Letting Them Talk with Will Harris

Letting Them Talk with Will Harris - Ep. 07 - Mike Carlin (Marvel Comics / DC Comics)

This week, I'm letting Mike Carlin talk. 
You may recognize Mike's name if you’re a comic book fan, since not only has he written and edited for both Marvel and DC Comics, but he’s even been a comic book character on occasion, famously hiring one particular superhero as an artist with Marvel Comics…while in his secret identity, of course.
The funny thing about this interview, however, is that it didn’t come about because of comics. It came about because Mike and I are Facebook friends, and it caught my eye when he offered up an R.I.P. post for Gilson Lavis, the drummer for Squeeze, and said that he’d seen Gilson live more than any other drummer. I immediately thought, “Okay, here’s a conversation I want to have: Mike Carlin on Squeeze.”
And we did indeed talk about Squeeze. We also talked about some of his other favorite music, and we talked a whole lot about his favorite comedy, including how he was such an SNL nerd that he spend a good chunk of the show’s first five seasons standing in the stand-by line in order to attend tapings of the show. As a result, he saw a few of the most iconic musical performances in the history of the show…but I’ll let him tell you about those.
But, of course, we also talked about comics, and how Mike’s sense of humor influenced his writing. Perhaps most impressive is the fact that over the course of his career he’s managed to write for the humor magazine trifecta: Crazy, Cracked, and Mad Magazine. He’s also worked with some of the most legendary artists of all time – perhaps you’re familiar with a gentleman by the name of Steve Ditko? – and he was even part of a cable access sketch comedy show with a couple of other guys from Marvel Comics, including the late, great Mark Gruenwald. Oh, and if you remember the Superboy TV series that was in syndication in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s… Well, I think Mike would be surprised, but even if you didn’t, he’s got some great stories about working on that, too.
Okay, that’s enough of an intro. It’s time to let Mike talk.

Letting Them Talk with Will Harris - Ep. 6 - Vincent Martella (Everybody Hates Chris / Phineas & Ferb / The Walking Dead)

This week, I'm letting Vincent Martella talk.
I’ve been a fan of Vincent’s work since he was a series regular on the UPN – later CW – sitcom Everybody Hates Chris, where he played Chris’s very white friend, Greg. It’s one of those sitcoms that not enough people watched when it was originally on the air, but its fanbase has continued to grow over the years as a result of the show’s streaming presence. In fact, it even spawned an animated sequel last year called – what else? – Everybody Still Hates Chris.
The original run of Everybody Hates Chris was from 2005 to 2009, but before it had even come to a conclusion, Vincent had already begun work on a new series, one that continues to keep him gainfully employed even now: Phineas and Ferb. Yes, that’s right: he’s the voice of Phineas. Mind you, just because he’s pulling a steady paycheck from voice acting doesn’t mean that he doesn’t still find himself in front of the camera on occasion as well, as fans of The Walking Dead well know. But having said that, as of this recording, Phineas and Ferb is still going strong, possibly even stronger than ever.
During the course of our conversation, we talk about all of these projects in great detail, as well as a few others from throughout his filmography. We also talk about how he found his way into acting in the first place, and I even found an excuse to ask him about the time he was nominated for a Teen Choice Award, and…let’s just say that, in retrospect, he still can’t believe who won the award over him that year.
But that’s enough of an intro. It’s time to let Vincent Martella talk.

Letting Them Talk with Will Harris - Ep. 5 - Murray Attaway (Guadalcanal Diary)

This week, I'm letting Murray Attaway talk.
I first became a fan of Murray’s work when he was fronting the Georgia-based band Guadalcanal Diary, who – along with Rhett Crowe, John Poe, and the late, great Jeff Walls – brought us such classic college rock tracks as “Watusi Rodeo,” “Trail of Tears,” “Spirit Train,” “Cattle Prod,” “Litany (Life Goes On),” “Get Over It,” “Always Saturday,” and “Pretty Is as Pretty Does.” After releasing their fourth studio album, 1989’s Flip Flop, the band made a collective decision to go their separate ways, but Murray soldiered onward, signing a solo deal with Geffen Records and releasing his solo debut, 1993’s In Thrall. I, for one, loved it, but let’s just say that it didn’t exactly go platinum, and it was pretty soon thereafter that Murray and Geffen parted ways.
Since then, Murray certainly hasn’t been completely absent from the world of music – for one thing, Guadalcanal Diary reunited for a performance in the late ‘90s that resulted in a live album entitled At Your Birthday Party – but those who were waiting for him to release anything new under his own name were left wanting…until this year, that is, when he finally released a sophomore solo LP entitled Tense Music Plays.
Naturally, you'll want to head over to Murray's website and order yourself a copy of Tense Music Plays. But that's after you listen this episode, of course...

Letting Them Talk with Will Harris - Ep. 4 - Kevin M. Kruse

This week, I'm letting Kevin M. Kruse talk. 
Also this week: the debut of what I hope will be a recurring episode premise called “Political Pundits on Pop Culture.” Then again, maybe it’ll be a one-off. But given how much fun I had talking to Kevin, I certainly hope it isn’t.
Kevin is a history professor at Princeton, a respected author, and one of my favorite follows on Bluesky, but as it turns out, we also have more than a few similar pop culture touchstones, from SNL and Police Squad! to Edgar Wright and R.E.M. In the long run, it’s basically a conversation between two guys who are geeking out on their pop culture faves, but – spoiler alert – this is not the first time a podcast has descended into such a conversation, and it damned well won’t be the last.
Listen, enjoy, and if you haven't already, please subscribe! 

Letting Them Talk with Will Harris - Ep. 3 - Paget Brewster (Criminal Minds)

This week, I'm letting Paget Brewster talk.
I have a long and thoroughly non-sordid history of interviewing Paget for various outlets. It started with her Random Roles for the AV Club, continued with an interview for Decider, and I know I’ve interviewed her twice for That Thing They Did, and…I think this is therefore our fifth time talking, maybe? Unless you count the time when I met up with her at a CBS party during the 2016 summer Television Critics Association press tour, but if I did an interview with her there, I don’t think it was a full interview, and if any portion of it ran anywhere, I can’t produce it.
Anyway, my point is that we've talked about a lot of stuff over the years, and this time we talked about a lot of stuff, too, including - but not limited to - Criminal Minds, Friends, Two and a Half Men, Grandfathered, Drunk History, DuckTales, and The Thrilling Adventure Hour. We also talked about some of her failed pilots, including the inevitable Ghost Cop. (He’s a ghost, she’s a cop… You get it. But I still have to recite the line anyway.) Oh, and we also talked about the time she created botulism for a comedy sketch.
Yeah, we really covered the gamut. You'll love it. She's delightful.

Letting Them Talk with Will Harris - Ep. 2 - Mitch Easter (Let's Active)

This week, I'm letting Mitch Easter talk. He's a producer (R.E.M., the Connells, Suzanne Vega, Marshall Crenshaw), and he's also a singer, musician, and songwriter in his own right, though you likely know him best on that front from the years he spent in the band Let's Active. He's made a lot of music over the years, and as a result, he's got a lot of stories to tell. Also, when it comes to Smash Mouth's cover of "Every Word Means No," he has...thoughts. But you'll have to listen to find out what they are.

Letting Them Talk with Will Harris - Ep. 1 - Robbie Rist

This week, I'm letting Robbie Rist talk. For my first guest, I wanted someone I actually know but who I've never interviewed before, and although I've interviewed Robbie once many years ago, it wasn't a full look back at his career, so this seemed like a good time to do that. We discuss Big John, Little John, Battlestar Galactica, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Kidd Video, and much more, including his music career. Fair warning, though: we barely touch on his time on The Brady Bunch at all.