Podcast

The short story, “A Brief Moment in the Life of Angus Bethune”, and the film which it inspired have had a staying power which has often surprised the artists behind the works. In this episode, author Chris Crutcher discusses his inspiration for the character, censorship, and the impact the AIDS epidemic had on his writing. Actor Charlie Talbert, who played Angus in the movie, joins the show to talk about being a teenage newbie in Hollywood, pranking James Van Der Beek, and the recent work he has been doing in New Orleans. [Episode 1, 2018]

Andre Dubroc has been a professional circus clown, best-selling author, and a Hallmark greeting card writer. In this interview he shares stories about his time in school with Tony Award-winner Norbert Leo Butz, getting comedy advice from animator Chuck Jones, what his world travels have taught him about success, and which of his many jobs has been the most rewarding. [Episode 2, 2018]

Are spirits haunting the Southern United States? Can they be detected? David Laville of the New Orleans Ghost Hunters brings some audio evidence to the show that raises some interesting questions. Meanwhile, Ben Langlinais of the Louisiana Ghostbusters shares the story of turning his fandom into a force for charity so powerful it's scary. [Episode 4, 2018]

Keir Hansen, Communications Director for Random Tuesday, Inc., sits down for a chat with Travis about how this non-profit has harnessed the power of fandom to raise millions of dollars for charitable causes through virtual running events. They'll also discuss spotting wizards in the wild, the joys of being a Ravenclaw, building a supportive community, and that one episode of Doctor Who where they meet Vincent Van Gogh. [Episode 7, 2020]

Travis sits down with poets Dylan Krieger and Emily Jean McCollister to discuss the surprising places poetry pops up, a poet’s process, inspiration, and poetry’s place in the modern world. [Episode 3, 2018]

Travis uses his time in quarantine to provide you with a dramatic reading of Edgar Allen Poe's short story The Masque of the Red Death. Story highlights include tips on interior decorating, the importance of booking a band during a plague, and commentary on social distancing. [Episode 16, 2020]

Growing up, Nance Hixon knew he wanted to do one of two things: open a comic book shop or become a pastor. Having chose the latter, Travis asks him to provide proof of God's existence, why bad things happen to good people, did Jesus die to save aliens too, and how does he deal with cracks in his faith. [Episode 20, 2020]

Nerd's Nerd Phil Sevin joins the show for the inconceivable task of ranking the Star Wars films. Phil shares fashion tips from his youth, gets candid about his fiancee's first time with the original threesome of films, and muses with Travis about what could have fixed the movies that went wrong. Trigger warnings for: extreme geekery, Last Jedi discussion, midichlorians, and space teets. [Episode 18, 2020]

Journalist and writer Allison Chopin joins Travis for a more-serious-than-it-needs-to-be discussion about 80s cartoon Rainbow Brite. Does Rainbow lead a socialist utopia or is she the figurehead of a diabolical color cult? Other topics of discussion include the rebooting of cartoons and the creepiness of 80s classics. [Episode 22, 2020]

Travis shares a list of some of his favorite romantical movies, argues to put a pop culture debate to rest, says "incredible" a lot, and gives his future therapists plenty of material to make a diagnosis. [Episode 6, 2020]

The first in a series of in-depth looks at various versions of the tale of the Phantom of the Opera. Here Travis sings the praises of the original production of the Webber musical, rages against Raoul, and pulls at the logic of that one random scene. [Episode 8, 2020]

Travis reflects on his two years of running and answers questions from listeners about why he did it, how he did it, and what it has taught him. No, he isn't being chased. [Episode 14, 2020]

The second in a series comparing various interpretations of The Phantom of the Opera. This one comes with a heavy dose of cinema history as Travis discusses on set feuds, painful makeup, the multiple versions of the film, and which scenes make this version the one that remains most faithful to the novel. [Episode 17, 2020]

Board Gamer Ronald Coats joins Travis to cough up some memories about their adventures in playing Pandemic Legacy Seasons One and Two as part of the crew from I Heart Board Games. They also discuss what makes a good legacy game, the impact these games had on the industry, and memories from making movies based on the games. Trigger warning for the ghost of Alan Rickman. [Episode 13, 2020]

The third in a series comparing various interpretations of The Phantom of the Opera. Travis is not shy about expressing his opinion on this terrible, horrible, no good, very bad movie. Some would say this review demonstrates that he has become "unhinged", but we leave that for you to decide. [Episode 25, 2020]

The documentary Miss Americana claims to show Taylor Swift in a new and unfiltered light. Does it? Travis ponders the riddle of Taylor Swift and addresses why he made two movies about her even though he's unsure whether or not to call himself a fan. [Episode 24, 2020]

How do you create art or a business that lasts through the ages? This book claims to have the answer. Travis shares his thoughts. [Episode 10, 2020]

Trigger warning for those who don't like contact lenses, fantasy shows, or multiple timelines. Travis, however, loves all those things. [Episode 5, 2020]

Travis reviews the first non-fiction sports book he has ever read. It has been said that running is a mental sport and this book claims to demonstrate how the brain can overcome some perceived limitations of the body. Travis shares his experience reading this book in preparation for running his first marathon and encourages anyone with an interest in the human brain to give it a read. [Episode 23, 2020]

Travis takes a look at this heartwarming tale of puppet on puppet genocide. [Episode 11, 2020]

Travis defends the 2007 film Golden Compass, manages to compliment an actor he hates, and makes a recommendation for who should watch. [Episode 21, 2020]

Travis resists the urge to make too many key puns, out's an author's secret identity, and locks down what target demographics he should be in. [Episode 19, 2020]

Though he has never seen a single episode of any show in the Arrowverse, Travis geeks out the infinite cameos and determines whether or not this epic five-part crossover event was a hit or miss. [Episode 9, 2020]

Rats! Travis's review of Asobo's horror/stealth video game includes the Leroy Jenkins maneuver, bright puns, and poorly pronounced French names. [Episode 15, 2020]

Did this game bring Travis to heights of cosmic bliss hitherto undreamt of or did it drive him into rage-quit inducing insanity? [Episode 12, 2020]