Choice Media Pod

A fumble is one of the most painful plays in football, and when it comes to fiction, there's no tougher pill to swallow than the hero dropping the ball with a fantastic love interest. We've all been there, and this episode I share the five that stayed with me the most. I also tried to label them and put them into a larger context of stuff you'll see over and over again. Let me know if you have any...

I recently discovered the Olympians graphic novel series by George O'Connor and it's a fantastic introduction to Greek Myths, both for children and older fans too. I also discuss some of the revisionist aspects that really panned out for the series.

Week 2 of Bad Seeds is here; I recap the story from Batman #13 and the start of a two-issue Batgirl tie-in. I also discuss a recent interview with Poison Ivy author Willow Wilson, who shared some thoughts on the saga so far...

The 10-week Bad Seeds crossover event is underway, This big crossover brings a number of storylines from the Poison Ivy series to a head; I recap and offer my thoughts on the story thus far...

By some accounts, Warren Zevon considered himself a novelty musician. He was long seen as a one-hit wonder in media discourse. But his music was real and it connects with many, building a cultlike following that eventually got him voted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Which is awesome, but Warren Zevon knew how to rock and roll like few people who have ever lived. In this episode I share my Z...

Raymond Chandler, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall-- the Big Sleep is a sharply written Noir classic that's equal parts gumshoe investigation, slow burn romance, and thirsty fever dream. If you've never seen a noir and are wondering what the fuss was all about, this is a pretty good place to start.

DC is launching a massive 10-week crossover event this week. Normally I'm not into those, but this one has Pamela Lillian Isley at the center of things, so I'm all in. In this podcast I take my best guesses on what is likely to happen in the series, and also share my dream scenario from when this thing was announced... Let me know if you're excited about the crossover-- or if you liked it!

Longtime host Nathan finished the summer with a weekend in Quebec-- the perfect time to discuss favorite things from Canada. In this on-location podcast, I cover favorite book, video game, comics, and more, and even throw in some hockey talk, eh?

I've read the entire Poison Ivy series through 45 issues, and most of the stories she's appeared in over the past 60 years. One could say I'm fairly qualified to weigh-in on DC's next big crossover event. In this episode, I discuss events from the past six months of Poison Ivy, which very clearly build toward this event. I also put it into context of the series as a whole. I also discuss how likel...

Boston Fan Expo is always fun, but this year might have been the best. I met Batman the Animated Series legend Kevin Altieri- who shared a very interesting perspective about how even the greats wrestle with perfectionism. It had me thinking for days after...no lies there! I also recap the best moments...from Cosplay to packing smart for a con.

We've all been there...that part of a video game that tests your patience and stamina to the breaking point. I call those enduro challenges, in a nod to the racing style that takes a similar approach to the finish line. In this episode I give my top 5 enduro challenges and invite listeners to do likewise. This episode was inspired by the my son's marathon Roblox courses, which can be found in the...

Sometimes like drops you a bouquet. This happened to me today, when I cracked open Batman: Dark Knight Adventures and Absolute Batman for the first time. Two classics, two polar extremes of the Caped Crusader. One is the ultra-gritty tough guy man. The other, a gentler and more nuanced detective story in the tradition of Batman: the Animated Services. I talk about how one of these classics is idea...

Batman and Robin is notorious in comic book circles as one of the worst adapations ever for the Caped Crusader. I recently watched it for the first time, and I'd say it's more a case of a movie going for "so bad it's good" and mostly getting there. I cant' say this movie is good, but I did enjoy most of it. I also bring in Roger Ebert's very unique thoughts on Uma Thurman's performance, which I th...

DC is launching the 10-week Bad Seeds crossover event in August, and this Poison Ivy fan definately has some thoughts. In this episode, I put the event into the context of the Poison Ivy series, which started out as a redemption arc, but now has her on a collision course with a half dozen enemies (say what you will, the Queen of May is not one of those pallid souls that knows neither victory nor d...

After roughly 40 years of fandom, I finally saw Weird Al in concert. He was amazing, and I also really enjoyed Puddles Pity Party, who was the opening act. I tried to unpack what made Puddles such a hit with the audience, and share perspectives from many years of Weird Al Fandom.

The Odyssey movie is making a ton of money and the discourse about it is getting silly. This week an expert denounced the movie in strong terms, kind of a sparking a backlash and circling of the wagons. Can't we just enjoy things? I found a way to enjoy the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings movies, despite them completely ruining a fairly important character (which I discuss).

I am an extremely basic comic book fan, who is just getting around to Absolute Wonder Woman...and it's a pretty fantastic re-imagining of a classic! The timing was good, because Circe is being featured right now in the new adaptation of The Odyssey, and she also has a major role in Absolute Wonder Woman. I've been of the opinion lately that Circe is really overly notorious in the public imaginatio...

I've always been a big fan of scoundrels. Han Solo from Star Wars. Cao Cao from Romance of the Three Kingdoms-- and Poison Ivy from DC comics. I recently dove into the Poison Ivy backlog, with the goal of reading all of her appearances. That is still a work in progress, but I have read and reflected enough to share five things I've learned from this project. And if you like the podcast, by all mea...

The Trails series did something unique and amazing in RPGs: It created an entire world for an ongoing RPG saga, but more importantly FalCom stuck the landing on the first seven games in the series. It was an amazing ride, but nothing lasts forever-- and the Trails series came back to Earth a bit with Cold Steel 3. I discuss my mixed feelings on that this episode. And I also discuss how the main ch...

Welcome to the Choice Media Podcast. A new production by Amazing Gamers Podcast host Nathan. This podcast is dedicated to unpacking great stories, the ones that really mattered. Whether it's video games, literature, comics, movies, or legends. Comics have kind of been my focus lately, so I talked about that a bit in this first episode. And I also discuss meeting the creator of Shredman Comics earl...

Life is like a box of chocolates when chatting with Highly Ginger, but in this case the surprises were all good ones. Wonder Woman versus Thor, and could she lift Thor's hammer? The best medium for DC adaptations and choosing between Batman and Superman... similarities between Wonder Woman and Captain America-- they're all this bonus time chat with our Poison Ivy cast...

The genius of DC Comics is that they’re always finding ways to re-invent the classics. There may be no better example of this than Poison Ivy. From her Femme Fatale roots to Harley’s ride-or-die partner and the antihero of her own series, life is good for Ivy fans. So this pod conversation kind of has a story. I don’t usually talk behind-the-scenes with the pod, but it’s so relevant on this one. I...

Nathan returns for episode 25 with another solo flight, to discuss an idea he's been kicking around for a while: the difference between "good enough" and "just right." I had an experience a couple of months back that crystalized the whole idea in my mind. And I also provide a few examples of the 'just right' from gaming, music and life! If you like the pod, share your best just rights in the comme...

Sometimes it all comes together at once. I watched Transformers the Movie with my son last weekend, and this week the 40th anniversary apology tour for the movie took flight. In this solo discussion I broke down: What was great about the movie Where it kind of fell flat and What it makes sense to sideline Megatron and Optimus at times.

I talk about RPGs a lot on Amazing Gamers, and I recently realized I've been overlooking my beloved second genre-- turn-based strategy games. That changes today! The grand pubah of that genre-- in my book anyways- is Civilization 6, and I decided it's time to pay homage to its greatness. I might also have mentioned my favorite ways to play it and win, and there's definately something in there abou...