Podcast appearances and mentions of zach howard

The Professor Frenzy Show Episode 355 Universal Monsters The Mummy #2 from Image  |  Writer(s):Faith Erin Hicks  | Artist(s):Faith Erin Hicks Lee Loughridge  |  $4.99 Bug Wars #3 from Image Comics (W) Jason Aaron (A) Mahmud Asrar $4.99  G.I. Joe #6 from Image Comics (W) Joshua Williamson (A) Tom Reilly, Jordie Bellaire $3.99 G.I Joe A Real American Hero Silent Missions: Roadblock #1 (W) Andrew Krahnke (A) Andrew Krahnke, Francesco Segala $3.99 Moonshine Bigfoot #1 of 4 from Image Comics (W) Mike Marlow, Zach Howard (A) Steve Ellis, Zach Howard $4.99 Assorted Crisis Events #2 from Image  |  Writer(s):Deniz Camp  |  Artist(s):Eric Zawadzki  |  $3.99 Epitaphs From The Abyss #10 (EC Comics) from Oni Press  |  Writer(s):Jeff Jensen Jeremy Lambert Curt Pires  |  Artist(s):Valeria Burzo Sami Kivela Andrea Mutti  |  $4.99 MAD magazine #43 - Salute to Reality TV issue  (W/A) The Usual Gang of Idiots $5.99 Arcana Royale #1 from Dark Horse  |  Writer(s):Cullen Bunn  |  Artist(s):A.C. Zamudio  |  $4.99 Minor Arcana #6 from BOOM! Studios  |  Writer(s):Jeff Lemire  |  Artist(s):Jeff Lemire  |  $4.99 Out of Alcatraz #2 from Oni Press | Writer: Christopher Cantwell | Art: Tyler Crook | $4.99 Those Not Afraid #4 from Dark Horse (W) Kyle Starks (A) Patrick Piazzalunga $3.99  Archaic (Ahoy Comics) #5 from Ahoy Comics  |  Writer(s):Melissa F. Olson  | Artist(s):Sally Cantirino  |  $3.99 Lilith #3 from Vault Comics  |  Writer(s):Corin Howell  |  Artist(s):Corin Howell  |  $4.99 This Week's Best Comic Books G.I. Joe A Real American Hero Silent Missions:  Duke #1 from Image Comics (W) Wes Craig (A) Wes Craig, Jason Wordie $3.99 Solomon Kane:  The Serpent Ring #2 from Titan Comics (W/A) Patch Zircher  $3.99  Who Are the Power Pals #2 from Dark Horse Comics (W) Duane Murray (A) Ahmed Raafat $4.99  Bitter Root The Next Movement #2   from  Image  |  Writer(s):David F. Walker Chuck Brown  |  Artist(s):Sanford Greene  |  $3.99 Feral #12   from  Image  |  Writer(s):Tony Fleecs  |  Artist(s):Trish Forstner Tone Rodriguez Brad Simpson  |  $3.99 Patchwork Girl Of Oz #4  from  Image  |  Writer(s):Otis Frampton  |  Artist(s):Otis Frampton Tracy Bailey  |  $3.99 Seasons #4   from  Image  |  Writer(s):Rick Remender  |  Artist(s):Paul Azaceta Matheus Lopes  |  $3.99 Were Taking Everyone Down With Us #2   from  Image  |  Writer(s):Matthew Rosenberg  |  Artist(s):Stefano Landini Jason Wordie  |  $4.99 Do Bad Things #2   from  Image  |  Writer(s):Tyler Boss  |  Artist(s):Adriano Turtulici  |  $3.99 Crush Depth #2  from  Mad Cave Studios  |  Writer(s):David Andry  |  Artist(s): Alex Sanchez  |  $4.99 Dark Pyramid #2  from  Mad Cave Studios  |  Writer(s):Paul Tobin  |  Artist(s): PJHolden  |  $4.99 Graveyard Club Fresh Blood #1 (One Shot)   from  BOOM! Studios  |  Writer(s):RL Stine  |  Artist(s):Carola Borelli  |  $9.99 Savage Sword Of Conan Vol 2 #8   from  Titan Comics  |  Writer(s):Roy Thomas | Artist(s):Roberto De La Torre  |  $6.99 Slashers Apprentice #1   from  Mad Cave Studios  |  Writer(s):Justin Richards  | Artist(s):Val Halvorson  |  $4.99 Something Is Killing The Children #41   from  BOOM! Studios  |  Writer(s):James Tynion IV  |  Artist(s):Werther Dell Edera  |  $4.99 Vampiress Carmilla Magazine 2026 Annual  from  Warrant Publishing Company  | Writer(s):Various  |  Artist(s):Various  |  $10.99 Nostalgia This week's that guy that was in that show is  Rene Auberjunois Favorite Twilight Zone episode Mirror Image, Season 1 Episode 21, Original air date February 26, 1960

DC and Image July 2025 Solicits Comic Reviews DC Summer of Superman Special 1 by Mark Waid, Dan Slott, Joshua Williamson, Jorge Jimenez, Belen Ortega, Dan Mora Marvel Godzilla vs. Hulk 1 by Gerry Duggan, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Daniele Orlandini, Federico Blee Superior Avengers 1 by Steve Foxe, Luca Maresca, Kyle Hotz, Mattia Iacono Web of Venomverse: Fresh Brains 1 by Mat Groom, Luciano Vecchio, Rachelle Rosenberg; Erica Schultz, Dylan Burnett, Jim Campbell; David Dastmalchian, Juan Jose Ryp, Yen Nitro; Mat Groom, Chris Allen, Matt Milla; Chris Eliopoulos Marvel Unlimited It's Jeff 47 by Kelly Thompson, Gurihiru Dynamite Giant-Size Wacky Races 1 by Ivan Cohen, Mariano Benetiz Chapo, Nick Caponi Red Sonja vs Army of Darkness 1 by Tim Seeley, Jim Terry, Carlos Badilla Image G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero – Spirit 1 by Leonardo Romero, Cris Peter Moonshine Bigfoot 1 by Mike Marlow, Steve Ellis, Zach Howard, Nelson Daniel Mad Cave Buried Long Long Ago 1 by Anthony Cleveland, Alex Cormack OGN Countdown Freak by Matt Lesniewski ZomCom'ics by Emi Mena Garrucho Night Eaters Vol 3: Their Kingdom Come by Marjorie Liu, Sana Takeda Curse of Monte Cristo by David Dabel, Carlton Holder, Rodrigo Catraca, David Lentz I Hated You in High School by Kathleen Gros Parachute Kids Vol 2: Outsider Kids by Betty Tang Hey, Mary by Andrew Wheeler, Rye Hickman Inked by Karen Wasson, Jake Minton Additional Reviews: Daredevil by Chip Zdarsky Daredevil: Born Again s1 finale Doctor Who ep2 Gaslight District pilot Bandette vol 3 and 4 by Paul Tobin, Colleen Coover Free Planet Advance Review News: Sam Neil cast in next Godzilla x Kong movie, Dan Jurgens superman one-shot, new Star War, Visions s3 release date, Sandman s2 release date, Morrison returns to Batman, Darth Maul television series announced Trailers: Fantastic Four, Sandman s2, Poker Face s2 Comics Countdown (16 April 2025): Absolute Flash 2 by Jeff Lemire, Nick Robles, Adriano Lucas Summer of Superman Special 1 by Joshua Williamson, Dan Slott, Mark Waid, Jorge Jimenez, Belen Ortega, Dan Mora Redcoat 11 by Geoff Johns, Bryan Hitch, Andrew Currie, Brad Anderson Wonder Woman 20 by Tom King, Guillem March Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 8 by Jason Aaron, Juan Ferreyra Nightwing 125 by Dan Watters, Francesco Francavilla Rogue Sun 26 by Ryan Parrott, Nick Cotton, Abel, Bruno Frenda, Natalia Marques Usagi Yojimbo: Ten Thousand Plums 2 by Stan Sakai, Hi-Fi Detective Comics 1096 by Tom Taylor, Mikel Janin, Norm Rapmund Zatanna 3 by Jamal Campbell  

I've got a family history with moonshine. It started when I was a little kid riding around on my grandfather's tractor. He always had a half gallon Mayfield milk jug full of something or other he'd periodically take a swig from and, yes, more often than not the later on in the day it got, the more likely we were to end up in a ditch but that was all part of the fun of our time together. Later I learned he was a part of the illicit trade selling homebrew supplies out the back of his grocery store and was investigated by the AFT, the revenuers to us. We've got a locally famous peach brandy recipe made with a touch of molasses, ok maybe more than a touch. So, you couple that with the fact that I'm the Editor-In-Chief of Comic Book Yeti where we are all about those cryptids and it felt like a no brainer to reach out to the creative team of the new Image Comics series Moonshine Bigfoot. I wrangled industry vet Zach Howard and his protégé Clara Meath on with me to hear all about it. I've been trying to cover more comedy comics projects lately, and this is by far one of the best I've seen in some time. I adore this book. Where else is a bigfoot the normal guy as he navigates aliens, clandestine Illuminati, cryptid hunters, and drunken Smerfs hangining out in a bar with Fantasy Island's Tattoo. You read that right. Make sure to snag yourself a copy of this southern fried gem of a book. Zach Howard's website Clara Meath's website Moonshine Bigfoot From the publisher Buzzard County, 1981—Moonshine Bigfoot spends his days making a living while outwitting clueless cops, reckless rivals, and buffoonish Bigfoot Hunters. All is hunky-dory until he draws the attention of an Illuminati-esque cabal. With his partner in life and crime, Amethyst, our hairy hero is about to learn that some problems can't be handled just by jumping them in a souped-up Mach 1. PATREON We have a new Patreon, CryptidCreatorCornerpod. If you like what we do, please consider supporting us. We got two simple tiers, $1 and $3. Want to know more, you know what to do. ARKENFORGE Play TTRPG games? Make sure to check out our partner Arkenforge. Use the discount code YETI5 to get $5 off your order. THE LANTERN CATALOG Created on the premise of creating light in the dark, this is the the go to resource to keep you up to date on the indy projects and the creators you love. You can find them at https://www.thelanterncatalog.com/. Make sure to check out our sponsor 2000AD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Justin and Eric are speaking with artist Zach Howard. You may know Zach from his work with both Marvel and Dc comics, his series for Image "Wild Blue Yonder", Dark Horse Comic's sequel to Hellboy the Crooked Man, "The Return of Effie Kolb" and of course the Dark Turtles in the IDW TMNT Deviations book. From Hellboy to talking about Nightwing in his underwear, this discussion covers more ground than The General Lee in Hazard County! Zach has a new series out called Moonshine Bigfoot that is a lot of fun! We are talking Muscle cars, comics, artwork and a lot of TMNT! A Grilled Pizza recipe: Grilled Eggplant and Artichoke Pizza! Check out Zach on Instagram @spacefriend_z his website:https://www.zachhoward.com/ and his Kickstarter: Moonshine Bigfoot

This week we visit Hellboy's classic Appalachian horror adventure that inspired the new movie! Hellboy helps a young man who sold his soul to the terrifying Crooked Man in Mignola and Richard Corben's original series and the inspiration for the new film. In the sequel by Mignola and Zach Howard, Hellboy confronts the folk legend again when someone-or something-has moved into the Crooked Man's backwoods mansion with wicked intentions. News 2:29 Hellboy: The Crooked Man 20:14 Back Matter Matters 44:32 The Pull-List 50:35 Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Review 1:01:37 Linktr.ee/tradewaiters Follow Us!

In this conversation, Colton Moore and Zach Howard discuss the importance of a Christian liberal arts education. They explore the meaning of liberal education and its aim to liberate individuals from ignorance and sin. They also discuss the benefits of a classical Christian education in shaping the whole person and developing critical thinking skills. They address the question of whether students who have already received a classical education should pursue further education in a liberal arts college. They emphasize the value of a liberal arts education in shaping one's worldview and providing a foundation for discernment in all areas of life. In this conversation, Colton and Zach discuss their impressions of Augustine's book, 'Instructing Beginners in the Faith.' They highlight its practicality and accessibility, as well as its emphasis on teaching from a heart of love. They also explore Augustine's advice on overcoming discouragement in teaching and the importance of repentance and acts of mercy. They discuss the joy that comes from seeing truth through the eyes of students and the need to rightly order our loves in education. Overall, the conversation emphasizes the importance of teaching with love and humility.***GlossaHouse resources are available at our website! - https://glossahouse.com/ ✏️ ***Sign up for classes with GlossaHouse U - https://glossahouse.com/pages/classes

In this riveting episode of "Wicked Energy with JG," host Justin sits down with Kevin Thuot, the Managing Partner and Analytics Engineer at Jetrock Analytics. Kevin, known for his rich experience in data analytics and research, delves deep into the evolving landscape of the energy sector. Highlights of the episode include: - The evolution of Zoom backgrounds and how they've become an aesthetic staple in our digital conversations. - A behind-the-scenes glimpse at how Zach Howard, pivotal in setting up the podcast, connected the dots between Kevin and Justin. - A special shoutout to our sponsor, Ten X Technologies, innovators in material-based solutions for the oil and gas industry. - A reflective look back at the 2014-16 oil industry downturn and how it spurred a much-needed emphasis on data analytics. - Kevin's keen insights on the shifting demand within the energy sector. From a heavy reliance on public data to the increasing value placed on a company's internal data, Kevin shares how firms are harnessing this information for operational efficiency, budgeting, and actionable insights. - An in-depth discussion on the importance of "closing the gap between data and decisions." Both Justin and Kevin stress the transformative power of turning raw data into digestible, actionable insights. Whether you're an energy sector professional, an AI enthusiast, or just a curious listener, this episode promises a wealth of information. Dive in to understand how data analytics and AI are shaping the future of energy. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and share "Wicked Energy with JG" with your network! If you are interested in learning more or connecting, see the links below: Linked: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-thuot-53437b21/ Website: https://jetrockllc.com/contact/ Show Sponsors TenEx Technologies TenEx Technologies is a leading provider of nanotechnology-based products for the oil & gas industry. Their products are designed to improve the production of oil and gas wells, and they have been shown to be effective in a variety of field applications. Some of their key products include: NanoCLEAR: Tailored nanofluids to improve production of new completions and existing wells MicroHOLD: Cost-Effective Microparticle Slurry designed to improve frac efficiency and well production NoHIT: Innovative frac hit mitigation technology via in situ pressurization reaction SandBOND: Sand consolidation chemical solution CeraFLO: Greener, cost-effective proprietary blends to eliminate paraffin issues Website: https://www.tenextechnologies.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tenextechnologies/ Wicked Energy For more info on Wicked Energy, please visit www.wickedenergy.io. For the video version, please visit the Wicked Energy YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL5PSzLBnSb7u1HD1xmLOJg If you or your company are interested in starting a podcast, visit https://www.wickedenergy.io/free-guide for a free guide on creating a successful podcast. Lastly, if you have any topics or guests you'd like to hear on the show, please email me at justin@wickedenergy.io or send me a message on LinkedIn. InflowControl InflowControl is a technology company that helps oil companies improve the efficiency of oil production while reducing the industry's environmental impact with their Autonomous Inflow Control Valve (AICV®). This breakthrough technology improves oil production by reducing unwanted gas and water which enables mature oil fields to be more profitable by supporting oil production from zones that would have typically been bypassed. This provides oil companies and its stakeholders with Lower Carbon Oil and higher profitability. To learn more, visit the links below: Website: www.inflowcontrol.no LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inflowcontrol-as/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqdgIooQhYtUBo-auUlYw-Q

Zach Howard is a comic book illustrator who has worked for Marvel, DC, and IDW… but his current project is an Image collaboration called Moonshine Bigfoot. A swamp-dwelling Sasquatch embarks on a high-speed adventure when his latest batch of hootch gets the attention of… someone powerful! Zach and I agree it's kind of ‘Dukes of Hazzard Meets X-Files'. We also get into some pretty creator-centric chat about the importance of crowdfunding to indie comic projects, and how ideas like this are going to keep the comics hobby healthy as it changes in the 21st century. — See Show Notes at www.AaronBossig.com Follow me on Twitter, Hive, or Instagram - @AaronBossig

Zach Howard is an illustrator with almost twenty five years of experience in the comic book industry! He’s worked with companies like Marvel and DC Comics and with talent such as Joe Hill (on The Cape) and Mike Mignola (on Hellboy). Now he has his own project currently funding on Kickstarter known as Moonshine Bigfoot! […]

Zach Howard is an illustrator with almost twenty five years of experience in the comic book industry! He’s worked with companies like Marvel and DC Comics and with talent such as Joe Hill (on The Cape) and Mike Mignola (on Hellboy). Now he has his own project currently funding on Kickstarter known as Moonshine Bigfoot! […]

This week in Episode #585, you'll enjoy great crowdfunding doubleheader interviews, and it features comics pro Zach Howard and the return of Caleb Palmquist! It all begins with Zach Howard from Image Comics' Moonshine Bigfoot, and his Kickstarter for this project will conclude on Saturday, April 29, at 10:37 p.m. EDT! It's described this way: “a universal tale of growing up, escaping your comfort zone, and becoming the best version of yourself you can be.”  We discuss a few of his previous works, who the various characters are, how the book came to be, and what we can expect from this four-issue series and Zach in the future! Be sure to back it after you listen to our fun conversation! Then everything wraps up with my interview with Caleb Palmquist, who has a Kickstarter underway for The Knight and the Lion: A Swords of Arthur Story.” It's described this way: “A fresh take on a classic Arthurian legend from the creator of Unicorn: Vampire Hunter.” Caleb updates us on how his various projects are moving forward, who the various characters in this book are, and what we can expect from him in the months ahead! Don't wait to back this exceptional project before it concludes on Monday, May 1, at 2:59 a.m. EDT!  Show your thanks to Major Spoilers for this episode by becoming a Major Spoilers Patreon member. It will help ensure Wayne's Comics Podcast continues far into the future!

On this episode of And I Quote: Ryan talks with veteran comic-book artist and writer, Zach Howard about his latest Kickstarter, Moonshine Bigfoot and his career in the industry. We will also be taking your questions! Zach Howard is a freelance professional comic book artist of 23 years. His most notable employers include Marvel, DC Comics, Nickelodeon, Image, Dark Horse, IDW, Boom, Simon & Schuster, and Steve Jackson Games. Zach's most popular projects are Hellboy, Wild Blue Yonder, Shaun of the Dead, Venom, Wolverine, GI Joe, The Cape, Aliens, and Batman. He has been nominated for an Eisner Award, multiple Indie awards, and received an Amazon Book of the Month selection for Wild Blue Yonder. In addition to his professional work, Zach is passionate about supporting young artists and has dedicated much of his time to helping nurture the next generation of creators. Co-Creator, Co-scripting, Artwork Inks and Finishes are my credits for Moonshine Bigfoot. My most famous works in the last few years were Hellboy and the BPRD: The Return of Effie Kolb, The Cape (with Joe Hill), and Wild Blue Yonder. However, I've done everything out there - Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Aliens, etc. Follow Zach Howard on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zach.howard.359?ref=tn_tnmn IG: @spacefriend_z Deviant Art: https://www.deviantart.com/spacefriend-krunk KS: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/roninridgestudio/moonshine-bigfoot-moonshine-muscle-cars-and-mayhem?fbclid=IwAR0DgVeyCypBxkJb9lgL1Hs-WRYh3zlNc7z4B7T4FuiFgoAQuLwt17umqso Follow Ryan on Social Media: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/ryanandiquote

This week the guys discuss the Big 2's many tie-in comics, the Marvel's first trailer, and more! Also this week the guys are joined by Zach Howard & Clara Meath to discuss Moonshine Bigfoot. This 4 issue comic series is currently running on Kickstarter and was picked up by Image for release to the mass market. You can follow Moonshine Bigfoot using the links below. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/roninridgestudio/moonshine-bigfoot-moonshine-muscle-cars-and-mayhem?ref=nav_search&result=project&term=moonshine%20bigfoot http://www.zachhoward.com/#intro Don't forget the guys talk about the comics they are reading off the shelves from last week, and as always all of the news fit for print. Comics we discuss in this episode: Captain America: Cold War Alpha Guardians of the Galaxy #1 Second Coming: Trinity #1 Phantom Road #2 Fantastic Four #6 Support the show by using our Amazon Associate Link. Click below and shop: https://www.amazon.com/amazonprime?_encoding=UTF8&linkCode=ur1&primeCampaignId=prime_assoc_ft&tag=fortresscom02-20 Get your Fortress Comics merchandise with the link below https://www.teepublic.com/user/fortress-comics Want to talk comics and chat with the hosts of your favorite Fortress Comics content? Join our facebook group with the link below: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1607250199464647/?ref=share FortressofComicNews.com YouTube.com/FortressComics Chris twitter @fortresschris Mike twitter @fortressricker Patreon.com/FortressComics Thanks for Listening! #marvel #marvelcomics #mcu #dccomics #comicbooks #comicnews #podcast #indiecomics  #batman

Originally Aired: 04/14/23 – We review Renfield. We talk with artist Zach Howard of Moonshine Bigfoot and also with actor Vas Saranga of You're My Hero. The post Geek Hard Episode 670 – Moonshine for My Hero, Renfield appeared first on Geek Hard.

Originally Aired: 04/14/23 – We review Renfield. We talk with artist Zach Howard of Moonshine Bigfoot and also with actor Vas Saranga of You're My Hero. The post Geek Hard Episode 670 – Moonshine for My Hero, Renfield appeared first on Geek Hard.

Tad is joined by the creative team behind Moonshine Bigfoot!Kickstarter Campaign!http://kck.st/40TeNQ1The Moonshine Bigfoot crew is doing two kinds of giveaways to listeners of our podcast interviews!1, Each person that shares the Moonshine Bigfoot Kickstarter campaign's link in their social media story ( I know not everyone has links enabled, sorry about that) and sends us a screenshot as proof, will be entered into a drawing for a free commission penciled by Steve Ellis and inked by Zach Howard!2, Anyone that shares the campaign to 5 Facebook groups and sends screenshots of those as proof will be entered in a drawing to win a free pack of the campaign's "Gumbo" tier--which is basically the 'one of everything tier'.If either of those sound like your type of gamble, then email your screenshots to bigfoot@inkedpub.com and we'll take it from there! 'Consider becoming a patron!Support the show

Why is singleness declared not good in the garden but better than in the New Testament? This sermon was recorded on February 12, 2023. Before the sermon, listen to Zach Howard who gave his testimony. Sermon begins at 7:12. If you want to learn more about the Mid Tree story or connect with us, go to our website HERE or text us at 812-MID-TREE.

Join host Matt Daniel as he breaks down Northwest's 24-7 Family Day victory over UCM and previews the Bearcat's road trip to take on UCO with Voice of the Bearcats John Coffey (10:06) and UCO Assistant AD of Media Relations Chris Brannick (21:14). Check out this week's player interview with Zach Howard (45:42) and The Bearcats According to Eli (1:18:21). Thanks for listening!

Had an awesome conversation with Kevin Thuot (Managing Partner - JetRock) last week during their visit to Houston for #NAPE for Energy Crüe Podcast. Special shout out to Zach Howard for reaching out and setting up the introduction.Kevin has an interesting past, growing up in a family of entrepreneurs, doing internships at NASA, discussing the vomit comet and his contribution to the space program (astronauts everywhere thank him), to pursuing a graduate degree from M.I.T., to how he started JetRock. We discussing starting his own company and leaving the comfort of a stable job behind. Focused on coding and building out their platform was the game since 2015, now he's looking to grow his presence by adding a team built for that. We discussed some personal hobbies and it was extremely interesting to hear more about the life of Kevin and how his creative mind works.Really enjoyed the conversation and appreciate their time during such a busy week!

Dan & Paul are joined by Mark Greenberg from Necromancer Games to chat about the new revision to Necropolis. Based on the original work by the grandmaster himself, Gary Gygax, Necropolis is an epic desert adventure series for 5e D&D and Swords & Wizardry. Previously published by Necromancer Games as a d20 system adventure, it's been entirely updated and revised by Mark, co-author of The World of the Lost Lands by Frog God Games. We've been fans of Necropolis for a long time, and people are literally dying to find out more! Join the Kickstarter for the new NecropolisWatch Dan & Paul play the original Tomb of Ra-Hotep with Web DM last HalloweenCheck out our Season 1 chat on the Tomb of HorrorsWatch our last interview with Jon PetersonAnd our talk with Zach Howard on his Holmes' Tower of Zenopus 5E updateFinally, read Stephen Buckley's article this week on "Meet the Tomb of Horrors" at Cracked! Wandering DMs Paul Siegel and Dan “Delta” Collins host thoughtful discussions on D&D and other TTRPGs every week. Comparing the pros and cons of every edition from the 1974 Original D&D little brown books to cutting-edge releases for 5E D&D today, we broadcast live on YouTube and Twitch so we can take viewer questions and comments on the topic of the day. Live every Sunday at 1 PM Eastern time. Subscribe to Wandering DMs for new episodes

Becoming a CFO takes a lot of hard work and dedication — and for many, it's the end goal of their career. But if you want to become a CFO, it's important to focus on the mid-stage of your career. That's how today's guest, Zach Howard ended up Chief Financial Officer at ICD Group International. He joins the show today to share the most important steps young professionals should take if they want to travel the same road. In this episode, we discuss: - How technology is shaping the CFO role - The 3 most important steps young professionals should take to become CFO - Why fit and willingness to learn are the most important considerations for hiring in today's workplace For more interviews from the CFO Weekly podcast, check us out on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player! Presented by Personiv https://insights.personiv.com/cfo-weekly

Becoming a CFO takes a lot of hard work and dedication — and for many, it's the end goal of their career. But if you want to become a CFO, it's important to focus on the mid-stage of your career. That's how today's guest, Zach Howard ended up Chief Financial Officer at ICD Group International. He joins the show today to share the most important steps young professionals should take if they want to travel the same road. In this episode, we discuss: - How technology is shaping the CFO role - The 3 most important steps young professionals should take to become CFO - Why fit and willingness to learn are the most important considerations for hiring in today's workplace For more interviews from the CFO Weekly podcast, check us out on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player! Presented by Personiv https://insights.personiv.com/cfo-weekly

Legendary surfer Zach Howard joins the cave to talk about his surfing career.

Zach has the honor of welcoming Howard Bryant back to the podcast on this special Saturday episode. He and Howard touch on several elements of our current civil rights protest, and Howard graciously explains why he disagrees with the sentiment that white folks are just now really understanding and seeing the evils of racism. Check the links in the show notes for ways to pledge your support!*This episode features occasional explicit language.*Connect with Howard on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, and don't forget to check out his website.Learn more about Howard's latest book, Full Dissidence, by clicking here.Interested in finding out more about Howard's other books? Click here to be redirected to his Amazon page.Donate to Black Lives Matter by clicking here.Split a donation between 70+ community bail funds, mutual aid funds, and racial justice organizers by clicking here.You can pledge your support to a variety of institutions by clicking the following links: Know Your Rights Camp, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and Campaign Zero.Check out our website.TRANSCRIPTZach: What's up, y'all? It's Zach with Living Corporate, and I have my daughter Emory in my lap. Say something, Emory. You gonna say something? No? Okay. And, you know, this is not the norm, right? Like, typically you're gonna listen to See It to Be It with Amy C. Waninger or The Link Up with Latesha with Latesha Byrd. However, as we look at the world around us and the chaos that continues around us--like, we're not teetering towards chaos, we are in a chaotic time. And we see the state by way of their police force abusing everybody. It's a unique time, and so we wanted to make sure today--not Tuesday, but today--that we actually had a really in-depth and frank conversation with someone who understands the concept of dissidence, and that's Howard Bryant. Howard Bryant is a senior contributor and writer for both ESPN and NPR, and he wrote a book titled Full Dissidence, and it tackled the reality of protest, and he really analyzed and assessed Colin Kaepernick's protest and really broke down white power structures that maintain the status quo in spite of dissidence. And, you know, we also talked a little bit about--and you're gonna hear this--the responses of many of these corporations and how authentic they were in actually addressing the problem. And so, you know, one point of feedback, and you'll notice this, is that organizations are going to--and they're doing it now, and they're going to continue [to do it]--to treat racism as this abstract concept, and so it's up to those who are in positions of authority and have courage to speak to tie those words and concepts into tangible actions, right? So it's not enough to say, you know, "We have to do better and be better and treat people better and open our hearts and minds." That's not actually what changes. What changes is actually structures and policies to actually make a difference, right? Enacting pillars or means of accountability and repercussions for bad behavior. That's how you change, and so to all the organizations who are seeking to make these statements, understand, like, we're in a different place, and folks are looking to hold folks accountable in a different way. [laughs] I just saw a Google Sheet that's been going around that actually really starts getting tangible about how authentic some of these folks are when it comes to anti-racism, and, you know, it doesn't just stop out there. It continues within organizations, right? Like, your company does not have this magic barrier that stops racism, and so that's important, and so we talk about that, and I wanted to make sure--because we didn't have a lot of time with Howard Bryant so I didn't have time to do a bunch of intro stuff, we just got right into the questions, so I wanted to make sure to give a little bit of context. I pray that everyone who's hearing this is staying safe. Definitely support everybody protesting. You're seeing on Living Corporate, we are trying to amplify as much as we can. You're gonna see some links to donate to different protestors and bail funds and things of that nature. You're gonna see that in there. My hope and my desire is if you're an aspiring ally and you listen to Living Corporate regularly that you would check those links and donate. You don't have to donate to Living Corporate, just donate. Just click the links. Just please donate to those links. Shout-out to all my people. Love y'all. 'Til next time. Peace.Zach: Howard, welcome back to the show. How are you doing? Howard: I'm good. How are you?Zach: Man... you know. [chuckles]Howard: [chuckles] Staying sane during all of this?Zach: Trying to, trying to, trying to. Look, you know, we had you on not too long ago, and you've seen a lot, I know, in your life in terms of civil struggle. I think I was a kid when the Rodney King riots happened. In your estimation, is this the largest civil rights protest that you've seen in your lifetime?Howard: I don't know. That's a good question, that's a really good question, considering a few things, right? I was, what... Rodney King, I was 22, and that was nowhere near close to this. I mean, that was--that was disbelief followed by sort of [retrenchment?] followed by rage, because let's not forget that Rodney King happened over a year. Because first it was the beating, then there was the trial, you know, and then there was the uprising, and that happened in '92, but Rodney King actually got beaten down in '91. And so there was that, but this is also--then there's also Ferguson, and so what was happening in Ferguson and Baltimore, all of these things were sort of separate. So I think yes, actually when you really think about it in terms of one sort of linear scale moment, yes, this is the biggest reaction, this is the greatest singular reaction that I've ever seen, and I think that it's been a long time coming. I think that there's so many different avenues that you can take when assessing something like this. Obviously if you're Black you're sort of wondering "What took so long?" I think even if you're just an observer you look at it and say, "Okay, why now? Why Minneapolis? Why was this one the one that linked everybody?" All kinds of great questions there, and then I think the other question that you have here too when you look at it is "What is going to come of it?" And happening during a pandemic. I mean, I swear, man, I believe--I woke up the other day wondering if I had, like, fallen down the stairs and been in intensive care and nobody told me. I mean, I woke up--I woke up and had all these messages from all these people, all my white friends. "If there's anything I can do." I'm like, "What happened?" Then I get another one going, "Oh, I'm so worried about you right now." I'm like, "What happened?" I'm checking my phone, I'm checking the news. I'm like, "What happened? Why is everybody texting me making sure I'm okay?" Then I check my email. "Just really worried, you know, about you and yours, and anything I can do," I'm like... "What happened?" And now you're recognizing that "Oh, they're getting it now. This one got to them." And I'm not even trying to be funny. I literally had no idea why I was getting all these messages, because for us this is normal. This was like, "Okay, this is one of many."Zach: Exactly, right? And I saw you tweeted about this, and I've actually talked to my colleagues about this too, but there seems to be, like, this large sentiment that white folks are just now really understanding and seeing the evils of racism, and, like, what do you make of that? What do you make of this phenomenon?Howard: Yeah, I don't make any--I don't believe that for a minute. I think it's something totally different, and I think that we're in the middle of... I don't know if you're an Alfred Hitchcock fan or not, but Hitchcock mastered the art form of the MacGuffin, and the MacGuffin was essentially the red herring. It was the thing that made you think the plot was, but it wasn't. Like, if you're watching--like, if you watch Psycho it's like, "Okay, it wasn't about the $40,000 he stole after all, was it? It wasn't that. It was this." I don't believe that I'm actually gonna say this, but I'm gonna say this, and I was talking to Roland Martin about this the other day. I really believe that racism in some ways is a bit of misdirection, [that?] racism is not the issue. The issue is policing. The issue I think white people are tired. I think the country's tired. I think after three and a half years of this administration and this buildup, I think that people are recognizing there's no way out, and I think that if you combine that with a pandemic where everybody's been in the house for three months, I think things are starting to--I think it's sort of, like, a perfect storm in a lot of ways, and I think that the visceral nature of that killing... I think Eric Garner was one thing, and I think Eric Garner was every bit the same type of killing that this one was, but I think Eric Garner happened in such a flurry that I don't think that people paid as close attention because Eric Garner and Ferguson were right next to each other, and I think that there was still enough misdirection--and I also think there was something else, and I think that there was a feeling too that there was going to be some form of accountability because you had Barack Obama in the White House and he was talking about accountability and talking about [?], and so there was this feeling that maybe the system was actually going to maybe kind of do something down the line, but here with this administration, I think they've made it very, very clear that this is the norm, and watching that murder and having it be a physical murder--it wasn't that he got shot or anything, you literally put your knee on the neck of somebody while he was held down, you know, apprehended by three other officers. There was no reason for it. It resonated. I think people saw it because their lives have shut down. I think it's easier to ignore this stuff when your life is moving on. You, like, take a little look and you keep going, but everybody's been stuck in the house, so everybody's been paying--I think people paid much more attention to this because they didn't have anything else necessarily, because it feels like the country is falling apart, right? I mean, it already feels like, "All right, we're talking about the economy and everybody's losing their jobs and you have 40 million people out there on unemployment AND you're in the house watching videos all day in-between Zoom chats." All you're doing is you're online. So something about it hit in a way that it didn't hit in other ways, and then on top of that the marshal response is very different, where you have a bunch of white kids out there, this looks like--I mean, so when you say "my lifetime," technically my lifetime? No, because I was born in 1968. So this feels like '68 in terms of when you see a whole bunch of anti-war people and, you know, when you see white people--when you see white people getting the shit beat out of them by police, you know that something's happening.Zach: They getting whooped out here.Howard: Exactly, and they're out front. And I think there's something else too worth paying attention to, and that is this may be a delayed sort of effect of the last 12 years. I think that if the 2008 election was your first election, you were 18 years old, you're 30 years old now, and in 2008 you had a belief that this was gonna be different. Not just black people, but everybody on that side had a belief that that election was finally going to turn a corner and that these corners were going to keep being turned, and they're not, and now you see this frustration. And on top of that, that generation, that generation believed. I mean, we talked about this last time. The thing that I was really worried about, I was worried about it for black people, I'm now somewhat worried about it for white people in a lot of ways, is that they believed in 2008, that this country was free and that all you had to do was break that logjam, and I think that logjam, first you break it with Obama, but then after that you break it with his reelection. So you think, "Okay, maybe we normalized this idea that anybody can be president," then it's been backed up with nothing but retrenchment. You know, 1. you look at how Hillary lost, 2. you look at how Brett Cavanaugh got to the Supreme Court, 3. you look at how Elizabeth Warren was essentially humiliated, even though she was clearly one of the smartest if not the smartest candidate who was running for office. So now you have these white people, and white women in some ways especially, finally realizing what it's like to get punched in the face politically, you know? Where you finally start to realize "Oh, we're getting it too," and if you start to add up this accumulation on top of an administration that has essentially been cracking down, whether you're talking about immigration, you're talking about--it's all of these things together, and then you see this black man getting killed in essentially slow-motion for 8 minutes and people are like, "Enough," and then the dam breaks. And it's an election year as well. So I think there are so many things that are happening. You know, and this is how it usually works, right? And how it usually works is that it's all the things. It's never "the one thing," it's all the things combined that create the breaking point, and the Trump reaction to the breaking point, to essentially build a fortress around the White House, to have prison guards who are unidentified out in the streets policing D.C., to essentially unleash police on everyday citizens, you know, to do that, to have them fire into crowds of white people... this feels like dystopia. It's not like, "Oh, we're nearing chaos." No, we are in chaos right now. We're in it.Zach: I want to pivot a little bit and talk about some of the responses, like, that we're seeing from these major brands, and I'd like to stick to sports [chuckles] for a second. Is there any bigger example of cognitive dissonance than Washington making statements or [?]?Howard: Oh, and the Chicago Blackhawks or the Braves? Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Yeah, you know, but once again, people talk all the time about weaponizing your politics, right? And usually when they talk about these types of weaponizings they talk about political correctness or they talk about virtue signaling or they use all of these very insulting terms to essentially ridicule people of color or people who are gay or Black people or whoever about their identity choices, identity politics. You hear all of these different insulting terms, right? There's no greater example of political correctness than the National Football League acting like they care about this. All they're trying to do is send a message that they're on the right side of this when their history shows 100% they are not on the right side of this. They're on the opposite side of this. And the Washington Redskins and the Chicago Blackhawks and the Atlanta Braves and the Cleveland Indians and all of these teams with their racist logos are gonna say that they care about this, that they actually care? And all of these teams, every team in the National Football League who essentially took Colin Kaepernick and ruined his career, they took his career from him, are now going to say that they're in support of Black people? But if you notice, it's a very delicate dance because they don't want to mention the word "police." Zach: I was just about to say it's interesting to see that machine coming together, right? Like, they'll talk about [?] "Racism does not align with our values," [but] they don't talk about the police brutality. Mainstream media isn't talking about widespread police abuse.Howard: Well, that's what I mean about racism in its own way being a red herring. It's a MacGuffin. The goal here is not to eliminate racism. That's not the goal, right? The goal is for the system that you tell us to trust to do its job and arrest those four cops and prosecute them and have the juries out there recognize that crimes were committed and convicting them and of course putting them in jail, and on top of that we're forming laws that give police this wide latitude to do these things in the first place. But if you focus on racism, you don't have to change anything. You don't have to do anything. So you concentrate--so all we've been seeing here is "Oh, we've gotta--oh, Black Lives Matter, and, you know, we have to be better and be kinder to people, and we need to--you know, racism is the pandemic, it's the second pandemic." I don't care about any of this. What I care about, I care about the actual concrete structures changing, and they're acting like this, and what they're doing is that they're selling this to the public to make it sound like there's nothing they can do. They could go back to session right now and change the damn laws. That's what they can do. And when you think about on the other side, right, when there is a scourge that they feel is affecting society and affecting crime and everything else, all of a sudden there's plenty of concrete steps when it comes to black people. When they find black people as a scourge, all of a sudden you've got all kinds of tangible, concrete resources and solutions. You've got tougher laws. You build more jails. You put more cops on the street. You have more resources. You have longer prison sentences. Suddenly the entire machine actually works with concrete steps. But when you're asking white people to hold police accountable, it's "Let's abolish racism. Let's be nicer to each other. Let's one day open our hearts and be the society we say we want to be." No. No. You guys go to session and you take those cops and you put them in jail. Let's have a little conversation about one other thing, right? Fear. Let's talk about fear for just a minute, right? One of the reasons that you don't walk into an office and you look at your female coworker and you say, "Nice rack," or you say, "Nice ass," or you make some comment on her, right, you don't do that. Not anymore you don't. Why don't you do that? It's not because the minute you walked into that building suddenly your heart opened up and suddenly you were a nicer person and you weren't a frat boy misogynist asshole anymore. It meant that when you walked in that building you knew the fear of what was gonna happen to you if you talked to your coworkers by that. So what we're really talking about is you know damn well you're not a nicer person. You just know not to talk like that 'cause you know you're gonna lose your career.Zach: There's consequences and repercussions to that, absolutely.Howard: Right, there's consequences and repercussions to that. So why doesn't that get applied to policing? That you are going to lose everything if you act like this. If you changed the laws and you changed the cultural attitudes and said, "Listen, if you do what you guys did to George Floyd, your careers are over, we take your pensions, you are prohibited from working in this field for the rest of your lives," it would change. And on top of that, and to you police departments, these civil settlements that we have to pay that are in the billions, they're coming out of your budgets and your pensions. You would see a behavioral change overnight. "And if we catch you on video punching some teenager who's already in handcuffs, you're done," and it's an immediate felony charge, and all of a sudden if you start applying three strikes to the police the same way you apply three strikes to some dude buying a dimebag, all of a sudden you would see change, but instead what you're seeing is "Oh, well, open your hearts and let's be kind," and they're using racism and the utopian society as some sort of goal when actually none of this would have happened if you had arrested those guys and put them in jail the minute it happened.Zach: 100%. You're absolutely right, right? And I think it's actually happening also in the corporate space too, you know, and I want to talk about dissidence, and I know we have a little bit of time left, but I want to get to this. So the last time we spoke about, you know, we talked about the concept of full dissidence, and it's interesting because I think Black professionals across the industry in North America that I've definitely seen, they're seeing these companies treat race as an abstract, and they themselves, similar to how you're saying about, you know, the policing system and how there are things that we can tangibly change, they too are seeing how things can be tangibly changed. I'm curious though, before we get even into work, what are your thoughts about the video that just dropped from the NFL players. Is that an example of the dissidence that you're speaking about?Howard: Partially. It's on its way. It's on its way, and what I like about that is I feel like they're recognizing that you have a responsibility here. And let's face it, the NFL opened up the door here. They all did. Hollywood did, sports did, everybody did, and now the question's gonna be "Are you gonna walk the walk? What are you gonna do?" And now people want to see what you're gonna do. So if you're the NFL, are you gonna put out 33 of these statements, 32 teams and one league all putting out statements, and then blackball a guy? Well, what good is the statement? Are you going to put out all of these statements about how much you're down with Black people and then prohibit them from expressing themselves? Are you going to do this and, at the same time, make everybody celebrate police? And how are you going to celebrate police and military when you have the police knocking down 75-year-old men and you have the National Guard pointing weapons at its own citizens?Zach: And killing folks.Howard: And killing folks. Are you able to do that? You aren't going to be able to do that anymore. So I like what the players are doing. I also feel like the larger unspoken part of all of this is also the idea that your white fans are more important than your black fans. Because let's face it, if you had respect for your black fans, you wouldn't have done that to Colin Kaepernick because most black fans supported Colin Kaepernick. So what you were really doing was you were sending the message to your white fanbase saying, "We got this," right? And I understand it at some level. I understand it at a fear level, the fear level being, "Well, listen, this is our business model, and if people abandon our business model what are we gonna do?" But then, you know, it's fear versus courage. Do you have courage to also say to those people, "Listen, A. it's a free country, this is his protest, B. he's right, we have issues and we need to fix them, and C. in a sort of way, I dare you to leave. You ain't going nowhere. You're football fans. You love this sport, you love this game. Are you really going to tell us that you're no longer gonna watch the National Football League because one guy on a team you don't even follow is taking a knee about an issue that he cares about?" But that's really not the issue. The issue is that what he did inflamed all of them, the people who run the game. He offended their politics, and he forced a reckoning that you're seeing right now with the Saquon Barkley video that those guys did, and interesting respect seeing Pat Mahomes on there because, you know, for lots of reasons. You know, I mean, 1. people have been talking about the biracial element of this, you know, where does this leave the biracial kids? Well, Pat Mahomes told you. "I'm Black. That's where it leaves me." And it also leaves you somewhere else. When the superstars get involved things change, and the superstars have a quarterback, and Pat Mahomes is a superstar quarterback.Zach: Right, arguably the best quarterback in the league right now.Howard: Arguably the best quarterback in football, and if he's gonna be the guy, then all of a sudden the whole game changes. Zach: Right. So let me wrap up on this one. You know, the last time you were here, you called out how a lot of this diversity and inclusion, corporatized stuff, is actually anti-Black, and I think we're seeing, like, a watershed moment right now where these organizations and this industry that has largely been focused on white women, if queer identities white queer identities, is now scrambling to hire consultants and create new programs and create new statements to really address their actual black employees, and I'm curious to know, what do you predict is going to happen, and where do you see this ending now that we're in a situation where corporations and businesses are focused to actually talk about blackness explicitly?Howard: Well, I'm not willing to go there yet, and I'm not willing to go there yet for a few reasons. One, it's too new, because I think everybody right now is just in damage control mode. That's what I think, so that's my first reaction is "I'm gonna wait and see. Let's play this out." What's gonna happen two, three, four months from now? The world has been moving so quickly that this--who knew that a global pandemic was actually going to be second on the news items now to something else? You never know what's coming. And to me, I need to wait and see what they do with it, because right now the first thing that these guys are thinking about is putting out the fire, and once they put out the fire, are they going to go back to their regularly scheduled racism? And are they going to go back to the old way that they do things? Look, the bottom line with everything corporate to me, if you want to talk about diversity and inclusion and if you want to talk about advancement and if you want to talk about all of the different ways that the corporate world can be a hostile environment or it can be an encouraging one, to me it's usually been hostile because I think that people in these industries have always wanted diversity of color without diversity of thought. The real question to me when I think about the corporate world has always been this - "Are you grooming me to replace you?" That's the question. "Are you grooming me to be the face of your company? Are you grooming me to be the head of your corporation? Because if you are not, then what you're really saying is I will always have limitations and that you're always going to be scrambling to mollify whatever crisis we have in the day, that whatever the crisis [?] we're gonna find some way to calm it down and then go back to what we usually do." If you are at a point one day where these corporations look at you and they say, "Hey, it's okay to have two of our top three officers be Black, and one of them is the CEO and one of them's the CFO, and we're good," instead of having your top Black officer always be corporate comm. If that's the case, then maybe you'll see some serious change, but to me the real issue has always been the actual limitations. When you look at the--you know, I talk about big government, and you think about advancement and the rise of the black middle class and the destruction of the black middle class, you're usually talking about government. You're not talking about corporations. You're talking about the post office and you're talking about civil service jobs and you're talking about--those are the jobs that built the middle class. Corporations generally still do not hire black people in great enough numbers where you're not relying on the government, you know? When black wealth starts to decline, usually it comes from the shrinking of government, of government jobs. So to me, when you start to see, if you ever start to see, a movement or a shift in those numbers where you have corporations who are willing to groom African-Americans to be real players in their industries, when you start to see that, then you'll start to see change, and then I'll look at it and say, "Hey, this is different," but until then I'm gonna take a wait and see. And then also there's one other thing to consider about that too. We don't even know what the world is gonna look like, right? I mean, Black people right now are in the middle of this because of what's happening in Minneapolis and around the country, but let's not forget, we are still in the middle of a pandemic, and we are still--we're only in the first wave of that pandemic, because when flu season hits we may be shutdown again. So we still need to take a long look at the larger picture of what's happening, but as of today, the corporations have certainly put themselves in the position where it is appropriate to ask them if they're going to walk the walk.Zach: Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for listening to Living Corporate. This has been Zach. You've been listening to Howard Bryant, ESPN senior writer and contributor and NPR writer and contributor as well. 'Til next time, y'all. Peace.

This week the guys discuss Marvel’s new digital tv series, new Marvel print comics coming soon, and more. Also this week we are joined by artist Zach Howard. Zach is best known for his work on Wild Blue Yonder, and has been almost everywhere in the comic book industry. Currently Zach is working on a Hellboy series with Mike Mignola at Dark Horse Comics.Don't forget the guys talk about the comics they are reading off the shelves from last week, and as always all of the news fit for print.Comics we discuss in this episode:Cosmic Odyssey TPBAquaman: Sea Devils #1Victory #1The Children Vampire Hunting Brigade Vol 1 & 2Dark Arc Vol 1Wild Blue YonderFortressofComicNews.comYouTube.com/FortressofComicNewsChris twitter @fortresschrisChrisRundt.comMike twitter @fortressrickerPatreon.com/FortressofComicNewsThanks for Listening!

Dan and Paul discuss Holmesian Basic D&D and The 5E Ruined Tower of Zenopus with author and Holmes historian Zach Howard. Zenopus Archives Website: http://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/ Ruined Tower of Zenopus on DM’s Guild: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/301308/The-Ruined-Tower-of-Zenopus

Zach has the honor of speaking with Howard Bryant, an award-winning author and senior writer at ESPN, about what prompted him to write his latest book, Full Dissidence, and how he landed on the title, and Howard also talks a bit about some of the differences between power and money. Howard also touches on his coverage of Colin Kaepernick's workout, and he graciously shares his concerns about the direction of this country, particularly in the area of journalism.Connect with Howard on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, and don't forget to check out his website.Learn more about Howard's latest book, Full Dissidence, by clicking here.Interested in finding out more about Howard's other books? Click here to be redirected to his Amazon page.Visit our website!TRANSCRIPTZach: What's up, y'all? It's Zach with Living Corporate, and you know what we do. Every single week we're having real talk in a corporate world. We do that by what? Having authentic conversations with black and brown thought leaders, activists, educators, executives, recruiters, entrepreneurs, anybody really who's willing to center underrepresented experiences in the workplace. And man, I'm just really excited, because this week we have Howard Bryant on the podcast. Howard Bryant is the author of nine books, the most recent being Full Dissidence: Notes From an Uneven Playing Field, and he's contributed essays to 14 others. He is a two-time Casey Award winner for best baseball book of the year, and a 2003 finalist for the Society for American Baseball Research Seymour Medal. The Heritage was the recipient of the 2019 Nonfiction Award from the American Library Association’s Black Caucus and the Harry Shaw and Katrina Hazard Donald Award for Outstanding Work in African American Studies awarded by the Popular Culture Association. He has been a senior writer for ESPN since 2007 and has served as the sports correspondent for NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday since 2006. In 2017, he served as the guest editor for the Best American Sports Writing anthology. He has won numerous awards, as y'all should've heard by now, [laughs] and he was a finalist for the National Magazine Award in 2016 and 2018, both for commentary, and earned the 2016 Salute to Excellence Award from the National Association of Black Journalists. In addition, Mr. Bryant has appeared in several documentaries, including Baseball: The Tenth Inning and Jackie Robinson, both directed by Ken Burns, and Major League Legends: Hank Aaron, produced by the Smithsonian and Major League Baseball. Mr. Bryant, welcome to the show, man. How are you doing?Howard: I'm good. Thank you for having me.Zach: Man, thank you for being here. Let me start off by saying I was familiar with your work because, you know, I'm an ESPN consumer, but it was over the past few months in your--and really, like, frankly the past over a year or so of your coverage of Kaepernick, but particularly the workout that had me really investigate your work and pre-order Full Dissidence. Can we talk a little bit about what prompted you to write this book and how you got to the title for the book?Howard: Well, I think that the first question is... I think time, you know, got me--when you work on projects and when you write, it's an organic process in so many different ways. You don't really even know what you're gonna be working on, but the environment around you begins to dictate an urgency, and things start telling you that, "Okay, these are subjects--" As I always say, if an idea comes and goes, it's really not that important. If it keeps staying with you and keeps staying with you, then you have to pay attention to it. And what was happening I think in this country, if you start to look at the accumulation of the election of Barack Obama followed by Trayvon Martin followed by Jordan Davis and Ferguson and Eric Garner and all of these different things that were happening, also then followed by Kaepernick and then followed by the election of Donald Trump. You've got so many issues here that you have to pay attention to, and especially as African-Americans, you feel certainly that--the racial component of all of these ideas hit you close to home. They're not just topics. It's not just a subject for you. And I think for me what was really becoming more and more clear was that they were all connected and that the connectedness of it told you that there was something else happening that you need to explore, especially--to be more specific, I would think certainly the 2016 election made me think--it made me re-examine the relationship that I had with my white friends and my white colleagues and the people that I grew up with and all of these folks that you associate with who, in so many different ways, would want you to believe and that you would want to believe were your friends for life or that you had great relationships with and that you had great professional relationships with, and then you get to a place like this, you know, election-wise, and you start to see the gap, or when you start talking to your white colleagues about policing and you start hearing how wide the gap is between you, and then you start looking at the gap as well between what was being said about--you know, about America and its post-racial potential during the Obama administration, and then you go from that to this presidency. It just made me look at all of these different components as a black man, and you had to start reassessing the relationships and what they meant and what it meant for me personally.Zach: Man, that's just a really--well, thank you for that and the context. You're absolutely right. I recall--it's interesting because I've had long-standing relationships with white folks, and I recall during the election, leading up to it and then of course after the results, having certain conversations that I just made a presumption that we agreed about or that I would just think that--Howard: "We're on the same side."Zach: [laughs] Right? And then you have a conversation or you say something and you say--you know, you have a point of view on something that's pretty pointed or matter-of-fact, and then not to get that same level of acknowledgement back almost like--you know, you might say something like, "You know, this is clearly wrong," and then, you know, you get back a "Well, is it? I don't know." Howard: They're like, "Oh, is it really clearly wrong?" Yeah. I mean, for me the first moment of it was October 1st, 2008, and I remember this specifically because I was driving to Logan Airport in Boston. I was going down to Atlanta to go to Hank Aaron's house. I was interviewing him for my Hank Aaron biography, so I remember the date clearly. And I was on the phone with a friend of mine who I had known since we were in middle school, and she was--you know, she's a white woman, and I'm driving to the airport, and we were talking, and at some point she sort of said out loud that Sarah Palin was far more qualified to be president than Barack Obama, and that stopped me--I almost drove off the road.Zach: That would've stopped me dead. [laughs]Howard: Right? So that was the first moment where it was like, "You know what? You can't assume anything," and it really started to begin this reassessment. And it wasn't simply that we had differences of opinion. You can vote for whoever you want to vote for and I can vote for whoever I want to vote for, but the issue was more about values, and it was more about what's being said and how white people are able to balance these viewpoints and the values of these people that they're supporting and still be able to consider themselves great, great, close friends with black people, and it struck me that the reason why they're able to do this is because for them race and politics and these things, they're just topics. It's just a subject, and--Zach: They're like thought exercises, right?Howard: Well, exactly. And it may be more to them on some level, that it's not just a topic because you care about the dolphins or you care about the environment or you care about whatever, but what it is is that they're able to co-exist. They're not line-in-the-sand "I can't hang out with you" issues. It's like, "Okay." The thing that had struck me was the number of times that you've had people talk about, during the impeachment, the end of democracy, and they would use these apocalyptic terms. You know, January 21st, 2020, the day democracy died, and then in the very next sentence talk about, you know, "I can't believe how my Trump-loving friends are--" You know? I'm like, "Well, wait a minute. If you're able to break bread with these folks, and you're able to just flip the switch that it's a difference of opinion, then it's not apocalyptic." Apocalyptic means I need to make life and death choices here. I need to make survival or non-survival choices. That's what apocalyptic means to me. It means the apocalypse is coming, right? And so for me I was realizing that as a black man and as a writer and somebody who thinks about these issues as more than just topics, I wanted to re-assess the people in my life, and I wanted to re-assess these issues, and I wanted--and I think one of the things in the book that was so important to me was in that re-assessment I couldn't help but keep coming back to the importance of where Colin Kaepernick fit in this in the first chapter. I remember right when the election hit I said to a bunch of friends, "A lot of relationships are gonna change after this day," and I was really in some ways talking about myself. But what I meant about Kaepernick is here was a guy who hadn't played football since 2016 and yet he still finds himself completely at the center of the culture. He still creates or elicits such an enormous physical response from people, and my question in that first essay, what Colin Kaepernick taught us, was really to ask one major question. I mean, there's a bunch of different ideas in that essay, but one of the overarching questions for me was why is it so important for this culture to destroy this man? It's bad enough that he's not playing football, the fact that when Nike rehabilitated him with just a commercial, one 90-second commercial, you had people trying to boycott Nike. Zach: Burning it. Burning clothes.Howard: Exactly. You had people--and they weren't just people, they were law enforcement, retailers, people in the mainstream. People in positions of authority.Zach: Institutions, yeah.Howard: Exactly, going out of their way to make sure that this man didn't have anything. So you didn't want him--so it's bad enough that he's not gonna play, right? Okay, so he lost his livelihood there. You don't even want him to have a source of income.Zach: "We gotta destroy his character."Howard: Yeah. Well, I wanted to ask this question - "Why is this so important?" I mean, supposedly this is America where everybody is able to have their opinions and that's what makes us different from these other countries, you know? They don't lock you up and kill your family and do all of these different things for disagreeing with government or disagreeing with institutions, and yet you're trying to destroy him. You're not trying to take his life, but you're trying to take his livelihood, and that struck me as important.Zach: Howard, it's interesting, you know--the line you just said, "Why is it so important that we destroy this man?" That was something that you actually said--you said it on air, [laughs] and so--Howard: Yeah, on Stephen A.'s show. Zach: Yeah. [laughs] It seemed like you were, like, the--it was, like, you and I'ma say Bomani Jones were, like, for me, the only black men I saw in media initially, right? So people came back. Like, other folks--Shannon Sharpe came back and he said, "I was wrong," but initially you and Bomani Jones were the only black male voices that I heard in the sports space, like, either defend or objectively discuss Kaepernick when the whole workout situation came up. Was there tension there because of that? It just seemed--and maybe because of me, I'm on the outside looking in as a consumer, 'cause I really--I was watching, and it was your tweet thread that I was sharing with all of my friends and my colleagues and my network and everything about "Hey, this is what's going on. Look at what Howard Bryant is saying. He was there at the workout," but it seemed as if you were, like, one of, again, two voices really not kind of following the same cadence of questioning Kaepernick's content, questioning his motivations, questioning his ability. Am I off-base by saying that?Howard: No, you're not, and I was concerned--and let's be honest, you know? I'm concerned about the direction of this country, and if you are concerned about the direction of the country, you have to be triply concerned about the position of black people. Because if things are going bad, you know we're gonna get it worse. And so to me, one of the areas where I had the most concern is in our journalism. It's very basic stuff, and I was concerned, and disappointed in so many ways, during, you know, my time down there in Atlanta and the coverage that followed, because I didn't do anything remarkable. I did what we're trained to do. It's simply journalism. But it shows you where we are in the culture. It shows you where we are as a country. If people treated that like there was some--like I went above and beyond the call of my job. I just did my job. That was it. The job was to go down there and find out what was happening and talk to people and find out what the deal was. That's it. It wasn't like it took any great deal of courage to go do that. You went down there, you talked to both sides, you found out what both sides' positions were, and you recognize--because we're not, you know, stenographers, you don't [write?] them both equally. You also put your brain in the middle of it, and you filter out what is accurate, what is inaccurate, and sort of how this deal and how this workout fell apart. The problem was, and the problem is of course, that Colin Kaepernick is a lightning rod in so many ways, but you also have a media that is so tilted towards the powerful. You've got rights holders. You've got relationships. You've got business relationships that, you know, are going to overwhelm, in some ways, the journalism. I had an interview the other day and somebody said to me, "Well, I think on balance, when you look at everything, Colin Kaepernick has really been lauded and appreciated and celebrated by media," and I was like, "Are you out of your mind?"Zach: That's not true at all.Howard: I said, "I find Colin Kaepernick's position to have been distorted from Day One."Zach: Absolutely. Yes.Howard: Because every person that goes out there and talks about the military when Colin is talking about policing is inherently distorting his message. If you're talking about, you know, being American or un-American, you're distorting his message. I never felt like he was being treated fairly in any of this because the message kept getting distorted, and we're supposedly very, very smart people, so it's not that complicated a message. Zach: You know, and it's interesting because--so to your point around distorting the message, even from the jump when he said, "Look, I'm protesting police brutality and white supremacy in this country," I don't recall anyone ever zooming in on the white supremacy part, like, in the punditry or the media talking heads, right? Like, we would zoom on--Howard: Well, why would they? They're the bulls-eye. He's indicting them. He wasn't indicting police only, he was indicting them as well, and I think that one of the big issues that struck me in this entire sort of story, and also one of the reasons for writing the book, was the fact that the idea--over the course of my lifetime, all 51 years of it, the American flag was always a symbol of aspiration, just like the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of aspiration. "Come here and you can do better. Come here and you can improve. Come here and you can go as far as your ability and talent takes you," and it was always aspirational when it came to race. Even, you know, your white friends would look at you and go, "Yeah, I know it's not fair, but we're better than we were," and "I know it's not--you know, this isn't right, and we've got a long way to go, but we're better than we were," right? That was always the message that was sent to me. Today the flag is no longer aspirational. The flag is a symbol to be obeyed, and if you don't obey it, you're un-American, you're a traitor, you don't deserve anything, and that is a fundamental shift. And that is a fundamental shift that I would point back to 9/11. And so when you start looking at what this country is, if the attitude is "If you do not obey, then you are a traitor," then what does that mean for black people, where the rules and the laws have needed to be changed just to give you a shot at what we call the American Dream? It puts us in an incredibly difficult position and, in a lot of ways, a position where--you hear what the president has done along the Kaepernick story, which is to essentially say "Well, maybe he doesn't belong here." It's to say that you aren't American. It's a very dangerous place.Zach: Well, you're absolutely right, and going back a second, I know one thing--one thing that trips me out is when folks say, you know, "We're not what we were. We've come a long way." It's like, "Look, if where you started was y'all can't sit at a lunch table with us, y'all can't use the bathroom with us, and now we can... that's not a long way," and, you know, it's almost like if your team was--I feel like Bomani Jones said this example, like, years ago. Like, if your team was, like, 0-16 last year and now y'all are, like, 2-14, it's like... there's been progress, but is that really something that we want to celebrate? Like, we still have--we have so much further to go that why are we even talking about this? Let's just continue--Howard: And also do I consider it progress because you're willing to treat me like a human being? What did I actually earn?Zach: That part.Howard: What have I done? I mean, what has been earned here? What has been gained? So this conversation isn't between you and me. This conversation is between you and you, you know? This conversation is between you not giving me rights and you creating a culture that denied my rights and you relenting a tiny bit so now I get a little bit of rights, but my situation hasn't really changed. This is between you and the mirror. Zach: So in your book you talk about the role that fear played in NFL players not supporting Kaepernick in his protest, right? And this was interesting to me in real-time, because I am--I'm a younger professional. I can't say I'm young, Howard, 'cause I'm 30. So I'm not, like, young, but you know what I mean. Like, I'm younger.Howard: Yeah, you're pretty young.Zach: I'm pretty young, right? So I'm moving around, and this was a few years ago, so I'm in my mid-20s, and I'm looking at all this in real-time and I'm like, "Dog, these guys got--these are millionaires, right? Why are they not--you know, they have acc--" In my mind, 'cause I'm--again, I'm in my mid-20s. I'm making, like, I don't know, like, 60, $70,000, so I'm a quote-unquote "average guy," and I'm confused because I'm trying to figure out why it is that they're not speaking up, but in your essay you highlight some of the differences between, like, power and money. Can we talk about that a little bit more? Because I think it's easy for folks to presume that if you have money you naturally have some amount of power.Howard: Yeah, absolutely, and I think that what we've got here--there's a couple of things that take place, right? And you can think about this as aspirational and think about it as progress, or you can assess it in any way that you'd like, but the question that I've been asking myself is--sports is the only industry that I can think of, and that includes music and entertainment, where there is famous men and famous women who are labor but still make millions of dollars. Tom Hanks makes $20 million per picture. Samuel L. Jackson, you know, $20 million per picture, and so--you know, Scarlett Johansson it's $15 million per picture, however much she makes per movie. So these are enormous, ball player-level sums of wealth, but sports is the only occupation that I can think of where we have this assumption or this instinct that management and the front office is supposed to resemble the workforce. It really is curious in that way, because if you look at farming, and you go fly out to California, there's a whole bunch of brown, Mexican strawberry pickers out there, and nobody is looking at them and saying, "Well, damn, the workforce is 70% or 80% Latino. How come the management isn't 70 or 80% Latino?" If you go to a strip club, there's a whole bunch of women out there making a whole bunch of money for the building, but nobody is saying, "Well, how come the women don't run the business?" But we do in sports. You know, 80% black men in the NBA, 70% black men in the NFL, and we say, "Well, why aren't they running the show too?" And the reason to me is the enormous over-estimation of money. It's because they make so much money we think they have power, but they're still just labor. They're incredibly well-compensated labor, but they're still labor, and sports is the one place, you know, where we over-estimate money, and we recognize, when we get to situations like Kaepernick's or you get to situations like hiring and you recognize, "Oh, there's a limitation to the money," that they're still paying you to provide a service to them. You're still a worker. You're still labor. There isn't, in their mind, the expectation that that's gonna translate into a pathway to management or ownership. It doesn't work that way, and I think people are finding out the hard way. Like, for example, you had asked me earlier the reason for the title "Full Dissidence," and the title, you know, simply comes from this feeling of recognizing that, you know what, it's not gonna necessarily happen for me the way they've told me if I do all these right things, and I think the NFL coaches are sort of having that full dissidence moment in their occupation. They're realizing that no matter, you know, how many Rooney Rules you have or how many assistant coaching jobs and how much experience I have that "that pathway may not exist for me," and I think from a working labor, occupational standpoint, it's a cold bucket of water in the face.Zach: I agree, of course. I think it's interesting because we have been--I know that I was, by my teachers, by black, brown, and white folks alike, that, you know, if you're good enough you can out-perform racism. You can out-perform--Howard: Yeah, exactly. Bomani brought up that point as well, that nobody has ever out-performed racism.Zach: And that, you know, if you get enough dollars, that financial capital will eventually translate into some form of white capital that you can, you know, leverage to get--Howard: To get a seat at the table. I remember when I was working on The Heritage I had a fantastically honest and frank conversation with Al Sharpton about this. So we're in his office in New York, and we're talking about this, and, you know, it's a despairing conversation in some ways because you're realizing, "Okay, well, where is the pathway?" And I finally said to him--I said, "Well, you know, Rev, maybe Michael Jordan had it right. Maybe, you know, for all the criticism that Michael Jordan gets, maybe Michael Jordan realized, even though he is an owner, you know, he recognizes that there's not an open pathway to ownership and you're not necessarily gonna get a seat at the table, so maybe the goal is to simply get as much money as you possibly can, that money is the one thing that they're willing to give you. They're not gonna share the power, but they will give you the cash. So maybe you should work on getting as much of that as you can, and that's gonna buy you at least the individual and the family freedom to live a better life." And Sharpton said, "Well, you're right, you're right... but you're still a coward. Even though you may be right, that still makes you a coward." [Zach laughs] Zach: I'ma keep it a bean with you, 'cause I was talking to my people, right? And I just said--I said, "Dog, Howard Bryant is a real one, dog. Like, he's out--" And you're right, you're right. You were saying that you were just doing your job. You were just doing your job by going out there and reporting the facts, but doggone it, man, you was looking like Fred Hampton in these streets, man. Like, you were the only--Howard: Well, and that shows you where we're at though. It says less about me and more about us.Zach: Yeah, the system. No, you're absolutely right. I do feel like we're able to see the capitalistic jig really clear in sports, but do you believe that it's exclusive to sports, or do you think that, like, the patterns that we see in terms of how these systems are all--how they work together in certain ways transcends just, like, the sporting arena?Howard: No. I think that--one of the reasons why I did Full Dissidence was because there's so much overlap that you needed to pull outside of sports, that what was happening in sports is the exact same thing that's happening in the culture, and the difference is--the reason why it was important to pull some of these ideas out of sports is because people treat sports like it's the toy department. They don't treat it seriously, but yet if you took some of these exact same ideas and brought them into the workplace, into the corporate, into the white collar, then people might look at them differently, and people might view it as, "Oh, now this is serious." You know, the reason why you don't look at it very seriously in sports is because 1. sports is entertainment for a bunch of people, and 2. we dismiss sports because the players make so much money. So it's almost as if "Well, because they make money, they can't have any grievance, any gripes, any concerns, any thoughts, any contributions." So absolutely I think that things are overlapping each other, and one of the most important ways that they're overlapping is the way that the corporate side and the military side know how important sports is because you've got so many bazillion channels on TV now. You've got so many different ways that the culture is separated. Sports is the one place where everybody's watching the same thing. You watch the Super Bowl, you still got 100 million eyeballs on one event, and you don't--it's not The Tonight Show anymore, you know? Or it's not the old days where everybody's watching MASH or Happy Days or All in the Family, but when it comes to sports people are still watching, so they know that's where the eyeballs are. So sports becomes actually more important. There's a reason why, when you're watching the NFL, you see all of the flags and the fly-overs and the military and all that, because the military is actively using sports as a recruiting tool because there are so many people looking at it.Zach: So you talked about 2008. That was certainly a pivotal year. I think about 2008, and I also think about 2016, right? You had the end of an era with Obama, of this [sarcastically] post-racial utopia, and this--Howard: Which it wasn't.Zach: [laughs] Thank you for--I appreciate that, because there will be folks, Howard, who won't pick up on the sarcasm, so thank you.Howard: Mm-hmm.Zach: And then we had the formal election of Trump, right? And Kaepernick was in the forefront in the concept of his protest, the ongoing discussions about policing--a lot of those discussions came more in the center. Ta-Nehisi Coates and his writing also became more, like, actual talking points. Like, it was an interesting year for black folks, and as someone who is in professional services as a consultant, I can say that you could really see the tone of the workplace shifting too because, again, we don't live compartmentalized lives, right? Like, you know, you just talked about sports permeating and everyone looking at it, and even if you're not a sports fan, those topics are becoming more and more mainstream, and I believe that all of these things came together, and even just the tone--just the way that black and brown folks were working and showing up and even, like, topics around diversity and inclusion, they changed, right? Like, those conversations became more on the forefront. You talked about a conversation you had with Reverend Al Sharpton. Can we talk about any other shifts that you've been seeing--you know, again, we talked about even your appearance on different shows and things of that nature. Do you feel as if you've felt shifts as a black journalist dealing with either white journalists or other black journalists as it comes to concepts around dissidence?Howard: Oh, absolutely, absolutely, and I think that the problem that you have in sports is that sports has been telling you one of the biggest lies for pretty much all of our lives, that sports is the place of the meritocracy, sports is the antidote to racism, that it doesn't make a difference if you're black or white, it doesn't make a difference if you're Latino or Asian. If my score beats your score, I win, and that's the American Dream right there, right? That's why sports was at the center of integration, you know? If black people can fight in a war, how come they can't hit a baseball? Right? And whoever's got the fastest 40 time or the fastest 100 time, they win. There's your meritocracy, and yet you find out in sports, when you look at what's been taking place in this business, that it's really no different from anywhere else, and I think that the hard part that people of color, you know, especially black people find in the workforce is they're finding that that shift is hitting them directly, and it's hitting them in places where they may not have anticipated. I'm very nervous for your generation. I'm very concerned about young, black professionals in the business today, for some of them whose first election was Obama, you know? That was the first year they were eligible to vote, and the expectations that they have, and even the elites, you know? The black students who are going to the Ivy League schools and to the Harvards and also to the Dukes and the Stanfords and the rest of these--you know, Vanderbilt and these other elite schools, and then they get into the workforce, and then they find out that things haven't changed, that they thought they were different. They thought that these old ideas didn't apply to them because we had treated the Obama election as such a demarcating line, and in retrospect it turns out to have not been such a demarc--in fact, what it did was it was a retrenchment. It was a reminder historically that whenever black people receive some form of victory, the backlash is harsh and swift and very severe and very clear, and in discovering that, I wonder what your generation and what that generation of black professionals, how they're gonna deal with it, this expectation of equality, this expectation that they are going to be that first black generation where merit actually does count. And then you find out in the corporate world, you walk in, and whether we're talking about sports with the Selig Rule or the Rooney Rule or the lack of black college coaches, or then you walk into the white collar world and you realize who's getting promoted and who's not and the diversity and inclusion initiatives and all of that, and you do have to ask yourself the same question over and over again, and that is if you need a policy to tell your bosses to even--not even hire, but just to interview people, you've got major, major, major problems, and you're not anywhere near as ahead as you think you are. Zach: Howard, and that's why--and, you know, I'm not a sports journalist, right? So I would say I am a casual consumer of sports, but that's--the Rooney Rule, just from, like, a human capital, change management--'cause that's my space, right? So just from, like, a business perspective, I found the Rooney Rule to be disingenuous at its heart, because it's like, "Okay, you're just saying that we have to interview people." I don't believe that correlates to you actually hiring more people, and we have tons of evidence--and, like, it's like the Rooney Rule continues to come up every handful of years about, you know, how effective is it really, and yet we haven't changed it. But it's like, "You creating some formal rules to interview typically black men for these coaching roles doesn't actually address the heart of the matter, which is that you don't inherently see these individuals as leaders of people."Howard: The question is, for the corporate world, and I've asked this question numerous times when I do these types of stories, are you grooming me to replace you? Because if you're not grooming me to replace you, then all of this is performative. Do you look at me and are you willing to have me be the face of your institution? You know, that is not a hard question to answer, but it's a very hard question to acknowledge, because the answer is generally no. I have made this argument to people, and people don't like it because, you know, they think it's too political because they don't want to confront their own history, but you can just look it up. It's not hard. I've always told people that if you are anti-big government you are anti-black, and people say, "No, no. I'm just a libertarian." And I'd say, "No," which is also my way of being direct, because anti-big government is a clear Republican platform. Whether you're black or white, if you are a Republican who supports the shrinking of government, chances are you're a racist. And why would I say that? I say that because historically, if you look at hiring patterns since the end of World War II, the federal government built the middle class, the black middle class. The federal government, you know, in terms of hiring, in terms of civil service jobs, the federal government built the black middle class, and as you start to shrink those positions, you shrink the black middle class. Whether you're doing it by design or whether indirectly, the end result is the same, and what I'm getting at here, for your space, is that the private, corporate sector still does not routinely and prominently hire and promote black people. It still doesn't, and so if you're going to cut the number of government jobs, whether it's state, whether it's federal, post office, whatever you want to call it, you are actively crushing the black middle class. This is the reason why these diversity and inclusion initiatives are so important, because this corporate world is not making those hires, and because they're not making those hires and because they can't be compelled to make those hires, you are at the mercy of what you may what you want to call progress or what we know to be lack of progress. So at some point--like, for example, you know, I went--and I think there's an anecdote... yes, there's an anecdote in the book about this, that I was at a diversity and inclusion event in Boston, and all of these CEOs sat down, and it was amazing. The first panel had a group of really well-prepared women making their pitches about, you know, some of their initiatives they're working on, and they were all so prepared, and it was crazy because they were incredibly polite. So they were incredibly well-dressed. They knew this was a shot to be on a major stage talking to major players in their industry at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. And they didn't interrupt each other, and they all did their presentations, and it was--you know, I understood it. It made sense. And then the next panel were the CEOs, and it looked like a country club. They were all wearing their suits, but they weren't necessarily--I don't even know if they were ironed. I mean, they just showed up because they're the bosses. They were in charge. Some of them wore ties and some of them didn't. They did not look at this like they were showing to this audience of black and brown women, you know? They weren't. It was very chummy. And they sat down, and they yucked it up with each other, and they cracked jokes and interrupted each other, because they were the bosses. They were in charge. And one of the most remarkable things that came across this entire event was when one of them talked about diversity and inclusion and promotions and talked about how it was easier for them to promote white men, because if white men in their offices didn't get jobs they were gonna make the biggest noise. They were gonna complain the most. They were gonna be the most disruptive. And the black women and the white women in the business were less likely to complain, which made it easier to pass them over for jobs. And it was a stunning, absolutely stunning, admission at a diversity and inclusion seminar.Zach: At an actual--targeted for this particular space.Howard: Exactly. Here was the beauty of this, which was obviously heartbreaking and painful, but it was the beauty of it. It was said so matter of factly that they didn't even know what they were admitting. They were essentially admitting that "No, we're not--" You know, "We'd like to hire you, but we know--" Because they were taking the path of least resistance. If I promote this guy or this woman, then this guy's gonna complain and be disruptive, so I might as well give him the promotion so at least I can have harmony. I can have the appearance at least of order. It's essentially almost like the corporate indictment of Martin Luther King, Jr. [?] white moderate, "order over justice." As long as nobody's mad and nobody says anything, everything's cool. And it's like, "No, wait a minute. You're contributing to this by having no courage. And by the way, if you're the boss and you've got a disruptive employee, he's insubordinate. You've got the power to do something about that." And that's the reason why that chapter in the book is called The Mediocre White Boy, because these guys are protecting each other at the expense of your advancement.Zach: Man. You know, your book collects a series of pieces, all of them powerful. The bylines of many of them I read was this concept of, like, self-erasure, right? So there were multiple instances where athletes would say, you know, "I'm not black, I'm this," or "I'm not anything, I'm just me," and, you know, I see a similar pattern for well-to-do black professionals, like, executives. I've literally met folks who will say, "Well, I'm not just black. I'm also a tennis player." [laughs] Or "I'm just me," you know? "That's part of who I am, but I'm a complex person," or--Howard: One of the biggest problems that we have in business and when we talk about ourselves is the idea of what blackness is, and we do this to ourselves, and when we do it to ourselves, then that gives white people license to do it ten times worse to us. And when you watch, you know, film, and you watch Hollywood and you watch everything, they essentially assume there's one black experience, because we attack each other so often on authenticity. And, you know, one of the reasons why I did this book was because I felt like there was an opportunity to talk about certain elements of the black experience that never get discussed. I mean, one of the beauties of Ta-Nahesi Coates' writing is that he writes very specifically about a very specific black experience, his experience, you know, in Baltimore and as a professional, and he writes about being black in black communities. The same is true for a bunch of other writers, but one of the areas that we never really talk about is that post-1960s, post-1950s aspirational, you know, black families who made that decision--the same decision that white people made, whether it was white flight or black flight--that "I'm going to take my kids out of the black community and move them into the white spaces." And what happened to those black kids who grew up immediately and always as the only black kid in class? You're the only black kid in the first grade. You're the only black kid in the twelfth grade. You essentially live in a world of whiteness, and why are we asking you to live in this world of whiteness? For education. Your parents are doing this for you. They're doing this because--like, in my case, when we left Boston, we were trading the physical violence of a tough, tough neighborhood for the emotional violence of being the only black kid in a room full of white people. So eventually as that toll begins to mount on you, you enter these white corporate spaces, and you recognize very quickly the price of being black and the anti-blackness that you're surrounded by. And sometimes you hear, or a lot of times this becomes the price for you to advance - not to be black, not to talk about being black, not to be proud of being black. You hear black people say this all of the time. "Well, I don't want to be a black writer. I just want to be a writer who happens to be black." What on earth does that mean? "I'm not a black doctor. I'm a doctor that happens to be black." And what you're really saying is that "I can't carry this anymore. I don't want to carry this, because if I carry this with me I may not advance and I gotta answer questions I don't feel like answering." And you see it in sports especially where sort of this deal is they're going to trade your blackness for money, okay? "We're gonna pay you millions of dollars, but we don't want you talking about issues that are important to black people." So I began to think about this in two of the chapters. One is called "The Worst Thing in the World" and the other one is called "The Lost Tribe of Integration," which is that when I started thinking about the arc of my own life, that the arc is that your life will improve the faster and quicker you get away from black people. If you get away from the black community, your schools get better. If you get away from talking about black issues, then you're not a troublemaker at work anymore, you know? If you don't advocate for black people, then people will look at you and tell you that you've transcended race, as if looking in the mirror is something that you should not want. Zach: You know, what's really interesting about that is even in the diversity and inclusion, like, corporatized space--and I've noticed this as me as a black man, like, the more that I'm able to say things like, "It's not just about race and ethnicity, it's also about diversity of thought--" If even in the space that was supposedly built so that we can have equity for black and brown people and historically marginalized and oppressed groups--even in this space, if I, in my rhetoric, in my general language, if I eschew ethnicity, that is also [?]--Howard: If you advocate directly for black people, you are putting your entire career in danger. And I say this now, and people look at me, and they don't like to hear it, but I'll say it now, I'll say tomorrow, and I said it yesterday - diversity is anti-blackness, because what we're really talking about here when you look at the statistics and when you look at the reasons for the Rooney Rule--you're not looking at the Rooney Rule because Asians are underrepresented, but when you're having your diversity and inclusion initiatives, especially if you're talking about technology--if we're going to Silicon Valley, you're not looking at the Middle-Eastern or the Indian or the Asian and say, "Gee, they're not advancing." What you're looking at is a white space that has no black people, and so many of these D&I initiatives began with black people. It was about black people. It was for black people. But when you do something directly for black people, people get offended. They get mad. They don't want to hear it. They feel like, "Well, what are you giving them special treatment for?" Because you gave us the special treatment of not letting us play. You've been giving us special treatment since we got here. It's just not the special treatment that is a positive special treatment. It's negative, but it's still special. So what has happened in these spaces now is to minimize the idea that you're giving black people special treatment, now you just talk about non-white male treatment. But non-white male treatment does not necessarily address the inequities for black people specifically. So D&I suddenly becomes hiring white women, and so white women--who are often part of the patriarchy, who are always second on the food chain, who can marry into wealth faster than everybody, and if you look at your statistics, marrying into wealth is still the fastest way to become wealthy. The most reliable way to become wealthy isn't going to college, it's to marry into it. So now when you start to look and your demographics change, now all of a sudden--we had 89% white men in a given position, now it's 69% white men in a given position, but it's 29% white women. What does that actually do for black people? So you've got your diversity, but you haven't helped black people. You haven't helped the people on the bottom who were supposedly the target of this initiative. But you've got your diversity, you know? You've got seven white men, two white women, and one--you know, one Asian man, but what does that do for the person on the bottom? It didn't help them at all, yet your numbers are different and you can say, "We've improved diversity by 30%," but what happens to me? You haven't helped me at all. Zach: So we typically have sound effects, Howard, but you've been so fire that I'm not even trying to, like, dilute what you've been saying. So do you ever imagine a world where marginalized communities collectively go full dissidence in their places of work? And, like, if so, what in your mind would that look like?Howard: Well, the answer's no because you've got to eat. I mean, the answer's no because eventually, you know, when you start looking at the actual numbers, the numbers tell you that--they're so overwhelming, that there's only a few of us that are gonna be able to succeed, and so very few people are going to be willing to risk that. I mean, I look at myself and I look at the numbers and I say to myself, "There's nothing special about me," and then you look at the actual number of black people who have my job and you go, "Oh. On second thought, there is something special," because you're one of the few people who actually has a platform, who actually has a chance to say something.Zach: Howard, man. I'm serious. I'm telling you, man. I'm not joking. When you got up on there and you started talking like that, me and all of my friends were like, "Yo... this is gonna be the last time we see this dude up here." [laughs]Howard: Exactly, right? But see, I look at it this way. ESPN hired me to do this. They didn't hire me to act like Bill Simmons or to act like Rick Reilly or to act like Stephen A. They said, "You go out and do what you do best." Now, obviously when you're gonna do this, when you're going to say these different things, it goes back to what you were saying earlier about "Do you want diversity of color or diversity of thought?" Normally, what a lot of corporations want is they want diversity of color, but they don't want diversity of thought because diversity of thought challenges them way too much. So what they would really like is they would like a gigantic, pretty rainbow of different colors who are all represented who all think the same way so the company's not challenged. I understand that part. I don't always subscribe to that part, because as a journalist, you're asking me to represent people who don't have the opportunity to speak, and so I try to do that. That's part of the job, or at least it was part of the job and it should always be part of the job. So the issue is, to answer your question, what needs to happen and how do I envision that? What does that look like? Well, how it looks to me is I think it's more of a mental liberation than a physical one. I think to me, when I think about full dissidence as an idea--and I think I end the book with it--is it's the recognition that you can find your own living space and not let people lie to you or not feel like you have to buy in. You've got to be willing to see through what's happening right now. Look at what's happening to your situation, and then you need to discover your own strategies to find your own peace within it. But the problem that I see is the number of black people in the business who were so [?] and so happy that they get in that they buy into it and they think they're different and they're like, "Okay, everything's changed," and then they get punched in the face. And then they get punched in the face and they had their hands down, and what I'm trying to say is if you're gonna navigate this environment, navigate the environment, but make sure your hands are up and know that punch is coming, because that punch always comes. Ask your parents. Ask your grandparents. That punch always comes. So what you're really asking me in some ways, whether you're doing it directly or not or intentionally or not, is do I see white people changing so there's no need for this, and the answer is no, I don't see that. What I see--and that's one of the reasons why in the book I say it's not a survival guide, it's simply what I see--what I see is the necessity for black people to hold on to their blackness, to keep it and to not trade it and not sacrifice it under this idea that "If I do the right things and if I say the right things I'm gonna get accepted as an American," because it hasn't happened yet, you know? That's the big thing for me, that you look at the--you know, you go watch a movie like Gloria or go read the history of, you know, black participation in warfare, that if you fight for your country or if you win the medals or if you build the charter school or if you, you know, give the money to whatever foundation, that you are finally gonna get accepted, and it goes back to what you were saying. It's that whole idea of outperforming racism. I guess the best way to say it is--what is full dissidence? Full dissidence is the recognition that you cannot outperform racism. That's what it feels like to me.Zach: Man, thank you so much for being on the podcast. This has been incredible. Y'all, make sure y'all check out his--everything's in the show notes. The author, his name is Howard Bryant. The book is called Full Dissidence: Notes from an Uneven Playing Field. Make sure y'all check it out. This has been Zach with the Living Corporate podcast. Make sure you check us out on Instagram @LivingCorporate, Twitter @LivingCorp_Pod, and we're on Google, man. Look, we're all on Al Gore's Internet, man. Livingcorporate.co, .us, .net. Howard, listen, man, we understand how theses SEOs work. We've got all the domains, Howard, except for LivingCorporate.com. Australia has that domain somehow. I don't know what's going on. We're gonna try to get it, but look, [Howard and Zach laugh] y'all make sure y'all hit us up. I can't thank you enough, Howard. Until next time, we'll catch y'all, man. Peace.

The You Must Stay Gay Bill has passed. What does this mean, and what will we do next? I give some quick comments and thoughts on the bill then we turn to our interview with Zach Howard from The Gate Church of the Hight Desert. In this interview we discuss: the intimacy of worship, the mode of worship, what worship used to be, what it has become, and where we think it's going. Follow me on instagram: @alrighteousness Visit me online at: www.alrighteousness.com Email me at: jacob@alrighteousness.com

Girolamo Savonarola condemned the pope’s abuses and elevated the authority of Scripture — all while Luther was only a child.

Suprise Glenn Announcement, Batman vs Superman (spoilers!), X-Men '92 #1 review, DC Solicits for June, Harley Quinn Loot Crate, Lemire/Sorrentino Green Arrow, 30 Mar 2016 Comics Countdown. Details and more: Zootopia, Immortals from Alterna and Comixology, X-Men '92 by Chris Sims and Chad Bowers, DC Solicits (new Superman missing?, DC Rebirth, Teen Titans Year One, Absolute Batman, Geoff Johns), Loot Crate Harley Quinn by Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner, Dead No More teasers. 30 March 2016 Comics Countdown 10. Aqauaman 50 by Dan Abnett, Norm Rapmund, Brett Booth 9. Darth Vader 18 by Kieron Gillen, Salvador Larroca, Edgar Delgado 8. Revival 38 by Tim Seeley, Mike Norton, Mark Englert 7. Unbeatable Squirrel Girl 6 by Ryan North, Chip Zdarsky, Erica Henderson, Joe Quinones, Chip Zdarsky, Rico Renzi 6. TMNT Deviations by Tom Waltz, Bobby Curnow, Kevin Eastman, Zach Howard, Cory Smith, Ronda Pattison 5. Omega Men 10 by Tom King, Barnaby Bagenda, Hi-Fi Color 4. Power Lines 1 by Jimmie Robinson 3. Jughead 5 by Chip Zdarsky, Erica Henderson, Andre Szymanowicz 2. Black Science 21 by Rick Remender, Matteo Scalera, Moreno Dinisio 1. Batman and Robin Eternal 26 by Scott Snyder, James Tynion, Geraldo Borges, Scot Eaton, Carlos Pagulayan, Igor Vitorino, Wayne Faucher, Marc Deering, Jason Paz, Gabe Eltaeb, Allen Passalaqua

Halloween is upon us, and to get us in the mood, two infamous supernatural sex-comedies are currently haunting 6th Street Playhouse. Both plays are crammed with witty retorts and sexual innuendo, both feature ghostly visitations and eye-popping fashions—but only one has the Time Warp and a guy dressed in fishnet stockings. Let’s start there. Richard K. O’Brien’s infamous musical The Rocky Horror Show—playing at 6th Street for its third consecutive year—manages the impressive magic trick of transcending its own quirky script deficiencies. Under the direction of Craig Miller, the production employs a kind of theatrical misdirection, distracting audiences from the fact that the story of Rocky Horror is a bit of a mess, by turning the whole show into one joyously raucous, sex-positive “event,” complete with cross-dressing costume contests at the intermission, and a rowdy post-show dance break in which the audience is invited to Time Warp with the cast. Assisted by musical director Justin Pyne, whose magnificent rock band is spot-on perfect, this is a Rocky Horror that brings enough high-spirited fun to outweigh the loony flaws of the story, and additional credit for that should definitely go to the fearless commitment of its cheerfully extroverted cast. As Dr. Frankenfurter—the not-so-sweet transvestite from outer space—Rob Broadhurst unleashes a torrent of high-heeled, pelvis-thrusting glee, and Zach Howard rocks hard as the duplicitous butler Riff Raff. Mark Bradbury and Abbey Lee, as the virginal visitors Brad and Janet, do fearless, first-rate work in the show’s trickiest roles. And nice supporting performances are given by Rose Roberts as the conflicted groupie Columbia, a delightful Zac Schuman in the dual roles of delivery boy Eddie and his government agent uncle Dr. Scott, and Amanda Morando as Riff Raff’s dry-witted sister Magenta. Though haphazardly paced, and plagued with some opening night technical issues, this Rocky Horror succeeds, big time, by brazenly showing it’s true colors—From beginning to end, this is one big dark-humored dance party disguised as a play. After three years, all I can say is, Let’s do the time warp again. On to Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit, a drawing comedy that was the Rocky Horror of its time, the story of a milquetoast writer haunted by the ghost of his manipulative first wife while struggling with the passive-aggressive machinations of his second. Directed by Meghan C. Hakes, the 6th Street version delivers visually—with a great set and some very entertaining ghost effects—but it totally misses the mark in terms of its tone and rhythm. Hurt by its tentative pace and some wildly uneven . . . often unintelligible . . . English accents, the show takes what might have been a bracingly tasty martini and turns it into a rather diluted cocktail of clashing, but still slightly fizzy, soft drinks. Despite fine, engaging performances by David Yen as optimistic author Charles, Gina Alvarado as the ghostly femme fatale Elvira, and Lennie Dean as the well-meaning medium Madam Arcati, the production woefully miscalculates the underlying point of the play—which can’t be described without spoiling key second-act surprises—resulting in an ending is a strangely disappointing clash of contrasting ending, on that’s visually magical and the other that is suddenly, unexpectedly un-fun. 'Blithe Spirit' and ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ run Thursday–Sunday through November 8 at 6th Street Playhouse. www.6thstreetplayhouse.com

Podcast Posting Page - http://wp.me/p8YAd-1qSb Major Spoilers Hotline - 785-727-1939 Become a Major Spoilers VIP today - https://members.majorspoilers.com A little controversy regarding this week's book, Boy-1 #1 from IDW publishing. Who liked it, and who didn't? Take a listen to this installment of Dueling Review to find out! BOY-1 #1 (of 4)—SPOTLIGHT H.S. Tak (w) Amancay Nahuelpan (a) Zach Howard (c) FC • 32 pages • $3.99 In the fast-approaching future, when the drug-addled heir of a genetic-engineering company begins to investigate his company’s murky past, he discovers he is the catalyst in a terrifying global event that will transform him and forever alter the course of human evolution.

Podcast Posting Page - http://wp.me/p8YAd-1qSb Major Spoilers Hotline - 785-727-1939 Become a Major Spoilers VIP today - https://members.majorspoilers.com A little controversy regarding this week's book, Boy-1 #1 from IDW publishing. Who liked it, and who didn't? Take a listen to this installment of Dueling Review to find out! BOY-1 #1 (of 4)—SPOTLIGHT H.S. Tak (w) Amancay Nahuelpan (a) Zach Howard (c) FC • 32 pages • $3.99 In the fast-approaching future, when the drug-addled heir of a genetic-engineering company begins to investigate his company’s murky past, he discovers he is the catalyst in a terrifying global event that will transform him and forever alter the course of human evolution.

It took us a long time but we finally hit episode 30 of the Nightwing Loves Power Girl comic book podcast. Tim manages to pull off a hat-trick…barely. We talk about The Cape #1 by Joe Hill, Justin Cieramella and Zach Howard and First Law of Mad Science by Mike Isenberg, Daniel Lapham, Oliver … Continue reading →