After much procrastination we have finally got our finger out and recorded the debut episode of the Corehammer podcast, which I have dubbed Dungeonpunx. I had been wanting to try my hand at podcasting for a while but the opportunity to get the rest of the OG Corehammer mournival around the table on the regular was proving to be an impossible feat. Despite my best efforts, conflicting schedules, geographical hinderance and a generous serving of good old fashioned apathy amongst our ranks put the clappers on my plan for full media dominance. I sulkily resigned my podasting ambitions to the steadily increasing mountain of ‘that could have been cool’ ideas.
Regular readers may recall my crisis of faith a few months back HERE Increasing pressures from work and university as well as recently volunteering a couple of Saturdays a month to work with autistic kids have led to a gradual withdrawal from regular posting and editing here, as well as a re-evaluation of what I really want out of the hobby. And whilst my 13th Company have not graced a battlefield since last years Corehammer Christmas party, I HAVE been playing D&D 5th Edition on the regular for just over a year and absolutely loving it.
A change in personal responsibilities meant that I recently had to take a hiatus from my usual Wednesday night D&D sessions. In anticipation of this I set up a regular Sunday afternoon session with a group of close friends that were keen to give D&D a try but had very little experience of actual RPG’s. Being the only member of the group familiar with 5th Ed D&D I grudgingly found myself sitting in the DM’s chair and after a few clumsy sessions we have found our feet and really got stuck into it. The natural rapport that already existed between Boardy, Max, Ager, Tom, Connor and I translated well into creating a comfortable and entertaining gaming dynamic. It soon occurred to me that this gang of cocky dungeoneers could perhaps serve a dual purpose and so I revived the idea of starting a podcast with the rest of the crew as my conspirators & co-hosts and lo, Dungeonpunx was born.
In true fantasy quest style we’ve got all the bases covered within the team. I asked Max to use the works of Tolkien as his reference point in helping to acquaint you with the principle players. Here’s what he came up with….
Boardy is our Gimli a stubborn veteran gamer and Infinity enthusiast hailing from Salford in Manchester. He likes what he likes and writes off that which he doesn’t FOREVER. Stalwart to a fault but also a ludicrous gobshite. AND he looks like a big beardless dwarf.
He is joined by the prodigal son Connor, who brings with him a wealth of ACTUAL gaming knowledge that belies his tender years and shyness. He keeps his own council but knows his shit and could perhaps be compared to Faramir. Soft shite.
Max is the resident Mouth Of Sauron. He’ll continue to spew venom into the face of all who dare to oppose him, blissfully unaware of the imminent danger surrounding him. He shits all over the things other people love, yet despite his apparent misery he still manages to nurse an enthusiastic and unrivalled boner for the works of Mike Mignola and Tolkien. Bless.
Ager’s specialist subjects are retro video games, pizza and The Beastie Boys. He enjoys all the foods, is up for adventures and mischief and a fine ale. He is the most genuine and pleasant natured of our crew and has a face that most resembles a hobbit, thus he is Merry. Gutted mate.
I kinda wanted to be Boromir. Permanently exasperated, surrounded by chumps, bit of a dick but Max decided I was Saruman instead. Pliable in my allegiances with a something of a meanstreak. Don’t see it myself.
We recorded the first episode last week and we shall be churning out one a month. You can listen to it on Soundcloud HERE and it is also available on ITunes too HERE. Our debut show is a rough and ready experience, it’s raucous and the language is occasionally coarse so approach with caution. The microphone sensitivity was set way too high and some of the voices are lost in the mix on occasion. I would compare it to a punk bands first time in the studio, sure it’s scruffy and the recording is not polished but the spirit and the fury are there in abundance. Ultimately we want Dungeonpunx to be a pleasing experience for the listener so bare with us. We’ve listened back, we’ve identified our weaknesses, we’ve invested in some better microphones and recording equipment. We’ll get better.
The podcast is intended to be an audible reflection of the interests and ideas expressed on this website and the community over on the Facebook group. It’s not expected to be taken super seriously so please approach with a large pinch of salt. It’s five guys sitting around enthusing about the things they love, making fun of the things they think are shit and discussing how these things are often inherently linked to one another and how the things we loved as children and teenagers influence our tastes, creativity and ideas in later life. We won’t ever be talking about power gaming or optimized play or spending much time on broken rules or this or that. There’s plenty of great podcasts out there already that cater for that type of interest. Nope, Dungeonpunx is for the type of person that grew up on Fighting Fantasy books and 2000AD and heavy metal. For the type of person who appreciates the work of people like Mike Mignola, Matt Wagner, Chow Yun Fat, Jeff Hanneman, Joe Dever, Pat Mills, Simon Bisley, Ian Miller etc etc and everyone in between. We’ll be talking about gaming and comics and metal and art and movies and how all these things intertwine and mutate together to create a unique cultural milieu that can’t simply be appropriated by watching few episodes of the fucking Big Bang Theory. We’ll have guests joining us from time to time. We will ramble and rant and rave but above all, we’ll be having fun. I hope you’ll join us.
If you dig what we’re about go grab a Dungeonpunx shirt to show your support from HERE. Artwork as ever by the main man Rich Nerdgore