The Protagonist Podcast

Description Returning guest Norman Mitchell joins Joe to talk about One Piece: Film Z, the twelfth film from the (very) long-running anime adaptation of the manga series. We discuss the history of the anime, the characterization of Luffy and his … Continue reading →

Description Producer Andrew and Kestra Darowski join Joe to talk about storytelling at theme parks. We sometimes do special episodes where we discuss a unique style of storytelling, and the immersive experiences at theme parks certainly counts as a distinct … Continue reading →

Description Producer Andrew joins Joe to discuss Washington Irving’s class short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” We discuss the prominence of the Headless Horseman in folklore, where the whole flaming pumpkin part of the story came from, and also … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Anna Peppard joins Joe to discuss Michael and Fiona from the tv series Burn Notice. The tv series about a spy who is cut off from his former agency and resources was a staple series on the … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Anna Peppard joins Joe to discuss Jennifer Walters and her superheroic alter-ego She-Hulk. She-Hulk was co-created by Stan Lee and John Buscema in 1980 and has had several solo series in the subsequent four decades. Featuring writing … Continue reading →

Description Protagonist Podcast co-founder Todd Mack returns for our 400th episode. Joe and Todd are talking about a Kenny Ortega directed cult classic, Newsies. Despite being a terrible flop when it was first released, Newsies found an audience on home … Continue reading →

Description In this week’s special episode, returning guest Branden Ushio joins Joe for a new game. Branden used an artificial intelligence text generator to create several random names for potential stories. Branden and Joe have each written summaries based on … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Kjerste Christensen joins Joe to talk about two episodes from Batman: The Animated Series: “Zatanna” and “Beware the Gray Ghost.” Batman: The Animated Series is an iconic interpretation of the classic character, and—it must be said—it absolutely holds … Continue reading →

Description Joe is joined by first-time guest Brice Peterson to discuss Christopher Marlowe’s classic play The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus. It has been well-established that on The Protagonist Podcast we love a good Faustus story, so … Continue reading →

Description First-time guest Ravynn Stringfield joins Joe to discuss the Marvel comic book character Riri Williams who goes by the superhero name Ironheart. Ironheart is a fairly new character—having been co-created by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato in 2016—but … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Jon Bell joins Joe to discuss the trippy time-travel film Primer. This very low-budget film seems straightforward at the beginning, but throws multiple curveballs at the audience as the plot progresses. This is an example of a … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Branden Ushio joins Joe for a game about tv shows that were canceled too soon. We each draft a team of tv shows that we feel should have had a longer life, and then Producer Andrew gets … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest John Darowski joins Joe to talk about the Netflix action-adventure-steampunk-fantasy animated series that is based on the League of Legends video game. We know, there is not a great track record for “based on video game” tv … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Jon Bell joins Joe to discuss a short story by Glen Cook titled “Sunrise.” Set on a world with a slow orbital rotation, the story explores what happens as a city is about to cross onto the … Continue reading →

Description Joe and Producer Andrew are talking about one of the greatest films about fathers and sons that has ever been made: A Goofy Movie. We talk about the unique production history for the film, why the story works so … Continue reading →

Description In recent months two legendary comic book artists, Neal Adams and George Perez, have passed away. Returning guest Christopher “Mav” Maverick joins Joe and Producer Andrew to discuss the legacy of Perez and Adams, and then also talk about … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Kjerste Christense joins Joe to talk about what becomes popular in terms of books, television, and movies. Inspired in part by Matthew Claxton’s newsletter issue “Unsettling Futures – Brandon Sanderson, fane, and the failure of the long … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Kjerste Christensen joins Joe to discuss the tv show Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Lois Lane was played by Teri Hatcher and Clark Kent/Superman was played by Dean Cain. We discuss the show’s historical … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest John Darowski joins Joe to discuss two classic characters from an iconic series of stories by P.G. Wodehouse. Jeeves is the platonic ideal of an English butler, and his interactions with the lovable but hapless Wooster have … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Virginia McAlister joins Joe to talk about the film The Devil Wears Prada. We talk about Meryl Streep’s amazing performance (obviously), the moral and ethical questions raised by the film, and also the boyfriend. Support Patreon Show … Continue reading →

Description Producer Andrew and Joe have a discussion about Cozy Reality Television and why it’s so appealing. We talk about season-long shows like The Great British Baking Show (Bake-Off), The Great Pottery Throw Down, or Making It, and also episodic … Continue reading →

Description Protagonist Podcast co-founder Todd Mack is back to discuss the first volume in the graphic novel series Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi. Volume 1: The Stonekeeper, tells the story of Emily Hayes and her brother Navin as they enter a … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Rachel Armstrong joins Joe to discuss Richard Poole from Death in Paradise. This BBC series sees a British detective assigned to a Caribbean island where he solves a murder each episode. We’re discussing the pilot episode, “Arriving … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Rachel Armstrong and first-time guest Sarah Brinton join Joe to discuss The Blue Castle, a 1926 novel by L.M. Montgomery. Most famous for her Anne of Green Gables novels, The Blue Castle is a Montgomery story about … Continue reading →

Description First-time guest James Goldberg joins Joe to discuss the Bollywood film Veer-Zaara. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan as Veer and Preity Zinta as Zaara. It tells the story of star-crossed lovers, one who is Indian and who is … Continue reading →