The Rocky Talky Podcast

EP:101 JASON MATOS (Talisman Media Co.)

One of the greatest gifts someone can give you is their time. Jason Matos has done exactly that for me. He walked into my life just when I needed him to, as I was about to push into video/YouTube…and really, really needed HELP. We met over instagram (he obliged my request to pick his brains), grabbed a coffee, and set out on a structured plan to make my podcast finally go to the next phase. Without his input, I’d still be contemplating my next move. He has since become a pal and a type of techno-Sherpa, guiding me along this new path. Cue interview: Jason allowed me to throw him on as a guest the same evening he helped me shape and stage the lighting in my space,m. This is THAT interview. When we chatted, he wasn’t playing along as a pseudo-guest while we tinkered with lighting details. He went there….with loads of transparency and a brave heart. Thank you Jason; for giving me so much of your time and now, your story. Take a listen.

EP:100 I MAKE TOYS (Jamie Ricottone)

Jamie Ricottone is a Project Designer at Spin Master Ltd (Paw Patrol/Kinetic Sand/Air Hogs to name a few), and recently became the Design Lead on the wildly successful PRIMAL HATCH toy line. If you knew my cousin, you would know that this is a full circle story. I’ll explain.. Jamie was a little boy infatuated with the dinosaur. He spent literally years walking, eating, growling, and stalking like a velociraptor; not unlike a method actor inhabiting a reptile. It was cute and unnerving all at once. Safe to say…Jurassic Park had left its mark. So, when we heard he was developing a line of dinosaur toys that can hatch from an egg in real-time, we were taken with the serendipity of it all. The PRIMAL HATCH project was a big, cross-continent undertaking, and upon its release, received a wave of fanfare and critical acclaim, including two prestigious toy awards equivalent to the Academy Awards: Action Figure of the Year 2025 Overall Toy of the year 2025 Best part of all? The Jurassic World franchise green-lit the use of its official branding to adorn the project. A surreal and defining moment for Jamie to say the least. Some kids meet their hero’s, and some turn them into toys. Luv you Cuz.

EP:99 MAN OF GOD. OCCASIONAL COMIC. (Kevin Makins)

I must’ve sat down twenty times to write this synopsis, and Im still having a hell of a time making it make sense. Kevin Makins is a little bit too hard to quantify...so I’m gonna tell you to just take a listen. I will say this though, Kevin will use any means necessary to put his message out into the world. He has used comedy, philanthropy, and high art to make us think, and reconsider our positions on things. No small feat. And, perhaps my favourite thing about him, is that he is an extremely deep and critical thinker, yet manages to do so with an optimistic smile. So who is he!? He is a Pastor — a “man of the cloth”. But, from what I’ve gathered, Kevin Makins is more like a Joseph in his Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. Thanks Kev.

EP:98 ARTIST (Alexander Notarangelo)

When I approached Alexander Notarangelo to be a guest on this platform, he said yes, followed by this caveat: “So, just so we’re on the same page, I am not a well liked artist in the city…” He was giving me an out, which was thoughtful, but I was not having it. I wanted to hear his story, because honestly, I’d heard about him perhaps more than I’d beheld his work. He was like a talented rumour within the city of Hamilton, Ontario. That being said, the art work I did see was remarkable and had a ferocity to it, just like him. So, local art community comment section be damned…we were doing the interview. Jump to the convo: What can I say? He’s gentleman; full of honesty, self-reflection, and a type of humility underpinned by informed opinion. It was refreshing. I think people might be missing the point on Alexander. He’s simply a disciple of hard work, owns some strong opinions, and seems to have an allergy to those who don’t take art seriously. I guess that kind of passion burns too hot for some. That said…. Pursuing art can be a lonely, long-suffering, and lean experience. But, when you talk with a guy like Alexander, he never complains about that. He makes you feel the colour and warmth in all of it. Like artists do. Enjoy.

EP:97 SIX FOOT ENERGY (Tania LaCaria)

Hamilton, Ontario is like a high school hallway…especially within the arts/hospitality/maker space. We all move through the same orbit, waving at each other on the way to class, but never really landing at a locker for a good convo or a cafeteria hang. We all kinda know each other, and we all kinda don’t. Jump to this interview: Tania LaCaria is the perfect example of that “cool kid” I always bumped into, but never knew her story. And frankly, I wanted to, as I’ve been watching it evolve and glow these past ten years with great interest. Thankfully, I have a podcast and was able to hear the story of how she’s become the woman and artist that she is today. She is as fierce as she is vulnerable, and her willingness to “go there” made this conversation EASY, and I think it’ll resonate with many of you. Thank you Tania, for letting me sit at the cool kid table.