Hypothetical Island Podcast

I recently learned of this podcast at a comic convention and decided to check it out. Despite the nightmares that will certainly come from the images of Brown Island floating in my head I still highly recommend this one. It is a wonderful blend of informative and whimsical, I absolutely love it.

As a comic book enthusiast (AKA NEEEERRRRRRRDD!) I cannot recommend this podcast enough. Each episode is a whos’s who of names that are doing interesting work in the industry. Creatives and fans alike will enjoy the entertaining geek-fest as each episode is simultaneously a biography and a deep dive into the creative process behind the work. It has also given me a good indicator of things to watch out for as they hit the shelves. Big names like Marvel and DC get spoken about in gory detail, giving many of us an insight behind the scenes that we would never get otherwise, as well as a healthy dose of independent creations from the plethora of talented guests. Both casual fans and hardcore nerds should find something of value in these installments. The format of the show is fantastic. Each episode starting with a hypothetical scenario (thus the name of the podcast) where the guest and the hosts have to make a choice (think about the no-win “would you rather A or B” game that you may have played with your friends at one time or another). There’s always a twist, it’s always entertaining, and I think it helps everyone involved, both hosts and guests alike, to get in the geek spirit before the interview/conversation portion. It takes comics and creatives seriously while getting everyone to not take themselves too seriously, and I love that. I do warn that it is an adult conversation, just in case you have little kids in earshot, the language is not overly crude however it is not spoken as if there are small children listening. Both hosts, Reilly Brown and George O’Connor, are experts in their own right. George is the creator of the Olympians series and has many graphic novels and illustrated books to his credit (both art and writing) while Reilly has drawn the art for countless Marvel, DC, and independent works (such as Outrage). They both bring unique perspective to the table and their knowledge leads to very constructive conversations with the creatives they interview. If George ever gets that bed wetting under control, they’d have it all! The podcast is entertaining, informative, and good for a few laughs. I haven’t missed an episode yet and I look forward to seeing what is yet to come!

In the category of podcasts that don’t take themselves too seriously, this one is my absolute favorite. There is a lot of interesting talk about comics, graphic novels, and publishing, in this show, but also about legos, Masters of the Universe, cleaning furniture with sand, Greek gods, The Joker, George’s cats, crying and laughing ghosts, and everything else —except wombats. I am hoping they will mention wombats in an upcoming show. Listen to this podcast, it will make you smarter and happier.

This podcast needs to be a part of everybody’s weekly podcast regimen. My week is not complete without it, and yours won’t be either.