Episode 291: This Animated Life

As longtime listeners know, I worked in the animation industry before switching careers and going into broadcasting. Today’s episode features a trio of conversations that trace the history of animation in my lifetime, and my life in animation. The interviews come from Between Imaginary Worlds, a chat show that’s available exclusively to listeners who pledge $5 a month or more on Patreon. 

Act I: I bond with comic book and children’s book author Judd Winick over the creepy world of 1970s children’s TV – which scared us as kids but makes us oddly nostalgic today.  

Act II: My friend Caleb Meurer and I reminisce about his experience working with the original crew of SpongeBob at Nickelodeon, and how the creator of SpongeBob indirectly told me I was in the wrong field. 

Act III: Aidan Sugano and Denis-Jose Francois talk about the heartfelt effort it took for the animation studio DNEG to make the film Nimona after Disney dropped the project.

Transcript of This Animated Life

This week’s episode is sponsored by The Perfect Jean and Uncommon Goods. 

• Get 15% off your order with the code IMAGINARY15 at theperfectjean.nyc

• Get 15% off your order at uncommongoods.com/imaginary. 

MUSIC LIST

• Between Imaginary Worlds theme by Sanctus

• Pixel Pal by Sanctus

• Just Facts by Sanctus

This animation drawing by my late CalArts instructor Corny Cole was for the 1977 Raggedy Ann & Andy movie, as referenced in the episode.