Amusement Sparks

New Hashima Cyberpunk Collaborative LEGO Build

This episode, Andrew got to interview Stefan Formentano, originator of the amazing New Hashima Collab! With over 80 contributors, from 7 countries, this enormous LEGO build is truly a spectacular example of Cyberpunk! Stefan's Instagram New Hashima's Instagram New Hashima's Merch Beyond the Brick YouTube Coverage

GiantLands: Introducing Penny Williams

Penny has been a pioneer for women in the gaming space for decades, having worked professionally at TSR and Wizards of the Coast. She's also a lifelong educator AND the direct inspiration for a Marvel Comics Character! In this episode we explore her fascinating entrance into gaming and her continuing legacy!

Road Trip: Deconstructed Theme Park

GiantLands: Who Will You Become?

Stephen Dinehart returns to give an update on GiantLands now that the boxed product has shipped! We discuss the power of play, identity in games and reality, and evolving through failure.

Infomercials Theme Park

Alan Denton returns to the show to create a truly next-level theme park. On this episode, we question the ethics of Willy Wonka's tour, design a Haunted House that uses The Clapper for lighting, and ask "How is Scrub Daddy a daddy if he’s just a face?"  

JojoLands: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Theme Park

David and Jordan from Shonen Flop join the podcast to brainstorm a Jojo's Theme Park! Music: 10:43 ジョジョ その血の記憶〜END OF THE WORLD--JO☆STARS 〜TOMMY,Coda,JIN〜 20:34 Bloody Stream--Coda 25:34 Roundabout--Yes 27:44 I Want You--Savage Garden  30:17 Fighting Gold English Ver.--Coda 35:10 Uragirimonono Requiem - Diavolo Ver.--Yugo Kanno  38:37 CRAZY NOISY BIZARRE TOWN--THE DU

Saga Theme Park

The Saga Theme Park is here! John and Noah from the Horns & Wings Podcast join the show to turn one of the best comic series of all time into a terrifying theme park!

Themed Restaurants, Bars, & Cafes

Buddy Duquesne from Those Happy Places returns to the show to focus on Themed Restaurants, Bars, & Cafes! This episode is a spotlight on the impact a little bit of magic can have. Enjoy 😁  

Playstation 4

Sam Wright from SamVersusSam returns to the show to design a PS4 theme park!   13:31 Bloodborne--SIE Sound Team (from Bloodborne) 35:07 A Thief's End--Henry Jackman (from Uncharted 4)  50:51 Second Son--Marc Canham (from inFAMOUS: Second Son) 57:13 Beyond Desolation--Gustavo Santaolalla (from The Last of Us Part II) 1:04:28 Valkeries--Bear McCreary (from God of War)

X-Men Theme Park

Peter from The Test Reel returns to the show after over 4 years! Together we brainstorm an immersive theme park around one of Marvel's most vibrant franchises.   7:19 X-Men--Henry Jackman (From X-MEN: FIRST CLASS) 13:04 X-Men Animated Series Theme Song--Shuki Levi & Haim Saban 31:10 Logan Throught Time--Harry Gregson-Williams (From X-Men Origins: Wolverine) 46:12 Suite from X2--John Ottman (From X2: X-Men United)

Adventure Time Theme Park

Nate Murray from The Get a Little Weird Podcast joins the show! We're both big time fans of Adventure Time and brainstorming an Adventure Time Theme Park was a blast.   Music:  12:38 Adventure Time Main Title--Adventure Time feat. Pendleton Ward 30:06 Remember You--Adventure Time feat. Olivia Olson & Tom Kenny 45:25 Secret Room--Adventure Time 50:28 Oh Fionn--Adventure Time feat. Neil Patrick Harris & Madeleine Martin 1:02:20 Party With the Chief--Adventure Time  1:07:30 Susan Strong-...

Underworld Land

Nathan K returns to the podcast to design a heck-based theme park!   Trigger warnings:   Religious imagery Violence Death   Music featured in this episode: 10:39 Disco Inferno--The Trammps 25:57 Bad Believer--St. Vincent 32:25 (Don’t Fear) The Reaper--Blue Oyster Cult 43:25 Runnin with the Devil--the bird and the bee 55:42 You’re Sweet Six Six Six--HIM 1:03:17 They Warned Me--Okilly Dokilly 1:15:16 Depth of Satan’s Eyes--Ghost

Made in Abyss Theme Park

Joe from Brave World Anime returns to the podcast, this time bringing the amazing horror/adventure anime Made in Abyss! This episode was recorded live at Wasabi Con Online 2020.   All songs are from the Made in Abyss Soundtrack by Kevin Penkin   6:52 To the Abyss 22:57 Those Everyday Feels 31:41 Prayer and Immolation 43:15 Walking in the Streets 

Interview with Matt Alt, author of Pure Invention: How Japan’s Pop Culture Conquered the World

If you're into Japan, pop culture, or the power of products, you should read Pure Invention! This episode is a discussion with the author that covers those topics and more.   Check out Pure Invention at your favorite local book store!

The Merchandise Episode

  nic robes returns to the show to celebrate and discuss merch! Music featured in this episode: 10:00 Souvenir--Johnnyswim  19:22 The Merchandise--David Nance 32:55 Getting the Bills But No Merchandise--Clarence Carter 49:00 The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and His Magical Bag of Riffs (L’apprenti Sorcier)--The Halloween Machine  54:16 A Day in the Life--The Beatles

Dragon Age Theme Park

Ben from The Cartoncast, The Watchtower, and The Lost Omens Podcast returns to the show! On this episode, we brainstormed a theme park around the immersive fantasy RPG series, Dragon Age. Recorded live at RPG Alliance Con 2020. Music Featured in this Episode: 16:54 Dragon Age: Origins -- Inon Zur  35:15 Destiny of Love -- Oliva Orr  47:02 Blightlands -- Inon Zur  1:02:27 Dragon Age Inquisition Theme -- Trevor Morris

GiantLands: Introducing Larry Elmore

Acclaimed fantasy painter Larry Elmore is here! In this interview, Larry shares his experiences, perspective, and insights into his career.   Check out GiantLands on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Atlantis and Treasure Planet

Alice White and Buddy Duquesne from Those Happy Places join to design a theme park for Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Treasure Planet!   Music featured in this episode: 9:34 12 Years Later -- James Newton Howard 22:20 I’m Still Here (Jim's Theme) -- John Rzeznik  54:02 The Leviathan -- James Newton Howard 1:12:16 Atlantis -- James Newton Howard   Social Media Links: Alice White Buddy Duquesne Those Happy Places Rogue Fun   TERU Academy: Instagram Twitter Facebook   Amusement...

WWE Theme Park

Sam Wright (Twitter, YouTube) returns to the program to brainstorm a WWE theme park!   Even tho it's wrestling, there's still some good music on this episode: 17:50 The Time is Now (John Cena)--WWE, John Cena, Tha Trademarc 24:13 WWE: I Won’t Do What You Tell Me (Stone Cold)--WWE, Jim Johnston 39:12 If You Smell…? (The Rock)--WWE, Jim Johnston 40:49 Real American (Hulk Hogan)--Rick Derringer 50:20 The Rising (Seth Rollins)--WWE, def rebel   1:00:22 Phenomenal (AJ Styles)--WWE, CFO$ 1...

Final Fantasy XIV Theme Park

Victoria Jeon brings the amazing MMORPG, Final Fantasy XIV to Amusement Sparks! Music featured in this episode: 3:15 Solid (from Heavensward) -- Masayoshi Soken 19:45 Black and White (from Heavensward) -- Masayoshi Soken 51:07 Freefall (from THE FAR EDGE OF FATE) -- Masayoshi Soken 59:45 Grounded (from THE FAR EDGE OF FATE) -- Masayoshi Soken 1:05:14 Magicked Skulls (from STORMBLOOD) -- Masayoshi Soken

Over the Garden Wall

Over the Garden Wall gets the Amusement Sparks treatment! Shout out to Justine and Larisa from Starship Therapise for all the design work and excellent conversation. Check out their podcast and book coming out in May! Preorder here :)  All links can be found here! Music used in this episode: 9:37 Adelaide Parade--The Blasting Company 23:39 Old North Wind--The Blasting Company  29:55 Potatoes & Molasses--The Blasting Company  31:30 Ms Langtree’s Lament--The Blasting Company 42:05 Like S...

Ace Attorney Theme Park

Maddie Copp (@othatsraspberry) joins to design an Ace Attorney Theme Park! The Law has never been so fun!! Music in this episode: 12:03 Time For a Great Turnabout--Capcom Sound Team (From The Great Ace Attorney: The Adventure of Ryūnosuke Naruhodō)  15:35 Reasoning Battle: Behind the Scenes (Partners Story)--Yasumasa Kitagawa (From The Great Ace Attorney 2: The Resolve of Ryūnosuke Naruhodō)  25:14 Adventure’s Prelude--Capcom Sound Team (From The Great Ace Attorney: The Adventure of Ryūno...

Wes Anderson Theme Park

The one and only Alan Denton joins for a quaint and quirky journey through the Wes Anderson oeuvre as we weave together a dream theme park!   Music in this episode: 4:09 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard--Paul Simon (From The Royal Tenenbaums) 15:40 The Way I Feel Inside--The Zombies (From The Life Aquatic) 31:26 Hardest Geometry Problem in the World--Mark Mothersbaugh (From Rushmore) 37:55 These Days--Nico (from The Royal Tenenbaums)  50:35 Staralfur--Sigur Ros (From The Life Aquati...

Tokusatsu: The Japanese Special Effects Theme Park!

Kihp from Kamen Ride With Me joins to design our Tokusatsu Theme Park! Tokusatsu is a Japanese term for special effects--this tree of genres includes basically anything with a lot of special effects, from Godzilla to Power Rangers and far beyond. This episode is ideal for fans of kaiju, action figures, and giant robots.   Music: 9:52 Destroy All Monsters--Akira Ikufube 19:46 Zordon Awakes--Brian Tyler 35:23 Susume! Gorenger--Isao Sasaki, Mitsuko Horie 45:08 Go Go Power Rangers--Ron Wass...

GiantLands: Introducing Ernie Gygax

Andrew got the chance to meet Ernie Gygax (Creative Supervisor of GiantLands) to discuss his lifelong connection with "old school" RPGs. Ernie is a delight and has TONS of great stories about Dungeons & Dragons and how it's evolved over the decades. Enjoy!

4 Year Anniversary Episode!

4 years ago today was the debut of our first episode 😍 This special episode is a little update on the show and a reflection on the show so far! We've also recently hit our 50 guest milestone!

Horror Theme Park feat. Scream Scene

Ben and Sarah from the Scream Scene podcast join the show! Together, we imagine an immersive Horror Theme Park. This is an all ages show, but in this episode, we definitely reference movies that are not for all ages. Happy Halloween!   Check out the Scream Scene Patreon if you like their show!   Music featured in this Halloween episode: 0:00 Amusement Sparks Original Theme. Andrew Spohn. 9:43 Creepshow. Prologue/Main Title. John Harrison 26:23 Halloween. Laurie's Theme. John Carpenter ...

Universal Monsters Theme Park

Zack Sokol joins to design a Universal Monsters Theme Park!   Here are the songs featured on today's episode: 9:24 Toccata and Fugue in D Minor -- Johann Sebastian Bach 16:15 Imhotep -- Jerry Goldsmith 17:42 Swan Theme -- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 33:10 Vampire Hunters -- Wojciech Kilar 46:15  Bela’s Funeral -- Hans J. Salter & Frank Skinner 55:30 Two Hours to Live -- Hans J. Salter & Frank Skinner 1:03:17 The Creature from the Black Lagoon -- Hans J. Salter 1:07:07 Bloody Tears -- K...

1980s Theme Park

Jonathan Anslow from Geeks Like Us joins to celebrate one of the most iconic decades!    Featured Music: 10:10 Eurythmics--Sweet Dreams  12:33 Simple Minds--Don’t You Forget About Me  14:50 Bon Jovi--Livin’ On A Prayer  35:00 Audio Two--Top Billin’ 39:15 Whitney Houston--I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)   40:55 Survivor--Eye of the Tiger  47:15 Cyndi Lauper--Time After Time 51:05 Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five--The Message Annie Lennox--Walking on Broken Glass  1:0...

Doctor Who Theme Park

The amazing and long-running time travel series gets the Amusement Sparks treatment! Gavin Verhey, Senior Designer of Magic: The Gathering, brings his passion and love for theme parks into this fantastic episode!

Berlin Theme Park

Berlin, the capital city of Germany inspires a podcast! This episode features Cody Swanson of the WeeklyEP Podcast. Hopefully you're into the German music featured in this episode! Music 14:27 RIN--DAS RENNEN 40:45 Mark Forster--Ubermorgen 54:02 Paul van Dyk--Duality 1:05:12 Joachim Kuhn--Crystal Ship 1:27:06 MAXIM--Automat 1:29:55 LEA--Okay

The Beatles Theme Park feat. Gary Lane

The Beatles inspire us to create a theme park! Thanks to Gary Lane (Instagram: @therealgarylane) for guesting on this episode!

Black Lives Matter feat. Sam Wright & Godswill Ugwa Jr.

Our most important episode is here! This is a thoughtful, optimistic, and wide ranging discussion about Black Lives Matter and our culture featuring Godswill Ugwa Jr. (Twitter) and Sam Wright (YouTube). Music in this episode: Keep it Real—KarpaBeats Wake Up Everybody—Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes I Can’t Breathe--H.E.R. A Change is Gonna Come—Sam Cooke Freedom—Beyonce   Follow Amusement Sparks on social media--let's have some conversations!  Facebook Twitter Instagram  

The Future of Theme Parks After COVID 19

Stephen Dinehart IV returns to discuss how our current pandemic will impact the future of themed entertainment. It's a different type of episode, but it is definitely a time for a big change though the industry!    

Donkey Kong Country

Nathan K joins to design a Donkey Kong Theme Park! Check out his podcasts at Secret Room Multimedia!  

Frozen Theme Park feat. Briana Joy

Briana Joy, frequent guest on Silph Radio, guests on Amusement Sparks! Frozen gets the full immersive theme park treatment!  

GiantLands Episode 5: Species & Gender

Stephen Dinehart and Andrew discuss Species & Gender in tabletop RPGs and GiantLands!

Metal Gear: Tactical Theme Park Action

Sam Wright of Metal Gear Mondays (website, twitter) joins to design our Tactical Espionage Action Theme Park!

GiantLands: Introducing James M. Ward

Jim Ward is a game designer, fantasy author, and design partner on GiantLands. He is also a really fun guy! On this episode, Jim and Andrew discuss Jim's early days at TSR and what he loves about GiantLands!

Hyrule: The Legend of Zelda Theme Park (feat. @VideoGameDoc)

Dr. Anthony Bean joins Andrew to design a next generation, interactive, and immersive Legend of Zelda Theme Park!   Check out his: Twitter (https://twitter.com/VideoGameDoc) Website (https://anthonymbean.com/) Geek Therapy Training (https://www.geektherapytraining.com/)    

Chiptune Theme Park feat. @cheapshot James York

@cheapshot from the CheapBeats record label joins the podcast to design a Chiptune Theme Park! Join the process of turning this incredible music aesthetic into a visual world to explore. This episode features a lot of music, check the transcript for track titles. Oh yeah, we have transcripts now--on AmusementSparks.com! Check out James' record label: cheapbeats.net Transcript and other goodies: amusementsparks.com Member of the FancyBat Podcast Collective Episode Transcript: ChiptuneThe...

The Fast and the Furious Theme Park feat. nic robes

High five! nic brings us another groundbreaking and pulse-pounding theme park concept. Always great having this guy on the show, and this episode is a ton of fun!

Super Mario Theme Park

What if the Super Mario universe was turned into a theme park? One without the limitations of budget, functionality, or tradition? Strap into the rainbow road transit as we brainstorm our dream Super Mario Theme Park! Today's guest is Jeff Ryan, author of Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America and A Mouse Divided. Amusement Sparks is a member of the FancyBat Podcast Collective.

Kickstarter GiantLands Podcast Episode 3

GiantLands Kickstarter Live Now! Ends 12/13/2019 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dinehart/giantlands-limited-edition-boxed-set On this episode, Stephen and Andrew discuss: Kickstarter Early Dungeons & Dragons Creative Portfolios Working with Legends Rapid Prototyping Making Videos Grognards vs. Creatives: Different Play Styles. The Transition from Wargaming to Role Playing

Avatar The Last Airbender feat. Hey Listen Games

  Zack Hartzman from @heylistengames_ (heylistengames.org) joins to create a theme park based on Nickelodeon's Avatar series. This theme park has a very unique structure that represents the different cultures from the nations in the series.

Infinite Games GiantLands Episode 2 feat. @sedart4

Fate, free will, or physics? Rebirth. Social connections in gaming. Finite and Infinite Games.

Uncharted Territory feat. @johnathonoscar

The incredible action/adventure video game series serves as inspiration for this theme park. @johnathonoscar, codesigner of our Portal and Bioshock them parks, joins to create this super fun concept. Check out his YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNYEjr7GR70REmtQ82Kp_XQ) and Podcast (https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/anchor-podcasts/horns-wings-an-issuebyissue-saga-podcast) Enjoy!

Introducing The GiantLands Podcast

Andrew Spohn and Stephen Dinehart begin a discussion on GiantLands, a new role-playing game (and upcoming park) created by Stephen and James M. Ward. Let us know what you think!

Meeple Kingdom: The Board Game Theme Park

Dustin Staats of the Board Gaming with Education Podcast joins to design a theme park based on tabletop games including board, card, miniatures, and more!

Kyoto Animation KyoAniLand feat. Brave World Anime

Joe from Brave World Anime joins to help design a theme park that incorporates all of Kyoto Animation's works!