PLEASE NOTE: We had some audio issues for the first 11 minutes of the episode, but they get sorted from then on.
This week, Nigel and Tazziii welcome the Scriptwriter Mariama Ives-Moiba, to unpack the story that is her journey into writing for television. Mariama has turned a childhood passion for theatre into a freelance writing career, writing on shows that include Pip and Posy, The Rubbish World of Dave Spuds, JoJo and Gran Gran, Little Stories Everywhere and more.
We talk about the craft of writing, Mariama’s routine and how non-technical skills like delivering work on time and networking have served her so well in the industry. This is a great episode particularly for anyone with an interest in turning their passion for writing into their own career in any medium!
This week, Nigel and Tazziii head to the Upside Down for a retrospective deep dive into Season 4 of Stranger Things with Auroch Digital Community Manager Pastelbat and Cosplayer Black Bettie. We get into the longest season so far and dissect the character journeys and troubled relationships seen from Hawkins to Russia Gulags. It’s a return to form for the show and we get to debate what worked so well, and what left room for improvement.
Other stories we’re enjoying: Destiny 2, Alchemy of Souls, Interview with the Vampire, Firefly Lane, Lilly and Dash, Saga Volume 4, Russian Doll, God of War Ragnarök.
This week, Nigel and Tazziii take on a common perception of comics…that there’s no money to be made in creating them. To help with the discussion, we’ve invited Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and previous UK Comics Laureate Hannah Berry onto the show.
We get into the common (mis?) conception that comics and money never meet, as well as digging into Hannah’s work on the first national survey of the UK comics industry to gain a better understanding of the challenges and ways to help those working within it.
If you are an aspiring comic creator, a family member supporting one, or just interested in learning more about the industry, this is an episode you won’t want to miss!
This week, Nigel and Tazziii journey back to Wakanda for deep dive into the Black Panther sequel with Dylan from the Popcorn Podcast and Destinee Cleveland from the Burn Out Brighter Podcast. We consider the decision not to recast Chadwick Boseman before tackling the narrative itself, discuss stand out performances and how director Ryan Coogler’s vision fares against the weight of expectation and the Marvel Machine. This week’s storytelling tip is all about exploring grief through four corner opposition.
Other stories we’re enjoying: Rings of Power, House of the Dragon, Halloween, Romantic Killer, Oni, The Harder They Fall, Wednesday, Remake Our Life!, More Than a Married Couple, But Not Lovers, God of War Ragnarök
This week, Nigel and Tazziii welcome back video game lawyer Rahul Gandhi to discuss everyone’s favourite topics…blockchain, NFTs and the metaverse! We aim to have a (somewhat) balanced discussion on these Web3 technologies in the video games space. Along the way, we break down what they are, why they matter to video games…and why everyone seems to hate them.
This may be our most controversial episode yet. The industry is already littered with failed NFT experiments and passionate backlash, so we make an effort to go beyond the outrage, dig into the technology to gain a better understanding of it all.
This week, Nigel and Tazziii welcome the Dynamic Duo of Greg Driver (Ace Comicals) and Annabel Anzy (Melanin Gamers) for a super powered deep dive into the latest DC film, Black Adam (from 28:39). We get stuck into this bombastic blockbuster to examine what worked and what didn’t across the story’s rollercoaster journey.
It’s a comic book film over a decade in the making so we take time to debate narrative choices, which characters stand out and answer some listener questions too! This week’s storytelling tip is all about developing the False-Ally Opponent character in your story.
Other stories we’re enjoying: Gotham Knights, Born A Crime, Death of Superman, Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher, Spy x Family, That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime, Paddington, Return of Mary Poppins, Dragon Quest Heroes 2, Saga, Castlevania, Mr Robot
This week, Nigel and Tazziii welcome the founder of FORMAT, Simran Whitham, to unpack the story that is his journey into the world of video game events. Described as “the ultimate gaming social”, FORMAT is a nightlife event for gamers and non-gamers alike, and we discover how Simran found a passion for events and outreach that led him to create a platform for game studios, developers and fans to come together and have fun!
Simran talks about how family support shaped his outlook, and the lessons he has learned along the way from some of the biggest names in the games industry. We also learn about the places he has travelled to and how spending time away from video games has enriched the work he does today.
Nigel and Tazziii welcome YouTuber Daniel Morris to the show for a spooky deep dive into the stop-motion animation Coraline. We dig into what makes this well crafted story so creepy for young and older audiences while marvelling at the effort required to create such stunning visuals. The storytelling tip this week is all about setting the tone for your story.
Other stories we’re enjoying: House of the Dragon, Andor, Disney Dreamlight Valley, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Better Place, Spy x Family, She Hulk.
Nigel and Tazziii welcome manga artists Inko and Chie for a deep dive into Makoto Shinkai’s Weathering with You. We go on an emotional journey of young love within impending disaster to discuss this wonderfully animated feature. Along the way, we debate the environmental message of the film as well as the significance of the handgun in the narrative and Japanese society. This week’s storytelling tip is all about your protagonist’s false beliefs and actions.
Other stories we’re enjoying this week: Bloodlands, Delicious in Dungeon, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., She-Hulk, One Piece, Malcolm In the Middle, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Lighthouse Witches, Witch Way Hollows Bay, Stray, Isola, Odd Taxi.
This week, Nigel and Tazziii welcome comic artist and writer Cara Gaffney to talk about her journey as into the world of comics. We discuss her anthology project Tilt: Six Tales, successfully funded on Kickstarter this month and how she tackles the concept of digital immortality in her story “In Lilac & Silver”.
Cara talks about her personal comic projects and what she learned from developing her craft in…underground “Original Comic Tournaments”?! We also discuss representation and the need to depict diverse relationship in stories, plus give a ton of advice for new and aspiring comic creators.
