The Writers Block - with Ron Knight

Film Historian, writer, comic actor, and author of "For the Love of Laughter, and the fortchcoming book "Comedy Crazy", Nick Santa Maria drops in once again to talk with Ron about the older black comedians in the film industry, Hollywood's perpetuation of the portrayed sterotypical roles, and yet as the only game in town, the rich, rewarding legacy to comedy and the legends of mass popular comedy film culture. The film fact, is that Black Comics Matter, and always will. From Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry, better known by the stage name Stepin Fetchit, to the major box office legacy of Mantan Moreland and more ~ the celebration of Comedy in Black Heritage Cinema is worthy any month, time and all year round.

Though many music fans will be glad to see the end of 2020, the ongoing breakout years for career artist Colin Hay, veritable song writer of the 80's hit machine Men at Work, still carries on. Colin chats with Ron from a time not so long ago. “When you’re in your 20s, you think you’ve got all the time in the world,” Hay has said. “You get older, and you go through a quickening. Everything seems to get faster.” This podcast from some time back, feels like just the other day. With favorite Men at Work songs, 40 years on, you don’t even have to leave your house, which at the moment, is definitely still a good idea.

Being as it's Chinese New Year, what better than a talk with master storyteller Teng Wenji, tracing the fascinating, real-life saga of one of China’s most revered composers. Join us in a talk about his film, Rhapsody of Spring, a look into China’s intellectual and artistic coming of age during the Cultural Revolution (1966-76). As a young composer, Zhao Liming (Shao Bing) struggles with a constellation of opposing forces: personal ambitions vs. communal obligation, romantic love vs. loyal friendship, modern music vs. traditional.

Join host Ron Knight with animation historian and cartoon producer Jerry Beck. With over fifteen books on the subject of cartoon classics, as well as editor and writer for two popular animation blogs, Cartoon Research and Animation Scoop; what defines the choices and picks for which cartoon franchise films become the benchmark of greatness? In a world of rascally rabbits, megalomaniacal ducks, and stuttering pigs, Jerry touches on how the topic of next greats come to compilation, for encyclopedic biblical "authority" as posed to thousands of cartoon fans, historians, and animators. While Jerry and his fellow animation experts know the amusing anecdotes and secret origins behind many of the classics, is your favorite one of the greatest?

Who really created the Wall of Sound? Now that Phil Spector has passed, can the truth be told? Who created the sound of rock, the soul of Motown? What was Berry Gordy's secret? Composer, producer, songwriter, educator and BBC broadcaster, Dr. Richard Niles has worked with stars such as Paul McCartney, Ray Charles, Tina Turner, Cher, Pet Shop Boys, Kylie Minogue and James Brown. Join us on a spin through Pop Music History, as Richard discusses the real life history of "The Invisible Artist" behind the artists, how artists are different from Paul McCartney to Cat Stevens and more... as one of his many books "The Invisible Artist" takes a look at the people behind the hits.