The Erasable Podcast

This is a fun episode, folks. We’re joined by Carol Beggy, a longtime listener, group member, newspaper journalist, and author of “Pencil”, one of the latest books in the Bloomsbury Object Lessons book series, joins us to talk about her book and the object of all of our affections. We chat about the wonders of the newspaper supply cabinet of the 1900s, Thoreau, collecting pencils, and much, much more.Show Notes and LinksErasable PatreonPencil (Object Lessons, by Carol Beggy)Object Lessons seriesJohn C. BurkePortage Reporter NotebooksChina markersThe Transcendentalists and Their WorldOur GuestCarol BeggyYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil Revolution@pencilutionAndy WelfleWoodclinched@awelfleTim Wasem@TimWasem

It’s been ten years, folks. In this episode, we talk to some of our favorite recurring guests — Brad Dowdy, Caitlin Elgin, Les Herger, and Caroline Weaver — and reminisce about the last decade. We even have a cool swag bag that you can buy to help us celebrate! Plus, way more potato content than you probably wanted.Show Notes and LinksErasable PatreonAll About The Musette BagPen AddictComfortable Shoe StudioCaitlin ElginThe Locavore (Caroline’s latest venture)Potato Pencil Lovin’ (a song about making a potato pencil written by AI, prompted by Tim)Your HostsJohnny  GamberPencil Revolution@pencilutionAndy WelfleWoodclinched@awelfleTim Wasem@TimWasem

Today’s episode is a short one — as we prepare for a bigger 10-year anniversary episode, we spent some time talking about our tools of the trade, and really focusing on the pencils and paper we’re using lately. A quick note: We’re getting ready to produce a gift for our Nubbin Stage Patreon supporters! We can’t reveal it yet, but it’s so cool. If you’re a current supporter at that level, please update your shipping address! And if you want to get in on it, please sign up for an annual plan at our Patreon before March 11, 2024!Your HostsJohnny  GamberPencil Revolution@pencilutionAndy WelfleWoodclinched@awelfleTim Wasem@TimWasem

Andy is back from the other side of the globe, where he visited Japan looking for adventures —and stationery! Tonight, Johnny and Tim team up to grill Andy about his trip, and best yet — they’re in the same room! If you’re a Patreon member at any level, you can watch video of this episode at patreon.com/erasable.Show Notes and LinksPhotos from Andy’s tripErasable PatreonPencil, by Carol BeggyShift Happens by Marchin WicharyBlue LightsHow to ADHDYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil Revolution@pencilutionAndy WelfleWoodclinched@awelfleTim Wasem@TimWasem

Happy 2024, friends! We’re starting off with the first episode of the new year with a Fresh Points episode, talking about some of the cool new stuff to hit the market since we last recorded — Draplin’s Tactile Turn pen collab, Blackwing Volume 2, Studio Neat’s Keepbook, and more.Show Notes and LinksErasable PatreonJames, Be Opened by the Wonderful Sick Souls, Healthy Minds: How William James Can Save Your LifeFeel Something, Make SomethingDr. Who Xmas SpecialA History of Wild ThingsNight After Night by Daniel Tashian Nahvalur NautilusBlackwing Volume 2Draplin pen! Zines! (andy.supply!) Star Trek playing cards! Keepbook by Studio NeatStuff That Works Journal Musgrave Songwriter SetYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil Revolution@pencilutionAndy WelfleWoodclinched@awelfleTim Wasem@TimWasem

As we wrap up 2023, Johny, Tim and Andy talked about tools that they used unexpectedly more than overs over the year. From Very Old Ticonderoga’s to dinosaur tape dispensers, there are some old reliables and some newcomers on this list. Happy holidays!This episode is available with video for active patrons supporting the show at any level over on Patreon. Show Notes and LinksErasable PatreonMusgrave SongwriterDoctor Who SpecialsThree Body ProblemAndy’s zine shopWhiskey Advent CalendarJeff Tweedy World Within a SongCrossing To SafetyBodies (TV Series)How Not to Kill YourselfYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil Revolution@pencilutionAndy WelfleWoodclinched@awelfleTim Wasem@TimWasem

It’s been a while, and a lot of stuff has come out since we last podcasted as our True Selves. We’re rectifying that tonight, as we check out the latest releases from Field Notes and Blackwing. Join us and find out what we’ve been up to!Show Notes and LinksErasable Patreon BIRCH BARKVolume 17, the Gardening PencilHEARTLANDBlackwing “Buy Our Trash” LabsBlackwing/Moleskine CollabTheory11 playing cardsThe Importance of Not Being Ernest by Mark KurlanskyYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil Revolution@pencilutionAndy WelfleWoodclinched@awelfleTim Wasem@TimWasem

Presenting Part 3 of our Dungeons & Dragons campaign with Dungeon Master Monica Corwin! If you’d like to see a video of this adventure, episodes 200 201, 202, and our other D&D episodes, support us at any level on Patreon.Join our band of travelers — Ralph, Sam, and Andrøs — as they worm their way out of the wormling fight in the (literal) dungeon for the third and final installment of our D&D campaign! Who are the metal dragons? How do they defeat them? Will they save Graphia and their (quite literally) erasable world?Your Dungeon MasterMonica CorwinWebsite | Amazon | InstagramOur AdventurersRalph Rexas portrayed by Johnny GamberSamik Stonebackas portrayed by Tim WasemAndrøs Goldenbearas portrayed by Andy Welfle

Presenting the second part of our Dungeons & Dragons campaign with Dungeon Master Monica Corwin! If you’d like to see a video of this adventure, episodes 200 and 201, and our other D&D episodes, support us at any level on Patreon.Our intrepid heroes are back! Ralph Rex, Samik Stoneback, and Andrøs Goldenbear officially enter the mysterious forests of Graphia, and try to solve puzzles, fight golems, and understand which dice to roll, under the fearless tutelage of Dungeon Master Monica Corwin! Tune in for the second part of The Erasable Spellcast, our celebration of 200 episodes and more than 9 years of podcasting.Your Dungeon MasterMonica CorwinWebsite | Amazon | InstagramOur AdventurersRalph Rexas portrayed by Johnny GamberSamik Stonebackas portrayed by Tim WasemAndrøs Goldenbearas portrayed by Andy Welfle

The first part of our Dungeons & Dragons campaign with Dungeon Master Monica Corwin gets underway! If you’d like to see a video of this adventure, episode 200, and our other D&D episodes, support us at any level on Patreon. Embark on an epic journey in the enshrouded realm of Graphia, a land veiled in ancient curses and enigma. As darkness threatens to engulf this mystic plane, a brave band of adventurers rallies together, fueled by an unbreakable bond of friendship and a collective intellect that defies all odds. In a race against time, they forge ahead, relying on synergy and wit to navigate through veils of mystery and danger. Their ultimate quest: to unearth the legendary Eternal Quill and salvage not only the doomed land but their own fates as well. Will their camaraderie and ingenuity prevail, or will the shadows of Graphia consume all? Step into this thrilling saga and find out.And coffee. Your Dungeon MasterMonica CorwinWebsite | Amazon | InstagramOur AdventurersRalph Rexas portrayed by Johnny GamberSamik Stonebackas portrayed by Tim WasemAndrøs Goldenbearas portrayed by Andy Welfle

🪄 A D&D adventure, with Dungeon Master Monica Corwin 🐉These guys are characters. For our two hundredth episode, we wax a bit nostalgic and also begin a new adventure: Along with a seasoned Dungeon Master Monica Corwin, we’re making D&D characters for a pencil themed campaign (which you’ll hear in our next couple of episodes)! A quick note: Patreon subscribers will be able to watch video of this episode and our further D&D episodes! Subscribe at any level and see our lovely faces.Our GuestMonica CorwinWebsite | Amazon | InstagramYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil Revolution@pencilutionAndy WelfleWoodclinched@awelfleTim Wasem@TimWasem

In this episode, the penultimate of the first 200, we’re excited to have the impending Guiness World Record holder for the largest pencil collection, Aaron Bartholmey. Aaron is also the Secretary-Treasurer of one of our favorite organizations, the American Pencil Collector Society. He talks with us about his collection, counting it for the record, and of course, getting involved with the APCS.Show Notes and LinksErasable PatreonAmerican Pencil Collectors SocietyInterview with Aaron in the Associated PressInterview with Aaron in the Washington PostGuinness World RecordsCurrent Record Holder for Largest Collection of PencilsOur GuestAaron BartholmeyPencilCollector.orgYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil Revolution@pencilutionAndy WelfleWoodclinched@awelfleTim Wasem@TimWasem

Much as with our retrospective on Blackwings Volumes editions last episode, today we’re taking a look back at the Field Notes releases we’ve gotten since around the beginning of the pandemic.Show Notes and LinksErasable PatreonLe Voyageur from Write Notepads & Co.Mitsubishi Uni “hahatoco” cat themed pencils! Pencil penrose (aka our tattoos) pins from Tim Belonax VignetteHeavy DutyUnited States of LetterpressSnowy Evening Fifty TrailheadHarvest Ignition Signs of Spring Great Lakes HatchKraft PlusStreetscapesYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil Revolution@pencilutionAndy WelfleWoodclinched@awelfleTim Wasem@TimWasem

We always offer hot takes on each Blackwing Volumes release. But how do things look when we step back a little and look again with some more context and perspective? Tune in as we talk about the last few years of Blackwing Volumes, give our spicy and mild takes, and give each volume a grade.Show Notes and LinksErasable PatreonBlackwing Pencil Release GuideBasquiat on American MastersAdam Savage’s Indiana Jones notebook replicaVolume 840: Surfer Dude and the CoastVolume 3: Ravi ShankarVolume XIX: The 19th AmendmentVolume 6: Independent BusinessesVolume 223: Woodie Guthrie Volume 64: ComicsVolume 651: Bruce LeeVolume 93: Corita KentVolume 200: CoffeehousesVolume 55: The Golden RatioVolume 7: AnimationVolume 192: The Lennon and McCartneyVolume 20: Tabletop GamesVolume 57: The Basquiat PencilYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil Revolution@pencilutionAndy WelfleWoodclinched@awelfleTim Wasem@TimWasem

Today, we have a full episode of just the Tools of the Trade. Skip this if you don’t want to hear about the 16 different albums Tim is listening too, what gritty British crime dramas Johnny’s watching, or what books Andy says he’s reading. Plus: the greatest concert film ever made, starring Seth Rogan.Show Notes and LinksBoygeniusNew Jason Isbell album next week!Theo Katzman Be the WheelCocaine and RhinestonesGeorge Michael BushSteven Universe Ted LassoBarryGuardians of the Galaxy 3The DiplomatTransatlanticA Small LightThe Eyes and the Impossible by Dave EggersHidden Systems by Dan NottPromises Stronger Than Darkness by Charlie Jane AndersDon't Tell Anyone the Secrets I Told You by Lucinda WilliamsThis Wheel's On Fire by Levon HelmOtherwise: New & Selected Poems by Jane KenyonBeach Badge zineThe OverstoryKeith Smith booksBellroy tech Dopp kit Tom Bihn Side HustlePlatinum PlaisirBlackwing Eras 2022Musgrave Pencil Knot notebookLevenger True Writer KyotoOfficial LT1917 penThat Field Notes dad thingYour HostsJohnny GamberPencil Revolution@pencilutionAndy WelfleWoodclinched@awelfleTim Wasem@TimWasem

We’re celebrating National Poetry Month a month too late, but we think it’s always time to celebrate poetry. To that end, we’ve invited Jay Newton, long-time listener and Erasable Poet Laureate, onto the show to talk about his new chapbook, Effigies, and how he thinks about and creates poetry. We also celebrate silly little limericks by pitting Jay against ChatGPT to write extremely specific pencil limericks.Show Notes and LinksErasable PatreonNew Zelda GameField Notes CityscapesMusgrave’s The Party BugleNew Musgrave Shorthand Notebook in BLUEMagic Ink markersBig ol’ pressed penny notebookBaronfig Venture Backpack 3.0PennyCollector.orgLimerick ShowdownHere are the poems that we asked Jay and ChatGPT to write. Read them and judge them!Limerick about the struggle of using a pencil with an off-center core (from Donny Pearce)ChatGPT:With graphite askew, pencil's no fun,Off-center core makes writing undone.The lines dance in strife,Disrupting the life,Of precision, alas, it's all gone.Jay: If there’s one thing I simply abhor,It’s a stick with an off-center core.It may write as smoothly as Lapis LazuliBut some things I just can’t ignore.Limerick about how the Field Notes pencils should be better than they are (from Donny Pearce)Jay:The pencil from Draplin is lacking.Does he not have financial backing?It scratches the pageLike a one-million HWhile Musgrave is counter-attacking.ChatGPT: Field Notes pencils, touted with cheer,But their performance fails, I do fear.Smoothness they lack,Graphite too slack,In need of improvement, that's clear.Limerick about how there are only so many words that actually rhyme with “pencil” (from Kathy Rogers)ChatGPT:"Pencil," a word we oft rhyme,Yet choices are limited, no time.Stenciled, essentials,Potential, credentials,Options are scarce, yet sublime.Jay: A brooding baboon with a pencil,Could trace, with his tail, a stencil.He found it intriguingThat he was a BeingBoth prehensile and existential.Our GuestJay NewtonYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil Revolution@pencilutionAndy WelfleWoodclinched@awelfleTim Wasem@TimWasem

We’re here, smack in the middle of National Poetry Month, to read and discuss a few of our favorite poems. We also rap about the latest Field Notes and Blackwing releases, and more!Show Notes and LinksErasable PatreonMagic Wand PencilsBaron Fig Squire OracleBaron Fig Squire DraftBlackwing Volume 20Field Notes StreetscapesPoems of HealingAlmost Cha-Cha (Brett Elizabeth Jenkins)The Changing Light (Lawrence Ferlinghetti)“The Cinnamon Peeler’s Wife” (Michael Ondaatje)“Having It Out with Melancholy” (Jane Kenyon)Your HostsJohnny  GamberPencil Revolution@pencilutionAndy WelfleWoodclinched@awelfleTim Wasem@TimWasem

Every once in a while, we like to update one of the most popular features on our website: Our personal Top Five Pencils list. As we stare down nine years on the airwaves, see how much — or how little — has changed.The Guys’ Top 5 Pencils Spring 2023AndyPalomino Golden BearHi-Class Golden Sword 2BForest ChoiceBlackwing 602Musgrave Pencil KingTim Blackwing NaturalBlackwing MMXMusgrave Tennessee RoundMitsubishi 9852EWPalomino HBJohnnyMusgrave Tennessee RedGeneral Pencil Co. Cedar Pointe California Republic Palomino (capped version)Eberhard Faber / FaberCastell American / American NaturalsWhatever pencil I’m usingShow Notes and LinksErasable PatreonShift Happens Palomino Golden BearHi-Class Golden Sword 2BForest ChoiceBlackwing 602Musgrave Pencil KingBlackwing NaturalBlackwing MMXMusgrave Tennessee RoundMitsubishi 9852EW/9852Palomino HBMusgrave Tennessee RedGeneral Pencil Co. Cedar PointeCalifornia Republic Palomino (capped version)Eberhard Faber / FaberCastell American/American NaturalsTop Dozen Pencils ZineYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil Revolution@pencilutionAndy WelfleWoodclinched@awelfleTim Wasem@TimWasem

Join us as we discuss some truly cool things from Musgrave, a delightful weird two-color pen, Jimmy Smits’s rise to galactic political fame, and why the Bic Cristal doesn’t deserve the hate it’s been getting on the internet.Show Notes and LinksErasable PatreonThe Creative ActFragments: Time Out of Mind SessionsMcCartney 3,2,1All Creatures Great and SmallThe Handmade Book ClubMinecraftKiki’s Delivery ServicePencil KingMusgrave Cloth Gift BagBig Musgrave NotebookMusgrave Duet PensYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil Revolution@pencilutionAndy WelfleWoodclinched@awelfleTim Wasem@TimWasem

Tonight, we’re recapping 2022 on a positive note. We’ll be talking about our favorite things about the year, both in the Pencil World and out. Show Notes & LinksVenture BrothersThe Orville: New Horizons)The Mountain in the Sea by Ray NaylorIrvine Welsh's CrimeRoaring Spring composition notebook33 1/3 John PrimeSolid State: The Story of Abbey RoadPencil King by MusgraveMusgrave metal pencil sharpenerBlackwing Eras 2022Iroshuzuku "Fuyu-gaki" inkDraplin's Instagram post that mentions the Erasable SquireDiamine Wild StrawberryUniball OneRobert Oster Lake of FireField Notes Kraft Plus notebooksField Notes quarterly subscriptionsPencil Revolution Press notebooksLeuchtturm hardback notebooksTom Bihn medium Café bagDeep Space NinetiesUSPS stampsKeychron keyboardsFellow Stagg pour over coffeeTomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle ZevinMr. Jiu's chili crispBlueyYour HostsJohnny  GamberPencil Revolution@pencilutionAndy WelfleWoodclinched@awelfleTim Wasem@TimWasem