went viral after being hit by a foul ball while calling a Portland Sea Dogs game — and somehow, it wasn't even the first time it happened. The clips spread across MLB, ESPN, CBS Sports and social media, but there's much more to her broadcasting career than one viral moment.

Perri takes Chris through her path from college broadcasting and the Cape Cod Baseball League to calling professional baseball, hosting pregame and postgame coverage, producing broadcasts, preparing game notes, coordinating player interviews and handling the countless responsibilities that come with working in Minor League Baseball.

Chris and Perri also compare their own broadcasting backgrounds, including their early experiences in college radio and play-by-play, and discuss why constantly getting reps is one of the most important parts of improving behind a microphone.

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Mad Props is a Schnabel Studios Production

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Welcome to Mad Props & Introducing Perri Kitei
01:23 – Perri Kitei Joins the Show
01:30 – Getting Hit by a Foul Ball While Broadcasting
03:21 – Going Viral Across MLB, ESPN & CBS Sports
06:43 – How Perri Got Her Start in Broadcasting
13:23 – Doing Everything Yourself Behind a Sports Broadcast
15:22 – Learning From Your Old Broadcasts & Improving
17:20 – Perri Reveals She Was Hit by a Foul Ball Twice
20:08 – Growing Up a Cubs & Bengals Fan
25:21 – Women in Minor League Baseball Broadcasting
26:38 – The Dodgers, MLB Spending & Competitive Balance
32:49 – Perri's Future in Basketball & Multi-Sport Broadcasting
38:45 – Final Thoughts

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Welcome to Mad Props. Host Chris Schnabel welcomes YouTuber History Helms for a conversation about the art of making history entertaining, building a successful YouTube channel, and turning historical events into engaging stories that millions of people want to watch.

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History Helms discusses how his YouTube channel came to life, why he chooses the topics he covers, and how he balances historical accuracy with entertaining storytelling. Chris and History Helms also dive into college football, movies, music, Kanye West, YouTube algorithms, consistency, and what it takes to build an audience online.

Whether you're passionate about history, YouTube, filmmaking, storytelling, documentaries, or creating educational content, this episode offers an inside look at one of YouTube's rising history creators.

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Mad Props is a Schnabel Studios Production

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Welcome to Mad Props

00:21 – A Message About the Spokane Wildfires

03:57 – Why Spokane Changed Chris' Life

06:12 – Introducing History Helms

07:04 – How the History Helms YouTube Channel Began

09:07 – Growing a Channel & Understanding the YouTube Algorithm

13:06 – College Football, Sports & YouTube Recommendations

16:18 – Researching History Videos

19:34 – Movies, Books & Great Storytelling

23:11 – Picking Historical Topics That Connect

27:42 – Balancing Accuracy With Entertainment

31:16 – Favorite History Subjects & Historical Figures

36:04 – Music, Kanye West & Creative Inspiration

40:11 – Advice for New YouTube Creators

45:08 – The Future of History Helms

49:36 – Final Thoughts & Where to Follow History Helms

52:48 – Supporting Spokane & Episode Outro