I recently interviewed Rick Gualtieri, the bestselling New Jersey author behind the Tome of Bill series. Rick has built one of indie horror-comedy's most beloved franchises around Bill Ryder, a dateless gamer who gets turned into a vampire and becomes the undead world's most reluctant savior—more than a dozen novels deep and still going strong.

We talked about his origin story, his writing process, the art of making horror funny without defanging it, and why comedy and horror belong together. It's a great conversation for fans of the genre and anyone curious about what it takes to build a long-running indie series from scratch.

Kiana Schraufnagel is a leader, volunteer, and advocate whose accomplishments span academics, service, athletics, and personal empowerment. She currently serves as Miss Wisconsin Volunteer 2026, while pursuing her psychology degree at Texas Tech University and performing as a Texas Tech Twirler. Her commitment to service has earned her the prestigious President's Volunteer Service Award, reflecting more than 1,500 hours of community involvement. A baton twirler and member of Team USA, Kiana has earned multiple national championships, World Championship medals in Liverpool, England, and numerous state and national titles. Beyond competition, she is the founder of True You Empowerment, a platform dedicated to building confidence and self-worth in young people.

Welcome to The Twist and our annual Pride Spectacular. Mark and Rick pull out all the stops for this one. We've got news, we've got joy, we've got Prance Thunderbottom joining the show with his 'Worst in Show' feature.

And later, Rick interviews author David Hylan to talk about his new book Small Town Rage — which, based on the title alone, we feel deeply in our souls. David joins us to talk about what happens when the darkness underneath ordinary American life stops being polite and starts getting honest. It is a conversation you do not want to miss.

But first — it is Pride, it is June, the rainbow flags are flying from here to the Delaware and back, and Mark and Rick have things to say about all of it.

This week on The Twist, Mark and Rick cut their losses and ditch their tickets to the Great American State Fair — and they have thoughts. Then it's all good news as they share their enthusiasm for Eden Sher and Brock Ciarlelli's Middling podcast, the irresistible rewatch show for fans of The Middle. Plus Rick sits down with Courtney Cordova of Madison's Henry Vilas Zoo for a conversation about the animals, the mission, and what makes this beloved institution one of the best free zoos in the country. All that and the usual twists on Episode 329.

On further reflection, this week Mark and Rick do cannonballs into Trump's giant kiddie pool, sing the praises of Penzeys super-progressive spice empire, and sound off on what bugs us this week.

Welcome to The Twist, episode 327. Mark and Rick take on the news from a crazy week, finger wag the Supreme Court, dish on the Met Gala, and reveal some unknown facts about Tennessee Williams.

Welcome to The Twist, episode 326. We have a packed show for you today. The luggage cart wars are real — we're talking about the unspoken battlefield of airports and hotels where perfectly reasonable people turn into territorial strangers over a metal cart on wheels. Rick Rose has officially joined Substack, and we'll get into what drove that decision and what he's planning to do with it. We also have a terrific interview with Angela Luna that covers some real ground.

Beyond that, it's a full episode — we get into what's been bugging us this week, because there is always something. We have our Hit List recommendations, the things we've been watching, reading, eating, and generally can't stop talking about. And Jo stops by with her weekly wisdom, because every episode needs a little Jo.

All of that on episode 326 of The Twist.

Episode 325 of The Twist is packed. Mark and Rick dig into the week's biggest news stories in their Weekly News Roundup — the headlines, the highlights, and the takes you won't get anywhere else. Then things get a little lighter with Road Trip Fun Facts, just in time for the open road season. And Rick sits down with Enjoyiana Nururdin, journalist and lifestyle content creator, for a conversation about her work, her voice, and what drives her to tell the stories she tells.