The Nerdologues Present: MBSing

Be prepared for an excellent MBSing episode full of campfires, merit badges, and Eagle Scouts with my friend Adam. He loves how much he learned as a scout, the time he got to spend with some of his best friends and father, and all the nights spent around a campfire (that he built) cooking for and otherwise entertaining his troop. It doesn’t surprise me to learn that the BSA was a very formative aspect of young Adam’s life as he’s only ever treated me and the audiences I’ve seen him entertain with the kindness and respect one would expect from a card-carrying Eagle Scout.

A fun promo for Tiny Fascists, the show we spend a decent amount of time reminiscing about.

Thanks to Emporium Arcade Bar for sponsoring and the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for ongoing support and community.

Caitlin's going to the [theatre] and she's gonna get married [in October], so she took this opportunity to express her love for wedding planning and how much that interest shifted when she had to think about the reality of getting the details nailed down for her own. From saving pages of Martha Stewart magazines in college to carefully curating four different Pinterest boards today, Caitlin has scoured plenty of sources for wedding options and has a good grasp on what she wants, doesn't want, and wishes she had the budget for when it comes to her own big day. We spend some time discussing priorities and the merits of actually spending who knows how much money on one day of your life, and I contribute the one detail that I already have nailed down for my own hypothetical nuptials.

Want some sports talk to balance the bridal shower? Check out the new podcast I do announcing and commentary for, Sports Retorts with Hooli and The Joe.

Thanks to Field Notes Brand for sponsoring and the Chicago Podcast Cooperative. Field Notes teamed up with Cards Against Humanity and WBEZ to pull off this very cool thing at the holidays. Support all parties dutifully.

His Name is Grant, and he wants wants Everybody to grab a seat and take in some sweet musical vids (actually, No Scrubs allowed). From the time of daily Daly fixes to the gift that was YouTube, music videos have shaped how Grant consumes music, spends time with friends, gets ready in the morning, and views musical artists' artistic desires. We cover everything from angry white boy anthems from Limp Bizkit to the soft, sad jams of Grimes and TLC. I love the insight that on at least some level, a musical artist has to have signed on for THIS video to represent their song and that they only have your attention for three minutes (but if you're Bowie, you may take 10). 

Thanks to Iron Galaxy for sponsoring and the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for support.

Leah Frires brought some much needed soul to MBSing with talk about her love of all things Motown. We spent time talking The Temptations, Steve Wonder, Diana Ross, and plenty of others PLUS we chatted about the cool bands her parents have been members of over the years that kept Leah passionate about music. I try to uncover how watching a modern version of The Temptations crushed Leah's spirit, but she was just too taken by them. We may meander here and there, but talk about how the Motown musical glazes over some important issues leads us into explorations of things like Straight Outta Compton and Avenue Q. It all ties back somehow. I think. Stick around for Leah helping us remember to KISS.

Pure and Weary's contribution to the Nerdologues Nerd Wars II

Thanks to Field Notes Brand for sponsoring and the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for their ongoing support and community.

It's an MBSing holiday special as I welcome back Kevin Budnik 100 episodes later to talk about a very specific, festive corner of his original topic, cartoons. We cover a lot of ground (Catdog, As Told By Ginger, The Wild Thornberrys, Fairly Odd Parents, etc.), but we spend the most time dissecting Rugrats Chanukkah and the Christmases of Doug, Hey Arnold, and Rocko. My favorite part is not the nostalgia but how we view these specials as adults and the lasting themes they have for us. Kevin's got some fun insight as to more serious inspiration for certain silly storylines and a podcast of his own to share with listeners about fellow cartoonists and creators.

Jacob Eugene Horn grew up not ON a farm, but surrounded by farms in small town Wisconsin. His helping his neighbors over the years before he struck off for Chicago the day he graduated from college inspired a passion that evades his life. Between a Master's program in Sustainable Urban Development, jobs with the Chicago Park District and Windy City Harvest, and a general interest in and passion for knowledge of zoning laws and urban farming, Jacob's making Chicago a greener place. What a nobel pursuit! So much more interesting info and nobel notes herein.

Thanks to Cards Against Humanity for sponsoring and the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for creating community and coordinating sponsorships.

Shawn and Steve share an interesting and important bond: a fascination with the ongoing phenomenon that is Garfield. As almost lifelong comic fans, they can both recognize the broad appeal The Garf had early in their lives that got them hooked and the gratitude they have for his role as an entry point as consumers and producers of comics. We spend time exploring the business acumen behind Jim Davis's creation and curation of the Garfield brand and trying to find a comparable character (or set of characters, you Minions). There's also talk about the nature of newspaper and web-based comics and how they've progressed as a medium.

Too Nuts for Donuts, an OfficialGarfield YouTube creation

Garfield Minus Garfield

Garfbert

Steve's Little Boys Room

Thanks to Jackbox Games for sponsoring and the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for their coordination of sponsors and support.

Mark Logsdon has been a father for almost six months. Meanwhile, I can barely get myself out of bed in the morning. We talk a lot about the tangible and intangible ways your life and the way you interact with the world changes when you have a child. We hear the birth story, some trials that have already had to be overcome, and how overall Mark's capacity for love has increased every day. Having a kid has forced Mark to recognize what is important to him. I wish the best of luck to Mark, his amazing wife Sarah, little Rosie, and all other new parents bringing good people into the world.

Thanks to Jackbox Games for sponsoring. The Jackbox Party Pack is very, very cool. Thanks also to the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for organizing sponsorships and creating a community. Check out the other shows.

Dave Maher has been interested in reading self-help lit since before he feels he'd even established a sense of self to help. Early interest in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and The Bible started him down a road of reading about ways to improve his spiritual, mental, and creative health. Three or four years ago, Dave found himself totally embedded in a search for a return to spiritual rituals (like the church-going days of his youth) and a transition from one creative medium to another as he found what made him happy to experience and create. Check out Dave Maher Coma Show the next four Fridays at The Annoyance Theatre to see a heartfelt, funny show about the last year+ of Dave's life.

Notes

Dave on the wonderful Wrestling with Depression and his own show The Sweetness.

Thanks to Cards Against Humanity for sponsoring and The Chicago Podcast Cooperative for their support and community.

Arnie Niekamp wants you to watch television shows he likes, but he's apprehensive about blanket recommendations of inconsistent shows. Some of his favorite television is wrapped up in shows that have ups and downs (Fringe, Twin Peaks, X-Files...), and we all know how hard it is to get into a new show that starts slow AND how hard it is to turn one's back on an old favorite. We explore episodic TV vs. serial stories, how hard it is to make a good sitcom pilot (or hell, first season), and the merits of rebooting shows that have been off the air for ages. We also peel back how TV and Arnie's inability to give up on it has seeped into his work on Hello From the Magic Tavern thus far.

Thanks to Field Notes Brand for sponsoring and The Chicago Podcast Cooperative for their support and community.

Arnie's appearance on Your Stories.