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Now displaying: 2018

Smash Fiction is a debate-style comedy podcast in which a rotating cast of nerds argue on behalf of their chosen fictional characters. Only one can win!

Dec 30, 2018

After an ill-defined apocalypse in which the world has been reduced to fire and blood, the tyrant Immortan Joe rules the Australian wasteland. He has taken everything from those he calls his subjects--water, freedom, dignity--until one ragtag group stands up and declares, "We are not things."

Sure, you may think you know the story of Mad Max: Fury Road, but you've never heard it told quite like this. Witness Claire take the lead on Surprise Party; witness Dan, Miles, and Meganbob craft their own war rigs full of fictional characters inspired by Apocalypse World; and witness a set of dumpuses uniquely un-suited to the challenges of the post-apocalyptic outback.

Which group will ride eternal, shiny and chrome, through the gates of Valhalla? Climb aboard and let's find out!

Dec 23, 2018

It's that time again, listeners -- the most wonderful time of the year, you might say. Another glorious Cagemas is upon us, and as always, we're celebrating the numerous career deaths and resurrections of Hollywood's most inscrutable actor with the fourth annual Smash Fiction Cage Match! This year's contest features the strangest and least physically gifted lineup yet, as four completely mundane but thoroughly depressing Nicolas Cage characters compete for the World Sad Sack Championship!

Does Dan have it in him to make real, actual jokes about Leaving Las Vegas and its self-destructive lead character, Ben Sanderson? Can Liz Logan channel the power of the Weather Man himself, Dave Spritz, and make it rain? Will Kit use Ronny Cammareri's wooden hand, Italian accent, and magical lunar love story to leave her opposition Moonstruck? Or will they all fall to the fictional version of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and his peerless powers of Adaptation?

This holiday season, come for the Cage, stay for the craze, including a Miles monologue for the ages, a shocking mid-episode twist, and a lightning round that gets just a little bit...meta.

Dec 17, 2018

Smash Metafiction Studios presents another mashed-together masterpiece, as the creative team that brought you "Don't You Forget About Me" returns to the lab for another round of gently bubbling brainstorms and flashes of brilliance buzzing with electric current! It's time, once again, for Collaboratory!

In this episode, Claire, Kit, Miles, and MeganBob elucidate an epic tale of sword, sorcery, and science fiction, weaving a narrative that includes bird-themed superheroes, cat-like kaiju, magical destinies, and one of the original MacGuffins! What is the legend of the falcon fist? 

Dec 9, 2018

"Come out to the coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs..." John McClane reflects sarcastically. How the hell did this even happen? One minute he was in the Nakatomi building, fighting with his estranged wife and making fists with his toes. The next minute, that weird mogwai thing he'd brought as a present for his kids was running around the Christmas party, jumping into the fountain, and making more little gremlins come out to terrorize the shocked partygoers. Now McClane is trapped in the building, experiencing first-hand what a TV dinner must feel like, with a dozen scaly, evil puppet monsters trying to find him and kill him. Now he has to find a way to survive the night and rescue the human "hostages," and he has to do with all without shoes. Or a machine gun. Ho, ho, ho, I suppose.

That's right, it's a Smash Fiction Christmas Match (yes it is, yes they are, yes both of them, shut up) between the iconic hero of the original Die Hard and the gibbering villains of the original Gremlins! Will McClane overcome the chaotic machinations and hive mind telekinesis (?) of his exquisitely puppeted opponents? Will the Gremlins take out McClane and still have time to catch the next Snow White screening? Will returning guest Rafael Medina abandon his argument entirely and simply pander to Judge Miles with a lengthy rant decrying the many crimes of capitalism? There's only one way to find out...but remember: never, ever listen to Smash Fiction after midnight.

Dec 2, 2018

After their narrow escape from the Red Praetor, the League hunkers down and discusses what to do next. Their new ally Morgana has a plan to deal a devastating blow to Phyrexia... but is it worth the risk?

Dante and Stitch perfect the Fireball Special; Nico designs some new footwear; Mordin takes on a grim task; and Luna calls an old friend.

Thanks again to Family Jules for some of the battle music in this episode! Check out more of his work at youtube.com/user/FamilyJules7X

Nov 25, 2018

Hypothetical: Assume that a mysterious, abandoned space station packed with advanced weapons and technology has suddenly entered Earth's orbit and is now floating there for the taking by any would-be world conqueror in the immediate vicinity. Assume, also, that you are an insane monkey inventor, or perhaps a telepathic ape supervillain. In either case, is there even a 1% chance you don't immediately steal a rocket ship and blast your way up there to lay claim to the alien spoils? Answer: No. No, there is not.

Which is why the vehemently verbose Mojo Jojo and the master of mind control known as Gorilla Grodd have temporarily broken off their respective beefs with the Powerpuff Girls and the Flash to instead do battle with one another -- and to the winner go the shiny death machines! But of course, the situation has not gone completely unnoticed by the planet's protectors. With the rest of Overwatch currently busy dealing with other problems, the genetically engineered Winston loads up his jump pack and tesla cannon and heads to the station himself. And upon his arrival, the three hyper-intelligent apes ditch the fun and games and get down to...monkey business.

Which simian will seize the win? Can Dan strike a balance between doing his Mojo impression and actually making an argument? Which is more permanently damaging to the psyche of Smash Fiction listeners -- Claire's never-ending monkey puns or Kit's relentless animal facts? And is MeganBob...okay?

Special thanks (well, more so than usual) to Kevin McLeod of www.incompetech.com for the use of his songs "Hamster March," "Loping Sting," and "Pinball Spring" during this episode.

Nov 18, 2018

Hope you're in the mood for some silly voices and terrible accents, cuz it's time for another episode of the multiverse's favorite speed dating reality show, Ship Wrecked! Meganbob takes the helm this time around, so slip into something comfortable as you listen to characters from Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, and 90s-era first person shooter games try desperately to find love... no matter how many establishments they may burn down in the process.

Nov 11, 2018

After a lifetime of work (and one particularly traumatic afternoon at the opening of a homeless shelter), Dr. Horrible has finally secured a position in the unholy halls of the Evil League of Evil... which means that it's all the more perplexing when he shows up at his induction ceremony only to find another Dr. Horrible seated at the table! Turns out that Count Olaf, villainous master of disguise, has temporarily suspended his pursuit of the Baudelaire orphans and is angling for his own spot in the Evil League of Evil... and he doesn't care if the spot he takes is Horrible's.

Join us as we debate which Neil Patrick Harris lead will earn a spot at the right hoof of Bad Horse! Can Meganbob and Kit use their Flimsy Argument Ray to stop the opposition? Will Dan and guest host Brad Bultman be able to turn a series of unfortunate events into a single coherent argument? And should we just go ahead and rename this show Claire's Sing-Along Podcast?

Nov 4, 2018

The League's search for the fourth gem takes them into a Phyrexian junkyard. The high gray walls around this area hide more than garbage, however, as the League will encounter old enemies, new allies, and come face-to-face with those they thought left behind.

Dante tries out a new form of fashion; Mordin begins to expand his horizons; Stitch attempts to become a celestial body; Nico gets both more and less than she expected; and Luna gets the group a sweet new ride.

Additional music this episode is "Killers" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Oct 28, 2018

Boy, Dom Cobb and his crew of dream thieves certainly have their work cut out for them, don't they? Their expedition into the subconsciousness of Robert Fischer will throw all sorts of challenges at them: militarized projections, multiple dream levels, unwanted visits from Cobb's dead wife. The last thing these guys need right now is a murderous undead serial killer who turns dreams into charnelhouses. Oh wait, you mean Freddy Krueger IS there? Well shoot, NOW this story is getting interesting. Get on our level, Christoper Nolan.

Listen in as Kit and Bob work to make "Frederick" happen, Miles and Claire attempt to crown Dom Cobb the King of the Dumpuses, Liz constructs a horrifying new game in the Lightning Round, and the hosts have a match within a match during judge's deliberations. How much more Inception can you get?!

Oct 21, 2018

Steel yourself for the wildest Surprise Party yet as we tackle the now-seminal horror movie Cabin in the Woods! Our hosts form groups of hapless hormonal teenagers that very quickly find themselves in over their heads as they are pursued by dangerous creatures... and a mysterious organization.

Will Kit's party of anime characters outdo Miles's party of super-obscure film characters? Will Claire ever get to see a merman? And will one of our hosts end up the victim of that most terrifying of monsters: the Double Dumpus?! Make some room on the edge of your seat--you'll need it!

Oct 14, 2018

The third annual Smashtoberfest kicks off with a growl and a howl as four fuzzy fighters fling themselves into a ferocious fracas filled with flying fur, fearsome fangs, and of course, the full moon! Yes, it’s the werewolf war we’ve all been waiting for, a bestial battle between the most legendary of lycanthropes — or at least, our favorites! Lucian, the lycan lord of the Underworld who morphs into a horndog far more often than once per month; Angua von Uberwald, sexy-but-deadly scourge of Discworld criminals; John Talbain, Darkstalkers’ token werewolf/demon/dragon/kung-fu master/sorcerer; and Scott Howard, high school basketball player, who is simultaneously a teen and a wolf! Which transformation sensation will win this battle for domination? And more importantly, which of them will fulfill the bizarre conditions laid out by Miles in yet another fit of unconscionable narrative madness?

Also in this episode: Dan deadpans “Werewolves of London,” MeganBob weaponizes romance, Claire is all about that silky werewolf hair, Kit pulls a surprising number of arguments directly out of her butt (one of which actually works, kind of) and...seriously, Miles is just the worst, you guys.

Oct 7, 2018

Our heroes are really in the thick of things now. Fleeing deeper into Phyrexia, they meet up with another League cell for a chance to catch their breath and plan ahead. What they find is a new ally... and an unconventional way to get to the gem they're after.

Mordin teaches the team the wonders of triangulation; Nico creates a new scaly friend; Stitch is the one who throws; Dante spreads the wonders of consent to a new world; and Luna tries to make Phyrexia more handicap accessible.

Many thanks to Family Jules for this episode's battle music! Check out more of his work at youtube.com/user/FamilyJules7X

Sep 30, 2018

This episode originally aired as the Patreon bonus episode for September 2018. The original description follows:

Thank you to everyone for allowing me to finally use one of my two ukuleles and a harmonica in an actual meaningful context. This song truly is a tribute to my fellow podcasters in how much I enjoy playing League with them and how interesting it can be solving problems with characters who approach things very differently. This song is also a great way for me to ask for Kit's forgiveness regarding a certain episode (listen to Surprise Party 3, you'll understand).

In terms of instrumentation chosen, you are listening to a ukulele, a standard size harmonica, a palm-muted electric bass, a Jamaican hand drum, my vocals, and Kit's lovely Stitch statements. It is me playing everything except Kit's voice. I used my condenser microphone for everything except the bass, which I just plugged straight into my audio interface. Just so you know, I was using pots and pans for percussion at first but it sounded so loud and ridiculous, I had to take it out.

-Liz

Lyrics:
Did you know
What family means in Hawaiian?
Well I didn't know
Until Stitch came along

Ohana means family
Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten
...stupidhead

And then this motley crew
Went and stepped on through
To become ohana

How would we have known
That Stitch doesn't like whipped cream
That Luna just wanted to have a pet
'Cause she's sick of you assholes
That Mordin clearly likes to watch the world burn
Incinerate it all
That Nico really likes to read that one weird book
That Dante probably doesn't know what ohana means
Hint, it's family

And you know what
Just like a real family
We certainly have some problems

Dante cares too much about his muscles
And Nico has some homicidal urges
Mordin sometimes wishes he could stay in his lab
And Stitch has an issue with, SHINY... LET ME EAT IT
And Luna is, wait, yeah I don't have anything for this one

One big League family
That everyone can see!
Saving the universe
One world at a time
If we weren't together we wouldn't be ohana

Sep 30, 2018

Return to the lab with us this week as Claire, Dan, Kit, and Meganbob attempt to build a coherent story out of random characters and plot elements!

Things get wild quickly as the core cast includes a woman who's a wolf, a man who's an owl, and a cat who's a people. Mix in story elements from Star Wars, Image Comics, Oscar Wilde, and obscure Australian westerns, and you end up with a tale of adventure, deception, intrigue, and... contact juggling? Seriously, this one is really weird.

Sep 23, 2018

Gather round and listen well to a tale most epic, passed down from generation to generation, of four heroes who were bamboozled into partaking in their most mythic adventure yet! Sun Wukong, the infamous Monkey King, has decided that he'd rather flit about various fictional worlds causing mischief, and managed to trick the greatest heroes from Greek, Irish, British, and Scandinavian mythology into taking the hapless monk Tripitaka on a legendary journey to the west. The way is hazardous, with demons, traps, sorcery, and calamity awaiting our heroes' arrival... and only one hero will prove his heroic superiority and have his tale told and retold through the ages to come.

Listen well as Claire presents Lancelot as a boy band anime character; as Dan attempts to recap the entirety of both the Iliad and the Odyssey in his opening arguments; as Miles tries in vain to pronounce even one Irish name correctly; and as guest host Matias panders with godly might to judge Meganbob. And be sure you have your (fake) IDs ready for the Lightning Round, because things are getting steamy!

Sep 16, 2018

The Shinra Corporation is up to no good, rumors of impending doom are flying like a one-winged angel, and once again, a group of adventurers have come together to save the world. Of course, this is Surprise Party, so there are actually three groups, they're significantly more makeshift than most, and if you thought you knew how the story of Final Fantasy VII goes, the Smash Fiction crew is here to make it go a very, VERY different way!

Of course, you don't need to know everything about Final Fantasy VII to enjoy the madness that ensues over the course of this episode. Hell, Miles is here for this one, and he doesn't know ANYTHING about Final Fantasy VII! But he does know how to draft a set of heroes from across the fictional multiverse that will compete in challenges from the video game in an effort to score the most points, win the most materia, and bet the most money on the chocobo races!

Who will win this contest of the sword, the staff, and the dreaded dumpus? Join us as we push the limits of allowable Surprise Party characters, weave intricate stories of sex and dating, and in the end, suffer a sudden but inevitable betrayal!

Sep 9, 2018

It's once again time for hackles to rise, fur to fly, and Kit to get unreasonably excited about animals as Smash Fiction goes on its very own incredible journey! Cruella DeVille is in the market for some new formal attire and has gotten her evil hands on five of the most iconic cats and dogs of 80s and 90s kids movies. However, thanks in part to the blundering of Cruella's credulous cronies, Horace and Jasper, our adorable fluffy heroes have managed to escape, and now face a daunting challenge -- surviving the perils and pitfalls of the English wilderness on the path back to their respective idyllic points of origin, all while continuing to avoid Cruella and her grasping goons. Milo the kitten and Otis the pug puppy, best friends since birth and no strangers to the most hostile conditions the directors of their movie could sadistically envision, have their experiences in an apparently human-free world and the wisdom of bizarre Japanese dream owls to draw upon. But loyal dogs Shadow and Chance, alongside Sassy, their Himalayan cat companion, have already demonstrated the powers of teamwork, lion launching, and inexplicable pipe physics in their previous adventures. Will the three house pets once again prove that they can't be stopped when they're homeward bound? Or will Dudley Moore agonizingly narrate the story of Milo and Otis emerging victorious, no matter how many winter caves containing sexy animal ladies stand in their way?

Brad Bultman is back again to collect experience points merely for surviving the encounter; Claire and Miles refuse to stop spinning their own contradictory narratives; Dan accidentally discovers how the human race will end; and Kit brings her own worst nightmares to life in the Lightning Round.

Sep 2, 2018

Times of peace are few, far between, and all too short for our world-hopping heroes. After indulging in some well-earned downtime, the League summons Team Ohana for a new mission... and it quickly becomes clear that this new world is going to be much more dangerous than anything they've encountered before.

Stitch helps Lace cultivate a new skill set; Luna seeks redemption; Nico creates a sweet new ride; Dante grotesquely misuses a dessert topping; and Mordin realizes just how much he's missed the chaos.

Aug 26, 2018

When an evil crime lord grows powerful enough to make multiple sovereign nations break into a cold sweat, there's really only one thing to do: call in a pair of hilarious but effective buddy cop comedy duos who cook some fools and don't play by the rules!

Chief Inspector Lee of the Hong Kong police department is on the case, and still hasn't managed to shake off his partner, Detective James Carter of the LAPD. Rush hour has arrived once again, and Carter and Lee are ready to stop the traffic...of crime! However they soon find out that for this mission, they have some British competition -- and there's nothing they can do about it, the paperwork has all been signed. Sanford's own Nicholas Angel and Danny Butterman are also here in the name of promoting the greater good (the greater good) and quickly decide to show their international rivals why farmers and farmer's mums alike have learned to fear the fuzz! Will Carter and Lee demonstrate that war, huh, is sometimes good for winning Smash Fiction matches? Or will Angel and Butterman politely explain why you never touch an Englishman's police investigation?

Tune in for fun and explosions as our advocates get heated in opening arguments, feel the rush in rebuttals, and improbably acquire the power of time travel in the Lightning Round! Also, if you've ever been curious to see just how angry Miles can get about a piece of media he doesn't like, you'll want to check this one out.

Aug 19, 2018

It's ladies' night down in the lab this week on Smash Metafiction as Claire, Kit, Liz, and Meganbob put their heads together to create a story of mystery, superpowers, and romance unlike any other!

An aristocrat, a warrior, a rockstar, and a spirit of mischief come together unexpectedly in a tale of intrigue. Join us for a film that dares to tackle the real questions, like: Just how jacked can a mutated squirrel get? What's the best way to come out to your friends, family, and YouTube followers about your slime-based powers? And which Pokémon's poop makes the best chocolate?

Aug 12, 2018

Magical puns and jokes about lighter fluid abound in this week's particularly charming episode of Smash Fiction, as Marvel and DC's respective California fashion-goth word witches do battle in a contest to see who can wave their wand, staff, or weird magic murder arm and make their opponent... disappear!

Nico Minoru, the somewhat morally ambiguous member of the Runaways, A-Force, and most importantly, the Extraordinary League, has stolen the Book of Shadows to try and learn more about her own powers. But stage magician, actual magician, and off-and-on Justice League member Zatanna Zatara is wise to Nico's game and determined to take her down. Will Zatanna prevail with a muttered "niw siht hctam," or will Nico cry, "BULLSHIT!" and use the Staff of One to transform herself into a winner?

Sharon Schneiderman returns with a vengeance (and a few cosplay ideas); Miles leans hard into Nico definitely not being evil, what are you talking about; MeganBob brings back her lawyer voice; Claire tries to speak backwards with varying results; and Liz Logan takes the Lightning Round to a dark, dark place.

Aug 5, 2018

The Mushroom Kingdom arc comes to a dramatic conclusion as the heroes finally confront the villain responsible for all the destruction and chaos they've faced since stepping foot into this world. But robots and power armor are far from the only threats that the League will have to contend with in their final struggle here, and one of them will have to decide how far they're willing to go to make sure they win.

Stitch waxes poetic; Vivian reaches out to an old friend; Nico puts her studies to good use; Dante returns to some of his old tricks; and Luna has to face the consequences of her decision.

Additional music used this episode is "Killers" and "Baba Yaga" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Aug 2, 2018

Well, once again, the Anniversary special is being released a day late, so it's pretty clear that the Smash Fiction Podcast is STILL not getting any better (if anything, based on the matches that have made up the majority of our third year, it's just getting...weird). And yet, here you all are, continuing to listen to this dumb show of ours. We can't thank you enough for that. Really.

As a token of our appreciation, please enjoy an hour of Miles, Claire, Kit, Liz, MeganBob, and Dan answering listener questions that touch on such topics as Godzilla wearing a tiny hat, sparrows afflicted with ennui, and whether or not Stitch is marriage material. As always, we couldn't have gotten to wherever it is we are without all of you, so thank you once again, from the very bottom of our cockles.

And thanks as always to Kevin McCleod of incompetech.com for a number of songs featured on this episode, including Fun in a Bottle, Mischief Maker, Club Diver, Call to Adventure, and Rains Will Fall.

Jul 31, 2018

This episode originally aired as the Patreon bonus episode for July 2018. The original description follows:

So I'd been wanting to do something a bit different with this month's bonus League episode and eventually settled on doing a plot a la the movie The Hangover, in which a group of people wake up, discover that they've lost all memory of the night before, and have to retrace their steps in order to figure out what happened.

And then I got the results of the $5 Patreon poll and saw the characters that you wanted the hosts to play. Skeletor? Janet from The Good Place? Freaking Optimus Prime?! How was I supposed to do a memory loss plot with characters like that?

This was probably the single most difficult session of League I've ever had to write, but in the end I found it very fulfilling and tons of fun to do. I hope that you all do too. Thanks for your support!

-Dan

Additional music this episode is "Noise Attack" and "Exhilarate" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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