MOTHER, She Wrote: An EarthBound Podcast

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Latest Episodes:

BULLETIN: Meet Cat at NC Comicon & EB Saga 5 is Out! Oct 31, 2024

Some news and a community update!

Meet Cat at North Carolina Comicon, in Durham North Carolina - November 9th and 10th. Tickets and more info at nccomicon.com

And: EB Saga 5 is out!

The long-awaited next installment of Jazzy and Robbie Benson’s EarthBound Saga fan film series that they started when they were kids. It’s a monumental moment in EarthBound fan films - an Evil Dead-fueled, surreal, garlic-munching, midnight movie opus. Head to ebsaga.com

And that’s all she wrote.

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Dimensional Slip α: The Secrets of MOTHER 2 with MonkeyNess and Charlie Verdin Oct 07, 2024

Step into a Dimensional Slip: intermittent interludes in “MOTHER,” She Wrote’s journey - where we speak with guests from a multitude of backgrounds and delve deeper into the themes, media, and fandom that make up the tapestry of the EarthBound experience.

Join us as we take a virtual tour through The Secrets of MOTHER 2 exhibit and explore a treasure trove of surprising stories and revelations behind the making of one of the greatest video games of all-time. Cat and Jess attended this limited-time exhibit in Japan and poured over the hundreds of pages of production documents with a translator to bring you startling insights from Itoi's first sketches of ideas, to the game's last-minute changes.

CAUTION: This episode contains SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRE MOTHER TRILOGY!

This is a very different Dimensional Slip episode, made for listeners who've already played all the games in the trilogy and are plugged into the depths of the EarthBound fandom.

In this episode, we’re joined by EarthBound YouTuber MonkeyNess and Fangamer’s Charlie Verdin as we travel through the exhibit, section by section; discussing early production artwork, unused ideas and enemies, and pages and pages of notes - sharing discoveries and observations that shed light onto the creative process behind MOTHER 2. Learn how Kurt Vonnegut and a wave of pre-millennium paranormal paranoia may have shaped the storyline, Itoi's innovative gameplay ideas that weren't yet ready for the big time, and many other deep insights into how this legendary game came to be.

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Dimensional Slip 5: Cosmix & Camille Young - MOTHER's Iconic Clay Figures Sep 16, 2024

The MOTHER series is known for its distinctive visuals; whether it's the vivid and playful pixel art of the games or its bold graphic design. But there's another key component that's highly unusual and lent to the series' distinct visual identity: clay figures of all the characters. From main heroes and villains down to the most worthless of protoplasms, MOTHER and EarthBound advertising and players guides are filled with photos of hyper-detailed, hand-made clay figurines - all the work of sculptor Masao Tottori.

In this episode we share what we know about this mysterious artist and speak with two artists inspired by his work: Camille Young (aka Meeellla) and Justyn (aka Cosmix). Camille is a mixed media artist whose sculptures and figures appear in Fangamer's EarthBound and MOTHER 3 Handbooks and Cosmix is a character craftsman who routinely dazzles fans with his expansive roster of figurines. They're two sculptors from two very different generations of the MOTHER fandom. They share with us their MOTHER origin stories, artistic inspirations, and for all of you physical media artists out there: their tricks of the trade so you too can explore new dimensions of 3D art.

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EarthBound Beginnings - Chapter 10: To Live and Die in Ellay Jul 22, 2024

What's in your engines?! Meet Teddy - final member of the EarthBound Beginnings party and leader of Ellay's Black Blood Gang. This character was shrouded in mystery until the MOTHER Encyclopedia was translated, revealing his intense backstory. In this special episode, we bring Teddy's tale to life and explore everything there is to know about the teen hooligan, his town, and his gang. Featuring Red Vs. Blue's Christian Young as Teddy and cast of The Penumbra Podcast as The Black Blood Gang.

“MOTHER,” She Wrote mixes audio drama and talk podcast to chronicle the strangest, most thought-provoking video games ever made: the MOTHER series, as it's called in Japan, and EarthBound as it's called everywhere else. This first season chronicles MOTHER (1989), known as EarthBound Beginnings in English-speaking countries.

For links and transcriptions, head to https://mothershewrote.earth

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Dimensional Slip 4: Pixelh8 - The Music of MOTHER Apr 22, 2024

The memorable melodies of MOTHER are more than just background music - they're an essential part of the series’ storytelling! We've often talked about the duo responsible for the score: art rock musician Keiichi Suzuki and "Hip" Tanaka, and you've just as often heard us wonder “how did they do this?” It seems like they pushed the Nintendo Entertainment System’s hardware to the limit! So, to get deeper insight into how the music of MOTHER was made, we've turned to legendary chiptunes artist, Pixelh8.

Pixelh8's expertise on the musical mechanics of the 8-bit era is second only to the Nintendo engineers who built the system and in this episode you'll hear him give us a hands-on demonstration of how sounds on the NES work, as well as astute assessments of the technical and narrative power of the game's score. We’ll also learn more about the various eras of chiptune music, Pixelh8’s work reclaiming computer chips from dying consoles to build new instruments, and excitingly, his return to the music scene after a twelve year silence, with his new record, Hard Reset.

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Dimensional Slip 3: Jazzy Benson - EarthBound, USA Nov 20, 2023

The story of the MOTHER series in the United States is a wild one - filled with twists, turns, marketing mishaps, game cancellations, Internet movements, and at its heart: a generation of people brought together by a heartfelt work of art. These games have changed lives, and now that saga has been documented in EarthBound, USA a feature film documentary directed by Jazzy Benson.

In this episode, Jess and Cat are joined by Benson to discuss the film, she and her team’s incredible decade-long journey to create this amazing work of multimedia art, her formative fan film series: EarthBound Saga, and the ways that art, artists, and fans inform and inspire one another.

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EarthBound Beginnings - Chapter 9: The Lost Boys (and Girls) Nov 13, 2023

Ninten, Ana, and Lloyd are facing down the biggest calamity in their world-saving careers: childcare. Every adult in Youngtown has been abducted, leaving behind a village of traumatized orphans, fighting to survive in the alien-infested wilderness. Fortunately, there are some pleasant surprises in store: strange new powers, old friends, and fun facts await in this epic and heartrending double-length adventure.

For links and transcriptions, head to https://mothershewrote.earth

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EarthBound Beginnings - Chapter 8: Planes, Tanks, and Extraterrestrials Oct 23, 2023

Leave the gloomy ghouls of Spookane behind and head to the sweltering Yucca Desert. Surviving this hostile environment would be hard enough if it weren't teaming with aliens! Ninten and friends will have to hone their skills to stay alive and make some deals with a wacky war veteran to ensure that the desert gives up all its secrets. This sprawling expanse is filled with them - many more than even the game suggests!

“MOTHER,” She Wrote mixes audio drama and talk podcast to chronicle the strangest, most thought-provoking, most heart-rending video games ever made: the MOTHER series, as it's called in Japan, and EarthBound as it's called everywhere else. This first season chronicles MOTHER (1989), known as EarthBound Beginnings in English-speaking countries.

For links and transcriptions, head to https://mothershewrote.earth

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Dimensional Slip 2: Kody Nokolo - Breaking Fandom’s Fourth Wall Oct 09, 2023

The story of EarthBound is two-fold: the story within games and the story of their cultural impact - how they've shaped the world around them. In this Dimensional Slip, we're examining the uncanny life of Kody Nokolo, Webmaster of the fan site Mother Forever and Director at the game design studio, NokoGodo. Theirs is a tale of how the MOTHER fandom expands and self-perpetuates across generations - while inspiring enthusiasts to create their own art, without boundaries. These games speak to their players - not just figuratively, but literally, and that's become a reciprocal dialogue.

In this episode we discuss Nokolo's investigative origins in the modern MOTHER fandom, the phenomena of "MOTHERlike" games, the power of breaking the fourth wall, and how all these concepts are in conversation with their forthcoming game, Gnomonic.

For links and transcriptions, head to https://mothershewrote.earth

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Dimensional Slip 1: Sarah Rhea Werner - Girl in Space and Other Wrinkles in Time Aug 21, 2023

Welcome to Dimensional Slip, intermittent interludes in “MOTHER,” She Wrote’s journey - where we speak with guests from a multitude of backgrounds and delve deeper into the themes, media, and fandom that make up the tapestry of the EarthBound experience.

In this episode, Cat and Jess cross over with Sarah Rhea Werner, creator of the sci-fi audio drama, Girl in Space, and the voice actor bringing our Ana to life. We unpack the parallels between Sarah and Ana's lives and upbringing; offering deep, personal insight into a character at the heart of EarthBound Beginnings' story, and the struggle of being "brave". We also discuss all-ages science fiction and a book close to Sarah and Cat's hearts that share's many parallels with MOTHER: Madeline L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time.

If you’re missing our regularly scheduled audio drama, we've got something to tide your over! Stay tuned to the end of our interview to hear the first episode of Girl in Space!

For links and transcriptions, head to https://mothershewrote.earth.

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EarthBound Beginnings - Chapter 7: The Power to Believe Aug 07, 2023

Meet Ana, the psychokinetic preacher's daughter whose mom was abducted by aliens. She has unusual powers, but there's more under the surface of this precocious girl than even she knows. Joining Ninten and Lloyd, they travel to the ghost town of Spookane to investigate a city-wide disappearance and rumors of a haunted piano with a tragic history. Sarah Rhea Werner, of the sci-fi audio drama Girl in Space, joins the cast as Ana and our audio drama segment EXPLODES in this double-length mid-season special. "MOTHER," She Wrote and Ninten's adventures will never be the same again.

For links and transcriptions, head to https://mothershewrote.earth.

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EarthBound Beginnings - Chapter 6: Takin' the Paradise Line Jul 24, 2023

Ninten and Lloyd want to ride the rails, but there's something standing in their way that's too big for two kids to tackle... nothing that a military-grade rocket can't fix! With the trains running again, their world opens up exponentially! They dip into lands too dangerous to travel... yet... and hop the Paradise Line to Reindeer, a town ravaged by a pandemic and wealth disparity. Perhaps there are problems even our well-equipped protagonists can't solve. Never fear, dear listener - "relax for a while and watch the world go by. Just as long as we're together we'll be fine - Takin' the Paradise Line!”

For links and transcriptions, head to https://mothershewrote.earth.

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EarthBound Beginnings - Chapter 5: Don't Avoid the Lloyd Jul 10, 2023

Ninten's back on solid ground and in a new town. Life in the bustling burg of Merrysville is tough, but he finds a new friend in a strange place - with explosive results. In Merrysville, Shigesato Itoi's social commentary and observations of American culture are in full effect; as you explore an abandoned factory, an elementary school, and wander in and out of the lives of the town's citizens. Cat and Jess crack open the MOTHER Encyclopedia and speak to a surprising source - Talking Heads' frontman David Byrne - as they piece together all the puzzling evidence of this artful game's influences.

For links and transcriptions, head to https://mothershewrote.earth.

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EarthBound Beginnings - Chapter 4: The Nowhere Man Jun 26, 2023

Our journey through the psychedelic dreamlands of Magicant continues! On the surface, this fantastic world is (mostly) sunshine and rainbows, but there's a deep, and literal, well of sorrow underneath. Meet the sad queen in her majestic palace, the friends who'll lay their lives on the line for you, and a man who doesn't exist - as Cat and Jess unpack the Jungian mysteries of this surprisingly dark chapter of Ninten's adventures.

For links and transcriptions, head to https://mothershewrote.earth

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EarthBound Beginnings - Chapter 3: Magicant Mystery Tour Jun 12, 2023

Flying men, swimming cats, a mysterious mimicker, and a magical castle in the clouds?! We're not in Podunk anymore.

Enter the dreamy world of Magicant. Ponder its surreal inhabitants and unusual sights with Cat and Jess as they draw connective threads between Ninten's past, this peculiar place, and beloved children's media from across the 20th century.

For links and transcriptions, head to https://mothershewrote.earth

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EarthBound Beginnings - Chapter 2: Good & Bad Vibrations May 29, 2023

Poltergeists, zombies, and now ALIENS?! How much genre-fusion can one kid take?

At the apex of classic sci-fi like The Day the Earth Stood Still and heartrending musical narratives like The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars... There is... EarthBound Beginnings.

For links and transcriptions, head to https://mothershewrote.earth

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EarthBound Beginnings - Chapter 1: Bump in the Night May 14, 2023

Embark on a journey through EarthBound Beginnings! There's something strange happening in the town of Podunk, and unresolved mysteries, almost a century old, are coming to light. Can a twelve-year-old with emerging psychic abilities hold his own against paranormal disturbances, mind-control, and the walking dead?

Adventure with Ninten and then unpack the game's events with hosts Cat Blackard and Jessica Mudd as they dust off their basement bread, share their most SMASHable enemies, and favorite "MOTHER," She Quotes from Nintendo and Shigesato Itoi's beloved cult classic game.

For links and transcriptions, head to https://mothershewrote.earth

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Episode Zero - START HERE May 14, 2023

Welcome to “MOTHER,” She Wrote - a travelog through three of the strangest, most thought-provoking, most heart-rending video games ever made.

Hosts and storytellers Cat Blackard and Jessica Mudd combine audio drama and discussion to take you on a journey through the MOTHER series, as it’s called in Japan, or EarthBound, as it’s called in English-speaking countries. Whether you're unfamiliar with this trilogy of games or are a longtime fan - travel beyond the controller and into the story - as it’s lived by the characters. Then, unpack the surreal adventures, thought-provoking themes, media inspirations, and more with your insightful, pizza-loving hosts in this literal love letter to Shigesato Itoi's iconic Nintendo games.

In this introduction, get to know Cat and Jess and learn how this irreverent sci-fi comedy, filled to the brim with as much poignant messaging as there is cartoon imagery, broke all the rules about the kinds of stories you could tell in a video game and became a cult sensation.

For links and transcriptions, head to https://mothershewrote.earth

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Embark on an Uncanny Journey in "MOTHER," She Wrote: An EarthBound Podcast Apr 13, 2023

Set out on a sense-shattering, tear-jerking journey where psychic children brave alien invasion, magical lands, corrupt politicians, and homesickness. The beloved cult video game series, EarthBound (aka MOTHER), is brought to life in this genre-bending blend of audio drama and documentary that explores these eccentric adventures like never before.

Travel beyond the controller and into the story - as it’s lived by the characters. Then, unpack all the surreal adventures, thought-provoking moments, social commentary, pop culture inspirations, and more with insightful, pizza-loving co-hosts, Cat Blackard and Jessica Mudd, in this literal love letter to Shigesato Itoi's iconic Nintendo games.

"MOTHER," She Wrote is created by the award-winning team behind The Call of Cthulhu Mystery Program, and feature voices from hit sci-fi audio dramas like Girl in Space and Midnight Burger. Discover more at https://mothershewrote.earth/ or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

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