Talkward w/ guest Mike Sacks

Mike Sacks Returns (and Gen X Gets Bigger Fonts) Talkward is back for a new season, and host Marty Dundics kicks things off with a returning favorite: humor author and satirist Mike Sacks, the master of “artifacts from things that never existed.”This episode dives into Sacks’ signature meta-comedy—fake movies, invented cultural movements, and lovingly recreated pop-culture “memories” that feel too real—as Marty and Mike celebrate the release of Slouchers: Gen Xpanded Edition from Humorist Books.From the lost freedom of pre-smartphone childhoods to the plot-ruining menace of cell phones in storytelling, Marty and Mike riff on why the past is easier (and funnier) to satirize than the always-on present. Along the way, they nerd out over grunge-era touchstones (cargo shorts, mixtapes, WHFS, standing in line all night for concert tickets), and unpack the strange magic of nostalgia for a time that was messy, sincere, and gloriously offline.The conversation also explores Mike’s audio-comedy world—his new project StanLand, and how one “yes” from Jon Hamm helped launch an all-star cast for Stinker Let’s Loose, why collaboration makes the work better, and what he’s developing next with Chris Elliott. Plus: Substack advice without the hustle, Sedaris tour-opening war stories, and a little daydreaming about what Slouchers could become as a streaming series—complete with dream casting, cameos, and a soundtrack built from forgotten ’90s gems. Buy Slouchers: Gen Xpanded Edition and find more from Mike at mikesacks.com—then subscribe, follow, and keep the cringeworthy tales coming.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/talkward--2882431/support.