Story x Story

This week, Nigel and Tazziii are going it alone as they figure out the secret to cloning for a deep dive into the genre-mashing mystery, They Cloned Tyrone (starting at 24:23), without our usual guest spot.

We take a look at this feature-length debut and examine why it resonates as an entertaining piece that wraps a meaningful message about the treatment of communities by the powers that be. The strong cast carries the material as it moves deeper and deeper into a dark conspiracy, making both dramatic and comedic stops along the way. This week's storytelling tip is all about developing a Mystery Box narrative in your story.

Other stories we're enjoying include: Station 19, Monsters at Work, Peaky Blinders, Good Times, X-Men '97, and Summer Time Rendering.

This week, Nigel and Tazziii are joined by Jasmine Moore, a Games Producer & Narrative Designer, to talk about the skills and personal qualities needed to navigate the challenging journey into the video games industry.

Jasmine has worked for some of the biggest companies in games as well as working on her own projects. In the episode, she shares the early life moments that sparked her interest in games and the advice given along the way to an ongoing career in the industry. We get the outside perspective from someone born in the US, with key insights for aspiring professionals...and lots of book recommendations too!

This week, Nigel and Tazziii are pulled through a vegan portal for a deep dive into the latest adaptation of the cult hit, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (starting at 18:28), with Content Creator MiyukiPanda and Executive Producer at Radical Forge, Des Gayle.

We examine the differences between the popular film, comic source material, and this new story being told in an animated medium as we delve into the particular strengths of a world seen from a new set of eyes.

This version of the story allows us to dig deeper into characters who have been given more fleshed-out arcs that add to the many themes that are delivered in a seemingly adolescent wrapper. That's not to say the animation is anything less than impressive, so the only question is whether we want to see more Scott!

Other stories we're enjoying include: Legend of Korra, Dune 2 and Cars, The Wicked and The Divine, Mr & Mrs Smith, Apothecary Diaries, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Lightyear Frontier, Spider-Man 2, Andor, X-Men '97

This week, we have a rewind of a recent Story Club livestream special! Nigel and Tazziii are joined by Vik Deluca from Mega City Comics as they dive into the Eisner Award-winning graphic novel, "Superman For All Seasons." This introspective narrative explores the transformation of Clark Kent from farm boy to (arguably) the world's greatest superhero. Our discussion not only focuses on Clark's extraordinary powers but also his relationships, struggles, and the responsibilities that come with his abilities.

We also confront the age-old debate: Is Superman a boring character? This episode might change the minds of the sceptics among us (i.e. Nigel). Tune in as we delve into the early life of Superman, the impact of his journey on his character, and the influence of his story on the perception of the Man of Steel.

You can catch future Story Club, and other livestream shows on the mayamada Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/mayamada

This week, Nigel and Tazziii are joined by Navy Bird, a comic artist and writer specialising in fantasy comics, to discuss how manga, anime, and novels from major authors have shaped her career. Navy is part of the WIP Comics group and contributed to their recent "Change" anthology that was successfully Kickstarted in 2023.

Listen as we delve into her experiences working with other creators versus being solo on projects. She also explains the meanings behind her fantastical stories and imagery. We also hear about her journey through education and discover how an art teacher who couldn't draw influenced her outlook today.

This week, Nigel and Tazziii take a stroll through South London for a deep dive into the refreshing Rom-Com, Rye Lane, (starting at 29:47) with Presenter and Broadcaster Shay Thompson.

We revel in this positive and recognisable depiction of love in one of London's lesser-known boroughs when it comes to mainstream representation. Despite a narrative built on familiar genre underpinnings, Raine Allen-Miller manages to keep things feeling fresh in her feature directorial debut. We cover its infinitely relatable characters and appreciate role reversals in a sharp and timely telling of finding hope when it comes to love. This week's storytelling tip is all about using foil characters in your story.

Other stories we're enjoying include: Baldur's Gate 3, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Witch and the Beast, Snow White with the Red Hair, Halo Infinite, Futurama, Andor, and Dune: Part Two.

We're back talking about AI and creative industries! This week, Nigel and Tazziii are joined by University of the Arts London Lecturer and Game Developer Thom Kaczmarek to discuss the impact AI is having on creative industries and the students studying today with hopes of entering those industries tomorrow.

We delve into the recent rapid advancements in AI technology and how these tools are impacting the way professionals work. We also take a view from an educational perspective and consider how young people will need to adapt and change the skills they develop to thrive in an increasingly automated world.

AI can be a powerful tool for creativity, but we will need to adapt ourselves to stay ahead in the future…so are we changing AI or is AI changing us…are we the tools?!

This week, Nigel and Tazziii head to the Italian Riviera as we take a deep dive into the deep blue sea for Luca (starting at 27:44) with Cosplayer Coco.

A pandemic-affected release didn't seem to impact the reception of this coming-of-age story, and we get into the reasons for its successful outing with audiences of all ages. We explore the themes of latent "otherness" beneath the surface and what they mean for the arcs of the characters as well as the real world around us. This week's storytelling tip is all about building allegory through dual narratives.

Other stories we're enjoying include: Avatar the Last Airbender (Netflix), Good Doctor, Sweet Reincarnation, I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level, Reborn as a Vending Machine I Now Wander the Dungeon, Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World, Black Clover, Call of Duty: Mobile, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Ranking of Kings, Peaky Blinders, Mea Culpa.

It's our first video game roundtable of 2024! This week, Nigel and Tazziii welcome brand new guests to the podcast to talk about the games we’ve been playing and the outlook for the three main platform holders over the year (starting at 30:31).

Content Creators Atari and Mini Midas both bring their perspective to what has already been a busy start to the news cycle, as we debate Microsoft’s apparent multiplatform strategy, the relentless move to games as a service model, and how video game publishers may have lost the romance and mystery when it comes to promoting games to their audience.

Games we’re enjoying (or not): Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Dinkum, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Tekken 8, Apex Legends, Lies of P, Ratchet and Clank, (reluctantly) Palworld, Call of Duty Mobile, Nintendo Game Garage Builder, Dreams, GameMaker, Gears of War 4, Hi-Fi Rush, Rollerdrome, Mario Wonder, Spider-Man 2, Ori and the Will of the Wisps.

This week, Nigel and Tazziii sit with Alexandra McCarthy, a Birmingham-based illustrator and comic creator, to discuss how art became a release in her early years and how it has become her profession today. We learn more about her experiences through education and what makes the difference when supporting young creative talent.

Listen as we delve into her experiences creating her own manga and stepping out of her comfort zone to market her work. We get to appreciate her process as both a writer and an artist...and art teachers who just don't get your best jokes!

We're back for another season of Story x Story! This week, Nigel and Tazziii take their racing wheels into the real world for some high-octane excitement as they do a deep dive into the film Gran Turismo (starting at 29:26) with Content Creator MiyukiPanda and Sim Racer Rayokarna.

Inspired by real-life events, this underdog story had us following the emotional exploits of Jann Mardenborough, who turned his racing sim passion into a full driving career. We explore the balance that comes with adapting a true life story for Hollywood, as we debate the exciting twists and turns of this narrative with strong themes of pursuing goals and overcoming the doubts of those around you. This week's storytelling tip is all about creating conflict through character motivations.

Other stories we're enjoying include: The Creator, Arcane, Rurouni Kenshin, MF Ghost, Banished from the Hero's Party, Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie, Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out!, Arte, Banished From The Hero's Party, I Decided To Live A Quiet Life In The Countryside, Summer Time Rendering, I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss, The Color Purple, Akuma-kun, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Spider-Man 2, Godzilla Minus One, Peaky Blinders, The Brothers Sun.

As we prepare to return for Season 6 of Story x Story, we continue our series on video games with this special conversation about diversity in the industry. Nigel talks to Dom Shaw, EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) Coordinator at Ukie, and Liz Prince, Business Manager at Amiqus, about the journey of developing the newly launched Empower Up website.

This collaboration between Ukie’s #RaiseTheGame initiative and the specialist games recruitment agency aims to be a toolkit and guide for employers of all sizes to improve their diversity and inclusion efforts as we work towards an industry that continues to involve diverse perspectives and experiences in the process of making and selling its games.

Enjoy this Behind The Story look at the motivation behind the website, and check out our own "Do I Look Like A Gamer?" campaign for more positive representation in video games.

We're on a recording break and will return for Season 6 of the Story x Story podcast in February! In the meantime, enjoy this Rewind episode: Part 4 of our recent "Do I Look Like A Gamer?" International Future Summit livestream from December 2023. We rounded off the campaign with this special event, taking stock of the video game industry in 2023 from the people in it.

In this episode, Tazziii talks with the co-founder of À la Mode Games, C.B., to discuss their game, Sorry We're Closed. The game is in development, and we get a behind-the-scenes look at the ups and downs of video game development, and what they're looking forward to in 2024. We'll be back with a new season next month, starting with a special discussion on video games and diversity - enjoy!

We're on a recording break and will return for Season 6 of the Story x Story podcast in February! In the meantime, enjoy this Rewind episode: Part 3 of our recent "Do I Look Like A Gamer?" International Future Summit livestream from December 2023. We rounded off the campaign with this special event, taking stock of the video game industry in 2023 from the people in it.

In this episode, Nigel and Tazziii speak with Vicktorija Koluzajeva, Games Submission Manager at ID@Xbox, and JJ Fox, Founder and Creative Director of Canine Games, for a roundtable looking towards the future of the games industry.

We delve into AI and how it will shape the game development process from the perspectives of both indies and AAA studios. We also discuss the changing nature of video game marketing, which has seen a shift away from E3-style events to online efforts. Part 4 is still to come, and we'll be back with a new season next month - enjoy!

We're on a recording break and will return for Season 6 of the Story x Story podcast in February! In the meantime, enjoy this Rewind episode: Part 2 of our recent "Do I Look Like A Gamer?" International Future Summit livestream in December. We rounded off the campaign with this special event, taking stock of the video game industry in 2023 from the people in it.

In this episode, Nigel speaks with Radical Forge’s Des Gayle about the difficult year in the video games industry that has seen large-scale layoffs at many studios. Nigel then brings the same discussion to an international panel of Marketing Manager Destinee Cleveland, Indie Developer Nils Slijkerman, Games Lecturer Thom Kaczmarek, and games student Gianluca Montaque. We also talk about the games we've enjoyed in 2023 and what we're looking forward to in 2024.

Parts 3 and 4 are still to come in January, and we'll be back with a new season next month - enjoy!

We're on a recording break and will return for Season 6 of the Story x Story podcast in February! In the meantime, enjoy this Rewind episode: Part 1 of our recent "Do I Look Like A Gamer?" International Future Summit livestream in December. We rounded the campaign off with this special event taking stock of the video game industry in 2023 from the people in it.

In this episode, Tazziii speaks with content creator and disability advocate Mollie Evans plus Associate Artworker at Activision, Theo Waldron. They get into personal achievements and milestones for the year.

Parts 2, 3 and 4 will be posted over January and we'll be back with new season next month - enjoy!

It's the final episode of 2023!! For our Season 5 Wrapped episode, Nigel and Tazziii have put together their personal top five favourite stories of the year. There's also room for honourable mentions, stories that surprised, and disappointed us as well as our favourite ongoing or unfinished stories. So join us as we recap our favourite comic, anime, TV, film and video game stories that made us stop and take notice over the past 12 months.

We're going on a recording break over January, but will be back in February with Season 6 of Story x Story. In the meantime, you'll be able to enjoy some great bonus Rewind episodes until we start recording again in 2024 - Happy New Year!

We've arrived at the end of another year, so it’s time to look back at the past 12 months of great story discussions! In this special episode, you'll hear the best highlights, pre-show chats, and (many, many) bloopers from Season 5 of the podcast, brought to you by Nigel, Tazziii, a variety of amazing guests...and a now well-behaved Craig?!

We've crammed our favourite moments into the episode from a year that saw us go from Whiplash to Mario, Barbie, to Parasite, and more as we discussed stories across pop culture with new and returning guests across comics, manga, TV, and video games. So sit back and enjoy the ups, downs, wise advice, and everything in between as we recap another season of Story x Story!

This week, Nigel and Tazziii invite digital illustrator and concept artist Ravi Nkengfack to discuss his life as a comic creator and the journey from education to the world of freelance work. We get to discover how his time studying Computer Games Arts prepared him to produce illustrations and commissions for a range of clients, as well as his own WEBTOON series "WORLD'S STRONGEST".

In the conversation, we get to appreciate the importance of family support for a young creator, and the value of networking...as well as the fear most people have with it!

This week, Nigel and Tazziii join the race to become King of the Pirates in this retrospective on Netflix’s One Piece live-action adaptation with Content Creator Izzy Kento (starting at 27:20).

We praise the adaptation that got it right as we examine the aspects of this series that stayed true to the source material while working for this new medium. Izzy brings their love for the manga series as Tazziii shares experiences from over 600 episodes of the anime for us to judge what works and why our favourite moments land so well. We also get into the characters and why they work so well from a storytelling perspective.

There's also room made to talk about the podcast favourite Zoro...though not enough time by the sound of it!

Other stories we're enjoying include: Baldur's Gate 3, One Piece (Manga), Pom Poko, Scott Pilgrim: Takes Off, Shadow and Bone, Family Switch, Invincible, Obliterated, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Ranking of Kings.

We're rewinding to an episode of Casual Conversations With Comic Creators, a mayamada show where we talk to a different creator each month to discover the person behind the comic art. Nigel sits down with WIP Comics member Lara Callaghan the week before they head out to the Thought Bubble Comic Convention, November 11th - 12th.

Lara talks about her experiences with WIP Comics' recent successful Kickstarter campaign and what it's like to bring new material to a convention. She also reflects on her love of manga and tells us what her life looks like as the protagonist of her own story.

Stay tuned for more new episodes next week, the last few of Story x Story Season 5!

This week, Nigel and Tazziii play with fire as they do a deep dive into Pixar's Elemental with our very own illustrator Pinali (starting at 27:14).

We debate the reasons for the animation's disappointing box office performance, while giving our take on how this film stacks up to similar entries in the Pixar catalogue. We also discuss the story's portrayal of the immigrant tale and how diverse stories can connect us. This week's storytelling tip is all about the “Fun & Games” section or your story.

Other stories we're enjoying include: Blue Eye Samurai, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, Sicko Shock 2 (Anime Sickos), Jobless Reincarnation, Shadow and Bones, The Marvels, Primal, Mami Wata, Invincible.

This week's episode is a rewind of our livestream adventures at the Insomnia 71 festival in September 2023! Nigel and Tazziii recorded live from the show floor with a variety of guests as we discussed the (mostly) failures and (some great) successes of video game adaptations on the big and small screens.

In the first segment, we're joined by Content Creators Miss Bubbles and Voyveda Rose as we cover The Witcher's missteps and more. Then in the second segment, we welcome Content Creator Miyuki Panda and cosplayer Sammi Dodger as we reminisce over hits like Cyberpunk and podcast favourite Arcane.

We'll be back with the final few episodes of Story x Story Season 6 from next week!

This week, Nigel and Tazziii welcome video game content creator LilChaos to learn more about her journey in building a career as a content creator. There's a lot to unpack as we learn where the "Chaos" name came from, and how she has overcome significant hurdles on the road to growing a personal brand through Twitch and other social media platforms. We cover the highs and lows and provide a relatable and realistic perspective on the challenges of content creation.

LilChaos also talks about her passion for cosplay and how she has learned patience and resilience from her creative skills. There is a wealth of advice in this conversation for those looking to follow a similar path, or anyone interested in what a creator goes through to bring you entertaining content.

This week, Nigel and Tazziii examine socioeconomic constructs while avoiding peaches as they do a deep dive into the Academy Award winning film Parasite (starting at 25:20).

This meticulously constructed work masterfully explores many meaningful themes and symbols as it juggles genre and tone so well throughout. It tackles topics from wealth disparity to the challenges of upward social mobility, all communicated through dialogue and visuals. We also investigate why this non-English language film resonated with a global audience. This week's storytelling tip is all about using symbols and motifs to reinforce your themes.

Other stories we're enjoying include: L'etreinte, One Piece, One Punch Man, Power Book IV Force TV Show, Cyberpunk Phantom Liberty, Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, My Happy Marriage, Ōoku: The Inner Chambers, Attack On Titan, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, Haikyuu!!, Beckham

This week, we delve into the controversial AI debate! Nigel and Tazziii are joined by Freelance Art Director Lucy Kyriakidou, and Graphic Designer Kevin Li to discuss the impact AI is having and will have on art. We examine the moral considerations as well as the commercial implications of this new and sometimes intimidating technology that seems to be taking over all aspects of human expression.

We take a philosophical look at the pros and cons of the technology, as well as the similarities to previous technological changes throughout human history. This is one for those in the business of art, as well as those concerned about the increasing AI-ificaton of everything we do.

This week, Nigel and Tazziii are dissecting stop motion excellence as we are joined by NextGen Skills Academy Programme Administrator Charlie Blay for a deep dive into the hauntingly good Wendell & Wild (starting at 24:12).

We talk about creating stop motion horror for younger audiences in the coming-of-age narrative with an Afro Punk twist. Along the way, we delve into the narrative as we debate whether you can have too much story. We also give our thoughts on the diversity on display and how that has been handled through its cast of characters. This week's storytelling tip is all about creating scenes that turn in your story.

Other stories we're enjoying include: Persona 5, Cowboy Bebop, What a Shame, Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs, My Dress-Up Darling, The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 3, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, Spider-Man 2.

This week is a rewind from our autumn video game roundtable livestream over on Twitch. Nigel and Tazziii were joined by Alan from Melanin Gamers and Andy from StreamCast to talk about the game we're playing and the video game news stories that have caught our attention.

We discuss Unity's decision to abruptly overhaul their pricing structure to the absolute displeasure of everyone, before moving onto other topics around the industry. Microsoft's deal to purchase Activision Blizzard has finally come to an end, but we’re also looking further into the horizon and debate whether games are becoming too big to enjoy. Oh, and Tazziii reveals she is a witch!

You can catch our range of Studio77 livestream shows on the mayamada Twitch channel each month.

Game we’re enjoying this week(ish): Starfield, Mortal Kombat 1, Lies of P, Marvel's Spider-Man, Pokémon Shield, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, Tekken 8, We Were Here Expeditions, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.

This week, Nigel talks with SenseiTash, a variety Content Creator, to discuss their journey in the creative space starting from a young age and the process of becoming an independent creator. We explore how their passion for dancing, gymnastics, and martial arts translated into video games and the balance between playing games for personal enjoyment versus catering to an audience.

We first met Tash during our "Do I Look Like A Gamer?" campaign, and they share their thoughts on diversity in video game culture. They also highlight ways to make the path of a content creator more accessible for future generations.

This week, Nigel and Tazziii are on a mission to close doors as we are joined by manga creators Inko and Chie for a deep dive into another visually impressive Makoto Shinkai anime film, Suzume (starting at 27:43).

We talk about the Hero's Journey that Suzume goes on to unpack the trauma in her life. Along the way, we delve into the methods used to convey meaningful themes and whether they work together to deliver the story’s message. We also discuss the visual excellence on display as we consider the reasons why this may not be seen as the masterpiece some of Shinkai-san's previous work. This week's storytelling tip is all about creating a story where your protagonist perceives things as their fault.

Other stories we're enjoying include: Endeavour, The Fairy Tale One Piece (Live Action), JYami no Shizuku, The Devil is a Part-Timer!, Rent a Girlfriend, Sword Art Online: Alicization, Black Mirror, Demon Slayer.

This week, Nigel and Tazziii are joined by cosplayer Coco, who loves to dress up as characters from video games, comics, and anime. We learn how her middle eastern background influences her costume choices as she shares a wealth of tips for cosplaying on a budget!

After meeting at the Insomnia Gaming Festival, Coco shares her experiences traveling to various conventions across the country and her most memorable interactions at comic conventions and gaming festivals. We also get an education on the nuances of "tea," "supper," and the different types of bread in the north of England.

This week, Nigel and Tazziii go pink to take on the patriarchy as we’re joined by content creators Saskia Cole and Gael Level for a deep dive into Greta Gerwig's thought-provoking take on the pop culture icon that is Barbie (starting at 23:13).

The discussion this week is wide-ranging, from the origins of the famous doll and previous attempts at a movie adaptation to the narrative itself. We delve into this story’s use of familiar film tropes as we compare Barbie to the Matrix, and give our take on the deeper meaning of the film including the issues of feminism and the female perspective. This week's storytelling tip is all about delivering a message through your narrative as a creator.

Other stories we're enjoying include: Someday Maybe, Call of Duty, Starfield, The Penthouse, The Flower of Evil, Beau Is Afraid, Primal, TMNT: Shredder's Revenge, Little Nightmares 2, Winning Time, Fruit Basket.

This week, Nigel and Tazziii are joined by Chase Bethea, known as the "Swiss army knife of video game composition", to discuss his role in bringing video game sounds to life. We explore our personal definitions of creativity and the significance of treading your own path in the creative industries.

In the interview, Chase shares his experience growing up with a diverse musical background in Chicago. He also reveals how a connection to the Greek pantheon sparked his realization that he could create music for video games.

This week, Nigel and Tazziii get to grips with a time mechanic as we’re joined by Bish from GAL Podcasts for a deep dive into Mamoru Hosoda’s The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (starting at 31:14).

We salute the effective messaging delivered in this short runtime as we examine the themes on display and the way they are delivered through the light and humorous use of time manipulation. Tazziii is also on hand to help us navigate the mind of an adolescent girl discovering feelings of romantic love for the first time! In this episode's storytelling tip, Nigel discusses how to create significant meaning in your story through low stakes.

Other stories we're enjoying include: Chivalry of a Failed Knight, Lollipop Chainsaw, The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague, Blue Beetle, Sakamoto Days, Dr. Stone, and One Piece (Live Action).

This week Nigel and Tazziii welcome writer and illustrator Mina Ghosh to talk about the manga medium and its adoption outside of Japan. We get into where our love for the medium (and related medium anime) started, as we explore the tricky line betwen appreciation of the form and appropriation without proper consideration of its cultural roots.

Whether you're a consumer or a producer, this is a discussion that you'll gain new perspective from hearing!

This week, Nigel and Tazziii roll a D20 to determine whether the podcast will happen or not. Joining us on our deep dive into Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (starting at 23:00) are Session Zero Sorceress BillieTrixx and Game Designer James Wallis.

We delve into this latest attempt at capturing the D&D Zeitgeist, and thankfully, this is a much more successful effort than in 2000! The heist format makes for a great structure to tell a D&D-inspired narrative, and we examine the narrative decisions that allowed what was once a niche hobby to be brought to mainstream audiences. In this episode's storytelling tip, Nigel talks about creating a reactive protagonist.

Other stories we're enjoying include: Divergent, Manifest, Zombieland Double Tap, Vita Nostra, The Sword Defiant, Fruit Basket, Rent-A-Girlfriend, The Proposal, One Piece, Lookism, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Primal, and Marlon.

This week, Nigel welcomes Mori Mori Studio Co-founder Mandy Wong to discuss her journey into the world of animation. We delve deep into her upbringing in Hong Kong and how she used her artistic skills to communicate and express herself in a new country.

We then explore the path that led her to create the pre-school show Millie and Lou. Mandy explains how the impact of early friendships influenced the story being told today. Additionally, Mandy reveals what she learned from multiple rejected pitches and how she navigates having a significant other as a business partner.

We are back from our mid-season break and are recording new episodes of Story x Story! This week, Nigel searches for his place in the multiverse with comic artist Ryan Jenkyns and Wesley Louis, Director at The Line Animation. We delve into Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (starting at 23:00) and the incredible animation on display in this epic feature.

The film delivers amazing visuals and takes Miles on a great journey, with plenty of relatable themes to explore. We discuss the challenge of breaking up one story into two parts and the skill with which this diverse narrative comes together on the big screen. In this episode's storytelling tip, we talk about creating a story with two protagonists.

Other stories we're enjoying: How to Think When You Draw, Batman Superman World's Finest, UltraMega, Kroma, Breaking Bad, Train to Busan, My Adventures with Superman, Secret Invasion, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Oppenheimer, Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire, and Primal.

Enjoy the final Rewind episode before we return from our recording break next week! In this episode of Casual Conversations With Comic Creators, a mayamada show where we talk to a different creator each month to discover the human behind the comic art, Nigel sits down with mayamada Illustrator Pinali about her journey from math graduate to anthropomorphic manga artist.

You'll hear about how a chance meeting at the London Comic Con led to a creative partnership that continues to produce stories a decade later. We also discuss getting inspiration from mediums other than comics...and how much effort goes into making fur suits.

Stay tuned as we'll be resuming Season 5 of Story x Story from August 10th!

We're on a recording break over July but still have some great conversations for your podcast feed!

This week's Rewind is from Casual Conversations With Comic Creators, a mayamada show where we talk to a different creator each month to discover the human behind the comic art.

Nigel talks with French Marvel, DC and Image Comics arts Geoffo about his journey to becoming a comic artist at the world's biggest comic publishers. We also discuss maintaining your health when producing art consistently and look inwards at what makes Geoffo tick as a creator.

Stay tuned to hear more Rewind episodes before we resume Season 5 of Story x Story from August 10th - enjoy!

We're on a recording break over July but still have some great conversations for your podcast feed!

This week's Rewind is the last segment from our mid-season livestream special. We discuss our stand-out stories in the world of video games as Nigel and Tazziii are joined by presenter Shay Thompson, indie developer Glen Henry and musician Chase Bethea. We delve into each guest's origin story, debate the merits of the Summer Games Fest...and perform the very British act of spending arguable far too much time discussing the weather!

Stay tuned to hear more Rewind episodes before we begin recording for Season 5 in August.

We're on a recording break over July but still have some great conversations for your podcast feed!

This week's Rewind episode is from our mid-season livestream special. We discuss our stand-out stories of the year so far and in this second segment, Nigel and Tazziii are joined by new and experienced cosplayers alike with Agent3 and Frighty Face. We reveal some of the stories we've been enjoying recently, highlight some that we're looking forward to...and talk a whole lot about Zelda! Stay tuned to hear the second and third segments from the livestream before we begin recording for Season 5 in August.

We're on a recording break over July but still have some great conversations for your podcast feed!

This week's Rewind episode is from our mid-season livestream special. We discuss our stand-out stories of the year so far and in this first segment, Nigel and Tazziii are joined by the present and future of the mayamada team. We reveal some of the stories we've been enjoying (or not) recently including Berserk, Kill Bill and Whiplash...while doing our best to avoid spoilers, some better than others! Stay tuned to hear the second and third segments from the livestream before we begin recording for Season 5 in August.

We’re doing it LIVE! This week's episode is a rewind from the MK Film & Comic Con, making it the first podcast recorded at a comic convention in podcast history. Nigel and Tazziii discuss big-budget adaptations of comic, manga, and video game franchises in front of a studio audience. We question why Hollywood continues to invest in adaptations despite the number of flops and examine some of the best and worst adaptations to understand why some have fared better than others.

In addition, Nigel and Tazziii talk to the audience and ask for examples of the good, bad and ugly. This discussion analyses the reasons behind the failures of the Uncharted and The Last Airbender films, as well as the great examples set by Arcane and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. So whether you're a fan of the original source material or just a movie buff, you’re in for a great walk down memory lane…and maybe one or two reminders of adaptations you tried to forget!