The Protagonist Podcast

Description Returning guest Kestra Darowski joins Producer Andrew and Joe to discuss Miguel Rivera from Coco. This Pixar film tells the story of a boy who accidentally travels to the land of the dead and must seek out help from … Continue reading →

Description Returning Protagonist Podcast co-founder Todd Mack joins Producer Andrew and Joe for a Halloween draft. We’ve been given various sets of parameters and must draft characters from folklore and pop culture for each situation.

Description Returning Protagonist Podcast co-founder Todd Mack joins Joe to discuss the 1938 radio drama performance of War of the Worlds. Orson Welles’s legendary broadcast is as famous for the urban legend around the panic it reportedly caused as it … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Christopher “Mav” Maverick joins Joe to talk about Do A Powerbomb!, a comic book mini-series written and drawn by Daniel Warren Johnson with colors by Mike Spicer and letters by Rus Wooton. It tells the story of … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Ravynn Stringfield joins Joe to discuss Lunella Lafayette from the tv show Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur tells the story of a teenage girl and her pet T-Rex who become superheroes. Support … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Kestra Darowski joins Producer Andrew and Joe to talk about storytelling in musicals. We talk about unique aspects of the medium, the history of Broadway musicals, and the evolution of style in musicals. Support Patreon

Description Returning guest Allison Epstein joins Joe to discuss the novel Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. This reimagining of Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield is a coming-of-age story set in Appalachia in the 1990s and early 2000s. Support Patreon Show Notes … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Henry Darowski joins Joe to discuss the film Lawrence of Arabia. Based on T.E. Lawrence’s autobiography, Lawrence of Arabia is one of the most iconic films ever made. Directed by David Lean, it stars Peter O’Toole as … Continue reading →

Description First-time guest Matthew Brake joins Joe to talk about Animal Man, a notable comic book run from the late 1980s by wrtier Grant Morrison and pencilers Chaz Truog and Paris Cullins. In this story, Animal Man becomes aware he … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest John Darowski joins Joe to talk about the classic television show Gilligan’s Island. We’re discussing two episodes, one in which a popular boy band appears on the island looking for a quiet place, and in the other … Continue reading →

Description Returning guests John Darowski and Virginia McAlister join Producer Andrew and Joe for a game of Star Trek Bridge Crew Draft. Each player can select characters from each tv version of Star Trek to fill out a crew. We … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Nicole Freim joins Joe to discuss the first novel from the Dresden Files series. This long-running series by Jim Butcher are urban fantasy novels that use the tone of a boiled detective story. Harry Dresden is a … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Nik English joins Joe to discuss Glass Onion, the second film starring Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc. This film sees Benoit Blanc solving a murder mystery on a billionaire’s private island. Support Patreon Show Notes Glass Onion … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest John Darowski joins Producer Andrew and Joe to discuss Daredevil, a Marvel comic book character created by Stan Lee and Bill Everett in 1964. Daredevil’s secret identity is Matt Murdock, a lawyer who had his other senses … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Rachel Armstrong joins Joe to discuss the BBC murder mystery series Annika. Nicola Walker plays Annika Strandhead, a single mother who was just placed in charge of Glasgow’s new Marine Homicide Unit. Yes, she solves water murders … Continue reading →

Description For our special 500th episode, Protagonist Podcast co-founder Todd Mack returns to discuss two classic films with Joe: The Seven Samurai and The Magnificent Seven. The Seven Samurai is a 1954 film directed by Akira Kurosawa about farmers hiring … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Cavan Helps joins Joe to discuss Ahsoka Tano from the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series. We discuss Ahsoka’s character arc through the show, and how she stands as an interesting contrast to Anakin Skywalker. Support … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Virginia McAlister joins Joe to discuss Lavinia, a 2009 novel by Ursula K. Le Guin. The story centers the life of Lavinia, a very minor character in Virgil’s Aeneid. The Aeneid is a 2,050 year old poem … Continue reading →

Description Kestra Darowski joins Producer Andrew and Joe to play a game of Disney Song Mount Rushmore. We all picked a representative song from four categories: 1) the Classic Disney era, 2) the Disney Renaissance era, 3) the modern CGI … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Norman Mitchell joins Joe and Producer Andrew to discuss the manga series Naruto. One of the most popular mangas of all time, we’re talking about stories from the first collections of Naruto. In these volumes, a young … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Virginia McAlister joins Joe to discuss Paul Atreides from the films Dune and Dune Part II. We talk about the Dune franchise, this film adaptation, and some of discomfort felt in Paul’s ascension. We also acknowledge what … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Nik English joins Joe to discuss the novel Daisy Jones and the Six. This 2019 novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid tells the story of a band’s rise to popularity in the 1970s and their eventual break up … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Dr. Kyra Hunting joins Joe and Producer Andrew to discuss one of the most popular kids’ shows being produced today. Kyra studies children’s media, and is the perfect guest to help break down the massive success Bluey … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Ryan Haupt joins Producer Andrew and Joe to discuss science in popular culture. The good, the bad, and the wildly inaccurate. We talk about sci-fi as a genre and some specific examples of how science is used … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest John Darowski joins Joe to discuss the comic book series Strange Academy. This school for magic users in the Marvel comic book universe introduced readers to a wave of new young magic characters, including Doyle Dormammu and … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Rachel Armstrong joins Joe to discuss the 2003 film Big Fish. Directed by Tim Burton, the film tells the story of an estranged father and son reconciling before the father passes on. Support Patreon Show Notes Big … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Kjerste Christensen joins Joe to discuss The Murderbot Diaries: All Systems Red, the first story in a series written by Martha Wells. The series tells the story of a part human, part robot Security unit. This SecUnit … Continue reading →

Description Producer Andrew joins Joe to talk about the character of Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation. We’re looking at two episodes, “Elementary, My Dear Data” and “Measure of a Man.” In one, the holodeck causes chaos (as always) … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Kjerste Christensen joins Joe to discuss The Sapphires, a 2012 Australian jukebox musicale dramedy that is loosely based on real events. It tells the story of an Australian music group that travels to Vietnam to sing for … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Chris “Mav” Maverick joins Joe to talk about a comic book written and drawn by Art Adams with colors by Laura Allred and Matt Hollingsworth with letters by Lois Buhalis. It tells the story of an intelligent … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Rachel Armstrong joins Joe to discuss Daniel Nayeri’s autobiographical book Everything Sad is Untrue (a true story). This novel tells the story of Daniel, his mother, and his sister leaving Iran and arriving in Oklahoma as refugees. … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Branden Ushio joins Joe to discuss the tv show The Rookie. Starring Nathan Fillion as John Nolan, the show is about the oldest rookie in the LAPD. We discuss Nathan Fillion’s charm as an actor, whether the … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Chris “Mav” Maverick joins Joe to talk about the Academy Awards. Why do we care who wins? What are some of the biggest mistakes that have been made in awards history? What are some of the biggest … Continue reading →

Description First-time guest Julian Chambliss joins Joe to discuss Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet, a comic book series written by Ta-Nehisi Coates with pencils by Brian Stelfreeze, inks by Karl Story, and colors by Laura Martin. This 2018 … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Kestra Darowski joins Producer Andrew and Joe to discuss the film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. The film stars Chris Pine as Edgin Darvis and tells the story of plans going wrong in an entertaining way … Continue reading →

Description Producer Andrew and Joe are talking about one of the most iconic absurdist stories ever written. The novella by Franz Kafka tells the story of Gregor Samsa who wakes up having turned into an insect. We talk about the … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Christopher “Mav” Maverick joins Producer Andrew and Joe to discuss the nature of storytelling in comic books. Comic books/graphic novels offer storytelling options that are distinct from any other medium. We break down some of the strengths … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Kestra Darowski joins Joe and Producer Andrew to discuss the tv series Only Murders in the Building. Starring Steve Martin as Charles-Haden Savage, Martin Short as Oliver Putnam, and Selena Gomez as Mable Mora, the show tells … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Kate Reid joins Joe to discuss My Best Friend’s Wedding, one of Julia Roberts’ iconic rom-com roles from the 1990s. We discuss the various characters, the tropes of the genre, and dig into the character’s motivations. Support Patreon … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest John Darowski joins Joe to discuss the comic book series Void Rivals. Created by Robert Kirkman and Lorenzo de Felici, the series tells the story of two aliens whose home worlds have been at war who end … Continue reading →

It’s Groundpod Day! Every year Andrew, Mav, Nicole, and Joe rewatch Groundhog Day and record a podcast episode about it.

Description Returning guest Nicole Freim joins Joe to discuss the iconic sci-fi horror film Alien. Directed by Ridley Scott and starring Sigourney Weaver, Alien has become a touchstone film for its genre. Support Patreon

Description Returning guest John Darowski joins Joe to discuss two classic short stories. “Dalyrimple Goes Wrong” is by F. Scott Fitzgerald and tells the story of a World War I hero trying to succeed at life after returning home. “A … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Norman Mitchell joins Joe and Producer Andrew to discuss the anime series Yuyu Hakusho. This series is an adaptation of a popular manga series and tells the story of a boy who is killed in an accident … Continue reading →

Description Joe and Producer Andrew are at it again. As a way of previewing the movies that are coming out the next year, we have a draft of upcoming films. In the end, we get the total box office of … Continue reading →

Description Joe and Producer Andrew are talking about Metropolis, one of the most iconic silent films ever made. A two-and-a-half hour German Expressionist sci-fi epic directed by Fritz Lang, Metropolis tells the story of Freder, the son of a rich, … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Chris “Mav” Maverick and Hannah Rogers join Joe to talk about one of the most Christmas-y Christmas movies ever made. A little dash of ALL the Christmas stories is present in this Netflix movie, and we have … Continue reading →

Description It’s our ninth annual Christmas Special! Producer Andrew provided Joe and Protagonist Podcast co-founder Todd seven titles to different Christmas movies they’ve never seen. They’ve each written a plot summary inspired by that title and read the summary. Andrew … Continue reading →

Description Returning guests Cavan Helps and Norman Mitchell join Joe and Producer Andrew for a brief game of Dungeons and Dragons. Cavan serves as Dungeon Master and guides our three adventurers on a Christmas-themed adventure.

Description Returning guest Kate Darowski joins Joe to discuss two Christmas episodes from the classic sitcom Frasier. Kate is the co-author of Frasier: A Cultural History (now in paperback!) and an expert on the show. We’re talking about the episodes “Perspectives on Christmas” … Continue reading →