Best Elsa Johnson Podcasts (2025)

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Extremity Volume 2: Warrior 1:16:34

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8h ago1:16:34

1:16:34

Send us a text "There will be times in the future, my daughter, when you will question everything you are. Hearing your name spoken over will help when everything falls away." Mike and Alex are here to finish up their look at Daniel Warren Johnson's Extremity from Image Comics with Volume 2 Warrior (issues #7-12). They kick things off with a deep l…

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Ep425 - Kate Baldwin: Making It Up As She Goes 44:12

3d ago44:12

44:12

Kate Baldwin has a way of looking at the industry that is both deeply grounded and incredibly refreshing. She opens up about her approach to playing Roxie Hart in Chicago, describing her version of the character as a "Bad Nellie Forbush" who is just trying to survive. She also shares the fantastic story of how wearing the "wrong" dress to her Hello…

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Extremity Volume 1: Artist 1:13:44

7d ago1:13:44

1:13:44

Send us a text "But no matter what the fight... no matter who lives or dies... I won't kill my own brother." This week on the Storied Arcs podcast, Mike and Alex kick off their deep dive of Daniel Warren Johnson's Extremity from Image Comics with Volume 1 Artist (issues #1-6). The guys start by discussing the world building (or lack there of) that …

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Why liberalism has failed | John Gray on civilisation, morality, and the illusion of progress 36:18

10d ago36:18

36:18

Why is the world moving away from liberalism and towards conservatism? One of Britain’s most provocative thinkers, John Gray is a political philosopher known for dismantling liberalism and exposing the illusions of human progress. Former Professor of European Thought at the London School of Economics, Gray has challenged orthodoxy across the politi…

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Ep424 - Sadie Dickerson: From Competitive Swimming to Sandra Dee 38:19

10d ago38:19

38:19

Transitioning from competitive swimming to the stage requires a specific kind of discipline, but Sadie Dickerson has mastered the pivot. She opens up about the intense audition process for Just in Time, which spanned months and a cross country move to Los Angeles, only to receive the life changing offer while house sitting with some very old dogs. …

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Intro to Extremity & Creator Spotlight: Daniel Warren Johnson, Mike Spicer, and Rus Wooton 58:59

14d ago58:59

58:59

Send us a text In this new season of Storied Arcs, Mike and Alex taking a look at Daniel Warren Johnson's sci-fi-ish/fantasy-ish revenge epic Extremity, from Image Comics. The guys start with a spoiler-free preview of the book, talking a bit about how the book was initially sold in solicitations ("the beauty and imagination of Studio Ghibli meet th…

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Ep423 - Christian Cowan: Dressing Lady Gaga at Eighteen with Super Glue and Sequins 43:27

17d ago43:27

43:27

Christian Cowan’s journey to the top of the fashion world is anything but traditional. He opens up about applying to Central Saint Martins with a literal soup can instead of a standard portfolio and explains how a childhood obsession with insects helped him understand high fashion structures. He also shares the wild story of receiving a commission …

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Analytic or Continental philosophy | Christoph Schuringa, Genia Schönbaumsfeld, Babette Babich 49:07

17d ago49:07

49:07

The future of European thought What is analytic philosophy and what is continental philosophy? And, perhaps most importantly, does this distinction make any sense? The division between these two branches has divided Western philosophy for decades now, with the Anglo-Saxon world largely associated with the analytical school, and the European contine…

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Ep422 - Kevin Del Aguila: The Actor Who Accidentally Became Everything 53:49

21d ago53:49

53:49

Kevin Del Aguila has one of those careers that feels impossible on paper but makes perfect sense once you hear him talk about it. He shares how acting and writing grew side by side almost accidentally, from staging one-acts with unemployed friends to becoming the secret ingredient that finally unlocked Altar Boyz. Kevin opens up about years of temp…

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How Words Warp Reality | Nick Enfield 32:53

22d ago32:53

32:53

Language shapes how we think, remember, and reason. But does it help us to uncover the fundamental nature of reality? Join the author of Language vs. Reality and linguistic anthropologist, Nick Enfield, as he explores why language excels at persuasion but falters at faithfully representing reality. From media spin to courtroom rhetoric, he reveals …

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November Volume 04: The Mess We're In 1:10:52

21d ago1:10:52

1:10:52

Send us a text "This isn't a nightmare. This is the night. And I'm in a playground for monsters filled with monstrous things. I don't belong here." This week, Mike and Alex are here to wrap up November by Matt Fraction and Elsa Charretier with Volume 4 The Mess We're In. The guys dive right into things, breaking down the ending and discussing how t…

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Ep421 - Gabrielle Nevaeh: Flying From All That Into the Upside Down 55:08

24d ago55:08

55:08

Gabrielle Nevaeh’s journey to Stranger Things: The First Shadow feels like a real-time coming-of-age story. In our conversation, she opens up about growing up painfully shy in Florida, discovering acting at a performing arts school, and then making the leap to Los Angeles at just twelve years old with nothing but six suitcases and a dream. From nav…

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Consciousness and psychedelics: In conversation with Rupert Sheldrake 31:33

28d ago31:33

31:33

Philosophers cannot stop talking about consciousness - what are its limits? What is it made of? What does it allow us? This podcast is part of that conversation, but from a more experimental perspective. Join biologist and researcher Rupert Sheldrake as he discusses consciousness with philosopher Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes from the lens of psychedelics.…

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November Volume 03: The Voice on the End of the Phone 1:04:19

28d ago1:04:19

1:04:19

Send us a text "Who knew I had a line? Who knew I could cross it? Well... almost." Mike and Alex are back with the penultimate volume of November by Matt Fraction and Elsa Charretier, breaking down Volume 3 The Voice on the End of the Phone. The guys discuss what is (and isn't) happening in the actual story of the comic, and how that story continue…

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Ep420 - Kimiko Glenn: Hang Out Forever and the Art of Being Unapologetically You 58:44

1M ago58:44

58:44

Kimiko Glenn brings a mix of honesty, humor, and delightful chaos to this conversation, opening up about the vulnerable journey behind her new single Hang Out Forever and why the music video takes such a hilariously dark turn. She talks about songwriting as her personal diary, how she finally found the courage to share it publicly, and why creative…

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The philosophy of religion and love with Alain de Botton and Alex O'Connor 26:11

1M ago26:11

26:11

Why we worship without knowing it What should be included within the remit of philosophy? Religion? Love? Hair? Join well-known public speakers and writers Alain de Botton and Alex O'Connor as they talk through what philosophy can offer us, why we should study love, and what the role of religion is in philosophy and in our lives. See Privacy Policy…

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November Volume 02: The Gun in the Puddle 1:06:54

1M ago1:06:54

1:06:54

Send us a text "It's not every time the world ends you're look at a click when it happens. Some girls... we're just lucky." This week, Mike and Alex continue their exploration of November by Matt Fraction and Elsa Charretier with Volume 2 The Gun in The Puddle. The guys talk about how the various story threads begin to intersect in this volume, gen…

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Ep419 - Nathan Lee Graham: The Working Actor’s Working Actor 53:33

1M ago53:33

53:33

This conversation with Nathan Lee Graham goes deeper than expected, mixing sharp humor with real insight into a career built on consistency, curiosity, and craft. He reflects on growing up between St. Louis and Los Angeles, navigating a childhood shaped by divorce, experimental schools, and parents who understood early on that the arts were his hom…

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November Volume 01: The Girl on the Roof 1:11:32

1M ago1:11:32

1:11:32

Send us a text "I'm just a working man, trying to make a living, Dee. We're all parts of a machine we cannot see. A system. All of us have our function." Mike and Alex are back with another season of Storied Arcs, this time diving deep into the tangled web of November Volume 1 The Girl on the Roof by Matt Fraction and Elsa Charretier from Image Com…

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Mazes of the mind: The philosophy of neuroscience | Iain McGilchrist, Colin Blakemore, Bryan Appleyard 47:58

1M ago47:58

47:58

Over the past decades, neuroscience has blossomed, positioning itself as a kind of master discipline over everything else. For who understands the brain surely understands all of human activity and creation? Or not? Neuroscience's reach has extended past its scientific remit and into the world of philosophy and its major questions. What is a human?…

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Ep418 - Nasia Thomas & Casimar Valles: The Haus Is Where Where Kids Go and Grow 43:16

1M ago43:16

43:16

Two artists with big hearts take center stage to talk about building a true home for kids in the South Bronx. Casimar Valles shares how The Haus of Performing Arts grew from an uncle’s dream into a community hub that picks students up after school, feeds them, and lets them stand up and create instead of being told to sit still. Broadway powerhouse…

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Intro to November & Creator Spotlight: Matt Fraction, Elsa Charretier, Matt Hollingsworth, and Kurt Ankeny 1:11:48

2M ago1:11:48

1:11:48

Send us a text On this season of Storied Arcs, Mike and Alex will be diving into November, the graphic novella series by Matt Fraction and Elsa Charretier from Image Comics. Originally planned as a series of three OGNs, it ultimately expanded to four, which were released across the span of about 15 months. The guys start with a spoiler-free preview…

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In search of nothing | David Deutsch, Amanda Gefter, Lee Smolin 1:00:17

2M ago1:00:17

1:00:17

What is nothing? Can it be defined, either philosophically or scientifically? Or will the exploration of nothing bring, ultimately, to nothing? The philosophical exploration of nothingness is an ancient one, from the mysterious number zero through theological understandings of the absence of God right to modern physics and ideas of the void. Join l…

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Ep417 - Phillip Johnson Richardson: Mental Health, Identity, and the Work 48:31

2M ago48:31

48:31

We go deep with Phillip Johnson Richardson on the real stuff behind a Broadway glow up. He opens up about being a young Black man showing vulnerability onstage, the pressure to be perfect, and how identity, belonging, and mental health shape the work. We talk about choosing when to step away, the cost of staying, and the tools he uses to keep his c…

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Halloween SPECIAL | The philosophy of the apocalypse 44:25

2M ago44:25

44:25

Why are we fascinated by apocalyptic stories? Join the team at the IAI for a reading of four Halloween-themed articles, written by historian and philosopher Natalie Lawrence, professor of political philosophy Matthew Festenstein, and professor of comparative literature Florian Mussgnug. From the allure of the end times to the symbolic value of mons…

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Creator Interview: Joshua Hale Fialkov 1:24:45

2M ago1:24:45

1:24:45

Send us a text This week, Mike and Alex are thrilled to be joined by writer and co-creator of The Bunker, Joshua Hale Fialkov! They start with the origin of The Bunker and how the idea came to be, from the initial germ of a story idea to how Joshua linked up with Joe Infurnari. Joshua then takes up deep into the business and commerce side of comics…

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The importance of giving up | Adam Phillips 27:14

2M ago27:14

27:14

Einstein was called “slow” at school, J. K. Rowling collected a dozen rejections, and Walt Disney was once fired for “lacking imagination.” We love stories of perseverance—but what’s the cost of never letting go? In this conversation, psychoanalyst Adam Phillips argues that our obsession with endurance can have hidden, corrosive effects. He invites…

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The Bunker Volume 04 1:13:02

2M ago1:13:02

1:13:02

Send us a text "Your job, your purpose is to tell people why they matter. To tell them the truth. Always. If you spend your life lying to the people you love, hiding who you are, and what you want... then we lose. Mike and Alex wrap up their deep dive into The Bunker by Joshua Hale Fialkov and Joe Infurnari this week with Volume 4 (issues #15-19). …

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Slavoj Žižek on philosophy today | The madness of reality 38:03

2M ago38:03

38:03

Slavoj Žižek is back in a new interview where he takes us through his thoughts on the role of philosophy, the future of sex, his fear and love of AI and, as always, so much more. Tune in to hear one of contemporary philosophy's most original and darkly comedic minds expose his thoughts on the present and where we are heading - though that is imposs…

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The Bunker Volume 03 1:05:58

2M ago1:05:58

1:05:58

Send us a text "This is about TRYING to make things better. Listen, the best part about all of this is that if we're wrong, we just start over again." In this episode, Mike and Alex break down the penultimate volume of Oni Press' The Bunker by Joshua Hale Fialkov and Joe Infurnari with Volume 3 (issues #10-14). The guys jump right into things, expl…

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How to fathom timelessness | Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes 31:23

2M ago31:23

31:23

What should time mean to us? Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes is a philosopher of mind who specialises in the thought of Alfred North Whitehead, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Benedict de Spinoza, and in fields pertaining to panpsychism and altered states of mind. In this talk, he combines insights from psychedelic experiences with an intriguing view put forward by…

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Ep416 - David Armstrong: Broadway’s Untold Story- Who Really Created the American Musical 1:20:55

2M ago1:20:55

1:20:55

Originally recorded for my other podcast Was It Chance? with my co-host Heather Vickery, this conversation with director, producer, educator, and author David Armstrong felt like a perfect fit for The Theatre Podcast as well. David shares stories from his remarkable 40-year career in theatre — including his years leading Seattle’s Fifth Avenue Thea…

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After postmodernism | Hilary Lawson, Robin van den Akker, Abby Innes, Sophie Scott-Brown 47:13

3M ago47:13

47:13

Hugely influential in the latter decades of the 20th century, postmodernism transformed many academic disciplines and culture at large. Associated with an attack on objective truth and the uniqueness of meaning, it called into question the whole edifice of knowledge which Western culture had previously glorified. But it left many lost, and in the w…

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The Bunker Volume 02 1:12:12

3M ago1:12:12

1:12:12

Send us a text "-How do we know that we aren't the ones who killed these people, and started this whole thing? How do we know that we didn't do this all already? -We don't. And we never will." This week, Mike and Alex continue their exploration of Oni Press' The Bunker by Joshua Hale Fialkov and Joe Infurnari with Volume 2 (issues #5-9). With some …

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Ep415 - Ari’el Stachel: When Performing Becomes Survival 57:39

3M ago57:39

57:39

Tony Award–winner Ariel Stachel sits down for a candid and deeply personal conversation about his new Off-Broadway solo show Other. More than just a performance piece, the show is a marathon of vulnerability — exploring identity, anxiety, and the pressure to belong — and Ariel shares how it feels to put his entire self on stage for 90 minutes witho…

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The language of the unconscious: Pyschoanalysis and AI | Alenka Zupančič 29:46

3M ago29:46

29:46

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BONUS - "Romy & Michele: The Musical" Performances and Interviews from Press Day 47:53

3M ago47:53

47:53

The cult-favorite film Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion has officially made the leap to the stage, and we got a front-row seat at the press day for Romy & Michele: The Musical. From the long road of development to the joy-filled energy the show brings today, this conversation takes us inside the creative journey of bringing Romy and Michele’s w…

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The Bunker Volume 01 59:33

3M ago59:33

59:33

Send us a text "We wrote these letters to tell you that its not too late. To inspire a future we hope can be made. That is a lie. If this works, and you are reading this, you need to understand something. This NEEDS to happen. The world HAS to die." This season on Storied Arcs, Mike and Alex are delving deep into The Bunker by Joshua Hale Fialkov a…