Agent Palmer

More than a decade after its release and the time I first opened its pages, I returned to Ethan Gilsdorf’s Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks: An Epic Quest for Reality Among Role Players, Online Gamers, and Other Dwellers of Imaginary Realms. The trip back has reminded me why there is merit to rereading certain books.

First released in 2009, when I was just Jason and not Agent Palmer, I had no blog, no podcast, a boring job, and I was really just trying to find my way in the world. It was the perfect time to first pick up this book. This second time, I have a blog, a podcast, no job, and I’m still just trying to find my way in the world.

Yes, Fake Doctors, Real Friends is the Scrubs rewatch podcast, but it is more than that. It is two people who genuinely love and respect each other, reliving a shared experience, while sharing their other experiences.

So obviously the official podcast synopsis states that you should “Join Scrubs co-stars and real-life best friends Zach Braff and Donald Faison for a weekly comedy podcast where they relive the hit TV show, one episode at a time.

Alright, Alright, Alright: The Oral History of Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused is a masterpiece of inspired writing, research, interviewing, and storytelling by Melissa Maerz.

But this book isn’t just about Dazed and Confused. It’s about the process of moviemaking, storytelling, corporate Hollywood, independent film, nostalgia, and art. It’s recommended reading for any creative person.

On February 26th, 2021, James Turner commenced the final stream of season one of his Punch-A-Chunk world. The culmination of 13 months of work was, based on the reaction from his chat, as therapeutic to those watching during a pandemic as it was to James himself.

The mood in the chat began both celebratory and thankful. What started as a pre-pandemic joke in February 2020 clearly became a salvation for both James and his viewers as the community grew.