Episodes
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Big burly men with lovely lady legs, iconic superheroes, and more - all in a day’s work for a storyboard artist and director, and this episode Janet and Dante are joined by one of the best, Lauren Montgomery!
Lauren gives a behind-the-scenes scoop on a couple animal hybrids that didn’t quite make the cut, and shares her very surprising favorite ship from the Avatarverse (you’re seriously never going to guess who it is).
We hear Dante’s FIRE rec for the best tea in Ba Sing Se, then he and Janet try their hands at drawing and interpreting some character shorthand. A high stakes challenge - with unreliable erasers - that you won’t want to miss!
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Join Zuko, Azula, and the girlies for a bit of sun, a little relaxation, and just a touch of ambition for total world domination. We’ll get a taste of the trials and tribulations of Fire Nation teens, and witness a touching moment between siblings that *almost* convinces Dante that Azula means well. Almost.
Guests Olivia Hack (voice of Ty Lee) and Cricket Leigh (voice of Mai) help Janet brainstorm some new nicknames for Combustion Man - which is just soooo formal - and we see the line between Dante and Zuko blur yet again as we follow this fiery bunch of adolescents in, ‘The Beach’.
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Missing episodes?
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Leaves from vines and secret tunnels - feel all the feelings with Janet and Dante as they are joined by composer, Jeremy Zuckerman and original show editor, Jeff Adams to talk about the Avatar live concert tour and the iconic music that makes us laugh and makes us cry (especially Janet).
We’ll hear more about Jeremy's super airbending music powers and what it’s like to put the score at the forefront of storytelling and truly capture the essence and emotions of the Avatarverse. There may even be a couple special performances from Jeremy and Janet… FORESHADOW REPORT: there definitely will be.
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Space rocks, training montages, and Fire Nation shopping sprees - there is never a dull day on a road trip with Team Avatar. In ‘Sokka’s Master’ we follow the journey of our favorite (and only) non-bending member of the Gaang as he discovers his own unique strengths and learns the skill of the blade.
And who better to join this Sokka-focused side quest than the voice of the boomerang guy himself, Jack De Sena! Jack, Janet, and Dante catch up with each other, question whether or not our friends REALLY miss us when we’re not around, and discuss the importance of honesty and humility on the path to power.
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Author of the Avatar Kyoshi & Avatar Yangchen novels, F.C. Yee, and the novels’ audiobook actor/narrator, Nancy Wu, join Janet and Dante to geek out! Together, they discuss team Avatar throughout history, what it's like to expand the Avatarverse with a master like Michael DiMartino, and why ‘The Great Divide’ is such an important episode.
Nancy talks about the cultural relevance and authenticity she feels as an Asian American and fan of the Avatar series. Then, Dante asks F.C. which of the novels is his favorite (possibly the full box set? *wink wink*), and more importantly, if the Fire Nation will ever receive any love from the books in the future.
Catch up with the story of Avatar Kyoshi and Avatar Yangchen here: https://www.abramsbooks.com/?s=avatar
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Janet and Dante are joined by Avatar graphic novel and comic book author, Faith Erin Hicks, as we follow our favorite Gaang to a peculiar little fishing village in, ‘The Painted Lady’. Plagued by the toxic run-off from the Fire Nation weapons factory up the river, the villagers suffer greatly from the surrounding polluted waters - that is, until a mysterious female figure comes to their aid…
Janet and Dante find out who Faith’s REAL favorite member of Team Avatar is, talk about the diversity and richness of female characters in the Avatarverse, and discuss the presumably *unique* flavor of turtle ducks (yum?).
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Janet and Dante welcome 3 superfans to tell us what kind of bending THEY would love to see in the Four Nations. Along the way, important questions are answered like, who is the best ship? Do animal hybrids exist IRL? And is any type of bending innately good or evil?
Together, Janet, Dante, and our fiery fans stretch the fabric of the Avatarverse to its limits with their dream bending possibilities, and maybe even stumble upon a powerful new super bending gang of their own…
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Janet and Dante are delighted to welcome back John O’Bryan, the writer who gave us the most iconic (and unlucky) cabbage merchant ever! John shares more behind-the-scenes intel as we catch up with Aang, the gang, and their sticky fingers, doing their best to assimilate to the Fire Nation; including ‘picking up’ some fresh new fits and taking a *brief* break from restoring world balance, to host the hottest Fire Nation school dance of the century...likely the only Fire Nation school dance of this century. Not so far away, Zuko experiences the perks and drawbacks in his relationships after returning home, and seeks help from a mysterious stranger to destroy the Avatar, once and for all.
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Janet and Dante are joined once more by dynamo director, Giancarlo Volpe, as we welcome Aang back to the land of the living in, ‘The Awakening’! After the fall of the Earth Kingdom, Aang wakes up in some alarming new digs with a hair-raising new look (iykyk) as the Gaang makes their way towards unfamiliar Fire Nation territory. Meanwhile, Zuko finds himself feeling uneasy about his long-awaited return home after helping Azula defeat the Avatar, troubled by the question - is there a chance he could still be alive?
Janet and Dante get some insider info from Giancarlo about the elements that make this such a powerful season opener, marvel at the masterful displays of waterbending from Katara, and dive into Dante’s strong feelings about Zuko’s sinister sister and …her chess playing skills?
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We’re back and fired up for a new season! Janet and Dante have a ‘family’ reunion with their two dads, Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, as everyone catches up on some of the major moments from Team Avatar’s time in the Earth Kingdom. To get ready for Book Three: Fire, we’ll talk about the epic cliffhanger of season two, fiery characters we’ll meet in season 3, and some of our favorite episodes we can’t wait to watch again. Janet and Dante ask Mike and Bryan some questions from fans, and we may even hear a bit about what’s going on over at Avatar Studios…Flameo, it’s Fire Nation time!
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Coming in HOT - Nickelodeon’s official companion podcast, Avatar: Braving the Elements is back for it’s third season! Join hosts Janet Varney and Dante Basco every Tuesday as they rewatch and discuss every episode of Book 3: Fire with special guests for more behind-the-scenes info you can’t get anywhere else.
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The long-awaited Avatar The Last Airbender Soundtrack, Book 1: Water, coming soon!
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Join us for a special milestone as we celebrate the 100th episode of Braving the Elements! In this rebroadcast from Season 1, Janet and Dante are joined by former Nickelodeon executive (now CEO of Avatar Studios) Eric Coleman, aka "The Godfather of Zuko," for a candid discussion about the development of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Learn about Mike and Bryan's early ideas, their creative process, and valuable insights on navigating network animation development from an industry veteran!
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Let's celebrate the funniest moments of Book 2 of Avatar: The Last Airbender, with comedian and Avatar fan Ron Funches. This episode rebroadcast highlights not only some of Janet, Dante and Ron's favorite scenes but also the moments our fans have shared with us over social media.
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Let's celebrate one of the most cherished episodes in Book 2 - "The Tales of Ba Sing Se"! Joined by our dear friend and fellow Avatar stan Danielle Radford, Janet and Dante dive into an epic recap of this special collection of sentimental and emotional Avatar vignettes. We're not crying, you are...
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We're joined by Lauren Tom, the multi-talented actor and voice artist who brought to life Joo Dee, the smiling guide of Ba Sing Se and so many other memorable characters. Listen as Janet and Dante chat with Lauren about her prolific career in voiceover and on-screen acting, her success as a writer, mother, and being such a prominent figure in the Asian artistic community. In this captivating rebroadcast, Lauren shares her journey and insights into the entertainment industry, showcasing the qualities that make her a superstar.
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Join Janet and Dante as they continue to celebrate the remarkable Toph Beifong by sitting down with Michaela Jill Murphy (aka Jessie Flower), the original voice of Toph. In this rebroadcast, Michaela shares insights into her life before and after joining the cast of Avatar: The Last Airbender, and how much she relates to Toph's bold personality. This episode promises to be a compelling and insightful conversation about the beloved character and her real-life counterpart - you won't want to miss.
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Get ready to hear the story of one of the most iconic characters in the world of animation! Join Janet & Dante as they bring back Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko on a nostalgic trip down memory lane to reminisce about the creation of the legendary Toph. With exclusive insights into the creative process, we'll unpack early character concept designs and their evolution to the Toph we all know and love today. This rebroadcast promises to be an enthralling experience for all fans of the show.
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It’s the last official episode of Braving The Elements season two, and we’re going out big with two returning guests: our “dad” Mike DiMartino and the voice of Aang, Zach Tyler Eisen! Hear from two adored members of the ATLA world as we face the final episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Book Two. The action-packed finale of the television season may not have as happy a conclusion as the one we have closing out our podcast season… but that’s what makes getting into Book Three so exciting!
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In our penultimate Season Two episode, Janet and Dante welcome back Ijeoma Njaka to the pod! Who better to explore some of Book Two’s most formative and critical turning point moments than Ijeoma, an academic professor who created a class syllabus highlighting some of the great “big picture” themes of Avatar: The Last Airbender? The trio explores Zuko’s journey, the power of knowledge -- and its risks — and much more, including lots of discussion around fan favorite responses!
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