The Biographers

In part four of our series on Pancho Villa, we witness Pancho rise to become the single most powerful person in the country of Mexico, after the notorious Victoriano Huerta is finally overthrown. The revolutionaries were victorious in their task, but the various leaders of the revolution couldn't seem to find a compromise on how to move the nation forward, which then led to a civil war breaking out between them. The third phase of ...

In part three of our series on Pancho Villa, we explore an often-forgotten tragedy in world history known as La Decena Trágica (The Ten Tragic Days), during which the first phase of the Mexican Revolution comes to a swift and violent end. From the chaos, a new dictator emerges — Victoriano Huerta — who is so despised by the people that a song is composed to immortalize his loathsome character. The people of Mexico do not accept thi...

In part two of our series on Pancho Villa, the Mexican Revolution officially begins! Though an unlikely candidate, Pancho quickly becomes a high-ranking officer in the revolutionary army and displays his uncanny abilities in guerrilla warfare. But even after the revolution gains steam and wins some key victories, all is not well in Mexico, and the political climate continues to complicate things. Soon, Pancho finds himself in the p...

For our next series, we're headed to Mexico to cover our first revolutionary in a man named Pancho Villa. Born the son of a humble farmer, Pancho's life would take a sudden and harsh turn at the age of 16, transforming him from farmer to bandit. For nearly ten years, Pancho lived the violent life of a bandit and outlaw, but cries for revolution would become louder and louder under the tyrannical rule of dictator Porfirio Díaz. Even...

Announcement! If you hadn't heard in our last episode, we are back to a bi-weekly release schedule. Have no fear, we aren't going anywhere -- we just need some additional time to research, read, and write up our episodes. That being said,  it's time for another laid-back episode of Office Hours! This week we talk about boring stuff that's actually exciting, our undying love of bread and pastries, and Daniel being totally clueless o...

In our final episode on the genius inventor Nikola Tesla, we bid the old wizard a fond farewell. The latter portion of his life had its fair share of inventions and recognition, but it was also riddled with struggle, hardship, and rejection. Despite holding patents for a multitude of his electrical inventions, people just couldn't seem to stop themselves from stealing his work, and giving him zero credit or royalties. His senior ye...

In part four of our series on Croatian inventor Nikola Tesla, we explore some of the highest highs and lowest lows of the genius’s life. Success was coming his way, including a center-stage appearance at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, and his inventions were being implemented across the United States (and many other parts of the world). However, he was not immune to tragedy. He was forced to work in the laboratory of Thomas Edis...

In part three of our series on the master of AC electricity, Nikola Tesla, we finally get to see the invention of the Tesla Coil! When introducing his new invention to shoot electricity wirelessly through the air, Nikola shocks the crowd (not actually) by illuminating a lightbulb held in one hand, while a bolt of electricity connects to his other hand. However, competition is fierce, and swaths of other so-called inventors steal hi...

In part two of our series on electrical genius Nikola Tesla, we examine the early stages of his rise to success, along with the hardships that accompanied it. The road to success for young Nikola was anything but smooth, with obstacles such as a mutiny on his voyage to America, bad-faith investors he became entangled with upon arrival, and his subsequent exploitation while employed by the infamous Thomas Edison. However, Nikola’s t...

To kick off 2025 right, we're starting with one of the greatest titans of invention ever known to walk the earth: Nikola Tesla. Born to humble beginnings in what is now Croatia, Tesla's childhood was often carefree, but not without its fair share of trauma. Despite his father's strong push for young Nikola to follow in his footsteps and become a priest, Nikola's heart was drawn to engineering. More specifically, he soon discovered ...

It's time for another laid back episode of office hours! No set agenda, but we do talk about a few questions and corrections from our Marilyn Monroe series, as well as some conspiracy theories surrounding her death. This will be Akiva and Daniel's final episode of 2024, as they both need a bit of a break for the holidays, and some extra time to prepare for their next biographies. Have a happy holiday season, and we will see you 202...

In the final episode of our series on Marilyn Monroe, we take a look at her last years, her final movies, and what led up to her untimely death. Like much of her life, her final years weren't easy. Although she had the opportunity to co-star with her childhood hero, Clark Gable, in her final completed movie, she was deeply distressed when she learned that the press was falsely implying that she was somehow partly to blame for his d...

In part four of our series on Marilyn Monroe, we take a look at what life was like as the biggest star in the world. For Marilyn, it was definitely a case of "be careful what you wish for", as her life would be constantly invaded by members of the press and die-hard fans. The stress from both her public and private life would also kickstart an unhealthy relationship with drugs and alcohol that she would battle for the remainder of ...

In the third installment of our series on Marilyn Monroe, we take a look at the early days of her rise to superstardom, and what movies helped catapult her career. After crossing paths with other stars like Groucho Marx and Cary Grant, Marilyn would catch her proverbial "big break" in one of the best pieces of cinema (possibly) of all time. Through her continued modeling career, she would also catch the attention of a certain New Y...

In part two of our series on blonde-bombshell, Marilyn Monroe, we get a glimpse of what life was like as she struggled to make a name for herself as a model, and eventually an actor. Contrary to what you might think, Hollywood did not welcome Marilyn with open arms, and the first five or so years of her pursuit of acting was riddled with uncertainty and struggle. In her private life, she also struggled with her first marriage, and ...

It's new series time, and we're covering our most modern biography to date as we take a closer look at one of the most iconic humans to ever walk the earth: Marilyn Monroe. Long before she would ever be known as Marilyn Monroe, Norma Jeane Mortensen was born to extremely humble beginnings in Los Angeles, California, and much of her adolescence was riddled with trauma and abuse. She would bounce between foster homes, live in an orph...

We take a break from our regularly scheduled programming for another episode of Office Hours, giving us a small break before starting up our next biography series. In this episode, we cover questions and corrections from our previous series on author Mary Shelley, in addition to talking about adult friendships, how to properly give hugs and handshakes, and why kilts (and therefore skirts and dresses) are anatomically more correct f...

In the conclusion episode of our series on Mary Shelley, we take a look at what life was like after Frankenstein achieved success. Upon returning to her homeland of England, her status as a superstar writer seemed to be universal, but for Mary, her primary focus was now on the task of raising her only son, Percy Florence Shelley. Despite her life settling down into a more regular and tranquil routine, she could never seem to shake ...

Death, death, and more death! In part four of our series on Mary Shelley, we go through the most tragic part of the classic author's life, experiencing more loss than ever before. Though there are some bright spots during this period of life, Mary Shelley would truly earn some Goth merit badges. Despite the losses, however, Mary did not let life beat her down, and would pull herself up by her bootstraps, resolving herself to a life...