The Midnight Myth Podcast

You wouldn’t like him when he’s angry. Yes, friends, the time has come—we’ve endeavored to analyze Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor of the MCU, but there’s a (very) large gaping hole in our exploration of the core Avengers: The Incredible Hulk. In this case study of the dual-natured hero, we’ll uncover his relationship to the Greco-Roman myths and cults of Hercules, as well as his inspiration in 19th century literature like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Robert Louis Stevenson The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. From there, we’ll learn more about the psychology of anger and the journey we all face to confront our emotions and the Hulk inside all of us.

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In Episode 5: The Joke, which aired originally in 2017, Derek & Laurel explore one of the most iconic villains of all time: the Joker. With an eye to one of the Joker's most enduring comic book iterations: Alan Moore's 1988 one-shot graphic novel The Killing Joke, we'll decipher his underlying philosophy (and point out some of his most problematic issues). CW: sexual assault

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The Boomerangerang is back, babies! Inspired by our discussions from the past few weeks—and our love of the Netflix show Stranger Things—we’re mixing up the format of our signature pop culture debate. It’s Team Stranger Things versus Team 80s Movies in an all-out battle for supremacy (in some completely random scenarios drawn from a hat). Who will win and who will be mindflayed? It’s anybody’s game as we throw Eleven, Hopper, Joyce and more in with characters from Back to the Future, the Neverending Story, E.T. and so many of your favorite films.

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It’s the Midnight Myth Time Machine. We’re publishing our back catalog week by week to make it available on your favorite podcast listening platforms. This is Episode 4: Rock Bottom, in which we discuss what happens when the hero of a story loses all hope. How do heroes overcome the depths of despair, loss, and suffering to be triumphant over their adversaries? In other words, when a hero hits rock bottom, how do they build themselves back up? Special hat tip to the movie Gladiator.

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In the magical world of Fantasia, a storm is gathering. A great big Nothing is threatening to swallow up the land of the hopes and dreams of mankind into total oblivion. Only a great warrior—and an intrepid reader—can come together to give the Childlike Empress a new name, thus saving Fantasia from its impending doom. This week on the Midnight Myth, we’re diving headfirst into the pages of 1984’s The Neverending Story (based on the novel by Michael Ende). It’s the film that first introduced us as young people to certain mythological traditions and difficult philosophical concepts. Climb aboard your Luck Dragon for an in-depth discussion of the iconography (from AURYN to the sphinx) and philosophy (from existentialism to esoterica) of the Neverending Story.

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It’s the Midnight Myth Time Machine! We’re publishing our back catalog week by week, and this is Episode 3: Detected. It originally aired in February of 2017 and explored our fascination with detective stories. With a special emphasis on the best-loved detective in fiction—Sherlock Holmes—we’ll interpret the clues and uncover the truth about why detective stories continue to be told. Join the investigation by hopping in the time machine with us.

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Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Save 15% on march through 7/6 with the code ‘SOLSTICE’

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The Wheel of Ka is back! On the next installment of our podcast reread of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower, Derek & Steve discuss the first half of Book Four: Wizard & Glass. King finally lets the readers into the murky history of Gliead’s last Gunslinger, Roland, and we learn of his youth and the love that would come to define the romantic nature of his heart, Susan Delgado. Derek and Steve unpack the themes, from Roland and Susan’s parallel to Paris and Helen from the Greek myth of the Trojan war, to the the traumatic and unfair predicament of Susan’s forced and sordid arrangement with Mayor Thorin. Let us not forget the three coffin hunters and their conspiracy to undo the Affiliation, or the mysterious witch, Rhea, and her pink glowing piece of glass. Grip your sandalwood revolvers and do not forget the face of your father in this next installment of the Wheel of Ka. 

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Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Save 15% on march through 7/6 with the code ‘SOLSTICE’

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We’re just days from the premiere of Stranger Things 3 on Netflix, so we’re going back through the first two seasons to demystify the many monsters of the Upside Down. Drawing on the mythological inspiration for the Demogorgon, the role of Dungeons & Dragons in shaping the imagination, and the long history of monsters in the movies, this episode seeks to understand why we create monstrous beasts to contend with. Most importantly, we’ll explore how Stranger Things gives us a model of monster that realizes the intangible depths of childhood trauma—and gives us a model for how to fight back. Brief cameos from Godzilla, Frankenstein, King Kong, and more as we read listener responses to our “favorite classic monster” Twitter poll!

Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth

Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Save 15% on march through 7/6 with the code ‘SOLSTICE’

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It’s the Midnight Myth Time Machine y’all! We’re publishing our back catalog week by week to make it available on all platforms. This is Episode 2: Hey Princess, which aired in February of 2017. We discuss our hero, Princess Leia/General Organa from the Star Wars franchise and her legacy for the princess archetype in Hollywood. With an exploration of Central European fairy tales and Disney’s iconic princesses, we try to learn how to better craft women characters.

Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth

Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Save 15% on march through 7/6 with the code ‘SOLSTICE’

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It’s a most triumphant part two to our discussion of the wise fools Bill S. Preston, esq. and Ted ‘Theodore’ Logan! This week, we’ll get into the wacky and ambitious sequel to Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey. As we track the heroes’ journey through the afterlife—heaven, hell, a new-age seance, and everywhere in between, we’ll explore its roots in Greek mythology and classic world cinema. We’ll break down the film’s relationship to the story of Sisyphus, cross-cultural personifications of death, psychoanalytical touchstones, and the medieval imagery of the Danse Macabre—because sooner or later, you’re gonna dance with the reaper.

God gave rock and roll to you. 

Support us at www.patreon.com/midnightmyth

Check out our new merch store for Midnight Myth, Boomerangerang, and Wheel of Ka tees and totes! Save 15% on march through 7/6 with the code ‘SOLSTICE’

Learn more, view sources and inspiration, and sign up for e-mail updates at www.midnightmyth.com

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If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen!