But Why Tho? The Podcast

On Episode 169, we're looking at the whole company, good, bad, and ugly. From Warcraft to Overwatch, even if you've never played their games, you have probably heard of them, and if you've played any RTS or MMO, you've certainly felt their lasting effect. Blizzard is an often problematic fave, but they are also firmly among the most influential and popular video game companies ever.

This year, Tomb Raider turns 25! To celebrate the anniversary of the iconic franchise and its main character we dive into the history of Tomb Raider and how Lara has impacted gaming and beyond. With Kate leading the way, Lara Croft is in the spotlight once again. While her game franchise has had its ups and downs over the years, Lara will always be an absolute icon in all of her iterations. In this episode, we chronicle Tomb Raider's development journey, the bad marketing choices behind the original games, and ultimately why Lara Croft still resonates today. Plus, we dive into the films and the new series from Crystal Dynamics. While we've covered the topic in the past, we're bringing in a new lens.

This week, we're celebrating Weekly Shonen Jump, the manga magazine that pretty much holds the keys to every one of our shonen favorites and the Toonami generation. With titles from Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, and Yu Yu Hakusho to JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Haikyuu!, and Death Note, the variety of the series that the magazine has published has showcased shonen's range. With help from special guest LaNeysha from Did You Have To? And So, Here's What Happened, we dive into the impact the magazine has had on pop culture, it's English language counterparts, and the series in ti that we love dearly. And Matt reveals the reason why he isn't a weeb. 

King of the Hill is the anime of Texas. Yes, that's the meme, but while this slice of life adult comedy may seem like a large hyperbole of the state and its people, truth is, it's pretty spot on. In this episode, we dive into the importance of the series, its success, and talk about why it hits the nail on the Texas head. And we even discuss how the series looks at the more conservative elements of Texan culture through a lens of growth.

Hitman 3 is out now and we're celebrating by diving into the history of the IO Interactive franchise. We tackle the rights issues, the impact of a suave Agent 47, and how it's gameplay is put to use by players. In short, we tell you exactly why Hitman matters. If you're unfamiliar with the video game stealth-adventure franchise, Hitman helped revolutionize the stealth video game genre, and while it may have floated under folks' radar the past few decades, the upcoming release of Hitman 3 warrants Agent 47's celebration. Whether you like to sneak your way towards targets or go in guns blazing (Kate), the franchise has remained versatile over its years of developer drama. The plot throughout the series' history has also been impressively thick, and we're not just talking about how good Agent 47 looks in suits (Kate).

Crunchyroll started as an illegal streaming site where fans could upload their fansubs of their favorite anime series - and a Starcraft vid or two - but now it's an anime platform worth over a billion dollars. In the wake of the announcement that Funimation owner, Sony would be buying Crunchyroll and the internet's communal "anime is worth how much?," we dig into the history of Crunchyroll. We talk about how its model and acquisition of simuldubs of Naruto from TV Tokyo pushed the industry to innovate digital platforms, expanded the kinds of anime available in the United States, and ultimately created the current anime streaming landscape that we know today. This episode is sponsored by MANSCAPED.com, use code BUTWHYTHO at check out for free shipping and 20% off.

This weekend One Piece hit its historic 1000th chapter. Created, written, and drawn by mangaka Eiichiro Oda, One Piece is a member of the original Big Three manga and has shaped a generation of weebs. From the horrible 4Kids localizations and beyond, One Piece is a cornerstone of anime and at just under 1000 episodes of anime, we talk about it all. We talk about how Oda brought real pirate history into his vast world, how there is an island made of cake, and how this absurd pirate fantAsy adventure also touches on salient topics. And we do it all with the help of our resident Straw Hat, LaNeysha. Episode 163: One Piece Matters...But Why Tho? is sponsored by MANSCAPED. Head to MANSCAPED.com and use code BUTWHYTHO at check out for 20% off and free shipping!

It's the end of 2020 - Thank bob. We've made it through it and in this episode we review it, well the pop culture aspects at least. We dive into our favorite films, television, games, and of course moments we've experienced on the podcast. Plus, it wouldn't be us if we didn't get into the biggest overrated things too.

This week, we head to Bel-Air with the sitcom that handled real issues, brought a lot of laughs, and brought Will Smith to stardom: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. With the reunion show airing on HBO Max, it seemed like the perfect time to jump into the production history of the series, the records it broke, and the series' impact. We talk about how we connected with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and how it represented one of the first series that we could see ourselves in. And of course, we also discuss Smith rise during the tail end of the show and what has happened after.  Episode 161: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Matters...But Why Tho? is sponsored by Fun.com, the one-stop-shop for pop culture exclusive merch from clothing to toys and more. Get 15% off now with our link here!

This week we dive into the long history of The Muppets. In October, we raised over $4,000 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and one of the rewards for hitting a fundraising amount was for the audience to pick the episode - and you all chose The Muppets! In this episode, we explain their long history from late night show guests, sketch comedy shows, movies, and how they somehow managed to become a show that made a pilot geared towards adults into a children's staple. But most importantly we talk about the impact that Jim Henson has with the creation of the Muppets, where they interact with Sesame Street and more. This episode was sponsored by Fun.com, the one-stop for exclusive pop culture gits, toys, and clothing from your favorite brands and franchises.

We covered Mario last week, so now it's time to cover his brother! This week, we're talking all things, Luigi. We dive into the character's personality, his stand-alone games, John Leguizamo, and how when he won a trophy we learned that Mario is a bully. And we do it all with the help of our producer and senior editor Jason! If you somehow have not heard of the famous Nintendo brother, Luigi was created by designer Shigeru Miyamoto, and is portrayed as the slightly younger but taller brother of Nintendo's mascot Mario, and appears in many games throughout the Mario franchise, often as a sidekick to his older brother. Whether you played him because you were player two or because you liked the color green, we explore why Luigi matters to games and fans beyond. 

This week we travel to the Mushroom Kingdom and dive into the history of Mario. In this episode, we talk about Mario matters to pop culture and beyond while mapping out how the Italian plumber from New York became Nintendo's official mascot, one of the most recognizable icons in the US, connect multiple generations of gamers, and even get his own theme park. Now, it has to be said that there is a lot to talk about when it comes to Mario. From the games to the manga that has alone grossed over $1 Billion, there is a lot of history and we're already set up to do a part two. So, if we don't cover your favorite thing about Mario, don't worry, we have more coming.  (Like a Luigi episode next week) We do all of that this week with the help of our show's producer, Jason - he also just really loves Mario.

Immortals Fenyx Rising is Ubisoft's latest game and newest IP. Developed by Ubisoft Quebec, the game is set in Greek mythology on the Golden Isle, home to the gods. You play Fenyx, a shipwrecked storyteller who is thrown into a battle between the gods and the most terrifying of the Titans: Typhon. With humanity turned to stone, it's your mission to save both the gods and humanity. In an effort to create what he views a the perfect world, Typhon has separated the gods from their essences, which he deems as the chaos that makes the gods unworthy of overseeing humanity. As Fenyx, you must unite the gods with their essences which will take overcoming heroic trials and more. We got the chance to speak with Jeffrey Yohalem, the game's Narrative Director and Lead Writer about creating Immortals Fenyx Rising.  We get the chance to discuss the creative process in writing about Greek mythology, which serves as the base for much existing pop culture franchise, and how the team behind the game made it unique. With a fres

Immortals Fenyx Rising is a new IP from Ubisoft Quebec. Set in the world of Greek mythology itself and not just a world with Greek mythology, the open-world action-adventure RPG is a sharp departure from Ubisoft's hyperrealistic worlds of its existing franchises. We got the chance to speak with Thierry Dansereau, the game's Art Director about bringing the world of Immortals Fenyx Rising to life.

Developed by Auroch Digital and published by The Irregular Corporation Mars Horizon is a strategy simulation game created with support from the European Space Agency (ESA) and the UK Space Agency. In Mars Horizon, you take control of a major space agency, leading it from the dawn of the space age through to landing astronauts on Mars. Guide your agency through the space race and write your alternate history of space travel - any of the agencies can be the first to land on The Moon if you make the right choices. The games' timeline starts at the beginning of the space age in January 1957 all the way through landing the first astronauts on Mars. The game was designed with the intent to be as real and authentic as running your very own space agency in an educational way. This includes learning about the history of space exploration, the technology involved, and more. This week, we got the chance to speak with Tomas Rawlings, CEO of Auroch Digital, about the game, its inspiration, and all the science that goes

Netflix and Powerhouse Animation's Blood of Zeus has become a quick fan favorite and critically acclaimed animated series in the short time since its debut on October 27th. Set in a post-mythological age, and telling a story lost through the Greek oral storytelling tradition, Blood of Zeus seems like a story we've seen before on the surface. Heron, our demi-god hero, is the bastard child of Zeus and Hera is mad about it. But, there is much more to this story than a wife's revenge or Zeus' infidelity. At its core, the series offers a nuanced take on anger and how it relates to power. Additionally, we see a more vulnerable and fatherly Zeus and a more independent and powerful Hera. And, we have showrunners Charley and Vlas Parlapanides to thank for that. I got the chance to speak to the creative brothers about their work on the series, how it began, and where it will go should Netflix greenlight another season. Hit play on the audio above to hear the interview in full. To stay up to date on Blood of Zeus, follo

This week, Kate talks with Alison Araya, who plays Tía Victoria in Netflix's Julie and the Phantoms. They discuss why this character resonates, how Araya got into acting, and the importance of tías in our lives and on-screen.

This week, we're keeping with the horror themes by talking about all the reasons that Jordan Peele matters. We discuss Peele's history in television, film, and production. From the comedy years, time with Keegan-Michael Key, and most importantly how Peele has been reshaping horror. We cover how his directorial debut Get Out with Blumhouse has set the tone for horror going forward, changing its face, and forcing companies to realize that diverse stories, and in particular Black stories matter in the genre. Additionally, we discuss how his filmmaking has also caused a resurgence of social horror, and how his production company, Monkeypaw Productions has been moving the genre forward with films like Candyman and the HBO series Lovecraft Country which he produced with Bad Robot. And we cover it all with the help of LaNeysha from So Here's What Happened and Did You Have To?, who you can follow on Twitter @NeyshaPlays.

This week, we have a special episode for you all, an interview with Zachary "Zach" Whitten, from St. Jude PLAY LIVE and how they use gaming for good by partnering with content creators to help raise money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. We talk about how St. Jude PLAY LIVE got started, how they work with creators, and we learn more about the lifesaving mission of St Jude Children’s Research Hospital: Finding cures. Saving children.®  This episode dives into the work that St. Jude does and most importantly, how you can help contribute. But Why Tho? A Geek Community was founded because we believe that pop culture matters. It’s because of this that we believe pop culture fans should use their fandom to do good. This October, we're raising money for St. Jude, in partnership with St. Jude PLAY LIVE. Donate to St. Jude at stjude.org/butwhytho

We're continuing spooky month by focussing on one of the leading production companies in horror today: Blumhouse Productions - and their other studios. We cover how the Blumhouse model of filmmaking has helped get films that are deemed "high risk" made and how its direct to streaming path has helped them survive COVID-19 closures that has hurt many other production companies. Now, with "Welcome to the Blumhouse" having aired four diverse horror films in an anthology format, it's important to call out how the production company's impact has affected the faces of horror both in front of and behind the camera. To donate to our St. Jude Children's Research Hospital campaign, you can head to: stjude.org/butwhytho