Nerd OutCast Podcast

We talk about Capcom's Mega Man X franchise!  My experts include Jeremy Kanne and Peter Foos.  My outcast for this one is Sean Okerberg, who was conveniently an outcast for the original Mega Man podcast.  How is X different from classic Mega Man?  Is Zero really that much cooler than Mega Man?  What are we fighting for, exactly?  We discuss nearly all of the Mega Man X games and even touch on the awesome music, thanks to some contributions from Youtube artists Smooth McGroove and FamilyJules7x.  You can find links to their sites below.  So take a listen, and get your weapons ready on this great episode!

Music provided by Capcom Sound Team's Capcom Music Generation Soundtrack, owned by Capcom and is included under fair use protection.

Additional selections provided by Smooth McGroove, located at www.youtube.com/user/SmoothMcGroove.  Please support and download his albums on iTunes.

Additional selections provided by FamilyJules7x, located at www.familyjules7x.com.  Please support and download his albums.  

We discuss the sci-fi comedy movie, Galaxy Quest.  My experts include returners Ryan Bond, Dominic Cianciolo, and newcomer Heather Ash (whom has an impressive writing resume to boot!)  Together, these noble experts fight off the hatred of my outcast, Andrew Kudla.  Actually, Andrew likes the movie too...actually, everybody really likes this movie.  How does Galaxy Quest pay homage to Star Trek?  Did William Shatner find it enjoyable?  Was Tony Shaloub high throughout the whole film?  And is Sam Rockwell bad in anything?  We discuss all of this and more on this science fiction episode!

Music provided by David Newman's Galaxy Quest Theme, owned by Dreamworks Pictures and is included under fair use protection.

We discuss the CW's Arrow on this superhero episode.  My experts this week include Rob Shumate, Roman Reyes, and DJ Fink.  My outcast is fellow friend and Arrow hater Andrew Kudla.  How does the show differ from the comic book?  Does Oliver Queen have enough material to make a satisfying show?  Is Arrow too similar to Batman, and if so, is that a bad thing?  We touch on everything from concept to casting!  Enjoy a discussion of all things green (except for lanterns) on this fun episode!

Music provided by Blake Neely's Arrow Main Theme, owned by the CW Network and is included under fair use protection.

My largest Nerd crew yet assembles to discuss Firefly on my longest episode to this date!  My experts include Rob Shumate and Stephan Scalabrino with 3 newcomers:  Ryan Bond, Matt Young, and Nick Toussaint.  My outcasts are myself and returning pod-caster, Jared Latore.  Someone once described Firefly as a "Han Solo TV show."  Is that description accurate?  Why is there such crazy fan love for a show that only ran 14 episodes and 1 movie?  Should Joss really bring Firefly back to air?  We dissect the good and bad of Firefly on this great episode!

Music provided by Joss Whedon's Firefly Main Theme, owned by Fox Music and is included under fair use protection.

Time to take the discussion to over 9000 as we discuss Akira Toriyama's hit story, Dragon Ball Z.  My experts include DBZ superfans Scott Ross, Thom Brown, and Peter Foos.  My outcast this week is Rob Shumate, a man who truly does not like the high powered, high flying adventures of Goku and friends...which makes for an interesting discussion.  How is Goku as a character?  Does he ever get boring?  Is it really Vegeta's story?  How did DBZ influence anime in America?  Does the show hold up today?  We have so many questions!  We discuss all of this, and even touch on Dragon Ball Z Abridged in this Super Saiyan of an episode!

Music provided by Bruce Faulconer's The Best of Dragon Ball Z Volume 1 Soundtrack, owned by Funimation Entertainment and is included under fair use protection.

On this mini-episode, we discuss the touring rock concert that is Video Games Live.  Founded by Tommy Tallirico and Jack Wall, this concert is a great celebration of gaming culture and music.  I had the pleasure of seeing the concert when it came through Chicago some time ago, and have included some tracks from the album.  Listen and enjoy, and if you like to learn more, hop over to www.videogameslive.com.

Music provided by Video Games Live Volume 2, owned by Mystical Stone Entertainment, and Victory Fanfare from Final Fantasy XII, owned by Square Enix.  Both are included under fair use protection.

I gather a group of truly knowledgeable experts this week as we discuss Ray Bradbury!  Seriously...these people love him.  And by these people, I mean Pete Navis, Kitten McCreery, Tiffany Keane, and newcomer Jared Latore.  We discuss Bradbury's early life, his influences, his greatest works, his worst works...all sorts of things!  And Pete brings to the table a truly fun game...but you'll have to listen to find out.  

Music provided by John Massari's Ray Bradbury Theatre (Strange Tales) Theme, owned by HBO and is included under fair use protection.

On this great episode we talk about one of my favorite games of all time, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.  My experts include myself, super Nintendo fan Scott Ross, and game guru Jeremy Kanne.  My outcast is Thom Brown....who has never played this masterpiece!  What did this landmark title do for Nintendo, and the Zelda series in general?  Is this the best game on the SNES?  What was our favorite item?  And does this title hold up today?  We discuss all of this, and even the popularity of game music, on this fantastic episode!

Music provided by Koji Kondo's The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Soundtrack, owned by Nintendo and is included under fair use protection.

On this episode we discuss the prolific writer, Neil Gaiman.  My guests this time are from all over the United States, from Chicago to New York to Virginia.  These experts include Robert Shumate, Peter Foos, Byron Hatfield, and newcomer Thom Brown.  Since I'm not familiar with Gaiman, I double as host and outcast.  How did Neil Gaiman start his career?  What medium does he work best in?  What are the styles and themes of his writing?  And which work his is best?  We answer these and more on this fun episode!

Music provided by Ilan Eshkeri's Stardust Soundtrack, owned by Paramount Pictures and is included under fair use protection.

On this spotlight episode, we discuss Of Dice and Men.  This play, written by Cameron McNary, is being produced by Chicago company Otherworld Theatre.  Joining me on the mic is their artistic producer and director, Tiffany Keane, who discusses the production.  We spend some time on the story of the play, and its attempt to portray gaming culture on stage.  Later on, we expand to gaming culture as it is today, and what it means to those who play such table top adventures.  You can find more information about the show and other productions at www.otherworldtheatre.org.    

Music provided by BrunuhVille, and is included with permission.