Small Beans

Writer/Actor Erik Barnes stops by the proverbial small town diner for some yuks and jabberin’ with the boys. Yes, we know we covered Road to Perdition last time, and yes, this is another early 2000s gangster movie based on a graphic novel about a man trying to hide his past life from his children. We KNOW. We’re doing a thing. Anyway, Erik brings his know-how to the chat and has a kickstarter you should chickity-check. Features: Erik Barnes: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/monstors/monstors-sham-moo-moo-and-sting-cobra-action-figures Michael Swaim: https://twitter.com/SWAIM_CORP Abe Epperson: https://twitter.com/AbeTheMighty Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691

Michael brings on Brandon and Lisa, parents of two children (aged 1 and 3). Michael investigates the daily life and worries of the initial parenting phase. This episode continues the ongoing conversation about Michael and jenn’s leap into parenthood, including a huge announcement at the beginning of the pod! Buy Michael’s book: https://www.patreon.com/smallbeans/shop Support Small Beans: https://www.patreon.com/smallbeans Features: Michael Swaim: https://twitter.com/SWAIM_CORP Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691

Our limited series with co-hosts Abe Epperson and David Bell digs deep into the internet meme of the “dad movie.” We can all probably name a dad movie, but can we isolate the tropes that really make this a bona fide film genre? Let’s find out! Features: Abe Epperson: https://twitter.com/abethemighty David Bell: https://twitter.com/MovieHooligan Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691

Our deep dive of Wes Anderson and P.T. Anderson continues: this time we discuss the 2018 film Isle of Dogs which tells the story of a boy who tries to save his dog from a tyrannical cat-cult. Michael and Abe discuss Wes Anderson’s distinctive style, themes, and characters. Features: Michael Swaim: https://twitter.com/SWAIM_CORP Abe Epperson: https://twitter.com/AbeTheMighty Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691

Abe Epperson wants to tell you about the holy experience of watching The Saint. He wants to whisper into your ear how a director uses blocking, pacing, and movement to make you understand how awesome the Saint is. I mean, look at Val Kilmer in the above photo. I bet God needed another day of rest after he made that high-tech hunk of disguise. Features: Adam Ganser: https://twitter.com/therealganz Abe Epperson: https://twitter.com/AbeTheMighty Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691

Brian Brushwood, a world-renowned con artist and gaming enthusiast, joins Michael and Adam for a deep dive into Starcraft 2. They explore the intricate strategies and nostalgic memories tied to the game, likening its gameplay to a high-stakes poker match. The conversation touches on the evolution of real-time strategy games and their impact on esports. Brushwood shares insights on game design, balance, and the beloved character Kerrigan, all while reminiscing about the community and excitement surrounding competitive play.

Author and all-around fantastic guy, Jason Pargin, joins the boys on the road to unpacking the themes, production, and structure of 2002’s Road to Perdition. They talk gangster movies, anti-heroes, and the fact that Jason is definitely not a murderer. Features: Jason Pargin: https://www.tiktok.com/@jasonkpargin Michael Swaim: https://twitter.com/SWAIM_CORP Abe Epperson: https://twitter.com/AbeTheMighty Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691

Swaim wrote a novel called The Climb, currently available as a lush, all-color PDF, as well as in an ereader-compatible format, and in physical form. THIS is a sample of the audiobook version of The Climb, read by the author, a man named Michael. It's just the first three hours. The full thing can be had for a scant twenty dollars by visiting the Small Beans Patreon Shop at patreon.com/smallbeans/shop. Your money will go directly to support Mike in a trying financial time, and unlock the audiobook as an MP3, M4B (the preferred format of reader apps like Audible, Apple Books, and etc.), and indexed chapter-by-chapter folder for those who prefer a navigable playlist. ALSO: Features one other Small Beannouncement, so make sure to stay for the end of the beanginning. SYNOPSIS & PRAISE Sinno is about to take part in an ancient coming-of-age rite for his people: climbing as high as he can up the Great Tree that comprises the entire universe. No one knows what wonders and mysteries lurk in the misty branches above. All Sinno knows is that he sometimes hates himself, and he doesn't want to let anybody down. This is a book about things including, but not limited to: alcoholism, robots, crippling depression, a magical talking rock, what's inside the Mystery Box, falling in love, hitting yourself in the head, evil orange fungus, the Tree Pope, CRACKED, Picasso, and the meaning of life. I sure hope it helps. "The book is heartbreaking, it's weird, and it's very, very funny." - Robert Brockway "There’s nothing quite like The Climb. A classic, fantastical, epic hero’s journey except for the parts where it isn’t...and, as always, a book that’s really f*cking funny. It’s a love poem, it’s a dick joke, it’s a celebration of art and a middle finger to those who try to squeeze a buck out of art, and it’s quite possibly Michael Swaim’s masterpiece." - Daniel O'Brien

Our three co-hosts are stuck in the multiverse and need to get back to their home universe. Clearly, the only way to do that is to explore our cultural obsession with multiverses, alternate timelines and parallel worlds, and tie it all into a conversation about post-modern art, pop culture, and the lessons these stories teach us. Also, each episode, one of them is an asshole who will probably sabotage the whole thing. This week we discuss 2006’s The Lake House, with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock! Features: Michael Swaim: https://twitter.com/SWAIM_CORP Adam Ganser: https://twitter.com/therealganz Abe Epperson: https://twitter.com/AbeTheMighty Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691

Our deep dive of Wes Anderson and P.T. Anderson continues: this time we discuss the 2017 film The Phantom Thread which tells the story of a toxic relationship fostered by a tyrannical dressmaker. Michael and Abe discuss Paul Thomas Anderson’s distinctive style, themes, and characters. Features: Michael Swaim: https://twitter.com/SWAIM_CORP Abe Epperson: https://twitter.com/AbeTheMighty Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691