The Toon Room Podcast

For Episode 6, I sat down with Alan Keane — writer, script editor, producer and long-time animation storyteller — for a deeply human conversation about creativity, resilience, and what it actually takes to build a life in animation over decades. Rather than dissecting industry trends or chasing headlines, this episode stays focused on the person behind the work: the detours, the failures, and the reasons we keep showing up even when things don’t go to plan. We talk about Alan’s journey from comics and psychology to screenwriting, UCLA, BBC productions, and ultimately finding a creative home in animation — and what that path taught him along the way. We talk about: ✨ Why Personal Stories Matter More Than Industry Noise Every career path is different — and that’s exactly where the real lessons live. ✍️ Writing Is Rewriting Why getting something imperfect on the page is the hardest — and most important — step. 🧠 Psychology, Empathy & Story How understanding people feeds better characters, stronger scripts, and clearer emotional beats. 🎬 Why Animation Is a Collaborative Artform Scripts as blueprints, not final answers — and how leaving room for others makes the work better. 💥 Resilience Over Talent Why surviving rejection, adapting to change, and staying curious matters just as much as skill. 🎨 Protecting the Magic From production to leadership — why the real job is creating space for artists to do their best work. ⸻ 🎧 Listen now — and if you want to join these conversations live, with animators and storytellers from around the world, come hang out with us inside The Toon Room: 👉 thetoonroom.com

Recorded Live Inside The Toon Room Community For Episode 5 of The Toon Room Podcast, I sat down with Rita Street — award-winning animation executive producer, creator, writer, and President of Radar Cartoons — for a deeply honest, wide-ranging conversation about storytelling, resilience, and surviving a life in animation.   Rita’s journey spans decades and disciplines: from growing up in the Mojave Desert fueled by Disney classics, comic books, and Star Trek, to navigating setbacks that rerouted her path away from CalArts and into theater, playwriting, journalism, and eventually animation leadership. Along the way, she became Executive Producer on beloved series like Ruby Gloom, Hero: 108, and Space Chickens in Space, while also authoring the cult-favorite ebook Cartoon Girl’s Secret Guide to Developing Kids Comedy Series. In this episode, we talk candidly about: ✨ Finding Your Way When the Plan Falls Apart How missed opportunities, financial setbacks, and detours can become unexpected advantages. 🪑 “Chair Hours” and Craft Discipline Why showing up every day — even when the work is bad — is the only path to becoming a better writer and creator. 🤝 Networking How genuine curiosity, generosity, and long-term relationships quietly shape careers in animation. 💥 Why People Don’t Quit A raw look at resilience, mentorship, and the stubborn love that keeps creatives in the industry. 🎧 Listen now — and if you want to be part of these conversations live, join animators, storytellers, and industry veterans from around the world inside The Toon Room: 👉 thetoonroom.com

Recorded Live Inside The Toon Room Community In our fourth Toon Room Podcast conversation, I sat down with global animation producer and studio leader Marty Knox — whose career has taken him from Canada to Vietnam, Berlin, Ireland, Thailand, and beyond. This one is all about people, global perspective, and the magic that keeps artists going in the toughest industry on Earth. Marty shares how a rock-band drummer who once cut model sheets on a light table became a world-travelling producer — learning the craft by solving problems, culture by living abroad, and leadership by putting artists first. We dig into big lessons like: 🌏 Animation is Global Relationships and community can take you everywhere — from Berlin features to Cartoon Saloon to building a studio in Thailand. 🔥 Chaos is Part of the Process Plans are important — but the unexpected is often where the creativity lives. 🎛 Dial, Don’t Dictate Creative leadership is balancing constraints with freedom — adjusting, tuning, shaping… not shutting ideas down. 🎨 Artists Make the Magic When artists love the work, you feel it on screen. It’s our job to protect that spark — not bury it under spreadsheets. 🤝 Humans First Culture, communication, and trust drive quality — not fear and pressure. If you’ve ever wondered how people stay in animation — and why they don’t quit — Marty’s story is a perfect answer. 🎧 Listen now — and if you want to join these conversations live, come hang out with animation pros, students, and studios from around the world inside The Toon Room: 👉 thetoonroom.com #TheToonRoom #ToonLabs #AnimationPodcast #AnimationCareer #AnimationIndustry #AnimationJourney #BehindTheScenesAnimation #AnimationLife #ProducerLife #StudioLife #CreativeProcess #AnimationCommunity #AnimatorsOfLinkedIn #AnimatorsOfInstagram #AnimationProfessionals #AnimationLeadership #AnimationStories #GlobalAnimation #AnimationCulture #CreativeInspiration #AnimationInsights #ArtOfAnimation #MakingAnimation #WhyWeDontQuit #AnimationStudents #AspiringAnimator #AnimationEducation #StorytellingInAnimation #ProductionLife #AnimationManagement #ProtectTheMagic

Recorded Live Inside The Toon Room Community For Episode 3, I sat down with Ed, a veteran creative director, designer, illustrator and storyteller whose career spans Disney, MGA, Spin Master — and yes — the early days of PAW Patrol and the full development scope of Talking Tom Heroes. Together, we traced his journey from Brooklyn to Disney’s resurgence in the ‘90s, the unexpected birth of the Disney Princess mega-brand, and how toy-driven IP development shaped some of today’s biggest kids’ franchises. Here’s what we get into: 🏰 The Disney Renaissance from the Inside How a simple sleepover T-shirt sparked one of the most profitable character branding empires in history — Disney Princess — and the real story behind it. 🎨 Brand-Led Worldbuilding Why great design must transcend mediums — from shelves to screens — and how the best ideas survive corporate politics. 🚀 From Consumer Products to Animation How a leap into smaller studios opened creative doors Disney never would — leading to hands-on storytelling, character creation, and full development ownership. 🐾 Almost Leaving Paw Patrol Behind The story of working on early character development before the series exploded into a global powerhouse. ⚙️ Designing for Story + Play How Talking Tom Heroes went from concept to 52-episode animated series — and what makes a toy-worthy character instantly iconic. 🌴 Creating Your Own IP How a childhood connection to Puerto Rico inspired Ed’s original book and character brand rooted in culture, folklore, and identity. This episode is packed with lessons for anyone who dreams of building worlds — whether inside the system or creating your own. 🔔 Listen. Learn. Join the conversation. This podcast is recorded live inside The Toon Room — a global guild for animators, composers, storytellers, and collaborators. Want to join future sessions? Come hang out with us at: 👉 thetoonroom.com

Recorded Live Inside The Toon Room Community In this episode of The Toon Room Podcast, I sit down with the incredibly talented music composer José Varon for a deep dive into the world-building power of music in animation and games. José breaks down his creative approach through his recent work on the RTS video game Immortal: Gates of Pyre, showing how music can become more than an emotional layer — it can be the heartbeat, identity, and storytelling engine of an entire world. We explore: 🎼 Holistic music design — building a score from the ground up to reflect a world’s culture, technology & personality ⚙️ Creating new instruments — how José recorded industrial machinery and transformed it into a signature percussive palette 👤 Character-driven themes — crafting musical identities that express personality, history & emotional truth 🏛️ National anthems & city music — using composition to define civilizations, societies & their values (including a Vegas-inspired industrial jazz city!) 🎮 Dynamic play-driven scoring — layering multiple character themes so gameplay triggers evolving musical storytelling 🤓 The value of quirks & imperfection — why analog unpredictability brings authenticity and life to sound It’s a fascinating look into how music can shape narrative, tone, and even player perception — proving that great scoring isn’t just about what we hear, but what we feel and understand without a single line of dialogue. 🔔 Listen. Learn. Join the conversation. This podcast is recorded live inside The Toon Room — a global guild for animators, composers, storytellers, and collaborators. Want to join future sessions? Come hang out with us at: 👉 thetoonroom.com #TheToonRoom #ToonLabs #AnimationPodcast #TalkingTom #Outfit7 #ShortformAnimation #StorytellingTips #ComedyWriting #AnimationEducation #AnimationCareer #CharacterAnimation #VisualStorytelling #AnimationProcess #CreativeDirector #WritersLife #ScreenwritingTips #AnimationIndustry #NonDialogueStorytelling #CartoonProduction #BehindTheScenesAnimation #MakingAnimation #AnimationInspiration #ArtOfAnimation #StoryboardToScreen #IndieAnimation #AnimatorsOfLinkedIn #AnimatorsOfInstagram #AnimationCommunity #AnimationGuild #CreativeProcess #WriteForAnimation #AnimationProfessionals #ToonCreators #AnimationNetworking #AnimationStudents #NeverStopCreating #StudentAnimator #AnimationSchool #FutureAnimator #StudentFilms #AnimationPortfolio #LearningAnimation #2DAnimationStudent #3DAnimationStudent #StudentLifeInAnimation #AnimationCareers #AspiringAnimator #AnimationInternship #ArtStudentLife #StudentCreatives #ToonRoomStudents