This special edition covers the first official day of Comic-Con… but we only spent half the day there. We saw some sights (including breakfast in Old Town and dinner on the San Diego waterfront), but still managed to get into the DHARMA Initiative recruiting booth. We wrap up by setting the stage for the next two days.

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Follow our adventures in San Diego via Twitter or on our Comic-Con Blog.

To download this LostCast, click the “Pod” icon below, or cut-and-paste the following URL:

http://media.libsyn.com/media/hawaii/lostcast20080724.mp3

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This special edition comes to you direct from Comic-Con International in San Diego, California. Recorded on the brink of collapse in our hotel in Mission Valley, we recount our trip from The Island, talk about meeting other “LOST” podcasters in person for the first time, share on-the-scene reports from the first of many lines, visit the DHARMA Initiative recruiting booth and check out the advance screening of the pilot for J.J. Abrams’ new series “Fringe.”

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Segments:

• 0:00:00 Introduction
• 0:01:38 Trip Report
• 0:03:22 “LOST” Podcaster Lunch at In-N-Out
• 0:06:00 Live from the Line Part I
• 0:10:10 Live from the Line Part II
• 0:16:34 DHARMA Initiative Recruiting Station
• 0:24:10 Advance Screening of “Fringe” Pilot

Follow our adventures in San Diego via Twitter or on our Comic-Con Blog.

To download this LostCast, click the “Pod” icon below, or cut-and-paste the following URL:

http://media.libsyn.com/media/hawaii/lostcast20080723.mp3

  0:26:34/24MB MP3 — : podcast, lost

We enjoyed our break, but we’ve missed you, and we’ve missed “LOST.” This special edition of “The Transmission” catches up on “LOST” news, looks ahead to Comic Con, and plots out our hiatus podcast plan for the summer and fall.

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Segments:

• 0:00:00 Introduction
• 0:01:52 “LOST” News
• - LOST Fantasy League
• - Unofficial LOST Action Figures
• 0:12:40 Comic-Con International 2008
• - Twitter: Ryan & Kilinahe
• - Flickr Photos
• 0:22:00 HiatusCast Plan
• 0:25:16 Closing

To download this LostCast, click the “Pod” icon below, or cut-and-paste the following URL:

http://media.libsyn.com/media/hawaii/lostcast20080719.mp3

  0:26:34/24MB MP3 — : podcast, lost

Get all the details over at the Lost Fantasy League announcement, which includes the link to the official entry form. Create your “fantasy team” by choosing one character each from eight different groups. Points will be awarded or taken away throughout Season 5 as various things happen to your team’s members, from hearing whispers (30 points) to getting killed (-30 points). It’s a lot of work for Dark UFO and LFL guru “G-Man,” but it’s a lot of fun for everyone else.

So sign up, build your “fantasy team,” and join “The Transmission” mini-league today! Season 5 is only… six months away. Sigh. [Thanks to Connie in Alaska for the heads up!]

Ahead in the hiatus, we’ll definitely be reporting on and from ComicCon, and hopefully putting together a mix of “LOST” reports, from revisiting past seasons to dissecting a character or two. Of course, “LOST” production resumes in August, so stay tuned for some early reports from The Island!

Many listeners have asked to see “HawaiiUP” revived, the Hawaii-focused podcast that begat “The Transmission.” I’ve been fond of the suggestion that we break Jen’s short segments out into their own show: “The Pith of Pop” podcast, which would tackle music, movies, TV, and other pop culture goodness. But as far as “LOST” talk goes, there are lots of possibilities. We could cover episodes from Season 2 and Season 3. We could do a “LOST” book club, examining individual books referenced in the show. Or, we could examine “LOST” characters one at a time, or “LOST” themes (from music to names to literary references). What’s your pleasure?

This episode of “The Transmission” takes a look at “There’s No Place Like Home - Parts 2 and 3,” the season finale for the fourth season of “LOST.” We recap the two-hour episode in eight minutes, then spend some time discussing it in greater detail. Then, we turn it over to You All Everybody, featuring our brilliant listeners and readers. In the Forward Cabin, we discuss what we might do during the long, dark hiatus.

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Segments:

• 0:00:00 Introduction
• 0:01:23 “LOST” in 8 Minutes
• 0:09:29 Discussion
• 0:47:02 You All Everybody: Feedback
• 1:15:08 The Forward Cabin: Hiatus Plans
• 1:20:31 Closing

To download this LostCast, click the “Pod” icon below, or cut-and-paste the following URL:

http://media.libsyn.com/media/hawaii/lostcast20080601.mp3

  1:07:30/52MB MP3 — : podcast, lost

And I do think we will move forward, now, from the near present. Perhaps even the true present. (No issues with Walt’s age, now.) Mr. Bentham’s ominous tale of how things went south on the island after the Oceanic Six escaped perfectly sets up the island as flashback territory… the clever inverse of the first three seasons. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Ben turned the wheel and moved the island, a mind-boggling action that also comes with another rule: whoever invokes the measure of last resort “can’t” return. We also know from his arm injury that he goes straight from the deep Earth chamber to the desert of Tunisia. We see how the Oceanic Six come together and get off the island, and also the setup for their return. We see Sawyer sacrifice himself after a smooch that no doubt gave shippers a thrill, but we also see Desmond and Penny reunited — the kiss of the whole show, bar none. And we finally learn who was in the coffin.

Jen is immensely relieved to learn who was in the coffin. She demanded to know, out loud, every ten minutes during the last hour of the finale. Considering that Season 1 left us looking down a mysterious hatch, even I was convinced until the very last moment that they just might go there… the just might leave us hanging. And we both wouldn’t have guessed who Mr. Bentham turned out to be.

Jen’s also convinced that Jin is dead. I have to admit, it looks pretty dire. He does have a couple of things going for him, though. One, Sun is convinced enough of his possible survival that she’s going to engage in some pretty big corporate shenanigans with Charles Widmore. Two, just like the three gunshots that were supposed to have robbed us of Jin, Sayid and Bernard on the beach, I don’t think any “off-screen deaths” have really stuck. Hell, on-screen deaths don’t stick. (At least Keamy’s sudden reappearance got a token explanation.) With Locke apparently going back as carry-on luggage, after all, his story is obviously not done. Look at what happened with the last person Jack transported in a coffin.

For all the big details, though, it’s the little things that made tonight’s episode so satisfying. The way the episode opened at the exact moment Season 3 ended (tires screeching with the quick fade to black). Hurley’s awkward greeting for Jack, and real gratitude to Sawyer for coming back for him. Locke’s confidence with Jack (”Just watch what I’m about to do”) but befuddlement with anthuriums. The way Michael released Jin to be a father, and the way the island finally released him. The way Ben… did everything, from referencing time-traveling bunnies to the utterly cold way he reacted to dooming the freighter. Miles’ scolding from Rose, and cryptic message for Charlotte, who almost instantly becomes the new character whose story we’re desperate to hear.

Too many great moments to mention. With our minds spinning, we’re simply reduced to bullet points.

Notes and Notions:

• The conversation between Jack and Locke goes to the very heart of the overall “LOST” story arc. If you haven’t recently revisited the conversation mentioned tonight, from the episode “White Rabbit,” you should read it again. And remember, that was Season 1, Episode 5.
• What is Sun up to? Helping Mr. Widmore, or duping him? The why, at least, seems pretty clear. But she’s right, the Oceanic Six weren’t the only ones that got off the island. And joining Ben in the bonus set are Frank and Desmond.
• Locke’s pseudonym off island was Jeremy Bentham. Philosopher, yes. Also a guy who willed his body to be put on display. It’s still in a glass case at University College London.
• Hurley’s mention of Mr. Eko was a nice touch, because I do sometimes get the sense that there are parts of the show’s past that they’d rather we just forget.
• The moment you heard Sayid’s voice at the car window, you knew that guy was toast. And of course his time of death was 8:15.
• More Sawyer nicknames, from “Sundance” for Jack to “Kenny Rogers” for Frank. And… shirtless on a beach with a pretty lady and a bottle of rum? It’s fanfic time.
• What happened to Daniel and his boatload of socks (or redshirts or background)? Are they stranded? Or, since “Alcatraz” apparently went with the main island, could they have gone along for the ride as well?
• Jack officially has a musical motif (along with Kate’s Patsy Cline). His last drive to the funeral parlor showed us his appreciation for “Nirvana.” Tonight, he rocked his way out to the big reveal with “The Pixies.”
• Yeah, so that was the “Frozen Donkey Wheel.” Ha ha. How literal and clever! Can we go back to metaphors for the next big twist?

A year ago, when we were similarly left stunned by the Season 3 finale, I wrote: “Suddenly I’m willing to entertain even the most ridiculous, crack-pot theories. Because I have no idea where ‘LOST’ will take us next.” I am still happily along for the ride.

And Jen wrote: “Season 3 of Lost, to me, is one of the best seasons of television ever.” And Season 4 tops that.

This episode of “The Transmission” takes a look at “There’s No Place Like Home,” the twelfth episode of the fourth season of “LOST.” We recap the episode in eight minutes, then spend some time discussing it in greater detail. As a bonus, Ryan discusses pieces from the episode that ended up on the cutting room floor. Then, we turn it over to You All Everybody, featuring our brilliant listeners and readers. In the Forward Cabin, we preview next week’s episode and the last days of production for Season 4.

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Segments:

• 0:00:00 Introduction
• 0:01:17 “LOST” in 8 Minutes
• 0:09:15 Discussion
• 0:40:16 Feedback: You All Everybody
• 1:02:00 News & Spoilers: The Forward Cabin
• 1:04:54 Closing

To download this LostCast, click the “Pod” icon below, or cut-and-paste the following URL:

http://media.libsyn.com/media/hawaii/lostcast20080518.mp3

  1:07:30/52MB MP3 — : podcast, lost

This episode of “The Transmission” takes a look at “Cabin Fever,” the eleventh episode of the fourth season of “LOST.” We recap the episode in eight minutes, then spend some time discussing it in greater detail. Then, we turn it over to You All Everybody, featuring our brilliant listeners and readers. In the Forward Cabin, we preview next week’s episode and the last days of production for Season 4.

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Segments:

• 0:00:00 Introduction
• 0:01:11 “LOST” in 8 Minutes
• 0:09:44 Discussion
• 0:41:30 Feedback: You All Everybody
• Car accidents (Lostpedia)
• Ding Dong which is dead? (DocArzt)
• Time Loop Theory
• 1:13:35 News & Spoilers: The Forward Cabin
• 1:19:16 Closing

To download this LostCast, click the “Pod” icon below, or cut-and-paste the following URL:

http://media.libsyn.com/media/hawaii/lostcast20080511.mp3

  1:20:00/77MB MP3 — : podcast, lost

This episode of “The Transmission” takes a look at “Something Nice Back Home,” the tenth episode of the fourth season of “LOST.” We recap the episode in eight minutes, then spend some time discussing it in greater detail. Then, we turn it over to You All Everybody, featuring our brilliant listeners and readers. In the Forward Cabin, we preview next week’s episode and discuss a major shoot in Wai’anae. For the curious, this is why the podcast was late this week.

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Segments:

• 0:00:00 Introduction
• 0:01:18 “LOST” in 8 Minutes
• 0:09:40 Discussion
• 0:31:28 Feedback: You All Everybody
• 0:54:53 News & Spoilers: The Forward Cabin
• 0:59:01 Closing

To download this LostCast, click the “Pod” icon below, or cut-and-paste the following URL:

http://media.libsyn.com/media/hawaii/lostcast20080503.mp3

  1:00:26/54MB MP3 — : podcast, lost

I was reminded immediately of Claire’s last abduction in Season 1, and the fact that it never was fully addressed until Season 2. Meaning I’m not exactly holding my breath for all the answers to this mystery. Still, given that Christian Shephard has haunted us since the pilot, and has surfaced (in blurry profile) in Jacob’s cabin, his role in “LOST” is clearly pivotal.

Aaron’s fate, as well, finds us looking back this week, with Charlie’s message from beyond the grave. Jack’s not supposed to raise him, he says, the same message Claire got from the psychic in Australia before boarding the plane. Interesting that Jack’s fitness to be a father, and his insecurities, appear to be the tipping point for his downward spiral.

Of course, Kate’s mysterious mission for Sawyer couldn’t have helped. And what could that promise have been? The last selfless sacrifice we saw Sawyer make was for dear Clementine, his presumed daughter with Cassidy. Her phone conversation (”I can stay for an hour”) sounds more like a babysitting emergency than a playdate. But if she is meeting with Cassidy, surely she’d remember meeting her before?

For those holding out hope for Danielle and (maybe) Karl, Miles discovery of their bodies is about as definitive an end as you can get. It was nice, though, to see Miles’ abilities get a workout. In addition to giving us some hope that the stories of the dead could still be told, there were certainly hints that Miles was picking up something special from Claire and Aaron. His odd request to hold the baby suggests he’d probably get a brainload of information from physical contact. But Sawyer wasn’t having any of that… to hilarious effect.

“Back off, Donger.” Jen’s favorite line of the night. Mine? Daniel asks what’s powering the medical hatch. Charlotte replies, “Add that one to the list.”

As for the whole appendicitis detour, it certainly can’t have been introduced for dramatic effect. After all, we know Jack lives. Still, I thought it was well played for the characters’ sake. Jack the control freak had to surrender fully to Juliet. Juliet came to terms with Jack’s love of Kate, and gave it over to her. Bernard revealed even more hidden talents (Jen’s quickly promoting him up her list of most interesting characters). And finally, the ever wise Rose asks the most important question: “Why now?”

Yes indeed, people get sick, but not on the island. His falling ill is as mysterious, then, as Ben’s spinal tumor.

Notes and Notions:

• Jack steps on a Millenium Falcon. The “Star Wars” shout-outs are almost getting to be too much.
• Jack’s reading “Alice in Wonderland,” a book oft invoked in “LOST,” cited in “LOST” analyses, and the source of at least two episode titles: “White Rabbit” and “Through the Looking Glass.” But… not the most conventional choice for a toddler.
• Am I the only one somewhat surprised to see Keamy and a fair number of soldiers still alive after the epic thrashing by the smoke monster last week? There better have been thirty of them.
• Lines were drawn several times between “Keamy and Friends” and Miles, Daniel and Charlotte. Miles says he “didn’t sign up for this,” and is generally becoming a more likable character. And Daniel, standing up to Charlotte, says they’re scientists who don’t want to see anyone hurt.
• The Daniel and Charlotte relationship also got a little more interesting. As was Charlotte’s grasp of Korean, which Jin picked up in a smile. Reminiscent of when Kate discovered Sun’s grasp of English. Was it just me, or did she also smile after Jin told her to save Sun?
• Mysterious forces are delivering different messages. Charlie tells Hurley to tell Jack that he can’t raise Aaron. But Christian Shephard (or “Christian Shephard”) separates Aaron from the person we’re told should raise Aaron. Which is it?
• By this point in the future, has Jack already figured out that Claire’s his sister (and that Aaron is his nephew)? When he snaps at Kate he says, “Your son? You’re not even related to him!” And he is? Deliciously ambiguous.
• The timeline was tough to unscramble. We know the flash-forward sequences tonight take place after the trial, but presumably before the end of Season 3. And the newspaper he reads is a pretty explicit marker, too. Folks at The Fuselage have already pegged the story as an article from the New York Times published on August 31, 2007.

This episode of “The Transmission” takes a look at “The Shape of Things to Come,” the ninth episode of the fourth season of “LOST.” We recap the episode in eight minutes, then spend some time discussing it in greater detail. Then, we turn it over to You All Everybody, featuring our brilliant listeners and readers. In the Forward Cabin, we report on the last few weeks of filming activity. Finally, we give away three copies of “LOST Mind Games,” the puzzle book by Anne Dawson.

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Segments:

• 0:00:00 Introduction
• 0:01:40 “LOST” in 8 Minutes
• 0:10:11 Discussion
• 0:45:34 Feedback: You All Everybody
• 1:02:30 News & Spoilers: The Forward Cabin
• 0:00:00 Drawing for “LOST Mind Games” by Anne Dawson
• 0:00:00 Closing

To download this LostCast, click the “Pod” icon below, or cut-and-paste the following URL:

http://media.libsyn.com/media/hawaii/lostcast20080425.mp3

  1:24:00/77MB MP3 — : podcast, lost

Is the battle between Ben and Widmore a game? Albeit one of real life and death? The injection of the board game Risk (and Hurley’s assertion of Australia’s importance to victory) is surely significant. Ben gives Charles notice of his next move, one of revenge, but it’s obviously not his last. The Island seems to be the prize, and in their conversation some interesting reveals. Widmore says the island was always his, that everything Ben has he took from him. And Widmore calls Ben “boy,” reminiscent of many an epic story where a master is usurped by his protegé. Widmore also says, “The hunt is on, for both of us.” So both powerful men had once possessed the island, but lost it. And I suspect the next grand arc in “LOST” will be finding it again.

And we still don’t exactly know what’s so great about this island in the first place.

This episode also teased us with more time travel talk. When Jack asks Daniel when he last saw the dead doctor, Daniel says, “‘When’ is relative.” And indeed, someone on the ship reports the doctor is just fine. More audaciously, we find Ben in the middle of the Sahara Desert in a ski parka, shuddering and injured, as if he’d just suddenly appeared there from someplace cold and… sharp? His first questions to the first person in Tunisia (that he doesn’t kill) are about what day it is, and what year. If I were in a wacky theory mood, I’d say the next Ben episode will find him in the arctic, battling for his life with a polar bear.

Speaking of Ben, what a badass. Taking out two heavily armed Turks with a baton, moving about under clever aliases (Dean Moriarty), dressed to the nines, dapper and deadly. Yet in this episode, we also see Ben make a grave miscalculation, betting on his impeccable information and powers of persuasion with Alex’s life. Her death was as big a shock to Ben as it was to us, sudden and unsentimental. In that moment, the full scale of the tragedy hits: Ben did love Alex, perhaps more than anyone. And yet the last thing Alex hears is her father asserting that she meant nothing to him.

And how about that smoke monster? Summoned by a Ben who clearly decided to pull out all the stops, it tears through New Otherton like an unholy cross between a tornado and a rabid pit bull. Releasing it to dispatch the murderous freighties was probably a step too far (and I wonder if it will be a looming danger for the next few episodes), but Widmore broke the rules first. Right? Keamy pulled the trigger. But I think even Ben knows he’s not faultless in her death.

Notes and Notions:

• Ben’s parka had yet another DHARMA station logo on it, a swirly spiral of some sort. More interestingly, it bore the name “Halliwax.” Halliwax is one of the names used by orientation video host Marvin Candle, most recently in “The Orchid” video. This station will surely be a big part of the next chapter in “LOST,” and will probably factor into how (and when) Ben gets around.
• It was simultaneously heartening and tragic to hear that post-island “Oceanic Six” Sayid apparently found and wed Nadia, but that she was killed in L.A. Given the backward timeline we’ve seen with flash-forwards, though, I hope we’ll soon see that reunion and some happy moments. Though, of course, they’ll be bittersweet.
• Sayid spent eight years looking for Nadia, both before and after the crash. I guess Shannon was a forgotten footnote, after all.
• Of course the episode opens with Kate eyeing Jack on the beach. “Wet Kate! Take a drink.”
• It was nice to see Sawyer step it up. He risks his life to rescue Claire, and ultimately gives up on Camp Locke and takes Claire and Aaron back to the beach.
• Both Ben and Locke want to see Jacob, but Hurley is key to finding him. The showdown between Sawyer and Locke over Hurley was great, and Hurley making the call to end the standoff was even better. Now we see why Hurley later tells Jack he regretted not staying with him.
• On Claire, the writers are just messing with us now. Her house explodes, but she miraculously survives. Her next line, after blearily calling out for Charlie? “I’ll live.” Ha!
• Where is Penny? Perhaps with Desmond? Perhaps back on the island, in fact? That may be why Widmore is so sure Ben will never find her.
• Have we yet seen Sayid think with his heart instead of his gun? Or is that just further foreshadowed with tonight’s discussion of Nadia’s death?
• The episode was titled, “The Shape of Things to Come,” a book by H.G. Wells.
• Anyone know what song Ben was playing on the piano?
• Locations: The Tunisian hotel was the downtown YWCA. I’m surprised at how much they showed, considering how distinct the architecture is and how much we saw of it when it played a mosque in Australia for a Sayid flashback. Iraq was on a back lot at Honolulu Community College. (Photos here.) The Sahara desert was a rock quarry, I’m guessing in Waianae. Not sure where London was.

What did you think? We’d love to hear from you! Comment below, or call the LostLine at (808) 356-0127.

This special, music-rich, super-sized episode of “The Transmission” takes a look at the season so far. We attempt “Season 4 in Eight Minutes,” then discuss the high points and low points of the last eight episodes. Then, we turn it over to You All Everybody, featuring our brilliant listeners and readers. As a special treat, Jen reviews “LOST Mind Games,” a puzzle book by Anne Dawson. Finally in the Forward Cabin, Ryan reports on the last few weeks of filming activity and Jen shares some good news about the end of Season 4. And throughout this podcast, we share some of our favorite “LOST” songs by some talented “LOST” musicians.

Get iTunes | Subscribe to MP3 | Subscribe to Enhanced Podcast (AAC)

Segments:

• 0:00:00 Introduction
• 0:01:56 “4815162342/Lenny” by Jay and Jack
• 0:05:52 Recap: Season 4 in 8 Minutes
• 0:14:42 “Hams to Yourself” by Previously On Lost
• 0:18:11 Discussion
• 0:37:28 “Hired Gun” by The Others
• 0:40:18 Feedback: You All Everybody
• 1:03:07 “Oops… Locke Did It Again” by Barenaked Hurley
• 1:06:37 “LOST Mind Games” by Anne Dawson
• 1:11:22 “SuperKate” by Jay and Jack
• 1:14:04 News & Spoilers: The Forward Cabin
• 0:22:52 Closing

To download this LostCast, click the “Pod” icon below, or cut-and-paste the following URL:

http://media.libsyn.com/media/hawaii/lostcast20080412.mp3

  1:24:00/77MB MP3 — : podcast, lost

Turns out that Anne published this book on her own. She’d been creating puzzles for her nephew for some time (see Q&A below) and collected them all in a single volume.

This is not your average LOST trivia book. This is for hardcore fans. It’s for really scary-smart hardcore fans who have watched all three seasons on DVD. Twice. I thought I knew everything there was to know about this show, but even I learned a couple of things. Did you know Jack’s mom’s name? I didn’t either.

There are five basic sections in “LOST Mind Games.” The first is Rebus puzzles. The second section consists of grids of nine letters in which are hidden character names and places. There’s a section of find-a-quotes. Then we have what seems to be at first a set of basic word searches, but it’s really slightly more complicated than that. And then, my favorite part: matching. The matching section is where those repeated viewings of the show really come in handy. The questions are fiendish and clever and, for me, well worth the price of a copy.

You can buy your copy today at Amazon. If you like it as much as I did, be sure to post your own review at Amazon or as a comment here!

In fact, I loved the book so much, I wanted to talk to the person who put it together. I put together a quick Q&A and sent it over to Anne, and she was gracious enough to reply with her thoughts.

Tell me about your family.

I am married, no kids. I have a very large extended family. Two brothers and two sisters and lots of nieces and nephews. And a tremendous number of first cousins. We spend a great deal of time together and always have a great time. Any family gathering includes the LOST fanatics who can’t discuss anything else except what has happened on the latest episode.

Some people find this hard to believe but my entire family all vacations together on the Jersey shore. That includes 4 generations ranging in ages from 2 to 79. It is not unusual for us to have 50+ of our “immediate family” together at any given time. And there is usually at least one LOST discussion going on at all times.

How did you come up with the idea for the book?

My 16 year old nephew and I were deep into a LOST discussion on the beach one day last summer and we started talking about LOST’s visual clues and their meaning. I asked him if he was familiar with Rebus puzzles (the type of pictographs puzzles in Chapter One of my book). So I started drawing a few Rebus puzzles that were LOST related. And he just went crazy over them.

One thing led to another, and I continued making LOST related puzzles and mind games for him well into the Fall. But by that time, I was doing them in various software programs and instead of being hand-drawn, I created them all on my computer.

Also, I had expanded my designs to include some of the other formats in my book, like the hidden name squares, the hidden quotes and the distinctly shaped Search & Select puzzles. (By the way, Charlie’s Guitar is my favorite in the Search & Select chapter.)

My nephew was the one who suggested that I put together a collection of the mind games for a book. By October I realized I had created over 100 mind games and that maybe it was time to start thinking seriously about a book. I got a big group of family and friends together and showed them what I had done so far and the group consensus was that I should go for it.

Are you a puzzle person? What kind of puzzles do you like?

I have always been a puzzle person. And while I’m a fan of crossword puzzles and trivia quizzes, I really prefer puzzles and mind games that challenge me to use out-of-the-box thinking. I started making my own puzzles and mind games when I was a Teaching Assistant at Rutgers University. I used to make them for the undergraduate students that I taught. They were always a big hit. But I hadn’t made any of them for years before I started making them for my nephew.

I have to say that I was also a little disappointed by some of the LOST trivia challenges that are out there. Like most lost fans, I love the interactive nature of the show. You know, how it sends LOST fans scrambling to seek out answers.

The one thing I really wanted to do when I put this book together was to create an interactive format. Something that wasn’t merely a regurgitation of facts, but that made you actually sit down and think about what you have seen and heard and then apply that info to solve some unique mind games. Something that would be a lot more satisfying than just picking A, B or C as the answer.

How difficult did you find the publishing process? How long did it take?

Well, first I sat down and created the balance of the over 200 puzzles and mind games. That was my biggest challenge.

I wanted to be sure that they were original enough and challenging enough to satisfy the LOST fan base. Which, as I’m sure you know, can be a very demanding audience. I also wanted to be sure that the information that I included would be intriguing enough to all attract all LOST fans, no matter which theory about LOST they might be inclined to believe.

I also hit the internet pretty hard and did my homework to find out about how to go about getting a book published. I discovered that I had several options including: Traditional Publishers, Print-on-Demand Publishing and Self Publishing.

Each option had its own advantages. But the deciding factor for me was that I knew that I wanted a few things to happen to satisfy me.

I had completed all of the mind games by the end of December 2007 and I wanted to get the book to market as soon as possible and I was adamant that I wanted to be able to have a really nice paper stock that would make the illustrations nice and vibrant, that would hold up to the heavy ink needed for some of the drawings (without making them too visible through the back of the pages) and probably most importantly, a heavy enough paper so it would hold up to erasing (when necessary) without poking a hole in the paper.

Traditional publishing would have taken many, many months to accomplish and from what I’ve learned it would have meant that I would have given up some of the control over many of the creative aspects of my book. I did not want that to happen.

Print-On-Demand is a wonderful option for any first time author, but it would have limited the types of paper that I could choose from and, after I requested some paper samples, none of them met my expectations.

So I turned to Self-Publishing. It was the best option for me. It was quicker and it gave me complete control over every aspect of my book. And because of my day job, I am familiar with printing.

I already had the majority of the mind games on my computer and I am actually quite proficient in a number of software programs. So I sat down and after many, many long hours I actually type-set the entire book myself. Yup, from start to finish. I contacted several printers for samples and quotes and I chose a wonderful company in Southern California to work with.

Controlling all aspects of the book, including the cover design and the entire layout has been a wonderful experience. And I couldn’t be happier with the the end result.

The book is currently available exclusively on Amazon.com. And although I am speaking with several other book sellers and distributors (because it never hurts to explore all your options), I may just stick with Amazon because they are so easy to work with.

The matching questions are surprisingly difficult. How did you come up with ideas for them?

I wanted to create some of the Mind Games to cover specific topics. For instance, LOST books or music or even Sawyer’s nicknames. They were some of the Mind Games that took me the longest to complete. They took many hours of fact checking.

Everyone looks at that kind of game and thinks, how hard can this be?

I wanted to be sure that while they seem like anyone can complete them at first glance, that they were some of most challenging mind games in the book. Especially because you have to be careful as you work through them. The first answer you think of may not be the correct answer. But there is only one way to complete each Mind Game in that Chapter.

Remember the comment I made above about carefully choosing the paper, well, I knew that these would absolutely have to hold up to erasing without poking holes in the page!

Do you have a Lost-related forum or website of choice?

There are so many great ones out there and way too few hours to visit them all. I’m not a big poster but I am a lurker on the Fuselage, the ABC Forums, and a number of the fan run sites. I’m impressed that so many fans have such great ideas. I listen to as many podcasts as I can. I just love listening to all the different theories. And I am amazed by the details that people pick out.

I also have to give a big thank you to some of the great websites that I used to check all my facts against. LostHatch, LongLostList and LOSTisaGame. I can’t believe how much time they all put into collecting facts about the show. Want to know how many times a polar bear has been shown, or who was reading what book? Well, you can find the answers at those sites. I know, Lostpedia is also a good resource, but I find that the way that those other sites are organized can make fact checking a bit easier, at least for me.

So, what’s your personal all-encompassing theory about the island?

This is the toughest question since I actually like a few of them out there. I like the idea of portals caused by magnetic vortexes, I also like the mirror theories, the idea that Widmore and Paik are behind it all, and a few others. So instead of just picking one all-encompassing theory, I’d rather state that my biggest hope is that the theories about Jin and Danielle still being alive are true.

This episode of “The Transmission” follows the March 20 episode, “Meet Kevin Johnson” (Episode 4×08). After reviewing “LOST in Eight Minutes,” we take a closer look at the story. Unwelcome immortality, Libby visions versus memories, Sayid the tattletale, losing Danielle and Karl, what is ‘The Temple’ and who’s behind the fake wreckage? Then, we turn it over to You All Everybody, featuring our brilliant listeners and readers. In the Forward Cabin, looking ahead to Episode 4×09, and a quick note about this week’s filming. Closing out the show, a musical treat from Barenaked Hurley.

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Segments:

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:20 Recap: LOST in 8 Minutes
• 10:15 Discussion
• 37:10 Feedback: You All Everybody
• 58:15 News & Spoilers: The Forward Cabin
• 1:01:07 Closing
• 1:02:49 “(We Can’t See Lost) For the Longest Time” by Barenaked Hurley

To download this LostCast, click the “Pod” icon below, or cut-and-paste the following URL:

http://media.libsyn.com/media/hawaii/lostcast20080321.mp3

  1:12:05/66MB MP3 — : podcast, lost

This episode of “The Transmission” follows the March 13 episode, “Ji Yeon” (Episode 4×07). After reviewing “LOST in Eight Minutes,” we take a closer look at the story. The flashforward, flashback blend, Jin’s fate, Michael’s unsurprising return, Widmore vs. Benjamin Linus, meeting Captain Gault, and losing Regina. Then, we turn it over to You All Everybody, featuring our brilliant listeners and readers. In the Forward Cabin, filming notes for next week’s episode, and the currently filming ninth episode of Season 4. Closing out the show, a musical treat from The Others. Don’t miss the 25-hour marathon podcast with Jay and Jack on Saturday, March 15!

Get iTunes | Subscribe to MP3 | Subscribe to Enhanced Podcast (AAC)

Segments:

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:30 Recap: LOST in 8 Minutes
• 09:12 Discussion
• 36:10 Feedback: You All Everybody
• 58:52 News & Spoilers: The Forward Cabin
• 1:04:35 Closing
• 1:08:43 “Tempest” by The Others

To download this LostCast, click the “Pod” icon below, or cut-and-paste the following URL:

http://media.libsyn.com/media/hawaii/lostcast20080314.mp3

  1:12:05/66MB MP3 — : podcast, lost

And we are certain, at this point, that Jin is dead. If his fate wasn’t sealed by his words to Sun, look no further than Sun’s graveside introduction of Ji Yeon. Indeed, so beautifully was this crafted, I’d be mad if the writers find a way to wiggle out of it. Because the prospect of now watching Jin’s last few days on the island over the next few episodes, knowing what we know about his fate, will probably be one of the more memorable periods for any character on “LOST.” [What did you think? Comment or call the LostLine at (808) 356-0127.] (more…)

This episode of “The Transmission” follows the March 6 episode, “The Other Woman” (Episode 4×06). After reviewing “LOST in (A Little Over) Eight Minutes,” we take a closer look at the story. Ben’s crush, Widmore’s link, and Juliet’s whisperlicious HarperGram. Then, we turn it over to You All Everybody, featuring our brilliant listeners and readers. This week, a special musical treat from Previously On Lost. Finally, we step into the Forward Cabin to discuss the synopsis and location shoots for next week’s episode.

Get iTunes | Subscribe to MP3 | Subscribe to Enhanced Podcast (AAC)

Segments:

• 00:00 Introduction
• 01:12 Recap: LOST in 8 Minutes
• 10:04 Discussion
• 24:49 Feedback: You All Everybody
• 43:35 LOST Short Film (Thomas De Napoli)
• 45:39 “The Ballad of Sayid Jarrah” by Previously On Lost
• 51:50 News & Spoilers: The Forward Cabin
• 54:25 Closing

To download this LostCast, click the “Pod” icon below, or cut-and-paste the following URL:

http://media.libsyn.com/media/hawaii/lostcast20080307.mp3

  56:57/53MB MP3 — : podcast, lost