The Moment I Saw the Hair on Ed Asner's Arms (Ep. 258 - The Smiths/David Schmader)

The Moment I Saw the Hair on Ed Asner's Arms (Ep. 258 - The Smiths/David Schmader)
Matt Baume & David Schmader

My guest this week has spent his life traveling the country to bear his soul, and now he’s settled down in the last place he ever expected — the town where he grew up. David Schmader is a writer and performer who wrote for The Stranger in Seattle by day, and who turned his articles into dramatic theatrical performances by night. He’s also the country’s foremost expert on Showgirls, and appears on the commentary track on the official DVD. These days he’s doing more writing than ever, and rediscovering the gay scene in a town that he left before he could fully appreciate it.

We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers.

And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode, so you can follow the show on social media to get a look at the stuff that guests recommend.

Also I hope you’ll joins us for a great big adventure this Saturday. I’ll be livestreaming a game of Dungeons & Dragons with comedian Deven Green, writer Carlos Maza, culture critic Anthony Oliveira, and scholar Bryan Wuest to benefit Seattle Children’s Hospital. It’s happening Saturday, November 2 at noon pacific. Details are at bit.ly/extralifeseattle.

Heterophobic (Ep. 257 - Mary Poppins/Devlyn Camp)

Heterophobic (Ep. 257 - Mary Poppins/Devlyn Camp)
Matt Baume & Mattachine's Devlyn Camp

My guest this week is Devlyn Camp, creator of the wonderful podcast Mattachine, which tells the story of the work that preceded the modern queer liberation movement. Devlyn is surprisingly young for someone with so close a connection to the past. But with their historical storytelling, they’re able to pull off an impressive feat — creating new queer community by diving into old queer community.

We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to check out the rewards for backers.

And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode, so you can follow the show on social media to get a look at the stuff that guests recommend.

And I want to let you know about two livestreams coming up — the first is one of our regular fun friendly chit-chats, this Saturday, the 26th, at 9am pacific.

But the second is a big to-do: I’ll be joined by comedian Deven Green, writer Carlos Maza, culture critic Anthony Oliveira, and scholar Bryan Wuest for a livestreamed game of Dungeons & Dragons. It’s our annual livestream to benefit Seattle Children’s Hospital. I hope you’ll join us on Saturday, November 2 at noon pacific time. Details are at bit.ly/extralifeseattle2019

People Wearing Masks (Ep. 256 - Hocus Pocus/Rantasmo)

People Wearing Masks (Ep. 256 - Hocus Pocus/Rantasmo)
Matt Baume & Needs More Gay's Rantasmo

Hello, and welcome to The Sewers of Paris! Apologies for this episode posting a few days late — I’m on the road all this month, but I finally made it to a spot with wifi, and as we draw to the close of October, I wanted to bring you an episode from the Sewers of Paris vaults that asks the question — why is Halloween so gay? The topic is Hocus Pocus, Eerie Indiana, and Black Mirror.

Back in 2015, I spoke with Jamie Mauer, who you may know as the Needs More Gay culture critic Rantasmo. He grew up loving unsettling stories, like a lot of gay men. For those of us who feel pressure to hide their true selves, horror and fantasy — and particularly Halloween — provide a chance to trade one mask for another, be someone new, and scare everyone else for a change. 

We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to join the folks who make the podcast possible, and to check out the rewards for backers.

And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode, so you can follow the show on social media to get a look at the stuff that guests recommend.

And if you’re in Minneapolis, I hope you’ll come to Queens of Adventure LIVE at Lush on October 23rd — it’s a fun comedy adventure show featuring drag queens playing Dungeons and Dragons, starring Utica Queen, Kamaree Williams, and The Other Jeannie Retelle. Tickets are on sale at QueensofAdventure.com.

Mamma Mia Murder Mystery (Ep 255 - Miss Marple/Jorge Molina)

Mamma Mia Murder Mystery (Ep 255 - Miss Marple/Jorge)
Matt Baume and Jorge Molina

My guest this week grew up surrounded by mysteries and clues, but of course he carried a few secrets of his own. Not just that he was gay, but also that his tastes didn’t quite match those of his friends. It took a long time for Jorge to accept that it’s OK to love the things you love, and in fact doing so means that you can finally find others who share your passions. It was a physical response to seeing Meryl Streep sing that finally convinced him that it was time to make some changes in his life.

We’ll have that conversation in a minute. First a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to join the folks who make the podcast possible, and to check out the rewards for backers.

And just a reminder that The Sewers of Paris is on Twitter and Facebook — I post clips of the stuff that we talk about on each episode, so you can follow the show on social media to get a look at the stuff that guests recommend.

Also BTW I’m in Chicago right now with my comedy storytelling show Queens of Adventure, featuring drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. We just did our first live show at Hamburger Mary’s Attic and it was a huge blast — thanks to everyone who came out! The the second is coming up on October 16th starring Seattle legends Arson Nicki, Butylene O’Kipple, and Fraya Love.

And then I’ll be in Minneapolis for two big events — I’ll be a guest of honor at Gaylaxicon, a queer sci-fi and fantasy convention. We’re doing a Queens of Adventure show there on October 19 with Utica Queen, Nocturna Lee Mission, and The Other Jeannie Retelle. And then on October 23 we’re doing another Queens of Adventure show in Minneapolis, this time at Lush with Utica, Jeanne, and Kamaree Williams.

Everywhere we Turned Was a Song (Ep 254 - Pippin/Cam Clarke)

Everywhere we Turned Was a Song (Ep 254 - Pippin/Cam Clarke)
Matt Baume & Cam Clarke

My guest this week is Cam Clarke, who grew up in a showbiz family that’s been entertaining audiences since the early 30s. If you’re not familiar with his work as one of the the youngest members of the King Family Singers, you might know him as the voice of Leonardo on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or as Kaneda from Akira, or as Liquid Snake in Metal Gear. He’s been the voice of He-Man, Simba, Jen from the Dark Crystal, and hundreds of other roles. Cam’s always had a gift for voices and song — and not just with the SOUND of his voice, but with the words he’s found to express who he truly is.

Cam was kind enough to invite me to his home for this interview, where we talked about growing up in a Mormon showbiz family, struggling to come out and find his place in the world, and why he he has a gorgeous collection of Barbie dolls.

And a big thanks to everyone who makes the Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon! Head over to SewersOfParis.com and click “support the show on Patreon” to join the folks who make the podcast possible, and to check out the backer rewards.

Also! I’m heading to Chicago in October with my comedy storytelling show Queens of Adventure, featuring drag queens playing Dungeons & Dragons. We’re doing two live shows at Hamburger Mary’s Attic — the first on October 9th with local Chicago queens Lucy Stoole, Fox E. Kim, and Joe Lewis; and the second on October 16th with Seattle legends Arson Nicki, Butylene O’Kipple, and Fraya Love. Tickets are now on sale at QueensOfAdventure.com.