Mr. Media Interviews by Bob Andelman

Today's Guest: Josh Alan Friedman, blues singer, guitarist, Sixty, Goddammit   Watch this exclusive Mr. Media interview with Josh Alan Friedman by clicking on the video player above!  Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience full of bad mothereffers in sheep’s clothing… in the NEW new media capital of the world… St. Petersburg, Florida! Sixty, Goddammit by Josh Alan Friedman. Order your copy today by clicking on the album cover above! Thinking of asking singer-songwriter Josh Alan Friedman how 60 is treating him? Not sure that’s such a good idea – even if he did title his first new album in 15 years, Sixty, Goddammit. Hard to believe the former New Yorker – he’s been a somewhat unlikely Texas transplant for years – hasn’t produced a new record in that long. Could that be true? JOSH ALAN FRIEDMAN podcast excerpt: "I don't think anybody has an acoustic guitar sound like mine. And does what I do on acoustic guitar. I focused on that for 'Sixty, Goddammit'; very laser-beamed in on what I do best." Friedman, recognized as much for the books he’s written – including Tales of Times Square, Black Cracker, I, Goldstein, and Warts And All, the last with artist brother Drew – as his music, has been saving up for this moment. Among Sixty, Goddammit’s 11 tracks, you’ll find terrific covers of Blacks and blues, including Isaac Hayes’ “Theme from Shaft,” Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say” and “Tush” by ZZ Top. But I’m always most interested in Friedman’s own compositions, and my favorite here is “This Radio Don’t Play Nothin’ But the Blues.” JOSH ALAN FRIEDMAN podcast excerpt: "I played thousands of nights in honky-tonks across Texas, so I played 'I Got A Woman' every night, a rockabilly version of it. I would do 'Georgia' in Ray Charles' style. But 'What 'd I Say' -- I almost feel like it's mine." You can find the new album on iTunes and Amazon, by the way. Long time viewers and listeners know I’m an easy touch for members of the Friedman clan. This is the seventh interview I’ve done with men named Friedman: two for Josh, three for brother Drew, one for brother Kipp, and one with dad Bruce Jay Friedman. Each is laugh, story and art filled. Check the archives for your favorite. Key interview moments: • 8:10 Blues singer-songwriter Josh Alan Friedman talks about the focus of his first new album in 15 years, Sixty, Goddammit; • 25:50 There is one Ray Charles song on the new album; Friedman talks about all of the Charles songs he has played over the years; • 41:00 Kinky Friedman and Josh Alan Friedman playing shows together? You want a ticket to that show, folks. Josh Alan Friedman Website • Facebook • YouTube • Wikipedia • MySpace • ReverbNation 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!

Today's Guest: Josh Alan Friedman, blues singer, guitarist, Sixty, Goddammit Watch this exclusive Mr. Media interview with Josh Alan Friedman by clicking on the video player above!  Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience full of bad mothereffers in sheep’s clothing… in the NEW new media capital of the world… St. Petersburg, Florida! Sixty, Goddammit by Josh Alan Friedman. Order your copy today by clicking on the album cover above! Thinking of asking singer-songwriter Josh Alan Friedman how 60 is treating him? Not sure that’s such a good idea – even if he did title his first new album in 15 years, Sixty, Goddammit. Hard to believe the former New Yorker – he’s been a somewhat unlikely Texas transplant for years – hasn’t produced a new record in that long. Could that be true? JOSH ALAN FRIEDMAN podcast excerpt: "I don't think anybody has an acoustic guitar sound like mine. And does what I do on acoustic guitar. I focused on that for 'Sixty, Goddammit'; very laser-beamed in on what I do best." Friedman, recognized as much for the books he’s written – including Tales of Times Square, Black Cracker, I, Goldstein, and Warts And All, the last with artist brother Drew – as his music, has been saving up for this moment. Among Sixty, Goddammit’s 11 tracks, you’ll find terrific covers of Blacks and blues, including Isaac Hayes’ “Theme from Shaft,” Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say” and “Tush” by ZZ Top. But I’m always most interested in Friedman’s own compositions, and my favorite here is “This Radio Don’t Play Nothin’ But the Blues.” JOSH ALAN FRIEDMAN podcast excerpt: "I played thousands of nights in honky-tonks across Texas, so I played 'I Got A Woman' every night, a rockabilly version of it. I would do 'Georgia' in Ray Charles' style. But 'What 'd I Say' -- I almost feel like it's mine." You can find the new album on iTunes and Amazon, by the way. Long time viewers and listeners know I’m an easy touch for members of the Friedman clan. This is the seventh interview I’ve done with men named Friedman: two for Josh, three for brother Drew, one for brother Kipp, and one with dad Bruce Jay Friedman. Each is laugh, story and art filled. Check the archives for your favorite. Key interview moments: • 8:10 Blues singer-songwriter Josh Alan Friedman talks about the focus of his first new album in 15 years, Sixty, Goddammit; • 25:50 There is one Ray Charles song on the new album; Friedman talks about all of the Charles songs he has played over the years; • 41:00 Kinky Friedman and Josh Alan Friedman playing shows together? You want a ticket to that show, folks. Josh Alan Friedman Website • Facebook • YouTube • Wikipedia • MySpace • ReverbNation 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!

Today's Guest: Raquel Welch, actress, One Million Years B.C., The Wild Party, Three Musketeers; author, Beyond the Cleavage Order 'One Million Years B.C.' starring Raquel Welch, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the DVD above! Order from Amazon.com by clicking the book cover above! (2010) Raquel Welch is… well, c’mon, she’s Raquel Welch! Beautiful, funny, enigmatic and smart, she will always be the epitome of the American sex symbol for several generations of men. The lasting image of Raquel for me will always be of her bodice-bursting work in Three Musketeers. I was too young then to know her as Loana in One Million B.C., although the poster of her in a prehistoric, pre-PETA, doeskin bikini did make a certain impression later. RAQUEL WELCH audio excerpt: "I was never interested in that (nude pictures of myself). It's not the kind of thing I was seeking out. Lots of fans send pictures of bikinis that are wet (to be autographed) and I replace them with something else." Today she’s promoting her new book, Raquel: Beyond the Cleavage, which is short on Hollywood at times but long on beauty and health tips and along the way presents a virtual manifesto for the modern, mature woman. I think this story will appeal to two types of women: those of any age who want to be like Raquel, and those who think a woman as sexy and famous as Raquel Welch couldn’t possibly relate to their lives. Because, from what I read in Beyond the Cleavage, I think she does. The 14-year-old boy in me is extremely excited to welcome Raquel Welch to today’s show; the 50-year-old man in me is trying to weigh her willingness at 70 to date younger men and whether it’s worth leaving my wife of 22 years for a shot. I’ll let you know how that stands in 30 minutes. Raquel Welch Twitter • Facebook • Order Raquel: Beyond the Cleavage from Amazon.co  One Million B.C. starring Raquel Welch, Click to order on DVD! 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: Cartoonist Mort Walker, dean of American comic strip creators, creator of Hi & Lois, Beetle Bailey. (FROM 2007) Order Beetle Bailey: The Daily & Sunday Strips 1966 by Mort Walker, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above![/caption] Mort Walker is the dean and -- in some ways -- the curator of American cartoonists. Best known for his long-running strips “Beetle Bailey” and “Hi & Lois,” Walker, 84, is also a bedrock member of the National Cartoonists Society, and he’s the founder and energy behind the National Cartoon Museum. This is the third time I’ve had the pleasure of Mort’s company over the last 20 years. I enjoy interviewing him because he says what’s on his mind, and what’s on his mind is never dull. But just in case my questions aren’t sharp enough for this American comic strip master, I’ve called in reinforcements. Ray Billingsley, creator of the “Curtis” strip and an old friend of Walker’s, kindly contributed questions today. So did a newer member of the fraternity, Mark Tatulli, creator of “Heart of the City” and America’s fastest-growing new strip, “LIO.”   Order Will Eisner: A Spirited Life (2nd Edition) by Bob Andelman, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above!

Today's Guest: Gene Colan, legendary Marvel Comics artist, Daredevil, Dracula, Howard the Duck, Iron Man Order from Amazon.com by clicking the book cover above (2008) Anybody who tells you that one comic book looks just like the next doesn’t know what they’re talking about. It doesn’t take much effort to tell Jack Kirby’s blocky drawings from Steve Ditko’s otherworldly stylings, for example, or, in more modern terms, the dark, detailed pencils of Frank Miller from the brighter, livelier sketches of Jim Lee. And few of those guys produce anything like the work of “Gentleman” Gene Colan. Colan’s contribution to the industry date back to the 1940s, but he was one of the artists who, in the 1960s and ‘70s, defined Marvel Comics and characters such as Daredevil, Dracula, Iron Man, and even Howard the Duck. His richly drawn images looked like they took a lot longer to do and required much more care and patience than those of many of his contemporaries. Put another way, you could escape into a Gene Colan 32-page comic for a lot longer than you could someone else’s books. It is an honor and a pleasure to welcome Gene Colan to Mr. Media today.

Today's Guest: Scott Gerber, author, Never Get a Real Job Never Get a Real Job by Scott Gerber. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above! Scott Gerber puts into words what a lot of people need to hear: Not everybody is going to succeed in Corporate America – and more than a few of you are foolish to even try. He’s not calling you a loser – that would be your father’s job. He’s saying there is another way to go about pursuing a job, a career, a life – something that fits you best, but doesn’t necessarily fit into your parents’ definition of a job. Scott Gerber, author, Never Get a Real Job SCOTT GERBER audio excerpt: "Nobody even talks about why young people now more than ever need to be entrepreneurial. It blows my mind! What rock are these people living under?"  In his new book, Never Get a Real Job, Gerber presents an unorthodox approach to the working life. As a guy who has always gone his own way – but for two very short-lived jobs working for someone else – I enjoyed his candor and his advice. Gerber will probably be the first to tell you that no book of this kind can be a perfect one-size-fits-all. But for a lot of people foundering in dead-end jobs for faceless corporations, reading Never Get a Real Job just might light a fire. You might figure out the right career move for yourself and get some solid tips on how to achieve it.

Today's Guest: Michael Chiklis, star, "No Ordinary Family," "The Shield," "The Commish," and as John Belushi in Wired and as Ben Grimm/The Thing in Fantastic Four Michael Chiklis, the star of ABC’s new superhero dramedy “No Ordinary Family” knows a thing or three about playing a hero. His first ABC series, "The Commish," featured Chiklis as a police commissioner, the kind that kids looked up to and donut shop owners enjoyed supporting in their neighborhoods. MICHAEL CHIKLIS audio excerpt: "We don't know what we're going to be able to achieve from a technical standpoint at the end of this season. The special effects are constantly leaping forward exponentially. The sky's the limit. Literally. I could definitely see 'No Ordinary Family' going out in 3-D. After that? I guess it's hologram. I'll be projected in the middle of your living room instead of on the wall."  And what greater superhero is there than Ben Grimm, the rocky “Thing” that Chiklis portrayed in two live-action movies about the original Marvel Comics superheroes, the Fantastic Four. He’s also played two classic anti-heroes, Detective Vic Mackey in the critically acclaimed FX series “The Shield” and John Belushi in the controversial biopic, Wired. In some ways, "No Ordinary Family" is a mashup of all those roles, mixing humor, a family sensibility and superpowers into 60 minutes of entertainment every Tuesday night at 8 p.m. If you haven’t seen it yet, watch the pilot on ABC.com. It’s way cooler than you might have expected, with sharp writing, clever twists and an occasional nod and a wink to comics fans.

Today's Guest: Guy Kawasaki, entrepreneur, former Apple evangelist, author of Enchantment, Reality Check. I defy you to pick any page in a Guy Kawasaki book – any page at all – and not come away a little smarter, a little inspired, or at least a little entertained. And that’s setting the bar pretty low; I found there was often too much of a takeaway when I read his last two books, Reality Check last year and his latest, Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions. GUY KAWASAKI audio excerpt: "I'm just a social media whore-- what can I tell you? The important thing is that you give the illusion you're working hard!"  You can LISTEN to this interview with GUY KAWASAKI, author of ENCHANTMENT and REALITY CHECK, by clicking the audio player above! His wife might think he needs to take out the garbage or otherwise help out more around the house, but as a reader and a fan, I think Kawasaki does too much already. He’s making the rest of us look lazy based on his productivity. There are the books – ten and counting – the businesses, including Alltop.com – the keynote speaking engagements, the blog for American Express, and his founding partnership in Garage Technology Ventures. He still speaks so highly of Apple – where he rose to fame as its chief evangelist more than 24 years ago – that many people think he’s still on the payroll. (And he’s not doing much to dissuade them by having Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak quoted on the front cover saying, “Read this book to create a company as enchanting as Apple.”) In Enchantment, Kawasaki dissects enchantment like a high school student would a frog, making it clear that a concept that may seem ephemeral to some is actually quite easily studied, learned and duplicated. You just need the desire to start.

Today's Guest: Scott McEwen, co-author, American Sniper (with Chris Kyle); novelist, Ghost Sniper (with Thomas Koloniar), lawyer

Order 'Ghost Sniper' by Scott McEwen with Thomas Koloniar: http://amzn.to/29H3l3E

SCOTT McEWEN podcast excerpt: "One of my most vivid memories of Chris Kyle is just how humble a guy he really was. And how much he loved to joke around and shoot the breeze with people. He was just a normal guy; a very intense warrior, but one of the funnest guys I ever drank with in my life."

Key interview moments:

• 14:17 Ghost Sniper novelist Scott McEwen talks about the future of his anti-hero, Gil Shannon;

• 26:00 A progress report on the first 'Sniper Elite' film, coming from Sony;

• 33:00 McEwen remembers his friend, Chris Kyle, with whom he co-authored the bestselling memoir, American Sniper.

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What is Mr. Media® Interviews? The calm of Charlie Rose, the curiosity of Terry Gross and the unpredictability of Howard Stern! Since February 2007, more than 1,000 exclusive Hollywood, celebrity, pop culture video and audio comedy podcast interviews by Mr. Media®, a.k.a., Bob Andelman, with newsmakers in TV, radio, movies, music, magazines, newspapers, books, websites, social media, politics, sports, graphic novels, and comics!

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Today's Guest: Kevin Willmott, writer, director, star, 'Destination: Planet Negro'; co-writer (with Spike Lee), 'Chi-Raq'

Download 'Destination: Planet Negro': http://amzn.to/29MFy0c

KEVIN WILLMOTT podcast excerpt: "The budget for 'Planet Negro' was $5,000. Five-thousand dollars! Everybody worked for free. What I spent the $5,000 on was meals. The cinematographer is a professor I work with; he built the spaceship. The robot was built by another buddy. He built it from stuff he had lying around. It took two years to make the movie. And I play one of the leads because I knew I would always show up!"
Key interview moments:

• 6:10 Destination Planet Negro writer/director/star Kevin Willmott explains how he made his movie for just $5,000;

• 19:00 A lifelong fan of 1950s sci-fi films, Willmott always loved seeing astronauts in leather jackets;

• 27:00 Willmott talks about crossing paths with Spike Lee and how they came to co-write Chi-Raq.


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For more interviews like this one: http://www.MrMedia.com

What is Mr. Media® Interviews? The calm of Charlie Rose, the curiosity of Terry Gross and the unpredictability of Howard Stern! Since February 2007, more than 1,000 exclusive Hollywood, celebrity, pop culture video and audio comedy podcast interviews by Mr. Media®, a.k.a., Bob Andelman, with newsmakers in TV, radio, movies, music, magazines, newspapers, books, websites, social media, politics, sports, graphic novels, and comics!

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