Jeff Has Cool Friends

My Cool Friend Ken Napzok is the COOLEST! He and I used to be next-door neighbors that love all the same stuff! Now we live slightly further away while loving the same stuff! You might know Ken from the innumberable amount of nerdy things he's been a part of, like ScreenJunkies, ForceCenter, and like, a skrillion other things. He even wrote a book called Why We Love Star Wars, and it's amazing! We talk about so much cool stuff, that it's really hard to quantify in just this paragraph, so just trust me that Ken is amazing and you're going to love this episode. So listen, enjoy, follow Ken on the socials (@KenNapzok everywhere, including YouTube!) and head on over to patreon.com/jeffmay to enjoy our Patreon-exclusive content JUST FOR PATRONS!

Join mega nerds Dre Alvarez and Jeff May as they geek out on a different nerdy cultural touchstone every month. Part reminiscence, part historical deep dive. This month, Dre and Jeff begin their season on Toy Reboots with special guest Adam Tod Brown as they dive into GI Joe, A Real American Hero, the line rebooting Hasbro's 12" action figure (definitely not a doll) lasting from 1982-1994! There's a lot to unpack about this seminal 80's toy line, so let's fight for freedom wherever there's trouble, never give up, and stay 'til the fight's won as we dive deep into GI Joe, A Real American Hero with our first toy line reboot! And don't forget to follow Dre (@nerdnumbers) and Jeff (@heytherejeffro) and Adam (@AdamTodBrown), and give Adam's podcasts a listen on the You Don't Even Like Podcasts Network and have a nerdy day!

My latest cool friend, TV and comic writer Tom Krajewski, is one of my oldest friends in Los Angeles, and one of the most impressive dudes I know. Among his countless achievements, we find Primer, the absolute DC comics PHENOMENON that is one of the fastest, highest selling books since it's inception a few years ago (co-created with Jennifer Muro, see JHCF episode 23). Well guess what? They are releasing Primer as individual issues, have a sequel coming, and WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE? We talk about it, sure, but we also talk about writing BATMAN COMICS, his various TV shows, Ninja Turtles, the music video he's in with PINK and so much more! We're just bros being bros. So please enjoy, go gollow Tom on social media (IG: @krajewski_tom, Twitter @TomKrajewski) watch his shows, and find out what super secret project he's working on that'll crossover with a certain other podcast I co-host, and head on over to patreon.com/jeffmay to enjoy the Patreon-exclusive content we recorded JUST FOR PATRONS!

My Cool Friend Dan Bakkedahl has one hell of a resume under his belt. From movies like The Heat, Trumbo, and Action Point to television shows like The Daily Show, Legit, and Veep, Dan has proven himself to be filled to the brim with talent and charm. What you might NOT know, however, is that Dan is one of my best pinball buddies. Don't worry, we let you know ALL about it pretty quickly. On top of that, Mr. Johnson's Time Machine (his incredible new podcast with Joe Canale) is an absolute delight. I'd tell you to follow Dan on social media, but he deleted them all. I've never been more jealous of a guest in my life. So enjoy this episode, and head on over to Patreon.com/jeffmay for exclusive content we recorded JUST FOR PATRONS!

Join mega nerds Dre Alvarez and Jeff May as they geek out on a different nerdy cultural touchstone every month. Part reminiscence, part historical deep dive. This month, Dre and Jeff finish their season on Unfortunate Video Game Adaptations with the most unfortunate mainstream video game adaptation of all-time: 1994's Double Dragon! There's a lot to unpack about this absoulte violation of a film, so let's bleach our flaptops, engage in some questionable martial arts, and reunite our cheap plastic medallion as we dive deep into Double Dragon with our final unfortunate video game movie! And don't forget to follow Dre (@nerdnumbers) and Jeff (@heytherejeffro), have a nerdy day, and head on over to patreon.com/jeffmay for exclusives, early access to uncensored episodes, and so much more!

Oh boy is my latest Cool Friend a doozy! Honestly, I'm not sure how I even managed to snag Rey Taira for this long, as he was supposed to be getting ready for TF Con (Transformers) as his company, threezero, is going to have a HUGE presence there. But hey, I'm not complaining. Rey is one of the coolest, kindest, nerdiest nerds I know, and I'm so stoked to just geek out with him for a while. Wait until you hear about all the stuff that, not only his company produces, but that he himself does. It's so rad. And like, he's a PRESIDENT. HE PRESIDES OVER STUFF! I could go on forever about Rey, but I think it's best if you just listen, follow him @ultramanrei and threezero @threezerohk, and head on over to Patreon.com/jeffmay to enjoy our specially recorded bonus content JUST FOR PATRONS!

My Cool Friend this episode is the amazing Jon Jabs of one of my favorite Youtube channels, The Past Is Alive. When I was researching card breakers a few years back in order to check out how it's done right, I stumbled onto his fascinating channel and it was just everything I could have hoped for. Jon is fun, knowledgeable, interactive, and charming as heck at every turn, and he's cultivated a fantastic and supportive community in the TPIA family. I quickly became a huge fan of his work, as his entire vibe is about the fun and friendship of the hobby. And hey, it's not every day there are TWO giant bearded dudes who colect toys and open cards on camera on the show, so let's soak this one up. So please enjoy the episode, and I can't stress enough how much you need to check out Jon's Youtube Channel and Facebook community. Heck, you'll probably even see me in the Live Chats half the time. And head on over to my Patreon for early access to uncensored episodes AND exclusive content we record JUST FOR PATRONS!

Join mega nerds Dre Alvarez and Jeff May as they geek out on a different nerdy cultural touchstone every month. Part reminiscence, part historical deep dive. This month, Dre and Jeff are joined by John and Tom Reimann of the Screamplay podcast as they continue their season on Unfortunate Video Game Adaptations with 2005's Doom! There's a lot to unpack about this absoulte whiff of a film, so let's inject some space chromosomes, chainsaw a mutant dog-man's robo-spine, and look down a microscope instead of a sniper scope, as we dive deep into Doom, creeping deeper into 2024 with another unfortunate video game movie!And don't forget to follow Dre (@nerdnumbers) Jeff (@heytherejeffro) John (@johnnyrimes) and Tom (startthemachine) on the socials, go listen to Screamplay (and all the other great podcasts) on the Gamefully Unemployed network, and have a nerdy day!

My latest Cool Friend is one of those friends that, when I met him for the first time, I kinda quietly geeked out. I grew up marveling at his images in secondhand Cracked magazines I got from my mom’s friend Cathy, and admiring his work from there on out at various points in my life. Bob is a master cartoonist, having credits all over the pop culture universe. From Cracked and MAD, to Marvel and DC, to TMNT and Heavy Metal, to his cult comic series Minimum Wage, I can’t imagine you HAVEN’T seen Bob’s work. And now he’s got “That’s Some Business You’re In,” an over-40-year retrospective of his art career (forwarded by the amazing Bill Sinkiewicz) that will have a compilation and notes on work spanning all the way back to his childhood, and which is currently being crowd-sourced at https://zoop.gg/c/bobfingermanWhen I noticed he had just started that campaign, I was about to beg to have him on the show to promote it. Turns out I just had to ask nicely. So here it is! Please enjoy my conversation with Bob, follow him on the socials @BobFingerman, and please, if you can, check out the landing page for That’s Some Business You’re In’s crowdfunding campaign, because I think a whole bunch of you are REALLY gonna want to see this. And while you’re at it, head on over to Patreon.com/jeffmay and enjoy some Patreon-exclusive content we recorded JUST FOR YOU!

My latest Cool Friend is the immensely talented comedian/host/rabblerouser Bailey Norton. Bailey is not only a masterful comic (I mean, she’s done Mint on Card several times and co-hosts the amazing Femmes the Rules live show) and fantastic podcast host (Hot Topic with Pickle and Bailey is a delight!), but she’s often found going viral across social media with her delightful traps laid out for toxic masculinity. Her bits have become so legendary, that she’s even partnered up with Reductress to make a sweatshirt using one of her most famous (and divisive) jokes (which you can find right here. This is a wonderfully fun and honest conversation with one of the most wonderfully fun and honest people I know, and I’m excited to bring it to you. So listen up, follow @baileyenorton on the socials, subscribe to Hot Topic with Pickle and Bailey, and head on over to patreon.com/jeffmay for access to Patreon-exclusive content where we talk about one intended thing and one accidental thing!

Join mega nerds Dre Alvarez and Jeff May as they geek out on a different nerdy cultural touchstone every month. Part reminiscence, part historical deep dive. Dre and Jeff enter their season on Unfortunate Video Game Adaptations with Street Fighter the Movie, the second direct adaptation of a video game ever! There's a lot to unpack about this campy blockbuster, so let's become undercover reporters, make a monster with some little videos, and keek that sunoffabeetch Bison's-asssss so hardt that thuh next Bison wannabee is going to fill it, as we dive deep into Street Fighter the Movie, easing us into 2024 with some awkward video game movies! And don't forget to follow Dre (@nerdnumbers) Jeff (@heytherejeffro) on the socials and have a nerdy day! Also, if you're feeling adventurous, head on over to Patreon.com/jeffmay to access a SPECIAL exclusive episode of NERD! that dropped over the holidays.

OK, for real I'm not sure that I have enough space to list this episode's Cool Friend's accomplishments. Cat LaCohie (or Vixen DeVille, if you want to get all burlesque about it) is one of those people that is so filled to the brim with talent and drive, that I don't even know where to start. When we met, she out-comedied me before walking on shards of broken glass. You've probably seen her breathe fire on tv. She has an award-winning solo show that's dominated many festivals. She's just a friggin dynamo, I'll let the episode speak for itself. So go follow @VixenDeVille and check out vixendeville.com for more, and hey, head on over to Patreon.com/jeffmay to enjoy our Patreon exclusive content where we discuss that time she worked for...well, you'll see. It's WILD.

Join mega nerds Dre Alvarez and Jeff May as they geek out on a different nerdy cultural touchstone every month. Part reminiscence, part historical deep This formerly Pateron-exclusive (and missing "Episode 5") episode of NERD! had Dre and Jeff continuing their season of TV Specials with He-Man and She-Ra: A Christmas Special. There's a lot to unpack about this weird-ass classic, so let's go face off with the Beast-Monster, kidnap some alien children, and remind people the we are NOT NICE with this formerly PATREON EXCLUSIVE Holiday delight! And, if you want to hear our CURRENT exclusive Holiday episode, head over to patreon.com/jeffmay and give it a listen, and follow Dre (@nerdnumbers) and Jeff (@heytherejeffro) and have a wonderful holiday!

Join mega nerds Dre Alvarez and Jeff May as they geek out on a different nerdy cultural touchstone every month. Part reminiscence, part historical deep dive. The 17th episode of NERD! has Dre and Jeff EXTENDING their season on Cinematic Child Neglect with Dutch, the rare John Hughes misfire about a nightmare Thankgiving roadtrip starring Ed O'Neill and Ethan Embry. There's a lot to unpack about this hidden holiday classic, so let's buy some racy playing cards, drink some tasty looking water, and wiggle and grunt, as we dive deep into Dutch, juxtaposing our holiday themes because [a few of] YOU demanded it! And don't forget to head one over to Patreon.com/jeffmay for early access to shows like this, plus Patreon exclusives, goodies, and much more, and hey, go follow Dre (@nerdnumbers) and Jeff (@heytherejeffro) on the socials and, of course, enjoy your holidays!

OK, so my Cool Friend TJ Shevlin may be the Product Development Coordinator for Upper Deck's Marvel Comics line of trading cards, and that's pretty amazing. But boy does that merely scratch the surface of all the cool, amazing stuff he's done. TJ is one of only SIX Eisner Awards judges (the Oscars of comics, given away at SDCC) and he's had his hands in almost every nerdy cookie jar you can imagine. This is a really geeky one in the best way, and we could've legit recorded for another 2 hours. Look, just listen up because you're gonna love this one, and go follow @strsmydestination as soon as possible. And hey, head on over to patreon.com/jeffmay to enjoy our Patreon-exclusive content where TJ may or may not drop a very clear hint about something super secret on the horizon from Upper Deck.

I'm so stoked to put this episode up, as my Cool Friends Michael Randolph (@MRandolph24) Paige Wesley (@RampaigeWesley) and Todd Schlosser (@ToddJAwesome) from two of my favorite pods, Horror Virgin and Romancing the Pod are joining me this week. I've known Paige for quite a while, and since guesting on an episode of HV, I've become fast friends with the Tennessee-based Todd and Mikey. It made perfect sense to have the three of them on to talk about the cool-ass shows they do. We talk about a lot, and I have a lot of questions for the team in this one, so do yourselves a favor and, after you listen to this episode, go subscribe and listen to HV and RtP, follow these three on the socials, and head on over to Patreon.com/jeffmay for early access to uncensored episodes and go enjoy our Patreon-exclusive content.

Well, well, well, look what we have here. It's David Bell! He's my Cool Friend, and we talk about stuff! And things! Honestly, the way we gel when we talk made this one of the easiest episodes to record, and the time went by so quickly that we couldn't honestly believe that we had burned through an hour. You might know Dave from his work with Gamefully Unemployed (Hype Cast, Fox Mulder is a Maniac, Star Trek the Next Futurama) or as the head writer of Some More News. You might know him from his Cracked days. You might even know him from the previous version of this show from a few years back. However you know Dave, you MUST know he's an absolute delight, and I'm so excited to have him on the show. Listen up, go follow @moviehooligan on the socials, listen to Gamefully Unemployed's impressive catalog, and hey, head on over to Patreon.com/jeffmay for early access to uncensored episodes woith bonus content, and what might be my favorite Patreon-exclusive content to date with this episode.

Join mega nerds Dre Alvarez and Jeff May as they geek out on a different nerdy cultural touchstone every month. Part reminiscence, part historical deep dive. The 16th episode of NERD! has Dre and Jeff finishing their season on Cinematic Child Neglect with Home Alone 2, Lost in New York, the redundant yet popular sequel (remake?) to the smash hit 1990 film that swept the nation. There's a lot to unpack about this certified rotten holiday blockbuster, so let's order our very own cheese Peet-ZA, fake a hotel shooting (wait, what???), and engage in WAY more attempted murder than we expected, as we dive deep into Home Alone 2, Lost in New York, easing us into the holidays and keeping our second year of the show moving full steam ahead! And don't forget to head one over to Patreon.com/jeffmay for early access to shows like this, plus Patreon exclusives, goodies, and much more, and hey, go follow Dre (@nerdnumbers) Jeff (@heytherejeffro) on the socials and keep the change, ya filthy animals!

My latest Cool Friend, the NEWLY EMMY NOMINATED Joey Clift, is a brilliant writer and comedian who also happens to be at the forefront of Native American entertainment, working on projects like Netflix's Spirit Rangers, his own project Gone Native (https://gonenative.tv/) and countless podcasts, panels, and live shows. Joey and I talk about a whole bunch of stuff in this illuminating and fun conversation, and, I could try to sell you on why you should love him, but just listen and you'll get it. So listen up, go follow Joey on Twitter (@joeytainment) and IG (@joeycliiiiiift), then watch Gone Native and head on over to Patreon.com/jeffmay for our Patreon exclusive conversation where I face my own idiocy.

Join mega nerds Dre Alvarez and Jeff May as they geek out on a different nerdy cultural touchstone every month. Part reminiscence, part historical deep dive. The 15th episode of NERD! has Dre and Jeff continue their season on Cinematic Child Neglect (fun!) with Adventures in Babysitting, the mid-80's classic about Elizabeth Shue and maybe some other stuff, but mostly Elizabeth Shue. Yikes. There's a lot to unpack about this stacked piece of vintage nostalgia, so let's run away to the bus station, chop-shoplift a Playboy, and not [fool] with the Lords of Hell, as we dive deep into Adventures in Babysitting, celebrating my birthday, keeping our second year of the show moving full steam ahead! And don't forget to follow Dre (@nerdnumbers) Jeff (@heytherejeffro) on the socials and have a nerdy day!