ars PARADOXICA

ars PARADOXICA is a story about people searching for meaning in a universe that aggressively lacks one, and who occasionally find the next best thing in those around them. It's also about the way power corrupts. When you've got a Time Machine and the backing of the most powerful nation on Earth, you start to get the idea that you can always tilt the scales in your favor, but there is cost and consequence for every action. Above all, it's about science, America, and the deeply human desire to fix our mistakes. A product of the Whisperforge http://whisperforge.org 

Something else instead!

Something... a little weird. Story by Daniel Manning & Tyler Pomponio, written by The Koch Brothers Mystery Show kochbrothersmysteryshow.com. Directed & Produced by Mischa Stanton. Featuring: Kristen DiMercurio as Dagmar Pumpernickel & The Mysterious Woman, Lee Satterwhite as George W. Bush & Ethan, Reyn Beeler as Xander Time, Zach Ehrlich as Peanut the Time Dolphin & Ryan Lochte the Time Dolphin, Alex Marshall-Brown as Harriet Tubman, Katie Speed as Marie Curie, L. Jeffrey Moore as Anorak, and Dan Anderson as Time Shark Tommy. Rate T (Teen) for Cartoon Mischief

We asked you to fill our question bucket to the brim, and YOU DELIVERED. The whole creative team behind your favorite Cold War time travel tragedy answers all of your deep, burning questions about Anthony, Mateo, and even Archie.  Also, about one hour nineteen minutes in, Dan makes a historical claim about the origin of the bong as the Middle East. They misspoke, and should have said China. They regret this error.

MARVELS, based on the graphic novel by Kurt Busiek & Alex Ross. Written by Lauren Shippen. Directed by Paul Bae. Recording & sound design by Mischa Stanton. Out now, wherever you listen.

Dr. Sally Grissom is stuck in the past. When a quirk of physics draws her into the middle of a top-secret military test on the deck of the USS Eldridge in 1943, Sally must convince Director Bill Donovan and his Office of Developed Anomalous Resources that she isn’t a hostile force bent on espionage. But she may be just the answer Donovan has been looking for: an end to the Second World War, and control over the post-war world. **Be advised: This episode contains the sounds of humans vomiting. Created by Daniel Manning & Mischa Stanton. Written by Daniel Manning. Directed & Produced by Mischa Stanton.  Featuring: Kristen DiMercurio as Sally Grissom, Reyn Beeler as Chet Whickman, Rob Slotnick as Bill Donovan, Robin Gabrielli as Anthony Partridge, Katie Speed as Esther Roberts, and Zach Ehrlich as Jack Wyatt, with special thanks to Isabel Atkinson. Special thanks to Julian Mundy, Mark Rizzo & Dylan Winter. Original music by Mischa Stanton and by Eno Freedman-Brodmann.

A power outage creates an unlikely friendship. Created by Daniel Manning & Mischa Stanton. Written by Daniel Manning. Directed & Produced by Mischa Stanton. Featuring: Kristen DiMercurio as Sally Grissom, and Robin Gabrielli as Anthony Partridge, with special thanks to Isabel Atkinson. Original music by Mischa Stanton and by Eno Freedman-Brodmann.

Sally and her assistants Jack Wyatt and Esther Roberts have to present a working Timepiece to the top brass in a week’s time. The only problem? It’s really hard to present time travel in the flesh. To ease the pressure, Anthony Partridge suggests a weekend trip to the newest desert vacation spot: Las Vegas, NV. But sending Sally off in public is a dangerous prospect. Will Sally’s foreknowledge of card-counting techniques and the looming Trinity nuclear test land her in hot water? Created by Daniel Manning & Mischa Stanton. Written by Daniel Manning. Directed & Produced by Mischa Stanton. Featuring: Kristen DiMercurio as Sally Grissom, Reyn Beeler as Chet Whickman, Rob Slotnick as Bill Donovan, Robin Gabrielli as Anthony Partridge, Susanna Kavee as Helen Partridge, Katie Speed as Esther Roberts, Zach Ehrlich as Jack Wyatt, and Lee Satterwhite as Quentin Barlowe, as well as Cameron Scott Nadler, Barry Stanton, and John French Williamson, with special thanks to Isabel Atkinson. Original music by Mischa Stanton and by Eno Freedman-Brodmann. This episode features the songs “Stardust,” performed by the US Army Blues, and “Til The End of Time,” performed by Susanna Kavee as Helen Partridge.

Chet Whickman, head of ODAR security, is here to break up the party. Time is ticking down til Judgment Day, but their transport vehicles break down in the middle of the desert. Sally, Chet, Anthony and his wife Helen witness the dawn of a new age of military science, and some of them realize that they may not come away from ODAR with their hands clean. Created by Daniel Manning & Mischa Stanton. Written by Daniel Manning. Directed & Produced by Mischa Stanton. Featuring: Kristen DiMercurio as Sally Grissom, Reyn Beeler as Chet Whickman, Rob Slotnick as Bill Donovan, Robin Gabrielli as Anthony Partridge, Susanna Kavee as Helen Partridge, Katie Speed as Esther Roberts, Zach Ehrlich as Jack Wyatt, and Lee Satterwhite as Quentin Barlowe, with special thanks to Isabel Atkinson. Original music by Mischa Stanton and by Eno Freedman-Brodmann.

Quentin Barlowe dies mysteriously, and all fingers point to Sally Grissom. To prove her innocence, Sally works through the night to create the TAP, a window through time, so she can see what really happened. But when she’s confronted by the widow June Barlowe, Sally may wish she had left well enough alone. **WARNING: This episode contains depictions of gun violence. Listener discretion advised. Created by Daniel Manning & Mischa Stanton. Written by Daniel Manning. Directed & Produced by Mischa Stanton. Featuring: Kristen DiMercurio as Sally Grissom, Reyn Beeler as Chet Whickman, Robin Gabrielli as Anthony Partridge, Katie Speed as Esther Roberts, Lee Satterwhite as Quentin Barlowe, and Hannah Trobaugh as June Barlowe, as well as Geoff Pictor, with special thanks to Isabel Atkinson. Original music by Mischa Stanton and by Eno Freedman-Brodmann.

Sally is drunk, locked in a broom closet and the town is about to explode. But it’s hard to invest in the future of Polvo when projects are getting cut left and right, and Intelligence Agent Hank Cornish is closing up the town for good. Can Sally and Jack pull off one last miracle? And how can Bill Donovan use that miracle to his advantage? Created by Daniel Manning & Mischa Stanton. Written by Daniel Manning. Directed & produced by Mischa Stanton. Featuring: Kristen DiMercurio as Sally Grissom, Rob Slotnick as Bill Donovan, Robin Gabrielli as Anthony Partridge, Susanna Kavee as Helen Partridge, Katie Speed as Esther Roberts, Zach Ehrlich as Jack Wyatt, Dan Anderson as Hank Cornish, Eric Rafael Ibarra as Victor Lambert, Julian Mundy as Ivan Maraczek, and Hannah Trobaugh as June Barlowe, with special thanks to Isabel Atkinson. Original music by Mischa Stanton and by Eno Freedman-Brodmann.

Bill Donovan’s called in every favor he has to keep the lights on and the Timepiece up and running. Banished to the isolated mountain town of Point-of-Exile, Colorado, and with so many failures under their belt, can Sally, Esther, Jack, Chet, Anthony and Helen find reasons to continue on? And will Bill Donovan live long enough to see them finally succeed? Created by Daniel Manning & Mischa Stanton. Written by Daniel Manning. Directed & Produced by Mischa Stanton. Featuring: Kristen DiMercurio as Sally Grissom, Reyn Beeler as Chet Whickman, Rob Slotnick as Bill Donovan, Robin Gabrielli as Anthony Partridge, Susanna Kavee as Helen Partridge, Katie Speed as Esther Roberts, Zach Ehrlich as Jack Wyatt, and Charlotte Mary Wen as Penny Wise, with special thanks to Isabel Atkinson. Original music by Mischa Stanton and by Eno Freedman-Brodmann.

As work continues on a new iteration of ODAR’s time-bending technology, Jack Wyatt can’t shake the feeling that he might not be right for the job, and Esther is left picking up the pieces. Meanwhile, Anthony Partridge is investigating a new face in town: Agent Hank Cornish. But is it really worth all the fuss? Or is he just using this—and his research into Bill Donovan’s declining health—as an excuse to avoid supporting Helen in her cabaret debut? Created by Daniel Manning & Mischa Stanton. Written by Daniel Manning. Directed & Produced by Mischa Stanton. Featuring: Kristen DiMercurio as Sally Grissom, Reyn Beeler as Chet Whickman, Robin Gabrielli as Anthony Partridge, Susanna Kavee as Helen Partridge, Katie Speed as Esther Roberts, Zach Ehrlich as Jack Wyatt, and Charlotte Mary Wen as Penny Wise, as well as Zak Stevens and Erin Bark, with special thanks to Isabel Atkinson. This episode features the song "A Nightingale Sang in Barkley Square," performed by Susanna Kavee as Helen Partridge, and original music by Mischa Stanton and by Eno Freedman-Brodmann.

An accident finally leads to a practically-demonstrable use of the Timepiece: the CAGE, a bubble of time outside the universe. Chet isn’t too happy with Esther’s decision to spend 24 (relative) hours trapped inside it. But when he is trapped inside with her, it gives these two time to talk about the only thing they have in common: ODAR, and its potential future without Bill Donovan. Created by Daniel Manning & Mischa Stanton. Written by Daniel Manning. Directed & Produced by Mischa Stanton. Featuring: Kristen DiMercurio as Sally Grissom, Reyn Beeler as Chet Whickman, Robin Gabrielli as Anthony Partridge, Katie Speed as Esther Roberts, and Zach Ehrlich as Jack Wyatt, with special thanks to Isabel Atkinson. Original music by Mischa Stanton and by Eno Freedman-Brodmann.

It’s Christmastime again, and the team is on the verge of a breakthrough. Anthony Partridge has been working nonstop to finish his latest invention, and though he’s made substantial gains, he may stand to lose even more. Jack Wyatt is done with the whole ODAR game and wants to take his girlfriend Penny with him, but Esther’s just stuck one foot further in and might need his help. And Sally, all alone on Christmas, finds solace—and the answers she’s been looking for—in her new 20th-century family. But with Bill Donovan in dire straits and Anthony Partridge left all alone, who knows what discoveries yet lay hidden? Created by Daniel Manning & Mischa Stanton. Written by Julian Mundy. Directed & Produced by Mischa Stanton. Featuring: Kristen DiMercurio as Sally Grissom, Reyn Beeler as Chet Whickman, Rob Slotnick as Bill Donovan, Robin Gabrielli as Anthony Partridge, Susanna Kavee as Helen Partridge, Katie Speed as Esther Roberts, Zach Ehrlich as Jack Wyatt, and Dan Anderson as Hank Cornish, as well as Billy Finn, with special thanks to Isabel Atkinson. Original music by Mischa Stanton and by Eno Freedman-Brodmann.

Anthony Partridge has stumbled across a box full of tapes in Bill Donovan’s office. Spoilers: Bill’s had the whole town wired for years, and he’s recorded EVERYTHING. And that’s not all–he’s been blackmailing politicians, he manipulated Helen, and he’s bending the fabric of spacetime to keep himself in power. He doesn’t stop for breath, even when his health starts to fail. Is there anything Bill Donovan won’t do? Created by Daniel Manning & Mischa Stanton. Written, Directed & Produced by Mischa Stanton. Featuring: Rob Slotnick as Bill Donovan, Reyn Beeler as Chet Whickman, Kristen DiMercurio as Sally Grissom, Robin Gabrielli as Anthony Partridge, Susanna Kavee as Helen Partridge, Charlotte Mary Wen as Penny Wise, Dan Anderson as Hank Cornish, Isabel Atkinson as Amelia Arnault, Julian Mundy as Ivan Maraczek, Eric Rafael Ibarra as Victor Lambert, and Pete Lutz as J. Edgar Hoover, as well as Amanda Bailey. Original music by Mischa Stanton and by Eno Freedman-Brodmann.

When Anthony seeks revenge on Bill Donovan for his crimes, he finds more than he’d bargained for: due to the effects of CAGE therapy, he’s a frail old man, confined to a bed, but otherwise healthy. But that won’t be enough to stop Anthony Partridge when he’s got an axe to grind. Meanwhile, Sally gets a visit from her future self, and if you though one Sally was a lot to handle… Oh man. Just you wait. **WARNING: This episode contains graphic depictions of violence. Listener discretion advised. Created by Daniel Manning & Mischa Stanton. Written by Daniel Manning. Directed & Produced by Mischa Stanton. Featuring: Kristen DiMercurio as Sally Grissom, Reyn Beeler as Chet Whickman, Rob Slotnick as Bill Donovan, Robin Gabrielli as Anthony Partridge, Katie Speed as Esther Roberts, Zach Ehrlich as Jack Wyatt, Charlotte Mary Wen as Penny Wise, and Dan Anderson as Hank Cornish, with special thanks to Isabel Atkinson. Original music by Mischa Stanton and by Eno Freedman-Brodmann.

As punishment for his crimes, Anthony Partridge is exiled to the Blackroom, ODAR’s communications hub situated at the anchor point. He’s not so sure he wants to be ODAR’s slave until the end of his days, but that all changes when he’s the only one who can get Sally Grissom the care she needs. Sally’s fallen into a coma after a meeting with her future self, and ODAR’s off and running without her. What world will Sally find waiting for her outside the hospital? Created by Daniel Manning & Mischa Stanton. Written by Daniel Manning. Directed & Produced by Mischa Stanton. Featuring: Kristen DiMercurio as Sally Grissom, Reyn Beeler as Chet Whickman, Katie Speed as Esther Roberts, and Robin Gabrielli as Anthony Partridge, as well as Brock Bivens, Lia Peros, and Austin Beach, with special thanks to Isabel Atkinson.  Original music by Mischa Stanton and Eno Freedman-Brodmann.

Louis Gaines is a journalism professor in trouble for introducing taboo concepts to his students. David Marian is a chess prodigy with an anger streak. The two war buddies are recruited by a mysterious government agency. Is it ODAR? Of course it is. But will their new employer mean the end of their friendship? Created by Daniel Manning & Mischa Stanton. Written by Julian Mundy. Directed & Produced by Mischa Stanton. Featuring: L. Jeffrey Moore as Lou Gaines, Alexander Cole as David Marian, Dan Anderson as Hank Cornish, and Robin Gabrielli as Anthony Partridge, as well as Richard Malmos and AC Slamet, with special thanks to Isabel Atkinson. Production help from Julian Mundy. This episode features the song "Man at the Clock" by Paolo Pavan Pasqualino Ubaldini via the Free Music Archive, as well as original music by Mischa Stanton and Eno Freedman-Brodmann.