The Sainio Cast

In the first installement of Arcane Savants, we talk off the chuff about the current state of Commander preconstructed decks in 2023, reflect back on how they use to scale to homebrew decks, and talk about how the politics of Commander look to a newer player entering the format. The Panel: Ryan Sainio, Jacob Torbeck, Kyle Winkler Music - Emotional Chill Electronica Downtempo

Today I wanted to produce a companion piece to my article written for Hipsters of the Coast, coming out the same day, discussing the expandable card game, Marvel Champions. We hit on the teambuilding and adaptive nature of the game and going into smaller details I wasn't able to fit into a written piece. Marvel Champions allows me to team up with my friends and go on an adventure taking place on the tabletop, it just might be the perfect game for someone in my audience as well. I hope you all enjoy the episode. - Ryan S. Music - "Old Record" by DmitryTrots

Taking a break from the more comic and podcast laden topics of the last few interviews, Ryan talks with HobbesQ of the Goblin Lore Podcast on the subject of fatherhood, the trials of medically assisted pregancies, and just being nerd dads with a mind on raising the best kids we can. How has fatherhood changed our relationships with our own parents and we may have learned lessons from their techniques.  I am extremely proud of this episode and the discussions we have, even if some of them might now have been entirely fleshed out during the dicussions. I hope you all enjoy the episode. - Ryan S. Music - "Old Record" by DmitryTrots

The day has finally come, I sit down with the podcaster that got me into podcasting; Peter Rios of The Daily Rios and Comics Geek Speak fame. In this episode we discuss what it is like to live in a world of super hero media being a comic book fan. We have a little bit of podcast history mixed in, with some other smaller conversations. But I am truly blessed to have Peter sit down and help me recontextualize what it means to know comics. I hope you all enjoy the episode. - Ryan S. Music - "Old Record" by DmitryTrots

This week, we go behind the scenes on the Marvel Plus podcast with the show's host, Brett Scott, to talk about what goes into making the show at the pace the Disney+ shows come out. In a dicussion that dives deep on topics - touching on his podcast origins, his many different shows, building a community, and much more - there is a lot to take away from the conversation. I hope you all enjoy the episode. - Ryan S. Music - "Old Record" by DmitryTrots

This week, I was joined by (another) Ryan, host of Talkin' Snikt: The Wolverine Show to talk about the House of X/Power of X trade from 2019, documenting the new status quo of mutants in the Marvel Universe. There is dicussions of the X-Men history, how this could impact the MCU, and what is really up with Kang - a completely unrelated topic, not sure how it got there. Our guest is a deep entrenched X-Men fan, so I hope you all enjoy the episode. - Ryan S. Music - "Old Record" by DmitryTrots

  This week, talk bout a series of short films I fully intended to make, but fell short on: "Ryan Sainio's Hamlet" Touching on how the short films that were published in the late 2000's differ from the version I would make today. Nothing fully fleshed out, but something to think about. Maybe, I make an audio play. Who really knows. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze  

Ryan returns to talk through the process, decisions, and stories that lead to the previous episode, which looked to maintain a memory of his departed sister. Hopefully, an honest testament of the thoughts and feelings had by our heroic host. Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze

This is an episode about loss. Traumatic events can make remembering very hard, it ruins your sense of continuity and can sometimes leave you in a state where you lack the imagination to see a version of life without the trauma. This episode is an attempt to remember, to preserve, and a hope that one day, the trauma won't cloud my memory. I cannot promise you won't be able to make it through the first time, but I really hope you can make the time to come along with me in the episode's entirety. Enjoy.

  This week, we have a double-feature as we dive into "Menace of Mysterio" and "The Sting of the Scorpion". There are a few laughs and some campy fun. Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze Excerpt from Uncanny X-Cast Episode 9  

This week, we get a mighty fine episode as Doctor Octopus makes his series debut. A lot of positive things are said and Norman Osborn is still at large. Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze

This week sees the return of the Spider Slayer from last week's episode. New dangers emerge and there is even some comedy. We try out a new segment and outline the future of the series.

It's time again, to talk about Spider-Man the Animated Series! In this episode: Norman Osborn hires Spencer Smythe to capture Spider-Man. Smythe creates his deadliest weapon, the Spider Slayer, to accomplish this. New characters, new developments, and some weird moments too. The series is hitting it's paces and I'm here for it! ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze

  Ryan returns to the world of podcasting to start a multi-part series covering Spider-Man : The Animated Series. It all started here, in 1994, with The Lizard in the series' pilot. A look at the episode, the villains and roots of the story. All this and more, enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze  

  This episode is full spoilers, all jumping off of the big plot points of the film. After seeing Avengers Endgame, Ryan has a few thoughts about all aspects of the film. The opening, the middle and the end all have juicy details about psychology of our heroes and villains and I'm looking to talk about them.  It's a wonderful time to be a comics fan and I think it sticks the landing, but of course, it comes with some baggage from the general populace. All this and more, enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze  

X-Cast Voicemail Message

After seeing Captain Marvel, Ryan has a few thoughts to nitpick, but not exactly where everyone else has set their sights. This episode is full spoilers, all jumping off of the big plot points of the film. We are fortunate enough to live in a time where we get to nitpick a Captain Marel film with characters from races of the Kree and Skrulls. It's a wonderful time to be a comics fan, but it comes with some baggage. All this and more, enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze

Ryan hits the mic to talk about his feelings with how the story within The Flash's fifth season is being handled. Has the big bad outlived their time? Isn't there a more interesting story that is being teased far too slow? And how will this current story arc resolve? All this and more, enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze

Ryan takes a brief break from his day to talk about how fortunate he is to have the wife, son and life he does. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze

I really wish I could say that this was anything other than a rant about my displeasure with the Justice League Dark event The Witching Hour and my lukewarm feelings about A LOT of comics I have tried to love and found were just hollow. I dispassionately discuss the ending of the event and then talk about how I feel that fun is missing from comic now. It really sucks, because so much of what makes comics great is missing because overly serious has been the thing for the last 30 years. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze

Setting up his next episode aimed at DC's The Witching Hour, Ryan quickly summarizes the events of Justice League Dark's first three issues. We have Wonder Woman, Zatanna, Swamp Thing, and Doctor Fate in this action-packed story that questions the order of DC's magic. Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze

Ryan hopes out of The Speed Force to drop some thoughts about the series as a whole and also where he thinks the fifth season might be going in general. No major spoilers for the series or the first two episodes of season five, but still an open discussion. What is Nora's true purpose? What does Cicada mean for the show? What are the writers hiding from us? All of these are open for grabs. Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze

Ryan takes a moment to reflect on his understanding of Lovecraft. Just to see where the topic will take him. Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze Other Background Music - Shadow Man by Lobo Loco and eRHoLuNG by Phillip Gross

Ryan is back already! Time to talk about Doomsday Clock #7 and the first issue of Heroes in Crisis. There will be spoilers, not nearly as many as I might have expected. But I will be following these titles into the future. Not a trick, not a ruse, this is an All-New Sainio Cast! Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze

Ryan returns to ask the all important question; "Why is no one talking about Doomsday Clock?" and also he watched Justice League this past weekend and has some thoughts about that. Possibly more page-by-page retelling of a Doomsday Clock thus far than I have any business doing. Sorry about that. But a full-length return to form on the Best Podcast Ryan Sainio Makes on a Regular Basis. Not a trick, not a ruse, this is an All-New Sainio Cast! Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze

As we inch closer to the six year anniversary, Ryan finally takes some time to reflect on his tenure with The Sainio Cast and how he views content creation. From YouTube to writing to balancing it all with real life, a quick drive and a deep dive. Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze

Everyone once in a while I recommend the film "About Time" to people, often people don't take the recommendation seriously, probably because it looks like a stupid rom-com. But today I wanted to talk a little bit about why more people need to watch this under the radar gem. This looks like a love story between Tim and Mary. I promise you, this is far more. Enjoy. Ryan Sainio

Infinity War is finally out and Ryan takes a moment to reflect on what he liked about the film and what surprised him most. No surprise, there is going to be spoilers, so don't be dumb.  Go see the film, don't let yourself get spoiled. And believe me, I love you and I want to talk about it with you. Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze

Ryan drops in real quick to talk about how doing the podcast has made him a better person. And much more! Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze

  In preparation for Avengers Infinity War, Ryan and Nikki kick back and start off talking about Marvel Phase One, before getting side tracked into talking about comic book movie in general. Should the X-Men enter the MCU? How about the Fantastic Four? What is the problem with the DCEU? And how long can thius possibly go on for? All this and more, on The Sainio Cast! Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze Also "Catching Glitter" by Split Phase Notes: Watch "Why Thor Ragnarok is the Perfect Reboot" by Movies with Mikey!  

Ryan and Nikki kick back and talk about their son for just under an hour. What he's been up to, the stresses of parenthood, and the crippling loneliness of not knowing a lot of other parents. Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze

Ryan rambles about what Avengers (2012) really meant in the moment and how important it is to remember that good or bad, these films are about having fun and embracing the inner 12 year old who got honestly excited when cool things happened. Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze

Realizing that the 10 Year Anniversary of the Secret Invasion event was earlier in the week, Ryan sets out to talk about the event, what lead up to it and how it might play into the MCU in Phase Four. All MCU talk is saved for the end, so don't feel like I'm going to ruin details just yet. Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze

Ryan spends a card ride talking about the high points of everything MCU from the last 4 years. Talking Guardians of the Galaxy, Ultron, Doctor Strange and much more. All to ultimately be flipped head over heels in the next month. Small spoiler for Black Panther, but lord knows you've seen that by now. Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze

Ryan tries his best to walk into 2018 with a podcast under his belt. I talk about being a dad, where I have been for the last year and where I would like to go going forward. Super basic, nothing flashy. Let's make a podcast! Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze

It's time again for Ryan to reach back into his memories and recount some stories of days past, this time focusing on the time after moving out of his parents' house until he ultimately lived with his wife. Why is water such a problem? Why is dating so hard? And how great was season 3 of Community?! All these questions will be resolved! Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze

Ryan returns to the mic in a very odd ramble across two different points in time, all reflecting on his twenties, growing up and losing the people most dear. A lot of it is framed around the Uncanny X-Cast, but that should be no surprise to anyone, let's be honest. Grab a snack. Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze

So the title buries the lead a little here, the episode is more in response to my thoughts on my 42nd Episode - So this is Marvel Now? and how I react to a Ryan who was so strongly opinionated about comic books. I dive into why I think comics lost a little of the magic for me in the last few years and how Secret Invasion might be a fairly good metaphor for the climate we live in now. Possibly one of my more thought provoking episodes in a long while. Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze

Tonight Ryan lays out his feelings one year into a post-Uncanny X-Cast world. Enjoy.

In a free form and short podcast, Ryan talks about reaching five years of podcasting and tried to figure out who is to blame for the last 300 episodes. Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio Intro Music - "We Came Down" fea. Thotem by Superpoze

Ryan and Nikki celebrate The Sainio Cast 5th Anniversary by talking about the entire process of having a son. What was the hospital like? How scared was the morning of? Does the baby sleep? What is being a parent like? Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio

Oh yeah. I have a podcast! Today I wanted to speak just a little bit about the complete journey from idiot to father and how I had to get a lot right to end up where I am today. Oddly, I may podcast more now that my son is born. Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio

Today I wax poetically about a morning I spent driving to work listening to my podcast (linked below) and realizing the beauty of The Sainio Cast. Recorded on February 8th of 2017, released a month later. This is before the big move into a new house. Before the trials of home ownership and before now, where the weight of a child in the next ... 90 days? ... that hadn't yet hit me. I still felt it was important. Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio The Evil That Men Do - Episode 188

In this episode. Ryan answers some question from deep within the feed of his Tumblr, LegendaryEDHPlays! Find out things about Ryan like : Star sign. Hogwarts house. Favorite color. Favorite animal. Cat or dog person. Dream trip. Dream job. When was the blog created. Loose guess at number of followers. When his blog reach its peak. What made him decide to get a Tumblr. All those things you wanted to know but never realized! Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio

Nikki and Ryan have an open discussion about the path they took to get a bun in the oven. The audience can decry "excuses, excuses" for Ryan podcasting less in 2016, but hopefully this will shine some light. Still pretty much a Marry-Thon episode. We mention Friends and Scrubs by name. Enjoy! ~ Ryan & Nikki Opening Music - "I Wanna Get Married" - De Cylinders

Nikki and Ryan talk at length about their favorite couples! The list ends roughly 25 minutes in, but that doesn't mean we won't hyper-analyze our topic in strange and interesting ways. What makes a good couple? How does time change things? How does a good partner change your view of television couples? What was up with Ryan's #5 pick? Enjoy! ~ Ryan & Nikki Opening Music - "I Wanna Get Married" - De Cylinders

Hello all! I have returned from some long drawn out time away, mostly due to school, but I still intend to continue my podcast/life journal in some capacity! Today I am musing on the first season (and some of the second season) of The Flash! I really love the use of The Reverse Flash in this show and want to toss out my thoughts of how the character is rooted in the series and all the lore. Head canon! By hopefully reasonable none the less. Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio

Nikki & Ryan both see THE OFFICE as a comfort show, and thus are marathoning through it constantly. So, on this episode, Nikki and Ryan break down their favorite seasons of THE OFFICE, along with the moments they enjoyed the most. Enjoy! ~ Ryan & Nikki Opening Music - "I Wanna Get Married" - De Cylinders

Today, Ryan makes a return from an extended break and muses on the good fortunes he has had in education and creativity in the last while. Mainly on the writing of his short story, "The Flight of Turkeys". How do you continue to write a story that has been in a Google Doc for almost 2 years? What happens if you don't like the characters? Where has Ryan been? All these questions will be addressed, if not answered! Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio

Ryan makes a quick entry to cap off the Top 5 Week and discusses the lessons he has learned while podcasting. How to survive. How to have fun. How to never turn down an idea. On the eve of his four year anniversary, here's hoping there are at least another four years. Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio

Today, Ryan presents the Top 5 Cold Openings to his show. Enjoy. ~ Ryan Sainio