The Sewers of Paris

Imposter Syndrome (Ep 557 - Aladdin/Tim)

My guest this week is Steven Salvatore, author of young adult romances like And They Lived…, No Perfect Places, and When Love Gives You Lemons. Steven’s plan, when he was younger, was to be an artist… until a cruel art teacher crushed his dreams. But that set the stage for him to discover a passion for writing, and for exploring stories about young queer people in love.We’ll have that interview in a moment. First a quick heads up that I’m planning a European book tour this spring and summer, where I’ll be reading from my book Hi Honey I’m Homo!, as well as sharing clips from classic queer sitcom episodes. Plans for that are still coming together. But if you or someone you know is connected to a bookstore, university, community group, or any other organization in Europe that would like to collaborate on a book event in May or June of 2026, please get in touch so I can try to make it happen!

Power Will Corrupt (Ep 556 - Fallout/Tim Cain)

My guest this week is game developer Tim Cain, who’s shown us what the end of the world looks like. Back in the mid-90s, Tim was working with a small team on a post-apocalyptic game with a 1950s aesthetic — a weird mix of styles that Tim was worried would bomb so hard he expected his next job would be serving fast food. But … that game was Fallout, which became a massive phenomenon, with multiple sequels and a TV series based on the game that just wrapped its second season. One of the recurring themes of Fallout is people stepping out of bomb shelters and discovering there’s more to life than self-isolation. Something Tim had to force himself to do when he decided it was time to emerge from the closet.Watch Tim's YouTube videos: https://www.youtube.com/@CainOnGamesAnd check out his chocolate blog: https://chocolateihaveknown.wordpress.com/Also, a quick reminder that I host weekly livestreams every Sunday on Twitch, and I hope you’ll join me for those — lately we’ve been watching the film Strangers on a Train and comparing it to the screenplay and Hitchcock’s original, even gayer cut of the film. Plus — check out my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo! at GaySitcoms.com; subscribe to my email newsletter at MattBaume.com, and if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, support the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/mattbaume.

A Little Scared and a Little Intrigued (Ep 555 - High school chorus/Julian Cyr)

My guest this week is Massachusetts State Senator Julian Cyr, whose district includes Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket — a situation he never expected to find himself in. As a teenager, Julian was mainly focused on singing, and planned to pursue a career in the humanities. But when budget cuts threatened local arts programs, he organized people to speak up, and discovered he had a knack for leadership that eventually brought him to a specialized program at NYU, the Obama White House, and now to the last place on Earth he ever thought he’d go — the place where he grew up.We’ll have that interview in a moment. First a quick reminder that I host weekly livestreams every Sunday on Twitch, and I hope you’ll join me for those; also check out my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo! at GaySitcoms.com; subscribe to my email newsletter at MattBaume.com, and if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, support the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/mattbaume.

Transporting You to an Amazing Place (Ep 554 - Drag superheros/Cheyne)

My guest this week is queer artist and illustrator Cheyne Gallarde, whose style blends drag icons with classic comic book covers. Cheyne first discovered drag in queer bars of Hawaii, and after a memorable night getting pulled up onstage, he started translating the magic that he saw in the community into literal super powers.We’ll have that interview in a moment. First a quick reminder that I host weekly livestreams every Sunday on Twitch, and I hope you’ll join me for those; also check out my book Hi Honey, I’m Homo! at GaySitcoms.com; subscribe to my email newsletter at MattBaume.com, and if you’re enjoying The Sewers of Paris, support the show on Patreon at Patreon.com/mattbaume.

We've Cornered the Market on Mermaids (Ep 553 - Joel Kim Booster/murder mysteries)

Congratulations to actor-writer-comedian Joel Kim Booster, who got married last month to his partner John. You might know Joel as the writer and star of the movie Fire Island, or as a voice actor in KPop Demon Hunters, or from shows like Big Mouth, Search Party, and Loot. But before all that, Joel was a guest on The Sewers of Paris, way back in 2017, when we talked about his childhood, his coming out, and a period when he was homeless. To celebrate his wedding, we’re taking a trip back to that conversation for this week’s episode.And by the way, if you’d like to see Joel live, he has a shows coming up in San Francisco, part of SF Sketchfest: https://sfsketchfest.com/2026-lineup/