Warning: Some minor spoilers for "The Adventure Zone" below.
Are you into crazy magical adventures with elven wizards, dwarves, and fighters who really love rushing into battle? Do you wish you could explore lunar bases, medieval cities, and have high-speed, high-stakes drag races? Have you always wanted to take a trip to Fantasy Costco, the place where all your dreams come true?
Well, then "The Adventure Zone" has one heck of a deal for you.
"The Adventure Zone" is a podcast created by the McElroy family, in which they take us listeners on journey through their epic "Dungeons and Dragons" campaign. Griffin McElroy is the dungeon master who narrates the story while his brothers, Travis and Justin, and their father, Clint, are the three players who cause all sorts of shenanigans. Their main characters are Magnus, a human fighter with a thirst for justice and a faithful pet goldfish named Steven-- Merle, a dwarf cleric who has a rather strong affection for plants-- and Taako, an elf wizard whose ultimate quest is to solve the mysteries of Tex-Mex cuisine. Together, this dazzling trio is on a mission to find and destroy dangerous magical relics that could threaten the entire world if they fell into the wrong hands.
I started listening to this podcast about a week ago, and it's essentially taken over my life. I'm only around episode 29 out of over 50, so I have a lot of catching up to do-- and I spend every second I can doing just that. Whenever I'm drawing, playing video games, or simply have some time to kill, "The Adventure Zone" is my go-to background noise, with the McElroys and their fantasy heroes always around to keep me company.
One of the best parts about "The Adventure Zone" is the campaign itself. Even if you aren't a fan of "Dungeons and Dragons," or if you've simply never heard of it before, the storyline that Griffin narrates is incredibly creative and engaging. At the point I've reached in the podcast, Magnus, Merle, and Taako have just won a wild battle-wagon race and defeated a woman named the Raven who controlled evil vines. Before that, our brave adventurers fought their way through goblins, ruffians, and a murder mystery on a magic train. Each story arc that Griffin develops brings new and exciting adventures to the table, and there's bound to be something for everyone to enjoy along the way.
Of course, characters are what really make a story memorable, and even the random merchants and strangers in "The Adventure Zone" are full of personality. From Johann the morose musician to a 10-year-old detective named Angus, the entire cast in this fantasy world is worth loving. With the plethora of different voices and backstories Griffin gives his side characters, each one has a life of their own, and seeing how our main trio interacts with the people around them never gets boring.
What truly makes "The Adventure Zone" a podcast worth listening to, though, is the McElroys themselves. All four of them are hilarious, and the way they bounce off one another's antics keeps the show totally unpredictable. Every time one of them gets going, I can't help but laugh along, drawn into their dynamic as if I were right there with them. Travis, Justin, and Clint are the real heart and soul of their characters, and their energy and enthusiasm are always contagious. They also seem like an incredibly genuine family, and the way they interact with their listeners makes me feel even more like I'm part of the story. Many of the side characters in "The Adventure Zone" are named after fans on Twitter, and fans are also invited to send in ideas for magical items that Magnus, Taako, and Merle can pick up on their trips to Fantasy Costco.
So if you're a huge fantasy nerd, or you simply want some exciting storytelling to get you through your day, give "The Adventure Zone" a try. You can find all the episodes on iTunes for free, or you can listen to them on the Maximum Fun website. Even if it turns out not to be your cup of tea, at least you can say you went on a new adventure.
