The Clonestar Podcast

Robert Petkoff has narrated over 350 audiobooks, won 25+ Audiofile Earphones Awards, and is currently on stage in Moulin Rouge! The Musical. But ask him what he's most proud of, and he'll tell you about narrating Star Trek audiobooks—because he's a total Trek geek, and it shows. We sat down with Robert to talk about his journey from theatre to television to the recording booth, and how...

Jodi sits down with Lanita from Hailing Frequencies Open to talk about the women who are defining Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. From commanding mentors to rising cadets to intriguing wild cards, these characters bring authority, heart, humor, mystery, and spark to the series in ways that feel essential to Trek's future. We break down what makes each of them stand out—Nahla Ake, Sylvia Tilly, J...

Raoul Bhaneja played seventeen characters in a single one-man Hamlet. He won Best Actor at the United Solo Festival. He fronted a Maple Blues Award-winning band. And now he's Chancellor Kelrec—commanding Starfleet's War College in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. We sat down with him to find out how one actor mastered the stage, the recording studio, and the final frontier. From his early day...

Jodi sits down with Spotted Giraffe for this week's Women of Strange New Worlds episode, taking a close look at one of the most distinctive characters in the current Trek lineup — Erica Ortegas. They get into what makes Ortegas tick: her sharp personality, her role at the helm of the Enterprise, and how she fits into the Strange New Worlds ensemble in a way that feels genuinely different from...

This week on The Clonestar Podcast, Jodi Pickens sits down with veteran Star Trek author Greg Cox to discuss his latest novel, Identity Theft, written to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Star Trek: The Original Series. Set across two pivotal eras, Identity Theft revisits the legacy of Captain James T. Kirk and the USS Enterprise, while placing Pavel Chekov at the heart of a political mystery that...

This week on The Clonestar Podcast, Seo sits down with actor Timothy Carhart to talk about his unforgettable role as Lieutenant Commander Christopher Hobson in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Redemption II.”Carhart reflects on stepping into the USS Sutherland as Data’s first officer, portraying a character written with sharp edges, buried prejudice, and a pivotal role in one of TNG’s d...

This week on The Clonestar Podcast , Mike Overton sits down with the remarkable Avaah Blackwell —stunt performer, creature actor, and the woman behind some of the most unforgettable aliens in Star Trek: Discovery and Strange New Worlds . From wrestling heavy prosthetics to bringing movement, emotion, and life to characters hidden beneath layers of makeup, Avaah shares what it really takes to build...

This week on The Clonestar Podcast , Jodi Pickens and Mike Overton sit down with veteran Star Trek writer and producer Mike Sussman for an in-depth look at his time shaping two defining eras of modern Trek — Voyager and Enterprise . From the alternate realities of “Twilight” to the fan-favourite “In a Mirror, Darkly” and the thought-provoking “Author, Author” , Sussman reflects on the creative pro...

This week on The Clonestar Podcast, Mike Overton sits down with the brilliant Susan Diol to explore her remarkable career and her unforgettable role as Dr. Danara Pel in Star Trek: Voyager. From her moving on-screen chemistry with the Doctor in “Lifesigns” and “Real Life,” to her diverse career across stage and screen, Susan shares candid stories from her time on set, her connection to the charact...

This week on The Clonestar Podcast , Jodi Pickens sits down with Marcus Bagala and Sam Bagala , the brilliant composing duo behind the powerful and immersive score for the new Star Trek: Khan audio series. Together, they break down how they built the sonic identity of Khan Noonien Singh — balancing legacy, emotion, and menace — while weaving musical threads that honour Star Trek’s rich history. Fr...

This week on The Clonestar Podcast , Seo sits down with New York Times bestselling author David Mack to discuss his latest novel, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Ring of Fire . In this gripping new adventure, Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the USS Enterprise are dispatched to Kathara Station, a secret research facility orbiting a black hole — where sabotage, buried secrets, and unresolve...

This week on The Clonestar Podcast , Mike and Seo sit down with veteran actor Spencer Garrett , whose unforgettable performance as Ensign Simon Tarses in Star Trek: The Next Generation ’s “The Drumhead” remains one of the most powerful moments in Trek history. Spencer shares the story behind that iconic episode — how a quiet med tech became the centre of one of Star Trek’s most timeless allegories...

In this episode of the CloneStar Podcast’s Women of Strange New Worlds series, host Jodi Pickens is joined by Rhianna and Ashlyn from The Duras Sisters Podcast to spotlight one of the most layered and compelling characters aboard the Enterprise: La’an Noonien-Singh . As Chief of Security, survivor of the Gorn, and descendant of Khan Noonien Singh, La’an carries both the weight of history and the s...

We’re heading into Sickbay for the first medical mission of our  Women of Strange New Worlds  series—spotlighting  Nurse Christine Chapel . Once a background presence in  The Original Series , Chapel has become one of  Strange New Worlds’ most dynamic, witty, and emotionally rich characters thanks to Jess Bush’s layered portrayal. Joining host  Jodi Pickens  is guest  Amy Imhoff —writer, speaker,...

In Part 3, Jodi Pickens welcomes Kirsten Beyer , co-creator of the Star Trek: Khan audio series and long-time Trek writer and producer. Kirsten delves into the creative process behind reimagining Khan’s origin, weaving canon with new lore, and the challenges of balancing legacy with innovation. Discover how the series came to life, what it reveals about Starfleet, and why this story needed to be t...

In Part 2 of our Clonestar Podcast interview series, Wrenn Schmidt joins Jodi Pickens to discuss her portrayal of Lieutenant Marla McGivers in the Star Trek: Khan audio series. Schmidt reflects on stepping into the shoes of a classic TOS character, the emotional complexity of McGivers’ relationship with Khan, and how this new series expands the character beyond her original 1967 appearance. It’s a...

In Part 1 of our exclusive Star Trek: Khan interview series, Jodi Pickens sits down with Naveen Andrews , who takes on the formidable role of Khan Noonien Singh in the new audio series. From stepping into the shoes of one of sci-fi’s most legendary villains to exploring Khan’s origin through a fresh, character-driven lens, Naveen discusses the complexity, intensity, and legacy of Star Trek’s most...

We’re kicking off our brand-new series with Commander Una Chin-Riley—Starfleet’s Number One. Calm under fire, precise in command, fiercely loyal… and hiding a secret that could have ended her career before it began. From her origins in The Cage to Rebecca Romijn’s powerful modern portrayal, we explore Una’s defining episodes, her impact on Strange New Worlds, and the real-world parallels that make...

This week on the Clonestar Podcast, Mike Overton & Mike Goodwill welcomes Thomas Marrone, Art Director of Star Trek Online, and Nate Simpson, concept and 3D artist from Starfleet Command II, for a deep dive into the design legacy behind the brand-new Timeless Legacy starship bundle. Created to celebrate the many visual eras of Star Trek, the Timeless Legacy bundle introduces three unique ships...

What does it really mean to feel like an alien — and how do we help kids feel like they belong? In this special episode of CloneStar Podcast, we sit down with actor and activist Jonathan Del Arco (Hugh the Borg – Star Trek: TNG & Picard), educator and author Trisha DiFazio, and illustrator Adria Alvarado to explore the heartwarming children’s book Freddy the Alien — a story about immigration,...

This is the first-ever deep dive into the making of Star Trek: Picard from the artists who built its world. In this exclusive episode of The LCARS Lounge, Dave Blass, Liz Kloczkowski, and Andrew Jarvis come together for the first time to reveal how they redefined the look of 25th-century Starfleet—from new bridges and starships to one of the most emotional set rebuilds in Trek history. This is the...

In this episode of Voyager – The Greatest Voyages, host Jodi is joined by Tamia Harper and Subrina Wood from the Syfy Sistas to examine two of Voyager’s most powerful Borg storylines. First, we dive into “Dark Frontier” (S5E15 & S5E16) – where Seven of Nine is lured back toward the Borg Collective in a psychological and emotional test of loyalty, autonomy, and identity. Then we explore “Unimat...

This is the conversation Star Trek fans have waited DECADES for. For the first time ever, legendary Trek designers Mike Okuda, Denise Okuda, Doug Drexler, and Geoffrey Mandel sit down together to reveal the untold stories behind the starships, screens, and symbols that defined the final frontier. From the LCARS interface to the Enterprise-D, the Voyager control panels to the Titan-A’s rebirth—and...

In Episode 2 of Voyager – The Greatest Voyages, we welcome special guests Ashlyn Gelman and Rhianna Fields from The Duras Sisters Podcast to explore two of Star Trek: Voyager’s most ambitious two-parters. First, we dive into “Future’s End” (S3E8 & S3E9) — a wild time-travel adventure that drops the crew into 1996 Los Angeles, complete with hacker villains, camcorders, and classic Trek commenta...

In this special episode of The Clonestar Podcast, Mike and Jodi sit down with the brilliant Elizabeth Dennehy, the actress behind one of Star Trek’s most memorable guest characters—Lieutenant Commander Shelby. From her fiery debut in The Best of Both Worlds, where she went head-to-head with Commander Riker during the Borg crisis, to her powerful return as Admiral Shelby in Star Trek: Picard Season...