The Wolf Den

Now that the dust has settled and we've all taken a few naps, we're ready to discuss Earwolf 2.0! The bulk of the Earwolf team is in the studio with The Plop List's Joel Mandelkorn to talk through the new Earwolf: What we're proud of, what we want to improve, and our plans for the future. Take this opportunity to get acquainted with the Earwolf staff and explore Earwolf beyond what you've seen so far. Let us know what you think in the forums!

Our primary job with The Wolf Den is to inform our listeners about who we are. So who better to have as a guest than one of our smart, funny listeners? Natan is a graduate student at DePaul University and when he asked for help with a project we gave him one condition: We tape it and send it out! Hear what Jeff thinks of our listeners, competition, and brand as he is interviewed by a genuine fan.

Each week on The Wolf Den we learn more about the state of digital media as it pertains to comedy and podcasting. This week we have guests from the world of music to talk about the unique struggles of their industry. Yotam Rosenbaum and Joey Flores are the creators of Earbits, an internet radio station that aims to advertise smarter than it's competition. Learn how Earbits came to be, how Y Combinator got them where they are, and why they deny the the myth of the "dying music industry." Check out our newly redesigned  Earwolf website to find new merch, new apps, new shows and more.

We're back this week with Matt Belknap. While he discussed the origins of AST and Never Not Funny  last week , we learn this week about the growth of podcasting since his involvement. The ever divisive issue of podcast monetization comes up and Matt and Jeff discuss some of the more basic elements of building a show. Pay close attention to the announcements to hear about the special features you can anticipate on version 2.0 of the Earwolf website.

AST, or A Special Thing, is quite enigmatic in that it's a message board, a comedy news site, a record company, and the original internet home of many podcasts. Over the last ten years, Matt Belknap has turned his hobby for comedy and desire for articulate dialogue into a life for himself and has helped the career of many comedians at the same time. Learn this week how Matt cultivated his message board (and when it will get back to looking great), began his own record company, and essentially turned podcasting from a barren wasteland into a burgeoning business with Never Not Funny. Marc Maron interrupts the proceedings with a big announcement about his show WTF, leaving lots more behind-the-scenes Belknap for next week. See you then, and feel free to pass the time until then by writing an iTunes review.

John Cabrera is the filmmaker and musician responsible for the web musical  The Homes . So what does he think about this new media age? Jeff and John discuss the waning desire for tactile media, the evolution of web content, and the relationship between internet films and indie music. Comment and tell us what you think about all this: Do you still hang onto your physical books? Do you think the difficulty of web navigation will affect the progress of new media? Oh, and if you're interested in helping Earwolf prepare for the new website launch, volunteer  here .

Last week Paul F. Tompkins cited The Superego Podcast as one that inspired him. This week Superego's Matt Gourley joins The Wolf Den to discuss what it means to be "the comic's comic" of podcasting. If any of you listeners have wanted to start a podcast but thought you couldn't, Matt is proof that if you care enough you can figure it out. The episode is so packed full of valuable podcasting information that we gave you extra content after the closing theme. Check out Superego and whatever you do DO NOT submit an iTunes review (for us, that is).

In sixteen episodes of The Wolf Den one question has been left unanswered: Who is Jeff? This week we take time to learn who Jeff is, how he became part of this industry, and why he no longer follows the Cubs. You'll also get to know Intern Peter who is a vital part of the Sklarbro Country/Earwolf team. Stay tuned to the end if you are curious about Project Tippy Toe, or the newly renamed Comedy Bang Bang. There is a lot happening at Earwolf right now, and The Wolf Den is the best way to keep up with it all.

This episode of The Wolf Den is dedicated to the listeners worried about the show being too funny. Our guest is the famously somber Paul F. Tompkins who is here to discuss his role as a leading Gateway Guest (among other things) in the least humorous way possible. Paul takes questions from Twitter while pointing out it's many flaws, and Jeff discusses his dreams for the website, the network, and his tennis career. Now go check out his Ford Focus internet campaign and try not to leave snarky correct-y comments on them!

You can't talk about podcasting without talking about Jesse Thorn. From terrestrial radio to television, Jesse has turned a hobby for podcasting into a means of livelihood and has been a major source of positive attention towards the industry. Jesse joins us this week to talk about the results of our marketing survey and contribute knowledge about marketing integration, building a network, and serving one's listeners. Oh, did I mention that he's also hilarious? This episode not only provides a look into the future of Earwolf and podcasting, but to the whole world of media and how it can be sustained financially.