The Great Big Beautiful Podcast

We welcome Minh Lê to the show! His newest book (a collaboration with Dan Santat), Lift, is a charming, escapist book about the power of imagination… and the compelling urge to press elevator buttons! Honestly, who can't relate to that? Minh also recently worked with illustrator Andie Tong on Green Lantern: Legacy for DC Comics, which tells the story of the newest Lantern: 13-year-old Tai Pham. On this episode, we talk to Minh about his career, his books, working with Dan Santat, and why it's important to continue working and creating… especially now.

Composer Kevin Kiner is back to give Star Wars: The Clone Wars the continuity of sound and music that fans have come to expect from the franchise. Having composed the first six seasons of The Clone Wars, along with all of Star Wars Rebels, Kiner is no stranger to the galaxy far, far away. In fact, no one's composed more music for Star Wars than Kevin Kiner - not even John Williams. On this episode of the show, we talk to Kiner about returning to The Clone Wars, making such an impact on the Star Wars universe, his approach to music in general, and his other recent projects (including Titans and Doom Patrol).

Every so often, I like to read a book for pleasure. With no expectation of a review or author interview. With no pressure on my back. Just for the enjoyment of the book. Mallory O'Meara's The Lady from the Black Lagoon was supposed to be one of those books. Alas. I enjoyed it so much that I knew I had to have O'Meara on the show. And here we are. The Lady from the Black Lagoon tells the story of Milicent Patrick, lead designer on the Creature from Universal's original Creature from the Black Lagoon. But Patrick's story is one that was essentially lost to history. O'Meara's book puts the pieces back together, from Patrick's childhood at Hearst Castle (her father was an architect there) to her days at Disney's Ink and Paint department to her time creating monsters and beyond. It's part biography of Patrick, part detective story, part memoir of O'Meara. But it's all awesome. And it's one hell of a fascinating and entertaining read.

This time, we're joined by author Mira Bartók, author of The Memory Palace and The Wonderling. And the two books couldn't be more different. Where The Memory Palace is an intensely personal and emotional memoir about mental illness, The Wonderling is a lovely children's book in the grandest tradition of all: talking animals. On this episode, we talk about The Wonderling, making the transition between memoir and fiction, writing for totally different audiences, memory, museums, Massachusetts, and more!

Surprise! We're back! And surprise! We're joined by another author from the stellar Rick Riordan Presents line: Kwame Mbalia, author of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky. What's most incredible about Tristan Strong is not its powerful characters or original storyline (though those are awesome), it's that the book is Mbalia's debut novel! It's truly a staggering achievement. On this episode, we talk about Tristan Strong the book, Tristan Strong the character as an Anansesem, cultural memory, and presenting timeless mythologies to an audience that might not be familiar with them.

This week, we're joined by a middle grade superstar: Jeff Kinney, the evil genius behind the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. The fourteenth book in the series - Wrecking Ball - recently released, and it finds our hapless hero, Greg Heffley, at the center of another fine mess. On this episode, I talk to Jeff about the new book, keeping Greg the same age forever, writing an unlikable protagonist, finding influence in Lincoln Peirce's Big Nate, and owning an honest-to-goodness bookstore.

K. Eason has written one of our favorite books of 2019. How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse is a book that cohost Shiri is on record as calling "joyfully, delightfully amazing." Because it is. And in this episode of the show, we're joined by K. Eason to talk about the book, how it upends traditional fairy tales, teaching zombies to college kids, and why it's important for young women to have a circle of supportive, female friends. Oh, and we also talk about her hobby of reenacting faithful Viking sword and shield work. Yeah, it's pretty awesome.

If you're a Star Wars fan, you know Zoraida Córdova from the new book set in Galaxy's Edge, A Crash of Fate (or perhaps from her short story "You Owe Me a Ride" in the stellar From a Certain Point of View). If you're a fantasy reader, you likely know her from the Brooklyn Brujas or The Vicious Deep series. If you're a reader of romance, you know her by her pen name Zoey Castile. She's all kinds of prolific is what I'm saying. And she's all kinds of awesome. On this episode, Córdova sits down with us as we chat about her career, writing for Star Wars, being able to literally walk through the fantasy setting of her book, crafting magical systems, and so much more.

Rick Riordan is a middle grade superstar. Seriously, authors don't rank more A-list than him. When it comes to name recognition and reader obsession, you've got your J.K. Rowling, your Raina Telgemeier, and your Rick Riordan. That's the triumvirate, right there. The father of Percy Jackson (and Magnus Chase... and Carter and Sadie Kane... and - to an extent - the god Apollo), Riordan has managed to breathe vitality, immediacy, relevancy, and a modern take into ancient (Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Norse) mythology. He's also recently begun wielding his power for an even greater good with Rick Riordan Presents - an imprint that tells the world's mythology from an "own voices" perspective. We've been huge fans of these books from the beginning, and there hasn't been a miss among them yet. This week sees the release of The Tyrant's Tomb: the fourth installment in Riordan's The Trials of Apollo series. On this episode, we talk about The Tyrant's Tomb, approaching the end of his massively popular series, teaching middle school, giving voice to new authors with Rick Riordan Presents, and so much more.

This week, we welcome the legendary J. Michael Straczynski to the show. For many fans, Straczynski is the author of several seminal runs in both the DC and Marvel universes. For other fans, he's the genius behind Babylon 5. For still others, he's known for co-creating Sense8 with the Wachowskis. And for nerds like me, he was one of the original writers on He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. And, oh yeah, he co-created She-Ra: Princess of Power. But Straczynski has a new memoir out now - Becoming Superman: My Journey from Poverty to Hollywood - that chronicles his horrifically difficult childhood and how he SOMEHOW made it out alive. His father was, as he says himself, "the sampler platter of evil" - which somehow still manages to underestimate the depths of his awfulness.

This week, we celebrate the theatrical release of Spider-Man: Far From Home with Preeti Chhibber, author of the utterly charming Peter and Ned's Ultimate Travel Journal. The book is a snarky view of the MCU in general and Far From Home in particular in the form of a European travel journal as if it were written by Peter and Ned (with the occasional quip of extra snark from MJ in the margins). Our conversation with Chhibber is also super fun, and it's fantastic to chat with a writer at the relative beginning of her career. And what a beginning it is! Not many people land an A-list Marvel character for their first book. Needless to say, Preeti Chhibber is one to watch. Great things are coming, believe you me. On this episode, we talk about writing Spider-Man, writing for middle grade, working on the multiple sides of the publishing industry, and how sensitive Peter's spidey sense needs to be to warn him of impending... flatulence.

You might know her as Mrs. Columbo. Or maybe Mary Ryan from Ryan's Hope. Batman: The Animated Series fans remember her as Red Claw. If you've watched Orange Is the New Black, you know her from her chilling portrayal of Galina "Red" Reznikov. And if you're a Star Trek fan, you know Kate Mulgrew from Star Trek: Voyager, where she boldly went and broke new ground for seven seasons as the franchise's first female captain: Captain Kathryn Janeway. On this episode, we talk with Mulgrew about her new memoir How to Forget, the tricky job of mining your own life for stories, distilling facts and "truth" from an often muddled mix of memories and emotion, the enduring legacy and popularity of Kathryn Janeway, and much more.

This week, Michael Moreci joins me for a fantastic conversation about all things geeky. Moreci is the author of Black Star Renegades and its sequel We Are Mayhem, which just came out last month. In a nutshell, the story dares to ask the age-old question: "What would happen if Star Wars and Guardians of the Galaxy had a love child?" And oh boy, is it a fun ride. But Moreci is also a seasoned comic book writer, having written for pretty much every major publisher: DC, Archie, Image, Vault, Dynamite, Dark Horse, Boom!, IDW, and Disney-Hyperion. On this episode, we chat about turning your passion into a career, his two novels with St. Martin's Press, writing comics versus novels, Battlestar Galactica, and of course Star Wars.

Talk to Evangeline Lilly for more than three minutes, and one thing become remarkably clear. She's positively overflowing with stories she wants to tell, and Hollywood isn't necessarily where she wants to tell them. So when you sit down with her for nearly an hour, as we do this week, the insight is profound. Perhaps best known for her roles as Kate Austen (Lost), Tauriel (The Hobbit), and Hope Van Dyne/Wasp (Ant-Man and the Wasp), Lilly nevertheless sees herself as a writer with a fantastic day job. On this episode, we chat about The Squickerwonkers, living with this story since she was 14, acting versus writing, The Hobbit, and her place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Welcome back! This week, we're chatting with author Lamar Giles about his newest book, The Last Last Day of Summer, and the brand-new Versify imprint it's helping launch. Giles has written several YA books (Fake ID, Overturned, Spin), and The Last Last Day of Summer is his first go at middle grade fiction. And he knocks it out of the park. On this episode, we chat about The Last Last Day of Summer (and its unique twists), Versify, We Need Diverse Books (he's a cofounder), Hong Kong, LEGO obsessions, and... Grumpy Cat?

I know I say this a lot, but this one was a real thrill for me. This week, my conversation with Skeletor himself: the one and only Alan Oppenheimer! If Alan's career only included his work on He-Man and She-Ra (where he also played Man-at-Arms, Cringer/Battle Cat, and Mer-Man) and The Neverending Story (Falkor, G'Mork), his reputation as a legend would've been secure. But he was involved with so much else. If you grew up in the 80s and watched any cartoons, odds are you heard his voice more than you know. He had regular roles on The Smurfs (he was Vanity Smurf), Transformers, Wuzzles, The Original Ghostbusters, Centurions, Rambo, Bionic Six, BraveStarr, and so many more. On this episode, we chat about his early career, The Neverending Story, a soup-to-nuts discussion of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, and that show's enduring legacy.

This week, things are gettin' creepy as we talk to author Ronald L. Smith. Smith has a knack for imbuing his middle grade fiction with a little bit of that "X-Files vibe." And that dark, mysterious sensibility is certainly on display in his newest book, The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away, which is about a young kid who's convinced he's been abducted by aliens. On this episode, we talk about growing up as a military brat, why bullying recurs as a theme throughout his books, the role of adults in kids' stories, playing in the Marvel sandbox, and Baltimore.

This week, we welcome back one of our favorite guests: Tom Angleberger! Tom was actually one of our very first guests, WAY BACK on Episode 23. He was also the first guest to come back for a second appearance (with fellow Star Wars authors Alexandra Bracken and Adam Gidwitz on Episode 33). And now he's the first to hit another milestone: the threepeat! On this episode, I'm joined by Meg Humphrey to geek out about Tom's criminally underappreciated The Mighty Chewbacca in the Forest of Fear. And the 10th anniversary of Origami Yoda. And what else he's got up his sleeve. Buckle up!

This week, we're geeking out with one of our very favorite artists working in comics/graphic novels today: Skottie Young! If you're familiar with Young, you're familiar with his unique, recognizable-at-once style. For 15 years, he's been at the center of the industry and has had a hand in almost every major character. That's almost literally true - he's done "baby" variant covers for nearly every Marvel title. On this episode, we talk about the "dream scenario" of how he started in comics, how he struggled to not get unfairly pigeonholed early in his career, the long journey to Middlewest and where it'll go from here, the freedom of working on your own stories, and lessons from fatherhood.

This week, we're talking to author Hena Khan, whose book Amina's Voice was one of the launch titles for Simon & Schuster's Salaam Reads imprint. She's also written a series of middle grade books about Zayd Saleem - "Chasing the Dream" - a 4th grader with dreams of basketball stardom, a few board books that spotlight Muslim traditions, and even a book starring Curious George! On this episode, we talk to Khan about getting attached to Salaam Reads, using her and her children's experiences as a foundation for her books, recognizing the differences between those experiences, and telling diverse stories where the characters aren't being marginalized or overcoming dramatic adversity - they're just being kids. Oh, and we also talk about Spain and Skor toffee bits.

This week, we're talking children's poetry through the lens of rock and roll, baby! We welcome Rhett Miller, lead singer of the Old 97s, to the show to talk about his new book of, yep, children's poetry! On this episode, we talk about Miller's path from the proverbial "sex, drugs, and rock and roll" to children's poetry, fart jokes and dark humor, whether songwriting is a form of poetry, hooking up with Dan Santat for No More Poems!, and fatherhood. He also reads us one of the poems from the book - one of the BEST poems - "Brotherly Love."

We're gettin' nerdy this week, people! We're donning our lab coats and venturing into a scientific conversation we have no business discussing: CRISPR/Cas9. Which is why we brought in the brain trust - i.e., Kishore Hari, science guru over at Tested.com and host of the Inquiring Minds podcast. We start off with a bit of context and discuss what CRISPR/Cas9 actually is. What's the basic science behind the technology and process, how does it work, what's its promise, and what are its dangers? We also touch on recent, very real-world events in which Chinese scientist He Jiankui announced that he had used the technology to genetically modify a pair of twin girls. We then talk to author Robin Cook whose newest novel, Pandemic, is a thriller about the unintended side effects caused by genetic engineering and the CRISPR technology. Throughout his career, Cook has had an uncanny ability to be incredibly timely with his novels. Pandemic is no different. We talk to Cook about how the black market in human organs (a theme in Pandemic) has changed in the 40 years since he wrote Coma, why it wasn't much of a surprise that someone used CRISPR/Cas9 to genetically modify humans, where we go from here, the continuing ignorance about vaccines, and how medicine and public health will change over the next generation.

This week, we're marking the release of Oliver #1 with the creative team responsible for bringing this hopeful dystopia to life. Gary Whitta first wrote the story as a screenplay nearly a decade ago, and together with artist Darick Robertson, they've finally brought the story to a 12-issue run with Image Comics. The first issue is out this week, so do yourself a favor and get in on the ground floor of this one. You won't be sorry. On this episode, we talk about the seeds of Oliver and how it changed over the years, whether post-apocalyptic stories have an expiration date (in an era when they're beginning to not feel very fantastical), and why "hopepunk" is the next big thing.

This week, we're entering the world of myth. The mythological world of the Maya gods, to be exact. J.C. Cervantes is the author of The Storm Runner, which is one of the debut titles in the Rick Riordan Presents imprint of books that explore the world's mythologies. Cervantes is also the author of Tortilla Sun and the forthcoming sequel to The Storm Runner, which is scheduled to release this fall: The Fire Keeper. On this episode, we chat about The Storm Runner, coming in on the ground floor of the Rick Riordan Presents imprint, underdog stories, mythology, writing for young readers, and reading backwards.

Happy New Year! Welcome back to the podcast, and welcome to 2019! We're ringing in the new year the best way we know how: with awesome conversations. And one of the most awesome I've had recently with none other than Chuck Wendig. Star Wars fans know Wendig well for his Aftermath trilogy and his graphic novel adaptation of The Force Awakens. He also had a story in the stellar From a Certain Point of View and ALMOST wrote the Shadow of Vader limited series for Marvel (which is a whole other story). But he's so much more than just Star Wars. He's authored some 20 novels, including the Miriam Black series, the Heartland trilogy, Zeroes, Invasive, and many more. He's also figured out the whole Twitter thing. He not only used it to land his Star Wars gig, but he somehow managed to turn a series of tweets (with Sam Sykes) into a movie! Plus, he's an heirloom apple fanatic. What's not to love? Prolific on the page, vocal online, and just a damn fine gentleman, I can think of no better way to kick of 2019. Enjoy! And Happy New Year!

This week, we're giving you a (slightly early) end-of-the-year present: our conversation with Jarrett Krosoczka. I think we can all agree that 2018 was mostly another dumpster fire of a year in so many respects. But in others (such as publishing), it was a great year. Among other things, it was the year that we were all gifted with Krosoczka's graphic novel memoir, Hey, Kiddo. On this episode, we talk about sharing such an intensely personal story with the world, the reception the book has gotten (it was nominated for a National Book Award, among MANY other awards), using the graphic novel format to his advantage for this story, and why the world needs compassion and empathy now more than ever before.

We're traveling to Daevabad and the realm of the djinn this week with S.A. Chakraborty, author of the phenomenally great The City of Brass (and its forthcoming sequel, The Kingdom of Copper). These books will suck you in, hold on tight, and not let go. In all the best ways possible. On this episode, we talk about how Chakraborty "fell into" being an author, how much of her sprawling saga is based in historical fact and mythology, writing for a community that doesn't have much representation in "mainstream" genre fiction, crafting side stories as a way of tackling writer's block, and cooking elaborate medieval meals.

We're headed back to the Great White Way (in a manner of speaking). This week, we welcome Christine Toy Johnson to the show. Christine is currently playing the role of Diane in the national touring company of Come From Away, the musical that tells the story of 7,000 airline passengers who were stranded in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland after September 11. Off stage, Christine can be seen on a number of shows, but she most notably starred as Sherry Yang in the second season of Marvel's Iron Fist on Netflix. On this episode, we talk about growing up near New York and going to Broadway from a very young age, the rigors of a touring musical's schedule, the secrecy surrounding Iron Fist, whether Marvel should have rethought the Danny Rand character, and how Come From Away makes the events of 9/11 relevant for younger audiences and brings a new understanding of the day to those of us who lived through it.

This week, we welcome back Greg Weisman to the show. LONG-TIME listeners might remember Greg from WAY BACK on Episode 5, when we had no idea what we were doing. This episode spun out of a story I did for SYFY Wire that was an oral history of Gargoyles. For that story, I talked to Greg, Jonathan Frakes (Xanatos), Keith David (Goliath), and Carl Johnson (composer). Much of my conversation with Greg made it into that piece, but I wanted to bring you guys our complete, unfiltered conversation - which is more than an hour of Gargoyles greatness. Call it an early end-of-the-year present. You're welcome.

This week, we chat with Dav Pilkey about Dog Men, Captains Underpants, and more! That's right; the author/artist/creator behind the Captain Underpants phenomenon swings by our little corner of the Internet. The Adventures of Captain Underpants burst onto the scene way back in 1997. Since then, the series has spawned 11 sequels, several spin-offs, a feature film adaptation, an animated series on Netflix, and a genuine worldwide phenomenon. And one of those spin-off series has itself become a runaway success. The Dog Man series is now five books strong and showing no signs of slowing down. And in my house? The kids are obsessed with them. On this episode, I talk to Dav about the artistic choices he makes in his books, his own struggles with becoming a reader as a kid, "boys books" versus "girls books," why graphic novels still have a stigma attached to them, and how he and Raina Telgemeier have exploded the mainstream success of the medium beyond all expectations.

This week, we have the one and only Peter Beagle on the show. Sometimes, we even impress ourselves. Peter is of course the author of The Last Unicorn. Though he has written many other books, it's this classic that cemented his place among the greatest living fantasy authors. This episode is a delight. Peter is a master storyteller and draws from an incredible life to keep you spellbound from beginning to end. On this episode, Shiri and I talk to Peter about his early career, writing and selling A Fine and Private Place, the legacy of The Last Unicorn, why unicorns are so compelling, why he's returned to the story numerous times over the years, and his other recent work.

Welcome, ladies and gents, to Episode 200! Happy anniversary to us! When we began this weird little show about four years ago, I don't think I ever realistically thought I'd be here to see 200 episodes. But here we are, and stronger than ever! And I could think of no better way to celebrate than with Dominique Tipper! Tipper currently anchors an absolutely amazing cast on The Expanse, which is making the jump over to Amazon Prime for its fourth season. As Naomi Nagata, she not only leads one of the best sci-fi shows ever made but also is the most prominent face in a show that excels at presenting a world (or galaxy) populated by people who represent the true diversity of our own world. On this episode, Shiri and I break out the hard-hitting journalistic questions and get to the root of her obsession with stationery. We also talk about her early proclivity toward performing, her music and dance career, her first audition and role, breaking into the Hollywood scene from abroad, working on The Expanse, and why the role of Naomi is so important.

Welcome to the Big Dumb Thing. This year, I made the incredibly awesome/unwise decision to take care of a pop culture blind spot that's been plaguing me for a while now. Regarding the Halloween franchise, I'd only ever seen the original, John Carpenter classic. Therefore, as this month saw the return of Michael Myers and Jamie Lee Curtis in the newest installment - 40 years after the original - AND it happens to be October, the month of Halloween, this all seemed to make sense. At the time. Over on The Roarbots, I was joined by Shiri Sondheimer (who has never seen ANY of them) to watch all 11 films in the franchise. Preston Burt also swung by for a few films (the better ones) in the series. We watched together and commented on the film in a private Slack channel. However, since the newest film is still in the theaters, we thought this format was a wiser (and more appropriate) choice. On this episode, Shiri, Preston, and I recap the entire Halloween franchise, gab about the new film, rank all 11 films, and share our lists of Top 10 Lessons Learned. And trust me, you'll want to stick around to the end when I act out various lines of dialogue from the films for Shiri and Preston to guess the character and film. We're going to win awards for this one, folks.

It doesn't matter if you were a jock or a nerd, a boy or a girl, or lived in the city, the burbs, or the country - all kids in the 80s had one thing in common: "choose your own adventure" books. Sure, those four words might be trademarked and just one brand, but that style of storytelling was all over the place in the 80s. From the ubiquitous Choose Your Own Adventure titles to Time Machine, Twistaplot, Pick a Path, Find Your Fate, Lone Wolf, Fighting Fantasy, and Endless Quest . . . the list was seemingly endless. And it's Endless Quest that we're talking about today since author Matt Forbeck and Candlewick Entertainment have revived the series and brought the format back from near extinction. The first wave of four books in the series focuses on four of the Dungeons & Dragons archetype characters: Fighter, Wizard, Cleric, and Thief. The books target younger readers and are a great introduction to both D&D and game books in general. On this episode, I talk to Matt about his history with game books, how writing a branching storyline with multiple pathways presents unusual creative challenges, what the new (and upcoming) Endless Quest books have in store for us, and his experiences writing for various established franchises versus original worlds.

This week, we're traveling to Ancient Greece with Eric Shanower's epic Age of Bronze series. Shanower first began his story way back in the Dark Ages of 1998. And yes, he's still working on the series 20 years later. It's that big. After a break from the series - during which time he worked on projects such as the Oz series for Marvel and Little Nemo: Return to Slumberland for IDW - he's going back to Age of Bronze. To the beginning and to the future. On this episode, Shiri and I talk to Eric about working on Age of Bronze for 20 years - where it's come from, where it's going, and how it's changed - simultaneously going back to the beginning of the story and moving forward, and working in the classic sandboxes of Oz and Dreamland with Little Nemo.

This week, we're talking ghosts, magic, and the macabre with Victoria Schwab. Writing as both Victoria (for YA) and V.E. (for "adult"), Schwab has a deep and compelling catalog of amazing books. Most recently, she's spooking the middle grade crowd with City of Ghosts and thrilling fans of her runaway success Vicious with its sequel, Vengeful. She's also returning to the Shades of Magic world with The Steel Prince, a comic book prequel from Titan Comics. Busy much? On this episode, Shiri and I talk to Victoria about her early career, finding (and making) a creative routine that works for you, keeping the process vibrant by writing across genres and audiences, scaring kids, and telling stories across media. We also talk about the arbitrary divides that categorize books for different age groups and why stories twinged with fantastical elements are so much fun. Hint: They show us a world vastly more interesting than our own.

Welcome back to everyone's favorite galaxy far, far away. This week, we take an advance peek at the newest incarnation of Star Wars to grace television screens: Star Wars Resistance. On this episode, Shiri and I talk about our immediate reaction to the first two episodes of Star Wars Resistance (what we liked and what we didn't) and how it stacks up to both The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. I then talk to Athena Portillo (executive producer) and Amy Beth Christenson (art director) about their history with the show and Lucasfilm - they both have lengthy careers with the company. We chat about making a show for a young audience, working with a focus group of kids to make sure they hit the right demographic, taking their experiences on both of the previous animated series and applying them to Star Wars Resistance, and what they're most excited about on the horizon. There's also a surprise guest appearance by Dave Filoni. So you'll want to listen, is what I'm saying.

This week, we're headed to the Forgotten Realms with superstar author R.A. Salvatore! Thirty years ago, Salvatore created the dark elf Drizzt Do'Urden. Over the course of more than 30 books, he's explored the legend of Drizzt from all angles and plumbed nearly every corner of his world. But there's always more story to tell. And his newest book, Timeless, kicks off a new trilogy that serves as a prequel of sorts. The book focuses on Drizzt's father, Zaknafein, and is a fascinating prelude to the journeys that have shaped the modern-day Forgotten Realms (part of the Dungeons & Dragons universe). On this episode, we talk with Salvatore about his many years playing in the Forgotten Realms sandbox, the freedom he had to develop the world and characters, returning to Drizzt with Timeless, playing EverQuest, novelizing Star Wars with Attack of the Clones, and killing Chewbacca.

This week, we turn our sights back to music and composing - television scores, to be specific. We welcome Siddhartha Khosla to the show and dive deep into his career and experiences as a musician. On this episode, we talk about his musical background with the band Goldspot, his family and the sacrifices they made for him, growing up as a first-generation American, his work on both This Is Us and Marvel's Runaways, how his experiences on both shows compare, and finding success in the "new normal" of the music industry.

This week, we're geeking out about Star Wars again. Big surprise, right? Joining us is Jason Fry, who's certainly no stranger to the franchise. His in-universe bibliography is lengthy, having written everything from fiction to "nonfiction" to visual guides to RPG supplements and covering nearly every corner of the Star Wars galaxy. His most recent foray to the galaxy far, far away is the novelization of The Last Jedi. On this episode, we talk about crossing the streams of being a fan versus a professional writer, how writing a film novelization differs from other fiction, dealing with fans online, working with Rian Johnson and adding new scenes to the book, and how The Jupiter Pirates grew out of his love for Star Wars.

This week, we continue our unexpected spotlight on authors who also happen to be lawyers...or lawyers who moonlight as authors. Not sure which. I'll let Rebecca Roanhorse's own bio stand here, because I kind of love it: SFF writer. Nebula winner. Hugo, Sturgeon, and Locus Award Finalist. Campbell Award Finalist. Pug owner. Yale grad. Lawyer. Ohkay Owingeh/Black. Navajo in-law. Roanhorse recently dropped a whole bunch of jaws with her debut novel, Trail of Lightning, which steeps the reader hip deep into a world of Native American mythology guided by a monster-hunting protagonist. It's seriously all kinds of awesome. And the best part? It's only the first in a much longer series. The second book, Storm of Locusts, already has a cover and an April 2019 pub date, so take my advice and get in on the ground floor now. It's everything you think you love about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, and Wynonna Earp. But it surpasses them all and will leave you wondering why those shows have gotten multiple seasons when they pale in comparison so considerably. On this episode, we talk to Roanhorse about balancing two completely different professional lives, writing in the first-person, crafting a story that's both heavily rooted in Native cultures and incredibly relevant in 2018, and portraying a different side of familiar mythical characters. We also talk about Navajo tradition and what else she's got on the horizon.

This week, we're celebrating the wondrous storytelling, acting, and beauty that comprise a little show called Star Wars Rebels. The show recently wrapped up its fourth (and final) season, so this seems like the perfect time to welcome Tiya Sircar to the show. For Star Wars fans, Sircar is indelibly tied to the character of Sabine. But her career is as busy as they come. If you're a fan of NBC's The Good Place (and if you aren't, shame on you), then you know her as the real Eleanor/Vicky. If you caught Alex Inc. on ABC, then you saw her opposite Zach Braff as Rooni Schuman. But she's also been on Master of None, The Mindy Project, and so much more. On this episode, we talk to Sircar about her early career, starting out in Hollywood, breaking into the business on an episode of Hannah Montana, auditioning for Star Wars Rebels, contributing so significantly to the Star Wars universe, and being able to showcase a villainous streak on The Good Place. We also chat about the lasting influence of Sabine and where she can go from here, now that the show is over.

Kris Bowers is a Juilliard-trained musician who was awarded the Nobel Prize of jazz when he won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. He performed at the White House (when that meant something), released a CD of jazz originals (Heroes + Misfits), helped bring Ezra Jack Keats's classic picture book The Snowy Day to life for Amazon, and is currently scoring Dear White People on Netflix and Shonda Rhimes' For the People on ABC. He's also won an Emmy (for The Snowy Day) and is working on several upcoming films and documentaries. Oh, he also happens to be the youngest composer currently scoring a network TV show. Not bad for a 29-year-old closer to the beginning of his career than even the middle. On this episode, we talk about his parents' somewhat unusual influence on his music, learning to collaborate with a larger creative team in television, his genre-spanning music for Dear White People, and how to write music that evokes specific colors.

This week, we're going to Broadway, baby! The wild, wonderful, kinky side of Broadway - with J. Harrison Ghee and Kinky Boots! Ghee's performance (currently on Broadway) as Lola heightens an already fascinating character and takes her into the stratosphere. Ghee takes you on a ride, and by the end of the show, you'll be head over heels in love with her. And you'll be left wondering how he could possibly do this up to eight times a week. The show is about so many things - acceptance, empathy, dignity, and the freedom to be yourself - but there's also an underlying theme of fatherhood and unmet expectations that forms the backbone of the show and defines the two main characters. On this episode, I talk to Ghee about how he got his start on the stage, his stint at Tokyo Disneyland, his many personal parallels with Lola and Kinky Boots, what the show means to him personally, and what it means to "be a man."

Summer is officially in full swing at this point, and I'd wager that more than a few of you have vacations planned. Plane rides? Long car rides? Full-on road trips? I have one word for you: audiobooks. Audiobooks make any road trip (really, any car trip of any length) go SO MUCH smoother. And as long as I'm making suggestions, might I recommend Amy Ephron's The Castle in the Mist and Carnival Magic? Ephron is a best-selling novelist (of A Cup of Tea, most notably) and journalist (she's a contributing editor to Vogue) whose newest books target a different audience: young readers. The audio versions of both books are narrated by Laraine Newman, and I highly recommend adding them to your listening list. Newman was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, and she and Ephron have been lifelong friends. Having them both together on this week's show and listening to them share memories and stories was an absolute treat. Enjoy!

I can think of no better way to celebrate your Fourth of July than by spending an hour with the impossibly charming Delilah Dawson. Good thing I've got you covered. Dawson published her first novel - Wicked As They Come - in 2012. Over the next six years, she's written more than a dozen books, plus just a ton of short stories and novellas across several genres. She wrote the phenomenally well received and fan favorite Phasma novel for the Star Wars universe. As Lila Bowen, she's writing the "weird west" Shadow series, which began with Wake of Vultures. And her latest book, Kill the Farm Boy (coauthored with Kevin Hearne), begins yet another series. Clearly, she has clones. On this episode, we talk to Dawson about the ridiculous number of words she's written over the last few years, the value of writing advice, Phasma, the weird west, pseudonyms, and the difference between YA and "adult" lit.

Welcome to Harvey Street! Harvey Street Kids takes several of the classic Harvey Comics characters - notably Little Dot, Little Lotta, and Little Audrey - and reimagines them for 2018. It's great fun and also great inspiration for kids to get outside and have their own adventures this summer. On this episode, we talk to Aliki Theofilopoulos about her history with Disney feature animation and Phineas and Ferb, how she made the transition to producing and showrunning (and what she brought with her), the directive she and Brendan Hay were given with these legacy characters, and how they brought the characters into the 21st century without losing the core of what makes them unique.

On this episode, we talk to Dan Fogler about Brooklyn Gladiator, how its fantasy has been slaughtered by the reality in which we live, getting some of his artistic heroes on board, finding a home at Chapterhouse, auditioning as Jacob Kowalski for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and why he's still one of the lucky few who get to create for a living.

This week, we conclude our mini-marathon of Star Trek composers. The music you hear in the current iteration of the televised Trek franchise - Star Trek: Discovery - is thanks to Jeff Russo. Though Russo cut his musical teeth, as it were, as a founding member of the rock band Tonic, he's no stranger to the composer's life. In addition to Discovery, he's written scores for Legion, Fargo, Altered Carbon, Power, and HBO's The Night of. And that's just scratching the surface. On this episode, we talk about his musical roots, writing music for films versus television, getting the Star Trek gig while on a camping trip, the soul of Trek music, and why he sometimes still needs to pinch himself in the morning.

Today, we're talking about snot. Snotgirl, to be specific. If this one slipped by you, let me help you out. Snotgirl is a current ongoing book from Image Comics by Bryan Lee O'Malley and Leslie Hung. The story features the adventures of an LA-based fashion blogger whose glamorous life unravels due to severe allergies (and, to be fair, a possible murder for which she may be responsible). O'Malley might be best known as the creator, writer, and artist of the Scott Pilgrim series (Oni Press) and Seconds (Ballantine Books), but Snotgirl is the first book on which he's not pulling double duty. He's writing, and Hung is doing the (absolutely incredible) illustrations. Together, they're telling a story that is underrepresented in pop culture: the story of a native Angeleno. The book is groundbreaking in a few other respects. Not least of which is Snotgirl marks Hung's first time working on a graphic novel at all. In fact, the book grew out of O'Malley's desire to get her into the industry and working on a book. On this episode, we talk Snotgirl (obviously), figuring out how to collaborate and finding a new approach to their own creativity, fashion bloggers, online personas, how many of their own neuroses factor into the story, diversity, and mixed cultural heritages.

One of the distinct pleasures of having an interview-focused podcast is, obviously, the many conversations I'm fortunate enough to have with so many incredibly talented people. And believe me, over the past few years and couple hundred episodes, I've had a LOT of great conversations. The best of those, however, are the ones that go so far off script that I just toss out my questions and discussion points. And this episode is a phenomenal example of when that happens and something absolutely brilliant results. On this episode, we talk about Geeks Doing Good, Worldbuilders, why he supports Heifer International, crazy people online, billionaires, shrinking attention spans versus thousand-page epics, the Three Little Pigs, writing for smart people, and T.S. Eliot's - ahem - manhood.