The Parentacons
DadBot Media
5.0
(3)
We are The Parentacons. Three dads, all big geeks, sharing stories of our personal experiences as geeks, as parents, and of course as parents of new geeks. Together, we’re giving dads new hope, by offering an alternative model of fatherhood for those of us who don’t know how to oil a glove, but do know how to build a 4000+ piece Lego® Death Star(TM). We’ll also offer our take on the latest developments in the geek world, and share the toys, books, shows, and games that we’re currently into with our own families. Visit www.parentacons.com to learn more about us, read show notes for each episode, and be sure to sign up for our email list for early access to bonus content like watch parties, trailer reviews, and product unboxing.
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Sisko to Sarek: Fatherhood in Star Trek with Jeff Akin
The Parentacons
11/30/22 • 33 min
5.0
This week, we called in an expert. Nate is always saying we need more Star Trek on the podcast, so as part our Fatherhood in Geek Media series, Ian, Derrick, and Nate sat down with Jeff Akin, host of Starfleet Leadership Academy, an award-winning leadership development podcast told through the lens of Star Trek. Jeff's spent over 20 years as an executive business coach, helping high performing leaders be better. Jeff also happens to be a parent, and he's got a unique view of the crossover between executive leaderships skills and parenting skills. So, looking through his parenting visor, Jeff offers positive and not-so-positive examples of fatherhood in Star Trek from across the canon including Picard, Sisko, and Janeway.
Beam me up Scotty, make it so #1, and let's fly.
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 Fellowship and follow along 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!
Contact: dadbot@parentacons.com
2 Listeners
2

The Future of DC Comics
The Parentacons
12/07/22 • 25 min
5.0
Let's be honest. Detective Comics...the franchise that gave us Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman and Robin, The Green Lantern, The Flash...is a mess. Whether it's numerous cinematic universes that don't connect, too many recasts of key characters, the cancellation of release ready movies, and a willingness to discard once-in-a-generation casting opportunities; DC Comics is a dumpster fire.
So The Parentacons thought we'd weigh in, as experts, with our thoughts on how to right the BatBoat, and take the Invisible Jet off autopilot. Of course, since then, DC has hired the amazing James Gunn to do this. So Jimmy, if you're looking for three expert geek consultants with a combined century's worth of wisdom, we've got you covered. For everyone else, we hope you enjoy.
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 Fellowship and follow along 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!
Contact: dadbot@parentacons.com
3 Listeners
1

Say It From Your Heart! Fatherhood in Pixar's Onward
The Parentacons
11/16/22 • 17 min
What's not to love about a brotherly quest to find a little bit of magic in the world, and bring their father back to life for 24 hours. Along the way they bond, and connect with one another in ways they never imagined. Plus, they have a super cool van! Onward was slated to be Pixar's next big hit, but then the pandemic struck, and its themes became more relevant than ever.
As part of our Fatherhood in Geek Media series, The Parentacons rewatched Pixar's Onward, and spent some time reflecting on the feelings and emotions this movie brought up—about fatherhood, death, passing on traditions, and always looking out for magic, even in suburbia.
Have a movie or show you think if chock full of parenting motifs? We'd love to hear about it! Send us an email or visit www.parentacons.com.
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 Fellowship and follow along 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!
Contact: dadbot@parentacons.com

Geeks in the Garden
The Parentacons
11/02/22 • 20 min
You might not know this, but 3 out 4 Parentacons, is an avid gardener. Sometimes, you just have to get your hands dirty! The Parentacons have dug into hobbies before, but this time we’re getting specific, talking about our love for planting, tending, and harvesting plants in our gardens and on our decks. Jay shares his strategy for keeping those tiny critters away, Derrick talks about gardening with his son, and Ian gives his wife (the science teacher) all the credit for teaching him how to water “sad looking plants” without accidentally killing them!
Gardening is a great way to engage your kids with healthy eating habits, teach them where their food comes from, and set them on a lifelong path of good nutrition, and healthy relationships with food. Into this type of content? Check out our Hobbies episode!
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 Fellowship and follow along 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!
Contact: dadbot@parentacons.com

Falling Back in Love with The Phantom Menace
The Parentacons
10/26/22 • 21 min
Sometimes the long play, is the best play. When we sat down to plan Season 2 of The Parentacons, Ian said, "we have to talk about The Phantom Menace." Turns out, he was right! Time has been well to this classic movie. It gave a new generation of fans a chance to see NEW Star Wars in the theaters. It allowed John Williams to compose Duel of the Fates. And, honestly, it helped push cinema forward, dramatically.
(Darth?) Jar Jar made Gollum better...there, we said it.
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 Fellowship and follow along 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!
Contact: dadbot@parentacons.com

Repost: Talking with Kids About Death
The Parentacons
10/24/22 • 22 min
The Parentacons are hard at work gearing up for the release of Season 2 on October 26, 2022. In the run up to release day, we decided to share some of our favorite episodes from Season 1. Some are from when we first started out (and sound like it!). Others are more recent. We're super proud of every single one of these episodes, and we know you will be too!
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 Fellowship and follow along 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!
Contact: dadbot@parentacons.com

Repost: Becoming a Father
The Parentacons
10/24/22 • 44 min
The Parentacons are hard at work gearing up for the release of Season 2 on October 26, 2022. In the run up to release day, we decided to share some of our favorite episodes from Season 1. Some are from when we first started out (and sound like it!). Others are more recent. We're super proud of every single one of these episodes, and we know you will be too!
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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.
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 Fellowship and follow along 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!
Contact: dadbot@parentacons.com

10/24/22 • 48 min
The Parentacons are hard at work gearing up for the release of Season 2 on October 26, 2022. In the run up to release day, we decided to share some of our favorite episodes from Season 1. Some are from when we first started out (and sound like it!). Others are more recent. We're super proud of every single one of these episodes, and we know you will be too!
Bonus! Amanda & Bill's latest game, Romancelvania, will be released soon. Check it out on all the major consoles!
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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 stories from our lives as parents, as geeks, and our eternal quest to bridge the two worlds. Join our Fellowship and follow along 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!
Contact: dadbot@parentacons.com

Repost: The Parentacons Origin Story
The Parentacons
10/24/22 • 43 min
The Parentacons are hard at work gearing up for the release of Season 2 on October 26, 2022. In the run up to release day, we decided to share some of our favorite episodes from Season 1. Some are from when we first started out (and sound like it!). Others are more recent. We're super proud of every single one of these episodes, and we know you will be too!
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In this episode of The Parentacons Ian, Jason, and Derrick share the stories of how they first met. They'll also discuss how the geek culture which first brought The Parentacons together, how that culture has changed over time, and how those changes impact their kids' experience of geek culture. Along the way they'll share the toys, games, and content they're consuming with their own families, and give you their take on the latest developments from every dimension of the geek multiverse. This IS the podcast you've been looking for.
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 Fellowship and follow along 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!
Contact: dadbot@parentacons.com

Knights, Dragons, & Turkey Legs!
The Parentacons
11/09/22 • 20 min
Every family has its fall traditions. Some go apple picking, some pumpkin patching, and others take a long drive or hike for some good ole fashioned leaf peeping. There's another fall tradition, though, tucked away in a wooded fantasy realm, where kings and queens reign, knights joust, mead flows, and blacksmiths...well...blacksmith? Forge! Blacksmiths forge. Nailed it. :)
The Parentacons are huge fans of Renaissance Faires, and happen to know the fine folks running one of the best out there—The Midsummer Renaissance Faire in Ansonia, CT. Ian and Jay at down with Bella Greenwolf, Daniel Greenwolf, and Ken Briodagh to get their take on why a trip to the Renaissance Faire is an ideal family outing. We also get their take on Amazon Prime's Rings of Power, which wasn't out at the time of this recording, and has totally wrapped up its first season before this episode was released. How'd our guests do on their predictions? Eerily prescient.
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 Fellowship and follow along 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!
Contact: dadbot@parentacons.com
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