The Geek Agenda

In which Thom & Andru attempt to shove 10lbs of talk into a 5lb show while keeping up with Grae Drake of The Popcorn Mafia, whose presence infuses the proceedings with a mighty dose of verbal sparkle and thump. Buried somewhere in the swirling conversational chaos is a spoiler-filled review of Super 8, chopped up into several non-linear puzzle pieces in accordance with the wishes of Mr Abrams. Good luck with that.

In which Andru returns from Maker Faire 2011 covered in techno glory, which inspires a gadget-centric discussion ranging from the laser cutters of today to the food replicators of tomorrow. Also, movie remakes that we actually want to see, thoughts on the latest X-Men & Pirates offerings, trying to make sense of the DC Universe reboot, how to break a Genius Bar employee, and shows that spooked us (perhaps a little too easily) as kids. Music by Scattered Suns.

In which Thom narrates a special "best of" The Geek Agenda while the NDR studios are closed for Memorial Day. Highlights from the show's first nine episodes, including chats with guests Brian Peck, Peter Zachos, Dayle Dermatis, Ingrid Oliansky, and Patrick McGrath. We will return live next week, June 6th! Music by Sons Of Nothing.

In which Thom and special guest Ingrid Oliansky catch up on Who-related happenings, recount recent adventures in percussion, and ponder the proper amount of influence that a parent should have over their child's pop culture literacy. Also, the CDC gets into the zombie groove, the space shuttle gets a nerdy serenade, and pro wrestling mourns the loss of an icon. Plus, a new drinking game: take a shot every time Thom says the word "gravitas." Music by Jonathan Coulton

In which Thom & Andru chat with author Dayle Dermatis (and her many pseudonyms) about adventures both literary and geographical, creative epiphanies, geek heresies, the distinction between romance and erotica, the blending of both with sci-fi fantasy, the downside of continuity, and the shiny future of e-publishing. Also, unholy adoration and mad props are heaped upon the band Styx, and everyone is just going to have to be OK with that.

In which Thom & Andru blaze a hyper-linking, topic-hopping, sub-referencing trail through a vast wilderness of joys and perils, including appointment television, 2% jokes, longform story arcs, anime-fueled nostalgia, post-conversion 3D, science, magic, and combinations thereof. Pop-cultural rest stops include The Simpsonverse, The Whedonverse, Aasgard, The SDF-1, and Westeros, amongst others. (Minor spoilers for Thor and Game Of Thrones. Bigger spoilers for Robotech, but really...you've had 25 years to catch that one.) Music by Sons Of Nothing.

In which Thom & Andru chat with guest Peter Zachos about the joys of scoring film music, scoring high on classic arcade games, and scoring an awesome enough gig that the pay (or lack thereof) is irrelevant. Also, Rob & Chris from The Spoon pop in briefly, and plans are laid for Birthday Gestalt 2012! Music by Jonathan Coulton

In which Thom & Andru earn their first ever explicit content advisory as they plunge headlong into a rambling conversation with actor/writers Graham Sibley and Tonya Cornelisse which covers everything from on location hi jinx involving phallic veggies, to the inexplicable Chinese ban on time-travel movies, to an appreciation of developmentally disordered nightclub singers. Also, spoiler-heavy opinions of Source Code and Scream 4 are aired. You have been warned.

In which Thom and Andru spend some quality time as a dramaturgical diad: recounting Andru's recent road shoot, bemoaning their status as Xbox dilettantes, taking comfort in the awkwardness of Wil Wheaton, expressing cautious optimism about some of this year's summer blockbusters, and remembering Sydney Lumet while ruminating on the possibility of Network finally beginning to show it's age. Also, that Tron Legacy game is pretty darn good... if only it went by a different name. Music by Paul & Storm

In which Andru is away making movies, leaving special guest Ingrid Oliansky to navigate Thom's neurotic conversational hyperlinking long enough to discuss the healing power of music, the perils of the Internet hivemind, and the enduring, ineffable appeal of The Doctor. Music by Steve Navarre

In which Thom and Andru drink deeply from the chawan of Japanese pop culture with self-confessed otaku Patrick McGrath, review The Adjustment Bureau, and dissect all manner of nerdy epithets. Music by Wonderboy

In which Thom and Andru fail to arrive at an empirical definition of "geek," but succeed in reviewing Battle Los Angeles, and have a delightful conversation with actor Brian Peck about movie memories, zombie legacies, and badass model-making. Seriously. Music by The Wonderstrucks.