Episode Playlist
Episode 62 - Shannon Strucci ("Lupin III and the Mystery of Mamo")( 0:58:35)
Episode Information
Most Kiwis, if they know Lupin III at all, probably know him from the Miyazaki Hayao-directed "Castle of Cagliostro" which is on NZ Netflix as part of the Studio Ghibli Collection. "Cagliostro" is good, but presents a kinder and gentler version of the master thief than the majority of Lupin media. "The Mystery of Mamo" is the previous Lupin movie, and hews closer to the madcap violence and lechery of the original manga. It's weird, experimental, (and has a surprise Hitler cameo!) Shannon Strucci is an internet commentator, podcaster, amateur Lupinologist, and made the video essay that inspired this podcast. We talk about "Mamo" and the wild world of Lupin III generally, and it is a Good Time.
Published: 15/09/2023 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 61 - Jay Brandstetter and Winslow Dumaine (90's and 00's "Edge")( 0:55:48)
Episode Information
Over the last couple of episodes I've ended up circling back to "it was the 90's" as an explanation for weird or offensive elements in TTRPGs. I felt like this was a thread worth pulling on, so I called on Jay Brandstetter and Winslow Dumaine of the podcast "I'm From The Internet" (https://shows.acast.com/im-from-the-internet-a-podcast-about-somethingawfulcom) to help me unpack the edgy internet style of the 90's and 00's, and explore its ongoing impact on our culture.
Published: 30/06/2023 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 60 - Sean Murphy on Violence (1999)( 0:55:47)
Episode Information
The last of my KiwiRPG Week miniseries (www.kiwirpg.com for more on that!) this time I talk to Sean Murphy (www.smurphy-games.itch.io) about "Violence", a satirical 1999 roleplaying game by Greg Costikyan (www.costik.com) under the pseudonym "Designer X". Violence is part of a wave of critiques of the state of the roleplaying scene that emerged through the mid-late 90s, and in particular attempted to skewer mainstream gaming's relationships with both wanton violence and consumerism. How successful is the satire? We'll get into that...
CW on this one for discussions of violence and general 90s edginess.
Published: 16/06/2023 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 59 - Tim Denee (Deadlands)( 1:3:40)
Episode Information
This episode in my continuing mini-series for KiwiRPG week (www.kiwirpg.com for more on that!) I talk to Tim Denee of Old Dog Games (www.olddog.games) about the game I used to play with him back in high school: Deadlands. Deadlands is a "weird west" roleplaying game, and is a fascinating microcosm of a lot of both the good and the bad of 90s game design with a very distinctive balance of genuinely cool ideas, hokey weirdness, and outright broken mechanics. By comparison we also get into passing discussions of the World of Darkness, WEG's D6 Star Wars game, and particularly Vincent Baker's Dogs in the Vineyard. Minor CW on this one for discussions of racism, sexism, and cultural appropriation..
Published: 9/06/2023 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 58 - Mike Sands (Unique TTRPGs)( 0:53:54)
Episode Information
KiwiRPG week is (at time of publishing) just round the corner! I'm doing a few interviews with NZ TTRPG folks to mark the occasion, and the first of these is with Mike Sands (Monster of the Week - https://evilhat.com/product/monster-of-the-week) talking about RPGs that use unusual mechanical or storytelling methods. We cover a pretty broad range of stuff, but in particular talk about Maskwitches, Wanderhome, Yazeba's Bed and Breakfast, and Sunderwald. For more on KiwiRPG: www.kiwirpg.com!
Published: 2/06/2023 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 57 - Derrick Sims (Cloud Atlas)( 0:50:59)
Episode Information
"Cloud Atlas" is probably the Wachowski sisters' most divisive movie - critics at the time (and audiences today) seem to either love it or hate it. Today's guest (filmmaker and cinematographer Derrick Sims) and I are obviously in the former camp. This episode we look at this intensely ambitious movie and dig into what makes it so hard for some people to get their heads around.
Published: 12/05/2023 9:00:00 p.m.
Episode 56 - Scott Hamilton (ANZAC History)( 1:0:44)
Episode Information
One of the things that makes me very uncomfortable about NZ society is the way that ANZAC Day is recognised. It seems to me that most discussion around the day tends to recycle what is essentially contemporary propaganda about the causes and aims of WWI in particular. On this episode I'm joined by Scott Hamilton (@SikotiHamiltonR) author, essayist, and researcher, to discuss some forgotten parts of ANZAC history that complicate the heroic myth. CW for discussion of violence.
Published: 21/04/2023 9:00:00 p.m.