Behind The Village Podcast

40 Years of Hunting Rare Comic Books and Collectibles | Carmine De Santo

Carmine De Santo bought his first comic book in 1978. By 16, he'd opened his own shop. Four decades later, he's still in the game, running Dr. Comics in Orillia and organizing comic cons across North America. In this conversation, Carmine walks us through the world of rare comics and collectibles. He talks about buying a Batman #1 at 18 and selling it for $90,000 (it's now worth $3.5 million), why the collectibles market exploded after the pandemic, and what it was like losing $850,000 worth of inventory in a fire that destroyed his downtown Orillia shop. He also shares the story of the Tim Maple collection, one of the most fascinating pieces of comic book history you've probably never heard of. Whether you're deep into collecting or just curious about where to start, this one's worth your time. Dr. Comics Website: https://www.drcomics.ca/ [https://www.drcomics.ca/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1drcomics/ [https://www.facebook.com/1drcomics/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcomics/ [https://www.instagram.com/drcomics/] Who are we Behind the Village is a podcast about how to live a life worth living. Real conversations about mental health, personal growth, and finding fulfillment. Follow Us Website: https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/ [https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/] Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022 [https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK [https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK] Newsletter: https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/ [https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/] Chapters 0:00 How Carmine fell in love with comic books 2:48 Rare finds and million-dollar regrets 4:09 Why the collectibles market is booming 7:33 Losing everything in a fire 11:18 The legendary Tim Maple collection 13:17 How to start collecting 17:19 Comic cons, anime fests, and what's trending

Leaving a Disney Show to Teach Kids How to Draw | Brad Ferguson

Brad Ferguson spent years building an animation career most people would never walk away from. Emmy-winning shows. Directing for Disney. Showrunning over 180 episodes of animated television. Then he quit to teach kids how to draw in Barrie, Ontario. In this conversation, Brad talks about getting rejected from Sheridan College twice before getting in on his third try, what it actually takes to work in animation, and why he believes anyone can learn to draw. He gets honest about the perfectionism he sees in young artists growing up on social media, why embracing mistakes is the whole point of the creative process, and how his childhood in the middle of nowhere shaped everything he makes today. He also shares how Upchuckle Education's student sponsorship program is making creative learning accessible to families in the community who wouldn't otherwise have access to it. Brad Ferguson | Upchuckle Education Website: https://upchuckle.com [https://upchuckle.com] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UpchuckleEducation/ [https://www.facebook.com/UpchuckleEducation/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upchuckleeducation/ [https://www.instagram.com/upchuckleeducation/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@upchuckle.education [https://www.tiktok.com/@upchuckle.education] Who are we Behind the Village is a podcast about how to live a life worth living. Real conversations about mental health, personal growth, and finding fulfillment. Follow Us Website: https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/ [https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/] Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022 [https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK [https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK] Newsletter: https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/ [https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/] Chapters 0:00 Intro 0:30 From aspiring actor to animator 4:40 Leaving animation for teaching 9:05 The creative process and embracing mistakes 17:43 How animation actually works 23:28 Getting started with animation 30:04 Giving back to the community

From Homeless Shelters to Playing for Team Canada at The Homeless World Cup | Michael Fredson

Sport has a way of giving people something to hold onto. Michael Fredson is helping build an entire organization around that idea. Michael is the owner of Manticore Books in Orillia and Chair of the Board of the Canadian Street Soccer Association, Canada's partner organization for the Homeless World Cup. In this conversation, he breaks down what it actually looks like to use soccer as a social tool, what the Homeless World Cup is and why it's unlike any other sporting event in the world, and what happened when Team Canada went to Oslo. The stories from that trip alone are worth the listen. Michael Fredson Website: https://manticorebooks.ca/ [https://manticorebooks.ca/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ManticoreBooks/ [https://www.facebook.com/ManticoreBooks/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manticorebooks/ [https://www.instagram.com/manticorebooks/] Canadian Street Soccer Association Website: https://canadianstreetsoccer.ca/ [https://canadianstreetsoccer.ca/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Canadian-Street-Soccer-Association-61563800721692/ [https://www.facebook.com/p/Canadian-Street-Soccer-Association-61563800721692/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canadianstreetsoccer/ [https://www.instagram.com/canadianstreetsoccer/] Who are we Behind the Village is a podcast about how to live a life worth living. Real conversations about mental health, personal growth, and finding fulfillment. Follow Us Website: https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/ [https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/] Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022 [https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK [https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK] Newsletter: https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/ [https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/] Chapters 0:00 Intro 0:29 The Canadian Street Soccer Association 6:28 The Power of Sport to Change Lives 9:46 Inside the Homeless World Cup 13:48 Team Canada at the Oslo Tournament 17:12 The Street Soccer Format 22:27 How to Get Involved

Surviving a Decade of Human Trafficking | Angel Power

Angel Power was groomed by her father's friend, trafficked for nearly a decade, and told by everyone around her that she was safe. She wasn't. This is her story of survival, reclaiming her voice, and turning darkness into purpose. In this episode of Behind the Village, Angel shares the reality of how human trafficking happens in ways most people don't expect. Not by force or at gunpoint, but through trust, unmet needs, and a system that failed her at every turn. She talks about writing her way out of the pain, reframing survivor's guilt into survivor's responsibility, and why long-term support for survivors matters just as much as getting them out. If you've ever wondered what trafficking actually looks like in small-town Canada, this conversation will challenge everything you thought you knew. Who are we Behind the Village is a podcast about how to live a life worth living. Real conversations about mental health, personal growth, and finding fulfillment. Follow Us Website: https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/ [https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/] Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022 [https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK [https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK] Newsletter: https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/ [https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/] Chapters 0:00 - Intro 0:32 - How Angel Was Groomed and Trafficked 9:40 - Escaping the Darkness 15:13 - Reclaiming Her Voice Through Writing 17:41 - Why Education and Awareness Matter 19:45 - Supporting Survivors Today 23:50 - Hopes for Systemic Change 27:18 - Outro

How Porcupine Quills Become Art | Dillon Bickell

Dillon Bickell is an Anishinaabe quill worker from Chippewas of Rama First Nation, and one of only a handful of people in his community still practising this craft. In this conversation, he walks us through the entire process, from harvesting birch bark and sourcing porcupine quills to creating intricate designs held together by nothing but friction. Dillon talks about blood memory, the connection he feels to a grandmother he never met, and why he's driven to document and teach an art form that was nearly lost. He shares how he's pushing quill work into new territory with pop culture designs, commissioned medallions, and plans for a children's book that could give the next generation something he never had growing up. Dillon Bickell Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quillinbydillon/ [https://www.instagram.com/quillinbydillon/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@quillinbydillon [https://www.tiktok.com/@quillinbydillon] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEc-c9z-JCKvd1RD78mtawQ [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEc-c9z-JCKvd1RD78mtawQ] Who are we Behind the Village is a podcast about how to live a life worth living. Real conversations about mental health, personal growth, and finding fulfillment. Follow Us Website: https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/ [https://villagermagazine.ca/podcast/] Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022 [https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/behind-the-village-podcast/id1763310022] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK [https://open.spotify.com/show/11fe4qRCPB22ybBg2wDznK] Newsletter: https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/ [https://villagermagazine.ca/subscribe/] Chapters 0:00 Intro 0:30 Meet Dillon Bickell, Anishinaabe Quill Worker 2:35 Blood Memory and His Grandmother's Legacy 5:06 How Porcupine Quills and Birch Bark Are Harvested 9:29 Tobacco Offerings and Cultural Teachings 10:26 Traditional and Pop Culture Quill Art 14:22 Commissions, Medallions, and Quill Boxes 17:51 Preserving Indigenous Art for Future Generations