Age Of Napoleon
The beautiful thing about podcasts is that one exists for probably any topic. Need to learn how to play pinochle in a weekend? Easy. Want someone to analyze every political subtext of Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid? Close your eyes and point to literally anywhere on your computer screen.
However, late one night during a shift at the hotel he was working, Everett Rummage found a hole. While listening to Mike Duncan’s History Of Rome, it occurred to him that no podcaster had analyzed one of the most infamous political figures: Napoleon Bonaparte. The idea remained dormant for about a year before finally coming to fruition in late 2016.
Age Of Napoleon seeks to contextualize Napoleon’s geopolitical and cultural impact on Europe and the world. It begins with Napoleon’s rise to power and will continue on until the Vienna Congress of 1815. While not an academic historian, Rummage is rigorous in his care and research of each topic. Every episode is dedicated to a specific subject, and the Patreon subscription service allows listeners to vote on episode topics. The podcast has created a respectable following with more than 5,000 Twitter followers. Taylor Frantum
Dogger and Muddy
Doug Fenn likes to sit down, talk with people in the Dallas scene and hear stories. His podcast, Dogger and Muddy, is relatively new, but he has had some notable guests, such as Eric Nadel and Jeff Liles. It's an engaging listen from someone who is not jaded or cynical — just someone who wants to know more about others. Eric Grubbs
Alex J. Martin
These three guys talk about fatherhood as a broad topic. They're funny and have a great rapport, tackling issues like mistakes fathers make and the sex talk. DTalks has had notable guests such as Dale Hansen, Pete Delkus and professional soccer players. Eric Grubbs
courtesy The Corpsepaint Show
The Corpsepaint Show
The Corpsepaint Show, an underground weekly Live Internet Visual Radio program, is brought to us from a basement underneath a Salvation Army chapel at the corner of Harry Hines and Mockingbird — just look for the hearse parked outside. The show features hosts Satan and Janie Slash discussing all things metal, punk and horror with extreme metal musicians, lesser-known filmmakers and alt-celebs ranging from scream queens to burlesque and sideshow performers to Bruce Campbell.
You may not be familiar with DJ Satan, whose real name is Jay Gavit, but you have probably seen him in character as the demon on stilts standing outside of Wit’s End in Deep Ellum. Gavit recently started a new troupe called Sideshow Rats that recently performed at Deep Ellum Art Co. When Slash isn’t co-hosting The Corpsepaint Show, she is a burlesque and sideshow performer and producer of Deadly Sins Burlesque and Sideshow. You can catch the show live from 6-7:30 p.m.every Sunday night on the Dallas-based Pod City Podcast Network. David Fletcher
Insufficient Funds
In Insufficient Funds, three young adults meet and discuss what it’s like to be broke in Dallas — all while drinking their favorite 40-ounce beer. On-air personalities are Jazzlyn Steele, a Dallas DJ you may have heard playing at Off The Record or The Nines; Manuel Frayre, a fashion and performance photographer who has worked for Nakid Magazine and Oaktopia; and David Jamison (no relation to the writer), a podcaster, culture master and beloved Deep Ellum expert. All three have different cultural backgrounds and sexual orientations but offer honest, passionate opinions about local and national politics, music and gossip.
Listen for their touching show slogan at the beginning of each episode: “Insufficient Funds is a podcast dedicated to all you broke, fly motherfuckers, sliding through the social spectrum with little to no money at all. We see you, we hear you and we are here for you.” Catch the first eight episodes of Insufficient Funds on SoundCloud and stay tuned for season two this August. Mollie Jamison
Thirtyest
If you are a 20- to 40-year-old woman interested in hearing stories about dating, subscribe to Thirtyest right now. Local wedding photographer Natalie Montgomery is host and aims to promote a sense of community and inclusion among women who may feel like the black sheep in their circles.
“The podcast doubles as a safe forum for tales of everything from joy to tragedy and back again,” Montgomery says. “For all the ladies doing the most, the best, the greatest in their 30s, sharing stories of our glamorously, tragic lives.” Check out all 14 episodes to hear more of what she calls a “listening journal.” Mollie Jamison
courtesy Lindsay Graham
American History Tellers
Lindsay Graham, founder and CEO of the Dallas-based podcast and audio production company Airship, is also the voice behind American History Tellers. The podcast's first three episodes debuted at No. 1 in January on iTunes. This week, listeners can tune in to "Hearst vs. Pulitzer," the first in a series of six episodes focused on business wars. The episode begins in the summer of 1897, when William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer, two powerful New York publishers, dueled over daily news headlines during the saga of a “headless torso.” Graham says people couldn’t wait to put their two cents in the hand of a newsboy to get the details.
“Every day, one ups the other,” he says. The fierce battle between the businessmen deepens when the newsboys strike. And that’s just the beginning. Past episodes include segments about the Cold War, Prohibition, the Age of Jackson and the Space Race. Graham, who has a keen interest in history and politics, combines voice, sound effects and a bit of acting for the podcast, which is backed by Wondery, a company that’s also behind the Tides of History podcast. “They knew there was a thirst for informative, educational and immersive historical programming,” Graham tells the Dallas Observer. Karen Gavis
courtesy Cogill Wine and Film: A Perfect Pairing
Cogill Wine and Film: A Perfect Pairing
A good movie deserves to be watched with some good wine. That’s why husband-wife duo Gary Cogill and Hayley Hamilton Cogill critique all kinds of film and wine, respectively. From thrillers to comedies, pinot noir to chardonnay, they help you pick the best combinations. Gary Cogill is probably best known to Dallas natives for being WFAA-TV’s film critic from 1986 to 2010. He switched to KXAS-TV, where he continues to review films.
Hayley Hamilton Cogill founded the Dallas Uncorked organization, which focuses on wine education, in 2004; writes about wine for D Magazine and on her blog, Red Wine with Breakfast; and had a wine segment called “The Broadcast” for KTXD-TV before hosting her current wine segment at KXAS. If you’ve never thought about the right wine to complement a film, this couple has all the knowledge to help reassess your movie-watching experience. Does wine really affect how you watch a movie, you ask? Listen to this podcast and find out. Spoiler alert: Yes, it does. Bryan Yalta
Comics Alternative
Superhero blockbusters have popularized Marvel and DC comics in recent years, but other comic book genres don’t receive the same spotlight. That’s where Comics Alternative comes in, a podcast featuring two guys with doctorates talking about comics, as their tagline mentions. The show has lasted roughly six years with hosts Derek Royal and Andy Kunka, who left in February and made way for other co-hosts.
Based in Frisco, Comics Alternative reviews comic books, mangas, webcomics and graphic novels, analyzing just about every aspect of each object du jour. The podcast also offers series highlighting certain genres, international selections and, on occasion, comic book conventions, focusing on the obscure side of the pop-culture comic book world. Comics Alternative further promotes this non-superhero area by providing interviews with independent comic book creators and writers discussing their work processes and takes on all things comics. Bryan Yalta
