Technical Difficulties: Apologies & Conversations from Long Beach Comic Expo

As you'll hear in this episode, we had a major technical failure when recording our 2nd Anniversary Celebration episode and had to come up with something to fill its spot, while we work to re-record.  So, instead, we're bringing you conversations with past guests and new friends at Long Beach Comic Expo, which took place February 18-19, 2017 in Long Beach, California.  Be on the lookout for our anniversary episode in the next couple of months. We promise, it will be worth the wait.

In this special episode, you'll hear from:

• Andrew Linde, host of Nerd's Eye View podcast and head of the Benview Network

• Mike Matola, artist, builder, actor, and the creator of our awesome logo. Episode 6 guest on Movies Made Me.

• Tim Prettyman, artist. Episode 30 guest on Movies Made Me.

• David Lucarelli, writer. Episode 24 guest on Movies Made Me.

• Vincent Swayne, artist.

• Valerie Swayne, writer.

• Nicole Swayne, college student.

• Shannon Eric Denton, artist for comic books and animated television/film, producer of Con Manseason 2 on Comic-Con HQ.

• Phil Vecchio, host of Alex P Keaton Is My Friend podcast, The Mandarian Orange Show podcast, and Radio Brendoman podcast.

• Brendan Creecy, host of Radio Brendoman podcast, Mr Brendo's Wrestling Show podcast, and Pop Sickles podcast. Episode 27 guest on Movies Made Me.

Mauricio Abril

Mauricio Abril, independent artist, concept artist, and art instructor, sits down with us to discuss the movies that have influenced him in his journey to becoming the creative man he is today. Be sure to check out Mauricio's new children's book, Small Dogs, featuring his original story and delightful artwork. Listen in, as we discuss giddy nightmares, removing your cap, romancing superheroes, and welcoming failure.

Hal Lublin

Hal Lublin, voice actor and podcaster, joins us to expand on the conversation we started during episode 46 from the Los Angeles Podcast Festival. Hal can currently be heard as Omnibus in Mighty Magiswordson Cartoon Network and as Wide Wale and Manolo on The Venture Brothers on Adult Swim.  He can also be heard on numerous podcasts, including We Got This With Mark and Hal, Tights and Fights, The Thrilling Adventure Hour, and Welcome to Night Vale.  Listen in, as we discuss Darth Vader in the doorway, fighting wars with witchcraft, Saturday Night goals, and bathtub reading.

PJ Haarsma

PJ Haarsma, Executive Producer of Con Man on Comic-Con HQ and author of the Softwire Series Rings of Orbis books, sits down with us to discuss the movies that have influenced him to be who he is today.  Join us, as we discuss silk shirts, tuna fishing, sleeping through alien visitations, and the Hogwarts Express to outer space.

Los Angeles Podcast Festival, part 3 of 3, featuring Samm Levine, Wayne Federman, Todd Glass & Dave Anthony

Welcome to the final of our three special episodes recorded in the Podcast Lab during the 5th annual Los Angeles Podcast Festival at the Sofitel hotel in Beverly Hills, CA, Sept. 23-25, 2016.  We're already looking forward to next year's festival and invite you to join us! Keep an eye on the L.A. Podcast Festival website for more information and make your plans to be there!  It's an amazing and extremely entertaining weekend for podcasters and fans, alike.  Our continued thanks to Graham Elwood, Chris Mancini and Dave Anthony for creating and producing this annual highlight.

We spent the weekend recording segments with our fellow podcasters and special guests, who we asked to tell us about one film that influenced them to be who they are.  In this episode, you'll hear from:

• Perla X. Caballero-Hoblit, dedicated Movies Made Me listener and future podcaster

• Marc Hershon, host of Succotash: The Comedy Soundcast Soundcast

• Samm Levine, actor and star of Freaks and Geeks and Inglorious Basterds and co-host/producer of Kevin Pollak's Chat Show podcast

• Alice Fraser, comedian and host of Tea With Alice podcast

• Wayne Federman, comedian, actor, creator of the Wayne Federman International Film Festival, and host of Human Conversation podcast

• Matt Rehm, creator of PodXRef: better podcast search and discovery.

• Todd Glass, comedian and host of The Todd Glass Show podcast

• Dave Anthony, founder of the Los Angeles Podcast Festival, comedian, actor, co-host of The Dollop podcast, and author of the upcoming book The United States of Absurdity: Untold Stories from American History

Los Angeles Podcast Festival, part 2 of 3, featuring Janet Varney & Murray Valeriano

Welcome to the second of three special episodes recorded at the 5th annual Los Angeles Podcast Festival, which took place at the Sofitel hotel in Beverly Hills, CA, Sept. 23-25, 2016.  After last year's festival, we didn't dare dream our second visit could match the excitement and amazingly good time we'd had.  But, it did!  Whether you are a podcaster or a podcast fan, we urge you to make your plans now for next year's L.A. Podcast Festival.  We guarantee we'll be there!

In the boisterous Podcast Lab, we recorded segments with our fellow podcasters and special guests throughout the weekend.  Each guest was asked to tell us about one film that influenced them to be who they are.  In this episode, you'll hear from:

• Matt Slayer, co-host of the 288 Podcast

• Lance Voellger, host of Terrifically Tough Tuesday Trivia

• Priya Wellington, Sparemin.com

• Jud Wellington, Sparemin.com

• Oliver Wellington, Sparemin.com

• Janet Varney, star of Stan Against Evil on IFC and host of The JV Club podcast

• Brock Powell, co-host of Unpop Podcast, voiceover artist, and past Movies Made Me guest

• Mike Blejer, comedian and star of Haze

• Chris Mancini, one of the founders of the Los Angeles Podcast Festival, comedian, co-host of Comedy Film Nerds podcast, and writer/star of Ear Buds: The Podcasting Documentary

• Darcy Staniforth, Writer for Cinema Sentries

• Murray Valeriano, Comedian and host of the Road Stories podcast

Los Angeles Podcast Festival, part 1 of 3, featuring Graham Elwood & TJ Miller

Welcome to the first of three special episodes recorded at the 5th annual Los Angeles Podcast Festival, which took place at the Sofitel hotel in Beverly Hills, CA, Sept. 23-25, 2016.  This was our second year at the festival and it was just as amazing and wildly exciting as last year.  The Podcast Lab continues to be a space filled with camaraderie, deeply interesting conversations, and unbelievable collaboration.  Whether you are a podcaster or a podcast fan, we urge you to make your plans now for next year's L.A. Podcast Festival.  Don't miss this terrific event!

We chatted with our fellow podcasters and special guests in the Podcast Lab throughout the festival weekend, and each guest was asked to tell us about one film that influenced them to be who they are.  In this episode, you'll hear from:

• Eric Trules, host of the upcoming e-travels with e. trules podcast

• Graham Elwood, one of the founders of the Los Angeles Podcast Festival, comedian, co-host of Comedy Film Nerds, and writer/director of Ear Buds: The Podcasting Documentary

• Corey Frey, future podcaster

• Nick Davis, Associate Producer for the Adam Corolla Show

• Hal Lublin, co-host of We Got This with Mark and Hal and Tights and Fights, actor on Thrilling Adventure Hour and Welcome to Nightvale, and voice-over actor currently appearing in Mighty Magiswords on Cartoon Network

• Carter Parton Rogers, future country music singin' sensation

• Curtis Waugh, co-host of Unpop Podcast

• Elysabeth Alfano, host of The Dinner Party with Elysabeth Alfano

• Cash Levy, comedian and host of Cashing In with TJ Miller

• TJ Miller, permanent guest of Cashing In with TJ Miller, comedian, and star of  Deadpool, Silicon Valley, and the upcoming Office Christmas Party

EJ De la Pena

EJ De la Pena, creator of the sci-fi series Nobility and CEO of Cowboy Errant Pictures, who you may also remember from his work as a young actor in films like Jingle All the Way, joins us to chat about the movies that made him the creative individual he is today.  Sit in with us, as we discuss egos and identity; faith, heart, and skill; the church of Trek; and windmills and torpedoes.

Bethany Brinton

Bethany Brinton, music composer/arranger/performer, joins us for an animated conversation about the films that have influenced her to be the multi-talented musician she is today.  Listen in, as we discuss hearing voices, when a rat turns on the light-bulb, identifying with Peanuts, and seeing the world through a French horn.

Jake Lloyd

Jake Lloyd, actor/comedian/filmmaker and awesome photographer, sits down with us to talk about his new film Pinch and the movies that made him who he is today.  Join us, as we discuss falling in love with fish, meeting your cowboy, wild chances and hurricane relief, and living room sketch shows.

Comic Con Palm Springs

Welcome to our special episode from the inaugural Comic Con Palm Springs, which took place at the Palm Springs Convention Center in Palm Springs, CA, August 26-28, 2016.  We had a great time at the Con and especially enjoyed appearing on two podcasting panels put together by our pal Phil Vecchio of the Radio Brendoman and Mandarian Orange podcasts.  Although we spent most of our time watching all the terrific panels Phil organized for the weekend, we were able to spend a couple of hours on the Con floor, where we recorded quick segments with a variety of con-goers, cosplayers, artists, and vendors. 

We asked each guest to tell us about one film that influenced them to be who they are.  In this episode, you'll hear from:

• Dave Woodman, caricature artist and creator of Mad Mad Mad Mad Smiler Jewelry

• Joel Garcia, con-goer

• Danny Villalobos, host of Unversed Podcast

• Connor Norris & Shelby Avila, cosplayers and hosts of Marvel Talk Podcast

• Lindsay Ruben, con-goer

• Aymara & Ben Blackmon, con-goers and cosplayers

• Alex Hoffman, comic artist and creator of Tales of Absurdity

• Sonia Melinkoff, creator of Nerdy Novelty Design

• Jordan Monsell, artist and creator of Silhouettes by Jordan

KC Wayland

KC Wayland, Director/Writer/Actor/Producer of the audio series We're Alive and We're Alive: Lockdown and the documentary film 365 Boots on the Ground, joins us to discuss the movies that have influenced him professionally and personally.  Come along, as we chat about Rita Hayworth and the US Army, Spielberg zombies, too many cooks, and the best from the worst.

And, in case you're still wondering after hearing the episode, the two dome theaters at the Century Cinedome in Orange, CA each seated 863 people. More information on the theater can be found here and here.

Brian Ging

Brian Ging, Assistant Editor on Disney XD's Kirby Buckets and Director/Writer/Producer of American Yearbook, joins us to talk about the movies that inspired him to pursue his career and become the man he is today.  Listen in, as we discuss digital watches and whips, creative money making, the greatest 10 in 5, and the voice of the creator.

Brock Powell

Brock Powell, professional voice artist who is the current voice of Kool-Aid, joins us for a funny and moving talk about the movies that made him the successful and very entertaining man he is today.  Listen in, as we discuss big Twinkies, allegorical cats, Goofy mentors, and the power of Dr. Seuss.

Shelly Smith

Shelly Smith, waitress at Keno's Sports Bar & Grill in Anaheim, CA, sits down with us for a lively conversation about the movies that made her who she is.  Join us, as we chat about possessed mothers, puberty helpers, using cans to get into Disneyland, and reproducing Elvis.

Frank Dietz

Frank Dietz, actor/filmmaker/writer/artist/animator and host of the Damn Dirty Geeks podcast, joins us to discuss the movies that made him the multi-talented Monster Kid he is today.  Listen in, as we discuss monstrous acting, keeping your appendages safe, musical breathers, and horrendous bubble gum.

Guestless!

What happens when we don't have a guest?  We tell you all about the exciting things happening with Movies Made Me!  Check out this short and informative episode, as we tell you about why it's sometimes difficult to book guests, promote upcoming appearances where you can meet (and maybe record!) with us, and give shout-outs to some awesome listeners!

Elyse Ashton

Elyse Ashton, actress and co-host on The Anglophile Channel, joins us to discuss the movies that made her, as we premiere our brand new, upgraded recording equipment.  Check out our improved sound as we chat about hairy husbands, serious anglophilia, fairies and flies, and grown-up HR Pufnstuff.

Alastair James Murden

Alastair James Murden, actor/comedian/voice-over actor/singer/citizen of the Wizarding World, spends a light-hearted afternoon with us, recounting the movies that made him the highly entertaining man he is today.  Join us as we discuss the fear of "s" creatures; unending, comforting angst; the cruelty of Pixar; and choo-choo-choosing.

Angel Lopez

Angel Lopez, choreographer of award-winning high school precision dance teams, who funds his passion with a day job in customer service, joins us for a lively discussion exploring the movies that made him.  Listen in, as we chat about strong female leads, laughing with serial killers, filmic litmus tests, and comedic evolution.