Best Andy Mangold Podcasts (2025)

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Episode 1637 - Jessica Kirson 1:29:50

9h ago1:29:50

1:29:50

Jessica Kirson was a guest on WTF six years ago, when she talked with Marc about her start in comedy and her personal background. This time, she came back just to hang out and have some laughs. And for Marc at this exact moment in time, it was much needed and greatly appreciated. They talk about Jessica’s new special, I’m the Man, their experiences…

1
Boston Cube Party Two and Sacred Geometry First Impressions 1:18:22

6d ago1:18:22

1:18:22

View all cards mentioned in this episode As they continue to attend more and more local, grassroots Cube events, Andy and Anthony find themselves asking: do people like these ‘tournament report’ episodes? They try to talk through their drafts at Boston Cube Party Two more quickly, but it still takes almost an hour to get through them. The episode c…

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Episode 1636 - Liza Treyger 1:32:16

4d ago1:32:16

1:32:16

Comedian Liza Treyger is frequently mystified by human behavior. Why are people so mean when leaving internet comments? Why do adults continuously repeat the patterns of children? Why are friendships so hard to maintain later in life? She asks these questions as a sociology major but also as a comic, and was recently able to explore these ideas in …

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Episode 1635 - Jillian Bell 1:28:05

8d ago1:28:05

1:28:05

Jillian Bell’s history of anxiety goes back to when she was a baby and would hold her breath until she passed out. But she didn’t let panic attacks stand in the way of her dream to get hired at SNL or her desire to become a working comedic actor. And as Jillian tells Marc, she definitely wasn’t going to let anything stop her from becoming a directo…

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The Barash Files 005 — Playtesting and Cube Feedback 1:12:26

13d ago1:12:26

1:12:26

View all cards mentioned in this episode In the final installment of ”The Barash Files” (at least for now!), Zach — game designer at Wizards of the Coast — talks with Andy and Anthony about playtesting. The three talk about how they approach getting feedback on their specific different environments and how they use that information. Discussed in th…

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Episode 1634 - Ryan Coogler 1:30:03

12d ago1:30:03

1:30:03

As a writer and director, Ryan Coogler is drawn to stories about identity. He made Fruitvale Station to confront his own thoughts and fears about being a Black man in America. He made Creed as an extension of the dynamic he has with his dad. He made Black Panther while conscious of the impact it would have on a global community. Ryan and Marc talk …

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Episode 1633 - Gavin Matts 1:18:47

17d ago1:18:47

1:18:47

By all accounts, Gavin Matts has carved a successful path for himself as a comedian, actor and writer at the young age of 30. But he can’t shake the feeling that he came into show business at the tail end and he’s mourning the possibilities that no longer seem as attainable as they once were. Gavin and Marc talk about the changes in the world of co…

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The ↑↑↓↓←→←→ABCs of Combo 1:06:18

20d ago1:06:18

1:06:18

View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony talk all things “combo”. After talking about both aggro and control on the show, they finally get around to this sometimes divisive part of the Magic landscape. They try to come up with a working definition of combo strategies, talk about their own history with it as players and cube designe…

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Episode 1632 - Peter Weller 1:38:59

20d ago1:38:59

1:38:59

Peter Weller knows that most people think of him as RoboCop. But he also knows that when they approach him to talk about RoboCop, it’s his opportunity to talk to them about art, jazz, theater and many other areas that are not merely hobbies for him, but actual artistic pursuits. Peter tells Marc why he got his Ph.D. in Italian Renaissance Art Histo…

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Episode 1631 - Lynne Margulies 1:15:46

24d ago1:15:46

1:15:46

When Lynne Margulies was 25 years old, she met Andy Kaufman on the set of the film My Breakfast with Blassie. Two years later, just shortly before he died, Andy made Lynne promise she would keep his work alive. With the release of the new documentary Thank You Very Much, Lynne talks with Marc about fulfilling that promise over the decades by showca…

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Judge Bones Teaches You How To Organize Your Own Grassroots Cube Event 1:14:57

27d ago1:14:57

1:14:57

View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony are joined by Judge Bones. As mid-sized Cube events have flourished, Bones has spearheaded the task of judging and carried valuable lessons over from event to event. Hot on the heels of The Salt Box in Baltimore, the three talk about Bones’ history with Cube and what it takes to host and jud…

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Episode 1630 - Delroy Lindo 1:24:35

27d ago1:24:35

1:24:35

Delroy Lindo can take pride in many accomplishments - his family, his career, his educational - while being aware that he’s still in the process of finding himself. Delroy and Marc, despite their differences, find it easy to relate to each other over that lifelong journey of self-discovery, which for Delroy included the decision to go back to schoo…

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Episode 1629 - Modi Rosenfeld 1:21:59

1M ago1:21:59

1:21:59

Some comedians think of comedy as a higher calling, but Modi Rosenfeld knows exactly where the call came from. He points to a story of two comedians in the Talmud, men who gave cheer to those who were depressed and who made peace between those who were at war. Modi and Marc talk about this lofty purpose and how comedy is rooted in not only Jewish s…

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The Salt Box Tournament Report 1:37:48

1M ago1:37:48

1:37:48

View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy, Anthony, and Patrick report on their experience at Baltimore’s first mid-sized Cube event: The Salt Box. Following the pattern of other regional events, the tournament featured multiple drafts of Cubes from the local area, organized by ranked choice selection. The three of them talk through the decks t…

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Episode 1628 - Nick Thune 1:26:20

1M ago1:26:20

1:26:20

Nick Thune is a comic Marc is always happy to welcome back on the show. But this time, it’s very fortunate that Nick is able to join Marc in the garage at all because there was a time in which he spiraled into alcoholism and almost didn’t survive. With a new comedy special released and his sobriety holding strong, Nick tells Marc what happened sinc…

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Episode 1627 - Chris Fleming 1:33:48

1M ago1:33:48

1:33:48

Unlike many comedian guests on WTF, Chris Fleming had a lot of support and encouragement from his family when it came to pursuing a career in comedy. In fact, it was his mother who got him started at open mics. Chris talks with Marc about how he embraces being both inclusive and avant-garde, building a loyal audience but also being accessible to ne…

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Aetherdrift Cube Set Review 1:40:18

1M ago1:40:18

1:40:18

View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy, Anthony, and Parker talk about Aetherdrift and peripheral sets. They review the results of the Cube community survey where Cube designers submit the cards they’re giving a shot in their cubes and how highly they rate them. They also give their own overall impressions of the set in this single-episode r…

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Episode 1626 - Jane Marie 1:21:41

1M ago1:21:41

1:21:41

Jane Marie’s early life in Michigan didn’t necessarily put her on the glide path to the future world of podcasting, but an internship at This American Life gave her a crash course in the type of journalism that allowed her to create The Dream podcast. Jane talks with Marc about the subject matter of The Dream’s past seasons, including pyramid schem…

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Episode 1625 - Mike Elias 1:21:17

2M ago1:21:17

1:21:17

When Mike Elias wanted to learn the guitar, his dad told him he had to teach himself. Mike took that rule and ran with it for the rest of his life, teaching himself everything from sewing to metal fabrication to fashion design, which he deployed when he founded Ship John Leather and Canvas in Portland, Oregon, and created one of the most sought aft…

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The Barash Files 004 — Building Skill vs. Building Community and Learning from Your Mistakes 1:21:06

2M ago1:21:06

1:21:06

View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy, Anthony, and Zach talk about improving as a Magic player, building a community and how they try to balance the two. They talk about the challenges of fostering positive social standards and how that can conflict with trying to improve at a competitive game. Discussed in this episode: The Null Hypothesi…

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Episode 1624 - W. Kamau Bell 1:23:39

2M ago1:23:39

1:23:39

W. Kamau Bell and Marc are similar comedians in that neither of them will ignore the current political environment in their acts. Kamau and Marc talk about how that’s shaping up today versus how it was during the first Trump administration and what they each feel about the balance between civic responsibility and entertainment. They also talk about…

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Episode 1623 - Will Oldham 1:21:20

2M ago1:21:20

1:21:20

Prolific singer-songwriter Will Oldham has been able to maintain what Marc calls “a haunting and elated tone” over the course of his career, whether in his collaborations with other artists or under the name Bonnie “Prince” Billy. Will talks with Marc about how his music stems from the example of his artist mother, records checked out of the librar…

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Mindbreak Trap Forgives All Sins with Julien Henry 1:31:57

2M ago1:31:57

1:31:57

View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony are joined by Julien from their local playgroup, fresh off the pro-tour, to offer his expert advice on an important topic: updating the Turbo Cube. In Anthony’s novelty cube, the rules are modified so all spells and activated abilities cost Discussed in this episode: The Turbo Cube Cube Even…

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Episode 1622 - Don Johnson 1:17:27

2M ago1:17:27

1:17:27

Don Johnson’s life took him far from where he thought it was going growing up in Missouri and Kansas. But at this point, he’s confident that nearly everything he knows in life he learned from the women in it. Don talks with Marc about his wild days in San Francisco and LA, how he handled his sudden fame from Miami Vice, his friendship with Hunter S…

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Episode 1621 - Chris Hayes 1:20:21

2M ago1:20:21

1:20:21

When Chris Hayes was last on the show almost ten years ago, it was a much different world. Barack Obama had just recently been in the garage and Donald Trump had just declared his candidacy for President. Making sense of that changing world is what Chris does nightly on MSNBC, but he’s also written a new book about our changing brains. Chris and Ma…

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Our Favorite Cards from 2024 1:00:06

2M ago1:00:06

1:00:06

View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony talk about their favorite cards from the last year. They each go through their top favorite unique cards or cycles discussing their impact on their own cubes, cubes they’ve been playing, or their future potential for the format. Discussed in this episode: Aetherdrift and Aetherdrift Commande…

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Episode 1620 - Carrie Coon 1:36:40

2M ago1:36:40

1:36:40

As someone from a working class Ohio family, Carrie Coon didn’t think much about acting as a plausible career path. But her post-college work in regional theater led her to Steppenwolf in Chicago, which in turn led her to Broadway, and ultimately to a Hollywood career. Carrie and Marc talk about her first movie being being a baptism by David Finche…

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Episode 1619 - Mo Amer 1:19:29

2M ago1:19:29

1:19:29

Mo Amer was new to America when he was nine years old and his brother took him to see his first standup show. From that point on, he knew what he wanted to do with his life. Then at age 17, he took advice that helped him map out his entire career. Mo talks with Marc about his love for Houston, its diversity, and its comedy scene. He also explains h…

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Aesthetic Values and Style in Cube Design 1:07:07

2M ago1:07:07

1:07:07

View all cards mentioned in this episode Inspired by two standards of beauty from different cultures — the Japanese Wabi-Sabi and the Italian Sprezzatura — Andy and Anthony are talking about a seemingly mundane card choice in 100 Ornithopters and how that reflects on the aesthetic values that are informally codified in cube design. Discussed in thi…

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Episode 1618 - Brady Corbet 1:26:06

2M ago1:26:06

1:26:06

Brady Corbet spent years in front of the camera until he resigned from the job of actor. The new career he took up, that of filmmaker, has led to ten Oscar nominations for his newest movie The Brutalist. Brady talks with Marc about what made him devote eight years of his life to this epic exploration of the male ego. They also talk about the econom…

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Episode 1617 - James Mangold 1:46:24

2M ago1:46:24

1:46:24

James Mangold writes and directs films across multiple genres, but the one style he uses as a prism for so much of his work is the American Western. James and Marc talk about how A Complete Unknown fits into the Western mold and why the placement of the camera was of utmost importance in telling this specific story about Bob Dylan. James also expla…

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Vintage Cube Sucks 1:01:10

3M ago1:01:10

1:01:10

View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony talk about why they think Vintage Cube sucks. Riddled with unintelligibly complicated cards, self-solving puzzles, and value generating haymakers that take no investment or strategy to maximize, it’s not our hosts’ favorite kind of Cube. Discussed in this episode: Aetherdrift and Aetherdrift…

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Episode 1616 - Ariana Grande 1:20:36

3M ago1:20:36

1:20:36

Ariana Grande can link one song to her entire life as a performer, from her childhood days singing for her grandpa to her life as a global pop superstar to her performance as Galinda in Wicked. That song is Over the Rainbow. Ariana talks with Marc about the constant presence of music in her life, how she developed her songwriting process, why she s…

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Episode 1615 - Demi Moore 1:20:14

3M ago1:20:14

1:20:14

Demi Moore has been a searcher since she was a kid, with intense interest throughout her life in things like spiritualism, psychology and, of course, acting. Demi talks with Marc about how she never stopped searching for herself, from her difficult upbringing through her entry into Hollywood and even during the peak of her global fame, and how this…

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Debriefing Vertex Philadelphia & 100 Ornithopters Unite 1:16:37

3M ago1:16:37

1:16:37

View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony recap Magic events they participated in this week. First, Anthony talks through his experience at Vertex Philadelphia, a ~100 person Cube tournament. Anthony had another solid run in his drafts, and the event was the first time his new Broadcast Shuffling method was tried at scale to reasona…

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Episode 1614 - Ke Huy Quan 1:21:38

3M ago1:21:38

1:21:38

Ke Huy Quan’s remarkable Hollywood story continues to add more storybook chapters. From coming to America as a refugee to his global stardom as a child actor to leaving acting behind for several decades to a comeback that earned him an Oscar. Now he follows that up with his name above the title of a new action comedy, Love Hurts. Ke tells Marc how …

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Episode 1613 - Noah Wyle 1:19:13

3M ago1:19:13

1:19:13

Noah Wyle spent 11 seasons in a fictional medical environment on the show ER. So what made him want to return to a trauma ward setting for his new series The Pitt? Noah tells Marc the reason, which had a lot to do with what he heard from real doctors, as well as why it’s meaningful for him, as a third generation Los Angeleno, to shoot the show in L…

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The Barash Files 003 — Reflections on Cube Drafts Past 1:21:12

3M ago1:21:12

1:21:12

View all cards mentioned in this episode On the third installment of The Barash Files, Zach shares stories from his drafts of some of Andy and Anthony’s cubes over the last few years. He shares insights into how he approaches them as a player, and how effectively they deliver on their stated goals. Discussed in this episode: Drafting the Bun Magic …

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Episode 1612 - Erin Brockovich 1:13:56

3M ago1:13:56

1:13:56

A lot of people know Erin Brockovich’s story thanks to the movie based on her legal work in a groundwater contamination case. But the story that really guided her life is one central to her Kansas roots: The Wizard of Oz. Recorded while the worst of the LA wildfires were still raging, Erin talked with Marc about the lessons she took not just from f…

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Episode 1611 - Sophie Buddle 1:21:22

3M ago1:21:22

1:21:22

Sophie Buddle is living in LA and doing comedy all around the United States, but since she spent most of her life in Canada, she’s in a unique vantage point to give Marc the lowdown about the country to the north that he might one day call home. Sophie and Marc also talk about go bags, crisis management, work visas, crowd work, monologue writing, a…

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Using the Foundations Starter Collection as the Base for Your Own Cube — with Carmen Klomparens 1:19:00

3M ago1:19:00

1:19:00

View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony talk with Carmen Klomparens, lead designer of the Foundations Starter Collection, about the set and how it’s a great option for new Cube players looking for a starting point. They talk about what’s in the set, how and how it was designed, and then each offer ideas and specific cards they’d a…

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Episode 1610 - Bill Burr 1:21:09

3M ago1:21:09

1:21:09

Bill Burr is trying to put things to bed. Whether it’s the anger he’s held onto throughout his life, or the sadness from he’s uncovered from his childhood, or even his old tensions with Marc, Bill’s been working to move on from the past. Bill and Marc talk about reaching the age where it’s time to put up or shut up, staying calm during chaotic mome…

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Episode 1609 - Mo Welch 1:21:14

3M ago1:21:14

1:21:14

After evacuating her home and consoling family members who lost their house in the LA fires, comedian Mo Welch acknowledges that she’s visiting Marc’s garage while still somewhere on the trauma spectrum. But she’s not a stranger to that spectrum, nor to processing it, having just made a standup special that’s also a documentary about meeting her es…

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Changing Patterns in Magic R&D 1:05:35

3M ago1:05:35

1:05:35

View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony talk about changes to the design of Magic cards over the years: including some overt changes like “snap on equipment” and more subtle differences in how attack triggers are worded they feel would have been done differently in the past. They talk about how each changes the texture and focus o…

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Episode 1608 - Richard Gadd 1:18:24

3M ago1:18:24

1:18:24

Richard Gadd created the Netflix series Baby Reindeer as a way to work through traumatic events in his life that were hard to process. But it became equally difficult to process the runaway success of the show and the impact it had on his life. Richard talks with Marc about how his early days doing standup in the UK and writing stage shows for hims…

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Episode 1607 - Mike Leigh 1:18:45

4M ago1:18:45

1:18:45

Mike Leigh’s films are known for their observant depictions of the working class, their tragicomic tones, and their improvisational construction. But there are some misconceptions about his work that Mike would like to clear up. He does so while talking with Marc about his life-changing introduction to foreign films, his method of collaboration wit…

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The Barash Files 002 — On Terminology, Communication, and Community 1:25:15

4M ago1:25:15

1:25:15

View all cards mentioned in this episode In the second installment of “The Barash Files”, Andy, Anthony, and Zach talk about Cube terminology. They talk about how the language we use effects that kinds of conversations we have which in turn effect the kinds of communities we build. New terminology can enable talking more efficiently about concepts …

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Episode 1606 - Adrien Brody 1:25:36

4M ago1:25:36

1:25:36

Adrien Brody does a lot of research for his roles, but his performance in the new movie The Brutalist was shaped largely by his family’s immigrant experience and it aligned with his desire to play characters who are outsiders. Adrien also talks with Marc about becoming the youngest winner of the Best Actor Oscar for The Pianist and how it was a lit…

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Episode 1605 - Ask Marc Anything: A Full Maron Special Presentation 1:15:40

4M ago1:15:40

1:15:40

Marc’s been answering listener questions on the Fulll Maron bonus feed for two and a half years. This is a collection of Marc’s answers from across the first 18 installments of the Ask Marc Anything bonus series. It’s like Marc is the guest and the listeners are interviewing him. He gets into questions about Adam Sandler, Taylor Swift, Jon Stewart,…

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Always Be Cubing — 2024 in Review 1:29:05

4M ago1:29:05

1:29:05

View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony close out 2024 reflecting on their year in Magic. This year Magic’s new direction as a product driven primarily by marketing goals fueled with cheap gimmicks and cross branding feels solidified. Our hosts talk, kind of briefly, on how their relationships to the game have changed because of t…

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