As the end of 2022 draws near, we at Fanbase Press want to thank the talented and hard-working individuals who host, edit, and create the various podcasts available as part of the Fanbase Press Podcast Network. Running the gamut from humorous and snarky to serious and sincere, the podcasts hosted at Fanbase Press celebrate fandoms in their own unique fashion. Below, readers will find the Fanbase Press podcast episodes that were most popular with our fans and listeners over the course of 2022.
The Fanbase Weekly
When it comes to Fanbase Press’ flagship podcast, The Fanbase Weekly, co-hosts Barbra Dillon, Bryant Dillon, Claire Thorne, and Drew Siragusa are joined by an assortment of special guests from across the pop culture spectrum to discuss the top geek stories of the week! The three most popular episodes of the year can be found below.
1. The Fanbase Weekly: Episode #203 (Twitter’s Insecurity About Female Orcs & More)
The co-hosts welcome special guests David Accampo (Writer/Co-Creator, Spectral: A Showcase of Fear) and Ariel Landrum (Co-Host, Happiest Pod on Earth / Clinical Director, Guidance Teletherapy Family Counseling) to discuss the latest geek news stories of the week, including Twitter’s insecurity about female Orcs, Ezra Miller’s future with the DC universe, whether Obi-Wan Kenobi was complicit in Anakin’s downfall, and Tillie Walden’s new take on The Walking Dead.
2. The Fanbase Weekly: Episode #192 (Remembering Ivan Reitman & More)
The co-hosts welcome special guests Janet Lee (Eisner Award-winning artist, Return of the Dapper Men, Emma) and Gabe Cheng (writer, The Problem with Parallels, Finding Molly) to discuss the latest geek news stories of the week, including looking back at the career of Ivan Reitman, Amazon’s ComiXology overhaul and the backlash, Disney’s “Storyliving,” and the new story of Han and Leia’s honeymoon.
3. The Fanbase Weekly: Episode #193 (‘The Batman’ Pulled from Russian Release & More)
The co-hosts welcome special guests Stephanie Cooke (writer/editor, Oh My Gods!) and Jennifer Brody (writer, Disney Chills) to discuss the latest geek news stories of the week, including why Warner Bros. pulled The Batman from its Russian release, why AMC Theatres is charging more for The Batman tickets, why writers from Gizmodo, Jezebel, Kotaku, and more are on strike, and a trailer roundup featuring Morbius, Bullet Train, and Fantastic Beasts 3.
Fanbase Features
As a special feature of The Fanbase Weekly podcast, the Fanbase Feature focuses on and celebrates a specific element of geek culture in the form of long-form interviews, panel discussions, and more! The three most popular Fanbase Feature episodes of the year can be found below.
In this Fanbase Feature, The Fanbase Weekly co-host Bryant Dillon is joined by special guest Phillip Kennedy Johnson (writer – Marvel Comics’ Alien, DC’s Action Comics, The Last God) to participate in an exciting discussion regarding the first two arcs of Marvel’s Alien comic series, what readers can expect from the upcoming third arc, if Aliens vs. Predator lies in the future for Marvel, how Prometheus, Alien: Covenant, and Alien 3 have inspired the current comic series, and much more.
2. Fanbase Feature: 40th Anniversary Retrospective on ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’ (1982)
In this Fanbase Feature, The Fanbase Weekly co-hosts Bryant Dillon, Claire Thorne, and Drew Siragusa are joined by special guests Matt and John Yuan (writers – Love Town, Serving Supes / Deputy Publishers at 1First Comics) to participate in a thorough discussion regarding Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) in light of the film’s 40th anniversary, with topics including what the film has to say about themes like aging and mortality, Spock’s iconic death scene and how fans reacted in 1982, and more.
3. Fanbase Feature: 30th Anniversary Retrospective on ‘Alien 3’ (1992)
In this Fanbase Feature, The Fanbase Weekly co-host Bryant Dillon is joined by special guests Charles de Lauzirika (Filmmaker & DVD/Blu-ray producer – Assembly Cut restoration of Alien 3, Final Cut restoration of Blade Runner), David Accampo (writer – Fanbase Press’ The Margins, Lost Angels), and Phillip Kelly (Fanbase Press Contributor, The POPSKL Podcast Group) to participate in a thorough discussion regarding Alien 3 (1992) in light of the film’s 30th anniversary, with topics including the film’s thematic message regarding how we grapple with our own mortality, why the deaths of Hicks and Newt are unforgivable for so many fans, what other films can learn from Alien 3, and more.
The Arkham Sessions
Since early 2014, Dr. Drea Letamendi and Brian Ward have revisited Batman: The Animated Series through the analytical eyes of a clinical psychologist. Heralded as one of the greatest storytelling vehicles of all time, the television show’s tone, subject matter, and depth in storytelling and character development are exemplary and undergo the psychological analysis it deserves in The Arkham Sessions. Each week, the co-hosts watch the series, in production order, with a keen eye toward revealing the very real psychology behind its characters and then put Batman and his “Rogues Gallery” on the couch for a fun, insightful weekly session. In the past year, The Arkham Sessions has focused on content beyond Batman: The Animated Series, including analysis of many entries of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars franchise. The three most popular episodes of the year can be found below.
1. The Arkham Sessions, Ep. 177: ‘Doctor Strange’
The Arkham Sessions’ analysis of Marvel’s Doctor Strange (2016) centers on the idea that great tragedy can lead to tremendous growth. This episode explores the way the film integrates eastern and western philosophies, belief systems, and healing models, as well as how integrating psychology and philosophy with traditional science creates a more expansive and harmonious version of treatment models.
2. The Arkham Sessions, Ep. 176: ‘Black Widow’
What happens when children are separated from caregivers at a young age and raised exclusively by government operatives in extreme conditions? And what if, further, a short period of their training involves being coerced to participate in a “mock” family, being forced to act as siblings and daughters to two operatives role-playing as loving parents? Does the rouse further traumatize the children?
3. The Arkham Sessions, Ep. 181: ‘Black Panther’
The Marvel film Black Panther (2018) marks a turning point in the comic book cinematic landscape of predominantly white superheroes. The film highlights real global tensions such as the national hoarding of resources and gatekeeping of outsiders; at its core, though, the film is about individual tensions: belongingness, identity, and family.
Tread Perilously
Tread Perilously is a podcast in which hosts Erik Amaya (Editor-in-Chief of Comicon.com) and author Justin Robinson (City of Devils, Wolfman Confidential) watch the “worst” episodes of popular TV shows, attempting to determine if they would continue to watch the series based on the most off-key moments. TV shows regularly tread upon include Doctor Who, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and 7th Heaven. From family dramas to well-loved, but brief, sci-fi series, each hour-long episode examines how a show sustains itself even in its worst moments. The three most popular episodes of the year can be found below.
1. Tread Perilously – ‘Doctor Who: Twice Upon a Time’
Tread Perilously‘s annual Tread Merrily tradition returns with the Doctor Who Christmas special, “Twice Upon a Time.”
2. Tread Perilously – ‘The Sandman: The Doll’s House’
Tread Perilously‘s month of prestige fantasy series dreams of The Sandman and the episode called “The Doll’s House.”
3. Tread Perilously – ‘Star Trek: Picard – Monsters’
Tread Perilously‘s month of modern Star Trek continues with the lowest-rated episode of Star Trek: Picard, “Monsters.”
Paul and Corey Cross the Streams
Paul and Corey Cross the Streams is a bi-monthly podcast in which hosts Paul Pakler and Corey Pepper watch and review streaming content. It’s the Great American Podcast where two friends learn about life as they float down the river of streaming services. The three most popular episodes of 2022 can be found below.
Who says Pride is only 30 days? Paul and Corey are discussing queer films in this month’s theme, “Pride and Prejudice.” This week, they’re discussing Hulu’s new feature, Fire Island (2022). A rom-com based on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Fire Island follows a group of friends as they navigate the pitfalls of love, sex, racism, and more on the famous LGBTQ+ vacation destination off the coast of Long Island.
2. Paul and Corey Cross the Streams: Season 4, Episode 8 [New Wave – ‘Daisies’ (1966)]
In this episode, Paul chose to head east from England to Czechoslovakia to discuss Věra Chytilová’s Daisies (1966). An absurdist feminist classic whose plot(?) can only be described as “Two young women look at a world gone bad and decide to be bad, too.” Banned by the Czech government at the time of its release and Chytilová herself was blacklisted for nearly a decade, Daisies was and remains radical in theme, form, and subject.
Stars are just like us! They’ll take soul-sucking jobs purely for the money. And that’s what this month’s theme is: “Terrific-House Movies.” This week, Paul, of course, chose the film that kept Michael Caine from accepting his Academy Award in-person: Jaws: The Revenge (1987). Truly the worst film Paul and Corey Cross the Streams has ever covered.
