On the Mic with Tim Drake

On today's episode of the podcast, I have 5x Emmy winner and Grammy winner, Rob Kutner! Rob has been on the show a number of times as we writer for CONAN, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, for his comic books "Shrinkage" and "Snot Goblins", and today he joins me to talk about the new animated show he's the head writer of called, "God's Gang". Since Rob's departure from CONAN, he dove head on into animation. While "God's Gang" does center around religion's co-existing and working together, even if you are a non-religious person like me, it is still a very enjoyable show for all. I talked with Rob on the episode about getting into animation, the adjustment to writing for late night to animation, truth in comedy, how he became involved with "God's Gang", positive comments on the internet (WHAT?!), and so much more! A huge Thank You to Rob for taking the time to come on the show to talk about "God's Gang". I always have such a great time talking to Rob about his new ventures. You can follow Rob on all of the links and actually watch an episode of God's at www.onthemicpodcast.com Thanks, Rob! Enjoy the episode!

(Due to the live recording elements there unfortunately are some audio issues during the episode.) On today's episode I am coming to you LIVE from San Diego Comic-Con with Disney animator and storyboard artist, Peter Paul Bautista! On today's episode I am coming to you LIVE from San Diego Comic-Con with Disney Animator and storyboard artist, Peter Paul Bautista! I was so excited to have Peter Paul join us for this year's SDCC show. When I was first introduced to Peter Paul from Mike and JB at From North to Wharf we hit it off immediately chatting via social media and I knew he would be a lot of fun to talk to on the show about the incredible animation career he's built working on some incredible movies and tv shows. I talked with Peter Paul about how he got his start in animation, losing a graphic design job at an engineering & oil company and stumbling into animation from there. Finding his first animation job as an inbetween artist on Space Jam, working on Clerks: The Animated Series and having no idea who Kevin Smith was, working on Mission Hill, finding his next job on The Tigger Movie, staring to work on movies and shows with Bento Box, such as the Bob's Burgers Movie and Krapopolis, and so much more! A huge Thank You to Peter Paul Bautista for taking the time to join us in San Diego for the show! It was so much fun getting to know Peter Paul during this episode. Also a Thank You to his friend Rachel who snapped some photos for us during the show. A big thank you to Mike and JB of From North to Wharf for helping connect me with Peter Paul. Please make sure to follow Peter Paul on all of the links below. Thank you to the staff at San Diego Comic-Con for always being so amazing to us. And especially Thank you to the Unofficial San Diego Comic-Con blog for the continual support and spreading the word about the show. We are always so grateful for you! Thank you everybody who came out and joined us for this show. Thank You, Peter Paul! Enjoy the episode.

On today's episode I have comedian, Nick Callas! Nick's new comedy special "Wolf Pup" is out now! I absolutely loved this special and can't wait for all of you to see it as well. Nick is such a unique comic, and this special has such a unique look into it. As you learn more about Nick's background, you'll really see it come to life in this special. Nick is pretty physical onstage as well, doing handstands, doing the splits, he gives his special his all! I talked with Nick about growing up in New Jersey, finding touring and traveling with his girlfriend, finding the "cool" places to travel, the joys of staying inside, pursuing a career as a comic book artist before finding comedy, screening testing for SNL, his approach to comedy and putting on the best show he can, our love for comedy and the craft of comedy, and so much more. A huge Thank You to Nick Callas for taking the time to join me on the show. I had such a great time getting to know Nick. Make sure to watch "Wolf Pup" on our website or on YouTube. Please also follow Nick on all of the links at www.onthemicpodcast.com and find out when he is touring in a city near you. Thanks, Nick! Enjoy the episode!

On today's episode I have some of my favorite people from the Bob's Burgers community, Stephanie aka Tinapocalypse, and Mike and JB of From North to Wharf! If you are listening to this TODAY, July 24th, we are on the ground at San Diego Comic-Con, and that is exactly what why I wanted to have my friends on the show. Tinapocalypse and North to Wharf have teamed up for two awesome events at SDCC this year. Bob's Burger trivia, and of course, the annual Bob's Burgers Fan Meat Up. The Trivia will take place July 25th @ 8:00PM in the lobby of the Marriot Marquis, and the fan Meat Up will take place Friday July 26th from 1:45-2:45PM in Hilton Bay Front on the second floor. The group photo will be taken at 2:00PM. We talked about how Stephanie created Tinapocalypse and where the name came from, how the fan meat ups were started, JB co-creating the Bob's Burgers Trivia game and setting up SDCC trivia, how Tinapocalypse and North to Wharf started working together, our bearded overlord Toddland, and so much more. A huge Thank You to Stephanie aka Tinapocalypse and Mike and JB from North to Wharf for taking the time to join me on the show. Make sure to join them for Bob's Burgers Trivia as well as the Fan Meat Up if you're at San Diego Comic-Con. Please follow them on all of the links at www.onthemicpodcast.com Thanks, Tinapocalypse and North to Wharf! Enjoy the episode!

On today's episode I have 3x Emmy Winning writer, producer, and the king of the fast food review, Bill Oakley! Bill is somebody that I have wanted to have on the show for quite some time now. He is best known as a legendary writer and showrunner of The Simpsons for Seasons 3-9, as well as his work on Futurama, Portlandia, Disenchantment, and of course Mission Hill. Bill and his longtime writing and producing partner Josh Weinstein will be in San Diego celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Mission Hill on Thursday, July 25th @ 7PM at the Music Box Theater. They will be joined by original cast members, Brian Posehn as well as Herbert Siguenza. Get your tickets before they sell out on the link below. I talked with Bill about meeting Josh Weinstein in High School, forming their partnership, going to school at Harvard and working on the Lampoon, getting hired on The Simpsons and the iconic episodes he made, how Mission Hill was started, advice for aspiring writers, how the fast food and snack reviews were started, and so much more! A huge Thank You to Bill Oakley for taking the time to join me on the episode. It was so good getting to know him and learning more about his career. Make sure to grab your tickets for the 25th Anniversary of Mission Hill and follow Bill on all the links at www.onthemicpodcast.com Thanks, Bill! Enjoy the episode.

On today’s episode I have comic book artist, writer, artist, and translator, Adalisa Zarate! Adalisa is the final episode of my San Diego Comic-Con series, and funny enough she was the first episode I recorded of the series. Adalisa was another international guest, joining the show from Mexico! Adalisa has such an incredible story about how she got involved with SDCC as a Mexican journalist and she immediately was hooked! She has also done translation for some incredible shows such as "Sailor Moon" and "Cowboy Bebop". I talked with Adalisa about she got started with SDCC, how comic con and comic books are viewed in Mexico compared to the US, Mexican horror, some of her favorite SDCC memories, cultural appropriation vs cultural appreciation, translating for film and TV, and so much more. A huge Thank You to Adalisa Zarate for taking the time to join me on the show. Visit Adalisa in Artists Alley at Booth CC-10 and pick up some art, as well as get a picture with Murphey the Traveling Goat! Adalisa will also be part of 2 panels: "Cultural Appreciation vs. Cultural Appropriation, Round 2" on Friday, July 26th @ 5:30 in Room 26AB, as well as "Bringing Fandoms Together Through Language", Sunday, July 28th @ 1:00PM in Room 211. She also helped put together the panel "Storytellers of Then and Now" that will take place Sunday, July 28th @ 3:30PM in Room 26AB. Make sure to follow Adalisa, as well as Murphey the Traveling Goat on all of the links at www.onthemicpodcast.com Thanks, Adalisa! Enjoy the episode!

On today's episode I have Juliette Calderon! Juliette continues our San Diego Comic-Con series of the many incredible panelists and artists coming to SDCC next week! When Juliette reached out to me we realized how truly of a small world it is as we both work at Warner Brothers, quite literally a few hundred yards apart. Juliette works on the accounting side for film and tv , analyzing tax incentives. She will also be part of two panels this year! I talked with Juliette about how she got into film and tv through accounting, how she first got involved with Comic-Con, finding the courage to find the people to help advance your career, the upcoming video games panel, her fandom of the show Manifest, and so much more! A huge Thank You to Juliette for taking the time to come on the show. Juliette will be on TWO panels at SDCC next week. The first will be "Video Games To Be Excited For in 2025 and Beyond" on Saturday, July 27th from 11:00AM-12:00PM in the Omni Grand Ballroom, and the second is "Manifest: Enter the Glow One More Time", Sunday, July 28th 3:30-4:30PM, Room 23ABC. Make sure to follow Juliette on all of the links below and go make sure to go see her in San Diego! Thanks, Juliette! Enjoy the episode!

On today's episode I have video game and movie critic, writer, and author, Garth Von Kallenbach of Skewed and Reviewed! This episode continues our series on the incredible talent coming to San Diego Comic-Con next week, and Gareth has such a rad story of how he became a part of the madness we all love. Long before we had sites like Nerdist, there was Skewed and Reviewed! This episode starts off the way that every episode should in my opinion; with cat chat! Gareth and I are big cat people and our cats made themselves known as we started recording. I talked with Gareth about finding his love for film and video games, getting access to them as a kid on base in Saudi Arabia, how he started writing reviews, the video games he's looking forward to, the best gaming console and tv pairing, becoming a part of San Diego Comic-Con, and so much more! Garth will be hosting the panel "Upcoming Video Games To Be Excited For" on Saturday, July 27th from 11:00-12:00PM at the Omni San Diego Hotel, Omni Grand Ballroom DE, on the 4th floor. You will not want to miss it! A huge Thank You to Gareth for taking the time to join me on the show. It was so good to get to know him and learn all about how Skewed and Reviewed got it's start. Make sure to follow Gareth and Skewed and Reviewed on all of the links at www.onthemicpodcast.com And go see him at San Diego Comic-Con next week! Thanks, Gareth! Enjoy the episode!

On today's episode I have writer and artist Vince Alvendia, also known as Eggdrop Ramen! I have been a fan of Vince's for a while now and was thrilled when he reached out to be a part of our San Diego Comic-Con shows. Vince will be back in Artist Alley at Booth DD-02 this year, and he has some incredible pieces he's bringing with him. Personally, I can't wait to get my hands of some of his Masters of the Universe prints! I talked with Vince about growing up in San Diego and finding out about comic-con, getting into art, finding how to make art a career, his early inspirations, working on graphic novels like Dark Agents: Book 1, Violet and the Trail of Trauma, and Horrorgasm, 200 Days of Star Wars, and so much more. A huge Thank You to Vince Alvendia for taking the time to join me on the show. Make sure to visit him in Artist Alley at Booth DD-02, and go and see his panel on Saturday, July 27th in room 29AB from 7:30-8:30PM and learn all about how to get your first novel and comic book off the ground. Make sure to follow Vince on all of the links at www.onthemicpodcast.com and go see him at San Diego Comic Con. Thank, Vince! Enjoy the episode!

On today's episode I have artist and comic book artist, Sean Forney! Sean continues my series highlighting the insurmountable talent at San Diego Comic-Con as one of the incredible artists you'll find in artist alley. Sean's art and work has been seen in everything from Marvel and Disney projects, to his own comic series created by Sean and his wife, "Scarlett Huntress". I talked with Sean about growing up in Ohio, finding his way to comic books and art, his biggest inspirations, meeting his wife (who is also a phenomenal artist), turning art into a career, is hilarious series "Do You Pooh", San Diego Comic-Con, "Scarlett Huntress", and so much more! A huge Thank You to Sean Forney for joining me on the show. Make sure to visit Sean and his wife at San Diego Comic-Con in a few weeks. You'll be able to find them in two locations this year! Sean will be in Artist Alley at booth EE-03 and in Small Press at Booth K-03. You can pick up their SDCC exclusive cover of "Scarlett Huntress" at both booths, as well as more of Sean's incredible art pieces. Make sure to follow Sean on all of the links at www.onthemicpodcast.com Thanks, Sean! Enjoy the episode!

On today's episode I have former model turned standup comedian, Mario Adrion! You may know Mario from his viral moment on "American Idol" where he performed in a speedo, and then had a catwalk off with Katy Perry. Mario's YouTube has amassed close to a million subscribers with his hilarious on the street and reaction videos as a German in America. I talked with Mario about growing up in Germany and discovering modeling, the culture shock of moving to New York from a small German town, learning how to model, AI and union protections for models, finding his way to making YouTube vlogs, his drive to create and make videos, protecting models against sexual assault and harassment, how he started writing comedy, find the balance of making YouTube content and writing standup, American Idol, and so much more. A huge Thank You to Mario Adrion for taking the time to join me on the show! Mario is currently on his "German Efficiency" stand up tour around the country. Make sure to follow him on all of the links below and go see him when he performs in your city. Thank You, Mario! Enjoy the episode.

On today's episode I have writer, director, and producer, Tomás Gómez Bustillo! His new film, "Chronicles of a Wandering Saint" opens in theaters in New York this Friday, June 28th, and Los Angeles, and other cities July 5th. I was so intrigued by the story and the trailer to the film (see below) was so captivating that I had to learn more about this film and more about Tomas ever growing career in film making. "Chronicles of a Wandering Saint" initially premiered at SXSW last year, winning the Adam Yauch Hornbolower Awards, as well as earning itself 3 Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominations! I talked with Tomas about growing up in Argentina and moving around the world, his early film influences, studying politics, the art of filmmaking, moving to Los Angeles to attend AFI (American Film Institute), creating the story of "Chronicles of a Wandering Saint", and so much more. A huge Thank You to Tomas Gomez Bustillo for taking the time to join me on the show. This all came together last minute as he was getting ready to fly out to New York for the release and I was honored that he made time to come on the show in the midst of travel prep. Please support this film and get out and see it as it comes to a city near you! Check out the trailer and follow Tomas on the links at www.onthemicpodcast.com as well! Thanks, Tomas! Enjoy the episode!

On today's episode I have cosplayers and cosplay builders, Anthony and Zoe of Alpha to Zeta Industries! This episode continues the series talking to the incredibly talented creators at San Diego Comic-Con. Anthony and Zoe have such a great story about how they got into cosplaying, which ultimately led to them launching their company, Alpha to Zeta Industries. Their cosplay props are next level and could be used in film and television. They're that good! I'm definitely going to be scooping up some of the Moon Knight crescent darts for my own personal collection. I talked with Anthony and Zoe about how they met, playing video games, attending their first convention and discovering cosplay, creating their Master Chief cosplay (which is phenomenal), launching the company, donating to charities, and so much more! A huge Thank You to Anthony and Zoe for taking the time to join me on the show. It was such a great time learning their story and seeing some of their incredible pieces. Make sure to follow them on all of the links at www.onthemicpodcast.com Take your cosplay to the next level and work with Alpha to Zeta to make the items you need. I can't wait to see their cosplay in person in San Diego. Thanks, Anthony and Zoe! Enjoy the episode!

On today's episode I have Lisa Merback of Victron Printing! This episode is the first in a number of episodes leading up to San Diego Comic-Con where I've invited artists, vendors, cosplayers, and panelists to join me on the show to talk about their involvement with the convention, and Lisa kicks things off with a bang! Victron Printing is a small family run business made by artists FOR artists, and as you'll hear from Lisa, their passion is what makes their work so great! Lisa talked with me about how the company was started, why great art matters to them, giving artists a safe space for their art, consulting with artists to make sure the print matches their vision, the importance of being sex positive and supporting LGBTQ artists, finding new ways to support artists at live shows and conventions, and so much more! A huge Thank You to Lisa for coming on the show and introducing us to your incredible company. Lisa's passion and joy for the work is contagious and encouraging and will encourage you to keep making art. Make sure to follow Lisa and Victon Printing on all of the links at www.onthemicpodcast.com And as a bonus, Lisa and Sharon have an offer for all On the Mic listeners! Now through July 28th, use the code OTMP on their website and receive 10% off your print order! Support a small business and support artists and print with Victron Printing. Thanks, Lisa! Enjoy the episode!

On today's episode of the podcast I have artist Alex Pardee! It's crazy that I have been a fan of Alex Pardee's work for over 20 years now. I first came across Alex's work for the cover art for the band The Used on their album "In Love and Death". Alex did a few covers for The Used and I've been a fan and collector ever since. My wife and I have A LOT of Alex Pardee art covering our walls and it is an honor to have him on the show today. I talked to Alex about his inspirations, how he got involved with The Used, using art for mental health, the stories behind his characters, Brightmares, James Gunn wearing his merch at SDCC, the horror art community of artists, and so much more. A huge Thank You to Alex Pardee for taking the time to join me on the show. Make sure to visit his website and follow him on all of the links at www.onthemicpodcast.com If you're going to SDCC, make sure to stop by his booth and pick up all of his incredible exclusives. Thanks, Alex! Enjoy the episode!

On today's episode, I have comedian Jeremy Weinreich! Jeremy is somebody I am honored to call a friend and co-worker and I was so excited to have him on the show. He is one of the most unique and funny comedians currently on the rise, and I wanted to make sure everybody who listens to the show got a chance to meet him. I talked with Jeremy about growing up in Washington D.C., finding his way to comedy, trying out standup in college, making the move to Los Angeles, his love for LOVE, and so much more. With everything we talked about, we ran out of time to talk about one of Jeremy's hobbies that always just blows my mind, and that his is love for cycling. Now riding a bike isn't what blew my mind, it's the distances that Jeremy usually does for fun, in the realm of 100 miles in a day!!! A huge Thank You to Jeremy for taking the time to join me on the podcast. If you're in Los Angeles, make it a point to go see Jeremy perform. Follow him on all of the links below to find out when he performs next. Thanks, Jeremy! Enjoy the episode!

On today's episode I have actress, writer, and director, Jenn Harris! Jenn's new film "She's Clean" hits streaming services June 5, 2024! This short film is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. “She’s Clean” follows a resilient woman who from the comfort of her bathroom, tries to marry her desires for sexual freedom with emotional intimacy by showering with all her dates. I talked with Jenn about growing up in Illinois and finding her way to acting and filmmaking, crafting the dating stories in “She’s Clean” from real life experience of Jenn and her friends and family, men’s lack of hygiene, working on “American Fiction” and “30 Rock”, and so much more. A huge Thank You the Jenn Harris for taking the time to join me on the show. It was so great getting to know her. Make sure to check out “She’s Clean” on June 5th and follow her on all of the links below! Thanks, Jenn! Enjoy the episode!

On today's episode I have Oscar nominated director, Pablo Berger! Pablo's animated feature length film, "Robot Dreams" was nominated for Best Animated film earlier this year at the 96th Academy Awards and will hit theaters Friday, May 31, 2024, after being picked up for American distribution by NEON. I loved this film when I watched it ahead of the Oscars and re-watching it to prepare to talk to Pablo brought that same joy. I talked with Pablo about growing up in Spain and finding filmmaking and a love for film, making the move to animation where all of his past films have been live action films, what inspires him about telling a story through animation, staying true to the fans of the "Robot Dreams" graphic novel, getting his Oscar nomination, how Robot Dreams was created, and so much more. A huge Thank You to Pablo Berger for taking the time to join me on the show. Go see "Robot Dreams" in theaters starting TODAY! It will continue to hit more and more theaters as the weeks go on, with it's full worldwide release on June 21st. This film will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions that I know you're going to love. Thanks, Pablo! Enjoy the episode!

Today's episode we are coming to you LIVE from WonderCon to celebrate our 200th episode! For this episode I stole a page from Pete Holmes podcast and had my producing partner, writer/director Alex Watson interview me for the show! It felt very fitting to be celebrating 200 episodes at a place like WonderCon since comic cons and conventions have been a big part of the show since we first started. Watson talked to me about getting started, my inspirations, finding my voice, how we first met and started working together, where the show name came from, and so much more. A huge Thank You to everybody who came out for the 200th episode! It's always so hard to get people to stick around 2 hours after the convention floor has closed, but I couldn't be more grateful for the friends and attendees that stuck around for the show. Thank you to those who asked questions and interacted with us during the show as well. And of course, a big thanks to Alex Watson for taking the time to take over hosting duties for the 200th episode. It's an honor to work with him on a daily basis and I was so happy he agreed to be a part of this show. Follow us on all of the links on www.onthemicpodcast.com Here's to the next 200! Enjoy the episode.

On today's episode I have director, and producer. Brad Peyton! Brad's newest film "ATLAS", starring Jennifer Lopez, Simu Liu, and Sterling K. Brown hits Netflix this Friday, May 24th. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and was thrilled to have Brad join me on the show to talk about it. You may also be familiar with some of Brad's other incredible blockbuster films such as "San Andreas", "Rampage", and "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island". On the episode I talked with Brad about how he got his start, growing up and finding his voice as a filmmaker, the filmmakers who inspired him, his short film (from 20 years ago) Evelyn: The Cutest Evil Dead that I loved, directing so many blockbuster films, how "ATLAS" came together and its incredible A-List cast, and so much more. A huge Thank You to Brad Peyton for taking the time to join me on the show. Make sure to stream "ATLAS" this Friday. May 24th on Netflix. This is such a fun, sci-fi thriller that you are not going to want to miss. Make sure to follow Brad on Instagram on the link at www.onthemicpodcast.com to keep up with all of his new films. Thanks, Brad! Enjoy the episode! Go watch "ATLAS"!