The Audio File: Main Street Mythology

When we think of mythology, we typically think of ancient times, and days long since past. But what about our modern world? Oh sure, we have science to help explain the world, but that’s not the only thing myths are good for. Mythology can reveal truths about ourselves, and our world, that a more conventional narrative might obscure. But this begs and obvious question: what sort of myths and legends can you spin out of the modern world? Well, as I’m sure you’ve guessed, this is the question posed by the audio drama we’re taking a look at today. We’re taking a look at Main Street Mythology from Newton’s Dark Room. 

As I stated in the preamble, Main Street Mythology reimagines our modern world through the lens of mythology. It crafts an entirely new pantheon of gods and heroes to explain the ways of the modern world. You will meet figures such as Cale, the goddess of streetlights. In her tale, you shall learn where streetlights came from, and how Cale uses them to communicate to her followers. You will learn of how wild cars were tamed by brave humans. You will see how the rivalry of the gods Abad and Webi lead to the creation of cities. You will witness all these things, and more, as the mythical and the modern combine in Main Street Mythology.

I had been aware of Newton’s Dark Room for a while. They followed me on Twitter last year around…hmm. Was it before or after I did the audio drama parade for International Podcast Day? Well, in any event, I’d known about them for a while, and I listened to a couple episodes of Newton’s Dark Room Presents, but didn’t really give them too much thought. Then one day, on a whim, I looked at the Newton’s Dark Room Twitter account, and I saw a post about Main Street Mythology. The premise sounded interesting, so I decided to give it a listen. It didn’t take long before I fell in love with Main Street Mythology.

Mythology has historically been used to explain how the nature world came to be, and how it functions. In our modern times, we have science to do that. Main Street Mythology seeks to apply that original mythological worldview to our modern world. So, you get answer to question like where did streetlights come from? How were roads made? Why do people drive around in cars?

There are very few shows that I would describe as truly mythopoetic. Main Street Mythology, however, is one of those rare shows where the term mythopoeia absolutely applies. There have been other works of fiction that attempt to craft a mythology for the modern world. However, most of these series create stories that are reskinned version of preexisting myths and legends. Otherwise, they might draw clear parallels to history. This is not the case with Main Street Mythology. The myths do not, for the most part, have any obvious parallels in preexisting mythology or folklore. Some of the character fit into broad mythological archetypes; such as the trickster, the folk hero, the blacksmith. However, even then, there’s still plenty of gods who don’t fit snuggly into any category. The series does occasionally reference real world event, but not overtly so. Crafting a completely new and original mythology is no small task, so I applaud Main Street Mythology for its creativity and originality.

And this is a very heartfelt effort. There’s no winking subversion, or humorous attempts to comment on the nature of modern life. That’s not to say that there aren’t elements of humor in some of the myths. However, in comes across, for lack a better word, more organic. That is, humorous in a way you might expect from actual myths and legends. Main Street Mythology made a sincere effort to create stories that felt like they could be from a real mythology. And it is all the better because of that.

So, why don’t we talk a bit about the stories themselves? Well, actually let’s first talk about the audio. The stories are accompanies by very calming, meditative, but also rather epic sounding music. That is, I would say, a very fitting soundtrack for a mythology-based series. The audio has a bit of a hiss to it; almost like what you’d hear on an old recording. The framing device at the opening claims that the stories were collected Julia Sawbone, a members of the Newton’s Dark Room Collective. She was traveling across America to find the stories. As such, I’m inclined to believe that this is by design. The narrators of the stories manage to bring the proper awe and gravitas that myths and legends both deserve and require.

Also, it might seem like the myths are episodic and disconnected, but don’t be deceived. The stories gradually build upon one another. As such, it pays to listen to the series in sequential order. There are only five episodes total, so, Main Street Mythology makes for quick listening.

Okay, now we can talk about the content of the stories. One of my favorites is the story of Cale, the goddess of streetlights. She was fascinated by the night sky from a young age, even though it didn’t give much light. She is eventually gift a star by Mesec, the god of satellites. Cale pulled off tufts from the star and put them in glass bulbs, thus creating the first streetlights. At last, there would be light, true light, even in he darkness of night. Cale watches over humans, and the emotional distress they endure. When someone has hit their darkest hour, Cale will turn out a streetlight the person is standing under. They will be reminded of the light behind them, and the light in front of them. Cale is telling them that, though things are dark now, they will soon be bathed in light once again.

I also enjoyed the story of how humans tamed cars. In the world of Main Street Mythology, cars and other vehicles are living creatures with animal-level intelligence. So, humans had to domesticate them, like horses and other livestock. Though, originally, humans and cars mostly ignored each other. The legend tells of one brave woman who sought-out the cars, and offered gasoline to them in exchange for transportation. And thus, that is why cars require gasoline to work. This is one of those instances were you can kind of see the influences from real mythology, but the story also goes in its own direction.

Then there is the story of Doti, the goddess of waste. She lives on an island made out of discarded materials. Everything will eventually belong to Doti, for everything gets discarded sooner or later. I guess, in a way, that also makes Doti the goddess of entropy as well. Doti’s island being located in the Pacific Ocean might possibly be a reference to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It is a massive collection of plastic garbage that is twice the size of Texas; or three times the size of France, to put it anther way. It stays together as a result of ocean currents. Doti and her followers lead a hard life. Their clothes are full of holes, their technology is always out of date, they spend their days fishing things out of the ocean. And yet, despite all the hardships, they are happy in their own life. They have turned their island of trash and discards into a home of sorts.

The story of Doti and her followers also relates to the story of garbage trucks. You see, in Main Street Mythology, garbage trucks were fearsome beasts that consumed everything in their path. They then brought their loads to the west coast and dumped them into the ocean. However, a brave girl named Maria fought back by pelting the trucks with garbage. The garbage satiated the trucks’ hunger, and from then on, people left offering of garbage on the curbs. As long as the trucks had a constant supply of garbage, which the humans were more than happy to get rid of, they would remain peaceful.

I could keep going all day, but I don’t want to summarize all the stories. Suffice it to say, there’s a lot of great myths and legends to discover in Main Street Mythology. Also, be sure to listen to the episodes all the way through to the end of the credits. There were plenty of gods and myths that didn’t make it into the final show, but Newton’s Dark Room wanted to preserve them in some small way. For example, you’ll hear about the god of skateboards, who makes a habit of annoying the older gods.

As I listened, I kept thinking about how nice it would be if the gods and goddesses had some visual representation. Well, as luck would have it, they do. You can finds sketches of the gods and goddesses on the Main Street Mythology page of the Newton’s Dark Room website. Originally, there was only a transcript for the first episode. However, after I pointed this issue out to Newton’s Dark Room, it was swiftly resolved. There are full transcripts for all five episodes. There’s a surprisingly high number of hard of hearing and/or deaf individuals in the audio drama community and fandom. Yeah, I know, it surprised me too. Point being, transcripts are essential for them to be able to enjoy the fun along with the rest of us. Also, transcripts are very helpful for people who write reviews.

I don’t have any complaints about Main Street Mythology. Part of me wishes there had been more episode, but I think the series is exactly as long as it needs to be. Main Street Mythology ultimately turns out to be set mostly around Los Angles. It made me wonder what sort of myths and legends could be told using other cities. Specifically, I made me wonder about what story of myths and legends could be told about my home city of Shreveport, Louisiana. I guess I’ll have to get on that at some point. I only hope I’ll be able to measure up to the high standard that Main Street Mythology has set.

So, there you have it. Main Street Mythology reimagines our modern world through the lens of mythology and folklore. It is five episodes long, and more than worth your time. Don’t sit on this one like I did. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time. 

Flag of the Dominion of Manchukuo

This is the flag of the Dominion of Manchukuo. It comes from a world where the World Wars never happened. There were still tension between the major colonial powers, and occasional flare-ups, but no major wars ever occurred. Thought, it wasn’t all fun and games. The Austro -Hungarian Empire suffered a rather nasty collapse. Russia still suffered a civil war, and the royal family were executed, but the Whites came out on top. Still, a major worldwide war thankfully remains only a hypothetical scenario.

Japan sought to expand its empire much as it did in our world. Korea still became a Japanese colony, as in our world, but Japan didn’t try to suppress Korean culture to the extent that it did in our world. In fact, forced assignation programs were officially ended by the late 1920s. As in our timeline, the Qing Dynasty of China was overthrown and replaced by a republic. However, Japan acted as a peacekeeping force to ensure stability within the fledgling Republic of China. Japan also invested money into joint economic ventures within China. However, in return, Japan requested preferential treatment in all trade agreements with China. Japan also requested that Manchuria be ceded to them, which China readily agreed to. Thus, the province of Manchukuo was born.

Manchukuo provided raw materials for Japan’s growth and expansion, as well as new living space for Japanese citizens. Manchukuo provided a launch pad for the next phase of Japan’s expansion. Japan would not just expand outwards across East Asia, but also upwards into space itself. However, this could not be a task that Japan could accomplish on its own. Japan courted the United States of America as a partner by appealing to the economic opportunities a space program would create. Manchukuo served as the heart of Japan’s rocket production and launch facilities. The other major colonial powers initially didn’t pay the Japanese-American space program much mind. Then the first artificial satellite was launched, and then the first manned space flight. The nations of Europe really sat-up when Japan and America made major advances towards the Moon. Japan and American intended to set-up settlements to mine resources from the Moon. Britain, France, and Germany soon established their own joint space program to compete with Japan and America.

The 20th Century was marked not by wars and totalitarianism, but by progress and optimism. The major powers of the world achieved major advances in spaceflight and technological innovation. America and Japan added other nations to their space alliance. China was first, but Mexico and Cuba followed soon as well. Mexico and Cuba enjoy a standard of living equal to that of America, and are largely free of corruption. The Philippines, upon receiving their independence, also joined the alliance, and enjoys economic prosperity equal to that of Japan and America.

By the present day, numerous permeant colonies have been established across the solar system. The nations of the Pan-Pacific Co-Prosperity Sphere are particularly well represented. Still, the members of the London-Berlin-Paris-Rome Axis are certainly no slouches when it comes to space colonization. Nuclear fusion reactors, running on helium-3 from the lunar mines, provides clean and cheap power for much of the world. Advances have also been made in the efficiency of solar panels, and floating wind turbine balloons capture the strong breezes of the upper atmosphere. Artificial intelligence and the Internet are even more advanced than in our own timeline. Decolonization still occurred, but the former colonial powers made sure to invest in the economies and infrastructure of their former colonies. Most former colonies still have strong ties to their former rulers. Some colonies opted to become incorporated into their parent nations. For example, Gabon opted to become part of the French metropole.

Japan allowed Manchukuo to receive increased autonomy over the years. Eventually, Manchukuo became a self-governing dominion of the Japanese Empire. Manchukuo even has its own royal family, via a cadet branch of the Qing royal family. Manchukuo is reasonably happy with its relationship to Japan. Recently, however, several revelations have shaken this good will. It has come to light the Japan used slave labor from Manchukuo and Korea at several of its rocket facilities during the early days of the space program. These slave laborers were typically poltical dissidents, and those deemed undesirable by the Japanese government. The 21st Century has a general feeling of optimism. And yet, many wonder what other skeletons Japan is hiding in its closet.

The flag features the color gold, a traditional symbol of Manchuria. It features the imperial seal of Manchukuo in the center. The white is to offset the gold bands, and pairs well with the gold. The flag ratio is a Canadian Pale, though in the world of the flag, the term is instead known as the Manchukuo Pale.

Book Review: Space Academy Dropouts by C.T. Phipps and Michael Suttkus

I'm more than willing to review any works of audio fiction that are requested. However, as I have stated many times before, I maintain a policy of strict honesty. Where there are things worthy of praise, I shall give praise. However, if anything doesn't work I will not hesitate to call it out. With all of that having been said, this brings us to the book that we're going to be reviewing today. We're taking a look at Space Academy Dropouts by C.T. Phipps and Michael Suttkus. 

Space Academy Dropouts takes places 300 years in the future. Humanity has taken to the stars and spread to countless worlds across the galaxy. Vance Turbo is a member of Space Fleet Academy. His Aunt Cathy is one of the galaxy’s greatest heroes, and Vance has much to measure up to. However, Vance has grown disillusioned with Space Fleet, and is doing what he can to get expelled from the academy. Ah, but fate has other plans for him. Vance is assigned to a highly classified mission into Neutral Space. A shipment of Sun Killer bombs has gone missing, and The Community need to covertly recover them. That is where Vance and his fellow misfits come in.

I had previously reviewed volume one of The Supervillainy Saga at the request of C.T. Phipps. He asked me if I’d be willing to review Space Academy Dropouts. I said yes, and here we are.

This is a C.T. Phipps books, so of course there’s going to be a lot of pop culture references. The biggest one is that Space Academy Dropout is one big Star Trek pastiche/homage, with a bit of Guardians of the Galaxy Thrown in. We’ve got an interplanetary federation that outwardly presents itself as utopian, and advocates for cross-cultural cooperation and understanding. There is an academy that trains cadets to explore strange new worlds, and boldly go where no one has gone before. Space Fleet is an obvious stand-in for Star Fleet. The Notha Empire oppose the Alliance, and build their society around uber-militarism and authoritarianism. This makes them stand-ins for the Klingons, but only in terms of function within the plot. Physically, the Notha look like a cross between lemurs and badgers. Though, their worldview isn’t too dissimilar to that of the Daleks from Doctor Who. Vance passed a supposedly unbeatable simulation test by hacking the simulation. This is a reference to how Captain Kirk beat the Kobayashi Maru simulation.

However, Star Trek isn’t the only source of pop culture references. Aunt Cathy’s physical description bares more than a passing resemblance to Honor Harrington, from the series of the same name. It is mentioned that Cathy once saved a planet named F-Sharp Bell. This a reference to the Green Lantern comics. One of the Lanterns is from a part of the universe that is totally devoid of light. So, they believe themselves to be part of the F-Sharp Bell Corps, because I guess that’s as close to the color green as they can imagine. There’s mention of a popular television series called Space Cadet Sally. It is aimed at adolescent girls, but is quite popular with men, to the point you can buy Space Cadet Sally sexbots. There’s some influences of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and the Brony fandom. Sally’s catch praise is “Friendship is Space Fleet.” However, the main heroine getting sexualized by the fandom brings shades of Sailor Moon.

Some humans dislike the Community, and have struck out to found their own colonies in Neutral Space. Many of these colonies evoke the old west with their supposed rugged individualism. However, they’re also home to many extremist ideologies. You’ve got Neo-Confederates, Neo-Nazis, Neo-Apartheid Afrikaners, and Anarcho-Capitalist Libertarians, among other things. These lunatics loosely identify themselves as Independents. This is a reference to Firefly, and how Joss Whedon got the inspiration for Firefly after reading a book about Confederate veterans in the Old West. Granted, Firefly was actually pretty apolitical overall. Yeah, there is some anti-government messages, but that’s because it is part of Mal’s character. He’s a bitter former solider who fought against a government he considers evil…hmm. Well, actually, when you put it like that, it does kind of sound like the sort of thing Lost Causers would say. So, I guess you could see the Independents as a deconstruction of the Confederate subtext within Firefly.

Though, I still maintain that the lack of Asian characters with speaking roles was a far bigger problem for Firefly. And I say this as someone who is a huge Firefly fan. It never made sense from a worldbuilding perspective. Chinese influence is everywhere from language, to clothing, to entertainment, but where are all the Chinese people?

Most of the aliens are genuinely alien. Most of the humanoid characters are descended from humans who were subjected to genetic tinkering. Apparently, the Ancient Aliens people were right all along. Advanced aliens came to Earth in ancient times, abducted humans, and seeded them on other planets. These lost colonies consider Earth important from a historical perspective, but tend to look down on Earth humans. The planet Albion is one such seeded world. Based on the name, it’s humans must have come from Medieval England. There’s a point where it is mentioned they were founded 1000 years ago, but then it say they’re celebrating Centennial, which is a 100 year anniversary. Apparently, the Centennial was the celebration of Albion’s independence from the Elder Races, so that wasn’t a typo. Albion has a royal family, who conspiracy theorists claim are space lizards. So, yeah, that just makes it even clearer that they are Space Britain. Albion even somehow created their own version of the Star Trek television show, but Vance considers their version inferior.

The planet Thor is another seeded world. Thorians look like humans with blue skin. There’s a Thorian on Vance’s team, and he is somehow Jewish. Well, blue is a color traditionally associated with Judaism. There’s a lot of franchises that use the concept of aliens abducting humans and then seeded them on other planets. However, the one that sprang to my mind was Stargate. There’s another race of seeded humans called Etherials. They are basically space elves, and their Elder Race was actually nice to them, unlike the Elder Races of most other seeded humans. The Etherials are an obvious reference to The Eternals.

There’s also mention of a channel called The Geology Channel. Unfortunately, they hardly ever play anything relating to geology anymore. These days, its all reality shows and conspiracy theory shows. Obviously, this is a reference to channels like Discovery Channel and History Channel that have largely abandoned their original educational content. Such is life. On the other hand, considering that Ancient Aliens turned out to be correct, perhaps Vance shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the conspiracy theory shows.

Okay, enough with the reference hunting. I’ve been putting this off for as long as I can, so I’ll get straight to the point. When I reviewed The Supervillainy Saga, I said that I liked it, but I felt that I got my fill. I bring this up because Space Academy Dropouts is basically just The Supervillainy Saga in Space. Let’s see, our main character gets in trouble by hacking into his university database. He’s very snarky, and very knowledgeable about pop culture. In fact, at times he practically speaks in nothing but pop culture references. Despite being dorky, and not all that special, numerous women are lining up to have sex with him. Well, they do rib him and poke fun at him, but they still want to have sex with him. Yeah, Vance is pretty much just Gary Karkofsky, but as a space cadet rather than a supervillain.

The pop culture references also got very grating. As I noted when I review The Supervillainy Saga, C.T. Phipps has a bad habit of going way overboard with pop culture references. It felt like, whenever he couldn’t think of how to move a scene along, he’d insert another pop culture reference. Moreover, as the filmography of Aaron Seltzer and Jason Friedberg demonstrates, pop culture references alone do not a plot make. They also didn’t make any sense. Space Academy Dropouts is set 300 years in the future, but Vance in obsessed with pop culture from the 20th and 21st Century. That would be like someone from the present day being obsessed with pop culture from the 18th Century.

As for the supporting cast, well, I don’t really have much to say. They range from one-note to, at best, two-dimensional. You got the horny robot girl, the blue Jewish guy, the literal-minded space lizard, the wise space elf, the cute and sexy catgirl, and the snarky scientist. I know it sounds like I’m being a jerk, but that really does encapsulate their entire personalities. I feel that the cast was too big, and as a result, none of the characters got properly fleshed out.

Well, there was one character who stood-out. Vance’s former girlfriend Leah is a snarky Eurasian woman who is described as cute, and wears thigh-length boots. So, basically Mandy from The Supervillainy Saga. You know, come to think of it, in retrospect, the characters from The Supervillainy Saga weren’t all that fleshed-out wither. The main difference is that, since the characters from Supervillainy Saga are based on preexisting characters, my mind kind of filled in the blanks. So, it was less noticeable in their case. In Space Academy Dropouts, however, the characters don’t have any preexisting templates, so their lack of depth is more readily apparent.

I didn’t want a rehash of The Supervillainy Saga, I wanted something different. Any differences that Space Academy Rejects has are ultimately purely aesthetic and only skin-deep, if that. This made Space Academy Rejects have a very cookie cutter feel to it.

There’s a lot of interesting ideas in this book, but they aren’t explored as much as they could be. One of the planets in Neutral Space is called Rand’s World. It is a planet founded on the principles and teaching of Ayn Rand. It even has its own Galt’s Gulch. Just what would a world founded on Objectivist ideas be like? Perhaps it could be deconstructed along the lines of what Bioshock did. Science fiction is the literature of big ideas. Unfortunately, the authors mostly just take potshots at their political opponents, and don’t provide any interesting insights. Their critique, if you can call it that, basically amounts to “LOL! Libertarians are a bunch of inbred, low IQ, redneck hick freaks!”

The concept of humans being seeded on alien planets is also interesting. What time periods and cultures do they come from? What are their cultures like? In what ways do they differ from Earth humans? What was their technological and scientific progress like? How does their religion work? In fact, what is their history in general? Well, beyond a few tantalizing off-hand remarks, we get no answers.

The voice in Space Academy Dropouts is very similar to that The Supervillainy Saga. Not just in that it is told in first-person, and Vance is pretty much Gary in all but name. You see, Jeffery Kafer returns as narrator for the audiobook of Space Academy Dropouts. He has previously narrated The Supervillainy Saga. Unfortunately, that made the similarities to The Supervillainy Saga all the more glaring. At times I had to reminds myself that I wasn’t listening to get another entry in The Supervillainy Saga.

Ultimately, your enjoyment of Space Academy Dropouts will come down to if you enjoy The Supervillainy Saga, and if you want more of the same. I did not want more of the same, so I was rather disappointed. But perhaps you will feel differently.

So, there you have it. Space Academy Dropouts aims for the stars, but crashes and burns on the launch pad. I didn’t care for it, but perhaps you’ll feel differently.

Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

Flag of the Cherokee Confederacy

This is the flag of the Cherokee Confederacy. It comes from a world where the Spanish Armada successfully conquered England in 1588. While England did eventually regain its independence, the Spanish conquest severely stunted England’s growth as a world power, and lead to greater political instability. As a result, England never became a demographic juggernaut during the colonization of North America. The lands that would have become the Thirteen Colonies are a patchwork of nations and colonies founded by numerous European nations. There are also several independent indigenous nations, such as the Cherokee Confederacy.

The Cherokee Confederacy also includes the Muskogee, Chickasaw, and Choctaw tribes. The Cherokee, as reflected by the name, were the founding tribe of the confederacy. The Cherokee Confederacy was one of the first indigenous nations of North America to implement westernization and industrialization programs. Today, most Cherokee dress in European-style clothing, but do wear traditional clothing on special occasions. Like most southern nations in eastern North America, the Cherokee historically practiced slavery. Slavery was formally abolished in 1885 as part of the modernization efforts. Racial divides and tensions still remain, but the Cherokee government has, in recent years, implement programs to help blacks integrate into Cherokee society.

The Cherokee legislature, known as the Tribal Council, is organized into a semi-parliamentary democracy, with a prime minister as the Head of Government, and a president as Head of State. The Cherokee Tribal Council is closer in style to the French National Assmbly, rather than to the English Parliament. The Cherokee Confederacy is centered around what would be western North Carolina, Tennessee, and the northern bits of Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. The indigenous republics of North America, being sovereign nations, did not suffer an equivalent of the Indian Removal Act.

Historically, the Cherokee Confederacy has been rivals with the Haudenosaunee Federation. However, in recent times the two nations have been putting their rivalries behind them. In terms of good relations, the Cherokee Confederacy has historically been an ally of New Neatherlands, which in located in Virginia. The various nations of North America have formed a European Union-style economic union, and there are hopes that this will eventually leads to a federation. There is a general spirit of good will and optimism. That said, North America still has a ways to go before its nation states become united.

The flag contains seven gold stars in the shape of the Big Dipper, or Ursa Major, on an orange field with a green border. Ursa Major is an important constellation to several tribes within the Cherokee Confederacy. It also symbolizes how the same night sky shine over the entire Cherokee Confederacy. Blue would seem a natural color choice, but the Cherokee picked orange instead. There is some debate about why this is. Popular belief says that it symbolizes the Cherokee Confederacy’s ties to New Netherlands. However, the Cherokee actually picked orange to contrast with the blue flags several other North American nations use. The green border is to offset the orange.

The Audio File: The Luchador: 1000 Fights of El Fuego Fuerte

Sometimes, I like to wait a little bit before I review certain audio dramas. I want to make sure they don’t pull out any sudden surprises right as I’ve finished the review. However, sometimes there is an audio drama that just demands to be reviewed. No, I’m not talking about when people ask me to review their shows. What I means is that I listen to a show, and I know that I have to share it with everyone as soon as possible. Such is the case with the audio drama we’ll be taking a look at today. We’re taking a look at season one of The Luchador: 1000 Fights of El Fuego Fuerte. 

In Mexico City, generations of masked wrestlers, known as luchadores, have been the champions of the people. From the noble tecnicos to the jeering rudos, these athletic whip-smart warriors set aside their rivalries of the ring to keep their city safe from the dangers of this world, and beyond. Of all the luchadores, of all the ages past, none were as brave or as strong as El Fuego Fuerte: The Might Champion of Mexico City. These are his battles. These are the 1000 Fights of El Fuego Fuerte, The Lachador.

I first became aware of The Luchador thanks to the weekly tread of new Audio-Drama.com show links on the r/audiodrama subreddit. The Luchador sounded promising, so I decided to give it a listen. It only had two episode when I first started listening, but I quickly fell in love with it. The first season is now out in its entirety. I had considered waiting until season two was out, but I then I decided that I absolutely had to review this show right now. So, here we are.

From a young age I had been fascinated by the world of lucha libre. Admittedly, most of that came via cartoons I enjoyed. ¡Mucha Lucha! was one of my absolute favorite cartoons. Yeah, it was all exaggerated, and include several fantastic and unrealistic elements, but it was still awesome. There was also Jackie Chan Adventures. One of Jackie’s allies was a luchador name El Toro Fuerte; not to be confused with El Fuego Fuerte from The Luchador. Even other shows, such as El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera, included some elements of lucha. On the live action side, I saw a few episodes of Los Luchas. It was basically Power Rangers, but with luchadors rather than Power Rangers. I didn’t watch it as much as Power Rangers or Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog, but what I did see was fun.

I say all of this to emphasize that, while I do admire lucha libre, I’m far from an expert on the topic. As stated, most of what I know comes from cartoons. All that being said, I still greatly enjoyed The Luchador: 1000 Fights of El Fuego Fuerte. Honestly, it successfully replicated those feelings I felt when watching all of those cartoons I mentioned. Series creator Daniel Valero Fletcher says that The Luchador was largely inspired by lucha movies from the 1970s. Again, never seen any of them in full, but I have seen clips from various lucha movies. They always looked like good campy fun. Daniel also cites Lucha Underground from the El Rey Network as a major influence. 

Now, lets discuss a bit of wrestling terminology. People often say that professional wresting is fake, but that’s a bit of misnomer. True, the outcomes, and much of the choreography, of the matches are predetermined. However, all the stunts are very real. The bodyslams, atomic drops, piledrivers, people getting hit by folding chairs; all of that is absolutely real. As such, professional wrestlers deserve major respect, because they take a series beating for your entertainment. There’s kind of a willing suspension of disbelief among wrestling fans known as kayfabe. Basically, you know that wrestling is scripted, but you act like it is real. Think of this like whenever The Muppets get interviewed. Yeah, we all know they’re really just puppets, but everyone acts like they’re real. The wrestlers playing heroes are known as faces, with tecnicos being their lucha equivalent. Wrestlers playing villains are known as heels, with rudos as their lucha equivalents.

Obviously, things are a bit different in the world of The Luchador. The matches are depicted as having some scripted elements, but they’re also sort of depicted as being unscripted and real, for want of a better word. Though, from what I understand, this way of doing things isn’t that uncommon in wrestling fiction.

El Fuego Fuerte is, for all intents and purposes, a superhero. As with any good superhero, he adheres to a strict moral code. In this case, the rule of lucha libre. For example, during a car chase, El Fuego Fuerte refuses to shoot at the pursuers, for a tecnico is never the first to introduce a foreign object to the match. He also never appears in public without his mask on, because that’s a big no-no in lucha. Though, that said, El Fuego Fuerte does have a large collection of masks, such as dining masks, which he keeps for special occasions and appearances. However, we also get hints that El Fuego spent some time in America, and did some things that he isn’t proud of. That’s definitely going to play a role in the coming seasons. My guess is that he used to work as a heel, and possibly performed as a very stereotypical Mexican persona. El Fuego does say he felt that he brought shame to Mexico. 

Of course, ever superhero needs villains For season one, El Fuego Fuerte faces off against undead Aztec vampire women known as cihuateteos. They are actual creatures from Aztec Mythology, and are said to be the spirits of women who died in childbirth. There’s a part where El Fuego pleads with the cihuateteos, and tells them that they are mighty warriors. Aztec women who died in childbirth received the same funeral rights as men who died in battle. The Aztecs viewed the act of giving birth as rescuing a hostage from enemy territory. So, El Fuego wasn’t wrong to call them warriors.

On the anti-hero side of things, we’ve got El Hijo de Lobo Sangre. He is the second luchador to hold that title, but he’s not the biological son of the previous Lobo Sangre. Rather, he was more his protege. Lobo is a rudo, but he’s willing to work with El Fuego if it means protecting Mexico City. He even develops a grudging respect for El Fuego Fuerte. So, Lobo is the noble demon character. Though, I should emphasize that he is not literally a demon.

Maria Amaya is an archeologist who works at the Museum of Anthropology. Naturally, El Fuego seeks out her help when researching the cihuateteos. She doesn’t really think too highly of lucha at first, but comes to appreciate it after spending time with El Fuego. We also a few sparks of romance between Maria and El Fuego. There’s a few other things I could mention, but that would be spoilers.

The narrator isn’t really a character, but he has an epic voice, and helps introduce new scenes. Daniel Valero Fletcher has said that he hopes that The Luchador might one day become a television series. If it does, the narrator absolutely needs to come along for the ride. The series just wouldn’t be the same without him.

Actually, while we’re on the subject, let’s talk about the voice acting. Almost all of the characters are voiced by actual professional wrestlers. Again, not my area of expertise, but I’m sure fans of professional wrestling might find this rather exciting. Overall all, everyone did a fairly decent job. El Fuego, Lobo, and Maria Amaya were the three strongest performances. There were a few characters who didn’t quite hit the mark, but I’m willing to cut the voice actors some slack. They’re professional wrestlers, not professional voice actors. The accents are all over the place. Some characters, such as El Fuego, sound believably Mexican. Others, such as the mayor of Mexico City, sound straight-up America. However, this is probably intentional. Like, presumably, the characters are actually speaking Spanish, but we hear it as English for our convenience. So, presumably the actors were all told to just use their natural speaking voices.

Each season also brings the opportunity to win tickets to real life wrestling matches. This is part of El Fuego Furte’s Luchador Crime Club. At the end of each episode, a secret word is revealed. You then email the word to The Luchador’s email address, which you can find on the website, and you are entered for a chance to win the tickets. The official Twitter account for The Luchador frequently live tweets various professional wrestling matches. In fact, you could be forgive for mistaking it for a wrestling fan account, rather than an audio drama podcast account.

There you have it. Season one of The Luchador: 1000 Fights of El Fuego Fuerte is absolutely fantastic. It combines lucha libre with urban fantasy adventures in Mexico City. I can’t wait to see what future seasons have in store for us. Do not wait to listen to this audio drama. Believe me, you will not regret it.

Well, I think that should do it from me for now. I will see you guys next time.

Flag of the United Provinces of Markland

This is the flag of the United Provinces of Markland. It comes from a world in which the Norse colonization of North America was more successful. The Norse expanded into mainland North America. Most of the settlements were founded by Christians. However, some pagans also established colonies in hopes of escaping persecution in the Old World. Unfortunately, Christians had a numeric advantage, and forced the Pagans further into the interior of North America. Still, the Pagans made the best of things, and there was some trade between pagan and Christian settlements. Christian settlements tended to be based around agriculture and fishing, while Pagan settlements placed emphasis on fur trapping and hunting. 

Knowledge of the Americas eventually spread to the rest of Europe, and other nations began to send their own expeditions. The indigenous peoples were exposed Old World diseases, but managed to recover their numbers by the time Europeans arrived in earnest. There are several independent indigenous nations, such as the Haudenosaunee and Lenape nations. Both nations are close allies of Markland. Christian Marklanders traditionally had a tense relationship with the indigenous peoples. By contrast, Pagan Marklanders were generally on more amicable terms with the Native Marklanders, and intermarriage wasn’t uncommon. This lead to a creation of a new culture of mixed race Marklanders. We might consider them akin to the Métis of our world.

In time, Markland began to view itself as separate from Scandinavia. This ultimately culminated in a war of independence. The Markland War of Independence saw Christians and Pagans fighting side-by-side to defend their homeland. This caused Christians and Pagans to view each other not as separate cultures, but as a single people sharing in a common destiny. The United Provinces of Markland includes most of what would have been the eastern provinces of Canada, as well as the New England states, Long Island, and New York City.

The United Province of Markland is governed by a bicameral legislature known as the Althing. The head of state known as the Speaker of the Althing. The Speaker is voted on by the people and serves a term of six years, and can be re-elected for only one more term afterward.

The Constitution of Markland places emphasis on protecting the rights of minorities, such a pagans. All provinces can declare an official religion, but they cannot penalize other religions, or lack there of. However, Pagan majority provinces are granted more leeway with what they are allowed to do, in accordance with the Constitution. Some conservative Marklanders grumble about this. They feel that pagans wield a disproportionate amount of influence in the Althing; especially given that Pagans only comprise about twenty percent of Markland’s population. However, most Christian Marklanders are perfectly willing to give small concessions to the Pagans.

Marklander Christianity is highly syncretic. Pagan Marklanders might bless a field by pulling a wagon with a statue of Freyr or Thor around it. Christian Marklanders would preform pretty much the exact same ritual, but with a statue of St. Olaf instead. The raven, rather than the dove, is consider the symbol of the Holy Spirit in Marklander Christianity.

This symbolism extends to the flag. The flag is based upon the famous Raven Banner. It is a grey triangle pennon with two ravens. The ravens represent both Christians and Pagans, and symbolize how Markland is the product of both cultures. Some conservative Christians, however, note that two raven could also symbolize Huginn and Muninn, the ravens of Odin. Conservative Christians have tried, unsuccessfully, to get the flag changed to include only a single raven. However, most Christin Marklanders are perfectly happy with the flag just the way it is, and think it look very nice.

Flag of the Gallic League

This is the flag of the Gallic League. It comes from a world where Carthage won the Punic Wars and crushed Rome. Carthage and Greece did establish some colonies across the Mediterranean, and even sent expeditions up the major rivers of Europe. However, neither created a vast spanning empire the way Rome would have. Gaul remained divided between numerous tribes and city-states. The southern regions saw lots of influence from Carthage and Greece as a result of trading ports. Greco-Carthaginian influence begins to tapper off the further north one travels. Over time, the city-states of Gaul began to establish a series of trading alliances with one another, and this would eventually lead to a political alliance. Thus, the Gallic League was born.

The thinking was that the city-states of Gaul could do more by pooling their resources than any of them could individually. The city-states are divided into a series of cantons, each of which has a high degree of autonomy. The cantons administer to their personal affairs, while the League government deals with diplomacy and international relations. The League capital constantly moves around. This way, no one canton can wield more influence than the others. The Gallic League has proven to be quite successful, and can easily stand as an equal to major powers such as Carthage, Greece, and Egypt.

The Gauls have developed a written language using a modified form of the Greek alphabet. Several Greek philosophers have opened schools on the southern coast of Gaul. The Gauls also learned shipwright technics from Carthage, and the first expedition across the Atlantic was lead by Gauls. Gaul established a few colonies in the New World, but the indigenous people were largely able to resist colonization. That said, many indigenous peoples of the Americas did become valuable trading partners for Gaul. Gaul gained considerable wealth by acting as the middle man to the products of the New World. On the whole, the Gallic League is one of the biggest success stories of the world created by Carthage’s victory in the Punic Wars.

The flag is a green pennon with a gold boar on it. The boar is consider the most important animal to the Gauls, and the green references to the lush forests and fields of Gaul.