Jeff Has Cool Friends

Folks, time to, once again, revisit some Cool Friends in ways you may or may not have heard them before. Continuing the Jeff Has Cool Anniversaries theme throughout however number of episodes of the pod I see fit, I'm continuing the team-ups of Cool Friends that may or may not know each other. But I'll be damned if I let that get in the way.I'm particularly proud of the booking of these segments, and am so eternally grateful that everyone on this episode just vibed. Seriously, this is really fun.This episode features:Muppet Segment: James Wojtal Jr (ep 82, @puppetdungeon) and Kirk Thatcher (ep 85, @kirkrthatcher) with special cameo by Sesame Street legend Rollie KrewsonArt Segment: Dave Perillo (ep 24, @montygog) and Bob Fingerman (ep 72, @bobfingerman)Kid Actor Segment: Charlie Talbert (ep 26, @charlietalbert_performer) Ethan Lawrence (ep 35, @ethandlawrence) and Nic Cowan (ep 50, @undeadguy)So follow each and every one of my amazingly Cool Friends on the socialsSo listen up and enjoy, my beautiful babies! I'll see you with the next one, and head on over to patreon.com/jeffmay for early access to uncensored episodes, bonus content and shows, and more!

Join mega nerds Dre Alvarez and Jeff May as they geek out on a different nerdy cultural touchstone every month. Part reminiscence, part historical deep dive. This month, Dre and Jeff begin their season on SPEED with the 1993 Sega Genesis/Mega Drive classic SONIC SPINBALL.There's a lot to unpack about this controversial video game spin-off, so let's get aggressively dark and creepy, make sure we arrive by Christmas, and leave Japan the hell out of this, as we take a look at the first ever Sonic spin-off that had a lot of players scratching their heads and then cursing them off.And, of course, don't forget to follow Dre (@nerdnumbers) and Jeff (@heytherejeffro2 or @heytherejeffro) on the socials, and head over to patreon.com/jeffmay for early releases, exclusive shows, bonus content, and more, and have a nerdy day!

Folks, time to, once again, revisit some Cool Friends in ways you may or may not have heard them before. Continuing the Jeff Has Cool Anniversaries theme throughout the next X number of episodes of the pod, I'm continuing the team-ups of Cool Friends that may or may not know each other. But I'll be damned if I let that get in the way.We've got some nice thick segments, as I felt like a longer episode might be nice after our short hiatus.This episode features:Segment 1: Dave Igo [eps 42, 88] and Super Mystery Editor/Producer [ep. Infinity]Segment 2: Phil Jimenez [ep. 4] and Joey Bragg [ep. 91]Segment 3: Emily Winter [ep. 55] and Chris Calogero [ep. 87]So listen up and enjoy, my beautiful babies! I'll see you with the next one, and head over to patreon.com/jeffmay for early access to uncensored episodes, bonus content, exclusive shows, and more!

Join mega nerds Dre Alvarez and Jeff May as they USUALLY geek out on a different nerdy cultural touchstone every month. Part reminiscence, part historical deep dive. This month, Dre and Jeff are joined by the incomparable Daniel Alvarez (who is not only a listener and producer, but he's actually Dre's BROTHER. Like in Warrior.) as they take a minute to address some of the issues he has taken up with your hosts about certain hot takes they've had over several shows.There's a lot to unpack about our little podcast that could, so let's enhance a sibling rivalry, defend some stuff we said YEARS ago, and, ONCE AGAIN, argue about whether or not Storm has "the power to fly", as we take a look at a whole bunch of controversial stuff Dre and Jeff have stated over the past 40 or so episodes. And, of course, don't forget to follow Dre (@nerdnumbers) and Jeff (@heytherejeffro2 or @heytherejeffro) on the socials, and have a nerdy day!

Folks, time to, once again, revisit some Cool Friends in ways you may or may not have heard them before. Continuing the Jeff Has Cool Anniversaries theme throughout the next X number of episodes of the pod, I'm continuing the team-ups of Cool Friends that may or may not know each other. But I'll be damned if I let that get in the way.My original plan was for more segments in this episode, but these two had such a smooth flow that I didn't pay much attention to the time, and we just made music, baby.This episode features:Segment 1: Dan Larson [ep. 65] and Randall Maynard [ep. 93]Segment 2: Tim Macuga [ep. 17] and Daniel Archambeault-May [ep. 52]So listen up and enjoy, my beautiful babies! If you liked this and want to hear more, including exclusive shows, uncensored episodes with bonus content, please hit up Patreon.com/jeffmay I'll see you with the next one!

Folks, time to revisit some Cool Friends in ways you may or may not have heard them before. Throughout the next X number of episodes of the pod, I'll be posting shows featuring team-ups of Cool Friends that may or may not know each other, but they know me, and that's what counts! Let's put 'em in a jar, shake it up and see how it goes!This episode features:Segment 1: Tom Reimann [ep. 57] and Logan Trent [ep. 28]Segment 2: Timmy Heague [ep. 63] and Scott Koblish [ep. 25]Segment 3: Cory Privitera (Science Patrols) [ep. 11] and Adam Tod Brown [eps. 9 & 59]Segment 4: TJ Shevlin [ep. 69, nice] and Jeff Haidaczuk [ep. 58]So listen up and enjoy, my beautiful babies! I'll see you with the next one!And head on over to patreon.com/jeffmay for early access to uncensored episodes, exclusive shows, and more!

Join mega nerds Dre Alvarez and Jeff May as they geek out on a different nerdy cultural touchstone every month. Part reminiscence, part historical deep dive. This month, Dre and Jeff are joined by the incredible Mike Slater (who is not only a great musician, but he actually recorded a theme song for THIS SPECIFIC EPISODE) as they finish their season on "Comic Origins" with Rob Liefeld's Youngblood.There's a lot to unpack about this significant comic series that may have kickstarted a market crash, so let's NOT string up our bow, copy a bunch of our own art and character designs, and put style WAY over substance, as we take a look at four issues that would change the landscape of comics forever and is also financially worthless. And, of course, don't forget to follow Mike (@slatron11) Dre (@nerdnumbers) and Jeff (@heytherejeffro2 or @heytherejeffro) on the socials, and have a nerdy day!AND CHECK OUT MIKESLATER.COM for more, including detailed show notes by our incredible guest, as well as Patreon.com/jeffmay for early access to shows like this and Jeff Has Cool Friends, and so much more!

OK, so the 100th NUMBERED episode is coming, but it's...it's a project. You'll see. I've been a little stressed trying to see how I can make this work and stay on schedule, and wouldn't you know it but just a few days ago, I saw that it's the 4th anniversary of this show starting on here! Well, what a perfect opportunity to announce a few incredible future projects, some starting as early as THIS VERY MONTH! Crazy, right??? So I tossed a solo pod up, a little different than the ones I do at year's end (I have a few moments of naked honesty in here that, like, I don't know, fuck it), but I truly believe that we've got a great thing going here, and I'm so happy to have you all along for the ride.Apologies that this doesn't follow the format of the standard show. Spoiler alert, the next one won't either. Who knows, maybe I'll just change everything. (I won't)Anyways, listen up, enjoy, and let me know what you think in the comments.[In order for some kind of symmetry, the thumbnail I used for this episode was taken at Cool Friend Cory Casella's birthday party]And for early access to uncensored episodes with bonus content, exclusive shows, and much more, please check out Patreon.com/jeffmay.

My latest Cool Friend is the VERY cool Cory Casella, a woman who fascinates me with all the nerdy stuff she loves to do. She's an incredibly talented and prolific swimwear designer, and she teaches me a lot about her job, because I really wanted to know more about a pocket of this universe I know pretty much nothing about. But like, obviously I'm not going to spend an entire show talking about swimwear, because you'd all see how dumb I am. So, of course, we dive into her fandoms of LOTR, She Ra, Barbie, and, of course, pinball. Cory is an absolute dynamo, and I'm so lucky she came to hang on the show and nerd out with me. One of the rare friends that I get to see semi-regularly, this episode is a lot of fun, and I really hope you enjoy this one, and maybe even learn some cool things! And, of course, follow Cory on the gram (@coryelizabethc) and head on over to Patreon.com/jeffmay to enjoy early access to uncensored episodes, Pateron-only shows, and exclusive JHCF bonus content we recorded JUST FOR Patrons!

Join mega nerds Dre Alvarez and Jeff May as they geek out on a different nerdy cultural touchstone every month. Part reminiscence, part historical deep dive. This month, Dre and Jeff are joined by the incredible Michael Vincent Bramley as they continue their season on "Comic Origins" with DC AND Marvel Comics' legendary 1996 crossover, DC vs Marvel. There's a lot to unpack about this desperate attempt to turn a profit in a dying market, so let's hit harder than Daredevil, make Thor fight a literal child, and have some horny teens try and do karate at each other for the fate of the Universe as we take a look at 4 issues that would either change the landscape of comics forever or mean absolutely nothing. You decide. And, of course, don't forget to follow Michael (@mvbramleyart) Dre (@nerdnumbers) and Jeff (@heytherejeffro2 or @heytherejeffro) on the socials, and have a nerdy day! AND LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS IF YOU'RE A MARVEL OR A DC!!!

My latest Cool Friend, the incredible Andrea Guzzetta, is one of my favorite painters out there. Her style is hard to describe, but we try: "As if Lisa Frank was a Renaissance Painter" isn't too far off, but still, Andrea's in a world all her own. While we knew each other through our peripheries in the LA comedy scene for a few years, we truly reconnected when we shared the stage on the Horror Virgin's live show in Burbank a few years back. Since then, I've been waiting for a chance to get her on the show, and know that wish has finally come true.I truly can't begin to describe the contents of this episode, beyond "We put the sails up and let the wind steer us." It's so much fun, and truly an episode that, when I stopped recording, knew it was going to rank in the top for a lot of you.So enjoy this one, follow Andrea on the socials (@AndreaGuzzetta) and, if art and stickers are your thing, she has a super rad Patreon that, you guessed it, is also rad as hell. And head over to Patreon.com/jeffmay to enjoy exclusive content we recorded JUST FOR PATRONS!

OK, I'm taking the hint when a lot of you said you wanted more Dr. Finbeiner content. I asked her if she could come back so we could do some of the stuff I wanted to talk about with her on the last episode. Did we do that? Maybe. Honestly, she and I always just kinda drift with what we say, and this is a really fun episode. So sit back, relax, and enjoy more of the bug doctor. Don't forget to follow her (@scientificmodel) and head on over to patreon.com/jeffmay to enjoy the exclusive content we recorded just for Patrons!

Join mega nerds Dre Alvarez and Jeff May as they geek out on a different nerdy cultural touchstone every month. Part reminiscence, part historical deep dive. This month, Dre and Jeff begin their season on "Comic Origins" with DC Comics' Impulse premiere storyline from 1995. There's a lot to unpack about this speedy sidekick, so let's age rapidly and uncontrollably, move to Alabama (no thanks), and grow up in Visual Reality as we dive into this 90's snapshot of superhero goodness. And Don't forget to follow Dre (@nerdnumbers) and Jeff (@heytherejeffro2 or @heytherejeffro) on the socials, and have a nerdy day! AND LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS WHO YOUR FAVORITE TEEN SIDEKICK IS!!!

Sometimes Dre and Jeff have arguments on NERD! Dre has put together a special episode cataloguing some of his favorite disagreements for your listening pleasure!Enjoy, and head over to Patreon.com/jeffmay if you want early access to uncensored episodes with Bonus content!

My latest Cool Friend is the incredible Dr. Susan Finkbeiner. I'm not sure how to describe her, other than she might just be one of the most interesting people I've ever met. She's one of the country's foremost Lepidopterists, having been published and featured by the likes of PBS, National Geographic, and more. That alone would be cool enough, but then she had to go and be a runway model, doing fashion shows on multiple continents. Again, rad as hell. She also hiked to Mount Everest's Base Camp last year. She surfs. She skis. She does everything, and man, it's actually a little annoying knowing that we have the same amount of hours in a day, and yet she does all this cool stuff. So here we go, hanging out and talking about cool stuff and going on wild tangents. This is episode is everything I love about doing this show.So enjoy, don't forget to follow Susan on IG (@ScientificModel) and head on over toPatreon.com/jeffmay for early acces to uncensored episodes, plus exclusive content we recorded JUST FOR PATRONS

My Cool Friend Elise Golgowski is incredible, and I think that's nice. She's not only a fantastic comedian and content creator, but she also has one of the coolest jobs out there as she is a professional editor for, among other things, many prominent comedy specials. Ironically, Elise has been a guest on both NERD! and I Must Break You, and I've been dying to get her ontp this show, but you'll be SHOCKED to know that an editor doesn't often have free time to record, so I'm eternally grateful that she found the time to hang with me for a chat, because I'm fascinated by her work! So please enjoy, follow Elise on the socials (IG: @thebiggolgowski TikTok: @eliseski) and head on over to patreon.com/jeffmayt for early acces to uncensored episodes AND you can enjoy the exclusive content we recorded JUST FOR PATRONS!

Look, these are obviously the most popular episodes, even though my best friend Adam Tod Brown is a bad person who is bad. But hey, you all seem to like him, so who am I to judge? In reality though, there's nobody I'd rather have start the year out than Adam. And holy smokes, he has an announcement to make that is going to shake the foundations of the YDELP World. I figured, as we were discussing certain changes, that this would be a great forum to lay that on you. So listen up and obviously follow @Adamtodbrown on the socials, listen to all the amazing shows on the You Don't Even Like Podcasts Network, and head on over to patreon.com/jeffmay to enjoy exclusive content we created just for patrons! Note for added music: Song: La Calle Oscura Composer: Justin Allan Arnold Website: https://soundcloud.com/justin-allan-arnold

Hey y'all! Wanted to close out the year with a review of everything that happened both professionally and personally over here and on the Patreon. Forgive me if it seems repetitive or if it goes on tangents. Unlike a lot of the work I do, this was purposefully unplanned (minus names of producers and guests)I like this kind of episode to come more from the heart than the brain, and I think that'll register relatively quickly.Regardless, thank you. I'm eternally grateful for everything you do to keep this dumb little island afloat, and if you'd like to support directly, head on over to Patreon.com/jeffmay for early access to uncensored shows and a whole bunch of other, awesome goodies!

Join mega nerds Dre Alvarez and Jeff May as they geek out on a different nerdy cultural touchstone every month. Part reminiscence, part historical deep dive. This month, Dre and Jeff finish their season on Supernatural Holiday Stuff with the acclaimed, yet under-performing zombie Christmas musical Anna and the Apocalypse! There's a lot to unpack about this weirdly delightful mashup of genres, so let's Break Away, be Soliders at War, and begin Turning My Life Around as we dive deep into this genre-bending would-be holiday classic! And Don't forget to follow Dre (@nerdnumbers) and Jeff (@heytherejeffro) on the socials and have a nerdy Holiday season! AND, if you're listening to this on the free feed, head on over to Pateron.com/jeffmay for an exclusive bonus episode of NERD! gifted exclusively to Patrons!

My Cool Friend Randall Maynard is one of the most requested guests in show history, and I'm glad I could finally get him on the show. I've known Randall since back in the Cracked days, where he was the art director! Since then, we've been circling each other on various podcasts and in life. Recently, he's begun an incredible new venture with Ran Dollz, where he's making custom bootleg toys that are un-friggin-belevable. As a matter of fact, I own three (3) of them! We talk a whole bunch about that, and yes, OF COURSE we talk about "the incident" on Unpops (now You Don't Even Like This Show), along with many other things!This is a wonderfully geeky and fun episode, so go follow Randall and Ran Dollz on the socials, check out his dope ebay store, and head on over to patreon.com/jeffmay for exclusive content that we recorded JUST FOR PATRONS!

Happy Holidays from mega nerds Dre Alvarez and Jeff May as they geek out on a different nerdy cultural touchstone every month. Part reminiscence, part historical deep dive. The previously-unavailable-on-the-free-feed 17th episode of NERD! has Dre and Jeff finding the perfect storm of their oldseason on Cinematic Child Neglect and the holidays with Iron Man 3, the controversial beginning to the MCU's Phase 2 by buddy cop/Christmas aficianado Shane Black. There's a lot to unpack about this festive CGI fest, so let's give our home adress to a terrorist, shoot a surprisingly large amount of people, and add a twist that's so surprising the internet has a collective meltdown, as we dive deep into Iron Man 3, enjoying this previously Patreon-exclusive episode we recorded JUST FOR PATRONS (or YOU NOW)!  And don't forget to follow Dre (@nerdnumbers) and Jeff (@heytherejeffro) on the socials and, of course, enjoy your holidays!

This episode's Cool Friend is the amazing comedian and game designer Grant Lyon. Grant has fast become an incredibly talented and prolific game designer, with Curmudgeon being released in 2021 and I'm Kind of a Big Dill being released earlier this month! Crazy, right? Well, aside from being a 2023 TAGIE award winner (think Oscars for board and party games) and having a sick new game out, he's also got an amazing youtube channel where he brings you up-to-date game news and things to look forward to! Grant does so much cool stuff!So please enjoy this episode, as we had a lot of fun recording it. Go snag a copy of I'm Kind of a Big Dill, check out his youtube, and, in general, just be cool. And hey, go follow @grantlyon on the socials and watch his stuff! And while you're at it, head on over to patreon.com/jeffmay to enjoy the Patreon-exclusive content we recorded JUST FOR PATRON, where I make him do one hell of a Sophie's Choice!

Join mega nerds Dre Alvarez and Jeff May as they geek out on a different nerdy cultural touchstone every month. Part reminiscence, part historical deep dive. This month, Dre and Jeff continue their season on Supernatural Holiday Stuff with the WWE's 1990 Survivor Series, featuring the Thanksgiving debut of the legendary Undertaker. But they're not alone, as they joined by the incredible David Bell (Gamefully Unemployed, Some More News) who not only is hilarious and wonderful, but plays a fun game with your hosts, so buckle up! There's a lot to unpack about this unhinged and inconsistent jumble of sports entertainment, so let's go hatch a giant egg, engage in some old fashioned American jingoism, and try to figure out who is still alive, as we dive into one of professional wrestling's most significant nights in history. And Don't forget to follow Dre (@nerdnumbers) Jeff (@heytherejeffro) and David (@moviehooligan) on the socials, check out all of the wonderful offerings from Gamefully Unemployed, and have a nerdy day! AND LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS WHO YOUR FAVORITE WRESTLER OF ALL TIME IS!

My latest Cool Friend is the incredible talented Joey Bragg. Joey and I officially met four days before recording, when he was booked on Mint on Card, and we instantly clicked. One of those friendships that just kinda blooms immediately, you know? Well it turns out that not only is Joey a hilarious comedian, but he's a rather prolific actor who came up as one of the leads in Disney's very charming family sitcom Liv and Maddie. He's been in a ton of other stuff, too, including the feature film Sid is Dead, which was a victim of both Covid AND a strike, but retains a cult following of its own. Well wouldn't you know it, but Joey is a huge comics nerd and we geek the absolute hell out about that for A LOT of this episode, so I hope you like nerdy conversations between two super cool dudes that totally aren't dorks. It's refreshing to form a friendship with someone so quickly and effortlessly, and I'm really stoked for this episode. And hey, go follow @Joeybragg on the socials and check out his stuff! And while you're at it, head on over to Patreon.com/jeffmay and enjoy the Patreon-exclusive content we recorded JUST FOR PATRONS!

My latest Cool Friend, the wonderful and talented Danielle Soto, isn't just a great and hilarious person, but she was one of my first friends in comedy! Seriously, I met her like, 2 weeks into my career. Crazy! Well wouldn't you know it, we both ended up moving from Massachusetts to California, and our paths have been intertwined ever since! She has an incredible podcast called Dr. Cheesecake, which has one of the coolest premises in history! She hosts Golden Girls Trivia! She gives fancy tours at Universal! I gave her a porn DVD! She's one of only a handful of people who have seen me drunk! The photo for this episode is from that night! We've spent Christmas together! I dated her roommate! We've both met Cheers actors on the Universal lot! Look, there's a lot going on here, so please just enjoy the heck out of this episode, and then go follow @daniellesoto617 on the socials and give Dr. Cheesecake a listen! And while you're at it, please head on over to Patreon.com/jeffmay to enjoy the exclusive material we recorded JUST FOR PATRONS!

Join mega nerds Dre Alvarez and Jeff May as they geek out on a different nerdy cultural touchstone every month. Part reminiscence, part historical deep dive. This month, Dre and Jeff begin their season on Supernatural Holiday Stuff with General Mills' Monster Cereals. There's a lot to unpack about these culturally significant boxes of corn candy, so let's go Count some Chocula, balance some breakfasts, and only work for 2 months a year, as we dive into these sugary boxes of supernatural greatness . And don't forget to follow Dre (@nerdnumbers) and Jeff (@heytherejeffro) on the socials, and have a nerdy day!

I'm so incredibly excited to sit down and talk with my latest Cool Friend, the returning Tom Reimann! Tom and I are super buds and co-hosts on the incredible Tom and Jeff Watch Batman podcast, but he's been gone for a few episodes because HE AND HIS WIFE HAD A BABY! Well my beautiful babies (get it?), he's back, and he's got a brand new show coming your way in the incredible and insane Badical, an oral history of the most intense 90's fighting game that never existed! He also hosts a ton of other shows and writes for Some More News and like, a million other things. We talk about all that, plus I'm pretty sure we mix up Staind and Disturbed a whole bunch. Pretty standard fare, tbh. So enjoy the absolute hell out of this one, and don't forget to follow Tom on the socials (@startthemachine on Twitter @thomasreimann on IG) and, for god's sake, check out Badical AND all the amazing stuff the Gamefully Unemployed network has to offer, and while you're at it, hit up Patreon.com/jeffmay for exclusive content we created JUST FOR PATRONS!

What an incredible pair of Cool Friends I found myself talking to in this episode. Two former guests, the incredible David Igo and Erik Barnes, have teamed up to drive to my house and talk to me about the Monstors campaign that's now up on Kickstarter. We also talk about a whole bunch of other amazing things, like HOW I INTRODUCED THEM and, honestly, this is such a fun and funny episode, as two of my best buds legit just hung out with me and talked about toys and other nerdy things and maybe low-key bully me into giving them some money out of my pocket. So enjoy the absolute hell out of this one, and don't forget to follow Dave and Erik on the socials (@davidigostuff and @erikwbarnes, you can figure out which is which) and, for god's sake, check out the Monstors Kickstarter campaign just to check out how cool these things are, and while you're at it, hit up Patreon.com/jeffmay to enjoy Patreon-exclusive bonus content we recorded JUST FOR PATRONS!

Join mega nerds Dre Alvarez and Jeff May as they geek out on a different nerdy cultural touchstone every month. Part reminiscence, part historical deep dive. This month, Dre and Jeff are joined by the star of our episode's subject, the incredible Nic Cowan, as they wrap up their season on Unfortunate Martial Arts Properties with thecult classic 1993 film Surf Ninjas. There's a lot to unpack about this unhinged family film, so let's go Moto Surfing, murder a surprisingly large amount of people, and use a Sega Game Gear to control the fate of the universe, as Nic answers our incessant questions and we all dive into this wonderful, unfortunate martial arts property. Don't forget to follow Dre (@nerdnumbers) Jeff (@heytherejeffro) and Nic (@undeadguy) and have a nerdy day! And also, don't forget to hit up ⁠Patreon.com/jeffmay⁠ for early access to NERD! as well as uncensored episodes of JHCF with bonus content, exclusives like UGH FINE! and so much more!

My latest Cool Friend, the amazing and hilarious Chris Calogero, is one of the most criminally underappreciated comics and creators out there. I've known him for quite some time, and have been waiting for this specific moment to have him on the show, as he's just released his amazing comedy special/album “Husky Boy,” which you can listen to RIGHT NOW! Of course we talk about the album, because it's great. But we also talk about cool stuff like his hilarious sketches on social media, his partnership with Homage, and growing up as a couple of husky boys (see what I did there?) So enjoy the hell out of this one, go follow @realchriscal on the socials, LISTEN TO HUSKY BOY, and head on over to Patreon.com/jeffmay to enjoy the STACKED Patreon-exclusive content that we recorded JUST FOR PATRONS!

My next Cool Friend, the amazing Alex Schmidt, is an incredibly accomplished and kind person. Like, to the point where it makes me mad. But not really. Maybe. Anyways, you might know Alex from his incredible podcast, Secretly Incredibly Fascinating, or from his multiple victories on the television show Jeopardy! Or you might not know him at all. Who am I to know what you know? Y'know? But hey, Alex is great. You're great. This episode is really fascinating and uplifting, and learning more about Alex is pretty neat! So listen up, go follow Alex on Instagram (@alexschmidtstagram) and please hit up Patreon.com/jeffmay to enjoy the exclusive material that we recorded JUST FOR PATRONS, including the elusive SwearCut!

My latest Cool Friend, the incredible and vibrant Kirk Thatcher, has one of the most insane and varied collection of credits I can imagine. Special effects on Return of the Jedi? Yes. Director of Muppets Haunted Mansion? Absolutely. Famous Star Trek pest? Naturally. Badass Monster Hunter in the MCU? You bet! But honestly, this barely scratches the surface. I seriously don't have enough space or time to show you all the cool stuff Kirk has done, so just listen to the episode. Seriously. Holy smokes. And hey, don't forget to follow Kirk on the socials (@KirkThatcher on Twitter/@KirkRThatcher on IG), check out The Weirded Beardos podcast and head on over to patreon.com/jeffmay for early access to uncensored episodes PLUS bonus content we recorded JUST FOR PATRONS!

Join mega nerds Dre Alvarez and Jeff May as they geek out on a different nerdy cultural touchstone every month. Part reminiscence, part historical deep dive. This month, Dre and Jeff are joined by the amazing Logan Trent as they continue their season on Unfortunate Martial Arts Properties with the insane WMAC Masters syndicated television show. There's a lot to unpack about this weird American Gladiators Rip-Off, so let's embark on our quest for the Dragon Star, kick a bunch of ninjas into a pit, and try to find out who exactly the WMAC traitor is, as we dive into this incredibly unfortunate martial arts property. Don't forget to follow Dre (@nerdnumbers) Jeff (@heytherejeffro) and Logan (@thelogantrent) and have a nerdy day! And don't forget to hit up Patreon.com/jeffmay for early access to NERD! as well as uncensored episodes of JHCF with bonus content, exclusives like UGH FINE! and so much more!

Oh man, this one is so cool! I've "known" Taffeta Darling online for like, 10-15 years, but we've only just met in person for the first time at SDCC a couple of weekends ago! That's crazy! I'm fascinated by the parallels between the two of us, from jobs we've had to hobbies we share to the things that interest us. We're honestly very much like the Spider-Man pointing meme, except I'm taller and she's incredible at cosplay, and holy smokes do we talk about that and thensome! I could get into a detailed account of it all, but I don't want to ruin it for you, so just listen up and like, you'll totally get it.And hey, make sure you check out her incredible Twitch account, her cool-as-hell job with Heritage Auctions (@HeritageAuctions), and her wonderful Instagram (@thetaffetadarling) and while you're at it, head on over to Patreon.com/jeffmay to enjoy the wonderful exclusive content that we recorded JUST FOR PATRONS!

My latest Cool Friend has had one heck of a few years since we last spoke on air! The amazing Todd Stashwick might just be one of the most popular actors in the current Star Trek milieu due to his landmark role as Captain Liam Shaw on Picard. (And let's not forget his other appearances on shows like Gotham, Supernatural, and the fascinating 12 Monkeys) He's also published the incredible Mystic Libations book, and has launched one of the most impressive kickstarters I've ever seen with ProgCore Fantasy: Dark Age of Theer, a Prog-Rock themed RPG system that he has formulated along with some of the most impressive names in the Nerd World. Seriously, go check out the link and see for yourself.Of course we talk about all of that, and I find this one of the more fascinating and insightful explanations of how welcoming and cool this kinda stuff can be! So listen up and enjoy, give Todd a follow on the socials (@ToddStashwick on Twitter, @Tstashwick on IG) and head on over to Patreon.com/jeffmay to enjoy some sweet Patreon-exclusive content where we play a little (different kind of) game together!

Join mega nerds Dre Alvarez and Jeff May as they geek out on a different nerdy cultural touchstone every month. Part reminiscence, part historical deep dive. This month, Dre and Jeff begin their season on Unfortunate Martial Arts Properties with the infamous Star Wars: Masters of Teräs Käsi for the Sony Playstation. There's a lot to unpack about this totally missed slam dunk of a game, so let's move like we're having a stroke, get an unfathomably easy ringout, and ask "Wait, what was that Tusken Raider's name?" as we dive into this incredibly unfortunate martial arts property. And don't forget to follow Dre (@nerdnumbers) and Jeff (@heytherejeffro), check out Patreon.com/jeffmay (for early access, exclusive shows, and more), and have a nerdy day!

My Cool Friend, James Wojtal Jr. is one fascinating dude, and I'm so excited to introduce you to him! It's hard to find a better way to describe what he does besides "he does stuff with puppets," but that feels unbelievably incomplete. James is legitimately amazing, and might have my favorite origin story of any guest I've had on the show up to this point! You may have seen his work on Sesame Street, SNL, Last Week Tonight, Broadway's Avenue Q, and like, so much more! Seriously, this is such a fantastic episode, so please enjoy, go follow James on IG (@puppetdungeon) and head on over to Patreon.com/jeffmay to enjoy Patreon-exclusive content from this very episode!

My Cool Friend John Hastings is one of the most prolific and hilarious comedians I've ever met. A frequent performer on Mint on Card, I absolutely love watching him work! And now you can, too, as he's just released his first of three(!!!) specials this year on his youtube, which you can watch for free right HERE! Now, do I talk about his insane comedy career, his appearances on America's Got Talent, and multiple Edinburgh Fringe experiences? Sure, that's gonna happen. But I'll be damned if we don't take a DELIGHTFUL turn onto a different path. So much so, that we ended up recording what I think is the longest Patreon-Exclusive segment just to catch up on some questions I didn't have time for, so if you want to, I would truly suggest heading over to Patreon.com/jeffmay to hear more, beause it's utterly fantastic. This one is truly a delight, so listen up, and make sure to follow John on the socials and Youtube (@thejohnhastings) and watch his special, because it's truly a delight! (Apologies for the late upload, I'm on Eastern time currently and man, it's got me upside down)

Join mega nerds Dre Alvarez and Jeff May as they geek out on a different nerdy cultural touchstone every month. Part reminiscence, part historical deep dive. This month, Dre and Jeff finish their season on Toy Reboots with special guest David Igo (Sideshow and Tweeterhead's Masters of the Universe lines, Monstors, Kaiju Doom) as they dive into the universally beloved Masters of the Universe 200X line, including how the 200X designs have influenced the modern MOTU collectible world. There's a lot to unpack about this for-the-new-millenium toy series, so let's have have some nice anime hair, don our ice/samurai/wolf armor, and extend our lives at the expense of our joints with our final toy line reboot!  And don't forget to follow Dre (@nerdnumbers) and Jeff (@heytherejeffro) and Dave (@DavidIgoStuff/@IgoStuff), check out the Monstors and Kaiju Doom, and have a nerdy day!

My Cool Friend, David Silverman, is one of the most significant contributors to the world of modern animation you could imagine. His history with The Simpsons is obviously what people first think about, as he's one of the architects of the style and direction of the show, starting in the Tracy Ulman days in 1987, directing the Movie in 2007, and still being a member of the crew to this day. But did you know his history with a popular 80's animation meme? His involvement in a classic live-action 80's flick? How about the HUGE Pixar movie he co-directed? His appearance in the MCU? Well, we talk about it, PLUS we answer some of your Simpsons questions, and MUCH MORE!It's not every day I get to talk with a legend, so please enjoy this one, follow David on IG (@silverootie) and head on over to Patreon.com/jeffmay for early access to uncensored episodes AND exclusive bonus content recorded just for Patron

OK, so this Cool Friend, the hilarious Jono Zalay, is one of the first people I ever met in comedy. Like, I met him BEFORE I was ever a comic. On the night he became a LITERAL BRAIN SCIENTIST, no less! Crazy! We have since moved to different places, and ended up back in LA, where I see him nearly every Sunday when we play comedy softball! Jono has had an incredibly wild ride, and along the way has had quite a few feathers stuck in his cap, such as being a Comedy Central Comic to Watch, having his show become a part of the Netflix is a Joke Fest, and winding up on the Late Late Show! Plus a ton of other things that are super cool and amazing! I'm so stoked to bring Jono to your lives, so enjoy, go follow him on the socials (@JonoZalay) and head on over to Patreon.com/jeffmay for early access to uncensored episodes with bonus content, plus Patreon exclusive content we recorded JUST FOR PATRONS!

Join mega nerds Dre Alvarez and Jeff May as they geek out on a different nerdy cultural touchstone every month. Part reminiscence, part historical deep dive. This month, Dre and Jeff continue their season on Toy Reboots with special guest Ken Napzok (Author, "Why We Love Star Wars, Host, ForceCenter) as they dive into the SECOND Star Wars Power of the Force line, rebooting Kenner's 10-year dormant Star Wars line! There's a lot to unpack about this aggressively 90's toy series, so let's have Luke hit the gym, mangle Leia's face for some reason, and make sure we collect EVERY variation of EVERY character with our second toy line reboot!  And don't forget to follow Dre (@nerdnumbers) and Jeff (@heytherejeffro) and Ken (@KenNapzok), and give Ken's youtube channels a watch (https://www.youtube.com/@KenNapzok and https://www.youtube.com/@sportscardasmr )and have a nerdy day!

Holy hell, my latest Cool Friend, Rocom is like, the absolute coolest and best. You might know him from his amazing art and ridiculously popular indie toy line Mighty Maniax, which may have a VERY specific connection to a recent Cool Friend! Also, independent of that. his current kickstarter features a pin by one of my other Cool Friends! I'm serious when I say that Rocom and I are like, Forrest Gumping our way through each other's lives in the coolest ways possible. This is such a rad and fun episode, and it legitimately could've been 4 hours long. So do me a favor and enjoy this episode, go follow @Rocom on the socials, and check out the Mighty Maniax Kickstarter campaign if you like kick-ass toys right here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rocom/mighty-maniax-dark-earth and head over to patreon.com/jeffmay to enjoy the exclusive content we recorded JUST FOR PATRONS!

My Cool Friend Ken Napzok is the COOLEST! He and I used to be next-door neighbors that love all the same stuff! Now we live slightly further away while loving the same stuff! You might know Ken from the innumberable amount of nerdy things he's been a part of, like ScreenJunkies, ForceCenter, and like, a skrillion other things. He even wrote a book called Why We Love Star Wars, and it's amazing!We talk about so much cool stuff, that it's really hard to quantify in just this paragraph, so just trust me that Ken is amazing and you're going to love this episode. So listen, enjoy, follow Ken on the socials (@KenNapzok everywhere, including YouTube!) and head on over to patreon.com/jeffmay to enjoy our Patreon-exclusive content JUST FOR PATRONS!

Join mega nerds Dre Alvarez and Jeff May as they geek out on a different nerdy cultural touchstone every month. Part reminiscence, part historical deep dive. This month, Dre and Jeff begin their season on Toy Reboots with special guest Adam Tod Brown as they dive into GI Joe, A Real American Hero, the line rebooting Hasbro's 12" action figure (definitely not a doll) lasting from 1982-1994! There's a lot to unpack about this seminal 80's toy line, so let's fight for freedom wherever there's trouble, never give up, and stay 'til the fight's won as we dive deep into GI Joe, A Real American Hero with our first toy line reboot!  And don't forget to follow Dre (@nerdnumbers) and Jeff (@heytherejeffro) and Adam (@AdamTodBrown), and give Adam's podcasts a listen on the You Don't Even Like Podcasts Network and have a nerdy day!

My latest cool friend, TV and comic writer Tom Krajewski, is one of my oldest friends in Los Angeles, and one of the most impressive dudes I know. Among his countless achievements, we find Primer, the absolute DC comics PHENOMENON that is one of the fastest, highest selling books since it's inception a few years ago (co-created with Jennifer Muro, see JHCF episode 23). Well guess what? They are releasing Primer as individual issues, have a sequel coming, and WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE? We talk about it, sure, but we also talk about writing BATMAN COMICS, his various TV shows, Ninja Turtles, the music video he's in with PINK and so much more! We're just bros being bros. So please enjoy, go gollow Tom on social media (IG: @krajewski_tom, Twitter @TomKrajewski) watch his shows, and find out what super secret project he's working on that'll crossover with a certain other podcast I co-host, and head on over to patreon.com/jeffmay to enjoy the Patreon-exclusive content we recorded JUST FOR PATRONS!

My Cool Friend Dan Bakkedahl has one hell of a resume under his belt. From movies like The Heat, Trumbo, and Action Point to television shows like The Daily Show, Legit, and Veep, Dan has proven himself to be filled to the brim with talent and charm. What you might NOT know, however, is that Dan is one of my best pinball buddies. Don't worry, we let you know ALL about it pretty quickly. On top of that, Mr. Johnson's Time Machine (his incredible new podcast with Joe Canale) is an absolute delight.I'd tell you to follow Dan on social media, but he deleted them all. I've never been more jealous of a guest in my life. So enjoy this episode, and head on over to Patreon.com/jeffmay for exclusive content we recorded JUST FOR PATRONS!

Join mega nerds Dre Alvarez and Jeff May as they geek out on a different nerdy cultural touchstone every month. Part reminiscence, part historical deep dive. This month, Dre and Jeff finish their season on Unfortunate Video Game Adaptations with the most unfortunate mainstream video game adaptation of all-time: 1994's Double Dragon! There's a lot to unpack about this absoulte violation of a film, so let's bleach our flaptops, engage in some questionable martial arts, and reunite our cheap plastic medallion as we dive deep into Double Dragon with our final unfortunate video game movie! And don't forget to follow Dre (@nerdnumbers) and Jeff (@heytherejeffro), have a nerdy day, and head on over to patreon.com/jeffmay for exclusives, early access to uncensored episodes, and so much more!

Oh boy is my latest Cool Friend a doozy! Honestly, I'm not sure how I even managed to snag Rey Taira for this long, as he was supposed to be getting ready for TF Con (Transformers) as his company, threezero, is going to have a HUGE presence there. But hey, I'm not complaining. Rey is one of the coolest, kindest, nerdiest nerds I know, and I'm so stoked to just geek out with him for a while. Wait until you hear about all the stuff that, not only his company produces, but that he himself does. It's so rad. And like, he's a PRESIDENT. HE PRESIDES OVER STUFF!I could go on forever about Rey, but I think it's best if you just listen, follow him @ultramanrei and threezero @threezerohk, and head on over to Patreon.com/jeffmay to enjoy our specially recorded bonus content JUST FOR PATRONS!

My Cool Friend this episode is the amazing Jon Jabs of one of my favorite Youtube channels, The Past Is Alive. When I was researching card breakers a few years back in order to check out how it's done right, I stumbled onto his fascinating channel and it was just everything I could have hoped for. Jon is fun, knowledgeable, interactive, and charming as heck at every turn, and he's cultivated a fantastic and supportive community in the TPIA family. I quickly became a huge fan of his work, as his entire vibe is about the fun and friendship of the hobby. And hey, it's not every day there are TWO giant bearded dudes who colect toys and open cards on camera on the show, so let's soak this one up. So please enjoy the episode, and I can't stress enough how much you need to check out Jon's Youtube Channel and Facebook community. Heck, you'll probably even see me in the Live Chats half the time. And head on over to my Patreon for early access to uncensored episodes AND exclusive content we record JUST FOR PATRONS!

Join mega nerds Dre Alvarez and Jeff May as they geek out on a different nerdy cultural touchstone every month. Part reminiscence, part historical deep dive. This month, Dre and Jeff are joined by John and Tom Reimann of the Screamplay podcast as they continue their season on Unfortunate Video Game Adaptations with 2005's Doom! There's a lot to unpack about this absoulte whiff of a film, so let's inject some space chromosomes, chainsaw a mutant dog-man's robo-spine, and look down a microscope instead of a sniper scope, as we dive deep into Doom, creeping deeper into 2024 with another unfortunate video game movie!And don't forget to follow Dre (@nerdnumbers) Jeff (@heytherejeffro) John (@johnnyrimes) and Tom (startthemachine) on the socials, go listen to Screamplay (and all the other great podcasts) on the Gamefully Unemployed network, and have a nerdy day!