It's still December which means celebrating the 10th anniversary of Old School Lane by going back to the decade's worth of content and looking back on what have been the works I've been proud to post. Last week, we talked about my favorite episodes of Casual Chats. This week, we'll be talking about the podcast interviews. While I did do a Top 10 list on this topic 5 years ago, a lot more have come out since then. With that said, it's time to look back on my favorite podcast interviews.
Old School Lane Casual Chats Episode 14: Interview with Marc Weiner
Originally uploaded on July 10, 2013 on YouTube.
Marc Weiner was the creator, producer, co-writer, and actor behind the 1993 Nickelodeon variety show Weinerville. Kevin and I had interviewed him a year prior on the Old School Lane blog back when we did blog interviews. But we decided to have him back on the show since Weinerville was celebrating its 20th anniversary. Kevin and I loved Weinerville as kids and having Marc on the show voicing as Dottie, Socko, Zip, Boney, and more for us was such a treat. Not to mention answering our questions was also great too. Weinerville is a polarizing show for a lot of people, but for those who grew up with zany variety shows like Pee-wee's Playhouse would fit right in watching it. Marc has been really supporting at Old School Lane for years such as cameoing in Halcyon Days and even sending Kevin and I Weinerville items around the holidays when we first interviewed him. He has been nothing but kind and loving and we are very happy that we've kept in touch with him. Sadly, the audio quality doesn't hold up. Hopefully we can remedy that with a follow up podcast interview someday.
Turtle Talk Episode 3: Interview with Renae Jacobs
Originally uploaded on July 25, 2013 on YouTube.
Kevin and I had a short lived podcast where we covered Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles news, episode recaps of the 2012 Nickelodeon series, and interviews with people associated with the franchise. Our first interview was with the original voice actress behind April O'Neal, Renae Jacobs. We had asked her about working on TMNT and her other works. Again, the audio quality doesn't hold up, but Kevin and I still had a blast doing it and are still proud of it.
Old School Lane Casual Chats Episode 26: Interview with Nathaniel "GeminiLaser" Hoover
Originally uploaded on January 13, 2014
I don't watch a lot of Let's Plays on YouTube, surprisingly. I tried my hand on watching Game Grumps back when Egoraptor and JonTron first started, but it didn't gel with me very well. Even Arun tried to show me a clip show of their best moments, but I found some of their jokes to be unfunny and even tasteless. So, it was a complete surprise when back around 2013 when I was a part of the PlaysStation Let's Play channel alongside Tristen, Nick, and Tom and I was playing Mega Man 2, I had decided to watch some videos of the series to refresh myself. I had found a YouTube channel named GeminiLaser that was doing a Let's Play series on the classic Mega Man games with some great tips on playing the game with utilizing the weapons, going in an unorthodox direction by going in reverse order or random orders on the stages, having clever or terrible puns and jokes, singing, and thoughts on the games in terms of the level design, weapons, music, and gameplay. I then discovered his content on the GameCola website where he would be talking about other video game thoughts on blog articles, podcasts, vlogs, and video reviews. I then invited Nathaniel to the podcast and he told me about his love of Mega Man, doing his Let's Plays, doing his blog Exfanding Your Horizons, and more. He was so hilarious and a very nice guy to talk to. I would invite him to do the Legacy of Star Trek podcast and Halcyon Days, which was a great treat to experience.
Old School Lane Casual Chats Episode 27: Interview with Lindsey "Little Miss Gamer" Briggs
Originally uploaded on January 28, 2014 on YouTube.
This would be the first of four interviews I would conduct based on my major influences of my content creation work on the Internet. Lindsey Briggs a.k.a. Little Miss Gamer would cover her personal favorite retro video games on the site PBC Productions in a calm, sweet, and comforting persona in a time when angry ranting personas were populating the reviewing community. When I had reached her, she had retired from posting videos due to dedicating her time working as a puppeteer for the Jim Henson Company, marrying Chad Williams from PBC Productions, and having a family. We talked about her time doing work at PBC Productions, her decision to quit content creation, and whether or not she would introduce her children to video games. We even met in person a few years later in person when I visited New York to see my family and friends. Since then, she and Chad have started their own puppet company WonderSpark Puppets, they do a podcast together talking about being parents and their puppet work, and Lindsey recently became the voice of Foley in the Sesame Street podcast Foley and Friends on Audible.
Old School Lane Casual Chats Episode 30: Interview with Jim Jinkins
Originally uploaded on June 4, 2014 on YouTube
When Kevin and I went to the Slimed! event in New York City, we met many former Nickelodeon actors, show creators, and composers including the creator of Doug, Jim Jinkins. We had gotten a hold of him and asked him questions about Doug, Pinwheel, and learned about the rejected pitches for a Judy spin off series, and how he would continue the series if Disney allowed him to. Kevin and I were huge fans of Doug when we were kids and still think that it's a great animated series that deserves more credit that the Internet gives it. Jim and I would talk again a few years later during the 25th anniversary of the 3 original Nicktoons.
Turtle Talk Episode 12: Interview with Michele Ivey from Cowabunga Corner
Originally uploaded on June 21, 2014 on YouTube.
In the penultimate episode of Turtle Talk, Kevin and I interviewed the main person behind the fan site Cowabunga Corner, Michele Ivey. We talked about how she was introduced to TMNT, her favorite series and films from the franchise, and more. While we dipped our toes into talking to TMNT fans with Chris "RowdyC" Moore, Michele's insights was filled with interesting stories about meeting with actors, writers, and the creators of the series, owning items from the movies, and briefly talking about her father David Ivey and his animation work. Getting to talk to a hardcore TMNT fan was such a blast and getting to clear up that she doesn't eat multiple pizzas a day or obsessively talk about TMNT as VH1 portrayed it was good for people who saw Totally Obsessed out of context. She has slowed down her content as of late due to personal issues going on with the loss of her father and her family home, but she is still determined than ever to share her love of TMNT to everyone who loves the series.
Old School Lane Casual Chats Episode 35: Interview with Paul Germain and Joe Ansolabehere
Originally uploaded on November 4, 2014 on YouTube.
It was the first double interview we've ever done as well as it was the first time that Kevin's then girlfriend (now wife) Christina joined in on the podcast. We had invited the creators of the 1997 ABC animated series Recess Paul Germain and Joe Ansolabehere. They had also worked on other animated shows such as Rugrats and Hey Arnold. We even talked about those shows, writer Steve Viksten, and the legacy of both shows. We would keep in touch over the years and I would invite them for other interviews and podcasts. My talks with Paul and Joe are moments that I will cherish.
Old School Lane Casual Chats Episode 36: Interview with Derek "The Happy Video Game Nerd" Alexander
Originally uploaded on November 26, 2014 on YouTube.
The second of the four interviews on my influences in content creation is Derek Alexander a.k.a. The Happy Video Game Nerd. In a time where everyone was reviewing bad games from their childhoods akin to James Rolfe, in comes HVGN where he reviews video games that he considers overlooked or underrated. In addition, he was the co-founder and composer of the short lived chiptune band Starship Amazing, and did livestreams under Space Money Octagon. We talked about music, video games, his stint as the HVGN, and his short lived skit series peter, dana, derek. Who would have thought that I would be the last person that had interviewed him under the HVGN name since a month later, he would announce that he would make changes to his channel and call it Stop Skeletons From Fighting alongside his girlfriend Grace Cramer. They even cameoed in Halcyon Days. Our time talking together was a great experience that I would always be grateful for.
Old School Lane Casual Chats Episode 50: Interview with Will McRobb
Originally uploaded on November 14, 2015 on YouTube.
Two milestones hit with this particular interview: Casual Chats had hit 50 episodes and it was the 4th anniversary of the podcast itself. Kevin and I decided to celebrate by inviting the co-creator of The Adventures of Pete & Pete, Will McRobb. We talked about Pete & Pete, KaBlam!, Snow Day, and more. Will was a really cool guy to have on the show and he would be very supportive for Old School Lane. He complimented my review of his Amazon Prime pilot A Kid Called Mayonnaise and he cameoed in Halcyon Days. Having Will on the show was a dream come true for me as a huge Pete & Pete fan and it's still one I'm super proud of.
Old School Lane Casual Chats Episode 59: Interview with Brandon Jones
Originally uploaded on July 19, 2016 on YouTube.
The third of four interviews of people who influenced my online content creation is Brandon Jones, the co-founder of the former video game website GameTrailers and currently the co-founder and member of the video game reviewing channel Easy Allies. He's mostly known as being the voice behind all the reviews and retrospectives. Before it shut down in 2015, I had been a huge fan of GameTrailers for almost a decade going there to watch their video game reviews, top ten list, their weekly video game discussion show, their video game retrospectives, and hosting several series such as The Angry Video Game Nerd, ScrewAttack, Hey Ash, Watch Are You Playing?, and more. We talked about starting GameTrailers, discovering ScrewAttack and AVGN, their well known videos, and the beginning of Easy Allies. When I had gotten a hold of Brandon, they were just getting started on restructuring their platform after Viacom shut down GameTrailers and they were left without a job. It was a thrill getting a hold of Brandon and he even cameoed in Halycon Days. I hope to get a hold of the other members of Easy Allies for Casual Chats some day.
How the 3 Original Nicktoons Influenced Pop Culture with Mathew Klickstein and Caseen Gaines
Originally uploaded on August 27, 2016 on YouTube.
Old School Lane Casual Chats Episode 66: Interview with Arun Mehta
Originally uploaded on October 16, 2016 on YouTube.
Out of all the interviews I've done over the past 10 years, this one will always be a personal favorite of mine and one the closest to my heart. I was doing a series of videos and podcasts to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Hey Arnold and wanted to invite a fan of the show. I had done it the year before with Michelle Cavitolo talking about As Told by Ginger and had decided to bring Arun Mehta from The Arun Mehta Show to Casual Chats since I knew he was a part of the Hey Arnold: Save the Jungle Movie group and had interviewed the creator Craig Bartlett himself. We talked about his introduction of Hey Arnold, his favorite episodes, characters, and his thoughts on what he would like to see in a 6th season. After I would interview someone, I would almost never hear from them again. But Arun was one of the rare exceptions. A few months later, he invited me to be a co-host on his podcast and we became fast friends. Then almost two years later, we had decided to date each other. Arun has been a very important person in my life and I cannot imagine my life without him.
All the interviews on We're in Between
I know, this is cheating. But I cannot choose just one interview from the weekly As Told by Ginger podcast I co-hosted alongside with Casey Reed and Ashli Wittenkeller. As a huge fan of As Told by Ginger, getting a hold of the actors, actresses, composer, directors, storyboard artists, and even the creator herself was beyond a dream come true for me. I had learned stories, facts, and behind the scenes tales that I would have never learned about had I never gotten a hold of them, but I'm glad I did.
Old School Lane Casual Chats Episode 85: Interview with Mitch Schauer
Originally uploaded on June 11, 2017 on YouTube.
Shortly after the 20th anniversary of the 1997 Nicktoon The Angry Beavers, I had decided to get a hold of the creator himself. We talked about his early years in animation, the creation of The Angry Beavers, his favorite episodes, and talks of bringing it back with a TV movie if Nickelodeon allowed him to. I had learned some fun stories on working on the show and all the improvising by the voice actors Nick Bakay and Richard Horvitz.
Originally uploaded on November 25, 2018 on YouTube.
Back around 2013, Kevin and I had gotten a hold of Hey Arnold creator Craig Bartlett. The audio was beyond terrible, especially since half way through the podcast, maintenance had came over and mowed the lawn outside my apartment and blocked Craig's discussion. I had gotten another chance 5 years later to talk about some updates that had happened since our last discussion. Hey Arnold: The Jungle Movie had been released on Nickelodeon and he had released Hey Arnold: The Complete Collection on DVD. Hey Arnold has always been one of my favorite Nicktoons growing up and has gotten a lot more appreciated from me for multiple reasons. Craig is one of them.
Old School Lane Casual Chats Episode 124: Interview with Lisa Foiles
Originally uploaded on April 13, 2019 on YouTube.
During All That Month, I had invited one of the cast members from the 2002 incarnation of the classic 90's variety show from Nickelodeon Lisa Foiles. We talked about her time working on All That, her YouTube content, and doing a random segment of looking at the weird holidays of the month of April from Holiday Insights. She had some intriguing stories and it was so interesting to hear it coming from a funny actress. Now, Lisa has written a book and is taking care of her two children which is why her channel is on hiatus. We had a great time together and she was nothing but delightful.
Old School Lane Casual Chats Episode 164: Interview with Fred Seibert
Originally uploaded on April 9, 2021 on Anchor.
Back around September 2012, Kevin and I had Fred Seibert, the founder of Frederator Studios, to do a blog interview. Almost a decade later, I brought Fred to Casual Chats when I heard the news that he had left Frederator to do another animation company called Fred Films in California. Instead of rehashing the questions of him being the last president of Hanna Barbera and his time in Frederator, I had wanted to know what he did after our interview with him such as starting Fred Films, his recent blog article about Nickelodeon rejecting Adventure Time, and more. I had enjoyed my time talking to Fred and learning about the importance of conquering your dreams and passions.
Old School Lane Casual Chats Episode 169: Interview with Craig "Stuttering Craig" Skitsimas
Originally uploaded on July 30, 2021 on Anchor.
The fourth and final interview based on my influences in online content creation is Craig Skistimas, the co-founder of the video game website ScrewAttack. Thanks to GameTrailers, I had seeing the videos of ScrewAttack from Video Game Vault, their top 10s, SideScrollers, and more. I had followed Craig's work from his stint on GameAttack and his solo YouTube channel. We talked about ScrewAttack, starting off The Collaborator Club, and the potential of a person's content creation. He was very insightful about video games and online content creation that was very interesting to hear and learn about. It was such a thrill I was able to get a hold of him after almost a decade's worth of trying.
Old School Lane Casual Chats Episode 170: Interview with Martin Olson
Originally uploaded on August 6, 2021 on Anchor.
Martin Olson is a writer on television and books and he came by to promote his upcoming book Encyclopedia of Heaven, which was a sequel to Encyclopedia of Hell. We talked about his writing influences, working on Rocko's Modern Life, Phineas and Ferb, and Adventure Time, voicing the demon ruler Hunson Abadeer alongside his daughter Olivia who had voice Marceline the Vampire Queen, and the process of writing music. He was both informative and funny and nothing more than a delight to have over.
That's all for now. Tune in next week as I go over my favorite collaborations from other videos and podcasts. Hope to see you around Old School Lane soon. Take care.
-Patricia
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