This Animated Life

Imaginary Worlds

Eric Molinsky

Arts, Science Fiction, Society & Culture, Fiction

4.8 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 19 November 2025

⏱️ 40 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

As longtime listeners know, I worked in the animation industry before switching careers and going into broadcasting. Today’s episode features a trio of conversations that trace the history of animation in my lifetime, and my life in animation. The interviews come from Between Imaginary Worlds, a chat show that’s available exclusively to listeners who pledge $5 a month or more on Patreon. Act I: I bond with comic book and children’s book author Judd Winick over the creepy world of 1970s children’s TV – which scared us as kids but makes us oddly nostalgic today. Act II: My friend Caleb Meurer and I reminisce about his experience working with the original crew of SpongeBob at Nickelodeon, and how the creator of SpongeBob indirectly told me I was in the wrong field. Act III: Aidan Sugano and Denis-Jose Francois talk about the heartfelt effort it took for the animation studio DNEG to make the film Nimona after Disney dropped the project. This week’s episode is sponsored by The Perfect Jean and Uncommon Goods. Get 15% off your order with the code IMAGINARY15 at theperfectjean.nyc Get 15% off your order at uncommongoods.com/imaginary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	The holidays are almost here, and if you still have names on your list, or in my case, a spreadsheet,
0:06.7	don't worry, uncommon goods makes holiday shopping stress-free and joyful, with thousands of one-of-a-kind
0:13.5	gifts. In each category is a treasure trove. For instance, I have a cousin who is a cat, and she loves
0:20.6	getting cat-related gifts. I know she's probably listening now, has a cat, and she loves getting cat-related gifts.
0:22.7	I know she's probably listening now, so I'm not going to say what we got you. It could be the
0:28.1	laptop scratching pad, or the Catatitude mug, or the KitTie Cat T-Bags, or the raining
0:35.1	cats and dogs umbrella, which changes colors when exposed to water,
0:39.2	or something else that I haven't mentioned yet.
0:42.3	When you shop at Uncommon Goods, you're supporting artists in small independent businesses.
0:47.8	And with every purchase you make, Uncommon Goods gives a dollar back to a non-profit partner of your choice.
0:54.5	They've donated more than $3.1 million to date.
0:59.1	So don't wait.
1:00.7	Make this holiday the year you give something truly unforgettable.
1:04.4	To get 15% off your next gift, go to Uncommonogoods.com slash imaginary.
1:11.4	That's Uncommongoods.com slash imaginary. That's Uncommonogoods.com slash imaginary for 15% off.
1:16.7	Don't miss out on this limited time offer.
1:19.8	Uncommon goods.
1:20.9	We're all out of the ordinary.
1:32.2	You're listening to Imaginary Worlds, a show about how we create them and why we suspend or disbelief.
1:33.4	I'm Eric Malinsky.
1:35.2	One of the reasons I created the Patreon show between Imaginary Worlds is because there are so many
1:40.9	ideas that I wanted to explore and people I wanted to talk with,
	...

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