Mr. Media Interviews by Bob Andelman

2010: I do recognize a good story, and that’s what Phish biographer—and former Rolling Stone magazine staff writer—Parke Puterbaugh has in his new book "Phish: The Biography." Even though I’m not a Phish-head, I thought by reading the book and talking to Parke, maybe I’ll see the light. Let’s see what happens.

2010: My guest today is Cynthia Tucker, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She is a woman who wears her beliefs on her sleeve, in her newspaper—via syndication, in a lot of newspapers—and in an online blog.

2010: I lost track of my old friend Ziggy over the years. I was honestly surprised to learn that the strip is produced by Tom Wilson, Jr., son of Ziggy’s creator. And I was saddened to learn of the heartbreaking trip Wilson has been on for the last two decades. Wilson tells his story in a new book, "Zig-Zagging: Loving Madly, Losing Badly… How Ziggy Saved My Life."

2010: I invited comics writer Brendan McGinley to be my guest today because I like his style. I also like the way he has embraced new graphics technology and applied it to one of my favorite 20th century mediums. If you’re not familiar with McGinley’s work, check it out while we talk about it here on Mr. Media.

2010: Can it be only six months ago that Richard Doetsch was a guest on Mr. Media? I remember it well because I was so breathless in my praise and admiration for his then-new novel, The 13th Hour. That story completely blew my mind. I still don’t know how Hollywood is going to squeeze so much storytelling goodness into less than three hours, but I can’t wait to see them try.

2009: "Comics in Wisconsin" is historian Paul Buhle’s new book. Buhle, who has written more than 40 books on pop culture so far, has documented the origins of comics in his home state. This project details the development of homegrown talents such as Denis Kitchen and connects the cheesehead dots to Robert Crumb, Lynda Barry, Bill Griffith and many more. Comics in Wisconsin was at least Buhle’s second book published in 2009: he also collaborated with his old friend Kitchen on "The Art of Harvey Kurtzman

2010: For Ray McKinnon, a guy whose previous best-known role was probably that of Reverend H.W. Smith on the HBO series “Deadwood,” the success of "The Blind Side" can’t be anything but good. He’s already been nominated for a 2010 Spirit Award for his role as “Lonzo” in the indie "That Evening Sun," opposite legendary actor Hal Holbrook. McKinnon, by the way, won an Oscar of his own back in 2002 for his work behind the camera on a short, "The Accountant."

2010: I look forward to engaging today’s guest, Bulgarian-born pianist and film composer Mario Grigorov, in conversation. He is the composer behind the music heard in the topical—and award-winning—film "Precious, Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire."

2010: Luis Guzman is the secret weapon behind HBO’s new comedy series, “How To Make It in America.” He is its Alec Baldwin—you know, Jack Donaghy on “30 Rock”—or, in an even more apt comparison, he is its Jeremy Piven, who plays Ari Gold in “Entourage.” Cousin Rene, the somewhat reformed, Dominican gangsta Guzman plays, isn’t in every scene of this show from “Entourage” creator Mark Wahlberg. But, like Piven, whenever he’s in a scene, he commands your attention. No color is as brig

2010: Ted Raimi is directing Playing Dead but writer Suzanne Keilly is actually playing dead in the new web-only series, Playing Dead. The Groundlings comedy alumnus is a struggling young actress—well, maybe not as young as she’d have you think—when her desperate plea for a job attracts the attention of The Grim Reaper.