The Protagonist Podcast

Description It’s our annual Groundhog Day rewatch. Join Nicole Freim, Chris “Mav” Maverick, Producer Andrew and Joe as we discuss our latest viewing of one of the best films ever made.

Description Returning guests Nicole Freim and Chris “Mav” Maverick join Joe to discuss the John Hughes’ film The Breakfast Club. Starring several members of the Brat Pack of up-and-coming actors and actresses, this film signaled a change in how teenagers … Continue reading →

Description Producer Andrew joins Joe to talk about “To Build a Fire” by Jack London. The classic short story about a man foolishly making a trek into the Yukon territory after being warned not to lets us explore ideas like … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest John Darowski joins Joe to discuss the iconic tv series Columbo. We discuss the odd and long production history of the show, how Peter Falk embodies the character, and the unique twist the franchise has on the … Continue reading →

Description It’s our annual Fantasy Box Office game! As a look ahead at the films coming out in 2025, Producer Andrew and Joe are drafting teams of movies that will be released this year. They will each get the films’ … Continue reading →

Description First-time guest Josh Allen (the middle grade book author, not the NFL quarterback) joins Joe to discuss Bryan Lee O’Malley’s graphic novel series Scott Pilgrim. We talk about the unique nature of the story and its world, how unlikable … Continue reading →

Description Producer Andrew joins Joe to discuss a couple classic short stories that are set during the holiday season. The Gift of the Magi sees gift-giving go awry for a couple while they see how much they love one another, … Continue reading →

Description Returning Protagonist Podcast co-founder Todd Mack joins Joe and Producer Andrew for their tenth annual Christmas Special. Producer Andrew has sent Todd and Joe a list of seven real titles for recently produced Christmas movies, and we have to … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest John Darowski joins Joe to discuss Alison and Mike Cooper from the BBC sitcom Ghosts. Starring Charlotte Ritchie and Kiell Smith-Bynoe, the sitcom features a woman who can see the ghosts of people from various eras of … Continue reading →

It’s our second annual TTRPG as Kevin Anthony is back to GM a festive adventure. Norman Mitchell, Producer Andrew, and Joe are the players as they attempt to navigate the Christmas-themed role-playing world that has been prepared for them. 

Description First-time guest Emily Darowski joins Joe discuss the romantic comedy You’ve Got Mail. Starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, this is the second pairing of these two leads in a film directed by Nora Ephron. Set in the late … Continue reading →

 Description Returning guest John Darowski joins Joe to talk about a Thanksgiving themed issue of Power Pack. Power Pack featured a group of four young siblings who gained powers. They become friends with various superheroes in the Marvel universe. In … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Rachel Armstrong joins Joe to discuss the tv show Shetland. This is a BBC crime procedural set on the Shetland Islands that began airing in 2013. In the U.S. it has aired as part of Masterpiece Mysteries. … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Kestra Darowski joins Producer Andrew and Joe to discuss Miguel Rivera from Coco. This Pixar film tells the story of a boy who accidentally travels to the land of the dead and must seek out help from … Continue reading →

Description Returning Protagonist Podcast co-founder Todd Mack joins Producer Andrew and Joe for a Halloween draft. We’ve been given various sets of parameters and must draft characters from folklore and pop culture for each situation.

Description Returning Protagonist Podcast co-founder Todd Mack joins Joe to discuss the 1938 radio drama performance of War of the Worlds. Orson Welles’s legendary broadcast is as famous for the urban legend around the panic it reportedly caused as it … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Christopher “Mav” Maverick joins Joe to talk about Do A Powerbomb!, a comic book mini-series written and drawn by Daniel Warren Johnson with colors by Mike Spicer and letters by Rus Wooton. It tells the story of … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Ravynn Stringfield joins Joe to discuss Lunella Lafayette from the tv show Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur tells the story of a teenage girl and her pet T-Rex who become superheroes.  Support … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Kestra Darowski joins Producer Andrew and Joe to talk about storytelling in musicals. We talk about unique aspects of the medium, the history of Broadway musicals, and the evolution of style in musicals.  Support Patreon

Description Returning guest Allison Epstein joins Joe to discuss the novel Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. This reimagining of Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield is a coming-of-age story set in Appalachia in the 1990s and early 2000s.  Support Patreon Show Notes … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Henry Darowski joins Joe to discuss the film Lawrence of Arabia. Based on T.E. Lawrence’s autobiography, Lawrence of Arabia is one of the most iconic films ever made. Directed by David Lean, it stars Peter O’Toole as … Continue reading →

Description First-time guest Matthew Brake joins Joe to talk about Animal Man, a notable comic book run from the late 1980s by wrtier Grant Morrison and pencilers Chaz Truog and Paris Cullins. In this story, Animal Man becomes aware he … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest John Darowski joins Joe to talk about the classic television show Gilligan’s Island. We’re discussing two episodes, one in which a popular boy band appears on the island looking for a quiet place, and in the other … Continue reading →

Description Returning guests John Darowski and Virginia McAlister join Producer Andrew and Joe for a game of Star Trek Bridge Crew Draft. Each player can select characters from each tv version of Star Trek to fill out a crew. We … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Nicole Freim joins Joe to discuss the first novel from the Dresden Files series. This long-running series by Jim Butcher are urban fantasy novels that use the tone of a boiled detective story. Harry Dresden is a … Continue reading →