Mr. Media Interviews by Bob Andelman

Today's Guest: Norm Feuti, cartoonist, "Gil," "Retail" Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience of real people whose lives only make it seem like they’re trapped in a comic strip… in the new new media capital of the world… St. Petersburg, Florida!   That Gil is one smart kid! (Illustration by Norm Feuti) Does anyone else think that daily comic strips are a lot like local radio shows? And that cartoonists have a lot in common with disc jockeys and talk show hosts? Confused? Let me try to explain. There are hundreds of daily comic strips in the world and your local newspaper might carry 30 at most. Where I live, for example, there are strips that I see in the Tampa Bay Times that readers of the Tampa Tribune don’t get and vice versa. Similarly, a morning radio show host that everybody in the Tampa Bay area knows as hysterically funny is virtually unknown 90 miles away in Orlando. Like I said, I see similarities between the two professions. Which is my odd way of saying that there are a lot of great comic strips and radio shows that you’ll never see and hear. NORM FEUTI audio excerpt: "The typical comic strip is Calvin. Calvin is very precocious; wise beyond his years. It seemed more fun to write Gil somewhat on the dim side. In reality, most kids are. I consider myself of average intelligence; I never thought of myself as the smartest guy in the room."  Gil by Norm Feuti I can’t help you much with the radio end of things, but let me try to turn you on to a new daily comic strip that I think a lot of people will enjoy: “Gil.” Created and drawn by Norm Feuti, this strip centers around a chunky (big-boned!) 8-year-old boy whose parents are divorced. It’s a thoroughly modern take on family life that is drawn in classic comics style with a totally 2012 voice. Gil struggles with school and his appetite. His 1960s-style mom –complete with red kerchief always holding back her hair -- balances the demands of being a single parent with sustaining a career. Dumping Gil’s slovenly dad – who the boy only sees on alternate weekends – was the smartest thing she ever did. Oh, and did I mention that Gil’s best friend, Sandra, is also the product of a broken home? Retail by Norm Feuti Maybe it doesn’t sound like comedy gold the way I described it, but there is definitely a market for its style, tone and jokes. If Charles Schulz was starting out today, I suspect there would be threads of “Gil” in “Peanuts.” One other interesting note about “Gil.” The strip actually started in 2008 as a web-only comic. Feuti abandoned it after about a year and a half before taking a second, successful run at print syndication in 2011. Norm Feuti Website • Gil Comics Site • Retail Comics Site • Twitter • Facebook • Order Pretending You Care: The Retail Employee Handbook by Norm Feuti  Order 'Pretending You Care: The Retail Employee Handbook' by Norm Feuti, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above! Order Will Eisner: A Spirited Life (2nd Edition) by Bob Andelman, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above!     The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Lullwater, rock band < Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience of local rock heroes who may want to quit the business after hearing Athens rockers Lullwater take center stage… in the NEW new media capital of the world… St. Petersburg, Florida! Order the the Lullwater CD, Silhouette, by clicking on the album cover above! When the first notes from Lullwater’s new CD, Silhouette, begins to play, you’ll know—without question—that these boys have their hearts firmly planted in Dixie. It’s not strictly Southern fried rock, but there are unmistakable bits of Lynyrd Skynyrd tucked away in “Worse By Better.” I hear the Georgia Satellites in places, too. Maybe a BoDeans twang in the guitar structure. And even a little R.E.M., in terms of the catchier tunes – not surprising since they’re both born of Athens, Georgia. JOHN STRICKLAND audio excerpt: "When we were on the road, we got to know each other and we all had the same goals in mind." This is one of those rock bands that, the moment you hear them, you’re hooked. They rock hard, but in that melodic, rhythmic way that eventually makes for gold records—or whatever passes for gold records in the age of digital music . I think you’ll hear that for yourself shortly, as the band – John Strickland, Roy Beatty and Nick Thomas (Brett Strickland couldn’t make it today) – will be playing live shortly, right here on Mr. Media. Lullwater is currently on the road, having just finished live dates in Indianapolis, Chicago, Nashville and Atlanta. Check your local listings for dates in your town; they’re coming soon to New York, Brookfield, CT, Greenville, NC, back home to Athens, GA, and so on. Right now, get to know Lullwater live and in person. Lullwater Website • MySpace • Facebook • Twitter •  ReverbNation • Order the Lullwater CD Silhouette Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!     The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Neil Hopkins, actor, "Lost," Skyline Neil Hopkins, actor, "Lost"   Skyline (Blu-ray) starring Neil Hopkins. Order your copy today by clicking on the DVD cover above! I suspect Neil Hopkins might see himself as a man THISCLOSE to a career breakthrough. You probably know him best as Liam Pace, Charlie’s heroin-addicted brother and bandmate in a couple of backwards-looking episodes of ABC’s “Lost.” He's also had recurring roles on HBO’s “Big Love” and the Starz series, “Crash,” and played the long-lost brother of Dr. McNamara on FX’s “Nip/Tuck.” NEIL HOPKINS audio excerpt: "They had written all these different lyrics for the song; 'You All Everybody' was just the refrain... I thought part of the reason they cast me was because clearly I could sing like a rock star. Then I got to Hawaii and they already had it recorded so we could just lip sync to the playback. When I finally saw it, I thought I guess I'm really not singing on it."  Today, he’s eagerly awaiting the Nov. 12 opening of his new movie, Skyline, which stars Eric Balfour, co-star of Syfy’s hit paranormal series “Haven,” and Donald Faison, long time star of the ABC sitcom, “Scrubs. (Both of whom, I might add, have been Mr. Media guests in the past year.) Skyline is one of those monster—and I do mean monster—sci-fi films that you look at and go, “Oh, please be as good as you look!” The trailer has flying saucers, enormous, nasty creatures, lots of shit blowing up—add a few beautiful women losing their clothes and what more do we need for two hours’ entertainment, anyway? Neil Hopkins Facebook • Twitter • IMDB • Wikipedia Skyline Website   Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!   The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Kate Torgovnick, author, Cheer!: Inside the Secret World of College Cheerleaders Order from Amazon.com by clicking the book cover above In the words of the forgotten musical group Max Demian: Rah-rah-ree, kick ‘em in the knee! Rah-rah-ras, kick ‘em in the… other knee! That’s the only cheer I ever learned, so excuse me if the world of cheerleading is a little outside of my comfort zone. To help me out, I’m going to be joined momentarily by Kate Torgovnick, author of Cheer! Inside the Secret World of College Cheerleaders. Kate Torgovnick Website • Blog • Facebook • Twitter • The Kate-Book • Order Cheer! from Amazon.com The Millionaire's Convenient Arrangementby Jane Peden. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!   The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Elizabeth Fournier, green mortician, author, All Men Are Cremated Equal: My 77 Blind Dates Order by clicking the book cover above! I have a particular weakness for men and women with stories of dates gone horribly wrong. And I think I’m already on record as having a general weakness for all kinds of women. Add that to the fact I frequently like to help new authors, and how could I say no to Elizabeth Fournier, who has written the ticklish new book, All Men Are Cremated Equal: My 77 Blind Dates. Besides amusing us with psycho-social encounters, Elizabeth brings an extra dimension to her story thanks to her vocation: she’s mortician. Elizabeth Fournier She is also the voice of the autopsy exhibit in the forensic wing at the United States National Museum of Medicine. Oh, did I mention she lives in a boring little town—Boring, Oregon. And because of that, she’s become a reality TV star on MySpace known as The Green Reaper. More about that, later. And here’s a spoiler alert: there’s a happy ending to her book. Elizabeth Fournier Website • Facebook • Order All Men Are Cremated Equal from Amazon.com The Millionaire's Convenient Arrangementby Jane Peden. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!     The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Barbara Slate, comic book artist, graphic novelist, You Can Do a Graphic Novel, Getting Married and Other Mistakes   Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience of teenagers whose only apparent talent is spray painting the fence when my back is turned… right here in the NEW new media capital of the world… St. Petersburg, Florida! You can order Barbara Slate's book You Can Do a Graphic Novel by clicking the book cover above! Scooby-Doo by Barbara Slate No greater authority than Marvel Comics’ own Stan Lee asks that you not read Barbara Slate’s new book, You Can Do a Graphic Novel. It’s right there on the cover: Stan the Man says, “I shudder at the thought of having to compete with a whole new gaggle of graphic novel creators! I tremble because if anyone can bring out the writer and artist hidden within society’s somnambulant psyche, it’s the titanically talented Barbara Slate. So please don’t read this book. I have a family to support!” I hate to counter the expresses wishes of the man who put the “excel” in “Excelsior!” but if you’ve ever thought about dabbling in the world of graphic novels and need a little help getting started, Barbara Slate may be the right hot poker for you. BARBARA SLATE audio excerpt: "A good story needs a beginning, middle and a twist. The twist is the surprise and what makes it interesting. You don't want a linear story." Order 'Getting Married and Other Mistakes' by Barbara Slate fby clicking on the book cover above! Veronica by Barbara Slate Slate is a veteran of comic books and illustration, having started her career with a line of “Ms. Liz” greeting cards and Cosmopolitan cartoons before graduating to comic books. She has worked for DC and Marvel, having illustrated everything from Barbie for Marvel, Beauty & the Beast for Disney and Betty & Veronica for Archie Comics. She’s also the author of the Yuppies from Hell series of graphic novels. Speaking of “from hell,” she’s a fellow parent of a teen-age daughter. Poor woman! BARBARA SLATE Website • Facebook • Twitter   Order Will Eisner: A Spirited Life (2nd Edition) by Bob Andelman, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above!     The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Ken Blanchard, author, The One-Minute Manager, Lead With Luv Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience of CEOs who have an entire shelf devoted to Ken Blanchard’s books but who obviously haven’t read any of them… in the NEW new media capital of the world… St. Petersburg, Florida! Part 1 of 2   Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above This year, my friend Cliff is celebrating his 10th anniversary as a flight attendant with Southwest Airlines. By coincidence, we had dinner with our wives this past Saturday night and I got to pepper him with questions about his employer. For the same reason that Southwest is always one of the two airlines I prefer to fly when I have a choice, Cliff raved about Southwest and how well it treats both passengers and employees. And, coincidentally, the company had already provided him with a copy of the new book, Lead with LUV: A Different Way to Create Real Success by legendary management consultant Ken Blanchard and retired Southwest Airlines president Colleen Barrett. KEN BLANCHARD audio excerpt: "Southwest Airlines is over 80 percent union. Herb said, 'I love unions -- as long as the union allows (employees) to sit on the same side of the table as me...' It is so key to treating your employees as business partners."  Co-written by the author of The One Minute Manager and a woman who rose from Herb Kelleher’s executive legal secretary to his number two at Southwest, Lead with Luv captures the customer centric commitment at Southwest. It’s organized as a chatty interaction between the authors and is another must-read for Blanchard and Southwest fans. This is Ken Blanchard’s second visit to Mr. Media and I hope there will be many more yet to come. LISTEN! Ken Blanchard's first visit to Mr. Media (September 8, 2009) Ken Blanchard Website • Twitter • Facebook • YouTube • Order Lead with LUV from Amazon.com < Part 2 of 2   Mean Business: How I Save Bad Companies and Make Good Companies Great by Albert J. Dunlap with Bob Andelman. Order your copy now by clicking on the book cover above!     The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Ken Blanchard, author, Helping People Win at Work, The One-Minute Manager Order from Amazon.com by clicking the book cover above I figure I’ve got 60 seconds to interest you in today’s interview with Ken Blanchard. If you have to ask why 60 seconds, you obviously don’t know my guest’s work. He’s best known as the management expert and author of The One-Minute Manager, but his latest book, Helping People Win at Work, actually screams that Blanchard is “The New York Times Best-Selling Author of Over 18 Million Books!” I hope that’s just hyperbole. I’ve written or co-authored 10 books, many about business, and I know it’s hard work. How he found time to author 18 million books, I’ll never know. But I digress, and valuable seconds are ticking away. KEN BLANCHARD audio excerpt:"When I was a college professor, I would always give out the final exam on the first day of class... When they get to the final exam, they should get an A. Garry Ridge said, 'Wow, that ought to be an organization!' We hope to change the way people are evaluated in organizations."  Helping People Win at Work is a unique concept: it’s a case study written with Garry Ridge, who—as CEO of the WD-40 Company—happens to be the subject of the case study. And this book is a follow-up to another Blanchard book, Leading at a Higher Level. Hey—good news: I introduced my guest in under a minute. Ken Blanchard Website • Twitter • Facebook • YouTube • Order Lead with LUV from Amazon.com • Order Helping People Win at Work from Amazon.com Mean Business: How I Save Bad Companies and Make Good Companies Great by Albert J. Dunlap with Bob Andelman. Order your copy now by clicking on the book cover above!     The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Tom Weschler, long-time road manager, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, rock 'n' roll photographer, Travelin' Man: On the Road and Behind the Scenes with Bob Seger Travelin Man - A Look Into the Life of Tom Weschler from Primeau Productions on Vimeo.   Order 'Travelin' Man: On the Road and Behind the Scenes with Bob Seger' by Tom Weschler, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above![ Somehow, in all the years I was a rock ‘n’ roll critic for either the St. Petersburg Times, Tampa Tribune or Music magazine in the 1980s, I never saw Bob Seger live. For the life of me, I can’t explain it. I certainly wanted to see him; he’s one of those guys—like Springsteen, Joel and Mellencamp—who always spoke to me. When I was a freshman at the University of Miami, back in ’78, I worked at the college radio station, WVUM, doing air shifts as a DJ and producing dozens of public service announcements. I almost always chose Seger songs as background music. TOM WESCHLER audio excerpt: "In 1978, Bob Seger was playing four sold-out nights in Pine Knob, Michigan, and Bruce Springsteen came to town and wanted to meet Bob. I set it up and I said to Bob's bodyguard—who I hired back in 1971— 'Do me a favor and keep all the other photographers out of here for 10 minutes, will ya?' And I got my shot." And the day I drove away from school at the end of freshman year, back to Jersey, my friend Bob and I only had one 8-track tape to entertain us as we took turns driving non-stop—Live Bullet. That’s why I tracked down Tom Weschler as a guest for the show. He was Seger’s road manager—and unofficial tour photographer—for the first decade or so of Seger’s four-decade career and has frequently dropped back in on his old friend’s career at key moments. Now—with the help of writer Gary Graff—Weschler has produced Travelin’ Man, a coffee table book of photos and memories that no Seger fan will want to live without. Tom Weschler Website • Twitter • Order Travelin' Man: Bob Seger from Amazon.com Order 'Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band: Ultimate Hits,' available from Amazon.com by clicking on the CD cover above! Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!     The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!