Welcome!
Media Sandwich was the fourth name used for the same podcast that began with Chris Pranger and me talking into a USB microphone plugged into a netbook in 2009. First it was the "Too Much Awesome Podcast," and for a while it was "Empty Calories." Soon we hilariously decided to re-brand within our first 15 episodes, and then we were "Armchair Thinkers." It took a long time to find the name that really stuck, and I was proud of it. I was even more proud when the handful of fine folks who followed our shenanigans identified as "Sandwich Heads" and adopted specific sandwich-themed nicknames (all self-given, I'm assuming).
When The Escapist finally had had enough of Chris, Dan, and me, I was sure to ask to retain the brand name, and lo and behold they said yes and even gave me the truly wonderful logo for nothing. It was gracious of someone to make that decision, because creating the name "Media Sandwich" was possibly my only actual clever moment. It just sounds right, especially for the messy but satisfying conversations I have with Chris and Dan that span across books, movies, TV, video games, comic books, toys, and all the other amusements we consume.
Now that all three of us have become office dads, I find that the cliche about fathers seeking out a place in the house to call their own (a man-cave or a study, or even a small corner for a desk) is very true. Consider this new blog the little place on the Internet that we call our own. Semi-regular columns from me, a podcast or two, and maybe even videos on the horizon. While I was really trying for a few years to create a one-stop destination for all kinds of content, Media Sandwich is going to be more like a receptacle for the various stuff I do, and hopefully the stuff my friends do. By the way, did you know Dan was the editor on an indie thriller that made the rounds at some big film festivals? You'll probably see a link to that. There will be links to my Letterboxd reviews, an accompanying YouTube channel to subscribe to, and probably lots of mentions of my upcoming book, Cinema Autopsy, when it is available on Amazon or some other suitable online platform. Some of the content, like my new podcast with my wonderful wife, will have their own site and/or RSS feeds, but can be found here as well. I want to make it easy for anyone lovely enough to check out my work.
Hmm. I should maybe include some sort of pop culture flavor to accompany this largely expository opening post. Um...so I'm going very slowly through re-watching the James Bond movies, and I'm now aware of the fact that Bond is a terrible spy. He blows his cover so immediately and so often that I am convinced he has had no training at all in espionage, and he's only a double-0 agent because he has admittedly amazing skills at driving, shooting, fighting, and artful escape. Come to think of it, he was only given his first assignment in Casino Royale because he is on record as being the best card player in the service.
How do they determine that, by the way? You think there's this big baccarat tournament held every year down in the abandoned tube station that MI6 seems to own? Just a playful thought. Again, welcome! Thanks for being here with me.
-Kyle
