In this episode of Epic Realms, host Nick welcomes legendary actor and award winning audiobook narrator Gerard Doyle for a wide ranging and deeply personal conversation about storytelling, performance, and a life spent bringing characters to life.

Gerard shares his unconventional path into acting, from amateur theatre and late drama school training to performing in the West End, touring Shakespeare internationally, appearing on television, and ultimately becoming one of the most respected voices in audiobooks. Listeners will hear behind the scenes stories from his work narrating major series including Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle, Mick Herron’s Slow Horses, Adrian McKinty’s novels, and Deborah Crombie’s mysteries.

The discussion explores the craft of audiobook narration, working directly with authors, handling complex worlds and invented languages, and the pressures and joys of long running series. Gerard also reflects on early struggles, family expectations, finding comfort on stage, and how a lifelong love of reading and storytelling shaped his career.

This is a thoughtful and candid conversation about art, perseverance, happy accidents, and the power of voice in modern storytelling. You can find Gerard Doyle at www.GerardDoyleVoice.com

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In this episode of Epic Realms, host Nick sits down with bestselling author and cartoonist Aaron Reynolds, the creator of the wildly popular Effin Birds. From Canadian comedy roots to Comic Con chaos, this wide ranging conversation dives deep into how humor, spite, and creativity built one of the internet’s most enduring web comics.

Aaron shares the true origin story of Effin Birds, including the infamous rejection that turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to him. He opens up about growing up on CBC sketch comedy, his love of absurd humor, and how early pranks, school newspapers, and baseball fandom shaped his creative voice.

Listeners will hear behind the scenes stories from Comic Cons, including shadow puppets, deli stickers, cosplay adventures, and why San Diego Comic Con is both a nightmare and a financial necessity. Aaron also talks candidly about publishing struggles, algorithm burnout, crowdfunding books, and how he keeps a daily comic fresh nearly ten years in.

Episode Highlights

• How Effin Birds went from rejected pitch to global phenomenon

• Growing up on Canadian comedy like Wayne and Shuster, Kids in the Hall, and Red Green

• Comic Con antics, shadow puppet zones, and why being weird works

• The realities of making a living as a web cartoonist in the algorithm era

• Crowdfunding books, publisher collapses, and taking control of your work

• Upcoming Effin Birds projects including sticker books, affirmation decks, and an oracle deck

If you love comics, comedy, creative careers, or stories about turning rejection into momentum, this episode is for you. Effin' Birds 2026 Calendar - https://amzn.to/4jnm19a Effin' Birds 2026 Day to Day Calendar - https://amzn.to/4jnm19a Effin' Birds Website - https://effinbirds.com/

In this episode of Epic Realms, we sit down with game designer Rodney Thompson for an in depth conversation about his journey through tabletop roleplaying games, board games, and video game design. Rodney shares how his early love of Dungeons and Dragons and the West End Games Star Wars RPG shaped his creative path, from college gaming marathons to building homebrew content that eventually opened the door to professional game design.

We explore Rodney’s time at Wizards of the Coast, including his work on the Star Wars Saga Edition RPG and how lessons from D20 Modern and early fourth edition ideas influenced its structure. Rodney reflects on what worked, what he would change today, and why supporting game masters with strong tools is critical to a game’s longevity.

The conversation also dives into Rodney’s role as a sandbox designer in video games, including his work at Bungie on Destiny. He explains what sandbox design means in both tabletop and video games, how player experience and emotional fantasy drive design decisions, and why iteration and playtesting matter so much across mediums.

We also discuss the transition from roleplaying games to board games with Lords of Waterdeep, the lessons learned from physical components and resource management, and how those ideas feed back into RPG design. Finally, Rodney talks about Scratchpad Publishing and his latest tabletop RPG, Neon City Outlaws, a cyberpunk heist and rebellion game that lets players build their city as they play, complete with faction politics, revolution mechanics, and body swapping technology.

This episode is a thoughtful look at storytelling through games, creative evolution, and what it means to design experiences that bring people together at the table. Check out Scratchpad Publishing here - https://scratchpadpublishing.com