In the first couple of months of the Trump administration, the so-called Department of Government Efficiency has made numerous baseless claims about waste fraud and abuse in the Social Security program. They have also proposed several thoughtless changes to the way that the program is managed, as well as unwarranted cuts to program staff. In todays…

It was April of 1975 when your host moved to Gatlinburg to start the Parks and Recreation Program for the City of Gatlinburg. Now 50 years later, this agency has become one of Tennessee’s best. Consistently winning statewide recognition for exceptional facilities and innovative programs. All the credit goes to my two guests, Marty Nicely (Director …

It really does matter what you have growing in your yard! If you choose to grow native plants, trees and shrubs, you will be making a positive contribution to the ecology of our urban living space. Native plants make an attractive home for birds, pollinators and other wildlife. Neighbors for Natives is a non profit in Nashville which has as its pur…

Since the early 1950s, the State of Tennessee has had an interest in assisting Tennessee cities and counties in building strong communities through strong Parks and Recreation programs. Recreation consultancy services by the State to local governments continue today, and our guest April Johnson is at the forefront of that effort. April’s effort has…

Our guest today is Michael Robertson the recent recipient of the TRPA Fellow Award. This award is given each year in recognition of significant and sustained contributions to the field of Parks and Recreation. Mike has recently retired as head of Tennessee State Parks operations. Tennessee State Parks are recognized as among the best in the nation.…

For her second appearance on the Mark Fraley Podcast, we interview Joanna Brichetto about her new book, This Is How A Robin Drinks, Essays on Urban Nature. Joanna is a Certified Tennessee Naturalist and the producer of the well known blog/Instagram called Sidewalk Nature. The book consists of 52 essays, arranged by seasons (Summer, Winter, Spring F…

Today I talk with Michael Officer of the Cuan Beo organization in Galway, Republic of Ireland. Michael and his organization are involved with the restoration of the oyster fishery in the Galway Bay. There have a multifaceted approach to their work. Priority is given to managing the quality and volume of the fresh water entering the bay from the wat…

Caped Crusader artist and designer Kat Hudson joins us for the season finale to talk about working as an artist on the series, growing up on BTAS and that Season 2 teaser. Rate, Review, Subscribe, tell a friend. Follow: @BTASpodcast on instagram. Support keeping the series archive free on Patreon!

Actor and comedian Oscar Montoya (Minx, Dropout TV, Final Space) returns to chat all things Two-Face, decades old JLU spoilers and how nostalgia for BTAS has affected our viewings of Caped Crusader. Rate, Review, Subscribe, tell a friend. Follow: @BTASpodcast on instagram. Support keeping the series archive free on Patreon!…

Comic illustrator and artist Jordan Gibson (Batman: The Adventures Continue, Power Rangers) joins to chat about vampires, lost BTAS episodes finally getting their due, and his work writing on Batman: The Adventures Continue! Rate, Review, Subscribe, tell a friend. Follow: @BTASpodcast on instagram. Support keeping the series archive free on Patreon…

Mark Rennie (The Big Gay Movie Spreadsheet) returns to talk crooked cops, Batman '66 influences and a surprising amount of Beetlejuice! PLUS, a bonus segment with animation writer Julia Prescott (The Simpsons) about the current Animation Guild negotiations. Show your support for animation with the hashtag #IStandWithAnimation! Rate, Review, Subscri…

Tom Smith (Beavis & Butthead, Rocko's Modern Life) may have designed our podcast logo, but he's never been on the podcast... until now! He pops by to chat ghosts, Batman and the state of the animation industry. Rate, Review, Subscribe, tell a friend. Follow: @BTASpodcast on instagram. Support keeping the series archive free on Patreon!…

Alex Fernie (Reno: 911!, Bajillion Dollar Properties) and Debora Tarica (This Particular Album is Very, Very Important to Me) both return to chat about Harley Quinn in Caped Crusader! Rate, Review, Subscribe, tell a friend. Follow: @BTASpodcast on instagram. Support keeping the series archive free on Patreon!…

Mike Carlson (Podcast: The Ride) returns to chat about Batman toys and Episode 4 of Caped Crusader! Rate, Review, Subscribe, tell a friend. Follow: @BTASpodcast on instagram. Support keeping the series archive free on Patreon!

Karen Han (screenwriter, culture critic, author of Bong Joon-Ho: Dissident Cinema) and Brian David Gilbert (head writer and fact checker on Dropout's Um, Actually!) chat about Episode 3 of Caped Crusader! Rate, Review, Subscribe, tell a friend. Follow: @BTASpodcast on instagram. Support keeping the series archive free on Patreon!…

Hector Navarro (Heroes Reforged) drops by to talk about Episode 2 of Caped Crusader! Rate, Review, Subscribe, tell a friend. Follow: @BTASpodcast on instagram. Support keeping the series archive free on Patreon!

Caped Crusader is here and Harry Chaskin returns to the pod to make some predictions and talk about the pilot episode! Rate, Review, Subscribe, tell a friend. Follow: @BTASpodcast on instagram. Support keeping the series archive free on Patreon!

The podcast is back to cover Season 1 of CAPED CRUSADER, the 2024 spiritual successor to BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES! New episodes will drop every Tuesday starting 8/6 with new guests, new discussions and the same old style of fun. Rate, Review, Subscribe, tell a friend. Follow: @BTASpodcast on instagram. Support keeping the series archive free on …

Located in Mid Town Memphis, Overton park is a 342 acre gem. Established in 1902, this park is one of the rare local parks which predates the establishment of the State Park System and even predates the general enabling authority for Tennessee cities to have parks. Designed by George Kessler, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places…

It is long past time that we reexamine the traditional notion of the American Yard. The highly manicured weed free turf grass lawn with associated ornamental shrubs can be highly wasteful in terms of the use of energy and water consumption. The widespread use of herbicides, fertilizers and pesticides by homeowners can be detrimental to the environm…

Fort Negley is a historical park in Nashville, Tennessee. Operated under the auspices of the Metro Nashville Board of Parks and Recreation, the park contains the remnants of a Civil War era Union Army fortress. The fort was mainly constructed by black laborers, many were escaped slaves, who had settled in an encampment surrounding the fort area. Ou…

Stephen P. Neary, creator of HBO Max's The Fungies, pops by to chat about what many fans believe is the very best episode of Batman: The Animated Series: Heart of Ice. We discuss Mr. Freeze's revamped origins, the symbolic significance of a character like Victor Fries, and Stephen's introduction to the animation industry as an intern on the origina…

Batman faces off with D-List villain Josiah Wormwood in The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy! I chat with Patreon supporter Jason LeBlanc about Bud Cort's perfect DCAU voice acting, the elaborate death traps of someone who's not The Riddler, and take a moment to reflect on the late Joel Schumacher's films. Sponsored by Absolutely Perfect Rubber Masks! Rate…

I sit down with one of my absolute favorite writers and illustrators, Ezra Claytan-Daniels (Upgrade Soul, BTTMFDRS, HBO Max's Doom Patrol) to chat about Earl Cooper aka The Mechanic, Batman's sloppy driving skills, and rethinking the Dark Knight's role in future media. Sponsored by Memorable Umbrella Weapons! Rate, Review, Subscribe, tell a friend.…

Clayface returns in Mudslide! I chat with Patreon supporter and fan of the show Luke Mears about his childhood fear of Clayface, the influence of Old Hollywood on Batman: The Animated Series, and how England is cartoonishly portrayed when Alfred visits at the end of the series. Sponsored by Affordable Cliffside Labs! Rate, Review, Subscribe, tell a…

We take a JLU detour to the excellent adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' For The Man Who Has Everything! Madeline Queripel (HBO Max's Infinity Train, Regular Show, Steven Universe) and Toby Jones (OK KO!, Regular Show, AJ's Infinite Summer) join to chat Justice League Unlimited, DCAU theme songs, and how the original comic deviates from its…

I'm celebrating 6 years of making this podcast with 6 new weekly episodes! First up: The Cat and The Claw featuring an interview with Patreon supporter and fan of the podcast and Batman: The Animated Series, Tim Jarvi. We chat about Catwoman's animated origins, Red Claw's accent, the shift in design from Batman: The Animated Series to The New Batma…

I'm back to share some sPoOkY news... I've got a new free podcast just in time for the Halloween season. Subscribe below for free! Apple: https://apple.co/33Hjxx9 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2GIQK2y

The final fundraiser episode is here! Owen Dennis, creator of Cartoon Network and HBOMax's Infinity Train, digs into the PG-13 cut of Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. We do a deep dive into what we love about the film, and Owen talks about why he likes Batman Beyond and how shows like this influenced him in the creation of his own show, and the …

Betsy and Mano (We Love Trash) pop on by to talk about the very spooky and great Poison Ivy Episode HOUSE AND GARDEN. We talk about hunky plant clones, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and deconstruct how Ivy upends societal expectations of femininity and wields them a weapon. Oh, and Sonic the Hedgehog. LINKS Click here to donate to the fundraiser …

Jon Gabrus (High & Mighty, Action Boys) joins the pod to get introduced to one of my personal favorite Batman: The Animated Series episodes, THE LAUGHING FISH! We talk Joker schemes, getting into cartoons later in life, and the state of superhero movies at the moment. Sponsored by Joker Fish! LINKS Click here to donate to the fundraiser between 6/2…

Hector Navarro (DC Daily, The 500 Greatest Films podcast) returns to talk about our very first Superman: The Animated Series episode - a Batman crossover called KNIGHT TIME! We talk about our love of STAS and Brainiac, crossovers, villain team-ups, and compare the symbolic importance of Supes vs. Bats. Plus, we talk Superman Smashes the Klan, one o…

Podcast: The Ride's very own Mike Carlson and Jason Sheridan pop by to talk about the very theme park influenced Batman episode Deep Freeze! We talk about our love of Paul Dini's take on Mr. Freeze and how this episode riffs on EPCOT, play an impromptu game of "guess that BTAS action figure accessory," and of course, imagine the ideal Batman: The A…

VO superstar Lauren Tom pops by to talk about playing Dana on Batman Beyond, her other DC animated roles, as well as her career in comedy and drama, from Futurama and King of the Hill to Friends and The Joy Luck Club. We talk about the Dana-centric episode Rats!, what she'd like to see from a Batman Beyond reboot, and discusses her experience as a …

Harry Chaskin (Steel Cut Oats, Netflix’s Buddy Thunderstruck, voice of Bedtime Bear on Care Bears: Unlock the Magic) returns to the podcast to talk one of the greatest two-parters in the series! We discuss how the animated series transformed Clayface from a C-list villain into an emotional A-lister, the use of horror in a show aimed at children, an…

Jeff Trammell (Craig of the Creek, The Owl House, Amphibia) virtually sits down to chat Batman’s first crossover with Static Shock, sing the praises of Dwayne McDuffie and his work on the DCAU, and question the number of fire trucks necessary for any Joker scheme. Sponsored by Unnecessary Fire Trucks! LINKS Click here to donate to the fundraiser be…

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We’re back for a very special episode recorded live from San Francisco Sketchfest! VO superstar Maurice LaMarche (Animaniacs, Disenchantment) returns with writer and comedian Ify Nwadiwe (Nerdificent, White Women) to chat about their favorite iterations of Batman, the body horror of Clayface, and stories from Maurice’s career in VO. Sponsored by St…

Veteran voice actor Pat Fraley (Krang on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, TaleSpin!, The Addams Family) talks about how playing dead as a kid inspired a career in voice over, his Joker audition for Batman: The Animated Series, and why he finally feels more comfortable playing parts closer to himself nowadays. Sponsored by Robot Clown Sea Captains! Rat…

Alex Horab (writer on Cartoon Network's Infinity Train) talks about his love of The Mad Hatter, why scale matters when it comes to supervillains, and why Paul Dini's The Worry Men holds up as a fun detour and sly commentary. Sponsored by Bulk Pith Helmets! Rate, Review, Subscribe, tell a friend. Follow: @BTASpodcast on twitter and instagram.…

Batman writer Mitch Brian talks about co-writing the series bible for Batman: The Animated Series with his old buddy Bruce Timm, writing the series pilot On Leather Wings, and returning for one more episode: Bane. Rate, Review, Subscribe, tell a friend. Follow: @BTASpodcast on twitter and instagram.

A very special crossover featuring Todd Padre, Bill Cravy, Sam Weatherman and Howard Levi’s, hosts of Earwolf’s The Teacher's Lounge, a podcast hosted by my old high school teachers! We talk about one of the most reviled Batman episodes in the series, and a little bit about other stuff. Sponsored by Birdseed for Birdbrains! Special thanks to Emma E…

Zac Oyama (College Humor, Adam Ruins Everything) is today's guest! We talk Batman video games, problematic messaging, and Firefly! Sponsored by Elaborate Shrines to People You Stalk! And my fire-themed action parody: Backpackdraft. Watch it now and share it around! Rate, Review, Subscribe, tell a friend. Follow: @BTASpodcast on twitter and instagra…

The podcast is back! I sit down with Inside Out co-director and Pixar story supervisor Ronnie del Carmen! We chat about how he got his start as a storyboard artist and found his people on Batman: The Animated Series, how that morphed into becoming a director and storyteller at Pixar, and how moving from the Philippines to start a career in animatio…

On this week's episode we discuss the Brown from the Brown v the Board of Education, the person that coined the phrase "outlaw country," a real life French hero and the man that put Blockbuster Video on the map.By Dustin Caruso and Rick Paulas

On this week's episode we discuss 10 individuals that the Oscars left off of their in memoriam presentation.By Dustin Caruso and Rick Paulas

On this week's episode we talk about a psychologist that helped develop voice recognition, a Canadian physicist, the director of three James Bond movies and a comedian activist!By Dustin Caruso and Rick Paulas

On this week's episode, we discuss the first openly gay comic to appear on the Tonight Show, an anti-poaching crusader. the woman who broke the glass ceiling at TV networks and one of the last blues greats.By Dustin Caruso and Rick Paulas

On this week's episode we discuss the singer of The Fall, the real Rosie the Riveter, the former oldest living actress and an influential science fiction writer.By Dustin Caruso and Rick Paulas

On this week's episode we discuss a 60's French music icon, a Black Lives Matter activist, the guitarist from Motörhead and the cop who hunted the Zodiac Killer.By Dustin Caruso and Rick Paulas