On this episode of Geek4, I’m joined by Lauren Ashley. Lauren is an actor and social media presence, and a huge fan of lots of things! Lauren is an absolute delight. We discuss her love of Lucille Ball – from discovering I Love Lucy as a kid (on Nick at Nite) and her movies on AMC and Blockbuster to attending Lucille Ball conventions and collecting Lucy swag. We also talk about Lauren’s own acting, which is how I first discovered her of Hollywood Graveyard in Arthur Dark’s two short films, The Tomb of Nosferatu and Graves from the Black Lagoon. They’re fantastic and I highly recommend watching them.

On this episode of Geek 4 I’m joined by award-winning and internaotionally reknowned author, Daniel Kehlmann. Kehlmann’s latest novel —The Director — has recently been translated into English and is available now. The Director tells the story of pioneering Austrian filmmaker G.W. Pabst (Pandora’s Box, Diary of a Lost Girl, Threepenny Opera) who finds himself back in his homeland just before the outbreak of World War II. With some reluctance, Pabst resumes making films under the Nazis, making both artistic and moral concessions and compromises. In our conversation, Kehlmann describes why he was drawn to write this story as well as the nature of artists. Kehlmann’s novel is both intimate and sweeping, the story of an artist and his relationships and a world at war. It is profound and beautiful.

n this episode, I’m talking late Star Trek with Dr. Adam Kotsko. Adam is a scholar and professor of political theology, continental philosophy, and the history of Christian thought.He also wrties about popular culture and his new book, Late Star Trek: The Final Frontier in the Franchise Era is available now from The University of Minnesota Press (BUY FROM THE PRESS). Adam defines “late Star Trek” as any of the media from Enterprise to the current crop of shows (like Star Trek: Discovery, Picard, Strange New Worlds, and Lower Decks). We talk about how Adam first discovered Star Trek and how he turned his scholarly attention to the franchise.

On this episode of Geek4 I’m joined by Dr. Erin Keating (she/her). Erin’s Graduate Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media at the University of Manitoba (my alma mater). She is Associate Editor of the journal Restoration: Studies in Literature and Culture and has published on 17th-century celebrity, secret history, and coffeehouse culture, as well as the comic Watchmen. She is in the initial stages of a new research project on queer kinship in fantasy and its fandoms focusing on Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen and Muir’s Locked Tomb Series. Recently, she’s started a brilliant Youtube channel where she talks about some of her eceletic interests in an analytical, crtical way. One of her videos (Has Fandom Always Been Toxic? A 17th-Century Fan Novel and Capitalist Thought prompted me to reach out to her and see if she wanted to discuss toxic fans. We discuss her discovery of a 17th century secret history, The Player’s Tragedy, which she argues is a product of a toxic fan. We talk Chappel Roan and boy bands and Taylor Swift. We cover a lot of ground.

My guest on this episode of Geek4 is Rob Stroude. Rob is a midwestern living in the UK with his family. I've known Rob online for a while now, but I was lucky enough to hang out with Rob when I was in London for Adam Roche's Secret History of Hollywood meet up at the BFI. Just talking to Rob and hearing his passion for the things he loves I knew I wanted to have him on the podcast. When I asked him to come on, he told me he wanted to talk about the Jonathan Lynn film Clue (1985). Rob LOVES Clue. He watches it once a year.

My guest for this episode is podcaster Zach Eastman from Yesteryear Ballyhoo Revue to talk about his long time fascination with Jack Benny. Sadly, that name might not much to some listeners, but Jack Benny was a pioneering comic voice in radio and television. Benny was so well known and loved by golden age celebrities that he was able to get guest stars on his show that NEVER did tv (like Gary Cooper or Humphrey Bogart). To speak nothing of his film career. His starring role in Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 black comedy, To Be or Not To Be, as a Nazi-fighting actor in occupied Warsaw has particular poignancy in today's political climate and should be screened often.

On this episode of Geek4, I’m joined by Jocelyn, THE DEGRASSI KID!!! I met Jocelyn at a Degrassi Trivia Night. I was a participant. She was the host. Jocelyn might be the most enthusiastic fan of anything I’ve ever talked to! Her infectious love of Degrassi knows no bounds. She was such a fan that Annie Clark (who played Fiona on Degrassi: TNG) encouraged her to start her podcast back in 2022. Jocelyn’s become such a well-established, well connected voice in the Degrassi universe that she was invited to induct the Degrassi franchise into the Canadian Walk of Fame! She truly is the empress of Degrassi! Heck, she has a Degrassi Street sign in her bedroom. We talk about her amazing encounters with the cast and creators. I share my own encounters with some of the old school cast (come back, Arthur!) and why my friend Sandy refuses to invite me to her house. We talk about why this quirky Canadian show matters so much to so many people.

On this episode of Geek4, we're talking bad, bad movies with Lizzie and Zoltan from Killer B Cinema. Lizzie and Zoltan are this amazing couple from the West End of Toronto who love B cinema. They screen monthly films from their collection of rarely-seen Turkish knock-offs, 1950s favourite sci-fi movies, radioactive monsters, Bollywood, and b-movie classics at See-scapea sci fi themed video game, board game cafe in Toronto's Junction neighbourhood, 347 Keele Street. I started seeing their Killer B Cinema presents posters around the Junction when I first moved here almost two years ago - I think the first one I saw was for a Mario Bava film. I knew then I had to have them on the show. This was a great conversation that went all over the place. We discuss how they each came to love B-cinema, the movies and theatres that inspired them. We discuss the incredible amount of technical work they put into their screenings, and the films SO BAD they refuse to screen.

On this episode of Geek4 we're talking Degrassi with podcaster and all-around pop-culture nerd, Eevee Pacini. Eevee explains how an American kid got obsessed with this slice of Canadian pop culture and the community they've discovered through their love of Degrassi. Eevee currently hosts Degrassi: School's In (available wherever fine podcasts are found) in which they watch old-school Degrassi in order starting with Degrassi Junior High.

My guest on this episode of Geek4 is Tom Mead. Tom is a Derbyshire mystery writer and aficionado of Golden Age Crime Fiction. His debut novel, DEATH AND THE CONJUROR, was an international bestseller, nominated for several awards, and named one of the best mysteries of the year by The Guardian and Publishers Weekly. Its sequel, THE MURDER WHEEL, was described as “pure nostalgic pleasure” by the Wall Street Journal and “a delight” by the Daily Mail. It was also named one of the Best Traditional Mysteries of 2023 by Crimereads. His third novel, CABARET MACABRE, will be published in July 2024. Tom and I discuss his love of locked room mysteries, a very particular subcategory of the mystery story. He describes his early love of mystery stories in general as well as the locked room. He talks about the stories and authors who inspired him to write his own locked room mysteries.

Welcome to Geek4 where we delve into the world of geek culture and fandoms, and everything in between. I'm your host, Dr. Michael Boyce My guest on this episode is author Alice Bell. From her humble beginnings in South West England, spending weekends in fields sipping Smirnoff Ice, to her days navigating the intricate world of retail, Alice's path to becoming a prominent figure in video game journalism is nothing short of remarkable. Since 2016, Alice has been captivating audiences with her insightful commentary and passionate writing as a video games journalist. Her tenure as the deputy editor of Rock Paper Shotgun, the renowned PC gaming website, has solidified her reputation as a leading voice in the industry. With a knack for crafting compelling reviews and dissecting the allure of everything from hot vampires to digital elves, Alice has left an indelible mark on the gaming landscape. Her first novel, Grave Expectations, is a cracking cozy British mystery, and one I highly recommend. Her follow up novel, Displeasure Island, was just released in the UK and should be released in North America soon. Now calling Cork, Ireland, home, Alice's days are filled with literary adventures, crochet creations, and of course, plenty of video game escapades. Whether she's unraveling the mysteries in detective fiction or indulging in the quintessential British pastime of Midsomer Murders marathons, Alice's passion for storytelling knows no bounds. So without further ado, let's dive into this conversation with Alice Bell, where we'll explore her love of the 2004 roleplaying video game, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodline.

On this episode, I’m joined by Derek White, The Geek Preacher. Derek’s an ordained United Methodist minister and chaplain for Gary Con gaming convention. Derek loves LOTS of geeky things. But he’s particularly passionate about Dungeons and Dragons. Derek was featured in the Refuge 31 documentary, The Satanic Panic and the Religious Battle for the Imagination, where he talks to people about Dungeons and Dragons, especially in light of the religious hysteria of the 1980s. If you didn’t live through that period, you really missed some wackiness. Derek and I were both in the Refuge 31 documentary, The Science Fiction Makers, so he’s been on my radar for a while. I’m so glad we got to have this conversation. Derek’s a passionate advocate for the creativity of roleplaying games. I know you’ll love this discussion.

On this episode (my last before a breif hiatus), I’m joined by Adam Graham. Adam is a PROFILIC, OG podcaster, releasing content for over 16 years. Adam hosts a slew of podcasts, most notably, Great Detectives of Old Time Radio, which releases episodes daily. Adam and I talk about how he first got into Old Time Radio, his favourite detective shows (his least favourite show), and what prompted him to start sharing these shows with others through this wacky medium of podcasting. We talk about his recent decision to make podcasting his full-time occupation (ah, the dream) through audience support.

Lindsay Zier-Vogel is a Toronto-based writer and arts educator and the creator of the internationally acclaimed Love Lettering Project. Her writing has been widely published in Canada and the United Kingdom. Her debut novel, Letters to Amelia, was published in 2021. Her debut novel Letters to Amelia came out in 2021 and her picture book, Dear Street just came out in May 2023. For many years, Lindsay studied danced until one day, she stopped. Recently, as she'd begun research for her next novel, she went to New York City and took some classes at the Martha Graham Dance studio. I was curious to talk to someone who returned to something they had been so dedicated to but had moved on from.

On this episode of Geek4, I'm joined by Lucas Twyman. Lucas is a well-known figure in the Toronto bar scene, having bartended here for the past ten years. He's my local barkeep, making delicious cocktails at Famous Last Words in the Junction. He also teaches cocktail making classes there and those classes are excellent (I've taken three of them). Recently, Lucas has become the Angel's Envy Whiskey Guardian for Toronto, representing the Angel's Envy brand across the city. I wanted to find what made Lucas interested in liquor, mixology, and bartending - which is as much a social skill as a technical skill. Over the course of the conversation, I learned that Lucas is a geek for lots of thing - Godzilla, he worked for a roleplaying game company. This was a fun conversation. I only wish we could have had it over a drink.

On this episode of Geek4, I am joined by poet and professor Tanis MacDonald. When I reached out to her about her interest in coming on the show and topics she might want to talk about, one suggestion immediately shot to the top of the list. Tanis LOVES movies in which animals attack people! Although she usually gravitates towards films where mammals attack people, like Grizzly (1976), the documentary Grizzly Man (2005), and Cocaine Bear; but she also delights in Jaws (1975) and Squirm (1976). Although we talk about some pretty cheesy film, our conversation reflects on the hubris of people, eco-criticism, and the commodification of nature. I ADORE talking to smart people about bad movies.

On this episode of Geek4, I'm joined by the delightfully magical Dr. Marcelle Kosman to discuss her newly discovered love of Walt Disney theme parks! Dr.  Kosman (pronouns she/her) is a public scholar and educator. She is the co-host of the amazing podcast Witch, Please, and teaches at the University of Alberta.  I knew this would be a fascinating conversation because Dr. Kosman is equal parts joyous enthusiasm and deeply thoughtful intellectual. We discuss how the Magic Kingdom assaults you into a state of wonder, transforming Dr. Kosman into a "wine drinking Disney mom." She describes the differences between Disney World and Land, introducing her 7 year-old daughter to the parks, and we discuss millennials, Gen X, Michael Jackson, "magic capitalism," and an assortment of things.

The tables are turned in this episode when my friend and journalist John Longhurst interviews me about some of the changes that have happened in my life over the last year.

n this episode of Geek4, I'm joined by the returning Dr. Mandy Elliott. The last time Mandy was here, (all the way back to episode 15!) we discussed her love of Alfred Hitchcock movies. This time, we discuss her current obsession with American screwball comedies and those innovative filmmakers who were able to get risque material past the rigid Hays code in the mid 1930s to the 1940s. Filmmakers like Preston Sturges and Frank Capra and films like HIs Girl Friday (1940) and The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944) (my personal favourite "alternative Christmas classic - you guys can keep Die Hard).

On this episode of Geek4, I'm joined by Julie S. Lalonde. Julie is an internationally recognized women's rights advocate, feminist killjoy, and pubic educator. In fact, Julie's probably the top public educators in Canada. Her work on consent, stalking, and bystander intervention have made her an in-demand speaker, not only in Canada, but around the world. Her memoir, Resilience is Futile: The Life and Death and Life of Julie S. Lalonde was released right at the beginning of lockdown (Spring 2020) and is a funny, harrowing tale of her own experience with stalking. When I reached out to her to ask if she'd be interested, I knew it was a long shot. (I never think anyone wants to come on my show). Julie is popular and highly sought after speaker... and she gets a lot of death threats (as we discuss a bit). But she wrote back almost immediately, "Are you free this Thursday?" And we talk about Julie's "true love": classic Volkswagon cars. She owns two of them. They have names. As a non-car person (I have often said, only slightly joking, for me cars are stereos with wheels), I was especially interested to talk to someone who loves something I just don't understand. Her book, Resilience is Futile: The Life ad Death and Life of Julie S Lalonde, is available wherever fine books are sold. Order it from your local bookstore.