Talking Bay 94: Star Wars Interviews

Today is a very special roundtable interview with the cast and crew of LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy - Pieces of the Past, now streaming on Disney+ First up, we have Gaten Matarazzo, also known as Dustin from Stranger Things, and Tony Revolori, from Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel, the most recent Spider-man movies, and the Willow TV show. Just incredible talents, and a really fun interview.   Then we have Pieces of the Past's writers and showrunners, Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit. The audio quality is a little distorted, but it's still a really great chat. (They're working on the new Spaceballs sequel right now, hence my question.) Thank you again to Gaten, Tony, Dan, and Benji for their time, as well as my fellow roundtable members, including Father. Son. Galaxy., Friends of the Force, Star Wars Explained, Geeky Waffle, Jedi News, and Art of Dad. And thank you to Disney PR for letting me be a part of it! These are always so much fun, and it's always great to bring these chats to my listeners. Thank you for listening! Star Wars Encyclopedia from DK Books is out and can be ordered now. And my newest book, The Star Wars Encyclopedia of Starfighters and Other Vehicles can be ordered now, as well, and is the perfect gift for the ten-year-old who loves spaceships in your life … or for yourself. If you're enjoying the show, please head to Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to these episodes and leave us a five-star rating and review! It means the world. Transcripts of previous episodes are available over at talkingbay94.com. For more behind-the-scenes stuff, as well as a link to some of our other in-depth interviews, check out: Website: www.TalkingBay94.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/TalkingBay94 Instagram: www.instagram.com/TalkingBay94

This is a very special sit-down interview with best-selling Star Wars author Charles Soule, going in-depth into the end of The High Republic and his latest novel, Trials of the Jedi ... all recorded live from his hotel lobby during Fan Expo Dallas last month. Charles and I first spoke back in 2023 at Star Wars Celebration London and a LOT has happened in the past two years. We try to cover as much as possible, but just a note: this episode WILL contain major spoilers about Trials, but I will have a moment in the episode where I call out the spoiler section, right before the 34 minute mark. I always walk away incredibly inspired by one of our chats. He was very generous with his time during a very busy weekend, and I am incredibly grateful for that. Trials of the Jedi, the grand finale of the fantastic High Republic Initiative is out now, and I cannot recommend highly enough. It is antastic Star Wars storytelling by Charles, and the rest of Project Luminous. To see what else Charles is working on, head to his website where there is SO much information and great stuff, including some killer store exclusives.   Star Wars Encyclopedia from DK Books is out and can be ordered now. My next book, The Star Wars Encyclopedia of Starfighters and Other Vehicles can be pre-ordered now, coming out this fall! If you're enjoying the show, please head to Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to these episodes and leave us a five-star rating and review! It means the world. Transcripts of previous episodes are available over at talkingbay94.com. For more behind-the-scenes stuff, as well as a link to some of our other in-depth interviews, check out: Website: www.TalkingBay94.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/TalkingBay94 Instagram: www.instagram.com/TalkingBay94

Today is maybe the most insane episode of Talking Bay 94 ever: a jam-packed, three parter featuring my in-person, roundtable interviews with the cast and crew of ANDOR … live from Lucasfilm headquarters in San Francisco. Hear from Tony Gilroy (Showrunner), Alan Tudyk (K-2SO), and Margit Pfeiffer (Supervising Sound Editor). Needless to say, this was potentially one of the greatest experiences of my life. I am joined in these conversational roundtables by Charlotte and Caitlin from Skytalkers and Brad and Sarah from Friends of the Force, as well as some key moderation by (former guest) Kristin Baver. I want to give a huge thank you to Lucasfilm for this incredible opportunity, especially to Lillian, Logan, Pete, Ian, and Kristin for making it all run as seamless as possible. Another thank you to my fellow Group 2 members for being collaborative and incredible partners. The other participants of the day (Blast Points, Star Wars Explained, Children of the Watch, and Triad of the Force) have their OWN group interviews with all three of these talented people, so go seek those out too. And, finally, thank you to all, the listeners of this show. I truly would not have these opportunities without your sharing and support and it really is incredibly humbling that you trust me as part of your Star Wars experience.   Star Wars Encyclopedia from DK Books is out and can be ordered now. My next book, The Star Wars Encyclopedia of Starfighters and Other Vehicles can be pre-ordered now, coming out this fall! Next week is my sit-down interview with Charles Soule (returning!), as we dive into the end of The High Republic. If you're enjoying the show, please head to Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to these episodes and leave us a five-star rating and review! It means the world. Transcripts of previous episodes are available over at talkingbay94.com. For more behind-the-scenes stuff, as well as a link to some of our other in-depth interviews, check out: Website: www.TalkingBay94.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/TalkingBay94 Instagram: www.instagram.com/TalkingBay94

Today is part two of my interview with my co-authors on the recent Star Wars Encyclopedia from DK. Today's episode is with Dan Zehr, Amy Ratcliffe (returning!), and Megan Crouse. I am so lucky that my first official Star Wars book involved working alongside these super talented and super kind people, and it is my honor to bring you their stories! Dan Zehr's Website: www.coffeewithkenobi.com Amy Ratcliffe's Website: www.amyratcliffe.com Let's Talk About Writing Non-Fiction IP Megan Crouse's Bluesky: www.bsky.app/profile/fullofwords.bsky.social Star Wars Encyclopedia from DK Books is out and can be ordered now. My next book, The Star Wars Encyclopedia of Starfighters and Other Vehicles can be pre-ordered now, coming out this fall! Next week is about to be one of the craziest experiences of my life, so be on the lookout starting Monday on my social media … and very soon on this feed! If you're enjoying the show, please head to Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to these episodes and leave us a five-star rating and review! It means the world. Transcripts of previous episodes are available over at talkingbay94.com. For more behind-the-scenes stuff, as well as a link to some of our other in-depth interviews, check out: Website: www.TalkingBay94.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/TalkingBay94 Instagram: www.instagram.com/TalkingBay94

This is part one of my interview with my fellow co-authors on the recent Star Wars Encyclopedia from DK.  Today's episode is with Amy Richau (returning from our Celebration Anaheim LIVE episode!), Kelly Knox and Dan Brooks, while next week will focus on the rest of the talented team! I am so lucky that my first official Star Wars book involved working alongside these super talented and super kind people, and it is my honor to bring you their stories! So, thank you so much to Amy, Kelly, and Dan for their time and advice, both for me over the past few years, and in this episode specifically. Amy Richau's Website: http://amy.richau.org/ Kelly Knox's Twitter: https://x.com/kelly_knox Dan Brooks' Twitter: https://x.com/dan_brooks Next week is my interview with the other half of this co-hort of fellow authors, so I hope you tune in then! Star Wars Encyclopedia from DK Books is out and can be ordered now. My next book, The Star Wars Encyclopedia of Starfighters and Other Vehicles can be pre-ordered now, coming out this fall! If you're enjoying the show, please head to Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to these episodes and leave us a five-star rating and review! It means the world. Transcripts of previous episodes are available over at talkingbay94.com. For more behind-the-scenes stuff, as well as a link to some of our other in-depth interviews, check out: Website: www.TalkingBay94.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/TalkingBay94 Instagram: www.instagram.com/TalkingBay94

Today is my interview with Marti Matulis, the creature performer and actor who portrayed Vane in The Mandalorian and Skeleton Crew, live from the hallways of Star Wars Celebration Japan 2025. Marti was so great to talk with and has so much passion and energy for both his profession and for the Star Wars galaxy. It was such a thrill to talk with him, and a highlight of my trip to Tokyo. I hope you enjoy this short conversation as much as I did! So, thank you so much to Marti for being so generous with his time during Celebration. I can't wait to see what he does next, and where the character of Vane goes from here! We definitely need the Black Series figure, starting the petition now. Next week begins our two-part episode, featuring the full author line-up of the recent Star Wars Encyclopedia. Star Wars Encyclopedia from DK Books is out and can be ordered now. My next book, The Star Wars Encyclopedia of Starfighters and Other Vehicles can be pre-ordered now, coming out this fall! If you're enjoying the show, please head to Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to these episodes and leave us a five-star rating and review! It means the world. Transcripts of previous episodes are available over at talkingbay94.com. For more behind-the-scenes stuff, as well as a link to some of our other in-depth interviews, check out: Website: www.TalkingBay94.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/TalkingBay94 Instagram: www.instagram.com/TalkingBay94

Today is my interview with the legendary ILM animation director Rob Coleman, live from Star Wars Celebration Japan 2025. This is the recording of the official TB94 panel on the Holonet News Stage, which occurred on Saturday morning of Celebration. Mr. Coleman has topped my list for potential interview subjects for years now, so this was a real dream come true. This being a live conversation, there are some audio issues, but I was genuinely moved to tears several times, and I hope you are equally inspired by Mr. Coleman's story. Thank you so much to Mr. Coleman for taking the time, and trusting me with his story. Thank you to Ian Kintzle and the PR team at Industrial Light & Magic for making this happen, and for the trust, as well. Thank you to my wife, Maggie Hunter Wainerdi, who was the producer for this episode and made it all happen, to Jason Kauzlarich for the last minute and incredible graphics. A special thank you to all who attended the live presentation, and who are immortalized in this episode as well. This was a real highlight for the podcast, and, again, a dream come true. Upcoming episodes include Marti Matulis, and the full author line-up of the recent Star Wars Encyclopedia. In other news, I co-wrote an official Star Wars book. I cannot believe it. Star Wars Encyclopedia from DK Books is out and can be ordered now. My next book, The Star Wars Encyclopedia of Starfighters and Other Vehicles can be pre-ordered now, coming out this fall! If you're enjoying the show, please head to Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to these episodes and leave us a five-star rating and review! It means the world. Transcripts of previous episodes are available over at talkingbay94.com. For more behind-the-scenes stuff, as well as a link to some of our other in-depth interviews, check out: Website: www.TalkingBay94.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/TalkingBay94 Instagram: www.instagram.com/TalkingBay94

Today is an interview with the incredibly talented model maker and visual effects artist, Fon Davis. My wife and I took Fon and his girlfriend out for some Texas BBQ (LeRoy and Lewis, please sponsor the show) while they were in Austin for South by Southwest ... and then we sat around with a beer or two and chatted all about Fon's time working on the Special Editions and the prequel trilogy while at Industrial Light & Magic. I hope you enjoy this conversation … it's really a blast, and Fon is such a wealth of knowledge and stories. I really appreciate Fon accepting the invite and hanging out with me on a Monday night. It was such a joy for me. For more information about Fonco Studios, head to their site, and follow Fon on his social media! In other news, Talking Bay 94 is headed to Japan! I will be hosting a live recording of this podcast on Saturday, April 19 at 10AM, with a special guest and special surprises. I hope to see you there! And in other other news … I co-wrote an official Star Wars book. I cannot believe it. Star Wars Encyclopedia from DK Books is out and can be ordered now. My next book, The Star Wars Encyclopedia of Starfighters and Other Vehicles can be pre-ordered now, coming out this fall! If you're enjoying the show, please head to Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to these episodes and leave us a five-star rating and review! It means the world. Transcripts of previous episodes are available over at talkingbay94.com. For more behind-the-scenes stuff, as well as a link to some of our other in-depth interviews, check out: Website: www.TalkingBay94.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/TalkingBay94 Instagram: www.instagram.com/TalkingBay94

It has now been reported that Canadian actor Angus MacInnes passed away just before Christmas. Known to Star Wars fans as Gold Leader ("Dutch Vander") in the original film, Mr. MacInnes was a world-class actor with parts in Eyes Wide Shut, Rollerball, and so many other iconic films. I am re-publishing our live interview from 2019, which briefly showcases his warmth, passion, and love for acting. Take a listen. Rest in peace, Mr. MacInness.

Today is an interview with extremely talented artist, Naboo citizen and Resistance soldier, Nathan Hamill. This is such a fun conversation about art and inspiration, as well as, of course, Star Wars cameos. We are then joined by Nathan's co-author Eric Filipkowski to talk about their new book collecting their comic strip, 2 Dumb Dinos. A fun interview right in time for the holidays, come hang out. Thank you so much again to Nathan, as well as Eric, for coming on and talking shop with me. 2 Dumb Dinos, the book, is available now from Titan and 2 Dumb Dinos, the comic strip, is available online. Purchase your copy of Two Dumb Dinos here, right in time for the holidays. In other news … I co-wrote an official Star Wars book. I cannot believe it. Star Wars Encyclopedia from DK Books is out and can be ordered now. If you're enjoying the show, please head to Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to these episodes and leave us a five-star rating and review! It means the world. Transcripts of previous episodes are available over at talkingbay94.com. For more behind-the-scenes stuff, as well as a link to some of our other in-depth interviews, check out: Website: www.TalkingBay94.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/TalkingBay94 Instagram: www.instagram.com/TalkingBay94