On episode 181 of our podcast MuggleCast, we introduced our "Wizarding World of RollerCoaster Tycoon" contest, where listeners could construct a Harry Potter-themed amusement park using the popular video game RollerCoaster Tycoon by Chris Sawyer. Listeners were permitted to use the additional two expansion packs and the contest ran approximately one month, ending on Thursday, October 29th. We have now posted our top five theme parks and a runner-up. Also, each theme park is available for download as a save-game file (but you will need the video game and/or expansion packs to play). Thank you to everyone who entered! Visit the theme park contest page right here!

What do you think about these parks and this contest? Leave your comments below!

The latest episode of our Harry Potter podcast is now available! It's a landmark show as MuggleNet webmaster Emerson Spartz makes his debut on a pre-recorded episode. He joins us to talk about MuggleNet's 10 year anniversary and much more:

- Someone is almost fired by the boss after slacking off from his news duties.
- News: Potter DVD features, Dan may be in a musical, and Deathly Hallows filming updates.
- This week's Chapter by Chapter looks at chapters 4 - 6 of Chamber of Secrets.
- Tons of foreshadowing within Borgin and Burkes!
- Gilderoy Lockhart - what's his deal?
- We take your e-mails and tweets about these chapters.
- What is the all-time best moment Emerson has had with the site?

All that and a LOT more on this very long episode (1 hour and 46 minutes to be exact) can be heard by downloading! To download the fun for free, we recommend subscribing through iTunes. Just CLICK HERE and then press "Subscribe" to the right of our album art. (Already subscribed? Refresh your feed!) No iPod or MP3 player needed! You can also visit the MuggleCast website to listen right within your browser, or to download the MP3 file to your desktop.

UPDATE: Our video-game theme park contest ends Thursday 10/29. View the details on MuggleCast.com!

We always love getting your feedback. Leave us your thoughts in the comments below!

Nominations are now open for the 2009 Podcast Awards and we need your help! Head on over to PodcastAwards.com to nominate MuggleCast in the categories of People's Choice and Entertainment.

Make sure you put "MuggleCast" in the Podcast Name field and "http://www.mugglecast.com" in the Podcast URL field. Feel free to vote for the other podcasts you listen to in the remaining categories. Please note you can only fill out the form ONCE!

The nomination period ends tomorrow, Sunday, October 18, so get voting! And thanks as always to the listeners for being so supportive!

The latest episode of our Harry Potter podcast has arrived, and with it is the triumphant return of Chapter by Chapter! Its been two years since we wrapped up our Sorcerer's Stone Chapter by Chapter series, and now it's back in a new format for Chamber of Secrets. Plus:

- JK Rowling creates a Twitter and hints at a writing project.
- Will she use the Twitter account often? And what is she writing?
- We predict when the Encyclopedia will be released (if that is what she's writing).
- We start with Chapters 1 - 3 from Chamber of Secrets.
- Does Dobby know about the Horcruxes from this early point?
- Andrew points out an example of Jo forwarding a death in Deathly Hallows.
- Quote Quiz and Make the Music Connection return.

All that and a LOT more can be found in this week's show! To download the fun for free, we recommend subscribing through iTunes. Just CLICK HERE and then press "Subscribe" to the right of our album art. (Already subscribed? Refresh your feed!) No iPod or MP3 player needed! You can also visit the MuggleCast website to listen right within your browser, or to download the MP3 file to your desktop.

The latest episode of our Harry Potter podcast has arrived! Join Laura, Eric, Micah, Nick and I for another great episode where we discuss the latest Potter news stories, answer more of your burning questions about the series, and much more.

- We discuss the recently announced release dates for the HBP DVDs..
- ...and get into all the details surrounding the Ultimate Editions.
- What would have happened if Harry chose the Hallows?
- We tell what one thing we would change about the series and why.
- Which professor (aside from Dumbledore) was the most influential for each member of the Trio?
- What if Hermione had a brother or a sister - how would her character change?
- This Week in MuggleCast history goes way back to our "lost" episode.

All that and a LOT more can be found in this week's show! To download the fun for free, we recommend subscribing through iTunes. Just CLICK HERE and then press "Subscribe" to the right of our album art. (Already subscribed? Refresh your feed!) No iPod or MP3 player needed! You can also visit the MuggleCast website to listen right within your browser, or to download the MP3 file to your desktop.

The latest episode of our Harry Potter podcast has arrived! Join Micah, Eric, Nick and I for a great new show where we discuss the latest news and go in-depth on several topics submitted by listeners:

- News: Half-Blood Prince box office update, Deathly Hallows filming continues, theme park updates, John Williams performs Potter at the Hollywood Bowl.
- Registration for Infinitus 2010 is now open!
- Could Dumbledore have stopped Voldemort from becoming what he did?
- Why did JK Rowling get rid of Harry's father figures?
- Who that died in Deathly Hallows would have become a ghost?
- How does Harry get away with so many crimes?
- How will kids discover Potter in 20 - 30 years?
- Chicken Soup: Back to School Edition!

All that and a LOT more can be found in this week's show! To download the fun for free, we recommend subscribing through iTunes. Just CLICK HERE and then press "Subscribe" to the right of our album art. (Already subscribed? Refresh your feed!) No iPod or MP3 player needed! You can also visit the MuggleCast website to listen right within your browser, or to download the MP3 file to your desktop.

The latest episode of our Harry Potter podcast has arrived, and we're celebrating our 4th birthday! Join Jamie, Ben, Micah and I for a great episode oozing at the brim with the following:

- HBP continues to make money at the box office while DH filming surges on.
- Potter Exhibition is heading to Boston, but where will it go next?
- Jamie Waylett isn't returning for DH and Joshua Herdman reveals where the split will be. Our thoughts.
- What happened with HBP IMAX 3D? Andrew explains how it was a rip off.
- Happy Birthday, Micah!
- Micah and Andrew discuss the HBP video game.
- MuggleCast turns 4; the listeners and hosts celebrate!
- This Week in MuggleCast History, Make the Music Connection, Jamie's British Joke of the Week, and Chicken Soup!

All that and a LOT more (including Jamie's tell-all review of Half-Blood Prince) can be found in this week's show! To download the fun for free, we recommend subscribing through iTunes. Just CLICK HERE and then press "Subscribe" to the right of our album art. (Already subscribed? Refresh your feed!) No iPod or MP3 player needed! You can also visit the MuggleCast website to listen right within your browser, or to download the MP3 file to your desktop.

MuggleNet's very own Micah Tannenbaum, the beloved news anchor of our podcast MuggleCast turns 27 today. Micah is known for his segments such as, "What's Buggin' Micah?" and more recently, "Micah's Dungeon" where he imprisons fanfic writers until they let him read their stuff on the air in his smooth, certain voice. Micah recently kicked a lot of butt in the news-posting position on the main site here and should probably have a ninja turtle named after him, well, just because. Happy birthday, buddy!

It's hard to believe it has been four years since Andrew, Ben and Kevin sat down to record the first episode of MuggleCast. Released August 7, 2005, Episode 1 would become the launching point for something truly amazing, as seven people - who knew relatively little about each other - would get together each week to discuss all things Harry Potter.

Now, roughly 177 episodes later, the show has enjoyed tremendous success: a couple of podcasts awards, the #1 spot on iTunes, and live shows here in the United States, as well as Canada, England and Australia. But none of this would have been possible without you, the listeners! So thank you for four great years of podcasting and we look forward to many more!

Be on the lookout for Episode 178 next week, where we'll discuss our four-year anniversary and a lot more!

The latest episode of our Harry Potter podcast has arrived, and it's packed with Half-Blood Prince discussion! Join Micah, Laura, Mikey, Matt and I for our thoughts on the film, the latest news, and much more:

- How'd Half-Blood Prince perform in the box office? Why did hamsters beat wizards in HBP's second week?
- Ultimate Collector's Edition DVDs... is it too soon?
- Theme Park news and Half-Blood Prince give us a new idea for a ride at the upcoming theme park.
- Azkatraz recap! We had a ton of fun meeting and hanging with the listeners!
- Our 4 year anniversary is coming up very soon. We discuss how we'll celebrate.
- The rest of our show goes through lots of Half-Blood Prince talk. Best film? Best acting? Scariest scenes? What did WB miss? We talk about it ALL!

To download the fun for free, we recommend subscribing through iTunes. Just CLICK HERE and then press "Subscribe" to the right of our album art. (Already subscribed? Refresh your feed!) No iPod or MP3 player needed! You can also visit the MuggleCast website to listen right within your browser, or to download the MP3 file to your desktop.

Recorded less than 24 hours after the US premiere of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Emerson, Ben, Micah and I hosted a live MuggleCast at the Borders of Columbus Circle in New York City to discuss the premiere and the film.

It was a GREAT show with a wonderful audience, and we're pleased to announce that the show is now available on our iTunes feed (press "Subscribe" for it to appear if it hasn't already!) In the show:

- Andrew and Emerson conducted interviews from the red carpet and have some juicy details to share.
- Having all the seen the film, we try to give our best spoiler-free review.
- Fans ask us questions about the film one by one!
- Emerson and Ben discuss their new book, MuggleNet.com's Harry Potter Should Have Died.
- Special thanks to Borders and everyone who attended!

To download the fun for free, we recommend subscribing through iTunes. Just CLICK HERE and then press "Subscribe" to the right of our album art. (Already subscribed? Refresh your feed!) No iPod or MP3 player needed! You can also visit the MuggleCast website to listen right within your browser, or to download the MP3 file to your desktop.

REMEMBER: Emerson and Ben are in Los Angeles on 7/14, San Marino on 7/15, and San Francisco on the 18th and 19th! Click here for the full schedule.

Will you be in New York City for the premiere of Half-Blood Prince this week? If so, we'd love to have you at our live podcast happening this Friday at the Borders of Columbus Circle! The event starts at 3 PM and will take place in their event area.

Emerson, Ben, Micah and I will be discussing the film and the premiere. Emerson and Ben will also be promoting and signing their new book MuggleNet.com's Harry Potter Should Have Died.

If you plan on attending, please let us know by e-mailing mcasthbppremiere at gmail dot com so we can plan accordingly. We hope to see you there!

Will you be in New York City to attend the premiere of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince? Then be sure to join us at 3 PM on July 10th as Emerson, Ben, Micah and I host a live podcast at the Columbus Circle Borders!

We'll be talking about the Half-Blood Prince premiere held the previous night, and Emerson and Ben will be promoting their new book MuggleNet.com's Harry Potter Should Have Died.

If you attend the premiere, we expect to hear your crazy stories of how you met the stars. It's gonna be a really fun premiere event and we hope to see you there!

Please let us know if you plan on joining us by e-mailing mcasthbppremiere at gmail dot com so we can plan accordingly.

We're back! It's been a while since our last episode but we're making up for it with a couple new segments and a great panel of hosts. Join Laura, Eric, Jamie, Micah and I for a discussion of the latest Potter news stories, your feedback, games, and much more:

- We cover Deathly Hallows casting and Presidential set visits.
- Will IMAX regret its contractual obligations?
- Should the MPAA take notice of the BBFC's 12A rating?
- We introduce two brand-new segments you do not want to miss!
- AudioFiction and Chicken Soup return.
- Plus, Azkatraz is less than one month away!

To download for free, we recommend subscribing through iTunes. Just CLICK HERE and then press "Subscribe" to the right of our album art. (Already subscribed? Refresh your feed!) No iPod or MP3 player needed! You can also visit the MuggleCast website to listen right within your browser, or to download the MP3 file to your desktop.

We plan on having more new episodes throughout the month of July, so look forward to those!

The latest episode of our Harry Potter podcast has arrived! There's a lot of news to discuss, and long-time host Jamie Lawrence makes his triumphant return to the show! In this episode:

- Eric visited the Harry Potter Exhibition and he provides a review.
- Deathly Hallows is filming on location and Jamie wonders if blocking off an entire street is arrogant.
- Premiere dates are set, why are they three days in a row?
- New segment: Twitter Question Mailbag!
- We take your questions about all Potter subjects as submitted through Twitter and answer 'em.
- Another new segment: AudioFic!
- ... where MuggleNet FanFiction provides you with a reading of their best Fan Fiction.
- Jamie's British Joke of the Day is back with three jokes!

To download for free, we recommend subscribing through iTunes. Just CLICK HERE and then press "Subscribe" to the right of our album art. (Already subscribed? Refresh your feed!) No iPod or MP3 player needed! You can also visit the MuggleCast website to listen right within your browser, or to download the MP3 file to your desktop.

The latest episode of our Harry Potter podcast is finally here, and it's all about the brand new Half-Blood Prince trailer that WB released just a few hours ago! Andrew, Matt, Mikey, and Micah hosted a really fun show as over 1,100 people listened live and participated. Laura called in for a couple minutes too.

To download for free, we recommend subscribing through iTunes. Just CLICK HERE and then press "Subscribe" to the right of our album art. (Already subscribed? Refresh your feed!) No iPod or MP3 player needed! You can also visit the MuggleCast website to listen right within your browser, or to download the MP3 file to your desktop. Special thanks to Ustream and moderators Nick, Stephanie, and AndrewFP!

It has been a while since we've released a new episode of our Harry Potter podcast (sorry!), but now that we have a trailer coming this Thursday, it's time for another go!

MuggleCast will be LIVE on Ustream this Thursday starting at 10 PM EST to talk about the new trailer (just an hour after the release). Music on the stream will start at 9:45 PM. We'll also discuss some recent Potter stories and play a couple games. See you then!

The good news: a new episode of our Harry Potter podcast is here! The bad news: our show is now formatted to comply with MuggleNet's money-saving policies.

What does that mean? We'll have to severely shorten the length of new episodes from here on out (they'll average between 5 - 7 minutes), so you may notice that things feel a bit rushed.

To download, just click here. This show will not be available in iTunes for the time being. We hope you... enjoy!

The latest episode of our Harry Potter podcast is now available, and this week's episode features a special interview with the illustrator of the US Potter books: Mary GrandPre! In her first fansite interview since the release of Deathly Hallows, we talk with Mary about everything from the Book 7 release to future Potter covers.

- Prior to the interview, we catch up on the latest news and more.
- Mary explains the process of designing the covers.
- Which cover gave her the most difficulty? Who is her favorite character to draw?
- What is her favorite book in the series?
- She breaks down the curtain comparison between the first and last novels.
- How much communication does she have with Jo? International illustrators?
- She discusses future anniversary covers and the HP encyclopedia.
- How difficult was it for her knowing the end of Deathly Hallows?
- To wrap up the show, Make The Music Connection returns.

To download for free, we recommend subscribing through Apple iTunes. Just CLICK HERE and then press "Subscribe" to the right of our album art. (Already subscribed? Refresh your feed!) No iPod or MP3 player needed! You can also visit the MuggleCast website to listen right within your browser, or to download the MP3 file to your desktop. Enjoy!

Recorded just hours ago with an audience of over 800 listening live, the latest episode of our Harry Potter podcast is now available! This show is all about the brand new Half-Blood Prince trailer that was released earlier today.

- Darkest yet? Darkest film yet?
- We go through some of the new things that stood out.
- Eric, having seen the film already, gives his (spoiler free) input.
- Live calls come in from around the world, asking questions about the trailer.
- HUGE thanks to Ustream.tv for flawless service and our chat moderators: Lucas, Luke, CJ, Rachael, Andy, Stephanie, and Sam!

What's more, at the end of the show we announced a special interview coming this weekend to MuggleCast. Mary GrandPre, the illustrator of the US Potter books, will be joining us to talk about her work with the Potter series and much more! We can't wait to share it with you in a couple of days. In the mean time, enjoy Episode 171!