Podcasts about National Lampoon

Set your status to OOO because we're going on vacation! Destination: the scenic and plaque-filled paradise, Trivialand. We got planes, trains, and automobiles covered in Colin's travel quiz. And for all you movie buffs, we're heading over to Walley World for Chris' epic National Lampoon's Vacation franchise challenge. Take Karen's celebrity audiobook narrator quiz, and find out why do we even have summer vacation? For advertising inquiries, please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this solo episode Mark shares some audio excerpts from his book PUBLISHING PITFALLS FOR AUTHORS. This episode's sponsor: This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report.   Links of Interest: Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link) Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Mark's YouTube channel Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City Only Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation   The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

In Case You Missed It – ROD AND GABI GAVE AWAY A CAR! Over the past few weeks, Rod and Gabi have been teasing the Carnanza... and today (June 18th), it all came to an epic finale! A huge congratulations to Nicky from Richardson, who is now ready drive away in a brand-new Suzuki Swift Hybrid – all thanks to National Capital Motors. If you were just about to call or reckon you knew the 15 iconic pop culture car themes aka Rod and Gabi's Iconic Carnanza too... here are the answers: Face’s Corvette – The A-Team Chevrolet Corvette C4 Herbie – The Love Bug Volkswagen Beetle #53 Also featured in Herbie: Fully Loaded The Big Red Car – The Wiggles Driven by members: Murray, Jeff, Anthony, Greg / later: Sam, Emma, etc. Mystery Machine – Scooby-Doo Colorful van, central to the franchise Featured across decades: 1969, 1998, 2001 and more Family Truckster – National Lampoon’s Vacation Custom 1979 Ford LTD Country Squire Bumblebee or Optimus Prime – Transformers Transforms into a semi-truck Mario Kart Racing Wild Mario in kart Game released: Japan – 1996, Worldwide – 1997 Ford Anglia – Harry Potter Ron and Harry’s flying car Batmobile – 1966 Batman TV Series George Barris-designed version Ecto-1 – Ghostbusters 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor ambulance KITT – Knight Rider Original: Pontiac Firebird Trans Am 2008 reboot: 2008–2009 Ford Shelby GT500KR DeLorean DMC-12 – Back to the Future Iconic gull-wing doors and flux capacitor The General Lee – Dukes of Hazzard 1969 Dodge Charger with "01" on the side GMC Vandura – The A-Team Distinct red stripe and black/grey exterior The Jetsons’ Flying Car Classic animated futuristic vehicle See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Celebrate Father's Day with our ranking of the *Top 10 Iconic TV & Movie Dads*!

     This week- a pair of films about young men who love beer.     Van Wilder is in his seventh year at Coolidge College. After his father cuts off his tuition payment. Van comes up with a scheme to pay by organizing and running parties for the college's diverse social groups. Meanwhile, he is drawn into a triangle with journalism student Gwen and mean-spirited future status focused boyfriend. Will Van make it through his seventh year? Will he finally decide to put on a cap and gown and move on? Will he earn the love of Gwen an the respect of his father? The directorial debut of Walt Becker and the first feature by the writing team of Brent Goldberg and David T. Wagner, National Lampoon's Van Wilder (aka Van Wilder: Party Liaison).     Bob and Doug McKenzie, the dim-witted hosts of cult Canadian panel show "The Great White North", debut their feature film to disastrous results. Broke, unemployed, and desperately needing beer for their father, the brothers go to Elsinore Brewery hoping to scam a case or two for free. Unfortunately, instead they stumble on a Shakespearian family drama and the plot of a power mad brewmeister. Can the brothers save the unsuspecting Canadian populace? Will they finally be able to earn their father and dog's approval? Based on a popular segment from the sketch comedy series SCTV, written and directed by lead actors Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas, Strange Brew.     All that and Tyler puts out the welcome mat for boys of summer, Dave suffers, and Kevin chortles nearly manically. Join us, won't you?   Episode 417- It Was A Different Time, eh?

Billy Joel's been entertaining classic rock and easy listening fans over 50 years. Getting ready to premiere HBO documentary And So It Goes, he sadly has to lie low for health reasons. For Fathers Day weekend, I countdown 10 fan favorite hits honoring his piano playing and songwriting skills. Theme Song: "Dance Track", composed by Jessica Ann CatenaSupport the showPlaylist: 10. “Piano Man” (1973-1974); MSG 100th Performance9. “It's Still Rock and Roll to Me” (1980)8. “River of Dreams” (1993) - "Gloria" - The Cadillacs (1954); Connecticut locations7. “Vienna” (1978) - 13 Going On 30 scenes6. “Uptown Girl” (1983) - National Lampoon's Vacation scenes5. “Just the Way You Are” (1978) - The Four Seasons' "Rag Doll" (1964)4. “My Life” (1980); Bosom Buddies theme song3. “Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)” (1978) - musical2. “The Longest Time” (1983)1. “New York State of Mind” (1976); Concert for New York City Alexa Ray Joel covering "Just the Way You Are" (2013)Katie Couric Show - interview; Gap adLiberty Devito interview clip from Booked On Rock podcastRelated Episodes: Ep. 36 - Fathers Day Countdown Ep. 159 - Thriller: Then and NowEp. 194 - 4th of July Playlist (2023)Ep. 216 - Alicia Keys Top 10Ep. 272 - Top 40 Songs of 2024 (Part 1)Ep. 287 - Record Store Day Playlist

In this episode Mark interviews Jacob from the JJ McFaull is collaboration children's book Where Pumpkins Go After Halloween. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by the new book The Podcast Guest Playbook co-authored by Mark and Matty Dalrymple. Check out the book here: https://books2read.com/podcastguestplaybook In the interview, Mark and Jacob talk about: Mark and Jacob talk about: How even as a kid, Jacob was making up stories Getting involved in the book industry in 2024 after initially trying to get his children's book published The organization CANSCAPE (Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators and Performers) which is a great resource for creators The title for his book which incites the right questions in people Seeing pumpkins left on the curb after Halloween, which is what inspired the story Collaborating with his father James and working as an author/illustrator duo under the name JJ McFaull (JJ being short for Jacob and James) How Jacob's father has been an illustrator his entire life The origin of how the book got conceived and published An important design element Jacob would recommend for children's book authors to consider Some of the challenges with the quality of POD children's books ordered from Amazon Selling books at in person fairs and other locales How having the book tied in to a specific holiday (Halloween) can be really beneficial How farmers markets were a great place for Jacob to set up for selling his books in person The way that having a pre-illustrated book on submission to a publisher can actually work against an author A little bit about the YA book that Jacob is working on right now The Christmas themed picture book that JJ McFaull will be releasing in the fall of 2025 Advice Jacob would offer to other writers And more... After the interview Mark reflects on the unique father-and-son collaboration as well as on the importance of recognizing where additional talent needs to be brought in on a project.    Links of Interest: JJ McFaull's Website JJ McFaull Instagram The Indy Author Podcast - Episode 291: The Podcast Guest Playbook with Mark Leslie Lefebvre Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link) Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Mark's YouTube channel Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City Only Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation   JJ McFaull is the author/illustrator of Where Pumpkins Go After Halloween, a debut picture book released in September 2024. Under the pen name JJ McFaull, Jacob (the author) and James (his father and illustrator) combine their passions for storytelling and art to create memorable books for young readers. The second book in their holiday series is scheduled to release this fall.   The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Flopcast episode 683! As our 1980s-themed episodes roll along, we return to the weird movie game we played a few weeks ago. But this time we're looking at the movies of 1983. So we're yanking characters from randomly-selected movies, shoving them into different movies, and seeing what happens. Our participants are characters from Return of the Jedi, National Lampoon's Vacation, Superman III, Flashdance, and many more. Including... D. C. Cab. So yeah, that means Mr. T might get involved. And he already pities all of us. And our regular links... The Flopcast website! The ESO Network! The Flopcast on Facebook! The Flopcast on Instagram! The Flopcast on Bluesky! The Flopcast on Mastadon! Please rate and review The Flopcast on Apple Podcasts! Email: info@flopcast.net Our music is by The Sponge Awareness Foundation! This week's promo: Dragon Con Report!  

Welcome fellow adventurers! The discussion on the illusion of control, continues right here on the Masculine Journey After Hours Podcast. The clips are from "The Outlaw Josey Wales," "Jaws," and "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."  There's no advertising or commercials, just men of God, talking and getting to the truth of the matter. The conversation and Journey continues. Be sure to check out our other podcasts, Masculine Journey and Masculine Journey Joyride for more great content!

Mark has a conversation with his life-long best buddy Steve Gaydos about art, beauty, photography, music, and so much more in a conversation recorded on their recent Canadian East Coast road trip. Links of Interest: Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link) Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Mark's YouTube channel Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City Only Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation     The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

In this Reel Insights episode, Sean Tajipour, the Mayor of Nerdtropolis, catches up with the legendary Jason Mewes—yes, that Jay from Jay and Silent Bob! The duo dives into 30+ years of pop culture fandom, unforgettable on-screen antics, and the generational love that keeps the View Askewniverse going strong.Jason opens up about his latest wild collaboration with Jeter and National Lampoon, teases the upcoming short film The Donut Shop, and reminisces about filming Dogma, which just returned to theaters for its 25th anniversary. He also gets real about fatherhood, sobriety, and why wearing a wig for Jay is his least favorite thing.Plus, get the inside scoop on his Call of Duty and Fallout gaming cameos—and hear why Jason is on a mission to get Jay & Silent Bob skins into Fortnite. Spoiler: he's got the whole loadout planned already.It's a hilarious and heartfelt convo you won't want to miss—especially if you're a nerd, gamer, or longtime fan.Catch Jason Mewes on Twitch: twitch.tv/jaymewesVisit Nerdtropolis:Nerdtropolis.comFacebookInstagramTwitter#JayAndSilentBob #Dogma #Fortnite

Take a trip back to 1985 as we rank the BEST movies of the year!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tMJtMjVbZ0 https://www.tiktok.com/@benedictionsfromthevoid/video/7508023297485917486?_t=ZP-8wfcI8GdUDv&_r=1 1:30 - The News 5:25 - Jerks of the Week 23:27 - The Goonies 27:59 - Con Air 28:39 - National Lampoon's European Vacation 35:54 - Pee-Wee's Big Adventure 39:35 - Pee-Wee as Himself 48:13 - Weird Science 52:48 - Synecdoche, New York 53:32 - The Thing (1982) 58:30 - Creepshow 1:00:50 - Black Bag 1:03:36 - Celebrity Bear Hunt 1:06:30 - new Fear Street movie 1:08:57 - Lilo & Stitch 1:33:29 - Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning 2:12:27 - Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London

In this episode Mark interviews D.C. Gomez about her plan to give away a million copies of her best-selling and award-winning novel Death's Intern. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. In the interview, Mark and D.C. talk about: DC being one of those kids who was into storytelling since as far back as she can remember Having a passion and background for video and screenplays The way everything changed for DC back during 9/11 DC's spiritual director who suggested that DC write a book and how it was finally the spark that she needed "Causing trouble" for 30 years Her first novel being Death's Intern Adapting elements that she learned in screenwriting into crafting a novel Writing within a large universe that's interconnected The origin of the story "Cursed by Fur: A Little Red Riding Hood Retelling" How it's different to connect with characters at different stages in their lives The reasoning behind giving away a million copies of Death's Intern with no strings attached Constantine the talking cat character who has taken over DC's Instagram as well as her end of month newsletter Why DC defines herself as a "serial hobbyist" The blast that DC has doing in person events Advice that DC would give to writers And more . . .   After the interview Mark reflects on a few things about their conversation.   Links of Interest: D.C. Gomez (Author Website) Death's Intern (Universal Book Link) The Podcast Guest Playbook (co-authored with Matty Dalrymple) Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link) Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Mark's YouTube channel Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City Only Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation   D. C. Gomez is a fast-talking, extra-quirky Dominican with a dark sense of humor. A long time ago, she used to enjoy long walks at the park and long days under the sun. Unfortunately, due to a mysterious condition, she is now allergic to those pesky UV rays. Rumor has it that her true nature is coming out and her vampirism is now showing. But don't fear my friend, she doesn't bite (much…).   The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This week on the Exciting & New Podcast, Jason, Andy and Dana welcome Mike back on the show to discuss the 1985 comedy, National Lampoon's European Vacation.   That's right, we are back on vacation with Griswold's (or is it Griswald?  Maybe it's Greaseball).  Clark and Ellen drag their kids to the old country where hilarity happens.  And then it doesn't.  There is some gold in this one, but it is a weaker entry in the Vacation franchise, which might be explained by the absence of Cousin Eddie.  There is a Python popping up from time to time, but even he can't get a laugh out of this horse, no matter how hard he beats it.  There are some very unfortunate fashion choices along the way, and Johnny is going to sweep the leg and send Audrey home in a body bag.  Enjoy the podcast.

Jason, Andy and Dana welcome Mike back on the podcast, as he refused to leave the studio, so they all discuss what they were up to this last week.  National Lampoon's European Vacation is coming this Wednesday.

In this episode Mark interviews author and artist C L Fors about her recent award win with Writers of the Future and her life in writing and illustration. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. In the interview, Mark and Cherrie talk about: Cherrie's recent win as an illustrator for Writers and Illustrators of the Future for Volume 41 of the annual anthology Entering the contest as both a writer and an illustrator every quarter since 2016 How Cherrie can be creative in both writing and illustrating based on the same spark of inspiration. Sometimes it comes out first as a story and then later as an illustration, sometimes vice versa The process of how illustrator winners of Writers and Illustrators of the Future are "teamed up" with a writer winner Cherrie's four-book epic science fiction series - which is a story about people re-claiming self-determination The graphic novel Cherrie is working on which, at first, she wasn't sure what medium it was going to emerge into How a lot of the skills that Cherrie initially learned about art was self-taught, before she received more formal instruction Learning the right time to make that creative jump as a creator How when she is in the midst of the process of creating, regardless of whether it is writing or art, Cherrie feels most alive Taking a step back to understand if she's taking realistic stock of her time and energy The challenge of getting sucked in to social media Ensuring that you're not being too hard on yourself How Cherrie cannot remember a time when she was not doing both art and writing Publishing her first work (a magazine that had her stories, poetry and art) and selling copies of it door-to-door when she was 9 years old in order to earn money to make a purchase Getting her Masters in Publishing at Western Colorado University and continuing the program in Genre fiction to get her MFA Seeing and representing herself as BOTH a writer and an illustrator Using C L Fors for both her art and her writing Learning that she has to "go with the flow" and use the time she has to approach her various tasks as an author, an illustrator, a wife, and a mother Advice that Cherrie would give her younger self How rejection is just a lesson What is next for Cherrie And more . . . After the interview Mark reflects on a few things that were discussed including Cherrie's advice on continuing to do something once you find the thing that you love.   Links of Interest: CL Fors Author CL Fors Illustrator Writers of the Future The Podcast Guest Playbook (co-authored with Matty Dalrymple) Writers' Federation of New Brunswick: WordSpring 2025 Episodes with Kathy Mac The Lefebvre Monument Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link) Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Mark's YouTube channel Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City Only Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation   CL Fors lives and breathes stories in multiple mediums: the written word, illustration in watercolor, acrylic, digital, and ink, and the creation of custom jewelry and other artifacts of story. She is an artist with a myriad of interests and experiences that inform and flavor her writing and illustrating. A multipotentialite, mother, author, and adventurer, CL is a science and science-fiction enthusiast with a passion for research based sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and speculative fiction in general. She has at various times in her life been a film actor, military intelligence linguist in the Arabic language, a doula, childbirth educator, and student midwife for birthing, as well as a bellydancer. Cherrie and her husband, Jason P. Crawford, founded the indie publishing house Epitome Press and together bring the work of talented authors out of the brambles and into the light of day. CL's  debut novel, Progeny is the first installment of the Primogenitor series.The second installment, Breach of Mars is available on Amazon as are the third and fourth books in the series, Crowning of Mars and Futures of Mars.   The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0  

In this radiant episode of Backstage Pass with Gentry Thomas, we’re joined by the timeless supermodel, actress, and author Christie Brinkley. Christie is here to talk about her brand-new memoir, Uptown Girl, where she opens up about her iconic career, personal journey, and unforgettable moments in pop culture history. Christie shares heartfelt stories about her relationship with Billy Joel and the inspiration behind one of the most famous songs of all time. She also reminisces about her scene-stealing appearance in National Lampoon’s Vacation, including what it was really like driving that red Ferrari—and how that moment became cinematic legend. In addition to reflecting on her extraordinary life in the spotlight, Christie opens up about her passion for the environment and her ongoing efforts to raise awareness about climate change and sustainability. This is a rare, intimate conversation with one of America’s most beloved icons. Don’t miss this joyful and insightful episode of Backstage Pass with Gentry Thomas. Get Christie Brinkley’s new memoir Uptown Girl and learn more here: BUY HERE! 

I grew up on Route 66 and have road trips in my veins. I've driven all over this great country, visited every single state and seen thousands of interesting things. Nothing inspires me more than a good road trip film — if you're the same way, check out one of this week's recommendations. All of the my picks on this week's list are pretty well known, which makes them so much fun to revisit. If you haven't seen one or all of them in a few years, what better time to revisit them?Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)There's nothing Pee-wee Herman loves more than his bicycle. Unfortunately for him, spoiled frenemie Francis Buxton loves it to, and hires someone to steal it for him. A distraught Pee-wee organizes a search party to find his bicycle and eventually hits the road and crosses multiple states in search of his irreplicable bike. Join Pee-wee and all the friends he meets along the way as he goes on his adventure. The Muppet Movie (1979)Life's like a movie, write your own ending! In the first full-length Muppet film, Kermit is convinced by a lost agent to head to Hollywood to fulfill his dream of making millions of people happy. Along his journey, Kermit meets a joke-telling bear named Fozzie, a weirdo named Gonzo, a rock band called the Electric Mayhem (led by Dr. Teeth), and the world's most beautiful women, Miss Piggy. Will Kermit and his friends reach Hollywood before Doc Hopper catches Kermit and forces him to become the mascot for his restaurant? I hope so, because there are a lot more Muppet movies after this one! The NeverEnding Story (1984)While hiding from school bullies, young Bastion acquires a book promising a never ending story and skips school, hiding in the attic to read it. The book tells the story of Atreyu and his quest to save Fantasia from a darkness known as The Nothing. The more Bastian reads, the more it seems his own life is becoming entertwined with the book itself! Featuring a hit theme song and a luck dragon, The NeverEnding Story is a journey not to be missed. National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)If you've ever gone on a road trip, either as a child or a parent, you'll relate to the Griswolds as they drive across the country in their new station wagon from Chicago to Wallyworld! Directed by Harold Ramis and starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Anthony Michael Hall, and Dana Barron, and Randy Quaid, and featuring cameos from comedians including Eugene Levy and John Candy, among others. As a kid I identified as oldest sibling Rusty, and as a parent I can't help but see a little bit of Clark in the rearview mirror.Spring is here and there's no better time to roll down your windows, put the pedal to the metal, and hit the open road. If you can't fit a road trip into your current schedule, watching one of these movies about journeys is the next best thing! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.videostorepodcast.com

Ariel and Jonathan chat about Nobody 2, the sequel they didn't anticipate. Is it a mashup of Taken and National Lampoon's Vacation? We also chat about Thunderbolts and asterisks, a bunch of demonic possession horror movies, and key lime pie.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

That pervasive feeling of self-doubt and insecurity you believe you are not deserving of your achievements and fear being exposed as a fraud known as imposter syndrome is especially common among writers and other creatives who often grapple with the vulnerability inherent in sharing their work with the world. But perhaps your imposter syndrome is actually a positive sign about your progression as a writer. That's the topic of this solo episode in which Mark reflects upon that. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. Links of Interest: Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link) Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Mark's YouTube channel Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City Only Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation   The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Send us a textToday In the Den, we're thrilled to welcome a guest whose story is as rich and layered as the music and words he creates. Bill Robertson is a Hollywood writer, having written for National Lampoon, and one of the creators of Paradise: A Town of Sinners & Saints (both a stage musical and a 2023 film available on Prime). Bill's journey spans decades. At 63, he's a proud gay man who lived through, and survived, the deeply painful years of the AIDS crisis, which led him to become a bit of an amateur gay historian. Bill's story is one of resilience, reinvention, and the surprising roads that lead us home.Special Guest: Bill RobertsonBill Robertson is an author, playwright, and screenwriter.  His book Uncle Bill's Animal Tales - Life Lessons for Adults is about his experiences with animals, and how he believes they are his greatest teachers and healers.  His latest feature film Paradise a Town of Sinners & Saints, a musical comedy, based on a stage production that had two long runs in LA and at the Austin Playhouse in Texas is being distributed by Artist View Entertainment and is streaming on Amazon, Youtube Movies, GooglePlay, Tubi & Xumo.Bill worked two careers for many years, as a corporate recruiter and writer. He sold two scripts to Lifetime, and one, aired in 2018-2019.  He wrote for a kids show on PBS, National Lampoon Magazine, and ran sketch shows in Boston, New York, and Los Angeles for several years. He has a passion for animals, politics, sports, and gay rights. He's 27 years clean and sober and is a proud gay man, who is here on the planet to love more, not less, and to be of service to others. He prides himself on giving a damn. Links from the Show:The Times of Harvey Milk: https://www.amazon.com/Times-Harvey-Milk/dp/B00A5IXPJA Paradise, A Town of Sinners & Saints Musical: https://www.paradisebluegrassmusical.com/  Find your local PFLAG chapter: https://pflag.org/findachapter/ Join Mama Dragons: www.mamadragons.org In the Den is made possible by generous donors like you. Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today at www.mamadragons.org.Support the showConnect with Mama Dragons:WebsiteInstagramFacebookDonate to this podcast

The Tubi Tuesdays Podcast Episode 190 - National Lampoon's Gold Diggers (2003) with Super Marcey, Bede Jermyn, Prof. Batch and Trash Panda Kollin Continue reading →

Welcome to our podcast series from The Super Network and Pop4D called Tubi Tuesdays Podcast! This podcast series is focused on discovering and doing commentaries/watch a longs for films found on the free streaming service Tubi, at TubiTVYour hosts for Tubi Tuesdays are Super Marcey, ‘The Terrible Australian' Bede Jermyn, Prof. Batch (From Pop4D & Web Tales: A Spider-Man Podcast) and Kollin (From Trash Panda Podcast), will take turns each week picking a film to watch and most of them will be ones we haven't seen before.Film Starts Playing At: 00:10:39Welcome back to The Tubi Tuesdays Podcast, the number one Tubi related podcast that's hosted by two Australians, one Canadian and one American! This week all four co-hosts are back with Super Marcey, Bede Jermyn, Prof. Batch and Trash Panda Kollin, with Bede finally getting the opportunity to pick a film for us all to watch! You might remember Bede lost his previous pick to Kraven in the Karaoke Contest. But anyways though, Bede has chosen another National Lampoon branded film after picking one last year with National Lampoon's Gold Diggers (2003)! Was it worth waiting for Bede to pick a film? Listen in and find out!Gold Diggers was directed by Gary Preisler, it stars Will Friedle, Chris Owen, Renée Taylor and Louise Lasser.If you have never listened to a commentary before and want to watch the film along with the podcast, here is how it works. You simply need to grab a copy of the film or load it up on Tubi (you may need alcohol), and sync up the podcast audio with the film. We will tell you when to press and you follow along, it is that easy! Because we have watched the films on Tubi, it is a free service and there are ads, however we will give a warning when it comes up, so you can pause the film and provide time stamps to keep in sync.Highlights include:* Kollin has many Harambe rants ... RIP Harambe* Louise Lasser stars in the film and hooks up with ... The Sherminator?!* Well their sexy scene with whipped creams and bananas sure was .... something!* Wait ... Kraven has a security gorilla called Harambe Jones?* Louise Lasser keeps man spreading all over the movie!* Why is half the circus at this double wedding?* Well ... that is one awkward looking condom!* Plus much, much more!Check out The Super Network on Patreon to gain early access to The Tubi Tuesdays Podcast!DISCLAIMER: This audio commentary isn't meant to be taken seriously, it is just a humourous look at a film. It is for entertainment purposes, we do not wish to offend anyone who worked on and in the film, we have respect for you all.Music provided by DeNNo, introduction and podcast editing by Super Marcey & Bede Jermyn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Congratulations! You've won an all-expenses-paid vacation with Griffin, David, Ben, and Jon Gabrus to Europe! Only downside is…well, you have to watch this movie. From the strange cultural stereotypes to the unfortunate lack of jokes, Amy Heckerling's sequel to National Lampoon's Vacation isn't the smoothest trip. But, it certainly gives us an excuse to talk about one of the most beloved franchises of the 1980s! Join us for Stonehenge stories, a deep dive into Beverly D'Angelo's incredible biography, travel talk, and a whole lot of Chevy chat. Listen to Action Boyz and Staying Alive Sign up for Check Book, the Blank Check newsletter featuring even more “real nerdy shit” to feed your  pop culture obsession. Dossier excerpts, film biz AND burger reports, and even more exclusive content you won't want to miss out on. Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @blankcheckpod on Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Facebook!  Buy some real nerdy merch Connect with other Blankies on our Reddit or Discord For anything else, check out BlankCheckPod.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Kill By Kill, we try our darnedest to cover films that our audience can find and view with their eyeballs. This week, however, is a major exception. For Horror-CoMAYdy, we scoured the internet (and Patrick's blu-ray collection) to find a movie that just does not work - and the world has conspired to keep hidden: 1982's NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CLASS REUNION!! A motion picture filled with funny people, a screenplay by a renowned comedy writer, and the results are devoid of almost all humor. And we're unpacking it all: from the scrubbed history of the film's conception and filming, to the way it tacks on horror elements with zero desire to make them impactful, and the Bernie Wrightson-illustrated prequel strip that's better than anything in the final product!! Along the way, we talk paper bag masks, required Blutos, TV-ready incest, “Jokes That Wouldn't Work Today” Bingo, attempted karate, Terror Train connections, and much, much more!! So join us at Lizzie Borden for a get-together to die for!! List to Pretty in Podcast's excellent National Lampoon's Class Reunion episode. Read the David J. Moore interview with director Michael Miller at comingsoon.net  Part of the BLEAV Network.Get even more episodes exclusively on Patreon! Artwork by Josh Hollis: joshhollis.com Kill By Kill theme by Revenge Body. For the full-length version and more great music, head to revengebodymemphis.bandcamp.com today! Our linker.ee Click here to visit our Dashery/TeePublic shop for killer merch! Join the conversation about any episode on the Facebook Group! Follow us on IG @killbykillpodcast!! Join us on Threads or even Bluesky Check out Gena's Substack called Gena Watches Things!! Check out the films we've covered & what might come soon on Letterboxd!

In this solo episode Mark shares a personal update and some reflections about writing, publishing, and some marketing ideas. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. Links of Interest: Mark's BookFest Keynote One Book, One Community: Haldimand Public Library: Haunted Hamilton by Mark Leslie Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link) Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Mark's YouTube channel Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City Only Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation   The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Taylor, Nick, and Anthony book a trip to Europe with the Griswolds in the second (and arguably least funny) installment in the Vacation series: National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985).__________Taylor Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, Writer Nick Zaccario…Host, Director, Producer, EditorAnthony Graziani…Correspondent, EPCOT Historian 

In this episode Mark reflects on friend, mentor, and fellow author Nancy Kilpatrick. Nancy Kilpatrick (May 6, 1946 – March 31, 2025) was a Canadian author who wrote stories in the genres of dark fantasy, horror, mystery, erotic horror, and gothic subculture and was perhaps best known for her vampire novels and stories.   Links of Interest: Nancy Kilpatrick's Wikipedia Page Nancy Kilpatrick's Webpage YouTube Playlist of Nancy's readings and Q&A sessions (2020 to 2024) Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link) Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Mark's YouTube channel Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City Only Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation   The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Etiquette, manners, and beyond! In this episode, Nick and Leah tackle seating dinner party guests, getting spray tans, using fake return addresses, and much more. Please follow us! (We'd send you a hand-written thank you note if we could.) Have a question for us? Call or text (267) CALL-RBW or visit ⁠ask.wyrbw.com⁠ EPISODE CONTENTS AMUSE-BOUCHE: Dinner party seating A QUESTION OF ETIQUETTE: Getting a spray tan QUESTIONS FROM THE WILDERNESS: If a gift requires assembly, should you give it assembled or unassembled? Bonkers: Sending birthday cards with fake return addresses VENT OR REPENT: Women with long nails, The London Underground CORDIALS OF KINDNESS: Thanks to Rambo, Thanks for the birthday dinner THINGS MENTIONED DURING THE SHOW Big Ben and Parliament scene in "National Lampoon's European Vacation" YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO... ⁠Support our show through Patreon⁠ ⁠Subscribe and rate us 5 stars on Apple Podcasts⁠ ⁠Call, text, or email us your questions⁠ ⁠Follow us on Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, and ⁠Twitter⁠ ⁠Visit our official website⁠ ⁠Sign up for our newsletter⁠ ⁠Buy some fabulous official merchandise⁠ CREDITS Hosts: ⁠Nick Leighton⁠ & ⁠Leah Bonnema⁠ Producer & Editor: ⁠Nick Leighton⁠ Theme Music: ⁠Rob Paravonian⁠ ADVERTISE ON OUR SHOW ⁠Click here for details⁠ TRANSCRIPT ⁠Episode 264 THIS WEEK'S SPONSOR: ⁠INCOGNI⁠ Use promo code ⁠WYRBW⁠ at the link below to get an exclusive 60% off an annual plan: ⁠https://incogni.com/wyrbw Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This next guest is known for “National Lampoon's Animal House (1978), The Tasmanian Devil (2021) and Hippo (2023). She has also been doing many other things as well such as being a Casting Director, a manager of 1 & has learned many aspects of the entertainment biz. Let's welcome Eliza Roberts!Eliza RobertsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/momelizaroberts/Crazy Train RadioFacebook: facebook.com/realctradioInstagram: @crazytrainradioX/Twitter: @realctradioBlueSky: @crazytrainradio.bsky.socialWebsite: crazytrainradio.usYouTube: youtube.com/crazytrainradio

What is peak horror comedy? One could make the argument that this week's film ascended near the top and became the finest genre spoof of the new century. That's right, we're taking a trip to little ol' place where we can get together… and die for the amusement of the Elder Gods - 2012's THE CABIN IN THE WOODS!! Along the way, we dig into the haunted basement of the film's origins, unpack how the movie explains bad horror movie character archetypes, make out with a moose, and celebrate Johnny Friday or whatever his name was! All this, plus we revisit Count Orlon's time management issues, bloody blowholes, phantom virgins, off brand Cenobites, and the most complicated edition of Choose Your Own Deathventure ever attempted!! So come on in, put up your feet, breathe in the pheromones and intoxicants, and stay awhile - won't you? Listen to Pretty in Podcast's excellent National Lampoon's Class Reunion episode. Read the David J. Moore interview with director Michael Miller at comingsoon.net  Part of the BLEAV Network.Get even more episodes exclusively on Patreon! Artwork by Josh Hollis: joshhollis.com Kill By Kill theme by Revenge Body. For the full-length version and more great music, head to revengebodymemphis.bandcamp.com today! Our linker.ee Click here to visit our Dashery/TeePublic shop for killer merch! Join the conversation about any episode on the Facebook Group! Follow us on IG @killbykillpodcast!! Join us on Threads or even Bluesky Check out Gena's Substack called Gena Watches Things!! Check out the films we've covered & what might come soon on Letterboxd!

In this interview Mark interviews author, actor, and narrator Aaron Fors about numerous aspects of his creative life. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. During their interview Mark and Aaron talk about: Recently hanging out at Superstars Writing Seminars Aaron's creative life as an author, an actor, and a voice talent/narrator How Aaron started acting when he was eight years old, and his supportive father who took a "sure, let's do this" approach when Aaron's older siblings talked about wanting to get into acting Aaron's first scene doing a dark-themed dramatic monologue and how he fell in love with acting The list Aaron created at the age of 5 which included being a famous actor, a rock star, President of the United States, and a basketball star Being a voracious reader from an early age, with his favorite authors being Stephen King, William Shakespeare and Isaac Asimov Latching on to "found family" style stories from science-fiction disguised as "bad ass robot movies" Wanting to be a part of sharing stories that help remind people who feel alone or outcast that there's a place for them Being a guest star on a lot of cop, doctor, and lawyer shows on TV and having to have read hundreds of scripts - and how that has played a role in studying story Getting into writing books because of his sister C L Fors and her husband Jason Crawford suggesting it How writing stories and novels felt a lot like "coming home" The natural symbiotic relationship between performers of story and creators of story Some of the fundamental storytelling aspects that translate well from screenplays to narrative fiction, such as the "camera's focus" on the relevant details in a scene How having a healthy relationship with rejection as an actor has been helpful to Aaron in his role as a writer Having 17 auditions in person in a single day driving from 6 AM until midnight to get to the various offices and studios The concept of when you are doing an audition you're actually performing in front of an audience that's right there in the room (even if that audience is one or two or just a few people) - and that you're actually getting to do your job - you got to entertain Aaron's story "Best Foot Forward" which appeared in the anthology Weird Wilderness edited by Lisa Mangum The first two full length novel manuscripts that Aaron has written Aaron's work doing voice-over performances in various different categories How the industry for doing voice-over and narrator roles changed during the pandemic which allowed for a lot more work-from-home-studio opportunities The way that the narrator themselves add a layer of artistry to the manuscript they are reading The fact that Aaron is a dialectologist who studied in Masterclasses with Robert Easton And more . . .   After the interview Mark makes an offer to his patrons for getting a chance to work with Aaron and also reflects on three different things that Aaron mentioned.   Links of Interest: Aaron Fors Website EP 411 - Small Acts of Kindness in Every Little Thing with Janice Landry Draft2Digital Self Publishing Insiders (May 1, 2025) - Creating Your Community of Superfans with Rachel Rener (YouTube) Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link) Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Mark's YouTube channel Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City Only Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation   Aaron Fors is a passionate actor, dialectologist, writer, and all around performer. He is a weaver of stories, with threads of magic, science, wonder, and love. He is a collector of information, skills, and wisdom. He also crafts with his hands, leather-working and woodworking. His two cats and wife (honorary third cat) love him very much, and are spoiled by his cooking.    He does all the things. Want a thing done? He can probably do it.   You can find Aaron online at www.aaronfors.com    The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0  

A new month is here and we are doing 80's comedies and start with a well loved franchise in National Lampoon's Vacation. Please check out our You Tube channel and subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@whenharrymetmovies/videos   Please give us a review and follow us on twitter https://twitter.com/HarrymetMovies and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/whenharrymetmovies/ . You can even check out our website at https://whenharrymetmovies.com/ .  Thanks for listening and enjoy. If you have any questions you wish for us to add to our Question pot, please feel free to send them to us as we love your input. We also now have a merchandise store with all profit going towards savings for Harry please let us know if there are any items you would like to see us add to the store. https://whenharrymetmovies.myshopify.com/

This week Ken welcomes writer, producer and all around superstart Chris Cluess to the show. Chris and Ken discuss being alive, New Jersey, SCTV, winning an Emmy, Sweeps Week, Moral Majority, the amazing wonderful world of John Candy, Toronto, being polite, forgetting names, stripping on bear rugs, supporting the arts, being beloved by the public, the guy with a snake on his face, the greatness of Juul Haalmeyer, Alan King, Alan King's Second Final Warning, working at National Lampoon, Cleveland, Blackstone, The Pretenders, Boomtown Rats, plugging 5,000 year old shows you get not royalties from, "...from Cleveland", Bob and Ray, Kurt Vonneget, how sometimes you can't completely your mission, writing a terrible Barney Miller spec script, the massive sketch book, trying to get hired to write for SNL, scaring John Belushi, chasing Garret Morris, the kindness of Dan Ackroyd, sketch comedy, Al Franken, Tom Davis, Michael O'Donoghue, getting a master class in sketch writing pro bono, John Candy, moving to LA in 1978, haunted houses, attending the Emmys in 1982, being Catherine O'Hara's date, working on Night Court and the running the final seasons of Night Court, tall people, winning over Marsha Warfield, Nothing but Trouble, Madman of the People, the mysterious ways of Bill Murray, getting offers you can't refuse, being uncanceled, Selma Dimond's funeral, writing for the Happiest Place on Earth, I Married Dora, breaking the 4th wall, and begging Chris to write a memoir. 

Chris Kelly joined me to discuss his dad and his love of lesson plans; living in Canada and having having one US TV station; Little Rascals; other comedy hubs beside Canada; his influence; improv; his dad writing for SNL; Harry Shearer; every TV show having its own process; Letterman's reaction to being passed by Politically Incorrect in the ratings; having structure even in lunch orders; writing for the Village Voice; getting hired on HA!'s After Drive and Comedy Channels Sports Monster; being told Sports Monster had no viewers in Philadelphia; being the first to write about sports in National Lampoon; getting to NL when they got rid of the nudity, and having it shut down; the letters; the "prefect game" in Late Night; Tom Gammill & Cathy; writing VO's for Penn Jillette; meeting Bill Maher and discussing the Politically Incorrect should have a Johnny Carson like monologue; Bills early TV appearances; Buffalo Bill, Geena Davis and Jay Tarses; Slap Maxwell; Richard Mulligan; Arianna Huffington; Christine O'Donnell; moving to ABC; writing with Bill his New Rule on football streaming; Roseanne vs. OJ jury episode; great talk show guests; Charles Grodin; Dom Irrera makes a host look good; Andrew Smith on Johnny Carson and getting his job by "whipping it out"; Bill Scheft; Reese Witherspoon; having to write 100's of jokes on the same topic; Top 10 list; calling to congratulate Bill on 9/11 episode that got him fired; all desk show bits were created by Bill except New Rules written by Billy Martin; The Kardashians; Regis Philbin; what's Bill like; best and worst guests; Scott Carter's tremendous fingerprints on the show; his cat book, Downton Tabby

In this solo episode, Mark talks about the importance of indie bookstores to the local community and what he is doing as an author to help support/promote indie bookstores on April 26, 2025, Independent Bookstore Day. This episode is sponsored by Draft2Digital. Check out the full day of PRINT BOOKS FOR INDIE AUTHORS videos here. Links of Interest: Canadian Indie Bookstores Canadian Independent Bookstore Day Indiebound: Independent Bookstore Day (US) Bookshop.org Mark's Form for Readers Supporting Indie Bookstores T. Thorn Coyle links: Essay: Rehumanizing each other Podcast: Magic, Creativity, and Life Essay on Community Prosperity, Community Health The BookFest 2025 Video with Mark's Keynote (Video is for full day) Draft2Digital PRINT BOOKS FOR INDIE AUTHORS Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Mark's YouTube channel Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City Only Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation   The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Today on another encore episode of the Rarified Heir Podcast this Earth Day, we are talking to journalist Michael Simmons, son of National Lampoon co-founder & film producer Matt Simmons. We loved talking to Michael because there is so much history in the (almost) forgotten history of American humor magazine turned pop culture juggernaut, National Lampoon. Michael gives us behind the scenes stories about the fabled National Lampoon editorial offices in Manhattan circa 1974 which was a breeding ground for comedy and specifically Saturday Night Live writers and performers. We discuss National Lampoon stage shows with Chevy Chase, Harold Ramis, John Belushi & Gilda Radner that Michael was road manager when it hit the road. We hear about his dad's strange history as one of the founders the first credit card company, Diner's Club in the 1950s & how it led to National Lampoon. We even get into the history of how National Lampoon came into existence, birthed out of the Harvard Lampoon and even before that. Michael gives us a firsthand account of what it was like being in the offices of National Lampoon before and after films like National Lampoon's Animal House & National Lampoon's Vacation launched the brand mainstream. What's more we hear stories about Harold Ramis got nervous flyer Gilda Radner on a plane she didn't want to get on, Wilt Chamberlain giving him a ride on his shoulders and how he became an award winning journalist in Los Angeles writing about vice squad busts and later, music journalism. So sit back and take a listen to a fascinating story about how National Lampoon begat everything from Second City and This is Spinal Tap to SCTV and The Credibility Gap. It's all here on the Rarified Heir Podcast. Take a listen.

Happy Earth Day! Listener favorite Sam Szabo (Comics Will Break Your Balls, The Enlightened Transsexual, The Onion) is back to look at the PG-13 porno comics of Poor Helpless Comics! by Ed Subitzky (NYRC, 2023). Topics include, Heather McAdams' Cartoon Girl, going to the movies, National Lampoon, David Letterman, and so very much more. Sally was minutes away from finding out she had covid while recording AND editing this episode, thank you for bearing with us regarding the sound quality. Thank you kindly to our Elite Cathies, Starscruch and Drawn & Quarterly for supporting this show at the $20/month level- you can access 50+ additional episodes for $5/month over at our patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thicklinespod You can read many many MANY comics by Sam over at her patreon: https://www.patreon.com/brainbooger Poor Helpless Comics!: https://www.nyrb.com/products/poor-helpless-comics Heather McAdams info: https://summerpierre.wordpress.com/2015/03/19/where-art-thou-heather-mcadams/  

OK, with golf season fully underway, it's time to salute Caddyshack, one of the classic 1980s comedy that featured the directorial debut of Harold Ramis, the big screen breakthrough for Rodney Dangerfield, some arrogant Ted Knight, some crazed Bill Murray and a lineage that drew heavily from both Saturday Night Live and the National Lampoon. Don't worry too much about the plot -- it's merely a launchpad for comedy bits galore. Whether you're a hacker, a duffer, or a scratch golfer, Caddyshack has something for you. And if you are a real big fan, you can watch it wearing your "William Murray" golf gear and finish with a pint at the "Murray Brothers Caddyshack Restaurant" (yes it's real). As always, find extra clips below and thanks for sharing our shows. Want more Caddyshack? Bill Murray has had far larger roles over time, but he makes the most of his Caddyshack persona Carl Spackler, a groundskeeper who is just a little, shall we say, disturbed. https://youtu.be/X48G7Y0VWW4?si=QGiCSvUEMJQYbGRo Chevy Chase has never been better than as Ty Webb, a pro-level golfer who smirks his way through life. Here are some of Chevy's best bits. https://youtu.be/Al3Yt5gxExY?si=CwIlxkEJFpXJIbTG Rodney Dangerfield was the perfect choice to play Al Czervik, a loud, crass, and hilarious "slob" dropped in the middle of a bunch of country club "snobs". Here Al tries to goad the arrogant Judge Smalls (a brilliant Ted Knight) into a slice. https://youtu.be/RrOhjHC28PQ?si=MFzVjclP0mKa6fxi

Ben Gleib | EP 362   In this engaging conversation, comedian Ben Gleib shares his journey through the entertainment industry, discussing his experiences with speech challenges, his college days, and the creation of the Nowhere Comedy Club during the pandemic. He reflects on his aspirations, the ups and downs of the comedy business, and offers advice to his younger self, emphasizing the importance of patience and self-acceptance.   Ben's Socials IG: https://www.instagram.com/bengleib  YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPqk2Rxmb_Td0eiQmYsVvVw     Takeaways

Tulsi Gabbard, the new Director of National Intelligence, says she has over 100 people working “around the clock” to prepare the RFK files for release. What will they find? • FRESH PRESSED OLIVE OIL – Olive oil packs the most flavor and healthiest nutrients when it's fresh. Don't settle for stale supermarket olive oils – get it direct from small, award-winning farms! Get your free $39 bottle for just $1 shipping & taste the difference at https://GetFreshDrDrew.com/ Chris Moritz tells Newsmax: “The unraveling of California is a case study in the perils of unchecked oligarchy where concentrated wealth, political corruption, and mass migration are weaponized to dissolve national cohesion.” Newsmax reports that in 2022, LA had a “crime rate of 36 for 1,000 residents. That's one of the highest in the nation.” Mark Groubert is a writer, editor, producer, publisher, and screenwriter. He has written for LA Weekly, edited National Lampoon magazine, produced for HBO, published MTV Magazine, and worked as a screenwriter with the WGA. He co-hosts America's Untold Stories on YouTube. More at https://americasuntoldstories.com and https://x.com/lordbuckly Chris Moritz, a corporate attorney, investment researcher, and M&A executive, authored Failed State: A Portrait of California in the Twilight of Empire. A third-generation Santa Monican, he graduated from UCLA, holds an MPhil from the University of Cambridge, and earned a JD from NYU School of Law. He served as a senior advisor at the U.S. Department of Commerce under President Trump. More at https://x.com/chrisgmoritz 「 SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 」 Find out more about the brands that make this show possible and get special discounts on Dr. Drew's favorite products at https://drdrew.com/sponsors  • FRESH PRESSED OLIVE OIL - Olive oil packs the most flavor and healthiest nutrients when it's fresh. Don't settle for stale supermarket olive oils – get it direct from small, award-winning farms! Get your free $39 bottle for just $1 shipping & taste the difference at https://GetFreshDrDrew.com/ • HEART FACTORS PLUS - A powerful formula packed with L-arginine, a key amino acid that's been shown to enhance nitric oxide physiology and could play a key role in supporting healthy blood flow and circulation. Get a FREE bottle with your order at https://heartfactorsplus.com/drew • ACTIVE SKIN REPAIR - Repair skin faster with more of the molecule your body creates naturally! Hypochlorous (HOCl) is produced by white blood cells to support healing – and no sting. Get 20% off at https://drdrew.com/skinrepair • FATTY15 – The future of essential fatty acids is here! Strengthen your cells against age-related breakdown with Fatty15. Get 15% off a 90-day Starter Kit Subscription at https://drdrew.com/fatty15 • PALEOVALLEY - "Paleovalley has a wide variety of extraordinary products that are both healthful and delicious,” says Dr. Drew. "I am a huge fan of this brand and know you'll love it too!” Get 15% off your first order at https://drdrew.com/paleovalley • THE WELLNESS COMPANY - Counteract harmful spike proteins with TWC's Signature Series Spike Support Formula containing nattokinase and selenium. Learn more about TWC's supplements at https://twc.health/drew 「 MEDICAL NOTE 」 Portions of this program may examine countervailing views on important medical issues. Always consult your physician before making any decisions about your health. 「 ABOUT THE SHOW 」 Ask Dr. Drew is produced by Kaleb Nation (https://kalebnation.com) and Susan Pinsky (https://twitter.com/firstladyoflove). This show is for entertainment and/or informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark has a conversation with award winning writer and veteran journalist Janice Landryabout her seventh book, Every Little Thing: How Small Acts of Kindness Make a Big Impact, her 2023 diagnosis of Lyme disease which was part of the inspiration for this book, Janice's life as a writer, how having lived adjacent to the ocean in Canada's East Coast has impacted her creative spirit, and so much more. Prior to the interview Mark shares a personal update, comments from recent episodes and reads a word about two Canadian conferences taking place at the end of April 2026: Toronto Indie Author Conference and GritLIT. (You can use code gritLITfriends at checkout to save 25% off the cost of registration). Mark and Janice talk about: Being of the generation that spent their entire summer days outside and not-connected to anything except friends and the world around them The old school-style desk Janice had when she was young and starting to write which was shoved up against a window that looked out on the ocean Telling herself fictional stories to amuse herself when she was young The ocean being one of the single biggest factors on Janice's creative life The importance of Janice's 2022 book EYE OF THE OCEAN Why it's priceless that we create and share Canadian stories How so much of what we do is about all of the people who help us in our achievements and why it's one of the core messages in Janice's latest book The dramatically debilitating side-effects of Lyme disease Why small acts of kindness and sharing uplifting and positive stories is so important The tiny thing (a tick) that ended up inspiring Janice to write the book EVERY LITTLE THING Importance messages of hope and that you're not alone, which come from the book A very special note that a teacher gave to Janice when she was 10 years old, and why she carried it around for fifty years Advice Janice would offer to beginning writers And more . . . After the interview Mark reflects on three different things that came up in the discussion.   Links of Interest: Janice Landry Website Pottersfield Press GritLIT Special 25% Discount Registration Link Draft2Digital PRINT BOOKS FOR INDIE AUTHORS Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Mark's YouTube channel Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City Only Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation   Janice Landry has won four national awards for her writing and work. In March 2025, Halifax West MP Lena Metlege Diab presented Janice with the King Charles III Coronation Medal from the Government of Canada for her body of work, books, and longtime mental health advocacy. Janice is a veteran journalist and proud Haligonian. In May 2025, she released her seventh book, Every Little Thing – how small acts of kindness make a big impact, following her 2023 Lyme disease diagnosis. Janice has since fully recovered and wrote this “small book with big messages” to thank society's many and varied helpers, including some of her own. Janice's longtime publisher is Nova Scotia's Pottersfield Press. Her last two books, Eye of the Ocean and Silver Linings, were both bestsellers. Janice's biggest inspiration is her family, husband, Rob, and daughter, Laura. Through her writing, she also honours her late parents, Baz and Theresa. Janice began writing longform non-fiction to tell the gripping story of her firefighter father's national Medal of Bravery for his part in the near-death rescue of an infant from a harrowing 1978 Halifax house fire.   The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

BioSteve Neill is a special effects makeup artist, filmmaker, puppeteer, model maker and visual effects (VFX) artist in film and television with a career spanning over 35 years.Steve started in the Industry at American Zoetrope just after high school where he produced his first film, Arthur. He was mentored by Francis Coppola and became good friends.Moving to Hollywood, Steve met Joe Blasco where he apprenticed for a short while before becoming friends with Rick Baker who gave him his start in Hollywood. Later he met Bob Schieffer who was head of Disney make-up and then became friends with Fred B. Phillips as a result of being friends with Bob Schieffer.Steve Neill first worked for Fred B. Phillips on Star Trek: The Motion Picture. His first assignment was to make Spock's ears. Additionally he designed and made the appliances of the dome headed alien on the bridge that was applied by Ve Neill.After working on Star Trek Steve went to work for John Chambers making prosthetics and puppet heads for National Lampoon's Class Reunion.Steve Neill has also worked on Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country for Richard Snell as a sculptor and prosthetic maker of numerous Klingon forehead pieces. Additionally he worked on the Star Trek: The Next Generation pilot episode, "Encounter at Farpoint".Steve Neill was also one of the Famous Hollywood Gorilla Men. Over the course of many years he made three gorilla suits and performed in many commercials, tv shows and movies. Additionally he created the McDonald's “Mac Tonight” moon character puppeteering it for many years. The head was worn by Doug Jones and puppeteered by Steve Neill, Gillian Neill and Bob Burns.He worked on Crater Lake Monster (1977) and Laser Blast (1978). Steve created, wrote and produced The Day Time Ended (1978). He worked on Ghost Busters (1984), Fright Night (1985), and many other sci-fi and horror films.Steve Neill is the author of “But Something is there” and is currently in production at SNG Studio for “But Something is There” produced by Steve Neill, Paul Gentry, Whitley Strieber and Mary Cacciapaglia.Amazon link https://tinyurl.com/5bj93kfehttps://sngstudioventura.com/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCam8F83Eqqes5K9QKwoi99Qhttps://breaking-the-silence-shop.fourthwall.com/en-gbp/https://breakingthesilence001.substack.com/ https://www.pastliveshypnosis.co.uk/https://www.patreon.com/alienufopodcastMy book 'Verified Near Death Exeriences' https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DXKRGDFP

On Wednesday April 9, 2025, Mark had a pizza lunch at Lucifers Pizza on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. It was a place recommended by friend of the podcast Nikki Guerlain. In addition to agreeing that this was fantastic pizza (with wonderful staff), Mark, Kevin, and Rob had a conversation about Writers of the Future, and various aspects about the business of writing and publishing.   Links of Interest: Robert J. Sawyer's Website Kevin J. Anderson's Website Writers of the Future Website Lucifers Pizza Website Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections EP 353 - Tao Wong on The Toronto Indie Author Conference Alex Lifeson's Speech on Behalf of Rush at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Mark's YouTube channel Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City Only Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation   The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Mark interviews Suzy Vadori, Calgary Bestselling author of The Fountain Series, the founder of the Inspired Writing Community, a Resident Writing Coach for Writers Helping Writers, and the host of the Show, Don't Tell Writing Podcast. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a brief personal update and a word from this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by the Show, Don't Tell Writing Podcast with Suzy Vadori. In this weekly show, Suzy brings you writing techniques, best practices, motivation, inspirational stories from real live authors out there making it in the world, and actionable advice that can help you turn that book you're writing into the bestseller you know deep down that it can be. During their interview, Mark and Suzy talk about: The last time Suzy was on the podcast in an episode talking about doing a book launch in collaboration with her local bookstore A little bit about who Suzy is and what she is passionate about Suzy's background that includes having a Commerce Bachelors Degree and being a Chief Operating Officer for a startup Suzy's main superpower, which is to take enormous amounts of information, feed them into her brain, and then to determine a path forward Applying skills that come from outside writing into the writing world The Suzy Vadori umbrella and how that came about The areas that Suzy is most passionate about helping writers with: the actual writing The myth that writing talent is all your need to be successful The free newsletter Suzy sends out to writers and some of the content that's contained within it Some of the tools Suzy uses to evaluate a writer's manuscript Suzy's "Show Don't Tell" Podcast The book that Suzy is currently working on which aligns with the branding for her podcast Advice that Suzy would offer to beginning writers And more . . .   After the interview Mark reflects on something Suzy said about bringing in skills and experience from outside the writing world.   Links of Interest: Suzy Vadori's Website Show, Don't Tell Writing Podcast EP 142 - Strategies For Launching a Book During a Pandemic with Suzy Vadori Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections EP 353 - Tao Wong on The Toronto Indie Author Conference Alex Lifeson's Speech on Behalf of Rush at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Mark's YouTube channel Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City Only Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation   Suzy Vadori is Calgary Bestselling Author of The Fountain Series (The Fountain, The West Woods, Wall of Wishes). This fantastical series has received three Aurora Nominations for Best Young Adult Novel. She is represented by Naomi Davis of Bookends Literary Agency. Suzy is the founder of the Inspired Writing Community, a Resident Writing Coach for Writers Helping Writers, a touring member of the Young Alberta Book Society (YABS) and a Program Manager for When Words Collide (WWC), a festival for readers and writers. Suzy specializes in breaking down complex writing concepts for newer writers into manageable steps, to get the book idea exploding in their minds onto the page in a way that will make readers take notice. She works with both fiction and nonfiction writers, in Memoir, Mystery, Thriller, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Women's Fiction, Romance, Middle Grade, and of course, Young Adult. Suzy is an Advanced Certified Book Coach from Jennie Nash's Author Accelerator. Suzy speaks to youth and adult audiences across Western Canada about how writing can unlock doors and help you achieve your goals, whatever they may be.   The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0  

Time marches on. Pigs in a poke. The Griswold's look for sex. Nostalgia is strong. The end is coming.

Mark interviews Tony Binns, an award-winning stand-up comedian and screenwriter whose feature #ROXY was nominated for 3 Canadian screen awards, 3 Canadian Comedy Awards, and took home Best Feature at the Ampia awards as well as Best Feature for Teens at the Kidscreen awards. Tony is also the man behind the parody profile on Facebook called Definitely The Real Alex Lifeson where he pretends to be a guy pretending to be the real guitarist from Rush. Prior to the interview, Mark reads comments from recent episodes, shares a personal update, which includes a few engagements he'll be speaking at in person and virtually: IN PERSON: (Brantford, ON) Brantford Public Library (April 2, 2025 from 6 PM to 7:30 PM) – Inside the Writer's Mind: Mark Leslie Lefebvre on Ghosts and Paranormal Storytelling VIRTUAL: (Online) The BookFest (April 6, 1:30 PM Eastern). Keynote: Writer, The World Needs You: Why Your Writing Is More Important Than Ever IN PERSON: (Los Angeles, CA) Writers of the Future. Week of mentoring winning writers and Gala Dinner/Evening celebrating this year's winners on April 10, 2025 Mark then shares a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by Toronto Indie Author Conference, taking place April 26 & 27, 2025 in Toronto, ON. The schedule appears below Learn more about Toronto Indie Author Conference 2025 here.   In their chat, Mark and Tony talk about: How Tony is a multi-faceted nerd who used to tape episodes of SCTV so he could play them back and memorize them Being big into Monty Python and, of course, Rush Always thinking that he was going to be an actor and his love of Shakespeare, but always getting the comedic parts Being a good actor but not being so good at auditioning because he freezes when put in a pressure situation Founding a comedy sketch troop called Obscene But Not Heard which was partially inspired by his love for Kids In The Hall Evolving into doing stand-up despite being a shy person Deciding to leave stand-up comedy around the time that Covid hit The movie XROXY (a modern tale based on Cyrano de Bergerac) that Tony wrote after he pitched it to some producers he had done some other work for Having a strength for dialogue but a weakness when it comes to plot Being brought in to help punch up an episodic YouTube series that was a campy horror flick and make it funnier (TRUCKSTOP BLOODSUCKERS) Tony's most recent script entitled SAVING MR. CHRISTMAS and how it evolved into a completely different movie than the one that he originally pitched The "we love this, change everything" thing that happens with movies Tony's WAITING FOR WAITING FOR GODOT which is a show about two women waiting for a production of the play Waiting For Godot which never happens, and how that play was inspired by the way that days could blur together for people, particularly as we get older and "become that guy" Being a Rush fan since he first heard "Spirit of Radio" How Tony was inspired to create a fake Alex Lifeson account on Facebook after he's seen a fake Geddy Lee account The relation between ADHD and being "all in" on something -- like Rush, Monty Python and Rush for Tony How, during Covid Tony did a one-man reading of Monty Python and the Holy Grail Doing a Canadian overdub of Dragonball Z Adapting a pilot from a Canadian novel called The Smeltdog Man by Frank Macdonald and leveraging the "Deadpool" style of breaking the fourth wall Advice that Tony would give to the young nerdy Mark and Tony How Tony used to write sketches even though he didn't have an outlet for them The Dungeons & Dragons podcast that Tony is a part of called The +2 Rodcast And more . . .    After the interview Mark reflects on a few things that came up in the discussion.   Links of Interest: Tony's Definitely The Real Alex Lifeson Facebook Profile Tony on Twitter/X Tony Binns on IMDB #ROXY Truckstop Bloodsuckers Fugget About It Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections EP 353 - Tao Wong on The Toronto Indie Author Conference Alex Lifeson's Speech on Behalf of Rush at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Mark's YouTube channel Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City Only Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation   The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0  

Mark has a virtual beer with Kevin J. Anderson while they talk through various aspects about writing and publishing. This episode is from a live chat that was hosted on the evening of Sunday March 16, 2025. This episode is sponsored by Superstars Writing Seminars: Teaching you the business of being a writer which takes place in early Feb 2026 in Colorado Springs, CO and where Mark will be a guest speaker. Use code: STARK100 to get $100 off your registration. In their chat Mark and Kevin talk about: The loss of author and poet Danny Peart, Neil Peart's brother and how the first story Kevin and Neil wrote together named the main character after Neil's brother Mark and Kevin's Rush and beer connection Kevin's "music starter kit" to his grand-kids The significance of the Rush album Grace Under Pressure to both Kevin and Mark How the Columbia Music Record Club is what led to Kevin discovering Rush (because he was looking for sci-fi style album covers and Rush's 2112 jumped out at him) The back-story to Kevin's Terra Incognita novels Writing a novel that was a tie-in to a Rush album How Kevin has been able to leverage Kickstarter to produce products that no New York publisher would likely ever get behind The way a tribute song "No Words" about Neil Peart led to a new friendship and collaboration with Kevin The music behind the Terra Incognita trilogy Kevin's Kickstarter for Terra Incognita funding in 14 minutes, but the ultimate goal of earning back the high investment he has already put into it The number of novels that Kevin has written Benefits of being able to order books directly from the author versus going through the multiple layers of traditional publishing Superstars Writing Seminars, the conference that Kevin, his wife Rebecca, Dave Farland, Eric Flint, and Brandon Sanderson started more than 15 years ago The Masters of Creative Writing with a focus on Publishing that Kevin teaches at Western Colorado University The annual anthology that this program publishes thanks to sponsorship from Draft2Digital The latest musical collaboration Kevin recently announced Kevin coming to Toronto's Massey Hall for RushFest on August 1, 2025 What books Kevin and Mark are currently working on Favorite advice for running a Kickstarter and the real costs of shipping and handling Kevin's love of hiking and dictating when he writes And more . . .   Links of Interest: Kevin J Anderson's Website WordFire Press Kevin's Terra Incognita Kickstarter Western Colorado University Publishing Masters Superstars Writing Seminars Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections How to Access Patreon RSS Feeds Mark's YouTube channel Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City Only Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation   The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0  

Today on another encore edition of the Rarified Heir Podcast, we are talking to illustrator & cartoonist Drew Friedman, son of the great writer, screenwriter and author, Bruce Jay Friedman. Known for his pop culture writing, including screenplays like Stir Crazy with Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor and Doctor Detroit, Bruce Jay was part of the well-heeled Manhattan literary, pop culture and social scene, with his own table at the once-fashionable & paparazzi friendly Elaine's restaurant in the 70s and 80s. Bruce Jay Friendman was also a novelist with books like The Lonely Guy (which became a film with Charles Grodin and Steve Martin) & as well as a playwright for productions like Scuba Duba &Steambath which became a PBS production in 1973. This literati scene rubbed off on Drew who was always obsessed with drawing and cartoons from a very early age. This passion led to a career as a cartoonist for magazines like The New Yorker, National Lampoon, Spy, Newsweek and many more. In turn, this led to caricature books & illustrations with titles like Old Jewish Comedians, Maverix and Lunatix: Icons of underground Comics and All The Presidents. Drew Friedman became famous for his lifelike if sometimes slightly demented images of B-movie actor Tor Johnson, public access television host Joe Franklin, comedian Ernie Kovacs (ahem) and Groucho Marx and many more. The aptly named Drew Friedman is our guest this week because this is the Rarified Heir Podcast and everyone has a story. This one is fascinating. Take a listen.