Episodes

  • The Affair of the Diamond Necklace
    May 15 2024

    Jeanne de Valois-Saint-Rémy was a French countess with a dubious claim to nobility and one brilliant idea: she was going to steal a diamond necklace from Louis XVI. After weaseling her way into court, Jeanne impersonates Marie Antoinette in a series of letters, starts a tabloid scandal, and inadvertently lights the fuse of the French Revolution.

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    On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.

    Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason English
    Research, Writing, and Interviews for today’s episode provided by Wonder Media Network
    Produced by Josh Fisher
    Story Editor is Marisa Brown
    Editing and Sound Design by Emily Marinoff
    Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier
    Voice Actors: Coco-Margeaux Rodale and Tom Antonellis
    Original Music by Elise McCoy
    Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
    Executive Producer is Jason English

    Special thanks to Jenny Kaplan, Emily Rudder, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, and Lauren Williams.

    Thanks for listening! You don't owe us any favors. But if you enjoy the show and want to do us one anyway, could you head over to your favorite podcast platform(s) and leave us a rating?

    Now you can email the show: veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    1 hr
  • Up, Up and Away: The Superman Heist
    Mar 27 2024

    A Superman fan in Illinois is horrified to discover his entire stockpile of memorabilia has gone missing. As police search for the thief, the collecting community delivers their own brand of justice.

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    Very Special Episodes is a new podcast with a simple premise: we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.

    Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason English
    Written by Jake Rossen
    Produced by Josh Fisher
    Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington and Josh Fisher
    Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier
    Research and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Jake Rossen
    Original Music by Elise McCoy and Aaron Kaufman
    Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
    Executive Producer is Jason English

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    33 mins
  • Stealing Superman: Episode Eight — Special Farewell Issue
    Dec 21 2022

    Nic Cage’s recovered copy of Action Comics #1 leaves a series of unanswered questions and prompts a reexamination of what really happened the night it went missing. Plus, we meet the billionaire Superman superfan who has the comic today.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    47 mins
  • Stealing Superman: Episode Seven — Strange Visitor
    Dec 14 2022

    Eleven years after going missing, Nicolas Cage’s copy of Action #1 reportedly surfaces in an abandoned storage locker in California. To confirm it, cops go undercover and discover a story almost too good to be true.  

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    48 mins
  • Stealing Superman: Episode Six — Another Planet
    Dec 7 2022

    Long before Nicolas Cage's copy of Action #1 was stolen, high school pals Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster had to conjure up the character. But Superman may have never seen the light of day if not for a real crime that changed the duo’s lives forever.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    47 mins
  • Stealing Superman: Episode Five — Now a Major Motion Picture
    Nov 30 2022

    Nic Cage’s infamous comics heist proves irresistible to Hollywood, which mounts a film version of the theft — yet the finished movie has never been released. Plus: a different Superman origin story, about the time Cage donned the cape and tights. 

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    49 mins
  • Stealing Superman: Episode Four – The Memphis Affair
    Nov 16 2022

    Nicolas Cage weds Lisa Marie Presley, but Memphis beckons for another reason. Another rare Cage comic turns up in the soulful city, leading police to think they’ve finally cracked the case.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    36 mins
  • Stealing Superman: Episode Three – The Collector
    Nov 9 2022

    Nicolas Cage’s copy of Action Comics #1 wasn’t the only one stolen. Another was taken just weeks prior to the Cage theft — from the safe of a billionaire. Was it a coincidence, or a rehearsal?

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    44 mins