Shadowdance 24: Michelle Interviews Chris
Because we’ve had some requests for more information on Chris, Michelle sat down and interviewed him over coffee one night not so long ago.
Shadowdance Mini 001: Where to Start?
One of our listeners sent in a note, requesting a show on where to begin:
I was hoping that you could do a show for people new to this. I have just started listening to your podcast and I love it. I have been researching with limited resources. I just was wondering if you had any advice for people who have started to research.
Your wish is our command. Enjoy!
Shadowdance 023: Faith and Science
Can science know all the answers? Should it? What is the place of faith in a rational world? Is there any scientific way to measure the weird metaphysical goings-on that we talk about on this show?
This time, Michelle and Chris discuss the place of Faith and Science in their own worldviews, and take on the larger question of how the two interact in everyday life.
Promo: 7th Son: Obsidian
Condolences to C.A. Sizemore
C.A. Sizemore has been a fan of our podcast since day one. C.A. has been with us since long before Shadowdance became a reality: he followed me here from The House of the Harping Monkey and Volcanicast, where he was a loyal, involved fan. I’m hard-pressed to think of a podcast that C.A. doesn’t listen to and equally hard-pressed to think of a podcaster who doesn’t know him. He is the best kind of fan we could possibly ask for and we are all lucky to have him.
This morning C.A.’s wife, Kelly, passed away unexpectedly. Our hearts, thoughts, prayers and deepest condolences are with C.A. in this difficult and tragic time.
If you have ever thought about donating to Shadowdance, I’d ask that you please visit the donation site established by Mae Breakall and give what you can to help C.A. cover the expenses that tragic events like these always incur.
Catching Up With the Host-Types
This is a short “Yep, we’re still here” episode of Shadowdance. Want real content? Either check out one of the older shows, or hold on for a few days…we’ll have some great stuff by then.
- Both hosts have been crazy busy, Michelle with writing, television, and conventions, Chris with work, projects, and conventions.
- We have some killer topics coming up.
- Please…feel free to suggest a topic.
- Want to keep up with us? Subscribe to either Michelle’s blog or Chris’s blog between episodes. (You can also find Chris on twitter, if you are so inclined.)
- Want to leave feedback? We have a new form for that, too!
022: Reincarnation
Over ginger green tea and mead, Michelle and Chris discuss the in and outs of the Wheel of Karma. Hopefully, in the next life, they’ll become somewhat more evolved.
021: Kids, Don’t Try This At Home
You asked for it. This episode explores some of the silly things we did in our youth, for good or ill. While they have helped to form who we are, we would not recommenced that you try anything discussed in this episode.
Skeptic warning: We’re as skeptical about the things we say in this episode as you should be.
020: The Midwinter Feast
Michelle and Chris finally find a good time to meet up (9:30 pm on a Thursday night), discover a place in Medina that is open at 9:30 pm (Eat’n'Park), and decide to make this their Midwinter Feast. The topics range all over the board: the true meaning of Christmas, the nature of Michelle’s eating Habits, fishmen, possession, stereomancy, Michelle’s crossdressing, writing habits, why Chris and Michelle forget to check the message board, and touching naughty places.
019: Interview With Christopher Knowles
Chris and Michelle talk with Christopher Knowles, author of Our Gods Wear Spandex, about the place of the Surperhero in modern culture and modern spirituality.
Was Superman’s arch nemesis Lex Luthor based on Aleister Crowley? Can Captain Marvel be linked to the Sun gods on antiquity? In Our Gods Wear Spandex, Christopher Knowles answers these questions and brings to light many other intriguing links between superheroes and the enchanted world of estoerica. Occult students and comic-book fans alike will discover countless fascinating connections, from little known facts such as that DC Comics editor Julius Schwartz started his career as H.P. Lovecraft’s agent, to the tantalizingly extensive influence of Madame Blavatsky’s Theosophy on the birth of comics, to the mystic roots of Superman. The book also traces the rise of the comic superheroes and how they relate to several cultural trends in the late 19th century, specifically the occult explosion in Western Europe and America. Knowles reveals the four basic superhero archetypes–the Messiah, the Golem, the Amazon, and the Brotherhood–and shows how the occult Bohemian underground of the early 20th century provided the inspiration for the modern comic book hero.
With the popularity of occult comics writers like Invisibles creator Grant Morrison and V for Vendetta creator Alan Moore, the vast ComiCon audience is poised for someone to seriously introduce them to the esoteric mysteries. Chris Knowles is doing just that in this epic book. Chapters include: Ancient of Days, Ascended Masters, God and Gangsters, Mad Scientists and Modern Sorcerers, and many more. From the ghettos of Prague to the halls of Valhalla to the Fortress of Solitude and the aisles of BEA and ComiCon, this is the first book to show the inextricable link between superheroes and the enchanted world of esoterica.
Promo: Playing for Keeps by Mur Lafferty
018: H.P. Lovecraft
In this episode, Michelle gives her Lovecraft presentation, originally presented at Dragon*Con 2007. Rather than simply explore the mythos, Michelle delves into the man behind the mythos, telling us of his childhood, development, and environment when he was writing his tales.
The excellent music in this episode provided by Nox Arcana, from their Necronomicon album. (And it’s a damn fine one, if we do say so ourselves.)
