The School of Everything Else Archive

[Digital Gonzo 2013] Couple of weeks ago after becoming fascinated by the broader concepts of the Fan Response show and looking for a more anthropological approach to studying online human behaviour I came across a podcast called Lou Reads the Internet. On this podcast which has run for over 120 episodes since March 2009, host Lou Fernandez simply reads aloud, almost always from forums, almost alw...

[Digital Gonzo 2013] Ghostwatch is the 1992 hoax TV broadcast screened on BBC1 which caused a widespread national panic as thousands of kids (and more adults that would like to admit it) reacted with terror to the creepy happenings onscreen. 

[Digital Gonzo 2013] The 150th episode of Digital Gonzo. This was a one-off show inspired by the episode of Community 'Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'. It's a sit-down gaming session conducted over Skype with myself as Dungeon Master and my guests as a team of adventurers. For this one we were using the flexible, simple ruleset of Advanced Fighting Fantasy by Graham Bottley which itself stems from th...

[Digital Gonzo 2013] This episode, originally published in September 2013 I invited on Bob Chipman, AKA MovieBob along with Daniel Floyd and Leelee Scalaferri of Extra Credits to talk about the age old scenario of fans flipping their lids when something they love is perceived as being meddled with. With the ascent of Twitter and Facebook, forums, comments sections and YouTube we have more opportun...

[Digital Gonzo 2013] This was the most requested Gonzo show in history. For a project of this magnitude we needed a Dynamic Analysis, so the first hour is a collection of audio articles. The second half focuses on the rest of it. There are definitely still issues with combat and structure that affect the gameplay experience regardless of how you felt about its close, but there is also a deep and r...

[Digital Gonzo 2013] This is the second part of our epic trilogy of review podcasts focusing on the Mass Effect game series from Bioware. Game two was a significant polishing up of the original's formula with tighter combat, more fluid and dynamic presentation and a greater focus on characterization. As a result and for many other reasons detailed within, this is widely regarded as the most belove...

[Digital Gonzo 2013] This is the first part of our epic trilogy of review podcasts focusing on the Mass Effect game series from Bioware. Originally released in 2007 on Xbox 360 and following on the heels of Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire, this was the Canadian developer’s original take on a serious Sci-Fi space opera. The first game is not...

[Digital Gonzo 2013] A classic episode where we discuss the comic book series by Brian K Vaughan and Pia Guerra.  One afternoon in the early 2000s every single male on planet Earth suddenly dies. the planet is left to the females to survive and rebuild and figure out a future. Some of the best female characterization in comics, funny, dark, emotional and hopeful. A major influence on New Century. 

[Digital Gonzo 2013] Vol. 9 – Matt Ramsey & James Batchelor More video game music as Matt, James and I select five each of our very favourite tracks.  1. Final Fantasy VII - Map Theme 2. The Legend of Zelda - 25th Anniversary Medley 3. Fez – Adventure 4. Prince of Persia - A Fight of Light and Darkness 5. Journey: The Road of Trials 6. Alan Wake - Welcome to Bright Falls 7. Skyrim - From Past To P...

[Digital Gonzo 2013] Vol. 8 – Matt Ramsey [Vice City] Myself and Matt Ramsey will be your DJs as we transport you back to the sun-drenched streets of Miami, 1986.  1. Wave 103: Two Tribes (Frankie Goes to Hollywood) 2. Wave 103 Love Missile F1-11 (Sigue Sigue Sputnik) 3. Wave 103: I Ran So Far Away (A Flock of Seagulls) 4. Wave 103: Heart of Glass (Blondie VCS) 5. Wave 103: Like to Get To Know You...

[Digital Gonzo 2013] Grab hold of a copy of the Killing Joke in book form. We’re going to take you through page by page, panel by panel and discuss what it took to turn this into an audio drama and then a motion comic. Joining me I have Matt Ramsey of the Do Try This at Home podcast; AKA Commissioner Jim Gordon and Alfred Pennyworth. Matt’s partner in crime Sharon Shaw who played Jeannie and Stree...

[Digital Gonzo 2013] This is an audio drama adaptation of The Killing Joke: written by Alan Moore, and originally illustrated by Brian Bolland for DC comics in 1988. This show is dedicated to Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy, two of my all-time heroes. Their inspirational work is a key reason why I love Batman so much, and their immense talent as voice-over artists is what made me want to produce perf...

[Digital Gonzo 2013] This episode we present you with Batman's full comic book career as a chronological reading list. We begin with Frank Miller's seminal Year One and work all the way up to the current run on New 52. This has been angled to allow newcomers to get an understanding of Batman on the printed page and give you a little after-school reading to do. Joining me once again are David Hartr...

[Digital Gonzo 2013] This was live footage recorded at the second of four annual get-togethers we held for our community, including the quiz and the charity auction. We may someday do a fifth. 

[Digital Gonzo 2013] Daniel Floyd of Extra Credits and Joshua Garrity of Cane and Rinse make their first appearance on the BioShock shows here. In actual fact we actually recorded a session a week ago, but the file corrupted and not being slaves to calamity we geared up for another go. A late addition to the cast is long-time gaming journalist Matt Lees of Videogamer.com. He was brought in to miti...

[Digital Gonzo 2013] This time we focus on the DLC for BioShock 2, a five hour standalone narrative centering around Rapture's early computer system. The fictional technology of BioShock is woven in with real world events and people, chiefly Alan Turing and in this show we get to discuss how this is presented and what makes this a powerful, effective, personal little narrative. I would imagine eve...

[Digital Gonzo 2013] For time and pacing reasons I have separated out the BioShock 2 coverage. In the next show we talk Minerva's Den as well as the Protector Trials and Multiplayer mode, known to fans as Fall of Rapture.   In this show we discuss the main story, to which I have re-applied the working title of Sea of Dreams. Just so we all know which one we're talking about and because frankly jus...

[Digital Gonzo 2013] Strangely enough this was not a podcast series I had planned for. Right in the middle of the third act of the Mass Effect shows BioShock Infinite gets released and grabs me by the soul. I went back and started playing the 2007 original, then BioShock 2 and Minerva's Den. Mark Ord has done a fantastic video investigation on the first game for Gonzo Planet and an edited audio ve...

[Digital Gonzo 2013] Vol. 7 – Daniel Floyd [Video Games] Daniel Floyd of Extra Credits picks his favourite video game music along with me.  LittlebigPlanet: Get It Together (The Go Team) 007 Blood Stone: Athens Harbour Chase (Richard Jaques) The Unfinished Swan: Main Theme (Joel Corelitz) Deus Ex - Human Revolution: Main Menu (Michael McCann) Beyond Good & Evil: Home Sweet Home (Christopher Heral)...

[Digital Gonzo 2013] This episode focuses on the 2013 reboot of the long-established Lara Croft franchise. My guests and I go into great detail as to the strengths of this game, it’s alarmingly serious tone, it’s abandonment of the franchise staples of the Mary-Sueperwoman and enforced fiendish puzzling, the new narrative thrust, the frantic combat, the potential for exploration and most of all th...

[Digital Gonzo 2013] Vol. 6 – Joshua Garrity Josh and I go through a bunch of movies that (certainly at the time) weren't likely to get a full show. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984) Main Titles - Joe Hisaishi 3.47 Ali (2001) See the Sun - Lisa Gerrard and Pieter Bourke 3.28 Old Boy (2003) The Last Waltz - Choi Min-sik 3.23 The Rock (1996) Hummel Gets the Rockets - Hans Zimmer 6.27 Summer...

[Digital Gonzo 2013] In the 80’s while all the boys were watching Transformers and obligingly buying the toys Hasbro were also targeting girls with a similarly multimedia manipulative marketing campaign to sell them pretty, plastic ponies. Twenty five years and three terrible Michael Bay movies later and the boys, now grown up are feeling pretty dismal about the once awesome mythos they loved. How...

[Digital Gonzo 2013] This episode is all about the three-season western TV series from HBO. In case you've not had the pleasure it's a foul and filthy depiction of life in a mining camp in South Dakota 1876-1877. Absolutely every character is carefully crafted in shades of dark grey. There is grim violence, interactions of a carnal nature and such language as you've never heard. The dialogue is ly...

[Digital Gonzo 2013] This episode is all about the NBC comedy Community. I was introduced to this series a few months ago on the forum by Daniel Floyd who guests on this podcast. After a slow start something clicked and it rocketed to the tippety top of my most cherished TV comedy experiences, ranking alongside the US Office and Arrested Development. I am therefore proud to present this exceptiona...

[Digital Gonzo 2013] Back when I was recording the Digital Cowboys podcast with Tony Atkins we used to ask our guests what the state of the games industry would be like in five years time (along with a bunch of other questions). This one is the most interesting in hindsight as it shows where we thought we might be going from 2007-2011.