The Podcast Experience
As a commercial artist, I’ve always been fascinated by the brain’s ability to simultaneously intake audio while I’m doing my work. In situations where I have to churn out sketches and get inspired, instrumental music or an audio-simulator of a coffee shop is very useful. But more often than not, podcasts are a wonderful audio experience to accompany my brain while doing 80% of other creative tasks, chores, driving and running.
Over the past couple years, I’ve gone through many of the classics namely This American Life, Radiolab and Planet Money. But since then, my tastes have expanded; I’ve become more selective since there are simply too many options out there.
Without further ado, I’ve grouped together 16 of my favourite podcasts into 4 categories. Each fall under various interests, namely: Creativity, News, Film and Miscellaneous . If any of these interest you, I hope there is something in this list that you can discover and enjoy for yourself!
Creativity (or The Business of Art)
Creative Pep Talk with Andy J. Miller
Andy is my top recommendation for any freelance illustrator or designer. He brings a healthy of dose of concrete and practical advice for our practice but also a wealth of personal experience to enrich the listening experience. Without coming across as didactic, I get a sense of the multiple roles he takes on in life: as a mentor, father, artist and businessman all-in-one. By making his mission statement about relationships rather than fame, he makes the case for commercial art as an incredibly meaningful asset to society.
Of note: “It’s Business Time” (Andy kicks butt here)
StartUp is the first podcast and brainchild of Alex Blumberg, founder of Gimlet Media. An ex-host from Planet Money, Alex made the first season of StartUp about the founding of his own company, which aimed to provide a refreshing new experience for the podcast landscape. You won’t find a more personal and transparent account of an entrepreneur trying to start his own business. Listen along as he takes you through all the little victories and embarrassing moments, including a relationship with angel investor Chris Sacca. The second season, which just wrapped up last month, told the equally-compelling story of Dating Ring, another start-up that was willing to divulge their entire story with Alex and his co-host Lisa.
Of note: Start from the beginning — “How Not To Pitch A Billionaire”
Design Matters with Debbie Millman
If we’re talking legacy and longevity in the field of graphic design, Debbie Millman certainly has the experience and expertise which she brings to each episode of her show. The amount of research on each guest is astounding and her skill as an interviewer is unmatched in both disarming personal questions and also insightful inquiries into the guests’ creative thinking.
Of note: “Louise Fili” (Seriously, they’re all good though)
It’s Nice That is my favourite site for all things design and art-related. With Studio Audience, their weekly podcast, they bring a refreshing sense of levity to discussions of the industry. They also provide some welcome insight into the happenings of the creative field in the UK and the rest of Europe, something I regularly have a keen interest in. Best of all, they’re committed to keeping their episodes really concise and efficient which is very welcomed from the more-often-than-not tangential nature of many podcasts.
Of note: Their latest episode (They seem to be on hiatus)
News
The New Yorker is one of the oldest publications ever and they’ve done a marvellous job keeping up with current events in an engaging way. Out Loud is one of my favourites of their group of shows, with insightful hosts and short + sweet episodes.
Of note: “Do You Know Pluto?”
Despite their insistence on doing reruns of their shows without informing the audience and their incessant (and frankly, annoying) advertisements for 23andme.ca, On The Media is still one of the best pulse checks on international news. More importantly, I appreciate OTM for their willingness to delve into our human reactions to the world’s toughest current events. Their guests are prolific and often challenging of Bob Garfield and co-host Brooke Gladstone which leaves us feeling like we are participants in much-needed discussions.
Of note: “A National Conversation” (Post-Charleston murders)
Oh boy, this show. I’ve listened along as it’s blossomed exponentially in the past year from small audio project of reporter Jesse Brown (made famous for being a huge proponent to the Jian Ghomeshi revelations) into the go-to source for controversial and “gritty” Canadian journalism. Make no mistake, this is unlike any journalistic media based in Canada however. Jesse isn’t afraid to always be the contrarian to popular opinion. Each episode is tinged with sardonic and cynical undertones. As much as you may often disagree with his perspective, Canadaland is respectable for being an independent voice, providing a great breadth of coverage in Canadian media and politics, something that is sorely missing in this country. Fun fact: the logo above is designed by one of my biggest illustrator role-models, Raymond Biesinger.
Of note: “Dirty Halifax”
For the life of me, I cannot tell you why their cover image is of a nearly-topless woman but regardless this podcast is excellent if you have any interest in current affairs within Mainland China. It’s a serious personal interest of mine and this podcast is wonderful. Featuring very well-spoken and educated hosts who are expats living in Beijing, each week they deliver a window into China you might never hear in typical Western media. Often they comment on the reverse perspective: how the Chinese media views the West and that’s something to behold.
Of note: “Beijing’s Great Leap Forward”
Film
Everyone can be deemed a movie critic these days; the Internet has allowed for a great ease of access to virtually every film ever made. When it comes to film podcasts though, it’s hard to beat Filmspotting; Adam Kempenaar and Sam Van Hallgren have been crafting and improving on this show for over 10 years. Being the defining voice of thoughtful critique on all the latest releases and films forgotten from previous decades, it’s truly a holistic experience of movies when you’re listening to their show. Filmspotting has a special place in my heart since it was one of the first podcasts I ever discovered and which got me hooked ever since. Long live FS.
Of note: “Mad Max: Fury Road + Top 5 Movie Car Chases”
I love Matt Gourley; he was one of the geniuses behind Superego, a hilarious performative podcast from years back. Since then he’s created some new productions that hit that same level of audible satisfaction. I Was There Too is one such podcast — each week, he picks a classic and well-adored movie and finds the actor or actress who had perhaps one line or a 5-second cameo; something to prove that he/she “was there too.” It’s an ingenious idea and gives a perspective into movie-making not provided by the top-billed actors in any given film.
Of note: “The Exorcist with Eileen Dietz” (Terrifying episode of the voice actress who played the Satan-possessed child from the Friedkin original)
The idea is pure comedic genius: pick a terrible movie, watch it, then proceed to berate it with the most myopic and detailed analysis of each scene.
Of note: “Sharknado 2: The Second One”
Elvis Mitchell is the Debbie Millman of movie criticism; his research not only arms him with a wealth of information before each episode, he often also draws connections between an actor or director’s films that no one else would dare to connect. The incredible thing is that each time, it’s a connection that renders the guest with a sincere amount of flattery but also with an expression of “I hadn’t thought of that before!” Besides, who can deny that Elvis has one of the silkiest voices to ever hit the radio waves.
Of note: “Matthew Weiner on Mad Men”
Miscellaneous
Karina Longworth is the host of this sensual and revelatory podcast. When I say sensual, I truly mean that this is one of the finest examples of spoken storytelling ever…rivalling that of Serial. Her show covers the rich history of Hollywood in the 20th century and is currently on a 15-part series about Charles Manson. I have to sing her praises though: the production level on this is incredible; each episode is filled to the brim with tiny contextual details to build out the story of Hollywood and its faulty pipe dreams. There are also tiny audio cues and voice actors that flesh out the experience and plunge me into a transportive machine to whatever time and place she happens to be covering.
Of note: “Charles Manson’s Hollywood Part 1”
This is Gimlet Media’s third show and likely my favourite one so far. We’ve covered some obsessive journalism in my other choices but Starlee Klein of Mystery Show takes the cake when we’re discussing truly obsessive research for a specific topic. Each instalment, Starlee is given a seemingly forgettable “mystery” to solve from an ordinary person. For example, a strange piece of lunchbox art leads her on a long journey through the illustration production of lunch boxes of the 1980's. Or a stray photo of Britney Spears holding a strange book brings Starlee to a backstage experience with the pop singer herself. Give it a shot, her charming and quirky personality bleeds even into her readings of sponsor ads — an experience I typically dread listening to.
Of note: “Case #2 — Britney”
Yes, I’m promoting all of Gimlet Media’s shows because they’re all excellent in their own unique ways. With Reply All, hosts PJ and Alex bring some of the most out-there stories about the Internet from the past and present. Trust me, nothing could prepare you for their coverage of ISIS’s presence on Twitter or the story of Marnie the Dog, the most famous Instagram dog with 1.6 million (!) followers.
Of note: “@ISIS”
A podcast about things unseen. Surely, that’s an intriguing premise in and of itself but Invisibilia surprised me when it first debuted this past January with a spellbinding account of a man struggling with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Hit the link below and give it a listen as soon you can. Well-produced and detailed, this one’s reminiscent of Radiolab’s best if you’re a fan of obsessive science and philosophy.
Of note: “The Secret History of Thoughts” (very chilling)
And that’s all for now! Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts and if you have any suggestions for other podcasts you love, do leave a note or find me on various social media below.
— J
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