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Chapter 38: H.G. Wells (Paul F. Tompkins) welcomes the creator of James Bond himself, Ian Fleming (Matt Gourley) to the Dead Authors stage. Mr. Fleming is a troubled soul who only wants to be a monstrous misogynist. Is that so much to ask? Apparently so.

Thanks to The Time Travel Mart and 826LA. 

826 National is a nonprofit organization that provides strategic leadership, administration, and other resources to ensure the success of its network of eight writing and tutoring centers. 826 centers offer a variety of inventive programs that provide under-resourced students, ages 6-18, with opportunities to explore their creativity and improve their writing skills. We also aim to help teachers get their classes excited about writing. Our mission is based on the understanding that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention, and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success. Last year our tutoring centers — located in Ann Arbor, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, DC — served over 29,000 students.

For more information: http://826national.org/chapters/ 

Visit The Time Travel Mart online: http://826la.org/store/

On today's show, I talk to improvisor Charlie Todd. Originally from Columbia, South Carolina, Charlie moved to New York after college and since 2001 has been performing at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. At UCB, Charlie created the comedy wrestling league UCBW and was also a part of the long-running house team Reuben Williams, which later morphed into The Curfew. They perform every Saturday night at the theatre. Charlie is also the founder of the famous prank collective Improv Everywhere, and has produced, directed, documented and performed in the group’s work for over thirteen years.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter, and check out my gameshow podcast Snap Impression!

Very glad to have this week's guest on the show, comics writer Ales Kot. Originally from Ostrava in the Czech Republic, Ales was born during The Cold War, and grew up after the Iron Curtain fell. After moving to the US, he pitched some comics ideas to Image at a convention, pitches which eventually became the series Wild Children and Change. From there, he's worked on DC's Suicide Squad, is writing an on-going series for Image called Zero, and is currently writing Secret Avengers and the forthcoming Winter Soldier series for Marvel. Ales is an inventive and strange writer, and his name is being mentioned in the company of people like Grant Morrison and Warren Ellis.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter, and check out my gameshow podcast Snap Impression!

On today's show I talk to writer Chris Kelly. Chris is one of the most driven guys I know. He started off writing on house sketch teams at UCB and working at The Onion, and from there he's worked as the head writer on Matt Besser's Comedy Central special This Show Will Get you High, he was a staff writer at Funny or Die, and he also wrote for The Onion News Network show. Currently, Chris is a writer for SNL during the school year and Broad City during the summer. 

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter, and check out my gameshow podcast Snap Impression!

The Emmys happened! They're a thing! We talk about the winners and our love for "Bob's Burgers" as well as the Every Simpsons Ever marathon happening on FXX (whatever THAT channel is...). The great Lord/Sir/Mr. Amazing Richard Attenborough passed away and we honor him, but then he honors us right back by giving us maybe the greatest transition we've ever done (divined through Pat, who's back this episode)! And don't say we never did anything for you, because we read another email exchange between a major company asking for free work and an artist who just won't take it anymore (emphasis mine)!

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Today I'm super-glad to welcome stand-up and comedy writer Frank Conniff back to the show. Originally from New York, Frank ended up in the midwest  in the19 80s doing stand-up. During this time, he met the future creators of Mystery Science Theater 3000, and was later brought aboard the show during the second season, both as a writer and appearing onscreen as TV's Frank. Since then, Frank's worked on a number of cool projects including Totally Biased, The Jimmy Dore Show, Invader ZIM, Cinematic Titanic and more.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter, and check out my gameshow podcast Snap Impression!

On today's show I talk to Katherine, Teeny and Lizzie Lieberson of the fantastic band TEEN. The Lieberson sister come from a long line of musicians and dancers, but originally, only Teeny had pursued music as a career, playing keyboards in the popular band Here We Go Magic. While she had some time off from the band, Teeny began to write and record songs on her own, and eventually recruited her sister and friends to form a band to play the songs. They've released a number of albums and EPs, and their latest album The Way and Color is now available on Carpark Records. It's genuinely an awesome album.

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter, and check out my gameshow podcast Snap Impression!

Couldn't have had a nicer time on this week's episode with Brian Huskey. Known as a comedic actor, Brian actually started as a musician, playing in the band Bicycle Face in the North Carolina scene that gave birth to bands like Superchunk and Archers of Loaf. After moving to New York, he started taking classes at UCB, where he formed the group Naked Babies with Rob Corddry, Seth Morris and John Ross Bowie, and became one of the founding members of the seminal house team The Stepfathers. Since moving to LA, he's written for and acted in countless shows and movies including Children's Hospital, The Onion News Network, Veep, This Is the End, Kroll Show, Neighbors, Bob's Burgers and more!

This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter, and check out my gameshow podcast Snap Impression!

Oh yeah! This week's episode was taped live on June 29th at the 16th annual Del Close Marathon, and what a blast it was. After sprinting a bunch of avenue blocks (because the trains were messed up) to get to UCB East on time, I was frazzled and dripping sweat, but my physical grossness did not stop Megan Neuringer and Phil Jackson from being awesome guests. By way of bios, Megan is a stand-up and house performer at UCB, who you've seen on shows like Best Week Ever and @Midnight, and Phil is a performer and currently a writer on Comedy Central's Key and Peele.

Check out the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter, and check out my new gameshow podcast Snap Impression!

On today's show, I talk to comedian Jason Nash. Jason is an actor and stand-up based in Los Angeles, and has appeared on everything from Last Comic Standing to House to Reno 911!. He co-hosted the long-running podcast Guys With Feelings, and has created webseries for GQ and Comedy Central. In fact, his latest project is a feature-length film through Comedy Central called Jason Nash Is Married, which is based on his popular webseries, and features pretty much every comedian you can name. It's great, and you can get it on iTunes now!

Check out the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter, and check out my new gameshow podcast Snap Impression!

On today's show I talk to Emmy-nominated TV writer Anthony King. Originally from North Carolina, Anthony started out his professional career in New York at UCB, and within a few years of being at the theater, became the artistic director, a post he held for many years. While at UCB, he co-wrote Gutenberg! The Musical!, which ran there for a year and then off-Broadway. In 2011, Anthony moved to LA and since then has written for a number of shows including NBC's BFF and USA's Playing House. Most recently, he wrote for the second season of Broad City, which will air in January of 2015.

Check out the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, follow me on Twitter and this coming Monday, check out my new gameshow podcast Snap Impression!

On today's show, I talk to husband and wife writers Harry Mathews and Marie Chaix. Harry Mathews is a writer and poet originally from New York. After a tour in the Navy in 1949, he eloped with a French artist and eventually moved to Europe. There he co-founded the influential literary journal Locus Solus and became the first American member of theFrench writing group OULIPO. Harry is the author of numerous novels including Tlooth, The Conversions and My Life in CIA, and he is also a translator of many people, including his wife Marie Chaix's novels. Marie was born in 1942 in France in the midst of WWII. After her father died, she found out he had been a Nazi collaborator during the war, and his diaries inspired her first book The Laurels of Lake Constance in 1974, and since then, she has penned eight other books. Much of Harry and Marie's work can be found through the Dalkey Archive, one of the best publishers of contemporary fiction.

Check out the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, and follow me on Twitter!

On today's show I talk to musician Leanne Macomber of Neon Indian and Ejecta. Growing up in football-loving Texas to parents who skewed more towards the athletic side of things, Leanne wanted to pursue art and music since she was a teenager. But she had to justify its practicality to her parents by being in things like the school jazz band. Since leaving the Lone Star State, she's been able to play music professionally and has toured all around the world in bands like Neon Indian and her duo Ejecta with Ford & Lopatin's Joel Ford. Ejecta's albumDominae was released last year, and it is fantastic.

Check out the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, and follow me on Twitter! Plus, see the show live at The Del Close Marathon Sunday, June 29 at 2pm at UCB East with Key and Peele writer Phil Jackson and Megan Neuringer of Best Week Ever and Kroll Show!

On today's show, I talk to musician Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn. Originally from the outskirts of Philly, Mirah moved to Olympia, Washington to attend college, and while there, became part of the local music scene, where she worked with bands like The Microphones and Old Time Relijun. In the late 1990s, she started making music on her own, and her first album You Think It's Like This but Really It's Like This was released on K Records. Mirah's continued to work with them, and her latest album Changing Light was just released on Absolute Magnitude Records, an imprint of K, and it is spectacular!

Check out the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, and follow me on Twitter!

On today's show, I talk to writer Jen Statsky. Born in Boston, Jen moved to New York to attend NYU, and from there climbed the comedy writing ladder, first starting as an intern at The Onion and eventually working her way up to writing on Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Merchant's show Hello Ladies, Parks and Rec and most recently Broad City.

Check out the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, and follow me on Twitter!

On today's show, I talk to John Colpitts AKA Kid Millions of the bands Oneida and Man Forever. John started drumming in high school and moved to New York in the late-90s to get into music more seriously. After working in music adjacent jobs like being the booker for The Knitting Factory and playing in a jazz trio, John and some friends eventually formed Oneida. In the last 16 years, Oneida's released a dozen albums and toured all over the world. Most recently, John put out an album of minimalist percussion under the name Man Forever. It's on Thrill Jockey, and it's really awesome!

Check out the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, and follow me on Twitter!

Harrison Brown is riding a bicycle from Alaska to Florida (about a 6,000 mile trip). He will be video blogging or webisoding along the way. When I first met Harrison at UCB in LA about 7-8 years ago he was about 70lbs heavier. We talk about his life style change and what made him make such a change, we talk improv and how hosting the Cagematch at UCB got him a job on the Price is Right and how he now tours with Drew Carey, we talk about his biggest fears for his big adventure (bears), how some people are trying to convince him to carry a gun, what it was like growing up in a small town outside of Madison, Wisconsin, losing weight, biking, Costco and much more!!

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On today's show, I talk to Sergio Pérez and Luciana Della Villa of the Spanish band SVPER. Originally from Northern Spain and Argentina respectively, Sergio and Luciana formed SVPER when they met over a decade ago while living in Barcelona. A keyboard duo, SVPER combines Krautrock with pop and are reminiscent of bands like Broadcast. Their first album Brillar is an international hit (and rightly so - it's GREAT), and they're currently working on their sophomore record.

Check out the website for Beginnings, subscribe on iTunes, and follow me on Twitter! Also look for a live streaming episode of the show tonight (April 21st) at 8pm with Josh Gondelman of John Oliver's new show, vlogger Franchesca Ramsey and musical guest Lady Lamb the Beekeeper.