People I Think Are Cool

Watch on YouTube Jane Friedman is the author of The Business of Being a Writer. With over 20 years of experience in publishing, she is an expert in business strategies for writers. I discovered Jane's work through her blog years ago when I was about to publish my first book with HarperCollins. Her site was the only place that answered questions on every scope of being a writer, from getting your book sold, what to expect when working with an editor, and the concept of literary citizenship. I often find myself revisiting Jane's books every year as a reminder on what I can do as a writer to push forward when I feel stuck. Jane's wisdom speaks not only to new writers but also to those with decades of experience. You can follow Jane on Twitter @janefriedman and Instagram @janefriedman.   Show Notes Website The Business of Being a Writer Classes Newsletters Twitter @janefriedman Facebook Instagram @janefriedman Goodreads  

Watch on YouTube! Jess Guise is the lead singer for the folk-pop band Guise. When I discovered her music, I fell in love with her lyrics, humor, and charm. In our chat, Jess shared her writing process and shifting gears as a creative during the pandemic. Definitely check out her video for "The Fun Part."  It's one of the most clever music videos I've ever seen, and it truly showcases her eye for storytelling. You can follow Jess on Instagram @jess.guise.   Show Notes Instagram @jess.guise Twitter @JessGuise Bandcamp Merch The Fun Part music video Brother in Arms music video  

Catch the video version on our Cuddles and Rage YouTube. Clay McLeod Chapman is one of my favorite writers. His stories are weird, wonderful, and creepy. I first discovered his writing through past guest Glenn McQuaid (ep 132) as I was binging Tales from Beyond the Pale. Clay's episode The Mattress King will make your skin crawl. Clay is a fellow Quirk Books cousin. His new book with Quirk, Whisper Down the Lane, is out April 6. You can pre-order it now (which I totally did and can't wait!).   Show Notes Website Pre-Order Whisper Down the Lane Twitter @claymcleod Books Amazon Author Profile GoodReads

Russell Nohelty is a USA Today Best-Selling author, owner of Wannabe Press, and host of The Complete Creative podcast. I discovered Russell through his podcast and was pulled in by his vast knowledge of how to be successful in the world of self publishing. In this episode, Russell and I talk about publishing stats, genres with the biggest audiences, writing, and maintaining readers.   Show Notes Website Twitter @Russellnohelty Instagram @russellnohelty Podcast Books Courses The Complete Creative Wannabe Press

Georgia Kriss is an Australian based animator and writer. Similar to past guest Grant Kolton, I discovered Georgia's work on the FX show Cake! (seriously, great show and place to find the fun and the weird). Georgia's work spoke to me through its wit, fierce take on femininity, and style. In this episode, we talk pitching shows, giving projects time to breathe, and cats peeing on things. You can follow Georgia on Instagram @star_crust_lizards. Show Notes:  Vimeo Instagram Passion Pictures IMDB Tumblr

Welcome to part three of three for our Final Girls special! In this episode, Tracie and I chat about our pieces then I talk with artists Chloe Rice and Steph C their art. Draw Me Like One of Your Final Girls is live at Spoke Art's sister gallery, Recess! Tracie Ching and I joined forces to co-curate the show. Final Girls (for short) celebrates horror from a female/femme perspective. The group show includes 60 female and queer artists with wildly different styles, ranging from pure horror to spooky-cute. Follow @Spoke_Art on Twitter and Instagram for more updates! View the Draw Me Like One of Your Final Girls show here. Chloe Rice Website Instagram @ohchloe Steph C Website Twitter: @The_StephC Instagram @thatsteph_c INPRNT Tracie Ching Website Instagram @tracieching Twitter @tracieching Liz Reed Website Instagram @cuddlesandrage Twitter @cuddlesandrage TikTok @cuddlesandrage YouTube Liz Loves Physical Media Instagram  

Welcome to part two of three for our Final Girls special! In this episode, Tracie and I chat about curating the show then I talk with artists Paige Reynolds, Ellen Surrey, and Zi Xu about their pieces. Draw Me Like One of Your Final Girls is now live through 10/31 at Spoke Art's sister gallery, Recess! Tracie Ching and I joined forces to co-curate the show. Final Girls (for short) celebrates horror from a female/femme perspective. The group show includes 60 female and queer artists with wildly different styles, ranging from pure horror to spooky-cute.  Follow @Spoke_Art on Twitter and Instagram for more updates! View the Draw Me Like One of Your Final Girls show here.   Paige Reynolds Website Instagram @paigereynoldsart Twitter @preynoldsart Facebook   Ellen Surrey Website Instagram @yesurrey Twitter @yesurrey Zi Xu Website Instagram @ziqqix Twitter @ziqqix Tracie Ching Website Instagram @tracieching Twitter @tracieching Liz Reed Website Instagram @cuddlesandrage Twitter @cuddlesandrage TikTok @cuddlesandrag

This episode is part one of a three part special! On October 29th, Draw Me Like One of Your Final Girls opens at Spoke Art's sister gallery Recess! Tracie Ching and I joined forces to co-curate the show. Final Girls (for short) celebrates horror from a female/femme perspective. The group show includes 60 artists with wildly different styles, ranging from pure horror to spooky-cute. In this episode, Tracie and I chat about women in horror then I chat with artists Sara Deck and Allison Black about their pieces. Follow @Spoke_Art on Twitter and Instagram for more updates! View the Draw Me Like One of Your Final Girls show here. SHOW NOTES SPOKE ART Spoke Art Gallery Recess Gallery Sara Deck Website Instagram @sara_deck_art Twitter @thisDuality Facebook Allison Black Website Shop Instagram @allisonblackillustration Tracie Ching Website Instagram @tracieching Twitter @tracieching Liz Reed Website Instagram @cuddlesandrage Twitter @cuddlesandrage TikTok @cuddlesandrage YouTube Liz Loves Physical Media Instagram  

Grant Kolton is an animator, director, writer, and so much more that my fingers might fall off if I type it all out. I discovered  Grant on Instagram while going down the animation hashtag rabbit hole. His animations first caught my eye through their loose yet controlled style. When I dove in deeper, I fell in love with his stories. They are dark, twisted, hilarious, and at times poignant. In this episode, we talk about pitching TV shows, developing shorts for FX's CAKE!, and his new animated short KILL YOUR IDIOMS (out now on Vimeo). You can follow Grant on Instagram (@grantkoltoons), Vimeo, & Twitter (@grantkolton)   Show Notes Kill Your Idioms Short Black Hole Apartment Short for CAKE! Grant's Vimeo Grant's Website Grant's Instagram @grantkoltoons Grant's Twitter @GrantKolton Spoke Art/Recess Gallery - Draw Me Like One of Your Final Girls

Brea Grant is an actress, filmmaker, writer, and co-host of the Reading Glasses podcast. She just released her new graphic novel, Mary: The Adventures of Mary Shelley's Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Granddaughter. I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy, and I loved it. Mary (for short) is a fast-paced read full of charm, mystery, and bada** women. In this episode, we chat Mary Shelley's life, writing love & monsters, and comics. You can follow Brea on Instagram @breagrant.   SHOW NOTES:  Brea's Website Mary: The Adventures of Mary Shelley's Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Granddaughter Lucky 12 Hour Shift Reading Glasses Podcast    

Warren Bernard is the executive director for the Small Press Expo (SPX). We talk comics, collecting, the SPX lottery process, and how they're taking the show online for 2020. Don't miss the action this year with the panels & Ignatz awards streaming all weekend. Follow SPX on Twitter (@SPXcomics) & Instagram (@SPXcomics).    SHOW NOTES: Small Press Expo Website 2020 Small Press Panels Cartoonist Kayfabe interviews with Warren Discussion of Master Race by Krigstein  Warren breaking a Golden Age/WW2 Marvel out of its plastic coffin  Jack Kirby's only work in the pulps  The Spirit by seeing what it looks like tabloid size the underground cartoonists tabloid work Chris Ware's work in New City get the Kayfabe treatment.

Michael Lewis is an American photographer. His subjects range from celebrities to business moguls to captivating self portraits and more. If you can think of the person, he's probably captured their image. I discovered Michael's work on Instagram and got lost in the endless world of images on his site. His work invites you to explore new worlds and look deeper at existing spaces. In this interview we talk about his self portrait process, photographing artists from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Key & Peele, and growing as an artist.  You can follow Michael on Instagram @ml_picture. Show Notes:  Website Things Series Self-Portraits Tales Series

Eliaz Rodriguez is an award winning screenwriter, director, and editor. I recently caught his short film "Compartmentalization Storage Facility" at the online Chattanooga Film Festival and fell in love with his vision, humor, and take on humanity. In this interview, we chat about the online festival experience from a creator's perspective, his strategy for short films, and working on a budget. You can discover his vast array of films on his website & YouTube. SHOW NOTES: Website IMDB YouTube Instagram

Brett Story is the documentarian behind The Hottest August. Her film explores climate change through unfiltered interviews with New Yorkers during the hot August heat of 2017. The film toured film festivals and aired on PBS. You can check it out now through Grasshopper Film.   Show Notes:  The Hottest August The Prison in Twelve Landscapes Alamo Drafthouse Winchester Gates of Heaven

Mary Kay McBrayer is a writer, podcaster, and horror enthusiast. Her new book America's First Female Serial Killer: Jane Toppan and the Making of a Monster hits stores everywhere tomorrow (May 19, 2020). Mary Kay's telling of Jane Toppan's life goes deeper than dissecting a murderer, it also explores the conservative Victorian culture that may have created this monster. My chat with Mary Kay was a fascinating dive into history, horror, and feminism. You can follow Mary Kay  on Twitter(@mkmcbrayer), Instagram (@marykaymcbrayer), and explore her take on hot new releases and horror on Book Riot.   Show Notes:  America's First Female Serial Killer: Jane Toppan and the Making of a Monster Mango Publishing 10 Compelling Books About Villains  Book Riot    

Stephanie Crawford is a freelance writer and podcaster based in Las Vegas. She loves all things physical media, John Waters, and horror. In this episode, we chat about her latest piece in Fangoria, blu-ray extras, and living with lupus. Follow Stephanie on Twitter @scrawfish.    Show Notes:  Website Just the Discs Podcast Fangoria Contributors' Crypt The Screamcast 

David Allen is the creator behind Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress Free Productivity. He is the go-to-guy for all modern productivity methodologies. His work is life changing, and I wanted to share that experience with you guys. As a creative, I often get distracted and GTD helped get through major projects like writing a graphic novel and currently every day tasks that are really hard to do while we are all in quarantine. Check out our convo and get inspired. You can follow David on Twitter @gtdguy.    Show Notes GTD twitter Website Instagram Getting Things Done Book Making It All Work The Workbook London Real Interview

Alex Pardee is an artist, writer, and designer from California. His work is dark, twisted, and beautifully bright. In this episode, we talk about Brightmares, pitching TV shows, and growing from past experiences. You can follow Alex on Twitter @alexpardee & Instagram @alexpardee.    Show Notes Website Twitch Brightmares Shop Bunny With  

Cory Kilduff is a musician based in Dallas, TX. I first came across his work when Burning Witches Records released his album When It All Gets To Be Too Much. After meeting Cory in person at Fantastic Fest this past year, I immediately wanted to know more about his creative journey into art and music. In this episode, we discuss his approach to writing new music, his LV426 rescore of Alien and its premiere at the Alamo Drafthouse, and what success really means.  You can follow Cory on Instagram (@the_neverending_cory), Spotify, and Twitter (@corykilduff).    Show Notes:  Cory on Spotify Instagram Twitter Alien Rescore (LV426) When It All Gets To Be Too Much

Glenn McQuaid is a writer, director, producer, and musician. He is the co-creator of the popular horror audio play & anthology series Tales from Beyond the Pale. He's also the writer and director of the film I Sell the Dead, starring Ron Perlman and Dominic Monaghan. I discovered Glenn through his music created under the name Witchboard. Glenn is incredibly talented. In this episode, we talk about working in different mediums, creating stories with Larry Fessenden, the music that inspires him, and using sound to tell scary tales. You can follow Glenn on twitter (@MrGlennMcQuaid) & instagram (@glenn_mcquaid).    Show Notes:  Tales from Beyond the Pale Witchboard It's Been Emotional I Sell the Dead Glass Eye Pix Interview DFN Interview with Glenn Glenn's interview on Little Punk People