Artists — Episodes — Good Witches, Bad Bitches

Good Witches, Bad Bitches

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Marian Anderson, A Musical Icon | Episode 122

Marian Anderson, A Musical Icon | Episode 122

Marianne Anderson was considered one of the best musicians of her time. She performed across Europe, where she became a massive celebrity, and once the Third Reich began to gain steam, she returned to America to perform in her home country. She was also a Black woman singing opera during Jim Crow - which meant she had to fight twice as hard to earn half the respect of peers with a fraction of her talent. She had many triumphs throughout her life and her voice and legacy remain renowned and acclaimed to this day.

African American, Public Figure, ArtistsGWBB PodcastMarch 5, 2021Marian AndersonComment

Octavia Butler, Visionary Science Fiction Writer | Episode 121

Octavia Butler, Visionary Science Fiction Writer | Episode 121

Octavia Butler is one of the greatest science fiction writers of all time, known more recently for practically predicting the presidency of Donald Trump, and yet she did not become a New York Times Bestseller until long after she died, in September 2020. Today, we're talking about the brilliance of her words and concepts and we hope that you, too, will finally discover the incredible legacy of Octavia Butler.

African American, Artists, Public Figure, STEMGWBB PodcastFebruary 22, 2021Octavia ButlerComment

Frances Marion, the Original Screenwriter | Episode 118

Frances Marion, the Original Screenwriter | Episode 118

Frances Marion was, at the height of her career in the early 20th century, one of the highest paid people in Hollywood. A prolific and powerful writer, she is credited with creating the job of screenwriter as we know it in Hollywood. She was besties with Mary Pickford, Marie Dressler, and one of the most trusted scenarists in the industry for decades. Even once her career began to decline, the name Frances Marion was respected and revered by Hollywood's biggest creators for years to come.

Public Figure, Artists, Founders, Firsts, HerstoryGWBB PodcastDecember 28, 2020Frances MarionComment

Sarah Biffin, the Extraordinary Miniaturist | Episode 117

Sarah Biffin, the Extraordinary Miniaturist | Episode 117

Sarah Biffin was a 19th century painter famous for her impeccable miniature paintings, realistic artworks whose practically microscopic details were lauded as being some of the best in technique and style of her time. She spent many years in the circus until she gained wealthy patrons, including the queen herself. Sarah also happened to have been born without legs or arms - which only made her obvious talents that much more incredible. Her skills were hard won and surpassed many of her contemporaries, regardless of her physical differences, and she is remembered as one of the best miniaturist painters of her time.

Public Figure, Artists, DisabledGWBB PodcastDecember 21, 2020Sarah BiffinComment

Legendary Cult Film Star and All Around Badass, Tura Satana | Episode 83

Legendary Cult Film Star and All Around Badass, Tura Satana | Episode 83

If you don't know the name Tura Satana, then sit down and listen, because she was a lot of things over the course of her life - survivor of a Japanese internment camp, leader of a 1950's girl gang, a badass martial artist, a burlesque dancer who once received a proposal from Elvis, and a cult B movie film icon. But above all, Tura marched to the beat of her own drum. doing exactly what she wanted at the time and nothing less. We're so excited to be talking about her for #AAPI, but honestly, we'd be talking about her no matter what. Tura Satana was a true bad bitch.

Public Figure, Asian, Artists, FightersGWBB PodcastMay 13, 2020Quarantine, Tura SatanaComment

Julia Child, America's Favorite Chef | Episode 98

Julia Child, America's Favorite Chef | Episode 98

Julia Child is best known as a television personality, a cooking teacher, and an all around charming personality. Few people know that she was also a staunch progressive who fought hard for women's rights and worked for the clandestine OSS (Office of Strategic Services) during World War II. She lived a fascinating life and had immense fun sharing her wealth of cooking knowledge with the world.

Artists, Public FigureGWBB PodcastApril 22, 2020Quarantine, Julia ChildComment

The Theme Park Legacy of Leota Toombs | Episode 97

The Theme Park Legacy of Leota Toombs | Episode 97

If you've ever heard the word "Imagineer" and wondered where it came from, look no further than Leota Toombs, one of the original Disney Imagineers for Disney Land and Disney World. She was a visionary creator, responsible for some of Disney's most beloved (even today!) attractions - ever heard of Pirates of the Caribbean? Leota was one of the first Disney park pioneers, paving the way for all the imagineers that came after her.

ArtistsGWBB PodcastApril 8, 2020Quarantine, Leota ToombsComment

Dorothy Arzner, The First Female Member of the Director's Guild | Episode 93

Dorothy Arzner, The First Female Member of the Director's Guild | Episode 93

Dorothy Arzner was a silent and sound film director in the late 20's and 30's, and has more directing credits than most female directors to this day. She was the first female member of the Directors Guild of America, she was the first person, man or woman, to have a credit as "Editor" in a film, she invented the boom microphone, and to top it off, and the list goes on. To make her legacy even more incredible, she was also an incredibly well-dressed butch lesbian woman. Dorothy Arzner paved the way for many of today's filmmakers, man and woman alike.

Public Figure, Artists, FirstsGWBB PodcastMarch 11, 2020Dorothy ArznerComment

Mae West, Hollywood's Hottest Sex Symbol of the 1930's | Episode 92

Mae West, Hollywood's Hottest Sex Symbol of the 1930's | Episode 92

If you've never heard of Mae West, then listen to this podcast and then go watch one of her films, stat! She's an actress and writer like no one else of her time, bringing an innuendo-laden sexuality to all of her roles before the Hays Code could nip that in the bud. She was known for the pushing the envelope her entire life until the day she died. She believed in a healthy sex life, being swathed in diamonds, and wearing seven inch heels. So grab a bottle of champagne and settle in - you're gonna be dying to watch all of her films by the time this is done!

Public Figure, ArtistsGWBB PodcastMarch 4, 2020Mae WestComment

Ava Duvernay, Visionary Contemporary Filmmaker | Episode 90

Ava Duvernay, Visionary Contemporary Filmmaker | Episode 90

We know her now as the incredible director whose career was launched with the award-winning Selma and continued with a diversity of projects from Queen Sugar to A Wrinkle in Time to When They See Us. But Ava wasn't always the badass director you know today, and we're diving in to how she got where is now!

African American, Public Figure, ArtistsGWBB PodcastFebruary 19, 2020Ava DuvernayComment

The Not So Little Life of Louisa May Alcott | Episode 86

The Not So Little Life of Louisa May Alcott | Episode 86

If you grew up reading and rereading Little Women, chances are you know all about the tomboyish Jo March and the March family. You probably don't know that Little Women is based in some part on author Louisa May Alcott's life, or that her life is almost as interesting, if not more so, than the March sisters. She grew up in a Transcendentalist commune, hid slaves escaping along the Underground Railroad, lived with mercury poisoning after a stint as a nurse, and became a bestselling author in her time. Her story is truly incredible, with twists and turns worthy of any bestselling novel.

Public Figure, ArtistsGWBB PodcastJanuary 2, 2020Louisa May AlcottComment

Happy Halloween! Double Stuffed Spooky Spooktacular! | Episode 82

Happy Halloween! Double Stuffed Spooky Spooktacular! | Episode 82

Welcome to our Halloween Special Episode! Building on the spooky historical women and the witch trials we covered last Halloween, we're jumping in time to the here and now, where things haven't changed much, and the scares are even scarier! Hannah and Deanna cover a range of wicked topics, from the Satanic Panic, a modern-day witch trials you don't know about, to the evolution of campy goth icon, Elvira! It's the end of the Spookin' Season and we're closing it out with a bang.

Public Figure, Artists, Witches, Religion, LGBTQIA+GWBB PodcastOctober 31, 2019Halloween, Vampira, Elvira, Morticia, Maila Nurmi, Cassandra Peterson, Satanic PanicComment

Mary Shelley, OG Goth and Author of Frankenstein | Episode 81

Mary Shelley, OG Goth and Author of Frankenstein | Episode 81

Come on, you've all heard of Mary Shelley! All you really need to know about this bad bitch was that she was a freaking genius. Daughter of liberal feminists, self-taught reader and writer, partner of "free love" enthusiast Percy Shelley, and, of course, author of the magnificent FRANKENSTEIN, a gorgeously written, creepy, spooky, gothic af story about a sinister doctor and his monster. She lost her virginity in a graveyard, kept locks of her deceased children's hair, and when she died they discovered the remains of her husband's heart tucked into her dresser drawer. Her life was full of drama and she was intense as hell, and her legacy lives on in FRANKENSTEIN.

Public Figure, ArtistsGWBB PodcastOctober 23, 2019Mary ShelleyComment

Jamie Lee Curtis, The Original Scream Queen | Episode 80

Jamie Lee Curtis, The Original Scream Queen | Episode 80

We all know the name Jamie Lee Curtis. A prolific actress, children's book author, cosplayer, and the daughter of Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, Jamie Lee got her start as Laurie Strode in John Carpenter's Halloween - a film which launched the trope of the Final Girl, and changed Jamie's life forever. Decades later, Jamie is starring in Knives Out, a campy whodunit, and her acting career is still going strong.

Public Figure, ArtistsGWBB PodcastOctober 16, 2019Jamie Lee CurtisComment

Sana Amanat, The Modern Marvel Who is Reshaping Representation in Comics | Episode 73

Sana Amanat, The Modern Marvel Who is Reshaping Representation in Comics | Episode 73

Sana Amanat joined Marvel Comics in 2009 after working for two years at Virgin Comics, a short-lived indie publisher that folded in 2008, after having only just launched in 2006. Marvel saw something special in her, and for good reason - as the VP of Content and Character Development at Marvel, she launched Ms Marvel, one of their most popular series, and is systematically helping to update Marvel characters from misogynistic dreams to feminist heroes and icons. And she is nowhere near done.

Artists, Public Figure, FirstsGWBB PodcastAugust 21, 2019Sana AmanatComment

Margaret Cavendish, Philosopher, Writer, Creator of Science Fiction | Episode 71

Margaret Cavendish, Philosopher, Writer, Creator of Science Fiction | Episode 71

Margaret Cavendish was known during her time as a duchess during the Reformation and Restoration as a shy, kooky philosopher with her head in the clouds. But the truth is, Margaret Cavendish is responsible for science fiction as we know it today, thanks to her philosophical novella about a woman who is whisked off to another dimension, where humans and animals co-exist in harmony under the rule of a benevolent empress, and airships cloud the sky. Margaret was deeply curious and devoted her life to writing, philosophy, and science, long before society stopped frowning on such activities. She was a seriously good witch who marched to the beat of her own damn drum!

Artists, Public Figure, Royals, FirstsGWBB PodcastAugust 14, 2019Margaret CavendishComment

The Countess di Castiglione, the Selfie Queen of Paris | Episode 68

The Countess di Castiglione, the Selfie Queen of Paris | Episode 68

The Countess di Castiglione, sometimes referred to as the original Selfie Queen, was a socialite in Paris who established herself there by having an affair with Napoleon. From then on, she had many affairs with society men, but she was most known by everyone in Paris society as the woman who meticulously (and some would say narcissistically) art-directed hundreds of photos of herself - in the mid-1800's.

Public Figure, Artists, RoyalsGWBB PodcastJuly 10, 2019Countess di CastiglioneComment

The Woman Who Designed the Hearst Castle, Julia Morgan | Episode 67

The Woman Who Designed the Hearst Castle, Julia Morgan | Episode 67

Julia Morgan's architectural genius was overlooked by history for almost a hundred years before she posthumously earned the American Institute of Artists Gold Medal, the first woman ever to do so. Besides the design largely considered to be her masterpiece, the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, Julia was responsible for designing myriad buildings, mostly in California, that stand the test of time today.

Public Figure, Artists, HerstoryGWBB PodcastJuly 3, 2019Julia MorganComment

Tracey "Africa" Norman - Model, Performer, and Transgender Icon | Episode 66

Tracey "Africa" Norman - Model, Performer, and Transgender Icon | Episode 66

Tracey "Africa" Norman is a trans woman whose modeling career was on a roll in the 70's and 80's, with Vogue and Essence covers and even her face on one of Clairol's most popular box colors of its time - until someone learned her secret, and outed her to the rest of the modeling world. Years went by and other activists, models, and actors like Janet Mock and Laverne Cox learned of Tracey as their own careers began to rise, and took huge inspiration from her. Now her modeling career is blossoming once again thanks to changing national attitudes about gender, beauty, and identity. We have a long way to go, but people like Tracey are helping to create systemic change just by unabashedly being who they are.

Public Figure, LGBTQIA+, Revolutionaries, ArtistsGWBB PodcastJune 26, 2019Tracey NormanComment

The Transgender Spy of 18th Century France, Chevaliere d'Eon | Episode 64

The Transgender Spy of 18th Century France, Chevaliere d'Eon | Episode 64

The Chevaliere D'Eon was a woman in 18th century France (historically known as Chevalier d'Eon) who, born as a man, was a soldier, a lawyer, and a spy for King Louis XV for many years before publicly declaring herself a woman, which was accepted as truth by the public. She acquired feminist works and did swordplay demonstrations in her heavy dresses. She lived as a woman for thirty three years in post-revolutionary France.

Public Figure, LGBTQIA+, Military, Firsts, ArtistsGWBB PodcastJune 12, 2019Chevaliere d'Eon, Chevalier d'EonComment