The Skiffy and Fanty Show

Bug hybrids, evil organizations, and intense vertical kicks, oh my! Brandon O’Brien and Iori Kusano are joined by Jennifer Brozek to discuss 2023’s Shin Kamen Rider! Together, they explore their feelings about the SHOCKER organization, Hideaki Anno’s approach to Kamen Rider, where this particular version fits into the canon of the franchise, and much more!

Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Show Notes:

Don’t fo...

Brain sucking, kite hoverboards, and upgraded dogs, oh my! Shaun Duke and Trish Matson are joined by special guest and longtime listener, DanDan the Transient, to talk about 1997’s Doom Runners! Together, they talk about Tim Curry’s remarkable performance, the logic of the film’s post-apocalyptic world, the “Corporations,” and much more!

Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Show Notes:

If you have a question y...

Bog bodies, ticks, and familial terror, oh my! Shaun Duke is joined by a special guest host and friend, Kendra Hare, for an interview with Johanna van Veen, author of Blood on Her Tongue. Together, they explore Johanna’s approach to 19th century gender relations, tackle the remarkable history of bog bodies, uncover the depths of madness and perspective, and much more.

Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Show Notes:

Mystical fungus, rigid empires, and haunts, oh my! Shaun Duke and Paul Weimer are joined by Kate Elliott for an interview about her new novel, The Witch Roads! Together, they explore Kate’s approach to worldbuilding, the structure of empire and writing characters who are part of its machinery, and much more.

Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Show Notes:

Don’t forget to cat...

Mountain isolation, reality warping, and axes, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser join forces to discuss Paul Bickel’s Our Happy Place (2024). Together, they explore the film’s themes of isolation and psychological destruction, Paul Bickel’s direction and Raya Miles’ performance, ways of interpreting its narrative, and much more!

Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Show Notes:

If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page.

Oil City, big feets, and a coke, oh my! Shaun Duke, David Annandale, and Trish Matson join forces to discuss 1976’s Creature from Black Lake! Together, they talk about the history of big foot myths in the South, how this film approaches its anthropological narrative, a cacophony of bad jokes, burgers and fries, and much more!

Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Show Notes:

If you ha...

Dashing scoundrels, naughty mummies, and sand, oh my! Shaun Duke, David Annandale, and Trish Matson wander into the archives to discuss 1999’s The Mummy! Together, they discuss the film’s connection (or lack thereof) to its predecessor, its visual stylings and narrative structure, the threat of the apocalypse, librarians, and much more!

Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Show Notes:

If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a mess...

Snarky elders, dark magics, and macabre displays, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser are joined by Helen Marshall for an interview about her new novel, The Lady, The Tiger and the Girl Who Loved Death! Together, they explore Marshall’s approach to storytelling, the complexities of family trauma, history, and war, circus acts, research, and more!

Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Show Notes:

Translucent people, cookie cutter cities, and madness, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser join forces to discuss Mohamed Kheir’s Sleep Phase! Together, they explore the work’s lyrical prose, its themes of change, alienation, and madness, its surrealist approach to the fantastic, and much more!

Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Show Notes:

If you have a question you’d like us to answer, fe...

Gamer foxes, finding your people, and literature with fur, oh my! Shaun Duke is joined by Kyell Gold and Robert Lyle for a wide-reaching discussion of furry culture and fandom, furry literature, the Furry Writers’ Guild, and more! If you’ve ever wanted to know about this vibrant community, this episode will learn you a thing or two!

Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode!

Show Notes:

Milquetoast heroes, creepy uncle Dracula, and stagecoaches, oh my! Shaun Duke, David Annandale, and Daniel Haeusser join forces to discuss 1966’s Billy the Kid Versus Dracula! Together, they talk about how the film got made and its place in cinematic history, why Dracula isn’t named in the film, Carradine’s weird performance, silent films, and so much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole...

Fanbots, questionable eye contact, and steampunk adventurers, oh my! Shaun Duke and Paul Weimer are joined by the wonderful Martha Wells for a discussion about her career, Murderbot (and the new TV show on Apple TV+), the Emilie books, and more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Don’t forget to catch our live format every Friday at 7 PM Central on Twitch at AlphabetStreams! If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole...

Complicated families, long lost friends, and lizard creatures, oh my! Shaun Duke and Stephen Geigen-Miller join forces to discuss Molly Knox Ostertag’s Hugo Finalist graphic novel, The Deep Dark! Together, they discuss the work’s various metaphors and core themes, examine intergenerational trauma, and deep dive into the visual poetry and structure of this brilliant work! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can...

Haunted desires, lakes of death, and agrarian utopias, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser join forces to discuss Kenji Mizoguchi’s Ugetsu monogatari (1953). Together, they discuss the film’s tragic storyline, the nature of desire and its destructive force, Mizoguchi’s women, the film’s production, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at patreon.com/holymol...

Colonial cities, hard-boiled detectives, and murder, oh my! Shaun Duke and Trish Matson are joined by Tochi Onyebuchi for an in-depth interview about Harmattan Season! Together, they discuss the book’s West African setting, Tochi’s influences in and approach to detective fiction, the complex social influences of colonialism, and so much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Don’t forget to catch our live format every Friday at 7 PM Central on Twitch at AlphabetStreams! If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our conta...

Canned performances, cheap sets, and lost plots, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser join forces to discuss 2013’s Atlantic Rim! Together, they talk about the mockbuster genre, examine the film’s plot and cast, laugh about nonsensical stock footage and shot sequences, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at patreon.com/holymole. See you later...

Patriarchal systems, a modded Continental, and dynamite, oh my! Shaun Duke and David Annandale wander into the archives to discuss 1977’s The Car! Together, they discuss the film’s reception, tackle its themes of vengeance and repressive politics, and dive into the logic of an evil car, plus more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at patreon.com/holymol...

Methane gas, planetary disks, and Martian sunsets, oh my! Shaun Duke and Paul Weimer are joined by John E. Moores for a discussion about the solar system, planetary science, Mars, and other wonders of our little corner in the universe! Unsurprisingly, we learned a lot, and so will you! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at patreon.com/hol...

Mythical boar, pastoral vibes, and wizards, oh my! Shaun Duke, Paul Weimer, and Trish Matson join forces to discuss Patricia A. McKillip’s 1974 fantasy novel, The Forgotten Beasts of Eld! Together, they tackle the novel’s examination of fairytales, the meaning and terror of controlling someone’s mind, and the destructive power of revenge, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can s...

Rage virus rats, anachronistic intertitles, and nudists, oh my! Shaun Duke, David Annandale, and Trish Matson join forces to discuss 1964’s The Monster of Camp Sunshine or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Nature! Together, they get a film history lesson from David, chat about the bizarre film universe of the film, ponder just who made this movie, side-eye Motley Crue, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new i...

Delicious soup, fizzz tunes, and Greedo’s repeated death, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser bring back our Star Wars literary podcast, Thrawn and On and On, for an in-depth discussion of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina edited by Kevin J. Anderson! Together, they talk about Star Wars anthologies, get deep into the murky depths of Greedo’s mind, and explore what works and doesn’t work in this classic anthology. Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Don’t forget to catch our live format every Friday at 7 PM Central on Twitch at Alphabet...

Multiversal politics, plot armored captains, and flying whales, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser are joined by Cadwell Turnbull and Craig Lincoln, two members of the writing collective, Darkly Lem! And they’re here to talk about their first Darkly Lem novel, Transmentation | Transience! We tackle the ins and outs of collaborative writing, bending and blending genres, spy narratives and multiverse premises, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Don’t forget to catch our live format every Friday at 7 PM Central on Twitch at AlphabetStreams! If you have a question you’d like...

Haunted engines, scary memories, and cancelled shore leave, oh my! Shaun Duke and Paul Weimer are joined by Eden Royce for a return visit to 1997’s Event Horizon! Together, they explore the film’s production history, its themes and approaches to horror, the cast and characterization, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Don’t forget to catch our live format every Friday at 7 PM Central on Twitch at AlphabetStreams! If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro...

Pig disposals, dirty feet, and yabba-dabba-doo, oh my! Shaun Duke, Julia Rios, and Daniel Haeusser join forces to discuss 1994’s The Flintstones! Together, they chat about the history of the original show, tackle the film’s nonsensical plot choices, discuss 1990s practical set design, and get grossed out by feet, plus much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at...

Emperors, wars, and medieval propaganda, oh my! Shaun Duke and Paul Weimer are joined by David M. Perry to discuss Oathbreakers (co-written with Matthew Gabriele). Together, they tackle the complex task of writing history for a general audience, the narratives of medieval peoples, Charlemagne, and so much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Don’t forget to catch our live format every Friday at 7 PM Central on Twitch at AlphabetStreams! If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro...

Submarines, space mutants, and bad kitties, oh my! Shaun Duke, Paul Weimer, and special guest Natania Barron join forces to tackle Wing Commander (1999)! Together, they talk about the 90s aesthetic, what it means to be pretty in space, the logic of space submarines, the Backstreet Boys, and more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at patreon.com/holymole. See...

Coups, subtle language cues, and kitty killing machines, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser are joined by R.S.A. Garcia to discuss her latest novel, The Nightward. Together, they explore the complicated politics of matriarchal societies, writing with subtlety, what makes giant cats so fascinating, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Don’t forget to catch our live format every Friday at 7 PM Central on Twitch at AlphabetStreams! If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our n...

Bugs, alien messages, and root beer dispensers, oh my! Shaun Duke, Trish Matson, and Paul Weimer meet in a hotel room at Capricon to spin a delightful yarn with the indie narrative story game Foretold: From Earth! We’ve received a mysterious message from space, and we’ve got no choice but to build a makeshift ship in someone’s barn so we can investigate! Will we succeed? Or will things go sideways? Tune in to find out! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Don’t forget to catch our live format every Friday at 7 PM Centr...

Joyful pasts, hopeful futures, and Dr. Doom, oh my! Shaun Duke, Trish Matson, Paul Weimer, and David Annandale join forces to share the things they loved in 2024 and the things they’re looking forward to in 2025! We discuss books, movies, geeky things, experiences, and much more! Plus, we share some announcements about the show! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Don’t forget to catch our live format every Friday at 7 PM Central on Twitch at AlphabetStreams! If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our...

Flappy props, vampiric birds, and radio heads, oh my! Shaun Duke, Paul Weimer, and David Annandale join forces to discuss 1946’s The Flying Serpent. Together, they talk about the history of the film’s studio, try to make sense of TFS’s plot and character choices, talk vampire bird logic, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at p...

Mysterious traders, technophobia, and Mennonites, oh my! Shaun Duke, Trish Matson, and Paul Weimer join forces to discuss Leigh Brackett’s The Long Tomorrow (1955). Together, they tackle Brackett’s legacy, her treatment of religion- and technophobia-infused dystopia, gender roles, AI, and much more. Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Don’t forget to catch our live format every Friday at 7 PM Central on Twitch at AlphabetStreams! If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy...

Bear attacks, tough conversations, and skeletons, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser are joined by Amanda Downum for a riveting and educational conversation about mortuary science! Together, they explore what morticians do and the complex skills they need, the social dimensions of death, necromancy, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at patreon.com/holymole. See...

Possessions, legacies of violence, and shared worlds, oh my! Shaun Duke and Paul Weimer are joined by Premee Mohamed to discuss One Message Remains! Together, they explore the task of writing interconnected short fiction, the complexities of people within empires, violence and the human will to destroy, and much more. Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at patreon.com...

Lazy Santa, charlatans, and Pirates World, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser are joined by the wonderful Aurelius Raines II for a rip-roaring discussion of Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny (1972). Together, they tackle the film’s ridiculous history, whether any children got hurt during filming, the origins of the ice cream bunny, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You c...

Texas betrayals, robot hulks, and tube babies, oh my! Shaun Duke and Daniel Haeusser are joined by returning champion Michael J. Martinez for a ridiculous discussion of 1989’s Robot Jox! Together, they tackle the film’s cold war politics, what it’s like being Hot Gary Graham, failed visual FX, and much more. Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at p...

Futuristic sports, interplanetary politics, and consequences, oh my! Shaun Duke and Trish Matson are joined by K.B. Wagers to discuss And the Mighty Will Fall. Together, they explore Wagers’ influences, tackle the messy world of pain and consequences, look at the worldbuilding and politics of the NeoG novels, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at pa...

White House down, cable network hackers, and presidential speeches, oh my! Shaun Duke, David Annandale, and Becca Evans wander into the archives for an in-depth exploration of 1996’s Independence Day. Together, they discuss Roland Emmerich’s career, blockbusters and VFX wonders, the film’s view of character and plot, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at patreo...

Assimilations, immigrations, and revolutions, oh my! Shaun Duke and Brandon O’Brien are joined by Suzan Palumbo for a riveting discussion of Countess. Together, they explore Palumbo’s approach to space opera, the political underpinnings of Countess‘ narrative, The Count of Monte Cristo, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at patreon.com/holymole. See you later, na

Bad robots, Jeep jerks, and space shuttles, oh my! Shaun Duke, Trish Matson, and Paul Weimer join forces to tackle 1986’s SpaceCamp! Together, they rip into the film’s gender politics, unpack NASA’s apparently terrible security, get confused about Jeeps, and so much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at patreon.com/holymole. See you later, navigator

Bizarre physics, chef adventurers, and talking ships, oh my! Shaun Duke and Paul Weimer are joined by Cat Rambo for a riveting discussion about Rumor Has It. Together, they explore Cat’s approach to point of view and spectacle, the complexities of infodumps, writing space opera, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: If you have a question you’d like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at patreon.com/holym...