Passions Personified: Recent Episodes
Ruben Najera
Special guests will be people you have heard of, never heard of , forgot about, or that should be on your radar!The goal is to go behind the scenes, learn the tricks of the trade, become inspired, get motivated and realize that when it comes down to it we are all human beings on this earth and we all have a passion for something. Whats your passion?
RON WASSERMAN is the composer of some of the greatest and most memorable theme songs of all time. From X-Men: The Animated Series to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Mummies Alive, Ron has made his mark on the television shows we grew up loving. He even scored the music in Dragonball Z the show! It was an honor talking to him about the behind the stories to how many of these hit theme songs came to be. This is an episode you do not want to miss!
AL MEGA is the CEO of the "Undercover Capes" podcasting network and the long running "Comic Crusaders" podcast and YouTube channel which is 474+ episodes and going strong with over 22,000 subscribers. Al is a pioneer in the comic book and pop culture industry and in this episode we get to flip the table and interview the man who is always doing the interviewing himself. Such a great conversation and great insight into all the work that goes into building the Comic Crusaders empire.
SAMUEL GEORGE LONDON is the writer of "Alpha Guard" a sci-fi thriller novel most easily described as Jack Reacher in space! Samuel is from Hampshire in the United Kingdom and is also well known for his long running podcast called "Comics for the Apocalypse" which I was a guest on at one point. It was great having him on the show today and you can listen to the audio version of his book "Alpha Guard" completely for FREE wherever you listen to podcasts do yourself a favor and give it a listen after you are done listening to this episode of Passions Personified.
Voice actor IAN JAMES CORLETT is well respected and known as the original voice of "Goku" from the first ever english dubs of the world famous anime Dragonball Z. He is also the voice of "Mega Man" and my all time favorite Transformers character "Cheetor" from the hit show Beast Wars: Transformers. Even with the characters listed above it barely scratches the surface of all the amazing voice work he has done throughout his career. Your going to love this episode! And if you happen to be in the Palm Springs area Saturday May 4th, 2024 come meet him in person at the Palm Springs Entertainment Convention.
Tickets are available at
www.terrestro.com
www.palmspringsevent.com
or check out the show on instagram at @palmspringsconvention
Musician BLAKE LEWIS is a longtime friend of mine and it is great to finally have him on the show. A talented beatboxer, singer, producer, and all around musical artist Blake can do it all. Many of you know him from the 6th season of the hit show "American Idol" or from one of his many hit music albums released through the years including "Audio Day Dream" , "Heartbreak On Vinyl". "Portrait Of A Chameleon", and "Wanderlust Unknown". Join us for a conversation where topics range from some more serious talk on the music industry to some fun pop culture banter on things we love.
Check out his official website
https://www.blakelewisofficial.com
C.E.O. of Critical Entertainment CHRISTOPHER REDA is on todays episode of Passions Personified. Chris is also the writer for the comic books "Zombie Zero", "The Cowboy With Many Hats" , and on top of this also published the comic for "Prisoners of the Ghostland" starring actor Nicolas Cage.
As we embark upon a new year I just want to thank all of my listeners both new and old. I appreciate every single one of you. Remember going into the new year.
The first day of the new year is the first blank page of your 365 page book. Write a good one my friends.
MATT and JOHN YUAN, also known collectively as The Yuan Twins, are twin actors, writers and comic book artists. Their list of titles for 1First comics include "Serving Supes", "Inspector Oh" and their latest release "Love Town". The Yuans are also known for their roles in well known films like "Observe and Report" with Seth Rogan or their more recent appearance on the Marvel show "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.". Join us for an epic conversation in which we learn about the origin story of The Yuans and their journey through the entertainment business in its various forms.
WWE professional wrestling hall of famer Roy Wayne Farris aka "The Honky Tonk Man" joins me on this episode of Passions Personified. The Honky Tonk Man is an icon and one of my earliest memories of watching Roy wrestle date back to his legendary moments in the World Wrestling Federation where he had epic battles against Macho Man Randy Savage, Jake the Snake, and the one and only Hulk Hogan, The Honky Tonk Man's reign as WWE Intercontinental Champion lasted an impressive 454 days, making him the longest-reigning champion in history. We talk about his amazing career and his upcoming appearance at the convention I run in El Centro, California. The Imperial Valley Entertainment Convention.
www.imperialvalleyec.com
FIlmmaker RYAN PEREZ joins me on a new episode of Passions Personified during the middle of a hurricane! Amidst power outages and monsoons we made it through the crazy weather and got this episode done. I got to play the role of "Monte" a villain on one of Ryans past films "The Devils Dive Bar" which we did not get the chance to talk about in this episode due to the power outage however we did touch base on his current show on youtube called "Beyond The Cut" as well as what he has in the works for the city of San Diego,Ca.
This episode is brought to you by LONG BEACH COMIC CON which takes place this weekend. Get your tickets at.
http://www.longbeachcomiccon.com
Future professional skateboarder VINCENT LUEVANOS rolls up to todays episode of Passions Personified. We talk about him growing up in South Central Los Angeles and getting into skateboarding at an early age. We also breakdown the ups and downs of skating and the blood, sweat, and tears that go into accomplishing some of the amazing things he has done on the board through the years. Without question skateboarding has built character into both our lives and our conversation today really hones in on the biggest thing skateboarding has given us. Dedication, determination, and the desire to accomplish whats in front of us.
Imperial County Film Commissioner CHARLA TEETERS joins me on the show to talk all things in relation to the vast history of cinema in all forms that has used Imperial Valley as its backdrop throughout the years. From Star Wars to Jumanji and beyond my hometown has been a host to many memorable movie moments. As film commissioner Charla has many duties but by far the coolest in my opinion is location scouting. Some of hollywoods biggest films have taken place in Imperial County and on this episode we hear some awesome stories about some of those productions and even debunk a myth on a film I always thought was shot in my hometown but never was. Tune in!
News reporter BILLY KHANG is my guest on this long overdue and very informative episode of Passions Personified. When I started the show Billy was on the list of guests I wanted to have originally on and now here we are. If you are from Imperial Valley or Yuma county you have without question seen Billy on your television reporting the news on site where the action was happening. He was also a sportscaster and a full on multi media journalist with the ability to essentially do everything needed to bring you breaking news. Join us and get the behind the scenes insight on what it takes to be a news reporter.
Director JOSE HO-GUANIPA got his start directing music videos for rappers like TYGA and YG. And now directs amazing commercials for brands like New Balance and Nike. In our conversation today we talk about what it takes to be a director in todays world. We revisit memories of a documentary we worked on together called "The Gift and the Curse" and Jose deep dives into the behind the scenes responsibilities of being a Director on set of a production in todays modern age.
You can check out his production page at
https://sophist-films.com/
Producing, casting, directing, acting, and just being a valuable part of a film or television production crew MICHELE SEIDMAN has done it all. On todays show we talk about the amazing behind the scenes set stories on everything from Empire Records to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 where Michele was responsible for the Tokka costume in the film. Once again join me on Passions Personified for an awesome conversation that I hope leaves you fueled with positivity and a boost of energy to go do your thing!
Professional harp player Guillermo “Willie” Acuña of the world famous band
Mariachi Sol de México de José Hernández
is on todays show alongside musician Roman Flores of the mariachi band
Mariachi Aurora de Calexico
Roman is also an editor and writer at the Imperial Valley Press newspaper.
Both join me on todays show as my first ever double guest! Both Willie and Roman were in high school band with me and we get into some fun old stories about what it was like back in those days. Music is an amazing thing and I hope maybe this episode inspires a listener to pick up any instrument and have some fun learning it. You never know, it could very well be your next passion!
Check out both of my guests in concert
Saturday March 25th, 2023
7:00pm at the
Jimmie Cannon Theatre at Southwest High School
2001 Ocotillo Drive.
El Centro,Ca 92243
Special Makeup Effects Artist JEFF GOODWIN is on todays episode!
Jeff worked on numerous films including:
The Last of the Mohicans, Rambo 3, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Super Mario Brothers the Movie, and Blue Velvet from director David Lynch just to name a few.
Jeff has a long list of credits in some of hollywoods biggest blockbusters and we deep dive into some behind the scene stories as well as talk about the impact of his work through the years on many of the films he was involved with. Including key moments and stories with some of films greatest actors he worked with including Daniel Day Lewis, Dennis Hopper, Sylvester Stallone, and the great Jim Henson.
Actress PAIGE TURCO who starred as April O 'Neil in TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 2 : The Secret of the Ooze as well as TMNT lll joins me on this totally awesome episode of Passions Personified! Paige is also well known for her role as Abigail Griffin in the post-apocalyptic drama series "The 100". You may also recognize her from many other hit television shows such as The Agency, NYPD Blue, Party of Five, All My Children, Person of Interest, and American Gothic on CBS.
Join us for this fantastic episode as the lovely and wonderful Paige Turco shares stories about being a real life April O'Neil living in New York City during the times of the TMNT films. Paige also gives us amazing positive insight on pursuing your passions.
COMICTOM101 (Tom Garcia) is a comic book content creating superstar and he is on todays show! If there was a Mount Rushmore of Youtube Creators in the comics, Tom is without question on there. 56,000+ subscribers tune in weekly to hear Tom and his cast of friends join on in and cover the Top Ten hottest comics in the world for that week. On top of loads of other comic book related content.
In this show we get into the origin and 1st appearance of Comic Tom and how he got into everything comics. We also talk about his first ever writing and creating debut for Whatnot Comics and Heavy Metal Magazine with his comic book entitled "CRASHDOWN".
From the show TOY HUNTER on Travel Channel DAVID GAULE is on todays very Merry Christmas episode!
David is my go to guy for rare collectibles to add to my own collection. He is a legitimate toy expert. He can be seen as a cast member on two seasons of Travel Channels hit show Toy Hunter as well as in the Star Wars action figure documentary called "Plastic Galaxy". Join us as we dive into a very nostalgic and holiday based episode where we talk about our favorite toys of Christmas past and present. Happy Holidays and Happy New Years everyone!
MARVEL writer TERRY BLAS is on this weeks episode. Terry was the writer on Marvels REPTIL series and the current writer for the new NOVA series available through the Marvel Unlimited app. Terry is also an artist and has done many covers for titles such as ADVENTURE TIME, BRAVEST WARRIORS, and the REGULAR SHOW with BOOM studios just to name a few. Join us as we dive into the world of building stories, creating characters and the importance of Latino and Mexican representation in comics and the entertainment industry.
Cartoonist / Artist JESUS 'EL KARTUN" PEDROZA joins me on todays show. Jesus is the creator of SCARLET SPIRIT and is based out of Tijuana, Mexico. Jesus is also the interior artist for my first ever superhero owned IP called "Calaguerra" in which we talk about on todays show for the first time ever. We also dive into deeper topics regarding our culture in Mexico, life, and mortality as well as mental health. Rest in Peace to Jason David Frank (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers)
For those that need help or if you know someone that needs help please call or share.
Contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline if you are experiencing mental health-related distress or are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.
- Call or text 988
- Chat at 988lifeline.org
Connect with a trained crisis counselor. 988 is confidential, free, and available 24/7/365.
Visit the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for more information at 988lifeline.org.
DC COMICS Catwoman cover artist DAVID NAKAYAMA is on the show today. David is well known in the comic book industry for his cover work. He also is known for his art featured on the packaging of the Hasbro Marvel Legends toy line!
Yup thats him!
On top of this he is doing the main covers on the upcoming Gargoyles and Darkwing Duck comic titles for Disney / Dynamite Entertainment.
I had the honor of getting to work with David in the past as he did the cover for my store Metahumans Comics exclusive Marvel Spiderman and Dark Horse Masters of the Universe comics. I admire Davids work ethic and professionalism and in this episode we will deep dive into his inspirations as well as his journey navigating through the industry of comics.
Check out his website at
www.davidnakayama.com
YOUTUBE action figure and collectible reviewer SEAN LONG is on the show today.
With a quarter of a million subscribers on YouTube and a silver play button plaque Sean is a pioneer in the collectibles market. His influence through his videos through time has helped make lots of revenue for some of the largest toy companies in the world. You can find him on YouTube via his username handle SEANXLONG
Join us as we talk action figures and the change in the current days collectors market.
MARVEL comic book interior artist ENID BALAM is on the show today. Enid has worked on many titles for Marvel including Hawkeye, Reptil, and a new title that he hints at in todays episode! He also did the Bladerunner series for Titan Comics.
From a fantastic conversation on the process of creating comics and the secrets behind the art to a very spooky story about Enids encounter with a real UFO in his youth that changed his life!
Happy Halloween everyone we got another episode with some spooky topics on the way.
Follow Enid and our new profile on Instagram!
@enidbalam
@passionspersonified
QUE PASA CALEXICO podcast host Jose Alejos is on todays episode of Passions Personified.
Jose is the podcasting pioneer of Imperial Valley with over 170 episodes and counting under his belt we discuss podcasting as an impactful and important form of media in todays world.
Ever wanted to start your own podcast? This is a great episode for you! Check out the official Que Pasa Calexico website at
https://quepasacalexico.com/
and listen to his show on all major podcasting platforms.
This episode is dedicated to my grandmother who lived in Calexico the majority of her life. She passed away this week. Thank you for the kindness and positivity throughout the years Grandma (Abuelita) I love you and miss you very much.
Noemi L. Najera
May 7, 1936 - September 20, 2022
GOOSEBUMPS books cover artist TIM JACOBUS joins us on an epic episode of Passions Personified.
With over 400 Million books sold worldwide, R.L. Stines Goosebumps book series held the record for best selling book series for several years. Tims art is known globally and was also a major influence in the hit Goosebumps Television Show as well as the two major hollywood blockbuster Goosebumps movies starring Jack Black.
Join us as we talk about the behind the scenes stories to some of the most iconic Goosebumps covers of all time. And leave the show with some absolutely valuable information that Tim gives for those wanting to have a career as an artist. You are all in for a treat my friends. Enjoy.
From GHOSTBUSTERS to the movie Willow, actress and character performer ROBIN SHELBY has been a part of some of the largest franchises in cinema history. She is best known for her role as "Slimer" in Ghostbusters 2 and was the voice of "Lady Slimer" in Ghostbusters 3. This is a fun episode where we learn what it takes to be a character performer at the most famous visual effects studio in the world. George Lucas (Star Wars) very own Industrial Light & Magic. And what it was like to work on a movie directed by the late great Ivan Reitman, as well as a cool Bill Murray story. For all the ghostbusters fans out there we also talk about a little known deleted scene between Slimer and Rick Moranis character "Louis Tully".
Cartoonist, Artist and co founder of the Latino Comics Expo. Javier Hernandez is the creator of the comic book character "El Muerto" which in 2007 would hit the big screen with a movie adaptation. In the movie the lead role of El Muerto was played by "That 70's Show" actor Wilmer Valderrama. We talk about Javiers journey navigating through the independent comic book scene and the incredible experience of seeing his creation stand before him.
Owner of I.V. SK8ER skateboard shop in Brawley, Ca. As well as founder of Question skateboard company and currently the man running the entire skate contest circuit in Imperial County. From being a young skater kid entering his local shop to now being the boss of his own shop join us for an inspirational journey as to how Vargas got to the position he is now. Extra proud of Anthony as I was his first skate sponsor when he was just a teen progressing on his skateboard. I always knew he was going to do great things so this episode is extra special. Remember to support your local businesses they are the lifeblood of your community.
Artist on The TICK, Paul The Samurai, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Archie) comic books. Dave Garcia is a veteran of the comic book industry and a master cartoonist. He is also the co creator of PANDA KHAN alongside Monica Sharpe. Their creation Panda Khan would later be added into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Playmates toy line in the late 80s/early 90s. Dave is an INKPOT award winning talent with many years of knowledge in this medium of comics. A true legend, a hometown hero for Imperial Valley, but most importantly for me he is a long time friend and someone I looked up to growing up. It is an honor to have Dave on the show. Join us as he tells us about the early years at San Diego Comic Con when the big show first started!
Actor CHRIS WARNER (No Country For Old Men, Sin City, Willys Wonderland)
From starring alongside actors like Tommy Lee Jones, Nicolas Cage, and Brittany Murphy to working with directors like Robert Rodriguez and the legendary Coen Brothers. Chris Warner is an industry veteran and a true Badass Original. Join us as we deep dive into the behind the scenes of some of the massive films he has acted in. Chris also leaves us with some incredible inspirational gold to help fuel our fire towards achieving our passions in life.
We kick off the 1st episode of the Passions Personified show with the legendary JOHN DU PREZ. John is the composer to my favorite movie and movie soundtrack of all time TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES! He also composed TMNT 2 and TMNT 3! Oh and you cant forget Weird Als movie "UHF" just to name a few.
1990s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was at the time the highest grossing independent film of all time. In this rare exclusive interview I speak to John about his journey to becoming a composer, how he got involved with the Ninja Turtles franchise and the absolutely incredible backstory to how the songs in the movie came about including the main theme! This is the FIRST time ever recorded that he has discussed a lot of the process, stories, and details behind one of the most iconic musical soundtracks of all time! You are all in for a treat my friends. This is a special double length episode to kick off the show.
Cowabunga dudes and dudettes!
A quick intro as to what the podcast will be about! Stay tuned for the first episode releases in coming weeks! Thank you.