This episode, recorded prior to the Christmas holiday in December 2020, has a very special guest for Jesse McDonald. He is someone that Jesse considers family and was a big part of his life back in Mississippi - Scott Hoverman.

Scott is a Biloxi firefighter and owner of 3 Alarm Comics in D'Iberville, MS. He has also joined the group of cool podcasting kids by starting his own Livestream show, and he recently joined Ming Chen and Mike Zapcic’s "A Shared Universe Podcasting" family.

Timeline:

0:19 - Intro and Banter

1:30 - Introducing Scott Hoverman

3:45 - Tell us a little about yourself, Scott

8:07 - Pandemia and Fandom

14:26 - Branching out with a Beer

15:15 - DC vs. Marvel

21:58 - Tell me Something Good(e)

30:38 - Podcasting with A Shared Universe

38:50 - What Draws you to Art?

46:00 - Social Media and Two Things You Never Post

1:00:19 - The Lightning Round

1:03:44 - The Wrap

1:04:20 - End Credits

Show Notes: https://www.austinotaku.com/2021/02/07/episode-19-scott-hoverman/

Attribution:

Intro song: "Upbeat Party" by Scott Holmes (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/Inspiring__Upbeat_Music/Scott_Holmes_-_Upbeat_Party)

Ending credits song: "Highride" by Blue Dot Sessions (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/RadioPink/Highride)

Our guest for this episode is fellow conference speaker, digital marketer, former Austinite, native and current Michigander Elmer Boutin. After a career in the US Army, he has worked in digital marketing for over 20 years doing everything from coding websites to managing online reputation management efforts as both an independent contractor and a corporate webmaster. He is currently the SEO Director at GTB.

In addition to all of that, he enjoys video games, including Elder Scrolls and Fallout, and he’s a big fan of British Comedy.

Trigger Warning: Later in the episode, we will be discussing the suicide of Elmer's son earlier this year. If you are sensitive to this topic and want to skip this section, please fast-forward from 42:47 to 57:50. If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the United States.

https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

Timeline

0:19 - Intro and Banter

2:25 - Introducing Elmer Boutin

4:10 - Tell us about yourself, Elmer

9:06 - German, Czech and the Defense Language Institute

18:32 - Language Skills, Music and ABBA Chi

21:40 - Tell Me Something Good(e)

31:17 - Bethesda Games, RPGs and more

39:59 - Twitch Streams and DJ Lily Ray

42:47 - Trigger Warning: Sensitive Topic

57:50 - The Lightning Round

1:03:52 - The Wrap

1:04:57 - End Credits

Show Notes: https://www.austinotaku.com/2020/12/20/episode-18-elmer-boutin/

Attribution:

Intro song: "Upbeat Party" by Scott Holmes (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/Inspiring__Upbeat_Music/Scott_Holmes_-_Upbeat_Party)

Ending credits song: "Highride" by Blue Dot Sessions (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/RadioPink/Highride)

Joining us this week is iPullRank's Senior Account Executive and host of the Rankable Podcast, Jarrett Thomas. In addition to his full-time work, Jarrett is a songwriter and recording artist. His hip-hop group, Thugs-n-Thoro, won best underground rap group in 2014. Jarrett also enjoys fishing with this family and playing video games in his spare time.

0:19 - Intro and Banter

2:42 - Introducing Jarrett Thomas

4:49 - Tell us about yourself, Jarrett

7:37 - Fishing in the East River

10:07 - Ain't No Laws when you're drinking Claws

14:02 - Gummy Worms as Bait

19:25 - Swamp People and Gator Hunting

20:19 - Tell Me Something Good(e)

27:30 - Thug-n-Thoro and Rap Battles

30:44 - Recording Industry and the Business of Music

40:36 - The Rankable Podcast

44:55 - More than a sales quota

47:18 - Video gaming and going professional

49:53 - Lightning Round

54:39 - The Wrap

56:12 - End Credits

Show Notes: https://www.austinotaku.com/2020/11/15/episode-17-jarrett-thomas/

Attribution:

Intro song: "Upbeat Party" by Scott Holmes (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/Inspiring__Upbeat_Music/Scott_Holmes_-_Upbeat_Party)

Ending credits song: "Highride" by Blue Dot Sessions (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/RadioPink/Highride)

Meet Beau Pedraza, former cryptologist for the U.S. Navy, former SEO Manager at Seer Interactive and former Head of SEO at BBVA. He is on month 14 of his sabbatical in New Zealand as he prepares for fatherhood. In this episode, we talk about Star Trek, New Zealand and upcycling electronics.

0:19 - Intro and Banter

1:51 - Introducing Beau Pedraza

3:58 - Tell us about yourself, Beau

7:19 - A Long Sabbatical in New Zealand

10:57 - Biopics and How Long to Wait After Death

12:45 - Judging Movies and Trailers (Age vs. Objective Analysis)

16:48 - Keith Ruins Everything You Love and Other Podcasts

21:12 - Tell Me Something Good(e)

27:09 - Star Trek vs. Star Wars

38:56 - Science and New Zealand's Pandemic Response

47:45 - Video Games, ROMs

49:52 - Fatherhood Advice

54:30 - The Lightning Round

59:07 - The Wrap

59:55 - End Credits

Show Notes: https://www.austinotaku.com/2020/11/08/episode-16-beau-pedraza

Attribution:

Intro song: "Upbeat Party" by Scott Holmes (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/Inspiring__Upbeat_Music/Scott_Holmes_-_Upbeat_Party)

Ending credits song: "Highride" by Blue Dot Sessions (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/RadioPink/Highride)

This week's guest is Jim Braden, a former script analyst, fantasy writer and a current Content Director at IBM. He is the only person who has their own dedicated seat at the Alamo Drafthouse, thanks to his winning their The Marathon Awakens Star Wars viewing marathon, with 46 hours and 5 minutes. We'll talk about his victory, his love of Star Wars, the best fan versions of the original trilogy, Transformers, and fantasy writing.

0:19 - Intro and Banter

1:51 - Introducing Jim Braden

2:54 - Tell us a little about yourself, Jim

4:18 - Script Development and Notable films

11:05 - Favorite watching order for Star Wars

15:08 - Surviving a Viewing Marathon

20:21 - Best Fan Versions of the Original Trilogy Star Wars

25:08 - Tell Me Something Good(e)

30:50 - The Mandalorian

36:48 - Who the hell hates Baby Yoda?

39:17 - Transformers

43:10 - The Tower and the Gate - Writing Fantasy

49:57 - The Lightning Round

53:38 - The Wrap

54:36 - End Credits

Show Notes: https://www.austinotaku.com/2020/11/01/episode-15-jim-braden/

Attribution:

Intro song: "Upbeat Party" by Scott Holmes (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/Inspiring__Upbeat_Music/Scott_Holmes_-_Upbeat_Party)

Ending credits song: "Highride" by Blue Dot Sessions (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/RadioPink/Highride)

Joining us this week is James Hibberd, Editor-at-Large for Entertainment Weekly and author of the recently released book Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon: Game of Thrones and the Official Untold Story of the Epic Series (https://amzn.to/3dVWZfB). We talk about how he wrote his book, his time on-location with the stars of the show and his many other beats, which include Westworld, The Mandalorian, DCU and much more.

0:19 - Intro and Banter

1:23 - Introducing James Hibberd

4:54 - Tell us about yourself, James

6:56 - Interviewing On-Location for Game of Thrones

8:34 - Dining (and drinking) with the stars

11:08 - Witnessing the transition from anonymity to fame

13:35 - How to write about such a grand world

15:53 - Legal hurdles for writing the book

17:36 - The 100,000-Word goal

19:40 - The Screenplay Writing Economy

23:04 - Tell Me Something Good(e)

28:04 - Covering The Mandalorian for EW

30:02 - Star Wars Vloggers and Spaghetti Westerns

35:59 - Podcasting about The Mandalorian

37:46 - Which Nerd Beats do you like outside of GoT?

39:10 - Beats You've Grown to Love more as you cover them

40:26 - Missed-opportunity Beats

42:02 - Obsessive Work vs. Balance Work in Hollywood

44:35 - Hatchet Throwing and a GoT Celebrity Competition

49:24 - Red Ash and other favorite dining

51:17 - The Lightning Round

56:23 - The Wrap

57:07 - End Credits

Show Notes: https://www.austinotaku.com/2020/10/25/episode-14-james-hibberd/

Attribution:

Intro song: "Upbeat Party" by Scott Holmes (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/Inspiring__Upbeat_Music/Scott_Holmes_-_Upbeat_Party)

Ending credits song: "Highride" by Blue Dot Sessions (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/RadioPink/Highride)

Join us for this very special Halloween edition of the Austin Otaku Podcast. For this week, we've invited a panel of guests, both old and new, to tell us about their favorite slasher films, supernatural movies, books, comics and memories related to Halloween. Panelists for this episode: Casey Markee, Greg Gifford, John McAlphin and Shelly Fagin.

0:28 - Intro and Banter

1:10 - Introducing the Panel

3:15 - Panel Format and Shock Collars

5:44 - What does everyone enjoy most about Halloween?

13:30 - Haunted Houses, an Addams Family wedding and Scared Spouses

24:05 - What is your favorite slasher/Slasher Movie? And why?

32:48 - Tell Me Something Good(e)

44:05 - Supernatural Horror and the Suspension of Disbelief

51:20 - What is your favorite Horror Comedy movie?

56:15 - What is your favorite non-horror, but occult-related show?

1:01:01 - What is the scariest moment of your life?

1:14:24 - Halloween in Pandemia - How Are You Celebrating?

1:20:52 - Horror Books vs. Horror Movies

1:28:37 - The Halloween Lightning Round

1:32:38 - The Wrap

1:33:01 - End Credits

Show Notes: https://www.austinotaku.com/2020/10/18/episode-13-the-halloween-special/

Attribution:

Intro: Dark Halloween Night by Chase Alan Willis (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Chase_Alan_Willis/Peekaboo/Dark_Halloween_Night )

Outro: Hello Regan ! by Loyalty Freak Music (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Loyalty_Freak_Music/WITCHY_BATTY_SPOOKY_HALLOWEEN_IN_SEPTEMBER_/Hello_Regan_ )

Joining us this episode is writer, speaker and search industry expert, Duane Forrester. We'll discuss his love of Rush, over-landing in his Jeep, building guitars and his hair.

0:19 - Intro and Banter

1:49 - Introducing Duane Forrester

5:30 - Tell us about yourself, Duane

8:52 - Abby, the incredible flexing dog

12:00 - A Canadian in an apocalyptic California

15:15 - Over-landing vs. Off-roading

19:00 - The importance of disconnecting

23:03 - Tell Me Something Good(e)

31:24 - Is Rush the Greatest band of all time? The great debate.

37:22 - Hand-crafting guitars

56:26 - Lightning Round

1:02:30 - The Wrap

1:03:23 - End Credits

Attribution:

Intro song: "Upbeat Party" by Scott Holmes (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/Inspiring__Upbeat_Music/Scott_Holmes_-_Upbeat_Party)

Ending credits song: "Highride" by Blue Dot Sessions (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/RadioPink/Highride)

Show Notes: https://www.austinotaku.com/2020/10/11/episode-12-duane-forrester/

In this episode, you'll meet Cami Roebuck, professional cosplayer, actor, filmmaker, and horror and video gaming fan. You'll learn who hear favorite person ever is, how her famous Death Stranding BB PC came into being and in what new films you can see her.

0:19 - Intro and Banter

1:20 - Introducing Cami Roebuck

2:20 - Tell us about yourself, Cami

3:50 - New Release on October 1st, "Ghosted"

4:36 - Favorite cosplays

7:53 - Coming from a creative family

12:40 - Attraction to horror and occult genres

15:28 - 12 Sacred Moons

20:12 - Tell Me Something Good(e)

28:20 - Horror Gaming

34:19 - Which Friday the 13th is the best?

38:26 - For the Love of Hideo Kojima

44:50 - Cami's Famous Death Stranding BB PC

52:07 - Lightning Round

55:01 - The Wrap

57:15 - End Credits

Attribution:

Intro song: "Upbeat Party" by Scott Holmes (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/Inspiring__Upbeat_Music/Scott_Holmes_-_Upbeat_Party)

Ending credits song: "Highride" by Blue Dot Sessions (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/RadioPink/Highride)

Our guest for this episode is Kevin Mullett, Director of Visibility and Social Media at MarketSnare, which focuses on multi-location search and social at scale. Kevin is also a prolific speaker within the industry. When Kevin is not helping connect people on the web, he is also a passionate photographer and avid Star Wars fan.

0:19 - Intro and Banter

3:42 - Tell us about yourself, Kevin Mullett

5:30 - SocialChat and Conference Speaking

9:05 - Photography: History and Evolution

13:10 - Phone Photography vs. Digital Cameras

19:35 - What the Camera sees vs. what the eye sees

25:25 - Tell Me Something Good(e)

33:20 - Marty Weintraub and Mat Siltala Photo Road Trips

37:15 - Photos and Social Media

40:34 - 3/5/50 and Personal Excellence

46:53 - Self-Applied Restrictions in Photography

52:45 - The Lightning Round

55:49 - The Wrap

59:28 - End Credits

Attribution:

Intro song: "Upbeat Party" by Scott Holmes (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/Inspiring__Upbeat_Music/Scott_Holmes_-_Upbeat_Party)

Ending credits song: "Highride" by Blue Dot Sessions (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/RadioPink/Highride)