The Download's tracks

This week the word is Maclunky. The nerds start out by discussing the latest version of the Han Shot First scene. Other topics include funny DVD commentary tracks, Jonathan Baker’s Download Bingo Card, the projects they are each currently working on, SpongeBob SquarePants, How I Met Your Mother, and Bumblebee. After the spoiler warning they discuss The Pool of Fire, Star Trek Short Treks, and Kniv...

This week the word is Misunderstanding. Andy explains the point of confusion that led to an odd choice for the cartoon that happened a couple of weeks ago, and yammers about movies featuring VW Beetles, including Bumblebee, the Cars movies, and in particular, Herbie the Love Bug. Keith talks about The Repair Shop and things that make him feel old. He also talks about Knives Out and Rian Johnson’s...

This week the word is Mystery. The guys discuss the “Mystery Box” approach to story-telling, mysteries in general, and mystery stories with solvable endings vs. those that can never really be resolved. Keith talks about deliberately unanswered questions in the backstory of Eberron, and Andy talks about being on jury duty. They also discuss mystery as a theme in games. After the spoiler warning the...

Blurb: This week the word is Heist! The guys discuss classic heist movies and stories that follow the heist formula but aren’t usually thought of as heist stories. Keith describes a mind-melding heist RPG he’d like to run someday, and talks about the celebrity D&D game he just returned from filming. After the spoiler warning they discuss Mandalorian episodes 4-6, the season 1 finale of Watchmen, a...

This week the word is Multiverse. The guys discuss their favorite multiverse stories, starting with the mirror universe from Star Trek, and including Sliders, Fringe, Counterpart, Replay, Alternities, What if?, Into the Spiderverse, D&D, Muppets Tonight, Rick & Morty, and Watchmen. Andy again urges Keith to attend Burning Man, which will have the theme of The Multiverse next year. Other topics inc...

This week the word is Russia, since Andy just got back from his first trip there and had a lot to talk about. Then Keith talks about his newly released Eberron book and the next one he’s working on. Keith wonders what’s up with the wasps and ants in his neighborhood, and talks about Jenn’s trip to China. Then they lower the spoiler curtain to discuss the first few episodes of The Mandalorian. SPOI...

This week the word is unreliable. They discuss unreliable narrators in popular media, trying not to get to spoilery until the last part of the show. Andy talks about his upcoming trip to Russia, and Keith tells the story of how he came to be in possession of an autographed rubber arm. Other topics include Galactus action figures, Keith’s new Eberron books, Math Fluxx 2.0, Tom Lehrer’s New Math son...

This week the word is Birthday, since they recorded it Andy’s. They talk about various birthday traditions and memories, including stories of birthday stunts by friends. Andy carries on for awhile about chocolate angel food cake. Keith passes on some stories from this year’s Essen Spiele courtesy of Jenn, and they talk a little more about Halloween. Keith talks about games he played at AmberCon. T...

This week the word is Halloween. The nerds share childhood memories of the holiday, their favorite costumes, and such, and spend a lot of time reminiscing about times they cosplayed the castaways from Gilligan’s Island. Moving on to media, they discuss the newest trailer for Picard and news about other new Star Trek shows. Keith compares Trek factions to Hogwart’s houses. Then they discuss other u...

This week the word is Space. The nerds talk about what space means to them. Other topics they cover include ideas like Fluxx Fluxx, magic with Magic cards, and how card tricks are possible now that never were before. Then they each talk about their current works in progress, raw cookie dough, and a recent ranking of the games in Pyramid Arcade. After the spoiler warning they discuss the Trek short...

This week the word is Adventure. The nerds talk about the definition of adventure and early computer games by that name. Keith talks about his progress on his Adventure Zone game, and Andy talks about converting the cardframes for older versions of Fluxx to the newer standard. A lengthy (and spoilery) discussion of Ken Grimwood’s book Replay then follows. Other topics include upcoming media, weird...

This week the word is Midichlorians. The nerds talk about what the new Star Wars movies might have been if Disney had taken the suggestions they’d gotten from George Lucas, and they debate which of the movies they think is the worst one. Keith talks about his current work projects, which leads the nerds discuss the differences between a storytelling game and a role playing game. Then Andy talks ab...

This week the word is Bicentennial. The nerds reflect on having recorded 200 of these shows, and share their memories of the national bicentennial in 1976. Then they talk about the custom Loonacy deck, featuring 24 of Goodloe’s cartoons of Keith & Andy, which superfan Leila put together for the occasion, and which you can actually buy! [ http://bit.ly/DownloadLoonacy ] Andy reports on the status o...

This week the word is Atlantis. Andy talks at length about a book called Fingerprints of the Gods. Then they talk a little about game design stuff before moving on to media. Keith talks about Carnival Row, the new Dark Crystal series, and season 3 of Legion. Then Andy talks about camping in his truck and seeing a few sights during his long drive back from Burning Man. Keith reminisces about the ti...

This week the word is clones and the nerds have a lot to say about that. Then they spend a lot of time speculating about new Star Wars stuff based on recently released trailers. Andy tells Keith about his trip to Burning Man, then Keith tells Andy about his trip to DragonCon. Lastly they lower the spoiler curtain for an in-depth review of the movie Yesterday. SPOILER WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS

This time the nerds just ramble a lot about various subjects, starting with lobsters, about which they find a lot to say. Other topics they discuss include the finer points of the meaning of the word apocryphal, humanity’s unique ability to tell stories, good dogs & Action Pups, Weird Al’s song about foil, and the Lego movies. Other media topics include Booksmart, Dark, Fleabag, and Killing Eve. L...

This week the word is Gen Con, which the nerds spend a lot of time discussing. But first Keith talks about being in Maine, and his distaste for lobster. They talk about the year 2020, seeing multiple people wearing a lab coat and carrying a watermelon, and zany stunts they used to do at sci-fi conventions before they each started a game company. Keith talks about his new project with the Adventure...

This week the word is Chocula, so the nerds talk about monster cereals and their mascots at some length. Then they talk a lot about previews for shows and movies they haven’t seen yet. Keith talks about a new Eberron book he’s working on, and Andy tells Keith about finally getting to hear live handpan music, and more recent episodes of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy radio show. Lastly they s...

This week the word is secret-identity. The nerds spend a lot of time discussing superhero secret identities in particular. Other topics include the technical reasons for Superman’s powers, the definition of the birthday season, Jumanji, August Fool’s Day, and the new Star Wars area at Disneyland. Then they drop the spoiler curtain to discuss Spiderman: Far From Home at length. SPOILER WARNING: CON...

This week the word is crud, since Keith still has the dreaded con crud. Keith talks about some of the things he noticed at the American Library Association conference. Andy talks about how much he enjoyed the movie Yesterday, and Keith discusses the new series called The Rook. Andy also talks about Brooklyn Nine Nine, which he’s now all caught up on, and Keith talks about seeing a Lonely Island co...

This week the word is Libraries. The nerd reminiscence about all the time they spent as youths going to the library, and how times have changed, even including the way we consume books. Keith describes a unique book experience called S and talks about new technology for reading comics. Andy tells the story of meeting Greykell in a library as a youth, and describes how that library building has jus...

This week the word is Word. The nerds talk about a few of their favorite words, their favorite word games, and their favorite other uses for word-game tiles. Andy talks about going to New York City for Book Expo & Con and notes the differences between the book industry with the game industry. He also describes walking on the High Line and climbing The Vessel. Keith talks about work he can’t talk a...

This week the word is Zone. The nerds spend a lot of time discussing The Twilight Zone, since Keith has been re-watching classic episodes and Andy always has things to say about his favorite show of all time. Keith addresses the question of his own favorite Star Wars quote and gives predictions for the next Star Wars trilogy. After the spoiler warning, they discuss the Game of Thrones finale and t...

This week the word is FairyTale. The nerds talk about the concept of the “Fairy Tale Ending” and how modern fantasies like Game of Thrones often embrace dark, dystopian storylines instead. They talk about the differences between Andy’s Fairy Tale Fluxx and Keith’s Fairy Tale Gloom. Andy talks about his favorite Star Wars quote(s), and Keith suggests replacing one word with the word “pants.” After...

This week the word is five. First the nerds talk a lot about The Tick, starting with the new Amazon series but encompassing all the adaptations. Keith talks about his garden, then explains the Discordian Law of Five. Then they talk a little about Star Trek movies, and Andy mentions that his new game Star Trek Chrono-Trek has gone to the printer. After the spoiler warning, they discuss the new Twil...