Shelby Plummer first heard of Slaughterhouse-Five from an internet boyfriend. After being grounded for having an internet boyfriend, she got to actually read the book as an AP English assignment and has been a Vonnegut devotee ever since. She devoured his novels and short stories in a way she had never really engaged with reading. He made a fellow Hoosier feel less alone for thinking it was OK to want everyone to be treated well through life, to read and write about aliens, and to make dirty jokes along the way. Shelby carried those philosophies through an expedient college career and still apples them all the time to her comedy writing and performing. Notes: Check out the lineup of the upcoming Bentwood Comedy Festival at iO Chicago, where Shelby serves as Creative Director The James Conklin Memorial Scholarship Thanks to the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for their coordination of sponsorships and thanks to Overcast for sponsoring this episode OtyGF8bN1z4zoOXMzaST

Stephanie Anderson cut her teeth as a group leader working in an acute psychiatric inpatient facility at a children's hospital. The taxing environment led her to explore improv as a way to unwind outside of work. After some experience bringing improv exercises into her work environment with patients and coworkers alike, she set off to Chicago to pursue more improv learning and teaching opportunities. Now, she can speak to how all of these different groups pass through forming, storming, norming, and performing phases influenced by their members' actions. Notes: See Stephanie perform at iO with Cecilia Thanks to the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for coordinating sponsorships and lending a legitimacy to this whole thing, and thanks to Overcast, MBS's podcast player of choice, for sponsoring this episode.

Casey has put his general health and wellbeing on the line as he works up to 30 hours editing each episode of NeoScum, an actual-play podcast in which five Chicago improvisers (including Casey himself as well as past MBSing guest Mike Migdall) play the tabletop RPG Shadowrun. A longtime lover and performer of musicals, Casey's level of perfectionism and lack of self-confidence launched him into editing the show and the rest, as they say, is history. In spite of the occasional pains from nerve damage and Twitter complaints, the show has been a source for absolute passion and pride in Casey and it means everything to him to be honoring the magic he creates with his friends while giving listeners a heartfelt journey. Notes: NeoScum! Casey says the editing really took off at around episode 14 or 15 and his favorites so far are around 18 or 19.  A nice visualization of Ira Glass's thoughts on taste vs. skill  Thanks to the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for coordinating sponsorships and Overcast for sponsoring this episode.  

Tom Dyke has known the original 151 by heart since he was a preschooler, his pure fandom being born along with the Pokémon franchise itself. He has played the video games since he could hold a Game Boy, and his dad was the only adult in the neighborhood who would help he and his friends play the trading card game. So one can imagine his delight at the advent of a mobile game that would allow him, and potentially his friends, to catch Pokémon all over the world. Tom unpacks the ups and downs of being a Pokémon Go devotee, how its gameplay fits into the larger picture of the franchise and gaming in general, and how far the game has come since its bare bones launch. Finally, Tom and MBS become official Poképals by trading some 'mons on mic. Thanks to the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for coordinating our sponsorships and to Overcast, MBS's podcast player of choice, for sponsoring this episode.

One of Yazmin's earliest memories is her family watching one of their favorite movies: Killer Clowns from Outer Space. From Michael Myers to the Redfields of Resident Evil, her family came together to experience horror, for better or worse (too many zombies have been known to keep kids from sleeping well). She even enjoyed when they would gather around to scare one another with stories of their own crafting and has witnessed a few paranormal events that she's never been able to shake or explain. All of this has influenced her ability to deal with fear and being open to new experiences, though she admits she has opted to feel closed off from any other paranormal activities... except when it comes to the characters she plays onstage. Thanks to the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for community and the coordination of sponsorships, like this week's sponsor, Overcast.

Alyssa was born a rebel, as evidenced by her refusal to accept an "Indian" name in place of her own as a kindergartener on Columbus Day. This small rebellion opened the door to an interest in eking out the truth about colonialism, imperialism, and revolutions throughout her schooling. In college, she declared a Middle-Eastern Studies and Political Theory double major to feed her thirst for knowledge on how the history of colonialism influences the sociology of current cultures. There are mentions of many modern political implications, suggestions for specific books and periods one might seek out to study further, and ads for soap. Notes: Thanks to the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for their continued coordination of sponsorships. This week, it's Overcast, MBS's podcast player of choice.

Gary Pascal grew up in a home operated like an engineering firm thanks to his ME father. This nature and nurture led to all four of the family's kids also becoming mechanical engineers. After choosing BEST Robotics to fulfill a graduation requirement for his STEM high school, Gary was well on his way to serving as an engineer for Mars Chocolate right out of college. In spite of the inherent fun-factor of being the project manager for a couple of Fun-Sized Snickers assembly lines, Gary admits that he wasn't very good at this high-stress position. He's since found a great balance between drafting custom furniture designs and leaning into his analytical approach to comedy writing. Notes: Check out Gary's newest comedy project, Murdertown.  Here's an explanation of Gary's robotics teacher's bumper sticker (and it was red).  Thanks to the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for coordinating sponsorship with Overcast, MBS's personal favorite podcast player.  

Box Brown has been a pro wrestling fan since his first PPV experience: Hulk Hogan lost at Wrestlemania VI, and the friend he was watching with cried. He was hooked by the characters and the facade of it all, so it's no wonder that he became attracted to two huge cults of personality in André and Andy. André left a bevy of stories in his wake, one of which inspired Box to draw the first comic of what eventually became his book, André the Giant: Life and Legend. Later, Box was hooked by the way Andy borrowed the idea of wrestlers being enveloped by their characters into comedy, and his antics with Jerry Lawler on Letterman secured him a place in the history of wrestling's secrets and Box's interest. Notes: Box's most recent book, Is This Guy For Real?: The Unbelievable Andy Kaufman is a fascinating read for fans of comedy and wrestling alike. Thanks to Cards Against Humanity, the Chicago Podcast Cooperative, and C2E2 for making this happen, and thanks to Overcast for sponsoring the episode.

Meredith discovered the world of Jane Austen's novels in college and has since reread them many times over in addition to listening to them as audiobooks and rewatching the film/TV adaptations (at least the ones she likes). There is something to the simplicity of daily life, the rules that governed socializing, and the fashion and furnishings of the era that Meredith finds herself constantly drawn to and daydreaming about, so much so that she has ventured into writing her own as-yet-unfinished Austen-style novel.  Notes: Meredith's most recent production with Team StarKid, Firebringer Thanks to the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for their support and Overcast, MBS's podcast player of choice, for sponsoring this episode.  

Chels studied WB shows like Felicity and Gilmore Girls like they were homework, at one point in life staying up until 11 PM to watch a rerun of Gilmore Girls only to watch it again at 3 AM. They also began to mentally catalog the writers and actors from each show, faithfully seeking out trivia from DVD commentaries and social media accounts to feel more like a part of the fictional teen-aged worlds being created. Now, Chels prides themselves on creating worlds professionally as a B2B content specialist and creatively as a host of Sell Me A Pup, a show where comedians review made-up media. There's a lot of talk about how much pickier we tend to be with media now, relishing in representation and prickling at problematic jokes and storylines. There's also mention of Tarzan, Roswell, Buffy, and a few non-WB TV delights like The OC, Grey's Anatomy, and... West Wing? Notes: Check out Chels's contributions to Your Stories Vlog Brothers, Hank and John Green Thanks to the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for their continued support and Simplecast for sponsoring this episode. Use the promo code "chicago" to get 50% your first 3 months of Simplecast.  

Financial coach Dan Wood and his creative, funny friends Elizabeth Seidt and Damon Taylor love exploring the actual finances of fictional worlds on their podcast Make-Believe Money (e.g. - Ron Swanson's net worth, the value of the company Willy Wonka passes on to Charlie Bucket, how much all that sensory deprivation chamber salt would've cost in the first season of Stranger Things, etc). Some of that fictional world stuff made it into this conversation, but it's mostly focused on Dan's profession, how his influence has made Damon and Liz more financially aware, and how all of them view finances as a necessary if difficult conversation to have with your loved ones. Weddings are being planned, houses are being purchased, needs, wants, & savings are being allocated... A lot is happening here, and ultimately it's a fun, encouraging conversation about an often sticky subject. Notes: Dan's professional info, Liz's Harold team, and Damon's place of work Thanks to the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for their continued support and Overcast, MBS's podcast player of choice, for sponsoring this episode.

Jando's parents immigrated to the US from Iraq and Syria in their early 20s, making the first two decades of their lives vastly different from his even though he's only ever known them as quiet suburb-dwellers. He ruminates on how this has shaped his family and their Assyrian community via food, ceremony, language, religion, and a plethora of other small ways that he often forgets are considered different because it's all just his own American experience. Notes: The Assyrian collection at The Oriental Institute, featuring a winged bull from Sargon II. Thanks to the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for their continued support and Simplecast for sponsoring this episode. Use the promo code "chicago" to get 50% your first 3 months of Simplecast.

Tiffany discovered the possibilities of LARPing via putting on immersion theatre as the Artistic Director of Otherworld Theatre Company. After their own production of Gone Dark and attending Sleep No More in New York, she was inspired to take the interest even further by producing a series of 2-day LARPs in the Midwest called Chronicles of the Realm. Find out about the levels of experiential gaming and theatre that can be achieved as well as the work and talent it takes to plan characters and re-plan scenarios on the fly as players discover the path they want the LARP to take. Notes: Otherworld Theatre is buying their own space. Check out their IndieGoGo to contribute to the cause. Past episodes featuring themes surrounding Otherworld Theatre productions include: Vampires, Shakespeare, Pen and Paper RPGs, and Sci-Fi/Fantasy Theatre. Thanks to Overcast for sponsoring and the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for coordinating sponsors and community.

Carley Moseley loved to read so much as a kid she thought one of the coolest things about Matilda was that she had a wagon for her library books. One of her greatest loves is A Wrinkle in Time, and she's revisiting the novel now and unpacking all of these feelings about whimsy, family, and the upcoming film adaptation along the way. Expect emotions about everyone from Oprah to CS Lewis, and maybe pick up a book from your past that you haven't read in a while to figure out why it's still with you. Thanks to the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for coordinating sponsorship by Backblaze. Try Backblaze online backup for free at backblaze.com/cpc.

Henry figured out how to use the internet to chat with friends and strangers alike at a young, desktop dial-up age. He's remained at the forefront of users for new platforms, networks, and apps due to some combo of an innate desire to connect online, a genuine curiosity at what the internet can do, and a relatively-innocent streak of trolling and shit-posting. From Geocities to Facebook frames, Smash Boards to Echo Skills, Henry's made some viral gags and met some lifelong friends as "jackasskid" and "tehawesome." And as "someone who goes by Henry Stinson Birdseye III." Notes: Henry has a pretty good compendium of his goofs on Tumblr Thanks to the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for coordinating sponsorships, and thanks to Overcast for sponsoring. MBS has listened to all podcasts on Overcast since before they paid money for her support.

In her youth, Eunji was very into reading stories about girls with spunk, and Anne of Green Gables was always the prime example. She screamed through all eight of L. M. Montgomery's books and now returns to them often to access their surprisingly forward-thinking ideas about women, satisfying female friendships and other emotional relationships, and inspirational themes regarding coming from nothing. Anne showed a young Eunji it was possible for a woman to get great schooling, be a writer, and build a family and home over 100 years ago, so it's sure as hell possible now. Notes: http://www.thebesteunji.com/ Thanks to Overcast for sponsoring and the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for coordinating sponsorships and creating a collective.  

Charles Clark Pettitt was born and raised “where cowboy meets Cajun” and still has a deep love for the region in spite of knowing he had to escape its rampant pick up truck and Coors Light lifestyle. His Pettitt ancestors settled in Askansas seeking oil, his grandfather Arkansas (...for real...there’s a Jr and a Sr...) ate a raw onion from their Louisiana farm at every meal after they had to ghost the oil boom towns, and thanks to a high school break up that inspired an ill-fated visit to Texas A&M, Charles eventually landed in Chicago to develop his performance skills. From the perfect queso to riverboat casinos to sporting to the Bossier Strip, Charles packs Schreveport’s personality into every tale he shares. Notes: See Charles in Shark Tank: The Musical at the Annoyance Theatre before he skips town. Thanks to the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for coordinating sponsorship by Backblaze. Try Backblaze online backup for free at backblaze.com/cpc.

Andrew Knox has been a Giants fan since his mom's side of the family adopted the team while they had a training camp in their home state, Vermont. He's lived for the building of the team and the fight to the finish every season, even when the Super Bowl victories have felt admittedly anticlimactic. He loves getting a sense of who the players are and having fellow fans to share the games with. It's more about the community of fandom for Knox, as evidenced by his being more than willing to unpack the nature of the NFL and sports fandom as opposed to laser-focused Giants talk. Stick around for his thoughts on how they may bounce back after a rough season. Notes: Knox on Twitter, at Second City, and winning MoveOn's contest Thanks to the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for their continued support and Simplecast for sponsoring this episode. Use the promo code "chicago" to get 50% your first 3 months of Simplecast.

Joe took his aspirations of comedy filmmaking all the way to a passion for photography. He discusses how a more serious interest in photography came into his life (along with a new DSLR camera and a broken ankle), what he's learned from working with models, friends who are performers, and other photographers, and how his passion has changed what kind of photography gear he travels with and how he perceives the entire package of designing a shoot. If Joe makes his subjects laugh a fraction as much as he did MBS, he's a natural at putting them at ease. Notes: Joe's website and Instagram. Thanks to the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for their continued support and Simplecast for sponsoring this episode. Use the promo code "chicago" to get 50% your first 3 months of Simplecast.

The tables turn once again in a holiday hangover edition of eMBSing. This time Eric “EMB” Braband unpacks MBS’s love of Irish indie movie musical Once. After 10 years of expounding her love of her favorite film, there are now a plethora of cultural and personal reasons the story and her love of it endures. Hear their thoughts on the Broadway musical adaptation and lead actor Glen Hansard’s continued solo career, and close out with a live verse from one of MBS’s favorite songs from the films musical duo. Give Once a watch, and have fun finding your band. Notes: Thanks the Cards Against Humanity for sponsoring the show and the Chicago Podcast Cooperative for their continued support.