In addition to being a groundbreaking game designer/developer, writer and probably my favorite person on Twitter, merritt kopas (our Issue 66 cover subject) also makes podcasts. You may already be familiar with her interview podcast Woodland Secrets, but she’s just started a second podcast called dadfeelings that dropped right around Father’s Day. dadfeelings is about fictional dads and their resultant complications, with the first episode centering around the grandaddy of evil dads, Darth Vader. Kopas brings multiple insights on Vader’s inherent shittiness as a father and points out details that will amuse fans and non-fans alike. kopas also details a video game called The Force Unleashed from the early 2000s that expanded the Star Wars universe by giving players the chance to game as Vader’s secret child apprentice, putting you directly in the position of being Vader’s kid. kopas is a funny, charming and insightful host, discussing both the piteous fragility that’s ultimately revealed by a helmet-less Vader (“It’s analogous to the final reveal of a dad – they’re just an old frail guy in the end”) and the Disney-esque and potentially harmful Redeemable Dad Fantasy that the original Star Wars trilogy provides. It’s a great (and short) listen, and we can’t wait for future installments, including the inevitable Hans Solo episode. (Alison Lang)
Alison Lang is the editor of Broken Pencil.