Well, we did it! We actually made it a full year – 52 weeks and 52 episodes – without killing one another, destroying our friendships, and offending and alienating the podcast masses! Join us this week as we not only take a look back at our first year, but discuss where we’re at and where the MITC crew is headed in year number two! Oh yeah, we’re also recapping Robert’s GMing rotation, chock full of Board-gamey and RPG goodness. So, settle in and take a listen as we go shout-out crazy and thank all of our listeners, supporters, and most of all each other for a great first year here at Monkey in the Cage!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:14:27 — 34.1MB)
(01:54) – 52 weeks in a row!! We not only reflect on what else we could have accomplished in that time, we also discuss the most rewarding aspects of our first year of podcasting. - The Frank and Son Show, San Diego Comic-Con, The Pretty Good Podcast, and Strategicon
(07:00) – We realize how much MORE awesome being a geek is, and also how much commitment and responsibility this hobby actually has! Plus, people actually listen to us!?! Mind = Blown, and also, we apologize for Matt’s Nicholas Cage tangent.
(11:30) – We share our collective “Podcasting Highlights” thus far. – Hollywood Babble-On, Gamerstable, Brad Meltzer, Keith Baker, and the general positive response!
(14:27) – What better excuse to spend time with our other friends than shoving a mic in there face and sharing the load (total innuendo)! Also, we’ve forced ourselves to make an effort to more positively communicate with each other on a regular basis, but only if it’s really personal or really vanilla…
(18:10) – There’s always a flip-side. We discuss the unforeseen “challenges” that have popped up over the last year. Contributors, horrible movies, and co-dependency to the rescue (kinda)!
(22:25) – We feel we’ve all earned degrees in marketing and we discuss plans for Merchandising: Phase 2. And give ourselves a well deserved pat on the back for our format and rabid quality control. WE DO IT FOR YOU DAMMIT! WE DESERVE IT!
(25:47) – We dig deep into our foggy memories and recall some of our favorite episodes and embarrassing moments from year one. – Merry Monkeymas, Geek Sub-Cultures, and The Dungeons & Dragons Movie Review. Also, Robert does editing magic and Matt gets injured.
(32:22) – This is the segment where we spread the Monkey Love all over our guests, in that almost creepy but cute kinda way. Yeah, you know exactly what I’m talking about… don’t deny it. – Troy Parsons, “The David” Alarcon, George Cordero, Louis Carazo, Steve J. Palmer, Guy LeMay, Dennis Salvatier, Amanda “The Girlfriend,” Jared the Intern, and (our) Kevin Smith!
(34:49) – Don’t worry, you silent types, we didn’t forget you! Thanks go out to our contributors, for the days off the site (and awesome articles) they have provided us!! – Nikki “Matt’s Mythical Wife,” P.K. Sullivan, Temmogen, Ftenchi, The Typing Dice, Rob Backstrom, Geek Path Chris, Allie Ackerman, and Robert Barnhart. Also, more extra special love to Gamerstable, The RealmCast and The Frank and Son Show!
(36:45) – Oh hey, do you need a wicked hardcore banner, or better yet a sweet gaming map? Check out Banners on the Cheap! And apparently, we moved to Boston for that sentence!
(37:33) – We reveal the winner of our DC Comics New 52 Birthday giveaway!
(38:58) – Ramses really IS the funny one and we discuss some awesome upcoming projects heading your way in Year Two!
(42:40) – It’s topic time! Robert spent his rotation burning through a crazy amount of board games. First up, Tsuro!
(45:26) – Next up, was the awesome house-ruled King of Tokyo.
(48:40) – From monsters to meth-labs?? – Flash Point: Fire Rescue
(51:45) – When we weren’t fighting fires, we were building civilizations! – Carcassonne
(53:00) – Not all games are winners and can’t please everyone. - Locke and Key and Mage Knight.
(58:00) – Ever win a game because your were pissed at it? How about totally losing when you swear you’ll win? – 7 Wonders
(1:00:18) – It wasn’t all board games, because Robert laid an awesome Thrilling Tales Savage Worlds one-shot on the crew!
Closing Song – Birthday – written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and performed by The Beatles
We forgot a really cool highlight of the year: A shout-out from Grant Imahara from Mythbusters for saving his girlfriend during The Walking Dead Escape! That little Twitter shout-out pushed our Post Comic Con Recap show to the top of our download list and resulted in our highest site visits to date. =) Credit for remembering this goes to Ramses. =)
Happy Birthday! Thanks for the shout out to my last name.
I was interested to hear you talk about Tsuro. I’ve always wanted to play that but the mechanic seemed too simple to pay 20 bucks for it. What do you think of its replay-ability?
Every time I have played the game with a new person they want to play it at least two additional times immediately. For long term replayability, I think it is pretty strong, but it should not be the centerpiece for a game night. It is a great game to start the night or to play between a couple games.
Awww Yea! You guys be awesome! I’m so sad that I won’t be traveling for work anymore so no more impromptu trips to So Cal for visits.
I have certainly enjoyed being as much a part of this last year as I was and certainly intend to stick around as a listener and hopefully as a contributor.
Savage Worlds was awesome fun, it isn’t every day you get to role-play with a brand new group of peeps and I thought that was super fun.
Here’s to many more years Monkeys!
I totally forgot about the Twitter shout-out! I did not, however, forget that I had my picture taken with Grant!
Also, I can’t wait until we do some Cards Against Humanity for our listeners. We might lose most of them, but it will be awesome!
Yes Happy Birthday to us! wow so much has happened in the last year, I love spending time as a group and I love our listeners and contributors! cant wait for our 100th show and beyond! keep it up monkey army!
Congrats on the year mark! Enjoying the show more than ever. Would love to make it to the other side of the country some time to buy the crew a beer. Until then, thanks for the weekly laughs.
Thanks Airborne, I’m happy you are enjoying the show. Hopefully you do make it out this way sometime, it is always awesome to meet people who is listen.
Thanks, Calyn! Maybe when you and Jared have some time off together you can plan a trip! =)