The Thirteenth Hour Podcast

In today's episode, I wanted to talk about a few techniques I have been experimenting with to make custom action figures.  I have, up until now, been using epoxy clay, which you can mold and sculpt until it hardens after about an hour, then sand or file it down until it is the way you want it.  It works great, but it creates a hybrid dried clay - plastic figure that while durable to an extent, is still somewhat brittle.  I have been looking for a way to create an all-plastic figure for the sake of durability (without injection molding). 

The last few weeks, I have been playing around with a kind of thermoplastic called Instamorph that softens into a moldable putty when heated to 150 degrees F.  While it does cure very fast, it can be heated back up again with a heat gun or a soldering iron and sculpted, just like epoxy clay.  As far as I can tell, it's safe to do this and does not release noxious gasses in the process.  It anneals directly to the plastic of the figure and, when cool, forms a solid piece, a bit like lamination.  It can also be dyed in the soft phase to potentially replace or minimize the need for painting. 

Speaking of which, I also experimented with applying paint while the plastic is hot, something called plastic annealing, which I think will be especially helpful with joints and other areas of frequent paint rub.

There's more on this, plus some visuals, on this video I made.

I also talk about some goals for 2026, some of which I talked about last week.  The major areas I want to focus on are:

-Music - continuing to learn how to use DAWs to make music electronically

-Writing - working on The Thirteenth Hour sequel on a consistent basis

-Toymaking - continuing to use techniques like this to find new ways of making different kinds of figures more easily and with a wider range of base figures with less prep work needed

-Podcasting - adding creators' corner chats and livestreaming of things adjacent to the podcast, like editing writing or making models 

Wishing you the best in the new year!

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form and on CD!  

It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes and special editions of the album there as well.)  The CDs are out now!

-Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

-->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

-->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

-->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

-->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

•  Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack!
• Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi.
• Join the Thirteenth Hour Arts Group over on Facebook, a growing community of creative people.
• Have this podcast conveniently delivered to you each week on Spotify,  iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, Tunein, and Googleplay Music.
• Follow The Thirteenth Hour’s Instagram pages: @the13thhr for your random postings on ninjas, martial arts, archery, flips, breakdancing, fantasy art and and @the13thhr.ost for more 80s music, movies, and songs from The Thirteenth Hour books and soundtrack.
• Listen to Long Ago Not So Far Away, the Thirteenth Hour soundtrack online at: https://joshuablum.bandcamp.com/ or Spotify.  Join the mailing list for a digital free copy.  You can also get it on CD or tape.
• Website: https://13thhr.wordpress.com
• Book trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXY
• Interested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!

In today's episode, I wanted to continue what I was working on last week, trying to get resin to adhere to a base plastic figure to create an easier way to make custom action figure duplicates.  I will be experimenting with a number of methods to create snap on/ snap off molds to see what works best, but today, I'm using a kind of thermoplastic called Instamorph.  You heat the pellets in water, they become soft and squishy, allowing you to press something into it to make a mold, like I am doing here: 

https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2025/12/29/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-542-and-like-a-hood-ornament-87-trying-a-new-technique-by-creating-a-new-rocketeer-figure-part-2-and-2025-reflection/

When it cures, Instamorph turns white.  It is also very hard.  That can be a plus and a minus.  I did find that it was really hard to get the mold out since it didn't want to bend.  I really hard to yank on the limbs.  The torso, however, worked really well: 

The mold was supposed to apply on the Rocketeer's jacket bib with the buttons and a few other details, like the straps for the rocket pack on the sides and shoulders.  The torsos of these figures might be a different kind of plastic since it has different melting properties than the limbs (which I suspect are PVC), but the resin actually adhered just fine.  Getting the resin to release from the mold was difficult, but I wonder if I use some oil or some other kind of mold release, it might a different story.  I have some other mold putties to try in the coming weeks, so if this method ultimately does not work, perhaps other will.  I am also wondering if this kind of plastic can be used in place of epoxy clay.  It dries hard but could be shaped with heat ... something to think about.

This project will continue into 2026, but 2025 has been a pretty good year.  I'll talk about this more next week, in the first episode of the new year, but some of the things that happened this year were:

-great guests and new friends

-the release of Once Upon a Dream on tape, CD, and digital streaming after many years

-a fair bit of progress on The Thirteenth Hour sequel (about 70 pages)

-episode 500 last March

-started to learn how to use a DAW as another way to make music

-Wrapping up the reading of The Rocketeer movie novelization (started 10/14/24, ended 7/7/25)

Looking forward to seeing what we can do in 2026!  See you in the new year!

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form and on CD!  

It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes and special editions of the album there as well.)  The CDs are out now!

-Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

-->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

-->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

-->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

-->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

•  Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack!
• Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi.
• Join the Thirteenth Hour Arts Group over on Facebook, a growing community of creative people.
• Have this podcast conveniently delivered to you each week on Spotify,  iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, Tunein, and Googleplay Music.

• Listen to Long Ago Not So Far Away, the Thirteenth Hour soundtrack online at: https://joshuablum.bandcamp.com/ or Spotify.  Join the mailing list for a digital free copy.  You can also get it on CD or tape.
• Website: https://13thhr.wordpress.com

In today's episode, I wanted to try something that, frankly, may not work.  I wanted to try using a basic figure as the "skeleton" and casting details onto the body instead of sculpting them out of epoxy clay or some other substance.  This would allow you do get a figure off the shelf and essentially "plug" it into the molds for the limbs are such and emerge with a "newly clothed" figure.  I don't know if it will work since I'm not sure how well the resin will adhere to the skeleton.   That said, I figured it's worth a try and am making the prototype today from an Iron Man figure and helmet, chest, and pack of the figure I was working on last time.  Next time, I'll see how I can make new molds or adapt the ones I already have. 

Picture of the prototype so far: https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2025/12/22/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-541-and-like-a-hood-ornament-86-trying-a-new-technique-by-creating-a-new-rocketeer-figure-part-1/

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form and on CD!  

It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes and special editions of the album there as well.)  The CDs are out now!

-Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

-->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

-->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

-->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

-->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

•  Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack!
• Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi.
• Join the Thirteenth Hour Arts Group over on Facebook, a growing community of creative people.
• Have this podcast conveniently delivered to you each week on Spotify,  iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, Tunein, and Googleplay Music.
• Follow The Thirteenth Hour’s Instagram pages: @the13thhr for your random postings on ninjas, martial arts, archery, flips, breakdancing, fantasy art and and @the13thhr.ost for more 80s music, movies, and songs from The Thirteenth Hour books and soundtrack.
• Listen to Long Ago Not So Far Away, the Thirteenth Hour soundtrack online at: https://joshuablum.bandcamp.com/ or Spotify.  Join the mailing list for a digital free copy.  You can also get it on CD or tape.
• Website: https://13thhr.wordpress.com
• Book trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXY
• Interested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!

In today's episode, I'm continuing what I started in episode 536 and 538 - where I wanted to turn a Rocketeer figurine that I found on eBay in to an articulated action figure.  In this episode, I got into finishing up the first casting and adding joints to that one and subsequent duplicates.  In the end, I accomplished my goal of seeing if I could turn a static Japanese gashapon Rocketeer figurine that I didn't want to destroy into an articulated resin action figure, giving me new ideas on different ways to make customs.

Pictures: https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2025/12/15/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-540-and-like-a-hood-ornament-85-wrapping-up-the-rocketeer-resin-casting-project-finishing-the-figures/

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form and on CD!  

It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes and special editions of the album there as well.)  The CDs are out now!

-Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

-->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

-->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

-->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

-->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

•  Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack!
• Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi.
• Join the Thirteenth Hour Arts Group over on Facebook, a growing community of creative people.
• Have this podcast conveniently delivered to you each week on Spotify,  iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, Tunein, and Googleplay Music.
• Follow The Thirteenth Hour’s Instagram pages: @the13thhr for your random postings on ninjas, martial arts, archery, flips, breakdancing, fantasy art and and @the13thhr.ost for more 80s music, movies, and songs from The Thirteenth Hour books and soundtrack.
• Listen to Long Ago Not So Far Away, the Thirteenth Hour soundtrack online at: https://joshuablum.bandcamp.com/ or Spotify.  Join the mailing list for a digital free copy.  You can also get it on CD or tape.
• Website: https://13thhr.wordpress.com
• Book trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXY
• Interested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!

In today's episode, I'm actually joined by my co-host and guest, Brian Funk of The Music Production Podcast. 

We decided to dual release this conversation, essentially serving as guests on each other's show.  We had a really great conversation about not just the ins and outs of aspects of making music but the underlying creative processes that go into formulating ideas, making them real in the world, and some of the traps and hangups that we creative types sometimes find ourselves in. The way one artist works will be different from how another does since we are all individuals, and as we allude to a number of times on the show, the timing of when you work and what is going on in your life may also influence things.  These are all things each musician has to figure out, so I'd highly recommend checking out Brian's show since each guest has their own take.  The more you hear from, the more likely you, too, will figure it out and/or add to what you already know.  Plus, since we are often isolated doing our own things, it's nice to find and be a part of a music making community. 

We also touch on Brian's own music, which you can find via the links below.  I enjoyed listening to his last album and was glad to be able to ask him more about how he made it.  That's all in the show!

You can learn more about Brian, his music, his show, and his music production community below:

-Website - https://brianfunk.com 

-Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast 

-Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc 

-5-Minute Music Producer book - https://brianfunk.com/book 

-Brian Funk's YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@BrianFunkMusicThanks, Brian, for being joining me to discuss music, and thanks for listening!

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form and on CD!  

It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes and special editions of the album there as well.)  The CDs are out now!

-Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

-->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

-->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

-->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

-->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

•  Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack!
• Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi.
• Join the Thirteenth Hour Arts Group over on Facebook, a growing community of creative people.
• Have this podcast conveniently delivered to you each week on Spotify,  iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, Tunein, and Googleplay Music.
• Follow The Thirteenth Hour’s Instagram pages: @the13thhr for your random postings on ninjas, martial arts, archery, flips, breakdancing, fantasy art and and @the13thhr.ost for more 80s music, movies, and songs from The Thirteenth Hour books and soundtrack.
• Listen to Long Ago Not So Far Away, the Thirteenth Hour soundtrack online at: https://joshuablum.bandcamp.com/ or Spotify.  Join the mailing list for a digital free copy.  You can also get it on CD or tape.
• Website: https://13thhr.wordpress.com
• Book trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXY
• Interested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!

-Website - https://brianfunk.com -Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast -Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc -5-Minute Music Producer book - https://brianfunk.com/book -Brian Funk's YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@BrianFunkMusic

In today's episode, I'm continuing what I started in episode 536 - where I wanted to turn a Rocketeer figurine that I found on eBay in to an articulated action figure.  But in the episode, the silicone I had gotten turned out to be bad, so I had to get some more in order to make a mold.  In the past two weeks, I bought a new kind of silicone (Smooth On Mold Star 30) as well as a new kind of resin to try (Smooth Cast 57D).  I was successful in making molds of the parts of the figurine.  It wasn't the most efficient use of silicone, I will say, since I probably could have found containers that were a bit smaller and wasted less, but if I don't use these molds in the future, I'll chop them up and use them as filler when making future molds.  Here are the two pieces:

This is the lower body mold.

This mess is the upper body mold; you may be able to see both sides of the figurine in relief on ether side.

This is what it looks like when you are taking the casting out.  You can see here (my first attempt) that one arm didn't quite fill.  That happens sometimes if you don't quite have the air vents in the right places.

Pictures at https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2025/12/01/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-538-and-like-a-hood-ornament-84-continuing-a-rocketeer-resin-casting-project-making-the-prototype/⁠

I was also curious to see if the resin I was using could be heated up with a heat gun to further bend the pieces.  Yes, the resin did get soft, but it ended up just breaking.  I did use a woodcarving tool to cut the limbs up further (never a bad idea to wear some eye protection and a N95 or equivalent mask when dealing with hot plastic) and then used epoxy resin (what I normally use to add details on custom figures) to meld the limbs back together in a new position.

Here, I have the parts of the figure with newly formed arms and legs next to the original:

I just need to clean up the dried epoxy resin, probably with a Dremel, and then figure out how to make joint pegs for the limbs and neck.  Then, I'll make one last mold of all the parts - 4 limbs, torso, head, and rocketpack so I can make resin copies of all the pieces.  That's what's to come in the next few weeks.

If you haven't heard them yet, check out the conversations with Andy Last of the Beyond Synth podcast and Richie Billing, author of Together We Rise. 

Check out my interview on the Planet Texas Podcast, where we touch on toymaking - find it on Youtube.   Thanks, Javier, for having me on!

I was also on Let's Talk Media with Vedant Akhauri for another fun conversation.  Check out the episode on Spotify.  Thanks, Vedant, for having me on!

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form and on CD!  

It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes and special editions of the album there as well.)  The CDs are out now!

-Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

-->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

-->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

-->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

-->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

•  Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack!
• Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi.

In today's episode, I'm speaking with podcaster Andy Last, host of the Beyond Synth podcast.  Andy is one of the few people I have talked with that has been doing this longer than I am - he has been doing his show, discussing synthwave music and the artists that make it, since 2013.

We had a great, lengthy conversation about podcasting, the ups and downs of collaboration, the joys of compulsions of solo creative work, and a lot on the nature/pros/cons of generative AI (which, like it or not, is being built into many of the tools that we use on a regular basis).  This was one of the longer conversations I have recorded but I decided to not break it up into multiple parts since the overall themes of the conversation were consistent all the way through.   If you into electronic music, especially synthwave/retrowave/retro 80s/whatever you call it, definitely check out Andy's show.  There is obviously a ton of great music but also years of interviews from music producers behind the music that is super educational if you are into making music yourself.  Check it out on:

-Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/7Lu2RkM4aZr7AnJ2HHPyBV?si=04c77944ec184d41)

-Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-synth/id979062058)

-Patreon (https://patreon.com/beyondsynth)

Thanks, Andy, for being a guest on the show, and thanks for listening!

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form and on CD!  

It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes and special editions of the album there as well.)  The CDs are out now!

-Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

-->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

-->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

-->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

-->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

•  Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack!
• Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi.
• Join the Thirteenth Hour Arts Group over on Facebook, a growing community of creative people.
• Have this podcast conveniently delivered to you each week on Spotify,  iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, Tunein, and Googleplay Music.
• Follow The Thirteenth Hour’s Instagram pages: @the13thhr for your random postings on ninjas, martial arts, archery, flips, breakdancing, fantasy art and and @the13thhr.ost for more 80s music, movies, and songs from The Thirteenth Hour books and soundtrack.
• Listen to Long Ago Not So Far Away, the Thirteenth Hour soundtrack online at: https://joshuablum.bandcamp.com/ or Spotify.  Join the mailing list for a digital free copy.  You can also get it on CD or tape.
• Website: https://13thhr.wordpress.com
• Book trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXY
• Interested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!

In today's episode, I was planning to start a new action figure project - attempting to turn a Rocketeer figurine that I found on eBay in to an articulated action figure.  A number of years ago, my brother encouraged me to use the social media platform Blue Sky as an alternative to Twitter/X.  I did make a profile and processed to do nothing with it other than do what I often do when I find a new platform - I start looking for Rocketeer stuff.  One of the first things I posted was the discovery of a Rocketeer theme gashapon set that was available in Japan.  Gashapon are little toys or souvenirs you can buy in plastic capsules from vending machines.  These sorts of things were all over the place in the 80s, though what you got there was of generally pretty low quality.  Still, the idea of a little toy in a capsule stuck with me long enough to inspire me to want to make little resin figurines of Logan and Aurora from The Thirteenth Hour.  Their diminutive size was no surprise!  There is also something alluring about the fact toys like this comes from a machine and that you don't exactly know what you will get.  The more common US equivalent - the blind bag / box concept - is essentially the same thing with more expense and less flair (no machine involved).

I was able to find a set of all the Rocketeer gashapon via a retailer in Hong Kong, I believe, which was cheaper.  My favorite piece of the set was a GI Joe sized figurine of Cliff about to take off to chase the zeppelin:

Go to https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2025/11/17/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-536-and-like-a-hood-ornament-83-starting-a-new-rocketeer-resin-casting-project-and-making-a-new-rocketeer-theme/ for pictures.

I remember thinking at the time - wouldn't this make a good articulated figure?  And the idea never really went away.  So I've decided to try first to make a duplicate of the figure that I can cut up and modify.  The figure does split in half, so in these pictures, I have planned some vents in places I thought might not fill.

And that was going to be this week's episode ... but the silicone I had bought for the project turned out to be bad (one bottle leaked and the other was solid).

So I pivoted midway back to music and decided to make a Rocketeer marching tune for the Rocketeer 8bit style game I have been making.  I tapped out the tune initially on the keyboard and then made the track itself on Bandlab.   You can hear the track towards the end of the episode.  It's not quite done, but it's pretty much what I was looking for to accompany the flying / running parts of the game.

I have been fortunate to have been on a few podcasts lately - both about the process of becoming an author, starting a podcast, making toys, making music, etc.  

This clip from the Planet Texas Podcast on toymaking is pretty much what we were talking about above.  You can listen/watch the whole conversation over on Youtube.   Thanks, Javier, for having me on!

I was also on Let's Talk Media with Vedant Akhauri for another fun conversation.  Check out the episode on Spotify.  Thanks, Vedant, for having me on!

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form and on CD!  

It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes and special editions of the album there as well.)  The CDs are out now!

-Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

-->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

-->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

-->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

-->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

In today's episode, I'm speaking with fantasy author and podcaster Richie Billing about his novel, Together We Rise. 

We had a great conversation about writing, the creative process, fantasy worlds, and even the use of generative AI in music.  Together We Rise is a multilayered story of a revolution that takes place in a fantasy world - maybe the equivalent of something that might have occurred in the 1700s in Europe - there are some factories and all the issues that go with those, but science and other aspects of technology are still in a more medieval age.  The story is told from multiple different characters, each with a small role to play in how the revolution takes place, and sometimes the characters overlap, allowing you to see them from fresh eyes, since each chapter is essentially a different point of view.  Together We Rise wastes no time getting you in the thick of the action!  

Richie also used the AI tool Udio to create a theme for each character which you can listen to at the start of each chapter while reading that sets the tone for the pages ahead.  You can find all the tracks here on Soundcloud and Youtube. 

If you are a writer yourself, please check out Richie's podcast, The Fantasy Writer's Toolshed, which has a wealth of information to help you get started, stay inspired, and fine tune your craft!

Learn more about Richie's work on:

-Patreon

-Facebook

-Instagram

-Buy Together We Rise on Amazon and other booksellers.

Thanks, Richie, for being a guest on the show, and thanks for listening!

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Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form and on CD!  

It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes and special editions of the album there as well.)  The CDs are out now!

-Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

-->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

-->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

-->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

-->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

•  Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack!
• Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi.
• Join the Thirteenth Hour Arts Group over on Facebook, a growing community of creative people.
• Have this podcast conveniently delivered to you each week on Spotify,  iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, Tunein, and Googleplay Music.
• Follow The Thirteenth Hour’s Instagram pages: @the13thhr for your random postings on ninjas, martial arts, archery, flips, breakdancing, fantasy art and and @the13thhr.ost for more 80s music, movies, and songs from The Thirteenth Hour books and soundtrack.
• Listen to Long Ago Not So Far Away, the Thirteenth Hour soundtrack online at: https://joshuablum.bandcamp.com/ or Spotify.  Join the mailing list for a digital free copy.  You can also get it on CD or tape.
• Website: https://13thhr.wordpress.com
• Book trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXY
• Interested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!

https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2025/11/10/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-535-welcome-richie-billing-author-of-together-we-rise-to-the-show/

In today's episode, I'm continuing what I started last week, working out "The Unicorn Theme" by Tangerine Dream from the Legend soundtrack. 

I worked out some of the basic notes last week, and this week I'm adding more as well as the left hand chords.  Though not recorded in the podcast, while I was wrapping up the mixing of what I'd done, I remembered one of the other verses I'd forgotten.  I did most of this in Bandlab, the DAW I've been working to learn this past fall.  This ended up a great project to showcase the strength of a tool like this since I didn't need to rehearse the piece over and over until I could play it mistake-free like before.  I could play and record little segments, one at a time, and essentially save my progress as I was going along.   I may add to it in the coming weeks as I work out other parts of the theme, but I am pretty happy with what I managed to cobble together so far!  

This theme was definitely one of the influences behind the sound I was trying to create when making The Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, so it's actually long overdue that I finally try to figure out how to play it.  I'm actually not sure why I didn't try before!

Thanks for listening!

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Once Upon a Dream, the second Thirteenth Hour soundtrack, is now out in digital form and on CD!  

It is out on most major streaming services such as Bandcamp, Spotify, and YouTube Music.  (If you have no preference, I recommend Bandcamp since there is a bonus track there and you will eventually be able to find tapes and special editions of the album there as well.)  The CDs are out now!

-Check out the pixelart music videos that are out so far from the album:

-->Logan's Sunrise Workout: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7SM1RgsLiM

-->Forward: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9VgILr1TDc

-->Nightsky Stargazing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S0p3jKRTBo

-->Aurora's Rainy Day Mix: https://youtu.be/zwqPmypBysk

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

•  Signup for the mailing list for a free special edition podcast, a demo copy of The Thirteenth Hour, and access to retro 80s soundtrack!
• Like what you see or hear? Consider supporting the show over at Thirteenth Hour Arts on Patreon or adding to my virtual tip jar over at Ko-fi.
• Join the Thirteenth Hour Arts Group over on Facebook, a growing community of creative people.
• Have this podcast conveniently delivered to you each week on Spotify,  iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM, Tunein, and Googleplay Music.
• Follow The Thirteenth Hour’s Instagram pages: @the13thhr for your random postings on ninjas, martial arts, archery, flips, breakdancing, fantasy art and and @the13thhr.ost for more 80s music, movies, and songs from The Thirteenth Hour books and soundtrack.
• Listen to Long Ago Not So Far Away, the Thirteenth Hour soundtrack online at: https://joshuablum.bandcamp.com/ or Spotify.  Join the mailing list for a digital free copy.  You can also get it on CD or tape.
• Website: https://13thhr.wordpress.com
• Book trailer: http://bit.ly/1VhJhXY
• Interested in reading and reviewing The Thirteenth Hour for a free book?  Just email me at [email protected] for more details!

https://13thhr.wordpress.com/2025/11/03/the-thirteenth-hour-podcast-534-musical-interlude-trying-to-figure-out-music-from-legend-1985-part-2/