Stay ConnectedJoin comedian and pirate Nick Hoffman as he explores the history and pop culture of pirates. Deep dive interviews with the most interesting people in the pirate community who bring the history and stories to life. Actors, treasure hunters, musicians, historians, and more.
From Blackbeard to Black Sails, Jack Sparrow to Jack Rackham… Under The Crossbones is loaded with colorful characters who will take you away from your day to day and drag you happily out to sea.
Richard Zacks is a fascinating author who's work spans centuries but definitely has a soft spot for turning over the rocks of history to see what's crawling around underneath.
We dig into both of his pirate books "Pirate Hunter: The True Story of Captain Kidd" and "The Pirate Coast: Thomas Jefferson, the First Marines, and the Secret Mission of 1805". Beyond pirates, we'll also talk Mark Twain's connection to standup comedy, little known stories from history, and all sorts of vice and naughtiness.
Under The Crossbones is a podcast all about pirate culture. Your host Phil Johnson (comedian, musician, and pirate geek) interviews the most interesting people in the pirate subculture: Actors, Authors, Historians, Musicians, Artists, Festival Founders, Clothing and Prop Designers, Treasure Hunters, Archaeologists, and more.
Today's show is sponsored by:
Pirate Radio of the Treasure Coast - The best in pirate talk and music! Get to listenin'! http://www.PirateRadioOfTheTreasureCoast.com
Make Great Music - For aspiring low frequency mavens in the Houston, TX area, talk to Jonathan Leon for lessons on electric and upright bass, tuba, and piano. http://www.MakeGreatMusic.com
For videos, pictures, book links and more, be sure to click through to the full show notes. http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/103
Pick up Richard's books at Amazon and help support UTC at the same time! The Pirate Hunter The Pirate Coast
Important Websites:
Richard Zacks: http://www.RichardZacks.com
You can get my latest comedy special, "Pretty From The Back"at http://bit.ly/prettyfromtheback Additional Show Notes: http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/103Support the show!: http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/support
Subscribe to Under The Crossbones on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/under-crossbones-pirate-podcast/id1039621331?mt=2
Visit http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com for all the episodes.John Davidson is playing Captain Hook in the touring company of Finding Neverland The Musical. But that's only the latest project. He's survived the jungle of the entertainment business for over 50 years by being able to do lots of different things well and always considering new avenues to pursue.
You may remember him as the host of That's Incredible! on Sunday nights in the early 80's. Or maybe one of his many guest host stints on The Tonight Show during the Johnny Carson years. Or maybe as a host of Hollywood Squares.
Beyond his TV work, he's done loads of work in theater both on and off Broadway. He's also an accomplished musician with a ton of released recordings.
Under The Crossbones is a podcast all about pirate culture. Your host Phil Johnson (comedian, musician, and pirate geek) interviews the most interesting people in the pirate subculture: Actors, Authors, Historians, Musicians, Artists, Festival Founders, Clothing and Prop Designers, Treasure Hunters, Archaeologists, and more.
Today's show is sponsored by:
Pirate Radio of the Treasure Coast - The best in pirate talk and music! Get to listenin'! http://www.PirateRadioOfTheTreasureCoast.com
Make Great Music - For aspiring low frequency mavens in the Houston, TX area, talk to Jonathan Leon for lessons on electric and upright bass, tuba, and piano. http://www.MakeGreatMusic.com
For videos, pictures, book links and more, be sure to click through to the full show notes. http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/102
Important Websites:
John Davidson - http://www.JohnDavidson.com Finding Neverland - http://www.FindingNeverlandTheMusical.com You can get my latest comedy special, "Pretty From The Back"at http://bit.ly/prettyfromtheback Additional Show Notes: http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/102Support the show!: http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/support
Subscribe to Under The Crossbones on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/under-crossbones-pirate-podcast/id1039621331?mt=2
Visit http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com for all the episodes.Kate Larsen and Shuhe Hawkins are living the pirate life in the mountains of Portland, Oregon. Seven Sails Winery, the Portland Pirate Festival, and their bands Bilge Rats and Pyrettes, and B.O.O.M. Plus the ship... Oh, the ship.
Amazing stories in this episodes... shipwrecks, storms, world records, burials at sea... I love people that say yes then figure out how to do what they just agreed to. And Kate and Shuhe are exactly those types.
Under The Crossbones is a podcast all about pirate culture. Your host Phil Johnson (comedian, musician, and pirate geek) interviews the most interesting people in the pirate subculture: Actors, Authors, Historians, Musicians, Artists, Festival Founders, Clothing and Prop Designers, Treasure Hunters, Archaeologists, and more.
Today's show is sponsored by:
Pirate Radio of the Treasure Coast - The best in pirate talk and music! Get to listenin'! http://www.PirateRadioOfTheTreasureCoast.com
Make Great Music - For aspiring low frequency mavens in the Houston, TX area, talk to Jonathan Leon for lessons on electric and upright bass, tuba, and piano. http://www.MakeGreatMusic.com
For videos, pictures, book links and more, be sure to click through to the full show notes. http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/101
Video of the sternwheeler crashing into the Royaliste: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUF5mKCiYGM
Away Santiano by Bilge Rats and Pyrettes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69Wi0ZAcpJY
Get The Pyrettes "Sea Fever" album on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2vTF16s
Important Websites:
Kate and Shuhe - http://www.MargotProductions.com
You can get my latest comedy special, "Pretty From The Back"at http://bit.ly/prettyfromtheback Additional Show Notes: http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/101
Support the show!: http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/support
Subscribe to Under The Crossbones on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/under-crossbones-pirate-podcast/id1039621331?mt=2
Visit http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com for all the episodes.Episode 100! Thanks for sticking with the show!
Spencer Smilanick aka Captain Spoo Diggity is the lead vocalist of The Pirates Charles. So many good "where did that name come from" stories in this episode! Where the band name came from will have you on the floor. Pull your car over before that section so you don't hit anything.
We'll go deep into how Spencer has crafted his pirate persona and is able to tell deeply personal stories through his music, often without the audience even knowing it. And we'll chat some biz stuff too about what it's like being such a different kind of band in the Los Angeles market.
And, of course, we'll spin a track from their new album Invictus called "Fortress of Five Kings".
And to celebrate the 100th episode of Under The Crossbones, I invited a bunch of past guests to call in and update us on what they're doing now. Interviews are great, but they're just a snapshot in time. Fun to catch up with all the cool folks we've been listening to the last couple years.
Under The Crossbones is a podcast all about pirate culture. Your host Phil Johnson (comedian, musician, and pirate geek) interviews the most interesting people in the pirate subculture: Actors, Authors, Historians, Musicians, Artists, Festival Founders, Clothing and Prop Designers, Treasure Hunters, Archaeologists, and more.
Today's show is sponsored by:
Pirate Radio of the Treasure Coast - The best in pirate talk and music! Get to listenin'! http://www.PirateRadioOfTheTreasureCoast.com
Make Great Music - For aspiring low frequency mavens in the Houston, TX area, talk to Jonathan Leon for lessons on electric and upright bass, tuba, and piano. http://www.MakeGreatMusic.com
For videos, pictures, book links and more, be sure to click through to the full show notes. http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/100
Pick up 'Invictus' the new album from The Pirates Charles.
Important Websites:
The Pirates Charles - http://www.ThePiratesCharles.com
Baylus Brooks - http://www.BaylusBrooks.com
Tom Mason - http://www.TomMason.net
Cindy Vallar - http://www.CindyVallar.com
Dan Stevens - http://www.PirataClothing.com
Helen Hollick - http://www.HelenHollick.com
Noah Scalin - http://www.SpacePirate.org
Laura Nelson - http://petercorneliushoof.blogspot.com
Sam Siegel - http://www.PiratesofthePursuit.com
John Amrhein - http://www.TreasureIslandTheUntoldStory.com
Lisa Jensen - http://ljo-express.blogspot.com
Tiger Lee - http://www.PirateFashions.com
Sam Staley - http://www.SRStaley.com
Brigada Pirata - http://www.BrigadaPirata.com
You can get my latest comedy special, "Pretty From TheBack"at http://bit.ly/prettyfromtheback Additional Show Notes: http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/100
Support the show!: http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/support
Subscribe to Under The Crossbones on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/under-crossbones-pirate-podcast/id1039621331?mt=2
Visit http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com for all the episodes.BD McGee is a Florida pirate, former New Jersey cop, and maker of all things sharp, metal, and pointy.
We'll get into the dare from his wife that had him making his first blade (out of a what?) to winning the big prize on Forged In Fire on the History Channel. But more importantly you'll hear the absolute joy that he gets out of creating a custom blade for one of his many adoring customers.
Under The Crossbones is a podcast all about pirate culture. Your host Phil Johnson (comedian, musician, and pirate geek) interviews the most interesting people in the pirate subculture: Actors, Authors, Historians, Musicians, Artists, Festival Founders, Clothing and Prop Designers, Treasure Hunters, Archaeologists, and more.
Today's show is sponsored by:
Pirate Radio of the Treasure Coast - The best in pirate talk and music! Get to listenin'! http://www.PirateRadioOfTheTreasureCoast.com
Make Great Music - For aspiring low frequency mavens in the Houston, TX area, talk to Jonathan Leon for lessons on electric and upright bass, tuba, and piano. http://www.MakeGreatMusic.com
For videos, pictures, book links and more, be sure to click through to the full show notes. http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/099
Important Websites:
You can get my latest comedy special, "Pretty From TheBack"at http://bit.ly/prettyfromtheback Additional Show Notes: http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/099
Support the show!: http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/support
Subscribe to Under The Crossbones on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/under-crossbones-pirate-podcast/id1039621331?mt=2
Visit http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com for all the episodes.We're talkin' ship! Ships in bottles that is. Daniel Siemens is a man from the landlocked state of Colorado keeping up the tradition of building ships in bottles. Definitely a niche hobby that deserves more people doing it.
Dan will give us some of the tricks of the trade including his most useful tool, the materials he uses, and of course, how he gets the darn thing in the bottle.
And if you're interested in trying it out yourself, Daniel gives lots of great resources for getting started.
Under The Crossbones is a podcast all about pirate culture. Your host Phil Johnson (comedian, musician, and pirate geek) interviews the most interesting people in the pirate subculture: Actors, Authors, Historians, Musicians, Artists, Festival Founders, Clothing and Prop Designers, Treasure Hunters, Archaeologists, and more.
Today's show is sponsored by:
Pirate Radio of the Treasure Coast - The best in pirate talk and music! Get to listenin'! http://www.PirateRadioOfTheTreasureCoast.com
For videos, pictures, book links and more, be sure to click through to the full show notes. http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/098
Important Websites:
Daniel Siemens - http://www.TradewindBottling.etsy.com
Bottled Ship Forum: http://www.BottledShipBuilder.com
Pick up these items mentioned by Daniel on Amazon and help support the show! Ships In Bottles by Don Hubbard - http://amzn.to/2tCnWjHThe Story of Sail by Veres Lazlo and Richard Woodman - http://amzn.to/2sFLMGRPirate Ship in a Bottle Kit by Woodkrafters - http://amzn.to/2sFqfhm
You can get my latest comedy special, "Pretty From TheBack"at http://bit.ly/prettyfromtheback Additional Show Notes: http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/098
Support the show!: http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/support
Subscribe to Under The Crossbones on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/under-crossbones-pirate-podcast/id1039621331?mt=2
Visit http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com for all the episodes.Ozgur K Sahin is the author of "The Wrath of Brotherhood", the first book in the Brethren of the Spanish Main series. And he's also a really interesting dude.
In this episode we talk pirates (duh), astrophysics, meditation, and big questions about discovery. You'll find that "discovery" is a big theme in both Ozgur's books and our discussion. Fun, deep stuff!
Under The Crossbones is a podcast all about pirate culture. Your host Phil Johnson (comedian, musician, and pirate geek) interviews the most interesting people in the pirate subculture: Actors, Authors, Historians, Musicians, Artists, Festival Founders, Clothing and Prop Designers, Treasure Hunters, Archaeologists, and more.
Today's show is sponsored by:
Pirate Radio of the Treasure Coast - The best in pirate talk and music! Get to listenin'! http://www.PirateRadioOfTheTreasureCoast.com
For videos, pictures, book links and more, be sure to click through to the full show notes. http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/097
Important Websites:
Ozgur K Sahin - http://www.ozgurksahin.com
You can get my latest comedy special, "Pretty From TheBack"at http://bit.ly/prettyfromtheback Additional Show Notes: http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/097
Support the show!: http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/support
Subscribe to Under The Crossbones on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/under-crossbones-pirate-podcast/id1039621331?mt=2
Visit http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com for all the episodes.Del Merritt is the leaders of The Sea Dogs. Being that New Jersey isn't a hotbed of pirate culture, Del and his folks have become the pirates on call for whatever needs pirating.
Music, living history, re-enacting, history education... Del likes to keep his calendar full! We'll dig into the full history of the group the challenges of making it work.
Under The Crossbones is a podcast all about pirate culture. Your host Phil Johnson (comedian, musician, and pirate geek) interviews the most interesting people in the pirate subculture: Actors, Authors, Historians, Musicians, Artists, Festival Founders, Clothing and Prop Designers, Treasure Hunters, Archaeologists, and more.
Today's show is sponsored by:
Pirate Radio of the Treasure Coast - The best in pirate talk and music! Get to listenin'! http://www.PirateRadioOfTheTreasureCoast.com
For videos, pictures, book links and more, be sure to click through to the full show notes. http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/096
Important Websites:
The Sea Dogs NJ - www.seadogsnj.com
You can get my latest comedy special, "Pretty From TheBack"at http://bit.ly/prettyfromtheback Additional Show Notes: http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/096
Support the show!: http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/support
Subscribe to Under The Crossbones on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/under-crossbones-pirate-podcast/id1039621331?mt=2
Visit http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com for all the episodes.Poets have existed for centuries. So who's to say there weren't a few among the pirates as well? There certainly are now. Steve Sanders aka Blackbead and his group Seadog Slam are taking pirate poetry to Pirate Fests, Ren Faires, and Steampunk Fests. This is one of those topics I never figured we'd be talking about on this show, but Steve does a great job explaining the magic of poetry. He takes us through his journey to becoming a pirate poet. And yep, he recites a really great one for us too.
If you're not a poetry person, you may be tempted to skip this episode. But I think you'll really dig it if you give it a listen.
Under The Crossbones is a podcast all about pirate culture. Your host Phil Johnson (comedian, musician, and pirate geek) interviews the most interesting people in the pirate subculture: Actors, Authors, Historians, Musicians, Artists, Festival Founders, Clothing and Prop Designers, Treasure Hunters, Archaeologists, and more.
Today's show is sponsored by:
Pirate Radio of the Treasure Coast - The best in pirate talk and music! Get to listenin'! http://www.PirateRadioOfTheTreasureCoast.com
For videos, pictures, book links and more, be sure to click through to the full show notes. http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/095
Important Websites:
Seadog Slam: http://www.facebook.com/seadogslam
You can get my latest comedy special, "Pretty From TheBack"at http://bit.ly/prettyfromtheback Additional Show Notes: http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/095
Support the show!: http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/support
Subscribe to Under The Crossbones on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/under-crossbones-pirate-podcast/id1039621331?mt=2
Visit http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com for all the episodes.James L. Nelson is a very prolific author of both fiction and non-fiction pirate books. All the way from Vikings through the American Civil War, he's got some unique takes on how pirates affect the world around them.
Not to mention great storytelling and a deep knowledge of sailing ships. We'll talk about his time on the Golden Hind after leaving the Hollywood grind. And how his idea of becoming a responsible adult was to become a novelist.
Really fun talk with a guy who obviously loves the sea and the people and things that float on it.
Under The Crossbones is a podcast all about pirate culture. Your host Phil Johnson (comedian, musician, and pirate geek) interviews the most interesting people in the pirate subculture: Actors, Authors, Historians, Musicians, Artists, Festival Founders, Clothing and Prop Designers, Treasure Hunters, Archaeologists, and more.
Today's show is sponsored by:
Pirate Radio of the Treasure Coast - The best in pirate talk and music! Get to listenin'! http://www.PirateRadioOfTheTreasureCoast.com
For videos, pictures, book links and more, be sure to click through to the full show notes. http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/094
Get some of James' books on Amazon and help support Under The Crossbones! http://amzn.to/2rMmKsU
Important Websites:
James L. Nelson - http://www.jameslnelson.com/
You can get my latest comedy special, "Pretty From TheBack"at http://bit.ly/prettyfromtheback Additional Show Notes: http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/094
Support the show!: http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com/support
Subscribe to Under The Crossbones on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/under-crossbones-pirate-podcast/id1039621331?mt=2
Visit http://www.UnderTheCrossbones.com for all the episodes.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
