In this special news update, Patrick, and Jaime discuss the life of Yaphet Kotto in the wake of the announcement of his death at the age of 81. Kotto's Parker is the heart of Alien, standing alongside so many memorable and indelible characters that stay with us forever. Join us as we remember.
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At long last, Perfect Organism is thrilled to bring you a two-part interview series with Alex White, author of 2018's Alien: The Cold Forge and the just-released Alien: Into Charybdis.
Alex's work is popular with fans—so popular, in fact, that Alex credits a fan meme campaign with getting this second Alien novel off the ground!
Join Jaime and Patrick as they sit down with Alex for this two-parter on Alien, inspiration, how to write a novel, the perks of convincing your parents to become friends with your second-grade teacher, and much more.
We'll be back with Alex in a few weeks for a second installment, in which they'll respond to listener questions. If you haven't submitted yours yet, head over to Building Better Worlds on Facebook and add your voice to the conversation!
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As controversial a film as Prometheus is, there has been no question that many of the ideas presented are worthy of the mythology of the Alien series. One such idea is the Engineers. Join Patrick, and Jaime as they break down the Engineers as a species. Are they gods? Are they man? We explore these questions and so much more in this exciting new episode.
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The announcement of Alien leaving Dark Horse for Marvel sent shockwaves through fandom, and for good reason. After more than three decades with the venerable underdog publisher, Alien was going to an entertainment powerhouse.
Many of us felt like this was either very good news or very bad news. Either way, the announcement has had fandom on tenterhooks for the past year. Who would write these stories? What would they have to say? Would Marvel—and, by extension, Disney—understand Alien enough to get this right?
Well, we at Perfect Organism are delighted to bring you this wild, nearly two-hour interview with Phillip Kennedy Johnson, the man writing these comics—an interview that essentially serves as an extended "yes" to the question of whether Marvel knows what it's doing with our beloved franchise.
Phillip is a lifelong Alien nut with an abiding love for the property and a passion to get it right. In this interview, Jaime and Patrick have the opportunity to speak with Phillip about what that means. What Alien is really about. What these comics are going to attempt to express. How to tell stories that feel immediate and relevant in the world we inhabit.
This interview is many things, but perhaps most of all it's a love letter. A love letter to comic books, and a love letter to that moment we get to cherish time and again when we realize how many deeply, beautifully nerdy fans are out there around the world.
We hope you love it. This is one of our best.
Stay tuned for Building Better World-submitted questions at the end, and stick around after the credits for a sneak peek at a new show we think you'll love!
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To many Alien fans across the world, the name "Alan Dean Foster" has become legend. Many of us grew up reading his novelizations—book treatments so rich with character and setting they felt like movies unto themselves.
In addition to his four decades of work on the Alien franchise, Alan Dean Foster has written well over 100 novels spanning science fiction, fantasy, and novelizations of some of the most globally beloved franchises (Star Wars, Star Trek, Terminator, and many others).
In this relaxed, free-ranging interview, Mr. Foster takes Jaime and Patrick on a journey through his career in and out of Hollywood. We discuss his connection to the Alien series, his dreams for the future, the nature of creativity, and a heck of a lot more. We also dedicate time at the end to listener questions (thanks for submitting them at Building Better Worlds!).
Be sure to check out alandeanfoster.com for a wealth of information on his work. It's worth the visit!
This is another dream-come-true interview for us, and we are so pleased to share it with you.
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In part two of our coverage of Ridley Scott's Raised by Wolves, Jaime is joined by Ryan Zeid of Xenomorphing and The Hive Mind Podcast. Is Raised By Wolves a triumph or a tragedy? Jaime and Ryan discuss all of this and more in this bonus holiday episode.
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As longtime Perfect Organism listeners know, Alien 3 is especially close to Jaime and Patrick's hearts. In this interview—something of a dream come true for this show—we had the opportunity to spend an afternoon chatting with Ralph Brown, the actor behind Francis Aaron ("85"). He gives us a deeply personal look into the history of Alien 3: the casting process, the shoot, working with David Fincher and Sigourney Weaver, and much more.
We also take a journey through other key parts of his multifaceted creative life. From filming The Crying Game to writing two rap musicals, Ralph Brown has forged a long and productive career in the arts that spans genre, media, and skillset.
Join us for this intimate look behind the scenes of Alien 3, that dark marvel that draws us back time and again.
And be sure to bookmark Ralph's blog, which offers extensive insights into his creative life (including some great pieces on his time working on Alien 3)! You can find it at https://magicmenagerie.wordpress.com/.
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In this episode, Jaime sits down with author Ian Nathan, to discuss his newly released book, Ridley Scott: A Retrospective. From Scott's beginnings as a first time director, to being on the set of Alien Covenant, Ian discusses the films and career of the legendary director and his lasting legacy. We hope you enjoy.
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In this very special roundtable episode, Patrick and Jaime are joined by their good friend and listener Peter (from the Midwest), and returning friend and guest, Dave Gogel, of Xenomorphing.com, and Hive Mind Podcast.
The topic on hand in this episode is the cast and characters of Prometheus. The crew discusses each cast member, what their announcement meant for the film, the character they play, and the reception. This was a very fun episode, and we hope you enjoy.
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Welcome to our first Halloween Special! Jaime and Dan discuss some of their favorite scary movies, including The Exorcist (1973), Hereditary (2018), and more! So light some candles, turn the lights down, and join us while we explore the darker side of film.
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While Prometheus may be controversial for many different reasons, what is generally agreed upon is its production design and attention to every detail. In this episode, Jaime, and Patrick break down the production design choices for the film. Did Ridley Scott and production designer Arthur Max create a world too dissimilar to 1979's ALIEN, or what is the perfect in-between aesthetic? Join us as we explore this question and more on this latest episode.
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1. Tristan Jones. 2. Dane Hallett. 3. Matt Hatton.
Like so many things this year, Alien: 40 Years 40 Artists was delayed for months due to world events. Luckily—as anyone with a copy can attest—the wait was beyond worth it. Packed with stunning artwork and personal anecdotes, the book is a love letter to the franchise and a wellspring of inspiration.
It’s also a great opportunity to see some familiar names trying new things with their talents. Three of those names are especially beloved to Alien fans around the world: Dane Hallett, Matt Hatton, and Tristan Jones.
In this extended conversation—very much a love letter to the franchise in itself—these three super-artists/super-fans chat with Jaime and Patrick about what Alien means to them, what draws them back to it year after year, and so much more.
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In this next installment of our ongoing exploration into the origins of Prometheus, Jaime and Patrick (with special guest Dan Ferlito, their cohost on Shoulder of Orion: The Blade Runner Podcast) dive deeply into two very important documents: Jon Spaihts' ALIEN: Engineers and Damon Lindelof's Paradise.
The quick, popularized version of events is that Jon Spaihts, hired by Scott and Fox to write a screenplay based on a compelling pitch, turned in something rough-hewn but interesting. Then Damon Lindelof, hot off the success of Lost, was brought in to give it a little Hollywood magic—and a less overt connection to Alien.
But there's a lot more to it than that. Join us on this deep dive into the early days of Prometheus.
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Prometheus premiered at a curious time in Alien fandom. It'd been 15 years since the release of the previous canonical film in the main Alien continuity, and the internet was transitioning rapidly into something a lot more connected—and a lot more intense—than what it'd previously been.
It was an era of tightly guarded secrets, leaked photos, buzzing internet forums, and nascent social media groups. And one of the most active places for fans to engage was (and is) AvPGalaxy (avpgalaxy.net).
On this installment of our ongoing investigation into Prometheus, Jaime and Patrick spend some quality time with their friend Aaron Percival, AvPGalaxy's co-administrator and host of the AvPGalaxy podcast. They discuss where fandom was in the months leading up to Prometheus' premiere—and how various changes in studio marketing, social media, and public discourse came together to create a unique time to be an Alien fan.
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A lifetime ago—January 2020, to be exact—Dark Horse issued one of the most exciting press releases in Alien expanded universe history: Dan O'Bannon's original screenplay was getting a comic adaptation.
The creative team tasked with this extraordinary challenge was more than up to it. Writer Cristiano Seixas has been an integral part of the Brazilian comics scene for decades. Active in writing, illustrating, animation, and more, he's also the Creative Director of Ghost Jack Entertainment (a game studio) and the founder of Casa dos Quadrinhos School of Visual Arts in Brazil.
Along with his friend/longtime collaborator, the artist Guilherme Balbi, Seixas brings O'Bannon's script to luminous new life in this five-issue Dark Horse run.
Join Jaime and Patrick as they chat with Cristiano about art, Alien, adaptation, and much more. For more on Cristiano and his work—including Calango, the groundbreaking comic book/mobile app about a girl and her desert lizard—visit cristianoseixas.com.
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Jaime, and Patrick break down a recent article from Escapist Magazine (https://bit.ly/2XtabBY) that addresses the nihilism present in David Fincher's Alien 3. Is nihilism the true spirit of the Alien saga? Was Fincher's vision more in line tonally with Alien than Aliens? Patrick & Jaime attempt to answer these questions and more in this return to the controversial, yet beautiful film, Alien 3.
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Join us as we continue our Prometheus series with this lively community roundtable! Jaime and Patrick are joined by listeners Chase Cupo and Gene McDonald for a trip through many facets of this fascinating film. We were joined by dozens of listeners connecting to the live stream, as well—thank you for participating, you lovely people.
* Please excuse the audio issues; we are still hammering out the kinks with live roundtables. But we're getting there!
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Why does the story of Luke Skywalker and the Rebellion resonate with us? Why do we flock to tales of resistance and uprising in films and books? What speaks to us about these particular fables? Join Jaime, Dan, Patrick, and special guest, Dr. Robin Bunce as we dive into this topic amidst a backdrop of an American and global uprising.
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As fandom continues to process the loss of Sir Ian Holm, Jaime and Patrick return to The Forbidden Planet for an installment dedicated to his immortal portrayal of Ash. The conversation takes some extraordinary turns along the way—inspired in no small part by your comments and insights in Building Better Worlds and live on the air.
Holm's portrayal of Ash was a watershed in how AI was represented on screen. This conversation—which we feel might be one of our best yet—is our tiny way of trying to do some justice to his legacy.
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art by David Finch
There's been a flurry of news surrounding Marvel's acquisition of the Alien IP from Dark Horse Comics. Patrick, Jaime, and special guest Paul Hermann sit down to discuss what this first step could mean for the franchise.
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