Your Dark Companion Podcast
"Whatever I want it to be about on a given day; is what it is." Your Dark Companion couples your familiar friends from radio, Mike and Grubes! Mike brings his classic interviews that draw you in, and Grubes—The Devil—drops…well the drops, and throws the occasional grenade. Mike likes to draw on his fascinating acquaintances and friends allowing them to tell their stories as you've never heard them. But he also goes outside his network, sharing Grubes' network, and often outside of both, to bring you those they don't know, but believe have a story that will make you laugh, make you think, think differently, or just entertain you…"that's what we are trying to do here."
Episodes
This one’s different.
On this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner and Grubes step away from the usual chaos to focus on something that matters—Child Abuse Awareness Month and the reality many children face when they’re suddenly removed from their homes.
Joined by Richard and Kelly Archibald, founders of Qavah the Storehouse, the conversation centers on a mission that’s as simple as it is powerful: making sure no chil...
Is “peak TV” actually over… and does anyone even know what to watch anymore?
On this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner, Grubes, and the crew sit down with longtime writer and TV critic Chris Vognar to talk about the evolving world of television, journalism, and media.
Chris takes us through his journey—from growing up in Berkeley, to building a 20+ year career at the Dallas Morning News, to landing at the Boston Gl...
What does it take to go from a small-town kid in Texas to one of the most recognizable faces on Dallas morning television?
On this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner and the crew sit down with WFAA Daybreak anchor Matt Howerton for a conversation that’s equal parts hilarious, nostalgic, and surprisingly insightful.
Matt shares the story of growing up in Ennis, Texas, where his love for performing, storytelling, and ...
What does the business side of sports really look like when you’re in the room where it happens?
In this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner and the crew sit down with longtime sports executive George Killebrew, a key figure behind the scenes of some of the biggest moments in Dallas sports.
Killebrew’s career spans decades — from working at SMU during the infamous “death penalty” era, to helping build the Dallas Mave...
When it comes to the Dallas Cowboys, there’s what fans see… and then there’s what’s actually happening behind the scenes.
On this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner and Grubes sit down with longtime Dallas Cowboys insider David Moore to cut through the noise and talk about the reality of America’s most talked-about franchise.
From Jerry Jones’ leadership style to the constant pressure surrounding Dak Prescott, this ...
If you’ve ever been to a Dallas Mavericks game at the American Airlines Center, you’ve heard his voice — even if you didn’t realize it.
On this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner, Shoopy, and Ashley sit down with Sean Heath, the longtime public address announcer for the Dallas Mavericks, to talk about the strange, unpredictable path that led him to one of the most unique jobs in sports.
Sean didn’t grow up dreamin...
What does it really take to survive in stand-up comedy for over 25 years?
In this episode of Your Dark Companion, hosts Mike, Grego, and Curt Cignetti sit down with Dallas comedian Paul Varghese for a hilarious and brutally honest conversation about the realities of life in stand-up.
From bombing in living rooms and last-minute gigs across the country to navigating dating, cultural expectations, and the evolving world of s...
In Episode 201 of Your Dark Companion, legendary Dallas-Fort Worth broadcaster Mike Rhyner sits down with renowned Fort Worth keyboardist Lewis Stephens for a deep dive into the history of the North Texas music scene.
Stephens has spent decades playing alongside iconic musicians including Freddie King, Delbert McClinton, and legendary guitarist Bugs Henderson. Known for his mastery of the Hammond B3 organ and piano, Stephe...
Episode 200 of Your Dark Companion features a conversation about the Texas Rangers, baseball history, and the stories behind one of Major League Baseball’s most fascinating franchises.
Mike Rhyner is joined by longtime Dallas Morning News Rangers beat writer Evan Grant and former Rangers PR executive turned team historian John Blake.
Between them, they have spent decades around the organization and have witnessed nearly ev...
Episode 199 and we’re back to doing what Rangers fans do best: convincing ourselves everything is fine.
Mike Rhyner is joined by Rangers TV’s Mike Bacsik to talk spring training optimism, culture resets under Skip Schumacher, Evan Carter’s redemption arc, and whether the bullpen is “mysterious” or “a fire drill waiting to happen.”
We dive into deGrom and Eovaldi artistry, Jack Leiter’s leap, Kamar Rocker’s question marks, ...
In Episode 198 of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner sits down with the television and radio voice of the Dallas Stars, Josh Bogorad, for a deep dive into the winding road that led him from Los Angeles to the NHL broadcast booth.
Josh shares how one childhood hockey game during the Gretzky era changed everything — sparking a dream that would take him through club hockey broadcasts, minor league bus trips, Alaska championship...
Episode 197 of Your Dark Companion welcomes back one of our favorite recurring guests — Sarah Blaskovich, food writer for the Dallas Morning News — for a deep dive into the rapidly evolving Dallas-Fort Worth restaurant scene.
From the rise of upscale Mediterranean dining to the buzz around Delilah’s glamorous supper club experience, Sarah breaks down what’s trending, what’s opening, and what might struggle in 2026.
We cove...
Episode 196 of Your Dark Companion welcomes back one of the most recognizable voices in football — Brad Sham, the longtime radio play-by-play voice of the Dallas Cowboys.
Brad sits down with Mike Rhyner for a wide-ranging, candid conversation about:
Why defense always becomes king in December
The Cowboys’ “messy” season and what actually gives him optimism
The realities of salary cap maneuvering and why “busting the budget...
In this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner welcomes Dallas music staple Chad Stockslager — better known as Mr. Chad — for a wide-ranging, funny, and deeply musical conversation about a life spent chasing the right notes.
Chad traces his journey from a childhood epiphany sparked by The Wizard of Oz to becoming one of the most in-demand keyboard players in North Texas. He shares stories from his early Terrell and De...
In this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner sits down with acclaimed broadcaster Dana Larson for a wide-ranging conversation about preparation, authenticity, and what it really means to tell sports stories well.
Dana reflects on her journey from growing up watching football with her family to building a respected career covering the Dallas Mavericks, Texas Rangers, and some of the most meaningful moments in Texas s...
Some radio careers are planned.
This one happened because someone needed a name on the spot — and said it confidently enough.
In this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner sits down with legendary radio architect George Gimarc for a deep, funny, and surprisingly emotional conversation about how alternative radio actually came to be — not as a movement, but as a series of accidents, instincts, and battles fought o...
When the roads are iced over, the guests bail, and nobody’s going anywhere… you improvise.
In this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner, Grego, and Shoopy go full work-from-home mode as North Texas locks itself indoors under ice, school closures, and an “abundance of caution.” What was supposed to be a normal show turns into an OG weather emergency episode — and somehow still covers plenty of ground.
The guys start ...
Some careers are carefully mapped out. Others start because you needed gas.
In this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner and Grubes sit down with Matt Hicks, the longtime radio voice of the Texas Rangers, to trace a broadcasting journey that took more than two decades, dozens of towns, and one perfectly timed phone call to finally reach the major leagues.
Hicks walks through his path from a childhood spent reenactin...
For years, Tony Smith was exactly where you wanted him — behind the glass, keeping the lights on, the sound clean, and occasionally dropping a perfectly timed Dancing with the Stars reference that somehow became radio gold.
In this episode of Your Dark Companion, Mike Rhyner and Grubes welcome longtime Ticket engineer Tony “the Engineer” Smith for a candid, funny, and surprisingly emotional conversation about radio life, f...
Watching one movie a night sounds relaxing.
Watching eleven a day sounds like a cry for help.
This episode of Your Dark Companion finds Mike Rhyner and Grubes welcoming back James Faust, Artistic Director of the Dallas International Film Festival, as DIFF gears up for its 20th anniversary. From the brutal realities of screening thousands of submissions to the delicate art of choosing films that won’t make audiences fle...
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