Mr. Media Interviews By Bob Andelman

Today's Guest: Diedrich Bader, actor, "The Drew Carey Show," "Outsourced" Diedrich Bader Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience of people who thought Diedrich Bader’s character on The Drew Carey Show had a familiar name but couldn’t quite place it… in the new new media capitol of the world… St. Petersburg, Florida! I imagine that after playing Oswald for nine seasons of "The Drew Carey Show," Diedrich Bader probably never dreamed he’d get another shot at anyone quite as wacky, socially limited and yet lovable. After all, who could have foreseen the ultimate ugly American he plays as Indian call center manager Charlie Davis on NBC’s “Outsourced”? But what a hysterical year it’s been to be Bader: chasing and failing with beautiful young women before finally scoring with one of their mothers? Inadvertently – yet repeatedly -- insulting his Indian employees and their religious and cultural beliefs only to develop an unlikely friendship with the buffoonish Gupta. DIEDRICH BADER audio excerpt: "I had

Today's Guest: Tony Isabella, comic book writer, creator, "Black Lightning," author, 1,000 Comic Books You Must Read Order 1,000 Comic Books You Must Read by Tony Isabella, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above! I remember the day I met Tony Isabella back in the mid-1970s. I was in the back of my friend Bob Pinaha’s brown Ford Pinto—the car in which I later learned to drive—and we drove to Newark International Airport to pick up Tony for an appearance at a comic book convention we organized. TONY ISABELLA audio excerpt: "Superheroes have always been a big part of it but I wanted to show how many different kind of comics there have been. I wanted to show every genre; there is a comic in there on colitis!" I was a star-struck teen fanboy—Isabella was a writer and editor for Marvel Comics! How cool was that? Black Lightning Vol. 1 created and written by Tony Isabella, DC Comics. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above! Wish I could remember something that Tony and Bob

Order Booby Trap (The Odelia Grey Mysteries) by Sue Ann Jaffarian by clicking on the book cover above!   Sue Ann Jaffarian Today's Guest: Sue Ann Jaffarian, novelist, Booby Trap (The Odelia Grey Mysteries) Someone is killing beautiful blondes all over Laguna Canyon and once again, plus-size paralegal Sue Ann Jaffarian—I mean Odelia Grey—is called upon to figure out who is behind the serial killings. I guess I became confused because there are so many uncanny similarities between Sue Ann Jaffarian, the plus-size paralegal, comedian and author, and her fictional character, Odelia Grey. Booby Trap is the recently published fifth book in the Odelia Grey mystery series and it would seem like Jaffarian is just hitting her stride. In addition to continuing Odelia’s adventures, she’s launching a new paranormal mystery series this fall. Sue Ann Jaffarian Website • Facebook • Blog • Twitter • Goodreads Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by

Today's Guest: Jonathan Mahood, daily cartoonist, "Bleeker: The Rechargeable Dog"   Bleeker: The Rechargeable Dog by Jonathan Mahood Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience of the most famous AI in America, including Robot from Lost in Space, Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Blue from IBM and Al Gore from Current TV… in the NEW new media capital of the world… St. Petersburg, Florida! What little boy in the last hundred years didn’t grow up wanting to own or even build his own robot? And a robot dog? Zoinks! What a great idea! Order The Comics by Brian Walker, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above! Jonathan Mahood knows what I’m talking about. He may not have built his own 3-D robot, but he used his particular talents to accomplish the next best thing: he created “Bleeker: The Rechargeable Dog,” a comic strip you can now find online and in daily newspapers worldwide. JONATHAN MAHOOD audio excerpt: "With newspaper comics, it's got to be easy for the reader to

Today's Guest: Larry Keltto, author, The Solopreneur Life   Order 'The Solopreneur Life' by Larry Keltto by clicking the book cover above! Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience of self-employed doctors, lawyers and accountants – oh, my! – who don’t get what the big deal is about being a solopreneur… in the NEW new media capital of the world, St. Petersburg, Florida! Larry Keltto has worked from home for a long time. Being a writer and editor, that’s a pretty sweet arrangement. He gets to eat his own food from the refrigerator, take a break when it suits him, work late when projects demand something extra, and be a more involved dad to his daughters. That’s all on the plus side of the ledger. LARRY KELTTO audio excerpt: "It's a tremendous shock that 75 to 80 percent of our time in the early days at least has to be spent on marketing. It's a huge shock."  You can LISTEN to this interview with LARRY KELTTO, author of THE SOLOPRENEUR LIFE, by clicking the audio player above! On the down side, work

Today's Guest: Tamara Lush, Associated Press reporter, romance novelist, Tell Me A Story, Hot Shade Watch this exclusive Mr. Media interview with Tamara Lush by clicking on the video player above!  Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience full of real women who no longer believe any real men will ever match up to the super-studs in the romance novels they read by the dozens… in the NEW new media capital of the world… St. Petersburg, Florida! Tell Me A Story by Tamara Lush. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above! I would love to poke around inside the mind of Tamara Lush and listen directly to whatever her inner narrator whispers to her during the course of a day. In the last two years, the veteran Associated Press news reporter has carved out a new media landscape for her off-duty hours as a hot contemporary romance writer with an erotic voice that will leave many readers gasping for air. TAMARA LUSH podcast excerpt: "The billionaire trope has always been huge in the romance no

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="235"] Order Syncopated: An Anthology of Nonfiction Picto-Essays, edited by Brendan Burford, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book Today's Guest: cover above![/caption] Today's Guest: Brendan Burford, comics editor, King Features Syndicate If you read the comics in your daily newspaper, my guest today has probably touched your life. Spider-Man, Hagar the Horrible and Curtis all report to him at his day job as comics editor for King Features Syndicate. But by night—and weekends, no doubt—Brendan Burford is himself a cartoonist dedicated to the notion that comics are more than a 10-second entertainment. He believes in them as journalism, a different way of communicating the events of the day. Brendan Burford, creator of Syncopated, King Features Syndicate editor Burford recently published his fourth edition of Syncopated: An Anthology of Non-Fiction Picto-Essays. It is collection of illustrated stories that, at a few pages each, are longer than daily comics a

Today's Guest: Mayim Bialik, actress, "The Big Bang Theory," "Blossom" [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="214"] Mayim Bialik, star of 'The Big Bang Theory' and 'Blossom'[/caption] Order 'The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Fifth Season' from Amazon.com by clicking on the DVD cover above! (2010) To be honest, I didn’t want to play the opening theme from the long-running NBC family series, “Blossom.” But it certainly reminds you of how well known its star, Mayim Bialik, was before she largely dropped out of show business to be a wife and mother, right? MAYIM BIALIK AUDIO EXCERPT: "There are people who are very protective over Sheldon. But what would it look like if there was a possibility of compatibility for Sheldon? To say it's not high on his list of priorities is absolutely true... Anyone, theoretically, can be enticed. Even Sheldon."   Mayim's Vegan Table: More than 100 Great-Tasting and Healthy Recipes from My Family to Yours by Mayim Bialik. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!

Today's Guest: Jimmy Hawkins, actor, It's a Wonderful Life Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience of stutterers who claim they’re just practicing their Jimmy Stewart imitations … in the NEW new media capital of the world… St. Petersburg, Florida! It's a Wonderful Life: Pictured: James Stewart, Donna Reed (NBC Photo) I have to admit I was a little surprised when I read up on actor Jimmy Hawkins’ life since he played Donna Reed and Jimmy Stewart’s son, Tommy Bailey, in the holiday film classic, It’s A Wonderful Life. For example, did you know he later worked with Reed again as Shelley Fabares' boyfriend on eight seasons of TV’s “The Donna Reed Show”? JIMMY HAWKINS audio excerpt: "It's a Wonderful Life was a nice set. You felt comfortable there. Frank Capra improvised quite a bit of that movie." Or that he played sidekick to the King, Elvis Presley, in both Girl Happy and Spinout? He’s also written five books about It’s A Wonderful Life. One of my first guests on Mr. Media when it was a syndicated

(We're re-posting this 2008 interview to celebrate Kirk Douglas' 100th birthday on December 8, 2016.) Today's Guest: Kirk Douglas, actor, Spartacus, Hollywood legend, author, The Ragman's Son, Let's Face It [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="320"] Order 'Spartacus' (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy), available from Amazon.com by clicking on the DVD cover above! Legendary Hollywood movie star Kirk Douglas will be 92 in December (2008). 92! I’m roughly half his age and from everything I’ve heard about him of late, he’s got twice the energy and drive that I do. Every generation of the last 60 years can easily point to a favorite Kirk Douglas movie, whether it’s Champion, Paths of Glory, Lust for Life, Spartacus, or Tough Guys. As for me, I’ve always had a fondness for the cartoon silliness of The Villain. Order from Amazon.com by clicking the book cover above! His latest autobiographical book, Let's Face It: 90 Years of Living, Loving and Learning was just released in paperback. It joins an already crowded boo

Today's Guest: Brian Raftery, author, Don't Stop Believin': How Karaoke Conquered the World and Changed My Life Order Don't Stop Believin': How Karaoke Conquered the World and Changed My Life by Brian Raftery, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above! (2008) There are only two places that I will sing out loud: number one, if I’m alone; and number two, if I’m driving somewhere with my son. I’ve been singing out loud to him since the first day I drove him alone in the car and AC/DC’s “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)” came on the radio. Last year, we even started singing a song together, Bruce Springsteen’s “Radio Nowhere.” God bless him, he doesn’t judge me; or if he does, I’m blissfully unaware of it. So I’m not the likeliest guy to host a show featuring a guy whose life was changed by karaoke. I can guarantee you that will not ever happen to me. Brian Raftery, author, Don't Stop Believin' But I have a good sense of fun and the ridiculous, so I invited Brian Raftery, author of Do

Today's Guest: Jane Peden, contemporary romance novelist, "The Millionaire's Convenient Arrangement" (Miami Lawyers Series)   Watch this exclusive Mr. Media interview with Jane Peden by clicking on the video player above!  Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience full of women who came thisclose to getting one of their own in the White House… in the NEW new media capital of the world… St. Petersburg, Florida! The Millionaire's Convenient Arrangementby Jane Peden. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above! What is there in my DNA that makes me, in middle-age, suddenly enjoy reading a good contemporary romance novel? There’s that word “good,” for starters. For the second time in a year—and despite being the antithesis of her target audience—I succumbed to reading a Jane Peden novel cover-to-cover with few, if any interruptions. JANE PEDEN podcast excerpt: "I think the Trump era will be a boon for romance novels because everyone wants to escape from everything that's going on in real

Today's Guest: Johnny G. Lyon, rock 'n' roll guitarist, singer, "Comb My Hair" Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience – HEY! WAIT A MINUTE! THIS IS NOT MY BEAUTIFUL LIVING ROOM! Holy cow, we’re LIVE at the extraordinary Globe Coffee Lounge in the new new media capitol of the world… St. Petersburg, Florida! Tampa Bay rock legend Johnny G. Lyon plays the Globe Coffee Lounge. (Photo: Charlie Andelman) Johnny G. Lyon has a voice that was built to sing rock ‘n’ roll. And the rumors are true: I once spent a night with Johnny G. Oh, it was innocent enough – I was there early one evening in April 2008 when the band loaded in its equipment at the old Big Apple Bistro on Central Avenue in St. Petersburg. And I stayed all night with Johnny and his drummer and buddy Ray Blade. My fiancee – and days away from being my bride – was there, too, and we listened to every song and talked in a booth between every set until the wee hours. JOHNNY G. LYON audio excerpt: "I get a little tired sometimes, but if you stra

Today's Guest: Hilary Price, cartoonist, "Rhymes with Orange" "Rhymes With Orange" daily comic strip by Hilary Price (MARCH 2010) Things I learned about “Rhymes With Orange” syndicated cartoonist Hilary Price by reading her blog: • She wears a size 40 shoe—by Euro measures. • She went to Cuba with several cartoonists recently. The trip was organized by Jeannie Schulz, widow of “Peanuts” cartoonist Charles Schulz. • While she was gone that week, rather than work ahead on her daily strip, she asked Mo Willems to fill in. • She has a fluffy white cat named Seltzer. • Every November, she opens her Florence, Massachusetts studio to the public. HILARY PRICE AUDIO EXCERPT: "Plush toys! You can have a plush toy of Snoopy. There's going to be no 'Rhymes With Orange' plush toy unless I come up with a character. So darn it!" What I didn’t need her blog to tell me about Price: she is a huge favorite of professional cartoonists and is probably better known among them than the general public. She is esteemed for her humor

Today's Guest: Hicks, country music singer, guitarist, performing two songs live: "99 Guns" and "Kiss You Like I Mean It"   Watch this exclusive Mr. Media interview with Hicks by clicking on the video player above!  Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience full of Nashville country music experts who want to know why this show books country singers from everywhere BUT Music City USA… in the NEW new media capital of the world… St. Petersburg, Florida! "Stomp A Little Louder" by Hicks. Order your copy today by clicking on the record cover above! The first time Swedish country music singer and guitarist Hicks was my guest on Mr. Media, I remember being surprised how “country” he really sounded. I thought, going into the interview, that I would have to make allowances for a Scandinavian trying to sound like a genuine Tennessee backwoodsman – you know, pickup trucks and gun racks, hounddogs and hooch, Confederate flags and the Dukes of Hazzard. But that was stupid.   HICKS podcast excerpt: "It's cool

Today's Guest: David Michaelis, author, Schulz and Peanuts Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography by David Michaelis. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above! Peanuts Treasury was the first hardcover book I remember getting as a kid, somewhere around 1968, 1969. I spent hours reading and re-reading it, losing myself in the comic misadventures of Charlie Brown and Snoopy, wishing I could be like Charles Schulz, the strip’s writer and artist. My first dog, acquired around that same time, was not coincidentally a beagle, like Snoopy, whom we named Peppy, and I loved that crazy dog. I was so fond of Peanuts Treasury that it’s one of the few prized possessions from my misspent youth that followed me through college, half a dozen adult relocations, and is now on my son’s bookshelf. It’s hard to find anyone who has anything bad to say about “Peanuts” or Schulz. The strip’s creator lived and thrived in the pre-Internet age where the world didn’t demand every detail of a celebrity’s life be preserved and s

Today's Guest: Billy Bob Thornton, actor, Bad Santa, Monster's Ball, Sling Blade, singer, "Beautiful Door" Order by clicking the CD cover above (JULY 2007) You just can’t pigeonhole Billy Bob Thornton. Think about the movie roles he’s most famous for and see what, if any, connection there is: Carl in Sling Blade; Hank Grotowski in Monster’s Ball; Morris Buttermaker in Bad News Bears; Coach Gaines in Friday Night Lights, and my favorite, Willy in Bad Santa. Who would figure that the guy who portrayed so many varied and somewhat disturbed characters had a musical soul too? But, this month, Billy Bob Thornton’s fourth CD, Beautiful Door, will be released. It’s a collection of original, contemporary songs with a touch of country, all written and sung by Thornton. He also is the drummer on the album’s tracks. And just like his choices as an actor, no two songs on the album are easily matched and categorized. You’ll recognize his deep voice instantly on the somber opening ballad, “It’s Just Me,” but be surprised t

Today's Guest: Kate Moretti, novelist, The Vanishing Year, Binds That Tie, Thought I Knew You, While You Were Gone   Watch this exclusive Mr. Media interview with Kate Moretti by clicking on the video player above!  Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience full of women who are in the midst of Kate Moretti’s latest book and—while fearful for Zoe—can’t bear to put it down … in the NEW new media capital of the world… St. Petersburg, Florida! The Vanishing Year by Kate Moretti. Order your copy now by clicking on the book cover above! Zoe Whittaker is not who anyone thinks she is. She may not even be who she thinks she is. KATE MORETTI podcast excerpt: "I don't think the average person has faced the amount of tragedy and bad decision-making that Zoe has faced. If anybody tried to write about the bad decision-making of the average person, you'd wind up with a really boring book!" And identity issues aside, there seems to be something sinister in not just her past, but in her present. The danger in her

Today's Guest: Legs McNeil, co-author, I Slept with Joey Ramone: A Punk Rock Family Memoir   Order I Slept with Joey Ramone: A Punk Rock Family Memoir by clicking the book cover above! Order Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk by clicking the book cover above! (MAY 2010) Joey Ramone wasn’t really Joey Ramone. Most people know that the “Ramones” name was for the stage, although few sought out and became their stage persona more completely than the former Jeffry Hyman, a spindly, troubled boy from Queens. If you’re a Ramones fan—or just fascinated with stories of familial disfunction—you’re going to find the new book, I Slept With Joey Ramone: A Family Memoir, an irresistible attraction. LEGS McNEIL AUDIO EXCERPT: "All along, Mickey was writing songs with Joey and never credited. Years and years of frustration came to light when Bud Light used 'Blitzkrieg Bop' in a commercial. I don't think he wanted a lot of money; he wanted recognition. He was there in the studio (when the song was origina

I Slept with Joey Ramone: A Punk Rock Family Memoir by Mickey Leigh with Legs McNeil. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above! Please Kill Me; The Uncensored Oral History of Punk by Legs McNeil. Order your copy today by clicking the book cover above! Today's Guest:Legs McNeil, author, Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk, I Slept with Joey Ramone (MAY 2008) When Spin magazine started, its staff included two fascinating characters. First was Bob Guccione, Jr., the magazine’s founder and namesake son of the publisher of Penthouse. And then there was Spin’s senior editor, Legs McNeil. Legs McNeil!?! What the hell kind of stupid name was that for a journalist? I mean, I grew up with kids named "Plinky," "Jiggs," and "Doine," but "Legs"? Well, let me tell you, that guy Legs McNeil could write. Some months, the only copy worth reading in Spin was under his byline. It wasn’t until years later that I learned that in the early 1970s, McNeil was a co-founder, with John Holmstrom and Ge