Epic Realms Podcast

Epic Realms Media

The Epic Realms Podcast is an engaging interview-style podcast that brings together a diverse range of creative minds from various fields. This podcast offers insightful conversations with renowned authors, RPG game designers, actors, audiobook narrators, TV personalities, board game designers, and many other fascinating guests. Each episode of the Epic Realms Podcast delves deep into the experiences, inspirations, and journeys of these talented individuals, providing listeners with a unique opportunity to gain valuable insights into their creative processes and the worlds they have helped bring to life. Whether you’re a fan of literature, gaming, entertainment, or simply enjoy hearing from influential personalities, this podcast offers a wealth of knowledge and inspiration. With its engaging interview format and a wide range of guests, the Epic Realms Podcast provides a platform for listeners to discover the behind-the-scenes stories and perspectives of their favorite authors, game designers, actors, and more. Tune in to this captivating podcast and join us on a journey through the realms of creativity and imagination.

  1. 2d ago

    Shannon Appelcline Interview - A Historian of RPG's

    On this episode of the Epic Realms Podcast, we're joined by author, game designer, and RPG historian Shannon Appelcline for an in-depth conversation about his life, career, and passion for tabletop roleplaying games. Shannon shares how his journey into Dungeons & Dragons began after spotting an advertisement in a comic book, convincing his father to buy the game, and diving into the rulebooks before running his very first adventure. From growing up alongside D&D and discovering a love of writing at an early age to earning a computer science degree that proved valuable mainly for its access to libraries and the early internet, Shannon reflects on the experiences that shaped his career. We explore his path through the tabletop RPG industry, from cataloging every issue of Dragon Magazine to writing for roleplaying games and serving as the longtime steward of RPG.net. Shannon also takes us behind the scenes of his landmark Designers & Dragons series, discussing the years of research that went into documenting the history of the RPG industry and why it's so important to preserve the stories of the countless creators whose contributions often go unnoticed. The conversation also covers his latest project, Designers & Dragons: Origins, fresh from a successful BackerKit campaign, where he continues to uncover the roots of the hobby. Along the way, we discuss his meticulous research process, the influential figures who helped shape tabletop gaming, and the importance of giving credit to the many people who built the industry behind the scenes. Finally, Shannon gives us a look at what's next, including his upcoming work for Call of Cthulhu, his Losing Sanity project, and his exciting Free Trader Beowulf project. Whether you're a lifelong tabletop gamer, a student of RPG history, or simply fascinated by the people behind the games we love, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Shannon Appelcline's Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/designersanddragons Designers and Dragons Origins -  https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/evil-hat/designers-dragons-origins Also don't Forget to Follow us on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@epic_realms

  2. Jun 23

    Chris Schweizer 3 Time Eisner Award Nominated Cartoonist

    This week on Epic Realms, Nick sits down with three-time Eisner Award nominated cartoonist, writer, and illustrator Chris Schweizer for a wide-ranging conversation about creativity, storytelling, and building a life around making comics. From his childhood in Louisiana and Kentucky to his years studying art, theater, and filmmaking, Chris reflects on the experiences that shaped his artistic voice and eventually led him into the world of graphic novels. Along the way, he shares stories about making homemade movies as a kid, discovering classic comic strips like Calvin and Hobbes and Pogo, and finding his place within the evolving comics industry. The discussion explores the craft behind visual storytelling, the unique language of comics, and the creative choices that separate newspaper strips, graphic novels, and superhero books. Chris also looks back on the creation of Crogan's Adventures, the project that helped launch his professional career, and discusses how his approach to writing and illustration has evolved over the years. The second half of the conversation focuses on The Outlaw's Apprentice, Chris's upcoming fantasy graphic novel launching on Kickstarter. Drawing inspiration from Appalachian culture, classic adventure fiction, and a lifelong love of immersive worldbuilding, the series follows a young apprentice and his unlikely mentor as they navigate a dangerous world while staying one step ahead of the law. Filled with insights on art, storytelling, history, comics, and creativity, this is a fascinating look inside the mind of one of the most distinctive voices working in graphic novels today. Check out the links for Chris Schweizer's stuff below. https://schweizercomics.com/ https://www.patreon.com/ChrisSchweizer https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/schweizer/outapp1?ref=profile_saved_projects_prelaunch&category_id=Q2F0ZWdvcnktMjUy

  3. May 28

    Comic Book Writer and Artist Tim Seeley Interview

    On this episode of the Epic Realms Podcast, we sit down with legendary comic book artist and writer Tim Seeley for a deep dive into his life, career, and passion for storytelling through comics. Tim talks about discovering comics at an early age and how that passion shaped both his creative identity and career path. From growing up with a love for drawing to being encouraged throughout high school and college to pursue art seriously, Tim shares the experiences that helped push him toward becoming one of the industry's most recognizable creators. We also discuss his internship at Marvel Comics during the pre-Disney era and how that experience opened his eyes to both the exciting and difficult realities of the comic book industry. Tim reflects on learning the business side of comics while navigating the early stages of his career. The conversation also explores the creation of Hack/Slash, including how the concept came together, the process of pitching the series, and the impact it had on his career and the horror comic genre as a whole. As a huge fan of Nightwing, Nick made sure to spend time discussing Tim’s work on both Grayson and Nightwing. Tim shares insight into his research process, incorporating easter eggs, honoring continuity, and staying as canon-friendly as possible while still telling compelling stories. We also talk about the differences between writing and illustrating comics, the challenge of balancing creative passion projects with work that pays the bills, and the realities of maintaining longevity in the comic book industry. Whether you are a longtime comic reader, an aspiring creator, or just someone who loves hearing behind-the-scenes stories from the industry, this episode is packed with insight, humor, and honest conversation. Be sure to like, subscribe, and follow the Epic Realms Podcast for more interviews with creators from across comics, gaming, film, and pop culture. Check out Tim Seeley at his website. https://www.timseeleycreative.com/

  4. Mar 31

    D&D Writer - Toni Winslow-Brill Interview

    In this episode of Epic Realms Podcast, I sit down with Toni Winslow-Brill, an accomplished RPG writer, editor, and project manager whose work spans multiple tabletop roleplaying game companies, including Dungeons and Dragons and the Adventurers League. Toni shares her origin story, from discovering a Monster Manual at a garage sale at age nine to attending her first Gen Con just a year later. She reflects on growing up during the Satanic Panic and how that era shaped her relationship with tabletop gaming and creativity. We also explore how her passion for writing influenced her educational path and early career choices. Our conversation dives into Toni’s professional journey, including her work outside the gaming industry and how reputation, networking, and consistent delivery opened doors to new opportunities. She offers a candid look at how connections and trust fuel long term success in the RPG space. We spend time unpacking the often unseen side of RPG production. Toni breaks down the full lifecycle of creating a tabletop book, from writing and editing to layout, art coordination, and managing timelines across large creative teams. She gives insight into the realities of project management and what it takes to keep complex projects on track. We also discuss storytelling in adventure design, along with Toni’s personal strengths and challenges as both a writer and designer. This episode is a thoughtful and behind the scenes look at the craft, discipline, and passion that drive the tabletop RPG industry. https://www.toniwinslowbrill.com/ Use Our DM's Guild Link - https://www.dmsguild.com/en/?affiliate_id=1089765 Use our Drive thru RPG Link -  https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/?affiliate_id=1089765 Also Check out our Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@epic_realms

5
out of 5
20 Ratings

About

The Epic Realms Podcast is an engaging interview-style podcast that brings together a diverse range of creative minds from various fields. This podcast offers insightful conversations with renowned authors, RPG game designers, actors, audiobook narrators, TV personalities, board game designers, and many other fascinating guests. Each episode of the Epic Realms Podcast delves deep into the experiences, inspirations, and journeys of these talented individuals, providing listeners with a unique opportunity to gain valuable insights into their creative processes and the worlds they have helped bring to life. Whether you’re a fan of literature, gaming, entertainment, or simply enjoy hearing from influential personalities, this podcast offers a wealth of knowledge and inspiration. With its engaging interview format and a wide range of guests, the Epic Realms Podcast provides a platform for listeners to discover the behind-the-scenes stories and perspectives of their favorite authors, game designers, actors, and more. Tune in to this captivating podcast and join us on a journey through the realms of creativity and imagination.