The Perfect Show

YouTube Video Link: https://youtu.be/dUyZu01jh0I

Webpage with Transcript, Pictures, Videos, and more: https://perfectshowpodcast.com/23-gradient-puzzle-summer/

Is there a type of jigsaw puzzle you've never heard of but might be really into?

This episode Scot talks all about his love for and fascination with gradient jigsaw puzzles, a thing new to many people. He goes into his love of puzzling, and where it probably originated, as well as connecting with other puzzlers through Assemble Puzzlery and their events.

Scot searches for another puzzler who will have the same experience with gradient puzzles that he had, and manages to stir up a little drama with inadvertently picking the worst gradient puzzles there are at a crucial point.

So grab a puzzle, pour yourself a drink, and sit back for a story told, piece by piece.

Assemble Puzzlery: AssemblePuzzlery.com

Thank you to Jen Thompson, Erica Elms, Vicki Davis, Brian Earle, Sarah Busing, Norah Molina, Vera, Stephanie, Ben Reburn, Peggy Lervold, Lois Lervold, and Amelia Maupin for helping me with this quest.

—-

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Pre-Introduction

(00:27) Introduction

(00:58) History with Puzzles

(02:54) First Gradient Puzzle

(06:35) My Wrong Prediction

(11:15) The Episode Quest

(12:55) Jen and Erica

(18:19) Assemble Puzzlery Event

(19:57) Sarah

(22:02) Brian

(24:57) Who is Karen Puzzles?

(30:35) My Big Mistake

(35:24) Brian - Blue Kazoo

(37:52) Vicki - Ravensburger Krypt

(40:48) Vicki - MasterPieces

(46:36) Puzzling All Summer Long

(54:38) Lois and Peggy - Kansas

(1:02:26) Sandra Maupin Tribute

(1:03:25) Perfectorium Entry

(1:04:08) Pictures

(1:05:20) Thank Yous

(1:06:20) Solutions From the Multiverse

(1:07:40) Ending

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00:00 Pre-Introduction

00:27 Introduction

00:58 History with Puzzles

02:54 First Gradient Puzzle

06:35 My Wrong Prediction

11:15 The Episode Quest

12:55 Jen and Erica

18:19 Assemble Puzzlery Event

19:57 Sarah

22:02 Brian

24:57 Who is Karen Puzzles?

30:35 My Big Mistake

35:24 Brian - Blue Kazoo

37:52 Vicki - Ravensburger Krypt

40:48 Vicki - MasterPieces

46:36 Puzzling All Summer Long

54:38 Lois and Peggy - Kansas

1:02:26 Sandra Maupin Tribute

1:03:25 Perfectorium Entry

1:04:08 Pictures

1:05:20 Thank Yous

1:06:20 Solutions From the Multiverse

1:07:40 Ending

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Music from this episode by:

Shawn Korkie - https://www.fiverr.com/shawnkorkie

Aandy Valentine – https://www.fiverr.com/aandyvalentine

Yaroslav - https://www.fiverr.com/nearbysound

Mimmi Bangoura - Placebo (Instrumental Version)

Mimmi Bangoura - Meant to Be (Instrumental Version)

Timothy Infinite - Grapefruit

Marc Torch - Cradle Hymn

Rebecca Mardal - Carefree Morning

Frook - Danska Fall

Vicki Vox - Some Kind of Friend (Instrumental Version)

DAJANA - Trauma Bonding (Instrumental Version)

Mike Post - Dun Dun

It's finally time for the conclusion to last episode's quest! When we last left off Scot was working to make a song with 2 items he got for $5, and not having much luck. This time, he continues his quest, with a little help from Podcaster/Musicians Alex Goldman and Nick Messitte.

Can even these two musicians aid Scot enough to successfully create podcast music? It's an uphill quest with a couple of twists and turns along the way.

Part two of two.

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Hyperfixed

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hyperfixed/id1762447440

Nick and Jon Make a Song

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nick-and-jon-make-a-song/id1805865811

My Neighbor Totoro Rain Scene:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aWPsKvpcco

Yann Tiersen - La Dispute

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JfhL6WIc2I

Music from this episode by:

Shawn Korkie - https://www.fiverr.com/shawnkorkie

Komiku - School- https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Komiku/

Raag20 - https://www.fiverr.com/raag20

brrrrravo - Soda Chill - https://www.fiverr.com/brrrrravo

Desparee - Time - https://www.fiverr.com/desparee

Kevin P - Rain Song - https://www.fiverr.com/kevinptm

Hepi Music - Xylophone Song - https://www.fiverr.com/hepimusic_rec

Sahil P - Shower Song - https://www.fiverr.com/sahil268912

Aandy Valentine – https://www.fiverr.com/aandyvalentine

This month Scot turns his sights to a couch he got in college for only five dollars. Why was this so huge and how can we get from pleasant memories about a couch to a quest to make music?

It's since AI music has become much more common that Scot now needs to be a little more self-sufficient in his music sourcing needs. To be more sure of it all being sometimes significantly flawed human creation.

Join Scot on a fraught-filled path that brings him in contact with a whip salesman, and two music podcasters from New York, Nick and Jon, who lend a hand with the quest this time.

How does a story about a Five Dollar Couch lead to a foolish musical quest and an 8 foot long leather whip? Listen in to find out.

Webpage for the episode with pictures and links! https://perfectshowpodcast.com/21-five-dollar-couch-part-one/

Part one of two.

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Pearshall Couch Link

• https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/seating/sectional-sofas/1960s-spanish-revival-modular-sectional-sofa/id-f_41439752/

• https://www.instagram.com/p/C_RmCFWvH_i

• https://www.pinterest.com/pin/448741550388744571/

Nick and Jon Make a Song

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nick-and-jon-make-a-song/id1805865811

David Hilowitz Bontemi Chord Organ Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAxjF-viqAI

Music from this episode by:

Shawn Korkie - https://www.fiverr.com/shawnkorkie

Isehgal - https://www.fiverr.com/isehgal

Yashchaware

Raghav - https://www.fiverr.com/trappy808_

Dony Larsan - https://www.fiverr.com/dony_larsan

Aandy Valentine – https://www.fiverr.com/aandyvalentine

Here are the 2 Superman guitar pieces, back-to-back.

0:00-3:14 - Luca Giannotti - Superman '78 Theme and March by John Williams

Youtube Link:

https://youtu.be/dKc1Q14UVlA

3:15-11:17 - Chris Pecoraro - inspired by the Superman '25 Love Theme by John Murphy and David Fleming

Youtube Link:

https://youtu.be/OG5w80Fp8e0

This is an episode all about Superman, told through the lens of three different pieces of art. Scot picked 3 pieces that have been really special to him and others over the years, and talks about them and what makes them such good representations of the things that make Superman so special.

Scot looks at a page from All Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely, a page of Superman For All Seasons by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, and a Superman sketch by Chris Samnee.

Scot talks Superman through comics, also touching on movies and tv, and celebrates what version of Superman is so special to him. Then Scot interviews Liam Burke about the piece of Superman art that he owns, and Scot attempts to use his own x-ray vision to try and see what's at the center of this nearly 90 year old character.

All Star Superman Page:

https://bit.ly/SupermanPiece1

One of many posts about that page:

https://www.comicsbeat.com/dc-round-up-how-one-page-from-all-star-superman-saved-my-life/

Superman For All Seasons Page: https://bit.ly/SupermanPiece2

Chris Samnee Superman Drawing: https://bit.ly/SupermanPiece3

Webpage with all the images and more:

https://perfectshowpodcast.com/20-superman-in-3-pieces/

Liam Burke | Swinburne University:

https://experts.swinburne.edu.au/1709-liam-burke

Check out Liam Burke's book Superheroes Beyond here:

https://www.amazon.com/Superheroes-Beyond-Cormac-McGarry/dp/1496850106

Movie Friends Superman 2025 Episode:

https://pod.link/1662559445/episode/a55f2d8a1ee96ac66cf744094e7b785e

Cover Lover Podcast:

https://pod.link/1718482750

Chris Pecoraro's Full Superman (2025) Guitar Music:

https://youtu.be/OG5w80Fp8e0

Luca Giannotti's Superman (1978) Guitar Music:

https://youtu.be/dKc1Q14UVlA

Music from this episode by:

Shawn Korkie - https://www.fiverr.com/shawnkorkie

Luca Giannotti - https://www.fiverr.com/lucagiannotti

Chris Pecoraro - https://www.fiverr.com/cpecoraro18

Brrrrravo - https://www.fiverr.com/brrrrravo

Bastereon - https://www.fiverr.com/bastereon

Komiku – https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Komiku

Aandy Valentine – https://www.fiverr.com/aandyvalentine

First Haircut in Japan | The Perfect Show Season 3 Episode 4:

Scot moved to Japan at age 24 and experienced the best haircut of his life. As a stranger in a strange land, Scot stumbled into this perfect experience a bit unexpectedly. We examine what made that haircut so special, and then snap back to the present to find a way to recreate it with some help from my friend Jose and Ivan Gomez from Barber and Gent in San Francisco.

Barber and Gent: BarberAndGent.com

Boothee: https://www.bootheeapp.online/

Show Links: Music from this episode by:

Shawn Korkie - https://www.fiverr.com/shawnkorkie

Gelyan - https://www.fiverr.com/gelyanov

Shivam S - https://www.fiverr.com/imshivamsingh

Avishka31 - https://www.fiverr.com/avishka31

kgrapofficial - https://www.fiverr.com/kgrapofficial

Nearbysound - https://www.fiverr.com/nearbysound

Bastereon - https://www.fiverr.com/bastereon

Komiku – https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Komiku

Aandy Valentine – https://www.fiverr.com/aandyvalentine

What surprising thing used to happen in a video store on a holiday like the 4th of July? This time Scot rewinds back to high school for his job at a video store and a night involving a special car. In this episode, he looks to stop the feeling of life running in fast-forward, and search for a place to pause. When you're ready, all you have to do is press 'play.'

Music from this episode by:

Shawn Korkie - https://www.fiverr.com/shawnkorkie

Gelyan - https://www.fiverr.com/gelyanov

Shivam S - https://www.fiverr.com/imshivamsingh

Relaxo Beats - https://www.fiverr.com/relaxo_beats

Brrrrravo - https://www.fiverr.com/brrrrravo

dawnshire - https://www.fiverr.com/dawnshire

Isehgal - https://www.fiverr.com/isehgal

Paulsbeats - https://www.fiverr.com/paulsidlyar26

Creo - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Creo

Song: Memory - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Creo/Dimension/Memory_1520

Aandy Valentine – https://www.fiverr.com/aandyvalentine

Season 3 continues rolling with an episode 4 years in the making. Taiko drumming is a big a bedrock of classic Japanese culture as video games are for their current culture. Take a spin with Scot back into the world of Japanese arcades with the drumming game Taiko no Tatsujin, a fast paced rhythm experience that hooked him at just the right time, and his quest to find the game and achieve a perfect score on a special song.

He'll take you on the journey across an ocean to recount the game and the song that combined to form a decades long obsession. Scot also examines the J-Pop song Sakuranbo (さくらんぼ), by Japanese singer Otsuka Ai as he tries to recreate another past perfect experience in the present.

Otsuka Ai - Sakuranbo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upODO6OuOOk&ab_channel=avex

Sakuranbo - Cocktail (Lounge Cover):

https://youtu.be/0SYe_-BKJWI?si=cx6SluQ8DSdNlFak

Sakuranbo (Kan Sano Remix):

https://youtu.be/eCRMqFAwbvQ?si=83_NGrFxI1l87T35

Zenius-I-Vanisher:

https://zenius-i-vanisher.com/v5.2/

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Music from this episode by:

Shawn Korkie - https://www.fiverr.com/shawnkorkie

Komiku – https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Komiku

Shivam S - https://www.fiverr.com/imshivamsingh

Bastereon - https://www.fiverr.com/bastereon

Youness E - https://www.fiverr.com/elhajlyprod009

Daniel V - https://www.fiverr.com/desparee

Rob G - https://www.fiverr.com/lofi_robhttps://www.fiverr.com/lofi_rob

Yaroslav - https://www.fiverr.com/nearbysound

Aandy Valentine – https://www.fiverr.com/aandyvalentine

The Perfect Show is Back! This episode is all about looking back at every episode of the podcast so far, and looking forward at where the show will go from here.

And to do that we take a sound-design journey down to the Perfectorium itself, the Index of Perfect Things. Join Scot as he gives you a full tour during the episode. It's more fun than a simple clip show should probably be, but I've been out of the game for a while and I just couldn't wait to jump back in with both feet.

Music from this episode by:

Shawn Korkie - https://www.fiverr.com/shawnkorkie

Fernando Darder - https://www.fiverr.com/fernandodarder

Gelyan - https://www.fiverr.com/gelyanov

Komiku – https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Komiku

Aandy Valentine – https://www.fiverr.com/aandyvalentine

SFX - PixaBay.com

After an extended break The Perfect Show is back! Here's a trailer for the upcoming season: https://perfectshowpodcast.com/ Transcript:

Hi, I'm Scot Maupin, and welcome to The Perfect Show - where in a series of very much unperfect episodes, I bring you the story of one thing I've flagged as a perfect object or experience from my life. I tell you about it, we explore what makes it so special, and then I try to recreate it in some way in the present, and hopefully fall down some weird rabbit holes along the way.

On season 3 of the Perfect Show, first up: I'll be covering a Japanese arcade game I played obsessively, the best 4th of July of my life, and we'll try to figure out if you can still find any good treasures for $5.

We'll head back to southern Japan for a surprising haircut, venture inside for once to examine memories of memories, and then I'll recruit some help to try and build the perfect version of the best superhero.

Listen in as I chase these perfect things, and chew on what that perfection even means, trying to find out something new and interesting each time about the world and also myself.

—

I know I should have some cool clips from these upcoming episodes, but this is a one person operation, and the truth is I make them as I go so I can't play you clips because they simply do not exist yet.

The show is me. It's my attempt to shine a light on positive things and putting good things out there to help balance the bad stuff in the world, but it's very much just my brain translated through a microphone. I hope you'll give it a listen.

Season 3 of the perfect show - six new artisnal? episodes, made one at a time, wherever you get your podcasts, in 2025.

And as always, thank you for listening to The Perfect Show.