Exploring Humanity Through Sci-Fi

A journey back to Gotham’s golden age of animation with exclusive roundtable interviews from New York Comic Con 2018. Join host Tony as he sat down with the creative titans and voice legends behind Batman: The Animated Series, including:

• 🎨 Bruce Timm – visionary co-creator and guiding force

• 🛠️ Eric Radomski – series producer and stylistic architect

• 🎭 Diane Pershing – the voice of Poison Ivy

• 🦸 Loren Lester – Robin/Nightwing himself

• 🦇 Kevin Conroy – the definitive voice of Batman

• 🗣️ Tara Strong – Batgirl and voice acting powerhouse

Together, they reflect on the series’ legacy, its groundbreaking artistry, and the enduring emotional resonance that continues to captivate fans decades later.

Tony also dives into the show's unprecedented creative synergy—how writers, animators, and voice actors collaborated in ways rarely seen in television production. From the noir-inspired visuals to the emotionally rich scripts, Batman: The Animated Series redefined what animated storytelling could be.

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Host Tony Tellado chatted with the legendary science fiction author Ben Bova to discuss his novel Mars Life, part of his sweeping Grand Tour series. The conversation explores the ethical and scientific dilemmas of Martian exploration, the tension between religious fundamentalism and scientific inquiry, and Bova’s vision for humanity’s future among the stars.

Bova shares his thoughts on terraforming, the search for extraterrestrial life, and why Mars should remain pristine while we study its secrets. His insights are sharp, provocative, and deeply rooted in decades of science-informed storytelling.

🪐 Mars Life continues Bova’s speculative saga of solar system colonization, blending political realism with cosmic wonder.

📚 Ben Bova’s prolific 60-year career spanned more than 120 works of fiction and nonfiction. He served as editor of Analog Science Fiction and Fact, and his Grand Tour series remains a landmark in speculative literature. New York Times writer Gerald Jonas once described him as “the last of the great pulp writers”—a fitting tribute to a voice that bridged eras and genres.

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I go behind the icy curtain of The Wandering Earth, China’s landmark sci-fi blockbuster, with special visual effects supervisor Samir Ansari of Pixomondo. From making digitalsnow look real  to planetary propulsion systems, Samir walks us through the creative and technical feats that brought this frozen apocalypse to life.

We explore the cross-cultural collaboration between Pixomondo and the Chinese production team, diving into the challenges and rewards of working across languages, workflows, and cinematic traditions. Samir shares how trust and visual storytelling became the universal language on set.

🧊 Highlights include:

• Crafting realistic snow simulations and frozen cityscapes

• Designing futuristic vehicles that feel grounded in physics and culture

• Engineering the colossal “world engines” that push Earth out of orbit

• Navigating communication and creative synergy with a Chinese crew

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My dive into the sonic world of Spark Hunter, the high-concept audio drama starring Rebecca Ferguson and Mark Rylance. Set against a backdrop of surveillance, suspicion, and existential stakes, the story follows Spark Hunter—an AI so advanced she’s deemed rogue by the U.S. government. Over one final dinner with her creator, the question looms: is she a threat to humanity, or its last hope?

A conversation with writer KB Miller and Teresa Tunney 

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In one of the most emotionally resonant roundtable sessions I’ve ever attended, the cast of Fringe gathered at San Diego Comic-Con to reflect on their groundbreaking series and share insights into the journey ahead for their final season. This intimate conversation is a heartfelt tribute to the show's legacy and a gift to fans who’ve followed its twists, timelines, and transformations.

🎧 Featured Guests

• Anna Torv (Olivia Dunham)

• Joshua Jackson (Peter Bishop)

• John Noble (Walter Bishop)

• Lance Reddick (Phillip Broyles)

• Jasika Nicole (Astrid Farnsworth)

💬 Why It Matters This roundtable isn’t just a farewell—it’s a celebration of Fringe’s impact on genre television. Whether you’re a longtime fan or revisiting the series, this episode offers rare insight into the minds behind the multiverse.

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🎙️ Featuring Kevin Conroy, Tara Strong & Alan Burnett

In this second installment of my deep dive into Batman: The Animated Series, I’m joined by three iconic voices behind the Bat-mythos: the late, legendary Kevin Conroy, the dynamic Tara Strong, and longtime series producer Alan Burnett. Together, we explore the enduring legacy of the show that redefined superhero storytelling for a generation.

🎬 What Makes This Series Timeless From its Emmy-winning writing to its haunting score and bold visual style, Batman: The Animated Series remains a benchmark for animated storytelling. This episode peels back the layers of its production and character work, revealing how it continues to resonate with fans and creators alike.

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In this episode of Rewind, we crack open the creaky doors of Shining Vale, the satirical horror-comedy that dares to ask: what if your midlife crisis was actually a possession? Featuring  interviews with cast members Mira Sorvino, Judith Light, Merrin Dungey, Dylan Gage, Gus Birney, and co-creator Jeff Astrof, we explore the haunted house at the center of the series—and the haunted minds of the characters who live there.

From the ghostly glamour of Rosemary (Sorvino) to the lithium-laced sharpness of Joan (Light), each character offers a layered look at identity, trauma, and transformation. Astrof shares how the show balances horror tropes with biting humor, while the cast reflects on the emotional shifts their characters undergo across two seasons.

🔪👻 Shining Vale originally aired on Starz and is now streaming on Max.

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In this episode, I chatted with Prospect’s breakout star Sophie Thatcher—known for her haunting turn in The Exorcist Season One—and co-director Zeek Earl to explore the making of one of indie sci-fi’s most atmospheric gems.

🌌 About the Film Prospect follows teenage Cee (Thatcher) and her father as they descend onto a toxic alien moon in search of valuable gems. What begins as a mining expedition quickly spirals into a tense survival story, where trust is scarce and every breath counts. Directed by Zeek Earl and Chris Caldwell, the film is a masterclass in world-building, shot in the lush Hoh Rainforest of Washington State.

• Sophie Thatcher on crafting Cee’s emotional arc and stepping into genre storytelling

• Zeek Earl on building a believable sci-fi world on a shoestring budget

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"The Apocalypse: First Wave”

In this special Rewind episode, we travel back to the electrifying atmosphere of New York Comic Con 2010, where The Walking Dead was just days away from its world premiere. Recorded live at the Jacob Javits Center, this roundtable features candid, early reflections from the cast and creators who would go on to redefine modern horror television.

Join host Tony as he sits down with:

• 🧟 Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes)

• 🧟 Norman Reedus (Daryl Dixon)

• 🧟 Steven Yeun (Glenn Rhee)

• 🧟 Sarah Wayne Callies (Lori Grimes)

• 🧟 Laurie Holden (Andrea)

• 🧟 Jon Bernthal (Shane Walsh)

• 🧟 Robert Kirkman (Comic Creator & Executive Producer)

• 🧟 Frank Darabont (Series Developer & Showrunner)

Highlights Include:

• The cast’s first impressions of their characters and the comic book source material

• Frank Darabont’s vision for adapting Kirkman’s gritty survival tale

• Behind-the-scenes anecdotes from the pilot episode

• Reflections on the genre’s emotional depth and the human stories beneath the horrorWhy It Matters: This episode captures a rare moment in time: before the fandom, before the spin-offs, before the cultural phenomenon. It’s a love letter to the beginning, when The Walking Dead was still a gamble—and its creators were betting everything on character, atmosphere, and truth.Start Your Free One Year Trial On Sci-Fi Talk Plus Today

Guests:

• Enrico Colantoni – Mathesar, the earnest Thermian leader

• Missi Pyle – Laliari, the wide-eyed Thermian engineer

  In this delightfully weird and wonderful episode of Byte, Tony chatted with Enrico Colantoni and Missi Pyle for a mini-reunion that celebrates the cult classic Galaxy Quest. With warmth, wit, and a few tentacle jokes, the two actors reflect on their time as Thermians—those lovable, tentacled aliens who misunderstood Earth’s sci-fi as historical fact.

  Thermian Talk & Tentacle Technique → Enrico and Missi share how they developed the alien speech patterns and body language that became iconic.

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