Podcasts about gi joe

BenFlyingRetro is embarking on an quest to purchase every classic GI Joe comic from the original 80s and 90s Marvel Run. He's hunting down individual issues from every corner of the globe in whatever order the universe decides to give him. Join Ben and his pal Steve from GI Joburg as they discuss the latest find! Want more BenFlyingRetro?  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/benflyingretro?igsh=MXQ1YWtyeThiZGJ2MA== And People Who Play Substack https://peoplewhoplay.substack.com/ Intro song by Arwelone https://youtube.com/channel/UCR3CAS2tRgwyiXlyu0OEqLw?si=T1EGff9PfJjOzqGs #gijoe #marvelcomics #larryhama

Kevin is talking about new GI Joe Classified figure reveals (some of which just went up for preorder) and unboxing some recent Classified GIJoe and Cobra figures.#210 Pegwarmers Pegwarmers is the codename for toys and collectibles with high supply and low demand. Join Kevin Jones, and his team of collector commandos, as they discuss popular and not-so-popular retro and current toy brands. Check back for new episodes each Wednesday. Follow Us https://twitter.com/pegwarmerspodhttps://www.facebook.com/pegwarmerspod Join our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/pegwarmers

7:38 News19:34 Comic reviews20:49 Birds of Prey #2721:28 Godzilla #422:40 Amazing X-Men #224:36 GI Joe #1327:45 Moon Knight FoK #1431:17 DC KO Knightfight #133:12 Adv of Superman Book of El #334:56 JSA #1337:56 Minor Arcana #1139:17 Planet She-Hulk #141:34 Batman #348:07 What we're excited for49:30 Fantastic Four

Richard Gearhart and Elizabeth Gearhart, co-hosts of Passage to Profit Show interview Joseph Varghese from Success Circles, Life and Fitness Coach Jen Rulon and Alice Frankel from The Clutcher Pillow.     Ready to level up without burning out? In this episode, Joseph Varghese, founder of Success Circles, shares how accountability, community, and a little play can completely transform the way you chase goals. If you're tired of “hustle culture” and want a more joyful, sustainable path to success—this one's for you. Read more at: https://successcircles.com/     Meet Jen Rulon — a 15x Ironman triathlete, life coach, and author helping women turn midlife transitions into powerful reinvention! She guides women through perimenopause, empty nests, and life's plot twists to rebuild strength, clarity, and purpose. Read more at: https://jenrulon.com/   Meet Alice Frankel, the co-inventor behind The Clutcher Pillow —the groundbreaking, ergonomic body pillow transforming the way side sleepers rest. From a late-night dream to a life-changing sleep solution, Alice is helping people wake up pain-free, supported, and energized! Read more at: https://theclutcherpillow.com/     Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur, a startup, an inventor, an innovator, a small business or just starting your entrepreneurial journey, tune into Passage to Profit Show for compelling discussions, real-life examples, and expert advice on entrepreneurship, intellectual property, trademarks and more. Visit https://passagetoprofitshow.com/ for the latest updates and episodes. Chapters (00:00:00) - Starting a Business in 2020(00:00:27) - Passive to Profit(00:01:58) - What's the One Startup Myth(00:05:05) - Why Accountability Is So Difficult(00:07:12) - In the Elevator With Success Circles(00:08:38) - How Do Authenticity and Leagueness Work Together?(00:10:23) - What kinds of success stories do you share with your Peer Group?(00:16:36) - The Law of Attraction(00:17:44) - Living Life as a Game(00:22:57) - Apple Orchard Visits(00:23:15) - Passive to Profit(00:24:45) - The Cruise Call(00:25:43) - The Power of Having a Coach(00:30:47) - Dan Sullivan on Progress and the Business of It(00:35:11) - How AI is Affecting Your Business(00:36:04) - Michael Gerber's Top 5 Blind Spots(00:37:43) - In the Elevator With AI's Trainer(00:38:29) - Joseph on the Road to Entrepreneurship(00:39:45) - What's The Secret to Having a Great Podcast?(00:40:49) - 5 Reasons Why Do You Call Me G.I.(00:41:22) - GI Joe vs. ChatGPT(00:42:54) - How AI Is Affecting My Business(00:49:13) - How to Make a Marketing Plan With AI(00:50:31) - What AI Would You Want to See?(00:52:49) - Intellectual Property: AI and Business Use Cases(00:53:46) - Passage to Profit(00:56:25) - Trade Dress in the News(00:59:17) - 15 Times Ironman Triathlete Jen Rulon on Training(01:04:35) - Jennifer Rulon on Finding the Strength in Her(01:06:19) - Have you found the transition to coaching athletes?(01:08:15) - How to Change a Mindset(01:10:40) - Jen's Fight for Alcohol in Her Life(01:12:43) - Jennifer Ellington on Her New Book and Retreat(01:13:50) - Elise Frankel With The Clutcher Pillow(01:14:48) - Meet the Clutcher Pillow(01:17:47) - How to Make a Dream Pillow(01:24:24) - Getting a Good Sleep(01:25:30) - Clutcher Pillow(01:29:50) - Passage to Profit: The Need for Personal Prayer(01:31:07) - 7 Secrets of the Entrepreneurial Mind(01:33:37) - Developing a Routine for Entrepreneurs(01:36:25) - Passage to Profit

This week on the Toy Power Podcast; we welcome with open arms Mr. DaveyDamaged back into the studio, along with Trent! Yes! We are a Group of Five this round; and we start the show off with many many laughs! Dave updates us all around DvG before we get right into the Latest News! From HasLab Tron numbers to MOTU figures popping up on Australian shores; there is a lot to be on the pulse about! Loyal Subjects Wave 2 of their MASK line as well as Concept HeMan. Marvel Fans rejoice as there seems to be a never ending release of figures from various companies Plus a Lego set from a Different Galaxy, that has Frank very hyped! Thudercats, Mythic Legions, Godzilla & even Garfield are all covered as well. Then we take a trip via Radical Rewind - Back To The Future - with an absolutely awesome crowd, plus more DeLorean's than one can point a stick at! All this & a ton of laughs! Enjoy!!Support the show: http://patreon.com/toypowerpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We finally get to do our 400th episode enjoy the trip down memory lane.   GI Joburg is grateful to 3DJoes.com for all the good looking pics. The amatuerish ones are most likely taken by us! Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0W3wPhykE4Z6NDF5WgdGew/join   Got something to say to GI Joburg? We can be reached at arealsouthafricanhero@gmail.com We have an official Patreon page! Go to https://www.patreon.com/GIJOBURG?fan_landing=true   Want some of the most unique GI Joe apparel out there? Check out our official GI JOBURG merch at: https://teespring.com/stores/gi-joburg-the-merch  

G.I. Joe: Arise, Serpentor, Arise! (1986) - GI Joe TV Movie

Our epic review of The Pyramid of Darkness continues!Catch us LIVE on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Needless Things YouTube channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and be sure to subscribe for updates on the next livestream!Knowing is half the battle and fun is the other half! We're recruiting you to listen to this podcast hosted by three lifelong Joe fans.Our mission is to look at every era of GI Joe from the classic 12" Joes to today's modern Classified Series. From toys to comics to cartoons, the A.I. Pod is there! Yo Joe!Music by Andy SamfordFollow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

BenFlyingRetro is embarking on an quest to purchase every classic GI Joe comic from the original 80s and 90s Marvel Run. He's hunting down individual issues from every corner of the globe in whatever order the universe decides to give him. Join Ben and his pal Steve from GI Joburg as they discuss the latest find! Want more BenFlyingRetro?  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/benflyingretro?igsh=MXQ1YWtyeThiZGJ2MA== And People Who Play Substack https://peoplewhoplay.substack.com/ Intro song by Arwelone https://youtube.com/channel/UCR3CAS2tRgwyiXlyu0OEqLw?si=T1EGff9PfJjOzqGs #gijoe #marvelcomics #larryhama

Join the guys as they share their honest thoughts about the thirteenth issue of the new GI Joe comic from Skybound!Huge thanks to Skybound for providing an advance copy of GI Joe #13!Knowing is half the battle and fun is the other half! We're recruiting you to listen to this podcast hosted by three lifelong Joe fans.Our mission is to look at every era of GI Joe from the classic 12" Joes to today's modern Classified Series. From toys to comics to cartoons, the A.I. Pod is there! Yo Joe!Music by Andy SamfordFollow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Toy Haul! Come see what Figures we bought!! Join us live for our Wednesday Night Onlyfigs Toy Haul stream where we go over our weekly toy purchases.Follow us: https://linktr.ee/ModernToyfareOrder your action figures online at www.nerdzoic.comFollow Nerdzoic on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nerdzoicc/?hl=enFollow Nerdzoic on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nerdzoic/Order your copy of Toytography today: https://www.toytographymag.com/shopBecome a Patreon: Patreon.com/ModernToyfareFollow Nate on Instagram: instagram.com/NateBryant1985Follow Jarmar on Twitter: Twitter.com/jarmar_GAMESFollow Jarmar on Twitch: Twitch.tv/Jarmar_GamesFollow Jarmar on TikTok: tiktok.com/JarmarGamesWhy Are You A Gamer: https://open.spotify.com/show/63nTQmCQIvKDyFQVC4lHoK?si=dbee567ed3894c4eFollow Cory on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vileconsumptionFollow Cory on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VileconsumptionCheck out Cory's prints: https://vileconsumption.storenvy.com/

Hosts: TJ with special guests Junior Producer Marq and Derek (The DWC) Crabbe This week on the show: Segment One (0:00:00): It's a more laid back show this week as TJ is joined by Quad M Family members JPM and DWC! While Marq hands out candy to trick or treaters, Derek is hopped up on sugar and rarin' to go! (0:08:10) Derek's getting his Transformer fandom on as he gets two new Missing Link Arcees TJ asks trick or treaters horror trivia for fun and prizes. Derek then gives TJ a lesson in TF differences and GI Joe timeline cutoffs. (0:38:29) TJ tells Derek about his mad ChatGPT skillz and it's future with Quad M. Plus, a couple more trivia victims happen by….. with surprising results! Plus, what's up with this “6.7”? Explanations ahead! Segment Two (0:53:57): (0:57:13): FGS is burning down the house this week as the guys discuss a booty call gone wrong. (1:12:06): A hefty build up of passing celebs in this week's GRIM REAPER ROUNDUP! (1:27:06): TJ reviews the latest copyright casualty Popeye The Slayer Man. Segment Three (1:50:08): : (1:52:12): It's JPM and DWC's turn at horror trivia in a KRISSY-less KRAZY KORNER. (2:25:45): PICKS O' THE WEEK Happy Halloween from THE QUAD M SHOW!

Today it's Lennons turn in the hot seat as we dive into the world of TV. Lennons takes us through the process of bringing his vision to light and what it means to put the best collectables Australia has to offer onto our screens. From Cards, jerseys, LEGO, Star Wars, Arcade machines, 90s goodness and more, there is something for everyone on this great Australian made show. Trent and Frank have each had a segment, but is there another Toy Power star in the wings? Whats in store for the future? You'll have to listen to find out. Watch Cards and Collectables right now on the 9Go app! To Find out more about Lennon & his TV Series: Cards And Collectables - be sure to check it out on Facebook, Instagram: @CardsAndCollectablesTV & on TV via channel 9 Now app - www.cardsandcollectables.com.au To Find out more from Matt & his business: Sports Card World - be sure to check them out on Facebook, Instagram: @SportsCardsWorldAdelaide & in person at their store in the heart of Adelaide City - Regent Arcade - Shop 5/101 Rundle Mall - Open 7days a week! www.sportscardworld.com.auSupport the show: http://patreon.com/toypowerpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

L'émission Back Issues du podcast First Print est un programme de chroniques/reviews/analyse autour de comics sortis en VO ou en VF. Les chroniqueurs Arno et Corentin essaient à la fois de coller à l'actualité, de faire le tour des comics qui montrent toute la diversité de la proposition de la bande dessinée américaine. De préférence, avec des ouvrages à recommander, mais parfois pas ! L'essentiel, c'est surtout de discuter !N'hésitez pas à nous faire vos retours de lectures sur notre DISCORD!Alors, quels comics VF allez-vous lire prochainement ?Le ProgrammeLes liens vous renvoient chez notre partenaire Comics Zone (et parfois Pulp's ou Bubble). Une commande chez eux marquera votre soutien à un libraire indépendant, et nous filera aussi un petit coup de pouce !G.I. Joe Tome 1 - 02:42Static - 17:40Torso - 31:25Soutenez First Print - Votre podcast comics (& BD) préféré sur TipeeeHébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

Join the guys from Audible Interlude: A GI Joe Podcast for a LIVE reading of Michael Charles Hill's Special Mission: Brazil Redux! This is a one-time-only event that you will have to see to believe! Featuring Special Guests:Dana Morgan as BaronessChris Scott from Grindhouse Toys as ClaymoreCarson Mataxis from 3DJoes.com as Cobra CommanderAlexander Murrell as Wet-SuitGary Mitchel as Dial-ToneAnd a special interview segment with MICHAEL CHARLES HILL, creator of Cold Slither and writer for the original Special Mission: Brazil!Knowing is half the battle and fun is the other half! We're recruiting you to listen to this podcast hosted by three lifelong Joe fans.Our mission is to look at every era of GI Joe from the classic 12" Joes to today's modern Classified Series. From toys to comics to cartoons, the A.I. Pod is there! Yo Joe!Music by Andy SamfordFollow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

It's time to look at the GI Joe news from MCM London Comic Con 2025 and some spooky toys that are on the market right now!This episode was recorded LIVE on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Needless Things YouTube channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on 13-OCT-2025. Be sure to subscribe for updates on the next livestream!Knowing is half the battle and fun is the other half! We're recruiting you to listen to this podcast hosted by three lifelong Joe fans.Our mission is to look at every era of GI Joe from the classic 12" Joes to today's modern Classified Series. From toys to comics to cartoons, the A.I. Pod is there! Yo Joe!Music by Andy SamfordFollow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

BenFlyingRetro is embarking on an quest to purchase every classic GI Joe comic from the original 80s and 90s Marvel Run. He's hunting down individual issues from every corner of the globe in whatever order the universe decides to give him. Join Ben and his pal Steve from GI Joburg as they discuss the latest find! Moodlings Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bowtoys/moodlings-collectible-characters-for-every-mood Want more BenFlyingRetro?  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/benflyingretro?igsh=MXQ1YWtyeThiZGJ2MA== And People Who Play Substack https://peoplewhoplay.substack.com/ Intro song by Arwelone https://youtube.com/channel/UCR3CAS2tRgwyiXlyu0OEqLw?si=T1EGff9PfJjOzqGs #gijoe #marvelcomics #larryhama

"Spooky season" is almost over. (Ugh) The guy who came up with the marketing catchphrase "Burger King: Where YOU rule." Things about my new car. (That I missed half the talking points for, shit) I went to see two brand new movies: Good Boy, and Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere. They went about as well as the rest of the new releases of 2025. Big Trouble In Little China 2 may be on the way, but "someone" had an idea for it a long time ago. I bought a GI Joe comic book, because I was getting laid WAY too much and had to find some way to stem that non stop flow of cheerleader pussy.

Tom Reilly and Joshua Williamson - the artist and writer behind Skybound's Energon Universe GI Joe series - are here to talk about the creative process the goes into creating exciting, compelling comic books! Knowing is half the battle and fun is the other half! We're recruiting you to listen to this podcast hosted by three lifelong Joe fans.Our mission is to look at every era of GI Joe from the classic 12" Joes to today's modern Classified Series. From toys to comics to cartoons, the A.I. Pod is there! Yo Joe!Music by Andy SamfordFollow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

On this week's episode, the guys dive into a jam-packed lineup of geek news and rumors! Jeremy Renner gives an update on Hawkeye Season 2 — and it sounds like Clint Barton's bow might be coming back sooner than we thought. Then we break down the brand-new Energon Universe animated series, a mature crossover bringing together Transformers, G.I. Joe, and Void Rivals under Lucifer writer Joe Henderson.We also unpack the latest Man of Tomorrow scoop, teasing that the villain could be Brainiac… or maybe even Mongul. Plus, Something Is Killing the Children is officially getting the Blumhouse treatment, Lanterns is shaping up to be the DCU's buddy-cop show, Brian Michael Bendis might be heading back to The Avengers, and Doctor Who is splitting with Disney! If you love comics, movies, and wild speculation — this episode's for you. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and check out That Comic Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/that-comic-podcast--5896499/support.

Dylan be booked so the old boys busted out da best toon with a bumbling bazooka buddy! GI JOE! Duke and company all die or something & they have a mini-INDIANA JONES-esque adventure before they meet mulitple gods & ride a magical ankh! Watto weighs in...does Fitz make an appearance? Listen to find out! Please to enjoy! ;)

What does it take to keep your voice—and your purpose—strong through every season of life? In this episode of Unstoppable Mindset, I sit down with my friend Bill Ratner, one of Hollywood's most recognized voice actors, best known as Flint from GI Joe. Bill's voice has carried him through radio, animation, and narration, but what stands out most is how he's used that same voice to serve others through storytelling, teaching, and grief counseling. Together, we explore the heart behind his work—from bringing animated heroes to life to standing on The Moth stage and helping people find healing through poetry. Bill shares lessons from his own journey, including losing both parents early, finding family in unexpected places, and discovering how creative expression can rebuild what life breaks down. We also reflect on 9/11, preparedness, and the quiet confidence that comes from trusting your training—whether you're a first responder, a performer, or just navigating the unknown. This conversation isn't just about performance; it's about presence. It's about using your story, your craft, and your compassion to keep moving forward—unstoppable, one voice at a time. Highlights: 00:31 – Hear the Flint voice and what it takes to bring animated characters to life. 06:57 – Learn why an uneven college path still led to a lifelong acting career. 11:50 – Understand how GI Joe became a team and a toy phenomenon that shaped culture. 15:58 – See how comics and cartoons boosted classroom literacy when used well. 17:06 – Pick up simple ways parents can spark reading through shared stories. 19:29 – Discover how early, honest conversations about death can model resilience. 24:09 – Learn to critique ads and media like a pro to sharpen your own performance. 36:19 – Follow the pivot from radio to voiceover and why specialization pays. 47:48 – Hear practical editing approaches and accessible tools that keep shows tight. 49:38 – Learn how The Moth builds storytelling chops through timed, judged practice. 55:21 – See how poetry—and poetry therapy—support grief work with students. 59:39 – Take notes on memoir writing, emotional management, and one-person shows. About the Guest: Bill Ratner is one of America's best known voice actors and author of poetry collections Lamenting While Doing Laps in the Lake (Slow Lightning Lit 2024,) Fear of Fish (Alien Buddha Press 2021,) To Decorate a Casket (Finishing Line Press 2021,) and the non-fiction book Parenting For The Digital Age: The Truth Behind Media's Effect On Children and What To Do About It (Familius Books 2014.) He is a 9-time winner of the Moth StorySLAM, 2-time winner of Best of The Hollywood Fringe Extension Award for Solo Performance, Best of the Net Poetry Nominee 2023 (Lascaux Review,) and New Millennium "America One Year From Now" Writing Award Finalist. His writing appears in Best Small Fictions 2021 (Sonder Press,) Missouri Review (audio,) Baltimore Review, Chiron Review, Feminine Collective, and other journals. He is the voice of "Flint" in the TV cartoon G.I. Joe, "Donnell Udina" in the computer game Mass Effect, the voice of Air Disasters on Smithsonian Channel, NewsNation, and network TV affiliates across the country. He is a committee chair for his union, SAG-AFTRA, teaches Voiceovers for SAG-AFTRA Foundation, Media Awareness for Los Angeles Unified School District, and is a trained grief counsellor. Member: Actors Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild-AFTRA, National Storytelling Network • https://billratner.com • @billratner Ways to connect with Bill: https://soundcloud.com/bill-ratner https://www.instagram.com/billratner/ https://twitter.com/billratner https://www.threads.net/@billratner https://billratner.tumblr.com https://www.youtube.com/@billratner/videos https://www.facebook.com/billratner.voiceover.author https://bsky.app/profile/bilorat.bsky.social About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Well on a gracious hello to you, wherever you may be, I am your host. Mike hingson, and you are listening to unstoppable mindset. Today, we get to have a voice actor, person, Bill Ratner, who you want to know who Bill Radnor is, go back and watch the old GI Joe cartoons and listen to the voice of Flint.   Bill Ratner ** 01:42 All right. Lady Jay, you better get your battle gear on, because Cobra is on their way. And I can't bring up the Lacher threat weapon system. We got to get out of here. Yo, Joe,   Michael Hingson ** 01:52 there you go. I rest my case Well, Bill, welcome to unstoppable mindset.   Bill Ratner ** 02:00 We can't rest now. Michael, we've just begun. No, we've just begun.   Michael Hingson ** 02:04 We got to keep going here. Well, I'm really glad that you're here. Bill is another person who we inveigled to get on unstoppable mindset with the help of Walden Hughes. And so that means we can talk about Walden all we want today. Bill just saying, oh goodness. And I got a lot to say. Let me tell you perfect, perfect. Bring it on. So we are really grateful to Walden, although I hope he's not listening. We don't want to give him a big head. But no, seriously, we're really grateful. Ah, good point.   Bill Ratner ** 02:38 But his posture, oddly enough, is perfect.   Michael Hingson ** 02:40 Well, there you go. What do you do? He practiced. Well, anyway, we're glad you're here. Tell us about the early bill, growing up and all that stuff. It's always fun to start a good beginning.   Bill Ratner ** 02:54 Well, I was a very lucky little boy. I was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1947 to two lovely people, professionals, both with master's degree out at University of Chicago. My mother was a social worker. My father had an MBA in business. He was managing editor of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. So I had the joy of living in a better home and living in a garden.   Michael Hingson ** 03:21 My mother. How long were you in Des Moines?   Bill Ratner ** 03:24 Five and a half years left before my sixth birthday. My dad got a fancy job at an ad agency in Minneapolis, and had a big brother named Pete and big handsome, curly haired boy with green eyes. And moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and was was brought up there.   Michael Hingson ** 03:45 Wow. So you went to school there and and chased the girls and all that stuff.   Bill Ratner ** 03:54 I went to school there at Blake School for Boys in Hopkins, Minnesota. Couldn't chase the girls day school, but the girls we are allowed to dance with certainly not chase. Michael was at woodhue dancing school, the Northrop girls from Northrop girls school and the Blake boys were put together in eighth grade and taught the Cha Cha Cha, the waltz, the Charleston, and we danced together, and the girls wore white gloves, and we sniffed their perfume, and we all learned how to be lovers when we were 45   Michael Hingson ** 04:37 There you are. Well, as long as you learned at some point, that's a good start.   Bill Ratner ** 04:44 It's a weird generation. Michael,   Michael Hingson ** 04:46 I've been to Des Moines before. I was born in Chicago, but moved out to California when I was five, but I did some work with the National Federation of the Blind in the mid 19. 1970s 1976 into 1978 so spent time at the Iowa Commission for the Blind in Des Moines, which became a top agency for the Blind in well, the late 50s into the to the 60s and so on. So   Bill Ratner ** 05:15 both my parents are from Chicago. My father from the south side of Chicago, 44th and Kenzie, which was a Irish, Polish, Italian, Jewish, Ukrainian neighborhood. And my mother from Glencoe, which was a middle class suburb above Northwestern University in Evanston.   Michael Hingson ** 05:34 I Where were you born? 57th and union, north, south side, no, South   Bill Ratner ** 05:42 57th union is that? Is that west of Kenzie?   Michael Hingson ** 05:46 You know, I don't remember the geography well enough to know, but I know that it was, I think, Mount Sinai Hospital where I was born. But it was, it's, it's, it's a pretty tough neighborhood today. So I understand,   Bill Ratner ** 06:00 yeah, yeah, my it was tough, then it's tough now,   Michael Hingson ** 06:03 yeah, I think it's tougher, supposedly, than it was. But we lived there for five years, and then we we moved to California, and I remember some things about Chicago. I remember walking down to the local candy store most days, and had no problem doing that. My parents were told they should shut me away at a home somewhere, because no blind child could ever grow up to amount to anything. And my parents said, You guys are you're totally wrong. And they brought me up with that attitude. So, you   Bill Ratner ** 06:32 know who said that the school says school so that   Michael Hingson ** 06:35 doctors doctors when they discovered I was blind with the   Bill Ratner ** 06:38 kid, goodness gracious, horrified.   Michael Hingson ** 06:44 Well, my parents said absolutely not, and they brought me up, and they actually worked with other parents of premature kids who became blind, and when kindergarten started in for us in in the age of four, they actually had a special kindergarten class for blind kids at the Perry School, which is where I went. And so I did that for a year, learn braille and some other things. Then we moved to California, but yeah, and I go back to Chicago every so often. And when I do nowadays, they I one of my favorite places to migrate in Chicago is Garrett Popcorn.   Bill Ratner ** 07:21 Ah, yes, with caramel corn, regular corn, the   Michael Hingson ** 07:25 Chicago blend, which is a mixture, yeah, the Chicago blend is cheese corn, well, as it is with caramel corn, and they put much other mozzarella on it as well. It's really good.   Bill Ratner ** 07:39 Yeah, so we're on the air. Michael, what do you call your what do you call your program? Here I am your new friend, and I can't even announce your program because I don't know   Michael Hingson ** 07:48 the name, unstoppable mindset. This   Bill Ratner ** 07:51 is unstoppable mindset.   Michael Hingson ** 07:56 We're back. Well, we're back already. We're fast. So you, you, you moved off elsewhere, out of Des Moines and all that. And where did you go to college?   Bill Ratner ** 08:09 Well, this is like, why did you this is, this is a bit like talking about the Vietnam War. Looking back on my college career is like looking back on the Vietnam War series, a series of delusions and defeats. By the time I the time i for college, by the time I was applying for college, I was an orphan, orphan, having been born to fabulous parents who died too young of natural causes. So my grades in high school were my mediocre. I couldn't get into the Ivy Leagues. I got into the big 10 schools. My stepmother said, you're going to Michigan State in East Lansing because your cousin Eddie became a successful realtor. And Michigan State was known as mu u it was the most successful, largest agriculture college and university in the country. Kids from South Asia, China, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, South America all over the world came to Michigan State to study agricultural sciences, children of rich farmers all over the world and middle class farmers all over the world, and a huge police science department. Part of the campus was fenced off, and the young cadets, 1819, 20 years old, would practice on the rest of the student body, uniformed with hats and all right, excuse me, young man, we're just going to get some pizza at eight o'clock on Friday night. Stand against your car. Hands in your car. I said, Are you guys practicing again? Shut up and spread your legs. So that was that was Michigan State, and even though both my parents had master's degrees, I just found all the diversions available in the 1960s to be too interesting, and was not invited. Return after my sophomore year, and in order to flunk out of a big 10 University, and they're fine universities, all of them, you have to be either really determined or not so smart, not really capable of doing that level of study in undergraduate school. And I'd like to think that I was determined. I used to show up for my exams with a little blue book, and the only thing I would write is due to lack of knowledge, I am unable to complete this exam, sign Bill ranter and get up early and hand it in and go off. And so what was, what was left for a young man like that was the theater I'd seen the great Zero Mostel when I was 14 years old and on stage live, he looked just like my father, and he was funny, and if I Were a rich man, and that's the grade zero must tell. Yeah, and it took about five, no, it took about six, seven years to percolate inside my bread and my brain. In high school, I didn't want to do theater. The cheerleaders and guys who I had didn't happen to be friends with or doing theater. I took my girlfriends to see plays, but when I was 21 I started acting, and I've been an actor ever since. I'm a committee chair on the screen actors guild in Hollywood and Screen Actors Guild AFTRA, and work as a voice actor and collect my pensions and God bless the union.   Michael Hingson ** 11:44 Well, hey, as long as it works and you're making progress, you know you're still with it, right?   Bill Ratner ** 11:53 That's the that's the point. There's no accounting for taste in my business. Michael, you work for a few different broadcast entities at my age. And it's, you know, it's younger people. It's 18 to 3418 years to 34 years old is the ideal demographic for advertisers, Ford, Motor Company, Dove soap, Betty, Crocker, cake mixes and cereals, every conceivable product that sold online or sold on television and radio. This is my this is my meat, and I don't work for religion. However, if a religious organization calls, I call and say, I I'm not, not qualified or not have my divinity degree in order to sell your church to the public?   Michael Hingson ** 12:46 Yeah, yeah. Well, I, I can understand that. But you, you obviously do a lot, and as we talked about, you were Flint and GI Joe, which is kind of cool.   Bill Ratner ** 13:01 Flynn GI Joe was very cool. Hasbro Corporation, which was based in Providence, Rhode Island, had a huge success with GI Joe, the figure. The figure was about 11 and a half inches tall, like a Barbie, and was at first, was introduced to the public after the Korean War. There is a comic book that was that was also published about GI Joe. He was an individual figure. He was a figure, a sort of mythic cartoon figure during World War Two, GI Joe, generic American soldier, fighting man and but the Vietnam war dragged on for a long time, and the American buying public or buying kids toys got tired of GI Joe, got tired of a military figure in their household and stopped buying. And when Nixon ended the Vietnam War, or allotted to finish in 1974 Hasbro was in the tank. It's got its stock was cheap, and executives are getting nervous. And then came the Great George Lucas in Star Wars, who shrank all these action figures down from 11 and a half inches to three and a half inches, and went to China and had Chinese game and toy makers make Star Wars toys, and began to earn billions and billions dollars. And so Hasbro said, let's turn GI Joe into into a team. And the team began with flint and Lady J and Scarlett and Duke and Destro and cover commander, and grew to 85 different characters, because Hasbro and the toy maker partners could create 85 different sets of toys and action figures. So I was actor in this show and had a good time, and also a purveyor of a billion dollar industry of American toys. And the good news about these toys is I was at a conference where we signed autographs the voice actors, and we have supper with fans and so on. And I was sitting next to a 30 year old kid and his parents. And this kid was so knowledgeable about pop culture and every conceivable children's show and animated show that had ever been on the screen or on television. I turned to his mother and sort of being a wise acre, said, So ma'am, how do you feel about your 30 year old still playing with GI Joe action figures? And she said, Well, he and I both teach English in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania school system, and last year, the literacy level of my ninth graders was 50% 50% of those kids could not read in ninth grade. So I asked the principal if I could borrow my son's GI Joe, action figures, comic books and VHS tapes, recordings of the shows from TV. And he said, Sure, whatever you want to try. And so she did, and she played the video tapes, and these kids were thrilled. They'd never seen a GI Joe cartoon in class before. Passed out the comic books, let him read comics. And then she said, Okay, you guys. And passed out notebooks and pens and pencils, and said, I want you guys to make up some some shows, some GI Joe shows. And so they said, Yeah, we're ready. All right, Cobra, you better get into the barber shop, because the barber bill is no longer there and the fire engines are in the way. And wait a minute, there's a dog in the street. And so they're making this up, using their imagination, doing their schoolwork, by coming up with scenarios, imaginary fam fan fiction for GI Joe and she raised the literacy level in her classroom by 50% that year, by the end of that year, so, so that was the only story that I've ever heard about the sort of the efficacy of GI Joe, other than, you know, kids play with them. Do they? Are they shooting each other all the time? I certainly hope not. I hope not. Are they using the action figures? Do they strip their guns off and put them in a little, you know, stub over by the side and and have them do physical battle with each other, or have them hump the woods, or have them climb the stairs, or have them search the trees. Who knows what kids do? Same with same with girls and and Barbies. Barbie has been a source of fun and creativity for lots of girls, and the source of of worry and bother to a lot of parents as   Michael Hingson ** 17:54 well. Well, at the same time, though, when kids start to react and relate to some of these things. It's, it's pretty cool. I mean, look what's happened with the whole Harry Potter movement and craze. Harry Potter has probably done more in the last 20 or 25 years to promote reading for kids than most anything else, and   Bill Ratner ** 18:17 that's because it's such a good series of books. I read them to my daughters, yeah. And the quality of writing. She was a brilliant writer, not only just the stories and the storytelling, which is fun to watch in the movies, and you know, it's great for a parent to read. If there are any parents listening, I don't care how old your kids are. I don't care if they're 15. Offer to read to them. The 15 year old might, of course, say mom, but anybody younger than that might say either, all right, fine, which is, which means you better do it or read, read a book. To me, sure, it's fun for the parent, fun for the kid, and it makes the child a completely different kind of thinker and worker and earner.   Michael Hingson ** 19:05 Well, also the people who they got to read the books for the recordings Stephen Fry and in the US here, Jim Dale did such an incredible job as well. I've, I've read the whole Harry Potter series more than once, because I just enjoy them, and I enjoy listening to the the voices. They do such a good job. Yeah. And of course, for me, one of the interesting stories that I know about Jim Dale reading Harry Potter was since it was published by Scholastic he was actually scheduled to do a reading from one of the Harry from the new Harry Potter book that was coming out in 2001 on September 11, he was going to be at Scholastic reading. And of course, that didn't happen because of of everything that did occur. So I don't know whether I'm. I'm assuming at some point a little bit later, he did, but still he was scheduled to be there and read. But it they are there. They've done so much to help promote reading, and a lot of those kinds of cartoons and so on. Have done some of that, which is, which is pretty good. So it's good to, you know, to see that continue to happen. Well, so you've written several books on poetry and so on, and I know that you you've mentioned more than once grief and loss. How come those words keep coming up?   Bill Ratner ** 20:40 Well, I had an unusual childhood. Again. I mentioned earlier how, what a lucky kid I was. My parents were happy, educated, good people, not abusers. You know, I don't have a I don't have horror stories to tell about my mother or my father, until my mother grew sick with breast cancer and and it took about a year and a half or two years to die when I was seven years old. The good news is, because she was a sensitive, educated social worker, as she was actually dying, she arranged a death counseling session with me and my older brother and the Unitarian minister who was also a death counselor, and whom she was seeing to talk about, you know, what it was like to be dying of breast cancer with two young kids. And at this session, which was sort of surprised me, I was second grade, came home from school. In the living room was my mother and my brother looking a little nervous, and Dr Carl storm from the Unitarian Church, and she said, you know, Dr storm from church, but he's also my therapist. And we talk about my illness and how I feel, and we talk about how much I love you boys, and talk about how I worry about Daddy. And this is what one does when one is in crisis. That was a moment that was not traumatic for me. It's a moment I recalled hundreds of times, and one that has been a guiding light through my life. My mother's death was very difficult for my older brother, who was 13 who grew up in World War Two without without my father, it was just him and my mother when he was off in the Pacific fighting in World War Two. And then I was born after the war. And the loss of a mother in a family is like the bottom dropping out of a family. But luckily, my dad met a woman he worked with a highly placed advertising executive, which was unusual for a female in the 1950s and she became our stepmother a year later, and we had some very lovely, warm family years with her extended family and our extended family and all of us together until my brother got sick, came down with kidney disease a couple of years before kidney dialysis was invented, and a couple of years before kidney transplants were done, died at 19. Had been the captain of the swimming team at our high school, but did a year in college out in California and died on Halloween of 1960 my father was 51 years old. His eldest son had died. He had lost his wife six years earlier. He was working too hard in the advertising industry, successful man and dropped out of a heart attack 14th birthday. Gosh, I found him unconscious on the floor of our master bathroom in our house. So my life changed. I My life has taught me many, many things. It's taught me how the defense system works in trauma. It's taught me the resilience of a child. It's taught me the kindness of strangers. It's taught me the sadness of loss.   Michael Hingson ** 24:09 Well, you, you seem to come through all of it pretty well. Well, thank you. A question behind that, just an observation, but, but you do seem to, you know, obviously, cope with all of it and do pretty well. So you, you've always liked to be involved in acting and so on. How did you actually end up deciding to be a voice actor?   Bill Ratner ** 24:39 Well, my dad, after he was managing editor of Better Homes and Gardens magazine in Des Moines for Meredith publishing, got offered a fancy job as executive vice president of the flower and mix division for Campbell within advertising and later at General Mills Corporation. From Betty Crocker brand, and would bring me to work all the time, and would sit with me, and we'd watch the wonderful old westerns that were on prime time television, rawhide and Gunsmoke and the Virginian and sure   Michael Hingson ** 25:15 and all those. Yeah, during   Bill Ratner ** 25:17 the commercials, my father would make fun of the commercials. Oh, look at that guy. And number one, son, that's lousy acting. Number two, listen to that copy. It's the dumbest ad copy I've ever seen. The jingles and and then he would say, No, that's a good commercial, right there. And he wasn't always negative. He would he was just a good critic of advertising. So at a very young age, starting, you know, when we watch television, I think the first television ever, he bought us when I was five years old, I was around one of the most educated, active, funny, animated television critics I could hope to have in my life as a 56789, 1011, 12 year old. And so when I was 12, I became one of the founding members of the Brotherhood of radio stations with my friends John Waterhouse and John Barstow and Steve gray and Bill Connors in South Minneapolis. I named my five watt night kit am transmitter after my sixth grade teacher, Bob close this is wclo stereo radio. And when I was in sixth grade, I built myself a switch box, and I had a turntable and I had an intercom, and I wired my house for sound, as did all the other boys in the in the B, O, R, S, and that's brotherhood of radio stations. And we were guests on each other's shows, and we were obsessed, and we would go to the shopping malls whenever a local DJ was making an appearance and torture him and ask him dumb questions and listen obsessively to American am radio. And at the time for am radio, not FM like today, or internet on your little radio tuner, all the big old grandma and grandpa radios, the wooden ones, were AM, for amplitude modulated. You could get stations at night, once the sun went down and the later it got, the ionosphere would lift and the am radio signals would bounce higher and farther. And in Minneapolis, at age six and seven, I was able to to listen to stations out of Mexico and Texas and Chicago, and was absolutely fascinated with with what was being put out. And I would, I would switch my brother when I was about eight years old, gave me a transistor radio, which I hid under my bed covers. And at night, would turn on and listen for, who knows, hours at a time, and just tuning the dial and tuning the dial from country to rock and roll to hit parade to news to commercials to to agric agriculture reports to cow crossings in Kansas and grain harvesting and cheese making in Wisconsin, and on and on and on that made up the great medium of radio that was handing its power and its business over to television, just as I was growing As a child. Fast, fascinating transition   Michael Hingson ** 28:18 and well, but as it was transitioning, how did that affect you?   Bill Ratner ** 28:26 It made television the romantic, exciting, dynamic medium. It made radio seem a little limited and antiquated, and although I listened for environment and wasn't able to drag a television set under my covers. Yeah, and television became memorable with with everything from actual world war two battle footage being shown because there wasn't enough programming to 1930s Warner Brothers gangster movies with James Cagney, Edward G   Michael Hingson ** 29:01 Robinson and yeah   Bill Ratner ** 29:02 to all the sitcoms, Leave It to Beaver and television cartoons and on and on and on. And the most memorable elements to me were the personalities, and some of whom were invisible. Five years old, I was watching a Kids program after school, after kindergarten. We'll be back with more funny puppets, marionettes after this message and the first words that came on from an invisible voice of this D baritone voice, this commercial message will be 60 seconds long, Chrysler Dodge for 1954 blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I watched hypnotized, hypnotized as a 1953 dodge drove across the screen with a happy family of four waving out the window. And at the end of the commercial, I ran into the kitchen said, Mom, mom, I know what a minute. Is, and it was said, it had suddenly come into my brain in one of those very rare and memorable moments in a person's life where your brain actually speaks to you in its own private language and says, Here is something very new and very true, that 60 seconds is in fact a minute. When someone says, See you in five minutes, they mean five times that, five times as long as that. Chrysler commercial, five times 60. That's 300 seconds. And she said, Did you learn it that that on T in kindergarten? And I said, No, I learned it from kangaroo Bob on TV, his announcer, oh, kangaroo Bob, no, but this guy was invisible. And so at five years of age, I was aware of the existence of the practice of the sound, of the magic of the seemingly unlimited access to facts, figures, products, brand names that these voices had and would say on the air in This sort of majestic, patriarchal way,   Michael Hingson ** 31:21 and just think 20 years later, then you had James Earl Jones,   Bill Ratner ** 31:26 the great dame. James Earl Jones, father was a star on stage at that time the 1950s James Earl Jones came of age in the 60s and became Broadway and off Broadway star.   Michael Hingson ** 31:38 I got to see him in Othello. He was playing Othello. What a powerful performance. It was   Bill Ratner ** 31:43 wonderful performer. Yeah, yeah. I got to see him as Big Daddy in Canada, Hot Tin Roof, ah, live and in person, he got front row seats for me and my family.   Michael Hingson ** 31:53 Yeah, we weren't in the front row, but we saw it. We saw it on on Broadway,   Bill Ratner ** 31:58 the closest I ever got to James Earl Jones. He and I had the same voice over agent, woman named Rita vinari of southern Barth and benare company. And I came into the agency to audition for Doritos, and I hear this magnificent voice coming from behind a closed voiceover booth, saying, with a with a Spanish accent, Doritos. I thought that's James Earl Jones. Why is he saying burritos? And he came out, and he bowed to me, nodded and smiled, and I said, hello and and the agent probably in the booth and shut the door. And she said, I said, that was James Earl Jones. What a voice. What she said, Oh, he's such a nice man. And she said, but I couldn't. I was too embarrassed. I was too afraid to stop him from saying, Doritos. And it turns out he didn't get the gig. So it is some other voice actor got it because he didn't say, had he said Doritos with the agent froze it froze up. That was as close as I ever got to did you get the gig? Oh goodness no,   Michael Hingson ** 33:01 no, you didn't, huh? Oh, well, well, yeah. I mean, it was a very, it was, it was wonderful. It was James Earl Jones and Christopher Plummer played Iago. Oh, goodness, oh, I know. What a what a combination. Well, so you, you did a lot of voiceover stuff. What did you do regarding radio moving forward? Or did you just go completely out of that and you were in TV? Or did you have any opportunity   Bill Ratner ** 33:33 for me to go back at age 15, my brother and father, who were big supporters of my radio. My dad would read my W, C, l, o, newsletter and need an initial, an excellent journalism son and my brother would bring his teenage friends up. He'd play the elderly brothers, man, you got an Elvis record, and I did. And you know, they were, they were big supporters for me as a 13 year old, but when I turned 14, and had lost my brother and my father, I lost my enthusiasm and put all of my radio equipment in a box intended to play with it later. Never, ever, ever did again. And when I was about 30 years old and I'd done years of acting in the theater, having a great time doing fun plays and small theaters in Minneapolis and South Dakota and and Oakland, California and San Francisco. I needed money, so I looked in the want ads and saw a job for telephone sales, and I thought, Well, I used to love the telephone. I used to make phony phone calls to people all the time. Used to call funeral homes. Hi Carson, funeral I help you. Yes, I'm calling to tell you that you have a you have a dark green slate tile. Roof, isn't that correct? Yes. Well, there's, there's a corpse on your roof. Lady for goodness sake, bring it down and we laugh and we record it and and so I thought, Well, gee, I used to have a lot of fun with the phone. And so I called the number of telephone sales and got hired to sell magazine subscriptions and dinner tickets to Union dinners and all kinds of things. And then I saw a new job at a radio station, suburban radio station out in Walnut Creek, California, a lovely Metro BART train ride. And so I got on the BART train, rode out there and walked in for the interview, and was told I was going to be selling small advertising packages on radio for the station on the phone. And so I called barber shops and beauty shops and gas stations in the area, and one guy picked up the phone and said, Wait a minute, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Are you on the radio right now? And I said, No, I'm just I'm in the sales room. Well, maybe you should be. And he slams the phone on me. He didn't want to talk to me anymore. It wasn't interested in buying advertising. I thought, gee. And I told somebody at the station, and they said, Well, you want to be in the radio? And he went, Yeah, I was on the radio when I was 13. And it just so happened that an older fellow was retiring from the 10am to 2pm slot. K I S King, kiss 99 and KD FM, Pittsburgh, California. And it was a beautiful music station. It was a music station. Remember, old enough will remember music that used to play in elevators that was like violin music, the Percy faith orchestra playing a Rolling Stone song here in the elevator. Yes, well, that's exactly what we played. And it would have been harder to get a job at the local rock stations because, you know, they were popular places. And so I applied for the job, and   Michael Hingson ** 37:06 could have lost your voice a lot sooner, and it would have been a lot harder if you had had to do Wolfman Jack. But that's another story.   Bill Ratner ** 37:13 Yeah, I used to listen to Wolf Man Jack. I worked in a studio in Hollywood. He became a studio. Yeah, big time.   Michael Hingson ** 37:22 Anyway, so you you got to work at the muzack station, got   Bill Ratner ** 37:27 to work at the muzack station, and I was moving to Los Angeles to go to a bigger market, to attempt to penetrate a bigger broadcast market. And one of the sales guys, a very nice guy named Ralph pizzella said, Well, when you get to La you should study with a friend of mine down to pie Troy, he teaches voiceovers. I said, What are voice overs? He said, You know that CVS Pharmacy commercial just carted up and did 75 tags, available in San Fernando, available in San Clemente, available in Los Angeles, available in Pasadena. And I said, Yeah. He said, Well, you didn't get paid any extra. You got paid your $165 a week. The guy who did that commercial for the ad agency got paid probably 300 bucks, plus extra for the tags, that's voiceovers. And I thought, why? There's an idea, what a concept. So he gave me the name and number of old friend acquaintance of his who he'd known in radio, named Don DiPietro, alias Johnny rabbit, who worked for the Dick Clark organization, had a big rock and roll station there. He'd come to LA was doing voiceovers and teaching voiceover classes in a little second story storefront out of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles. So I signed up for his class, and he was an experienced guy, and he liked me, and we all had fun, and I realized I was beginning to study like an actor at 1818, who goes to New York or goes to Los Angeles or Chicago or Atlanta or St Louis to act in the big theaters, and starts acting classes and realizes, oh my goodness, these people are truly professionals. I don't know how to do what they do. And so for six years, I took voice over classes, probably 4050, nights a year, and from disc jockeys, from ex show hosts, from actors, from animated cartoon voices, and put enough time in to get a degree in neurology in medical school. And worked my way up in radio in Los Angeles and had a morning show, a lovely show with a wonderful news man named Phil Reed, and we talked about things and reviewed movies and and played a lot of music. And then I realized, wait a minute, I'm earning three times the money in voiceovers as I am on the radio, and I have to get up at 430 in the morning to be on the radio. Uh, and a wonderful guy who was Johnny Carson's staff announcer named Jack angel said, You're not still on radio, are you? And I said, Well, yeah, I'm working in the morning. And Ka big, get out of there. Man, quit. Quit. And I thought, well, how can I quit? I've always wanted to be a radio announcer. And then there was another wonderful guy on the old am station, kmpc, sweet Dick Whittington. Whittington, right? And he said at a seminar that I went to at a union voice over training class, when you wake up at four in the morning and you swing your legs over the bed and your shoes hit the floor, and you put your head in your hands, and you say to yourself, I don't want to do this anymore. That's when you quit radio. Well, that hadn't happened to me. I was just getting up early to write some comedy segments and on and on and on, and then I was driving around town all day doing auditions and rented an ex girlfriend's second bedroom so that I could nap by myself during the day, when I had an hour in and I would as I would fall asleep, I'd picture myself every single day I'm in a dark voiceover studio, a microphone Is before me, a music stand is before the microphone, and on it is a piece of paper with advertising copy on it. On the other side of the large piece of glass of the recording booth are three individuals, my employers, I begin to read, and somehow the text leaps off the page, streams into my eyes, letter for letter, word for word, into a part of my back brain that I don't understand and can't describe. It is processed in my semi conscious mind with the help of voice over training and hope and faith, and comes out my mouth, goes into the microphone, is recorded in the digital recorder, and those three men, like little monkeys, lean forward and say, Wow, how do you do that? That was my daily creative visualization. Michael, that was my daily fantasy. And I had learned that from from Dale Carnegie, and I had learned that from Olympic athletes on NBC TV in the 60s and 70s, when the announcer would say, this young man you're seeing practicing his high jump is actually standing there. He's standing stationary, and the bouncing of the head is he's actually rehearsing in his mind running and running and leaping over the seven feet two inch bar and falling into the sawdust. And now he's doing it again, and you could just barely see the man nodding his head on camera at the exact rhythm that he would be running the 25 yards toward the high bar and leaping, and he raised his head up during the imaginary lead that he was visualizing, and then he actually jumped the seven foot two inches. That's how I learned about creative visualization from NBC sports on TV.   Michael Hingson ** 43:23 Channel Four in Los Angeles. There you go. Well, so you you broke into voice over, and that's what you did.   Bill Ratner ** 43:38 That's what I did, darn it, I ain't stopping now, there's a wonderful old actor named Bill Irwin. There two Bill Irwin's one is a younger actor in his 50s or 60s, a brilliant actor from Broadway to film and TV. There's an older William Irwin. They also named Bill Irwin, who's probably in his 90s now. And I went to a premiere of a film, and he was always showing up in these films as The senile stock broker who answers the phone upside down, or the senile board member who always asks inappropriate questions. And I went up to him and I said, you know, I see you in everything, man. I'm 85 years old. Some friends and associates of mine tell me I should slow down. I only got cast in movies and TV when I was 65 I ain't slowing down. If I tried to slow down at 85 I'd have to stop That's my philosophy. My hero is the great Don Pardo, the late great   Michael Hingson ** 44:42 for Saturday Night Live and Jeopardy   Bill Ratner ** 44:45 lives starring Bill Murray, Gilder Radner, and   Michael Hingson ** 44:49 he died for Jeopardy before that,   Bill Ratner ** 44:52 yeah, died at 92 with I picture him, whether it probably not, with a microphone and. His hand in his in his soundproof booth, in his in his garage, and I believe he lived in Arizona, although the show was aired and taped in New York, New York, right where he worked for for decades as a successful announcer. So that's the story.   Michael Hingson ** 45:16 Michael. Well, you know, I miss, very frankly, some of the the the days of radio back in the 60s and 70s and so on. We had, in LA what you mentioned, Dick Whittington, Dick whittinghill on kmpc, Gary Owens, you know, so many people who were such wonderful announcers and doing some wonderful things, and radio just isn't the same anymore. It's gone. It's   Bill Ratner ** 45:47 gone to Tiktok and YouTube. And the truth is, I'm not gonna whine about Tiktok or YouTube, because some of the most creative moments on camera are being done on Tiktok and YouTube by young quote influencers who hire themselves out to advertisers, everything from lipstick. You know,   Speaker 1 ** 46:09 when I went to a party last night was just wild and but this makeup look, watch me apply this lip remover and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, no, I have no lip.   Bill Ratner ** 46:20 You know, these are the people with the voices. These are the new voices. And then, of course, the faces. And so I would really advise before, before people who, in fact, use the internet. If you use the internet, you can't complain if you use the internet, if you go to Facebook or Instagram, or you get collect your email or Google, this or that, which most of us do, it's handy. You can't complain about tick tock, tick tock, tick tock. You can't complain about tick tock or YouTube, because it's what the younger generation is using, and it's what the younger generation advertisers and advertising executives and creators and musicians and actors are using to parade before us, as Gary Owens did, as Marlon Brando did, as Sarah Bernhardt did in the 19 so as all as you do, Michael, you're a parader. You're the head of the parade. You've been in on your own float for years. I read your your bio. I don't even know why you want to waste a minute talking to me for goodness sakes.   Michael Hingson ** 47:26 You know, the one thing about podcasts that I like over radio, and I did radio at kuci for seven years when I was in school, what I really like about podcasts is they're not and this is also would be true for Tiktok and YouTube. Primarily Tiktok, I would would say it isn't as structured. So if we don't finish in 60 minutes, and we finish in 61 minutes, no one's gonna shoot us.   Bill Ratner ** 47:53 Well, I beg to differ with you. Now. I'm gonna start a fight with you. Michael, yeah, we need conflict in this script. Is that it The Tick Tock is very structured. Six. No,   Michael Hingson ** 48:03 no, I understand that. I'm talking about podcasts,   Bill Ratner ** 48:07 though, but there's a problem. We gotta Tone It Up. We gotta pick it up. We gotta there's a lot of and I listen to what are otherwise really bright, wonderful personalities on screen, celebrities who have podcasts and the car sucks, and then I had meatballs for dinner, haha. And you know what my wife said? Why? You know? And there's just too much of that. And,   Michael Hingson ** 48:32 oh, I understand, yeah. I mean, it's like, like anything, but I'm just saying that's one of the reasons I love podcasting. So it's my way of continuing what I used to do in radio and having a lot of fun doing it   Bill Ratner ** 48:43 all right, let me ask you. Let me ask you a technical and editorial question. Let me ask you an artistic question. An artist, can you edit this podcast? Yeah. Are you? Do you plan to Nope.   Michael Hingson ** 48:56 I think conversations are conversations, but there is a but, I mean,   Bill Ratner ** 49:01 there have been starts and stops and I answer a question, and there's a long pause, and then, yeah, we can do you edit that stuff   Michael Hingson ** 49:08 out. We do, we do, edit some of that out. And I have somebody that that that does a lot of it, because I'm doing more podcasts, and also I travel and speak, but I can edit. There's a program called Reaper, which is really a very sophisticated   Bill Ratner ** 49:26 close up spaces. You   Michael Hingson ** 49:28 can close up spaces with it, yes, but the neat thing about Reaper is that somebody has written scripts to make it incredibly accessible for blind people using screen readers.   Bill Ratner ** 49:40 What does it do? What does it do? Give me the elevator pitch.   Michael Hingson ** 49:46 You've seen some of the the programs that people use, like computer vision and other things to do editing of videos and so on. Yeah.   Bill Ratner ** 49:55 Yeah. Even Apple. Apple edit. What is it called? Apple? Garage Band. No, that's audio. What's that   Michael Hingson ** 50:03 audio? Oh,   Bill Ratner ** 50:06 quick time is quick   Michael Hingson ** 50:07 time. But whether it's video or audio, the point is that Reaper allows me to do all of that. I can edit audio. I can insert, I can remove pauses. I can do anything with Reaper that anyone else can do editing audio, because it's been made completely accessible.   Bill Ratner ** 50:27 That's great. That's good. That's nice. Oh, it is. It's cool.   Michael Hingson ** 50:31 So so if I want, I can edit this and just have my questions and then silence when you're talking.   Bill Ratner ** 50:38 That might be best. Ladies and gentlemen, here's Bill Ratner,   Michael Hingson ** 50:46 yep, exactly, exactly. Now you have won the moth stories. Slam, what? Tell me about my story. Slam, you've won it nine times.   Bill Ratner ** 51:00 The Moth was started by a writer, a novelist who had lived in the South and moved to New York City, successful novelist named George Dawes green. And the inception of the moth, which many people listening are familiar with from the Moth Radio Hour. It was, I believe, either late 90s or early 2000s when he'd been in New York for a while and was was publishing as a fiction writer, and threw a party, and decided, instead of going to one of these dumb, boring parties or the same drinks being served and same cigarettes being smoked out in the veranda and the same orders. I'm going to ask people to bring a five minute story, a personal story, nature, a true story. You don't have to have one to get into the party, but I encourage you to. And so you know, the 3040, 50 people showed up, many of whom had stories, and they had a few drinks, and they had hors d'oeuvres. And then he said, Okay, ladies and gentlemen, take your seats. It's time for and then I picked names out of a hat, and person after person after person stood up in a very unusual setting, which was almost never done at parties. You How often do you see that happen? Suddenly, the room falls silent, and someone with permission being having been asked by the host to tell a personal story, some funny, some tragic, some complex, some embarrassing, some racy, some wild, some action filled. And afterward, the feedback he got from his friends was, this is the most amazing experience I've ever had in my life. And someone said, you need to do this. And he said, Well, you people left a lot of cigarette butts and beer cans around my apartment. And they said, well, let's do it at a coffee shop. Let's do it at a church basement. So slowly but surely, the moth storytelling, story slams, which were designed after the old poetry slams in the 50s and 60s, where they were judged contests like, like a dance contest. Everybody's familiar with dance contests? Well, there were, then came poetry contests with people singing and, you know, and singing and really energetically, really reading. There then came storytelling contests with people standing on a stage before a silent audience, telling a hopefully interesting, riveting story, beginning middle, end in five minutes. And so a coffee house was found. A monthly calendar was set up. Then came the internet. Then it was so popular standing room only that they had to open yet another and another, and today, some 20 years later, 20 some years later, from Austin, Texas to San Francisco, California to Minneapolis, Minnesota to New York City to Los Angeles. There are moth story slams available on online for you to schedule yourself to go live and in person at the moth.org as in the moth with wings. Friend of mine, I was in New York. He said, You can't believe it. This writer guy, a writer friend of mine who I had read, kind of an avant garde, strange, funny writer was was hosting something called the moth in New York, and we were texting each other. He said, Well, I want to go. The theme was show business. I was going to talk to my Uncle Bobby, who was the bell boy. And I Love Lucy. I'll tell a story. And I texted him that day. He said, Oh man, I'm so sorry. I had the day wrong. It's next week. Next week, I'm going to be back home. And so he said, Well, I think there's a moth in Los Angeles. So about 15 years ago, I searched it down and what? Went to a small Korean barbecue that had a tiny little stage that originally was for Korean musicians, and it was now being used for everything from stand up comedy to evenings of rock and roll to now moth storytelling once a month. And I think the theme was first time. And so I got up and told a silly story and didn't win first prize. They have judges that volunteer judges a table of three judges scoring, you like, at a swim meet or a track beat or, you know, and our gymnastics meet. So this is all sort of familiar territory for everybody, except it's storytelling and not high jumping or pull ups. And I kept going back. I was addicted to it. I would write a story and I'd memorize it, and I'd show up and try to make it four minutes and 50 seconds and try to make it sound like I was really telling a story and not reading from a script. And wish I wasn't, because I would throw the script away, and I knew the stories well enough. And then they created a radio show. And then I began to win slams and compete in the grand slams. And then I started submitting these 750 word, you know, two and a half page stories. Literary magazines got a few published and found a whole new way to spend my time and not make much   Michael Hingson ** 56:25 money. Then you went into poetry.   Bill Ratner ** 56:29 Then I got so bored with my prose writing that I took a poetry course from a wonderful guy in LA called Jack grapes, who had been an actor and a football player and come to Hollywood and did some TV, episodics and and some some episodic TV, and taught poetry. It was a poet in the schools, and I took his class of adults and got a poem published. And thought, wait a minute, these aren't even 750 words. They're like 75 words. I mean, you could write a 10,000 word poem if you want, but some people have, yeah, and it was complex, and there was so much to read and so much to learn and so much that was interesting and odd. And a daughter of a friend of mine is a poet, said, Mommy, are you going to read me one of those little word movies before I go to sleep?   Michael Hingson ** 57:23 A little word movie, word movie out of the   Bill Ratner ** 57:27 mouths of babes. Yeah, and so, so and I perform. You know, last night, I was in Orange County at a organization called ugly mug Cafe, and a bunch of us poets read from an anthology that was published, and we sold our books, and heard other young poets who were absolutely marvelous and and it's, you know, it's not for everybody, but it's one of the things I do.   Michael Hingson ** 57:54 Well, you sent me pictures of book covers, so they're going to be in the show notes. And I hope people will will go out and get them   Bill Ratner ** 58:01 cool. One of the one of the things that I did with poetry, in addition to wanting to get published and wanting to read before people, is wanting to see if there is a way. Because poetry was, was very satisfying, emotionally to me, intellectually very challenging and satisfying at times. And emotionally challenging and very satisfying at times, writing about things personal, writing about nature, writing about friends, writing about stories that I received some training from the National Association for poetry therapy. Poetry therapy is being used like art therapy, right? And have conducted some sessions and and participated in many and ended up working with eighth graders of kids who had lost someone to death in the past year of their lives. This is before covid in the public schools in Los Angeles. And so there's a lot of that kind of work that is being done by constable people, by writers, by poets, by playwrights,   Michael Hingson ** 59:09 and you became a grief counselor,   Bill Ratner ** 59:13 yes, and don't do that full time, because I do voiceovers full time, right? Write poetry and a grand. Am an active grandparent, but I do the occasional poetry session around around grief poetry.   Michael Hingson ** 59:31 So you're a grandparent, so you've had kids and all that. Yes, sir, well, that's is your wife still with us? Yes?   Bill Ratner ** 59:40 Oh, great, yeah, she's an artist and an art educator. Well, that   Michael Hingson ** 59:46 so the two of you can criticize each other's works, then, just   Bill Ratner ** 59:52 saying, we're actually pretty kind to each other. I Yeah, we have a lot of we have a lot of outside criticism. Them. So, yeah, you don't need to do it internally. We don't rely on it. What do you think of this although, although, more than occasionally, each of us will say, What do you think of this poem, honey? Or what do you think of this painting, honey? And my the favorite, favorite thing that my wife says that always thrills me and makes me very happy to be with her is, I'll come down and she's beginning a new work of a new piece of art for an exhibition somewhere. I'll say, what? Tell me about what's, what's going on with that, and she'll go, you know, I have no idea, but it'll tell me what to do.   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:33 Yeah, it's, it's like a lot of authors talk about the fact that their characters write the stories right, which, which makes a lot of sense. So with all that you've done, are you writing a memoir? By any chance, I   Bill Ratner ** 1:00:46 am writing a memoir, and writing has been interesting. I've been doing it for many years. I got it was my graduate thesis from University of California Riverside Palm Desert.   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:57 My wife was a UC Riverside graduate. Oh, hi. Well, they   Bill Ratner ** 1:01:01 have a low residency program where you go for 10 days in January, 10 days in June. The rest of it's online, which a lot of universities are doing, low residency programs for people who work and I got an MFA in creative writing nonfiction, had a book called parenting for the digital age, the truth about media's effect on children. And was halfway through it, the publisher liked it, but they said you got to double the length. So I went back to school to try to figure out how to double the length. And was was able to do it, and decided to move on to personal memoir and personal storytelling, such as goes on at the moth but a little more personal than that. Some of the material that I was reading in the memoir section of a bookstore was very, very personal and was very helpful to read about people who've gone through particular issues in their childhood. Mine not being physical abuse or sexual abuse, mine being death and loss, which is different. And so that became a focus of my graduate thesis, and many people were urging me to write a memoir. Someone said, you need to do a one man show. So I entered the Hollywood fringe and did a one man show and got good reviews and had a good time and did another one man show the next year and and so on. So But writing memoir as anybody knows, and they're probably listeners who are either taking memoir courses online or who may be actively writing memoirs or short memoir pieces, as everybody knows it, can put you through moods from absolutely ecstatic, oh my gosh, I got this done. I got this story told, and someone liked it, to oh my gosh, I'm so depressed I don't understand why. Oh, wait a minute, I was writing about such and such today. Yeah. So that's the challenge for the memoir is for the personal storyteller, it's also, you know, and it's more of a challenge than it is for the reader, unless it's bad writing and the reader can't stand that. For me as a reader, I'm fascinated by people's difficult stories, if they're well   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:24 told well, I know that when in 2002 I was advised to write a book about the World Trade Center experiences and all, and it took eight years to kind of pull it all together. And then I met a woman who actually I collaborated with, Susie Florey, and we wrote thunder dog. And her agent became my agent, who loved the proposal that we sent and actually got a contract within a week. So thunder dog came out in 2011 was a New York Times bestseller, and very blessed by that, and we're working toward the day that it will become a movie still, but it'll happen. And then I wrote a children's version of it, well, not a children's version of the book, but a children's book about me growing up in Roselle, growing up the guide dog who was with me in the World Trade Center, and that's been on Amazon. We self published it. Then last year, we published a new book called Live like a guide dog, which is all about controlling fear and teaching people lessons that I learned prior to September 11. That helped me focus and remain calm.   Bill Ratner ** 1:04:23 What happened to you on September 11,   Michael Hingson ** 1:04:27 I was in the World Trade Center. I worked on the 78th floor of Tower One.   Bill Ratner ** 1:04:32 And what happened? I mean, what happened to you?   Michael Hingson ** 1:04:36 Um, nothing that day. I mean, well, I got out. How did you get out? Down the stairs? That was the only way to go. So, so the real story is not doing it, but why it worked. And the real issue is that I spent a lot of time when I first went into the World Trade Center, learning all I could about what to do in an emergency, talking to police, port authorities. Security people, emergency preparedness people, and also just walking around the world trade center and learning the whole place, because I ran an office for a company, and I wasn't going to rely on someone else to, like, lead me around if we're going to go to lunch somewhere and take people out before we negotiated contracts. So I needed to know all of that, and I learned all I could, also realizing that if there ever was an emergency, I might be the only one in the office, or we might be in an area where people couldn't read the signs to know what to do anyway. And so I had to take the responsibility of learning all that, which I did. And then when the planes hit 18 floors above us on the other side of the building, we get we had some guests in the office. Got them out, and then another colleague, who was in from our corporate office, and I and my guide dog, Roselle, went to the stairs, and we started down. And   Bill Ratner ** 1:05:54 so, so what floor did the plane strike?   Michael Hingson ** 1:05:58 It struck and the NOR and the North Tower, between floors 93 and 99 so I just say 96 okay, and you were 20 floors down, 78 floors 78 so we were 18 floors below, and   Bill Ratner ** 1:06:09 at the moment of impact, what did you think?   Michael Hingson ** 1:06:13 Had no idea we heard a muffled kind of explosion, because the plane hit on the other side of the building, 18 floors above us. There was no way to know what was going on. Did you feel? Did you feel? Oh, the building literally tipped, probably about 20 feet. It kept tipping. And then we actually said goodbye to each other, and then the building came back upright. And then we went,   Bill Ratner ** 1:06:34 really you so you thought you were going to die?   Michael Hingson ** 1:06:38 David, my colleague who was with me, as I said, he was from our California office, and he was there to help with some seminars we were going to be doing. We actually were saying goodbye to each other because we thought we were about to take a 78 floor plunge to the street, when the building stopped tipping and it came back. Designed to do that by the architect. It was designed to do that, which is the point, the point.   Bill Ratner ** 1:07:02 Goodness, gracious. And then did you know how to get to the stairway?   Michael Hingson ** 1:07:04 Oh, absolutely. And did you do it with your friend? Yeah, the first thing we did, the first thing we did is I got him to get we had some guests, and I said, get him to the stairs. Don't let him take the elevators, because I knew he had seen fire above us, but that's all we knew. And but I said, don't take the elevators. Don't let them take elevators. Get them to the stairs and then come back and we'll leave. So he did all that, and then he came back, and we went to the stairs and started down.   Bill Ratner ** 1:07:33 Wow. Could you smell anything?   Michael Hingson ** 1:07:36 We smelled burning jet fuel fumes on the way down. And that's how we figured out an airplane must have hit the building, but we had no idea what happened. We didn't know what happened until the until both towers had collapsed, and I actually talked to my wife, and she's the one who told us how to aircraft have been crashed into the towers, one into the Pentagon, and a fourth, at that time, was still missing over Pennsylvania. Wow. So you'll have to go pick up a copy of thunder dog. Goodness. Good. Thunder dog. The name of the book is Thunder dog, and the book I wrote last year is called Live like a guide dog. It's le

It is almost our 400th episode, Stephen is in transit to South Africa and there have been some interesting reveals this past week which Paul and Rob just had to sink their teeth into . Also Barry Lyndon is mentioned in this episode. GI Joburg is grateful to 3DJoes.com for all the good looking pics. The amatuerish ones are most likely taken by us!   Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0W3wPhykE4Z6NDF5WgdGew/join Got something to say to GI Joburg? We can be reached at arealsouthafricanhero@gmail.com   We have an official Patreon page! Go to https://www.patreon.com/GIJOBURG? Want some of the most unique GI Joe apparel out there? Check out our official GI JOBURG merch at: https://teespring.com/stores/gi-joburg-the-merch  

This week on the Toy Power Podcast; we have not one, but two Special Guests join us in studio to chat all things Card Collecting! We have Matt; one of the Owners of Sports Card World - (The longest running Card Store in Australia! - bosting over 30years of Business!) Plus Lennon is present too; but more focus on Lennon, & his Cards & Collectables project on the next episode. As usual we ask our guest Matt some of our routine Get-To-Know-You-Questions. Then we dive into Matt's thoughts & knowledge around the exciting & addictive World of Card Collecting! Plus whilst running a Business dedicated to this very compulsive hobby. From Traveling Overseas & catching various Sports in Person, to arguments around who's going to work in the Store on Finals Day! This was a really Fun episode & was genuinely exciting to hear from another incredibly passionate form of Collecting. Then rounding out the show; we have a round table chat about what we are each Reading, Playing, Watching. To Find out more from Matt & his business: Sports Card World - be sure to check them out on Facebook, Instagram: @SportsCardsWorldAdelaide & in person at their store in the heart of Adelaide City - Regent Arcade - Shop 5/101 Rundle Mall - Open 7days a week! www.sportscardworld.com.au To Find out more about Lennon & his TV Series: Cards And Collectables - be sure to check it out on Facebook, Instagram: @CardsAndCollectablesTV & on TV via channel 9 Now app! www.cardsandcollectables.com.auSupport the show: http://patreon.com/toypowerpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our epic review of The Pyramid of Darkness continues!Catch us LIVE on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Needless Things YouTube channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and be sure to subscribe for updates on the next livestream!Knowing is half the battle and fun is the other half! We're recruiting you to listen to this podcast hosted by three lifelong Joe fans.Our mission is to look at every era of GI Joe from the classic 12" Joes to today's modern Classified Series. From toys to comics to cartoons, the A.I. Pod is there! Yo Joe!Music by Andy SamfordFollow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

James Gunn Seemingly Addresses A Potential Exit From DC Studios! On today's episode of The Kristian Harloff Show, we break down the latest reports surrounding James Gunn and the future of DC Studios following Warner Bros. Discovery's sale announcement. What could this mean for the DCU's long-term plans — and will Gunn stay on board? Plus, new Star Wars rumors are swirling! Reports claim the Rey movie has been put on hold while a long-delayed Star Wars spin-off might finally return to development. We also discuss the surprising reveal that David Fincher was once developing a Star Wars movie post–Rise of Skywalker that ultimately fell through. And in animation news, Hasbro is officially bringing “GI Joe” and “Transformers” together in an all-new animated crossover event! Topics include: James Gunn Seemingly Addresses A Potential Exit From DC Studios Following WBD Sale Announcement RUMOR: As Rey Movie Is Put On Hold, A Long-Delayed Star Wars Spin-off May Be Back On The Table David Fincher Was Also Developing a Star Wars Movie Post–Rise of Skywalker That Ultimately Fell Through GI Joe & Transformers Animated Crossover Set Sponsors: RUGIET:  Ready to level up your confidence in the bedroom? Head to http://www.rugiet.com and use my promo code KRISTIAN for 15% off your first order. Upgrade your wardrobe and save on @trueclassic at http://www.trueclassic.com/KRISTIAN! #trueclassicpod Head to http://www.Strawberry.com/KRISTIAN to claim a special offer and get started. That's Strawberry dot M-E slash KRISTIAN. Stop settling. Start building the career you actually want.

BenFlyingRetro is embarking on an quest to purchase every classic GI Joe comic from the original 80s and 90s Marvel Run. He's hunting down individual issues from every corner of the globe in whatever order the universe decides to give him. Join Ben and his pal Steve from GI Joburg as they discuss the latest find! Moodlings Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bowtoys/moodlings-collectible-characters-for-every-mood Want more BenFlyingRetro?  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/benflyingretro?igsh=MXQ1YWtyeThiZGJ2MA== And People Who Play Substack https://peoplewhoplay.substack.com/ Intro song by Arwelone https://youtube.com/channel/UCR3CAS2tRgwyiXlyu0OEqLw?si=T1EGff9PfJjOzqGs #gijoe #marvelcomics #larryhama

For your listening pleasure the conclusion of issue 1 of The Order of Battle! Join us as we finish looking at the first issue of the G.I. Joe: Order of Battle. Write in to gijoe@headspeaks.com and let me know what you think of this episode! On Facebook, Google+ and Twitter, we can be found by searching for G.I. Joe: A Real American Headcast And be sure to look for us on Patreon. If you like what we're doing, throw a few bucks in the tin at http://patreon.com/HeadcastNetwork. Yo Joe!

Our Joes are still on Cybertron trying to survive... Can they live to make it home? Also, be sure to check out the website http://headcast.headspeaks.com for the Supplemental material under The Energon Protocols Debrief. Write in to gijoe@headspeaks.com and we'll read your letter on the air! Take a listen and let us know what you think. On Facebook and Twitter we can be found by searching for G.I. Joe: A Real American Headcast And be sure to look for us on Patreon. If you like what we're doing, join Big Danny Cool and Shawn Adams and throw a few bucks in the tin at http://patreon.com/HeadcastNetwork. You can also call us at 559-500-3182‬ and leave a message and we will play your message on the air. Yo Joe!

1:45 News13:57 Comic reviews15:17 Godzilla Escape Dead Zone #317:21 Ghost Pepper #418:24 Punisher Red Band #220:36 JL Red #322:33 I Hate Fairyland #4524:53 Nightwing #13127:07 GI Joe #1230:48 D&D Fallbacks #132:55 Godzilla Destroys MCU #438:52 Incredible Hulk #3039:56 New Gods #1142:50 What we're excited for43:56 Fantastic Four

Kevin is taking a look at the new O-Ring GI Joe figures from Super7 based on GIJoe the Movie. ReAction Plus wave 5 includes: Pythona, Big Lob, Arctic Destro, and Arctic Snake Eyes. Some of these figures have been on Kevin's wish list since he was a kid. #207 Pegwarmers Pegwarmers is the codename for toys and collectibles with high supply and low demand. Join Kevin Jones, and his team of collector commandos, as they discuss popular and not-so-popular retro and current toy brands. Check back for new episodes each Wednesday. Follow Ushttps://twitter.com/pegwarmerspodhttps://www.facebook.com/pegwarmerspod Join our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/pegwarmers

This episode is the audio for a YouTube TeamStream that initially ran on September 17, 2025.  TeamStreams run live every week on the WOJM YouTube channel, barring unforeseen circumstances or holidays.  Please take a moment and help us out — even if you don't watch us there, subscribe to our YouTube channel today! You can watch this episode at: https://youtube.com/live/2fOppN-yGeg There's still a few weeks before we get to New York Comic Con and #GIJoe news has slowed to a trickle, so we're turning tonight's show over to you, the fans! The SuperChat is open for this #WOJM #TeamStream -- we'll go through the Top 5 lists from the folks who shared their most-wanted Classified figures on last week's episode, and otherwise the floor is yours! SuperChats get preference, but ask us about anything, from show lore to convention stories to family stuff (this show is hosted by brothers, after all) to whatever you can think of! We can't promise that you'll get answers you like, but hey, you'll see your name on screen!  LISTEN TODAY!

join us as we get to know the mane behind G.I. Joe Features 

G.I. Joe Chronicles: Episode 065Issue: Special Missions #10 (Marvel)Attention new recruits! Welcome to Fort Longbox. Join codenames DJ Kristatos and Death Probe as they continue their mission to chronicle their way through G.I. Joe comics of the past!On this episode, featuring G.I. JOE: Special Missions #10, Jarrod & Pat are joined again by JIM THE JOE JUNKIE! Join the lads as they check in on dapper Roadblock & the African prince!Be sure to check out all the other Longbox Crusade shows at: www.LongboxCrusade.comLet us know what you think!Leave a comment by sending an email to: contact@longboxcrusade.comThis podcast is a member of the LONGBOX CRUSADE NETWORK:LINKTREE: https://linktr.ee/longboxcrusadeFollow on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/LongboxCrusadeFollow on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/longboxcrusadeLike the FACEBOOK page: https://www.facebook.com/LongboxCrusadeSubscribe to the YouTube Channel: https://goo.gl/4LkhovSubscribe on Apple Podcasts at:https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-longboxcrusade/id1118783510?mt=2orhttps://anchor.fm/s/e9b9020/podcast/rssThank you for listening and we hope you have enjoyed this episode of G.I. Joe Chronicles!#gijoe #gijoearah #gijoecommunity #gijoenation #gijoearealamericanhero #marvel #marvelcomics

Cujo joins us for this one and we get into the weeds a bit about tron and other things before settling on the latest silent issue. Which we arent silent about GI Joburg is grateful to 3DJoes.com for all the good looking pics. The amatuerish ones are most likely taken by us! Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0W3wPhykE4Z6NDF5WgdGew/join Got something to say to GI Joburg? We can be reached at arealsouthafricanhero@gmail.com We have an official Patreon page! Go to https://www.patreon.com/GIJOBURG?fan_landing=true Want some of the most unique GI Joe apparel out there? Check out our official GI JOBURG merch at: https://teespring.com/stores/gi-joburg-the-merch  

This episode is the audio for a YouTube TeamStream that initially ran on August 20, 2025.  TeamStreams run live every week on the WOJM YouTube channel, barring unforeseen circumstances or holidays.  Please take a moment and help us out — even if you don't watch us there, subscribe to our YouTube channel today! You can watch this episode at: https://youtube.com/live/Io3BVhPWpU8 We are truly in the dog days of Summer, 2025... while it hasn't been its normal level of hot and humid in our neck of the woods this year, we're sure starting to drag while we're waiting for the fall. But before we get there, the WOJM TeamStream is bringing one last jolt of fun in the sun with Zidek Toys' Chad LaForce and his upcoming Kickstarter project! Plus, we'll chat about the (unexpected?) success of the HasLab Snow CAT campaign and the rest of the week's GI Joe news, and get into all kinds of other shenanigans! LISTEN TODAY!

This week on the Toy Power Podcast; we are still sending 'Get Well' Cards to Trent, as he unfortunately misses this ep. But that won't slow us down; as Scot has a fantastic rundown on the Greatest Star Wars Movie - that never was! Yes - the infamous 'Shadows Of The Empire!' Famously worked into 'cannon' between the Original Films of: Empire Strikes Back & Return Of The Jedi. This wasn't just a Story or a Comicbook series - this was a Multimedia Project that also spanned into a Soundtrack, Video Games and of course a self-titled line of Toys! Was, or is this, the biggest Movie that never was?! Then keeping in the same similar theme of Movies; we transform into another round of The Team! With this round focusing on the Autobots that where released in 1986 (The Movie Year). This was a lot of fun! But we would love to hear some future ideas for The Team Comp - as we are starting to run out of ideas! Thanks, and as always - Enjoy!Support the show: http://patreon.com/toypowerpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

G.I. Joe Chronicles: Episode 065Issue: Special Missions #10 (Marvel)Attention new recruits! Welcome to Fort Longbox. Join codenames DJ Kristatos and Death Probe as they continue their mission to chronicle their way through G.I. Joe comics of the past!On this episode, featuring G.I. JOE: Special Missions #10, Jarrod & Pat are joined again by JIM THE JOE JUNKIE! Join the lads as they check in on dapper Roadblock & the African prince!Be sure to check out all the other Longbox Crusade shows at: www.LongboxCrusade.comLet us know what you think!Leave a comment by sending an email to: contact@longboxcrusade.comThis podcast is a member of the LONGBOX CRUSADE NETWORK:LINKTREE: https://linktr.ee/longboxcrusadeFollow on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/LongboxCrusadeFollow on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/longboxcrusadeLike the FACEBOOK page: https://www.facebook.com/LongboxCrusadeSubscribe to the YouTube Channel: https://goo.gl/4LkhovSubscribe on Apple Podcasts at:https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-longboxcrusade/id1118783510?mt=2orhttps://anchor.fm/s/e9b9020/podcast/rssThank you for listening and we hope you have enjoyed this episode of G.I. Joe Chronicles!#gijoe #gijoearah #gijoecommunity #gijoenation #gijoearealamericanhero #marvel #marvelcomics

We meet the newest member of Night Force as we review Skybound's G.I. Joe #12. All this and much, much more on this episode of TransMissions Alt Mode! Order our exclusive Skybound Transformers #1 comic with cover art by E.J. Su! Want some TransMissions swag? Check out our online shop, powered by Dashery! Show Notes: If you enjoy TransMissions, please rate us and subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! These ratings greatly help podcasts become more discoverable to other people using those services and is an easy way to help out our show. Contact us: Continue reading The post Alt Mode 464 – G.I. Joe #12 Spoiler Review appeared first on TransMissions Podcast Network.

BenFlyingRetro is embarking on an quest to purchase every classic GI Joe comic from the original 80s and 90s Marvel Run. He's hunting down individual issues from every corner of the globe in whatever order the universe decides to give him. Join Ben and his pal Steve from GI Joburg as they discuss the latest find! Moodlings Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bowtoys/moodlings-collectible-characters-for-every-mood Want more BenFlyingRetro?  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/benflyingretro?igsh=MXQ1YWtyeThiZGJ2MA== And People Who Play Substack https://peoplewhoplay.substack.com/ Intro song by Arwelone https://youtube.com/channel/UCR3CAS2tRgwyiXlyu0OEqLw?si=T1EGff9PfJjOzqGs #gijoe #marvelcomics #larryhama

Welcome back Joes. Roll call this month: Jarrod Alberich "The Yard Sale Artist" Codename: Deathprobe! - Twitter @yardsaleartist and https://theyardsaleartist.bigcartel.com/ Kevin Reitzel Codename: Raider Nerd - Twitter @spartan_phoenix and https://fpnet.podbean.com/ David Finn - https://www.facebook.com/signalofdoom Brad Abraham Codename: The Headcast Ed McMahon -  http://bradabraham.com/ or at Zartanhater@Zartansucks.com special guests; David Martel at http://GIJoeRPGStories.wordpress.com and Ryan Costello. And Extra Special Guest, Michael Charles Hill. Hey Joes!. Once again, this episode is proudly sponsored by Big Danny Cool and Shawn Adams! We have a full house here at the Pit this month, as we welcome our guest, Michael Charles Hill, the writer and creator of Cold Slither! This month, we're looking at issue 64, Maneuvering for Position. After that we all announce our Real American Hero for the issue and our favorite page of art. Then we have Postbox: The Pit with our Solider of the Month! Finally we watch Cold Slither and have our monthly PSA. Write in to gijoe@headspeaks.com and we'll read your letter on the air! Take a listen and let us know what you think. On Facebook and Twitter we can be found by searching for G.I. Joe: A Real American Headcast And be sure to look for us on Patreon. If you like what we're doing, join Big Danny Cool and Gene Hendricks and throw a few bucks in the tin at http://patreon.com/HeadcastNetwork. You can also call us at 559-500-3182‬ and leave a message and we will play your message on the air. Join us next month for our look at issue 62 of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, and the next cartoon. Yo Joe!

It's an Image-O-Rama! With a smattering of NYCC commentary. Plus, the mystery behind Vince's absence revealed!

He's back! Friend of the show Josh Eggebeen returns with a ton of updates for you After Action Report fans! He's got news on the past Kickstarter fullfillment times and more importantly... Announcing a whole new book from the After Action Crew! Listen to find out what that is! Don't forget if you're going to Codename: Iowa you can meet Josh and Me! I'll be there with our friend Mike Irizary from What's on Joe Mind! Stop by and say hello! Subscribe to the Joe on Joe Podcast! www.joeonjoe.com Apple Podcasts PodBean YouTube Help Support the Show thru Patreon! @JoeonJoepod on  Twitter Facebook Instagram Email Me Here!

We discuss our unknowledge about the franchise G.I. Joe, how crazy this movie is, Bruce Willis and his performance! We also chat about the ol' pod, some of our classic bits, and more as we close out with our final 10 (8???) Bruce Willis movies. Show Notes:Check us out at: williswaypod.comJosh's Ranking of Bruce Willis Films: ⁠https://letterboxd.com/cosmicjosh/list/bruce-willis-ranked/⁠Kendrick's Ranking of Bruce Willis Films: ⁠https://letterboxd.com/special_k/list/bruce-willis-ranked/⁠Email us: ⁠williswaypod@gmail.com⁠Discord link: ⁠https://discord.gg/W4AjJeU7WH

This week the boys start off the show with a Josh Thompson question. Also make sure you toon in next week to see if Scott got his new dog Matilda   In the news, title run toys showed off a future wrestling figure coming out. Zombie Sailor showed off new figures as well that will be released on black Friday.New style of wrestling figures were shown off from two different companies. Both Pro wrestling tees and KWK showed off their new GI Joe styled figures or O-ring style figures.    And the boys round out the show with their new nostalgia segment talking World Championship Wrestling for the NES Pre Orders: Big Rubber Guys - Collectmajor.com - Hercules - Andre the Giant Big Bad Toy Store   - Rush - Dralistico - Dragon Lee   Fig Collections - shop.figurecollections.com The patriot Buff Bagwell   Zombie Sailor - (zombiesailor.com) - Zombie is also on BBTS La Toonie Wrestling Toonstars KWK Shopkwk.com use code Fullyposeable to get 10 percent off your order. Also KWK's month of October figure is Flash Funk Thank you to everyone for keeping this show going!

It's everyone's favourite GIJOE merc or is he? Well let's take a deep dive and find out. GI Joburg is grateful to 3DJoes.com for all the good looking pics.   The amatuerish ones are most likely taken by us! Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0W3wPhykE4Z6NDF5WgdGew/join   Got something to say to GI Joburg? We can be reached at arealsouthafricanhero@gmail.com We have an official Patreon page! Go to https://www.patreon.com/GIJOBURG? Want some of the most unique GI Joe apparel out there? Check out our official GI JOBURG merch at: https://teespring.com/stores/gi-joburg-the-merch  

It's iFanboy 20/25 -- 20 years of podcasting and 25 years of iFanboy! These Jamokes got frickin' cats in their pockets! Silence pervades, and is lauded for it. We attempt to solve both the Alpha and Omega, which mostly results in a really tall Darkseid. But if you just apply the Supergods rule, it's all good. Note: Time codes are estimates due to dynamic ad insertion by the distributor. Running Time: 01:23:30 Pick of the Week:00:01:50 - G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #321 Comics:00:12:46 - DC K.O. #100:18:29 - Marvel Knights: The Punisher #100:24:30 - The Avengers #787 (31)00:33:14 - Death to Pachuco #100:37:27 - Transformers #2500:41:24 - Farmhand #2600:46:53 - Batman: The Long Halloween - The Last Halloween #900:49:08 - Red Book #1 Patron Pick:00:53:14 - Conan the Barbarian #25 Patron Thanks:01:03:49 - Todd Listener Mail:01:07:16 - David E. from San Francisco, California asks whether DC or Marvel is currently boasting the best stable of artists.01:13:37 - Greag B. from Ann Arbor, Michigan asks who loses. Tom King or Jonathan Hickman? So we work with that. Brought To You By: Found Banking – This episode is sponsored by Found Banking. Join the thousands of small business owners who have streamlined their finances. iFanboy Patrons – Become one today for as little as $3/month! Or join for a full year and get a discount! You can also make a one time donation of any amount! iFanboy T-Shirts and Merch – Show your iFanboy pride with a t-shirt or other great merchandise on Threadless! We've got TWENTY THREE designs! Music:“Enjoy the Silence”No Use for a Name Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From one of the globe to the other, there is no shortage of cool cool stuff to talk about! NYCC kicks off with a bang and even without Trent in the room, there is still much future money to be spent. Has Mondo become the next big thing? Playmates kicking absolute goals? A figure NEVER before seen in Marvel Legends? Closer to home we recap the always amazing Adelaide Comic and Toy Fair put on by the radical Brett and amazing Sarah. Great scores, great hangs and just so much fun as always! Support the show: http://patreon.com/toypowerpodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stop what you're doing and go read this issue! It is imperative that you read this issue again because it is absolutely one of the best G.I. Joe stories ever told and I'm so happy to be revisiting it! Herb Trimpe's artwork is working next level and Larry Hama's story is an absolute merciless beast of a fable. It really plays out like an episode of the Twilight Zone. I'm talking about Special Missions #5 on this week's program and I could not be happier about it!   Subscribe to the Joe on Joe Podcast! www.joeonjoe.com Apple Podcasts PodBean YouTube Help Support the Show thru Patreon! @JoeonJoepod on  Twitter Facebook Instagram Email Me Here!    

In this episode Toby sits down with legendary record producer Matt Wallace! He chats about electric cars, building his own decks and skating everywhere as a kid, living in different countries, being in bands since age 13, making a wireless guitar from a GI Joe walkie-talkie, UC Berkeley, Faith No More, starting a garage studio in his parents' house, Maroon 5, the Go record, Dolby Atmos, jobs before his music career, hiking and staying active, family life, therapy, all his activities and much more!  Please remember to rate, review and subscribe and visit us at https://www.youtube.com/tobymorseonelifeonechance Please visit our sponsors! Rockabilia- use code OLOC10 Rockabilia Athletic Greens https://athleticgreens.com/oloc Removery- code TOBYH2O https://removery.com  Liquid Death https://liquiddeath.com/toby Refine Recovery https://www.instagram.com/refinerecoverycenter/