Greg Rucka and I are back to discuss all sorts of fun things in this episode. We answer listener questions ranging from music to writing villains! I’m grateful to Greg for his generosity with his time and for having these wonderful conversations with me each week. Thanks to all of you who have been encouraging and sending positive feedback. Keep your questions coming! Our next book club choice is Greg’s very own Atticus Kodiak novels . We are reading Critical Space , Patriot Acts , and The Walki...
Aug 28, 2020•55 min
In this episode, Derek shares his five-point plan for how he would defund the police and bridge the gap between community and law enforcement. Derek Johnson is a retired police lieutenant that has extensive training and certifications involving Lethal Force Investigations. Derek has served as a marine and held many law enforcement positions. In a previous episode , Derek recently had a discussion with me about the systemic racism in police departments and his thoughts on the murder of George Flo...
Aug 25, 2020•1 hr 14 min
It’s the Mimi & Greg Show! I am so grateful for Greg Rucka’s friendship! Greg has been a weekly guest on my show since the pandemic began and it has truly been a privilege. Our conversations range from comics to politics and we never run out of things to talk about! In this episode, we discuss the Biden/Harris ticket and our hopes for the future. Voting in the 2020 election is essential, so we encourage everyone to get out there and make a difference! Our next book club choice is Greg’s very...
Aug 21, 2020•56 min
Gina Prince-Bythewood is the award-winning director of wonderful films like: The Old Guard , Love and Basketball , and Beyond the Lights . Gina shares insights on her career and why she advocates for seeing more diversity and women in the filmmaking process. We also chat about her journey as an athlete, mixed tapes, and her favorite shows to binge watch. Gina is currently working on a historical epic film called The Woman King, starring Viola Davis . The Old Guard, directed by Gina Prince-Bythew...
Aug 18, 2020•57 min•Ep. 180
Greg Rucka and I are back! We jump right into discussing the world on fire and the need for us to take care of one another and ourselves! Part of our self-care routine includes discussing Circe, by Madeline Miller . I was thrilled to discuss this novel with Greg and enjoyed his insights as a writer and one who has lot more mythology knowledge than I do. Circe is a great read and we highly recommend it! Our next book club choice is Greg’s very own Atticus Kodiak novels. We are reading Critical Sp...
Aug 14, 2020•1 hr 6 min
I had the honor of interviewing the legendary Stan Sakai last year, and Stan generously agreed to another conversation on Culture Chat! Stan is the creator of Usagi Yojimbo , one of my favorite comic book characters. If you love samurai stories, feudal japan, or ninjas – this comic is for you. Stan recently won 2 new Eisner awards and was inducted into the Hall of Fame at this year’s San Diego Comic Con . Team Usagi is also excited to announce a new Netflix series coming soon to a tv near you. I...
Aug 11, 2020•51 min•Ep. 178
In this episode, I welcome back my friend and SFG Chief Brett Jones . Brett teaches Functional Movement Systems (FMS) , and kettlebells as the Director of Education for StrongFirst . I have been anxious to check in on Brett because right before the pandemic began, he was diagnosed with cancer. Brett was kind enough to share his experience and story with me on what it has been like to battle cancer during the covid19 pandemic . I’m amazed by Brett’s physical and mental strength and I always learn...
Aug 04, 2020•59 min•Ep. 177
Portland Protests: Portland is under attack. Not from protesters, but from the federal agents that have infiltrated the city. Greg Rucka discusses the issues surrounding and leading up to what he feels is the invasion of the city. He also shares his views on the presidency and the current state of politics. As many of you know, Greg gets very passionate about his beliefs. I am grateful for the opportunity to share and vent through these conversations, but am also reminded that it is a time to ta...
Jul 31, 2020•58 min
Sheriff John Mina of Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Orlando, Florida is up for reelection on August 18, 2020. He was kind enough to answer my questions about defunding the police, protests, and his plans for Orange County if he gets reelected. I appreciate that Sheriff Mina took time out of his schedule to have a candid discussion with me, and hope you listen with an open mind. I’m loving these conversations and hope you are too. If you are, please rate my podcast on your platform of choice! ...
Jul 28, 2020•31 min
Hi Everyone – In this episode, Greg Rucka and I answer listener questions. We cover everything from Lazarus , Lady Sabre, Sascha Bordeaux and why Greg is so outspoken about politics . As always I am grateful to Greg for these candid and thought provoking conversations. Thank you so much to everyone who submitted amazing questions! Please keep them coming. If we didn’t get to your question today, we will try to in the future! For those that don’t already know: Greg Rucka is a New York Times bests...
Jul 24, 2020•1 hr 5 min
Coach Oscar Agramonte of Control Your Health discusses how inequality is a public health issue. From Examine.com: COVID-19 and the death of George Floyd have called more attention to issues of inequality based on race, gender, income, and other factors. [1] Although inequality in public health is a serious concern worldwide, this mostly references US data, for two reasons. First, there’s more US data available. Second, this article wouldn’t exist if longstanding inequality issues hadn’t suddenly...
Jul 21, 2020•47 min
In this episode, Greg Rucka and I discuss book to film adaptations. It was fascinating to learn why certain elements in a book don’t make it on the screen from a screenwriter’s perspective. Greg dissects the ins and outs of certain film adaptations and how translating a book can be very tricky. We talk about some of our favorites and discuss some listener suggestions. We discuss fun characters and books like: Batman, Pride and Prejudice , The Lord of the Rings, Sin City , and The Princess Bride ...
Jul 17, 2020•1 hr 2 min
Breaking down the blue wall of silence: Derek Johnson is a retired police lieutenant that has extensive training and certifications involving Lethal Force Investigations. Derek has served as a marine and held many law enforcement positions including: Community Resource Officer, Violent Crimes Detective, Supervisor in the Narcotics Division, Federal Drug Task Force Patrol Division, and Detective Sergeant of Internal Affairs . There has been a lot of opinions on the murder of George Floyd and the ...
Jul 14, 2020•2 hr 5 min
SPOILER ALERT – You might want to watch The Old Guard movie on Netflix before listening today. You can also read my film review to get hyped up for viewing – which is linked here . Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernández ‘s The Old Guard comic has been adapted to film that is available for viewing on Netflix. As the writer of both the comic and screenplay, Greg brings insights on movie and the decisions behind some of the deviations from the comic. For fans of the comic, have no fear, the characters an...
Jul 10, 2020•52 min
Marc Singer is best known for his role as The Beastmaster and Mike Donovan from the TV Series V. Marc is a kung fu family cousin that I was happy to reconnect with last year at San Diego Comic Con. Beyond his amazing work ethic, Marc is incredibly kind and was a delight to talk to. I have a conversation with him about his kung fu training, his love for Shakespeare and how they relate to one another. If you enjoy these conversations as much as I do, please RATE and SHARE this podcast with others!...
Jul 07, 2020•39 min•Ep. 160
It’s been another rough week for various reasons. We are all still living in fear of covid19, racial tensions continue to rise, and we are all feeling the stresses of life. In this episode Greg and I discuss the recent wave of sexual misconduct accusations revealing a deeper-rooted problem in the comics industry. Victims have been sharing their #metoo experiences, outing everyone from big names like Warren Ellis to top executives at Dark Horse Comics. I believe survivors . As many of you know I ...
Jul 03, 2020•59 min
David F. Walker is an award-winning comic book writer, author, filmmaker, journalist, and educator. In this episode, we discuss the changes that have occurred due to the pandemic and how that has affected his work. We also address all the racial tensions going on in the world right now and the frustrations for the lack of change. We also delve into the #metoo issues in the comic book industry from women that have spoken out about being victimized. Yes, the conversation gets a bit intense! I lear...
Jun 30, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 168
In this episode, Greg and I discuss a myriad of topics. We are celebrating our 10th week in a row of podcasts, and I am both thrilled and grateful to be on this journey with him. We celebrate the huge wins from Supreme Court’s decisions to allow DACA to remain and the LGBTQ workers’ protection from discrimination. Given the state of the world right now, we are celebrating. I love hearing Greg talk about his writing process. He shares his method for writing action sequences as well as using anger...
Jun 25, 2020•54 min
Nick Winkelman is the head of athletic performance & science for the Irish Rugby Football Union. As a performance coach, Nick has worked with many athletes across the NFL, MLB, NBA, National Sports Organizations, and Military. As a teacher, I enjoyed discussing his new book, The Language of Coaching . You don’t have to be a coach to benefit from learning how to communicate more effectively. We also chat about Irish pubs, his current reads, and his experiences in the industry. I am loving the...
Jun 23, 2020•57 min•Ep. 166
Is anyone else having a rough week? Well, Greg Rucka and I are too. As the world continues to battle covid19 and racism – not in any particular order – it leaves so many people feeling deflated and helpless. You are not alone. It sounds cliché, but where there is darkness…there must be light. I am certain there is an actual quote out there somewhere! Although we are in the battle of inches, Greg points out that as slow as is, it is still being made. Greg and I discuss the difficulties of navigat...
Jun 19, 2020•1 hr 1 min
Derek Johnson is a retired police lieutenant that has extensive training and certifications involving Lethal Force Investigations. Derek has served as a marine and held many law enforcement positions including: Community Resource Officer, Violent Crimes Detective, Supervisor in the Narcotics Division, Federal Drug Task Force Patrol Division, and Detective Sergeant of Internal Affairs . There has been a lot of opinions on the murder of George Floyd and the protests occurring as a result. The disc...
Jun 15, 2020•2 hr 5 min•Ep. 164
Greg Rucka and I are back discussing everything from the protests around the nation to the world of his comic Lazarus. Not surprisingly, there are a lot of parallels between the comic and the problems we are experiencing in the world today. We also discuss his writing for different mediums and naming characters. I’m always fascinated to learn from a master writer like Greg and grateful he has been having weekly conversations with me. For those that don’t already know: Greg Rucka is a New York Ti...
Jun 12, 2020•1 hr 3 min
Recorded May 22, 2020 – Gail Simone is not only a brilliant writer, but she is kind, generous, and inspiring. I had the honor of talking to her today about her work, inspirations, bears (not imaginary ones), and her advocacy for women. At the end of the interview, Gail interviews me about my work on Mulan ! She also shares her love for the character and why the film is so meaningful to her. I learned so much from this conversation, and am an even bigger fan of Gail Simone now than I was before (...
Jun 09, 2020•1 hr 8 min
Hi Everyone! Greg and I ditched the comforting conversation of last week and moved back into the darkness. This was recorded during the week of the protests that resulted from the brutal murder of George Floyd. I am frustrated by the senseless killings and saddened that we are still so divisive as a country and that racism is still so prevalent in this country. I’d like to remind listeners that Greg and I share our strong opinions on this show – so if you don’t want to hear that part of the disc...
Jun 05, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 161
I’ve been saddened by the events surrounding the murder of George Floyd. I have had past episodes on this podcast on law enforcement and black lives matter . I’ve also had discussions with law enforcement leaders on how we can bridge the gap between community and law enforcement . Oscar and I sit down today to reflect upon the protests happening around the world due to the murder of George Floyd by a police officer. I asked him to share a little about his upbringing to give us a look at what his...
Jun 02, 2020•57 min•Ep. 160
My week would be incomplete without a conversation with the one and only Greg Rucka . I’d like to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude to Greg for sharing this journey with me during such a tumultuous time. It has been the bright spot in some rather tough weeks. Thanks to all of you for listening and being a part of the conversation. We have had some great listener questions. Please keep them coming! Today Greg and I talk about what brings us comfort during these times, how the characte...
May 29, 2020•57 min
Dan John is a strength coach and mentor to many in the fitness world. I am so fortunate that he we have been on a journey together exploring the philosophies of The Sword in the Stone. Although this book was written in 1938, the lessons I’ve taken away from the book are equally important today. Today we discuss everything from the effects of covid19 on America to the lessons of mortality and honoring our ancestors. Regardless if you have read the novel or not, the discussions that Dan and I have...
May 26, 2020•1 hr 2 min
My week would be incomplete without my weekly chat with Greg Rucka . I’ve been having these conversations with Greg since April 1st during the covid19 pandemic . We’ve discussed everything from current events to comic book characters. (Greg knows a thing or two about both) Today we dive into listener questions! Thanks to our listeners who submitted questions – please keep them coming. Greg and I talk about writing for mature audiences verses younger audiences, and how this has shaped the industr...
May 22, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 157
Mike Mignola has raised almost $100,000* for Chef Jose Andres ’ World Central Kitchen , an organization that is providing meals to communities in need across America. What started out as fun sketches to keep busy, quickly turned into an online auction. He has been sketching everything from Sponge Bob SquarePants to plant headed monsters. I am so fortunate that Mike agreed to have a conversation with me about his art, writing, and creative process. Mike discusses how covid19 has affected his work...
May 19, 2020•1 hr 8 min
It’s my weekly chat with Greg Rucka, and this week we are adding Matt Fraction to the mix. I enjoyed listening to stories on how they met and their thoughts on each other’s work. We are all home during the quarantine, but we are in this together. It’s been nice to have these conversations and I hope you enjoy them too. For those that don’t already know: Greg Rucka and Matt Fraction are both New York Times bestselling authors and Eisner winning comic creators. I’m pretty lucky I get to chat with ...
May 15, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 155
