I recall as if it were yesterday, running over to the magazine rack in the grocery store when I was 10 years old, with the hopes of spotting the latest edition of MAD magazine.  I wasn't always permitted to purchase the copy despite its advertised "cheap" price. Carefully I would seek out the "Fold in" and gently turn in the pages to see a transformation that wowed me as well as a million other readers throughout the world. It was interactive eye candy in 1974, and I was all too happy to partake in it! Since its beginnings in 1964, Al Jaffee's MAD magazine fold in gags have delighted us with their quick wit, hilarious satire and wonderful watercolor illustrations! There's more to this MAD man than meets the eye,...and I was fortunate enough to sit down with Al for an in-depth look at the gentleman behind the pages. The creator of Inferior Man, Ziggy Pig and Silly Seal shares with me, the many stories behind the events that lead him to a MAD life. For additional information after the interview, please be sure to check out his biography, "Al Jaffee's MAD Life" published by IT Books and available here.

I recall laying in bed while reading books to my son and picking up an all ages comic book that had been sitting on a stack just within arm's reach on the floor.  I had purchased a few books from our local comic shop a week prior and had placed them by my son's bed with the hopes of discovering a series that I could feel good about reading to a then inquisitive 8 year old. It was then that he and I first discovered the marvelous world of Franklin Richards.  After a few pages in, I was hooked!  The mastermind behind this great series was none other than Chris Eliopoulos and after this discovery, so too came the discovery of his other masterpiece, the online webcomic sensation Misery Loves Sherman.  Chris is a lettering phenom as well as a gifted artist, and hand-lettered the first 100 issues of the ongoing Savage Dragon series, even after much of the comic book industry (including Eliopoulos himself, on other titles) had come to rely on computer-generated fonts for dialogue.

He designed the fonts for Marvel Comic's in-house computer lettering unit. He has also contributed lettering work to Valiant Comics, DC Comics, and other publishers. For Dark Horse Comics, Eliopoulos wrote and/or drew some Star Wars stories.

Join me as I interview the amazing artist, Chris Eliopoulos, as he talks about his career, his art and his passion for the All-Ages genre as well as some of the roads that lead him to where he is today.

In my household, its an impossibility to leave for work without at least seeing some excerpts from the cartoon hit, "My Life as a Teenage Robot" created by Rob Renzetti. My son has to watch it on TV before he heads off to school, therefore I must walk past it on my way to the kitchen. There's a reason for this ritual, and it is basically because my son only watches what he considers to be the BEST in cartoons.  His list is a short one, but My Life as a Teenage Robot is right at the top!

After watching it for awhile, I must agree! Jenny (XJ9) is a wonderful character and the stories are excellent! Ahhh but those lab rats!!!! Oh,...and the Silver Shell!!!! The art is well executed, the stories have a plot and the voices are top notch!

Join me as I interview the amazing talent, Rob Renzetti, behind this amazing show that has graced our televisions across the globe.  Rob was generous enough to share an hour with me as we covered his early career slaving away in the smoke clouds in Spain, leading up to the "healthier" atmosphere located in the states, working on cartoons such as Mina and the Count, Two Stupid Dogs, Dexter's Laboratory, My life as a Teenage Robot and countless others!

Most may consider Rob an animation legend already, but one thing is for sure, he is an amazing talent and it was an honor to talk with him.

Check out the sister site for additional photos and notes pertaining to this podcast: http://behindthelinespodcast.blogspot.com/

It's spooky, it's creepy, it's absolutely hilarious and it's poised to take the comic strip world by storm! Scary Gary is a comic strip reminiscent of the old Addam's Family style of humor, and after reading just a few strips back when I first discovered it in June, I was hooked! 

Join me as I interview the wonderfully talented Mark Buford, the mastermind and artist behind the comic strip Scary Gary as we cover the history behind the strip and his hopes and plans for the future of the retired vampire and his faithful henchman, Leopold. Mark has had previous syndicated comic success with another strip and we will discuss this, as well as his approach toward the development of Scary Gary.

The timing was right for this interview and I hope you enjoy this special "Hallow's Eve" edition of the BOING! podcast.
Check out the sister site for additional photos and notes pertaining to this podcast: http://behindthelinespodcast.blogspot.com/

I could not have imagined turning on my family's old Admiral TV in the 60's and hearing a different voice coming from the lip-synched lips of Tweety and Sylvester's beloved Granny or from the mouth of that fast gliding Rocket J. Squirrel from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.  Equally as important as great art and a great story, a great voice can make a cartoon character last forever in our hearts and become etched in our memory.

Join me as I interview the wonderfully talented and legendary voice actress June Foray and cover a prolific career that spans through an incredibly diverse history in the entertainment world. June has voiced so many characters in the animation world, that it's almost impossible to acknowledge them all. Today I focus primarily on Rocky J. Squirrel mainly because,...well,..he's the one that I WANT to focus on! 

So now without further delay,....here's something I hope you'll REALLY like!!

Check out the sister site for additional photos and notes pertaining to this podcast: http://behindthelinespodcast.blogspot.com/

The intro music "King of Cool" was produced and used with permission by PONGAMOOSIC at
http://www.pongamoosic.com/

From the dairy farm in Payson, Utah, to an animation studio in Ireland, Don Bluth has done it all! I was fortunate enough to sit down with Don as he talks candidly about his past, his present and the future regarding his work in the animation industry. There are so many great lessons to be learned in this discussion and just talking with Don can be a motivating experience all by itself! Don's amazing career didn't just happen by chance so much as it did by seizing opportunities and taking risks along the way.  His talents and skills as an animator, character designer, and instructor can be seen and experienced firsthand at his website: http://www.donbluthanimation.com
Check out more of Don's amazing work at the Boing! sister site: http://behindthelinespodcast.blogspot.com

The Action Adventure strip is BACK!!! (with a twist) Join me as I interview the wonderfully talented Dan Thompson as we discuss his action adventure strip Rip Haywire, which is syndicated through United Features and emits a retro feel paying tribute to some of the old classics like Dick Tracy, Johnny Hazard and Rip Kirby. Be sure to check out some examples of Dan's work on the supporting site to this podcast located at: http://behindthelinespodcast.blogspot.com/  You can also check out Dan's fantastic Rip Haywire site located at: http://riphaywire.com/

It is with great pleasure that once again I present to you another interview with yet another animation legend. Gene Deitch took some time out from his busy schedule and talked to me from his home in Prague (Czech Republic) to share some very insightful stories and lessons that he has learned throughout his amazing career.  Gene's amazing animation career has taken him through so many turns and twists that for anyone to cover it all in one interview would be an arduous task at best; if not impossible. Be sure to check out some of Gene's work on this podcast's supporting site: http://behindthelinespodcast.blogspot.com/

Also you can visit Gene's homepage to get so much more detailed information regarding his life and wonderful career experiences.
http://www.genedeitch.com

Talking with Bob Scott was both enlightening and inspiring! Bob not only is a fantastic animator with such projects as "The Incredibles" and "Cats Don't Dance" under his belt, (and so many others) his recent work on his "Molly and the Bear" comic strip speaks volumes about his skills and writing ability!
I challenge you to look at his strip and not walk away laughing and wondering why in the world this comic is not yet syndicated!!!
Be sure to check out his art on this podcast's supporting site: http://behindthelinespodcast.blogspot.com/

I'm both honored and excited to share with you my recent telephone interview with the Illustration legend, Lowell Hess. Mr. Hess was kind enough to grant me some time to discuss his amazing career that saw him illustrating wonderful images for Collier's magazine, Boy's Life, Golden books and so many others.
Be sure to check out his art on this podcast's supporting site: http://behindthelinespodcast.blogspot.com/  you can also check out Lowell's own site at: http://lowellhess.com/