GBBP 57: Amy Ratcliffe

This week, it’s a good ol’ fashioned geekout on the show as we welcome Amy Ratcliffe to the table. We discuss favorite (and not-so-favorite) conventions, geek icons, our feelings about the terms fanboy and fangirl, and making a living as a writer of stuff. We also spend much of the time geeking out about ‘Star Wars.’

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GBBP 56: Tomm Moore

This week, we welcome two-time Academy Award nominee Tomm Moore to the show. That’s right, we’re classin’ up the joint. Tomm’s two films were both nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Those films were the astonishingly beautiful ‘The Secret of Kells’ and ‘Song of the Sea.’

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GBBP 55: Brian Froud

On this week’s show, we chat with Brian Froud about his career, working with Jim Henson, the long-rumored sequels to ‘The Dark Crystal’ and ‘Labyrinth,’ and collaborating with his wife Wendy (who, among many other accomplishments, sculpted the original Yoda puppet used in ‘The Empire Strikes Back’).

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GBBP 45: Tricia Barr & Dan Wallace

Tricia Barr and Dan Wallace are no strangers to the ‘Star Wars’ universe. Both are huge fans and have made their mark on the saga in their own ways. Tricia started in the fanfiction community and has become a vocal advocate for fangirls everywhere, and Dan has previously written several ‘Star Wars’ books.

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GBBP 43: Andreas Deja

This week, we welcome another Disney Legend to the show. Andreas Deja was named a Legend at this year’s D23 Expo for his extensive and influential work as an animator. Named “one of the greatest animators of Disney’s modern era,” Deja had a heavy hand in many of its most famous characters.

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GBBP 42: Dave Dorman

This week, to celebrate the release of ‘Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens,’ we welcome a true artistic legend to the show. Dave Dorman’s cover art for ‘Dark Empire’ defined a new look for the saga at a time when the franchise was essentially dead in the water, and his unique artistic style more or less established a “house style” for ‘Star Wars’ comics and novels for over a decade.

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GBBP 39: Claudia Gray

This week, we welcome Claudia Gray, who wrote ‘Lost Stars,’ a YA novel set during the events of the original trilogy but which follows a pair of best friends who give a unique perspective to everything we think we know. Imagine ‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead’ set in the ‘Star Wars’ universe, and you’re close.

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GBBP 38: Atticus Shaffer

This week, we turn our attention to the Pride Lands, and Atticus Shaffer joins us to chat about the upcoming Disney Channel special ‘The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar.’ We also talk about voice acting versus on-screen acting, surviving Hollywood as a child actor, and how he manages to balance everything in life.

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GBBP 36: Bill Farmer

Gawrsh! This week, we sit down with Bill Farmer, the voice of Goofy himself! We cover some serious ground here, talking about his career from when he was a young kid learning tricks of the voiceover trade from the legendary Daws Butler through his initial audition for the role of Goofy in 1987 to living with Disney Legend status both on screen and in real life.

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GBBP 35: Wil Wheaton

This week, Wil Wheaton drops by the show! We discuss voiceover work in animation, how Wil’s kids have defined their own geekiness, how to live with and learn from your regrets in life, advice for parents thinking about getting their kids into show business, and whether we’ll ever be able to live in a post-bullying society.

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GBBP Unplugged 1: ‘Star Wars’ Merch and ‘Spy Vs. Spy’

Welcome to the first of what will be semi-regular “bonus” episodes of The Great Big Beautiful Podcast. We’re joined by fellow GeekDads Gerry Tolbert and Sean Hallenbeck, and we tackle the evergreen topic of Star Wars merchandise. The second half of this episode is an interview with the editor-in-chief of Mad Magazine, John Ficarra, and the current artist/author of the Spy Vs. Spy strip, Peter Kuper.

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