It's Been More Out of Odyssey than Out of Control, As of Late

Well, hello there.

It's been a while.

I certainly didn't plan on taking a six-month hiatus from this blog! But here we are, on week two of my summer vacation, finally free of all the responsibilities you can read about in the "About Us" section. 

Why were we gone? Well, I know we use this excuse a lot, but school and the busyness that it brings was certainly a big factor. 

For me personally, working to finish four episodes of Candid KOnversations within two months was a lot. It was a lot of hours on my laptop. The Christmas/Valentine's Day episode never panned out because it was extremely ambitious and Ally and I didn't have the time to properly execute that ambition. 

As for the state of Candid KOnvos, Ally and I have decided that the podcast will be short-lived and we're ending it after a five episode run. We had fun making it, but our time making it didn't really seem to correlate to an audience that cried out for more episodes. If you really enjoyed it and there's a bunch of people out there who want more, we'll certainly try and reboot it a la I don't know, Battlestar Galactica or Star Trek or something, but in the meantime, Puppy and Woofy will be returning to other projects!

Besides that, I haven't been writing that much lately on Odyssey because I honestly haven't been following it this year. As much as I love Odyssey, my attention hasn't been as well tuned due to the large amount of attention to Odyssey Adventure Club stuff, which is great for everyone that's a member. But that's not me, so I haven't really been drawn to the podcasts feat. interviews and stuff with actors from club episodes and all of that. Besides doing senior year thingys like prom and yearbooks and teary goodbyes, I've kept up with film and TV for my good stories and Sunday School for good lessons. 

So what now? Obviously, I still have Life Expectancy and The Pilot to review, so that will probably happen this summer. Other than that, there might be some articles or episodes you ask me to review to hold us all over till Album 58. 

I'm guessing the blog's gonna shift to primarily be episode reviews with occasional commentary, with Ally popping up from time to time. But I'm headed to UC Berkeley come mid-August, so we'll see how the work toll affects the writing, hopefully not to the whole "not write anything for six months" extent that this year did. 

I miss you guys! I'll try to head back to the Soda Shop, and I hope to get some Odyssey energy back when The Ties That Bind comes out in the fall. Here's to more out of control time binding our ties!

- Josh

Bernard Walton

Dave Madden, center stage, courtesy of FOTF Pinterest

Everyone who's been a long time Odyssey fan has known all the main characters and the actors that have acted them. Last Thursday, January 16, 2014, I was sad to hear of the lost of our Bernard Walton, and also Reuben Kincaid from the Partridge Family, Dave Madden.

Dave Madden was a great actor who made Bernard into a sarcastic, grumpy, but a funny and dear friend to the Odyssians. He appeared in 94 episodes and played 19 characters on Odyssey in total. Bernard was a great story teller, who told the Bible stories of Joseph, Esther, Job, Saul and Jeremiah, and also some made up ones such as I Slap Floor, one of my favorite episodes. His interactions with the kids showed how much he cared about them through his own humorous ways. His arguments with Eugene, making fun of Connie, mumbling under his breath, and interesting remarks created a funny atmosphere for us Odyssey fans to listen to. His quotes were always super quirky - and who doesn't like quirky?

"Stuff me with spinach and call me a souffle."

"Stuff me with feathers and call me a pillow."

(for more quotes by Bernard check out: http://www.aiowiki.com/wiki/Walton_quotes.)

Bernard was one of my favorite and beloved Odyssey characters and always will be. We miss him dearly, and are continuously praying for his family and loved ones during their time of grief. Dave Madden will always be remembered for his addition to Odyssey and the media world. Thank you, Dave, for making all the characters you've played come to life. We hope to see you soon one day.

A Sad Yak Minus Zach

BREAKING:

Just had dinner with some AIO people. I am no longer able to voice my character due to my voice change, but I will forever be grateful!
— Zach Callison (@ZachCallison) December 5, 2013

After releasing our interview with Zach so recently, this news comes off as even more bittersweet. Matthew was a great character with a lot of great moments (for me personally, Target of the Week, Something Old, Something New, and The Perfect Church were my favorites), and we'll definitely miss hearing Zach's voice! 

You can count on a Matthew Parker blog post in the future. And you can still hear Zach's voice on Steven Universe, Sofia the First, and Mr. Peabody and Sherman, along with all the opportunities that have yet to come a knockin' but will surely come soon for him. #zachattack

Candid KOnversations (S1, E5) - The Yak With Zach: The Lightning Round

Happy December! We're happy to finally bring you the final part of our Yak with Zach. Send us your thoughts on Candid KOnvos by commenting below or emailing jandakocompany@yahoo.com. We're trying to figure out how we'll balance our Odyssey time in 2014 with the blog and the podcast, so be sure to get your thoughts in! 

What's next in the works for Candid KOnvos? We're putting together A Candid KOnvo Clubbin' Christmas to be released Saturday, December 21. We're hoping to get as many of you involved in it as possible - and we'll post more info tomorrow!

In the meantime...enjoy! Oh, and for the full audio experience, wear headphones.

In the final part of a four-part interview, Josh fires off questions from the fans with Zach. As we end our yak with Zach, Josh focuses on a new project that begins to raise questions on imitation and morality.


Candid KOnversations with Josh and Ally: The Yak with Zach: The Lightning Round

Written and directed by Josh Ko
Sound Design, Editing, and Original Score by Josh Ko
Running time - 21:45
Copyright The Josh and Ally KOmpany. 2013.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Purchase Album 57: A Call to Something More on CBD
Zach's AIO Wiki page
Matthew Parker's AIO Wiki page
Watch Zach's voice on Steven Universe
Check out the official website for Sofia the First

Happy Thanksgiving!

25 Reasons Why We're Thankful for Adventures in Odyssey

Candid KOnversations (S1, E4) - The Yak With Zach: Parker, Matthew

We're finally back! College apps and English projects have not hampered us (well, for a week) in our quest to deliver part 3 to you! The final part comes at the end of your Thanksgiving weekend on Saturday. Send us your thoughts on Candid KOnvos by commenting below or emailing jandakocompany@yahoo.com. 

And I'll try to post something about the Averys or an episode review this week!

In the third of a four-part interview, Josh and Zach turn their attentions to Zach's work as Matthew Parker on Adventures in Odyssey. The detective theme continues as Puppy and Woofy get suspicious over Josh's recent activities.

Candid KOnversations with Josh and Ally: The Yak with Zach: Parker, Matthew

Written by Josh and Ally Ko, Directed by Josh Ko
Sound Design, Editing, and Original Score by Josh Ko
Running time - 20:00
Copyright The Josh and Ally KOmpany. 2013.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Zach's AIO Wiki page
Matthew Parker's AIO Wiki page

Candid KOnversations Update - 11/15

Hi guys! Woofy here.

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! I hope you're really enjoying Season 1 and the Yak with Zach so far. It's been a lot of fun to make!

Unfortunately, I'm here to announce that tomorrow's planned installment, Parker, Matthew; has been postponed to next Saturday. In exchange, Josh should post somethin' about the Album 57 Avery Awards, which I'm excited about! 

Hope you're all doing well. Email me your comments on the podcast at jandakocompany@yahoo.com. I look forward to hearing from you!

IN THE MEANTIME:

Catch up on Season 1 right now!

Pilot

The Yak With Zach: Sea Shepherd Ambassador

The Yak With Zach: This is His Voice

Visit our official page here for the latest updates!

Sunday Morning Scramble School - The Latest Summer Review Ever

Hey y'all!

I know, I'm the worst blogger in the world (I'm sorry), and this post is from the summer which has definitely passed (from the early mornings and darker evenings that I see everyday now), :( but it doesn't mean that you can't read it and enjoy it! Hopefully, haha. Like Josh said, tennis, academics, and life in general are getting to me. It's getting busy, which will only increase to my demise. WILL IT EVER STOP SO I CAN ACTUALLY WRITE A POST AND SCRIPTS ON TIME (yeahh... I have a verse though to share with you!)

"28 'Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.' " -Matthew 11:28-30 

This world is full of stress, non-stop work, and just overall busyness, but in the midst of it all, we can find comfort and rest in our Lord and Savior! Don't forget that as you go through your new week! :) 

Below in black is my summer post, and in this color will be extra comments of mine. Summer here we come! 

{HELLO MY LOVELY READERS. HOW I'VE MISSED THE INTERNET (NOT REALLY...)

I'm in trouble. And I haven't blogged since. Forever. I'm so sorry T_T. To make it up, I'm doing an extra long post. Telling you all about the summer (yay Odyssey Related to Reality). (This will be long. I promise. I should draw you some pictures so you can smile and think "Odyssey"! Or happy thoughts...ANYWAYS) 

Josh came back from Yale yesterday (Yay!) Hope you caught up with his adventures and work and stress on his ILC blog (the work and adventures and stress have not ended - college apps and seniorlyfe)!

I went to a camp called CBM (Chinese Bible Ministries) and it's totally awesome-a week away from the world in the great outdoors with a bunch of well... (majority wise) Asian kids from Chinese Christian churches! You get to meet new friends, have workshops and learn way more about God, and interact with everyone through a whole bunch of games and free time! (Kinda like Camp What-A-Nut - a lot of activities, competitions, the great outdoor experience.) This was my first time at the high school camp. The year before was my very first year at a CBM camp, but I had gone to the junior high camp!

My parents drove us on a lovely Monday afternoon with four of my friends two hours up to the camp! Many became homesick (even when they arrived at my house!) but I was excited. This was my second time at a CBM camp and my first time was totally awesome! I couldn't wait for another week of learning what God was trying to tell me and meeting a whole bunch of kids and seeing some old faces! Things were going to get interesting and God taught me so much - even in six days.

Confession time:
In the beginning and even now...
I admit that I felt like I couldn't hear God speaking to me. Sometimes I'd lie in bed waiting and trying to erase everything from my mind (impossible for me...) and hear Him trying to verbally say something. And I wouldn't be able to hear anything. It'd frustrate me because I thought God wasn't speaking to me. I felt lost, confused, and unsure about what God was calling me to do. I guess that's kinda like Camilla in Your Servant is Listening.

Going off topic a little...
HEY GUYS DID YOU HEAR THE NEW EPISODES HUH HUH HUH HUH :D YAY. I WAS EXCITED. AND I LIKED THE EPISODES. WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT LATER, BUT BACK TO CBM...

We arrived at camp. And like last year, many of the churches had and were arriving. Compared to us, THEY'RE HUGE. Like forty kids in buses or even more. In total I think CBM High School Camp had about...guessing over 200? Lots of Asian people. We only brought five kids from our church o.o in a van. Thankfully my two girl friends (both sisters) and I were in the same cabin so we'd be together and the other two guys (both brothers) would be together. The camp grounds were HUGE compared to the original site where CBM used to be! There was so much walking, but it was good, :D 'cuz we all need exercise right? The bad part about it being so big was that it was harder to make new friends since mostly everyone stuck with their church groups and were more spread out.

I was feeling good as I stepped out of the van, but I got kinda scared. I wondered if I'd fit in with these kids. I wondered if I'd be able to make friends and continue to be friends. I was getting anxious (AND IF YOU GUYS GET ANXIOUS, TELL YOURSELF PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7. :) It's a great verse). And as I tried, I felt it was harder to reach out to make friends because it seemed as if everyone already knew each other and had their own groups. Was I going to meet tons of new kids or just stick with my childhood friends? Man, it was only the first day of camp, and I was already stressing and doubting God's power.

My workshops were "Sexuality in the Bible" and "The Problem of Evil". Total wise, there were six workshops, three on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the other three on Thursday and Friday. Each workshop was lead by a pastor from a different church, and each held a number of kids and counselors who wanted to take them.

In the "Sexuality in the Bible" taught about what God's purpose was for marital sex, and the corruption of sexuality (lusts...) It sounds like an awkward subject right? It totally is, but now I know whenever the lusts or things are shown around me, I shall pursue Christ! That's what we're supposed to do! We're surrounded by a world who makes immorality seem normal- in the internet, dramas, TV, movies, songs, all entertainment. It's like "Soaplessly Devoted" where Erica's favorite show was trashy and immoral (wording from AIO Wikipedia page). 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 tells us to flee this, and we should pursue sanctification instead (1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Timothy 5:1-2). God gives us to strength to get rid of these thoughts and feelings. He gives you and me the strength to say no to temptation and lusts.

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it"-1 Corinthians 10:13

Ever want a great book to read about the idols of our lives, check out Gods At War by Kyle Idleman.

"The Problem of Evil" workshop was very good. The question asked was "If God is good, then why does He let bad things happen?" I had always wondered how to respond to people who asked that.
We learned about four elements:
1. God is all good
2. God is all powerful
3. God exists
4. Evil exists
We proved that they existed from a biblical standpoint.
The fifth element that makes the first four work together is that God has a GLORIOUS purpose for evil. What is that purpose? Romans 3:3-5, Romans 5:8, and Romans 9:17, 20-21, 22 tells us that it's because it's to glorify God. We always think our lives is about us right? To our surprise, it's not. It's all about God. We all suffer, in different ways, in some ways more than others. But we have our Father to call upon.

SPOILER DON'T READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T LISTENED TO THE RECENT ALBUM 57 EPISODES I REPEAT IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED DON'T READ THE BLUE BELOW

Like Connie, when her mother passed, she wondered why did God take her mother home now, at this time. At the time, Connie didn't know why this would even happen, but despite the tragedy, Connie learned the lessons of comfort in God, and is going to help out Jeff Lewis in his missionary work. The only way she found out about his work was because of her mother's funeral. I'm not saying that it was a good thing June died, I'm saying God has a purpose for everything that happens in your life, good or bad, whether you know it or not. It's a matter of if you trust Him in the midst of the situation you're in, or you go flying in solo. Uncertainty needs trust, so if you're ever concerned about what God has in store for you, learn to lean on His sovereignty. 

This reminds me of the bible story about Job, and the Odyssey episode of "Bernard and Job". Lisa learned that when life treats you unfairly, the blame should not go to God and that God is in control of all things.
So, in a world of evil in the dark, what are your responses to evil, things that are unfair to you, or suffering? How can you give it all to God when everything seems to be caving in?

One of my highlights of CBM was campfire, where everyone in the whole camp all gather in the amphitheater and we all sing and some people share about their highlights. It's a blessing and an encouragement to hear how the camp has impacted them or helped them in their walk with God, and how excited they are to share about Christ! The sharing definitely involves tears, hearing tragic events that have occurred, but it always ends with God coming through (what can we learn from that? :) He'll come through!) It was definitely cold, but the body heat and testimonies warmed me up.

As the week went by, I met so many people, but I only became close friends with a few. I learned that it doesn't matter how many friends you make, but who you're friends with. These people that I befriended have absolutely been God's blessings to me by checking in on me, praying for me, and being always there to talk about Him. It's awesome to see how God places people in our lives during different stages, and how they affect you during that time. I miss them all so much: my friends, the counselors, the camp environment. But with a week of knowledge, encouragement, and our bibles, we're ready to be God's messengers, to go bold, go strong and go FISH!}

In the summer, my family and I had an awesome trip to Canada! Puppy really wants to post about that trip (and show off his "model" pictures of the house), so I'll let him take care of that :) 

 THIS IS ME. HELLO WORLD. Do you subscribe to Clubhouse? Does your little siblings or cousins or neighbors? Well then you can see my art that I submitted and all the other cool creative games and ideas in the Clubhouse Members Magazine 2013! Second year in a row! (I was in the 2012 version as well!) Both Odyssey related :) I did the theme of the Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and tried to incorporate all of them into something the Odyssians could all do together-hence the theater and a Fruits of the Spirit play, which totally go together! Penny and her talent are at work making a poster for Connie who's trying to direct everyone, but of course everyone is going crazy and not paying attention to a surprisingly calm Ms. Kendall. If you see the girl in the background with the black hair and orange tee, I based it off myself hahaha. I know, so original, but it felt so empty there. The whole Odyssey gang is there (except Whit :( maybe he was taking a picture of this chaotic scene). Jay, Priscilla, the Jones, Nelson, Ryan Cummings, the Jones, and the Parkers are all in it to help out! Check it out! It was a lot of fun to draw! :)

So for most of the Internet people I know, I make pictures for their birthdays (and they're always late haha). This one is for Kevin McCreary, The Ceiling Fan Podcast creator, writer, and actor! As you can see, Josh and I are in there, with Garrett Vandenberg and his guitar playing a HBD tune. Kevin's character, Ethan, is with Connie, who he really likes haha. And what do you know-Jimmy Barclay is there too! All old and grown up... with a soul patch! The markers that I used for this picture were COPICS, alcoholic markers that you can find at specialty art stores (super worth it :3)!

Now my life is just: school. School consists of music, homework, and tennis (which is ending soon!), as well as other stuff, like art, letters, and blogging, now and then. It's getting busy, but God has been helping me get through it and He'll continue to help! I just wish I had more sleep... Yay, a long satisfying post :3 (well, I'm satisfied! I hope the same goes for all of you :P) I hope you all have awesome weeks, I shall be back soon! 

CHALLENGE:
HEY - GO COMPLIMENT SOMEONE RANDOMLY AND MAKE THEIR DAY. :) It's so fun to do that, just randomly messaging someone and checking up on them. It's fun for me because I LIKE FELLOWSHIP. IT'S NOT THAT HARD SO IT SHOULDN'T BE A CHALLENGE... JUST GO DO IT!!!! 


  

Candid KOnversations (S1, E3) - The Yak With Zach: This is His Voice

It's time for another Zach attack as we continue our interview with Zach Callison! We're also having a mini heart attack creating podcasts at Steve Harris/Phil Lollar speed, but that's beside the point. Enjoy! Part 3 comes next week. Please give us your feedback on what you thought of episode 3! Comment below or email us at jandakocompany@yahoo.com! And as always, we're still working on iTunes. Thanks for being patient!

While Josh talks to Zach in the second of a four part interview about his voiceover and live action work in TV animation, web shows, music, radio, advertising, and film, including work with Sofia the First, The Legend of Korra, and Diary of a Single Mom; Woofy plans his comeback (no thanks to Puppy) and Josh gets inspired by a new Odyssey opportunity.




Candid KOnversations with Josh and Ally: The Yak with Zach: This is His Voice

Written by Josh and Ally Ko, Directed by Josh Ko
Sound Design, Editing, and Original Score by Josh Ko
Running time - 21:18
Copyright The Josh and Ally KOmpany. 2013.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Zach's IMDB page
Watch Zach's voice on Steven Universe
Official Candid KOnversations page
About Us page

Candid KOnversations Season Premiere - The Yak With Zach: Shepherd Ambassador

The season premiere of Candid KOnversations has finally arrived!

In the first of a four part interview with Zach Callison, Josh talks with Zach about his early career and his work with Sea Shepherds. Meanwhile, Woofy begins to plan a comeback and Josh steps deeper into his new shady audio drama.

Candid KOnversations with Josh and Ally: The Yak with Zach: Shepherd Ambassador

Written by Josh and Ally Ko, Directed by Josh Ko
Sound Design and Original Score by Josh Ko
Running time - 19:09
Copyright The Josh and Ally KOmpany. 2013.

We'd love your feedback on what you thought of episode 2! Comment below or email us at jandakocompany@yahoo.com! 

Also, we're also releasing an About Us page, which gives more information on who we are and what our blog's about. And keep checking the official page for Candid KOnversations here for the latest updates! Part 2 of our interview with Zach continues next week.

So sorry iTunes has been taking so long. We're working on it!

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
http://www.seashepherd.org/
Official Candid KOnversations page
About Us page