Joshua Rivera
Platonic romance, free speech, gender equality, industrialized commercialization...what do these topics all have in common?
Video games and comic books of course!
Today we talk to Joshua Rivera (@mrivera02) who is currently a writer for Business Insider with a primary focus on video games and comic books. A graduate of Syracuse University's Newhouse School, he has written for Entertainment Weekly, Fast Company, The Daily Beast, Lifehacker, and Kotaku.
In today's episode we cover so many topics there's sure to be something that you find wildly interesting, even if you don't necessarily enjoy games or comics. While there is plenty of discussion about all the things that make games and comics fun and enjoyable we also take considerable time to discuss the challenges and errors that various industries and artists face and fall into.
So put down your controller for a sec (or don't...it's a podcast...you can listen anywhere) and enjoy this conversation with Joshua Rivera.
NOTE: Our iTunes Feed Is Down Temporarily But You Can Still Hear Every Episode On Youtube As Displayed Below. Sorry For The Inconvenience!
Show Notes
What originally got Josh into games and comic books [5:00]
The comic that stuck out for Josh early on [6:00]
Death personified as a dark hooded Hot Topic girl [8:30]
How Josh fell into writing about games and comics "on accident" [9:40]
"If you wanna be a journalist...DON'T study journalism...just do it!" [11:50]
The danger of being overly formal rather than genuine and transparent when seeking work [13:00]
How writing about something you enjoy is like "a relationship" [16:00]
Josh's frustration with certain shortcomings in the entertainment industry [17:00]
Women, people of color, wage gaps in the gaming industry [19:00]
George asks Josh to fix the video game industry right now...jk...kinda [22:45]
Free speech on the internet (specifically Reddit) [26:00]
Who would be the gatekeepers to hold people accountable on the internet? [29:30]
Educating people in power to better equip current "gatekeepers" [32:00]
Are there any movie adaptations of comic books that Josh prefers to the original [34:30]
Has the constant adaptation of comics to film made Josh bitter? [37:50]
People, Places, & Things Mentioned
Show Notes Part 2 (Timestamps for iTunes Feed)
What makes a video game special vs. movies or TV? [:45]
Josh uses the words "Platonic Ideal" to describe video games [2:00]
The importance of using a medium to its fullest extent [4:25]
Does Josh feel inhibited by the title of "Journalist" [6:30]
Josh's rule about rule breaking [9:30]
Josh's ambitions outside of journalism [12:00]
When is a game really finished? [18:30]
The importance of deadlines [20:00]
What led to society embracing "geek culture" [24:00]
The influence of music on Josh's writing [27:00]
Game that Josh is playing right now [32:00]
Josh recommends caters a comic book recommendation for George [33:00]
The comic that Josh remembers the most fondly [42:00]
Josh's #LiterarySwag [45:00]
What superhero does Josh relate to the most [51:00]
What makes Superman special (hint it's not the cape) [54:00]
Who is Josh's Batman? [55:20]
People, Places, & Things Mentioned
Saga - Brian K. Vaughn, Fiona Staples
Credits
Hosted by Cheryl Mowczan and George Robson
Guest: Joshua Rivera
Portrait by Cheryl Mowczan
Music by George Robson
Featured Song at the end of Part 1: “Child’s Play” by Hayley Sabella