The Protagonist Podcast

Description Returning guest Virginia McAlister joins Joe to discuss the first novel about Jack Ryan, a character who has been adapted into many different media since his debut appearance. Written by Jack Ryan, The Hunt for Red October tells the … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Branden Ushio joins Joe for a trip down 80s-Nostalgia Lane as they discuss The Karate Kid. We’re talking about Mr. Miyagi and Daniel LaRusso, one of the iconic teacher-student pairings in pop culture. We discuss the real-world … Continue reading →

Desription Producer Andrew and Joe are talking about a classic tv sitcom The Andy Griffith Show. We talk about the show’s legacy, the cast’s roles in the series, and why this remains an iconic piece of popular culture. Support Patreon … Continue reading →

Special Guest Gabriel McKee joins Joe to discuss the early history of UFO stories in American culture. McKee has a new book, The Saucerian, that is about Gray Barker, one of the early publishers to promote and publish UFO stories. … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Norman Mitchell joins Joe to discuss the classic manga series Lone Wolf and Cub. An immensely influential text, Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima’s story of a wandering assassin seeking revenge while caring for his three-year-old son is … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Branden Ushio joins Joe to talk about the Isaac Asimov short story “Runaround.” This short story is the first instance of Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics being used in any of his stories. These Laws have become … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Kestra Darowski joins Joe to discuss the Disney animated film The Emperor’s New Groove. This episode has some of the most surprising behind-the-scenes trivia discussion of any story we have ever discussed! What happened during the development … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Norman Mitchell joins Joe to discuss Freiren from the anime series Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. The series is an adaptation of a manga series and explores what life is like for Frieren, an elf who had a … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Christopher “Mav” Maverick joins Joe to discuss a classic Marvel Comics story, “Kraven’s Last Hunt.” Written by J.M. DeMatteis with pencils by Mike Zeck and inks by Bob McLeod, this storyline tells about Kraven’s final hunt (for … Continue reading →

Description First-time guest David Bloomberg joins returning guest Kate Darowski and Joe to discuss the best seasons of Survivor. We’re each building a Mount Rushmore of Survivor Seasons, so at the end of the podcast you have 12 seasons of … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Rachel Armstron joins Joe to discuss the film Arrival. Starring Amy Adams as Louise Banks, Arrival is an adaption of Ted Chiang’s short story “Story of Your Life.” The contemplative film explores issues of language, aliens, and … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Virginia McAlister joins Joe to discuss William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. We talk about the play’s history (it’s wild), it’s place in our culture (it’s everywhere), and, of course, dig into the characters themselves (they’re super-interesting). Support … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Kestra Darowski joins Joe to discuss the long-running tv show Grey’s Anatomy. We’re discussing the pilot, “A Hard Day’s Night,” which aired in 2005. We discuss the characters we meet in this episode and the long-term success … Continue reading →

Description First-time guest Ryan North to discuss a comic book he wrote, Fantastic Four #19, “The Perfect Storm.” Ryan North is known for the webcomic Dinosaur Comics, as well as writing for Marvel Comics and other comic companies. In his … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Kevin Anthony joins Joe to discuss the value of silliness, absurdity, and comedy. We talk about shows like Taskmaster and comedians like James Acaster as we have an open-ended conversation about what makes us laugh and why … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Kjerste Christensen joins Joe to discuss the 2022 film Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. Starring Lesley Manville as Ada Harris, the film is an adaptation of a 1958 novel. It tells the story of a war-widow, Mrs. … Continue reading →

Description He’s back! Protagonist Podcast co-founder Todd Mack joins Joe to discuss the Jorge Luis Borges’ short story “La Biblioteca de Babel.” This is more of a thought experiment masquerading as a short story, but we find plenty to discuss. … Continue reading →

Description Producer Andrew and Joe are discussing the classic Hanna-Barbera show The Flintstones. Presenting a traditional family sitcom in a prehistoric setting, this one of the most successful series from the iconic cartoon studio.  Support Patreon Show Notes The Flintstones … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Rachel Armstrong joins Joe to discuss the classic graphic novel Persepolis. Created by Marjane Satrapi, this autobiographical graphic novel tells the story of her life in Iran after the Islamic Revolution. Persepolis is told in two parts, … Continue reading →

Description Returning guests Wayne Wise and Chris “Mav” Maverick from The VoxPopcast join Producer Andrew and Joe for a game of building Mount Rushmores. This time we’re choosing groups of four pop culture creators. We each draft creators that we … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest John Darowski joins Joe to discuss one of the most iconic films ever made, Citizen Kane. We discuss Orson Welles’ career, the quality of the film itself, and the impact its had on the movie industry. Support … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Kjerste Christensen joins Joe to discuss the classic novel The Secret Garden. Written by Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden tells the story of an orphaned girl finding healing and friendship when she tends to a secret … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Kate Reid joins Joe to discuss Claire Dunphy from Modern Family. We look at episodes from the first and last seasons to see how the show evolves across all its seasons. We focus on Claire as a … Continue reading →

Description First-time guest LeUyen Pham and returning guest Gene Luen Yang join Joe to discuss their graphic novel Lunar New Year Love Story. This graphic novel tells the story of Valentina, a teenage girl who is navigating relationships while also … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest John Darowski joins Joe to discuss how evolving technologies change the stories that are produced and consumed in a culture. We use film as an easily understood example of this effect, but touch on how our means … Continue reading →