Colby Elliot

My real purpose of going to conventions is networking (actually, the real REAL purpose is to find cool stuff to buy but more about that another time). Plastic City Comic Con is one of those one day Micro-Cons where networking is easy, fun and enjoyable, getting to see old friends and meeting new ones as well. So, Imagine my surprise when my friend Colby Elliot of Last Word Audio Studios sauntered by the booth and we gabbed liked we hadn’t seen each other in months (actually, we hadn’t seen each other in months , so…)

We talked for a while and then said this conversation would make a good show and so, welcome to 420. In this episode we talk about his newest audio creations The Mad Scientist’s Cabinet of Curated Chimera, his upcoming travel plans, his own personal podcast ‘Geekery and Wine‘, his newest ideas and he even brags about helping to renovations in Area 51.

(Thanks for the help with installing the new flooring)

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The Mad Scientist’s Cabinet of Curated Chimera

Jamie and Liz

Hey Everybody,

Its always sad when we find out one of our fellow geeks has fallen ill. It is exponentially sadder when it is the child of one of them, I got an email, to be honest one of a series of continuing emails from friend of the show Jamie Chambers of Signalfire Studios. His 19 year old daughter, Elizabeth, is struggling with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, an ugly sounding series of words. Let me quote from his email to me.

Short Version: Liz is recovering from a bone marrow stem cell transplant for a form of leukemia most often found in young children. This fundraiser assists our family with bills, medical expenses not covered by insurance, transportation down to Northside Atlanta, food, and sometimes just fun treats like movies and music. Liz got great news from her re-staging last month! This means a slow transition toward something resembling “normal life” for her, me, and our family. (Please note that we know many are struggling and there are zero expectations for anyone to donate. Sharing our links, donating blood products, joining the bone marrow donor registry, and assisting patients in your local communities are other ways you can help!)

Long Version: My name is Jamie. My daughter Elizabeth had her second bone marrow stem cell transplant on February 22nd of this year in her roller-coaster treatment of blood cancer that began in early 2016. During her treatment and with our family situation it’s very difficult for me to work very much, so donations go toward helping make up that gap with family expenses as well as to cover any expenses not covered by her insurance (including gas, tolls, parking, food during daily clinic visits, etc.). We also use the money for things to keep her spirits up (movies, music, gifts, treats) and her supply bag stocked. No gift is too small, and weappreciate every gesture including the sharing of our links or keeping my daughter in your thoughts and prayers. If you’d like to donate an Amazon gift card so Liz can order items, please send them to: jamie1km (at) gmail (dot) com . If you’d like to send a card or physical gift to Liz, you can do so here: Liz Chambers c/o Signal Fire Studios 2265 Roswell Rd, Ste 100 Marietta, GA 30062 And if you’re local and would like to do something amazing, we encourage you to donate blood products—specifically plasma and especially platelets via Atlanta Blood Services. (You can search for them here on Facebook for more information.) Be sure to mention her name — Elizabeth Chambers — when you donate as she gets perks for people who give. As Liz’s treatments continue she will need transfusions and the supply is always limited. Prayers, well-wishes-, happy thoughts, and good vibes are always appreciated. Encouraging notes are best done in comments here on the fundraiser or over on her website — fun4liz.net— as tons of direct messages from people she doesn’t know can get overwhelming, though she truly loves and appreciates them all. Thank you to everyone who has been so wonderful to our family. We never feel alone—much love to you all!

All our love goes out to Elizabeth and all who have circled the wagons in support.

Prayers, well-wishes, happy thoughts, and good vibes are always appreciated.

Thanks  for reading.

Curtis M. Lawson

Doug Rinaldi

If the title of your upcoming novella is ‘Those Who Go Forth Into The Empty Place Of Gods”, it had

better live up to it’s name. Even more so when one of the collaborators in the effort is friend of the show Curtis Lawson. To talk about this book , Curtis brought along his co-conspirator Doug Rinaldi.

Without giving away anything about this powerful, playful, horror filled and utterly charming novella, it combines aspects of television game shows, pop culture, The Princess Bride and Ghostbusters, while maintaining a “pulpy diorama of gore”. The conversation centered around:

• The nature of the novella
• How and why it became what it is
• Was it as much fun to write as it is to read
• How the two co-writers in arms met
• What was their particular collaboration like
• When can we expect more

All in all, this was one of the most relaxing conversations we have ever had. It is decidedly rare when one gets to read a book that asks the question: “Is my body nothing more than a decade old McDonald’s hamburger found in a jacket pocket?”

Enjoy the chaos.

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Those Who Go Forth into the Empty Place of Gods Cover Art by Matthew Revert