Media Mothership

Trent Breward, recently returned from his trip to Japan, shares his on-the-ground experiences with Japan’s vibrant wrestling scene, offering insights into live events, fan culture, and how Japanese wrestling (puroresu) differs from what Western audiences may expect. We then return to last episode’s discussion of the Americanisation of anime, and early dubbing pioneer Fred Ladd. Drawing from Ladd’s DVD commentary on the U.S. localisation of Gigantor, Craig analyses how editing choices, cultural reframing, and narrative adjustments shaped early American perceptions of Japanese animation. This episode was recorded at Hobart’s Edge Radio 99.3FM studios, and first aired on 4 Dec 2025. For more info on Media Mothership go to https://mediamothership.au/ Recorded live each week from Edge Radio studios in Hobart, Tasmania. https://www.edgeradio.org.au/ Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m joined by UTAS PhD student Ashley Remminga to unpack Fred Ladd’s commentary from the 1960s cartoon Gigantor, the US localised version of Tetsujin 28-go. We reflect on the wild rewrites of early anime dubs, and the cultural impact Gigantor had in Australia. This episode was recorded at Hobart’s Edge Radio 99.3FM studios, and first aired on 27 Nov 2025. For more info on Media Mothership go to https://mediamothership.au/ Recorded live each week from Edge Radio studios in Hobart, Tasmania. https://www.edgeradio.org.au/ Follow us on Media Mothership https://www.mediamothership.au Instagram https://www.instagram.com/media_mothership/ Facebook https://fb.me/MediaTackle Discord https://discord.gg/QvdT39EDMV Edge Radio https://www.edgeradio.org.au/shows/media-mothership/ Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We break down the latest media news and then take a deep dive into the early Americanisation of anime. Drawing on Fred Ladd’s commentary for the Gigantor (1964) cartoon, we explore how Ladd and his team reshaped Japanese storytelling, aesthetics, and themes to fit the expectations of American television. For episode notes and links go to https://mediamothership.au/ Recorded live each week from Edge Radio studios in Hobart, Tasmania. https://www.edgeradio.org.au/ First Aired Date: 21 Nov 2025 Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We interview Zackary Roeth, a volunteer at Print Radio and student filmmaker, to explore his work editing audiobooks for local radio and his creative work in student film. Our movie review is the 90th anniversary of Bride of Frankenstein (1935), we unpack the film’s enduring legacy, stylistic nuances, and cultural impact. Drawing on insights from film historian Scott MacQueen’s audio commentary on the Blu-ray release, we delve into what makes this classic continue to resonate nearly a century later. Links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZIhL3oQLFMhttps://events.humanitix.com/hobartshowcasehttps://www.printradiotas.org.au/ For more info on Media Mothership go to https://mediamothership.au/ Recorded live each week from Edge Radio studios in Hobart, Tasmania. https://www.edgeradio.org.au/ Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we explore everything from Australia’s proposed streaming content rules to The Simpsons crossover in Fortnite. We discuss Rockstar’s abandoned spy game, why GTA never returned to London, a South Park subreddit mystery, Stellar Blade’s latest controversy, backlash over The Witcher on Netflix, and a surprising detail from Evangelion’s animation history. For more info on Media Mothership go to https://mediamothership.au/ Recorded live each week from Edge Radio studios in Hobart, Tasmania. https://www.edgeradio.org.au/ Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Latest pop culture oddities, including video game mishaps, virtual weddings, and retro game finds. We end the show with a discussion of what makes a good bit of “Breaking News”, “Emergency Broadcast” diegetic media in zombie fans, and play some classic examples from “Night of the Living Dead” (1968) and “Shaun of the Dead”. 'Night of the Living Dead' is a classic zombie film that set the rules and tropes for the genre, while 'Shaun of the Dead' is a comedic take on the zombie apocalypse. We see how these “breaking news” clips from these films set up the rules and tropes of zombie films. https://www.gamespot.com/gallery/the-best-worst-injuries-and-illnesses-caused-by-video-games/2900-4068/https://automaton-media.com/en/news/like-a-dragon-event-offers-fans-wedding-ceremony-with-their-favorite-character-for-980-complete-with-faux-marriage-and-divorce-papers/https://kotaku.com/unsold-ps2-game-walmart-reddit-pbr-bull-riding-weird-reddit-2000637727 For more info on Media Mothership go to https://mediamothership.au/ Recorded live each week from Edge Radio studios in Hobart, Tasmania. https://www.edgeradio.org.au/ Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss PAX Aus 2025, Australia's biggest convention for video games and pop culture, highlighting some of the experiences Craig had there. We also chat about some of the strange and unusual news in media culture (links provided below). https://www.polygon.com/red-dead-redemption-2-mod-blurbs-npc-memories-interview/https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/1nve032/i_modded_rdr2_to_give_npcs_real_memories_you_are/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/japanese-government-makes-formal-request-for-openai-to-stop-copyright-infringement/1100-6535425/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ubisoft-canceled-civil-war-based-assassins-creed-over-controversy-concerns-report/1100-6535320/https://www.reddit.com/r/CrusaderKings/comments/1o14t7q/removed_by_moderator/https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/threads/the-ck3-production-team-may-not-know-that-they-have-the-largest-female-fan-base-of-strategy-games-in-china.1730881/https://kotaku.com/sora-2-update-pokemon-nintendo-openai-sam-altman-ai-2000632089https://www.cbr.com/ghost-rider-spirit-of-vengeance-streaming-on-netflix/https://www.cbr.com/james-bond-no-time-to-die-daniel-craig-streaming-hit-october-2025/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-04/dave-franco-horror-film-pulled-from-china-over-ai-censorship/105844328https://www.polygon.com/tron-ares-cast-video-games-picks-survival/https://www.cbr.com/best-anime-only-popular-european-fans/ For more info on Media Mothership go to https://mediamothership.au/ Recorded live each week from Edge Radio studios in Hobart, Tasmania. https://www.edgeradio.org.au/ Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Special guest Marcus joins us to explain key professional wrestling terms to understand the highlights, critiques and hype surrounding Wrestlepalooza 2025. WWE Basic Terminology https://jesuitroundup.org/2024/08/wwe-basic-terminology/ Media Mothership Instagram Facebook Discord Edge Radio Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We cover some recent pop culture news and then dive into today's topic, using Nick Couldry’s work on media places to talk about the cracked.com article "14 Abandoned Movie Sets That You Can Go Screw Around in If You’ve Got the Time". Media Mothership https://www.mediamothership.au Instagram https://www.instagram.com/media_mothership/ Facebook https://fb.me/MediaTackle Discord https://discord.gg/QvdT39EDMV Edge Radio https://www.edgeradio.org.au/shows/media-mothership/ Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss what is considered one of the best adaptations of Shakespeare’s Macbeth: Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood. We draw on Michael Jeck’s commentary from the Criterion Blu-ray to explore the blending of Shakespearean tragedy, Japanese aesthetics (such as Noh theatre), and Kurosawa’s unique cinematic storytelling style. We also dive into some of the TV tropes to highlight the film’s profound themes of power, guilt, ambition, and fate, along with Kurosawa’s masterful use of atmosphere and symbolism: Ambition Is Evil, Bloody Hallucinations of Guilt, Murder Makes You Crazy, the Sliding Scale of Free Will vs. Fate, and Villain Protagonist. Media Mothership https://www.mediamothership.au Instagram https://www.instagram.com/media_mothership/ Facebook https://fb.me/MediaTackle Discord https://discord.gg/QvdT39EDMV Edge Radio https://www.edgeradio.org.au/shows/media-mothership/ Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recent pop culture and entertainment news: a mecha director’s concerns about relevancy for young fans, “creepy” popcorn bucket marketing in the Conjuring franchise, and anime as political protest in Indonesia. Plus, game mysteries, global music aspirants, pixel art activism, Jurassic World tours in Flight Sim, a new Tourism Australia campaign, sports gaming developments, and Superman’s struggles on page and screen. References: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-24/how-well-do-audiences-relate-to-superheroes/105668972 https://boundingintocomics.com/anime/gundam-gquuuuuux-director-evangelion-mecha-genre-kids/ https://kotaku.com/conjuring-4-last-rites-popcorn-bucket-annabelle-regal-cinemark-2000618273 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-09/young-indonesians-raise-one-piece-flag-to-express-frustration/105625686 https://www.ign.com/articles/grand-theft-auto-5-players-think-theyve-finally-solved-the-mount-chiliad-mystery-but-others-arent-convinced https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-09/musicians-seek-fame-success-asia-west-us-uk/105621618 https://www.polygon.com/what-is-wplace-google-maps-pixel-art-reddit-rplace/ https://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-flight-sim-2024-will-soon-let-you-tour-jurassic-world/1100-6533748/ https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-04/tourism-australia-come-and-say-gday-campaign/105601674 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-02/rugby-league-26-video-game-ross-symons-big-ant/105600772 https://www.polygon.com/dc/613025/superman-vs-american-government-comics-movies-tv/ Follow us on Media Mothership https://www.mediamothership.au Instagram https://www.instagram.com/media_mothership/ Facebook https://fb.me/MediaTackle Discord https://discord.gg/QvdT39EDMV Edge Radio https://www.edgeradio.org.au/shows/media-mothership/ Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join us for a lively conversation with Leo from Hyperfixation Sensation as we dig into our most unexpected and memorable video game stories. This episode explores the unique ways immersive and ultra-realistic games shape how we connect, react, and even lose ourselves during play. Links: Listen in to Leo’s show on Edge Radio every Tuesday 11-12pm (AEST), streaming live on Edge Radio: https://www.edgeradio.org.au/shows/hyperfixation-sensation/https://www.instagram.com/hyperfixation_sensation/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c789pev9dgpo?Metaver.se Follow us on Media Mothership https://www.mediamothership.au Instagram https://www.instagram.com/media_mothership/ Facebook https://fb.me/MediaTackle Discord https://discord.gg/QvdT39EDMV Edge Radio https://www.edgeradio.org.au/shows/media-mothership/ Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss the "East Meets West" interview from David Anthony Kraft’s Comics Interview (1995) issue 148. An interesting moment in the cultural exchange between Western and Japanese comics, focusing on a visit by American comics creators, including Will Eisner and Brian Stelfreeze, with Tezuka Productions. We delve into the early interactions between Western creators and manga during a time when distinctly Japanese-branded manga and anime were just emerging in the U.S. and Western markets. We also connect these insights to recent developments, including "Kadokawa Seeks New Manga Artists Overseas Due to Labor Shortage" (Mainichi Japan) and "'Frieren' Staff Warn Against Chasing Western Trends" (Bounding Into Comics). Follow us on Media Mothership https://www.mediamothership.au Instagram https://www.instagram.com/media_mothership/ Facebook https://fb.me/MediaTackle Discord https://discord.gg/QvdT39EDMV Edge Radio https://www.edgeradio.org.au/shows/media-mothership/ Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We break down SummerSlam 2025 from the big matches and surprises, controversies, and what succeeded (and didn't) on the night. Join host Craig, co-host Taylor and special guest Marcus as we go over all the main points. Media Mothership https://www.mediamothership.au Instagram https://www.instagram.com/media_mothership/ Facebook https://fb.me/MediaTackle Discord https://discord.gg/QvdT39EDMV Edge Radio https://www.edgeradio.org.au/shows/media-mothership/ Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We discuss the 1995 "What is Anime and Why Is Everybody Talking About It?" article from Comics Interview #148 magazine. What predictions were accurate, as well as the misses and misfires? We'll also explore what the West didn’t understand at that time about the localisation of manga and anime, and compare it to the present. Follow us on Media Mothership (https://www.mediamothership.au) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/media_mothership/) Facebook (https://fb.me/MediaTackle) TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@mediamothership?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc) Discord (https://discord.gg/QvdT39EDMV) Edge Radio (https://www.edgeradio.org.au/shows/media-mothership/) Support the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Continuing our discussion on Orientalism from last week, where we explored the golden age of the radio series "The Shadow," this episode focuses on techno-orientalism as seen in the video game "Cyberpunk 2077." Craig, Taylor, and Ronan delve into the game's use of Japanese imagery and characters, examining its artistic and narrative intentions. They also discuss how the game utilizes conventions of the cyberpunk genre, highlighting both the positive and negative aspects of its representations. Listen live to “Media Mothership” every week (Australian Eastern Standard Time) via YouTube, Twitch, and Edge Radio. Follow us on Media MothershipInstagramFacebookTikTokDiscordEdge RadioSupport the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The captivating world of "The Shadow," one of the most iconic radio drama series of the Golden Age, which aired from 1937 to 1954. In this episode, we explore the rich history and cultural significance of this early pulp character that left a lasting mark on pop culture. Through exclusive documentary recordings featuring key cast members and creative minds behind the series, we unravel the nostalgia surrounding its legacy. Join us as we analyze the intriguing episode “The Temple Bells of Neban,” featuring the legendary Orson Welles. We’ll examine the episode's key tropes and how it reflects the various Orientalist perspectives of the 1930s, shedding light on the West's depiction of the East. Sources: “The Story of The Shadow” https://youtu.be/IoWfgUsZJ2g?si=WX3irDxoAz9--i1Q Himan Brown | Audio Maverick | Episode 4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo2ss9Xr3Os The Shadow Radio S 01 E 05 Recap - TV Tropes https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/TheShadowRadioS01E05 The Shadow 05: The Temple Bells of Neban https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z83lR0NrXAA&list=PL3opBhNiZmthZENiiK4Zu1m8W3wotc-ho&index=6&t=52s Listen live to “Media Mothership” every week (Australian Eastern Standard Time) via YouTube, Twitch, and Edge Radio. Follow us on Media MothershipInstagramFacebookTikTokDiscordEdge RadioSupport the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We interview Edward Williams, who has recently published his tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) "Kingdoms of Amnesia." This game is set in a post-cataclysmic world where history has been fractured and restarted. We explore Edward's creative process and inspirations, examine the unique aspects of his Game Master (GM) philosophy, delve into his interesting mechanical choices, discuss the rich lore, and address the social and community aspects of RPG design. For more information about "Kings of Amnesia" email kingdomsofamnesia@gmail.com SB GAMES - LEGO® Parts, Sets, and Mini Figures Store | Hobart Listen live to “Media Mothership” every week (Australian Eastern Standard Time) via YouTube, Twitch, and Edge Radio. Follow us on Media MothershipInstagramFacebookTikTokDiscordEdge RadioSupport the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why the renewed interest in "Star Wars: Battlefront 2"? What are the ambitious plans from Chinese studios to AI-remake classic kung fu films featuring legends like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li. Plus, and why the urgency to recover Marty McFly's lost guitar from "Back to the Future"? We also take a deep dive into Stephen King's 'interior eye' from "Danse Macabre," tracing its roots back to Stan Freberg's iconic radio sketch, "Anybody Here Remember Radio?" Was TV truly a disruptive force for radio? Tune in as we tackle the fears of the 1960s and 1980s, as both Freberg and King weigh in on the impact of radio dramas. Links: Michael J. Fox Says The Search Is On For Marty McFly's Lost Guitar From Back to the Future - IGN Fans Embrace Star Wars: Battlefront 2 While Begging For Sequel Chinese Studios Planning AI Remakes of the Classic Kung Fu Films of Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li - IGN The pervert's guide to cinema -Matrix- Stephen King | Danse Macabre Stan Freberg - Anybody Here Remember Radio Listen live to “Media Mothership” every week (Australian Eastern Standard Time) via YouTube, Twitch, and Edge Radio. Follow us on Media MothershipInstagramFacebookTikTokDiscordEdge RadioSupport the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the chilling legacy of “Chicken Heart,” a seven-minute radio drama that first aired in 1937 on the iconic show Lights Out? Join us as we explore the eerie world crafted by Arch Oboler and discuss how this seemingly simple tale continues to haunt pop culture today. What makes “Chicken Heart” resonate so strongly in the contemporary era? We’ll delve into the historical context, the media landscape, and the anxieties of the pre-WWII era that shaped this story. Using Blake Snyder's (2005) framework from Save the Cat, along with media theories from Slavoj Žižek and Stuart Hall, we will uncover the compelling story structure and the unstoppable horror tropes it embodies. We will also examine its cultural impact through insights from Stephen King's analysis of radio horror and Bill Cosby's comedic retelling. Join us for an exploration of why "Chicken Heart" endures, revealing how sound continues to evoke terror in this timeless classic! Sources: Halloween Heartthrob: The “Chicken Heart” that Gobbled Up the Globe | Timeless "Chicken Heart" [remastered] • Classic Radio Horror from LIGHTS OUT - YouTube Bill Cosby - Chicken Heart (1966) Listen live to “Media Mothership” every week (Australian Eastern Standard Time) via YouTube, Twitch, and Edge Radio. Follow us on Media MothershipInstagramFacebookTikTokDiscordEdge RadioSupport the show: https://www.mediamothership.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.