A collection of podcasts exploring the culture in pop culture. Our shows range from the general (flagship show The Chronic Rift) to the specific (The Batcave Podcast). We look at literature (Dead Kitchen Radio), movies (The Weekly Podioplex), family (Generations Geek), gaming (The Cardboard Jungle), and more.

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Syndication

Two years ago, John sat down with author Greg Cox at Shore Leave.  Unfortunately, the quality of the recording was so poor that it was unusable.  Now, John gets another chance with Greg by phone in this Spotlight episode.  Greg talks about his upcoming tie-in works for Warehouse 13 and Riese: Kingdom Rising, plus his writing for pulp heroes such as The Phantom and The Green Hornet.  Leave your thoughts on this episode by visiting our forums, writing john@chronicrift.com, or calling 888-866-9010. Purchase Greg's works or pre-order his Warehouse 13 novel by visiting our Amazon store.

 


 

GREG COX is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous novels and short
stories.  He wrote the official movie novelizations of DAREDEVIL, GHOST RIDER, 
DEATH DEFYING ACTS, and all three UNDERWORLD films, as well the novelizations
of four popular DC Comics miniseries, INFINITE CRISIS, 52,  COUNTDOWN and 
FINAL CRISIS.  In addition, he has written books and short stories based on such
popular series as ALIAS, BATMAN, BUFFY, C.S.I., FARSCAPE, FANTASTIC FOUR,
THE 4400, THE GREEN HORNET, IRON MAN, THE PHANTOM, ROSWELL, STAR
TREK, TERMINATOR, UNDERWORLD, XENA, X-MEN and ZORRO.

His CSI novel, Headhunter, received a Scribe Award from the International Association
of Media Tie-In Writers.
Another novel, Terminator Salvation: Cold War, was a 
co-winner of a Scribe as well.


Greg also works as a Consulting Editor for Tor Books, where he has edited such
authors as Richard Matheson, Harry Harrison, Tony Daniel, Rosemary Edghill,
Graham Joyce, Keith R. A. DeCandido, and many others.

In addition, he has written more jacket and cover copy than he can possibly remember.
("They stood alone against galactic peril . . . !")

He lives in Oxford, Pennsylvania.

Direct download: 0139_-_The_Chronic_Rift_Spotlight_-_Greg_Cox.mp3
Category:The Chronic Rift Spotlight -- posted at: 3:00pm EDT
Comments[0]

Author/Gamer Michael Curtis talks with John about his wonderful gaming reference work, The Dungeon Alphabet and about old school gaming in general. Take a moment to comment on the episode by visiting the forums, writing john@chronicrift.com or calling 888-866-9010.

 
 
(right click to save)
 
 

 
 
Michael Curtis has pursued some eclectic pastimes. He’s been a sailor, a bartender, a night watchman, and a stunt double for a bear. He has written horoscopes, found the Ark of the Covenant, fallen off a mountain, and ridden a camel and an elephant. When he wasn’t doing that, he studied dead languages, swam with sea monsters, and made a fool of himself on several theatrical stages. Yet, despite all these adventures, some of the most fun Michael’s ever had occurred entirely inside his own head.
 
With thirty years of gaming experience, Michael only recently entered the professional field of roleplaying game design, but has already made his mark. He’s the author of both the Three Castles Award-winning The Dungeon Alphabet and the nominated Stonehell Dungeon: Down Night-Haunted Halls. His writings also appear in the Lovecraftian game supplement, Realms of Crawling Chaos. He has written articles for Silver Gryphon Games Monthly, Knockspell, and Fight On! magazines and maintainsThe Society of Torch, Pole and Rope, a blog dedicated to old-school gaming. He is also the author of an upcoming adventure for Goodman Games’ Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG.
 
 
 
In addition to role-playing, Michael has a passion for the past. He loves learning about history and being involved with historical preservation, and volunteers his time at a local historical society. To pay the bills, he works as an archivist and librarian, where his interest in history, old books, and antiquities serves him well.

Podcast Promos
 

 

Direct download: 0143_-_The_Chronic_Rift_Spotlight_-_Michael_Curtis.mp3
Category:The Chronic Rift Spotlight -- posted at: 3:00pm EDT
Comments[0]

Keith interviews former Pocket Books editor, now art gallery curator John J. Ordover, about his upcoming exhibit, Artism , a show benefiting and raising awareness of Autism.  Please take a moment to comment on this episode by visiting the forums, writing john@chronicrift.com, or calling 888-866-9010.

 


 

John J. Ordover is the founder and CEO of JJO MARKETING and was previously an editor at Pocket Books responsible for overseeing the licensed novels of the  Star Trek franchise. He is the co-creator of such spin-off series as  Star Trek: New Frontier (with writer Peter David), Star Trek: Starfleet Corps of Engineers and  Star Trek: I.K.S. Gorkon (both with Keith R.A. DeCandido),  Star Trek: Stargazer (with Michael Jan Friedman), and  Star Trek: Challenger (with Diane Carey).

Ordover is also the owner of The SoHo Gallery for Digital Art at 138 Sullivan St., New York, NY 10012 . The gallery uses digital screens both to provide digital artists with a play to display their work and create illusory spaces within the gallery.

 

With David Mack, Ordover wrote the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes "Starship Down". The two have story credit on "It's Only a Paper Moon", which was written as a teleplay by Ronald D. Moore.

Ordover is also an active nudist, the founder of Clothing Optional Dinners, a dining club in New York City for nudists. On July 11, 2007, Ordover launched a nude dinner cruise from Sheepshead Bay, New York.

Ordover created a web site http://marryyourdaughter.org in September 2007 as a hoax to bring attention to the discrepancy between age of consent laws and marriage law.

Direct download: 0141_-_The_Chronic_Rift_Spotlight_-_John_J._Ordover.mp3
Category:The Chronic Rift Spotlight -- posted at: 3:00pm EDT
Comments[0]

 

Back in the days of the public access show, artist David Chelsea appeared on a number of episodes after flattering Andrea and Keith with two dinstictly different styles of caricature.  He's back twenty years later to talk with Andrea about his latest works, animation, and the difference between New York and Portland.  Make sure you take a moment to comment on the episode by visiting the forum, contacting john@chronicrift.com, or calling us toll free 888-866-9010.

 

 


 

photo by Basil Childers

David Chelsea was born in Portland Oregon in 1959. Educated at the School Of Visual Arts, Parsons Institute and The New York Academy of Art, David has been a commercial artist for over thirty years. His work has appeared in hundreds of publications including The New York TimesThe Wall Street JournalThe New York PressSeattle WeeklyChicago TribuneReader's DigestBoston Phoenix and Portland Monthly. His celebrity caricatures have decorated the Eight Day Week page in The New York Observer since 1995, and he illustrated the Modern Love column for the New York Times Style section from 2004 to 2008.

A published cartoonist since the age of twelve, David has drawn comics for numerous publications and is the author of the graphic novels David Chelsea In LoveWelcome To The Zone and the how-to book Perspective! For Comic Book Artists, which has become the classic work in its field. Both David Chelsea In Love and Perspective!have recently been translated into French. In recent years David has taken up the challenge devised by Scott McCloud, to draw an entire 24 page comic within 24 hours, a record ten times, and two of these stories have been printed in Top Shelf's collection 24x2. As a natural outgrowth of his comics work, David has been in demand as a storyboard artist, working for advertising clients such as Tyee, Wieden+Kennedy and Hawthorne Direct, and for Whitewater Films on the feature Nearing Grace.

David's work on Perspective! stems from a lifelong interest. He has lectured on the subject at numerous institutions including The University Of Oregon, Pacific Northwest College of Art and Seattles's Gage Academy Of Art. Years ago, David devised his own six point perspective method for painting on spherical objects such as globes and bowling balls, and his spherical paintings are in many private collections. His methods are explicated in the recently released Curvilinear Perspective!, a follow-up to the first book.

David now lives in Portland's historic Irvington's district with his wife Eve, son Benjamin and daughter Rebecca.  Follow his progress by visiting his website.

 

 

Direct download: 0135_-_The_Chronic_Rift_Spotlight_-_David_Chelsea.mp3
Category:The Chronic Rift Spotlight -- posted at: 3:00pm EDT
Comments[0]

Keith sits down with screenwriter, teacher, and Stargate SG-1 scribe, Diana Botsford.
 
Please take a moment to comment on this episode by visiting the forums, calling us toll free - 888-866-9010, or writing john@chronicrift.com.
 
 
 
Diana Botsford’s background is as varied as the posts you’ll see on her blog.  Some of those ideas will see the light of day in the June 2010 publication of her Stargate SG-1 novelThe Four Dragons, and its sequel, The Drift (2011) for Fandemonium Press, as well as her recently completed alternative history SF novel, Critical Past.

In addition to the actual craft of writing, Botsford teaches screenwriting as an Assistant Professor at Missouri State University.  She has degrees in Screenwriting & Producing from Boston University, and Creative Writing from Seton Hill University.  Prior to joining Missouri State University, she spent 12 years in Los Angeles in the television and film industry, followed by 5 years developing streaming media content and community-driven websites for Microsoft.

Her production credits include writing, producing, and directing for a wide variety of series and films.  Her screenwriting credits include Star Trek: The Next GenerationSpiral Zone, and a variety of children’s series for CBS, NBC and independent networks.  As a visual effects director Botsford has enjoyed the opportunity to play techno junkie while telling people like George Clooney how to stand in front of a bluescreen.  She has produced multiple series for television such as the CBS series Harts of the West and Nightgames.  Her theatrical credits include visual effects directing and supervision for a wide variety of films including Nightmare of Elm Street VI, Tank Girl, From Dusk Til Dawn, Terminator 2 and many independent films. As Associate Producer for D.I.C. Enterprises and then later as VP of Family Programming for Kushner-Locke, she produced over 1,000 hours of animation for shows that included Inspector Gadget, Heathcliff, M*A*S*K Force, Spiral Zone, and the Columbia/Tristar film Pound Puppies & the Legend of Big Paw.  Most recently, Botsford served as Executive Producer on the Missouri State University Electronic Arts SF short Apollo which was a recent selection at the Athens, Greece International Science Fiction Film Festival.

Her primary writing focus is on science fiction for a variety of mediums including books, film, television, theatre and comics.  In addition to Botsford’s Stargate: SG-1 novel The Four Dragons (set for release in August 2010), and the sequel, The Drift (2011), her recently completed written work includes the SF novel Critical Past and the comic book series The Fracture.  Botsford is oftentimes a speaker or workshop leader at various writers conferences and science fiction conventions.

Official Webpage

Direct download: 0131_-_The_Chronic_Rift_Spotlight_-_Diana_Botsford.mp3
Category:The Chronic Rift Spotlight -- posted at: 3:00pm EDT
Comments[0]

Author Jon F. Merz returns to talk with John about his latest Lawson novel, The Kensei.  They also talk social media and the author's responsibility to the readers.  Make sure you comment on this episode by visiting the forums, writing us or call us toll free at 888-866-9010.  Visit our Amazon store at the bottom of the page to purchase copies of Jon's works and help the show out as well.

 

 

As a writer, Jon F. Merz has published over a dozen novels including four Lawson Vampire adventures (2002-2003) with Kensington's Pinnacle Books, the Jake Thunder mystery/thriller Danger-Close (2004) with Five Star Mystery/Thorndike Press, and eleven installments in the internationally bestselling adventure series Rogue Angel (2006-present) with Harlequin's Gold Eagle line. His thriller Parallax debuted in March 2009 as an exclusive ebook. His short fiction story "Prisoner 392" (appeared alongside Stephen King in From the Borderlands, 2004, Warner Books) earned him an Honorable Mention in 2004's Year's Best Fantasy & Horror edited by Ellen Datlow. Jon has also co-authored two non-fiction books: Learning Later, Living Greater with Nancy Merz Nordstrom (2006, Sentient Publications) and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Ultimate Fighting with Rich "Ace" Franklin (2007, Alpha Books/Penguin/Putnam). Jon's latest Lawson Vampire novel, The Kensei debuted in January 2011 from St. Martin's Press, with another Lawson novel scheduled for Spring 2012. As a producer, Jon has formed New Ronin Entertainment with longtime friend Jaime Hassett to create television and feature film projects in the New England area. Their first project is The Fixer, a new supernatural action series based on Jon's Lawson Vampire novels. Filming of the pilot begins in 2011. As a ninja, Jon has studied authentic Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu/Ninjutsu for almost twenty years under Mark Davis of the Boston Martial Arts Center. He has also trained with senior Bujinkan instructors both in the United States and Japan. During a trip to Japan in February 2003, Jon earned his 5th degree black belt directly from the 34th Grandmaster of Togakure-ryu Ninjutsu, Masaaki Hatsumi. In addition to traditional training, Jon has also taught defensive tactics to a wide range of clients, including civilian crime watch groups, police and EMS first responders, military units, and federal organizations including the US Department of State, the Department of Justice, and the Bureau of Prisons. In his past, Jon served with the United States Air Force, worked for the US government, and handled executive protection for a variety of Fortune 500 clients.

 

Direct download: 0128_-_The_Chronic_Rift_Spotlight_-_John_F._Merz_2.mp3
Category:The Chronic Rift Spotlight -- posted at: 3:00pm EDT
Comments[0]

Animator Bill Plympton talks with Dan Persons as part of the 12 Days of Riftmas 2010.

Direct download: 0113_-_The_Chronic_Rift_Spotlight_-_Bill_Plympton.mp3
Category:The Chronic Rift Spotlight -- posted at: 3:00pm EDT
Comments[0]

In the latest Spotlight episode, John gets to chat with author/illustrator MCM about his publishing company and his animated series, Rollbots. Make sure you take a moment to comment on the episode in our forums or by leaving a message on our toll free line - 888-866-9010.  


 

MCM wears many hats—often at the same time. He’s a writer, programmer, illustrator, and the creator of the animated TV series RollBots. His books are the foundation of the independent publisher 1889 Labs.

MCM has a long history in technology and is active in the Free Culture movement. His writing has been praised by Richard Stallman, founder of the Free Software Foundation, as well as Cory Doctorow, a pioneering author in the world of science fiction.

 

Podcast Promos
How to Grow Your Geek Podcast
Unwind with Angie B Podcast

Direct download: 0079_-_The_Chronic_Rift_Spotlight_-_MCM.mp3
Category:The Chronic Rift Spotlight -- posted at: 3:00pm EDT
Comments[0]

Keith recently sat down with writer, editor, and Boom Studios guru, Mark Waid at this year's Emerald City ComicCon and discussed his latest work Irredeemable.  Please take a moment to comment on the episode in our forums.  Also, make sure you rate the episode at the bottom of this page.



Mark Waid has been a writer and editor for every major comics publisher of the last 20 years and has written over a thousand stories. His works include KINGDOM COME, FANTASTIC FOUR, SUPERMAN: BIRTHRIGHT, and most recently the ongoing series IRREDEEMABLE and INCORRUPTIBLE from BOOM! Studios, where he serves as the Editor-In-Chief.


Episode Promos

Weekly Comics Spotlight Podcast
60 Second Science - Portions of the Last Supper is Getting Bigger
Stretchlinks Podcast

Direct download: 0077_-_The_Chronic_Rift_Spotlight_-_Mark_Waid.mp3
Category:The Chronic Rift Spotlight -- posted at: 3:00pm EDT
Comments[0]

Andrea sits down with Wadjet Eye Games founder, Dave Gilbert, and Puzzlebots game developer, Erin Robinson to discuss the company, their games, and PC games in general.  Make sure you rate the episode below and comment on it either in the forums or by calling us at 888-866-9010.


 

 

Dave Gilbert has been interested in adventure games ever since 1986, when his mother made the mistake of buying him a copy of Infocom's Wishbringer. Fifteen years later, he took his first dip into game creation in when he discovered the Reality on the Norm Project and wrote his first short game. Since then, he has authored over six successful freeware games, including 2004's award-winning Two of a Kind.

 

In 2006 he turned his hobby into a fulltime career when he founded Wadjet Eye Games and published his first commercial title, The Shivah.  The company was soon nominated for a "Best New Studio" Game Developers Choice award and was also voted by Gamasutra as one of the top twenty breakthrough developers of 2008.  Currently on its roster are three games in the Blackwell series as well as the upcoming Puzzle Bots.

 

 

 

 

 

Erin Robinson has been making independent games since 2005. Her work has been featured by Boing Boing and PC Gamer UK, and has spoken at multiple conferences, including GDC -- where Heather Kelley and Erin presented the winning design in the annual Game Design Challenge last year. Erin's game Nanobots was a much-lauded indie title, and she is now working on the casual adventure game Puzzle Bots.

LINKS

Wadjet Eye Games
Dave Gilbert's Blog
Erin Robinson's website
Game Developers Conference

 

PROMOS


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This episode was brought to you by Budget Rent a Car.  Receive discounts on your next car rental and make the whole process a whole lot smoother by registering online at http://www.budget.com/chronic.

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