What is this podcast about, and why create it?
Dragons!
More specifically, the franchise that began with How to Train Your Dragon.
In each episode of my podcast, I will watch, analyze, and review an installment of the franchise, focusing on the good, the bad, the weird, the science, and the unanswered questions.
The franchise has 126 on-screen installments (3 movies, 5 short films, and 118 TV episodes).
Since this is a hobby, I want to be realistic about my posting frequency. I am currently aiming for one episode per month. If you are wondering why the first seven episodes all appear to be posted on almost the same day, see below.
Each podcast episode will be devoted to one episode, short film or movie. How far I go will be determined in large part by the response of you, the reader and listener. This is the first podcast I have ever done, and I look forward to learning and sharing with you.
For more on why I a such a fan, keep reading…
I was a bit late to discovering HTTYD. I knew the first movie (How to Train Your Dragon) existed from a church children’s event, but I only caught bits and pieces of it there. When I finally watched it for myself, it became one of my favorite movies. The animation, acting, and story are all beautiful. Toothless is a given a remarkable range of expression and emotion for a creature who cannot speak. The human hero is a skinny boy who is an explorer at heart; no prizes for guessing why that resonates with me.
I’m not sure why I didn’t see the sequel (How To Train Your Dragon 2) when it was released in 2014. When I finally watched it August 2018, I realized I had missed a lot. It might be an even better film than the first, and it has the best marriage of score (especially “Where No One Goes”) and visuals I have seen since Star Wars!
Around the same time, I learned that a TV series, set between the first two movies, existed. Due to the sheer number of episodes, this series will form the majority of the podcast.
Of course, the animation quality and number of characters is smaller due to the lower budget, but I thoroughly enjoy it. They put more personality into an animated chicken than I have seen some live-action actors put into their characters!
The best thing about the series (or any such series if it is done well) is the opportunity to take time to get to know the characters well. In a movie, the supporting cast by necessity just doesn’t have that much screen time. In a series, a whole episode can focus on Ruff and Tuff going bonkers for 20 minutes, and it works hilariously.
We also get fine drama, adventure, and a deep sense for how much these people and dragons care about, even love, each other. Some of the finest moments and stories actually come from characters that don’t appear in any of the movies. The most emotionally moving moments actually had me tearing up. Quite impressive for a “children’s show.”
Like any work of art, the movies and the series have their imperfections, but the are still great art.
The fifth short film (Homecoming) apparently concluded the franchise. I know this doesn’t make much sense to say about fictional characters, but I will miss them.
That is the most important reason I am starting this podcast. I want to continue to appreciate this work of art, and I want to be more than a consumer. Creating my own response seems to be a great way to do both and an opportunity to learn a new skill and have fun doing it!
Why the “originally posted” notes on some episodes?
I began this podcast as a hobby in Oct. 2019. I originally hosted it on a web sever I built and owned myself. This provided maximum control, and it was a cornucopia of challenges and learning experiences. It also meant that I was responsible for my own tech support, uptime, and security. That turned out to be a problem.
This server was hacked in April 2020 with malicious advertising software. While I might have been able to disinfect and restore it, I realized that it would happen again and that I wanted to focus on the world of Dragons rather than the world of malicious hackers.
Thus, I have decided to use outside web hosting and podcast hosting sources (currently WordPress.com and Spreaker).
I have been able to recover most of the content from my hacked server or backup sources. At the time of this transition, I already had seven episodes. I have re-posted those here with notes about when I originally posted them.
Smidvarg and the Gang 