Joe Murphy (podcaster)

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Joe Murphy
Joe Murphy
Born	July 10, 1972(1972-07-10) Peoria, Illinois, USA
Died	April 1, 2007 Phoenix, Arizona
Cause of death	Leiomyosarcoma
Residence	Tucson, Arizona
Other names	Mason Rocket, Letch Carson, Randy Innuendo
Occupation	Audiologist, Podcaster, Circus Performer
Website Joe Murphy Memorial Fund

Joe Murphy (July 10, 1972 – April 1, 2007) ^[1] was an American book reviewer, XM Radio Personality, and podcaster. His other profession was that of a speech pathologist and audiologist, having received his bachelors degree in Hearing Impaired Education from Illinois State University and a MA in Audiology from Western Illinois University. While at ISU, he was a member of the Gamma Phi Circus.

He started out on the Dragon Page Cover to Cover podcast as a book reviewer. His comments were so concise and pithy that he quickly became a fan favorite. From there he joined with Summer Brooks as co-host of the Kick-Ass Mystic Ninjas podcast and became one of the main contributors to the popular Slice of SciFi podcast and XM Satellite Radio show.^[2] He was also a frequent guest on the Wingin' It podcast and established himself as an integral part of the Farpoint Media family.

In 2006 the Kick-Ass Mystic Ninja podcast - its hosts being Joe, Summer Brooks and David Moldawer - was nominated for a Parsec Award for Excellence in Podcasting in the category of Best Fan Podcast. The award ultimately went to The Scapecast.^[3]

His contributions to the Wingin' It podcast inspired the Beatnik Turtle Song, "Mason Rocket: Spy Extraordinaire," which was their Song of the Day on April 2, 2007.^[4]

Joe was diagnosed at the end of 2006 with Leiomyosarcoma, a very rare form of cancer that attacks the smooth muscles of the body and the inner lining of blood vessels, and died on April 1, 2007.

On April 1st, 2008, several podcasters contributed to a podcast episode called I Remember Joe: a 2008 Tribute.