Creative Commoners

Wherein our hosts share advice about creative pursuits, whether about getting started, keeping the momentum, or proper etiquette when venturing into the publishing world. Words of wisdom are culled from both personal experiences and by great creators like Stephen King, Pixar Studios, and Elmore Leonard. Elsewhere, Allison rages against a bad TV show ending, Corey can’t get enough Moorcock, and Chris stumbles into a “beericade.” Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein we celebrate a full year of podcasting on the computer webs! Sparing no expense, we throw a two-hour award ceremony filled with fake guests, gaffs, and more singing that we have the right to broadcast. We present Creo Awards to fellow creative commoners and inspiring creative celebrities. Thanks for helping us make the first year a success! Theme music “Evening Melodrama” and retrospective music “Facile” by Kevin MacLeod. Audience sounds by AudienceSounds.com.

Wherein our hosts explore the push for more people to make video games, to tell stories through the medium, and share their unique voices through games. They discuss Anna Anthropy’s book Rise of the Videogame Zinesters, game making software that anyone can use, trends in the gaming industry, and of course, Diablo 3. Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein the gang goes so far off the rails they end up doing a completely different show than planned! After discussing exciting project news, our hosts descend into a spiral of sex, drugs, and advertising. Corey makes a brilliant sport ball analogy, Chris has words for a few celebrities, and Allison prepares for her last supper. Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein Allison Tiberius Dickson gets into the hot seat to answer questions posed by his co-hosts. Corey draws out the most offensive swear word of all times, Chris is given a nickname that truly sucks, and Allison strikes up conversation with Hannibal Lecter over dinner. We also answer another question submitted by show fan and friend, Gregor. Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein Coreander Marmalade Bishop gets into the hot seat to answer questions posed by his co-hosts. Chris tries to deprive everyone of their basic senses, Allison “rushes” out her latest scandal tape, and Corey considers the merits of temporary immortality. We also answer a timeless question submitted by Justin Wasson, co-host of The Break-Ins! podcast. Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein Chris gets into the hot seat to answer questions posed by his co-hosts. Corey channels his inner James Lipton (or as close as his impression will get him), Allison probes deep into “Would You Rather…” territory, and Chris fights to hold in the Balrog festering within. We also answer a listener’s submitted question and give a shout-out to new fans of the show. Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein we discuss methods and reasons for calling it quits, deciding when a project is finished, or knowing when it’s time to move on. Allison talks about reviving her novel “Last Supper” after a three-year hiatus, Chris shares his reasons for closing down Detective Agency comic, and Corey gets his groove back after a creative hiatus. Elsewhere we coin a cache of character names, suppress our molten cores, and declare a star war on The Ultimate Non-Quitter in the Galaxy. Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein we read the entries you submitted to our writing challenge titled Making a Fool of Yourself. And no one here disappoints! We have wardrobe malfunctions, flying drinks, and drunk and feather-covered parents. We also have fellatio, pranks gone horribly wrong, Freudian slips, and the…er… desecration of hallowed ground. Join us for this merry catharsis! Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein the gang pays homage to the evocative nature of a good name. Whether paint swatch colors, prescription drugs, story characters, or pillowy fetishes, our hosts herald the awesome and coin the perverted, all for your listening pleasure. Elsewhere, Allison questions the link between creativity and suffering, Corey explores the bottom ranks of emotional intelligence, and Chris goes wild with bear fever. Theme music by Latché Swing. Commercial music by Kevin MacLeod.

Wherein Allison and Corey carry on without their third compatriot and in the process create a brand new holiday to commemorate him, complete with carols and decorations! Allison also wonders whether her grandparents would appreciate her filthy writing, and Corey gives us an update on his progress with his sci-fi reading list. Elsewhere, Chris seeks out his sweet prevenge! All in all, a pretty merry Chrisless! Theme music by Latché Swing.  

Wherein the gang are all back together again without a topic to carry them. So they meander through discussions of the new media giants, covering the Cinnamon Challenge on YouTube, the quiet launch of Amazon Studios, and Google’s new porn-colored Glasses. Elsewhere, Corey schools  his co-hosts on true Dungeon Mastery, Allison is endlessly pursued by a band of randy plushies, Chris giggles like a school girl through much of the episode, and Robert Mondavi returns from Tijuana. Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein Allison and Chris make it rain Wilsons at Creative Commoners HQ while Corey remains held in captivity by a band of ninjas. Our hosts stumble through a variety of zombie franchises and groan about certain storytelling gimmicks that really piss them off. They also carve out some time to bash vegans, discuss their current creative projects, and whip out some mad sorcery skills that would make any tabletop gamer rage with Level 37 jealousy! Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein Corey and Chris descend upon Las Vegas to reveal all the secrets the city doesn’t want you to know. The boys dig deep into wild conspiracies, run into a plethora of celebrities (including Hagrid?), and draw up plans for a new hotel casino that will bring purity back to The Strip. Meanwhile Allison has a ravishing party in the Creative Commoners HQ, Penn & Teller back our show (unknowingly), and there’re just mountains of porn everywhere. Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein we discuss the latest and greatest way for creative folks to fund their projects. Kickstarter is a booming community of artists, designers, musicians, developers, and inventors supporting each other a few dollars at a time. We talk about how proposals for the site are generated, share some helpful tips to make your project shine, and highlight some of our favorite projects. In other news, Corey backs pretty much all the projects in existence, especially our own music ventures. Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein we explore our inner children and reminisce about the toys that made us the creative geniuses we are today, from the brilliance of LEGO to the mobility of Big Wheels. Allison talks about her Cabbage Patch Single Mom fantasy, Chris puts the action in action figures, and Corey hatches plans to buy toys “for his daughters.” Then the gang weighs in on the most uncreative toy that ever existed… can you guess what it is? Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein we have ourselves a little gripe about the stuff that’s bugging us lately. Allison wrings her hands over her next book release, Corey frets over his lack of time for creative projects lately, and Chris gives us an FYI on his list of verboten words and phrases, and why people in flip-flops need to get the hell out of his way. Elsewhere, a gender discrimination lawsuit may be in the works against two of our gang. Theme music by Latché Swing.

Wherein we have a discussion with prolific author Ian Thomas Healy about his new novel Just Cause, as well as the mountain of creative endeavors he has pursued, including a 1500 episode webcomic, performing in a band, and writing novels with his thumbs. Also, Corey marvels over his love of comic books, Chris discovers some vampiric Easter eggs, and we also touch on the PayPal/Smashwords debacle and how that has really put a damper on the release of Allison’s latest tale. Theme music by Latché Swing. “Just Cause” book cover image courtesy of Ian Thomas Healy.

Wherein we give you a fine variety show! Allison laments all the movies she didn’t see in the past year (including a particular Roman/Victorian flick) and makes some predictions about Oscar Sunday. Corey hosts a live rendition of a “dead” game… and the results are about as dirty as you might expect. Chris uses the Harry Potter universe for his own twisted pleasure, which somehow includes oliphaunts, clapping seals, and more Avada Kedavra than you can shake a wand at. Theme music by Latché Swing. Laughter provided by lonemonk.

Wherein we talk about creativity on the job! Even if you don’t have the most exciting nine-to-five in the world, there’s no reason you can’t turn it into a breeding ground for your imagination. It’s all in how you look at it. Allison talks about her interactions with strangers on the job as a way to create characters and situations in her mind. Chris talks about balancing the demands of creativity between professional and personal life, and Corey shares ideas for seeking out creative endeavors in the workplace. Somewhere in the mix, we figure out the exact opposite of the […]