G33K Out: Filker Tom Smith

Episode 32: Filker Tom Smith

I first heard about Tom Smith thanks to the webcomic “Something Positive”. I knew what filk music was (had even done a few print versions of filks for the Quantum Leap fandom back in 2000), but I mostly only encountered it in fan conventions, which I attended very rarely. But the comic referenced Tom’s “A Boy and His Frog” (a tribute song to Jim Henson shortly after Henson’s passing), and I fell. Hard.

Filk music, for those who don’t know, is a musical genre specific to fandom – and specifically to science fiction and fantasy fandom. It’s been around since the 1950s, and can either be riffs on existing songs with fandom-based lyrics or original songs.

Tom has been filking since the 1980s, and has a loyal fanbase ranging around the world. He’s been recognized by Dr. Demento and Larry Niven, and more. He’s been nominated (and won) a boatload of Pegasus Awards, which recognizes excellence in filking. We talk about what got him into filking, how he deals with the world today, and his process for writing music.

Basic show notes:

• Running time is 56 minutes, 11 seconds.
• The interview was recorded on May 19, 2018.
• Apologies for some minor sound issues. The system I usually use was acting up, and my Mac was acting up, so my end of the conversation was recorded on my recorder I use for in-person interviews, while his was recorded from the computer.
• Items referenced in the interview:
  • This is the “Something Positive” (head’s up: NSFW language) that references “A Boy and His Frog”, and the artist also mentions more about it on the notes to THIS comic.
  • Tom mentions filker cons:
    • Ohio Valley Filk Fest (OVFF) – home of the Pegasus Awards
    • Filk Ontario.
  • He mentions shadow casting Rocky Horror.
  • He brings up Larry Niven’s “Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex” essay, which can be read here.
  • He mentions Scott McCloud.
  • I bring up The FuMP, one of the best places to hear a wide range of filk music – much of it for free.
  • Here’s Tom’s social media outlets:
    • You can find his main site here
    • He’s on Bandcamp
    • He mentions his main Facebook page as well as his musician-based Facebook page
    • He’s on Wikipedia
    • Here’s the link to his free stuff, including the “Talk Like a Pirate” that ends this podcast.
    • And, of course, his Patron can be found here.

• The mid-show plug is from Freema Agyeman, who I got to interview at the red carpet of the series finale of Sense8. You can read a write up of the red carpet over on Fandomopolis, but the audio from it will be next month’s podcast.

• In this episode, “Angie Geeks Out” about The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy radio series.
  • Here’s the article in The Guardian that discusses the new production.
  • I mention The Original Hitchhiker Radio Scripts.
  • I mention the essay I wrote when I turned 42 on Towel Day.
  • And here’s where you can buy the Hexagonal Phase (the last series) on Amazon.
• Theme music is “Schoolyard Haze”, by JariPitkanen, available via the Free Music Archive.
• This podcast is released under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share-Alike License.
• Interested in hearing other episodes of G33K Out? Check them out here.

And now, it’s time to geek out.