Campfires and Color Wars

Fans of Wet Hot American Summer rejoice! Cocreator and director David Wain joins to talk about his summer camp experiences and how they shaped one of the most beloved movies (and series) ever set at camp. We discuss which WHAS scenes and characters are based on real-life stories, what David was known for at Camp Modin in Main, and hear about how surgery vastly improved David's prospects with the l...

Sometimes if you feel like you don't fit in, you end up on the sidelines making fun of all the perceived cool kids. Perhaps that experience helped shape the comedic voice of Jason Sattler, aka @LOLGOP on Twitter, who takes some time out of his busy schedule roasting the embattled leaders of the free world and fighting for progressive causes to join us this week. Jason recounts his times at an Orth...

Deputy editor of Tablet Magazine and co-host of the popular 'Unorthodox' podcast Stephanie Butnick joins Micah to discuss her time at Camp Point O' Pines, the differences between Jewish camps and camps for Jews, and tells a harrowing story of a summer gone wrong thanks to an electric razor (or few). Take a listen!

Noted sex educator Lindsay Fram is back to dish on the latest from the frontlines of gender and sexuality at summer camps. Plus we discuss the definition of "Camp Hot", our favorite camp cheers, the best way to spend a day off, and of course, Lindsay's super-mature Shabbat Walk threesome (spoiler alert - it's not as sexy as it sounds). Take a listen!

With summer camps in full swing, we talk to longtime directors Macy Hart (father of Micah) and Ron Klotz about their years running summer camps in Mississippi and Indiana and how they prepared for each summer. We learn about how they got involved in the camping world, the funniest postcards ever sent home from camp, and answer the age-old question, "What do camp directors do in the winter time?"

Every camp is special, but not every camp can boast the former quarterback for the Miami Dolphins as camp director! Longtime NFL signal caller Jay Fiedler joins Micah and Sara to talk about leading Brookwood Camps in upstate NY and his summers growing up at Lenni Lenape, as well as the similarities and differences between a season in the NFL and a summer at camp.

A summer at camp wouldn't be complete without a good ole fashioned Color War (aka Maccabiah Games, Yom Sport, or Special Day...). Whatever you want to call it, everyone left it all on the field for the green, the red, the yellow, and the blue. Author Stacy Davidowitz joins Micah and Sara to recount her days at Tyler Hill Camp and talk about her newest book in the Camp Rolling Hills series, "Breako...

Austin-based filmmakers Micah Barber and Tony Faia didn’t go to camp together, but they did make a movie about a young boy who escapes from his lonely summer camp in the magical “Into the Who Knows”. In our conversation with them, we hear stories from Micah’s days at band camp (where he played the french horn) and from Tony’s days at boy scout camp (where everyone showered with their swim trunks o...

On this week’s episode, we talk to Mike Sacks - author, comedy writer, and host of the podcast, “Doin’ it with Mike” - about his summers at Camp Airy and Camp Seafarer in the 80s. Despite his tough exterior, Mike turns out to be quite the sentimental camp philosopher. Like most of our guests, camp had a big impact on how he sees the world and shares what we all know to be true: “Camp time is like...

Some of us live for camp, dreaming and wishing that we could spend our entire life in the place we truly call “home.” But would you actually ever *buy* one? Well, this week’s guest, Joe Mendes did just that. When Camp Roosevelt-Firebird came available to buy in 2015, Joe finally realized his decades-old dream of helping kids learn, grow, and develop in ways they did not think possible! This year w...

This episode is the second part of our interview with Michael and Sarah Marks, two great storytellers who had us cringing in disbelief at some of the stories they shared about both the pranks they pulled and the pranks that were pulled on them. Turns out, Sarah LOVED having her underwear run up the flagpole... and she almost convinces Sara that pranks are a sign of affection. You’ll also hear abou...

If you’ve ever peed on a plastic wrap toilet, found crickets in your sleeping bag, or raided a camp kitchen, you’ll appreciate this week’s April Fool’s-themed episode about pranks and the campers & counselors who pull them. We talk to Camp Sierra Vista lifer, Sarah Marks, and her radio-producer, bird-call expert husband (and literal Boy Scout), Michael Marks, about escalating prank wars, shower sh...

Poet and writer Abigail Welhouse joins Sara and Micah to discuss her experiences growing up and working at a horseback riding camp for girls, plus we discuss why being a summer camp counselor is the best paying job you can find as a teenager.

Sara and Micah talk to Aaron Greene, a longtime camp veteran with a penchant for posting memes on Instagram with the #campconfessions hashtag. What confessions do we discuss? Take a listen and find out!

Have you ever fallen in love at camp? Did you ever wish you were one half of a cool camp couple? On this very special Valentine’s Day-themed episode, two camp couples take Sara and Micah through how they lasted past the dog days of summer, tied the knot, and started a family of little campers-to-be of their own.

Brooklyn-based storyteller Courtney Antonioli joins Micah and Sara to talk about her summer as Director of an all-girls arts & empowerment summer camp. She shares stories about a frozen t-shirt contest gone terribly wrong, her girls' crush on a geriatric campus security guard, and how making "adult choices" sometimes means choosing to eat ice cream for breakfast. We also ponder the question, "Can...

Writer of the blog Summer Camp Culture Matt Ralph joins Micah and Sara to discuss their favorite representations of summer camp in movies and TV. Wet Hot rules!

Host of the Unorthodox Podcast Mark Oppenheimer joins Micah and Sara to discuss the joys of being naked at summer camp.

Leah Tennen and Mike Klotz join Micah to discuss the life of the camp director's kids, the frustrations and the perks, and the unique perspective of the summer that comes with it.

There's something about summer camp that brings out the performer in everyone. Micah is joined by guest host "Michael" Ziggy Danziger and actor/playwright Jon Ross to discuss the relationship between theater and camp and relive some of the best - and worst - camp performances.

What's better, being a camper or being a counselor? Judy and Micah are joined by Austin schoolteacher Sara Ballon to discuss the pros and cons of each, with a special appearance by Judy's long-time camp friend Dan Hart.

Longtime Jacobs Camp director (and Micah's father) Macy Hart joins to try to make sense of the U.S. presidential election and give the advice he used to give campers and counselors faced with difficult circumstances.

Micah is joined by Longwood University professor Jeff Halliday to discuss his time growing up at Boy Scout camp and how having a father as a scoutmaster is like having a father as a camp director.

Micah is joined by professional chef Sara Molinaro to discuss all the ins and outs of summer camp food, how it's changed over the years, and just what exactly is in bug juice.

Writer and author Nathan Rabin joins Judy and Micah to discuss being homesick, what it's like to feel like an outsider at camp, and his new book about the 2016 election and the Insane Clown Posse.