The Protagonist Podcast

Description It’s our 616th episode, so we had to do a Marvel special. Returning guests Nicole Freim and Chris “Mav” Maverick join Producer Andrew and Joe to discuss the Marvel comic book universe. Support Patreon

Description Returning guest Josh Allen joins Joe to discuss the class collection of scary stories that has haunted elementary school classrooms since the 1980s. Written by Alvin Schwartz with art by Stephen Gammell, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark … Continue reading →

Discussion Returning guest Nicole Freim joins Joe to discuss the film Barbie. Directed by Greta Gerwig, and starring Margot Robbie as Barbie, America Ferrera as Gloria, Ariana Greenblatt as Sasha, and Ryan Gosling as Ken, the film tells the story … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest John Darowski joins Joe to discuss the novel The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan. It tells the story of John Buchan on the run from both authorities and members of a criminal gang as he gets caught … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest George Tsakiridis joins Joe to discuss Better Call Saul, the prequel series to Breaking Bad. We’re discussing the pilot episode of the series, which stars Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill, though viewers of Breaking Bad knew him … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Josh Allen joins Joe to discuss one of the most famous Superman stories ever told. Written by Alan Moore with art by Curt Swan, this was the last Superman told before the DC Universe was reset at … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Branden Ushio joins Joe to play a round of Pop Culture Fives. We choose a random pop culture topic and give rapid responses to the prompt (the rapidity of the responses varies greatly, we get into a … Continue reading →

Description Producer Andrew joins Joe to discuss the classic sci-fi film The Thing From Another World. This 1951 film tells the story of a group of scientists and military personnel stationed at an Arctic base who discover a flying saucer … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Virginia McAllister joins Joe to discuss the novel The Will of the Many. Written by James Islington, the novel tells the story of a teenage protagonist, Vis Telimus, who works to overthrow the unjust class system that … Continue reading →

Welcome to the first episode of this special project, where John Darowski and Producer Andrew will discuss the Redwall book series by Brian Jacques in publication order. The first book, Redwall, follows the mouse Matthias as he learns to become a hero and … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest George Tsakiridis joins Joe to discuss the tv show Mad Men. Set in the 1960s and following the men and women whose lives revolve around an advertising firm, the series starred Jon Hamm in the role of … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Nicole Freim joins Joe to discuss the classic comic book mini-series Kingdom Come. This non-canon story is set in a dystopian future that sees some of the classic DC superheroes come out of retirement to confront a … Continue reading →

Description First-time guest Neil Cohn joins Joe to discuss an academic perspective on comic books. Cohn recently published Speaking in Pictures, and we discuss his work and analysis of the comic book form. Support Patreon Show Notes Visual Language Lab … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest John Darowski joins Joe to discuss a film in the Detective Conan anime series, which is about a high school detective who was turned into a first grader but who still fights crime. That’s the general premise, … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Allsion Epstein joins Joe to discuss Daphne de Maurier’s 1938 novel Rebecca. Told from the point of view of an unnamed protagonist, the story follows a young woman falling in love with an older widower and the … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Branden Ushio joins Joe to discuss Starfleet Academy, one of the many streaming Star Trek tv shows that can be found on Paramount+. We’re discussing “The Life of the Stars,” which tells the story of some Starfleet … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest John Darowski joins Joe to discuss the famous “silent issue” of G.I. Joe. Focusing on a story about Snake Eyes and Scarlett, Larry Hama scripted and drew a scomic book with no text where the story is … Continue reading →

Description Protagonist Podcast co-founder Todd Mack joins Joe and Producer Andrew for our special 600th episode. To celebrate 600 weekly episodes of the podcast, all three of us answer The Dinner Guest Question: if we could host a dinner party … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Kestra Darowski joins Producer Andrew and Joe to discuss Unbreakable, M. Night Shyamalan’s superhero film from 2000. We discuss the marketing around the film, the way the film engages the superhero genre, and the strengths of the storytelling. … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Chris “Mav” Maverick joins Joe to discuss teaching comics. What texts do we use, what topics do we cover, and how do students react? Support Patreon

Description First-time guest Stephen Fishbach joins us to discuss his debut novel Escape! The novel tells the story of a washed up reality television star and a disgraced reality tv producer who are each trying to find fresh opportunities on … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Jon Bell joins Joe to discuss the sitcom Arrested Development. We’re discussing the whole main cast, because it’s impossible to choose a favorite character to focus on.  Support Patreon Show Notes Arrested Development – Wikipedia

Description Producer Andrew joins Joe to discuss the 8-issue mini-series Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Written by Tom King with art by Bilquis Evely, this series sends Supergirl on an intergalactic adventure accompanying a young girl who wants revenge against the … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Rachel Armstrong joins Joe to discuss the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. This classic 1969 film starred Paul Newman as Butch Cassidy, Robert Redford as the Sundace Kid, and Katharine Ross as Etta Place. It … Continue reading →

Description Returning guest Jon Bell joins Joe to discuss transmedia storytelling in Star Wars, using 1996’s Shadows of the Empire story as a jumping off point. Transmedia storytelling involves a coordinated effort to tell a cohesive story across multiple types … Continue reading →