The Tofu Trio is reporting for duty! In the first installment of this two-part episode, the team welcomes Sgt. Vegan. Known officially as Bill Muir, Sgt. Vegan is a combat veteran and martial artist who defies many stereotypes held by non-vegans. He's also a chef, author, musician, and registered nurse. Clearly, his accomplishments are extensive. After The Tofu Trio addresses a few technical glitches (again), Sgt. Vegan shares his vegan origin story that dates back to August 1992. He describes the struggle of being vegan at a time when many had never even heard the word, a challenge made more difficult during his time in the Army, particularly with the lack of plant-based options in basic training. The conversation shifts as Jon discusses his upcoming trip to Japan with Vanessa, prompting Sgt. Vegan to reminisce about his time living in that country. He discusses his deep love for Japan and his journey toward learning the language. Joey then brings up anime, leading Sgt. Vegan to discuss his affinity for some of the 90s classics. The dialogue then takes a bizarre turn into the world of hentai, though thankfully, that segment is brief. The group eventually veers into a "Star Wars" discussion before lamenting some of the issues within Florida. Finally, Vanessa steers the conversation back to Japan, where Sgt. Vegan provides essential travel tips and hacks for the journey. A massive amount of ground is covered in this episode, but that's literally only half of the story! Tune in next week for part two of this conversation with Sgt. Vegan.

Learn more about Sgt. Vegan by visiting https://sgtvegan.com. You can also find him on Facebook and Twitter @sgtvegan, Instagram @sgt_vegan, and YouTube @veganroadtrip.

Buy some Vegans Talking Shit merchandise! Visit https://vegans-talking-shit.myshopify.com to buy Vegans Talking Shit t-shirts, hoodies, coffee mugs and more.

Vegans Talking Shit is hosted by Joey Di Girolamo, Jon Missirlian, and Vanessa Silva. Main podcast image artwork by Diego Orellana. Theme song "Flying" by TrackTribe. Visit @veganstalkingshit on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and @vegans.talking.sh on TikTok. Send questions, comments, and topic ideas to veganstalkingshit@gmail.com, and you may get your email read during the show.

In a chaotic, messy episode complete with technical issues, things falling over, and interruptions from companion animals, The Tofu Trio announces that the official Vegans Talking Shit Shopify store is open for business! But first, Joey predictably hijacks the mic to recount his adventures at MegaCon, a massive comic book convention in Orlando, Florida. While dodging cosplayers at the con, he discovered Here Comes Calico, a comic book featuring the world's first vegan antihero, who treats animal abusers with a level of extreme vengeance that would even make The Punisher cringe. Once the comic book talk settles, the gang finally gets to the actual point of this episode: the merch! If you'd like some kickass Vegans Talking Shit merchandise, such as t-shirts, hoodies, coffee mugs and more, head on over to https://vegans-talking-shit.myshopify.com. For the love of all that is holy, please go buy something so these people can finally get the validation they so desperately crave! After plugging their Shopify store, the conversation takes a sharp turn toward Vanessa's home country of Brazil, and she reveals that a beloved Brazilian icon is vegan. The show closes with a discussion about a recent survey crowning Brazil as the happiest country on Earth, with Jon offering his theories as to why Brazilians are significantly more joyful than people who live in the United States.

Be sure to tune in next week for an interview with Sgt. Vegan, a combat veteran and martial artist who defies vegan stereotypes. Learn more about him by visiting https://sgtvegan.com.

Buy some Vegans Talking Shit merchandise! Visit https://vegans-talking-shit.myshopify.com to buy Vegans Talking Shit t-shirts, hoodies, coffee mugs and more.

Vegans Talking Shit is hosted by Joey Di Girolamo, Jon Missirlian, and Vanessa Silva. Main podcast image artwork by Diego Orellana. Theme song "Flying" by TrackTribe. Visit @veganstalkingshit on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and @vegans.talking.sh on TikTok. Send questions, comments, and topic ideas to veganstalkingshit@gmail.com, and you may get your email read during the show.

We're diving back into the beautiful chaos for the second half of The Tofu Trio's inaugural Vegans Talking Shit Potluck Brunch. Joey keeps the party moving while battling the noise that only a crowded vegan gathering can provide. First at bat is Elvera the Vegan Realtor, who talks about her role in helping to open local plant-based businesses and her past life as a co-host of a different provocatively named vegan podcast. She and Joey find common ground in the dietary irony of being vegans who don't actually like vegetables, and then commiserate over the struggle of dealing with restaurant staff who don't know what the word "vegan" means. Then friend of the show Brad steps to the plate. After he and Joey spend some time laughing at their uncanny resemblance, they revisit Brad's greatest hits as a recurring guest before falling down a rabbit hole of movie talk and the weird "what-ifs" of AI-generated cinema. Finally, the real MVP of the day, Vanessa, brings it all home. She immediately humbles Joey by pointing out that the guests could have actually been wearing the microphones rather than holding them like amateurs. After making Joey look like an idiot, she explains her Brazilian carrot cake, which tasted amazing despite a suspicious lack of carrot flavor. Then they reveal the big news: a Shopify store is officially in the works so you can finally snag some Vegans Talking Shit merchandise! They wrap up the day with a deep dive into figure skating and coffee, finally putting a lid on the first-ever Vegans Talking Shit Potluck Brunch.

Vegans Talking Shit is hosted by Joey Di Girolamo, Jon Missirlian, and Vanessa Silva. Main podcast image artwork by Diego Orellana. Theme song "Flying" by TrackTribe. Visit @veganstalkingshit on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and @vegans.talking.sh on TikTok. Send questions, comments, and topic ideas to veganstalkingshit@gmail.com, and you may get your email read during the show.