Best Commanders Sphere Podcasts (2025)

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Reserves With Commanders Sean Purdy And Dan Matthews 50:21

Play Pause

2d ago50:21

50:21

Reserves are an often overlooked pillar of American defense and public service. When you dig deeper, you will realize that they are more than just additional fighting forces during times of emergency. David Ramadan takes a closer look at the roles and responsibilities of the United States Army Reserve with his guest co-host Commander Dan Matthews a…

1
Freedom Of Speech And Democracy: Defending Civil Discourse In Divided Times With Barbara Comstock And Walter Olson 41:03

9d ago41:03

41:03

Freedom of Speech stands at the heart of American democracy—and yet it faces new challenges in the age of polarization, executive overreach, and digital activism. In this episode, David Ramadan is joined by former Congresswoman Barbara Comstock and Walter Olson, Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute, for a powerful discussion on protecting free expre…

1
Dealing With Yet Another Government Shutdown With Steve Ellis 29:12

16d ago29:12

29:12

The United States faces a government shutdown – again. How should we take care of it and what must be done to prevent it from happening at all? David Ramadan talks all about it with guest co-host Dr. Jeremy Mayer, a professor in the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, and guest Steve Ellis, president of Taxpayers for C…

1
The Virginia Way: Bipartisan Lessons In Leadership And Governance With Gov. Robert McDonnell And Gov. Terry McAuliffe 58:15

16d ago58:15

58:15

In an era of political division, two former Virginia governors prove that collaboration and integrity still have a place in leadership. Welcome to the inaugural episode of the Schar School's official podcast, "Policy and Governance Perspectives!" In this compelling discussion, we have the privilege of sitting down with two extraordinary public serv…

1
High Time For Bye Time. 10:18

7M ago10:18

10:18

The show (and my content career) is coming to an end. If you'd like to continue supporting my work, you can do so at either of the below links. The substack will be periodically updated with news about Magic sets I've written and other projects I'm involved with and my website is the best place to keep up with my work more broadly. Thanks for all t…

1
Universes Beyond: Studio Ghibli - A Custom Card Episode 1:27:47

9M ago1:27:47

1:27:47

AD and I walk you through some studio ghibli inspired custom cards

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How I Put Cigarettes Into Magic The Gathering: A Custom Cards Episode 1:06:48

9M ago1:06:48

1:06:48

The long awaited "Universes Beyond: Mad Men" set has been revealed

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Nic Cage Movies with K. Arsenault Rivera 1:59:39

10M ago1:59:39

1:59:39

We make our way through the films of Nic Cage, figuring out what color identities and cards we'd assign to his characters. Enjoy!

1
Universes Beyond: Game of Thrones 1:55:13

10M ago1:55:13

1:55:13

Mike and I did a fake Universes Beyond for Game of Thrones! Come check out our hypothetical precons!

1
Architectural Styles with Eric Oh (Manga Book Club) 2:02:50

11M ago2:02:50

2:02:50

Eric (Writer of Manga Book Club/Tales of the Mana Crypt) joined me to talk about his love of architecture! He walked me through the history of architectural styles and we figured out some color identities along the way! This is a really informative one so if you've ever wanted to learn some cool architecture facts to impress your friends, this is t…

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Dan & Kyra Present: Pop Girlies II 1:20:36

11M ago1:20:36

1:20:36

Kyra returns to finish the work we started in her Pop Girlies episode last year! More pop! More girlies! And we finally figure out which color trio is for the gays!

1
Dragonball Z With Grace Freud 1:52:13

12M ago1:52:13

1:52:13

TV Writer Grace Freud joined me to talk about Dragonball and Dragonball Z. Distract yourself from whatever's going on in American politics with this deepling important piece of journalism.

1
Secret Lair: Over The Garden Wall 1:02:01

12M ago1:02:01

1:02:01

Aaron David DeFazio is BACK for a month of design-centric episodes and we're starting with a much-needed dose of autumnal calm: OVER THE GARDEN WALL

1
The Art of Magic with Vorthos Mike 1:33:41

1y ago1:33:41

1:33:41

Mike joined me on the pod to talk about Magic's art, the artists who make it, and the ever changing game that commissions it. We also talked about the color identity of various Dorm Room posters

1
Beer with Tyler Lieb 1:11:16

1y ago1:11:16

1:11:16

After the cocktail episode, it was time to give the beer drinkers the color pie treatment! Tyler (@BasicLandBin) and I had a great chat about where different types of beer would fall on the color pie while also discussing how beer could be integrated into the game mechanically. It's a Universes Beeryond! Universes Brew-yond? Anyway, it's an episode…

1
Monster Hunter with Ify Nwadiwe 1:33:01

1y ago1:33:01

1:33:01

Ify (Dropout) joined me to talk about his love of MONSTER HUNTER and how it might look in a hypothetical Universes Beyond set!

1
King of the Hill with Kyle Javelli 1:30:12

1y ago1:30:12

1:30:12

Kyle Javelli (Cute Monster Props) joined me to talk about our love of King Of The Hill. We figured out where the main cast and a bunch of niche characters fall on the color pie! That is, after all, the concept of the show. Find Kyle on Twitter @CuteMonsterProp

1
Curse Words with Aaron David 1:47:10

1y ago1:47:10

1:47:10

Aaron David (Director, Filmmaker, Stang Gang Member) joined me to talk about curse words. We go from the benign all the way up to the big ones. We say 'em all. Grandmothers, babies, et cetera...please exercise caution. Seriously, do not get mad at me if you play this in the car and your kids learn a bad word, I warned you!!!…

1
SNEAK PEAK: Game Of Thrones: A Hypothetical Universes Beyond 18:21

1y ago18:21

18:21

Mike and I swung for the fences, designing 4 precon commanders for a potential Game of Thrones UB set!

1
Pasta Sauces With Mike Carrozza 1:40:32

1y ago1:40:32

1:40:32

Mike's residency continues with an episode about pasta sauces!

1
Sodas with Mike Carrozza 1:25:34

1y ago1:25:34

1:25:34

This month's guest host is comedian Mike Carrozza (Am I The Bolcast, Commanders Herald) and we've got some bangers to share with you! This week's episode is about SODAS and their color identities. Listen in and enjoy!

1
Summer Reading with Professor Jehan Silva 1:45:02

1y ago1:45:02

1:45:02

Jehan (Another Commander Channel) joined me to talk about the color identities of various high school required reading stalwarts. Why not put down the cards and think about BOOKS for once in your life, huh???

1
SNEAK PEAK: Nic Cage Movies 1:59:39

1y ago1:59:39

1:59:39

Kyra's August residency concludes with an all-timer! We make our way through the films of Nic Cage, figuring out what color identities and cards we'd assign to his characters. Enjoy!

1
Things That Suck With K. Arsenault Rivera 2:14:22

1y ago2:14:22

2:14:22

Kyra's residency continues with an episode about shit that sucks! These are the daily headaches that we hate the most! Also, we learned that the two of us were at the same Lady Gaga concert in 2011. The world is small and full of wonders. Kyra's new book, OATH OF FIRE, is out! Grab it here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/k-arsenault-river…

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Internet Phenomena with K. Arsenault Rivera 1:54:52

1y ago1:54:52

1:54:52

Kyra joins me for her first week guest hosting to talk about memes and internet phenomena! We trace the internet's odd obsessions all the way from Star Wars Kid to Barbenheimer. Don't miss it!

1
Avatar: The Last Airbender with ALK Alters 1:24:57

1+ y ago1:24:57

1:24:57

Talkin' ATLA with ALK! This has been one of our most requested topics and up until now it was exclusive to $10+ members of the patreon! Now it's free to the public. Enjoy!

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BIG NEWS: Pie Break Goes Weekly! 1:58

1+ y ago1:58

1:58

Great news! You're about to be getting a bunch more episodes of Pie Break. There'll now be a new episode of the show available every week. Each month, a guest host will join me for 3-4 episodes about more general topics. These episodes will be a little more loose, topical, and experimental and they'll feature some of your favorites from the past as…

1
Potato Chip Flavors with Comedian Mike Carrozza 1:32:17

1+ y ago1:32:17

1:32:17

Mike Carrozza AKA Mark Carbonza joined me to go on an incredible journey through the world of potato chip flavors. Turns out, Canadians have access to a whole bunch of weird ones. We went on a beautiful journey and you oughta join us. While you're at it, check out Mike's EDH Advice show: Am I The Bolcast!…

1
Video Games With Eilidh Lonie (Elder Dragon Hijinks, AliasV) 1:20:32

1+ y ago1:20:32

1:20:32

Eilidh (Elder Dragon Hijinks, AliasV, PlayMTG Commentator) joined me to talk about the color identity of various video game genres! Elder Dragon Hijinks: https://www.youtube.com/@EDHijinks Twitter: @AliasVEDH

1
Cocktails with Alec of The Faerie Conclave 1:30:58

1+ y ago1:30:58

1:30:58

Alec joined me to talk about the color identity of a handful of famous cocktails as well as a few deep cuts! Alec is an incredibly interesting person who runs a great show called The Faerie Conclave! Go check it out!

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Musicals with Joey Schultz of EDHRec 1:42:50

1+ y ago1:42:50

1:42:50

Joey Schultz joined me to talk about the color identity of various musicals! We had an absolute blast, you'd be a fool to miss this one.

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Disasters with Jay Annelli (Magic's Loremaster) 1:41:35

1+ y ago1:41:35

1:41:35

Jay Annelli (Magic's Loremaster, Vorthos Cast) joined me to talk about disasters!

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Brands of Cigarette With The President Of The United States 2:30

1+ y ago2:30

2:30

You'll never believe what this episode is really about...but as a hint....it's about the playmat Kickstarter I'm running to raise money for the show. Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/itsdansheehan/know-your-pie-a-pie-break-fundraiser

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UNLOCKED: Finding Magic In Sobriety With Jack Walden 1:07:09

1+ y ago1:07:09

1:07:09

Jack and I both used to drink too much! Then we found Magic. This is a little bit of a departure from form for the show! We talk about our experiences finding Magic in the early days of sobriety and why protecting the things that bring you joy is important in recovery and in everyday life. While nothing terribly edgy gets talked about in this episo…

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UNLOCKED: Discussing Green With Megan Smith 1:29:50

1+ y ago1:29:50

1:29:50

Each month, $10 Patrons get an exclusive episode. This is one of those episodes. As I record season 2 of the show, I'm unlocking those special episodes to the public. This one is a lovely discussion with Council of Colors member Megan Smith about GREEN! Enjoy!

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UNLOCKED: Discussing Black With Corey Bowen 53:11

1+ y ago53:11

53:11

Each month, $10 Patrons get an exclusive episode. This is one of those episodes. As I record season 2 of the show, I'm unlocking those special episodes to the public. This one is a lovely discussion with Council of Colors member Corey Bowen about Black! Enjoy!

1
The Muppets with Casey Malone 1:31:50

1+ y ago1:31:50

1:31:50

Apologies for the audio irregularities on my end this week, I changed office setups and the recording session auto-grabbed my webcam instead of my podcast mic. Big shoutout to Jake Browne for helping make it listenable. This week, I'm joined by my buddy Casey Malone and we share a lovely chat about THE MUPPETS.…

1
Robots with Jim LaPage (The Spike Feeders, Commander Rules Committee) 1:06:41

1+ y ago1:06:41

1:06:41

When I heard Jim was super into Battlebots, I knew we had to do this episode. Jim and I opened the episode talking about why the rest of the world needs to catch up to the quality of Canadian PSAs and it only got goofier from there. Enjoy!

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Types of Comedy with Andrew Orvedahl (The Grawlix, Occupied Hex) 1:19:52

2y ago1:19:52

1:19:52

Andrew Orvedahl joins me to talk about the color identity of various comedic genres. Is ventriloquism blue? Is podcasting black? Only time will tell!

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Pop Girlies with K. Arsenault Rivera 1:26:26

2y ago1:26:26

1:26:26

K. Arsenault Rivera (The Tiger's Daughter, Oath of Fire, Magic Story Team) joins us to talk about the color identity of Pop Girlies! We cover 30 years of pop sensations and figure out where they fall on the color pie. We're basically scientists!

1
Elden Ring with Sam Gaglio (Rhystic Studies) 1:27:15

2y ago1:27:15

1:27:15

Had a great time talking to Sam about Elden Ring for this episode! It's a source of great passion for both of us and it shows!! Here's that blog Sam found! https://bogleech.com/souls/er01-landsquirt

1
Midwestern Foods with Tyler Snodgrass (Take This Pod And Shove It, We Still Like You) 1:50:10

2y ago1:50:10

1:50:10

One of my best pals Tyler Snodgrass came on the show to talk about our mutual love of insane Midwestern foods. We talk about the objective best part of the country and discuss our favorite foods it's produced. Enjoy!

1
The Return of Rachel Weeks! 1:22:42

2y ago1:22:42

1:22:42

Rachel comes back to the show to talk about the color identity of various dog breeds! She was a Kennel Club obsessive as a kid so she knows her stuff! We also stumble across one of the best, most well hidden, copywriters in history.

1
Fast Food with Roy Graham (Magic Story Lead) 1:34:24

2y ago1:34:24

1:34:24

We have Magic: The Gathering Story Lead, Writer, and all around Nice Guy Roy Graham on the show today discussing the color identity of Fast Food. One of the show's first Five Colors makes its appearance here and the world will never be the same.

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Slasher Villains with Sage Coffey 1:25:25

2y ago1:25:25

1:25:25

Today I chatted with illustrator and comics artist Sage Coffey about the color identity of slasher villains! It's a Halloween spooktacular!

1
Reality TV with Jake Browne 2:07:08

2y ago2:07:08

2:07:08

Newly minted PT Magic Player and Commander Sphere editor and friend of the show Jake Browne is here to talk about competition reality shows! We also go on a 15 minute digression about how Castaway is an anticapitalist text. Wow!

1
The Grand Opening with Mark Rosewater 54:51

2y ago54:51

54:51

Welcome to Pie Break! A show where a guest and I take something from the real world and figure out where it falls on Magic's color pie. This show is all about the point of intersection between the game we all love and the things we love outside it. This has been an ambitious project and it only felt right to start it with a bang. So, I talked to Ma…

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Introducing a NEW PODCAST: Pie Break! 1:53

2y ago1:53

1:53

Been missing regular podcast episodes from the Commander Sphere feed? Well miss it no more, PIE BREAK, Dan's new show about the color pie starts this Tuesday! Take a quick listen and learn more!

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Karn: Legacy & Loss 27:08

2+ y ago27:08

27:08

Due to his role in a number of different multiversal threats, the silver golem Karn has been the butt of jokes for years. But beneath the jokes and oversimplification lies a richly built but ultimately tragic character. Karn is trying his best to improve a broken world, all while indelibly marked by the sins of his father, Urza. While other charact…