Avatar: Braving the Elements

We’re not done celebrating the magic of “The Tales of Ba Sing Se.” This week we welcome two of episode's writers, Andrew Huebner and Katie Mattila! Janet and Dante are thrilled to be joined by writers Katie Mattila (“The Tale of Zuko”) and Andrew Huebner (“The Tale of Iroh”) for one of the podcast’s best behind-the-scenes episodes yet. Find out more about how The Tales came to be, including what K...

Ring in the new year with Azula herself! Janet and Dante revisit their fan-favorite conversation with voice actress Grey DeLisle, the iconic voice behind one of Avatar: The Last Airbender’s most formidable villains. From behind-the-scenes memories in the ATLA booth to Azula’s most chilling lines, Grey shares her unique experience in the Avatarverse and updates us on what she’s been working on outs...

Happy holidays from your friends at Braving the Elements! This week, our gift to you is one of our favorite conversations we've had with Avatar show creators (and our two dads), Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko! We get into the beginnings of Book 2 and how this season came to be in the Avatarverse. 

Celebrate this beloved ATLA episode of multiple character stories with the return of our friend Danielle Radford! Janet and Dante are rejoined by the wonderful Danielle Radford, who'll ride the laughter and tears of the tales of Toph and Katara, Iroh, Aang, Sokka, Zuko, and Momo along with you. From Iroh’s legendary tale to Momo’s search for Appa, this discussion captures the heart of the Avatar:...

You know her as Joo Dee from Ba Sing Se, but Lauren Tom’s voice acting legacy stretches far and wide! Janet and Dante sit down with the multi-talented Lauren to talk about her work on Avatar: The Last Airbender, her voiceover and on-screen acting career, and her representation as a powerhouse in the Asian American artistic community. Lauren talks about her career not just in voiceover, but as an o...

Janet and Dante are joined once again by Bryan Konietzko to talk about one of his favorite episodes! Expect a ton of great insider info for this recap and discussion surrounding the mysterious “City of Walls and Secrets,” Episode 14 of Book Two of ATLA. Explore Ba Sing Se under the watchful eye of Joo Dee as more and more walls and rings of the city are revealed… to some degree. But many secrets r...

Ever wonder what it’s like to work behind the scenes in the Avatarverse? Janet and Dante welcome Avatar Studios friends Isabella Boettcher and Pramodh Manian for a lively conversation about their roles shaping the future of Avatar: The Last Airbender. From favorite ATLA moments to which characters they’d travel with, loan money to, or vacation alongside, this episode is a fun and fascinating peek...

This week brings you our happy return to NYCC (where Janet and Dante recorded their first live, in-person episode last year)! Because NYCC 2021 was such a blast, we know we had to turn it up a notch— and you were there for it! Recorded on October 6th, 2022, Janet and Dante were joined by guest after extraordinary guest! From an in-depth conversation with David Burtka and Robbie Daymond about the m...

Friend of the show Karama Horne returns to dig into “The Drill!” As a giant drill threatens to breach the walls of Ba Sing Se, Team Avatar has to figure out if it’ll be possible to stop it in time. As Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai push Team Avatar to their limits, our hosts dive into the episode’s stunning animation, smart battle strategy, and subtle character dynamics. And don’t miss Karama’s hot takes...

It’s Janet and Dante live at London Fan Expo, recorded this summer! Our Braving The Elements hosts rounded up hundreds of Avatar fans for a delightful discussion across the pond. This conversation, led by Janet and Dante featuring some truly fantastic questions from the audience, once again proves how insightful, charming, and enthusiastic the community of ATLA lovers truly is. And find out if Dan...

Janet and Dante welcome podcasters Afiya Augustine and Vincent Bernard for an intense look at the suspenseful ATLA episode 12 “The Serpent’s Pass.” As Team Avatar braves this perilous crossing, our guests dive into bending battles, relationship dynamics, and how Avatar: The Last Airbender keeps fans emotionally connected. Plus, they share their favorite ships, bending styles, and what keeps the Av...

This week we talk Avatarverse, voice acting and directing, and more with Critical Role’s Sam Riegel! Sam sits down with Janet and Dante to talk not just about what makes "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and "The Legend of Korra" so special to Sam and his kids, but also what makes a great voice actor and how he approaches voice directing. From his early friendship with Janet to directing iconic shows,...

Things get sandy—and serious—in this unforgettable ATLA episode 11, “The Desert.” Janet and Dante are joined once again by actor and comedian Jason Mantzoukas (The Good Place, Big Mouth) to dive into the heartbreak of Appa’s disappearance, the mystery of the White Lotus, and the horror of those terrifying buzzard wasps. Jason brings the laughs, but also gets real about what makes the Avatarverse s...

One of the most amazing things about the Avatarverse is the creativity it inspires in its fandom, as shown by this week’s guests, Daniel Mertzlufft and Katherine Lynn Rose! Janet and Dante are joined by these two innovative, collaborative content creators to talk about how they were inspired by "Avatar:The Last Airbender" and where that inspiration took their own artistic creations. Social media b...

Team Avatar uncovers ancient knowledge—and faces heartbreaking loss—in the pivotal ATLA episode 10 “The Library.” Janet and Dante are joined by pop culture critic Phil Yu (Angry Asian Man) to explore Wan Shi Tong’s mysterious desert stronghold and the revelations it holds about the Fire Nation. Can Toph save the day? What will happen to Appa? This is one of the most emotionally charged chapters in...

It’s a family affair for this special midseason game of Avatarverse superfans! Our Season One player Abby Abebefe is back to once again test her ATLA knowledge, but this time she’s brought two of her sisters with her! Janet and Dante welcome Abisola and Ayosola Abebefe to Braving the Elements for the first time, challenging all three sisters to discover who knows the most about the Avatarverse. Gu...

“Pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source.” It’s an episode full of Uncle Iroh wisdom! Janet and Dante delve into ATLA’s Ep. 9 “Bitter Work” this week, following the progress (or lack thereof) of a certain Avatar and his certain Earthbending Master, as well as training of a different sort between Iroh and Zuko. Along the way, we discover a connection between water and lightning, fire and...

When other fandoms love the Avatarverse as much as we do, magic happens. Janet and Dante are joined by Broadway’s Major Curda (KPOP) and actor Lex Mayson (Joe vs. Carole) for a heartfelt roundtable about why Avatar: The Last Airbender is so beloved, including the ways it helps propel us forward to follow our own artistic passions. And as always with our guests, we talk hybrid animals, ships, and b...

We’re back at San Diego Comic Con for another LIVE podcast recording! This time, Braving the Elements is joined by not one but TWO beloved voice actors: Jack DeSena (Sokka) and Phil LaMarr (Kuei the Earth King). Join us for an exclusive listen to our panel from this past July. Expect from thrilling conversations with our Avatar VOs, breaking Avatar Studios news, and of course - a dynamic table rea...

Sleep-deprived and running for their lives—Team Avatar is feeling the heat in Book Two’s action-packed episode 8, “The Chase.” Janet and Dante are joined by actor and performer Erika Ishii for a breakdown of the Gaang’s mounting tension and Azula’s relentless pursuit. They discuss Ty Lee and Mai’s tracking tactics, Katara’s leadership, and just how real things get when rest runs out. It’s a fun an...

What happens when the Avatarverse makes friends with the amazing Dark Horse Comics world? Janet and Dante chat with longtime Avatar: The Last Airbender writer Tim Hedrick about expanding the ATLA story through the Dark Horse realm. From The Promise to Smoke and Shadow, Tim shares what it’s like building the post-series world of Aang, Zuko, and the rest of Team Avatar. If you love the comics or wan...

This week, Zuko is anything BUT alone, since Dante and Janet are joined by ATLA superfan Adal Rifai for “Zuko Alone!” It’s the episode (and episode title) that would end up launching future iconic storylines (“Suki Alone,” “Korra Alone”) and Adal Rifai (Hello From the Magic Tavern, Hey Riddle Riddle podcasts) is here for the deep dive! Find out more than ever before about Zuko’s troubled childhood...

Continuing our celebration of all things Toph Beifong, Janet and Dante welcome Michaela Jill Murphy (aka Jessie Flower), the original voice of Toph! Find out more about the real-life personality behind one of the biggest personalities in the Avatarverse as we sit down with Michaela to hear more about her life before and after joining the cast of Avatar: The Last Airbender, how much the young Jessi...

Janet and Dante reconnect with their “two dads” to hear more about Toph’s origin story! A character as iconic as Toph deserves a whole episode about how she came to be! Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko reminisce about their original concept designs for Toph and how they evolved during the collaborative process with writers and animators, as well as their memories of Jessie Flowers (aka Michaela...

Say hello to Toph Beifong! Janet and Dante welcome Ethan Spaulding, the director of “The Blind Bandit,” to celebrate the epic ATLA episode 6 that introduced one of the Avatarverse’s most iconic characters. Learn behind-the-scenes trivia about Earth Rumble Six, the casting of Toph, and what makes this earthbender such a fan favorite. Get ready for seismic-level insights into Toph’s legacy in Avatar...