Tag: Writing

DNA Podcast 134 – Brainstorming a Caravan Guards Story Setting

The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 134 - Brainstorming a Caravan Guards Story Setting
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In this episode, Rob asks for Don’s help in brainstorming the setting for a story about caravan guards – the unspoken heroes of the fantasy world whose job it is to keep the goods flowing despite attacks by monster, bandits, and rats. Lots of rats. Along the way, the duo discuss real caravan guards in history, the importance of trade, and the tactics caravan guards would use to get their cargo to where it’s going. All this, and the importance of ox poop, is waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:
Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

Caravans
Where There’s a Whip There’s a Way (from the Rankin Bass Return of the King)
Chinese Armed Escort Agencies
High Arctic Haulers
Vampire Hunter D
Merchant Marines
Azumi Manga
Hideyoshi’s Invasion of Korea
Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army, 1978, Donald W. Engels
The Dragon, the Hero and the Courier Manga
Discworld
Sutler – definition
Earthshaker! D&D Module
Murder Hobos DNA Episode
Aubrey-Maturin Novels (Master and Commander)
Paid GMs
Empire of the Petal Throne
Talislanta
Prof. M.A.R. Barker


DNA Podcast 132 – The Psychology of Comics

The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 132 - The Psychology of Comics
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In this episode, Don and Rob discuss the psychology of comic books. The two delve deep into the unconscious desires of comic book readers, discuss why Manga failed to find an audience in 1980s America, and probe how comics are linked to human needs. All this, and why British girls comics are the anti-manga, is waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:
Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

Martin Scorsese on Marvel Movies
Seduction of the Innocent
Cap’s Kooky Quartet
Eagle Comics
Golgo 13
Fist of the North Star
Albedo
Omaha the Cat Dancer
Condorito
Cypher (X-men character)
The Man With No Name Trilogy
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs
DNA History of Manga Podcast (Part 1 / Part 2)
Highlights Magazine
City Hunter
Super Doctor K Manga (Scalpel of the North Star!)
Slam Dunk! Manga
Prince of Tennis
Shonen Jump Online
The Japanese Bubble Economy
Blacksad
Rock Lee (Naruto Character)
Stupid Comics – British Girls Comics
Welcome to Webcomics (YouTube Video)

Japanese manga fulfils 12 basics human needs:
1. Sexuality (Physiological)
2. To feel safe or secure? (Safety)
3. To belong group to a group (Love and Belonging)
4. Being loved (Love and Belonging)
5. Being picked/needed (Esteem)
6. Being admired/respected (Esteem)
7. Being praised (Esteem)
8. Being useful (Esteem)
9. To be praised for effort (Esteem)
10. To feel clever or smart (Self-Actualization)
11. To feel special/powerful (Self-Actualization)
12. To be a hero or at least the leader (Self- Actualization)


DNA Podcast 126 – Comics Writer Peter B Gillis

The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 126 - Comics Writer Peter B Gillis
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Shatter: The First All-Digital Comic

In this episode, Rob and Don sit down with comic book writer Peter Gillis to discuss his career writing comics for Marvel, First Comics and DC Comics during the 1980s and 90s. Along the way, the three discuss how Peter got into comics, his time writing for the big three, and his legendary works Strikeforce: Morituri, SHATTER, and The Black Flame. All this, and the truth about Blaze Barlow, is waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:
Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

Peter B. Gillis Wiki Page
Peter B. Gillis Comic Book DB Entry
Peter’s Webserial Humans at Counterfactual.news
Strikeforce: Morituri
The Black Flame
SHATTER
Ralph Macchio
Mark Gruenwald
David Kraft
Mary Jo Duffy
Joe Kubert
Tony Isabella
Steve Gerber
Doug Moench
Steve Englehart
Chris Claremont
John Ostrander
Don McGregor
Roy Thomas
Denny O’neil
Peter Sanderson
Sid Jacobson
Warren Kremer
Mike Zeck
Mike Gold
Jim Shooter
Mark Badger
Kelly Jones
A.E. van Vogt
Olaf Stapledon
Mike Saenz
Dave Olbrich
John Romita Sr.
Tailgunner Jo
Elliot Maggin
Kevin van Hook
Virginia Kidd
Julius Schwartz
The Last Unicorn Graphic Novel
The King of Elfland’s Daughter
Alex Nino
The Romance of the Rose
Mark Badger
Blaze Barlow
Gerry Conway
Phil Foglio


DNA Podcast 123 – Original English Light Novels with Brandon Varnell

The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 123 - Original English Light Novels with Brandon Varnell
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In this episode, Don and Rob sit down with author of over 50 light novels, Brandon Varnell. The three discuss whether books written in English can really be light novels, how Brandon got into writing, and Brandon’s techniques for writing his books. All that, and more harem stories than you can shake a stick at, is waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:
Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

Brandon’s Homepage
An American Tail
American Kitsune
Yen Press
A Most Unlikely Hero
Rosario + Vampire
To Love RU
Arcadia’s Ignoble Knight
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest
How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom
Jobless Reincarnation
Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside
WIEDERGEBURT Legend of the Reincarnated Warrior
A Certain Magical Index
Frog-kun Twitter
Eric Vall
Adam Ladner
D.S. Craig
William D. Arand
Will Wight’s Cradle
Aaron Crash
Battle Through the Heavens
Tales of Demons and Gods


DNA Podcast 110 – H.P. Lovecraft with Dave Towers

The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 110 - H.P. Lovecraft with Dave Towers
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In this episode, Rob and Don sit down with their friend Dave Towers to talk about the legendary horror writer H.P. Lovecraft. They talk about Lovecraft’s life, his approach to writing, his legacy, and make a few story suggestions for those who want to dip their tow into Inssmouth Bay. Along the way, they discover that Lovecraft may in fact be one of the most inspiring writers of all time, if he could get off the damn Internet! All this, and more, is waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:
Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

HP Lovecraft (wikipedia)
HP Lovecraft Archive
On Writing by Stephen King
Lovecraft: A Biography by L. Sprague de Camp
Robert E Howard
Call of Cthulhu RPG
Ghost Masters : Weird Tales from Famous Writers
The Lovecraft Lexicon: A Reader’s Guide to Persons, Places and Things in the Tales of H.P. Lovecraft
Jojo’s Bizaare Adventure
Night Gallery
Junji Ito (who cites Lovecraft as an inspiration)
Brian Lumley
The Enigma of Amigara Fault
HP Lovecraft Movie Adaptations
HP Lovecraft Podcast (note, I mistakenly thought they did readings, but they actually do summaries and discussion in each episode, not read the story. They have done some full story readings, which can be found here.)


DNA Podcast 100 – Failure

The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 100 - Failure
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Picture by ‘ccPixs.com’  www.ccPixs.com

In this, the hundredth episode of the Department of Nerdly Affairs, Rob, Don, and Jack sit down to discuss their greatest creative failures. The trio talk about the challenges they’ve faced, what they’ve learned from them, and what failure really means. Along the way, they delve into the power of psychology, marketing, and clowns. Which pretty much sums up this entire episode! Enjoy, and thanks for listening!

Closing Music:
Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

Mysterious Universe
Mutual Audio Network
The Sonic Society
Mark Time Awards
Red Tails Movie
Tuskegee Airman Movie (I was wrong, it predates Red Tails by a decade.)
Ed Wood
Sunk Cost Fallacy
Twin Stars
Biff Straker
Decoder Ring Theatre
Penn and Teller
Penn and Teller Master Class
Understanding Comics
Ali Wong: Anaconda Momma
Terry O’Reilly: Under the Influence Podcast
Influence by Robert Cialdini
The Rule of Reciprocity
Wired for Story by Lisa Cron
Cognitive Dissonance
Red: Living on the Edge Manga
Buckskin Brigades by L. Ron Hubbard
The Joe Rogan Experience
Stan Sakai
Tim Truman
Dave Stevens
Slasher (TV Series)
Criterion Collection


DNA Podcast 095 – Fantasy Tropes People Love with Jack Ward

The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 095 - Fantasy Tropes People Love with Jack Ward







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In this episode, Don and Rob are joined by Jack Ward to discuss a recent Reddit survey on fantasy tropes people love. They discuss how people might be misusing the word and idea of tropes, and then go through people’s top choices for fantasy tropes, from the heroic last stand to the plucky young hero, and discuss why each trope is there and people like them so much. All this, and a whole pile of dragons and swords, are waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:

Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

Reddit Thread on Fantasy Tropes
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Phantom Lady
Trope
TVtropes.org
Bathos (your new word of the episode)
What Writers Should Learn from Wonder Woman (video)
The Hunt for the Wilder People
What We Do in Shadows
The Karate Kid Crane Kick
ARIEL (anime)
Bildungsroman
Horatio Alger
Horatio Hornblower
The Count of Monte Christo
The Count of Monte Christo 2002 Film
Mu (Lost Continent)
Atlantis
The Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis
Indigenous Taiwanese and Maori Are Linked
Dinotopia
Reign of Fire
Laid Back Camp
Bakuman
The Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campbell
The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler


DNA Podcast 070 – Trinidad Dreams with Justin Charles

The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 070 - Trinidad Dreams with Justin Charles







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In this episode, Don and Rob sit down with Justin Charles of the A Dude and Chick Walk Into a Studio podcast to talk about Justin’s life growing up as a geek in the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. The three explore how Trinidad and  Justin’s early loves of anime, video games, storytelling, and audio drama shaped his future and lead him to his work today in the media production industry. All this, and how Ruroni Kenshin made the strong men of Trinidad weep, are waiting for you in this episode of The Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:

Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed

Dude and a Chick Podcast Page
Justin’s Website – Sandosavant.com
Trinidad and Tobago
Steel Drums (or if you prefer….)
Ruroni Kenshin
Spiderman and his Amazing Friends
A-Levels
University of the West Indies
Howard University
Justin’s Audio Dramas
Butajin
Lgend of Zelda: The Wrath of a God by Rich Barrigan
Project Arclite
The Jumbee
Final Fantasy
Skyrim
Detroit: Become Human


DNA Podcast 67 – Intelligence in Popular Culture

The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 67 - Intelligence in Popular Culture







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In this episode, Don and Rob sit down with Jack Ward to discuss portrayals of Intelligence in popular culture. The three delve into the hows and whys of the way smart people are portrayed the way they are in the media, the difference between wisdom and intelligence, and how it’s all linked with the ways the human brain works. All this, and why Daniel Kahneman is the most important person you’ve never heard of, is waiting for you in this episode of the Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:

Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

The Great Gazoo
Mr. Myxlpltzk
Professor Jordan Peterson
Marcus Brody (Indiana Jones)
Geeks vs Nerds Podcast
Confucianism
Andy Griffith
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
TRON
Reboot TV
Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Rabbit Brain – Tortoise Brain (actually called “Hare Brain Tortoise Mind.“)
Sliders TV
E-Sports
The Dark Web
Doogie Howser MD
Death Note
Being There (Movie)
John Grisham
Lee Child
DNA Nerd Episode
Cyberpunk
Kramer vs. Kramer
Glengary Glen Ross
The S.P.I.N.E. of a Good Story (from Rob’s blog)
Epic Rap Battles: Steven Spielberg vs Alfred Hitchcock
Invisible Ink by Brian MacDonald
Inciting Incident
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Stephen Hawking
Dirty Harry
Charles Bronson


DNA Podcast 056 – Writing Shonen Manga

The Department of Nerdly Affairs
The Department of Nerdly Affairs
DNA Podcast 056 - Writing Shonen Manga







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In this episode, Rob and Don sit down to discuss Rob’s new book- Write! Shonen Manga. The pair discuss the history of Shonen manga, the different types and meta-genres, and how the Japanese approach writing stories differently than Americans do. All this, and Rob shamelessly hawking his book, are waiting for you in this episode of the Department of Nerdly Affairs.

Closing Music:

Ode to Joy performed by Oliver Eckelt

Things Discussed:

Write! Shonen Manga
Weekly Shonen Jump
Bakuman
Tankobon
Murata Yuusuke
Onepunch-Man
Mazinger Z
Captain Tsubasa
Dragonball
One Piece
Naruto
Robot x Lazerbeam
90’s Golf Manga with the “Frying Swallow” (It’s called “Hayato 18ban Shobu.”)
Detective Conan
Kindaichi Case Files
RE: Monster
Sword Art Online
Dr. Stone
Legendary Moonlight Sculptor
So, I’m a Spider- So What?
Honzuki no Gekokujou (Bookworm Light Novel)
Ekho (European Comic)
Ranma 1/2
Urusei Yatsura
Kimargure Orange Road
I’s Manga
G-Fighter Gundam
Akira
Great Teacher Onizuka
Gokusen
Legend of Yoshitune
Aho Girl
Manga in Theory and Practice
Kishotenketsu
Three Act Structure
Yurucamp
Scott McCloud’s Making Comics
Comics and Sequential Art
Drive-Thru Comics
Wattpad