The Great Big Beautiful Podcast: Recent Episodes
Jamie Greene
The Great Big Beautiful Podcast celebrates popular culture by talking to the people who create it. Hosted by Jamie Greene and a rotating crew of awesome cohosts.
We welcome Minh Lê to the show! His newest book (a collaboration with Dan Santat), Lift, is a charming, escapist book about the power of imagination… and the compelling urge to press elevator buttons! Honestly, who can't relate to that? Minh also recently worked with illustrator Andie Tong on Green Lantern: Legacy for DC Comics, which tells the story of the newest Lantern: 13-year-old Tai Pham. On this episode, we talk to Minh about his career, his books, working with Dan Santat, and why it's important to continue working and creating… especially now.
Composer Kevin Kiner is back to give Star Wars: The Clone Wars the continuity of sound and music that fans have come to expect from the franchise. Having composed the first six seasons of The Clone Wars, along with all of Star Wars Rebels, Kiner is no stranger to the galaxy far, far away. In fact, no one's composed more music for Star Wars than Kevin Kiner - not even John Williams. On this episode of the show, we talk to Kiner about returning to The Clone Wars, making such an impact on the Star Wars universe, his approach to music in general, and his other recent projects (including Titans and Doom Patrol).
Every so often, I like to read a book for pleasure. With no expectation of a review or author interview. With no pressure on my back. Just for the enjoyment of the book. Mallory O'Meara's The Lady from the Black Lagoon was supposed to be one of those books. Alas. I enjoyed it so much that I knew I had to have O'Meara on the show. And here we are. The Lady from the Black Lagoon tells the story of Milicent Patrick, lead designer on the Creature from Universal's original Creature from the Black Lagoon. But Patrick's story is one that was essentially lost to history. O'Meara's book puts the pieces back together, from Patrick's childhood at Hearst Castle (her father was an architect there) to her days at Disney's Ink and Paint department to her time creating monsters and beyond. It's part biography of Patrick, part detective story, part memoir of O'Meara. But it's all awesome. And it's one hell of a fascinating and entertaining read.
This time, we're joined by author Mira Bartók, author of The Memory Palace and The Wonderling. And the two books couldn't be more different. Where The Memory Palace is an intensely personal and emotional memoir about mental illness, The Wonderling is a lovely children's book in the grandest tradition of all: talking animals. On this episode, we talk about The Wonderling, making the transition between memoir and fiction, writing for totally different audiences, memory, museums, Massachusetts, and more!
Surprise! We're back! And surprise! We're joined by another author from the stellar Rick Riordan Presents line: Kwame Mbalia, author of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky. What's most incredible about Tristan Strong is not its powerful characters or original storyline (though those are awesome), it's that the book is Mbalia's debut novel! It's truly a staggering achievement. On this episode, we talk about Tristan Strong the book, Tristan Strong the character as an Anansesem, cultural memory, and presenting timeless mythologies to an audience that might not be familiar with them.
This week, we're joined by a middle grade superstar: Jeff Kinney, the evil genius behind the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. The fourteenth book in the series - Wrecking Ball - recently released, and it finds our hapless hero, Greg Heffley, at the center of another fine mess. On this episode, I talk to Jeff about the new book, keeping Greg the same age forever, writing an unlikable protagonist, finding influence in Lincoln Peirce's Big Nate, and owning an honest-to-goodness bookstore.
K. Eason has written one of our favorite books of 2019. How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse is a book that cohost Shiri is on record as calling "joyfully, delightfully amazing." Because it is. And in this episode of the show, we're joined by K. Eason to talk about the book, how it upends traditional fairy tales, teaching zombies to college kids, and why it's important for young women to have a circle of supportive, female friends. Oh, and we also talk about her hobby of reenacting faithful Viking sword and shield work. Yeah, it's pretty awesome.
If you're a Star Wars fan, you know Zoraida Córdova from the new book set in Galaxy's Edge, A Crash of Fate (or perhaps from her short story "You Owe Me a Ride" in the stellar From a Certain Point of View). If you're a fantasy reader, you likely know her from the Brooklyn Brujas or The Vicious Deep series. If you're a reader of romance, you know her by her pen name Zoey Castile. She's all kinds of prolific is what I'm saying. And she's all kinds of awesome. On this episode, Córdova sits down with us as we chat about her career, writing for Star Wars, being able to literally walk through the fantasy setting of her book, crafting magical systems, and so much more.
Rick Riordan is a middle grade superstar. Seriously, authors don't rank more A-list than him. When it comes to name recognition and reader obsession, you've got your J.K. Rowling, your Raina Telgemeier, and your Rick Riordan. That's the triumvirate, right there.
The father of Percy Jackson (and Magnus Chase... and Carter and Sadie Kane... and - to an extent - the god Apollo), Riordan has managed to breathe vitality, immediacy, relevancy, and a modern take into ancient (Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Norse) mythology.
He's also recently begun wielding his power for an even greater good with Rick Riordan Presents - an imprint that tells the world's mythology from an "own voices" perspective. We've been huge fans of these books from the beginning, and there hasn't been a miss among them yet.
This week sees the release of The Tyrant's Tomb: the fourth installment in Riordan's The Trials of Apollo series. On this episode, we talk about The Tyrant's Tomb, approaching the end of his massively popular series, teaching middle school, giving voice to new authors with Rick Riordan Presents, and so much more.
This week, we welcome the legendary J. Michael Straczynski to the show. For many fans, Straczynski is the author of several seminal runs in both the DC and Marvel universes. For other fans, he's the genius behind Babylon 5. For still others, he's known for co-creating Sense8 with the Wachowskis.
And for nerds like me, he was one of the original writers on He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. And, oh yeah, he co-created She-Ra: Princess of Power. But Straczynski has a new memoir out now - Becoming Superman: My Journey from Poverty to Hollywood - that chronicles his horrifically difficult childhood and how he SOMEHOW made it out alive. His father was, as he says himself, "the sampler platter of evil" - which somehow still manages to underestimate the depths of his awfulness.
This week, we celebrate the theatrical release of Spider-Man: Far From Home with Preeti Chhibber, author of the utterly charming Peter and Ned's Ultimate Travel Journal. The book is a snarky view of the MCU in general and Far From Home in particular in the form of a European travel journal as if it were written by Peter and Ned (with the occasional quip of extra snark from MJ in the margins). Our conversation with Chhibber is also super fun, and it's fantastic to chat with a writer at the relative beginning of her career. And what a beginning it is! Not many people land an A-list Marvel character for their first book. Needless to say, Preeti Chhibber is one to watch. Great things are coming, believe you me.
On this episode, we talk about writing Spider-Man, writing for middle grade, working on the multiple sides of the publishing industry, and how sensitive Peter's spidey sense needs to be to warn him of impending... flatulence.
You might know her as Mrs. Columbo. Or maybe Mary Ryan from Ryan's Hope. Batman: The Animated Series fans remember her as Red Claw. If you've watched Orange Is the New Black, you know her from her chilling portrayal of Galina "Red" Reznikov. And if you're a Star Trek fan, you know Kate Mulgrew from Star Trek: Voyager, where she boldly went and broke new ground for seven seasons as the franchise's first female captain: Captain Kathryn Janeway. On this episode, we talk with Mulgrew about her new memoir How to Forget, the tricky job of mining your own life for stories, distilling facts and "truth" from an often muddled mix of memories and emotion, the enduring legacy and popularity of Kathryn Janeway, and much more.
This week, Michael Moreci joins me for a fantastic conversation about all things geeky. Moreci is the author of Black Star Renegades and its sequel We Are Mayhem, which just came out last month. In a nutshell, the story dares to ask the age-old question: "What would happen if Star Wars and Guardians of the Galaxy had a love child?" And oh boy, is it a fun ride. But Moreci is also a seasoned comic book writer, having written for pretty much every major publisher: DC, Archie, Image, Vault, Dynamite, Dark Horse, Boom!, IDW, and Disney-Hyperion. On this episode, we chat about turning your passion into a career, his two novels with St. Martin's Press, writing comics versus novels, Battlestar Galactica, and of course Star Wars.
Talk to Evangeline Lilly for more than three minutes, and one thing become remarkably clear. She's positively overflowing with stories she wants to tell, and Hollywood isn't necessarily where she wants to tell them. So when you sit down with her for nearly an hour, as we do this week, the insight is profound. Perhaps best known for her roles as Kate Austen (Lost), Tauriel (The Hobbit), and Hope Van Dyne/Wasp (Ant-Man and the Wasp), Lilly nevertheless sees herself as a writer with a fantastic day job. On this episode, we chat about The Squickerwonkers, living with this story since she was 14, acting versus writing, The Hobbit, and her place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Welcome back! This week, we're chatting with author Lamar Giles about his newest book, The Last Last Day of Summer, and the brand-new Versify imprint it's helping launch. Giles has written several YA books (Fake ID, Overturned, Spin), and The Last Last Day of Summer is his first go at middle grade fiction. And he knocks it out of the park. On this episode, we chat about The Last Last Day of Summer (and its unique twists), Versify, We Need Diverse Books (he's a cofounder), Hong Kong, LEGO obsessions, and... Grumpy Cat?
I know I say this a lot, but this one was a real thrill for me. This week, my conversation with Skeletor himself: the one and only Alan Oppenheimer! If Alan's career only included his work on He-Man and She-Ra (where he also played Man-at-Arms, Cringer/Battle Cat, and Mer-Man) and The Neverending Story (Falkor, G'Mork), his reputation as a legend would've been secure. But he was involved with so much else. If you grew up in the 80s and watched any cartoons, odds are you heard his voice more than you know. He had regular roles on The Smurfs (he was Vanity Smurf), Transformers, Wuzzles, The Original Ghostbusters, Centurions, Rambo, Bionic Six, BraveStarr, and so many more. On this episode, we chat about his early career, The Neverending Story, a soup-to-nuts discussion of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, and that show's enduring legacy.
This week, things are gettin' creepy as we talk to author Ronald L. Smith. Smith has a knack for imbuing his middle grade fiction with a little bit of that "X-Files vibe." And that dark, mysterious sensibility is certainly on display in his newest book, The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away, which is about a young kid who's convinced he's been abducted by aliens. On this episode, we talk about growing up as a military brat, why bullying recurs as a theme throughout his books, the role of adults in kids' stories, playing in the Marvel sandbox, and Baltimore.
This week, we welcome back one of our favorite guests: Tom Angleberger! Tom was actually one of our very first guests, WAY BACK on Episode 23. He was also the first guest to come back for a second appearance (with fellow Star Wars authors Alexandra Bracken and Adam Gidwitz on Episode 33). And now he's the first to hit another milestone: the threepeat! On this episode, I'm joined by Meg Humphrey to geek out about Tom's criminally underappreciated The Mighty Chewbacca in the Forest of Fear. And the 10th anniversary of Origami Yoda. And what else he's got up his sleeve. Buckle up!
This week, we're geeking out with one of our very favorite artists working in comics/graphic novels today: Skottie Young! If you're familiar with Young, you're familiar with his unique, recognizable-at-once style. For 15 years, he's been at the center of the industry and has had a hand in almost every major character. That's almost literally true - he's done "baby" variant covers for nearly every Marvel title. On this episode, we talk about the "dream scenario" of how he started in comics, how he struggled to not get unfairly pigeonholed early in his career, the long journey to Middlewest and where it'll go from here, the freedom of working on your own stories, and lessons from fatherhood.
This week, we're talking to author Hena Khan, whose book Amina's Voice was one of the launch titles for Simon & Schuster's Salaam Reads imprint. She's also written a series of middle grade books about Zayd Saleem - "Chasing the Dream" - a 4th grader with dreams of basketball stardom, a few board books that spotlight Muslim traditions, and even a book starring Curious George! On this episode, we talk to Khan about getting attached to Salaam Reads, using her and her children's experiences as a foundation for her books, recognizing the differences between those experiences, and telling diverse stories where the characters aren't being marginalized or overcoming dramatic adversity - they're just being kids. Oh, and we also talk about Spain and Skor toffee bits.
This week, we're talking children's poetry through the lens of rock and roll, baby! We welcome Rhett Miller, lead singer of the Old 97s, to the show to talk about his new book of, yep, children's poetry! On this episode, we talk about Miller's path from the proverbial "sex, drugs, and rock and roll" to children's poetry, fart jokes and dark humor, whether songwriting is a form of poetry, hooking up with Dan Santat for No More Poems!, and fatherhood. He also reads us one of the poems from the book - one of the BEST poems - "Brotherly Love."
We're gettin' nerdy this week, people! We're donning our lab coats and venturing into a scientific conversation we have no business discussing: CRISPR/Cas9. Which is why we brought in the brain trust - i.e., Kishore Hari, science guru over at Tested.com and host of the Inquiring Minds podcast. We start off with a bit of context and discuss what CRISPR/Cas9 actually is. What's the basic science behind the technology and process, how does it work, what's its promise, and what are its dangers? We also touch on recent, very real-world events in which Chinese scientist He Jiankui announced that he had used the technology to genetically modify a pair of twin girls. We then talk to author Robin Cook whose newest novel, Pandemic, is a thriller about the unintended side effects caused by genetic engineering and the CRISPR technology. Throughout his career, Cook has had an uncanny ability to be incredibly timely with his novels. Pandemic is no different. We talk to Cook about how the black market in human organs (a theme in Pandemic) has changed in the 40 years since he wrote Coma, why it wasn't much of a surprise that someone used CRISPR/Cas9 to genetically modify humans, where we go from here, the continuing ignorance about vaccines, and how medicine and public health will change over the next generation.
This week, we're marking the release of Oliver #1 with the creative team responsible for bringing this hopeful dystopia to life. Gary Whitta first wrote the story as a screenplay nearly a decade ago, and together with artist Darick Robertson, they've finally brought the story to a 12-issue run with Image Comics. The first issue is out this week, so do yourself a favor and get in on the ground floor of this one. You won't be sorry. On this episode, we talk about the seeds of Oliver and how it changed over the years, whether post-apocalyptic stories have an expiration date (in an era when they're beginning to not feel very fantastical), and why "hopepunk" is the next big thing.
This week, we're entering the world of myth. The mythological world of the Maya gods, to be exact. J.C. Cervantes is the author of The Storm Runner, which is one of the debut titles in the Rick Riordan Presents imprint of books that explore the world's mythologies. Cervantes is also the author of Tortilla Sun and the forthcoming sequel to The Storm Runner, which is scheduled to release this fall: The Fire Keeper. On this episode, we chat about The Storm Runner, coming in on the ground floor of the Rick Riordan Presents imprint, underdog stories, mythology, writing for young readers, and reading backwards.
Happy New Year! Welcome back to the podcast, and welcome to 2019! We're ringing in the new year the best way we know how: with awesome conversations. And one of the most awesome I've had recently with none other than Chuck Wendig. Star Wars fans know Wendig well for his Aftermath trilogy and his graphic novel adaptation of The Force Awakens. He also had a story in the stellar From a Certain Point of View and ALMOST wrote the Shadow of Vader limited series for Marvel (which is a whole other story). But he's so much more than just Star Wars. He's authored some 20 novels, including the Miriam Black series, the Heartland trilogy, Zeroes, Invasive, and many more. He's also figured out the whole Twitter thing. He not only used it to land his Star Wars gig, but he somehow managed to turn a series of tweets (with Sam Sykes) into a movie! Plus, he's an heirloom apple fanatic. What's not to love? Prolific on the page, vocal online, and just a damn fine gentleman, I can think of no better way to kick of 2019. Enjoy! And Happy New Year!
This week, we're giving you a (slightly early) end-of-the-year present: our conversation with Jarrett Krosoczka. I think we can all agree that 2018 was mostly another dumpster fire of a year in so many respects. But in others (such as publishing), it was a great year. Among other things, it was the year that we were all gifted with Krosoczka's graphic novel memoir, Hey, Kiddo. On this episode, we talk about sharing such an intensely personal story with the world, the reception the book has gotten (it was nominated for a National Book Award, among MANY other awards), using the graphic novel format to his advantage for this story, and why the world needs compassion and empathy now more than ever before.
We're traveling to Daevabad and the realm of the djinn this week with S.A. Chakraborty, author of the phenomenally great The City of Brass (and its forthcoming sequel, The Kingdom of Copper). These books will suck you in, hold on tight, and not let go. In all the best ways possible. On this episode, we talk about how Chakraborty "fell into" being an author, how much of her sprawling saga is based in historical fact and mythology, writing for a community that doesn't have much representation in "mainstream" genre fiction, crafting side stories as a way of tackling writer's block, and cooking elaborate medieval meals.
We're headed back to the Great White Way (in a manner of speaking). This week, we welcome Christine Toy Johnson to the show. Christine is currently playing the role of Diane in the national touring company of Come From Away, the musical that tells the story of 7,000 airline passengers who were stranded in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland after September 11. Off stage, Christine can be seen on a number of shows, but she most notably starred as Sherry Yang in the second season of Marvel's Iron Fist on Netflix. On this episode, we talk about growing up near New York and going to Broadway from a very young age, the rigors of a touring musical's schedule, the secrecy surrounding Iron Fist, whether Marvel should have rethought the Danny Rand character, and how Come From Away makes the events of 9/11 relevant for younger audiences and brings a new understanding of the day to those of us who lived through it.
This week, we welcome back Greg Weisman to the show. LONG-TIME listeners might remember Greg from WAY BACK on Episode 5, when we had no idea what we were doing. This episode spun out of a story I did for SYFY Wire that was an oral history of Gargoyles. For that story, I talked to Greg, Jonathan Frakes (Xanatos), Keith David (Goliath), and Carl Johnson (composer). Much of my conversation with Greg made it into that piece, but I wanted to bring you guys our complete, unfiltered conversation - which is more than an hour of Gargoyles greatness. Call it an early end-of-the-year present. You're welcome.
This week, we chat with Dav Pilkey about Dog Men, Captains Underpants, and more! That's right; the author/artist/creator behind the Captain Underpants phenomenon swings by our little corner of the Internet. The Adventures of Captain Underpants burst onto the scene way back in 1997. Since then, the series has spawned 11 sequels, several spin-offs, a feature film adaptation, an animated series on Netflix, and a genuine worldwide phenomenon. And one of those spin-off series has itself become a runaway success. The Dog Man series is now five books strong and showing no signs of slowing down. And in my house? The kids are obsessed with them.
On this episode, I talk to Dav about the artistic choices he makes in his books, his own struggles with becoming a reader as a kid, "boys books" versus "girls books," why graphic novels still have a stigma attached to them, and how he and Raina Telgemeier have exploded the mainstream success of the medium beyond all expectations.
This week, we have the one and only Peter Beagle on the show. Sometimes, we even impress ourselves. Peter is of course the author of The Last Unicorn. Though he has written many other books, it's this classic that cemented his place among the greatest living fantasy authors. This episode is a delight. Peter is a master storyteller and draws from an incredible life to keep you spellbound from beginning to end. On this episode, Shiri and I talk to Peter about his early career, writing and selling A Fine and Private Place, the legacy of The Last Unicorn, why unicorns are so compelling, why he's returned to the story numerous times over the years, and his other recent work.
Welcome, ladies and gents, to Episode 200! Happy anniversary to us! When we began this weird little show about four years ago, I don't think I ever realistically thought I'd be here to see 200 episodes. But here we are, and stronger than ever! And I could think of no better way to celebrate than with Dominique Tipper! Tipper currently anchors an absolutely amazing cast on The Expanse, which is making the jump over to Amazon Prime for its fourth season. As Naomi Nagata, she not only leads one of the best sci-fi shows ever made but also is the most prominent face in a show that excels at presenting a world (or galaxy) populated by people who represent the true diversity of our own world. On this episode, Shiri and I break out the hard-hitting journalistic questions and get to the root of her obsession with stationery. We also talk about her early proclivity toward performing, her music and dance career, her first audition and role, breaking into the Hollywood scene from abroad, working on The Expanse, and why the role of Naomi is so important.
Welcome to the Big Dumb Thing. This year, I made the incredibly awesome/unwise decision to take care of a pop culture blind spot that's been plaguing me for a while now. Regarding the Halloween franchise, I'd only ever seen the original, John Carpenter classic. Therefore, as this month saw the return of Michael Myers and Jamie Lee Curtis in the newest installment - 40 years after the original - AND it happens to be October, the month of Halloween, this all seemed to make sense. At the time. Over on The Roarbots, I was joined by Shiri Sondheimer (who has never seen ANY of them) to watch all 11 films in the franchise. Preston Burt also swung by for a few films (the better ones) in the series. We watched together and commented on the film in a private Slack channel.
However, since the newest film is still in the theaters, we thought this format was a wiser (and more appropriate) choice. On this episode, Shiri, Preston, and I recap the entire Halloween franchise, gab about the new film, rank all 11 films, and share our lists of Top 10 Lessons Learned. And trust me, you'll want to stick around to the end when I act out various lines of dialogue from the films for Shiri and Preston to guess the character and film.
We're going to win awards for this one, folks.
It doesn't matter if you were a jock or a nerd, a boy or a girl, or lived in the city, the burbs, or the country - all kids in the 80s had one thing in common: "choose your own adventure" books. Sure, those four words might be trademarked and just one brand, but that style of storytelling was all over the place in the 80s. From the ubiquitous Choose Your Own Adventure titles to Time Machine, Twistaplot, Pick a Path, Find Your Fate, Lone Wolf, Fighting Fantasy, and Endless Quest . . . the list was seemingly endless.
And it's Endless Quest that we're talking about today since author Matt Forbeck and Candlewick Entertainment have revived the series and brought the format back from near extinction. The first wave of four books in the series focuses on four of the Dungeons & Dragons archetype characters: Fighter, Wizard, Cleric, and Thief. The books target younger readers and are a great introduction to both D&D and game books in general.
On this episode, I talk to Matt about his history with game books, how writing a branching storyline with multiple pathways presents unusual creative challenges, what the new (and upcoming) Endless Quest books have in store for us, and his experiences writing for various established franchises versus original worlds.
This week, we're traveling to Ancient Greece with Eric Shanower's epic Age of Bronze series. Shanower first began his story way back in the Dark Ages of 1998. And yes, he's still working on the series 20 years later. It's that big. After a break from the series - during which time he worked on projects such as the Oz series for Marvel and Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland for IDW - he's going back to Age of Bronze. To the beginning and to the future. On this episode, Shiri and I talk to Eric about working on Age of Bronze for 20 years - where it's come from, where it's going, and how it's changed - simultaneously going back to the beginning of the story and moving forward, and working in the classic sandboxes of Oz and Dreamland with Little Nemo.
This week, we're talking ghosts, magic, and the macabre with Victoria Schwab. Writing as both Victoria (for YA) and V.E. (for "adult"), Schwab has a deep and compelling catalog of amazing books. Most recently, she's spooking the middle grade crowd with City of Ghosts and thrilling fans of her runaway success Vicious with its sequel, Vengeful. She's also returning to the Shades of Magic world with The Steel Prince, a comic book prequel from Titan Comics. Busy much?
On this episode, Shiri and I talk to Victoria about her early career, finding (and making) a creative routine that works for you, keeping the process vibrant by writing across genres and audiences, scaring kids, and telling stories across media. We also talk about the arbitrary divides that categorize books for different age groups and why stories twinged with fantastical elements are so much fun. Hint: They show us a world vastly more interesting than our own.
Welcome back to everyone's favorite galaxy far, far away. This week, we take an advance peek at the newest incarnation of Star Wars to grace television screens: Star Wars Resistance. On this episode, Shiri and I talk about our immediate reaction to the first two episodes of Star Wars Resistance (what we liked and what we didn't) and how it stacks up to both The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. I then talk to Athena Portillo (executive producer) and Amy Beth Christenson (art director) about their history with the show and Lucasfilm - they both have lengthy careers with the company. We chat about making a show for a young audience, working with a focus group of kids to make sure they hit the right demographic, taking their experiences on both of the previous animated series and applying them to Star Wars Resistance, and what they're most excited about on the horizon.
There's also a surprise guest appearance by Dave Filoni. So you'll want to listen, is what I'm saying.
This week, we're headed to the Forgotten Realms with superstar author R.A. Salvatore! Thirty years ago, Salvatore created the dark elf Drizzt Do'Urden. Over the course of more than 30 books, he's explored the legend of Drizzt from all angles and plumbed nearly every corner of his world. But there's always more story to tell. And his newest book, Timeless, kicks off a new trilogy that serves as a prequel of sorts. The book focuses on Drizzt's father, Zaknafein, and is a fascinating prelude to the journeys that have shaped the modern-day Forgotten Realms (part of the Dungeons & Dragons universe). On this episode, we talk with Salvatore about his many years playing in the Forgotten Realms sandbox, the freedom he had to develop the world and characters, returning to Drizzt with Timeless, playing EverQuest, novelizing Star Wars with Attack of the Clones, and killing Chewbacca.
This week, we turn our sights back to music and composing - television scores, to be specific. We welcome Siddhartha Khosla to the show and dive deep into his career and experiences as a musician. On this episode, we talk about his musical background with the band Goldspot, his family and the sacrifices they made for him, growing up as a first-generation American, his work on both This Is Us and Marvel's Runaways, how his experiences on both shows compare, and finding success in the "new normal" of the music industry.
This week, we're geeking out about Star Wars again. Big surprise, right? Joining us is Jason Fry, who's certainly no stranger to the franchise. His in-universe bibliography is lengthy, having written everything from fiction to "nonfiction" to visual guides to RPG supplements and covering nearly every corner of the Star Wars galaxy. His most recent foray to the galaxy far, far away is the novelization of The Last Jedi. On this episode, we talk about crossing the streams of being a fan versus a professional writer, how writing a film novelization differs from other fiction, dealing with fans online, working with Rian Johnson and adding new scenes to the book, and how The Jupiter Pirates grew out of his love for Star Wars.
This week, we continue our unexpected spotlight on authors who also happen to be lawyers...or lawyers who moonlight as authors. Not sure which. I'll let Rebecca Roanhorse's own bio stand here, because I kind of love it: SFF writer. Nebula winner. Hugo, Sturgeon, and Locus Award Finalist. Campbell Award Finalist. Pug owner. Yale grad. Lawyer. Ohkay Owingeh/Black. Navajo in-law.
Roanhorse recently dropped a whole bunch of jaws with her debut novel, Trail of Lightning, which steeps the reader hip deep into a world of Native American mythology guided by a monster-hunting protagonist. It's seriously all kinds of awesome. And the best part? It's only the first in a much longer series. The second book, Storm of Locusts, already has a cover and an April 2019 pub date, so take my advice and get in on the ground floor now.
It's everything you think you love about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, and Wynonna Earp. But it surpasses them all and will leave you wondering why those shows have gotten multiple seasons when they pale in comparison so considerably.
On this episode, we talk to Roanhorse about balancing two completely different professional lives, writing in the first-person, crafting a story that's both heavily rooted in Native cultures and incredibly relevant in 2018, and portraying a different side of familiar mythical characters. We also talk about Navajo tradition and what else she's got on the horizon.
This week, we're celebrating the wondrous storytelling, acting, and beauty that comprise a little show called Star Wars Rebels. The show recently wrapped up its fourth (and final) season, so this seems like the perfect time to welcome Tiya Sircar to the show. For Star Wars fans, Sircar is indelibly tied to the character of Sabine. But her career is as busy as they come. If you're a fan of NBC's The Good Place (and if you aren't, shame on you), then you know her as the real Eleanor/Vicky. If you caught Alex Inc. on ABC, then you saw her opposite Zach Braff as Rooni Schuman. But she's also been on Master of None, The Mindy Project, and so much more. On this episode, we talk to Sircar about her early career, starting out in Hollywood, breaking into the business on an episode of Hannah Montana, auditioning for Star Wars Rebels, contributing so significantly to the Star Wars universe, and being able to showcase a villainous streak on The Good Place. We also chat about the lasting influence of Sabine and where she can go from here, now that the show is over.
Kris Bowers is a Juilliard-trained musician who was awarded the Nobel Prize of jazz when he won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. He performed at the White House (when that meant something), released a CD of jazz originals (Heroes + Misfits), helped bring Ezra Jack Keats's classic picture book The Snowy Day to life for Amazon, and is currently scoring Dear White People on Netflix and Shonda Rhimes' For the People on ABC. He's also won an Emmy (for The Snowy Day) and is working on several upcoming films and documentaries.
Oh, he also happens to be the youngest composer currently scoring a network TV show. Not bad for a 29-year-old closer to the beginning of his career than even the middle.
On this episode, we talk about his parents' somewhat unusual influence on his music, learning to collaborate with a larger creative team in television, his genre-spanning music for Dear White People, and how to write music that evokes specific colors.
This week, we're going to Broadway, baby! The wild, wonderful, kinky side of Broadway - with J. Harrison Ghee and Kinky Boots! Ghee's performance (currently on Broadway) as Lola heightens an already fascinating character and takes her into the stratosphere. Ghee takes you on a ride, and by the end of the show, you'll be head over heels in love with her. And you'll be left wondering how he could possibly do this up to eight times a week. The show is about so many things - acceptance, empathy, dignity, and the freedom to be yourself - but there's also an underlying theme of fatherhood and unmet expectations that forms the backbone of the show and defines the two main characters. On this episode, I talk to Ghee about how he got his start on the stage, his stint at Tokyo Disneyland, his many personal parallels with Lola and Kinky Boots, what the show means to him personally, and what it means to "be a man."
Summer is officially in full swing at this point, and I'd wager that more than a few of you have vacations planned. Plane rides? Long car rides? Full-on road trips? I have one word for you: audiobooks. Audiobooks make any road trip (really, any car trip of any length) go SO MUCH smoother. And as long as I'm making suggestions, might I recommend Amy Ephron's The Castle in the Mist and Carnival Magic? Ephron is a best-selling novelist (of A Cup of Tea, most notably) and journalist (she's a contributing editor to Vogue) whose newest books target a different audience: young readers. The audio versions of both books are narrated by Laraine Newman, and I highly recommend adding them to your listening list. Newman was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, and she and Ephron have been lifelong friends. Having them both together on this week's show and listening to them share memories and stories was an absolute treat. Enjoy!
I can think of no better way to celebrate your Fourth of July than by spending an hour with the impossibly charming Delilah Dawson. Good thing I've got you covered. Dawson published her first novel - Wicked As They Come - in 2012. Over the next six years, she's written more than a dozen books, plus just a ton of short stories and novellas across several genres. She wrote the phenomenally well received and fan favorite Phasma novel for the Star Wars universe. As Lila Bowen, she's writing the "weird west" Shadow series, which began with Wake of Vultures. And her latest book, Kill the Farm Boy (coauthored with Kevin Hearne), begins yet another series. Clearly, she has clones. On this episode, we talk to Dawson about the ridiculous number of words she's written over the last few years, the value of writing advice, Phasma, the weird west, pseudonyms, and the difference between YA and "adult" lit.
Welcome to Harvey Street! Harvey Street Kids takes several of the classic Harvey Comics characters - notably Little Dot, Little Lotta, and Little Audrey - and reimagines them for 2018. It's great fun and also great inspiration for kids to get outside and have their own adventures this summer. On this episode, we talk to Aliki Theofilopoulos about her history with Disney feature animation and Phineas and Ferb, how she made the transition to producing and showrunning (and what she brought with her), the directive she and Brendan Hay were given with these legacy characters, and how they brought the characters into the 21st century without losing the core of what makes them unique.
On this episode, we talk to Dan Fogler about Brooklyn Gladiator, how its fantasy has been slaughtered by the reality in which we live, getting some of his artistic heroes on board, finding a home at Chapterhouse, auditioning as Jacob Kowalski for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and why he's still one of the lucky few who get to create for a living.
This week, we conclude our mini-marathon of Star Trek composers. The music you hear in the current iteration of the televised Trek franchise - Star Trek: Discovery - is thanks to Jeff Russo. Though Russo cut his musical teeth, as it were, as a founding member of the rock band Tonic, he's no stranger to the composer's life. In addition to Discovery, he's written scores for Legion, Fargo, Altered Carbon, Power, and HBO's The Night of. And that's just scratching the surface.
On this episode, we talk about his musical roots, writing music for films versus television, getting the Star Trek gig while on a camping trip, the soul of Trek music, and why he sometimes still needs to pinch himself in the morning.
Today, we're talking about snot. Snotgirl, to be specific. If this one slipped by you, let me help you out. Snotgirl is a current ongoing book from Image Comics by Bryan Lee O'Malley and Leslie Hung. The story features the adventures of an LA-based fashion blogger whose glamorous life unravels due to severe allergies (and, to be fair, a possible murder for which she may be responsible). O'Malley might be best known as the creator, writer, and artist of the Scott Pilgrim series (Oni Press) and Seconds (Ballantine Books), but Snotgirl is the first book on which he's not pulling double duty. He's writing, and Hung is doing the (absolutely incredible) illustrations. Together, they're telling a story that is underrepresented in pop culture: the story of a native Angeleno. The book is groundbreaking in a few other respects. Not least of which is Snotgirl marks Hung's first time working on a graphic novel at all. In fact, the book grew out of O'Malley's desire to get her into the industry and working on a book. On this episode, we talk Snotgirl (obviously), figuring out how to collaborate and finding a new approach to their own creativity, fashion bloggers, online personas, how many of their own neuroses factor into the story, diversity, and mixed cultural heritages.
One of the distinct pleasures of having an interview-focused podcast is, obviously, the many conversations I'm fortunate enough to have with so many incredibly talented people. And believe me, over the past few years and couple hundred episodes, I've had a LOT of great conversations. The best of those, however, are the ones that go so far off script that I just toss out my questions and discussion points. And this episode is a phenomenal example of when that happens and something absolutely brilliant results. On this episode, we talk about Geeks Doing Good, Worldbuilders, why he supports Heifer International, crazy people online, billionaires, shrinking attention spans versus thousand-page epics, the Three Little Pigs, writing for smart people, and T.S. Eliot's - ahem - manhood.
On this episode, we chat with Ron Jones about his years at Hanna-Barbera, how he got involved with Star Trek, his experiences on the show, the creative freedom he had there (versus the limitations placed on other composers), and working with Seth MacFarlane for over a decade on Family Guy (Jones wrote the theme and has scored more than 100 episodes of that show).
Today, we're chatting with Dennis McCarthy, who might just be the only person to be involved in all 25 seasons of Star Trek from The Next Generation through Enterprise. Certainly, no one else had the magnitude of creative output as he had during his 18 years on Trek. No one else - no one - wrote as much music for Star Trek as Dennis McCarthy. In addition, he's also the only person to have made the jump from TV to the big screen. He scored 1994's Star Trek Generations, the seventh feature film and first to feature the TNG cast. On this episode, we chat about his early musical career, how he initially came to Trek, the creative restrictions and challenges he had on the various shows over the years, his work on Generations, how he sometimes pays it all back by scoring fan productions, and so much more.
Life is like a hurricane! That's right, faithful listeners. We're back in Duckburg this week, talking to the one and only Webigail Vanderquack, er...I mean, Kate Micucci! Kate is the voice of Webby on the relaunched DuckTales, which sports one of the most impressive casts in animation today. On this episode, we chat about DuckTales, how she auditioned to be a duck, stepping into the role made famous by Russi Taylor, how she parlayed a childhood dream to be a toy designer into an acting career, her musical career with Garfunkel and Oates, and why the world NEEDS a Webby/Velma team-up show.
This week marks the beginning of a mini-marathon of Star Trek composers. Over the next several weeks, we're going to turn the spotlight onto the four composers responsible for nearly all of the music in televised Star Trek (except for the original series). In fact, three composers - Jay Chattaway, Dennis McCarthy, and Ron Jones - wrote a vast majority of the score heard in The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise. And you'll hear from all of them right here. On this episode, we talk to Jay Chattaway about his early musical career with the U.S. Navy Band, scoring documentaries and National Geographic specials, coming into Star Trek three seasons in, the massive creative restrictions he had to work within, source music and the ability to break out of the Trek mold, differences among the shows, "The Inner Light," and so much more.
This week, we're talking about the Cold War, surprise reveals, and alternative history with Kyle Higgins and Stephen Mooney - the creative team behind The Dead Hand from Image Comics. If you haven't already jumped on board with this title, what are you waiting for? The Dead Hand might seem like it follows a familiar trope. Namely, retired Cold War-era superspy is now the sheriff of a small town, and everything seems peaceful until his past catches up with him. Except all is not as it seems. Not by a longshot. Higgins and Mooney dive headfirst into this alt-history story, and the first issue not only sucks you in but also establishes a world filled with mysteries and mysterious characters (undoubtedly to be explored more fully in future issues). I'll admit that this one caught me by surprise, but I'm all in. On this episode, we talk about The Dead Hand, whether the Dead Hand program was a real thing that actually existed in the Soviet Union, how research informs (but also stifles) alt-history stories, the vast differences between creator-owned works and work for hire, working across the Atlantic, and which came first: the chicken or the egg?
You may not know Bob Alley's name, but you know his work. I guarantee it. Working under the name R.W. Alley, he's been the sole illustrator of Paddington Bear (in all formats, on both sides of the Atlantic) for 20 years! Not many people are privileged enough in their careers to be the sole caretaker of a national icon, but Alley assumes the role with perfect grace and kindness. On this episode, we chat about how a degree in art history (rather than art) helped him, his early career illustrating greeting cards for Hallmark, Paddington (of course), collaborating with Michael Bond, and what would happen if Paddington met Winnie the Pooh. (Spoiler: not much.)
Jane Yolen is a force to be reckoned with. If you have kids, odds are you're familiar with her How Do Dinosaurs books. But she's written much more than that. So much more. An obscene number of books, actually. She recently published her 366th book! What's even more impressive is how her career started (almost like a fairy tale) at 22. Since then, she's written novels, chapter books, picture books, board books - you name it. She's been awarded the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, a World Fantasy Award, a National Book Award nomination, and literally dozens more honors. On this episode, we talk to Yolen about the career she practically fell into, how her generation began to shatter the glass ceiling, how she manages to keep writing after publishing 366 books, why dinosaurs are so compelling, how the industry has changed, and the creative road she has no intention of leaving.
After three years, we've talked to a lot of writers. And they all have unique stories and journeys to success. However, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Charles Soule has one of the most unusual creative paths of the writers we've talked to.
He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Asian Studies, went on to Columbia Law, opened his own law firm (specializing in immigration law), and has ended up writing top-tier characters at Marvel and DC. In short, he's no dummy. On this episode, we talk about his debut novel The Oracle Year, his unique path to writing success, living in China, jumping between the various headspaces required to be as incredibly prolific as he is, and how he makes it all work.
Today on the show, we chat with the Childlike Empress herself, Tami Stronach. Even though she embraces her role in 1984's The Neverending Story and doesn't shy away from it, it certainly doesn't define her. She's the founder of Tami Stronach Dance company and Paper Canoe Company. On this episode, we talk to Stronach about her amazing childhood as the daughter of two archaeologists in Iran and Israel, her brief stint in the movies, her work with Paper Canoe Company, and the joys of exposing kids to art as early as possible.
Today, we chat Muppet Babies with executive producer Tom Warburton (aka Mr. Warburton to fans of Codename: Kids Next Door, which he created). We discuss anxiety about returning to such a beloved property, getting Renee Elise Goldsberry to sing the theme song, finding a cast that could nail the familiar Muppet voices, collaborating with Mo Willems, and whether we'll see his infamous illustrated lunch bags make a cameo on the show.
Today, we put on our party hats and embrace the great big beautiful party known as life with Andrew W.K. On this episode, we chat with Andrew about the support he got as a young artist, how he has changed during his career, that epic cover art for You're Not Alone, the motivational speech segments of the new album, using positivity to fight the encroaching darkness (especially now), and - of course - partying.
Today, it's a geekout love fest with Orlando Jones! For Valentine's Day this year, Jones teamed up with Syfy to marry a bunch of geeks (to each other) and celebrate their mutual passions and love. We chat with Jones about what appeals to him about that endeavor and why it's so necessary now. We also talk about his direct, candid, and unfiltered connection to fans; how Billy Dee Williams shaped his young fandom; the future of Lando with Donald Glover; and the fanboy/fangirl divide.
Today, we're honored to be joined by the 10th Archivist of the United States, David Ferriero. Ferriero was confirmed to the position on November 6, 2009, and - surprisingly - he's the first librarian (by training) to hold the position. If you recall, we previously had on the show the Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden. Talking to Hayden and Ferriero so close together is incredibly revealing in how those two institutions differ. On this episode, we talk to Mr. Ferriero about his mission to further the principles of Open Government, how the National Archives is free from the swinging pendulum of partisan politics, collaboration with the Library of Congress and Smithsonian Institution, the value of a liberal arts education, and the merits of Wikipedia!
Extra episode this week! Hot on the heels of our deluge of bonus episodes last week from the first DC in DC event, we've got one more surprise. That event kicked off with a premiere screening of Batman: Gotham by Gaslight. Before the screening, a big chunk of the cast and creative team behind the film did some roundtable interviews, and then we all had a chance to watch the film on the big screen at the Newseum. On this episode, we're bringing you the roundtable interviews from Bruce Greenwood (Bruce Wayne/Batman), Scott Patterson (James Gordon), Yuri Lowenthal (Harvey Dent), Bruce Timm (executive producer), and Jim Krieg (screenwriter). We've had Timm and Krieg on the show before when we brought you the media interviews from last year's New York Comic-Con (that episode also features director Sam Liu). For a full blast of Gotham by Gaslight, I highly recommend listening to both episodes and then immediately watching the film. But I'm biased.
Today, we're talking magic. Lev Grossman is the author of - among other things - The Magicians trilogy, which recently made the jump to the small screen with The Magicians on Syfy (Seasons 1-2 on Netflix and Season 3 on the air now)! In a nutshell, The Magicians imagines what someplace like Hogwarts might be like if it were a real place in the real world and filled with hormonal teens. Intrigued? You know you are. On this episode, we talk to Lev about his struggle to find his voice as a writer, the laborious process he had to go through to turn out his first couple books (which took a combined 11 years to write), the commercial and critical success he's found with The Magicians, and the pressure to move forward and produce something new and different. We also hear what kind of candy he'd be, which is a good answer even though he trashes one of my favorite candy bars in the process. (Sorry Mounds, you'll always be #1 to me.)
Today, we're looking to the stars...and back to Earth. Commander Terry Virts joins us to talk about his career, his 210+ days in space, and his new book View From Above: An Astronaut Photographs the World. Col. Virts was pilot on one of the final space shuttle missions - 2010's STS-130 aboard the Endeavor - where he helped assemble the International Space Station. In 2014, he returned to the ISS aboard the Soyuz as part of Expedition 42 and stayed through Expedition 43, when we assumed command of the space station. On this episode, we chat about his new book, how he managed his time aboard the ISS with all of the competing demands, his preparation for space, the surprises that waited for him up there, sleeping in zero G, why he doesn't have enough faith to be an atheist, and the biggest mistake he made in space.
Our third of three episodes from the 1st DC in D.C. event features roundtable interviews with Russell Tovey, Marguerite Bennett, Vita Ayala, Steve Orlando, and Mark Russell. This episode focuses on the panel The Pride of DC: The Art of LGBTQ Inclusion.
Our second of three episodes from the 1st DC in D.C. event features roundtable interviews with Candice Patton, Caity Lotz, Danielle Panabaker, Mariko Tamaki, Shea Fontana, Agnes Garbowska, Julie Benson, and Shawna Benson. This episode focuses on the panel Wonder Women.
Our first of three episodes from the 1st DC in D.C. event features roundtable interviews with John Ridley, Denys Cowan, and Alice Randall. This episode focuses on the panel The Many Shades of Heroism: DC Heroes Through the African American Lens.
Today, we're talking giant robots (and other cool stuff) with Greg Pak! Pak is a prolific comic book writer and filmmaker who you might know from a bunch of different stuff, depending on where your interests lie. Most recently, Pak has been playing in a futuristic world of giant robots and kids suddenly thrust into unexpected situations with Mech Cadet Yu (Volume One, which collects the first four issues, out from Boom! Studios now. Ongoing issues every month!)
He's also got the brand-new Weapon H coming this spring from Marvel, which wonders what would happen if we combined Hulk and Wolverine DNA. In addition, Pak co-created the character of Amadeus Cho for Marvel's Totally Awesome Hulk and The Incredible Hercules. He also wrote Kingsway West (Dark Horse); Planet Hulk, World War Hulk, Weapon X (Marvel); John Wick, Battlestar Galactica (Dynamite); and just so much more.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg. He collaborated with Jonathan Coulton on The Princess Who Saved Herself and Code Monkey Save World. He became a crowdfunding darling with those books and ABC Disgusting. He directed the feature film Robot Stories and several other shorts. And he's just an all-around cool cat.
On this episode, we talk about his academic background in politics (he was a Rhodes Scholar!), his transition to graphic storytelling, Mech Cadet Yu, and Asian American representation.
Today, we're talking to one of the most exciting literary voices I've personally discovered in the past year. Daniel José Older is the best-selling author of the Bone Street Rumba urban fantasy series and the young adult series the Shadowshaper Cypher. He also wrote my favorite of the 40 stories in the recent Star Wars anthology From a Certain Point of View.
On this episode, we talk to Older about weaving together the different cultural elements that are so integral to his books and breaking out of the "write what you know" mentality. He recently wrote an incredibly insightful piece for BuzzFeed about writing "the other" and characters that don't reflect your own lived experiences. We also talk about the joy of playing in the Star Wars sandbox (it's been announced that he's writing a Star Wars novel), how music influences his writing, and so much more!
Today, we welcome legendary musician and DJ Paul Oakenfold to the show. Oakenfold is one of the progenitors of electronic dance music, and if you know EDM at all, you know Oakenfold and his sound. 2017 was the 30th anniversary of his career (still going strong!), and to celebrate, he released a graphic novel memoir. Because of course! The Wonderful World of Perfecto follows his career from Ibiza and small clubs to mega-stadium festivals and some of the largest crowds ever to his recent performance at Everest Base Camp in Nepal. On this episode, we talk to Oakenfold about why he chose the graphic novel format, the unparalleled support he received from his family early in his career, "discovering" DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, traveling the world, performing at Everest Base Camp, the changing nature of his audience, and where he's going next.
Today, we're taking a trip down memory lane with one of the all-time greatest newspaper comic strips, Lynn Johnston's For Better or for Worse. Johnston's strip ran from 1979-2008 and was a staple of the daily reading routine for millions of people and a few generations of comics fans. On this episode, we talk to Johnston about the new edition, looking back and reevaluating work she did 40 years ago, how the strip tackled serious and timely social issues, living in the cold pre-internet nowhere of northern Manitoba, and if it's possible to make a living as a cartoonist in 2018.
Today, we're talking sports. And when we branch into a new topic with a new guest, we don't cheap out. That's why we're talking to arguably the best player in the history of basketball. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar needs no introduction, and any bio I'd even attempt here would pale in comparison to reality. You know who he is.
In the years since retirement, Kareem has become a prolific author, and his newest book is Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the Court. It's a middle grade memoir that doesn't pull any punches and is WELL worth your time, regardless of how old you are. In addition to books about his career, he's also written a number of graphic novels about Mycroft Holmes!
On this episode, we talk about Becoming Kareem, the enduring messages of the book, how history seems to be repeating itself, the Take a Knee movement in professional sports, the Skyhook Foundation, and where the Presidential Medal of Freedom ranks in a lifetime of achievements.
Today, we're spending the day at Miss Qiunzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's Camp for Hardcore Lady Types. That's right, it's Friendship to the Max as we chat with Mariko Tamaki about her new middle grade book Lumberjanes: Unicorn Power! Tamaki is certainly no stranger to the world of graphic novels, having written Skim and This One Summer (both illustrated by Jillian Tamaki). This One Summer caused waves a couple years ago when it was awarded both a Caldecott Honor and a Printz Honor (for excellence in literature written for young adults). It was the first graphic novel to be recognized with a Caldecott and only the second to snag a Printz. (I actually chatted with both cousins when they first won the Caldecott.)
On this episode, we talk about writing Lumberjanes in a new format, writing what you don't know, growing up in a mixed-heritage household, queer representation in graphic novels and literature, and whether having the most banned book in the country is a badge of honor or not.
Today, we're looking to the stars with Bobak Ferdowsi. Ferdowsi first caught the public's attention in 2012 as NASA's "mohawk guy." During Curiosity's final descent to the surface of Mars, his unmistakable hairstyle nearly stole the spotlight. But he was no plant for increased media coverage of the event (that was just a fortuitous turn of events). Ferdowsi is a systems engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and has been involved with missions to Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Earth.
He's also become a vocal advocate for NASA, space exploration, and STEM education. On this episode, we talk about the most exciting work going on at NASA (that you might not know about), the race to Mars and competition with companies like SpaceX, how to inspire kids to go to space, the Europa Clipper project, and scientific literacy in 2017.
Today, it's an absolute thrill to have Jason Segel on the show. Segel is probably most well known for playing the role of Marshall Eriksen on 10 seasons of How I Met Your Mother. He's also had starring turns in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Muppets, The End of the Tour, and The Discovery. And of course, he got his start on the perennially awesome Freaks and Geeks. Recently, though, Segel has taken a step back from Hollywood and channeled his creativity in a different direction. He's written the middle grade Nightmares! trilogy (along with a recently released handbook), and he just released his first YA novel Otherworld. On this episode, we talk to Segel about his books, stepping away from Hollywood, shifting career gears so dramatically, finding creative fulfillment, the perils of social media, and which cringe-worthy moments in his career also make his personal highlights reel.
Today, we're honored to be joined by a literal legend: Ed Asner. There's really not much I can say about him that hasn't been said, and there's no introduction that does him justice. Perhaps most well known for his role of Lou Grant on 12 seasons of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off Lou Grant, Asner is the most honored male performer in the history of the Emmy Awards. He's won seven times. Modern (and younger) audiences might know him as the voice of Carl Fredericksen in Pixar's Up. And that's just scratching the surface.
Today, we're excited to bring you our conversation with Geof Darrow. Darrow is largely known for his incredibly detailed artwork on graphic novels Hard Boiled, Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot, Shaolin Cowboy, and many more. The hyper-violent Shaolin Cowboy is where much of his energy has been focused lately, and the recent trade collection, Who'll Stop the Reign?, is more of what you've come to love about the book. In short, it's a bloody takedown of contemporary culture, cell phones, and Donald Trump. On this episode, we talk about Lead Poisoning (Dark Horse's gorgeous art book collecting some of his pencil art), his notorious attention to detail, Shaolin Cowboy, mixing politics and social satire in the pages of his books, and how he translated his experience with properties such as Super Friends and Richie Rich into the hyper-violent, hyper-detailed graphic novels for which he's known.
Today, we're absolutely thrilled to bring your our conversation with Janina Gavankar, who is currently having a bit of a moment with the release of Star Wars Battlefront II. In the game, she portrays the main character, Imperial Commander Iden Versio.
For the role, Gavankar not only provided the voice work but also did the motion-capture performance. And Versio looks exactly likes her. In fact, you might as well be playing Gavankar in the game - it's that realistic. Understandably, she's been on Cloud 9 for a few months in the run-up to the game's release. Can you blame her? Imagine starring in YOUR very own Star Wars story. On this episode, we talk about her time as a bank geek, playing in the Star Wars universe, connecting to and developing a brand-new character, the struggle to be creative, and the roadblocks she's encountered on her road to success.
Today, we're getting psyched for the premiere of Big Hero 6: The Series with executive producers Bob Schooley and Mark McCorkle. Schooley and McCorkle are certainly no strangers to the world of animation and Disney. They are the co-creators of Kim Possible and worked together on Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, Hercules: The Series, Aladdin: The Return of Jafar, The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride, and many others. They also worked for DreamWorks on Penguins of Madagascar and Monsters vs Aliens.
On this episode, we talk about working at Sesame Place, bringing Big Hero 6 to the small screen, doing the impossible and getting almost the entire original cast to return, and creating shows with true cross-generational appeal.
Today, we're finally celebrating the release of Season 4 of the phenomenally awesome Voltron: Legendary Defender on Netflix! To celebrate, we're chatting with not one, not two, but THREE members of the cast! On this episode, we're chatting with Rhys Darby, the unmistakable voice of Coran (Coran, the Gorgeous Man); Bex Taylor-Klaus, who brings the green paladin Pidge to life; and Blake Anderson, who formally joins the show this season as Matt Holt.
We talk all about the lions, the actors' histories with the franchise, how much their characters have become a part of who they are, fan reaction to the show, and their choice for most important relationship between characters.
Today, we have an absolute blast chatting with Anne Wheaton. On this episode, we talk a lot about Anne's brand-new children's picture book, Piggy and Pug. The book is the result of a long-held dream that she finally grabbed hold of and made a reality. We chat about the long road to self-publishing and the learning process she went through along the way. We also talk about her recent health scare, what she's taken away from that experience, living life in the public eye, the struggle to maintain "normalcy" and secrecy when kids are involved, and the Foundation to Increase Awesome.
Today, we're bringing you the second of two Batman-related episodes from this year's New York Comic Con. There were a number of animated Batman events at this year's NYCC, so I had to pick and choose which to attend. Gotham by Gaslight has long been a favorite graphic novel, so this was a no-brainer. I'm in love with Mike Mignola's art, and the book also kickstarted the Elseworlds brand, which completely captivated me during the '90s.
Two of the voices you'll hear in this episode should sound familiar, if you listened to our episode about The Killing Joke from San Diego Comic-Con 2016. But that doesn't mean we don't have anything new to say here.
This episode includes the audio from my roundtable interviews, which includes the following: Bruce Timm (Producer), Sam Liu (Director), and Jim Krieg (Writer).
This week, we're thrilled to chat with the one and only John C. McGinley! McGinley is one of those actors who seems to have been in everything, including at least one of your favorites. He's had supporting or starring roles in Platoon, Wall Street, Point Break, Office Space, Any Given Sunday, and 42, among so many others. Plus, he was the phenomenally scene-stealing Dr. Cox on nine seasons of Scrubs. And he's currently starring as the title character on IFC's Stan Against Evil. On this episode, we talk about his introduction to "comic-con culture," the creative freedom that being a producer on Stan provides, whether breaking into the industry with films such as Platoon and Wall Street set up unrealistic expectations, how much he has become an amalgamation of his many characters, and his work with the Global Down Syndrome Foundation.
This is the first of two Batman-related episodes from this year's New York Comic Con. It was a particular thrill for me to attend the press event for Batman vs Two-Face at the con this year, with William Shatner in attendance. This episode includes the audio from my roundtable interviews, which includes the following: William Shatner (voice of Harvey Dent/Two-Face), Burt Ward (voice of Robin), Rick Morales (Director), James Tucker (Supervising Producer/Co-Writer), and Michael Jelenic (Producer/Co-Writer). Do listen to all of them, as each reveals a distinct piece of the conceptualization and production that went into making the film a reality. But don't miss Shatner's portion of the episode, where we get surprisingly deep about recent national events.
This week, we're taking a closer look at everyone's favorite faceless bad guys: Stormtroopers! Ryder Windham has written roughly 70 books for the Star Wars universe (spanning decades), and his newest is an in-depth look at the history, design, and many depictions of Stormtroopers across media (movies, cartoons, comics, novels, and merchandising). We chat with Windham about the surprising start of his writing career, working for Dark Horse Comics, what exactly a comic book editor does, and all of the work that went into the new Stormtroopers book. Plus, we find out the surprising Star Wars character with which he most identifies!
This week, we're thrilled to bring your our conversation with the one and only Felicia Day! Surely, Day needs no introduction.
On this episode, we chat about her new role (Cynder) on Netflix's Skylanders Academy. Day is also a new mom, so we talk extensively about parenthood, the challenges of being a new parent, and the unique challenges she faces as an incredibly busy working mom in the public eye. We talk about embracing our differences (which are our superpowers), helping our kids do the same, and how we can teach our kids to be good to one another and deal with bullying. We also ask her what games she's planning to use to introduce her daughter to gaming, when the time finally comes.
This week, we talk zombies and the metaphorical use of zombies (and islands) to discuss disaster preparedness and our future as a species. Intrigued? We welcome the one and only Max Brooks to the show and get in the weeds geeky. Brooks's new book, which might initially seem like a surprising departure for him, is Minecraft: The Island - the first novel set in the video game world. The more you hear him talk about the book and its premise, though, the more it becomes obvious that it's absolutely 100% in his wheelhouse. Essentially, the book is about our ability to prepare for and adapt to major unexpected change, which is familiar ground for Brooks to be sure.
This week, we're joined by the current Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden. And what an honor it was. Dr. Hayden was nominated to the position by President Obama and was sworn in on September 14, 2016. She's only the 14th Librarian of Congress since 1802, but her role is made even more historic because she's the first woman AND the first African American to hold the position. On top of that, she's the first professional librarian to do the job in more than 60 years. On this episode, we talk to Dr. Hayden about her appointment to the position, her decision to keep the libraries open during the violence in Baltimore, her resistance to the Patriot Act in 2001, how a change in administrations affects her job and the Library as a whole, current and upcoming pop-culture events at the Library, and collaborating with the National Archives. Plus, we find out if she prefers Chicago or New York style pizza.
This week, we welcome Cameron Esposito and Rhea Butcher to the show. Esposito and Butcher are both seasoned comedians and actors who happen to be married to each other. They also produce, write, and star in the show Take My Wife together; they co-host regular stand-up nights (that are collected in the podcast Put Your Hands Together); and they're currently on tour together traveling around the country in a bus! Whew!
On this episode, we chat about the importance of support when pursuing a creative career, how much of Take My Wife is pure documentary, their current tour, too much of a good thing, and why we need comedy - especially now.
This week, we're chatting with the incomparable Mary Robinette Kowal. Kowal is a (multiple) Hugo Award-winning novelist who is perhaps best known for the Glamourist Histories series of books, which is probably best described as "Jane Austen with magic." On this episode, we chat about her career, how the Hugo affected her career, what draws her to writing about the Regency era, puppetry, and manual typewriters! Buckle up, and keep your hands inside the car at all times.
We're bringing you an extra episode this week! Jamie is freshly back from a six-week adventure through China, and he's got oodles to share. On this episode, we primarily chat about Shanghai Disney Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland - the differences between them, the pros and cons of both, a look at some of their rides and attractions, and Jamie's honest and unfiltered opinions of both parks. As someone who's lived in Mainland China and has traveled extensively around the country, it's a fairly unique perspective.
After our summer hiatus, The Great Big Beautiful Podcast is back on the air, and we're thrilled to return with the amazing Janet Varney! Varney is, hands down, one of the hardest-working women in show business. Animation fans know her as the voice of Korra on Nickelodeon's The Legend of Korra. Comedy fans know her from her stand up, Thrilling Adventure Hour, and SF Sketchfest. Podcast fans know her show The JV Club. Quirky sketch comedy fans probably know Neil's Puppet Dreams, which she created. TV fans have been glued to the awesome Stan Against Evil.
So yeah, she's kind of busy. And on this episode, we talk about all of that and more. Enjoy!
This week, we're just beyond thrilled to geek out about the brand-new DuckTales! We're joined by executive producers Matt Youngberg and Francisco (Frank) Angones to talk all things Duckburg. We talk about how the show came to be, the long road to finding the new character designs, the balancing act between staying faithful to the original and finding a fresh voice, the absolutely incredible cast they assembled, and how much resistance they've encountered from people afraid of having their childhoods ruined.
We're taking a trip to Super Hero High. You can thank us later. On this episode, we talk to DC Super Hero Girls author Lisa Yee about the lengths she goes to in the name of research (she traveled to Japan for the Katana book), reimagining such popular characters in a brand-new universe, her long and winding road as a writer, getting picked out of the slush pile by Harry Potter's editor, the importance of writing every day, and Winnie the Pooh. Yee happens to own the second-largest Pooh collection in the world.
This week, we're joined by Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock: the dynamic duo responsible for Compass South and Knife's Edge, which really should be on your reading list if they're not already. We talk about the books, their creative fears and strengths, diving headlong into such a big project (Compass South was Mock's first book), writing a major superhero for DC, and backpacking around Asia.
This episode is an absolute treat. We're joined by Mark Gagliardi and Hal Lublin to talk about their podcast, We Got This! with Mark and Hal, along with a discussion sampler platter that covers a bit of their diverse careers. In addition to their podcast, we talk about the importance of live audiences, just how real the drunkenness on Drunk History really is, and singing Aladdin twice a day for two years. We also play the home version of their podcast as we throw random meaningless debates at them to see where they stand. Just who is the the best U.S. vice president? Who wins in the epic Tic Tac versus Mentos throwdown? What's the best song in Hamilton? You'll have to listen to find out.
This week, we're changing things up a bit. As Justin explains at the top of the show, this is the first time we've interviewed a personal friend as a guest. But he's oh-so-very-much worthy, don't you worry about that! Christian Lee has a background in stand-up comedy and is the guy behind the YouTube channel DadSews, where he is teaching himself how to sew on camera (and making a lot of mistakes and revelations along the way). On this episode, we chat about why he chose sewing for his niche, adoption, mixed-race families, putting yourself (and your family) "out there" for others to judge, the competitive world of YouTube and how difficult it really is to get noticed and build a following, finding time to pursue your passions while also being a full-time parent, and some advice for people just getting into the whole YouTube thing (which can be incredibly overwhelming, I know).
This week, we're thrilled to welcome Maz Jobrani to the show. As a comedian, Maz really entered the spotlight as a founding member of the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour. On this episode, we look at the world through a lens of comedy and talk about the importance of inclusivity, free speech, cultural understanding, and immigration. We chat about how comedy can be therapeutic, performing in wildly different countries around the world, and the critical need for Americans to travel more. We also touch on the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour, the Minivan Men podcast, and Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
This week, we chat with punk musician Ted Leo. Leo had been at the front of several different bands over the years, notably Citizens Arrest, Chisel, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, and The Both (with Aimee Mann). On this episode, we chat about why he went to Kickstarter for his latest album, whether that's a sustainable model for musicians, the future of the music industry, the benefits and drawbacks of collaborations, Middle Earth, and how we can find the courage to do what scares us most.
This week, we're absolutely thrilled to be joined by the incomparable Mo Willems. If I do say so myself, this episode is just a delight from beginning to end. We talk with Willems about the importance of failure, intentionally simple design, what his characters sound like, using picture books to understand the world, and the challenges of putting art into the world. I may or may not have also explained how Willems's books taught me to be a better father. This one is thick with insight, so hunker down and enjoy!
This week, we welcome Cory Doctorow to the show and have one of our meatiest conversations to date. After almost a decade, Doctorow is back with a new adult novel: Walkaway. On this episode, we talk about Walkaway, why we believe in a "barely restrained predatory nature" of the people around us, Doctorow's fair-trade ebook platform, U.S. politics, and the pros and cons (mostly cons) of DRM. But it's not all heavy; we definitely take time to geek out about Disney's Haunted Mansion and the Ghost Post subscription box - over which Doctorow had major creative control.
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Star Wars this week, we thought a particularly appropriate way to pop the bubbly would be a conversation with David W. Collins. And if you're a Star Wars fan, this episode won't disappoint. We chat with Collins about this year's Star Wars Celebration, his history with LucasArts, missed opportunities in Rogue One, the Smuggler's trilogy of radio dramas, and Star Wars Oxygen. And we might even get to hear his favorite line from all eight films delivered in his patented (and amazing) George Lucas impression.
This week, we're looking into the shadows and talking to Aaron Mahnke about the phenomenon he created with Lore. The Lore podcast "exposes the darker side of history, exploring the creatures, people, and places of our wildest nightmares." Each episode examines a dark tale from history in a style similar to a campfire experience. Today's episode was in some respects a lesson in humility. Lore and The Great Big Beautiful Podcast debuted three days apart in March of 2015. But Lore has millions of monthly downloads, is consistently at the top of iTunes, has a book deal, and is currently getting adapted for television. We...still have a ways to go. Nevertheless, we had a fantastic and insightful conversation with Mahnke about his journey to Lore, how none of us really has any idea what we're doing, his creative process for creating each episode, his advice for people struggling to find an audience for their art, and how fatherhood shapes what he does.
This week, we turn our eye to the world of verse and talk poetry with Kwame Alexander. Alexander won the Newbery Medal for The Crossover, which combines free verse and hip-hop poetry to tell a story of family, brotherhood, basketball, and rhymes. We chat with Alexander about Animal Ark, his creative approach to poetry, bending genres, his book Out of Wonder, how poetry can save the world, and how we can use words to understand the world. Oh, and we might also geek out about Hamilton a bit.
On today's show, we chat with Chelsea Cain about her recent Eisner Award nominations for Mockingbird, making the shift from novelist to comic book writer, her future in the industry and what book she might write next, why fans of other genres aren't as vocal, how she's learned to deal with Twitter's abuse problem, Portland, and butter. That last one doesn't go wherever you think it might.
Today, we welcome Greg Proops to the show and cover an incredible range of topics. We talk about comedy, audience addiction, the Proopscast, comedy in politics, feminism, Trump, and what kind of candy he'd be. Basically, we just set him up and step back while he steals the show.
This week, we're switching things up, going DIY, and welcoming Dale Dougherty to the show. Dougherty is pretty much the godfather of the current Maker movement. On this episode, we chat about why DIY and "tinkering" are important skills for kids, why the Maker message can be so compelling, surefire methods for engaging kids with STEM subjects, the shifting roles and dynamics Dougherty has seen among the genders at Maker Faire, the Amazon show Annedroids (which he consults for), and where he'd be on the perfect day.
This week, we welcome Judd Winick to the show. Winick is a graphic novelist who's played in both the DC and Marvel universes. In addition to comics, he's also written the Batman: Under the Red Hood animated film, was writer/producer for Hulu's The Awesomes, and created The Life and Times of Juniper Lee for Cartoon Network. On this episode, we chat with Winick about his all-ages series HiLo, his career in comics, great books for kids, whether comics have forgotten how to be fun, his time on MTV's The Real World, his series of This Makes Me Happy strips, and his marriage proposal - which, I guarantee you, is one of the most original proposal stories you'll ever hear.
This week, we're thrilled to finally welcome Gene Luen Yang to the show - in style! I can't believe it's taken us this long to have him on the GBBP. Yang's books have been nominated for the National Book Award (American Born Chinese was the first graphic novel to be nominated for the award) and pretty much every other major literary award. He's won the Eisner, is currently the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, and recently was awarded a MacArthur Genius Grant. He's kind of a big deal. On this episode, we talk about the initiative and the response it's gotten, getting more kids and families into libraries, writing outside of your lived experiences, working through rejection, and combating gendered labels and stereotypes when it comes to books.
This week, we welcome sci-fi writer extraordinaire John Scalzi to the show. We chat about the out-of-the-gate success The Collapsing Empire has enjoyed, TV and film rights (and adaptations in general), historical Easter eggs in his writing, the pressures and creative freedom granted by his unprecedented book deal with Tor, the little Wil Wheaton who lives in his head, the JoCo Cruise, and why it's important for writers to commiserate and discuss the challenges they face.
This week, we're looking to the stars with the Bad Astronomer himself, Phil Plait! Plait is an astronomer, author, and science communicator. We talk about science as inspiration, how to encourage kids who are interested in science and astronomy, the current state of scientific literacy in popular culture and the media, and where we go from here.
This week, we're heading back to the kingdom of Corona! We're chatting with Chris Sonnenburg, who developed and is currently executive producer on the new Tangled: The Series. We talk about reuniting the original crew (Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, and Alan Menken are all back in their respective roles), how Sonnenburg's own family dynamic plays into the show, the decisions that factored into the new animation style, and why it's important to write Rapunzel (and her parents) with the audience in mind.
This week, we're chatting with Kirstyn Johnson, a spacesuit technology engineer with NASA, and besides totally geeking out about her job, we talk about the infamous Space Poop Challenge. We chat with Johnson about the challenge, the proposals they received, why NASA has chosen to crowdsource solutions, and how spacesuits have evolved since Mercury and Apollo.
This week, we're looking to the stars and chatting with Emily Calandrelli. Calandrelli has taken a Master's in Aeronautics and Astronautics (from MIT, no less) and a gift for communication and used them to her advantage in the public sphere - an arena that was, quite frankly, previously only occupied by a couple guys named Nye and Tyson. On this episode, we talk to Calandrelli about what set her on a path toward scientific disciplines, STEM vs. liberal arts, scientific illiteracy and skepticism, sci-fi tech, and what has her most excited for the future.
Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi began their animation careers at Pixar, where they worked on films such as Ratatouille, Toy Story 3, and Monsters University. Their ambitions eventually led them to start their own studio - Tonko House - where they could tell their own stories in their own way. The Dam Keeper was the first result. And seriously, if you haven't yet watched it, take 15 minutes and do that now. On this episode, we talk about all things The Dam Keeper and Moom, the importance of music in Tonko House's storytelling, The Dam Keeper Educational Project, and the Totoro Forest Project. We also dive deep into the themes and symbolism of The Dam Keeper, which - even though it's only 15 minutes - is positively rich with messages.
This week, we're chatting with one of the most recognizable faces of 90s pop: Lisa Loeb. Seriously, her songs "Stay (I Missed You)," "I Do," and "Do You Sleep?" will basically time warp you back to the mid 90s. However, stopping there would be selling her short. Criminally so. On this episode, we're joined by fellow GeekDad Mike LeSauvage, and we chat with Loeb about her music; how her approach to songwriting, singing, and performing has changed over the years; her role on Amazon's Creative Galaxy; how being a mom has affected her career; the Camp Lisa Foundation; and where she finds the time and energy to simultaneously stay engaged in so many different creative worlds.
This week, we're chatting with the two mad geniuses behind the pseudonymous James S.A. Corey: Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. Together, Abraham and Franck write as James S.A. Corey for The Expanse series of novels and show on SyFy. On this episode, Jamie is joined by GeekMom Shiri Sondheimer, and they chat with Abraham and Franck about The Expanse, collaborative storytelling, RPGs, the importance of strong (i.e., well-rounded, thoughtful, independent) female characters, and some of the differences between the books and show.
Our guest this week needs no introduction. Though she had been working for years before, Katee Sackhoff rose to stardom as Starbuck on the rebooted Battlestar Galactica and quickly became the centerpiece of that show. On this episode, we talk about how she got her start in acting (and the support she found in her family), the unique nature of Battlestar Galactica and Starbuck, Longmire and how Netflix is changing the entertainment industry, her charity Acting Outlaws, and lots more. She even shares some memories of Richard Hatch.
This week, we welcome Jamie Broadnax, creator of the Black Girl Nerds online community, website, and podcast. We chat about geek icons, the various meanings of fanboy and fangirl, representation in Star Wars, Universal Fan Con (a brand-new convention that celebrates the power of inclusion and representation), and politics. Sorry about that. I know we try to avoid politics on this show, but the current political climate has made that increasingly difficult. So, among other things, we touch on how we can balance our passions for aspects of pop culture with the current state of the country.
Nicole Perlman burst onto the scene with 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy. She wrote the original screenplay for the film (which was a product of her work with the Marvel Writing Program) back in 2009. She's also cowriter on 2019's Captain Marvel; cowriting (with Alex Hirsch!) Detective Pikachu, a Pokemon feature film; writer on the Gamora ongoing comic from Marvel; and is attached to the upcoming "Hasbro Cinematic Universe" films. And that's just what she can talk about - even if only by scratching the surface.
This week on the show, we chat with Wallace about her career, her roles in E.T. and Cujo, her new role on the Amazon Original series Just Add Magic, which film she's proudest of, breaking new ground as one of the first single mothers depicted in film, her own mother, and much more.
Despite what you may have heard, Steve Burns is not dead. For reals. We promise. He's here this week to prove it. Burns, who is perhaps best known as that excitable guy from Blue's Clues who REALLY loves the mail and pleated pants, has become something on a phenomenon online in recent years. On this episode, we talk about his new album Foreverywhere, the legacy of Blue's Clues, his experiences on the show, how he handled the potential pressure of teaching and inspiring millions of kids, and - perhaps the most pressing question of all - how on Earth did Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper conceive Paprika??
On this episode, we chat with fantasy legend Terry Brooks about the Shannara series, his recent announcement that he'll be wrapping up the story for good, interacting with fans, where he draws inspiration, The Shannara Chronicles on MTV, and Star Wars. What's that? Yeah, Terry wrote the novelization of The Phantom Menace, so we chat a bit about the saga and get his thoughts on the current debate over Princess Leia's future.
Today, we're embracing our inner 4-year-olds and chatting with Rob LaDuca and Mark Seidenberg. Rob and Mark are the executive producers of the brand-new Disney Junior show Mickey and the Roadster Racers, which is the replacement for the long-running Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (on which they also worked as EPs). On this episode, we talk about their histories with these properties, how they keep finding new stories to tell with the classic characters, and the impressive voice cast on Roadster Racers. We also pick Rob's brain about his experiences on Ralph Bakshi's Lord of the Rings and on both The Wrath of Khan and Return of the Jedi. Oh yeah.
Today, we chat with Wonder Woman. Well, Susan Eisenberg, to be exact. But if you're a fan of the character, then Susan's and Wonder Woman's voices are pretty much one and the same. On this episode, we chat about the beginning of her career (and what led her to voiceover generally and Wonder Woman specifically), what she takes away from other actress' portrayals of the character, how the popular conception of the character has changed, and what Wonder Woman means to her. We also chat about why male voice actors seem to have more opportunities to stretch their range, while women, generally speaking, have more roles similar to their natural voices.
Today, we round out 2016 with the incredible Cressida Cowell. You're welcome. If you're unaware, Cressida is the author of the How to Train Your Dragon series of books, upon which the massively successful Dreamworks films are based. On this episode, we talk about her childhood experiences on an uninhabited island, her own "uninhabited island" in her backyard where she writes, David Tennant, the changes made to her characters and story for the films, and how it feels to finally be moving on from Hiccup and Berk after more than 12 years.
Today on the show, we're absolutely thrilled to bring you our chat with superstar astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson. we talk about why we - as a society - are still debating some of the most basic and fundamental aspects of science and what we can do to stop the viral spread of ignorance. We also talk about the journey to Mars, what first contact will realistically be like, what piece of sci-fi technology would fundamentally change humanity for the better, and what keeps him up at night. We also talk about what Bifrost would need to be if were actually a doorway to Asgard. Oh yeah, we get geeky. Don't worry.
Today, we're talking high-quality, hand-drawn, 2D animation with Remi Chaye. Chaye recently released his feature debut as director, Long Way North. The film is breathtakingly beautiful and has some of the finest animation I've seen in recent memory. On this episode, we chat with Remi (and storyboard artist Liane-Cho Han) about the film, his inspiration for the story, the lessons he learned both from working with Tomm Moore on The Secret of Kells and from directing his own feature, the difficulties he had in simply getting the film made, working with a limited budget, and the challenges he faced with marketing and distribution.
Today, we're sweepin' the clouds away and chatting with the amazing and lovely (and amazingly lovely) Sonia Manzano. You probably know her best as Maria from Sesame Street, where she was one of the most recognizable faces on the show for more than 40 years. What you might not know, though, is that she's also an accomplished writer. In addition to playing Maria, she was also a writer on Sesame Street and won an astonishing 15 Emmys for your work. On this episode, we chat about how she got her start in acting, her early career on stage and moving to Sesame Street, her audition for the show (hint: which one of these things is not like the others?), making the jump to writing, how writing and acting each satisfy her creative impulses, and the future of childhood literacy.
We continue SPACE WEEK with a good old-fashioned Star Trek geekout. Because today on the show, we're talking to Nicholas Meyer. Meyer directed The Wrath of Khan, which is indisputably the best Trek film ever made. He also wrote the screenplay for The Voyage Home and directed (and wrote the screenplay for) The Undiscovered Country. But Nick's career is much more than just boldly going where none has gone before. On this episode, we chat about our memories related to The Day After, Sherlock Holmes, Nick's acceptance to the Baker Street Irregulars, Star Trek, creative freedom, and time travel.
Today on the show, we're geeking out about Star Wars. I know, what else is new, right? We're joined by Pablo Hidalgo, who is one of the most public faces of the Lucasfilm Story Group - the group responsible for maintaining order and keeping all of the creative ducks in a row within the Star Wars universe. We talk to Pablo about his personal history with Star Wars (hint: it involved many hours of RPGs), how he came to Lucasfilm, and what he does on a day-to-day basis - besides fielding fans' questions and debunking crazy theories online. We also get the inside scoop on whether we might ever see Star Wars Detours or George Lucas's original plans for a sequel trilogy. All of that plus his earliest Star Wars memory, his favorite fan theories, and the many amazing books he's written. And the one thing he'd like to tell every Star Wars fan if given the chance.
Today on the show, we're talking to Shea Fontana, the dominant creative voice behind DC Super Hero Girls. If you're not familiar, the show recasts the female superheroes of the DC universe as high school friends. They're all the same age (i.e., Wonder Woman and Batgirl are classmates), and they face many of the same challenges that real-life teens do: homework, friendships, teachers, peer pressure, bullying, and so on. On this episode, we talk about "reimagining" the characters for the show, the qualities of great kids entertainment, writing for television vs graphic novels, and - if given the chance to further explore the characters - whether she'd like to age them up or down. We also touch on her work with Disney on Ice and her involvement in roller derby.
Today on the show, we travel to that strangest of small desert towns, Night Vale. Cecil Baldwin is the narrator and voice of the community radio station, keeping us all up to date on the Sheriff's Secret Police, the latest sightings of the glow cloud, the mysterious hooded figures, and the ever-changing roster of station interns. And of course the dog park. On this episode, we have an amazing conversation with Cecil about building Night Vale from the ground up, getting addicted to a live audience, creating the character of Cecil, normalizing LGBTQ relationships, and coming out as HIV-positive. We really cover some ground here, so buckle up and enjoy!
Today on the show, we chat with Aubrey and Angela Webber, the brilliant duo who make up The Doubleclicks. If you're not familiar with their music, go to their website or YouTube pronto and check it out. You won't be sorry. On this episode, we chat with Aubrey and Angela about ignoring genres and what qualifies as "mainstream," connecting with fans, starting a new label and the state of the music industry, and doing things that they're scared to do. Also the cat keyboard. We find out what the heck is up with that.
100 episodes. I kind of can't believe it. I mean...I can. I know how much work it took to get to this point, but it's still pretty remarkable. So it was an absolute thrill when we realized how fortuitous this episode would be. Episode 100. Election Day. Brad Meltzer. It's all kinds of perfect. On this episode, we talk about working through failure (he garnered 24 rejection letters for his first novel), perspective and self-doubt, the I Am... books and why "ordinary people" have such extraordinary stories, Jim Henson and Mister Rogers, what he's most proud of in a career that almost defies belief, whether he could have imagined the events that actually took place during this presidential election, and where we go - as a country and people - now that this historic election is behind us.
On the show today, we chat with Catwoman herself, Julie Newmar. Julie has had a long and storied career, but she is perhaps most well known as the woman who originated the role of Catwoman for the small screen on the first two seasons of Batman. And boy did she ever set a precedent. We talk about Batman and Return of the Caped Crusaders, obviously, but we also chat about her classical training and early career, her love of gardening, her role on My Living Doll, her influence on popular culture, and who better portrayed the ideal of 1960s masculinity: Adam West or William Shatner.
Today, we're chatting with Joe Hill. If you're a fan of the funny books, you know him from the phenomenal Locke and Key series from IDW (along with Gabriel Rodriguez's amazing art). If you're a fan of the prose books, you know him from a long line of keep-you-awake-at-night novels, such as The Fireman, Heart-Shaped Box, Horns, and NOS4A2. On this episode, in addition to all of that, we talk about his road to creativity and how much of a choice he really had growing up in the family that he did, perspective and self-doubt, his mountains of unpublished words and ideas, family rivalry, how his experience growing up in a literary family and being the kid of a legend has translated over to his own kids, and playing Scrabble with Stephen King.
Today, we're chatting with Doug TenNapel, a guy whose career spans an impressive variety of genres and media. He's worked in video games, graphic novels, film, and television, and our conversation really covers some ground. TenNapel is perhaps most well known as the creator of Earthworm Jim, but he's also published a bookshelf's worth of graphic novels and is the showrunner for Dreamworks Animation's VeggieTales in the House for Netflix. On this episode, we chat about his wide-ranging career, how the video game and publishing industries have changed during that time, what elements are mandatory in his creative environment, and how to deal with the inevitable failures and setbacks that come with success.
Today, we're bringing you our chat with Gerard Way and Nick Derington from New York Comic-Con. Gerard Way rose to fame as the lead singer for My Chemical Romance before making the somewhat unexpected leap to the cozy peace and tranquility of graphic novels. Almost immediately, he burst onto the scene with The Umbrella Academy. Most recently, DC Comics has handed him the creative reins of Young Animal - their new "pop-up imprint." On this episode, we chat about Doom Patrol, taking creative risks, what constitutes a pop-up imprint, whether this will set a precedent for DC (and other publishers), and what else we might see from Young Animal down the line.
Today, we're putting on our dancing shoes...OK, maybe more like our standing-around-and-awkwardly-tapping-one-foot-while-bouncing shoes. Either way, we're talking to musicians Jonathan Coulton and Paul & Storm! That's right - all of them. At once. It's a party! On this episode, we chat about the JoCo Cruise, whether they were ever pushed to be more "mainstream" in their music, STEM vs the arts, how the Internet has become a crutch for many musicians, and the future of the music industry. And stick around after our chat - we've got Coulton's performance of "You Ruined Everything" from 10/8/16 at The Bell House in Brooklyn.
Today, we're boldly going to the 23rd century (and beyond) with Mike and Denise Okuda. If you've watched and enjoyed Star Trek in nearly any of its incarnations over the years, you have the Okudas to thank for so many different aspects of the shows. On this episode, we chat about their work on the Star Trek Encyclopedia, remastering the show for blu-ray, Star Trek tech, how Star Trek has and continues to inspire us, the journey to Mars, and what Star Trek will look like 50 years from now.
Today, we're thrilled to be joined by Paige O'Hara and Richard White, the original voices of Belle and Gaston from Disney's Beauty and the Beast. We talk about their experiences making the film, having such a monumental film be the starting point of their careers, reprising the roles throughout the years, the return of the Disney musical, and what they do away from acting.
Today, we're chatting with Chuck Palahniuk: a writer who almost defies description. His books are impossible to categorize, and - frankly - that's just the way he likes it. Palahniuk burst onto the literary scene in 1996 with Fight Club, which went on to be made into the cult-hit film directed by David Fincher. On this episode, we have a fascinating and revealing conversation about working outside of the "mainstream," writing for yourself, self-doubt, how the adult coloring book craze is saving the publishing industry, the importance of arousing physical reactions among readers, and Palahniuk's own personal approach to writing and storytelling. And poop. We also talk about poop.
Today, we're chatting with Ben Blacker: co-creator of Thrilling Adventure Hour and writer of just so many things. On this episode, we chat about his longstanding partnership with Ben Acker, the strengths each brings to the table, the lessons he's learned as a result of doing The Writer's Panel podcast, writing for different formats, and the power of a live audience.
Today, we're just thrilled to bring you our conversation with Clark Gregg: the one and only Agent Phil Coulson. On this episode, we talk about whether Agent Coulson's changing role as "everyman," making an ensemble cast work, what he'd like to see in the Inhumans film, and when he'll get back to directing. We crack open the conspiracy that his FBI Agent Casper from The West Wing was actually a deep undercover Agent Coulson and try to figure out what SHIELD's interest in the Bartlet White House was. And we talk about the ramifications of the current real-life drama playing out in the U.S. presidential election and what Clark would say to every American voter if given the chance.
Today, we're chatting with John Jackson Miller, who has written for some of the biggest geek franchises ever. He's perhaps most well known for his work in the Star Wars and Star Trek universes, but he's also played in the Halo, Mass Effect, Indiana Jones, and Planet of the Apes sandboxes. Talk about crossing the streams. On this episode, we talk about his career, the similarities and differences in working for the different Star Wars "regimes," the Star Trek: Prey trilogy, the challenges in writing for established franchises, and his personal writing routines and habits.
If you're a fan of comics or graphic novels at all, or if you have a kid of reading age, you know who Jeff Smith is. The epic story of the Bone cousins, Ted, Gran'ma Ben, Thorn, the Great Red Dragon, and all the other wonderful characters that populate the Bone books is one of the most enchanting, engrossing, gorgeous stories ever put to paper. On this episode, we chat about self-publishing, having one story dominate your career, the effect of awards and acclaim, what an "all-ages" label really means, why Bone mostly escapes the persistent "boy's/girl's book" stigma, and McDonald's in India.
On this episode of the show, we bring you a double feature interview: Greg Grunberg and Lucas Turnbloom. Greg has had roles in all the things you love, and Lucas is a crazy-talented cartoonist. Together, they've created the graphic novel Dream Jumper. We chat with both of them about the book, its origin, and how the two of them work together. With Greg, we also chat about Geeking Out, having a Star Wars action figure of himself, the background that Snap Wexley (his Star Wars character) has developed in the comics and novels, how he's the portal through which the J.J. Abrams multiverse connects...and the insanely satisfying role of just being a dad.
On this episode, we talk to (illustrator) Nate Powell and (coauthor) Andrew Aydin--the creative forces behind the March trilogy of graphic novels--about the books, working with Lewis, the research they each did to prepare, the pressure associated with creating books that are immediately being taught in schools across the country, and their careers away from March.
This week, we're joined by television legends Sid and Marty Krofft. If you were alive during the 70s and 80s (or have an affinity for 70s kitsch), then they surely need no introduction. But if you don't know, the Kroffts are the creators of an impressive catalog of beloved shows: H.R. Pufnstuf, The Bugaloos, Land of the Lost, Electrawoman & Dyna Girl, Sigmund & the Sea Monsters, DC Follies, and so many more. On this episode, we chat about their career, their new shows, why their shows have defied the odds and stood the test of time, fighting for their (sometimes off-the-wall) ideas, and how the industry has changed over the years...and how they've managed to adapt and change with it.
This week, we welcome Bill Morrison to the show. Bill is perhaps best known as one of the cofounders - with The Simpsons creator Matt Groening - of Bongo Comics, which has been the one and only home of The Simpsons and Futurama comics for almost 25 years. On this episode, we chat about his time at Bongo, how they manage to keep coming up with new stories after more than 230 issues (and 27 seasons on TV), whether he ever got tired of the Springfield characters, his own series Roswell: Little Green Man, and his time working on commercial Disney projects and the urban legends he spawned (especially on particular poster for The Little Mermaid).
This week, we're thrilled to have a man (and voice) that needs no introduction: Kevin McDonald. One-fifth of the groundbreaking sketch comedy group The Kids in the Hall, Kevin is usually called "the funny one" by the other four. And that's high praise, indeed. In addition to his new podcast, we talk about the current state (and future of) sketch comedy, the merits of a live audience, censorship, and translating his physical comedy to animation. We talk about the conceptual, "unrefined" comedy of The Kids in the Hall and how they charted their own course to success. We talk about what a buddy comedy starring Agent Pleakley and Almighty Tallest Purple would look like. And we get Kevin to share the Kids in the Hall sketch idea that even he thought crossed the line. And he may or may not sing the song.
This week, we welcome voice actor James Arnold Taylor to the show. James is perhaps most well known as the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi on Star Wars: The Clone Wars (where he was also Jedi Master Plo Koon). However, he's also given voice to hundreds of other characters, including Johnny Test, Ratchet (from the Ratchet and Clank games and movie), Cosmo and Yondu on Guardians of the Galaxy, The Leader on Hulk and the Agents of SMASH, Green Arrow and Guy Gardner on Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Tidus from the Final Fantasy series, and dozens more.
Paul Salopek is walking in the footsteps of our ancestors, tracing their route out of Africa and around the globe: from the Great Rift Valley of Africa, across the Middle East, through Central Asia to the tundra of Siberia, eventually hopping a boat across the Bering Strait to North America, and trudging from there down the entire length of the New World. His unprecedented journey began in January 2013 in Ethiopia and will eventually end at the southern tip of South America - Tierra del Fuego - the last continental corner of Earth to be settled by humankind. On this episode, we connect with Paul in Uzbekistan and talk about the trip, his storytelling goals, cultural anthropology versus current events journalism, how he prepares for the unknowable, the importance of "slow journalism," what his day-to-day is like, and how his feet have been holding up.
This week, we welcome Benjamin Frisch on the show to talk about his new book (his first!) with Top Shelf Productions: 'The Fun Family.' We chat about the book, the road Frisch took to get it made with Top Shelf, our memories of 'The Family Circus,' and Frisch's own adventures in podcasting with Out on the Wire.
This week, it's a good old-fashioned Star Wars geekout with J.W. Rinzler. Aside from maybe George Lucas, there's no one else in the industry who's as steeped in Star Wars history as Rinzler. In this episode, we chat about his unprecedented access behind the curtain, his work on the Making of The Force Awakens book, Star Wars Detours (and other unseen-by-fans stuff), the existence of pre-Special Edition cuts of the original trilogy, George Lucas, fan theories, his short film Riddle of the Black Cat, and Edgar Allan Poe.
Fellow GeekDad contributors Corrina Lawson and Kishore Hari join Jamie to discuss Batman: The Killing Joke - the original book, the animated film, and our personal histories with the story. It ends up being (an incredibly civil) debate with both Corrina and Kishore taking polar opposite sides of the issue. Following that, we present the press roundtable interviews from San Diego Comic-Con for the movie. Interviews include Brian Azzarello (screenwriter), Ray Wise (Commissioner Gordon), Tara Strong (Batgirl), Sam Liu (director), Kevin Conroy (Batman), and Bruce Timm (executive producer).
This week, we're beyond thrilled to bring you Commander Chris Hadfield: retired NASA astronaut, first Canadian to walk in space, phenomenally engaging speaker, and YouTube sensation. We were incredibly privileged to get some time with Chris and chat about the importance of grit and determination (in the face of seemingly impossible odds), the overview effect, how the Journey to Mars can be the next generation's moon landing, becoming a pop culture celebrity while in space, and his upcoming video series for kids.
This week, we talk about the new Life, Animated documentary, which tells the story of Owen Suskind, a young man who showed signs of regressive autism at age 3 when he suddenly stopped speaking. On this episode, we chat with parents Owen and Cornelia about the film, Owen's life, their decision to share his story with the world, Owen's role in making both the book and film, and their advice for parents who may have just received the news that their child is on the spectrum.
Here it is: our Comic-Con recap show! Jamie went to the big show in San Diego this year for the first time in many, many moons, and it was with press badge in hand. On this episode, we share lots of stories about what it was like to attend as press, the opportunities that afforded, and the amazing experiences to be had at Comic-Con.
This week, we have an amazing conversation with Cecil Castellucci, author of many fine books, including Odd Duck, The Plain Janes, Star Wars: Moving Target, and the upcoming Shade the Changing Girl for DC Comics' Young Animal imprint and Soupy Leaves Home for Dark Horse Comics. Cecil has had an incredibly diverse career, and we do our best to touch on much of it - from her days at the Fame high school in New York to her time in an indie rock band to her more recent YA and graphic novel work. We chat about contributing to the Star Wars universe, charting an experimental course with Gerard Way on the brand-new Young Animal books, gender-swapping the character of Shade (who was previously Shade the Changing Man for DC's Vertigo line), and dipping her toes into the world of opera. This one's just a flat-out fun conversation.
This week, we would've gotten away with it if it weren't for those meddling kids, J.M. DeMatteis and Keith Giffen. We're joined by longtime creative partners DeMatteis and Giffen to talk about their newest book from DC - Scooby Apocalypse! On this episode, we chat about Scooby, their longtime collaboration, how the industry has changed since the 70s, creator-owned work, and writing for different formats.
This week on the show, we ask the eternal question. What are we going to do tonight, Brain? And thankfully, Maurice LaMarche swings by the show to provide the one and only answer: The same thing we do every night, Pinky. Try to take over the world! On this episode, we chat about his experiences doing stand-up, getting lost in a character, burping on demand, voices he still can't do, and why Orson Welles was the only choice for Brain.
This week, we get our game on with none other than Reiner Knizia. We chat about his games, the importance of awards (he was just nominated yet again for the children's version of the Spiel des Jahres), the balance of theme versus mechanics, whether playing games is essential to human nature, and what he thinks epitomizes a "Reiner Knizia game."
This week, the 8-year-old in me freaks out as we welcome James Howe to the show. Howe wrote my favorite series of books as a kid, which also happens to be the world's best series about a vampire bunny and his fellow housepets: Bunnicula! Aside from the Bunnicula books, he's probably most well known for The Misfits series of YA novels, which deal with issues of bullying, peer pressure, sexual identity. and breaking out of the boxes that society puts around us. On this episode, we chat about the responsibilities inherent in being a writer for young people, coming out as a children's book author, how to break free of "write what you know," the pros and cons of "work for hire," and his self-proclaimed "worst book ever."
This week, it's a total geekout as we welcome Leland Chee to the show. If you're a Star Wars nerd, odds are you know who Leland is. Unofficially known as the Keeper of the Holocron, he's part of the mysterious Lucasfilm Story Group, and it's his job to maintain a cohesive Star Wars canon. Basically, he's the puppet master of what's official and how it all connects. He knows all. we talk to Leland about LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures, his career with Lucasfilm pre and post Disney, Expanded Universe versus Legends, his role in the Story Group, fan entitlement, and what it's like to know everything about the upcoming films. But wait! That's not all! After our chat with Leland, we also talk to The Freemaker Adventures executive producers and show runners Bill Motz and Bob Roth.
This week, we celebrate the return of Voltron with the awesome new Dreamworks/Netflix show Voltron: Legendary Defender. We begin with a roundtable discussion of the show and then share an interview we did with show runners Joaquim Dos Santos and Lauren Montgomery. Form Voltron and enjoy!
This week, we're joined by the absolutely delightful Kate DiCamillo. Kate is coming off of a two-year stint as the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature (so named by the Library of Congress), she's the current National Summer Reading Champion, she's won two Newbery Medals, and she's the author of a long list of amazing books. On this episode, we talk to Kate about perseverance and determination in the face of rejection, the expectations that come with awards and critical acclaim, her writing regimen, and how writing maintains her sanity. We also talk about her amazing character names and where they come from, because - seriously - I defy you to name an author with more evocative names.
This week, we welcome Chris Gall to the show. Chris is the author/illustrator of the original Dinotrux books, upon which the Dreamworks/Netflix show is based. On this episode, we chat with Chris about his inspiration for Dinotrux, his involvement with the Dreamworks show, book trailers, owning your own work, collaborations...and stand-up comedy!
This week, we welcome voice actor and audiobook narrator extraordinaire, Marc Thompson, to the show. Marc has not only voiced hundreds of characters across an impressive variety of animated shows and films (Pokemon, Teenange Mutant Ninja Turtles, Daria), he's also narrated more than 40 Star Wars audiobooks, including almost all of the novels that comprise the "new canon."
This week, we welcome a legend to the show. LeVar Burton has had a career that almost doesn't seem possible. He's been part of - in fact at the core of - a hat trick that continues to be unbelievably influential. Most actors would be thrilled to have had a fraction of his success. His career spans theater, film, and television, but above all there are three properties that define who he is and what he's give to all of us: Roots, Reading Rainbow, and Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Today, we're bringing you something different. Our tagline here at the GBBP is "celebrating geek culture by talking to people who create it." We have a pretty broad definition of geek culture, which admittedly comes in many shapes and sizes, so we think you'll agree that this episode - though a bit different from our standard fare - is nevertheless fascinating and awesome. What you'll hear in this episode are brief chats with IMAX director Toni Myers and astronauts Kjell Lindgren and Barry "Butch" Wilmore. After that, we have a longer chat with geologist and educator Ford Cochran, who is the director of programming for National Geographic Expeditions and a national parks expert.
This week on the show, we welcome phenomenal artist Aaron Blaise. Aaron is a veteran of Walt Disney Feature Animation, where he worked as an animator and supervising animator on The Rescuers Down Under, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas, and Mulan. He was also co-director of the underappreciated Brother Bear, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature Film. On this episode, we chat with Aaron about his years with Disney, the legacy of Brother Bear, his move toward illustration and teaching, what drives him creatively, working digitally, and where he's going next.
This week, we're thrilled to have Jymn Magon on the show. Jymn was in on the ground floor for the birth of Disney's television animation department, and he went on to become co-creator of Chip n' Dale Rescue Rangers, TaleSpin, Gummi Bears, and Goof Troop. He also had various creative roles on DuckTales, Winnie the Pooh, and Quack Pack, and he wrote A Goofy Movie, which just celebrated its 20th anniversary if you can believe it.
This week, we welcome Jason Mewes to our little corner of the Internet. Snootchie bootchies! In our chat, we talk about his new film, whether "snootchie bootchies" ever gets old, podcasting, addiction and sobriety, and becoming a father. Yeah, we pack a lot in.
This week on the show, it's a pleasure to bring you the husband-and-wife team that writes the awesome Princess in Black series of chapter books: Shannon Hale and Dean Hale. Shannon is an incredibly prolific writer who's covered serious literary ground from adult to YA to kid lit and back again, and Dean is her partner in crime on the Princess in Black books from Candlewick Press.
Today, we're joined by the voice of Pumbaa himself, Ernie Sabella! Ernie has been the sole voice of the character since 1994's The Lion King. He's voiced the character in all of the sequels, the Timon & Pumbaa show back in the 90s, The Lion Guard show (currently on Disney Junior), Disney Parks attractions, video games, and everywhere else the big guy has shown up. In short, he's been everyone's favorite stinky warthog for more than 20 years!
Any week we can chat about Jim Henson with someone who actually worked with him is a good week. And when that person also worked on The Dark Crystal, then even better. But best of all? When that person also happens to be Tim Rose: the man responsible for three of the best characters in Return of the Jedi - Admiral Ackbar, Salacious Crumb, and the (non-CGI "special edition") Sy Snootles
This week, we're joined by veteran animator - and all-around great guy - Tom Bancroft. Tom has more than 25 years of experience in the animation industry, and much of that time was spent with Walt Disney Animation. His career at Disney began with Roger Rabbit (on the Roller Coaster Rabbit short), and he worked up through the ranks on films such as Rescuers Down Under, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, and Mulan (where he was supervising animator for Mushu).
This week, we're thrilled to have Roger Langridge - the all-ages comics genius - on the show. Yes, he's awesome. And yes, I just made up that "all-ages comics genius" moniker...but it's totally appropriate.
This week, we're thrilled to have Faith Erin Hicks on the show! Faith is an Eisner Award-winning author and illustrator whose newest book, The Nameless City, is out now from First Second Books. In this episode, we chat about The Nameless City (the first book in a planned trilogy), finding a niche for your own creativity, the reality of working in the comics industry, and our mutual love for Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain series.
This week, it's a good ol' fashioned geekout as we welcome Amy Ratcliffe to the show. We discuss favorite (and not-so-favorite) conventions, geek icons, our feelings about the terms fanboy and fangirl, and making a living as a writer of stuff. We also spend much of the time geeking out about Star Wars. We round out the conversation with a discussion of our favorite Disney Parks attractions (they're oh-so obscure) and most awkward fan moments.
This week, we welcome two-time Academy Award nominee Tomm Moore to the show. That's right, we're classin' up the joint. Tomm's two films were both nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Those films were the astonishingly beautiful The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea. In this episode, we talk to Tomm about his career, heightened expectations that come with awards, commercial animation, the future of independent studios and traditional 2D animation, and the differences between European and American audiences.
How time flies. One year ago this week, we launched The Great Big Beautiful Podcast as a Disney-focused podcast. And we really had no idea what we were doing. Over the year, the show morphed into something else entirely, we've been privileged to talk to a LOT of great guests, and we're just getting started. But we still don't really know what we're doing. Here's to another year of celebrating geek culture by talking to the people who create it.
On this week's show, we chat with the legendary Brian Froud about his career, working with Jim Henson, the long-rumored sequels to The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, and collaborating with his wife Wendy (who, among many other accomplishments, sculpted the original Yoda puppet used in The Empire Strikes Back).
This week, we sit down and chat with children's book author and illustrator Dan Santat, who is probably most well known for his book The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend, which won the 2015 Caldecott Medal. He also created Disney's The Replacements and wrote/illustrated the graphic novel Sidekicks.
This week, we have a Star Wars Rebels double feature for your listening pleasure. We're thrilled to be joined by both Vanessa Marshall (Hera Syndulla) and Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger) to talk about Rebels, their love of Star Wars, and why now is such an important time for fans everywhere.
This time, we're joined by fellow GeekDad podcaster Ric Rebelo on the roundtable to chat about Deadpool. We also chat with Greg LaSalle - facial performer for Colossus in Deadpool.
This week, to "celebrate" the end of Gravity Falls, we welcome the voice of Dipper - Jason Ritter - to the show. We chat about improvisation, mysteries, fierce fandoms, and fond memories. We're also thrilled to bring you the table read from the Disney XD press event in advance of the final episode. Alex Hirsch, Jason Ritter, and Kristen Schaal read from the very first episode of Gravity Falls, along with live musical accompaniment from show composer Brad Breeck.
He is vengeance. He is the night. He...is...Batman! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this week on the show, we welcome the Best Bat-Voice of All Time: Kevin Conroy.
This week, we're joined by the inimitable Rob Paulsen. Best known as the voice of Pinky, Yakko Warner, Pete Junior, Gusto Gummi, and not one but TWO Ninja Turtles, Rob has given life to literally hundreds of characters over the years. Go ahead and name an animated show from 1983 to today. Chances are VERY good that Rob's voice was involved at some point. His list of credits is a mile long.
This week, we welcome Kazu Kibuishi to the show. I've been a fan of Kazu's work for a while, and if you're even remotely familiar with graphic novels or the current state of the industry, then I'm sure you are too. Kazu's Amulet books consistently show up on reading lists highlighting the best books for young readers, and he's crafted a gripping story that's both superbly written and breathtakingly illustrated. This is not "kiddie stuff" by a long shot, and if you haven't read them yet - you should absolutely rectify that oversight immediately.
This time, we chat with Raphael Sbarge and Matthew Daley about 'Lantern City,' 'Once Upon a Time,' and transmedia storytelling!
This week on the show, we welcome you back to Frog Creek, Pennsylvania, with Mary Pope Osborne. If you were of a certain age during the 90s and Noughties, then the 'Magic Tree House' books were almost certainly a staple of your childhood. We're thrilled to have Mary on the show this week to talk about her career, coming up with fresh ideas more than four dozen books in, lighting the imaginations of generations of readers, the way-cool Magic Tree House Kids' Adventure Club, and the end of Jack and Annie's story.
Today, we break out the noisemakers and party hats to celebrate National Polka Dot Day! (Yes, it's a real thing.) And I don't know about you, but when I think of polka dots, I think of the queen of pink polka dots: Minnie Mouse. So, to truly celebrate this holiday in style, we welcome the voice of Minnie Mouse herself, Russi Taylor, to the show!
In this episode, we chat with Tony about his career, writing for kids, the process of creating new characters and worlds, concerns about telling the familiar story of Star Wars yet again, and our mutual love of Beverly Cleary.
This time, Justin and Jamie talk about the "period of transition" in which Disney's Hollywood Studios currently finds itself. Then we welcome Ford Riley, executive producer of Disney's 'The Lion Guard,' to chat about the show.
Neither Tricia Barr nor Dan Wallace are strangers to the Star Wars universe. Both are huge fans and have made their mark on the saga in their own ways. We welcome Tricia and Dan to the show to talk a bit about their careers, what drives them, what they're personally fans of, and - of course - The Force Awakens.
This time, we're talking Disney Infinity. We start out with a quick chat with fellow GeekDad and FamilyGamerTV honcho Andy Robertson. On the second half of the episode, we're joined by Disney Infinity Art Director Jeff Bunker to chat a bit more about the game.
This week, we're beyond thrilled to have Jonathan Frakes swing by the show. Most of you undoubtedly know him as the indomitable Number One: Commander William T. Riker from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
This week, we welcome another Disney Legend to the show. Andreas Deja was named a Legend at this year's D23 Expo for his extensive and influential work as an animator. Named "one of the greatest animators of Disney's modern era," Deja had a heavy hand in many of its most famous characters.
This week, it's some well-orchestrated chaos as we talk about Dreamworks Animation shows on Netflix, the brand-new 'Dawn of the Croods' with executive producer Brendan Hay, and the ill-fated 'Star Wars Detours.'
There are perhaps three artists whose work is indelibly tied to the Star Wars universe and rises to the top of the pack of individuals who have had the most influence on how the rest of the world pictures the saga: Ralph McQuarrie, Drew Struzan, and Dave Dorman. This week, to celebrate the release of 'Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens,' we welcome a true artistic legend to the show.!
This week, we geek out....big time. Joining us is none other than Agent Melinda May and Mulan, the extraordinary Ming-Na Wen!
This week, we welcome back the incomparable Ashley Eckstein. We briefly talk about her role as Ahsoka Tano on 'The Clone Wars' and 'Rebels' before diving deeper into Her Universe and the recently launched Her Universe Press.
This week, we welcome Claudia Gray, who wrote 'Lost Stars,' a YA novel set during the events of the original trilogy but which follows a pair of best friends who give a unique perspective to everything we think we know. Imagine 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead' set in the Star Wars universe, and you're close.
This week, we turn our attention to the Pride Lands, and Atticus Shaffer joins us to chat about the Disney Channel special 'The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar.' We also talk about voice acting versus on-screen acting, surviving Hollywood as a child actor, and how he manages to balance everything in life.
This week, we welcome Ian Doescher, author of the excellent and magnificent (yep, they're both) Shakespeare Star Wars books, to the show.
Gawrsh! This week, we sit down with Bill Farmer, the voice of Goofy himself! We cover some serious ground here, talking about his career from when he was a young kid learning tricks of the voiceover trade from the legendary Daws Butler through his initial audition for the role of Goofy in 1987 to living with Disney Legend status both on screen and in real life.
This week, Wil Wheaton drops by the show! We discuss voiceover work in animation, how Wil's kids have defined their own geekiness, how to live with and learn from your regrets in life, advice for parents thinking about getting their kids into show business, and whether we'll ever be able to live in a post-bullying society.
For this mystery-laden episode, we pull back the conspiracy cloak and chat with Alex Hirsch, who is best known as series creator of 'Gravity Falls.'
For our first "unplugged" episode, we chat about Star Wars merchandise with GeekDads Gerry Tolbert and Sean Hallenbeck. We also feature an interview from this year's NYCC with John Ficarra, Mad Magazine editor-in-chief, and Spy Vs. Spy artist/author Peter Kuper.
For this author roundtable episode, we're joined by Alexandra Bracken, Adam Gidwitz, and Tom Angleberger, who all recently wrote middle grade novel retellings of the original Star Wars trilogy.
This week, to celebrate the return of the second season Star Wars Rebels, we feature three awesome interviews with some of your favorite characters. We chat with Vanessa Marshall (Hera Syndulla), Ashley Eckstein (Ahsoka Tano), and Dee Bradley Baker (Captain Rex and all of the clones).
This week, we're throwing a bit of an odd couple at you. But it's an odd couple of awesomeness. First up, we were honored to have animation legend Genndy Tartakovsky on the show to chat about Hotel Transylvania, Clone Wars, and Samurai Jack. And then we talk to Matthew Lillard about beging the voice of Shaggy on Scooby-Doo, and he shares a lovely story about Wes Craven from the set of Scream.
Let's get dangerous! This week, we chat with Jim Cummings, the voice of every other Disney character from your youth. Most famous for being the voice of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, Jim also gave life to Darkwing Duck, Pete, Don Karnage, Monterey Jack, Ray, Ed, Hondo Ohnaka, and a bajillion other classic characters.
This week, we chat with Sascha Paladino, creator and executive producer of Miles From Tomorrowland, currently in its first season on Disney Junior.
This week, we feature a chat Jamie had with Laura Bailey and Travis Willingham at this summer's Otakon in Baltimore, MD. Laura and Travis have voiced hundreds of characters, but most pertinent to our show: Laura is the voice of Black Widow and Travis is the voice of Thor in the Disney Infinity series of games and on various Marvel animated shows, including Avengers Assemble, Ultimate Spider-Man, Hulk and the Agents of SMASH, and LEGO Marvel Super Heroes.
This week, we take another detour (sort of) and talk to Ron Burch and David Kidd about the newest Dreamworks Animation show to debut on Netflix: Dinotrux.
This week, we are beyond thrilled to be joined by an actual Disney Legend: capital D, capital L. Floyd Norman's career with Disney stretches back to 1956 when he was still a teenager and joined the company as an in-betweener on Sleeping Beauty. He worked with Walt Disney himself on a number of projects -- most notably The Jungle Book -- and was involved in various feature films (The Sword in the Stone, Robin Hood, Mary Poppins, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc.) up until his "retirement" in 2001. In 2007, he was named a Disney Legend.
This week, it's just Justin and Jamie as we recap the events of the recent D23 Expo in Anaheim. Jamie was on hand for all three days of the expo, and we talk about what went down, what there was to see, why there were so many lines, and whether it's worth it.
This week, we're joined by Ronnie del Carmen, who happens to be the co-director of a little film that came out recently, which you may have heard of: Inside Out. This episode is an absolute pleasure. We chat about the development process on Inside Out, Ellie Fredericksen and the bits of her life story we didn't see in the final version of Up, Ronnie's graphic novel series Paper Biscuit, and if we'll ever see another printing of the magnificent Totoro Forest Project art book.
This week, Tom Angleberger swings by to chat about Star Wars. That's really all you need to know. The episode should already be in your download queue. We talk about the films, his phenomenal Origami Yoda series of books, and his upcoming novel that "retells" Return of the Jedi: Beware the Power of the Dark Side! It's a good old-fashioned geek out with three Star Wars nerds.
This week, we're honored to be joined by the director of the Walt Disney Archives, Becky Cline. There is perhaps no other arm of the Walt Disney Company that inspires as much romance and mystery as the Walt Disney Archives. In short, it's a closed-to-the-public repository of pretty much everything of historical importance to Disney.
This week, we are absolutely thrilled to have Star Wars: Rogue One screenwriter Gary Whitta on the show. Yes, we talk about the film. Yes, he answers with something other than "no comment." Are spoilers dropped or hinted at? Listen and find out!
It's time to turn off the lights, dig into that bucket of popcorn, and have the bejeezus scared out of you by the modern-day Man of 1,000 Faces, Doug Jones! That's right! We're joined this week by the incomparable Doug Jones, who has brought to life characters such as Abe Sapien (Hellboy and Hellboy II), the Pale Man and the Fawn (Pan's Labyrinth), the Silver Surfer (Fantastic Four), Billy Butcherson (Hocus Pocus), Cochise (Falling Skies), and the most frightening villain from Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
Hang on tight. We're taking a slight detour and talking about the newest Dreamworks Animation show to make its debut on Netflix, Dragons: Race to the Edge. We're joined this week by executive producers Art Brown and Doug Sloan. And yes, there's a Disney connection. Don't worry.
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This week, we're delighted to be joined by Christie Golden, author of the brand-new Star Wars novel Dark Disciple, which is based on an unproduced 8-episode arc of 'The Clone Wars' and centers on the characters of Asajj Ventress and Quinlan Vos.
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This week, we're thrilled to have Tony Bancroft, co-director of Mulan, on the show. Trust me, you'll want to listen to this episode. It's a long one, but we had a fascinating conversation that went in some surprising directions. We talk about Tony's time at Disney, his experiences directing Mulan and being part of the team that spearheaded Disney Feature Animation Florida (which was housed at Disney-MGM Studios), and what he's been up to in the years since leaving Disney.
We also dive into a larger discussion about the power of the creative endeavor, the magic of "Pumbaa moments," overcoming a fear of the unknown, and abandoning regret. It's your life; no one can live it for you.
We get deep, people.
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This week, we're trying something new. It's an experiment. And it's all about smooches, apparently. The Giggle Squad invades to talk about Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
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This week, Jamie and Justin are joined by the uber-talented Jeffrey Brown. You may know Jeffrey from his too-adorable-for-words Darth Vader books (Darth Vader and Son, Vader's Little Princess, etc.) or his Jedi Academy books. Jeffrey joins us this week to chat about his various Star Wars books, his history making comics, an exhibit showcasing his art currently on display at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco, and what's in store for the future.
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This week, it's just the two of us as we talk about Star Wars Weekends at Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World: what it is, what's to see, why it's special, and what to keep in mind for your own visit.
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This week, we're joined by Star Wars author, travel writer, and explorer Adam Bray! Adam is the author of several beautiful books from DK, including Star Wars: What Makes a Monster?, Star Wars Rebels: The Visual Guide, and the brand-new Ultimate Star Wars.
This week, Jamie shares his experience at the Disney Parks Social Media Moms Celebration. This is an honest recap of the event, the speakers, the perks, and everything else it entailed. Jamie dishes about the exclusive events provided to attendees, the sessions, the family-focused activities, the "advance screening" of Inside Out, the pros and cons of Memory Maker, and the abundance of commercial sponsorships. He also shares what it's like to have an endless supply of FastPass tickets and what it was like to be one of two men in a group of nearly 200.
This week, we're joined by Will James and chat about gender portrayals in some current Disney properties, the Disney Princess juggernaut, Princess Leia as Disney Princess, the cast of the Beauty and the Beast live-action remake, and Will's experiences running the Avengers and Star Wars runDisney races at Disneyland.
This week, we are beyond thrilled to have the legendary Tad Stones on the show. Tad has a history with Disney that stretches over 30 years. He's had a hand in feature animation and imagineering, and he was a driving force behind the Disney Afternoon. Oh yeah, he also created Darkwing Duck.
This week, we are beyond thrilled to have the legendary Tad Stones on the show. Tad has a history with Disney that stretches over 30 years. He's had a hand in feature animation and imagineering, and he was a driving force behind the Disney Afternoon. Oh yeah, he also created Darkwing Duck.
This week on the show, we welcome Sarah and Richard Woloski from Skywalking Through Neverland and discuss Star Wars Celebration Anaheim and everything that came with it.
We welcome Matt Blum back to the show to chat about his press junket for and advance screening of Age of Ultron, along with an Agents of SHIELD set visit, interviews galore, Monkey Kingdom, Daredevil, and the new Star Wars teaser!
This week, we welcome Mike van Mil to the show as Third Wheel and chat Muppets, live-action remakes, and runDisney!
This week, we chat with the immensely talented Greg Weisman.
Greg is a writer and producer primarily known for his work in comic books and animation. He is the creator of the legendary Disney Afternoon show Gargoyles, producer of The Spectacular Spider-Man and Young Justice, executive producer on Star Wars Rebels, and author of two novels (so far) in the Rain of the Ghosts series, which he's brought to Kickstarter with the hope of producing a fully realized audio dramatization.
In this episode, we chat about his Kickstarter, why Rain of the Ghosts is so meaningful (it's creator owned), his role on Rebels, nostalgia for Gargoyles, why toy merchandising is so important, and why everyone should stop pestering him to bring back Young Justice and Gargoyles (#NotUpToHim).
The guys chat about Jamie's invitation to the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration, what it is, and what it's all about.
Jim is the author of the Figment miniseries from Marvel's Disney Kingdoms imprint. That story explored the backstory of Figment and Dreamfinder--beloved characters who appeared in the original incarnation of Epcot's Journey Into Imagination attraction.
We welcome Matt Blum (editor-in-chief of GeekDad.com) as a guest cohost this week as we discuss Cinderella, Frozen Fever, Star Wars: Rogue One, and Disney's Hollywood Studios!
Welcome! The Great Big Beautiful Podcast begins as Jamie and Justin make their introductions.