PrePopCulture

105: A Talk with James Morrow

Thu, 19 Mar 2015 08:44:30 +0000

World Fantasy Award and Nebula Award winning author James Morrow and Morrow superfan Andrew Wollman join Jen to talk about Morrow's body of work. From his first books in the science fiction genre to his latest book, the historical fiction novel Galapagos Regained, Jim's passion for telling stories over the years seems to have been rivaled only by his passion for ideological discourse. He shares this love for entertaining along with his Nontological Proof as he discusses his works and career.

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Show notes:

Find out more about James Morrow and his work at his website. You can also find ebooks of his out of print work at Open Road Media
Galapagos Regained
Towing Jehovah
Follow Andrew on Twitter and see him and Jen in Doctor Who Live! at iO West at 10pm on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month.
Jim's recommendations: the work of playwright Peter Barnes, and the movie O Lucky Man!
Andrew's recommendation: Gene Wolfe's novel Peace

Theme song

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

104: Webcomics

Thu, 13 Nov 2014 12:27:15 +0000

Webcomic enthusiast Jake Goldman and webcomic artist John McNamee join Jen this week to discuss (what else?) webcomics! From narrative to gag a day, highly stylized to stick figures, strips that span decades to limited seasonal arcs, webcomics are now popular enough that readers are spoiled for choice even on a niche level. Jake, John, and Jen share some of their favorites, as well as what they think differentiates comics on the web from other types of comics when it comes to content, style, and the challenges the artists face making them.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

Follow Jake and John on Twitter, and check out John's webcomic, Pie Comic.
Jake's recommendation: Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
John's recommendation: China, IL
Broodhollow
Hark! A Vagrant
Narbonic
Oh Joy Sex Toy
Penny Arcade
Poorly Drawn Lines
Sluggy Freelance
xkcd
Frank Santoro's Layout Workshop

Theme song

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

103: Broken Monsters

Fri, 31 Oct 2014 09:13:46 +0000

It wouldn't be Halloween at PrePopCulture without Dickie Copeland here to read a spooky book, and this year she and Jen tackled a doozy. Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes folds together the gritty realism of an urban crime tale with haunting supernatural elements and a hefty helping of amazing characters. Naturally this makes Dickie decide what she wants to be done with her body when she dies. Happy Halloween!

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Show notes:

Dickie doesn't want you to find her on social media, but you can see her Harold team The Dragons at UCB Franklin on Monday nights. You can also see Dickie and Jen with their group Argo Navis at Sunday Night's Main Event at 8:30pm on 11/9/14 at Second City.
Dickie's recommendation: Wicca, particularly love spells
Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes

Theme song

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

102: Dungeons & Dragons

Mon, 29 Sep 2014 06:50:06 +0000

Like many of her nerdy friends, Jen spent her teen years playing Dungeons & Dragons. And while it faded out of her life after college, her love for the classic roleplaying game never waned. With the recent release of 5th edition giving her a good excuse to jump back into an old pastime, Jen's joined by Alex Berg, Dave Christenson, and James Mulholland to try out the new edition, and examine what role D&D has played in their lives.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Download directly Subscribe in iTunes Subscribe in your podcast app

Show notes:

Theme song

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

Chasing The Port Chains, Crush At Maracas Bar, Leafless Quince Tree, and Spell by Rolemusic are used under a Creative Commons Attribution License

101: The Modern Millennial

Fri, 12 Sep 2014 09:50:20 +0000

In a loft in downtown Los Angeles, artist Moses Storm is currently exhibiting The Modern Millennial, a hybrid between performance art and interactive theater. Displaying his work at and living in the loft full-time, Moses is presenting an uncensored look at the modern-day millennial by giving visitors unfettered access to every aspect of his life. Intrigued by the project from the time Moses first launched his Kickstarter campaign to fund it, Jen goes to see the exhibit and talk with Moses about the piece now that it's open to the public.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

Follow Moses on Twitter
Check out The Modern Millennial, which was funded on Kickstarter
Watch Terminally Chill Birthday

Music:

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

Cylinder Six, I Am Running with Temporary Success from a Monstrous Vacuum in Pursuit, and Oxygen Garden by Chris Zabriskie used under a Creative Commons Attribution License

Future Paths by 8 Bit Weapon is licensed under an Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

100: The Magicians Trilogy, with Lev Grossman

Thu, 28 Aug 2014 09:56:33 +0000

Time magazine book critic and New York Times Bestselling author Lev Grossman joins Jen to talk about his Magicians trilogy. The final installment of the series, The Magician's Land, hit number one on the New York Times Bestseller list this month, and Lev chats with Jen about wrapping up the trilogy, where the idea for the series first came from, bringing realism to the depiction of fantastical worlds and the use of magic, the forthcoming TV adaptation, and much more. Be warned there are some mild spoilers if you haven't finished the trilogy!

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Show notes:

Follow Lev on Twitter and see him at Dragon Con in the Fantasy Literature Track and the Young Adult Literature Track
The Magicians
The Magician King
The Magician's Land
Lev's work at Time magazine
Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea series, beginning with A Wizard of Earthsea
Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Lev's recommendations: Larry Niven's stories The Magic Goes Away and Not Long Before The End (which can be found in the collection The Magic Goes Away), Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and The Gray Mouser books, Metric, the Mountain Goats, the Eels, and webcomic Achewood

Theme song

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

99: Two Year Anniversary

Fri, 15 Aug 2014 08:19:19 +0000

Want to celebrate two years of PrePopCulture with updates on topics from previous episodes and unaired clips? Great! That's exactly what Jen has for you.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

You can follow PrePopCulture and Jen on Twitter! And keep an eye on the PrePopCulture Twitter for news about the 100th episode…
Tiny Hamsters Eating Tiny Burritos
Trailer for Horns
Check out David and Leeman's website for info on their performances on America's Got Talent
Check out episodes 15 and 17 of season 4 of Penny Arcade: The Series for updates on Strip Search contestants
Teaser for Better Call Saul
Season one of The Birthday Boys is out on DVD, and season two will premiere October 17, 2014! In the meantime, check out their Instagram for pictures from production
Check out Failbetter Games' Fallen London for a great interaction fiction game, and their followup, Sunless Sea, on Steam

Theme song

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

98: Weird Al

Thu, 31 Jul 2014 08:50:29 +0000

Andrew Wollman joins Jen to talk about everybody's favorite parody artist, Weird Al. On Billboard's charts at number one for the first time, Weird Al's latest album Mandatory Fun has gone over like gangbusters with comedy nerds as of late. But lifelong fan Andrew also chats about the original content and more offbeat work Weird Al's done over the years, and enlightens Jen about some of the source material getting parodied. Did everyone but her know what Blurred Lines is about?!

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

Follow Andrew on Twitter and see him and Jen in Doctor Who Live! at iO West at 10pm on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month. On August 23, 2014, check out the Doctor Who Live Series 8 Premiere Party!
Andrew's recommendation: James Morrow's novel The Madonna and the Starship
Weird Al's official website, where you can watch music videos from and purchase most of his work, including Mandatory Fun
Peter and the Wolf

Theme song

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

97: To Read or Not to Read - Game of Thrones

Thu, 03 Jul 2014 12:48:10 +0000

Jason Greene joins Jen to discuss whether someone who's watching Game of Thrones but hasn't yet read it should delve into the books or just stick with the show alone. As an avid fan of the books, Jason has a lot of reasons why the books are superior, but will they be enough to overcome Jen's fear that she'll love the show less if she takes his advice and cracks into the books? For two people who often give the same reasons for loving the same characters, it's definitely strange that they see each others' experience with the story as so different.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

Follow Jason on Twitter
Jason's recommendation: Ron Currie Jr.'s novel Everything Matters!
Game of Thrones: the books and the show

Theme song

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

96: The Apocalypse

Thu, 05 Jun 2014 20:43:00 +0000

Kevin Pedersen joins Jen to talk about the way the end of days is portrayed in movies, TV, books, and video games. With a ranking system that takes into account the devastation of the initial impact, the long-term post-apocalyptic survivability, the likelihood of a real life occurrence, and the metaphor of the event itself, Kevin and Jen dissect the various types of apocalypses and deliver their recommendation for the best way for the world to end.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

Follow Kevin on Twitter, and check out his amazing project Channel Zero! You can back it on Kickstarter at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tomvaughan/channelzero, and like it on Facebook!
Kevin's recommendation: Zombies, Run!
The Day After Tomorrow
Edgar Wright's apocalypses Shaun of the Dead and The World's End
The Fallout video game franchise
The MaddAddam trilogy
This Is The End

Theme song

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

95: 3rd Annual LA Indie Improv Festival

Thu, 22 May 2014 07:38:15 +0000

Nick Mandernach joins Jen to give you a behind the scenes look at this year's LA Indie Improv Festival. They take you through info about this year's fest, from details about planning and programming it, to additions like the opening panel and art retrospective. They also discuss the indie improv scene as a whole, and how LAIIF has evolved in response to the community's growth. Have a listen and come check out the fest on May 24!

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

Follow Nick on Twitter, see his Harold team JV at UCBLA on Monday nights, and check out Room 101's monthly pop-up shows!
Nick's recommendation: The Forever War by Dexter Filkins
Check out laiif.com for info about this year's LA Indie Improv Festival!
Follow @LA_Indie_Improv on Twitter, and tweet your questions there by midnight on 5/23/14 for the opening panel, Developing Your Comedy Career, with Colton Dunn, Dan Gregor, Lauren Lapkus, and David Phillips!

Theme song

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

94: Guilty pleasure TV shows

Thu, 08 May 2014 07:01:05 +0000

Jesse Benjamin joins Jen to discuss why certain kinds of TV shows make people feel so bad for enjoying them so much. From the soapy and salacious like Sex and the City, to trashy reality like The Real Housewives of Orange County, to oddly addictive competitions like The Challenge, there's no shortage of guilty pleasures on TV. But what about these shows makes them guilty pleasures rather than shows we can just admit to enjoying without the caveat that we know they're in some way lowbrow?

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

You can follow Jesse on Twitter and Instagram, and check out his website, jessebenjamin.com
Jesse's recommendations: Frasier and the music of Mike Krol
Gordon Ramsay's various reality shows
The Real World and The Challenge
Sex and the City
Shark Tank

Theme song

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

93: The Sophomore Slump

Sat, 26 Apr 2014 06:42:39 +0000

Writing, filmmaking, art, and music are just some of many fields in which people contend with the threat of their second piece of work not living up to their first. In this episode Jen talks with Danny Mastrangelo and James Mulholland in search of what a sophomore slump really is, and why it's so easily applicable to so many different endeavors in art, entertainment, and pop culture.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

Theme song

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

ayVentura by Rolemusic is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License

Ladybug Castle by Rolemusic is licensed under an Attribution License

She Is My Best Treasure by Rolemusic is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 International License

Right Back To You by Wizwars is licensed under an Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

92: 7 years in LA

Fri, 11 Apr 2014 02:17:08 +0000

This spring marked Jen's seventh year living in Los Angeles, and she's a very different person now than when she moved there from Chicago. Examining her own struggle to acclimate, she talks to some friends about their experiences moving to LA, and how the city has or hasn't become home to them. Featuring Mark David Christenson, Stephen C. James, Jen McCreary, and Andrew Wollman.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

The Cinerama Dome at ArcLight
The Getty
iO West
Largo at the Coronet
Not For Tourists Guide to Los Angeles
Thomas Guide: Los Angeles
The Troubadour
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre Los Angeles

Theme song

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

All other music in this episode by Chris Zabriskie, used under a Creative Commons Attribution License.

Update: PrePopCulture returns 4-10-2014

Thu, 20 Mar 2014 10:50:10 +0000

There are changes in store at PrePopCulture when it resumes on April 10, 2014!

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Theme song

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

91: Trendsetting and trend chasing

Thu, 13 Mar 2014 09:40:17 +0000

James Mulholland joins Jen to delve into what spurs the beginning of trends, and what happens when people chase them. From books to movies to TV shows (plus books becoming movies or TV shows), there's no shortage of fads that provided increasingly diminished returns as the companies and creators behind them had less to bring to the table with each iteration. Yet sometimes the work at the start of a trend kicks off an equally successful successor. So what does it take to capture lightning in a bottle? And once someone has, how many more bolts can be caught the same way?

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

You can follow James on Twitter, but he doesn't necessarily advise it since he rarely tweets
James's recommendation: Orphan Black
The Hunger Games
Divergent

Theme song

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

90: Android: Netrunner

Thu, 06 Mar 2014 09:29:19 +0000

Clay Larsen joins Jen this week to discuss Android: Netrunner, a game they're both obsessed with. Set in a cyberpunk world, this living card game pits two players against each other in the roles of runner and corporation. A corporation tries to score points by advancing their corporate agendas, while the runner tries to hack into the corporation's servers and steal those agendas before the corporation can score them. With multiple factions to be played on each side of the table, new cards released every month to expand deckbuilding possibilities, and the fact that you play your opponent as much as you do the game itself, no two games will ever be the same.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

Follow Clay on Twitter and check out his photography at claylarsen.com (mention PrePopCulture for 20% off headshots!). You can also check out Clay's indie improv show Shapeshift and his UCB Beta team Muddleberry.
Clay's recommendations: The Wolf Among Us, Hardcore History, and The Netrunner Project
Android: Netrunner
Leigh Alexander's article about learning Netrunner
Netrunner podcast Terminal7
Want to build a deck online? Try deckbuilder sites NetrunnerDB and Ono-Sendai

Theme song

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

89: Kickstarter and crowdfunding

Thu, 27 Feb 2014 08:13:39 +0000

Danny Mastrangelo joins Jen to chat about the ins and outs of crowdfunding through Kickstarter. From what entices people to back things, to how often projects are successfully funded and fulfilled, to who Kickstarter is really "for," this one site has created a whole new avenue for making and buying everything from innovative tools to entertainment. There are many considerations for project launchers and backers alike though, and Danny gives insight to both sides of the process since he's funded projects and is about to launch a Kickstarter for his company Silhouette Games to complete a video game he's designing.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

Follow Danny on Twitter and check out his site Silhouette Games to play the demo for History of the Demon Girl. You can also see his Harold team The Soft Ricky at iO West every other Tuesday at 9:30pm.
Danny's recommendations: Extra Credits, Pixel Joint, Radio the Universe, and The Room
99% Invisible's Kickstarter for season 4
Double Fine's Kickstarter for Broken Age (formerly Double Fine Adventure)
Penny Arcade's Kickstarter
Rob Thomas's Kickstarter for the Veronica Mars movie
Zach Braff's Kickstarter for Wish I Was Here

Theme song:

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

88: Apps

Thu, 20 Feb 2014 09:15:54 +0000

Sarah Claspell joins Jen to talk about the plethora of mobile apps making life easier these days than it was in the dark ages before smartphones were ubiquitous. From big things like improving your health or keeping your schedule straight, to small things like saving articles to read later or browsing Reddit, that whole "there's an app for that!" thing has never been truer. But how much do we really value them if we usually don't want to spend any money on them? And how many would it actually be hard to live without at this point? Also, how long will the gardener be on the porch toward the end of the episode? Well, the answer to that last question is "not long," so don't worry.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

Follow Sarah on Twitter, see her on Harold team Cardinal Redbird at Upright Citizens Brigade on Monday nights, plus see her sketch team The Get Go at UCB on 4-2-14. You can also check out Sarah's website well that's adorable!
Sarah's recommendation: go do something active!
Alien Blue
Best Road Trip Ever!
CalenGoo
Day One
Downcast
Evernote
GoodReader
MetrO
MyFitnessPal
Waze

Theme song

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

87: Text adventures

Thu, 13 Feb 2014 11:01:54 +0000

Will Hines joins Jen to talk about text adventures, which are also known as interactive fiction. From formative classics like Zork, to the modern renaissance of the genre, there are countless amazing stories and fiendish puzzles to be experienced by anyone willing to invest the time to figure out the right commands to get past the first few screens. LISTEN PODCAST to hear about some great games, plus what it's like to create one!

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

Follow Will on Twitter and see him do improv with Your F'ed Up Family at Upright Citizens Brigade in LA.
Will's recommendation: Love and Rockets comics
Will's text adventures Further and Harold Night 2003
Apollo 18 tribute text adventures
Coloratura
Digital: A Love Story
Get Lamp
Inform 7
Interactive Fiction Competition
Phototopia
Twine
Zork

Theme song

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

86: Superhero casting

Thu, 06 Feb 2014 08:09:49 +0000

Mark David Christenson joins Jen to dig into why fan fervor and furor are now de facto accompaniments to casting announcements for comic book movies. They examine factors that go into picking someone to bring a superhero from page to screen, from what can be interpreted about the intended treatment of a character based on the casting, to the weight physicality should take in comparison to acting chops, to the myriad of unexpected successes from people that would've been seen as odd choices at the time they received their roles. Spoiler alert: Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo couldn't come out better in this discussion.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

Follow Dave on Twitter and check out his UCB Harold team Mister Town City. Also check out the indie improv show Dave and Jen host, The Manifesto Show, and Dave's podcast One Photo Reviews.
Dave's recommendation: Short Term 12
Portrayals of Batman, the Hulk, and Superman in film
X-Men: First Class

Theme song

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

85: TV on TV

Thu, 30 Jan 2014 10:23:00 +0000

Jake Jabbour and Art Tebbel join Jen to talk about the niche of television that is TV shows about TV shows. From early examples like The Dick Van Dyke Show to currently running Episodes, there's no shortage of programs exploring the behind the scenes antics that can unfold when producing a show. There are many different ways to approach depicting a show-within-a-show though, from the specific tone taken while portraying television, to the amount of the fictional show the audience gets to see. And for a show-within-a-show experience of this podcast, just imagine Jake, Art, and Jen on a Sorkin-y walk and talk while you listen!

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

Follow Art and Jake on Twitter
Art's recommendations: Android: Netrunner and game streaming on Twitch
Jake's recommendations: Shameless and Justified
The Dick Van Dyke Show
Episodes
The Aaron Sorkin TV trio: The Newsroom, Sports Night, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

Theme song

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

84: Subculture - Life at sea

Thu, 23 Jan 2014 08:01:00 +0000

PrePopCulture is adding a new type of episode to the arsenal: exploring a subculture. This week, cruise ship performer Owen Wittekindt joins Jen to talk about what it's like to live at sea. From what constitutes a good cabin, to the things that are important to find when stopping in a port, to the way living on the boat affects his interaction with general pop culture and his perception of the passage of time, Owen shares the various details about his life on the ship that add up to make living apart from land feel surreal.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

Follow Owen on Twitter
Owen's recommendations: That Mitchell and Webb Look and Sad Cat Diary
Second City cruise line performances

Theme song

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

83: Antiheroes

Thu, 16 Jan 2014 11:43:05 +0000

James Mulholland joins Jen to dig into the idea of the antihero. From why they like a morally questionable main character to why depicting an antihero isn't the same as endorsing one, James and Jen have a lot of opinions on this method of characterizing a protagonist. But don't worry, it doesn't get too dark thanks to Greg Kinbear and Captain Ron.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

You can follow James on Twitter, but he doesn't necessarily advise it since he rarely tweets
James's recommendations: fashion subscription services like Stitch Fix, and the Bullet Journal system
Breaking Bad
Michael Moorcock's Elric novels
The Wolf of Wall Street

Theme song

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

82: Tattoos

Thu, 09 Jan 2014 12:43:04 +0000

Alex Berg joins Jen this week to chat all things tattoo. With eight pieces and counting, Alex is no stranger to figuring out a design and where to put it, the tattooing process itself, and even a little tattoo regret. And while ink may be the sign of criminals and badasses in movies, Alex and Jen find it pretty run of the mill in LA. Heck, it may be even more common than they realize. After all, you never know what might be hiding under other people's t-shirts…

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

Follow Alex on Twitter, see him at Upright Citizens Brigade in LA on Thursdays at 11pm with his group Convoy and Saturdays at 7pm with his group Sentimental Lady, plus see Convoy with special guest Alex's mom at The Manifesto Show on 1/10/14!
Alex's recommendations: the the Hardcore History podcast, indie games, and skulls
Carl Zimmer's Science Ink has tons of cool science tattoos, including Alex's Schrödinger's Cat
John Irving's novel Until I Find You deals heavily with tattooing
The internet famous bad memorial wife tattoo that was fixed by a second artist
Scarification

Post image

By THOR (originally posted to Flickr as Tattoo Studio) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Theme song

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

81: 2013 year in review

Thu, 19 Dec 2013 10:51:00 +0000

This week Sarah Claspell and Dan Lippert join Jen for a two-segment episode to take a look back at the things in 2013 they were happy to see get big, were surprised to see get big, and thought would get big but didn't. They also take a look at what they hope will be big in 2014, from already established things they'd like to see grow, to new releases they hope will find success in the new year. Books, movies, TV, games, music, and social trends are all under the lens in this year in review!

And whether you found PrePopCulture in 2013 or have been listening from the beginning, thank you for tuning in! New episodes will return on 1/9/14.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

Follow Sarah on Twitter, see her on Harold team Cardinal Redbird at Upright Citizens Brigade on Monday nights, plus see her sketch team The Get Go at UCB on 4-30-14. You can also check out Sarah's website well that's adorable!
Follow Dan on Twitter, see him on Harold team Winslow at UCB on Monday nights, plus see his sketch group Big Grande at UCB on 1-14-14. You can also check out Dan's amazing show Friendship All-Stars!
Around the World in 80 Plates
Benedict Cumberbatch
Beyonce's secret self-titled album
Fingers crossed for a new Fallout game
Joe Hill
Positive sketch comedy and sketch on TV, both of which IFC does well
The Magician's Land
Orphan Black
Hate-watching fodder like Sharknado
Side Effects

Theme song:

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

80: The Birthday Boys

Thu, 12 Dec 2013 08:02:00 +0000

Jeff Dutton, Dave Ferguson, Mike Hanford, Matt Kowalick, and Chris VanArtsdalen join Jen this week to discuss their sketch group The Birthday Boys. They chat about their approach to comedy, and take Jen through the group's history, from putting up their first sketches at a free midnight show at Upright Citizens Brigade, to working with Bob Odenkirk and now having their own TV show on IFC. They also wish Jen a happy birthday since this episode was recorded on her birthday, but that was just a weird coincidence.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

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Show notes:

Follow @thebirthdayboys on Twitter, go to thebirthdayboys.com to see some of their videos, and check out their sketch show on IFC Fridays at 10:30pm. You can also find their show on iTunes here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/tv-season/the-birthday-boys-season-1/id700993130?i=709889314
To see one of their live shows, check them out at UCBLA on the first Wednesday of every month at 8pm, see them at the Troubadour 12/17/13 in Comedy for the Holidays II, and catch them at San Francisco Sketchfest and Riot LA in 2014.
Dave's recommendation: Nathan For You
Mike's recommendation: Deadwood
Chris's recommendation: the books of John Swartzwelder
Jeff's recommendation: Jon Favreau's Made
Matt's recommendation: Fleetwood Mac's Tusk

Theme song: Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

79: Brand loyalty

Thu, 05 Dec 2013 11:21:44 +0000

James Mulholland joins Jen to discuss brand loyalty, and what actually constitutes it today. From tech to clothes to travel, and from online retailer to local business to giant corporation, there are a myriad of ways in which companies attempt to inspire brand loyalty. But since the reason a customer stays with a given company can range anywhere from true appreciation for a superior product, to entrenchment over time making it too difficult to jump ship, maybe the focus should really be on avoiding what kills brand loyalty rather than cracking the amorphous formula that inspires it.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

You can follow James on Twitter, but he doesn't necessarily advise it since he rarely tweets
James's recommendation: the re-emergence of cyberpunk, like in forthcoming game Cyberpunk 2077
Apple
Baum-Kuchen and the Midori Traveler's notebook
Virgin American
Zappos

Theme song:

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

A Thanksgiving thank you

Thu, 28 Nov 2013 08:01:00 +0000

A quick message from Jen to you this week in lieu of an episode. Happy Thanksgiving!

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Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Theme song:

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78: What does "nerd" mean now?

Thu, 21 Nov 2013 08:01:00 +0000

Justin Donaldson joins Jen to chat about the word "nerd," and how its meaning has changed over the years. From its origin as slang for "square" in the 1950s to the connotation closer to "cool" that it has today, nerds have been wearing the term as a badge of honor for some time whether it was semantically positive or negative. There are even faux-nerds now! If only Jen could tell her 6-year old self not to worry…

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Show notes:

Check out Justin's Facebook page for updates on his projects and watch his videos on Funny or Die.
Check out the Tournament of Nerds on Facebook and Twitter. This month it's at UCBLA on 11/23/13 at 10pm, regularly the third Saturday of the month at midnight.
Justin's recommendation: Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
Etymology of 'nerd'
Comic-Con
'90s nerd poster boy Steve Urkel
And that nerd meme Jen mentioned…

Theme song:

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

77: The Marvel movie machine

Thu, 14 Nov 2013 08:01:00 +0000

Art Tebbel joins Jen to discuss the undeniable success Marvel has had with their properties since forming their own studio to control the adaptations of their comics. From their well planned phases, to universe cohesiveness, to ever expanding delivery methods, it seems like Marvel could teach DC a thing or two. Plus Jen reveals a compelling crossover pitch for Loki to which Marvel Studios and Paramount should give some serious consideration.

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Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show links:

Follow Art on Twitter and check out Box Office Democracy!
Art's recommendation: masterofmalt.com
All Marvel Studios movies fall under the umbrella of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
DC Entertainment properties haven't had as much synergy in the past
Marvel's extending its major releases beyond the Avengers cadre with Guardians of the Galaxy
Marvel's also partnering with Netflix to bring some more of their heroes to the small screen
DC's banking on old standbys with Batman Vs. Superman

Theme song:

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76: Auditions

Thu, 07 Nov 2013 08:05:00 +0000

Mark David Christenson and Casey Feigh join Jen to talk about the culture of auditioning, whether it be for commercials, TV and film, or comedy theater house teams. Along with great advice for UCB Harold auditions, Dave and Casey share some of the the weird things they've been asked to do in commercial auditions. But even being on the casting side of the audition process can be pretty strange, as Jen can attest to.

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Show links:

Follow Casey and Dave on Twitter and check out their UCB Harold teams John Velvet and Mister Town City. Also check out indie improv shows Crashbar and The Manifesto Show, and Dave's podcast One Photo Reviews.
Casey's recommendations: Kendrick Lamar, NBA basketball, and web series
Dave's recommendations: Marnie Stern and Bleached
Casey's Domino's commercial
Dave's Burger King commercial

Theme song:

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75: The Creeps

Thu, 31 Oct 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Dickie Copeland joins Jen for Halloween again this year to discuss The Creeps, the third book in John Connolly's Samuel Johnson tales. The main characters and villains from the first two books, The Gates and The Infernals, certainly have their place in this third installment, but that doesn't stop Connolly from introducing wonderful new elements, and much scarier ones too. Plus Dickie and Jen share the stories of their first kisses, because what could be more terrifying than that? Happy Halloween!

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Show links:

Follow Dickie on Twitter, check out her amazing writing on penandwhiskey.tumblr.com, and see her group D'Artagnan at Crashbar on 11-3-13!
Dickie's recommendation: check out Supernatural and its uniquely influential fan community
The first Samuel Johnson tale, The Gates
The second Samuel Johnson tale, The Infernals
The third Samuel Johnson tale, The Creeps
S. by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst

Theme song:

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74: Haunted attractions

Thu, 24 Oct 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Ben Webster joins Jen for the penultimate episode of this month's Halloween series to talk about haunted attractions. From traditional haunted houses and hayrides, to larger installations like the Haunted Queen Mary, to hell houses, to extreme attractions claiming to provide the experience of being the victim in a horror movie, there's something for pretty much every level of fright-seeker. Except people like Jen who don't like to be scared at all-- Ahhh, look behind you, there's a guy!

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Show links:

Check out the DeadHeads Facebook page and Twitter for more info on the movie, including upcoming air times on Showtime. And keep an eye out for Lose Feliz this December!
Ben's recommendations: Dead Man's Bones and Scream Factory
Blackout
Los Angeles Haunted Hayride
McKamey Manor
The Queen Mary's Dark Harbor
The Trilogy of Terror by the Freakling Bros

Theme song:

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73: Giving kids Goosebumps

Thu, 17 Oct 2013 08:00:00 +0000

Kevin Pedersen joins Jen this week to talk about children's horror. From Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, to Are You Afraid of the Dark?, to Goosebumps, there was no shortage of creepy entertainment aimed specifically at kids in the '80s and early '90s, but do children today have as many options when they're looking for a fright? And what exactly makes a scary story scary anyway? One thing's for sure: illustrations by Stephen Gammell certainly don't hurt.

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Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

Follow Kevin on Twitter, and check out the 31 scary stories he's writing this October at modernhack.tumblr.com!
Kevin's recommendation: Eric Carle's children's books
Are You Afraid of the Dark?
Deadtime Stories
Christopher Pike
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
R. L. Stine's Goosebumps and Fear Street

Theme song:

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

72: Late to the Ghostbusters party

Thu, 10 Oct 2013 10:01:42 +0000

With Halloween fast approaching and some potential paranormal experiences of their own in their pasts, it seemed only appropriate for Stephen C. James to finally teach Jen who she should call if there's something strange in her neighborhood. Having just watched Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II for the first time, Jen may not have come away with the same love for it that Stephen has, but as always there's at least one thing they can agree on: Winston's pretty much just the token black guy.

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Show notes:

Follow Stephen on Twitter and check out his improv show The Sunday Social at iO West. You can also see his group Nerdvana at the Saturday Night Main Event at Second City LA on 11/16/13 at 9:30pm. And keep an eye out this holiday season for the 8th Annual Tiny Tim's Christmas Follies, a toy drive show benefitting Southern California Toys for Tots!
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters II
The Real Ghostbusters

Theme song:

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

71: Halloween movies

Thu, 03 Oct 2013 07:05:00 +0000

Roger Barr and Jake Jabbour join Jen this week to usher in October by chatting about Halloween movies. Jen doesn't like to be scared so her Halloween movie marathon is less than traditional, but Roger and Jake more than make up for her missed frights with their terrifying recommendations. From old classics, to forgotten gems, to kid favorites still enjoyable as an adult, all of your Halloween movie bases are covered!

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show links:

Follow Roger and Jake on Twitter. Check out Jake's improv group Squeeze, see Roger in Doc Mock's Movie Mausoleum and the Tournament of Nerds at Upright Citizens Brigade, and check out his two month celebration of all things Halloween at I-Mockery.
Candyman
Clue
Dark Night of the Scarecrow
There are multiple versions of Disney's Halloween Treat
Halloween III: Season of the Witch
Hocus Pocus
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Prince of Darkness
The Shining

Theme song:

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70: The Breaking Bad phenomenon

Thu, 26 Sep 2013 07:14:00 +0000

John Ford and Nadia Osman join Jen to talk about the strangely singular popularity of everyone's favorite nearly finished TV show, Breaking Bad. From its unusually high word-of-mouth, to its delightfully pulpy elements, to the uniqueness of making the audience decide whether characters are good or bad rather than just telling the viewer, there are many reasons Breaking Bad has found itself with such a fervent fan base. And it's probably safe to say most of that fan base will need a hug after Sunday night.

Since this podcast is airing just before the Breaking Bad series finale, be warned there are spoilers from the pilot right up through the penultimate episode.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

John isn't on Twitter but you can follow Nadia, and see them both in the Tournament of Nerds. Check out Nadia's UCB Beta team Sneak Thief! and John's UCB Maude team Tut.
Breaking Bad
Walter White and the Amazing Blue Crystal Meth: A Breaking Bad Rock Opera - Seasons 1-5
The Hollywood Forever screening of the Breaking Bad series finale and the contest to arrive at the screening in an RV with Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul have raised more than $1 million for charity.

Theme song:

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

69: Reddit

Thu, 19 Sep 2013 09:56:21 +0000

Chris Teregis joins Jen to talk about Reddit, a social news and entertainment site on which information about anything and everything is disseminated into categories to which users can contribute and subscribe. With literally thousands of subreddits available to explore, Jen's a little overwhelmed, but longtime user Chris has tips for easing in and figuring out how to curate your own experience on Reddit.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

Follow Chris on Twitter and check out his podcast A Throne of Games
Reddit
IAmA subreddit, the place to find Reddit ask me anything threads (AMAs)
Here's Woody Harrelson's AMA, plus a breakdown of why it was an epic fail

Theme song:

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68: Mitchell & Webb

Thu, 12 Sep 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Dan Lippert joins Jen to talk about British comedy duo David Mitchell and Robert Webb. From their sitcom Peep Show, to sketch show That Mitchell & Webb Look, to comedy book This Mitchell and Webb Book, the duo kills with most people who know who they are. Unfortunately most people in America don't fit that bill. But Dan and Jen can give you a million reasons to check them out if you're not already familiar with them! And if you are familiar with them, Dan and Jen can tip you off to some of their lesser known projects. It's a comedy win-win!

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show links:

Follow Dan on Twitter, see him on Harold team Winslow at Upright Citizens Brigade on Monday nights, and check out his amazing show Friendship All-Stars!
David Mitchell's Soapbox
Magicians
Peep Show
That Mitchell and Webb Look
This Mitchell and Webb Book

Theme song:

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

67: Giving it away for free

Thu, 05 Sep 2013 06:00:00 +0000

Mark David Christenson joins Jen to talk about creative labors of love that are given away for free. From the indie improv show they host together, to their individual podcasts, to their respective paths in acting and writing, Dave and Jen are no strangers to doing something they love without a direct agenda other than the love of the craft. But how does giving something away for free affect other people's perception of the product and creator? What really defines a labor of love? And how many times can Dave say "butthurt" without Jen giggling at it?

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! You can also follow PrePopCulture on Twitter.

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show links:

Follow Dave on Twitter and see his Harold team Mister Town City at UCB LA.

Check out Dave's podcast One Photo Reviews

Our indie improv show, The Manifesto Show, Fridays at 8pm at the Clubhouse in LA.

Theme song:

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

66: Lulu

Thu, 29 Aug 2013 09:32:00 +0000

Darien Clark joins Jen to talk about Lulu, an app only accessible to girls which lets them anonymously rate the dateability of their male Facebook friends. Concerned about what Lulu's success potentially says regarding the attitudes toward dating amongst the college-aged girls it targets, Darien and Jen break the app down step-by-step and go through the process of rating a guy on it in order to see if there's anything about it they aren't grossed out by. Spoiler alert: there's not.

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Show links:

Follow Darien on Twitter and check out her baking blog Cake Walkthrough. She really is a shoo-in for the 5th Annual Good Food Pie Contest!
Lulu
Lulu Dude, where guys can see their profiles and remove themselves from the app if they wish

Theme song:

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65: Modern photography

Thu, 22 Aug 2013 09:32:27 +0000

Professional photographers Clay Larsen and Jon Mackey join Jen to talk about today's perceptions of photography. From the way technology and Instagram have affected how people view their own ability to take photos, to what now defines photojournalism, to the sometimes diluted definition of a "good" or "artistic" photo, the medium is at a much different place than it was even ten years ago. But no matter what lens you view it through, one thing is indisputable: don't have your friend take your headshot for free.

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Show notes:

Follow Clay and Jon on Twitter and check out their photography at claylarsen.com and itsjonmackey.com. You can also check out Clay's indie improv show Shapeshift and his UCB Beta team Muddleberry, and see Jon on Harold team Winslow at Upright Citizens Brigade on Monday nights.
Instagram
Check out SunTimes/DarkTimes to see comparisons of photos from the Chicago Sun-Times (a paper with no photojournalists) and the Chicago Tribune (a paper still employing photojournalists).
Photographer Ian Ruhter
The Public School collective in Austin
And if you're in LA, check out the Annenberg Space for Photography for great photo exhibits.

Theme song:

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

64: Late to the Terminator party

Thu, 15 Aug 2013 11:36:15 +0000

James Mulholland joins Jen to discuss another franchise she's experiencing for the first time despite its pervasive presence in pop culture: the Terminator movies. From the franchise's own internal universe to its place in the canon of modern science fiction, there's a lot about The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day that is vastly different when viewed for the first time as an adult. Though no matter when you watch these movies, that orderly licking Sarah Connor's face will always be creepy.

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Show links:

You can follow James on Twitter, but he doesn't necessarily advise it since he rarely tweets
The Terminator
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
And if you want to know more about the Terminator universe, check out the Terminator wiki for info on other movies, TV, games, and even fan fiction

Theme song:

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63: The Twelfth Doctor

Thu, 08 Aug 2013 10:32:51 +0000

Danny Mastrangelo and Andrew Wollman join Jen to talk about this week's exciting news for Doctor Who fans, the announcement of the Twelfth Doctor. They discuss what they think of the choice of Peter Capaldi, where the show might be headed with him as the Doctor, and how regenerations affect fans in general, which is quite different from Doctor to Doctor. Just ignore anything Danny and Andrew say about Jen and Bernard Cribbins.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

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Show notes:

Follow Danny and Andrew on Twitter. You can check out Danny's video game development site Silhouette Games and see his Harold team Harbinger at iO West on Tuesdays at 8pm. You can check out Andrew's tumblr and see him in Doctor Who Live! at iO West at 10:30pm on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month. On 8/10/13, Jen will be playing with Doctor Who Live! as well!
The official Doctor Who site, which has information on Peter Capaldi and the special announcing him as the Twelfth Doctor
In The Loop / The Thick of It
The Hour

Theme song:

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

62: Cord-cutting

Thu, 01 Aug 2013 09:15:12 +0000

George Ouzounian joins Jen this week to talk about cord-cutting, the trend of cutting cable TV service. With alternatives running the gamut from antennas that receive broadcast networks, to streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant Video, to the availability of nearly any show for those willing to turn to piracy, it hardly seems worth it anymore to put up with the expense and customer service nightmares that have become synonymous with cable providers. George and Jen delve into these alternatives and what, if anything, you might be missing by moving away from traditional cable.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show links:

Follow George on Twitter and see him in see him in the Tournament of Nerds at Upright Citizens Brigade
A comprehensive starter guide to cord-cutting
Streaming services Amazon Prime Instant Video, Hulu Plus, and Netflix
Set top boxes Apple TV and Roku put streaming services on your TV
Check Can I Stream It? to find out which services stream or offer digital purchase for your favorite shows and movies
Take My Money, HBO!
And here's that lady going crazy in the Apple Store at the Grove in LA

Theme song:

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61: Calvin and Hobbes

Thu, 25 Jul 2013 11:41:00 +0000

Art Tebbel returns to talk with Jen about what some cartoonists have acknowledged as the last great comic strip: Calvin and Hobbes. Whether having read it in the collected volumes, day to day in the paper, or both, it seems to be one of those very rare things that is loved by everybody who experiences it. From Calvin's alter egos, to whether or not Hobbes really is real, to the last strip, to how much fans are saddened by the lack of a Hobbes doll for kids (or let's face it, many adults) to cuddle at night, to what would make for the best Calvin and Hobbes tattoo, Art and Jen eventually have to rein themselves in since it's obviously possible to go on about this great strip forever.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show links:

You can follow Art on Twitter and check out Box Office Democracy as a blog and podcast
Calvin and Hobbes
The Complete Calvin and Hobbes box set
Dear Mr. Watterson

Theme song:

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60: 72 hours in New York

Thu, 18 Jul 2013 09:00:00 +0000

With three days in New York ahead of her, Jen decided to try a bit of what the city has to offer on as many fronts as she could. From pop culture to fine art to great food, she was never disappointed. 72 hours certainly wasn't enough to see everything she wanted to, but it was more than enough to send her back to LA with a smile and looking forward to her next visit.

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Show links:

Music:

Candlepower, The Life and Death of a Certain K. Zabriskie, Patriarch, Mario Brava Sleeps In a Little Later Than He Expected To, Out of the Skies, Under the Earth, I Need to Start Writing Things Down, Laserdisc, Androids Always Escape, Readers! Do You Read?, Virtues Inherited, Vices Passed On, and Air Hockey Saloon by Chris Zabriskie are used under a Creative Commons Attribution License

Password by Go! Gadget is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License (Micro Invasion - East Jakarta Chiptunes Compilation (Indonesian Chiptunes) / CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

59: Tabletop games

Thu, 11 Jul 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Clay Larsen joins Jen to talk about the explosion of amazing board, card, and storytelling games that have fallen under the umbrella of "tabletop games" in recent years. In the interest of trying out each of these categories plus a mix of competitive versus cooperative games, they played the Game of Thrones board game, Gloom, Grit, Pandemic, Zombies!!!, Ticket to Ride, Dominion, and Fiasco. It took a total of 17 hours but they now recommend seven of the eight games they played, though they might not recommend trying to play them all on the same day.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

Follow Clay on Twitter and check out his indie improv show Shapeshift, his UCB Beta team Muddleberry, and his amazing photography!
Dominion
Fiasco
The Game of Thrones board game
Gloom
Grit
Pandemic
Ticket to Ride
Zombies!!!

Theme song:

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

58: Mensa

Thu, 04 Jul 2013 11:01:00 +0000

Phil Ranta joins Jen this week to talk about the world's oldest and largest high IQ society, of which he's a member! Phil details the admission testing process, some member benefits, and even talks about member meet-ups for the special interest groups within Mensa. And as you might expect in an episode that's essentially about super nerds, Dungeons & Dragons gets a little shout-out too.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

Follow Phil on Twitter, and check out The Sports Sports Sports Podcast on Comedy Podcast Network and his improv group Bro Squad 5 which you can see every Saturday at 9:30pm at the Saturday Night Main Event at Second City in LA.
Mensa
Conversations with Mensa podcast
Take a free Mensa workout test
The Triple Nine Society

Theme song:

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

57: Katie Rice and Strip Search

Thu, 27 Jun 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Cartoonist Katie Rice joins Jen to talk about her comics Skadi and Camp Weedonwantcha, as well as her time on Strip Search, the web comic artist reality competition produced by Penny Arcade! Katie shares the genesis of her barbarian heroine Skadi along with what it was like to work as a storyboard artist while maintaining a web comic, and talks about her experiences as part of Strip Search from auditioning all the way to developing Camp Weedonwantcha for the win. Katie also drops some cool behind the scenes tidbits, including details on an elimination comic that almost was…

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show links:

Follow Katie on Twitter and check out her comics Skadi and Camp Weedonwantcha!
And if you missed the promo video for this episode, check out Katie and Jen going head-to-head Strip Search elimination style!
Strip Search
Penny Arcade
Abby's Kickstarter for The Last Halloween and Lexxy's already Kickfunded project The Cloud Factory
Ricky Garduno's Nightmare Theatre

Theme song:

Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.

56: PlayStation 4 and Xbox One

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 10:07:00 +0000

Danny Mastrangelo returns this week to chat about all the hubbub surrounding the recent PlayStation 4 and Xbox One announcements. DRM, broadband connectivity, privacy, and price have been hot button issues for gamers when it comes to the next generation of consoles, and choices Sony and Microsoft have made about these systems have drawn some lines in the sand. Let's just say we all know who came out as player 1 by the end of E3.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show links:

Follow Danny on Twitter and check out his video game development site Silhouette Games and video game review site Been There, Played That. You can also see his Harold team Harbinger at iO West on Tuesdays at 8pm.
Microsoft's Xbox One E3 2013 press conference
Sony's PlayStation 4 E3 2013 press conference
Sony's instructional video on sharing used games on PS4
And to learn more about the most recent next-gen console announcements, check out this Ars Technica article and see why the latest Microsoft console has now earned the moniker Xbox One Eighty

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55: Ender's Game and the Enderverse

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 07:23:00 +0000

Dickie Copeland returns to chat about the expansive universe encompassing the novel Ender's Game and all of its sequels and related works, about which there are many spoilers so consider yourself warned! Though Dickie and Jen came to the series from different perspectives, they're fascinated by, fuzzy on, and horrified at the same bits, and both at least masochistic enough to wish they could play the Mind Game. But don't ask them how to pronounce Bonzo or Achilles, because they know they say them both wrong.

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Show links:

Follow Dickie on Twitter and check out her amazing poetry on her website!
First Meetings in Ender's Universe
Ender's Game and its original sequels Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind
Ender in Exile
Ender's Shadow and its sequels Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow Puppets, and Shadow of the Giant
Shadows in Flight, the latest Shadow series book

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54: Stunt casting

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 08:56:00 +0000

Mark David Christenson returns to talk about stunt casting, the practice of casting very famous people in small roles for movies, TV, or theater. Entertainment today has gone a bit cameo crazy, but Jen and Dave contend stunt casting can have as much chance of hurting a project as it does of helping it. And let's face it, for every time Bill Murray pops up in something uncredited, Winona Ryder's wearing a weird space robe and sticking out like a sore thumb.

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Show notes:

Follow Dave on Twitter and check out his podcast One Photo Reviews. And if you're in LA, see him on the UCB Harold team Mister Town City, come to his UCB Spank show He Gets It 6/19/13, and come check out our indie improv show, The Manifesto Show.
Cate Blanchett in Hot Fuzz
All of Stan Lee's cameos
Bill Murray in Get Smart

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53: Arrested Development

Thu, 30 May 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Jacki Merchant returns this week to join Jen in dissecting the new season of Arrested Development and weigh in on how it compares to the original series. They go through the hits, the misses, the things that are just plain different about the Netflix version, and the things that (depending on your level of optimism) either didn't pay off or hinted at more to come. Of course, there are a bunch of spoilers since it would be impossible to talk about this new season's highly overlapping timeline without giving something away. Consider yourself warned!

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Show links:

Follow Jacki on Twitter
The AV Club article about about the correlation between the critical reception of Arrested Development and the Netflix stock fall on 5/28
The old and new seasons of Arrested Development are both on Netflix
NBC's Ed

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52: One year anniversary!

Thu, 23 May 2013 03:07:00 +0000

It's hard to believe this podcast has been going on for a year! Jen takes the anniversary as an opportunity to give some updates on topics from previous episodes and share some unaired clips. Plus she tells you where to find some fun promo videos for the podcast, because she's been doing them for a little while but hasn't mentioned them on the show itself. And who wouldn't want to watch a couple throw marshmallows at bowls tied to each other's heads in a living room replica of Double Dare?

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show links:

You can follow PrePopCulture and Jen on Twitter and find the PrePopCulture video promos on YouTube.
Check out JJ Abrams' TED talk on his Mystery Box and his discussion of Star Trek on the Daily Show, plus Damon Lindelof telling Grantland about the Dark Tower optioning process
Check Arrested Development's official Twitter to find Bluth's Original Frozen Bananas
The East
Eternal Darkness sequel kickstarter
Come to the LA Indie Improv Festival on May 25!
Locke & Key
Michael Moorcock's advice on writing a book in three days
Patton Oswalt's Star Wars filibuster
Check out Out of Print and its YouTube channel
Steampunk Legos

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51: LA Indie Improv Festival

Thu, 16 May 2013 04:48:00 +0000

Casey Feigh (Crashbar) and Nick Mandernach (Room 101) return to discuss the upcoming 2nd Annual LA Indie Improv Festival. From where it all started in 2012, to the ways the festival has grown this year, to how the teams are selected and scheduled, these three give you an inside look at anything and everything you might want to know about this event. So take a listen, and come out to enjoy the LA Indie Improv Festival on May 25! Oh, and if you've got a line on any fruit punch SoBe Power, let Casey know. He's jonesing for it.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show links:

Follow Casey and Nick on Twitter and check out their indie improv shows Crashbar and Room 101. You can also see them in UCB Harold team John Velvet and their hip hop improv group, Hip Hop Penguin.
Check out the LA Indie Improv Festival on 5/25/13! We're still taking volunteers and accepting donations. We're also doing a Cagematch fundraiser on 5/18/13!
The Manifesto Show is also still taking submissions until 5/19/13 for the 2nd Annual Manifesto Late Night Show on 5/24/13. Click the link for details on how to submit a team!

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50: Steampunk

Thu, 09 May 2013 07:25:00 +0000

Scott Narver returns and Steve Sears comes by for the first time to discuss steampunk culture, a genre most commonly associated with the intersection of science fiction and the Victorian era. If it's steam-powered, mechanized, filled with automatons, and has zeppelins, odds are it falls under the steampunk purview, which Scott, Steve, and Jen are admittedly not experts on but are certainly interested by. But Steve does kinda have steampunk facial hair, so maybe he knows more than he initially let on…

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Show notes:

Check out Scott and Steve's podcast Curtain Jerks, their improv group Bro Squad 5 which you can see every Saturday at 9:30pm at the Saturday Night Main Event at Second City in LA, Scott's YouTube show Scott Vs Box, and Steve's forthcoming movie Dave Made A Maze. You can also follow Curtain Jerks, Scott Vs Box, Dave Made A Maze, and Steve on Twitter.
Bob Bassett's steampunk accoutrements
Bioshock Infinite
The Boy with the Cuckoo-Clock Heart and the accompanying stop-motion animated music video
Machinarium
Jules Verne
H.G. Wells

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49: Lifehacking

Thu, 02 May 2013 01:44:00 +0000

Stephen Perlstein returns this week to dissect lifehacking, which has the very broad definition of anything that solves a problem or increases productivity in everyday life. Lifehacking sites have everything from tips and tricks for around the house, to guides for tinkering and DIY projects, to app recommendations, to general life advice, to strategies for increasing efficiency. Basically, if there's a problem plaguing you big or small, odds are there's a lifehack for it. But if the term is so broad that it can basically mean anything, then does it really mean anything at all? Who knows, but at least Stephen's figured out how to stop accidentally washing his hair too many times.

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Show links:

Follow Stephen on Twitter and check out the Improv Obsession Podcast
Lifehacker.com
Lifehack.org
The picture list of 99 lifehacks
And if you're curious whether you're tying your shoes wrong, check out the TED talk Terry Moore: How to tie your shoes.

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48: Revival cinema

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 05:54:00 +0000

This week, Julia Marchese joins Jen to discuss revival cinema, the type of movie theater that has classic and special programming rather than first run films. Working at and loving the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles, Julia is a veritable expert on revival cinema and has also been inspired to fight back against studios phasing out 35mm film prints by making her upcoming documentary, Out of Print. Julia shares thoughts on the importance of revival cinema to movies as a whole, what makes the New Beverly so special, plus cool tidbits about Out of Print. She also reveals what it's like to have Quentin Tarantino as your landlord.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

Follow Julia on Twitter and stay tuned to the website for Out of Print for updates about the documentary!

If you're in Los Angeles, check out the New Beverly!

Butt-Numb-A-Thon

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47: Nickelodeon nostalgia

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 07:05:00 +0000

Mike Carlson and Lindsay Katai join Jen this week to talk about all the great Nickelodeon shows of their childhood. From cool gameshows like Nick Arcade and Legends of the Hidden Temple, to weird cartoons like The Ren & Stimpy Show and Rocko's Modern Life, to totally unique live action shows like Clarissa Explains It All and The Adventures of Pete & Pete, there was something on Nickelodeon for every kid. And even though they might get some of the things about old Nickelodeon shows now that they didn't as kids, it doesn't mean they're any less fond of them as adults.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

You can follow Mike and Lindsay on Twitter and see them in the Tournament of Nerds at Upright Citizens Brigade, where you can also see Mike on Harold team Kid Grift and check out Lindsay's show Les Sizzlerables.
The Adventures of Pete & Pete
Are You Afraid of the Dark?
Clarissa Explains It All
Legends of the Hidden Temple
Nick Arcade
The Ren & Stimpy Show
SNICK

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46: Crap Kingdom with DC Pierson

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 08:04:27 +0000

DC Pierson joins Jen this week to talk about his latest novel Crap Kingdom, which is about a teenager who discovers he's the Chosen One in a fantasy kingdom that to his disappointment turns out to be, well, crappy. DC also chats about his first book, The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To, and the various ways he interacts with his readers, from writing their names into custom rap songs if they pre-ordered Crap Kingdom, to replying directly to a query about his book on Yahoo Answers. Former theater nerds, current comedy nerds, really nerds of any kind will totally relate to DC's protagonists. And of course, idiot douchebags won't get it at all.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

You can follow DC on Twitter, watch sketches by DERRICK comedy, see him in Shitty Jobs on Sundays at 11pm at Upright Citizens Brigade, and check out his weekly stand-up show Big Money on Thursdays at 7:30pm at The Virgil.
Buy Crap Kingdom!
Buy The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To!
See DC at the LA Times Festival of Books on Sunday, April 21 at 1:30pm at the Young Adult Fiction: Guffaws & Giggles panel at the YA Stage.
And check out the custom raps for people who pre-ordered Crap Kingdom!

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45: TV show revivals

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 22:14:00 +0000

Jacki Merchant joins Jen this week to talk about the many TV shows that have in some way gotten a second wind. From a Kickstarter-funded movie years after the fact, to fan campaigns reversing cancellations, to changing networks or moving to Netflix, there are tons of examples of TV shows that have been rescued from the grave. Of course, for all the shows that got resuscitated and made good on their second shot at life, there are also a few that fumbled their reprieve.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

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44: TED Talks

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 10:19:00 +0000

Alex Berg joins Jen this week to discuss the nerdy wonders that are TED Talks, the lectures on technology, entertainment, and design given throughout the year at various TED events as well as provided free online. From robotics to ancient relics to defining life, love, and consciousness, there's a TED talk for just about everyone, though Alex and Jen admittedly geek out primarily over the talks that fall under TED's "T." Of course, that doesn't mean they haven't also watched talks about porn and sex toys. They are human, after all.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

You can follow Alex on Twitter, see his improv group Convoy on Thursdays at 11pm at Upright Citizens Brigade Los Angeles, and check out his movie Hell Baby this fall.

Theme song:

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43: TL;DR

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 08:52:56 +0000

Guest James Mulholland returns (sorry, Stephen C. James, he's expanding his lead) for a nearly half-size episode on the internet phenomenon of TL;DR, or "too long; didn't read." Normally episode descriptions are more detailed than that, but when they are does anyone actually read them anyway? Maybe when they also tease exciting tangents, like a John Mayer spotting!

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

You can follow James on Twitter, but he doesn't necessarily advise it since he rarely tweets
Google Reader and the petition to save it
Instapaper
The A.V. Club covering Gilmore Girls

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42: Completing the trilogies

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 08:13:00 +0000

Having finally watched the third installments of the Back to the Future and Star Wars franchises, Jen has Stephen C. James back for his third appearance on PrePopCulture. Though they agree that both movies aren't the most essential parts of their respective franchises, they disagree about which trilogy is better over all. And even though Jen watched all of Return of the Jedi, it's entirely possible she still managed to miss a very pivotal moment.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

Follow Stephen on Twitter and check out his improv show The Sunday Social at iO West. His sketch show Sketch Devils returns to Second City in May.

Theme song:

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41: Social media oversharing vs. social media blackout

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 08:00:00 +0000

Danny Cohen and Farley Elliott return this week to talk with Jen about the extreme ends of the spectrum when it comes to social media use. From why certain people (*ahem* Danny) choose to abstain from Facebook altogether, to why other people seem to think everything about their lives is worth sharing with the world, plus all the privacy issues that crop up in between, these three definitely agree on at least one thing: push notifications are annoying.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

Follow Danny and Farley on Twitter and check out Minutiae. Farley is also one of the hosts of the Manifesto Show.
Join Boppbopp
Forever Dancer is an album Danny made. You can download it. Seriously.

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40: Toys of the 80s and 90s

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:08:00 +0000

Andrew Wollman (Doctor Who Live!) returns to talk with Jen about their favorite toys from the 1980s and early 1990s. From Centurions to Lite-Brite to Skip-It, some of these old favorites have been forgotten, some have been updated for today's kids, and some, in retrospect, were maybe just invented for parents to tire their children out. Plus, Andrew reveals how he cleverly "supplemented" his allowance, and Jen realizes the stories she played out with her toys were not exactly normal.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

You can check out Andrew's tumblr and see him in Doctor Who Live! at iO West, the Tournament of Nerds at Upright Citizens Brigade, and his indie improv show The 11th Hour Show at the Clubhouse.

Theme song:

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39: Magic

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 09:52:37 +0000

Leeman Parker (The Filthy Liars) joins Jen this week to discuss the peaks and valleys of the popularity of magic over the years, from the heyday of the '80s and early '90s when magic could sustain a primetime TV special, to the late '90s trend of endurance stunts masquerading as illusions, to a potential resurgence on the horizon given two mainstream movies about magicians are due out within the next three months. Plus Leeman talks about his experiences performing at the Magic Castle, and Jen performs a feat of etymological magic by declaring "heisting" a word.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show links:

See Leeman do improv with Bro Squad 5 at Second City's Saturday Night's Main Event every Saturday at 9:30pm, and perform comedy magic with The Filthy Liars at venues like the Magic Castle and the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
2006's dueling magic movies, The Illusionist and The Prestige
David Copperfield's private islands, The Islands of Copperfield Bay
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
The Magic Castle
Magicians (2007)
The Masked Magician
Now You See Me

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38: Horns by Joe Hill

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 08:12:58 +0000

Art Tebbel (Box Office Democracy) returns to discuss Horns by Joe Hill. Because what's more appropriate for Valentine's Day than a novel Stephen King's son wrote about a guy who was accused of raping and murdering his girlfriend suddenly waking up one morning to discover devil horns growing out of his head? That's right, nothing!

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

You can follow Art on Twitter and check out Box Office Democracy as a blog and podcast
Horns
And here's a picture of Daniel Radcliffe in costume as Ig

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37: Conspiracy theories

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 02:38:36 +0000

This week, Paul Bartunek joins Jen to talk about the all truths the government and big business and the lizard people don't want you to know about. Conspiracy theories run the gamut in terms of scale and scope, from celebrities that aren't really dead to disasters that are inside jobs to the forthcoming destruction of the entire global economy, but weirdly an awful lot of them seem like they might just have a kernel of truth in them. And even if they don't, it can't hurt to put a piece of tape over your webcam just in case someone's watching, right?

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show links:

You can follow Paul on Twitter and Instagram.
Above Top Secret
Alex Jones' Infowars
Bilderberg Group
David Icke and the lizard people
New World Order
The questionable deaths of Andy Kaufman, Paul McCartney, and Tupac Shakur
Illuminati symbol from Freevector and used under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

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36: Famous or infamous

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 10:17:00 +0000

Guest James Mulholland returns to protect his status as most frequent guest, and to talk about the weird cultural thing that happens when something receives more attention for a peripheral aspect of it than for what it is in and of itself. Yikes, that sounds vague, huh? Don't worry, we've got plenty of weird examples ranging from blockbuster movies to bestsellers to fast food. And we even talk a little about BDSM.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show links:

You can follow James on Twitter, but he doesn't necessarily advise it since he rarely tweets
Dying is good for Batman
Everyone loves a comeback
James Frey and his fake memoir
Twilight fan fiction

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35: Mobile gaming

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 11:10:00 +0000

Danny Mastrangelo (Silhouette Games; Been There, Played That) returns for more gaming talk, this time getting into games for handheld and mobile devices. The gap between these is becoming progressively murkier what with games from each type of device being ported to the other, but Danny and Jen find the differences between these types of games actually go much deeper than what you happen to be playing them on. They also can't help but bring up Animal Crossing again, and it's even sadder this time around.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show links:

Follow Danny on Twitter and check out his video game development site Silhouette Games and video game review site Been There, Played That.
Bastion
Chaos Rings
Jetpack Joyride
Sound Shapes
Sword & Sorcery
Thomas Was Alone
Tiny Tower
Tiny Wings

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34: John Irving is a weirdo

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 09:27:22 +0000

Darien Clark (MurderCliff) and Andrew Wollman (Tournament of Nerds) join Jen to talk about the prolific American author John Irving, and the various ways in which his books have been adapted as movies. If you've read even one book by Irving, you won't be surprised that wrestling, horrific accidents, and bears come up. Jen and Andrew also reveal unusual choices for make-out movies, plus Darien and Jen kiss a little. Or at least Andrew wants you to think they do.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

You can follow Darien on Twitter and see her group MurderCliff at Cagematch on January 23 at 11pm at Upright Citizens Brigade. You can check out Andrew's tumblr and see him in the Tournament of Nerds on January 19 at midnight at Upright Citizens Brigade and every other Saturday in Doctor Who Live! at 11:30pm at iO West.
The Cider House Rules as a book and a movie
The Hotel New Hampshire as a book and a movie
A Prayer for Owen Meany and Simon Birch
A Widow for One Year and The Door in the Floor
The World According to Garp as a book and a movie

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33: Viral marketing

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 09:28:00 +0000

Guest Joel Jensen (Denizen) returns to walk Jen through the ins and outs of viral marketing. From developing ad concepts, to seeding the finished videos, to explaining to clients why it isn't bad that they have random views in Belarus, Joel covers all the bases. Plus he knows secrets about the internet in China, and sometimes he gets to play with cool bugs!

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show links:

You can follow Joel on Twitter and check out his indie improv show Room 101.
Check out Joel's company Denizen to view cool viral ads like Bug Circus, Lights Out, One Charge Challenge, Budweiser's Flash Fans, Skittles's Touch, and more.
Chatroulette turned viral ad
Samsung's Peter the elephant spot
The Viral Factory

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32: Dissolution

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 10:28:24 +0000

To kick off season two, Jake Goldman joins Jen to tackle history and mystery in the novel Dissolution by C.J. Sansom. The book takes place in Tudor England and follows a hunchback lawyer as he's sent by Lord Cromwell to investigate a murder at a country monastery during Henry VIII's dissolution of papist religious houses. Naturally Jake and Jen get into relevant details like what constituted getting to third base with someone in 1537.

An important note on spoilers! Jake and Jen discuss who the killer is from 50:47-57:33. If you haven't read the book but want to, you can safely listen to the rest of the episode and just avoid that spoiler-y portion.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show links:

You can follow Jake on Twitter and check out new episodes of Futurama this summer.
Dissolution
SNL's Anne Boleyn sketch
And #FindTesla!

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31: 2012 in review, part 2

Thu, 27 Dec 2012 04:37:00 +0000

Wrapping up the first season of PrePopCulture, guests Sarah Claspell and Scott Davis return to talk about what they were glad to see get big this year, what they'd hoped would be big in 2012 but wasn't, and what they hope to see get big in 2013. But what it really boils down to is that they all love cute animals on the internet.

Thanks for listening to the first season of PrePopCulture! If you're enjoying the podcast, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

You can follow Sarah and Scott on Twitter. Check out Scott's podcast One Photo Reviews and Sarah's website well that's adorable.
David Mitchell: Back Story
Game of Thrones
Grumpy Cat
The Hunger Games
Ikea Monkey
Magic Mike
The Newsroom
Side Effects

Theme song:

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30: 2012 in review, part 1

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 05:22:00 +0000

In the first half of a two part episode, guests Danny Cohen and Jon Mackey return to talk about what they were glad to see get big this year, what they'd hoped would be big in 2012 but wasn't, and what they hope to see get big in 2013. Danny also reveals his favorite character in film history, and Jon reveals the secret to putting on weight for a role.

Come back next week for part two with Sarah Claspell and Scott Davis!

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show links:

You can follow Danny and Jon on Twitter. Issue #9 of Danny's humor publication Minutiae is available now, and you can see Jon's sketch group Big Grande at the San Francisco Sketchfest on January 25 and 26 at The Dark Room.
Arrested Development
BFF
Homeland
Instagram
Key & Peele
Portlandia
Terriers
The Walking Dead

Theme song:

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29: Underappreciated holiday movies

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 11:19:59 +0000

Guest James Mulholland returns to discuss lesser known holiday movies as well as movies that take place around the holidays, which is quickly found to be an important distinction. Apparently the amount of snow shown has a huge impact on whether or not Jen considers it to be a holiday movie, plus she shares her wild New Years plans.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show links:

You can follow James on Twitter, but he doesn't necessarily advise it since he rarely tweets
Disney's Christmas special, A Disney Christmas Gift
A Garfield Christmas Special
Hoops & Yoyo Ruin Christmas
The Ice Storm
Mickey's Christmas Carol
Prancer
Check out the Rare Exports trailer or rent/buy it on iTunes
Rudolph's Shiny New Year
Scrooged
Wonder Boys

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28: Liveblogging

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 10:05:22 +0000

Guest Farley Elliott returns to chat about the insta-reporting/comedy we've come to know as liveblogging. From tech events, to bad movies, to politics, to sports, there doesn't seem to be something that isn't liveblog-worthy these days. In fact, somebody's probably liveblogging this episode right now...

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show Notes:

Follow Farley on Twitter and check out his liveblogs for episode 16: Micro/internet publishing, episode 22: The Gates and The Infernals, episode 25: NaNoWriMo, and episode 26: Six month anniversary!. You can also check out our indie improv show, The Manifesto Show.

The Funny Or Die Debate Experts tweets

Grantland Live

Je Shirt

KimKierkegaardashian

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27: Late to the Back to the Future party

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Stephen C. James (The Sunday Social) and Scott Narver (Curtain Jerks) return to discuss another thing Jen was way behind the curve on: Back to the Future. Having watched the first and second movies in the franchise for the first time this week, Jen dug the way the movies use time travel, wasn't as enthralled with the DeLorean as Stephen and Scott are, and noticed a particular (and slightly disturbing) similarity between these movies and Star Wars. Plus, Scott does an impression that's one of the best things that's ever happened on the podcast.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show notes:

Check out Stephen's improv show The Sunday Social, plus his improv groups Tuskegee Experiment and Nerdvana at Second City LA's Toys 4 Tots benefit show on December 7, as well as Scott's podcast Curtain Jerks and YouTube show Scott Vs Box. You can also follow Stephen, Curtain Jerks, and Scott Vs Box on Twitter.
You surely don't need a link to find a place to watch Back to the Future, so instead you can check out the 25th anniversary edition of the trilogy on DVD
Back to the Future TV cartoon

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26: Six month anniversary!

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 07:30:00 +0000

Wow, six months of the podcast? Crazy! In this episode, Jen gives some updates on previous topics, shares clips that got cut out of other episodes for time, and tells you where to find some excellent liveblogging of the show. It felt super awkward doing an episode without a guest, so don't expect another solo show for a long time.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it in iTunes and Like it on Facebook! And since this episode was recorded a week before it was posted, iTunes reviewers who posted after 11/16 will be thanked in episode 27!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show Links:

Do No Harm, the first article from Matter
Minutiae issue #9 is out now
The prequel and trailer for this year's Doctor Who Christmas special, Doctor Who: The Snowmen
Looper: Baldness Anxiety, Nick Wiger's inadvertently spoiler-y Funny or Die video
The Clubhouse, a new home for indie improv in LA
Farley's liveblogs for episode 16: Micro/internet publishing, episode 22: The Gates and The Infernals, and episode 25: NaNoWriMo

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25: NaNoWriMo

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 12:00:00 +0000

This week, Sarah Claspell and returning guest Dickie Copeland join Jen to chat about National Novel Writing Month. They're all trying to write 50,000 words over the month of November and (spoiler alert) they're all super behind. But that's okay! They commiserate over the challenges of churning out an entire novel in 30 days, share their writing routines/rituals and the ways they developed their concepts, plus Dickie is able to give some insight about how to just get through it since she's a veteran to NaNoWriMo unlike first timers Sarah and Jen. Plus if you like Game of Thrones references and/or people calling themselves monsters, this episode is going to keep you entertained through and through.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes and Like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show Links:

Follow Sarah and Dickie on Twitter, check out Dickie's website, and come vote for their improv team Bikini Tiger at The Manifesto Show's Three-Man Tournament this Friday!
National Novel Writing Month

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24: Underappreciated video games

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 01:56:56 +0000

Guest Danny Masterangelo (Silhouette Games; Been There, Played That) returns to discuss the video games he and Jen love but find casual gamers are usually unaware of. From visual novels to shooters to 8 bit and more, these games stand out because they're exceptionally immersive, addictive, creepy, or just plain crazy. Actually, most of them fall into more than one of these descriptors. And one might even help get you through a breakup.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show links:

Follow Danny on Twitter and check out his video game development site Silhouette Games and forthcoming video game review site Been There, Played That
Animal Crossing
Bastion
Bit Trip Runner
Corpse Party
Double Fine Adventure
Eternal Darkness
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Journey
No More Heroes
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Psychonauts
Shadow of the Colossus
Syphon Filter 2
TimeSplitters: Future Perfect
Wario's Woods
Zero Escape Series - 999: Nine Hours, Nines Persons, Nine Doors and Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward

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23: Doomed adaptations

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 01:15:00 +0000

Guest James Ross (Tournament of Nerds) returns to discuss the many failures and disappointments that have been created as a result of Hollywood having run out of original ideas. Whether adapting literature, real life stories, comics, toys, or board games, the sad truth is that though once in a blue moon the result is something as amazing as Clue, more often than not you end up with Battleship.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show Links:

Follow James on Twitter, check out his indie improv show The 11th Hour Show, and see him in Tournament of Nerds
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Ender's Game
Fantastic 4 movies are never good even if they do make money
GI Joe: Retaliation just released a new trailer
Lost in La Mancha
Mockingbird Lane makes a mockery of The Munsters
Police Academy: The Animated Series
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty worked in 1947, but will it work in 2013?

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22: The Gates and The Infernals

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 08:44:16 +0000

This week, Dickie Copeland joins Jen for a Halloween episode about two novels by John Connolly, The Gates, and its sequel, The Infernals. The books kick off with 11 year old Samuel Johnson discovering a portal between Earth and Hell through which a demonic horde intends to invade on Halloween, and chronicle Samuel's adventures battling the evil invasion with the help of his dachshund Boswell and a not-so-demonic demon named Nurd, among others. Naturally, this leads to Jen relating a traumatic childhood experience of her own, and Dickie revealing another novel she's reading that is disturbing and far less appropriate for young adults. Spooooky!

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com

Show Links:

Follow Dickie on Twitter and check out her group Styx Martin at Room 101 on Halloween
The Gates
The Infernals

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21: Roger Dodger and P.S.

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 05:29:00 +0000

This week, Jon Mackey (Winslow) joins Jen to discuss two movies by filmmaker Dylan Kidd, Roger Dodger and P.S. Both have a lot to do with relationships and sex, so there are some uncomfortable moments to be had. In the movies, that is. Not the podcast. Also, Jon forgot to mention while they were recording that he really likes the scene in Roger Dodger on the street near the beginning of the movie that was shot with a telephoto lens because it's one long take and impressively choreographed, so Jen said she'd put that in the episode description. And now she has.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show Links:

Follow Jon on Twitter and check out his Harold team Winslow, plus Big Grande's Little Sketch Show on November 1 at Upright Citizen's Brigade in LA.
Roger Dodger
P.S.

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20: Comics, now with commies!

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 08:20:32 +0000

Guest Mark David Christenson (One Photo Reviews) returns to talk more comics! From an alternate reality Superman who grew up under Communist Russian rule to two more series that hit Jen's literary sweet spot by employing characters from fables and great novels, there was nary a complaint to be had this time around. Plus, Dave inadvertently reveals who his dream woman is, and her identity surprises even him.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Show Links:

Follow Dave on Twitter and check out his podcast One Photo Reviews. And if you're in LA, come check out our indie improv show, The Manifesto Show.
Fables
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Superman: Red Son
Saga

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19: Underappreciated kids movies

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 10:06:00 +0000

Joel Jensen (Room 101) joins Jen to discuss movies from childhood they loved but think are underappreciated, whether because they were forgotten over time or just not that big in the first place. They realize that anthropomorphized fighting animals and catchy songs were selling points for them, respectively. They also discover they were both gluttons for punishment, as many of their most loved movies also had parts that really freaked them out. If you don't remember the Jabberwock from the 1985 Alice in Wonderland 2 part TV movie, just trust them. It's terrifying.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and Like it on Facebook!

Show Links:

Follow Joel on Twitter and check out Room 101
Adventures in Dinosaur City
Alice in Wonderland (1985)
The Brave Little Toaster
Disney's Halloween Treat
Ernest Scared Stupid
Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme
The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking
Pete's Dragon
Super Mario Brothers
Surviving the Game
You can get This is America, Charlie Brown from Netflix! Who knew?
The Ugly Dachshund
The Warriors of Virtue
And check out Transcendental Youth, the latest album from The Mountain Goats

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18: Alternate reality games

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 07:30:00 +0000

This week, John Ford (Tournament of Nerds) joins Jen to discuss ARGs: alternate/augmented reality games. Whether existing as a self-sustaining enterprise or being used to promote a movie, show, or product, a good ARG will have players immersed in a fictional world that they can actually interact with through multiple media platforms as well as real-world components. These games often ask players to solve a mystery, and John and Jen have both fallen down rabbit holes trying to do just that.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Relevant Links:

John's not on Twitter, but you can see him in Tournament of Nerds
The Beast (A.I. ARG)
Cloverfield ARG
The Dark Knight ARG
Flynn Lives (TRON Legacy ARG)
I Love Bees (Halo 2 ARG)
Lost ARGs
Perplex City and an album of Jen's Perplex City artifacts
Weyland Industries (possible Prometheus ARG)
Year Zero (Nine Inch Nails ARG)
And if you're looking for a comprehensive hub for ARGs, check out Unfiction

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17: Indie Game: The Movie

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 06:06:00 +0000

Guest James Mulholland returns to discuss Indie Game: The Movie, a great documentary about indie game development and culture. Braid, Fez, and Super Meat Boy certainly gave the documentarians plenty to focus on, so it's no surprise that James and Jen nerd out about the games themselves as much as the movie. And despite reassurances that he has no intention to "Danny Cohen" the end of the podcast, James has an extensive list of things to recommend since a second time guesting means he's come super prepared.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Show Notes:

You can follow James on Twitter, but he recommends against it.
Indie Game: The Movie
Braid
Fez
Super Meat Boy
Double Fine, makers of Double Fine Adventure
Journey
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
Limbo
Penny Arcade
Republique and the WIRED article about its Kickstarter campaign
Telltale Games, makers of Nelson Tethers: Puzzle Agent
Wasteland 2

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16: Micro/internet publishing

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 10:20:00 +0000

In this episode, Danny Cohen (Minutiae) joins Jen to discuss the almost oxymoronic expansion of niche publishing. By offering an easier delivery system for content whether it be journalism, narrative, or comedy, the internet has completely changed the scope and potential for micropublications, taking endeavors that were once limited to zines and turning a lucky few into near media empires. Also, Danny decides to make the recording an editing nightmare for Jen by talking as long as possible, which means he resorts to things like telling the ladies why he'd make a good boyfriend.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes and like it on Facebook!

Relevant Links:

Follow Danny on Twitter and check out Minutiae
Boppbopp really does have a creepy privacy policy
Matter
McSweeney's
The Onion

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15: Scorsese B-sides

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 10:14:00 +0000

This week, guest Leigh Myles joins Jen to talk about The King of Comedy and some of Scorsese's other lesser known gems. From comedy to obsession to love of cinema, there's plenty beyond the mafia in Scorsese's CV even if these aren't the first things that come to mind when thinking about this great director. Plus Leigh reveals her dream movie cast and Jen tells a cryptic anecdote relating why Leigh's dream will sadly never be.

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Show Notes:

Follow Leigh on Twitter and check out her website for great videos ahe's produced, directed, written, and acted in.

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore on Netflix / Amazon

The King of Comedy on Netflix / Amazon

Who's That Knocking at My Door? on Netflix / Amazon

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14: Late to the Star Wars party

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 11:03:00 +0000

In this week's episode, guest Scott Narver (Curtain Jerks) joins Jen to discuss something she was waaaay behind the times on: Star Wars. Having watched A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back for the first time ever this week, Jen has a lot of reactions, some of which are valid, some of which are weird, but all of which Scott is really nice about. He even talks her into trying to use the Force, but of course nothing comes from the attempt. Or does it...?

If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Show Notes:

Check out Scott's podcast Curtain Jerks and follow the show on Twitter, and also check out his improv group Bro Squad 5 and follow them on Twitter

And on the off chance you've also reached adulthood without having seen Star Wars, you should watch it. This is just a suggestion without a link since there are so many ways to see it.

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13: A podcast podcast

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 11:16:00 +0000

In this episode, Jen and her guests Robert Chan (Box Office Democracy, The One Four Oh) and Stephen Perlstein (Improv Obsession Podcast) chat about different styles of podcasting, how they got into hosting their own shows, and of course, the myriad of podcasts they listen to. And if you're looking for the inside track on which podcasts have the most dulcet-toned hosts, they've got you covered. Basically, in meme speak, "Yo dawg, I heard you like podcasts, so I put some podcasts in your podcast so you can hear about podcasts while you listen to a podcast!"

And if you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Links:

Follow Robert and Stephen on Twitter and check out their podcasts Box Office Democracy, The One Four Oh, and Improv Obsession Podcast.

And since about a thousand podcasts came up, here's an abbreviated list of the the ones that were mentioned more than once:

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12: Tournament of Nerds

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 07:30:00 +0000

Ever wonder who would in a fight between Cthulu and the Swedish Chef? Or Mr. Spock versus Ren & Stimpy? Believe it or not, there's a show that has the answer: Tournament of Nerds. Started as a live stage show in 2008, this monthly endeavor is now a part of The Nerdist Channel on YouTube, bringing the most bizarre character battles you never imagined to anyone with the internet. This week, Jen's joined by two of the show's nerds, James Ross (The 11th Hour Show) and Jonny Svarzbein (TNT) to discuss past battles, strategies for defending characters close to their hearts in nerd versus nerd debate, and what it was like bringing the live stage show to this year's Comic-Con.

And if you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Relevant Links:

Follow James and Jonny on Twitter, and check out their indie improv shows The 11th Hour Show and TNT.
Check out the Tournament of Nerds website, Facebook page, and the Nerdist Youtube Channel to watch videos of past battles and vote in current brackets.
And go see Tournament of Nerds live at UCBLA!

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11: Another Earth and Sound of My Voice

Thu, 09 Aug 2012 07:30:00 +0000

Rene Gube (writer, Up All Night) joins Jen to talk about a couple of amazing indie movies starring and co-written by Brit Marling. Whether playing a girl whose quest for redemption after a drunk driving accident coincides with the discovery of another Earth that's a mirror to ours, or a girl forming a cult of followers around herself by claiming to be from the year 2054, Marling makes movies that leave a great deal up to the viewer's interpretation. Which means Rene and Jen have an awful lot to talk about.

An important note on spoilers! Rene and Jen discuss the end of Sound of My Voice from 49:25-56:19 and the end of Another Earth from 56:19-1:03:26, so if you haven't seen either or both of these movies yet, you can safely listen to the rest of the episode and just avoid the relevant spoiler-y chunks.

And if you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook!

Show Notes:

Follow Rene on Twitter and check out Hop Hop Penguin, UCB Harold Team John Velvet, indie improv show Room 101, Werner Hotdog: The Documentary, and the show he writes for, NBC's Up All Night.
Another Earth is available on DVD and Blu-ray
Sound of My Voice will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on October 2, 2012

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10: Adapting British comedies for the US

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 08:21:00 +0000

Stephen C. James (The Sunday Social) joins Jen to discuss a myriad of attempts at brining UK sitcoms to the US. Whether it's down to different styles of humor, level of adherence to the original, or simply the right or wrong actor taking over a role, few shows handle the transition as successfully as the one from Wernham Hogg to Dunder Mifflin. But that doesn't mean an awful lot haven't tried. Seriously. So many failed attempts.

Relevant Links:

Follow Stephen on Twitter
Coupling
Friday Night Dinner doesn't air in the US and isn't available here on DVD, but as of now you can watch the first series here on Youtube
The Inbetweeners
The IT Crowd
The Kids in the Hall on the Nerdist Channel
Peep Show
Really Awesome Improv Show
Red Dwarf
The Sunday Social
Tuskegee Experiment

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9: Indie improv, with Casey Feigh and Nick Mandernach

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 07:01:00 +0000

In the second installment of a two-part series on improv, Jen chats about the indie improv community with guests Casey Feigh (Crashbar) and Nick Mandernach (Room 101). They cover everything from the genesis of each show to how a line-up is put together to social anxiety about hosting. They also recall the dirty thirty and discover a mutual admiration for weird ball games, but don't worry, nothing about either of those things is blue.

For the first part of the series, check out Episode 8: Long form improv, with Neil Campbell.

And if you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook.

Relevant Links:

Follow Casey and Nick on Twitter
Check out their indie improv shows Crashbar and Room 101, plus other LA indie improv shows TNT, The 11th Hour Show, and The Manifesto Show
Hip Hop Penguin
UCB Harold Team John Velvet

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8: Long form improv, with Neil Campbell

Sun, 22 Jul 2012 02:59:00 +0000

In the first installment of a two-part series on improv, Jen talks with guest Neil Campbell (Artistic Director, Upright Citizens Brigade Los Angeles) about long form improv. They discuss why it's lesser known than short form improv, and whether or not it ever could (or should) be more broadly consumed. And because they're both improv nerds, they get into some of the nitty gritty about performing long form as well. But odds are if you're listening to this, you're an improv nerd too, so yes, and this episode by tuning in next week for part 2, indie improv with Casey Feigh (Crashbar) and Nick Mandernach (Room 101). And if you've got any questions for them about improv, email prepopculture@gmail.com!

Relevant Links:

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