John Harper (Blades in the Dark, AGON) Interview: ep. 192

John Harper (Blades in the Dark, AGON) Interview: ep. 192

Author: Craig Shipman February 28, 2023 Duration: 3:42:14

I sat with John Harper to discuss his favorite movies, shows, music, and games. It became the two of us talking about great media for over three hours. I ask guests what they watch and play because it gives us insight into how they create. You'll find that here. This comes to you ad-free because of your support on Patreon.

Link to Crap Movie Bonanza list:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/11oUZb-CCNKp5ZnciBOlMXSH12fE_mluTLqCteoH3yCo/edit?usp=sharing

www.littleoracles.com

@littleoracles on intsagram

John's list:

Movies
- Destroyer (2018, Karyn Kusama [Jennifer's Body, The Invitation])
- The Rover (2014, David Michod)
- Blue Ruin

- Mystery Road & Goldstone
- The Batman
- Barbarian
- Miller's Crossing

- Fish Tank

- The Ritual

- It Follows

Episodic TV
- Andor
- Strange New Worlds
- For All Mankind
- Yellowjackets

- Collateral

- The Wire, Deadwood, Sopranos, Breaking Bad

- Counterpart

- Peaky Blinders

- Narcos

- Dead to Me

- Marcella

- GLOW

- Bodyguard

- The Favourite, Dogtooth, The Lobster

Music
- Marcus King
- Black Pumas
- Leon Bridges
- The Olympians
- Monophonics
- Chris Stapleton
- Teskey Brothers
- The XX

- Tom Waits

- Neko Case

- Ani DiFranco

- Reggie Watts, Maktub

- Taylor Swift

- Harry Styles
- Caravan Palace
- Toto, Journey, Roxy Music, Eurythmics

- Survivor

- Journey
- Hall & Oates

- Heart

- Brazilian samba / jazz: João Gilberto, Walter Wanderley, Sergio Mendes

- Philadelphia International Records

- Trucker Songs

Board games
- Dune Imperium

- Heat: Pedal to the Metal
- Akrotiri
- Fast & Furious Highway Heist
- Top Gun
- HMS Dolores

RPGs
- Slugblaster (Mikey Hamm)
- As the Sun Forever Sets (Riley Daniels)
- Crescent Moon (Emma Acosta)
- CBR+PNK (Emanoel Melo)
- Crash Cart (Galen Pejeau)
- Girl by Moonlight (Andrew Gillis)
- Copperhead County (Jason Eley)
- Fight with Spirit (Storybrewers - Vee Hendro and Hayley Gordon)
- Zine trio by Diogo Nogueira - Running out of Time, Screams Amongst the Stars, The Dead are Coming
- The Dagger Isles (Pam Punzalan)
- Deathmatch Island (Time Denee)
- Gentleman Bandit / Gentleman Pirate
- Errant (Ava Islam)
- The Barbarian's Bloody Quest, The Thief & The Necromancer, etc.
- AW: Burned Over
- Viking Death Squad (Runehammer)



Ever wonder how the games on your shelf actually came to be? TABLETOP TALK-Third Floor Wars pulls back the curtain on the entire world of tabletop gaming, moving beyond reviews and rules to explore the human stories behind the cardboard and miniatures. Host Craig Shipman invites designers, developers, artists, and writers into a conversation that feels more like a chat between friends than a formal interview. The focus here is on the creative journey itself-the initial spark of an idea, the messy middle of development, and the unique methods each creator uses to bring their vision to life. Each episode digs into the origins of beloved games, uncovering the personal inspirations and problem-solving processes that shape the hobbies we love. You’ll hear about the challenges of balancing a game’s mechanics, the narrative choices behind a compelling world, and the artistic decisions that give a game its distinct personality. This podcast is for anyone who’s ever looked at a beautifully crafted game and wondered about the people who built it from the ground up. Craig’s genuine curiosity drives these discussions, making each conversation a deep and engaging exploration of the passion that fuels the industry. Tune in for a regular dose of insight from the minds that shape your gaming table.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

TABLETOP TALK - Third Floor Wars
Podcast Episodes
GM Advice - Get Organized!: ep. 246 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:46
Craig shares how he writes and organizes scenarios before and during play. Watch the video HERE See Sean's tutorial HERE ************************************ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the show for as little as $1…
Jason Cordova and Alex Rybitski (The Between) Interview: ep. 245 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:17
This is a special episode where Alex is interviewing Jason about The Between! Back The Between Watch Public Access ************************************ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the show for as little as $1 month:…
Neal Litherland (Sundara: Dawn of a New Age, Army Men) Interview: ep. 244 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:21:10
Craig talks with Neal Litherland, an author and the RPG creator behind Sundara: Dawn of a New Age and Army Men. Everything Neal Exalted RPG ************************************ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the show fo…
Sam Dunnewold (Dice Exploder) Interview: ep. 243 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:11:46
Craig sat down with Sam Dunnewold and learned where the inspiration for Dice Exploder emerged from, Sam's creative process works, and what it was like working with Jason Morningstar on a new game about time, reenactors,…
Ben Alexander (ION Heart, Illustrator for Shiver) Interview: ep. 242 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:23
Craig sat down with Ben Alexander of Parable Games to discuss his art and new solo RPG, ION Heart. Get ION Heart HERE Check out Shiver and other games he’s illustrated Watch Ben MAKE Turnip 28 Billion Suns **************…
Emily Weiss (Picket Line Tango for Mothership) Interview: ep. 241 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:44:35
Enjoy this conversation with Emily Weiss, public defender, gamer, and creator of Picket Line Tango and Breach of Contract for Mothership. Get Emily’s work here. Cure by Kiyoshi Kurosawa Red Strings Club Pulse Mad God Gas…
Jake (Terraino) Interview: ep. 240 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:15
Is there a way to make your game terrain affordable? Enjoy Craig's conversation with Jake Karlsmark of Game Gear Master. They discuss Jake's Terraino system, the idea's origin, and his creative choices to bring it to lif…
Jonathan Mordech (King’s Poisoner) Interview: ep. 239 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:25
Jonathan talks about the origins and the mechanics behind his GM-Less RPG, The King's Poisoner. He walks us through the process and decisions that took the basics of Blackjack and transformed it into an RPG with court in…
WF Smith (Barkeep on the Borderlands) Interview: ep. 237 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:08
WF Smith discusses his Ennie-winning book, Barkeep on the Borderlands. Craig asks about the idea's origin and the creative decisions that brought the book to life. Prismatic Wasteland Barkeep on the Borderlands Prismatic…