[School of Everything Else 2020]

Part 2 of 6

The second of three shows on Season 1 of Gravity Falls. Season 2 will be covered in 2021.

We return to one of the best animated series' to grace the TV screen. A rich, hilarious, fast-paced puzzle-box of twisty mysteries and subversive, genre-savvy capers. Tween twins Dipper and Mabel Pines are staying with their Grunkle Stan for the summer, at his combination gift-shop and rube-trap. But strange things are both out there in the woods, and inside the wooden walls of the Mystery Shack.

Both seasons are available on Disney+ And if you have already finished it and want something similar but haven't yet sunk your beak into The Owl House, that's what's for dessert. 

Episodes Covered: Double Dipper/Irrational Treasure/The Time-Traveller's Pig/Fight Fighters/Little Dipper/Summerween

Guests:

Victoria Luna B. Grieve:  @VixenVVitch 

Theo Leigh of The New Century Multiverse

From Sequentially Yours  Kaoru Negisa  @Moonpanther22

and Debbie Morse  @bastet8300

[School of Everything Else 2018]

I go back to the console everybody is talking about, but rather than making this all about the micro PlayStation Classic I endeavoured to find the alternative best way to play specific games I remember and love as well as a mix of some I missed before.

It's nowhere near as easy as you might think, to just pick up and play. This is an account of what happened.

Games discussed include Resident Evil 1-3, Final Fantasy VII-IX, Tekken 3, WipeOut, Gran Turismo, Soviet Strike, Bloody Roar 2, Tenchu: Stealth Assassins, Soul Blade, Driver, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, Siphon Filter, Vagrant Story, Spider-Man, Bust-A-Groove, Parappa the Rapper, Dino Crisis 1 & 2 and the promise of more Metal Gear Solid.

[School of Everything Else 2017]

This is the first of several episodes on the fantastic Netflix animated show Bojack Horseman. Next week will be an episode on seasons 2 & 3 and at some point we will probably do season 4.

It starts off as a black adult comedy about show business and Hollywood and you could be forgiven for lumping it in with Family Guy, however, it quickly establishes itself as a drama about various deeply flawed, human characters.

Unlike Rick and Morty, though, the core of the existential dread isn't the bleakness of everything, but our desperation to be better, worthwhile people, even as we fail over and over.

It is so worth your time.

Joining us are our good friends Kaoru Negisa and Debbie Morse of Sequentially Yours, and genuine stunt actress Maya Santandrea, who brings her insight as to what the business of filming is frequently like. 

[School of Everything Else 2017]

A five hour, retro RPG with a story that will stay with you. We recommend everyone play the game before listening. 

It's kind of like a fun Inception.

Laura Kate Dale joins us for a very textured, emotional and personal discussion about this extraordinary experience. 

This show was commissioned by Emanuel Matius, Sean Lyons Burke and Nick Grugin. Patreon supporters at the five dollar level can enjoy a bonus re-release of the episode of Do try This At Home that Sharon recorded in 2013, on this same game. 

Next week; Donnie Darko.

Guest:

Laura Kate Dale of Let's Play Video Games

[School of Everything Else 2017]

A commissioned show from Mark Lucksch. First thing I said when I saw the art was "No anime." Mark assured me that with its writer based in the west and Korean rather than Japanese artwork, as well as lack of animation that this text-adventure available on Steam was not, in fact, anime. 

After many hours of playing through this tale of an intelligent, female consciousness inside a computer on a spaceship, with its themes of oppressive, patriarchal tradition, and a woman's prerogative, we both had a rather... strong reaction.

Enjoy?

Next week: Gargoyles

[School of Everything Else 2017]

A commissioned show about a 2003 two-part TV miniseries wherein Christopher Eccleston plays a regular bloke from Manchester who suddenly realises that he is the son of God. The story is about how the world takes this news and how it affects his close friends. Also there are demons.

This is new Doctor Who creator Russel T. Davies' hot take on religion.

It made Sharon and I quite angry, and unexpectedly ended up as one of our more thought-provoking shows, most definitely nudging us out of our comfort zone and into the realm of discussing one of the subjects guaranteed to offend somebody.

[School of Everything Else 2017]

This is a Vertigo comics series which ran for 60 issues from 1997 to 2002, written by Warren Ellis and drawn by Darick Robertson. 

It is set in a non-specified future where cities stretch out across the planet, filled with bored tech-fetishists all looking for the next distraction. Spider Jerusalem is an infamous gonzo journalist who returns to the otherwise unnamed "The City" to write some books and newspaper columns after years of hiding in a log cabin up a mountain.

This is a book that was hugely influential on me, and while the retro-future it predicted was off the mark in many cases, some of it is so sharp that it's going to hurt to listen. There's blasphemous and depraved content within so you have been warned.

Alasdair Stuart of The Escape Artists joins us to talk about all things Spider in this commissioned show courtesy of Ciaran Dachtler. 

Guest:

Alasdair Stuart of Escape Pod

[School of Everything Else 2017]

We've had several requests over the course of our show to cover THE ENTIRETY of Doctor Who, or even just "Everything since 2005". Eventually one commissioning Whovian named Andy Nattan came around with a suggestion that would neatly incorporate our knowledge of the Doctor into a discussion about one fairly hilariously bad TV movie made in 1996. It also constitutes (almost) the entire onscreen appearance of the Eighth Doctor, Paul McGann, who was rather good (when he stopped SCREAMING).

So whether you love Who, like it or think it's a load of old toss you'll almost certainly enjoy listening to us talk with long-time Seventh Doctor fan Neil Taylor about this failed pilot, starring Eric Roberts as The Terminator, featuring a really REALLY accurate clock, a wibbly window and a jizz-snake.

Guests:

Neil Taylor of TheKidDogg

[School of Everything Else 2017]

In 2013 a brand new Marvel character was introduced to the world, one who is very reminiscent of classic Peter Parker, a goofy, hapless, sweet-natured teenager who just wants to help people. She's also the world's premier, headlining Muslim superhero, and very much due a movie or TV series to bring her to mass popularity like those who came before her.

In tonight's episode we are joined by Alasdair Stuart, owner of Escape Artists and longtime comic-book expert, to enthusiastically discuss why the younger generations are already loving Kamala Khan, and why she's so important in the grand scheme.

You don't have to have read any of her comics, but by the end of this you will want to. 

This was a commissioned show, and we kick off with some important (and good news) about future commissions. 

Guest:

Alasdair Stuart of Escape Pod

[School of Everything Else 2017]

This is the third show I have put together about the Legend of Zelda series. The first was back in 2010 for Digital Cowboys when we covered most of the games in the series. The second was in early 2012 on Digital Gonzo when we covered the contentious Skyward Sword on the Wii (This episode is now available exclusively through Patreon). This time we're looking at a bunch that we missed first time round, and one or two that have emerged more recently.

2001. Oracle of Seasons/Ages
2004. The Minish Cap
2006. Twilight Princess
2007. Link’s Crossbow Training
2007. The Phantom Hourglass
2009. Spirit Tracks
2011. Ocarina of Time 3D
2013. A Link Between Worlds
2013. Wind Waker HD
2014. Hyrule Warriors
2015. Majora's Mask 3D

My guests this time are Laura Kate Dale, Gary Blower, Glen Watts, Iain Hopwood, Lloyd Huhn, David Garcia Abril and Richard Lago. This show was recorded back in 2015 while the Switch was still called the NX, Breath of the Wild didn't have a name and Twilight Princess HD had yet to be announced. When we do a fourth Zelda show it will be a lot sooner and will be all about Breath of the Wild, which after thirty or so hours of play may be my favourite of them all.

Guests:

Laura Kate Dale of Lets Play Video Games

Gary Blower of GameBurst

Iain Hopwood of Year of Steam

Lloyd Huhn

David Garcia Abril

Richard Lago

Glen Watts

[School of Everything Else 2017]

Welcome to a show which explores why, after decades of producing consoles and video games, Nintendo feels special in a way that the others do not. More than two dozen people have recorded their memories and insight and sent them to me to arrange. A picture begins to emerge of a troubled relationship with someone capable of amazing creative endeavours and baffling business decisions. Someone who many of us can never fully let go because of the power of these happy memories of childhood, family and the hundreds of gaming worlds which we charted together (some of us literally, you had to draw your maps in pencil back then).

As the Switch is launched we look back on what the emergence of a new console meant to us, and why we always come back to a place of hope.

Infinite thank yous to my guests, without which this show would not have been possible.

1.   Intro*
2.   Brendan Agnew of Cinapse
3.   Sam Chapter
4.   James Batchelor of Bond and Beyond
5.   Collin
6.   Daniel Floyd of Extra Credits
7.   Daniel Den Heijer
8.   Toby Jungius
9.   James Carter of Cane and Rinse
10.   Joshua Garrity of Cane and Rinse
11.   My Old Friend Nintendo (Alex)
12.   Paschal Dooley
13.   Chris O Regan of Spong
14.   Leon Cox of Cane and Rinse
15.   Blast Processing (Lyra)
16.   Bob Chipman of Geek.com
17.   Neil Taylor of TheKiddDogg
18.   Nama Chibitty
19.   Derrick Ritchie
20.   James Perkins of The Digital Fix
21.   Gary and Imogen Blower of GameBurst
22.   Dan Mayer
23.   Darren Gargette of Cane and Rinse
24.   Holly Dotson
25.   Player 1 & Player 2 of Cartridge Bros
26.   Jason Slate of The Mana Pool
27.   Matt Wardle
28.   Laureta Sela of New Century
29.   Alex Shaw
30.   Lyra Shaw

*Voices in the opening montage also include Alexander Jahans, Gustav Dahl and Johan Kristian Milde