If you are a fan of The Simpsons, then do we have news for you! Two of the top Simpson Podcasters/Bloggers live here in #Geelong and have released a new book via #Penguin Publishing. The book entitled “Homer’s Odyssey: An Embiggened Simpsons Guide” is available now in all good book stores, in time for Christmas. Their weekly podcast Four Finger Discount has a 5-star rating on iTunes and they have over 139k followers on Facebook. We caught up with one half of the show, Mitch Grinter, to discuss their success.
‘My co-host Brendan Dando was the one who originally pitched the idea of a podcast where we go in-depth looking at each Simpsons’ Episode. We make a good team, he’s the real driver who does the vast majority of the technical work. We started this from scratch, and he was able to build our social media following to where it is now. Meanwhile, I’m able to call on a background in writing and acting to really look at why the show is so great. I jumped at the idea of a podcast because I’d always loved radio. Shows like Martin/Molloy, Get This or Hamish & Andy were big influences on me, so to be able to test out my ability in this medium was a great challenge. Of course, it helped that I’ve always adored The Simpsons.
Whilst the boys try to keep the show fun & light-hearted, there have been some unexpected reactions along the way.
‘The greatest feedback we’ve had has been from listeners who write in and say we’ve got them through some really dark times, whether it is helping them get through depression or a breakup. You sometimes question if all the time is worth it, but responses like that really drive you to keep going.
‘Brendon and I both have full time jobs, so it can be difficult managing our time, but the rewards have been amazing. We’ve been lucky enough to interview some of our idols, Brendon was in LA for his honeymoon and managed to get a tour of the animation studios, and becoming published authors was something we’d never dreamt possible.
Grinter, though, says that they won’t be letting success go to their heads.
‘One thing we’ve noticed is that all the people working on the show are amazingly humble and giving of their time, and that’s been a real inspiration to us. We’ve tried to give back as much as we can to people who want to start podcasts of their own but are unsure how. We all have the technology at our finger tips, so readily available, there’s nothing holding you back.
So, what’s next for Mitch?
‘I’m keen to get into schools and talk to kids, to inspire them to follow their dreams. I recently rang to thank the High School English teacher who inspired me, I’d love to inspire other kids to write. Not everyone is the creative type but those who are often feel like they don’t fit in at school. I want to tell them the way they are is perfect and there are lots of opportunities out there for them. #clevercreative #humansingeelong
Interview: Jacqui Bennett Photo: supplied by Mitch, Mitch on the left with Brendon.
HuG 