Podcasts and productions

As you all know, Winter-is-coming.net is your best, most comprehensive and up-to-date source for All Things Game of Thronesy. We are the last website you check every night before you go to bed, and the first one you gaze upon when you rise, dutifully and hungrily, like bloodthirsty vampire Pomeranians from your creaky little canine coffins. We can’t help it that you are addicted to what we do; our journalistic acumen is of the highest quality, so we are not remiss in expecting a certain level of worship.

And why not? We here at WiC are multi-skilled and supremely talented, and also stunningly good-looking (possibly on par with Conan Stevens). We have even undergone advanced training in the Waltz, Tango, and Foxtrot. All for you. Just for you. This is all true.

When pressed, however, there is one service we are forced to admit we do not offer (besides clogging, and possibly cockfighting) … and that service is podcasting.

Luckily we have friends and acquaintances that are willing to do it for us! As we look to the future of entertainment coverage for our beloved show, those other wacky forms of “new” media (the ones with moving pictures and sound) will rise to the fore of our consciousness. Some reviews will like the show, others will love it; some may even hate it, which would probably make them slightly retarded. Here are some of the ones we will be following:

A Podcast of Ice and Fire: birthed from the aching loins of a furious god in March of 2008, this ASoIaF-based hive of scum and villainy is top-of-the-line as far as class goes, with podcasts titled “”Blowing Our Loads,” “Tard Bastards,” “Where Did The Whores Go,” “Lesbians and Dongs,” and “The Crooked Wang Theory.” Their love affair with House Manwoody continues to grow, and, like us, they have created their own Westerosi house—the now-epic House Blackwoody. Our very own Winter was the guest host back in March of last year for episode 32, appropriately titled “Winter Has Come.”

The podcast, which can come weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, (or … whenever) is hosted by Mimi, whose name, depending on who you ask, means either “Little Cat,” “Boobies,” or “Big-Headed Golden Box.” Mimi is a Mongolian Texan with self-described nerd tendencies and occasional control issues. She is joined by Ashley, a charming young lady who lets her freak flag fly with multiple piercings and admitted slashfan habits; and Chase, my personal hero, a granite-voiced grumbler who may or may not be on Michelle Fairley’s Christmas list. Also usually present are “Evil” Amin, Other Ashley, Nancy, and Kyle, though I have not personally spoken to those wackjobs.

Yes, fabulous FaBihoff was just this very week the featured guest host of the show. In typical big-mouthed fashion (Winter knows) I talked more than any guest really should. We had fun during the podcast, exactingly titled “Forever Bitter,” and taught one another many new and wonderful things, such as what exactly a merkin is. If you can’t tell who is who, I am the one who giggles like a schoolgirl. Sexy!

FaB hazing aside, these are actually fantastic people, and total balls-to-the-walls fun to hang with. You can’t get much more dedicated to A Song of Ice and Fire than to host a nigh-weekly podcast—not unless you’re Elio of Westeros, I mean—and they’re only really getting started. Once the television show kicks into gear, I know APoIaF will come hot, hard, and fast with weekly reviews. They will not hold back their opinions, be they good or bad. These nobjobbers will stay true to their gutter-crawling bawdy roots come hell or high water. I beat on Mimi, but she’s actually very engaging and charismatic, if not slightly scattered. I have no idea what she’s doing in Texas. (No offense, Texas.) Someone needs to box her up and ship her ass to SoCal, whre she can put her broadcasting skillz to good use. A Podcast of Ice and Fire can also be found on iTunes! Log on, give a listen, and post reviews!

ThinkHero: I probably know less about this nerdtastic site than I should, being that it specializes in All Things Nerd (I’m a BSC Review/Gestalt Mash guy myself). ThinkHero was launched in November of 2008 by übergeek Dennis Tzeng, covering a nice array of subjects beyond television and movies, including video games and comic books. And it offers far more than just a podcast (a neanderthal’s practice to these advanced specimens of humanity)—ThinkHero hosts multiple videocasts in a given week.

The production is pretty smooth; it’s usually hosted by Dennis, as well as TV and film reviewer Jennings Roth Cornet and resident geek hostess Kristen Nedopak. Kristen is a hardcore ASoIaF enthusiast who is just finishing up A Storm of Swords, and who regularly tweets about the rollercoaster of emotion she experiences with each bloody chapter she finishes. I’m not certain if she’s been driven completely mad by it yet or not, but … well, y’all remember what it was like. Kristen agrees that Spartacus was possibly the most underrated television show of the year thus far (it seriously was—that thing was art), so she’s completely cool by me.

I like the site. It’s easy to navigate, and you could literally stay there all day. It’s quality. Their Corvette yellow backdrop is … interesting … and I still have no idea what the hell Face Off is, even after watching a review, but I have been assured ThinkHero will be reviewing episodes of Game of Thrones. I can’t freaking wait.

Talking TV with Ryan and Ryan: Most of you already know about Maureen “Mo” Ryan, lauded television critic, friend-of-the-series, former critical darling of the Chicago Tribune and current television critic for AOL’s TV Squad (and all-around tall drink of water). She’s getting behind Game of Thrones as much as any critic I know, and, like us, hopes it will be a smash success. She’s also a teller of truths, and will not be shy in expressing things she does not like. Mo knows good TV. Let’s hope it’s damned good.

Ryan McGee (not to be confused with ESPN’s Ryan McGee) I am less familiar with personally, but his work as the Boob Tube Dude and with Zap2it is well known. He’s one knowledgeable man, and I know Mo is priming him for the series. Make no mistake, these are two heavy hitters in the critic industry. It will be good to have them weigh in on Game of Thrones.

Ryan and Ryan can also be downloaded on iTunes.

WiC Update: We have to forgive FaBio. He is getting old and, as often happens, his memory is fading. But this post would be incomplete without a mention of our friends over at Television Zombies. Hosted by Jeff, Chris and Tina this weekly show bills itself as a “cult TV podcast” where they discuss shows such as The Walking Dead (duh), Doctor Who, Fringe and more. Most importantly to our interests though, is that they are big fans of George R. R. Martin and Game of Thrones. Jeff had read the books way back when and Chris recently read them after hearing about the upcoming TV series. TVZ has had me on as a guest host here and another time in an interview here. They even have interviewed The Man himself. They promise much more Thrones coverage to come, so be sure to add this one to your RSS feed or iTunes subscription list.

And lastly, a newcomer to the ‘casting game (not to be confused with the casting clues game) are the Bjork Brothers. Hailing from the frozen tundra of Wisconsin, these brothers are fans of the books who have begun a weekly podcast on Game of Thrones. They’ve been discussing all the news and info surrounding the show so far and promise reviews and recaps once the show airs. Be sure to check them out. </WiC>

That’s all I have for today; FaBio’s frantic fingers have been set awhirl and his meager mind set ablaze by the swirling fires of encroaching time. The clock ticks inexorably down. Winter comes quickly, and the ‘casters are ready! Once it begins …

Man, we will all be busy!

• Published on 03/09/2011 at 7:07 AM CDT
• Last updated on 10/20/2016 at 6:04 PM CDT