And This... Is a Talking Atlas Hiatus

Hey there Talking Atlas fans,

After some meaningful, if challenging, conversations, Jacob and I (Bryce) have decided to put Talking Atlas on hiatus. We apologize for this abrupt turn of events. There is no need for undue worry: Jacob and I are still the best of friends (we got lunch today, even), and we aren't ceasing to exist anytime soon (if we can help it).

We recently realized the extent to which we were "going through the motions" creating episodes of Talking Atlas. It's an endeavor we both enjoy, in some capacities, but the times we scramble to create something seem to outnumber the times we are able to take unconditional joy in what we're making.

Where do we go from here? That is difficult to say. Jacob and I still want to make content, and it is possible that that content ends up being Magic-centric, or turns into some new take on Talking Atlas. We'll be taking a few weeks to rest and consider (sometimes over lunch, as it happens).

Regardless of the eventual outcome, we wanted to thank the small-but-by-no-means-insignificant community around Talking Atlas. We and this podcast have grown in tandem over the past 2.5 years, and it's incredible to think that there are people who voluntarily put our voices into their heads for our thoughts on Magic.

Happy planeswalking, everyone.

With all our love,

-Bryce and Jacob

PS: For one (maybe last) hurrah, we'll be publishing the lengthy outtakes from 2018, as well as ensuring that our previous outtakes are accessible on Opal Nebula. Stay Tuned™.

Chaff Chitter Changes

Greetings Opal Nebula fans!

A happy post-Halloween to those who celebrate it, and a happy conclusion-of-Oktopalfest (sort of) to all of us at Opal Nebula. In the coming weeks, we'll be evaluating our Oktopalfest content and determining what worked, what didn't, and what we'd like to pick up full-time. 

In parallel with this, we are announcing the end of Talking Atlas' Chaff Chitters, the mini Chaff Chat episodes released each Wednesday. Fear not, Magic lovers: Chaff Chats will continue to cycle through the Talking Atlas roster of content... and it's possible that we'll be making additional regular Magic content. Stay tuned!

Schatz Fired News

Hey gang! Some shifts to Schatz Fired that should make things go a little more smoothly around here:

  • Schatz Fired is switching from a Monday-to-Friday schedule (many episodes, but an exhausted Schatz) to a Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday schedule (plenty of episodes and I'm alive to do them). This will give me more time to plot the episodes and can also better facilitate guest episodes in the future.
  • News posts won't be posted every single day. The Dept. of Redundancy Department found us wanting, lacking, and needing, so Twitter posts will be made directly from the Schatz Fired page. If stuff like schedule changes (see above) happen, those will be announced on the News page.

Thank you for your support!

-- Jacob

Schatz Fired 019

Jacob talks about Mikey Neumann's film show again because he talked about Batman in a way that made Jacob feel something about Batman for the first time in a long time. Overwatch also makes a comeback for the holidays.

 

Album Club 500 Episode 004

An MGMT starter and a Wilco classic, folks! Twenty-Seven and Jacob get some real emotions out of these two, one way or another. Get your reviews while they're hot.

 

Schatz Fired 018

Midnight, the cat, performs an act of precise cruelty. Jacob reminisces about a high-energy album and waxes poetic about birds on fire. This is the most normal episode yet, ironically.

 

Schatz Fired 016

Jacob brings you in real close to talk about The Problems With Comics (by Colin Spacetwinks) and a collection of free story games that are likely to be unleashed on his friends and loved ones.

 

Schatz Fired 015

Jacob finishes up a series of Wrathful Art and gushes about a favorite video game for a spell. Also, a super awesome literary resource of transgender authors and readers. Take a listen.

 

Schatz Fired 014: Weird Music Edition

Jacob explores two very different strange song stylings and says the word "energy" a lot while talking about your Magic Card Art For Today. If you like weird music, this one's for you. (If you don't, you're still invited.)

 

Album Club 500 Episode 003!

This week Jacob and Twenty-Seven discuss the fail-state for the show as well as two pleasant slices of Americana that might well be Mirrorverse twins of each other. Come along with us and give it up for Boz Scaggs and Bonnie Raitt!