Oh man. What a doozy. Dora is very new to battling the possibility of alcoholism, and when I asked what she wanted to talk to me about, that's what she said. So I acquiesced. Because who am I to say no to an interesting, heartfelt, and at times difficult conversation. Dora and I also made a decent attempt at keeping it light while we delved into her realization within the last month that she needed to make a serious change in her life where drinking is concerned. 

Enjoy the joy that is Ben Larrison in this week's episode wherein he expounds upon all things he loves, strives towards, and pursues where happiness is concerned. Yeah, we all like happiness. Duh. But Ben has a special brand of interest in producing happiness in himself and others whenever possible and in the most playful of ways.

Stephen Kropa is a big fanboy for two artisans (directors/writers/show runners/comedians...) who would probably consider themselves fanboys as well, Dan Harmon and Edgar Wright. Their bevy of pop culture influences on their own projects is a constant comfort and inspiration for Kropa, and I can't find any room to disagree with him on the ways they are similar creators when it comes to the blending of homages and nods with their own unique, very specific voices and visions as artists.

Dive in to this episode with the indomitable Erin Lann for tons of ocean chat! We delve into her three favorite animals of all time (all sea beasts), and eventually meander into some deeper philosophical territories like bio-dome conservation and world politics. Erin gets into some deep cut ocean animal facts, and it was a true joy to learn from her.

I'm pretty ashamed of myself for never having seen Joss Whedon's beloved, taken-before-its-time sci-fi series, and dear Allison only heightened my shame with her excellent weaving of thoughts and feelings on this series and many other Whedon properties. We explore themes ranging from dealing with grief to accepting your inner nerd-dom all via Whedon's 14-episode work (plus some Serenity talk).

Sean Kelley is super into a lot of things because he's a super knowledgeable dude and fan, but he's especially super into the superheroes that make up the X-Men. He's been on board since X-Men #1 came out in 1991 (the best-selling comic book of all time!) and has been ravenously consuming the comics since then. Thus, of course, he has some stellar thoughts about what has worked and what hasn't in the film adaptations of said comics (and some other Marvel and non-Marvel properties just as some fun, relevant tangents).

Andy Junk may have mad love for the Caped Crusader, but he is far from a Dark Knight. Brimming with kindness and enthusiasm, Andy covered all eras and all mediums of Batman fandom (comics, films, live action and animated TV series, video games, collectables... the works). There were no stones left unturned in this delightful romp through the bat cave.

Fellow member of the Nerdologues Joe Gennaro sits down with me to tap some lands and cast some spells as we weave tales about the incredibly popular deck-building card game Magic: The Gathering. I learn what WUBRG means, how awesome a God pack is, and a bunch of other nerdy fun things along the way (this game has the possibility of creating an infinite number of squirrels....).

Nick Hassebrock was mesmerised by David Copperfield from the first time he saw one of his specials at six years old and has loved and been inspired by him ever since. It wasn't just about the illusions, it was the whole package; from lighting to music to showmanship, Nick points out that Copperfield is truly at the top of his field and helps magic seem less "dorky."

Molly Jones is the happiest of campers. She's always rallying the troops and weaving tales on and off stage. It’s no surprise that she wanted to talk to me about her love of summer camp. She still counts her summers as a camper (and later counselor) at Camp Laurel South as some of her greatest times.