Mr. Media Interviews by Bob Andelman

Today's Guest: Jackie Collins, novelist, Poor Little Bitch Girl Order Poor Little Bitch Girl by Jackie Collins, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above! Sex? Check. Scandal? Check. Thinly veiled portraits of Hollywood celebrities? Check. Breathless, page-turning details? Check. JACKIE COLLINS audio excerpt: "When I was just starting off, I was in New York being interviewed by this journalist. We were in a private room. I had a very provocative book then, The World is Full of Married Men. It was my first book. I got up to leave the room after the interview was over and he got up behind me and he pinched me on the ass! I turned right around and I thought, 'I want this to be a good article! I don't want to get mad at him!' So I did the only thing I could think of, and I pinched him right back on his ass!" That confirms it: Poor Little Bitch Girl is definitely a Jackie Collins novel. Not that I ever doubted it; when I was a teen in the ‘70s, Mom read plenty of Collins and Harold Robbins novels, so I’d know their work anywhere. And I kept picking up her work from time to time while in college in the early ‘80s. So this is a real treat for me—and for Mom, who’s out there listening right now. Jackie Collins Website • Twitter • Facebook • Google+ • YouTube • Pinterest • Instagram • The Power Trip website • Blog • Order Poor Little Bitch Girl from Amazon.com • Order The Power Trip More Mr. Media® Interviews with Jackie Collins! Goddess of Vengeance interview (2011) 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: Saul Austerlitz, author, Another Fine Mess: A History of American Film Comedy Order Another Fine Mess: A History of American Film Comedy by Saul Austerlitz, available in print or ebook from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above! Image via WikipediaIf it’s a choice between watching drama or comedy, I always pick comedy.Why choose to get all weepy and sad when the other option is to fall off your chair laughing? I think the die was cast for me back in 1978, when Steve Goldin and I saw Animal House the night it opened at a theater in Princeton, NJ. I had seen comedies before, of course, but none that had ever worn me out. We laughed so hard at the antics of the Delta House gang that we went back again the next night. And quite a few more times after that. SAUL AUSTERLITZ podcast excerpt: "I wanted to broaden the definition of comedy to some extent. In terms of Renee Zellweger, I thought it was valuable to include some of the performers who had been quite funny in films more oriented to women. Because I think some of today's movies are aggressively marketed for men. People like Renee Zellweger and Julia Roberts are comedic performers, though obviously in a different way than Will Ferrell, but they do have something to contribute." Saul Austerlitz would probably make the same choice, I’m guessing. He’s the author of a new movie history, Another Fine Mess: A History of American Film Comedy. It takes the genre from Charlie Chaplin—whose work I myself studied at the University of Florida many years ago — to Judd Apatow, whose work I now study from the comfortable of my family room, without the annoyance and interruption of pop quizzes and term papers. Austerlitz established his pop culture research credentials with a previous book, Money for Nothing: A History of the Music Video from the Beatles to the White Stripes. Saul Austerlitz Website •  Twitter • Facebook • Order Another Fine Mess from Amazon.com Saul Auserlitz returned to Mr. Media in 2014 to discuss his book Sitcom: A History in 24 Episodes from I Love Lucy to Community   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: Vik Sahay, actor, "Chuck" Vik Sahay stars in Chuck[/caption] A week ago, I was concerned that this interview might be tinged in sadness. Was it possible that NBC’s rollickin’ good fun spy rom-com “Chuck” might not be back for a fourth season next fall? But then the clouds parted and the sun shone… and NBC renewed “Chuck,” too. There are a couple must-see TV shows for which our entire family enjoys gathering around in front of the television these days. There’s “Lost” and “Modern Family” on ABC and “Big Bang Theory” on CBS, and “30 Rock” and “The Office” on NBC. But the one my daughter and I especially enjoy above all others is “Chuck.” Order 'Chuck: The Complete Fifth and Final Season,' available from Amazon.com by clicking on the DVD cover above! Vik Sahay (l) with Zachary Levi star in NBC's 'Chuck' One of the perks of hosting this show is getting the opportunity to interview men and women whose work I enjoy. And I’m delighted to welcome back for a second show the man who puts the “ster” in the “Chuck” house band “Jeffster,” the actor who brings “Buy More” sales associate “Lester Patel” to life, Vik Sahay. VIK SAHAY audio excerpt: "NBC has a history of sticking with (quality) shows. That's the lore of 'Seinfeld,' isn't it? They believed in it and believed in it and by season four, they struck fire."  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: Marc Maron, comedian, podcaster, "WTF with Marc Maron, actor, "Maron," "G.L.O.W." Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience of guys who knew Tommy Blaze and Ron Bennington back in the days when they played the Coconuts comedy clubs here… in the NEW new media capitol of the world… St. Petersburg, Florida! Order This Has To Be Funny by comedian Marc Maron, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the album cover above ]If you love stand-up comedy and enjoy listening to intelligent conversation with America’s funniest men and women on TV and in film, meet Marc Maron. Maron is one of those guys — like Richard Belzer, Louis CK and the late Robert Schimmel — that comedians themselves turn to to get a serious dose of the funny. He’s outrageous, unrestrained and full of self-loathing — everything you want when dropping serious coin on a night out. MARC MARON podcast excerpt: "The darkest realization I've had... I want to go from the second lowest rung on the show business ladder to the lowest one and put a band together, at 47 years old, is ridiculous. I'm relatively infantile in my delusions of what's next for me." He’s also developed a new world to conquer: podcasting. Maron is the host and producer of "WTF with Marc Maron." Actually, it’s “What the F**k with Marc Maron,” but you can’t write or say that in some places. Here, no problem.     Order Attempting Normal by Marc Maron, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above! The show is a place for Maron to sit down with some of his closest friends and occasional antagonists or one-time enemies and talk funny. Many of the conversations take place, literally, in his garage, although he’s been taking the show on the road much more often lately, talking to Will Ferrell’s producing partner, Adam McKay, in his office, or visiting with Ray Romano on the set of his new show, “Men of a Certain Age.” And he’s taken the show on the road in even more literal terms, sharing the stage with an array of regional comics and combining stand-up with conversation, as he did this past week in Austin. You can subscribe to “WTF with Marc Maron” on your iPhone or other smartphone via the Stitcher app, or visit his website, WTFPod.com. Marc Maron Website • Twitter • WTF with Mark Maron Podcast • WTFPod on Twitter • Facebook • Wikipedia • IMDB • MySpace • Maron sitcom on IFC • Maron sitcom on Facebook • Maron sitcom on Twitter Order Thinky Pain by Marc Maron, available on DVD from Amazon.com by clicking on the image 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!

Today's Guest: Marc Maron, comedian, podcaster, "WTF with Marc Maron, actor, "Maron," "G.L.O.W." Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience of guys who knew Tommy Blaze and Ron Bennington back in the days when they played the Coconuts comedy clubs here… in the NEW new media capitol of the world… St. Petersburg, Florida! Order This Has To Be Funny by comedian Marc Maron, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the album cover above ]If you love stand-up comedy and enjoy listening to intelligent conversation with America’s funniest men and women on TV and in film, meet Marc Maron. Maron is one of those guys — like Richard Belzer, Louis CK and the late Robert Schimmel — that comedians themselves turn to to get a serious dose of the funny. He’s outrageous, unrestrained and full of self-loathing — everything you want when dropping serious coin on a night out. MARC MARON podcast excerpt: "The darkest realization I've had... I want to go from the second lowest rung on the show business ladder to the lowest one and put a band together, at 47 years old, is ridiculous. I'm relatively infantile in my delusions of what's next for me." He’s also developed a new world to conquer: podcasting. Maron is the host and producer of "WTF with Marc Maron." Actually, it’s “What the F**k with Marc Maron,” but you can’t write or say that in some places. Here, no problem.     Order Attempting Normal by Marc Maron, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above! The show is a place for Maron to sit down with some of his closest friends and occasional antagonists or one-time enemies and talk funny. Many of the conversations take place, literally, in his garage, although he’s been taking the show on the road much more often lately, talking to Will Ferrell’s producing partner, Adam McKay, in his office, or visiting with Ray Romano on the set of his new show, “Men of a Certain Age.” And he’s taken the show on the road in even more literal terms, sharing the stage with an array of regional comics and combining stand-up with conversation, as he did this past week in Austin. You can subscribe to “WTF with Marc Maron” on your iPhone or other smartphone via the Stitcher app, or visit his website, WTFPod.com. Marc Maron Website • Twitter • WTF with Mark Maron Podcast • WTFPod on Twitter • Facebook • Wikipedia • IMDB • MySpace • Maron sitcom on IFC • Maron sitcom on Facebook • Maron sitcom on Twitter Order Thinky Pain by Marc Maron, available on DVD from Amazon.com by clicking on the image 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!

Today's Guest: Tony Hendra, editor, The FinalEdition.com, National Lampoon Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience that includes alumni from National Lampoon: The Funny Years and Spy: The Funny Years… in the new new media capitol of the world… St. Petersburg, Florida! Image via Wikipedia (JULY 2011) I always knew of Tony Hendra’s magazine work, being of the generation who were teens and then college students during the best years of both the National Lampoon and Spy. But I never real knew Hendra until I read Rick Meyerowitz’s book, Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Writers and Artists Who Made the National Lampoon Insanely Great. TONY HENDRA audio excerpt: "With the (New York Times) struggling — with a moron as its publisher, numerous scandals over the past ten years — it remains the Old Grey Lady and the Old Grey Lady is as constipated as ever... and we've been having great fun with the corpse of the Times." Meyerowitz wrote that Hendra was one of the “brilliant” guys in the book’s title. He was also very good at holding his alcohol, apparently.“Often, reading the magazine, you can’t tell who wrote what, but Tony’s prose has a specific gravity. You can feel its weight on the page. His sentences, like shiny steel, fit together with a metallic sound, like the business parts of a Gatling gun locking in place. And his words ring like bullet casings hitting a steel deck after being fired.” TheFinalEdition.com Am I intimidated talking to someone that clever? Of course; why else do you think I’m relying on Rick Meyerowitz’s words to carry me here? Hendra is back in the spotlight with the launch of TheFinalEdition.com, a broad parody of The New York Times, Fox News and media in general. You might argue that on any given day, The New York Times itself is but a parody of The New York Times, but that won’t deter the likes of Tony Hendra. He has the Old Grey Lady in his sights and his trigger finger is ready to squeeze. TheFinal Edition.com Website * Twitter • Facebook • Topless Sarah Palin   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! Order 'Will Eisner: A Spirited Life' (2nd Edition) by Bob Andelman, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above! "Mean Business: How I Save Bad Companies and Make Good Companies Great" by Albert J. Dunlap with Bob Andelman, available in print, e-book or digital audio. Order your copy now by clicking on the book cover above![/caption]   The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Monte Wolverton, author, The Wolverton Bible Order The Wolverton Bible by Basil Wolverton from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above! Cartoonist Basil Wolverton was known for his grotesque drawings, fantastically odd creatures, spaghetti-like hair, smoothly sculpted caricatures and insanely detailed crosshatching. His career in the golden age of comic books lasted from 1938 until 1952, after which his illustrations and caricatures extended into such publications as Life, Pageant and MAD magazines. Stylistically, he has been regarded as one of the spiritual grandfathers of underground and alternative comix. Plop! #1 with cover art by Basil Wolverton. (April 9, 2009) Less well known and understood is his work for the Worldwide Church of God, headed until 1986 by radio evangelist Herbert Armstrong. From 1953 through 1974, Wolverton, a deeply religious man, was commissioned and later employed by the church to write and illustrate a narrative of the Old Testament (including over 550 illustrations), some 20 apocalyptic illustrations inspired by the Book of Revelations, and dozens of cartoons and humorous illustrations for various Worldwide Church publications. Compiled and edited by Wolverton’s son, Monte, the 304-page Wolverton Bible includes all of Wolverton’s artwork for the Worldwide Church of God corporation. Monte Wolverton delivers commentary and background in the introduction and in each section. Many of the illustrations in this book are regarded as Basil Wolverton’s finest work. Still others have never been published, and some of the humorous drawings printed here rival Wolverton’s work in MAD magazine. Monte Wolverton Website • Wolvertoons ¨• LinkedIn • Order The Wolverton Bible from Amazon.com 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! 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: Drew Friedman, artist, Old Jewish Comedians, Too Soon? and Warts and All Order 'Even More Old Jewish Comedians' by Drew Friedman by clicking the book cover above! Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience of actual, working caricaturists gathered here for their annual convention… in the NEW new media capital of the world, St. Petersburg, Florida! Drew Friedman is BETTER than Picasso! So says Howard Stern, and who is Mr. Media to argue with the King of All Media? Drew is the king of modern caricaturists. His work has been featured on almost every major American magazine, from The New York Times and MAD to Entertainment Weekly and Field & Stream. DREW FRIEDMAN audio excerpt: "Howard Stern -- the uglier, more disgusting I draw him, the more he likes me." In recent years, he has turned much of his attention capturing a generation of sometimes unheralded entertainers: Old Jewish Comedians. In fact, it’s become virtually a brand for Drew, starting with his first collection, Old Jewish Comedians, then his second, More Old Jewish Comedians, and now his third, Even More Old Jewish Comedians. Who knew there were so many Old Jewish Comedians? Is there any chance he’s making some of these people up as he goes? Who knows? Who cares – it’s funny and the artwork is impeccable. Drew Friedman drew this R. Crumb sketch @ the International Society of Caricature Artists 2011 annual convention. (c) 2011 by Drew Friedman. All Rights Reserved. Drew Friedman drew this sketch of Mr. Media, Bob Andelman, @ the International Society of Caricature Artists 2011 annual convention. (c) 2011 by Drew Friedman. All Rights Reserved. Drew has been on Mr. Media before and he recently connected me with his father, legendary humorist and novelist Bruce Jay Friedman. And the family act continues next April with a reprint of Drew’s first book of comics from the pages of Raw magazine – co-authored with his brother, Josh Alan Friedman. Today we’re meeting in person at the TradeWinds Resort in beautiful St. Pete Beach, Florida, where Drew is the keynote speaker at the International Society of Caricature Artists annual convention. We’ll use that as an excuse to talk about craft. A very special feature of the video of this interview is a 17-minute, over-the-shoulder demonstration of Drew Friedman's caricature technique, as he draws me and then a real celebrity, Robert Crumb. Don't miss it! Drew Friedman Blog • Art Prints For Sale • Order Even More Old Jewish Comedians by Drew Friedman   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! Order 'Will Eisner: A Spirited Life' (2nd Edition) by Bob Andelman, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above!

Today's Guests: Gary Groth.Kim Thompson, editors, The Comics Journal, Fantagraphics Kim Thompson, Eric Reynolds and Gary Groth, the Fantagraphics brain trust Order 'Critters, Edition# 6,' available right now at a great price by clicking on the book cover above! (JULY 21, 2009) They are probably the best-known good cop/bad cop team in comics today. “They” are Gary Groth, the founder of The Comics Journal, and his partner in Fantagraphics—and fellow editor—Kim Thompson. Fantagraphics is a preeminent publisher of comics –related books and magazines, including the more than 30-year-old Comics Journal, as well as an extensive line of graphic novels, comics histories, underground comix—with an ‘X’ or two—and comic strip collections such as “Peanuts” and “Popeye.” Order 'Zero Hour And Other Stories illustrated' by Jack Kamen, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above! Order 'Maria M.: Book One' (Vol. 1) by Gilbert Hernandez, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above! So who is the good cop and who is the bad cop? It’s no secret actually. Groth, the founder of the company, is generally regarded as the bad cop, the guy who shoots acid from the lip and lets the cow chips fall where they may. Thompson, therefore, is generally regarded as the good cop, the guy who evens out Groth’s rough edges. That, as in any case, is the reputation of the two guys atop Fantagraphics. The truth, I suspect, is somewhere in-between. Fantagraphics Website • Tumblr • Twitter • The Comics Journal Order 'Peanuts Every Sunday 1952-1955' by Charles Schulz, 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: Lisa Roth, co-creator, creative director, Rockabye Baby Music

Order Rockabye Baby Music: http://amzn.to/2ap6g3I
LISA ROTH podcast excerpt: "We do it with great care, great pride, from the sound of the recording to the artwork. It's something the original artists can be proud of. We're not making fun; we're huge fans."
Key interview moments:

• 6:30 Lisa Roth, co-creator and creative director of Rockabye Baby Music, talks about the care that is put into converting pop, rock, metal and hip-hop tunes into soothing lullabies for babies;

• 13:50 Roth reveals that Aerosmith's "Dude Looks Like a Lady" is one of her favorite conversions and discusses the evolution of baby music;

• 19:08 Ever wondered what it might be like to grow up with Van Halen lead singer David Lee Roth as your older brother?


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