1000 w/ Ron Placone

Giovannie Espiritu is an actress, filmmaker, and educator. She's escaped from a cult, an abusive marriage, she's overcome extensive loss and grief, all while maintaining a family and a career. To say her story is inspirational is an understatement. 

Robin Waite is an author, mentor, and coach. I came across Robin's book, “Take Your Shot”, and I absolutely loved it. It used story to teach the principles of turning your passion project into a sustainable living. Robin narrated the audiobook himself. I couldn't stop listening to it. It used golf as a back drop, best part, I don't even like golf! I decided I needed to learn more about Robin and his story.

Peter Joseph is a filmmaker, author, musician, and activist. Years ago, he released the Zeitgeist documentary for free online. He went viral before there was a term for such a thing. He spawned a movement that had chapters all over the world. He's released other films and books since. I was fortunate enough to cross paths with him a few times over the years, and we've kept in touch. He's a fairly private guy, so it was cool to learn more about the man behind the work.

Satori Shakoor is a storyteller, singer, actress, and comedian. She's lived multiple lives in multiple places but she's always found her way back to the Motor City. She's worked with legends in comedy and film, and she toured with Parliament-Funkadelic. Yes, you heard that right.

Caroline O'Riordan is a writer, filmmaker, and healthcare activist. She founded the group Hollywood4CalCare, an organization dedicated to making health care a human right in California. That's how I met her, and she was at the Termination Fee preview. We get to know her origin story, and of course we go off on some policy talk.

Brian Kiley is a comedic force. He's a stand-up and writer. He wrote for Conan for nearly 30 years, he's won Emmys, and he's among the most respected comedy writers in the game. He's the type of comic where when you're on a bill with him, you never want to miss his set. I was stoked when he agreed to do the show.

Joslyn Sky is a singer, musician, and speaker. She has Retinitis Pigmentosa, or RP for short. This is a disease that causes progressive damage to the retina and often leads to limited vision or blindness. I saw Joslyn perform, and wanted to know her story. She uses her condition to educate others, and to create. We get into everything from religion to philosophy to politics, we have different points of view, which, hey, it'd be boring if we didn't.

Gary Arndt is a podcaster, blogger, photographer, and world traveler. Gary was, among other things, an entrepreneur in Minnesota. Then one day he decided he was going to trade it all in and go travel the world. He sold his house and he was off. He started doing photography, he started a blog, and he started a podcast. He quickly built his own universe. His podcast, Everything Everywhere Daily, has been downloaded over 10 million times. Here's how he did it. 

Nate Golon is a filmmaker, producer, educator, and world traveler. I saw him speak on a panel at WonderCon and he mentioned that he sold a series to Hulu and then decided to walk away from all of it and go live in Japan. Ok, I got to get this guy's story! Creativity, passion, life's journey, this is what 1000 is all about!

Comics! The print kind! Barbra Dillon is a comic book publisher and creator. She's the co-founder of Fanbase Press, a comic book publisher and “geek culture” website. I saw her speak at a panel at WonderCon and wanted to know more about the publishing niche that she and her husband built. Upon meeting her, I found out we both grew up in Pittsburgh around the same time.

Jeremy Fury is a musician, producer, and he lives it. He's based in Brooklyn via Detroit area, Toledo to be exact. I first became aware of him when I discovered his band, Jeremy and the Harlequins. I became an instant fan. Jeremy's been recording and touring for over 20 years, Jeremy and the Harlequins are just one of his many accomplishments. From Pasadena to Marina Del Ray, from Brooklyn all the way to LA, welcome to the show, Jeremy Fury!

Esteban Gast is a comedian, content creator, and educator. He's the comedian in residence at Generation 180 where he created the Climate Comedy Cohort. I saw him recently at an event hosted by Adam McKay's company. This is my first time talking to him and it's almost eerie how much we have in common. This is a chatty episode, couldn't help it.

Calling All Writers!Mike Royce is a writer and producer. His list of credits is not short. One Day at a Time, Men of a Certain Age, Everybody Loves Raymond, and that's just scratching the surface.Additionally, during the recent writer and actor strikes, Mike was very vocal advocating for creatives and Unions.

Alonzo Bodden is a comedian and actor. He won Last Comic Standing (Season 3), he's a regular on the NPR show “Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me,” and that's barely touching his resume. I've known Alonzo for a long time and always loved crossing paths with him. I get to know a bit more about the man behind the content in this episode, though we definitely dive into the weeds of the current state of affairs. Tough not to.

Lee Camp is a comedian, writer, podcaster, and show host. He hosted the teeth-as-sharp-nails political comedy show, Redacted Tonight, which tragically got axed as the result of years of misdirected nationwide hysteria. I've known Lee for a long time, given the theme of the show, I'd originally planned for him to be a December episode, but he's got a new show out, so the time is now!

Eddy MacKenzie is an actor, musician, and comedian. I first met Eddy at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2023. The fest was in its last week, many performers were understandably tired. Eddy was a constant force of positive energy. The way he speaks, it's hard to describe, but it's almost like constant laughter. He's the type of guy where when you're around him, you can't help but be in a good mood. Recently, he played Piglet in the cult-horror film Blood and Honey 2.

Eleanor Goldfield is a journalist, filmmaker, and, more than anything, she's a creative radical. She co-hosts Common Censored and Project Censored. Also, I hope she doesn't mind my saying so, she put out some killer music a few years back. I've been following her for years now, and figured now was a perfect time for us to dive into the world.

A few years before Colin Kaepernick, there was Chris Kluwe.Chris Kluwe is a former NFL punter, writer, musician, and activist. During his time with the Minnesota Vikings, he got in trouble for his decision to be outspoken in support of marriage equality. I became aware of him around that time and have followed him ever since. He published a piece recently about how he was essentially blacklisted from the NFL. This is his story.

Jess Pettitt is a speaker, author, and researcher. Recently, she did a deep dive into Project 2025. Somebody had to.I first met Jess on the NACA circuit, basically the college performance circuit, many years ago. I've always enjoyed hearing her take on things, and was curious, especially after her 2025 project, to know her assessment right about now.

Sam Richard is a writer, editor, and publisher. He is the orginal editor and current operator of Weirdpunk Books, a publisher in Minneapolis, MN. I found out about him online. Wait, a punk rock horror publisher that's unapologetically leftist, queer, and DIY? In the Twin Cities no less? Yes, I'm in. Sam runs a great publishing house and he's got quite the story. Please welcome to the show, Sam Richard.

Bryant Odega is an educator and activist. His first memory is of ICE coming to deport his father. He recently graduated from Harvard. I first became aware of Bryant when he ran for City Council in my district in Los Angeles. In the times we're living in, many people are wondering what they can do, and how they can fight back. I think this episode helps answer, or at least partially answer, that question.

Havilah Malone is an author, actress, producer, and speaker. She's written some best selling books, and you'd probably recognize her from a national commercial or two. Havilah was helping out with a gameshow pilot Graham Elwood and I produced called Anything Can Happen. Her productive and positive energy was infectious. It was awesome to have her be part of it. She's the type of person you like being on set with, which goes a long way in this business.

Sally Mullins is an actress, comedian, animal rescuer, and porn star. Also, she's in my movie, Left At Wall. She's hilarious. I met her in the LA comedy scene, and wanted to know more about her origin story. Among other things, we talk about sexuality, different kinks people have, and her experience as a dominatrix.

Curious about Off-Grid Living? Earthships? Chad Riden is a comedian and producer. A few years ago, Chad packed up his life in Nashville, got a plot of land in New Mexico, and built an Earthship for himself. If ya don't know what that is, don't worry, we get into it. Pre-Order Left At Wall on Apple TV: https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/left-at-wall/umc.cmc.5mh7nkndorqopu53n5ckf2lcn

Krish Mohan is a comedian, graphic designer, and mental health advocate. Also, he's a close friend. He's in my movie, Left At Wall, and we've collaborated on a ton of stuff over the years. This episode hits the themes of creative fulfillment and happiness. Perfect episode to end a year. Please welcome to the show, Krish Mohan. Pre-Order LEFT AT WALL on Apple TV : https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/left-at-wall/umc.cmc.5mh7nkndorqopu53n5ckf2lcn

Graham Elwood is a comedian, filmmaker, and podcaster. Also, he's my good friend. We've toured multiple countries together, heck, we even toured a different continent. We vent some frustrations about the YouTube space, we go down memory lane, some good ones, some not so good ones. An appropriate December episode.

Jordan Chariton is a Journalist. He's also one of the reasons I'm still as active as I am in the YouTube space. Jordan is the co-founder and Head Journalist for Status Coup News, an indie outlet dedicated to on-the-ground journalism. Status Coup has covered 100s of protests all over the country, they covered the East Palestine chemical spill, and they were the only outlet in the world to cover the UAW strike every single day. Jordan has been investigating the Flint Water crisis for 9 years and counting. Recently, he published a book on the topic and it's a bombshell. Full disclaimer, I'm a proud part of the operation over there. 

Courtney Cronin is a comedy writer, stand-up, and producer. She's written for shows on MTV, TBS, MohrSports, The Chelsea Handler Show, and that's barely scratching the surface of her resume. Also, she's pretty much the first working comedian I ever befriended.

Tina-Desiree Berg is a Journalist. Dare I say, one of the most bad-ass ones I know. She goes toe-to-toe with right-wing extremists groups, she puts herself in danger for on-the-ground coverage, and she researches stuff that most people just wouldn't have the stomach for. As some of you may already know, she's a friend and colleague of mine. We've collaborated in many different contexts, but this is the first time I actually got to straight up interview her and dive more into her origin story.

Franz Nicolay is a musician and author. He performs as a solo artist, he was a member of World Inferno/Friendship Society, he plays keyboards for The Hold Steady, and that's barely a fraction of his music resume. As a writer, Franz has published a collection of tour essays, "The Humorless Ladies of Border Control", a novel, "Someone Should Pay For Your Pain", and his newest book is called "Band People", an extensive peak under the hood of the lives of session and touring musicians.

Silverio Tucci is an Italian punk rock musician and Socialist. I discovered his band, Lumpen, via Attila the Stockbroker and became an instant fan. I learned that his family members were partisans. For anyone not in the know, that means they were the people who literally fought the nazis in their communities in Italy during WWII. They're not mentioned much in history, but they were there, and when it was a fair fight, they usually won. I consider their story proof that at the end of the day love, community, and compassion triumphs over hate, fear, and bigotry. A reminder I think we could all use right about now. There are some barriers in this episode which is why it's a bit shorter. I'm limited in my Italian and Silverio is limited in his English, and we also had some connectivity issues. But we both navigate the waters and find common ground between our mutual love for music, family, art and solidarity. Also, this episode ends with a reflection on the current state of affairs.

Thomas Frank is a political analyst and writer. He wrote the book “Listen, Liberal”, a thorough but fair dissection of the failures of the Democratic Establishment and in particular, the Obama Administration. He also wrote “The People, No”, which provides a factual analysis on what populism actually is. In the contemporary political landscape we're living in, he's one of the most important thinkers out there. I try not to be too topical with this show, as that's not the theme, but we recorded this a week after Donald Trump's 2024 victory. Whether you're listening the day it drops, or years from now, I hope it's a solid snapshot of where we are, or were.

Dennis Jagard is a musician and sound engineer. He is the singer, songwriter, and one of the principle members of the legendary skate punk band, Ten Foot Pole. I grew up listening to Ten Foot Pole. One of their songs in particular is one of my favorite songs in the world. Dennis and I get to talk about that. I tell him why the song means what it does to me and my interpretation of it, and he gives some insider insight of the writing of the song. This is what 1000 is all about!

Danny McDermott is a producer, actor, comic, and filmmaker. His latest effort, Party Panda - The Birth of a Serial Killer, is tearing it up in the indie horror world and continues to grow in popularity. Want to know what it really means to get movies produced in Hollywood? This episode's for you. Spooky Season continues!

Anastasia Washington is an actor, comedian and Scream Queen. She is an institution in the Indie Horror Comedy world. She's appeared in tons of movies you've seen and she's carved her own niche that, while most at home in indie horror, is versatile enough for anything.

Samantha Hale is a comedian, writer, producer, and most importantly, she's a horror-comedy institution. She produces the show, Horror Nerd, which combines Horror Movies, stand-up, storytelling, and cinema nostalgia into one incredible show that's generating a buzz in LA and now, nationally. It's officially spooky season! 

Voting in a US Election soon? This episode's for you. Greg Palast is an investigator, reporter and filmmaker. He's worked for the Guardian and covered the Election Integrity beat in the US for 25 years. His newest work, Vigilantes Inc., is about the type of voter suppression to expect in 2024.

James Fauntleroy, also known as Jay Befaunt, is a show host and member of the YouTube Network and activist org, Revolutionary Blackout Network. I've collaborated with Jay many times in the past, both on his show, my show and different panels. I never knew much about him. Who was the man beyond the online presence? All I can say is buckle in, he has a heck of a story. Please welcome to the show, Jay Befaunt.

Kaytlin Bailey is a comedian, performer, former sex worker, and she is the executive director and founder of the Non-Profit, Old Pros Online, an organization dedicated to the decriminalization of sex work. We've both incorporated policy passions into our creative endeavors, her with sex work and me with Digital Rights. Those two issues cross pollinate a good bit. I've known her since we were both starting out in comedy, and have been following her new chapter for awhile now.

Zeynab Day is a campaigner, activist and journalist. She's also a mom and an entrepreneur. She's lived many lives and overcome many obstacles. We've crossed paths in similar circles and seen experiments succeed and fail. We reflect on that and more. Also, given some circumstances in my personal life, there's a beautiful coincidence to the timing of this episode. 

Josh Spector is a marketing expert who helps businesses get more clients from their content. He runs the For the Interested newsletter and he has a podcast called I Want To Know. Josh's blogs and advice changed my life. It's hard to imagine where I would be if it weren't for Josh's blogs and advice. I explain how.

Sabrina Salvati, aka Sabby Sabs, is a YouTube commentator, journalist and activist. She is part of the indie media space that I used to be heavily involved in, but now keep at arm's length. Though my overall take on the scene is not a positive one, I still think there are diamonds in the rough. We talk about all of that and more.

Joy Damiani is a musician, veteran, and anti-war activist. She has had quite a life. To escape a religious cult, she joined the military and got sent off to Iraq. Upon seeing the true nature of US foreign policy, when she returned she became involved in anti-war protests and actions, and she's written some amazing songs, too. Buckle in, this story is quite the ride.

Darrin Bradbury is a singer/songwriter turned activist turned singer/songwriter/activist. He's based in East Nashville. I first saw him when I was still living in Nashville and I became an instant fan.  Darrin's star was starting to rise, and then one day, he walked away from all of it. He quit music. He left the industry and eventually found his way into mutual aid work which led to the creation of the Beat, TN, which provides, among other things, homeless outreach. This is his story. We find out why he ended a chapter and started a new one. As someone who also closed a chapter and started a new one, I could relate to a ton of what he had to say.

Italophiles Rejoice! Valentina Martelli is an Italian journalist, entrepreneur and innovator. And that's barely scratching the surface of everything she does. She's a brilliant mind, has a work ethic second to none and on top of that she's a genuine and kind person. I met her through a mutual acquaintance via my neighborhood of San Pedro. I'm honored to call her a colleague and a friend, and for the first time, I learn her story.

Michael Blaha is an Entertainment Attorney, Performer and Fringe Producer. I met him because of that last thing. Michael loves Fringe Festivals and has made it a large focus in his life. He's a nomad. He's an example of living a creative life on your own terms, which I'm always a fan of.

Andrew Frank is a comedian and performer based in Seattle, WA. They're Queer, Pansexual and use They/Them pronouns. They grew up in a fundamentalist Christian household. Their dad was a fundamentalist Minister. We talk about the journey, the joy of Fringe Festivals and Andrew's newest show, where they satirize an Evangelical Minister.

Marco Di Pinto is an Italian comedian and producer. He is among the main players in bringing Italian and English speaking stand-up comedy to Italy on a larger scale than it ever has been. I met Marco in Edinburgh at the 2023 Fringe Festival. He's a creative pioneer, he's like the Black Flag for stand-up in Italy. Not only is this extremely cool but there's a personal element for me. Years ago, I had the opportunity to move to Italy. I passed it up, because I knew I really wanted to pursue Stand-up and that just wouldn't be possible there. Well, some years have gone by. The world is different than it was and so am I.

Tuesday Thomas is an actress, performer, comedian and filmmaker. Her documentary, The Trash Goes Out On Tuesday, is out now. It's about her life growing up Transgender in the 70s. I met Tuesday some years ago in the comedy scene here in LA, I interviewed her in the past for a show I used to have. She's had a wild life. Also, we both made our first movies recently, which is quite a process, so we had a ton to talk about.

Mike Park is a musician, activist, and record label operator. He runs the legendary ska/punk label, Asian Man Records. I'm not fluent in the entirety of Asian Man's catalog, but Mike Park has put out some of my favorite albums, period. He's also one of the best examples out there of what it really means to be DIY and do things on your own terms. It's been an inspiration to me for, literally, most of my life at this point.

Margaret Killjoy is an author, podcaster and musician. She has brilliant insights especially on the topics of Anarchy and History. Her video series, Live Like The World Is Dying, details her experiences living off-grid. It's informative, insightful, brutally honest, and, when appropriate, hilarious. I've been a fan of hers for a few years now and was stoked to finally get to talk to her.