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In this episode, the Parentacons talk about their experiences dealing with deaths in the family, how they’ve experienced it, and how each of them approached the topic with their kids.  You’ll get a look into one of the most challenging aspects of parenting. It’s something that every parent will eventually have to do… but no one is ever prepared to do it no matter how old, or experienced we are with it.  All the experts in the world could give you their opinions.  You could study and read up on it.  Yet, when faced with it, you might freeze, or say something that confuses you… and your kids even more. Let's be honest. I's hard to talk with your kids about death. We’ve included some resources to provide context for the discussion: Be Honest and Concrete (NPR) How to Talk to Children About Death (Fatherly) ——— We are The Parentacons.  Three dads, all BIG geeks, sharing stories from our lives as parents, as geeks, and our eternal quest to bridge the two worlds.  Join our journey anywhere you get your podcasts, and check out all of our content on our website.  www.parentacons.comHave your own thoughts or experience to share? We want to hear it! Email us at dadbot@parentacons.com, and maybe we'll have you on the show! Thanks for listening, we love you 3,000!

What's your happy thought? Is it the first time you heard your child's voice? The first time they squeezed your finger? Or that time your team won the Super Bowl and you DID NOT spike the baby, because you're an awesome father who would never do that? It's second star from the right and straight on the Neverland this week, as we dive deeper than a mermaid into Steven Spielberg's masterpiece — Hook.More than a Peter Pan movie, more than a fairy tale sequel, Hook is star-studded, crazy well written, and that costuming! But what about the fatherhood angles? Hook, after all, is a movie about childhood, and having fun, but balancing that fun with responsibility. You can go too far either way, as Jack, Maggie, and Pan the Man teach us. We couldn't sign off before sharing our favorite Robin Williams moments, with so much respect to the genius human who we lost too soon. Be sure to stick around until the end of the episode to hear our favorite Robin Williams movies...and see if Good Will Hunting made the list for four guy from Bah-ston!—————We are The Parentacons. Three dads, all BIG geeks, sharing stories from our lives as parents, as geeks, and our eternal quest to bridge the two worlds. Join our journey anywhere you get your podcasts, and check out all of our content on our website.  www.parentacons.com.Thanks for listening, we love you 3,000!

From Tetris on a green screen to a few stolen moments of Candy Crush in the stall...mobile gaming has exploded since the GameBoy first arrived on the scene in 1989. From bite-sized (some say watered-down) versions of your favorite console games all the way to FTP casino style games like Candy Crush, we're covering all things mobile gaming. Can you get too much dopamine from Angry Birds? How much screen time is too much screen time for kids? Derrick, Ian, and Jay are here to break it all down for you in this episode of The Parentacons, the final installment of our three part series on Video Games in Geek Media. Check out Part 1 – The Arcade and Part 2 – The Console Wars if you haven't listened yet, either now or later!Have your own opinion about mobile gaming? We want to hear it!!!! Send us an email at DadBot@parentacons.com–––––We are The Parentacons. Three dads, all BIG geeks, sharing personal stories of being geeks, being raised by geeks, and raising our own kids in turn, who may or may not turn out to be geeks. Join our adventure and follow along as we explore a new model of fatherhood. Find us wherever you get podcasts, and visit our website. www.parentacons.com.Thanks for listening. We love you 3000!–––––A Note About GameBoys:While it wasn't the first handheld device, and not even the most tech heavy, it did run for a thousand years on four AA batteries. Just don't try to play it in the dark. We see you GameGear fans, ruining your eyes with those beautiful color screens...and your 100 lb battery packs. We're jealous...but not that jealous.

Have you heard about this new movie, starring a Caped Crusader who used to be a vampire? I mean this new movie about a Dark Knight who's also secretly traveling backwards in time to prevent revenge against present day people for climate change?Alright, I'll say it, Robert Pattinson has been in a LOT of movies recently! But that doesn't mean YOU should SLEEP on The Batman, out now in a theater near you, probably.The Parentacons had a chance to see The Batman early, before its wider release, and we decided to put together a few thoughts of our own. But if you're dads like us, then maybe you haven't gotten a chance to see it yet? Never fear! Our resident Batman expert, Jay, actually couldn't attend the screening, but is still here to break it all down for you, without ever having seen it! Don't worry, Ian and Derrick actually saw the movie, and they do most of the talking.We are The Parentacons. Three dads, all BIG geeks, sharing personal stories of our lives as parents, as geeks, and our eternal quest to bridge the two worlds. Join our adventure by subscribing to our podcast anywhere you get your content. Check out our website to see all of our past content and blog posts. And be sure to check out our recent interview with Bill & Amanda Gardner about the thrills and challenges of parenting while designing award winning video games. Have your own thoughts about The Batman? We want to hear them! Email dadbot@parentacons.com, and you might hear from us wanting to interview you for the next episode of The Parentacons.Thanks for listening, we love you 3,000!

You've seen him on the screen, and at Comic-Con, and soon in a new Netflix series...but still you wonder, who is the face of Jack in BioShock?Jay and Ian recently sat down with Amanda and Bill Gardner, who write and code original video games as The Deep End Games. Together, they're the team behind Perception, and the recently released Romancelvania, which pushes the boundaries of conventional RPGs while paying tribute to a classic genre.Bill also happens to be an industry veteran, and was the lead level designer behind BioShock, which is one of Ian's all time favorite games, and which Jay never finished. Ian took full advantage, asking all the level design questions he, and you, always wanted to know. Of course, with three kids in the house, Bill and Amanda's lives are about more than just great writing and level design. They share insight into what it takes to balance their lives, how they navigate what content to share with their kids and when, and what their eldest son really thinks about the award winning, genre defining, once in a generation video game his dad helped make.If you're a regular listener, then you already know, The Parentacons take video games seriously. We recently released the first two installments of a trilogy on "Why Video Games Matter," including a conversation about the retro arcade gaming of our youths, and one about the console wars that have transformed the gaming landscape. And because we're dads, and we don't get it right all the time, we had to go back and add a little bit of extra content for all the parents out there with our bonus release, Console Wars – The Parenting Angle.We are The Parentacons, three dads, all BIG geeks, sharing personal stories of our lives as parents, as geeks, and our eternal quest to bridge the two worlds. Join our adventure anywhere you consume fine podcasts. Visit our website to read more, and be sure to check us out on Instagram!Have you own thoughts about video games and BioShock? We want to hear them! Email us at dadbot@parentacons.comThanks for listening. We love you 3,000!

But wait there's more! We recently released the second installment of our trilogy on "why video games matter,"  Video Game Part 2 — The Console Wars. But we realized that in our haste to talk about all things console, including our childhood memories and our favorite games today, we neglected a core aspect of our podcast—parenting!So here's a redux mix of our latest episode, all focused on parenting and video games. We're using this opportunity, globally, to reset as well, and you can expect to find shorter, more focused content in our feed, and more of it too!We are The Parentacons—Derrick, Ian, and Jay. Three dads, all BIG geeks, sharing personal stories of our lives as geeks, as parents, and our eternal quest to intersect the two. Join our adventure anywhere you find podcasts, and check out our website to learn more about us! Have an idea of your own to share? We want to hear it! Email us at dadbot@parentacons.com

Why do video games matter, and why do The Parentacons care so much about video games? It's Part 2 of our trilogy exploring the history, culture, and impact of all things gaming, and this time we're talking consoles from Sega to X-Box and everything in between. Jay, Derrick, & Ian share personal stories about their own experience about growing up with console games, how they've seen the industry evolve, and where they think gaming is headed next.We are The Parentacons. Three dads, all BIG geeks, sharing personal stories of being parents, geeking out, and passing our passions on to a new generation. Join our adventure anywhere you get your podcasts, and visit our website.Have an opinion about console gaming of your own, or an opinion about OUR opinions? We want to hear from you! Send us an email at dadbot@parentacons.com.

Following up on our pre-finale review of The Book of Boba Fett, The Parentacons are pleased to present our final thoughts on this tremendous new installment in the Star Wars canon! Was Jay right about Crimson Dawn showing up in the finale? Do you hang a wolf-pack...I mean rancor on the wall if you're not planning to use it at some point?All this and more in store as The Parentacons review The Book of Boba Fett as only deep Star Wars nerds can do.———We are The Parentacons. Three dads, all BIG geeks, sharing stories of our lives as parents, as geeks, and as parents of potential geeks. Follow along and join our adventure at www.parentacons.com.Have thoughts of your own about The Book of Boba Fett? We want to hear them! Send us an email at dadbot@parentacons.com.

This Star Wars content is not for the faint of heart. If you're not here for high level, super nerdy Star Wars breakdowns, with the whole canon and dreamy new connections on the table, THIS PODCAST IS NOT FOR YOU! Also, spoiler alert....this is a mid-season review of The Book of Boba Fett, so if you haven't watched up through Episode 6....don't listen yet! Go watch, then listen. Or listen and be spoiled, you've been warned! We really feel like we shouldn't have to say that...given the high level alert...but there you go.The Parentacons got together recently to review The Book of Din Djarin...I mean Boba Fett. If you're confused already, see the above spoiler warning. Otherwise, sit back, grab something cold from the fridge, and punch the coordinates into your nav computer...This is The Parentacons!Have your own opinion about The Book of Boba Fett? We want to hear it!!!!Send us an email at DadBot@parentacons.comWe are The Parentacons. Three dads, all BIG geeks, sharing personal stories of being geeks, being raised by geeks, and raising our own kids in turn, who may or may not turn out to be geeks. Join our adventure and follow along as we explore a new model of fatherhood. Find us wherever you get podcasts, and visit our website. www.parentacons.com.Thanks for listening. We love you 3000!

It's that time of year again! As 2021 winds down, The Parentacons take a look back at our favorite things of the year. We cover it all — parenting hacks, best purchases, favorite movies, and how much we hated Eternals. Need more bonus? Our producer Nate joins us for this episode to share his thoughts on the wide world of geek.———We are The Parentacons. Three dads, all BIG geeks, sharing personal stories of being geeks, being raised by geeks, and raising our own kids in turn, who may or may not turn out to be geeks. Join our adventure and follow along as we explore a new model of fatherhood. Find us wherever you get podcasts, and visit our website. www.parentacons.com.Thanks for listening. We love you 3000!

Recently The Parentacons got together to chat about Our Favorite Things of 2021, and we couldn't help trashing some of our least favorite content of the year while we were at it. It was a regular Airing of Grievances, although no Feats of Strength took place. So in the true spirit of Festivus, we present our 2021 LEAST Favorite Things!———We are The Parentacons. Three dads, all BIG geeks, sharing personal stories of being geeks, being raised by geeks, and raising our own kids in turn, who may or may not turn out to be geeks.Join our adventure and follow along as we explore a new model of fatherhood. Find us wherever you get podcasts, and visit our website. www.parentacons.comThanks for listening. We love you 3000!

We love video games, which probably doesn't come as a surprise, but are video games important? Do video games matter to society? Do they have value beyond entertainment? The Parentacons are excited to launch into a new trilogy asking the question "why video games?"Some of the BEST franchises come in trilogies — Star Wars, Back to the Future, The Godfather, Indiana Jones (cough...cough...what do you mean there are four?), Star Trek II, III, & IV (come at me Trekkies!), and of course who could forget Christopher Nolan's masterful The Dark Knight. We see you search algorithms, we see you.Gamification is everywhere in society, but for this episode we wanted to take it back to the beginning, the primordial ooze of geekness — the video game arcade. Whether you grew up on the boardwalk, hopping a bus to the mall arcade, or regularly visiting Mr. Chuck E. Cheese, arcade were a staple of our geek childhoods, and probably yours too. The sticky floor, the wealth of games, the sound of quarters, pinball machines that shut down if you tilted too far, and single serve Swedish Fish poured straight into your hand (very unhygienic!) for five tickets a piece. Can't get that at Dave & Busters!Join The Parentacons on a journey back to the arcade, as we discuss what made that place special, the lessons we learned there, and how we're trying to replicate that experience, if not exactly, for our own kids.Have your own opinion about video game arcades? We want to hear it!!!! Send us an email at DadBot@parentacons.com ——— We are The Parentacons. Three dads, all BIG geeks, sharing personal stories of being geeks, being raised by geeks, and raising our own kids in turn, who may or may not turn out to be geeks. Join our adventure and follow along as we explore a new model of fatherhood. Find us wherever you get podcasts, and visit our website. www.parentacons.com.Thanks for listening. We love you 3000!

If we were The Ghostbusters, which Ghostbuster would each of us be? This is a serious topic, and we've got a lot of great choices. Winston Zeddemore, Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Egon Spengler, Louis Tully, The Ghostbusters franchise is filled with amazing characters, and that's just the male-oriented side of the franchise, but let's be honest, none of us has the chops to play on Leslie Jones or Kate McKinnon's level anyways.But seriously, if we were The Ghostbusters, which Ghostbuster would each of The Parentacons be? Find out in our latest piece of bonus content, and check out the new Ghostbusters movie in theaters now. Ready for more content? Subscribe to be notified when our new series on why video games are an important part of society goes live. Have your own opinion about The Ghostbusters? We want to hear it. Send us an email at DadBot@parentacons.com—————We are The Parentacons. Three dads, all BIG geeks, sharing personal stories of being geeks, being raised by geeks, and raising our own kids in turn, who may or may not turn out to be geeks. Join our adventure and follow along as we explore a new model of fatherhood. Find us wherever you get podcasts, and visit our website. www.parentacons.com.Thanks for listening. We love you 3000!

The Parentacons sat down recently to record some brand new content on video games, coming your way soon, around the same time the final trailer for Spiderman: No Way Home dropped. As geeks, parents, and parents of geeks, we couldn't be more excited for the final installment of the latest Spiderman trilogy with our beloved Tom Holland. But the trailer...well...you see the title. Is it a hot steaming pile of garbage? Is it literally on fire? Listen and find out!—————We are The Parentacons. Three dads, all BIG geeks, sharing personal stories of being geeks, being raised by geeks, and raising our own kids in turn, who may or may not turn out to be geeks.Check out our series on Fatherhood Role Models in Geek MediaPart One — The Dark KnightPart Two — Indiana Jones & The Last CrusadePart Three — The Walking DeadJoin our adventure and follow along as we explore a new model of fatherhood. Find us wherever you get podcasts, and visit our website. www.parentacons.comThanks for listening. We love you 3000!

We went down a rabbit hole in our last episode, E13: Fatherhood Role Models Part 3 — The Walking Dead. To keep the episode short, we decided to cut some of our chat about the wider zombie universe, and how The Walking Dead fits into or pushes the boundaries of what existed before. But we also thought it was a really good conversation! So we cut it together for you, as a bonus episode. Enjoy!Have your own thoughts about zombies or the zombie universe? We want to hear them!!!Send us an email at DadBot@parentacons.com—————We are The Parentacons. Three dads, all BIG geeks, sharing personal stories of being geeks, being raised by geeks, and raising our own kids in turn, who may or may not turn out to be geeks. Join our adventure and follow along as we explore a new model of fatherhood. Find us wherever you get podcasts, and visit our website. www.parentacons.comThanks for listening. We love you 3000!

The Parentacons are proud return from our summer hiatus with the final installment in our trilogy of fatherhood role models in geek media. We started with Batman, discussing Alfred, Bruce, Robin, and The Dark Knight himself. We continued with Indiana Jones and his complicated relationship with Indiana, Sr.—which we really only see on screen during Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade. Now, in honor of its final season on AMC, we’re excited to bring you our take on Robert Kirkman’s zombie classic—The Walking Dead. Led fearlessly through the dark by Jay, our resident The Walking Dead fanboy, we take on the big boys—Neegan, Shane, Rick, and Carl. If you’re into the psychology of The Walking Dead, or believe it’s really a show about Carl more than a show about Rick, this is the episode for you! But hey, fair warning, like The Walking Dead itself, this episode is probably not appropriate for kids. Of course, a lot has happened since we first took our break. So for the Roundtable this episode we each picked our Top Three events from summer vacation. The only question is…who mentions Dune first????Have your own thoughts about fatherhood & The Walking Dead? We want to hear them!!!Send us an email at DadBot@parentacons.com —————We are The Parentacons. Three dads, all BIG geeks, sharing personal stories of being geeks, being raised by geeks, and raising our own kids in turn, who may or may not turn out to be geeks. Join our adventure and follow along as we explore a new model of fatherhood. Find us wherever you get podcasts, and visit our website. www.parentacons.com.Thanks for listening. We love you 3000!

The journey to fatherhood can be all too short, long and difficult, or anything in between. We're three dads, and each of us had our own journey to fatherhood, with our own ups and downs along the way. That's without even getting into our partners' journeys, as we're all blessed to have loving and supportive parenting partners in our wives.For this episode we open up about our personal journeys to fatherhood, each of us sharing our story in case it's helpful, meaningful, or otherwise valuable to you.Fatherhood also changes how you look at the geek world, even some of your favorite geek content. For the Roundtable this episode, we each picked one piece of content that we've always loved, but which we look at differently now that we're the Homer...I mean not the Bart...I mean the responsible parent. We're all responsible parents. :) Still reading? Good! Now go listen.Have your own journey to parenthood that you'd like to share? We want to hear it!!! Send us an email at DadBot@parentacons.com ————— We are The Parentacons. Three dads, all BIG geeks, sharing personal stories of being geeks, being raised by geeks, and raising our own kids in turn, who may or may not turn out to be geeks.Join our adventure and follow along as we explore a new model of fatherhood. Find us wherever you get podcasts, and visit our website. www.parentacons.comThanks for listening. We love you 3000!

When you look across the broad expanse of the geek universe *cough* MULTIverse, you find an endless assortment of cool cars, boats, planes, jets, spaceships, speeder bikes, and X-34 land speeders. Of course, dads have specific vehicle needs—we see you Honda Odyssey and your 15 cupholders—and every family is different. So The Parentacons offer up our humble perspectives on what it would take to make the ultimate DadMobile, from our own experience, and what kind of cars we're using to drive our dear beloved families around town. For this episode's Roundtable, in honor of Daniel Craig's last turn as 007 (c'mon...did you SEE that first car chase in No Time To Die?!?!), we took turns talking about our favorite vehicles from across the multiverse. There are so many, but you can see a few of our favorites in the episode art this week.Have your own opinion about family cars and what makes the ultimate DadMobile? We want to hear it!!!! Send us an email at DadBot@parentacons.com ————— We are The Parentacons. Three dads, all BIG geeks, sharing personal stories of being geeks, being raised by geeks, and raising our own kids in turn, who may or may not turn out to be geeks. Join our adventure and follow along as we explore a new model of fatherhood. Find us wherever you get podcasts, and visit our website. www.parentacons.com.Thanks for listening. We love you 3000!

Last weekend The Parentacons hit the road, enjoying our first movie outing as a team since the pandemic hit. We filled our popcorn buckets, drank a gallon of soda, and watched Marvel Studio's latest entry to the Marvel Cinematic Universe—Black Widow!If you're a regular listener you probably expect us to say this, but we had LOTS of FEELINGS about Scarlett Johansson's first solo starring role (FINALLY!) and the third act in particular.SPOILER WARNING!If you haven't seen Black Widow yet, don't listen to this. Go rent it on Disney+ or if you feel comfortable, throw some business towards your local movie theater. You can listen to us on the drive home!Have your own thoughts about Black Widow? We want to hear them!!! Send us an email at DadBot@parentacons.com————We are The Parentacons. Three dads, all BIG geeks, sharing personal stories of being geeks,being raised by geeks, and raising our own kids in turn, who may or may not turn out to be geeks.Join our adventure and follow along as we explore a new model of fatherhood. Find us wherever you get podcasts, and visit our website. www.parentacons.com.Thanks for listening. We love you 3000!

A little behind the scenes look at stories we tell while putting together episodes. This one from Jay didn't make the final cut, but it sure is great so we decided to share it anyways!