Reserved Recommendations

For all the franchises one could possibly be a fan of, Sonic The Hedgehog has to be one of the most difficult and heartbreaking. Historically, Sega has had very little idea what to do with the character, leading to wildly divergent characterisations between different projects (which have spanned video games, comics, movies, and animated TV). On top of that, he's a video game character whose flagship video games are almost never actually good. Stuart Drake (The Fatalities, Drake & Co.) has been a fan since Sonic 2 (or thereabouts) and joins the podcast to discuss the joys and pains of loving a blue hedgehog.

The Fatalities: https://thefatalities.bandcamp.com/

Drake & Co.: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOfFSwZA1am4Ewae3y_v2QQ?feature=emb_ch_name_ex

Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.

If you're a nerd-adjacent person of about my vintage, then the World Of Darkness is something that you probably have some complicated thoughts about. It was a collection of dark urban fantasy roleplaying games that shared an implied universe during a time when the prevailing fashion in that scene was still for heroic fantasy or sci-fi, it came at a fascinating transition point for RPGs as a hobby, and it embodied some very *very* 90s cultural and genre tropes. It's also still around (more or less) and on this episode I talk to my brother Angus about the history, significance, and newest version of the WoD.

Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.

If you're a conspiracy buff, then Q is the new biggest thing. It's a massive, all-encompassing, crowd-sourced conspiracy theory whose tenets are diverse but center around the idea of Donald Trump waging a secret war against a global cabal of elite paedophiles (who may also be evil wizards). It's also rapidly beginning to spill over into the real world, with local adherents cropping up in New Zealand's recent general election, and American Q believers making up a major component of the group who recently staged an armed takeover of the Capitol. Musician and conspiracy fan Vorn Colgan (Vorn, The Wellington Sea Shanty Society) joins the podcast to discuss the appeal of Q both to its believers and its outside followers, and the ethics and implications of this kind of movement.

Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.

Censorship is a tricky issue! It's not exactly controversial to say that some art is not appropriate for some people, but how do we decide precisely where those lines sit, and what actual practical steps do we take to attempt to enforce them? Serena Deane (@shit-imma-artist basically everywhere) is a local Palmerston North artist whose work features a fair degree of "unsheathed titties". We attempt to break down the whole censorship mess, looking at social media policies, differing standards for different kinds of content, the risks of uncensored media, and maybe some practical approaches that might make some stuff better.

Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.

Back at the dawn of tabletop roleplaying, there were three big games on the scene - the cod-fantasy pastiche Dungeons and Dragons, the hard sci-fi Traveller, and the strange, mythic Runequest. Runequest (and its setting Glorantha) are unique and idiosyncratic creations unlike anything else in western fantasy.

Eddie McEwan (host of The Audio Archive - www.mpr.nz/show/aurdioarchive) joins the podcast to talk about Glorantha, its history and impact, and its creator Greg Stafford.

Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.

As part of my job here at Manawatū People's Radio, I end up adding a lot of local Palmerston North music to the station. In the course of doing this I've noticed that there's a massive musical subculture that came and went without much in the way of record. Matt Sanko was a big part of that scene, playing drums in a dizzying array of local bands. I chat to him about the Palmy scene of the 90's, the bands that made it up, and the circumstances that gave rise to it.

Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.

John Congleton is a producer who's worked with acts ranging from St Vincent and Laurie Anderson to Bono and the Baja Men. He also makes music, in the bands "The Paper Chase" and "Nighty Nite" that sounds the way horror movies feel. Jojo from the band Departure Party joins me to talk about him, and his weird scary music.

Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.

Movies have the ability to transport us to another place, and teach us to see differently. When it comes to movies from another time, this presents a fascinating opportunity to look at the attitudes and priorities of the past. Dylan Horrocks (hicksvillecomics.com) joins the podcast to talk about this through the lens of 4 specific movies - "The Adventures of Robin Hood", "Tarzan and his Mate", "Song of Kong", and the supremely weird "Oklahoma!"

Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.

Gossip Girl is an American TV drama that ran from 2007-2012. Kristen Paterson (Wellington Access Radio, Tidal Rave) joins the podcast to talk about this campy, trashy, gloriously pretty show, and we immediately get deep into the weeds. It's fun though.

Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.

Netflix's "Uncut Gems" is a movie centered around a powerhouse central performance by Adam Sandler, and a tone of escalating tension which turns it into something akin to a 2 hour panic attack. It's no fun to watch, but I kind of loved it. Brendan Christie (The Mentalist Collective) joins the podcast to talk about the movie, how it fits into Adam Sandler's broader career, and whether movies need to be fun to be good.

Produced by Manawatū People's Radio with the support of NZ On Air.