Best Scalawag Podcasts (2024)

1
Episode 40: Splitting Arrows- Redefining our Rankings with The Legend of Robin Hood in 1975 2:04:29

1h ago2:04:29

2:04:29

I'm joined by Richard Hopkins-Lutz and Mike Nichols (with a special guest cameo by Allen Wright) to discuss the six part mini series "The Legend of Robin Hood" from 1975, a series that forced us to have a reckoning with just how we've been reviewing and discussing the Robin Hood media we've encountered up until this point! We'll also get into a sur…

1
Episode 39: Reading Cozy Robin Hood Fiction with Jenny Kane & Jennifer Ash 45:16

18d ago45:16

45:16

This week I'm joined by a fiction writer who has delved deeply into the world of Robin Hood fiction through her work on the Robin of Sherwood audio dramas as well as the world of medieval outlaws through her academic studies and the Folville Chronicles, a historical fiction series centered around the very real Folville gang of the 14th century. Jen…

1
Episode 38: Splitting Arrows- Getting High on Trickery but Low on Heists with Tales of Robin Hood in 1951 1:46:33

1M ago1:46:33

1:46:33

Jumping back in time to cover an overlooked short film from 1951. Since 'Tales of Robin Hood' is supposedly composed of episodes from a proposed television show, we brought back Ben Curley who had joined us for episode 32 when we covered Wolfshead, another attempted television show that saw a brief second life with a limited theatrical release. The…

1
Episode 37: Bringing Robin Hood Back to the People with Philip Hickman, Adrianna Quinones, and Sean Taylor 1:10:27

2M ago1:10:27

1:10:27

Robin Hood has been a popular subject for plays dating back for at least 600 years and the production put on last year by Actor's Theater of Columbus exemplifies how modern authors continue to find ways to keep these characters and themes relevant, and entertaining, for audiences today. This episode includes my interview with playwright and directo…

1
Episode 36: Splitting Arrows - Long Live the Scalawag of Fire in 1971 2:04:22

2M ago2:04:22

2:04:22

Towards the end of this episode we grapple with this film's strange identity crisis. Which is appropriate as the main character seems to be having a bit of an identity crisis as well. Join us as we watch the charming and exuberant Guliano Gemma beat Russel Crowe to the punch in terms of stealing the identity of Robin Hood from a dead man. With Rich…

1
59 Foolin' With You 1:07:18

2M ago1:07:18

1:07:18

Court jesters have been associated with positions of authority throughout time in memorial from the Pharoah Neferkere to the conquests of Atilla the Hun to the Battle of Hastings and through the Age of Discovery. These wisecracking wearers of the "cap and bells" have gone by various titles: minstrel, juggler, jolly, clown, comedian, joker, harlequi…

1
Episode 35: A Storied Collection of Rebels with Icy Sedgwick 44:36

3M ago44:36

44:36

As an author, blogger, and podcaster, Icy Sedgwick has been making a name for herself with all things folklore-related across the internet. Her recent book, Rebel Folklore, from DK Press with vivid illustrations by Melissa Jarram, is a journey around the globe to look at folk heroes, terrifying monsters, agents of death, and all manner of beings th…

1
Episode 34: Splitting Arrows- Chasing the Bird of Paradise with Robin Hood and the Pirates in 1960 1:35:33

3M ago1:35:33

1:35:33

How does Robin Hood fall in with a group of pirates? Will the pirates One Eye and Hook find love? Where exactly is Sherwood supposed to be anyway? How will the international film star and war hero known as "Sexy Lexy" fall in our ranking of Robin Hoods? Listen to the episode to find the answers to some of those questions! With Richard Hopkins-Lutz …

1
Episode 33: Building a Hero with Tomasz Stajszczak 1:04:48

4M ago1:04:48

1:04:48

February of 2024 saw the release of a brand new Robin Hood-centric computer game developed with the Unreal Engine and released on Steam. It is an open world role playing game, which means that your character gains new skills and abilities as you navigate them through an explorable digital world. Additionally, the game utilizes base building and cra…

1
Episode 32: Splitting Arrows- Getting Grim and Gritty with Wolfshead: The Legend of (Young) Robin Hood in 1969/73 1:48:37

4M ago1:48:37

1:48:37

Rick and Thaddeus are joined by Mike Nichols and Ben Curly to discuss a TV Pilot turned short film that, while now quite obscure, marked a real turning point in Robin Hood adaptations going forward. Most directly, the Robin of Sherwood television series from the 1980s. The entire film on YouTube: Wolfshead Into the Greenwood is produced by Thaddeus…

1
Episode 31: Discovering the Gay Chaotic Druid with J Tullos Hennig 52:34

5M ago52:34

52:34

This episode is the second part of our look at how and why creators have begun incorporating supernatural elements into their Robin Hood tales. In this interview with novelist J. Tullos Hennig, we examine the different elements that define her Robin and how another, nearly forgotten medieval outlaw tale, became an integral part of her five part nov…

1
Episode 30: Finding the Mythic Archetypes with Andy Mark Simpson 1:09:52

5M ago1:09:52

1:09:52

A discussion with writer, filmmaker, and podcaster Andy Mark Simpson about why and how creators are sometimes drawn towards incorporating supernatural elements into their Robin Hood adaptations. For more on Andy's work: https://www.dreamswarm.org/ For episodes of Robin of Sherwood on YouTube from Family Central: Ep 1 Robin Hood and the Sorcerer For…

1
Seasons of Change, Episode 4: Holiday Season 52:44

8M ago52:44

52:44

The festive season carries such a high expectation of joy that can feel inaccessible for so many grievers. In this previously-recorded live edition of Great Grief, Nnenna Freelon gathers with community to create a warm space for us to sit with our loves and our losses in the company of those who also know suffering. Join Scalawag and Nnenna Freelon…

1
Seasons of Change, Episode 3: The World Since You Left 35:25

8M ago35:25

35:25

How do we communicate with those who have “gone?” Is it even possible? In this episode of Great Grief, Nnenna Freelon sets about asking the moon, the sun, and even the leaves how she might get in touch with her beloved Phil. If grief shows us that time isn’t linear, maybe sorrow is more than a season. Maybe it’s a portal. Join Scalawag and Nnenna F…

1
Seasons of Change, Episode 2: Ashes, Ashes 30:49

8M ago30:49

30:49

Grief can take us to our knees—right back to the dirt, dust, and the earth, from which all things grow. In this episode of Great Grief, Nnenna Freelon consults Mother Nature—and a Black woman hemp farmer—to lean into how we might grow on even in harsh environments and bitter seasons. Join Scalawag and Nnenna Freelon in Durham, North Carolina, on Su…

1
Seasons of Change, Episode 1: Falling 39:25

8M ago39:25

39:25

In this episode of Great Grief, we follow Nnenna Freelon on a walk through the woods, where she contemplates autumn, the changing of the seasons, and the possibility of renewal after everything dies. Read a transcript of this episode. Join Scalawag and Nnenna Freelon in Durham, North Carolina, on Sunday, December 10 for "Great Grief—Live! Home for …

1
Trailer - Season 2: Seasons of Change 0:33

8M ago0:33

0:33

Great Grief with Nnenna Freelon, season 2: "Seasons of Change," launches November 28, 2023. The seasons are changing, an apt metaphor to talk about the shedding, withering, and falling away that accompanies the most painful parts of grief. In the latest series of Great Grief, Nnenna looks to nature and the cyclical movement of time to delve deeper …

1
58 1986: Balki In Space 1:11:45

8M ago1:11:45

1:11:45

1986 (a 365-day time frame fraught with discharge of toxic material, skyjackings, and espionage) was dubbed the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. And why not? The U.K. and Netherlands officially ended the 335-Years War, Hands Across America was raising funds for hunger and homelessness, the late Martin Luther King Jr. was honored w…

1
Episode 29.5: Ranking that Fox! 52:08

8M ago52:08

52:08

Since the internet dearly loves a ranked list, we've started ranking all of the screen adaptations of Robin Hood starting with Douglas Fairbanks as a part of the Splitting Arrows series. In honor of his 50th anniversary, Rick and I devoted nearly an entire hour to discussing just where in the ranking this animated version of Robin Hood belongs. Giv…

1
Episode 29: Splitting Arrows- 50 Years of Oo-De-Lally with Disney's Robin Hood from 1973! 1:48:22

8M ago1:48:22

1:48:22

A special edition of Splitting Arrows to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Disney's animated Robin Hood film! Special guests from previous episodes return to help us celebrate and discuss this much-loved animated classic that has become a touchstone for our cultural connections to Robin Hood for generations! Into the Greenwood is produced by Thad…

1
Episode 28: Bow Shooting and Arrow Throwing with Patricia Gonsalves 1:33:56

8M ago1:33:56

1:33:56

Patricia Gonsalves is the founder of Lykopis Archery, an expert on historical archery, a competitor in international traditional archery competitions, was the archery consultant for the television shows, 'Arrow' and 'The Flash', and was the first person that came to my mind when I first started this podcast. During our wide ranging discussion we to…

1
Wailing Women, Episode 4: Black Widow 30:03

10M ago30:03

30:03

The podcast Great Grief takes shape around Nnenna’s own great grief, which she experienced after the death of her husband, Philip Freelon, in 2019. A wife for nearly 40 years, Nnenna wonders in this episode what to make of the term "widow."Perhaps loss does not make her into a widow. Perhaps it is turning her into something else altogether. Read a …

1
Wailing Women, Episode 3: Hairstory 38:32

10M ago38:32

38:32

Our relationship with our hair is a complicated entanglement. It holds our history, personality, and identity. It also holds our grief. In this episode, "Hairstory," Nnenna sits us down in the chair at her mother’s beauty salon, where for generations, Black women have celebrated one another and have gathered to discuss hair—the grief over it, and t…

1
Wailing Women, Episode 2: Sister Sister 47:43

10M ago47:43

47:43

No woman makes it through life without a sister. In grieving the death of her baby sister, Nnenna alights on all the ways Black women experience sisterhood. Through faith, family, and struggle, we inhabit a deep solidarity that allows us to hold one another close, even at the very end. Read a transcript of this episode. This is episode two in our f…

1
Wailing Women, Episode 1: When Grief Speaks 34:38

10M ago34:38

34:38

Grief is a woman with plenty to say. This shape-shifting step-sister of ours wasn’t originally a part of the plan, but now she is coming with—no choice there. But did you know you also have the ability to shape your grief? It's true, but first, you must be willing to meet her where she lives. In this episode of Great Grief, Nnenna Freelon asks us t…

1
Trailer - Season 1: Wailing Women 2:21

11M ago2:21

2:21

Grief is your shape-shifting step-sister. While she wasn't originally part of the plan, now she is coming with—no choice there. In order to shape your grief, you must first be willing to meet her where she lives. With "Wailing Women," the first four-part installment of Great Grief, Nnenna Freelon uses story and song to explore the profound beauty a…

1
Episode 27: Splitting Arrows- The Socialist Outlaw We've Been Waiting for with The Adventures of Robin Hood in 1955 2:02:31

1y ago2:02:31

2:02:31

Backtracking in our chronological journey a little because it was decided that we HAD to delve into some of the more influential television series, starting with 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' from 1955 starring Richard Greene. We only sampled four episodes, a tiny fraction of the show's run, but we had a LOT to say about them. A wide range of topi…

1
Episode 26: Acting through Adversity with Adam Szymkowicz and Ted Lewis 49:44

1y ago49:44

49:44

A tale of one play and the two groups of high school students that managed to produce that play against all odds. The play, "Marian or the True Tale of Robin Hood" is the sort of fun adaptation that embraces inclusivity that I would have been inclined to cover on this podcast, even if it hadn't just been featured in some headlines. And it even happ…

1
57 Simpsucation 1:10:01

1y ago1:10:01

1:10:01

Since The Simpsons debuted over three decades ago, Albort’s Jeopardy game has been embiggened exponentially. But for the Simpsons, he would never have known about Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose, or William Alton Carter’s Billy Beer; and that’s just scratching the surface. This episode celebrates the random factoids lear…

1
Presenting DreamSwarm ep 25 Jack-in-the-Green 22:21

1y ago22:21

22:21

To celebrate May Day, we're presenting an episode of the DreamSwarm podcast by writer and filmmaker Andy Mark Simpson. This is a holiday dear to Andy and he did a fabulous job interviewing Keith Leech of the Hastings Jack-in-the-Green festival about the particulars relating to some of the interesting traditions surrounding this particular seasonal …

1
Episode 25: Bringing in the May with Author Theresa Tomlinson 1:01:38

1+ y ago1:01:38

1:01:38

Over the past few years I've been delved into many different adaptations of Robin Hood and even a good handful that have centered around Maid Marian, and while each one has been unique in its own way, the Forest Wife trilogy by Theresa Tomlinson does stand apart from the others. In it can be felt the influence of ITV's 'Robin of Sherwood' from the …

1
Episode 24: Splitting Arrows- Wearing Duck Hats with A Challenge for Robin Hood in 1967 1:37:08

1+ y ago1:37:08

1:37:08

Hammer Films is our primary Robin Hood content creator from this period. This British production company, mostly remembered for its horror films, has been a real mixed bag with us here at Into the Greenwood. Men of Sherwood Forest was a surprise hit with us. While The Sword of Sherwood Forest built high expectations with its cast of Richard Greene …

1
100th Anniversary of Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood 1:34:41

1+ y ago1:34:41

1:34:41

On October 18th 2022, the 100th anniversary of the silent film classic "Robin Hood" starring Douglas Fairbanks, I was joined by Emily Rich, Leah Kahn, Nathan Makaryk, Mike Nichols, Allen Wright, and Kristen Noone to discuss the film and its impact on how we've viewed the world's most famous outlaw hero ever since. The discussion was also posted on …

1
Episode 23: Tabletop Adventures with Michael Menzel 1:06:00

2y ago1:06:00

1:06:00

The award-winning game designer and artist, Michael Menzel discusses his return to the world of board game making with the lushly illustrated story-driven cooperative campaign game 'The Adventures of Robin Hood'. His designer diary is worth perusing to get a glimpse at the evolution of his ideas and to see the artwork that didn't make it into the f…

1
56 Cliché Cache 35:51

2y ago35:51

35:51

How many movies have you seen that feature a wardrobe montage, a protagonist tearing out an IV to hastily leave the hospital, post-coital bed-sheets that magically only cover the woman’s chest, or characters uttering stale lines like, “We’ve got company”, “No time to explain”, or “He’s behind me, isn’t he?” All are examples of clichés but they aren…

1
Episode 22: Splitting Arrows- Enjoying Homoerotic Archery with Sword of Sherwood Forest in 1960 1:26:22

2y ago1:26:22

1:26:22

Thaddeus and Rick are joined by special guests AJ and Emily Holt to watch Richard Greene, one of the actors with the MOST Robin Hood-related bonafides do battle with none other than Grand Moff Tarkin himself, Peter Cushing, in what proved to be the most convoluted Robin Hood tale to date. Into the Greenwood is produced by Thaddeus Papke Theme music…

1
Episode 21: Digging up the Bones with Naomi Sykes 59:09

2y ago59:09

59:09

It's an old aphorism that history is written by the winners; which implies a certain bias in the historical record. Of course, that's even assuming you have a written record at all. Archaeology is a means of learning about our past in ways that don't rely on the written word. While the popular imagination tends to fixate on images of tombs, mummies…

1
Episode 20: Kickstarting the Legend of Sherwood with Jeff Messer 1:24:21

2y ago1:24:21

1:24:21

Jeff Messer has had a success run with his Robin Hood:Legend of Sherwood plays and is now in the process of switching from play writing to comic book writing as he adapts the story into graphic novel form. As of the posting of this episode, the kickstarter for volume 2 will be entering the final two weeks of its campaign. We discuss how the switch …

1
Episode 19: Splitting Arrows- Mistaking Identities with the Son of Robin Hood in 1958 1:34:51

2y ago1:34:51

1:34:51

Mistaken identities, romantic trysts, secret passages, and daring action abound in "The Son of Robin Hood"! While all accurate, I'd hesitate to call this a "good" movie. Our third venture into the "Child of Robin Hood" sub-genre and we're still left scratching our heads over whether or not any of Robin's children had a mother. Special guests: Richa…

1
Episode 18: Creating the Adventures of Maid Marian with Bill Thomas and Sophie Craig 43:58

2y ago43:58

43:58

It so happens that this year marks the bicentennial of the publication of one the very first works of historical fiction in the English language, the short novel "Maid Marian" by Thomas Love Peacock. Through a bit of delightful coincidence, this bicentennial will see the release of a new movie that takes the surprisingly rare tack of focusing on Ma…

1
Episode 17: Tucking into Adaptations with Playwright Mike Nichols 1:16:34

2+ y ago1:16:34

1:16:34

Mike Nichols caught my attention with his thoughtful posts about the myriad ways that various Robin Hood characters have been adapted. After having watched his play, 'The Gospel of Friar Tuck', I knew that I wanted to have him on the podcast to discuss the thought process that went into his own heartfelt adaptation. The Gospel Of Friar Tuck Episode…

1
55 Magnetic Tape, Joysticks, and Pizza Theaters 1:00:01

2+ y ago1:00:01

1:00:01

It's been fifty years since Atari’s revolutionary game, Pong, ushered in a Renaissance for video arcades in America and gave rise to the animatronic house bands of Chuck E. Cheese and Showbiz Pizza. Albort experienced it in real time and invites you to join him for a stroll down memory lane with detours at the 1982 World’s Fair, Blockbuster Video a…

1
Episode 16: Splitting Arrows- Gambling with the Men of Sherwood Forest in 1954 1:18:40

2+ y ago1:18:40

1:18:40

This film caught me off guard in a number of ways, and not just because I wasn't expecting a strip poker scene. I wasn't expecting to see a lower-class Robin, nor one who was a full ten years into his career as an outlaw. But mostly I didn't expect the first Robin Hood movie from Hammer Films to be so cleverly written. It's a Robin Hood that feels …

1
Episode 15: Exploring Sherwood Forest with Andrew West 1:10:00

2+ y ago1:10:00

1:10:00

After many delays, one of the first episodes I wanted to do! A discussion about the very real Sherwood Forest from what it is like today to how it has changed over the centuries. Could outlaws have fended for themselves in a harsh medieval winter? Do the works of Howard Pyle give the right impression about forest life? What exactly did we learn fro…

1
Better Half E4 - Pearls, Pants Suits, And The Golden Age Of Capitalism 1944 - 2022 1:57:11

2+ y ago1:57:11

1:57:11

This is the final episode of our four-part Better Half mini-series containing six lectures apropos to the First Ladies from the Cold War up to the present time. What is known of the First Ladies of the United States we have covered up to this point comes down to us via the press, memoirs, what can be divined from letters, paintings, anecdotes, and …

1
Better Half E3 - Amelia And Eleanor's Excellent Adventure 1933 - 1944 42:32

2+ y ago42:32

42:32

This third installment of our four-part Better Half mini-series departs from the regular format as it is not focused solely on the First Lady of the United States of America and only features one of them. Today's narrative was built around the 1933 evening when Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt ducked out of a party at the White House to take a …

1
Better Half E2 - Scalawags, Carpetbaggers, And The Gospel Of Wealth 1865 - 1933 1:14:29

2+ y ago1:14:29

1:14:29

This is the second apportionment of our four-part Better Half mini-series containing four lectures regarding the First Ladies of the United States within the Reconstruction Era, the Gilded Age, through total global interwar, the Mad Decade, and up to the brink of the Dirty Thirties. The sixty-eight-year span features a shy First Lady entreating the…

1
Better Half E1 - Remember The Ladies 1789 - 1865 1:10:31

2+ y ago1:10:31

1:10:31

This is the inaugural episode of an introductory four-part mini-series regarding the First Ladies of the United States of America. The New Nation's inception thought nothing of what to call the President's wife as "First Lady" did not appear in print until thirty-six years after Martha Washington's death. Because women have been so thoroughly shaft…

1
Episode 14: Splitting Arrows- A Decided Lack of Foxes in Disney's Story of Robin Hood in 1952 2:02:38

2+ y ago2:02:38

2:02:38

A long and thoughtful discussion about the first time Disney decided to make a Robin Hood movie. While not without its problems, its a fine film and is certainly worth a viewing for anyone who is a fan of Robin Hood. -with Richard Hopkins-Lutz and Mike Nichols Hear more from Mike Nichols on the Second Day Film Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/user-7…

1
Episode 13: Hunting not Shooting with Chad Garlinghouse 1:10:40

2+ y ago1:10:40

1:10:40

The first, but hopefully not last, episode of Into the Greenwood that was at least partially recorded in the actual greenwood. In particular some forested land on the Southern Michigan peninsula owned by this episode's guest, Chad Garlinghouse, that has been especially cultivated to be a habitat, and hunting ground, for white tailed deer. *Spoiler*…

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