Into the Greenwood

Rick and Thaddeus are joined by Mike Nichols and Ben Curly to discuss a TV Pilot turned short film that, while now quite obscure, marked a real turning point in Robin Hood adaptations going forward. Most directly, the Robin of Sherwood television series from the 1980s. The entire film on YouTube: Wolfshead   Into the Greenwood is produced by Thaddeus Papke  Theme music is by Plastic3 For more from...

This episode is the second part of our look at how and why creators have begun incorporating supernatural elements into their Robin Hood tales. In this interview with novelist J. Tullos Hennig, we examine the different elements that define her Robin and how another, nearly forgotten medieval outlaw tale, became an integral part of her five part novel series. For more on J. Tullos Hennig and her wo...

A discussion with writer, filmmaker, and podcaster Andy Mark Simpson about why and how creators are sometimes drawn towards incorporating supernatural elements into their Robin Hood adaptations. For more on Andy's work: https://www.dreamswarm.org/   For episodes of Robin of Sherwood on YouTube from Family Central: Ep 1 Robin Hood and the Sorcerer For a discussion about medieval beliefs in the...

Since the internet dearly loves a ranked list, we've started ranking all of the screen adaptations of Robin Hood starting with Douglas Fairbanks as a part of the Splitting Arrows series. In honor of his 50th anniversary, Rick and I devoted nearly an entire hour to discussing just where in the ranking this animated version of Robin Hood belongs. Give us a listen and then find us with the handl...

A special edition of Splitting Arrows to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Disney's animated Robin Hood film! Special guests from previous episodes return to help us celebrate and discuss this much-loved animated classic that has become a touchstone for our cultural connections to Robin Hood for generations! Into the Greenwood is produced by Thaddeus Papke  Theme music is by Plastic3 For mo...

Patricia Gonsalves is the founder of Lykopis Archery, an expert on historical archery, a competitor in international traditional archery competitions, was the archery consultant for the television shows, 'Arrow' and 'The Flash', and was the first person that came to my mind when I first started this podcast. During our wide ranging discussion we touch upon the earliest bows we...

Backtracking in our chronological journey a little because it was decided that we HAD to delve into some of the more influential television series, starting with 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' from 1955 starring Richard Greene. We only sampled four episodes, a tiny fraction of the show's run, but we had a LOT to say about them. A wide range of topics are discussed within this episod...

A tale of one play and the two groups of high school students that managed to produce that play against all odds.  The play, "Marian or the True Tale of Robin Hood" is the sort of fun adaptation that embraces inclusivity that I would have been inclined to cover on this podcast, even if it hadn't just been featured in some headlines. And it even happened that I had a personal connect...

To celebrate May Day, we're presenting an episode of the DreamSwarm podcast by writer and filmmaker Andy Mark Simpson. This is a holiday dear to Andy and he did a fabulous job interviewing Keith Leech of the Hastings Jack-in-the-Green festival about the particulars relating to some of the interesting traditions surrounding this particular seasonal celebration. You can find more of Andy's...

Over the past few years I've been delved into many different adaptations of Robin Hood and even a good handful that have centered around Maid Marian, and while each one has been unique in its own way, the Forest Wife trilogy by Theresa Tomlinson does stand apart from the others. In it can be felt the influence of ITV's 'Robin of Sherwood' from the 1980s, but also of the local f...

Hammer Films is our primary Robin Hood content creator from this period. This British production company, mostly remembered for its horror films, has been a real mixed bag with us here at Into the Greenwood. Men of Sherwood Forest was a surprise hit with us. While The Sword of Sherwood Forest built high expectations with its cast of Richard Greene and Peter Cushing, only to dash them with a convol...

On October 18th 2022, the 100th anniversary of the silent film classic "Robin Hood" starring Douglas Fairbanks, I was joined by Emily Rich, Leah Kahn, Nathan Makaryk, Mike Nichols, Allen Wright, and Kristen Noone to discuss the film and its impact on how we've viewed the world's most famous outlaw hero ever since. The discussion was also posted on YouTube: https://www.youtube.c...

The award-winning game designer and artist, Michael Menzel discusses his return to the world of board game making with the lushly illustrated story-driven cooperative campaign game 'The Adventures of Robin Hood'. His designer diary is worth perusing to get a glimpse at the evolution of his ideas and to see the artwork that didn't make it into the finished product: https://boardgameg...

Thaddeus and Rick are joined by special guests AJ and Emily Holt to watch Richard Greene, one of the actors with the MOST Robin Hood-related bonafides do battle with none other than Grand Moff Tarkin himself, Peter Cushing, in what proved to be the most convoluted Robin Hood tale to date. Into the Greenwood is produced by Thaddeus Papke  Theme music is by Plastic3 For more from Into the Greenwood:...

It's an old aphorism that history is written by the winners; which implies a certain bias in the historical record. Of course, that's even assuming you have a written record at all. Archaeology is a means of learning about our past in ways that don't rely on the written word. While the popular imagination tends to fixate on images of tombs, mummies, and glittering artifacts, there a...

Jeff Messer has had a success run with his Robin Hood:Legend of Sherwood plays and is now in the process of switching from play writing to comic book writing as he adapts the story into graphic novel form. As of the posting of this episode, the kickstarter for volume 2 will be entering the final two weeks of its campaign. We discuss how the switch to comics offers a different approach to storytell...

Mistaken identities, romantic trysts, secret passages, and daring action abound in "The Son of Robin Hood"! While all accurate, I'd hesitate to call this a "good" movie. Our third venture into the "Child of Robin Hood" sub-genre and we're still left scratching our heads over whether or not any of Robin's children had a mother.  Special guests: Richard H...

It so happens that this year marks the bicentennial of the publication of one the very first works of historical fiction in the English language, the short novel "Maid Marian" by Thomas Love Peacock. Through a bit of delightful coincidence, this bicentennial will see the release of a new movie that takes the surprisingly rare tack of focusing on Maid Marian. I was delighted to have the o...

Mike Nichols caught my attention with his thoughtful posts about the myriad ways that various Robin Hood characters have been adapted. After having watched his play, 'The Gospel of Friar Tuck', I knew that I wanted to have him on the podcast to discuss the thought process that went into his own heartfelt adaptation.  The Gospel Of Friar Tuck Episode 1   The Gospel of Friar Tuck Episode 2...

This film caught me off guard in a number of ways, and not just because I wasn't expecting a strip poker scene. I wasn't expecting to see a lower-class Robin, nor one who was a full ten years into his career as an outlaw. But mostly I didn't expect the first Robin Hood movie from Hammer Films to be so cleverly written. It's a Robin Hood that feels familiar while also not rehash...

After many delays, one of the first episodes I wanted to do! A discussion about the very real Sherwood Forest from what it is like today to how it has changed over the centuries. Could outlaws have fended for themselves in a harsh medieval winter? Do the works of Howard Pyle give the right impression about forest life? What exactly did we learn from "The Butcher's Oak"? I get some e...

A long and thoughtful discussion about the first time Disney decided to make a Robin Hood movie. While not without its problems, its a fine film and is certainly worth a viewing for anyone who is a fan of Robin Hood. -with Richard Hopkins-Lutz and Mike Nichols Hear more from Mike Nichols on the Second Day Film Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/user-780448009 You can also check out his audio play &qu...

The first, but hopefully not last, episode of Into the Greenwood that was at least partially recorded in the actual greenwood. In particular some forested land on the Southern Michigan peninsula owned by this episode's guest, Chad Garlinghouse, that has been especially cultivated to be a habitat, and hunting ground, for white tailed deer. *Spoiler* No deer were harmed in the recording of this...

November 2nd, 2021 will see the release of the new cooperative card game "Rescuing Robin Hood". I spoke with the game's designer, Bryce Brown, about his design process and how Robin Hood can be the hero we need during this time. You can learn more about the game and its colorful cast of characters at castillogames.com .  You can use the code SAVE$5 to save $5 off the game, if you pr...

Will our second entry in the "child of Robin Hood" sub-genre actually explore the protagonist's relationship with his parents? Will his mother get even the slightest mention? Don't count on it! But you can expect some historically-inspired court politics and Alan Hale's third performance as Little John in the final film of his career.  -with Richard Hopkins-Lutz and Andy F...