But Why Tho? The Podcast

As the Assassin's Creed franchise returns to its roots in West Asia for Assassin's Creed: Mirage, allowing players to explore the splendor of Baghdad during the Abbasid Caliphate in the 9th Century, Ubisoft has recruited a Persian legend to help bring this story to life. An icon in Iranian and many other SWANA communities and beyond, Shohreh Aghdashloo has paved the way for SWANA actors to have roles that transcend beyond the stereotypes we're too often limited to, even though these nuanced roles for our communities remain highly limited. Aghdashloo has played many roles throughout her storied career, but it was clear, for many reasons as we spoke, that to take the role of the Persian Master Assassin Roshan, mentor of the main character Basim Ibn Ishaq (Lee Majdoub), had unique significance in Assassin's Creed: Mirage.

Assassin's Creed Mirage is bringing this iconic video game franchise back to its roots in more ways than one. Perhaps most significantly, by setting this installment in West Asia (the Middle East) once again, like the original Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft has moved the franchise forward by taking it back to its roots. By giving us another Arab Assassin protagonist (after Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad) in Basim Ibn Ishaq (Lee Majdoub) in Assassin's Creed Mirage.  When we interviewed the game's star, Lee Majdoub, and the game's narrative director, Sarah Beaulieu, our conversation explored the creative development of Mirage and the significance of this role for Majdoub. It was clear through our conversation that Majdoub was in a collaborative, supportive, and culturally respectful environment, one that unfortunately remains rare for actors of Southwest Asian or North African (SWANA) backgrounds. The dedication that Beaulieu, her narrative team, and the Ubisoft developers took to make 9th Century Baghdad as culturally mea

Castlevania: Nocturne Season 1 is here and it's expanding the world of the hit series, that some people would say broke the video game adaptation curse (it's me, I'm some people). Set in the 18th century in the middle of the French Revolution, audiences are introduced to a new Belmont, and a new evil, the Vampire Messiah. In this interview, Directors Sam and Adam Deats and showrunner Kevin Kolde talk about bringing Castlevania to life, the changes in animation, Annette's (Thuso Mbedu) journey from a footnote to a protagonist, and how Richter (Edward Bluemel) embodies a shonen protagonist in his growth.

This week, Alex, Kate, and Matt are on to talk about Rotten Tomatoes or, more importantly the "Decomposition of Rotten Tomatoes," the Vulture article that questioned not only the legitimacy as the aggregator but the critics of it as well. Do we need a middle ground? Or is fresh and rotten enough? Also, how does widening access almost always result in high scores — hint, it's not from bribing. We dive into the topic and discuss the importance, or the lack thereof the review aggregator. 

It's not every day that a studio gets handed the keys to Disney's most magical property, Mickey and Friends. Recently, Dlala Studios was given that chance and more in their new game, Disney Illusion Island. In their fresh take on the Metroidvania genre, Dlala got to create their own fresh story for Disney's Fab 4, and even were one of the historical few to create a new design for Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy. Yet there were some lingering questions after hitting the credits. Like, why was there no combat? What inspired the team to create these versions of these characters? What hoops did the team have to jump through while working with Disney? This week, we sat down with Dlala studio CEO and Illusion Island Creative Director/Writer AJ Grand Strutton to talk about all that and more.

At PAX West 2023, we got the chance to talk to Design Director Artie Rogers and Narrative Director Sam Johnson, developers on Wizard101 and Pirate101. In this interview, the duo discusses the importance of building an MMO that is driven by the community and how Wizard101 has been able to evolve over time to offer players the ability to play how they want to.

This week Alex, Katherine, and a Charles sit down to talk about how consumption and capitalism collide when a movie, game, or show launches. Is it your fault when something “underperforms?” Do studios give shows enough time to  breathe before canceling them? All that and more this week on But Why Tho. 

Phoenix Labs has swung for the fences with its cozy dungeoneering social sim Fae Farm. With elements of core cozy games like managing your homestead, gathering materials, tending to animals, talking to villagers, fishing, and, of course, customizing your character's appearance whenever you want. But the added ability to find resources in dungeons and move through them, progressing from one floor to the next, is a unique element that begs co-op play. Speaking with Akshay Balakrishnan (Senior Programmer), Dorian Pareis (Audio Director), Cris Velasco (Composer), and Dan Poole (Senior Voice Designer), it's clear that cooperative play and growth are key factors in the Fae Farm experience and that's what was brought into the development process. Over the course of this 20-minute interview, we hear about the development process and how it took place across different departments of the Pheonix Labs teams. 

Hans Vogel is Dead began as a webcomic nearly a decade ago, written and illustrated by Sierra Barnes. Now publishing its first of three volumes with Dark Horse, But Why Tho met Barnes at her studio to hear about the series, its origins, Barnes' influences, comic lettering, and what makes the series special.

Final Fantasy XVI, the latest addition to the storied Square Enix franchise, is a large and beautiful world with complex and dynamic characters. At PAX West 2023, we sat down with Localization Director Michael-Christopher Koji Fox, and some of the voices behind beloved characters, including Clive Rosfield (Ben Starr), Margrace (Jonathan Case), and Benedikta Harman (Nina Yndis) to discuss what it's like joining the legacy of such a special franchise, the skill involved with voice acting, and how the unique way that Final Fantasy XVI's localization allowed the game's actors the freedom to explore and create the characters alongside the localization team. 

This week, Alex, Jason, and Kate talk about time - and more importantly how we just don't have any of it anymore. With longer games coming out like Baldur's Gate 3, a stacked movie season, and more on the horizon, how does anyone find the time to play and watch, well, everything they're interested in?

We were honored to chat with the voices that have skillfully brought some of the most iconic characters in anime to life in the English dub. Their work and dedication to this series have significantly shaped its charm, growth, and adventurous spirit. We dive into all that in this exclusive video featuring Colleen Clickenbeard, the voice of Monkey D. Luffy, Luci Christian, who voices Nami; Sonny Strait, the voice of Ussop; and Eric Vale, the voice of Sanji.

After 9 years, HexWorks is creating Lords of the Fallen, a sequel/reboot to the 2014 title of the same name. The original was one of the earliest games that attempted to put its own spin on the action RPG genre. After nearly a decade of innovation and mainstream success, the latest genre entry is attempting to capitalize on these lessons and invite newcomers to yet another grand adventure.  We spoke with Cezar Virtosu, the Creative Director at HexWorks, and Saul Gascon, Head of Studio and Executive Producer for Lords of the Fallen, about how they create beautiful new environments, what they needed to change from the original game, and why the parrying feels so good.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure is a cozy and epic joining of Sanrio and open-world gaming. Described as a combination of Breath of the Wild and Animal Crossing, this Apple Arcade exclusive from Sunblink is a large world. With the driving motto of "Small gift, big smile," Sanrio is a cultural touchstone, and in this game, players get the chance to talk to, make friends with, and adventure the world of brand with Hello Kitty, Karumi, Aggretsuko, and more. We got the chance to talk with Chelsea Howe,  Chief Product Officer of Sunblink about the complexity of adapting an iconic IP to a game, the importance of creating an inclusive and cozy game without sacrificing adventure, and ultimately, what it's like to be a part of a longstanding and joyful legacy.

This week, Alex, Neysha, and Kate talk about the things they love that people told them they couldn't. With Barbie smashing the box office, we discuss what to do when someone makes a piece of pop culture "not for you." Barbie isn't for Black girls, anime isn't for women; horror isn't real cinema. We talk about the lies that get told to stop your joy and why you should never listen to them. 

DC's Legends of Tomorrow was one of The CW's most popular and critically acclaimed shows. Besides being very diverse for a mainline superhero show, it touched on almost every genre you could think of, and with its delightful cast and witty writers, both sets of whom are now on strike, it created something strikingly memorable. Along with her fellow co-showrunners, writer and co-showrunner Keto Shimizu was a pivotal part of making it the success it was. Many fans bemoaned its somewhat abrupt cancellation back in 2022. We caught up with Keto Shimizu after her panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2023, “Intro to TV Writing." Here, she and other writers from the Arrowverse discussed their creative process and what studios need to do help writers succeed. We discussed her career, whether there was a chance for Legends of Tomorrow if creators had a better deal with studios, how she brings her own experiences to the characters she writes and much more.

Mel Blanc was a voice-over legend, originating and playing, for decades until his death, the voices of all the Looney Tunes characters and many more for Warner Brothers. When he passed away in 1989, another voiceover actor would rise to continue his legacy. From Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Marvin, the Martian, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Sylvester, Tweety, and so many more icons of animation, legendary voice actor Jeff Bergman has voiced them all in TV and film from the late 80s to today, along with other Looney Tunes voice actors like Eric Bauza. Fans may know Jeff Bergman from such hits as Tiny Toon Adventures (and its upcoming reboot Tiny Toons Looniversity), Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, The Looney Tunes Show, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Looney Tunes Cartoons, and much more. We had the privilege of speaking with Jeff Bergman at SDCC 2023. We spoke about his career, the legacy he carries in animation and specifically for Looney Tunes, and the importance of the Actors Strike and what it means for voice actors. We also g

At San Diego Comic-Con 2023, we had the opportunity to sit down with E.K Johnston, the renowned author behind critically acclaimed Star Wars novels like Ahsoka and the Queens Trilogy. With her upcoming novel Crimson Climb on the horizon, Johnston shared insights into her approach to writing iconic characters such as Ahsoka and Padme, delving into their unique journeys while staying true to the beloved Star Wars canon. In this interview, she also offers a glimpse into the challenges Qi'ra faces in Crimson Climb and how she crafts authentic and relatable characters in the Star Wars universe.

The WGA has been on strike for almost 80 days, just 20 shy of how long the strike of 2007-2008 lasted, and as of last week, SAG-AFTRA joined the picket line as the AMPTP refused to concede in contract negotions. To say that this is a watershed moment is some how not strong enough. As the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike to ensure fair wages and working conditions and protect their craft from AI, we wanted to do a very special episode to talk about what you can do to help support the unions working for a better life.  We're joined by WGA/SAG-AFTRA member Dani Fernandez to discuss what's at stake, the importance of unions and to focus answer some questions as to what is on the line.    What can you do?  Boost the message of the unions on social media Follow strike rules for the WGA (https://wgacontract2023.org/strike/strike-rules-faq) and SAG-AFTRA (https://sagaftrastrike.org/non-member-faqs) Donate to the Entertainment Community fund (https://entertainmentcommunityfund.org) Join a picket line

This week Alex is joined by Swara and Adrian to discuss the state of Twitter, the Grimace Shake, and how to handle things that maybe didn’t age great. From the Problem with Apu to the Breakfast Club to Transformers, there’s a bit of everything here.