Best Loose Canon Podcasts (2024)

1
The One About Echoes Act 3 1:22:12

7h ago1:22:12

1:22:12

On this episode of Loose Canon the team tries to stay on topic and gets sidetracked every step of the way. The lore of Destiny is deep and easy to sink into when its two lore nerds such as these! This week we talk all about the third Act of Episode 1: Echoes. If you want more of your favorite Loose Canons go follow their Twitter accounts, and for m…

1
Should I Stay or Should I Go? 53:51

1h ago53:51

53:51

Christopher Nolan and Batman fans, this episode is for you - we rank the Dark Knight trilogy movies! Our hosts Chris and Nick differ widely in their takes. Plus, learn what the heroes and villains have in common in this deep analytical dive into The Dark Knight Rises and The Empire Strikes Back! Want more energy and essential vitamins for your day …

1
Episode 333 - Fox 26:43

4h ago26:43

26:43

"Hurt creatures hurt creatures." Initially I heard about today's book on the podcast The Sartorial Librarian, and they discussed it so brilliantly that Betsy absolutely had to grab it for the recording today. This is an Australian title that somehow has escaped the greater notice of America until now. We aim to change this! Originally published in …

1
Episode 332 - Fireman Small 28:52

3h ago28:52

28:52

Kate asked Betsy to bring in a fireman/firefighter/firetruck book to discuss as a possible classic. Now if you had to name a 20+ year old picture book featuring that kind of subject matter, what would you choose? Back in the day Betsy read to her kids a veritable plethora of such titles. And the one that rises to the top when she tries to think of …

1
Episode 331 - Duck for President 29:41

10d ago29:41

29:41

The election isn't until November, but we figured it would be a good idea to tackle the season early before everyone starts plugging their ears saying, "La La La! I can't hear you!" And as luck would have it, today's particularly political picture book came out 20 years ago this year. Now in previous election years, Duck for President was released …

1
The One About Echoes Act 2 1:28:45

5d ago1:28:45

1:28:45

On this episode of Loose Canon the team tries to stay on topic and gets sidetracked every step of the way. The lore of Destiny is deep and easy to sink into when its two lore nerds such as these! This week we talk all about the second Act of Episode 1: Echoes. Naturally, we also got really side tracked about some hopes on the game and a bit of exis…

1
Our Top 5 Star Wars Sound Effects 1:02:57

17d ago1:02:57

1:02:57

Ranking the top things that go VROOM in the Star Wars universe. Nick and Chris thought they had an easy topic on their hands but put a surprising amount of thought into each of their personal top 5 choices. Our hosts chose slightly different criteria for their lists: 10 seconds or less Nothing too obvious (like the Tie Fighter sound) Can't come fro…

1
Episode 330 - The Caboose Who Got Loose 30:04

11d ago30:04

30:04

Our very first Bill Peet! Please understand that the whole reason we haven't done him before is because unlike a lot of animators-turned-author/illustrations, he has no single huge title that he's known for (unlike Seuss or P.D. Eastman). Betsy literally had to look up the Peet titles that are most prevalent in her library's consortium. The winner?…

1
The Brothers Krynn Interview 1:12:18

28d ago1:12:18

1:12:18

Chris interviews Joe and Dan from The Brothers Krynn. They are fantasy authors and reviewers of all sorts of topics from the universes of Star Wars to Conan the Barbarian, Kull the King, Krynn of Dragonlance, Zelda, Warcraft/WoW, Westeros, and of course Tolkien's Middle-Earth universe. Listen to how the brothers started writing, their view of chara…

1
Episode 329 - Wemberly Worried 29:02

1M ago29:02

29:02

All around the U.S. kids are beginning to go back to school. With that in mind, Kate asked Betsy to come up with a back-to-school book they hadn't done before. Now you might think that the only first day of school book the great Kevin Henkes created was Chrysanthemum (which we did back in 2021). Not so! Here we find another. Kate says the cover is …

1
The One About Chirality 1:25:29

1M ago1:25:29

1:25:29

On this episode of Loose Canon the team tries to stay on topic and gets sidetracked every step of the way. The lore of Destiny is deep and easy to sink into when its two lore nerds such as these! This week we talk all about the lore book Chirality! If you want more of your favorite Loose Canons go follow their Twitter accounts, and for more informa…

1
Nick Reviews The Acolyte 1:08:50

1M ago1:08:50

1:08:50

Nick puts on his conspiracy theory hat to tell Chris about his disturbing discovery about the Cars franchise. Later in the show, Nick reviews The Acolyte and tries to convince Chris to watch it. Want more energy and essential vitamins for your day but want to limit your caffeine intake? Visit https://magicmind.com/starwarstrial now to get a FREE 3 …

1
Episode 328 - The Color Kittens 29:49

1M ago29:49

29:49

Our Margaret Wise Brown output on this podcast has, until now, been a bit on the scanty side. Sure, we did Goodnight Moon and Runaway Bunny but beyond that we've sort of left her out in the cold. All that changes today with this, our third MWB and what may be our very first Provensen deep dive. In light of the new life injected into Little Golden B…

1
Episode 327 - Abuela 29:13

1M ago29:13

29:13

How the HECK have we done 327 episodes of this podcast and we haven't yet done this book? Released in 1991, we can't help but note that this story, of people flying above New York City, happened to come out the same year that a fellow people flying above New York City picture book came out: Tar Beach. Something about the early 90s just made people …

1
Episode 326 - Tooth - Gnasher Superflash 29:38

2M ago29:38

29:38

By gum, if there's one thing this children's literature podcast needs, it's more Reading Rainbow books from the days of yore. And if that's something we need to go out and find, then surely we will. We were inspired to give this particular book a go after Betsy saw the model of its vehicle on display at Kansas City's The Rabbit Hole. In this episod…

1
Nightsisters! Assaj Ventress Plots Zabrakian Revenge 43:51

2M ago43:51

43:51

Welcome to the Essential Clone Wars series where we review major arcs from Star Wars the Clone Wars! This arc ushers in the Nightsisters from season 3 episodes 12-14. Will Mother Talzin and the Nightsister's aid be enough to settle the score against Count Dooku? Find out in today's episode! Want more energy and essential vitamins for your day but w…

1
Episode 325 - little blue and little yellow 30:50

2M ago30:50

30:50

While Betsy often prefers to hand Kate children's picture books to consider that are chock full of details, at a certain point she is forced to come up with books that contain none of that. And you cannot get much more basic than Little Blue and Little Yellow here. Your heroes are essentially paint swatches, after all. In the course of our conversa…

1
The One About Chirality Part 1 1:26:23

2M ago1:26:23

1:26:23

On this episode of Loose Canon the team tries to stay on topic and gets sidetracked every step of the way. The lore of Destiny is deep and easy to sink into when its two lore nerds such as these! This week we talk all about the first week of Echoes Act 2, as well as the lore book Chirality! If you want more of your favorite Loose Canons go follow t…

1
Death Trap Arc - Boba Fett's Origin Story 39:33

2M ago39:33

39:33

We continue our Essential Clone Wars series on today's episode with the Death Trap Arc which concludes season 2. In this arc, you will witness Boba Fett attempting to exact vengeance on Mace Windu for the death of his father, Jango. Want more energy and essential vitamins for your day but want to limit your caffeine intake? Visit https://magicmind.…

1
Episode 324 - Tomás and the Library Lady 30:23

2M ago30:23

30:23

Kooky that we haven't done this one yet? You betcha. It's well known nationwide, been turned into lots of stage plays, and is generally a book that should be right up our alley. In the pantheon of heroic librarian books, where does this particular book fall out? We discuss the correct length of dinosaur teeth, sensible shoes, and how the HECK the a…

1
ILM Propaganda Pt. 2 1:05:43

2M ago1:05:43

1:05:43

The boys discuss episodes 4-6 of the Light and Magic documentary on Disney+! Listen along as Nick and Chris chat about the great leap from practical effects to CGI in films like Jurassic Park and the Phantom Menace. Want more energy and essential vitamins for your day but want to limit your caffeine intake? Visit https://magicmind.com/starwars now …

1
Episode 323 - LIVE FROM ALA - Who's Got the Apple? 30:44

2M ago30:44

30:44

The American Library Association's Annual Conference for 2024 may be over but here at Fuse 8 n' Kate the party NEVER stops! And we can back that statement up by pointing out that this latest episode was actually recorded AT the conference. And not only that, it was recorded WITH a special guest star! Turns out, conferences are a great way to connec…

1
Episode 322 - Apple Pie Fourth of July 28:56

2M ago28:56

28:56

We are pleased to announce that with its 2002 publication date we are finally able to celebrate the upcoming Independence Day with a book that Betsy has been sitting on for years. It can be exceedingly hard to find books for this particular holiday. Even better, this consideration of this book marks the very first time the podcast has ever done a J…

1
The One About Echoes Act 1 1:22:18

3M ago1:22:18

1:22:18

On this episode of Loose Canon the team tries to stay on topic and gets sidetracked every step of the way. The lore of Destiny is deep and easy to sink into when its two lore nerds such as these! This week we talk all about the first Act of Episode 1: Echoes, except, we also really talked about some more Final Shape content, and then spent a long t…

1
ILM Propaganda Pt. 1 1:01:35

3M ago1:01:35

1:01:35

Nick and Chris are BACK to Star Wars once again with a brief discussion on the movie Civil War (and the chances of a real one happening). Then our hosts discuss the first 3 episodes of the Light and Magic documentary on Disney+. As much as our hosts were impressed by the accomplishments of practical effects and ILM's legacy, they also questioned th…

1
Episode 321 - Baby, Come Out! 29:49

3M ago29:49

29:49

Betsy's logic behind this week's choice is that it is hot outside right now, so why not do a picture book featuring nudity? Now we currently live in a country where so much as a bare butted goblin picture book can get banned by Moms for Liberty at the drop of a hat. May as well go all in and do a book that unapologetically doesn't care about such p…

1
'Takes' of the Jedi 58:19

3M ago58:19

58:19

In this episode, Nick and Chris discuss the highs and lows of Tales of the Jedi and Tales of the Empire. Each miniseries tells untold stories of characters like Count Dooku, Barriss Offee, and Morgan Elsbeth. Listen now to see how our hosts' perspective on these characters has changed after watching this. Want more energy and essential vitamins for…

1
Episode 320 - Mr. Maxwell's Mouse 31:26

3M ago31:26

31:26

Kate's crie de coeur for more blood and guts in children's picture books once again finds its mark. Usually you might associate a book of this sort with titles of a more European bent, but Asch and son are 100% 'merican, baby. With enough weirdness to choke a cat, this one's just so very strange. Not to give anything away but we are exceedingly ple…

1
Final Shape First Impressions Part 1 1:29:28

3M ago1:29:28

1:29:28

On this episode of Loose Canon the team tries to stay on topic and gets sidetracked every step of the way. The lore of Destiny is deep and easy to sink into when its two lore nerds such as these! This week we talk all about the Final Shape, we somehow skipped right over the campaign, however we did talk about the Visions of the Traveler, the next S…

1
Episode 319 - The Mysterious Tadpole 32:22

3M ago32:22

32:22

Oh ho! We haven't done a Steven Kellogg re-illustration title since Pinkereton, Behave! back in 2021! This is particularly strange as The Mysterious Tadpole was always, without a doubt, a favorite Kellogg picture book of Betsy's when she was a child. For various reasons we were never able to discuss it on Fuse 8 n' Kate... until today! We consider …

1
Episode 318 - Red-Eyed Tree Frog 41:25

3M ago41:25

41:25

Here in Illinois the cicadas are truly beginning to emerge en masse. As such, Betsy was kind of hoping she might be able to find a book that speaks to this. Alas, Cicada Symphony by Sue Fleiss (illustrated by Gareth Lucas) is just barely a year old. So what's the next best course of action? Locate some other red-eyed creature found in trees, of cou…

1
The One About To Old Friends Part 2 1:20:01

4M ago1:20:01

1:20:01

On this episode of Loose Canon the team tries to stay on topic and gets sidetracked every step of the way. The lore of Destiny is deep and easy to sink into when its two lore nerds such as these! This week we get a late start on the episode, but have a great talk about POBA, some Destiny 1 deep cuts, the lore book, naturally, using too many commas …

1
Episode 317 - Dinosaur Bob and his Adventures with the Family Lazardo 41:25

4M ago41:25

41:25

As mentioned on this podcast episode, Kate and Betsy truly will be in San Diego at the upcoming ALA Annual Conference to record an episode WITH a special secret guest. Many thanks to the very kind Travis Jonker (alumni of Kate's college) for sharing his recording booth with us. Today's book was a Reading Rainbow book back in the day. We detect some…

1
The One About To Old Friends Part 1 1:19:03

4M ago1:19:03

1:19:03

On this episode of Loose Canon the team tries to stay on topic and gets sidetracked every step of the way. The lore of Destiny is deep and easy to sink into when its two lore nerds such as these! This week we get a late start on the episode, but jump over Final Shape and right into Episode 3: Heresy. But worry not as Destiny Armory Defined got us b…

1
The One About Old Friends Part 1 1:19:03

4M ago1:19:03

1:19:03

On this episode of Loose Canon the team tries to stay on topic and gets sidetracked every step of the way. The lore of Destiny is deep and easy to sink into when its two lore nerds such as these! This week we get a late start on the episode, but jump over Final Shape and right into Episode 3: Heresy. But worry not as Destiny Armory Defined got us b…

1
Episode 316 - The Three Pigs 30:46

4M ago30:46

30:46

Today, we do our second David Wiesner book (after Tuesday). Along the way we discuss the philosophy behind Wiesner's void ("Is this just the space between the stories we tell?") and how this is (spoiler alert) our 200th classic on the podcast! Woohoo!Show Notes:For the full show notes please visit: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2024/05/13/fuse-8…

1
Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of The Phantom Menace 1:04:18

4M ago1:04:18

1:04:18

Happy belated Star Wars Day! Our hosts Nick Oswald and Chris Higgins recall their first viewings of The Phantom Menace and remember how their fandom has changed since the early 2000s. Listen as Nick walks us through the timeline of fan reception of one of the most polarizing Star Wars movies and Chris remarks on Natalie Portman's best lines on his …

1
Episode 315 - Tops and Bottoms 28:42

4M ago28:42

28:42

Today we dive right in to a good spring picture book that somehow we've never done before. Even better, a Caldecott Honor title at that! We haven't discussed Janet Stevens since we did Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock a little more than a year ago. Consider this the book that made vertical picture books cool (Mel Fell owes this title a hat tip of t…

1
Episode 314 - Enemy Pie 30:50

5M ago30:50

30:50

Recently LeVar Burton suggested today's picture book on an episode of The Sporkful ("Reheat: LeVar Burton Even Reads Recipes Dramatically") and in spite of the fact that Kate was dead-on about the fact that we should have done this book for a Thanksgiving episode, we're doing it, baby! Enemy Pie was a Reading Rainbow Book back in the day, how does …

1
Episode 313 - Ginger Bear 30:33

5M ago30:33

30:33

"Crime and murder!"Do you want unspeakable violence on the picture book page? Well, folks, Kate sure did. And thanks to the suggestion of listener Rachelle, and her daughter Sarah, Betsy finally had a book that would give her just what she required. Is there blood? There is not, though honestly she got her fill of blood when we talked about King St…

1
The One About the Brave Arsenal 1:20:48

5M ago1:20:48

1:20:48

On this episode of Loose Canon the team tries to stay on topic and gets sidetracked every step of the way. The lore of Destiny is deep and easy to sink into when its two lore nerds such as these! This week we talk all about the old yet new weapons within the Brave Arsenal! If you want more of your favorite Loose Canons go follow their Twitter accou…

1
Episode 312 - I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew 30:19

5M ago30:19

30:19

What's that? You've never heard of this particular Dr. Seuss book? Well, you're definitely not alone. If one were to rank Seuss titles from best known to least, there is no doubt in my mind that Solla Sollew would be right there at the bottom. But is there any chance that this 1965 publication might have something to say about the baby boomer gener…

1
Death Watch Arc - Kicking off the Battle for Mandalore! | Essential Clone Wars 40:23

5M ago40:23

40:23

In this Essential Clone Wars series episode, I review the Death Watch arc. These episodes happen during Season 2 episodes 12-14. Listen in to learn how the battle for Mandalore gets kicked off with Death Watch, the Mandalorians, the Sith, and Obi-Wan and Anakin all in the mix!

1
Episode 311 - Bad Kitty 29:59

5M ago29:59

29:59

April is National Autism Acceptance Month, so Kate asked Betsy to bring her an appropriate book. Our usual rule is that we only consider books that are 20+ years old. The trouble is that most of the best books on the topic of the autistic spectrum were created within the last two decades. So we're cheating a bit this week and going with something p…

1
The One About the FSCE: Entelechy 1:26:56

6M ago1:26:56

1:26:56

On this episode of Loose Canon the team tries to stay on topic and gets sidetracked every step of the way. The lore of Destiny is deep and easy to sink into when its two lore nerds such as these! This week we talk all about the future of Destiny, the past of Fortnite, and of course, we get into the meat and potatoes of the Collectors Edition Lore B…

1
Episode 310 - King Stork 31:21

6M ago31:21

31:21

What makes an appropriate April Fool's post? How about a book that FOOLED its own art directors, editors, publicists, etc. by including copulation? I'd say that counts! In fact, you might say that Trina Schart Hyman was the ultimate April Fool's picture book creator! She snuck insults of book reviewers onto gravestones. She managed to get the missi…

1
Essential Clone Wars: Geonosis 37:27

6M ago37:27

37:27

Welcome to part 4 of the Essential Clone Wars series! In today's episode we review the Geonosis arc spanning season 2 episodes 5-8. This is a memorable arc for its variety and unexpected narrative, ranging from sprawling battles to horror genre-inspired suspense and action. If you are curious to learn about Geonosians or hungry for Master Luminara …

1
Episode 309 - The Gardener 30:44

6M ago30:44

30:44

Spring has sprungeth! Not that you'd know it looking at Illinois right now, of course, but we're getting close to sunnier days. To celebrate, we've decided to equinox the heck out of this latest podcast episode (I still say it can be a verb). Somehow we've never done this particular Caldecott Honor winner before, so we're going to right a great wro…

1
Episode 308 - There's No Such Thing as a Dragon 30:14

6M ago30:14

30:14

It's the Year of the Dragon and yet so far we've done precisely ZERO dragon books so far. That ends today with our first consideration of Jack Kent. The cartoonist turned picture book author/illustrator may have come to the form late in life, but he cast some indelible images in his time. Surprisingly, this turns out to be one of our more divisive …

1
The One About Dragonslayers Part 2 1:27:41

6M ago1:27:41

1:27:41

On this episode of Loose Canon the team tries to stay on topic and gets sidetracked every step of the way. The lore of Destiny is deep and easy to sink into when its two lore nerds such as these! This week we talk all about Guardian games, Anon's childhood fear of wishing, the conspiracies of SUROS and the past City's Factions. Then we cap off the …

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