VICARIOUSLY LIVE THE SPACE TRAVEL DREAM

If you have ever seen “Star Wars” or even “Space Balls,” you have probably imagined what it would be like to pilot through space. Mt. Hood graduates Mike Curtis and Tim Ramaekers are offering listeners an opportunity to do so without leaving the ground.

The duo describes their podcast, “The Adventures of the Awkward Screw,” as an immersive experience. The podcast is intended to pull listeners so deeply in to the story that they forget they’re still on Earth while listening. 

The Awkward Screw is a story-based, science fiction podcast. There are four main characters of different species and they man a ship that is constantly in repair. The plot focuses on the adventures of the crew, but more importantly, their personal development. Over the course of the ongoing story, the characters realize what’s important and “become better people,” Curtis said.

Each character represents some aspect of Curtis’s psyche. One character, Tony, represents Curtis’s most juvenile self, and while Tony holds a special place for him, the co-creator’s current favorite is the Captain.

Each character holds a special place for Ramaekers – even Tony, despite his feisty nature. The character Ramaekers most identifies with is the easygoing Helount, meantime.

Life experiences inspired more than just the characters. Curtis experienced a back injury at his job not long before contacting Ramaekers, and was eager to stop the cycle of doing jobs that didn’t fulfill him. For his part, Ramaekers did not realize how unhappy he was with his work life until he found an opportunity to use his talents and creativity.

“I always had the motivation, but never had the inspiration,” Ramaekers said. The two have been friends for decades, and find it easy to draw inspiration and support from each other. They are looking forward to the future of creative work this podcast has opened up for them. 

The duo initially began planning to create an animated web series in September 2017. They decided that it would take too long to start up, since neither of them had done much graphic design in years. Finally, after months of daily conversation and creative process, the two decided to get the story out in audio-only format. They are still planning an animated future for The Awkward Screw, and hope to begin the transformation process in three years. 

Curtis and Ramaekers encourage anyone to follow their creative passion: Don’t wait to do what you want to do, they urge.

They hope the Awkward Screw will go on “changing the world, two ears at a time,” Curtis said. The podcast is available on most platforms, and/or information can be found on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.