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Elsewhere In Odyssey Publishing Elsewhere!

Greetings and salutations! This will be a fairly short post, but I wanted to report a piece of news that I came across. If you are not a member of the AIO Club and miss out on the weekly comic strip stories, worry no more! The AIO Team is compiling several of the comic stories from the Club into a comic book! Here is the cover art: Here is the summary: Come along for Volume 1 of an exciting Christian comic book series set Elsewhere in Odyssey―and elsewhere around the world!The little city of Odyssey is host to an ever-expanding series of faith-filled adventures, yet the wider scope of many of these stories is often only hinted at by the regulars at Whit’s End. Collected here are the exciting follow-up stories that Adventures in Odyssey fans have always wondered about, such as: Is Donna Barclay really getting married? Whatever happened to Bernard Walton? How is it that the Rathbones seem to be following the Barclays around the world? Why is Dr. Regis Blackgaard still able to exploit the Imagination Station to further his dastardly plans, especially since he’s not actually alive anymore? Elsewhere in Odyssey Volume #1 takes the whole family on a fun adventure by combining graphic-novel-style illustrations, biblical lessons, and humorous action that keeps kids glued to the pages. Focus on the Family The book will be released on May 6th, 2025. I for one am excited to see this! It gives opportunity for those not in the Club to see more of the Elsewhere In Odyssey comics. Be sure to pre-order your copy from Focus on the Family, Christianbook.com and Amazon! That’s all I have for now. What are your thoughts on this? Are interested in reading or purchasing it? Let us know in the comments! Your engagement is always appreciated and encouraged! -Signed, Polehaus53

From Odyssey Obsessors • 3 days ago

AIO Writer’s Block Newsletter- January 11th, 2025

AIO Thought of the Week:I don’t like Derek. Also, it was such a weird decision to make his last name Barkley. He’s a new character they didn’t have to. Also, am I the only one who kinda shipped Donna with Eric Myers? I know most people liked her and Jack, but setting aside that, they could have fit. IDK I don’t often ship characters that aren’t already a couple, so it feels weird to know that canonically the only thing that happened between them is Eric thought about asking her out.(This was written while the Elsewhere in Odyssey storyline was wrapping up)It’s been a yearish what’s the consensus on Derek? Hello everybody! Amidst all the Christmas and New Year’s festivities of the last couple of weeks, it appears the newsletter was lost in the hubbub. It would have come out a week ago, but it’s about time for a fresh slate for this new year. So on the second Saturday of 2025, here are your updates from AIO Writer’s Block and the Adventures in Odyssey fan community. Content of the Week: “Better Buck Next Time” Made Us Angry…Which Is Why It’s Such a Great Episode Our flagship headline this week is a short review of the emotional aspect of “Better Buck Next Time” and how it ties into its message. Read this thought-provoking article now. From Elsewhere on the Block My Snow Day Episodes Looking for episodes to listen to this winter season? This short list of episodes is a bit of episodes I’ve found enjoyable over the past few years should have you covered as you sit by warm fires in cozy blankets this winter season. Enjoy! Donald Trump Taps John Whittaker as White House Director of…Something Our last SONN post of 2024 came out on December 30th, and will hopefully be our last political one for a while. Nonetheless, it was a hit, so much so it bumped us up just over 2021’s threshold to make last year our highest-grossing year by views ever! Adventures for Odyssey Fans Content Adventures for Odyssey Fans has created five pieces of content since this newsletter’s last issue. Each of them self-justify their relevance, so here is a list below: Best Quotes by Edwin Blackgaard Review of, “Kris-Crossed 1-2” The End-of-the-Year Report Quick Post: What Was The Best Episode of Club Season 11? Club Review: School of Hard Knocks What’s New In Odyssey? “The W.E.” Calls It Quits It’s been a busy week in the AIO fan community, too. In a shocking recent piece of news, The “world-famous” W.E. Podcast announced its finality after almost a year of inactivity. It cited a “lack of quality” as well as complaints of the lack of formerly acclaimed biblical principles. The four-slide Instagram post shouted out Kathy Buchanan as one of few writers remaining who have upheld those morals. They made a follow-up post today after the comments received attention all the way up the official Adventures in Odyssey Instagram page. For specific examples, they cited the increasingly infamous Rydell saga as well as the irresponsible actions of Pastor Knox throughout recent years. The W.E. Podcast has been mostly inactive for over a year, releasing only two episodes in 2024. AIO Writer’s Block will release a full article responding to this on Monday. The End Of “Odyssey Fictions’” Odyssey One of our longest running AIO Writer’s Block websites, Odyssey Fiction, has closed as of January first. A number of our readers have inquired about this change, and this is the response. This was a decision that was carried out on its owner’s part after much thought. We here at AIO Writer’s Block do still want to fill that fan fiction space and providentially, Adventures for Odyssey Fans has been looking to do just that. Better Buck Next Time! Better Buck Next Time finished its release this Thursday after multiple weeks of conversation surrounding it. As mentioned earlier, we already have commentary up over it. As far as an official one-sentence review, I’d certainly say it passes as a 4/5 episode and one of the better ones we’ve seen in a while. The emotional weight and moral tie=in really pulled through on this one. Again, for more full notes, check out our article. Captain Absolutely: Return of the Captain “Captain Absolutely” made a hyped-up return in Clubhouse Magazine following the end of “The Magnificent Mulligans'” run that has gone on for several months now. It’s a long-expected return, too. The Magnificent Mulligans can now be found in a book by Bill Myers. Fun fact: Bill is actually the author of the 90s favorite “McGee and Me”. Conclusion That’s all for now! Things to look out for in the coming weeks will be that aforementioned response to the W.E.’s announcement. The What’s Odyssey Podcast will be ramping up once again after a quiet second half of 2024. Have a great January and get to those resolutions!

From AIO Writer's Block • a week ago

“Better Buck Next Time” Made Us Angry…Which Is Why It’s Such a Great Episode

This write-up contains small spoilers for the episodes “Kris-Crossed” and “Better Buck Next Time.” Whenever AIO Writer’s Block chooses to review an episode, it’s always one that generally has some kind of buzz around its release, either in the present or historically. We also have established categories that are used to gauge episodes we review, those are music, making, moral, and emotional weight. I was never quite able to find an “m” word for that last one. That leads to the point here. Of all the qualifications that make a good episode, Emotional Weight is one that hasn’t had too many hits recently, especially outside of some running saga. Lately, I only have to write a few words on it and move on to the final review. In Album 78, that standard had a bit of a shake-up. I mentioned in my review of the first half of Kris-Crossed how maddening the entire situation involving Emily was. The thing is, I couldn’t really put my finger on why. There were the obvious irritants, for instance, any one of Suzu’s missteps or the principal’s unwillingness to investigate the situation further. Above all, the episode simply inspired a general feeling of annoyance in me. I thought perhaps I was having an off day when I listened, but when Better Buck Next Time only amplified this, it was clear the storytelling prowess of AIO was at work again. The discussion found Phil Lollar chiming in on a post commenting on the comparability between the two stories we’ve had in this album so far with a simple statement: “variations on a theme.” That was only one of a huge amount of fan conversation, the most we’ve had on one AIO title in a while. The fan reaction to this episode reveals that was clearly intentional. My nine-word summary of Parts 1 and 2 garnered veritably universal agreement. The summary? “Marla is among Odyssey’s top ten most annoying characters.” And it’s true. It’s the quality of every great piece to get into the heads of its audience; that’s what makes anything from comedies to horror stories entertaining. In this album we’ve seen that hijacked for quality in an astounding way. The funny thing is, it worked. Another element to recognize is how in both Kris-Crossed and Better Buck Next Time, the emotional aspect of the episode directly correlates with the moral of the story. This was evident in our first episode of this album, but was more pronounced here for an important reason. In Kris-Crossed, the emotional element was correlated with the moral failings of Suzu’s actions. That frustration was justified through Morrie’s final dialogue with her. I remember pointing this out in that review. In Better Buck Next Time, something was different between the traits of the antagonists: their Christianity. Suzu can fall back on our supposed grace toward her as a non-Christian, and we saw that in Emily’s response (not just now, by the way, but in their entire history on this show). Marla, on the other hand, is introduced as a “strong Christian” and her son a role model, at that. So when we’re frustrated at her, it reveals something deeper about the message of the episode. It may even show us something about ourselves. Even the other kids, who aren’t exactly evil, viscerally treat Buck in an almost disgusted manner, and that’s…frustrating. And it should be! Here’s the heart of the matter: we should get angry and riled up when Christians of the real world act contrary to what the Bible says is right behavior. But even more importantly, how do we act? Do we second-guess our actions when we know the Bucks of the world are watching us? And Micah? He could have stood up, told the truth, and chose to stand by and get pushed around. How many people are counting on us to face an opposition? Better yet, what does God think when He sees us sit around while people disobey Him in His name? “Do not conform”, applies to worldly actions, too. That’s what to think about. These are all things to keep in mind as you go into As Buck Would Have It, Part 3. The payoff of the resolution of these types of episodes is always far above what it typically would be. I hope you appreciated this short review of “Emotional Weight” in Better Buck Next Time. Few episodes pull off a single category so well that it requires its own separate review. Nonetheless, it’s time for me to be off and listen to part three of this unraveling series. See you next time, and keep up the fandom! [One more note that didn’t occur to me until I’d seen part three. Each episode of this album has a unique description! I don’t know how long that’s been going. Anyway, the last section of Better Buck Next Time describes a pivotal decision Buck will make. Perhaps this whole experience will be instrumental to determining Buck’s faith journey anyway. And let’s be honest, we all knew it would be.]

From AIO Writer's Block • 2 weeks ago

AIO Writer’s Block…Wrapped!

Here are the slides from our Spotify Wrapped-style Instagram story we posted! At the end of every year, we provide an update on how things are going around here. In 2024, though, there were a number of updates, from a lengthy end-of-year post to a mid-year article to our triumphal anniversary celebration. So at the conclusion of it all, the decision was a lighter, more humorous approach to our review. Take a look here or view the dynamic video version on Instagram.

From AIO Writer's Block • 2 weeks ago

My Snow Day Episodes

We’ve never published a content guide for January, and that’s not necessarily an accident. Our Christmas guide has always included winter episodes, so the need to add a separate guide would be duplicative. Additionally, this month has a unique absence of its own holidays, with the exception of one kind that a multitude of people all over the Northern Hemisphere experience…snow days. For my first article of the year, I searched my memory and decided to make a short collection of the episodes I’ve listened to while engaging in snow day activities, such as shoveling a driveway or baking gingerbread cookies. These are in no particular order and will include Club links. Snow Day (of course) Game Night Knox on Sacrifice The Protector Jumping Off, Jumping Off A Very Bassett Wedding Kopfkino: A Hare, A Hedgehog, and A Doof Opening Day Out of the Picture David and Absalom Lifted Out of Context Back to Bethlehem The Snow Must Go On Snow on and Sew Forth Snow ‘Em Who’s Boss Make Snow Mistake Enjoy this glimpse into my episode selections! Grab a cup of hot chocolate, watch the snow gently fall, and embrace the coziness that arises from the sharp cold of winter. I believe I will add more to this list as my memory allows, but for now, I thought it would be great to start off 2025 with a personal touch. Be safe, stay warm, and keep up the fandom!

From AIO Writer's Block • 2 weeks ago

“Better Buck Next Time, Part 2” – A Rant.

Phew! It’s been a while since an episode has made me want to slap characters in said episode! (I’m normally pretty chill about things.) So here goes my chocolate-fueled rant about the nonsense that went on here! I want to start by saying, I didn’t like Marla from Part 1 Polehaus can attest to me muttering, “Uhhh…ew…” several times along with “she seems fake” as we were listening. Okay, so the kids Buck made friends with from the sports ministry (I forgot the name of it) all get this text at the same time, with the same link, from an unknown person… and they don’t even question this? They don’t even stop to wonder, “Hm, I wonder who would send this to us and try to make our friend look bad”?? AND…said kids who are leaders and Christians and mentors… their first reaction is, “You think you know a guy.” Instead of hearing him out properly. Not that I entirely blame them. I guess it would be a shock, but really? Is this how Christians act? Even worse… EVEN WORSE… the booster club (which by the way I thought sounded sus in Part 1 as well). Okay, maybe I understand the moms being suspicious of Buck, but why in the WORLD does that extend to Katrina? Oh my goodness…MARLA!!! *takes deep breath* Perhaps I should explain why I’m getting so uptight… (apart from the obvious reasons) I will in a second! Marla? HA! I knew you were suspicious. Two-faced lady. I don’t have any other words right now, because I feel like mentally punching her. *facepalm* of course she’s one of those weird moms who will get jealous on their kids’ behalf and take revenge for them when it’s not called for. Miss, if you kid deserved to stay as a starter, he would stay as a starter. And she’s a Christian. She’s a Christian, folks. Now to why I’m so riled up… Um… Let’s just say that this episode touched on something that has been driving me crazy for the past 4ish years. And that is: hypocrisy within Christianity. People who say they are Christians but don’t act like it at all. People who I have gotten to know who I thought would be good friends because they told me about how they were involved in missions, volunteer at their church, lead Bible studies… and then they gossip about others, manipulate, use their friends, stalk people… My former friends who said they were Christians being betrayers and selfish and… There’s a fine line between getting riled up by Marla in this episode, being like, “Ugh, what a hypocrite!” and being hypocrites ourselves. I recognize that I’m not always a stellar Christian either. So, this episode is intriguing me because it’s touching on a really prevalent issue. I hope that they go more in-depth with it. Chris didn’t really talk about it in the wraps. I hope it isn’t glossed over. I was glancing at the comments and felt both sad and smug when seeing the kids’ surprise: “what? I thought they were Christian? I thought they were friends?” I’m smug because yeah, that’s the real world. And I’m sad because…yeah, that’s the real world. Caution is warranted on all levels of this issue. We must be careful not to judge others too quickly or too harshly. Perhaps we are the ones with the logs in our eyes. But it is true: Even without judging people, it becomes clear that some are not truly Christian. Or that they have been led astray by some sins. But what can we do? Don’t fall into the trap of being just as hypocritical (as I have done in the past). Don’t be the one laughing at them and scorning and shunning. This isn’t what the answer is. As an acquaintance once said to me, “True believers are very few.” Sad but true. *sighs* So yeah. I’m eager to see where AIO takes this theme – if they take it anywhere… As for the locker mystery, I’m going to guess that Marla made Micah deface his own locker so that they could blame Buck and get him kicked off the football team. Though I wish Buck would quit giving in to the accusations. (plot twist: he actually did do it! But no.) Though I’m not sure what else he could have done, considering they didn’t let him defend himself… *dusts off hands* Maybe I’ll write more on the next part, we will see. Thanks for reading!

From Odyssey Obsessors • 3 weeks ago

My Odyssey Story 2025 is HERE!

Enter to WIN the My Odyssey Story Contest! 🥳That's right, our contest is now LIVE. We all have an Odyssey story. Is there a certain episode that’s really meaningful to you? Is there a character you identify with? Is there a storyline that has strengthened you in your faith? Has the show or the AIO community helped you in some way? Now you can share your Odyssey story for a chance to win some cool prizes!👉 How to Enter 👈1. Write a paragraph answering this question: How has Adventures in Odyssey impacted you? For your entry to be counted, you must write a minimum of 100 words, but more is encouraged! There is no maximum word count.2. Post your entry to the AIO Fan Club Facebook group (facebook.com/groups/aiofanclub) with the hashtag #MyOdysseyStory or send it in an email to: aioupdate@live.com👋 More Details• Entries must be submitted during the month of January 2025. The deadline is January 31, 2025, at 11:59 PM PST.• You can post multiple times, but you will still receive just one entry per person in the prize draw.• Open to people worldwide.• No anonymous submissions. We’d like to contact you if you win the prize!• Not affiliated with official Adventures in Odyssey or Focus on the Family. ​🏆 PrizesThree winners will be chosen in a random draw. Prize winners will be contacted to provide their mailing address so that they can receive their prize.The first-place winner will receive the following:• Ultra Rare Trading Card, "Elvis Jay"• 8 x 10” limited edition print of “Whit Sundae”, art by @Rebl_Art• 5 x 7” limited edition print of “Town of Odyssey”, art by @phoebepheebsphibs• 3" Ice Cream Gang vinyl magnet, by @hals.diner• "Opening Moves" by Phil Lollar, the first book in the Blackgaard Chronicles• "Silas Marner" 2-CD set, by Focus on the Family Radio Theatre🥈🥉 Second and third place winners will receive the same prizes, minus the trading card. (It's Ultra Rare. Unfortunately we only have one!)⭐ How Will the Entries Be Used?Entries will be posted publicly on our website, AIO Update, and may appear on our social media as well. We will include your first name and last initial. Additionally, some entries will be featured in an article on the AIO Update website to showcase the impact Adventures in Odyssey has had on its fans.🎨 The beautiful contest art and logo is by @phoebepheebsphibsAll right, let’s get writing! I’m excited to read everyone’s #MyOdysseyStory this month. 😃

From AIO Update • 3 weeks ago

Four Years Ago… 😱

*pops out from quicksand pit to make this post* It’s hard to believe that the start of this was four years ago. That’s…that’s the time it takes someone to get a bachelor’s degree! To finish high school! Wow! I feel honestly underqualified to be making this post because I have barely been existing on The OO this year. I only made four posts. And I haven’t even been able to keep up with everything Polehaus is up to. He deserves a gold medal for finding time… Anyway, this is our fourth anniversary. What can I say? I can’t believe we made it this far. Thanks for coming along for the ride. Highlights of 2024 Uniting the Green Ring and Ties That Bind Saga Horses in Odyssey! Reviewing “The Revenge of Bigfoot” Overlooked Episodes That Made Me Go “Ooh!” Every Single Song Sung on AIO Listed Here (you would not believe how long this one took us) Odyssey’s Law Enforcers Analyzing Chris’ Wraps: “Red Wagons and Pink Flamingos” I wish I had done some WILTs or TLDWs, since those are most accurate to my state in life: still involved with Odyssey and listening and following the news, but no time to write anything about it. And I could also write about how more specific episodes are applying to my life, but I’m not sure if that would be boring. But I will try to give it a try. Thank you again! Happy New Year, everyone! See you in 2025!

From Odyssey Obsessors • 3 weeks ago

Donald Trump Taps John Whittaker as White House Director of…Something

PALM BEACH, FL- President-Elect Donald Trump has indicated his desire to include John Avery Whittaker among his staff picks for his upcoming four-year term. Trump said he was “looking to fill a particular hole in the government, a moral hole.” He stated he didn’t quite know what Whit would do in the White House but that his presence would be enough and he would “figure out something.” Evidently, Whittaker, also known as Whit, and Trump go far back. The two have been in contact ever since they ran into each other at a shopping center in Arlington, Virginia for respectively unspecified reasons. We spoke to some Odyssey residents to scope their opinions on what would be a historic decision. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Whit left us again,” Bernard Walton, local window washer said. “To be honest, with the state of Odyssey these days, I’m surprised he hasn’t run off to a mission in China for six years already.” We also talked to Connie Kendall, a longtime employee of whits. “No we can’t have Whit leave again! I’d have to run this shop all by myself! Oh! What if he closes the shop…it’s too much to think about…I’d have to find a new job and would have to move out of my house…” Kendall rambled like this for several more minutes in our interview with her. “I hope he gets appointed as some sort of director of spiritual management. Our government needs Jesus,” atheist Renee Carter remarked. At the time of posting, Mr. Whittaker was considering, but had not accepted, this position. UPDATE- Dave Arnold, executive producer for Advemtures in Odyssey, has indicated this is how the team plans to eject Whit from the show in an episode that will air special on Inauguration Day.

From AIO Writer's Block • 3 weeks ago

Odyssey Obsessing in 2024 – How Did It Go?

Greetings and salutations and seasonal felicitations! In January this year I wrote a post about how I plan to Odyssey Obsess on this website in 2024. I’m here to review what my goals were and whether I successfully accomplished them this year. So, without further ado, let’s get started! In this post, I shall be going through what I hope to do this year with the Odyssey Obsessors. This post will be a preview of posts to come and my plan on how to get them done. Myself, January 14, 2024 The first thing I wrote about was Inspiration Inspiration One thing that I have trouble with is finding inspiration for posts, as I wrote earlier this year. I wrote about my main method of coming up with inspiration: looking at others’ work and at ideas of my own. I was able to post a bunch of things that I have been wanting to post this year. Most notably, one thing I was finally able to do this year was Clubhouse Magazine commentary. I also was able to publish an old piece of writing of mine from many years ago. In the process of writing them I was able to enthusiastically and energetically find inspiration which drove me to write them. I would say that this part of the plan was successful. Consistency/Post Quanity Here’s what I wrote earlier this year: I’ll try and set a simple goal to get started: My plan is to have more than 2 posts published for at least one month this year. Myself I can proudly say that this goal was completed! In May of 2024 we published 3 posts! Now, can I say confidentially that we can consistently hit this number? If I’m honest, no. We here at the Odyssey Obsessors are at points in our lives where we simply do not have the time to invest into this website as much as we wanted. But it is encouraging to myself to see that we have the ability to sometimes write another post and do a little bit more here. Hopefully this is something we can work to accomplish as time goes on. Time Management What did I say about time management earlier this year? My issue when it comes to writing is that I sit down and spend an hour or three writing. I usually get my posts out after one sitting. It works, but I’ve come to realize that this is not the best. I have other things to do and need to balance my schedule. What’s my solution? A very simple thing that I should have been doing a long time ago. Do it a little at a time. Myself Um… this worked out for a little while. But ultimately, I have to say that I failed in this goal. . (I have already spent too much time writing even this post…) There were times when, despite my earlier statement, I just sat down and wrote a post for two hours straight. Was that the best use of my time? Nope. Did I have other things to do? I 100% did. Could I have saved a lot of time if I had written the posts a little bit at time, even if just a paragraph a day? Definitely.Did I do anything to help me better manage my time? I did not. What can be done about it? Nothing much. When you have lost time, the one thing you shouldn’t do is dwell on that lost time. All you’re doing is wasting more time dwelling on the time you lost. I have personally been thinking about this in other aspects of my life recently. All that I can do about it is to move on and keep trying to do my best to manage my time. Something which takes……..time. (No pun intended) Conclusion Overall, I think that 2024 has been a fine year for Odyssey Obsessing. There were definitely some things that could have been done better, but ultimately, I personally have had a fun time being on the site this year and being a part of its development. And that’s a goal which has always been in my mind: To have fun with this AIO fansite. I have had an enjoyable time writing the posts and being a part of the Adventures in Odyssey online community. Well, that’s all I have for now. How do you think we did this year on the Odyssey Obsessors? Are there any goals that you think we should set going forward? Feel free to let us know by leaving a comment! Your engagement and feedback is always welcome! -Signed, Polehaus53

From Odyssey Obsessors • 4 weeks ago

Editorial 73: A Christmas Compilation

Adventures in Odyssey does a great job with Christmas episodes. It’s hard for me to separate the holiday from the show, because so many of my Christmas memories are associated with Odyssey. (And not just because I would get the albums as gifts.) When I think of Christmas, I can’t help but think of Whit’s End, all decorated in lights, snow falling outside, and a mug of hot chocolate. Odyssey has so many good Christmas episodes that it’s hard to choose a favorite. So instead, I thought I would focus on just ten specific Christmas moments that I find especially poignant... Read all about it in Editorial 73: A Christmas Compilation. And then let us know your favorite Christmas moments in the comments below!

From AIO Update • 4 weeks ago

“Kris-Crossed” Review: 5/5 Episode…If the Past Never Happened

Sp-sp-spoiiillerrrr warning! This review is as spoiler-free as possible, but we’d probably advise that you listen to this episode first if you don’t want this review to “cross” ahead of your experience. It’s that time of year when we pick the one (and possibly only) brand of episode review this website has been able to do consistently since the literal day it was created: Rydell episode reviews. There was a time when everything that could be said on a single Rydell episode would typically end up being said, making any opinions at AIO Writer’s Block (or The New AIO Blog, whichever it may be)…less relevant. Not so in the final days of 2024. After all the discussions, debates, and controversy, the once-notorious Rydell Arc has lost a bit of its provocative luster, a phenomenon we’ll take a look at here shortly. This review is going to be a conglomeration of all the categories we’ve defined as making a whole episode. Those are, as a reminder, music, making, moral, and emotional weight. We’re going to start with Making today, which is where we generally end up covering the plot side of things. Making Rating: 4.5 out of 5. Adventures in Odyssey continued its move away from “Rydell” in this story with a more to-the-point plot line, which I appreciated. The intro of Part 1 had some great and immediate setup, a testament to AIO’s skill in getting the audience invested. It’s important to notice that the new antagonists of this chapter of the Rydell saga involve threats or dilemmas coming against Cooper, Morrie, Suzu, and now, Emily. While in the transition, disagreements arose as a part of the latter three’s history, and that initial dispensation is now becoming an irrelevant detail as they face these new foes. As the adage says, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Chekov’s gun began smoking immediately as the episodes began, with all the people I predicted to be antagonists showing up right away, though I couldn’t have foreknew how the story was possibly linked together. Adventures in Odyssey wastes no time establishing the villains when it comes to Rydell episodes (unless the villain is Morrie Rydell, then as much as four years is appropriate). Another curious note was the team, but specifically Cooper, referring to Emily as “Em,” a sign of their developing relationship. I loved the cliffhanger ending that is working up to what may finally be a satisfying Era 6 conclusion to this length of an arc. My initial theory listening to part one revolved around some more sinister cloaking or mind control tech, but the reality was…less elaborate. There was one error that may just be a nitpick on my part, and that was Cooper’s reference to Suzu as a strong “Zuzu” in the opening act. It still made for an excellent story, though, which is why this category earns four and a half stars in my book. Note: There’s something I never really noticed until this episode’s credits started rolling. The time is coming (and has probably already passed), when the seats all of the AIO cast and crew will be filled with completely new members who are disconnected from the original days of Adventures in Odyssey. Even then, some of the team members we have now started out in the 2000s and are going on their third decade as AIO employees. That won’t be so for long. The Odyssey team now has capable actors, sound designers, directors, and writers who jumped in two or three years ago. Now, this isn’t a bad thing, it’s just one more thing to think about. It’s also a testament to the pretty immortal quality of Odyssey. To paraphrase AIOpinions, this show will really only ever end when Focus stops funding it. Moral Rating: 5 out of 5. The moral of this episode was masterfully constructed. This wasn’t merely because it was a good lesson that lined up, because many often are when it comes to Odyssey. I especially thought highly of this moral because the application could be instantly witnessed. For whatever it’s worth, AIO has completely shed the “ends justify the means” message. In real-time, the audience saw Suzu’s actions’ very risky effect in parts 1 and 2. The scoldings she got from the principal, Emily, and later Morrie were almost exactly what I felt like giving as the events unfolded. That was another element that this episode used. Hearing what Suzu did in both her missteps, you can’t help but feel frustration–frustration that seems to be woven into the “list of intended reactions.” The flip side of this is witnessing Morrie’s reaction when Suzu informs him of how she apprehended the antagonists at the end of Part 2. I want to focus on him for a moment, too. His character development over the past few years has been astounding to witness, as he originally would be 100% behind her whole scheme and probably even aid as an accomplice. We didn’t even see this attitude in “The Team”, when it was clear a reluctant Morrie only wanted to follow the rules Emily set. Morrie’s “In God’s hands” and “arrogant dumb ones” comments are little slips of huge development. We’re assuredly leading down a likely powerful salvation arc for him, and I’m remarkably for it. Again, the moral premise the other episodes have set is being put aside here, which makes this a 5/5 category for Kris-Crossed. Music Rating: 4 out of 5. Over the past few years, Jared Depasquale has locked in his style for Rydell episodes that I’ve appraised. This episode maintained the lingering of Revelations and a bit of the intensity of Realizations. I also caught some notes of the classic Rydell theme from the Sacrificial Escape days, which is among my favorite themes. Four stars. Emotional Weight Rating: 4.5 out of 5. I was feeling a three-and-a-half-star category here in the initial moments of Part 1 when there was not much to write home about. As the episode progressed, however, it sought to defy me as I was continually pulled in with moments of intrigue at Emily’s accusation and frustration as Suzu’s interruptions occurred. I even found myself audibly agreeing with Morrie in the final act during his confrontation with Suzu (shocker, right?). The tension in this episode was very well put together, and it really just felt like a good-old Odyssey mystery story without most of the Rydell drama attached. This episode had its classic Morrie comedic moments. One in particular was his “that’s not how it works in the real world” line in part two. Phil Lollar outdid himself in this category, earning four and a half stars. Final Thoughts Here’s the dilemma and how to approach it.  “The team” isn’t going anywhere. Any objections to it or the morality behind it, as we found out during that whole Rydell Reconstruction escapade in April, are definitively behind the writers and evidently a majority of fans, too. So let’s take this episode, as we’ll have to with every Rydell story in the future, ceteris paribus, or all things equal and aside. This is because, again, we are in a clearly different chapter of this almost decade-long saga anyway. It seems the removal from all of that initial drama really helped this episode shine in its strength: being a classic mystery story with a familiar set of characters. Kris-Crossed truly is a great episode with a solid plotline and a moral that is going to be great fodder as this storyline continues. Now, the biggest complaint regarding this episode arose from it being the number 1000th episode. I thought Chris’s intro was a nice touch, to be honest, but my fellow Adventures in Odyssey fans didn’t seem to agree. Reading any arguments against it, the real issue didn’t stem from a mainstream episode being episode 1000, but more that mainstream episode was a Rydell episode. Phil Lollar was rather self-congratulatory, and to be honest, it’s not too sycophantic to be congratulatory along with him. It’s credit to the three decades of work he’s put on this show. I suppose it would’ve been preferable to include episodes that didn’t have any particular…history behind them. Some fans suggested Better Buck Next Time as an alternative. That, I don’t disagree with. However, we’ve known since well before now that episode 1000 wasn’t going to be any sort of special episode. AIO also stated that the OGP episode was not going to be episode 1000. As far as I could see, One Grand Party was just a long-overdue celebration of a number of recent monumental occasions. The fact that episode 1000 happened to be a Rydell episode is irrelevant. My ultimate theory is this. All of these “foes” the team has faced over the past couple of episodes have been one-on-one, tackling each of this new team in their respective focus episodes. I’m seeing an Avengers-style plot unfolding where every character has had their individual challenge. I’m hoping for an Endgame of sorts, which, regardless of what you’ve thought of Rydell over the past decade, would be an epic finish and a good apology for that whole Revelations mess. I’m still sure the antagonist of Realizations is coming back, but this episode has me wondering if we’ll be seeing these ones in the future too. This theory only came out after I remembered we haven’t even reconciled the very first “team episode’s” battle with Cooper. Point being said, I’m cautiously optimistic about the future of the “Jones-Team Saga” (newly introduced name) for the first time in almost five years. AIO still has a creative spark yet, even with so many bumps along the way. We’ll see how they do. For now, Thanks for reading, keep up the fandom, and Merry Christmas!

From AIO Writer's Block • 4 weeks ago

AIO Writer’s Block Newsletter- December 14th, 2024

AIO Thought of the Week:If I’m ever on a game show and I am asked something simple like name the freedoms from the first amendment I wouldn’t put it past me to suddenly blank. But ask me the exact about of money the female protagonist of The Gift of the Magi had to spend on Christmas… “$1.87! And tomorrow’s Christmas! What am I going to dooooo? [cries profusely]”Episodes referenced: #5 Gifts for Madge and GuyClassic Literature referenced: Gift of the Magi by O. Henry Hello Odysseyians! I hope you’re having a marvelous December and a grand Christmas season! Welcome to what is really the first official AIO Writer’s Block Newsletter post. Here are you’re Adventures in Odyssey community updates: Content of the Week: AIO Writer’s Block Christmas Episode Guide Earlier this month, we published our “ultimate Christmas episode guide”, with Adventures in Odyssey episodes from every period and album possible. This has always been our best episode list, but it went all out this time. It’s easily recommendable as the best AIO seasonal episode guide anywhere on the internet. From Elsewhere on the Block: Show Thanks (A Thanksgiving Short Story) One major piece of content missed from the websites in the last inaugural newsletter was a Thanksgiving-themed story from Odyssey Fiction. By now, everyone is fully in the Christmas spirit, but this beautiful story about gratitude is one that can’t be passed up. It’s available now on the Odyssey Fiction website. You’re Probably An AIO Fan If… Pt. 1 Adventures for Odyssey Fans continues to delve into its updating site identity with this must-read staple of every AIO fan blog. Suggested by an Adventures for Odyssey Fans…fan, we recommend it now for your enjoyment too! What’s New in Odyssey? “Kris-Crossed” Resurfaces the Rydell Saga Album 78, and by extension, the 1,00oth episode of Adventures in Odyssey, was released on Thursday this week to much excitement among AIO fans. The episode is a sequel and a part of a third phase in the Rydell Saga that began this time last year. Our review will also be released soon as we dive into two episodes that are defining a new era of Odyssey. Album 78 Album Cover A few weeks before the release of At Face Value to the Club, Adventures in Odyssey made fanfare of what would be its album cover. This has been in continuum for a few years now, something even this site had an opinion piece on. It’s a great cover, and we thought we’d include the image here too: Official Podcast Q&A Marshal Younger, Kathy Buchanan, Phil Lollar, and Nathan Hoobler have returned in an interview that answers fan questions. These podcasts always have a tendancy to reveal AIO’s biggest plans, which makes them a predictable treat! It was a great podcast episode and very joyous, as fans all over the internet were saying. Here’s some of the highlights;: This podcast gives us a clue about the future of the Blackguard books initially. Six, seven, eight, and nine are in the works, as well as storylines on Nicholas Adamsworth and Whit. Additionally, Sadie, Pamala’s daughter, is unintentionally revealed to be about ten, which is later corrected to an age “between five and fifteen”. The live show takes place between August 3, the date of the show, and sometime later in August when Buck and Jules broke up. This is an interesting detail we here at AWB will be using in our giant timeline sometime soon (partial joke). There was also (now public) info revealed about the details in Album 78 (which has great artwork, I must say) Album 79 Title Reveal The album title for the 79 series album of Adventures in Odyssey was also uncovered at the end of the podcast. It is “11th-Hour”. I’m very interested to see what this brings and how it’ll flow into this new era that Odyssey is establishing. Conclusion That’s all for now! Look out for our review of Kris-Crossed, which is arriving next week. There are also some other exciting developments here at AWB in the works that will hopefully arrive before the beginning of 2025! Once again, for all of AIO Writer’s Block, I hope you continue to have a wonderful and blessed Christmas season!

From AIO Writer's Block • a month ago

Read all the My Odyssey Stories in full

Earlier this year, we held Round 2 of the My Odyssey Story contest. We asked fans to write a paragraph answering this question: How has Adventures in Odyssey impacted you?22 of you shared your stories! It was inspiring and meaningful to hear the difference Odyssey has made in fans' lives. All those entries are now available to read in full here.Stay tuned for details about Round 3 of the contest, coming soon. 👀

From AIO Update • 2 months ago

The Ultimate Adventures in Odyssey Christmas Episode Guide (2024 Edition)

AIO Writer’s Block’s Christmas episode guide was its first, published at the end of 2021. Since then, we’ve thought it was so conclusive that it hasn’t been updated in three years, and a lot has been updated since then. Also, the then-new Club hadn’t come out (if you can believe it), so these episodes will also include Club episode links. Adventures in Odyssey does have a Christmas countdown episode album, but even that doesn’t include the latest episodes. Right now, there are enough seasonal episodes to listen to multiple a day before Christmas! With all that said, AIO Writer’s Block now presents the ultimate Christmas episode guide! We’re going to start with the list from Adventures in Odyssey’s Countdown to Christmas collection, which includes one episode for each day of advent! We’ve included a few mainstream episode favorites as well. Countdown to Christmas (and other mainstream episodes) “Gifts for Madge and Guy” “The Day After Christmas” “Peace on Earth” “The Reluctant Rival” “Monty’s Christmas” “The Visitors” “Back to Bethlehem, Parts 1, 2, and 3 “Where’s Your Daddy?” Like Father, Like Son This is one episode that is not included in the Countdown to Christmas. It isn’t necessarily a holiday episode either, although it is set in the winter. It is a touching sequel to the aforementioned “Where’s Your Daddy” and takes place mere weeks after. “The Star, Parts 1 and 2 “The Living Nativity” “Caroling, Caroling” “A Time for Christmas” “Unto Us a Child Is Born” “It’s a Pokenberry Christmas, Parts 1 and 2” “B-TV: Redeeming the Season” Snow Day Another episode that doesn’t appear on the playlist, but is perfectly timely for those of us who are experiencing wintery weather right now! We couldn’t make a Christmas episode list without including it. “The Popsicle Kid” “A Lamb’s Tale” “A Christmas Conundrum” “Silent Night” The Undeniable Truth This is an episode that isn’t included on the Christmas Countdown album, which is unfortunate since it’s very much a Christmas episode. The reason why is it’s rollover off and into the Leonard Meltsner Saga. Regardless, it’s a good seasonal standalone episode if you understand just a little of the backstory. “Grandma’s Christmas Visit” “Sir Buddy’s Snowy Day” “New Year’s Eve Live!” Olivia’s Faith Arc When this episode guide was first published, the Olivia faith arc hadn’t even concluded. At the time, it was simply “The Christmas Bells” and the few episodes in Album 71. At the time, they were included in the guide under “Winter” episodes. That won’t change here, since most of the episodes take place during the season, and the entire arc is sparked by a Christmas episode. Those episodes are: “The Christmas Bells” “Higher Than Our Ways” “Triple-Decker Sundae”  “Set a Watchman” “Worth It” The Lost One, Parts 1 and 2 Club Christmas Episodes We now find ourselves toward the end of the mainstream Christmas episodes and into the Club episodes. The Adventures in Odyssey Club will be celebrating its eleventh year in January of 2025. During the inaugural episode releases, the team would typically put out a Christmas episode at least every December. This hasn’t happened as often recently, especially over Club seasons four through seven. (with some exceptions that we’ll cover shortly. Here’s a number of “exclusive” episodes and winter-themed stories from the AIO Club. “The Perfect Gift” “All By Myself” “A Daughter’s Love” The Cure, Parts 1, 2, and 3 “Un-Tech the Halls” “Beyond Repair” “Lifted Out of Context” Teach A Man We’ve always been a bit hesitant to include this particular December Club episode in the lineup. It is barely even set in Odyssey. It takes place in Honduras, where the weather sits around a cool 80 degrees Fahrenheit this time of year. It is a winter episode, though, so if you want a break from all the festivities, this one’s for you. “If I Never Told You” The Snow Series Four-Parter It’s hard to believe this thrilling piece will be four years old next year! It was announced by the AIO team weeks before the first episode released in an interview and lived up to its hype. The short saga includes: The Snow Must Go On Sew on and Snow Forth Snow ‘Em Who’s Boss Make Snow Mistake “The Show Must Go On (and On)” “Naughty or Nice” Written Content One thing our original Christmas episode guide lacked was any books or (more obviously) comics. However, just as Club episodes have, the selection of both has grown over the past few years. Here’s our list: Imagination Station The Imagination has just two Christmas-themed books in it. The great thing is, if you’re not looking for reading material, these books do make a masterful gift for any AIO fan you know (not sponsored). They are: Danger on a Silent Night and Sled Run for Survival Elsewhere in Odyssey As I mentioned earlier, Elsewhere has expanded quite a bit since its introduction, including in the Christmas category. Here are those titles: A Meltsner Family Christmas, with it’s comic strips: “A Christmas Surprise” “Probably” “A Meltsner Family Reunion” “Gravitating” “A Merry Meltsner Christmas” There’s also an ongoing comic series involving Nick and Aubrey entitled “Snow Way Home”. Upon hearing this, one may think it is a nice throwback to the audio “Snow Series” until they realize it’s actually a fifth part to that said same saga! It begins with the same news report by Kayla Calhoun, an important touch. It’s also one of recent strips written by an audio series writer, in this case Abigail Geiger. It’s sure to be a thrilling end to 2024 (besides the new album, of course). It’s comics are: “Gas N’ Snack“ Checking In, Checking Out“ “Emotional Manipulation“ “They Told Me“ “So you DID go to college?“ “ERICA!?“ “College Days“ “Shouldn’t Have to Rescue Me“ The Monthly Free Strips, among which are: December 2023 Free Strip December 2022 Free Strip For bonus Christmas excitement, the AIO Hangout has a different Advent calendar running for some variety! Join other Adventures in Odyssey fans in daily Christmassy discussion all season long! We at AIO Writer’s Block hope you enjoyed this content guide and that the episodes in it remind you of the true Reason for the season. We also hope it’s a great reference and resource for you! With all that said, I personally, and the entire AWB community wish you a very very Merry Christmas!! See you soon!

From AIO Writer's Block • 2 months ago

AIO Writer’s Block Newsletter- The Next Step!

Hello Reader! If you’ve followed this website for any length of time now you understand that it is the goal here to become one of the biggest AIO fan creator hubs there is. There are a few hiccups on the way to that goal, however. One huge one is getting all of the communities posts in one place. During our fourth anniversary, I made it clear that some of the structure used in that week would be reflected in our publishing strategy, too. However, there are a few difficulties getting there. A major one rests on the fact that until I set up a proper WP RSS plugin, there’s no way to efficiently put up every new article and post from across the community up on one page. While I don’t want to ignore this and this is the ultimate goal, it was thinking about this that brought to light an idea that would satisfy two needs here. This is a bi-weekly AWB newsletter! In it, any new fan creations from the past two weeks will be featured on top of any news in the Adventures in Odyssey Fan community. The title is a work in progress, but we’re settling for the AIO Writer’s Block Odyssey Newsletter for now. Since it’s Saturday, we’re going to include the latest posts and news from the past few weeks right now!  AIO Writer’s Block Community Updates Winter in Odyssey by the Perilous Pen The most recent piece of content from AIO Writer’s Block came out earlier this morning, and it’s a simple update from The Perilous Pen.  Adventures in Odyssey Fans Updates and Odyssey Fiction News Post Adventures for Odyssey Fans has been consistently active this month, which we have to applaud! Jeremiah from Adventures for Odyssey Fans has published a similar update published five days ago regarding website expansions into Trivia and Fan Fiction. Abigail K. will also be working with them over there, which is sure to be a delightful addition. While not directly AIO Writer’s Block content, Jeremiah has been doing work on Odyssey Obsessors, among which is a new post containing a collection of news we’ll be covering here. Updated November Odyssey Content Guide By the time this goes up, November will be hours to its closing, but this was another brick (released rather late) in our attempt to build a comprehensive year’s-long listening guide for fans! If you’re still in the Thanksgiving Spirit, these episodes are for you. Now let’s move on to news: Adventures in Odyssey News AIO Thought of the Week This is a new idea recently brought to us and the newest member of the AIO Writer’s Block family by extension! As part of this newsletter concept, the AIO Thought of the Week will probably be included as a header for this newsletter. Album 78 Cover Released Album 78’s cover, as well as the release date for Album 78. It’s looking fly, clearly a culmination of everything AIO Writer’s Block has been predicting as both the definitive nail in the coffin for our “Era 5” and the introduction to the next era, “Era 6”. The art highlights defining moments for Buck, Renee, and Morrie, all of whom have salvation arcs lined up. A payoff I’m expectant for is Buck’s in particular, which has been directly hinted at for going on six years now. Album 78 will be releasing mid next month, and you can be sure we’ll be on top of this pivotal review. Express Salvation Surprises The news of the month has been the decision to include the salvations of Carla and Wyatt Perkins in the exclusive Club episode Express Salvation. This is also groundwork for what is shaping up to be AIO’s first Club-exclusive arc. This is a historic moment that even we covered on our revived Twitter feed. Tucker Chandler’s replacement, Dawson Griffin, is the other bit of news from this episode. Conclusion We may platform this newsletter on a site dedicated to it (such as Mailchimp), but for now we’ll be using Jetpack’s in-built system, through which you may subscribe. To accommodate this, an email subscription box will also be included below. It’ll be exciting to pursue this idea fully. For now, I’ll likely see you again on December 14th. Have a good night! Subscribe

From AIO Writer's Block • 2 months ago

Winter in Odyssey

Greetings and salutations! Welcome to my little corner of the internet. We all make correlations in our heads. I correlate Christmas and winter with cozyness, cold air, dark nights, game nights with friends, peaceful music, and the joy of having my family all together in one room. It seems that only happens once a year now. As I’m starting this post it is 85°F right now. A lovely September day. After indulging my nostalgia in this post, I will go back to enjoying the late summer sunshine and beautiful plants. But I wanted to take a moment to recollect on my favorite season (if only because it makes me happy). Certain cues will send me directly into the Christmas spirit. Weather it be my favorite Christmas songs or walking out into the cold night. The sound of the bell at Whit’s End, or Whit and Tom discussing the “hustle and bustle of the season” in Peace on Earth. I love Christmas and the joy and peace it brings. Going into this post, I’m not exactly sure what the point of it is supposed to be. (Which, I’ve found is the cardinal rule of blog writing, always come in knowing your point or else you’ll ramble). Perhaps it’s to create a small capsule, that I can open when I’m sad. Or when my seasonal depression makes me forget what I love about Winter. So, to my future self getting down about it being to ‘cold and dark outside’ why don’t you try listening to this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1YM9pVXsic? Or maybe Peace on Earth, The Living Nativity, or All By Myself. Grab some hot chocolate and enjoy the cool air (remember how much you hate July in the south, and be grateful lol). Go read your favorite winter AIO fic. I plan to post this the first week of winter. I hope you have all had a lovely thanksgiving, and enter this season of winter with joy and peace. Have the best holiday season! note from editor Hannah: I just realized the first day of winter is December 21 this year? Absolutely not. Personally, winter starts the afternoon of thanksgiving, so you should see this post sometime during the last week of November. ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • 2 months ago

Album 78 Title and Cover Revealed!

Greetings and salutations! Hope you all are having a great Thanksgiving weekend! I thought I would do a post on the latest Odyssey news regarding the next mainstream album. Therefore, it is time to issue the usual spoiler warning: SPOILER WARNING! DO NOT READ THIS POST IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THE NEXT ADVENTURES IN ODYSSEY ALBUM! Okay, you’ve been warned. The cover art for Album 78 has been revealed! Here it is: Most interesting. I will voice my thoughts on this cover art at a later time. But, as you can see, the title is At Face Value, and it features 6 episodes on friends, faith, and family heritage. Episodes According to AIOWiki, we currently know the titles of 5 out of the six episodes for this album. #1,000-1,001: Kris-Crossed, Parts 1-2The 1,000th episode. There’s no summary for it. All we know is that is it written and directed by Phil Lollar and features the characters Morrie and Suzu Rydell, Emily Jones, and Cooper Calhoun. #1,003-1,005: Better Buck Next Time, Parts 1-3|We do have a summary from AIOWiki about these episodes: Buck’s adventures in Baltimore continue. AIOWiki Other than the title and summary, we know that this three-part episode is written and directed by Kathy Buchanan. And we know that Buck Meltsner and Katrina Meltsner will appear in it. #1,002?There is one episode missing, and I assume it is one that stars Renee Carter. I wonder if it is the upcoming episode on AIOWiki “My Hero Renee”, but as far as I know it has not been confirmed. We’ll probably get more information about the episodes as their release comes closer. Purchase and Release Speaking of release, this album will release on CD on March 4, 2025. It will be released in the AIO Club in December. Be sure to pre-order your copy from ChristianBook.com and Amazon! Well, that’s all the news that I have for now. Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! Stay tuned for more posts. -Signed, Polehaus53

From Odyssey Obsessors • 2 months ago

Editorial 72: Grateful Expectations

As Thanksgiving arrives, it’s worth reflecting back on how Adventures in Odyssey episodes approach the topic of thankfulness. I've noticed there's a trend which begins all the way back in the first Thanksgiving episode, "Thank You, God", and shows up again in the most recent episode, "A Thankstaking Story".I talk about this in my latest editorial, Grateful Expectations. Should we be thankful at all times? Should we be thankful for everything? After you've read Editorial 72, let me know your thoughts in the comments section.

From AIO Update • 2 months ago

November Odyssey Content Guide (2024 Edition)

This article is part of a series on Episodes by Month. Happy November! It’s time for our (now) monthly Adventures in Odyssey content guide. Unlike many others done this year, this episode list has actually already been done pretty well on this website. Because of that, many of the descriptions will remain unchanged from the last one, and there will only be a few small additions of things I missed before. Some of the episodes from the original article were cut due to their inclusion in the October guide. On top of this, when that article came out, the then-new Club was still fairly, well, new, so this new edition will include Club episode links. November 2024 Club Episode November’s Club episode is entitled “Express Salvation” and involves pivotal life decisions for both Wyatt and his mother. The episode actually raised a number of questions and discussions regarding both a clearly major character salvation event and the initiation of a Bridget conversion arc (though I would argue to call it an initiation). Even this website mentioned it on our Twitter page. Conversation aside, it has a strong moral backing and a military family spotlight just in time for Veterans’ Day. The Price of Freedom With so much controversy about the value of the United States, compared with the price people paid to birth it and defend its freedom, it hurts to see it denounced so easily. This episode reminds us that soldiers paid the price for the nation’s freedom and serves as a perfect Veterans’ Day episode. East Winds, Raining, and The War Hero Another great set of episodes to listen to this Veterans’ Day Weekend as we remember the sacrifice of people here, abroad, and no longer with us. I like to put these in the Joe Finneman double since they match up in format and character. Other Veterans’ Day Episodes Here are some other Veterans’ Day episodes to listen to for the remembrance day.  Rescue from Manatugo Point Operation Dig-out Memories of Jerry Sergeant York Adventures in Odyssey Anniversary Episodes On November 21st, 1987, Whit’s Flop, the first season episode of Adventures in Odyssey, aired. Over the years, AIO has had multiple commemorations of this event and others, such as milestones achieved between that time and now. In AIO Wiki, these are labeled “Retrospective Episodes”. Here are a few of the most notable from over the years: The Adventure of the Adventure This was one of AIO’s first retrospective episodes, released long before the team thought it would be a multi-decades long enterprise, as once stated by Phil Lollar. Nonetheless, it’s a unique look into the past with some processes still in use today! Along with this is the next episode with a bit of the same theme. A Look Back, Parts 1 and 2 Live at the 25! 500 and Inside the Studio This guide will join these two episodes together as they were intentionally released sequentially. These episodes also bear significance as 2024 was the year AIO celebrated the doubling of this accomplishment back in August, coincidentally with an episode that will release in an upcoming episode. Push the Red Button This episode was released on the actual 25th anniversary of AIO in 2012 at a live show. It was also released to the public in The Grand Design, which is great, because it really is a hilarious episode with a solid moral. 30th Birthday Live Show A documentation of the 2017 celebration of AIO’s 30th anniversary! Thanksgiving Episodes Thanksgiving week falls in November, and there is a whole slew of classic and new episodes focused on this holiday. (Canadians need not apply) Here’s a list of Thanksgiving Episodes: Thank You, God B-TV Thanks Thanksgiving at Home A Thanksgiving Carol A Thankstaking Story Great episodes, especially the last two being Christmas spinoffs, which is a great lead for those already in the Christmas spirit. Stepping Stones This special Truth Chronicles episode is available in the Club. Though I haven’t listened to it in a while, I know it’s a great one and still is related to the topic of thanksgiving and the early Puritans moving to America. Non-Audio Content Imagination Station “Problems in Plymouth”, the Imagination Station book, is already listed in the original article and is part of a storyline within that spinoff universe. As I said once before, it’s a great little read! Elsewhere in Odyssey The November free strip has come out for 2024! This edition involves Whit’s birthday. Because his birthday is mentioned as October 1st, it’s likely this strip was intended to be an October strip that was delayed. Other November monthly strips include: November 2023 Free Strip November 2022 Free Strip

From AIO Writer's Block • 2 months ago

News and Changes in Odyssey

Greetings and salutations! Polehaus53 here. As I have mentioned before, I do not have the time nowadays to search around extensively for Adventures in Odyssey news as I used to. Fortunately, Jeremiah here has stepped up and has provided a post with some of the latest things happening in Odyssey. Hope you all enjoy!-Signed, Polehaus53 Hey everyone! AIO has had quite a few changes over the years. So I decided to do a post on recent changes in Odyssey. Before we start, I need to warn you guys with: Spoilers Ahead! Let’s dive in! Wyatt’s Voice Change In Wyatt’s most recent appearance, “Express Salvation”, Wyatt’s voice sounded different. This is because, he got a new voice actor, Dawson Griffin. With this new actor, Wyatt sounds around 2 years younger and not that close to Wyatt’s previous actor. However, David still did a fabulous job fitting into the role in his first job for Odyssey. Wyatt and Carla Perkins getting saved For me this was a shocker, I was 90% certain that Renee would become a Christian first, but I was wrong. I don’t think any AIO fan suspected these 2 to be the next to get saved. Maybe, that’s why Odyssey did it; because it was completely unprecedented. Ronald Perkins Return Home This was another shocker. I first heard about the idea on the AIOWiki around 6-8 months ago. In, “Express Salvation”, it’s said that he’s returning home permanently. My prediction is that he lost a limb, which means he can no longer carry out necessary tasks on the battlefield. Bridget will not take this lightly, and Carla and Wyatt might almost turn away from God, but I think in the last Perkins episode of the 5 episode series, the whole family will be saved. A 3 parter on the Perkins family If you’re not a Perkins fan, it just got worse. Lol. Marshal Younger is working or already wrote a 3-parter, on the Perkins family. I’m guessing that this will be the aftermath after the whole Perkins family conversion arc. Or, it can be 3 of the 4 remaining episodes in the 5 episode Perkins series. Jules and Buck Since they’ve broken up, there are unanswered questions. According to episodes already recorded we won’t hear about Jules and Buck in the next album. It’s possible that something will happen in Album 79, though. AIO just loves making long story arcs, right? I think, personally, they will eventually get back to dating, but not for another few albums at least. Zoe’s Family Zoe’s family has not appeared even once on the show, which is surprising since she has appeared in 35 episodes. But the Odyssey team has stated that they will appear on the show somewhere in the future. This could be interesting. I’ll see if I can find out more stuff about this that I can post in a future post, but as of now, no date is set that we know of. Hopefully you guys enjoyed it! Did I miss anything? Comment below! Here’s my AIO fan website if you want to check it out: https://adventuresforodysseyfans.org/ 7 responses to “News and Changes in Odyssey” Miss Drummond November 18, 2024 I feel so bad because Dawson did such a good job but the change way really distracting Also speak of radical developments, on the list of characters I did not expect to hear from again: Pamela’s daughter! LikeLiked by 1 person Reply Jeremiah November 18, 2024 Agreed, most AIO fans that I talked with don’t like his voice at all. Which I don’t support because it’s Dawsons’ first major part on Odyssey and as a kid it’s even tougher for him. I think that he did a stellar job. Oh yea, that was fun! I’m guessing it’s her daughter from, “Pamela Has A Problem.”. I would love for Odyssey to make more episodes on Pamela! LikeLiked by 1 person Reply Stephaniesninthsuitcase November 19, 2024 I think I’ve jumped around so much listening to the Perkins family that I didn’t catch it was a new Wyatt by listening. Although maybe I actually like this one better (I think the other actor did a great job of being an “annoying” kid). I’m not sure if I liked Wyatt more because of the different voice or because of the plot in this episode:) The Perkins family has been growing on me. I’m excited that Wyatt and his mom are Christians, and I liked Bridget’s development in the episode with the coworker. Such a different from her insulting all the customers. I agree with you about Buck and Jules. I think Chris hinted that their arc isn’t over, but I don’t think the AIO team will give us the story that easily Jules has so much growing to do and I’m really proud of how far Buck has come. (I was holding out for him to be the next Christian) LikeLike Reply Jeremiah November 19, 2024 Interesting. Lol. Yea, if found a recent appreciation for them too. I think that AIO transferred her into a better teen a little too fast. Thank you! Of course! As I sometimes say: “AIO loves making long story arcs.” Which is obviously a good interest grabber on their part to keep the fans on their seats and listening. That’s probably what AIO wanted everyone to believe. Lol. LikeLiked by 1 person Reply JustMe November 20, 2024 i personally hope buck and jules will get together but only after they both become christians. Plus, they’d be a great couple to show christian teen dating which is something nobody talks about nowadays. LikeLiked by 1 person Reply Jeremiah November 20, 2024 Agreed. I have been on and off the AIO chat boards recently and most older kids agree with you, and I do as well. Also, that’s another good point that’s glossed over now days. On the path that they’re both on, I’m guessing that Buck will become a Christian before Jules. LikeLike Reply AIO Writer’s Block Newsletter- The Next Step! – AIO Writer's Block December 1, 2024 […] Adventures in Odyssey Fans Updates and Odyssey Fiction News Post […] LikeLike Reply Leave a comment Cancel reply Δ

From Odyssey Obsessors • 2 months ago

2024 News Articles

From AIOWiki • 2 months ago

Archive/2024/11 - At Face Value

Album 78 Cover Revealed November 15, 2024 Album 78: At Face Value's cover art has been revealed! Check out this epic piece featuring Buck, Renee, and Morrie! Album 78 will premiere on the Club in December, with radio airings and CDs coming in March.

From AIOWiki • 2 months ago

Album 77 airs on the radio and online

Adventures in Odyssey is quickly approaching 1000 episodes. Today marks the radio airing of the last episode in Album 77: A New Perspective. It's the final album with episodes numbered in the 900s. The next album will begin with episode 1000.Now that everyone has had a chance to hear Album 77, it's time to talk about it! Did you have a favorite moment or episode? Let us know what you thought in the comments.Here's the album summary: "Jules thinks the band she joined, Manic Ravioli, could unlock purpose in her life, but Connie disagrees, especially after noticing the bad influence it's having on her. Elsewhere, a tough football game forces Cooper to reconsider how he leads the team, and Penny faces Wooton's thorny family relationships head-on when his parents unexpectedly appear at her art show. Over at Whit's End, Jay catches a glimpse of a world where he's the 24/7 center of attention, and Whit challenges Renee's belief that science and faith are incompatible."

From AIO Update • 2 months ago

Reviewing “Drake and the Heart Drive”

Greetings and salutations! Polehaus53 here. David reached out to us expressing interest in doing a review of the latest Drake the Cosmic Copper episode on the Odyssey Obsessors. We hope you enjoy reading his summary and thoughts on the September 2024 AIO Club exclusive episode, "Drake and the Heart Drive". If you ever want to do a guest post, please feel free to contact us!-Signed, Polehaus53 SPOILER ALERT: As with all reviews, there may be spoilers ahead Greetings everyone! This is my first time writing a review, and I hope despite that fact this will still be an enjoyable read. I was skeptical before listening but had some hope that it would turn out to be a good episode. Let’s dive in. Episode Info: Episode Drake and the Heart Drive is Club Episode 129, released in September of 2024. It was written by Bob Hoose and is the 4th episode featuring Drake. This episode is set approximately 100,000 years in the future. First off, let’s meet the main characters: Created by Wooton Bassett, Drake is described as a “rugged, tough cop”, kinda like Jason. Drake works with the cosmic police force, and is agent #1131 (a sly reference to Jason’s four-digit agent number in A Name, Not a Number). He has a robot sidekick named Woots and a daughter named Stella.  Woots is Drake’s constant companion and assistant. He has many capabilities, including invisibility, translation, lasers, information analysis, and more. He has proven very helpful in the past. Woots is very chatty and is always ready with a suggestion, usually involving explosions.  Stella is the newest addition to the Drake household. Drake adopted her in the 3rd episode featuring Drake, entitled “Drake and the Aberrant Automaton“. Stella is a “synthetic”, a robot designed to look human and act as an assistant. Stella has developed the unique (among robots) ability to feel emotions. The plot: In the story, Woots and Drake discuss a case involving 2 missing teens. They were last seen at the local high school, but the administration was reluctant to help Drake for some odd reason. Stella offers her help, saying that as a synth, she resembles a human and can work on the case from the inside out. Drake refuses, because of the potentialy dangerous nature of this mission. Woots interjects and states that Stella can easily protect herself and convinces Drake to allow Stella to pose as a high school student. On her first day, Stella is late to class and a student named Garrick helps her out. They become friends. Garrick wonders why Stella doesn’t have a communicator, which is a device that connects one’s central nervous system, allowing texting and connecting to VR classes. Woots and Drake have a conversation with the principal, who refuses to let them interview students without a court order. After school, Stella obtains a communicator, and Woots connects it to her CPU.  The next day, Stella returns to school. She meets her AI teacher, who will later play an important role in the story. In between periods, Garrick mentions his preference of synths over AI’s. He trips and complains to Stella about his dysfunctional foot. Garrick and Stella then talk about the pros and cons of synths. He hints at the thought of synths and humans exchanging bodies, then abruptly leaves after receiving a mysterious message. The next day, Drake receives a call from Stella while speaking to the principal. The message is glitchy, and abruptly disconnects. They track Stella’s location and they meet her near a storage room. Stella explains that Garrick is inside the room, but Woot’s scan shows no sign of life. They decide to investigate and go inside the storage room. They find Garrick hooked up to a VR and sedated. The door is shut and sealed behind them, sealing them from the outside world. The Al teacher, who shut the door, explained that she was responsible for the disappearance of the 2 students. She had promised them and Garrick synth bodies but intended to program herself into their human bodies. The previous attempts failed, but the AI teacher had kept the other 2 students safe.  To stop the AI, Stella put on a VR and reset it, stopping Garricks reprogramming but losing her own memories in the process. Fortunately, Garrick is fine and he and the other students recover. Stella later became sentient again. Final Thoughts: All in all this was a pretty good episode. It had a thrilling plot and an ominous feel. To quote the words of Donald Treply (of AIO Writer’s Block), “As a thriller-type story, it holds up, but as a moral lesson for kids, it has some major pratfalls.”. Though I appreciated the suspense and futuristic elements, I did feel it lacked the classic Adventures in Odyssey moral impact. It was intense, but maybe a bit too edgy for younger listeners. I’d give it a solid 6/10, while the AIO Discord community seems split with a 5/10 rating. Have you listened to this episode? Let me know your thoughts below! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this short review :).

From Odyssey Obsessors • October 31, 2024

Editorial 71: An Old Era

Have you noticed something about today's era of Adventures in Odyssey kids? Buck, Jules, Olivia, Emily, Jay—they're all voiced by adults. Gone are days when Odyssey's kid characters were played by actual kids. I talk about this trend in my latest editorial, An Old Era. What effect will this have on the show? Are child actors gone for good? You can read about all this and more in Editorial 71. And if you like, add a comment below to add your thoughts to the discussion.

From AIO Update • October 30, 2024

Clubhouse Recap – October 2024 Issue

Greetings and salutations! Today I will be recapping the October 2024 issue of Focus on the Family Clubhouse Magazine. I’ll be giving summaries of and sharing content which is in this latest edition of Clubhouse Magazine. Hopefully, those reading who are not currently subscribed can benefit and know what is going on. This is a type of post that I have been wanting to write for years, even before we started Odyssey Obsessors. However, it wasn’t until this year that we began consistently receiving Clubhouse. So, now that we have been consistently receiving them, I can now make this post! I am hoping to do recaps of every magazine that we have around. The structure will probably change as I write these posts, so hopefully I will find a style which works best. For this post I’ll be going chronologically, page by page and summarizing what is on each one. Page 2: Copyright and Table of Contents The cover page (as seen in the featured image) is numbered as the first page. On the second page, we have the copyright section on the side, which lists the following information: That this is Vol. 38, No 10 The Editorial Director is Jessie Florea The Editor is Rachel Pfeiffer The Associate Editor is Grace Kelley The Art Director is Jenny Dillon The Designer is Kenneth Crane The Imaging Specialist is Jim Cail The Intern is Julianne Fullerton The individuals behind Circulation: Erika Lynch & Tyler Bates The person behind Print Production: Gail Wise The person behind VP Parenting & Youth is Danny Huerta The Cover Illustration was done by David Harrington The President of Focus on the Family is Jim Daly The Chief Operating Officer is Ken Windebank The magazine is printed in the USA, and paper manufactured by a mill that practices sustainable forestry. There is more in that side section, but that’s all I’ll include for now because there’s a ton of stuff in the tiny print and I want to get to other parts of the magazine. There is an “Inside This Issue” heading, which gives a table of contents for what is in this issue. It is divided into sections: Grow Your Faith, Top Stories, Things to Do, Adventures in Odyssey, and Laugh It Up. Then there’s a Seek and Find box which lists items to search the issue for. Below that is a box with a Beyond the Page heading, which gives a list of activities you can do after reading the magazine. Page 3: Picture Search Titled “Happy Harvest”, there is a large picture (by Terry Sirrell) of a Fall Festival. Readers are asked to find five scarecrows with hidden letters and unscramble a word with them. It also says to look for things in the picture which rhyme with either “sees” or “power”. Page 4: From the Readers The “In Our Inbox” page features content received from the readers. In this issue we have two poems, an excellent drawing of Rene Carter, an excellent painting of trees, a letter from a reader in Oregon saying they love the Emily Jones mysteries, and a recipe for cheesy bacon pasta. Page 5: Light House Features two stories, both involving medical emergencies which show God’s healing. At the bottom of the page is a notice for Bring Your Bible Day on October 3. Pages 6-7: Truth Pursuer This issue’s Truth Pursuer is about Jesus’ walking on the sea. It’s written by Rachel Pfeiffer, the editor of Clubhouse Magazine! That’s pretty cool. I was doing some research and found this article about Pfeiffer from Taylor University; check it out, it’s pretty cool! Pages 8-9: Jones and Parker Solve-It-Yourself Mystery This month’s mystery features Emily Jones at McAlister Park, where a hot air balloon festival is taking place. Emily is approached by a woman named Vivian Heights, who has lost her green scarf. As Emily investigates, she comes across Jeff Lewis, who is accused of stealing it by Vivan. Emily converses with Jeff, who talks about flying airplanes and gusts of winds happening that week. He also talks about jumping out of airplanes. Emily then meets Nicole Reynolds, one of the event organizers, who is arguing with Vivian about camping being prohibited. Suddenly, Emily realizes where to find the scarf. The answer to the mystery is on page 19. [My commentary: Honestly, it is pretty sad to come to the monthly mystery nowadays. The logo, rather than the classic photo of Emily and Matthew, now only features Emily Jones. Beneath it now reads “Emily Jones―Detective”. Although I miss Matthew, I am glad that Christopher P.N. Maselli is still writing the stories. Clubhouse Magazine wouldn’t be the same without them. Whether we should consider them canon is another post for another time.] Pages 10-11: Building A Rube Goldberg Machine This article is very hard to describe. It’s a chain-reaction device that anybody can make. In this article, there is a QR code which takes the reader to the Clubhouse Magazine website to a page that allows them to see the machine in action. Check it out here! Page 12: Jokes from Readers The “Laughing Matters” section features a new set of jokes sent by Clubhouse Magazine readers. The illustrations for some of the jokes are done by Matt Loveridge. Page 13: Recipe Feature This page features a recipe for Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies, by Abby Ciona. The photos on the page are of the dessert and banners. Pages 14-15: How to Produce A Bible Play These pages feature a step-by-step process on how you can make a play out of your favorite Bible story, written by Gayleen Gardner. It gives instructions on how to write it, how to cast the characters, how to practice and perform it, and how to do staging and costuming. Pages 16-17: Coloring Page A full coloring page of a family in the forest, by Kenneth Crane. Page 18: Odyssey News The “Odyssey Insider” page for this issue features an image and summary of the October 2024 Adventures in Odyssey Club exclusive episode, “You Dirty Rat”. It gives an announcement for a new AIO Club exclusive album titled “Making History, Vol 1” which releases in the AIO Club October 10. It also makes note of the trivia games available on the AIO Club. It then features a short devotional on Matthew 5:24. Page 19: Eugene’s Puzzle and Mystery Solution We’ve got the usual “Eugene’s Sudoku” here, as well as the solution to the Emily Jones mystery. Perhaps not needed, but I’ll still issue a spoiler warning. SOLUTION FOR OCTOBER 2024 EMILY JONES MYSTERY BELOW! Emily says that neither Jeff nor Nicole stole Vivian’s scarf. She reveals that the wind blew it away. Emily points to a tree that she had leaned her bike against earlier, and at the top of it is Vivian’s scarf. Jeff applauses and Emily makes a wind play-on-words, only to be told to stick to solving mysteries by a disgusted Vivian (who doesn’t even acknowledge Emily’s answer and doesn’t even thank her). The verse attached to the solution is James 1:6. Pages 20-21: Average Boy This month’s Average Boy story spans two whole pages. Page 20 is a full-page picture of Average Boy landing on his head as he falls through Mr. Polvado’s window. It also has the beginning of the story. The story continues on page 21 and is about Bob trying to get Mr. Polvado to read his book, Average Boy’s Above-Average Summer! The page ends with instructions to go to AverageBoy.org (which links to this page) to order your copy of the second Average Boy book. [My commentary: I love reading the Average Boy stories. This month’s story was a funny story, as all Average Boy stories are. Go to Amazon or Christianbook.com or the Focus On the Family Store to order your copy of Average Boy’s Above-Average Summer!] Pages 22-23: Bring Your Bible to School Day These pages are about students who brought their Bibles to school. The article emphases the importance of how something as small as bringing your Bible to school can start spiritual conversations. The article ends with a call for everyone to bring their Bibles to school on October 3 and directs readers to BringYourBible.org to get involved. Pages 24-27: Snowstorm Story (Fiction) These pages feature a story called “Stranded in the Storm”, written by Joseph Schneller and illustrated by Jomike Tejido. It is the story of two brothers who get caught in a storm and are providentially protected. Page 28: Trey Calhoun In this month’s issue, “The Trey Way”, written by Kathy Buchanan, Trey and Cooper forget about their mother’s birthday. They end up panicking and then they quickly work with their classmates at school to do something to celebrate Kayla Calhoun’s birthday. She is pleased, and Trey learns the importance of showing care for others. [My commentary: This section of Clubhouse Magazine, featuring an AIO story, has always been interesting to me. It used to be Wooton’s Random Ramblings. Then it was Candid Conversations for a while. Then it was Tori’s Story. And now we have The Trey Way. And if I’m not mistaken, before all these things, I think there used a story written by Alex Jefferson. I have thoughts about each of these series which I hope to write a post about at some point.] Page 29: Advise The monthly “Ask Away” features three questions from readers. One about stealing, another about making friends (answered by Clubhouse readers), and another about how to motivate yourself to read the Bible every day. Pages 30-31: Mulligan Family comic This month’s issue of “The Magnificent Mulligans” comic, illustrated by Wan Mek, features the Mulligans finishing up a huge aquarium. However, the mayor decides to drain the water. It backfires when he releases too much water and nearly drowns until he is saved by a pair of seals. Whew! This was a lot of writing and summarizing. As someone who was not consistently subscribed for many years to Clubhouse Magazine, I wished that someone out there would provide something so that I could stay in the loop. I hope that someone out there finds this helpful and enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it! Be on the lookout for more posts like this one! -Signed, Polehaus53

From Odyssey Obsessors • October 27, 2024

The Best AIO Quotes~Pt 3 (Wooton Edition)

Hello and welcome back to my little corner of the internet! Welcome to part 3! I should have some different style posts coming soon, but for now we’re gonna keep on going with the quote-compilations:) “This makes the whole paper/plastic conundrum seem like a day at the beach” “Are those Precious Mementos salt and pepper shakers? Oh, cool! I have the matching butter bowls, but I could never find these!” “Not many people know somebody like me”  “Okay, answering machine message take number 31. Hello, you’ve reached Wooton Bassett’s answering machine. I’m home right now making an answering machine message, but I won’t be here when you call, so if you’ll kindly leave your number I’ll call you back tonight, or maybe not tonight ’cause I have to take the Christmas tree down off my roof. Yes I know it’s only May, but some of my neighbors are complaining, you know.” “I love what you’ve done with the place; it looks like just a regular meeting room in a basement!” “February is my seventh favorite month!” “Hadley, I am so relieved that you can’t be here and online at the same time.” B: “Does your Grandpa live very far away?”W: “Yeah, he does if you’re driving.”B: “Well, then, we’ll have to take turns at the wheel. ” W: “Oh, okay, but I don’t think the airline pilots are going to like that.” “Sorry, I was having a Bassett orange level crisis.” “No one has ever beaten my record of thirty-one slides in fifteen minutes!”Sam: “Really?”W:”Of course, nobody else has sprayed cooking oil on their pants either.” And an honorary mention: “Penny, will you marry me?” Thanks for reading! Be sure to go follow my instagram @theperilouspenblog and tune in next week: ) ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • October 19, 2024

Happy Diamond Week

Hello! And welcome back to my little corner of the internet. I’m so glad to be apart of the AIO Writers Block. It’s so good to be a part of this community. Thank you for all of the support! Happy Diamond week to all blogs participating, and all dedicated readers. In celebration of Diamond Week I have decided to share a list of fun facts about the blog and it’s writer:). (+ upcoming features!!!) This blog started in 2020, and I have planned, and accidently missed every single anniversary. The Perilous Pen blog was inspired by the Rasberry Ripple Podcast My first ever post on here was trying to predict the mysterious voice behind the escape room. It feels like just yesterday that album came out! My dad listened to Odyssey on the radio when he was in college, and started getting some cds for my oldest brother back in 2000. Our family has loved Odyssey since (though I am by far the most dedicated). Until I got the club my favorite episode was Something Cliqued Between Us. I have wanted to post videos since I first saw AtMyWhit’sEnd’s videos but didn’t start until this year. Even in my breaks from the blog, I’ve thought about it nearly every day. I love this community and enjoy reading and writing for it. I have several unpublished AIO-fan-fics. After all these years (and access to the aiowikki) I still refer to the Official AIO Guide (both original and 50th anniversary) when writing my posts. I suck at graphic design!!! If you have any suggestions for the artwork please let me know. UPCOMING: I have many plans for the next several months. Several posts continuing series, and some new ones starting. I plan to my sharing some of my AIO Character playlists and theme outfits. Be sure to follow my instagram to keep updated. Keep an eye out for speical eddition Perilous Pen merch Thank you so much for reading and for all of your support! Be sure to tune in next week for our regularly scheduled content. ~ The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • October 10, 2024

Editorial 70: A Call for Reverend Knox

Pastor Wilson Knox has been on Adventures in Odyssey for over seven years now. He's voiced by the incredible actor, Gregory Jbara. He also appears as a kid throughout the Young Whit book series. And he was an important character in the One Grand Party live show this past summer in Colorado Springs. In my latest editorial, A Call for Reverend Knox, I talk about Wilson's character. He has some similarities to Mr. Whittaker. Does that mean Wilson is a replacement for Whit? You can check out my thoughts in Editorial 70 and then contribute to the discussion in the comments section.

From AIO Update • September 30, 2024

My Votes in the 2024 Avery Awards

Greetings and salutations! A while back I voted for the 2024 Avery Awards, covering Album 75: The Best is Yet to Come and Album 76: Keep it Together. I thought I would do a post like I did a couple years ago and write what I voted for and my reasoning behind my votes. I am not sure when the results will be announced, but I assume it will be sometime soon. It’ll be fun to listen to the results and then see if anything I voted for won. So, without further ado, here is what I voted for in the 2024 Avery Awards! 1. Who was the Best Actress? The nominations for Best Actress are the following: Kimmy Robertson as Penny Bassett in “As Far as It Depends on Me”Keely Marshall as Bridget Perkins in “Right Notes, Wrong Key”Cristina Pucelli as Emily Jones in “The Rydell Realizations”Katie Leigh as Connie Kendall in “The Best Is Yet to Come”Audrey Wasilewski as Katrina Meltsner in “The Best Is Yet to Come” My Vote for Best Actress So, we have quite a few options here. I think Kimmy Robertson did an excellent job in “As Far as It Depends on Me”, in portraying Penny’s struggles with her feelings regarding Dr. Trask. However, I did not find it particularly noteworthy because I feel like the character Penny Bassett goes through things like this in her episodes on a frequent basis. Every time Kimmy Robertson plays the part perfectly. Therefore, because of the routine we see in this, I do not think it stands out against the other options. Also, Kimmy Robertson has won this category a few times in the past already.As for Keely Marshall playing Bridget Perkins in “Right Notes, Wrong Key”, I think she did well. Especially the singing, she has a great voice! However, this episode focused more on Jules, so I feel like I didn’t hear enough of Bridget in order for me to make a fair judgement on Keely Marshall’s abilities. If the episode had completely starred Bridget (like the recent Club episode “Worth Her Wage”) I think I would be able to make a fair judgement.Cristina Pucelli did an excellent job as Emily Jones in “The Rydell Realizations”. To quote the members of the Soda Shop Message Boards (myself included), Emily RULES! However, like with Kimmy Robertson, I feel like Cristina Pucelli’s portrayal of Emily Jones has become routine with AIO’s current focus on her in this ongoing Rydell Saga, which I honestly do not have a high level of investment in.As for Audrey Wasilewski as Katrina Meltsner in “The Best Is Yet to Come”, allow me to quote what I wrote in 2022: I feel like the character of Katrina is underused. It is not very often when we hear from her. Due to the actress’ rare appearances, I don’t have very much to judge in comparison with actresses who appear frequently. Myself, 2022 I will say that Katrina has been appearing a little bit more and my interest of voting for Audrey Wasilewski increased. However, I feel like Katie Leigh did an amazing job in “The Best Is Yet to Come”. Her farewell to Eugene was so well done and made me tear up. Therefore, I vote Katie Leigh as Connie Kendall in “The Best Is Yet to Come” 2. What was the Best Musical Moment? Jules makes her stage debut with Manic Ravioli (“Right Notes, Wrong Key”)Buck and Jules sing “Amazing Grace” in church (“The Best Is Yet to Come”)Buck attempts to serenade Jules with “I’m Just Me” (“The Best Is Yet to Come”)Bridget steals the show—and her old band’s song (“Right Notes, Wrong Key”) My Vote for Best Musical Moment There were a few songs in these albums. However, my biggest issue is that we do not really hear the full songs for some that are nominated here. We never hear the full songs “Hallow” or “Face of the Nation”, only parts of them, or else they are just in the background. Therefore, I vote for Buck attempts to serenade Jules with “I’m Just Me” in “The Best Is Yet to Come”. I vote that not only because we got more than part of the song, but because we had a fun moment of fireworks exploding! Definitely a fun musical moment. 3. What was the Most Awkward Moment? Suzu and the Team tease Morrie about liking a girl (“The Rydell Realizations”)Trask’s mother blames Penny for her son’s conviction (“As Far as It Depends on Me”)Buck tumbles down the stairs at his new school (“Making an Honest Buck”)Carrie live-streams her framing of Suzu online (“Two’s Company, Four’s a Crowd”)Buck’s romantic fireworks misfire makes the news (“The Best Is Yet to Come”) My Vote for Most Awkward Moment I’m happy to see a fun category like this for the Averys this year. There were definitely some awkward moments in these albums! The options here are all pretty good. However, I vote for Buck tumbling down the stairs at his new school in “Making an Honest Buck”. I am a very clumsy person, and I have fallen so many times in public places. I can definitely relate to Buck’s embarrassment in this awkward moment. Hmmm, maybe I can make a post about that: how my real-life falls correlate with AIO characters’ fictional falls! 4. Which episode had the best Sound Design? All episodes were nominated. My Vote for Best Sound Design This is a hard choice because all of them had good sound design. There’s something about AIO’s sound design that I think I will make a post about sometime in the future. But I think that out of all the episodes, there was a good variety of noteworthy sound design in “The Best is Yet to Come, Parts 1-4”. You had fireworks, and a variety of other sounds which were well done. Luke Guenot and Zach Schneider did an excellent job! Therefore, my vote goes to “The Best is Yet to Come, Parts 1-4”. 5. Who was the Best Actor? Townsend Coleman as Jason Whittaker in “Making an Honest Buck”Andre Stojka as John Avery Whittaker in “The Best Is Yet to Come”Robby Bruce as Buck Meltsner in “The Best Is Yet to Come”Jess Harnell as Wooton Bassett in “As Far as It Depends on Me”Atticus Shaffer as Morrie Rydell in “The Rydell Realizations” My Vote for Best Actor Once again, we have a great list of talented actors nominated for this award. Although I liked Townsend Coleman’s performance as Jason in “Making an Honest Buck”, I don’t think he had a big enough role in the episodes for me to judge because Robby Bruce as Buck was the star who had the most acting. Jess Harnell always does an amazing job playing Wooton, but he also has won this award in the past. Same goes to Robby Bruce. As for Atticus Shaffer playing Morrie Rydell, like with Emily, I did not feel like his performance stood out because of regularity in playing Morrie Rydell. That and, again, my investment in the Rydell Saga has decreased. One performance that sticks out to me is Andre Stojka as Whit in “The Best Is Yet to Come”. Like Connie, his farewell to Eugene was heart-touching and well done. Therefore, I vote Andre Stojka as John Avery Whittaker in “The Best Is Yet to Come”. 6. Which episode had the Best Script? All twelve episodes from Albums 75 and 76 nominated. My Vote for Best Script My assumption for this category is that “best script” refers to which script had the best writing as in the plot and story. I think all the episodes in these albums did pretty good in terms of these things. However, there is an episode that stands out for me. I vote The Best is Yet to Come, Parts 1-4. I am thinking about how difficult it must have been to write. The writers had to think of the perfect way to send off Eugene Meltsner. A significant character who made a ginormous impact in Odyssey, both in terms of the fictional town and the audio drama as a whole. That is a lot of pressure, and I think it was very well-done in “The Best Is Yet to Come”. 7. What was the Best Scene? Bernard makes an appearance at Eugene’s farewell party (“The Best Is Yet to Come”)Whit and Emily clear the air and ask for forgiveness (“Two’s Company, Four’s a Crowd”)Eugene and Connie say their last goodbyes (“The Best Is Yet to Come”)Buck turns the tables on an armed spy (“Making an Honest Buck”)Morrie grapples with his conscience and hears a new voice (“The Rydell Realizations”) My Vote for Best Scene I was torn between two scenes: 1) Bernard making an appearance, and 2) Connie and Eugene saying their goodbyes. I absolutely love that they used the scene they recorded from “The End of an Era” in “The Best Is Yet to Come”. However, at the end of the day I vote for Eugene and Connie say their last goodbyes in “The Best Is Yet to Come”, a most tear-rendering scene which I think was amazingly done. 8. Which was the Best Overall Episode? All the twelve episodes from Albums 75 and 76 nominated. My Vote for Best Overall Episode No question on this one. “The Best is Yet to Come, Parts 1-4”. I think that it did an amazing job honoring and sending off Eugene Meltsner. Feedback Questions The two questions at the end which ask “What did you like in Album 75: “The Best is Yet to Come” and Album 76: “Keep it Together”?” and “What DIDN’T you like in Album 75: “The Best is Yet to Come” and Album 76: “Keep it Together”?” My Response to Feedback Questions My feedback consisted of the following points: Eugene’s farewell was very well-done Excellent continuity in “As Far As It Depends on Me” My overall investment in the Rydell arc has greatly decreased Overall, very good job in these two albums Whew, that’s everything. Do you agree with my votes? What did you vote for in the Avery Awards? Anything you are hoping will win (or not win)? Feel free to share your thoughts and leave a comment, we always love to hear from you! -Signed, Polehaus53

From Odyssey Obsessors • September 29, 2024

The Best AIO Quotes~Pt 2 (Connie Edition)

Hello and welcome back to my little corner of the internet! Welcome to part 2! In honor of our favorite never aging college student, here is a list of some of my favorite quotes from Connie Kendall. 1 “Nobody tells me anything around here!!” 2 “If these kids spill one more drink, I’m going to use the bucket as a lethal weapon!” 3 “Goodbye, geography! Hello, attitude!” 4 “That’s my second point- Men are rodents” 5 “You have more loopholes than a spaghetti strainer!” 6 “I guess you could call me a “secret agent” of God’s will.“ 7 “The dishrag sits on the counter, catching no one’s eye. The polished bronze a reflection, clear as the cloudless sky. The dishrag is tossed, the laundry is its fate“ 8 “Yo kids, it’s ministry time!” 9 “I remember the first time my mom left me alone for two days. I was fourteen, and I invited all the—never mind; I wasn’t a Christian.” 10 “That’s it…World War III is about to start and I’ll be the one to blame!” A lot of these are funny but I decided to add in one profound quote that I really like. “Prayer is a very special thing—a one-on-one conversation with the Creator and Lord of the Universe, made possible through His Son. Anything less isn’t a prayer.“ Thanks for reading! Be sure to go follow my instagram @theperilouspenblog and tune in next week: ) ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • September 21, 2024

Sleuth Family Robinson! Plus, Other News Items

Greetings and salutations! It has been a while since I have done a news post. Quite honestly, I have not had the time to keep up with the latest news. I have been behind on the Official Adventures in Odyssey Podcast, and with the AIO Team making it a point to reveal all information about upcoming episodes/albums themselves, there has not been very much to report. However, I recently was browsing through Christianbook.com and found a few new upcoming products that I thought would be worth making a post about. Sleuth Family Robinson Comic Book!! Alright, I am very excited about this one! We have not been consistently receiving Clubhouse Magazine for quite a few years now (only this year did we begin receiving them consistently), so I never got to see the Sleuth Family Robinson comic’s story in its entirety. But I am excited to discover that the AIO Team will be releasing a book which compiles all the comics! The Cover Imagine if your family was a team of superspies . . . who each had different gifts . . .and special strengths . . . that you used together to solve mysteries. Now, imagine if someone wanted to destroy your family . . . and the world. Could they do it? Not a chance. Not when you’re the . . . Sleuth Family Robinson! This graphic novel from Focus on the Family and Clubhouse magazine offers quality, fun, engaging Christian entertainment for kids ages 8-years-old and above. Kids learn alongside the Robinsons as they solve problems together as a family. In addition to the graphic novel, there are over thirty pages of extra content for readers to enjoy- Character profiles of the Robinson family Bonus artwork Faith-building lessons Ultimate fan challenge quiz Features on the family’s spytastic gadgets and their most fearsome foes This comic is extra fun for Adventures in Odyssey fans because it was “written” by Wooton and is a fun “in-universe” collectable. Parents know they can trust the graphic novels from Focus on the Family because they are clean, relevant, exciting, and spiritually uplifting. Christianbook.com This looks just like what they did with the Captain Absolutely comic book and am really excited for this! It is about time they released Sleuth Family Robinson! The book will be released on March 4, 2025. Be sure to pre-order your copy from Christianbook.com and Amazon! Imagination Station Book #33 The next book in the Imagination Station book series will be titled “Double Cross Down Under”. The cover and summary have been revealed: “Her knees buckled, and she started to sink. Quicksand!” Hot on the trail of Amelia Darling, cousins Patrick and Beth are transported to Australia where they encounter Reverend George Taplin and his friend James Unaipon, two faithful men of God serving the Aboriginal people and helping them understand the good news of the Gospel. But not every person is interested in this good news. In the dark of night, Patrick and his new friend, Jandamarra, are kidnapped by bushrangers who need an Aboriginal person to show them the way to a great treasure. Christianbook.com The book will release on January 21, 2025. I assume it will be available to read in the AIO Club sometime before then. Be sure to pre-order a copy from Christianbook.com and Amazon! The Next Mulligan Family Book The sixth book in The Magnificent Mulligans book series will be titled Fears, Flights, and Kangaroo Fights. The cover art and summary have been revealed. The Mulligans are off to the jungles of South America to help Mom save some snakes in need of a new home. Jessica, terrified of snakes, is not thrilled to be on this particular mission of mercy, but she soon discovers an effective way to get over her fears: find something even scarier. Like crash-landing in the jungle and having to spend the night with LOTS of creepy crawly sounds all around. Meanwhile, Nick and Lisa are on their own mission to transport Bob, a big kangaroo, back to the animal park. But they encounter a group of bad guys who have their own plans for the kangaroo: putting him in a boxing ring and charging admission to watch Bob fight some unlucky human. Back home, Dad, Janelle, Stephanie, and Julie are facing their own challenges: taking care of Mulligan’s animal park while fearing what is happening to the rest of the family, away from home and facing danger. And as Dad tells Julie, we can’t get rid of fear by ignoring it, but you can focus on something better, like God’s love and His promises. The Magnificent Mulligans can’t help but find adventure, and it’s usually their love of helping animals that leads them there. Christianbook.com The book will be released January 7, 2025. Pre-order your copy from Christianbook.com and Amazon! Well, that is all the news that I have for now. I would like to do a post about the upcoming Odyssey episodes, hopefully another time. But what are your thoughts on these news items? What are you most excited for? Would you like to read any of these books? Any book series in this post that you have read that you like? Feel free to leave a comment! Your engagement is always encouraged and appreciated! -Signed, Polehaus53

From Odyssey Obsessors • September 15, 2024

The Best AIO Quotes~Part 1

Hello and welcome back to my little corner of the internet! I’ve been working on this collection for a while. This is just the tip of the iceburg hope you enjoy! “Operation Thinktank Will Enslave the Human Race…Would You Like a Muffin?” -Arthur Dent “I can’t go to church with a swimming pool in my head!”~Marvin Washington “I’d have to get better to die.”~Bernard Walton “Can you imagine what life would be like without an amoeba?”~Eugene Meltsner“Can you imagine what life would be like without pants?”~Connie Kendall “To borrow the colloquialism:”-Eugene Meltsner “Jack, your imitation of a house with a two-car garage having a pizza delivered was most…imaginative,”-Edwin Blackgaard “Great Barrier Reef! So THAT’s what killed the dinosaurs!” ~Harlow Doyle, “I slap floor” “If you’re want me to beat someone up you better send someone to beat up whoever beats me up for trying to beat up someone else.” ~ Jay Smouse “Well, luckly for you, rush hour in Odyssey consists of a truck, a bike, and a dog with a limp.” -Eugene (A Christmas Conundrum) “Connie, there are two people in this conversation, and you’re not both of them!” -Tom (A Christmas Conundrum) “Anticipation is my 6th least favorite emotion!” -Wooton (Naughty or Nice) ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • September 14, 2024

The Graduate

Hello! And welcome back to my little corner of the internet. The events of my personal life have affected this blog since day one. When my motivation runs low (or club breaks) I go missing for weeks (or months) at a time. Today I was shocked to realize that this blog was started a month before I started 8th grade, and I have officially begun my senior year. I am still ever as obsessed with Odyssey as I was when I started, and maybe even more. I’m filled with nostalgia and joy when I listen to the show, plan or write blog posts, and discuss Odyssey (quite possibly my favorite topic). I just started my last year of highschool, so I have compiled a list of our favorite episodes about highschool and graduating. Please enjoy an excerpt from that list:) 1.) #673: The Owlnapping ~ Like all the sports episodes, this basketball episode is great. Very funny. 2.) #721: The Holy Hoopster ~ My best friend’s little sister used to love the song from this episode. She would dance to it and it was adorable. 3.) #405: The Graduate ~ I love the old Connie. We were all excited when she finally graduated highschool! (even tho it took 400 episodes…) 4.) #570: Always ~ This episode is funny and a sweet goodbye to our favorite homeschooled family. For ages I would pick my favorite/most listened to episodes by the characters I related to most. I would often listen to episodes starring Mandy, Liz, or Lucy. Sometimes Donna, Jimmy, Olivia or Marvin. But recently I’ve found myself relating to Connie, Penny, Eugene and Katrina. I always liked these characters, but I’ve recently discovered I’ve entered a phase of life where I relate to these characters more than the pre-teens (which shocked me lol). College applications and classes, budgeting and rent, jobs and ‘adult’ responsibilities are more relevant to my currant life than homework and sibling squabbles. Adventures in Odyssey has met me in every phase of my life, and I doubt it will stop after I graduate. It’s quite interesting how I’ve listened to these episodes since they came out, but I can still find new comforts and relatability in them. Sometimes I get sad that I can’t find a roommate that fits with me as well as Connie and Penny. Or I can’t find a job as perfect as Whit’s End. But I know everything will work out. ‘Till then I’ll live vicariously through Connie Kendall and Eugene Meltsner. Hope you enjoyed this post! If you’re like me, you are in the last pages of a chapter, and about to start a new journey in your life. It’s scary, but remember these truths when seeking God’s will for your life and decisions. Micah 6:8 “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • September 7, 2024

Editorial 69: The Other Side of the Grand

Adventures in Odyssey celebrated its 1000th episode this summer with the One Grand Party in Colorado Springs. It was an amazing event, which I had the privilege to attend. I'll be posting more photos to the @aioupdate Instagram page in the coming days. But for now, I wanted to write about something very special that happened at the event. In my new editorial, The Other Side of the Grand, I write about a special fan meet-up with Katie Leigh, the voice of Connie Kendall. You can check out Editorial 69 and then add your thoughts to the comments section.

From AIO Update • August 31, 2024

Adventures In Odyssey Album 77: A Speed Review

Hello! And welcome back to my little corner of the internet.Today I am posting a speed review of album 77. I will quite possibly have more thoughts / change my opinion after I listen more times, but here I have recorded my thoughts after listening through once. *Spoiler Warning* #988~The Heavens Declare: 8/10Good! Mr. Whittaker’s harsh approach was disappointing and seemed a bit demeaning. Otherwise, I enjoyed the episode and the new Whit’s End invention. #988a~ 8/10It’s always fun to hear the outtakes. One a side note, I miss the Odyssey Scrapbook so much!!! #989~The Smouse Show: 10/10 Mr. Whittaker encourages good communication in young relationships!!!!!!!!! I am such a fan of this episode. I love Mr. Whittaker encouraging good and healthy communication! #990~Painted Into A Corner: 7/10Glad to see Wooton and Penny again! I think it was a great idea to bring back Wooton’s parents. The drama was a bit annoying, and it was not my favorite episode, but I do not have any huge issues with the episode. #991~Making Nice: 10/10Jay giving arguably good advice? For most of the show anyway. I love kind Jay (even if it’s a scam). Such a good episode, and a good moral!! #992~Unmanagable: 7.5/10Why and I completely obsessed with the pop-punk itsy-bitsy-spider?! I enjoyed this episode and thought it was really funny! It was good to see the return of Pamela. I appreciate AIO bringing her back and showing her success in life and her persevering faith, and I expect to see her and Sadie more in upcoming albums. I do not love how the recent albums have ended on a cliffhanger with little to no resolution. It seems that every album has one or two episodes that just keep pulling this plot for Jules along. They are not bad episodes, but I do not think it should be drawn out this long. (Maybe they are trying to mirror Connie’s conversion arc?) ************* #992a: 10000/10I’m a hugeee John Campbell fan, and this was a great bts!!! PSA: I am giving my full review of the album before I review the final episode because I don’t want it to bring down the rating of the full album. Overall for the album: 9/10 Much better than recent albums. Mr. Whittaker seems to have a good head on his shoulders for the first time since album #57. Jay had so many excellent quotes this album!!! I have not seen this many (if any) 10/10 episodes in so long! So this was refreshing and so fun! *sigh* Okay finally, we will review: #993~Facing the Music: 3/10 Like I have previously mentioned, I hate how long they are pulling out these sagas. They started to deal with some serious issues, but left it until the last episode of the album. They’ve done cliffhanger episodes since Blackgaard Chronicles, but these feel lazy. (This could very well be a hot take). Overall, I’m proud of Buck for finally standing up for himself against the bad treatment for Jules. Maybe Jules will finally listen now… But knowing her character, I doubt it. I am glad AIO is dealing with serious subjects, that modern teenagers actually deal with, but Jules’ immaturity gets on my nerves. The rating of the episode is very likely to change when this storyline is continued/finished, but until then it’s staying as the lowest rating of this album. Thanks for reading! Comeback next week for for fun AIO related posts and let me know what you thought about this speed-review! ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • August 31, 2024

It Truly Was One Grand Party!

Adventures in Odyssey has become the world’s #1 audio drama, and 2024 proved to be a big year for the series. To celebrate the 1,000th episode of Adventures in Odyssey, Focus on the Family and the Odyssey team partnered up hosted One Grand Party, a series of festivities, including a live performance. It truly was […]

From The Odyssey Scoop • August 26, 2024

What Your AIO Club Character Icon Says About You-Part 2

Greetings and salutations! Welcome to my little corner of the internet: This is what I think your club icon says about you. (All jokes of course… but let me know if I got it right) 1.) Bridget Perkins If you chose Bridget, you grew up on Odyssey and were so excited for there to be another modern (if overly-moody) teenager on the show. You probably enjoy music, and relate to her struggle of having a weird younger sibling. 2.) Jack Allen You’re an old soul. You enjoy reading, hot tea, classical music, old movies, and you have a dream of owning a cozy and comforting home with a rocking chair on the front porch. Also, you firmly believe that Paul Herlinger is the best Mr. Whittaker. 3.) Jay Smouse Either you are a) a class clown! Always joking and you enjoy making people laugh. You feel like you relate to Jay and take his jokes and inspiration. or b) You’re quiet and kind, Jay makes you laugh and you empathize with his soft side. You started listening to Elvis recently… 4.) Jimmy or Donna Barcley Definitely a pastor/minister’s kid! You relate to Donna and Jimmy and probably relate to their squabbles. You’re a fan of the classic episodes, and probably still tune in on the radio every now and then. 5.) Liz Horten You wanted to be a journalist or reporter growing up. You always enjoyed the mystery episodes. And you definitely had a crush on Nick at some point… I have gotten loads of comments and feedback about what other characters I should do. I could not fit them all into this post, so keep an eye out for pt 3 coming soon!!! Thanks for reading! Check out my Instagram @theperilouspenblog. Feel free to share any ideas, or characters you’d like to see in the future! ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • August 24, 2024

Playing in the Show

Watch Grayson play the piano! The post Playing in the Show appeared first on Focus on the Family.

From Clubhouse Magazine • August 19, 2024

Eugene’s Puzzles 2024

Greetings and salutations! Here are the solutions to these perplexing puzzles. December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 The post Eugene’s Puzzles 2024 appeared first on Focus on the Family.

From Clubhouse Magazine • August 19, 2024

Episode Review: #043 Back to School

*and now back to our regularly scheduled broadcast* Hello! And welcome to my little corner of the internet. In honor of the beginning of the school year we will be reviewing AIO episode #043: Back to School. (I am currently in the process of designing a new format for these posts. Let me know what you think!) Listeners are filled with comfort and nostalgia at the sight (or sound) of Hal Smith as Mr. Whittaker behind the counter giving his wise advice. A young girl, Leslie, comes to the counter lamenting over her tragic lot in life. We discover through the episode how a separate issue was causing Leslie deep emotions and pain which caused her to see the world through a darkened lense. plot: The episode seems to be about an annoying child’s tendency to lie and exaggerate. However, after revealing the truth behind the sad perspective, Mr. Whittaker realizes there is more to the story than a child craving attention. Eventually we discover that Leslie is feeling jealousy and insecurity, because her ‘best friend’ seems to have replaced her. resolution: After ignoring advice given to her, Leslie must learn her lesson the hard way. Through a visit from a friend and a deep conversation with her mother, Leslie learns how to ‘share’ her friends and she realizes how her emotions of this situation were affecting her perception on the rest of her life. moral: Overall this is a great episode! The moral applies to people of all ages and still a relevant episode 34 years after it originally aired. sound effects/production: There is nothing really remarkable or noticeable in this episode. Feels very realistic and nothing crazy. final rating: I’d give this episode 8/10. Great and relevant morals, good sound effects, and overall a funny episode. I’d recommend to go give it a listen:) Thank you for reading today’s post. If there is anything else you would like to see in these reviews, let me know! Wishing all who are going back to school a good transition. Hebrews 13: 8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • August 17, 2024

August 2024 - One Grand Party

One Grand Party in Colorado Springs, Colorado Added over 200 new items​Autographs from Greg Jbara, Robby Bruce, Jim Daly, and many more.

From Odyssey Fan • August 13, 2024

Editorial 68: The Blessed Small Town

This year Focus on the Family is asking fans to share their “One Grand Impact” story. In one of the prompts, they encourage you to discuss “how Adventures in Odyssey has blessed you”. That wording got me thinking. God really has used this show to be a blessing. Not only has AIO made a positive impact, it’s touched and blessed each one of our lives in ways that are hard to express. In my latest editorial, The Blessed Small Town, I write about how Adventures in Odyssey has blessed my life and spiritual journey. You can check out Editorial 68 and then leave your thoughts in the comments. You can share your "One Grand Impact" story here: ​www.adventuresinodyssey.com/1000th

From AIO Update • July 19, 2024

Editorial 67: The Case of the Secret Zoom

​I had an experience last year that I will never forget. It was both surreal and full of surprises. It was the day I talked to Katie Leigh, the voice of Connie, and Townsend Coleman, the voice of Jason, on a Zoom call. In this month's editorial, entitled The Case of the Secret Zoom, I talk about my opportunity getting to speak to these amazing actors, and what I learned from the experience. Check out Editorial 67 and then let me know: which Adventures in Odyssey cast or crew member would you most want to meet?

From AIO Update • June 17, 2024

What Your AIO Club Character Icon Says About You

Greetings and salutations! Welcome to my little corner of the internet:) I’m so excited to be back, especially with a post as fun to make as this one. Let’s jump straight in! I hope you enjoy 1.) Whit, Connie, or Eugene You are an old and loyal fan. You probably haven’t heard any album past The Green Ring Conspiracy. You really enjoy the classics tho and probably use a quote from Bernard Walton on the regular. 2.) (doulble L) Jillian (double L) Marshall You definitely ship Jason and Jillian and regularly get into heated debates on the club chat forum. You are also probably younger than 12 and don’t follow this blog.  3.) Jason You are definitely and Indiana Jones kid. You wanted to be an archilogist and you have listened to the Search For Whit probably more times than is healthy. You have a complicated relationship with Jack Allen and also Pastor Knox.  (That or you’re <12 and also ship J&J) 4.) Wooton (or Penny) You’re a classic fan but probably never got too obsessed. You seriously enjoy Odyssey but you haven’t listened to every episode and probably didn’t cry when the Wodfamchocpod released its last episode (to date). You are an fun loving artist and super fun to be around. You also make the best memes.  5.) Mandy Strousburg You’re a fan of the classics and one of the most wholesome people on the internet. You love people, art, and probably animals. You’re a kind soul who probably resonates with Mandy’s troubles a little bit too much.  6.) Katrina Shanks You love the old episodes but have probably listened to every one to date. You like literature and jazz music. You enjoy hot drinks and you probably find a lot of comfort in warm characters like Katrina and Jack Allen.  7.) Doris Rathbone You did NOT know that is what canon Doris looked like before you saw her as an option. And you also definitely picked her because it was the funniest picture.  8.) Rodney Rathbone You went through a Christian edgy phase (you might still be in it) where you would try to only wear jeans a flannel to church and you wanted to dye your hair black. At one point in your life you have had a DIY bones of wrath poster on your wall. (no shame, most of us have been there- not excluding me.) 9.) Kelley Honestly the same as Rodneys. You never realized what Kelly looked like and when you saw her you really started thinking about how FOTF made every “rebel kid” look soo 2000 emo.  10.)  Phillip Glossman You are the oldest child who probably doesn’t live at home. The club app was gotten for your siblings who made your account and your picture before you knew you had a choice in the matter. Thanks for reading! Check out my instagram @theperilouspenblog. Feel free to share any ideas, or characters you’d like to see next. ~the perilous pen~

From Perilous Pen • June 1, 2024

You Might Be an AIO Hangout Member If…

you’ve gotten into a heavy discussion in #controversial you have no idea how the trusted system works you’ve cried over server emojis you’ve tried to figure out who are family members tried to start a spinoff server you’ve welcomed someone who didn’t respond stayed up until 1 am playing spyfall If you don’t understand this post, you can join our Discord server here: https://discord.gg/A7BSjmrZ. It’s a great place for AIO fans to gather and have discussions!

From Adventures in Opinions • April 17, 2024

You Might be an AIO Fan If… 27

you’re so edgy you say “*spits*”

From Adventures in Opinions • February 6, 2024

Be Part of the 1000th Episode Illustrations Tribute!

With tickets now on sale for a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend Adventures in Odyssey’s One Grand Party, the excitement is only beginning! With the release of 1000 episodes quickly approaching, Focus on the Family is giving Adventures in Odyssey fans an opportunity to contribute to a huge initiative to illustrate 1000 episodes. Be a part […]

From The Odyssey Scoop • January 15, 2024

The Odyssey ScoopCast Reviews “Triple-Decker Sundae”

Happy New Year! As we head in to 2024, we went ahead and dropped another edition of The Odyssey ScoopCast! Join our podcast team as they review another episode from the world’s #1 audio drama. Triple-Decker Sundae in ReviewSome things are worth waiting for. The ScoopCast team presents a long review of “Triple-Decker Sundae,” the […]

From The Odyssey Scoop • January 1, 2024

Album 75 Now Available: “The Best Is Yet to Come”

Adventures in Odyssey has presented so many twists and turns during its 36-year run, and Album 75 is no exception. This time, Odyssey’s “resident genius” is at the center of attention. Album Description: Everything has led to this moment. A new technology created by Odyssey’s own Eugene Meltsner could change medical science as we know […]

From The Odyssey Scoop • November 25, 2023

Get Ready for One Grand Party!

The award-winning Adventures in Odyssey series is getting ready to celebrate a huge milestone of 1,000 episodes. To celebrate, fans are invited to be present for the big party in 2024! What We Know So Far: “In 2024, we’ll air the 1,000th episode of Adventures in Odyssey! And we want to celebrate with every member […]

From The Odyssey Scoop • November 17, 2023