Hip Squared John Beechem & Troy Kremer

In this episode of Hip Squared, John talks about Dragon Quest XI, the newest installment of one of the most influential and longest running Japanese Role-Playing Games (JRPGs) ever made. Each game has been designed by Yuji Horii, with art by Akira Toriyama (of Dragon Ball fame) and music composed by Koichi Sugiyama. This trio has helped guide RPGs from the 8-bit Nintendo (Famicom) days all the way up into the present. Hear John nerd out, and Troy figure out just why the hell this game is such a big deal in the first place.Then Troy takes us to another world of fantasy with Avatar: The Last Airbender. Now on Netflix. This animated show was created for Nickelodeon in 2005 by Michael DiMartino and Brian Konietzko. With head writer Aaron Ehasz, they sculpted a world based on ancient Asian fantasy, martial arts, fantastic creatures and an epic adventure for kids, teens and everyone. Ehasz also helped create the Dragon Prince with Justin Richmond, another animated fantasy (this time with a medieval European theme). The Dragon Prince was the focus of Hip Squared Season 2 Episode 4.

Episode art by Akira Toriyama.

Produced by Maplex Monk.

Thanks for listening to Hip Squared! Please share this episode with a friend (or enemy), like us on Facebook, share us on social media and become a member on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

Toodles…

In this episode of Hip Squared, Troy talks about the game Animal Crossing for the Nintendo Switch. This game blends sandbox style style gameplay with an emphasis on hanging out with friends and strangers. The player manages their home and island, including its residents, while trading resources and hanging out with their real-life buddies. In this time of social distancing and self quarantine, its social aspect has become more important than ever.

Then John talks about the app Seek by iNaturalist. Seek encourages the user to find different species wherever they go to identify and record them. This free app also gathers data for iNaturalist about where species exist and whether they’re cultivated or wild. It includes a gameification element, promoting the user to new levels as they find more and more species. It’s an excellent way to get people to explore outside and interact with nature.

Produced by Maplex Monk. This is our first episode since social distancing began, so special thanks to Maple for all his hard work.

Thanks for listening to Hip Squared! You can subscribe to Hip Squared on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts (please subscribe, rate, and review). To help the show, you can share this episode with a friend (or enemy), like American Fantastic on Facebook, share us on social media and become a member on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

In our first live episode of HIp Squared, John and Troy welcome stand-up comedian John Smothers. They talk about 80s and 90s era pro wrestling, the Ultimate Warrior, our favorite wrestling video games and answer an audience question. This episode was recorded at Open Community Arts Center as part of the American Fantastic Community celebration.

Produced by Maplex Monk.

Thanks for listening to Hip Squared! You can subscribe to Hip Squared on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts (please subscribe, rate, and review). To help the show, you can share this episode with a friend (or enemy), like American Fantastic on Facebook, share us on social media and become a member on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

This episode of Hip Squared is a crossover with Armchair Apocrypha! Andrew and Rachel join John in American Fantastic Studio, and Troy talks to John too.

First, John talks about Chapo Trap House, a scathing political satire podcast, along with their book, The Chapo Guide to Revolution: A Manifesto Against Logic, Facts and Reason. This podcast is hilariously entertaining, but nearly nihilistic in its outlook. It’s also very left-wing. The members of the podcast are extremely profane, and their book is too. If you’d like a political podcast from a very different perspective, they’re well worth a listen.

Then Andrew talks about the recent Hearthstone controversy. Ng Wai Chung won a Hearthstone tournament and used his platform to voice his support for the Hong Kong protests against Beijing. Blizzard, who has a heavy footprint in China, took away the player’s winnings. After a fierce protest, his suspension was reduced to six months. This new video game controversy reflects a defiant political perspective expressed in an old fashioned way.

Rachel talks about the podcast My Favorite Murder. This is a comedy true crime podcast starring Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Karen and Georgia talk about some of the most infamous murders in history, including some with happy endings, at least when a case is solved. Their humor leavens the heavy subject matter. If you’re a fan of true crime, or just want to see why this is the most popular podcast genre, this is a good show to start with.

Last but not least, Troy talks about the self-published novel Redirected by Pat Burton. This book is written by a teacher about a teacher that wakes up from a coma and loses his memory. He slowly unravels a mystery about a secret government program, and learns an agent has been sent to track him. It’s a slow-boiling thriller and an impressive debut.

Produced by Maplex Monk.

Make sure to listen to John on the episode of Armchair Apocrypha titled American Apocrypha. John talks about the 19th and 20th century feminist, journalist and adventurer Nelly Bly (as featured in The Lost Journals of Nelly Bly: Clash of the Kaiju written by John), Andrew discusses a mysterious talking mongoose on the Isle of Man, and Rachael delves into the sordid history of The Peoples' Temple and Jonestown. Follow Absinthe Activism Arts on Facebook and subscribe to Armchair Apocrypha to keep listening!

Thanks for listening to Hip Squared! You can subscribe to Hip Squared on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts (please subscribe, rate, and review). To help the show, you can share this episode with a friend (or enemy), like American Fantastic on Facebook, share us on social media and become a member on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

Toodles…This episode of Hip Squared is a crossover with Armchair Apocrypha! Andrew and Rachel join John in American Fantastic Studio, and Troy talks to John too.

First, John talks about Chapo Trap House, a scathing political satire podcast, along with their book, The Chapo Guide to Revolution: A Manifesto Against Logic, Facts and Reason. This podcast is hilariously entertaining, but nearly nihilistic in its outlook. It’s also very left-wing. The members of the podcast are extremely profane, and their book is too. If you’d like a political podcast from a very different perspective, they’re well worth a listen.

Then Andrew talks about the recent Hearthstone controversy. Ng Wai Chung won a Hearthstone tournament and used his platform to voice his support for the Hong Kong protests against Beijing. Blizzard, who has a heavy footprint in China, took away the player’s winnings. After a fierce protest, his suspension was reduced to six months. This new video game controversy reflects a defiant political perspective expressed in an old fashioned way.

Rachel talks about the podcast My Favorite Murder. This is a comedy true crime podcast starring Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Karen and Georgia talk about some of

In this episode of Hip Squared, John and Troy finish season 2 with two topics that aren’t video games, but are related to video games.

First, John talks about the Angry Video Game Nerd, a long-running web series about a very angry nerd whose profanity ridden rants describe the most frustrating moments of retro video games. Also known as James Rolfe, the AVGN helped establish some of the basic foundations of online video game reviews, and grew in popularity with Youtube. His Youtube channel, website and production company, Cinemassacre, also produce and releases multiple other series focusing on wide-ranging topics from classic board games to movies. Check ‘em out!

Then, Troy talks about the Witcher book series by Andrzej Sapkowski. This series focuses on Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter in a world of high fantasy. The books are collections of stories, and don’t take place within any kind of heavy continuity. Instead, they are episodes of Geralt’s life and career. These stories have been adapted into a very popular video game series, especially The Witcher III, winner of multiple Game of the Year awards. A new Netflix show based on The Witcher is also in development.

Produced by Maplex Monk.

Thanks for listening to Hip Squared! You can subscribe to Hip Squared on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts (please subscribe, rate, and review). To help the show, you can share this episode with a friend (or enemy), like American Fantastic on Facebook, share us on social media and become a member on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

Toodles…

In this episode of Hip Squared, we delve deep into the past and present of American industry. First, Troy talks about the film American Factory. This Netflix documentary is about a Chinese auto parts factory that opens in a defunct General Motors plant. It focuses on the clash of Chinese and American cultures in terms of individualism, collectivism and hard work. It’s the first film released by Higher Ground, Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company.

Then John talks about the novel Oil!, the basis for the film There Will be Blood. Oil! tells the story of Bunny, the son of an oil magnate who rose from the working class. Bunny struggles with his loyalty to his family and his passion for the worker’s struggle of the early 20th century. From Hollywood excess to Russian bolshevism, Oil! is an American epic that casts a cynical eye on global capitalism and the efforts to resist it.

Produced by Maplex Monk.

Thanks for listening to Hip Squared! You can subscribe to Hip Squared on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts (please subscribe, rate, and review). To help the show, you can share this episode with a friend (or enemy), like American Fantastic on Facebook, share us on social media and become a member on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

Toodles…