Austin and Tasha's live interview with Adventures in Odyssey co-creator Phil Lollar has been completed and you can watch the full hour video below. Phil talks about the rap music in Lights Out at Whit's End, some episode ideas that were never released, how his father's personality went into the character of Mr Whittaker, some of his favorite episodes, how the Twilife Zone was created and what events in history he would like to experience through the Imagination Station. He also talks about why the character of Bernard was created, how the Blackgaard saga was pieced together, how the animated video series started, whether Connie and Jason should get married, gives some exciting details about his new audio drama called Iliad House, and much more.
Adventures in Odyssey producer and author Brock Eastman has been interviewed on Tricia Goyer's website. You might remember Tricia Goyer's name, as she wrote the first Whit's End Mealtime Devotions book with Crystal Bowman that was released earlier this year. In the interview Brock talks about his family, why he first started writing The Quest for Truth, how he first fell in love with books after meeting his wife and how he sees stories as tools we can use to share the message about Jesus Christ. He also talks about how as The Quest for Truth series progresses, the spiritual element grows and the Truth is revealed. Read the interview with Brock Eastman. A brand new episode of the Official Podcast has been released today. Hosts Bob Smithouser and Jesse Florea interview Adventures in Odyssey actor David Griffin who voiced the beloved character of Jimmy Barclay for many years. David talks about what it was like stepping into the recording studio for the first time, his relationship with Chuck Bolte, the voice of George Barclay, and how his voice changing altered his attitude and his character's journey. He also talks about what it was like having different actors voice Mary Barclay, what his most memorable episodes are and more. You can listen to part one of the interview below. You can now download for free the first ten devotions from the new Whit's End Mealtime Devotions book. Here is the summary: "You make sure your children get the proper food they need to grow physically. But are you providing a healthy spiritual diet to grow their hearts for God and others? Now you can give them both with these family devotions for mealtime dished up by John Avery Whittaker, Adventure in Odyssey's friendly mentor. Pass the fun around the table with 90 five-course devotional menus!" Go to Focus on the Family's Thriving Family website to download a PDF of the first ten devotions. Austin Peachey of the Adventures in Odyssey Blog has just announced that he and Tasha will soon be conducting a live interview with Adventures in Odyssey co-creator Phil Lollar in celebration of their fifth anniversary this year. During the interview on June 27th from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM Mountain Time you can send in questions for Phil via Twitter, Google+ and YouTube. You can also send in questions in advance. Not only did Phil Lollar create AIO with Steve Harris, but he has also voiced many Odyssey characters over the years, including the memorable Dale Jacobs. Phil's latest project is a new audio drama called Iliad House. Watch Austin's full announcement video below. The cover of this upcoming Adventures in Odyssey CD sampler has been slightly updated but it's still not clear whether this is the final front cover art or not. The latest rendition of the CD called "Bothersome Bullies" has been changed to say "featuring 3 full-length audio dramas." As you can see from the images when you click on them, the first one which we released on the AIO Update last month incorrectly says the sampler contains only 2 episodes. Despite this correction by Tyndale, this still may not be the final cover. Not only is the artwork not new and it features Rodney Rathbone when he doesn't appear in any of the episodes on the CD, the image does not seem to be the correct shape at this point. It looks more narrow than the covers of other CDs. It could still be updated in the future. The sampler will be released in stores in October and include the episodes Mike Makes Right (Album 3), Another Man's Shoes (Album 33) and Target of the Week (Album 51). It is available for preorder on CBD for $1.99. Brock and Evan are back today in a new Social Shout Out video. This time they answer questions from the sound designers' Foley room. They talk about whether the acts of service for the ACTS contest need to be big or not to win and how often you can enter the Good Goers picture of the week contest. In a lightning round Brock answers questions about Bernard, Connie and Jason, when Album 57 is coming out and more. They also say they want Adventures in Odyssey fans to rename the Social Shout Out. Until August 1st you can submit ideas for a new name for Brock and Evan's segment on the blog, Facebook, or in a letter to Focus on the Family. Fans will then get to vote for the best name. Watch the video below. Having researched thoroughly and dramatized both CS Lewis' The Screwtape Letters and The Chronicles of Narnia for Radio Theatre, author Paul McCusker is certainly qualified to contribute to a new edition of one of Lewis' books. According to his Facebook page, Paul has written the annotations for The Screwtape Letters: Annotated Edition, which is due out for release in October. Paul McCusker is the first writer ever invited to annotate a CS Lewis book. Paul's notes are not theological in nature, but rather an explanation of some of the references Screwtape makes. They include details about Lewis' life that affected the creating of the story. In his annotations Paul does a variety of things. He may clarify who wrote a particular book, poem or philosophy, and when they did it and what Lewis thought of it in his other writings, what a word means when used in a British 1940's context, or where else Lewis expands on ideas mentioned in Screwtape. Paul says this new edition should enrich your experience and open doors of comprehension you'd never seen before. If you haven't picked up a book in the Imagination Station series yet now is your chance to see what it's all about. Tyndale House is giving away a free PDF download of the very first book in the series, Voyage with the Vikings. Here's the summary: "Beth and Patrick find a mysterious letter while in the Imagination Station requesting a Viking sunstone. The letter is old and says that someone named Albert will be imprisoned if the sunstone isn’t found. Mr. Whittaker sends cousins Patrick and Beth to Greenland circa 1000. On their quest for the sunstone, the cousins meet Vikings Erik the Red and Leif Eriksson and find the sunstone as they join Leif on his first voyage to North America. But the adventure is just beginning, for when they return to Mr. Whittaker’s workshop with the sunstone, there is another note waiting for them, requesting a silver goblet. Join Patrick and Beth as they continue their travel to various lands and time." You can download it here. Another episode of Adventures in Odyssey's Official Podcast has been released today. Bob and Jesse interview author Wayne Thomas Batson who talks about pirates and islands, knights and castles, and even mythical beasts. He talks about how he first knew he wanted to become a writer, The Door Within Trilogy, how he writes action differently for a younger action, how he puts together his manuscripts, and how he works with his editors. Wayne authored “Hunt for the Devil’s Dragon,” the 11th book in the Imagination Station series, and in this interview he also talks about how his daughter has helped him refine his writing, and how teaching middle school deeply influences his novels. Listen to the podcast below. |