Arie Kaplan, SPEED RACER and MAD MAGAZINE writer: Mr. Media Audio Interview

What red-blooded man’s heart doesn’t start racing at the “Speed Racer” theme?

My guest today is part of the revival of the immortal Speed Racer. He is IDW comic book writer Arie Kaplan, and with the release of the Wachowski Brothers’ big screen, live action adaptation of the Japanese anime classic, I thought it would be fun to talk a little Speed today.

We’ll also touch on some of Arie’s other work. He is a regular contributor to MAD magazine, for example, and also wrote the non-fiction book, Masters of the Comic Book Universe Revealed! This fall, his second book, From Krakow to Krypton, will be published.
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Look Who's Coming to Mr. Media This Week!

April 2
1 p.m.

James Sheehan, THE LAW OF SECOND CHANCES, novelist and lawyer: Mr. Media Interview

1 Hour
James Sheehan was born and raised in New York City and grew up in a four-room railroad apartment with his five brothers and sisters. He started working at the age of 12, shining shoes at a local shoe repair shop. At 14, he had a newspaper route. He is currently a trial attorney in Tampa, where he's practiced law for many years. His experience of growing up in New York has shaped his life. His first novel was THE MAYOR OF LEXINGTON AVENUE; both books follow the adventures of attorney Jack Tobin.

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April 3
1:30 p.m.

Bill Prady, THE BIG BANG THEORY, writer and executive producer: Mr. Media Interview

1 Hour
Bill Prady is a writer and executive producer of this year's break out sitcom hit, THE BIG BANG THEORY. But you've also seen his work on GILMORE GIRLS, DHARMA & GREG, TWO AND A HALF MEN, and DREAM ON. www.cbs.com/primetime/big_bang_theory/

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April 4
3 p.m.

Robert Schimmel Returns! CANCER ON $5 A DAY, author and comedian: Mr. Media Interview

1 Hour 30 Minutes
Comedian Robert Schimmel makes his second visit to Mr. Media to talk about his new book, standup life, and take your phone calls! www.robertschimmel.com

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April 7
1 p.m.

Jon Provost and Laurie Jacobson Provost, TIMMY'S IN THE WELL, Lassie star and co-authors: Mr. Media Interview

1 Hour
TIMMY'S IN THE WELL is the story of Jon Provost, television's first child superstar, and the low-down on LASSIE, one of television's most enduring shows. It is filled with celebrity anecdotes, rare photos, and memorabilia. Since his original seven-year run on the show, Provost has become a household name in 125 countries. His episodes continue to air in more than 50 countries, the checked shirt and jeans he wore as Timmy hang in the Smithsonian, & he has his own star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

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April 9
1 p.m.

Arie Kaplan, SPEED RACER comic book writer: Mr. Media Interview

1 Hour
Arie Kaplan is a MAD Magazine writer, comedy writer, animation writer, screenwriter, lecturer, pop culture expert, playwright, cartoonist, stand-up comic, member of the Friars Club, and he is writing the new Speed Racer comic book mini-series for IDW Publishing. www.ariekaplan.com

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April 16
1 p.m.

Bill Adair, POLITIFACT.com editor and writer: Mr. Media Interview

1 Hour

PolitiFact is a project of the St. Petersburg Times and Congressional Quarterly to help you find the truth in the presidential campaign. Every day, reporters and researchers analyze the candidates' speeches, TV ads and interviews and determine whether the claims are accurate. Bill Adair is the Washington Bureau Chief for the St. Petersburg Times. He's worked in Washington since 1997 and is the author of "The Mystery of Flight 427: Inside a Crash Investigation" www.politifact.com

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April 24
1 p.m.

Daniel Pink, THE ADVENTURES OF JOHNNY BUNKO, FREE AGENT NATION, author: Mr. Media Interview

1 Hour
Daniel H. Pink is the New York Times bestselling author of A WHOLE NEW MIND and FREE AGENT NATION. He lectures to corporations, associations, and universities around the world on economic transformation and the changing world of work. In 2007, he won a Japan Society Media Fellowship that took him to Tokyo to study the manga industry. The Adventures of Johnny Bunko is America’s first business book in the Japanese comic format known as manga – and the last career guide you’ll ever need. www.danpink.com

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April DATE TBA
1 p.m.

Bob Delaney and Dave Scheiber, COVERT: MY YEARS INFILTRATING THE MOB, authors: Mr. Media Interview

1 Hour
COVERT:MY YEARS INFILTRATING THE MOB by NBA Referee Bob Delaney (with Dave Scheiber) is the must-read true crime book of 2008! Covert is the never-before-told story of how in 1975, after less than two years as a NJ State Trooper, Bob Delaney left the life he knew behind and started a new one as Bobby Covert, president of Alamo Trucking, and principal undercover agent in what would become the landmark mob-busting investigation, Project-Alpha.