August 6, 2016
hughjodonnell
Hugh Likes Podcasts, Review
Comedy, Gaming, Gosh Darn Fiasco, HLP, Hugh Likes Podcasts, Improv, Podcasts, review
HLP-Gosh-Darn Fiasco
Hosted by: Angela Webber, Richard Malena and guests
Goshdarnfiasco.simplecast.FM
Gosh-Darn Fiasco is a live-play role playing game podcast hosted by musician Angela Webber. But where most of these kind of gaming shows feel like audio dramas, this one is more like improv. The difference lies partly in the source material, and partly in the rotating team of talent that comes to play.
“Fiasco” is a GM-less roleplaying game in the style of classic caper movies. Written by Jason Morningstar and published by Bully Pulpit Games, it is a storytelling RPG. This means the goal of the game is to play out a scenario, rather than winning a battle. As the name implies, the fun isn’t in winning, it is in snowballing the story from a small problem into a huge catastrophe.
Each episode, Weber and her guests play through one single play Fiasco game from beginning to end. There are a variety of settings, or ‘Playsets’ that they have gone through, from a Colonial Salem to McMurdo Station to a heist at the Jim Henson Workshop. Each episode takes the Cohen Brothers aesthetic of the game and turns it even more towards the comically ridiculous.
Frequent guest such as Lucia Fasano and Kevin M. Arnold add improv chops to the game, making it a lighthearted, gonzo joy to listen. Gosh-Darn Fiasco is a monthly podcast that runs about 90 minutes per episode. It’s not something you’re going to get through in a single commute, but it is a heck of a lot of fun. Find it at Website, in iTunes, or in your preferred podcatcher.
Thanks for reading this article. If you enjoyed it, please share it! If your really liked it, consider supporting my Patreon for early podcast releases, exclusive fiction, and more!
July 12, 2016
hughjodonnell
Hugh Likes Podcasts, Review, Uncategorized
Alice isn't dead, Disparition, HLP, Hugh Likes Podcasts, Jasika Nicole, Joseph Fink, Podcasts, review, Welcome To Night Vale
Alice Isn’t Dead
Joseph Fink/Jasika Nicole/Disparition
nightvalepresents.com
America can be a weird, lonesome place. This is something the creators of ‘Welcome to Night Vale,’ no strangers to weirdness themselves, learned firsthand while touring with a live version of the hit podcast. Co-writer Joseph Fink was inspired to write a new show based in part on his experience of traveling across the country. But like the original, ‘Alice Isn’t Dead,’ takes place in a world much stranger and scarier than our own.
While ‘Night Vale’ uses its off-kilter atmosphere for humor, Alice is a straight-up horror story, with a fair bit of mystery thrown in. The podcast follows a truck driver, played by Jasika Nicole, as she travels the country in search of her missing wife. Along the way, she tells her story into her CB radio as though it were a letter or a diary. At first she just wants answers, but she quickly becomes embroiled in an inexplicable conspiracy, and attracts the attention of The Thistle Man, a supernatural impossible serial killer. From there, things only get worse.
Produced by Disparition, each episode is a rich soundscape. I expected the CB chirps and engine hum that provide the basic sound floor to take me out of the story, but they are expertly mixed, and rather than distract, they provide a sense of realism and tension to the performance. Set on the lonely highways and the weird nowhere towns of the American imagination, “Alice Isn’t Dead” is a creepy mystery that proves that the Night Vale creative team have real chops behind their satire. You can find the show in iTunes, or at nightvalepresents.com.
Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this article, please share it. You can also support me on Patreon for short fiction, podcasts, and more!
January 13, 2015
hughjodonnell
Hugh Likes Podcasts, Review
Astonomy Cast, Frasier Cain, HLP, Hugh Likes Podcasts, Pamela Gay, review, Science
Hosted by Dr. Pamela Gay and Fraser Cain.
astronomycast.com
Astronomy Cast is an astronomy and citizen science podcast that takes listeners on ‘a fact-based journey through the cosmos.’ Neither too simplistic nor overly technical, It is a great peek into the universe for amateur astronomers and science fans alike.
The show is hosted by Universe Today publisher Fraser Cain and Astronomer Dr. Pamela Gay. While it is not always consistently published due to the hosts busy schedules, it does cover a wide range of topics. They discuss science news such as current mission like Rosetta and Cassini, astronomical phenomena such as sun spots and finding water in space, and more! They have recently begun a fascinating series of biographies of modern female astronomers such as Joceylyn Bell Burnell, a discoverer of pulsars!
As a lover of science fiction, but someone who didn’t do great studying science in school, this is a great podcast. They present astronomy with wit, and grace, and explain clearly without talking down to the listener. This is an engaging and entertaining podcast for the non-scientist who has watched “Cosmos,” but is ready for something more challenging. It’s even a gateway to citizen science projects such as Cosmo Quest, which assists in mapping heavenly bodies!
Astronomy Cast is available from iTunes, astronomycast.com , or your favorite podcatcher.
January 8, 2015
hughjodonnell
Hugh Likes Comics, Review
Erica Henderson, HLC, Hugh Likes Comics, Marvel, review, Ryan North, Squirrel Girl, Unbeatable Squirrel Girl
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #1
Written by Ryan North
Drawn by Erica Henderson
Published by Marvel Comics
Some comics are meant to amaze. They sculpt years of storytelling continuity into jaw-dropping moments of greatness. Some comics are meant to shock, taking familiar tropes or safe concepts and turning them on their head by framing them in the harsh light of gritty realism.
And some comics are just plain fun. I suspect “The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl” falls into the third category. The eponymous S G is Doreen Green, a jokey Z-lister with the a fluffy tail, a prominent overbite, and the proportional strength and speed of a squirrel. She also has no idea how to operate outside of the superhero mode, which is about to make her first day of college very interesting.
Written by Dinosaur Comics creator Ryan North and drawn by indie artist Erica Henderson, this book will feel familiar to anyone familiar with their work. It’s a light, breezy tale filled with misappropriated superhero theme songs, squirrel (fish) out of water humor, and even alt text printed on the bottom of each page. Even the art has a softer, more cartoonish quality that lends itself well to North’s wacky script. This isn’t going to be one of those comics that changes everything, but it was a lot of fun, and I can’t wait to see what kind of trouble Doreen and her pet squirrel/sidekick Tiptoe get into with her cat-obsessed roommate, oh, and it looks like she might have to save the world after all, too.
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl is available from Comixology or your local comics shop.
January 6, 2015
hughjodonnell
Hugh Likes Podcasts, Review
Cameron Esposito, Hugh Likes Podcasts, movies, podcasting, review, Rhea Butcher, Ricky Carmona, Wham Bam Pow
Hosts: Cameron Esposito, Rhea Butcher, and Ricky Carmona
Presented by the Maximum Fun Network
I really enjoy movie review podcasts. But the podosphere is clogged with them, and most of them, while fine, often boil down to the same thing: White dudes arguing about Star Wars. “Wham, Bam, Pow!” is something a bit different.
Hosted by comedian Cameron Esposito, along with her fiancé Rhea Butcher and Ricky Carmona, it is a movie podcast with nary a dude-bro in sight. The hosts have a different perspective on ‘dick flicks’ like “Interstellar” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” than your typical podcast. In addition to being refreshing, insightful and hilarious, the hosts tackle issues like gender and race representation in Hollywood.
In addition to reviewing a film each episode, the trio discusses movie news and includes segments such as movie snack recommendations and making fictional movie pitches, which are great, although not quite as sharp as Disasterpiece Theatre.
Wham Bam Pow is a smart, funny movie review podcast that will change the way you look at movies. It is a part of the Maximum Fun network, and can be downloaded from iTunes or your preferred podcatcher.
Hugh’s Patreon
Hugh’s Twitter
December 19, 2014
hughjodonnell
Hugh Likes Video Games, Review
3DS, Bravely Default, HLV, Hugh Likes Video Games, JRPGs, Nintendo, review, Square Enix
Hugh Likes Video Games: Bravely Default
Published by Square Enix
Nintendo 3DS
Bravely Default is a Playstation One or Super Nintendo era RPG that didn’t exist before. It’s old school in all the right ways, with suprisingly deft use of 3DS features.
Why this wasn’t released as “Final Fantasy” is a mystery to me, because it is a beautiful love letter to the series.
“Bravely Default” is a fantasy role playing game following the journey of a sheltered, yet self-composed priestess and her friends. Their goal is to reignite the power of four elemental crystals, saving them from the machinations of an evil empire bent on using they crystals to its own ends. Along the way, they’ll fight enemies by changing classes, transforming from anything to black mages to spear-wielding fighters capable of jumping high into the air. Let me know when it starts feeling familiar.
With absolutely gorgeous designs by Akihiko Yoshida and an engine clearly updated from the DS ports of Final Fantasy III and IV, It certainly belongs in that venerable pantheon of titles. But as closely as it resembles Final Fantasy, there are also touches of Enix’s beloved franchise, “Dragon Warrior.” Much like the Super Nintendo classic “Chrono Trigger,” it is a triumph greater than the sum of its parts, if they’re the sort of thing you’re into, of course.
As old-school as “Bravely Default” is, it incorporates a lot of neat touches that take advantage of the 3DS’s standby and Streetpass functions. At the beginning of the game, one of the main characters’ village is destroyed. By passing other players when your 3DS is in standby, and spending money on work orders, you can rebuild the town, which serves as an investment that really pays off as the game progresses. The shops in the town will create special items that you can buy from traders throughout the game, and will send you free samples based when you rest the game. There are even hidden bosses that can be exchanged and fought via Streetpass. Players can also register friends to assist in battle or give characters bonuses.
The classic style of the game isn’t all great news, though. The game is old-school tough, with lots of grinding and collecting to be done, even with the help of friends and townsfolk. It’s also a very long game, so be prepared to invest some serious hours if you’re hoping to see the end credits.
“Bravely Default” is a master class in classic JRPG design and construction. If you’re a long-time fan of the genre, or you were afraid that Square Enix had lost their touch, this is the game for you. “Bravely Default” is available for the 3DS.
December 17, 2014
hughjodonnell
Hugh Likes Comics, Review
Brimping, Chip Zdarski, Comics, HLC, Hughl Likes Comics, Matt Fraction, review, Sex Criminals
Sex Criminals: One Weird Trick
Written by Matt Fraction
Drawn by Chip Zdarski
Published by Image Comics
“Sex Criminals” is my jam. A heady combination of character study, an intriguing high-concept premise, and dick jokes, it is one of those books that feels like it was written just for me.
It is the story of Suzie and Jon, two people with the rare ability to stop time when they have sex. Each believing themselves to be unique, they meet each other at a party. As their relationship develops, and they find themselves in a world inhabited only by themselves, they do what comes naturally in a budding relationship: They rob banks. Specifically, one bank. The bank which is foreclosing on the library where Suzie works, which is the same one where Jon works a depressing 9 to 5 job he hates, which is also the place where Suzie’s father died in a random shooting when she was just a girl. So there’s a lot going on there. As they plan their heist, however, they learn they aren’t the only ones with this ability after all, and someone is on to them.
“Sex Criminals” is a beautiful, funny, and especially dirty look at the awkward, sad, and joyous paths of self-discovery. It is also a uniquely affecting look at the early stages of a relationship, filtered through a surprisingly poignant sex comedy. Moving back-and-forth through time and featuring a plethora of ingenious sight gags, this is a comic that rewards careful re-reading.
Zdarski’s art is great, and The Quiet has a beautiful, unearthly look that is fantastic. It works in perfect concert with Fraction’s script, delivering every awkward teenage gut-punch and nonsensical sex joke to life with aplomb. My absolute favorite gag is a fourth wall breaking sequence in a pool hall where a spontaneous dance to “Fat Bottomed Girls” starts up, while the text apologetically explains that they could not secure the rights to the lyrics.
This is a magical, rare comic, which, like a great lover, challenges and moves the reader, but still can make you laugh when you least expect it. “Sex Criminals” is available from Amazon, Comixology, or your local comics shop.
October 31, 2014
hughjodonnell
Gaming, Hugh Likes Video Games, Review
Castlevania, HLV, review
Published by Konami for Game Boy Advance (2001) and Wii U Virtual Console (2014)
Happy Halloween!
In honor of this dark and terrible holiday, I’m writing a bit about one of my favorite games, recently re-released. “Castlevania: Circle of the Moon” was a launch title for the Game Boy Advance. Although well received, it quickly came and went into relative obscurity as later installments in the series came out for the GBA and later Nintendo DS. But it’s still a classic in my book.
Considered a side-story at best, the game’s protagonist is Nathan Graves, an earnest young man in possession of Vampire Killer, the famous Dracula-slaying weapon of the Belmont clan, whose noticeable absence is never actually addressed. He’s out to stop the Vampire Carmilla from resurrecting Dracula and killing his mentor.
Like most of the franchise, the actual story is mostly just an excuse to show you the castle, and this is a good one. Like Symphony of the Night, this is a sprawling open castle which grants you access to new areas as you gain abilities. While it is a bit smaller than the Playstation’s sprawling ruin, there is a nice variety and scope to the castle, which is perfect for a portable adventure.
The gameplay is fun and feels nicely balanced. Nathan has a neat ability to twirl the whip like a shield and block some projectiles. He also has the DSS Cards. These cards, which you collect throughout the castle from certain enemies, act as the game’s magic system. Each effect and element card grants a different ability, giving you one hundred different ones, if you collect them all. These range from shooting fire balls to summoning angels to directly increasing your stats. These abilities are my favorite aspect of the game.
Not everything about the game has aged gracefully, however. The sound in particular has a low-res, monophonic quality that doesn’t do justice to the classic Castlevania music. As a launch title for the GBA, the color palate for the game is a bit dark and muddy. While this is thematically appropriate for the ruin of a European castle, it made the game difficult to see, particularly on the original screen, which was not backlit. More modern devices such as the DS and Wii U tablet handle the display better, but it was a clear step backwards from Symphony of the Night’s beautiful sprites and backgrounds.
If you’re looking for some classic vampire-slaying action without the punishing difficulty of the original Castlevania, I recommend picking up “Circle of the Moon.”
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon is available as a GBA Cartridge (amazon,) or digitally from the Wii U store.
October 16, 2014
hughjodonnell
Hugh Likes Podcasts, Review
Dave Robison, HLP, Hugh Likes Podcasts, The Roundtable Podcast
Hosted by Dave Robison, plus guests
ARCHIVOS: Podcasts
The Roundtable Podcast is one of my favorite writing podcasts. There are a lot of really excellent podcasts about writing, both podfaded and current, but The Roundtable is something else. I like podcasts that introduce me to new authors. I like podcasts that delve into the craft and business of writing, helping me to improve my own work. I really like podcasts that are fun, and show a more personal side of my favorite authors. The Roundtable podcast is all three.
Originally hosted by Dave Robison and Brion Humphrey, The Roundtable is a bridge between aspiring and professional authors. They divide the show into two types of episodes: “Twenty Minutes With” interview segments, and Roundtable Workshop sessions. In the former, Dave and a second chair conduct an informal interview with a professional writer. These are always fantastically inspiring and entertaining rap sessions, although they always go at least twice as long as advertised. Theres’ so much goodness in each one that I’d feel cheated if they trimmed it down, though. In the Brainstorming sessions, they bring on a less experienced writer, and help them brainstorm a story idea. These are also great. Not only is it a rarely-seen peek on the creative process, it is an affirmation that perseverance and hard work pays off in an industry that all too often seems governed by luck and chance.
Every second of The Roundtable Podcast is infused with Dave’s vibrant and effervescent personality. Combining a wonderful talent for research and an otherworldly skill for promotion, he introduces each guest writer and host with a flare that is uniquely his own, and relentlessly positive. The show is firmly rooted int the philosophy that with enough effort, thought, and encouragement, every writer can transform their story ideas from dross to literary gold.
I myself have benefitted from taking a story on the show. It isn’t finished yet, but someday I hope to publish it, and be ‘knighted’ by the hosts.
Find The Roundtable Podcast on the web, or subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher.
October 14, 2014
hughjodonnell
Hugh Likes Comics, Review
Chris Claremont, Comics, Frank Miller, HLC, Hugh Likes Comics, Marvel, review, Wolverine
Written by Chris Claremont
Drawn by Frank Miller
Published by Marvel Comics
Love him or hate him, Wolverine is one of the most popular and exposed characters in Marvel’s stable of heroes. And with the publisher set to kill him for a while, I thought it was time to take a look at the limited series that really cemented his character.
It’s easy to see why this comic was so groundbreaking. Right off the bat, it establishes Wolverine as a much darker, more badass character than his taciturn, volatile persona on the X-Men. This is Wolverine in his element, and that means hunting bears and fighting hordes of ninja. After spending some time in the deep woods of Canada, Logan discovers that his letters to his girlfriend, Japanese dignitary Mariko Yashida have been returned unopened, and that she has left the US. Wolverine follows her to back to Japan. There, he discovers that her father, a presumed deceased crime lord, has returned, and that Mariko has been married to one of his lieutenants.
After being rolled by Yashida in a fight which would have killed him if not for his mutant powers, Logan is rescued by Yukio, a hedonistic assassin who is playing games of her own.
“Wolverine” is Claremont writing at the peak of his craft. Unrestrained by the team dynamic and superhero tropes of the ongoing X-Men comic, he really digs down into Wolverine’s character. This isn’t just four-color antics, but a rich, pulpy story about honor, appearances, and the nuances of a world shaded in gray. And being drawn by a Frank Miller just coming into his own as an artist elevates the comic to a classic.
Delivering a gritty comic is harder than taking a cape and rolling in the mud for a little bit. It’s something that has to be carefully structured. The pieces all need to support each other in a way that the reader both can believe and doesn’t expect. “Wolverine” delivers by revealing a deeper, darker world in the periphery of one the reader already knows. It shows a midnight underworld hidden behind an upstanding daylight face. And it does it beautifully. Miller’s Japan is a labyrinth of towering yet indistinct skyscrapers, with scores of ninja hiding in every alley. It echoes and reinforces the script beautifully. Miller echoes seminal Japanese artist Goseki Kojima in this story of corruption hiding within the Yashida clan’s adherence to tradition, and one warrior willing to abandon all pretexts to expose the truth.
In graphic story telling, especially when a writer and an artist are both masters of their craft, the finished product can seem at odds with itself. The words can be sharp and engaging. The art can be beautiful, but they need to work together to properly tell a story like this. Here, Claremont and Miller’s efforts are a synthesis that is greater than the whole of its parts.
The Wolverine is available from Amazon, Comixology, or your local comic shop.
Older Entries
Newer Entries
Hugh J. O'Donnell 