Re-Creative Podcast By Mark A. Rayner and Joe Mahoney (MonkeyJoy Press and Donovan Street Press Inc.) cover art

Re-Creative

Re-Creative

By: Mark A. Rayner and Joe Mahoney (MonkeyJoy Press and Donovan Street Press Inc.)
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Hosted by Joe Mahoney and Mark A. Rayner, Re-Creative is a podcast about creativity and the works that inspire it. We talk to creative people from all walks of life, and learn from them what piece of art stokes their own imaginative fires.

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Episodes
  • Tim Blackmore on the Film "Alien"

    Tim Blackmore on the Film "Alien"
    Mar 13 2026
    Re-Creative Spotlight: Tim BlackmoreIn this episode of Re-Creative, Mark A. Rayner and I are joined by Tim Blackmore, an author and professor at Western University’s Faculty of Information and Media Studies, to talk about the 1979 classic movie Alien.Tim knows a lot about the concept of “design” and a lot about this movie, which allows to take a deep dive into the design elements of Alien, which has inspired Tim in his own work and research on propaganda and war.“It’s the stuff that you don’t see coming that you have to watch out for,” Tim tells us, referring to the propaganda that you don’t necessarily realize is propaganda. “Any time you see Grogu, watch your wallet!”After discussing the context of what was happening in the field of science fiction at the time the movie came out, along with SF cinema and culture in general, Tim gets into just exactly how the visual presentation of Alien came about. Turns out it was the combined genius of a whole team of designers, including Roy Cobb, Chris Foss, H.R. Giger, and the screenwriter, Dan O’Bannon.Tim also tells us how the movie was conceived and brought to life, how Ridley Scott became its director, and its influence on so much cinema that came afterwards.Support Our GuestTim Blackmore is a professor in the Faculty of Information and Media Studies at Western University in London, Ontario (Canada). In addition to extensive articles and book chapters, Blackmore has published two major academic works: War X: Human Extension in Battlespace, and, Gorgeous War: The Branding War Between the Third Reich and the United States.In Tim’s own words: “I work on all kinds of projects, and I love that. I read, see and write about popular culture, particularly science fiction (in prose, film, animation, jello…it doesn’t matter to me what the medium is), but also comics and comic strips, science fiction film design (I know that sounds specific, but it’s a huge field). I also focus a great deal on what Leo Marx called The Machine in the Garden, and the persistence of the pastoral in this weird age of post-everything and all-transparency. We need to stay grounded.”You can subscribe to six month’s worth of this podcast completely for free. Paid subscriptions support Donovan Street Press Inc. and the creation of new books and podcasts.Re-Creative is a co-production of Donovan Street Press Inc. in association with MonkeyJoy Press.Contact us at: contact@donovanstreetpress.com If you don’t wish to receive the podcast (or you’re receiving too many emails from this newsletter), it is possible to manage your Substack subscription to receive only the sections you want (e.g., the Donovan Street Press newsletter, the Captain’s Away serial, the Re-Creative podcast) via your account settings. You can do so by clicking on your avatar and selecting “Manage subscription” or by directly navigating to your account page.Follow Joe Mahoney and Donovan Street Press Inc. on: Goodreads, Bluesky, Threads, Mastadon, Facebook, and Instagram Get full access to Donovan Street Press Inc. at mahoneyj.substack.com/subscribe
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • Joe Versus the World (Again): The Value of Empathy

    Joe Versus the World (Again): The Value of Empathy
    Mar 11 2026

    My dialogue with my old pal the World continues. (You can check out my previous conversation here.) This chat took place in July of 2020. Back then, at the advent of Covid, the world around us seemed pretty grim; today, it’s arguably even worse.

    But all is not lost. I am a firm believer in hope. Collectively, we can make this planet a better place. It may require much thought and effort, but it can be done. How, though?

    Well, turning to the World for advice, I found (not surprisingly) that it has some strong opinions. From a critique of my facial hair to a lesson we should have learned from the dinosaurs. Good advice, I think — along with a dire prediction.

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    Get full access to Donovan Street Press Inc. at mahoneyj.substack.com/subscribe
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    2 mins
  • Animator/Filmmaker Tess Martin and Yuri Norstein's Tale of Tales

    Animator/Filmmaker Tess Martin and Yuri Norstein's Tale of Tales
    Mar 2 2026
    Re-Creative Spotlight: Tess MartinIn this episode of Re-Creative, Mark A. Rayner and I got up early to drink our coffee and talk to an animator/filmmaker an ocean away: Tess Martin, based in Rotterdam, the second largest city in the Netherlands. Mark usually starts the podcast by asking me a question but this morning I beat him to it, asking: “What’s your favourite piece of animation?” His initial response was a classic of Canadian animation, from the NFB. (I’ll make you listen to the episode to find out exactly what he said!)The Creative Inspiration: Yuri Norstein’s Tale of TalesWe almost always challenge our guests to choose a piece of art to talk about. One that they love and that informs their own work. Tess chose to discuss a film that had a huge impact on her and that continues to inspire her: Yuri Norstein’s Tale of Tales (1979), a complex, surreal masterpiece a little different than the Saturday morning cartoons you might remember from your youth. It’s not exactly Bugs Bunny, but no less rewarding if you’re up for it. Some consider it the greatest animated film of all time.As Tess explained to us, Tale of Tales is less a classical narrative than a tapestry of memories, providing just enough clues to allow viewers to unlock its meaning and hidden depths, though a familiarity with the culture from which it emerged helps. Featuring a little grey wolf from a traditional Russian lullaby, Norstein employs deeply personal and culturally specific imagery—such as a glass of vodka and bread as an offering for the dead—making the film feel intensely real and true, even if one doesn’t fully grasp every reference the first time around.We talked about how Tale of Tales and similar art invites audiences to be active participants, interpreting clues and symbols to find their own meaning.When you’re done listening to our conversation (or maybe before!) check out the film for yourself to see what we’re talking about: Tale of Tales, a 1979 Soviet/Russian animated film directed by Yuri Norstein[1][2] and produced by the Soyuzmultfilm studio in Moscow:Support Our GuestOriginally from the States, Tess Martin relocated to the Netherlands to pursue her craft. Her own work follows in Norstein’s tradition of thoughtful, material-based art. Her projects tend to develop through a mix of personal interest and the practicalities of the Dutch public arts funding system. And they can take a long time: she’s currently working on an SF project that has already taken a number of years, and is likely to take at least another couple. I can’t wait to see it!Mark, Tessa and I discussed two of her recent films:* How Now House: Using archives, personal memories and the philosophy of time, the film questions whether a space can ever really belong to one person, or time period, at all.* 1976 Search for Life: A new father visits the hometown of his mother in 1976, accompanied by his wife and baby. At the same time, the NASA Viking lander is sending the first images back to Earth from the surface of another planet.You can check out Tess’s work on her website. And I highly recommend that you do! You can subscribe to six month’s worth of this podcast completely for free. Paid subscriptions support Donovan Street Press Inc. and the creation of new books and podcasts.Re-Creative is a co-production of Donovan Street Press Inc. in association with MonkeyJoy Press.Contact us at: contact@donovanstreetpress.com If you don’t wish to receive the podcast (or you’re receiving too many emails from this newsletter), it is possible to manage your Substack subscription to receive only the sections you want (e.g., the Donovan Street Press newsletter, the Captain’s Away serial, the Re-Creative podcast) via your account settings. You can do so by clicking on your avatar and selecting “Manage subscription” or by directly navigating to your account page.Follow Joe Mahoney and Donovan Street Press Inc. on: Goodreads, Bluesky, Threads, Mastadon, Facebook, and Instagram Get full access to Donovan Street Press Inc. at mahoneyj.substack.com/subscribe
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    51 mins
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