PIVOT!

We'll be back next with our look ahead to 2026, featuring Mike DeAngelo, but we're both feeling a bit under the weather. So, we chat with a different Mike!

Enter Michael Pickard—an award-winning author who got his start in writing in an unconventional way. From letters to his daughter to writing the perfect time travel story, Michael's story is that of a true independent creator.

That independent spirit, as the title suggests, is what is at the heart of this conversation.

SUPPORT MICHAEL PICKARD

Amazon | Forward and Back (The Perfect Time Travel Story) | Facebook

Michael Pickard blends his professional background in cutting-edge technology with a deep passion for the creative arts in his writing. He has published dozens of short stories, including Hardwired, which won the Ray Bradbury Creative Writing Prize in 2005. His experience in technology informs the creation of rich fictional worlds and societies, while his sharp use of satire keeps readers engaged, thoughtful, and entertained.

THE SHOW

Everything is Awesome is produced by Starbird Media and edited by Kevin M. Gallagher, Jr. The Everything is Awesome logo is by Francois Jooste & Kevin M. Gallagher, Jr. For advertising rates, guest inquiries, or press coverage, email us at info@starbirdmediallc.com.

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everything-is-awesome/id1080785725
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6P4LLWBQD5DUFBCykh9adm
• YouTube: Coming Soon!
• Kev: TikTok, BlueSky, Twitter, Instagram, and Threads, all at @ThatNerdyKev. | ThatNerdyKev.com | MayorOfLevittown.com | AvatarStateRadio.com | GetEmNextYear.com.

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Please consider supporting The HEADstrong Foundation (https://headstrong.org). They are based in the Philadelphia area, minutes from the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. They assist families dealing with cancer with everything from meals to travel and housing. I've been working with them for nearly nine years now, and they are good people.

Listen, rate, and subscribe! Find Everything is Awesome on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and AwesomePodcast.com.

Please support Everything is Awesome by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. They have some math that gets us in front of more awesome people! Or tell a friend, word of mouth keeps the good vibes going.

Organizations & Causes We Support:

Make 5 Calls | HEADstrong Foundation | The Trevor Project | Black Lives Matter | Need to Talk? Dial 9-8-8

It's officially 2026! It's time for our annual tradition of sitting down with Mike DeAngelo to talk about the previous year—that's right, it's the Everything is Awesome 2025 Rewind!

We look back at the entertainment, specifically in film and video games [with a touch of TV and books] that we enjoyed with some rough top ten lists. We also take the time to reflect on what each of us has done creatively this year.

Stay tuned next week when Mike returns for the Everything is Awesome 2026 Look Ahead!

SUPPORT MIKE DEANGELO

Tellest | Etsy | Twitch

THE SHOW

Everything is Awesome is produced by Starbird Media and edited by Kevin M. Gallagher, Jr. The Everything is Awesome logo is by Francois Jooste & Kevin M. Gallagher, Jr. For advertising rates, guest inquiries, or press coverage, email us at info@starbirdmediallc.com.

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everything-is-awesome/id1080785725
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6P4LLWBQD5DUFBCykh9adm
• YouTube: Coming Soon!
• Kev: TikTok, BlueSky, Twitter, Instagram, and Threads, all at @ThatNerdyKev. | ThatNerdyKev.com | MayorOfLevittown.com | AvatarStateRadio.com | GetEmNextYear.com.

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Please consider supporting The HEADstrong Foundation (https://headstrong.org). They are based in the Philadelphia area, minutes from the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. They assist families dealing with cancer with everything from meals to travel and housing. I've been working with them for nearly nine years now, and they are good people.

Listen, rate, and subscribe! Find Everything is Awesome on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and AwesomePodcast.com.

Please support Everything is Awesome by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. They have some math that gets us in front of more awesome people! Or tell a friend, word of mouth keeps the good vibes going.

Organizations & Causes We Support:

Make 5 Calls | HEADstrong Foundation | The Trevor Project | Black Lives Matter | Need to Talk? Dial 9-8-8

Happy Life Day and Merry Christmas!

Don't know who Jik-Jak, Rindak, Kessa, and Kyjean are? Go listen to episode 200! It's a great holiday time listen!

SUPPORT MIKE DEANGELO

Tellest | Etsy | Twitch

SUPPORT JEFF STORMER

Party of One Podcast | Bluesky

SUPPORT TAYLOR KELLAR

Taylor Kellar | TikTok

THE SHOW

Everything is Awesome is produced by Starbird Media and edited by Kevin M. Gallagher, Jr. The Everything is Awesome logo is by Francois Jooste & Kevin M. Gallagher, Jr. For advertising rates, guest inquiries, or press coverage, email us at info@starbirdmediallc.com.

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everything-is-awesome/id1080785725
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6P4LLWBQD5DUFBCykh9adm
• YouTube: Coming Soon!
• Kev: TikTok, BlueSky, Twitter, Instagram, and Threads, all at @ThatNerdyKev. | ThatNerdyKev.com | MayorOfLevittown.com | AvatarStateRadio.com | GetEmNextYear.com.

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Please consider supporting The HEADstrong Foundation (https://headstrong.org). They are based in the Philadelphia area, minutes from the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. They assist families dealing with cancer with everything from meals to travel and housing. I've been working with them for nearly nine years now, and they are good people.

Listen, rate, and subscribe! Find Everything is Awesome on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and AwesomePodcast.com.

Please support Everything is Awesome by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. They have some math that gets us in front of more awesome people! Or tell a friend, word of mouth keeps the good vibes going.

Organizations & Causes We Support:

Make 5 Calls | HEADstrong Foundation | The Trevor Project | Black Lives Matter

200 episodes. Man, that's something special. This is the first podcast I've done where we've hit that number. Happy Hour hit around 175 episodes or so before I shut it down, though I may have been part of The Stabcast for close to 200 episodes. Regardless... this is special, no matter how long it took to get to it.

And just like we did for Everything is Awesome Episode 100, we're playing a game! This time, we head to a galaxy far, far away (in the distant past) with Star Wars: Edge of the Empire. Inspired by the Campaign podcast and using a modified version of the beginning adventure, I sat down with Mike DeAngelo, Jeff Stormer, and Taylor Kellar to run their little crew around the sands of Tatooine.

SUPPORT MIKE DEANGELO

Tellest | Etsy | Twitch

SUPPORT JEFF STORMER

Party of One Podcast | Bluesky

SUPPORT TAYLOR KELLAR

Taylor Kellar | TikTok

THE SHOW

Everything is Awesome is produced by Starbird Media and edited by Kevin M. Gallagher, Jr. The Everything is Awesome logo is by Francois Jooste & Kevin M. Gallagher, Jr. For advertising rates, guest inquiries, or press coverage, email us at info@starbirdmediallc.com.

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everything-is-awesome/id1080785725
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6P4LLWBQD5DUFBCykh9adm
• YouTube: Coming Soon!
• Kev: TikTok, BlueSky, Twitter, Instagram, and Threads, all at @ThatNerdyKev. | ThatNerdyKev.com | MayorOfLevittown.com | AvatarStateRadio.com | GetEmNextYear.com.

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Please consider supporting The HEADstrong Foundation (https://headstrong.org). They are based in the Philadelphia area, minutes from the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. They assist families dealing with cancer with everything from meals to travel and housing. I've been working with them for nearly nine years now, and they are good people.

Listen, rate, and subscribe! Find Everything is Awesome on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and AwesomePodcast.com.

Please support Everything is Awesome by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. They have some math that gets us in front of more awesome people! Or tell a friend, word of mouth keeps the good vibes going.

Organizations & Causes We Support:

Make 5 Calls | HEADstrong Foundation | The Trevor Project | Black Lives Matter

Let's talk about podcasting and how no one is an expert. Everything is Awesome is nearly 10 years old. I've been podcasting for nearly 19 years. Yet, an entire interview is missing. It happens to the best of us. None of us is perfect, and we should always be striving to learn from our failures.

"Failure is Success Training." ~ Kevin Smith

It's a short episode this week because of said failure above. We'll need to get them on the show proper in the future, but in the meantime, I need something for episode 198. With the help of an assistant, we compiled a summary of what Grim Philly is: both their tours and their podcast.

Quick production update: we'll be getting back to weekly releases soon, though maybe not until 2026 (I honestly haven't sat down yet to see what we can do). We are also shifting back to our ORIGINAL (from like 10 years ago) release day: Wednesday. While I have all the best intentions of getting episodes edited and scheduled 3-7 days in advance, I do spin a lot of plates (which are in addition to my three kids and day job). Shifting back to Wednesday means that if I fall behind, I don't have to try and put something together over the weekend, which is when I'm at my busiest, and can use Monday and/or Tuesday to get this show posted.

SUPPORT GRIM PHILLY

Grim Philly Tours | Grim Philly Podcast

THE SHOW

Everything is Awesome is produced by Starbird Media and edited by Kevin M. Gallagher, Jr. The Everything is Awesome logo is by Francois Jooste & Kevin M. Gallagher, Jr. For advertising rates, guest inquiries, or press coverage, email us at info@starbirdmediallc.com.

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everything-is-awesome/id1080785725
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6P4LLWBQD5DUFBCykh9adm
• YouTube: Coming Soon!
• Kev: TikTok, BlueSky, Twitter, Instagram, and Threads, all at @ThatNerdyKev. | ThatNerdyKev.com | MayorOfLevittown.com | AvatarStateRadio.com | GetEmNextYear.com.

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Please consider supporting The HEADstrong Foundation (https://headstrong.org). They are based in the Philadelphia area, minutes from the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. They assist families dealing with cancer with everything from meals to travel and housing. I've been working with them for nearly nine years now, and they are good people.

Listen, rate, and subscribe! Find Everything is Awesome on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and AwesomePodcast.com.

Please support Everything is Awesome by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. They have some math that gets us in front of more awesome people! Or tell a friend, word of mouth keeps the good vibes going.

Organizations & Causes We Support:

Make 5 Calls | HEADstrong Foundation | The Trevor Project | Black Lives Matter

BAM! We're back with another episode! Jordan Spector is a former multi-sport athlete who walked on to the football team at Temple University. After an injury cut his playing career short, he discovered his true passion for art. Since 2015, he has built a remarkable reputation for creating high-energy mixed-media sports artwork that captures the emotion and motion of the games we love. His work has been commissioned by pro athletes and major sports organizations alike.

Jordan and Kev discuss "What it means 'being from' Philly", their thoughts on the City Connect jerseys, and Jordan's artistic journey. From iconic moments to creating experiences, Jordan is creating a unique space for sports art.

SUPPORT JORDAN

Jordan's Art | The Immortals Experience | Best Friends | Atta Boy

THE SHOW

Everything is Awesome is produced by Starbird Media and edited by Kevin M. Gallagher, Jr. The Everything is Awesome logo is by Francois Jooste & Kevin M. Gallagher, Jr. For advertising rates, guest inquiries, or press coverage, email us at info@starbirdmediallc.com.

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everything-is-awesome/id1080785725
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6P4LLWBQD5DUFBCykh9adm
• YouTube: Coming Soon!
• Kev: TikTok, BlueSky, Twitter, Instagram, and Threads, all at @ThatNerdyKev. | ThatNerdyKev.com | MayorOfLevittown.com | AvatarStateRadio.com | GetEmNextYear.com.

SUPPORT THE SHOW

Please consider supporting The HEADstrong Foundation (https://headstrong.org). They are based in the Philadelphia area, minutes from the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. They assist families dealing with cancer with everything from meals to travel and housing. I've been working with them for nearly nine years now, and they are good people.

Listen, rate, and subscribe! Find Everything is Awesome on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and AwesomePodcast.com.

Please support Everything is Awesome by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. They have some math that gets us in front of more awesome people! Or tell a friend, word of mouth keeps the good vibes going.

Organizations & Causes We Support:

Make 5 Calls | HEADstrong Foundation | The Trevor Project | Black Lives Matter

Blows inside the podcast, kind of like we did to video game cartridges back in the '90s.

It works! Everything is Awesome works! But, for how long? Are we back, back? Or a few before Kev's mental health tanks again.

Folks, it's going to tank again, but I've set up some internal processes that will help keep this show on schedule. Now, for the good stuff:

This week, Kev sits down with the multitalented Tonya Todd—author, actor, activist, and host of Banned Books Conversations—for a thoughtful (and occasionally hilarious) chat about what activism looks like in everyday life. From the fight against book bans to finding creative ways to speak up, Tonya shares how art and advocacy intersect. Of course, things also get delightfully off track when Kev’s mind is blown by the fact that Tonya spent some time in the same Pennsylvania area he did, and the two dive into a discussion about Kurt Russell as Santa in The Christmas Chronicles.

Find Tonya

Tonya Todd’s Website | Tonya’s Books | Banned Books Conversations Podcast | Femme On Podcast And I Thought Ladies | 52 Love | Tonya on Instagram | Tonya on Facebook | Tonya on YouTube | Kev on Banned Books Conversations

Listen, rate, and subscribe! Find Everything is Awesome on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and AwesomePodcast.com.

Follow Kev: TikTok, BlueSky, Twitter, Instagram, and Threads, all at @ThatNerdyKev.

Check out more at ThatNerdyKev.com, MayorOfLevittown.com, AvatarStateRadio.com, and GetEmNextYear.com.

Please support Everything is Awesome by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. They have some math that gets us in front of more awesome people! Or tell a friend, word of mouth keeps the good vibes going.

Organizations & Causes We Support:

Make 5 Calls | HEADstrong Foundation | The Trevor Project | Black Lives Matter