Pixel Retentive Podcast

In this episode of the Pixel Retentive Podcast, Carl sits down with James L. Sanders III, veteran AAA VFX artist, whose career spans more than two decades creating unforgettable visuals for franchises like Borderlands, Days Gone, Ashes of Creation, and many more. Together they explore how iconic games are built, why great visual effects are about gameplay—not spectacle—and what it really takes to...

In this episode of the Pixel Retentive Podcast, Carl sits down with A. Khedron DeLeon, engineer-turned-writer and narrative designer, and one of the creative leaders behind Vampire: The Masquerade – Reawakened—an ambitious fan-made recreation of the cult classic RPG built entirely within Skyrim's Creation Kit. Together they explore what it takes to revive a beloved game, build a global volunteer d...

In this episode of the Pixel Retentive Podcast, Carl sits down with legendary graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister to explore why now is better than most people believe. From award-winning album covers for The Rolling Stones and Talking Heads to groundbreaking exhibitions, TED Talks, and his latest book Now is Better , Stefan shares how design can shape not just what we see—but how we think about th...

In this episode of the Pixel Retentive Podcast, Carl sits down with Eduardo Gonzalez, Head of Art at Super Evil Mega Corp, to explore what separates memorable game worlds from truly legendary ones. Having helped shape iconic franchises including League of Legends, Arcane, God of War, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate, Eduardo shares how worldbuilding becomes the foundation for scal...

In this episode of the Pixel Retentive Podcast , Carl sits down with Ryan Canuel , CEO and co-founder of Petricore , an award-winning game studio building innovative experiences across augmented reality, virtual reality, and emerging gaming platforms. Since founding the studio in 2015, Ryan has helped Petricore create immersive experiences for partners including Meta, Google, Scholastic, Bose, and...

In this episode of the Pixel Retentive Podcast , Carl sits down with Trevor Davis , founder of Trevor Joey Development , a Roblox game development studio specializing in immersive experiences, scalable game systems, and branded virtual worlds. At just 20 years old, Trevor has already spent over 11 years building games on Roblox, transforming a childhood hobby into a thriving business working with...

In this episode of the Pixel Retentive Podcast, Carl sits down with Kay Gruenwoldt , co-founder of Magic Fractal and a veteran game industry executive with more than 30 years of experience building game studios across Europe and the United States. From creating Doom levels in the early days of PC gaming to leading teams at PlayStation and helping develop more than 50 games, Kay shares what it real...

In this episode of the Pixel Retentive Podcast, Carl sits down with Eric Koziel, Director of Systems and Product at Azra Games, MIT engineer, cybersecurity researcher, speedrunning expert, and author of Speedrun Science, to explore the hidden systems that make video games work. Eric shares how a lifelong fascination with understanding games evolved into a career designing them, revealing how rever...

In this episode of the Pixel Retentive Podcast, Carl sits down with Richard Foos , co-founder of Rhino Records and Shout! Factory , to explore how a small record store evolved into one of the most influential forces in preserving music, television, and film history. Richard shares the unlikely journey from opening a struggling record store near UCLA in the 1970s to pioneering the reissue music bus...

In this episode of the Pixel Retentive Podcast, Carl sits down with Chris Hewish , gaming industry executive, strategist, and business leader whose career spans companies including Games Workshop, Activision, DreamWorks, and Xsolla . From starting in the mailroom at Games Workshop with an unforgettable Warhammer-inspired application letter to helping shape global game publishing, monetization, and...

In this episode of the Pixel Retentive Podcast, Carl sits down with Cameron Dayton , acclaimed creative and narrative director whose career spans more than two decades across some of the most influential franchises in gaming, including Overwatch, Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, NBA 2K, and Infinity Blade . From helping found Chair Entertainment alongside future Fortnite creative director Donald M...

In this episode of the Pixel Retentive Podcast, Carl sits down with Andrey Yevdokimov , Facility Animation Supervisor at CG Factory, whose remarkable career spans nearly three decades and some of the world's most recognized entertainment projects. From teaching himself animation in post-Soviet Russia with virtually no resources to working on blockbuster films and major game franchises, Andrey shar...

In this special episode of the Pixel Retentive Podcast, Carl sits down with creative power couple Fred Seibert and Robin Seibert for an intimate conversation about creativity, reinvention, parenting, partnership, and building a meaningful life. Together, they reflect on more than three decades of marriage, groundbreaking careers in animation and music, and the lessons they've learned while navigat...

In this episode of the Pixel Retentive Podcast, Carl sits down with Chris Overlay, founder and CEO of GetHoptimized, to unpack the science and strategy behind turning marketing spend into measurable ROI. Chris shares lessons from more than a decade in digital marketing, helping craft beverage brands, breweries, and small businesses build high-performing advertising systems that drive real business...

In this episode of the Pixel Retentive Podcast, Carl sits down with Corbin Reeves, game designer, educator, and founder of Azure Ravens Entertainment, to explore what it really takes to build a sustainable indie game studio in an industry known for volatility, uncertainty, and relentless competition. Over the past decade, Corbin has built Azure Ravens into a thriving co-development studio that has...

In this episode of the Pixel Retentive Podcast, Carl sits down with Cheryl Platz, founder of Idea Platz, author, strategist, game development leader, and one of the industry's most respected voices on sustainable game development and player experience. With a career spanning Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Amazon, Riot Games, Disney Parks, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Carnegie Mellon, and The...

In this episode of the Pixel Retentive Podcast, Carl sits down with James Marcus, Art Director and Creative Leader at Snail Games USA, to explore the future of game art, creative careers, and what it means to thrive in an industry being reshaped by AI. Drawing on experience across gaming, immersive media, and teams connected to Sony, Riot, Technicolor, Blur Studio, and Snail Games, James shares hi...

In this episode of the Pixel Retentive Podcast, Carl sits down with Jennifer Magley, Chief Brand Officer of The Basketball League, former professional athlete, and creator of one of the most ambitious personal branding campaigns in recent memory. Jennifer shares the story behind her viral quest to land a spot on The Pat McAfee Show and how a simple idea evolved into a 365-day ambush marketing camp...

In this episode of the Pixel Retentive Podcast, Carl sits down with Andrew Perlmutter, CEO of NBA Take-Two Media (NBA T2), to explore how some of the world's most recognizable brands are transforming fan engagement, community building, and sports entertainment through participation. Andrew shares his journey from helping launch groundbreaking media ventures like Quartz and Stat News to leading NBA...

In this episode of the Pixel Retentive Podcast, Carl sits down with Paul Harvey, co-founder of Escape Mail, to explore what it really takes to pivot a hands-on escape room business into a global tabletop brand. Paul shares how Mobile Escape began as physical escape rooms built inside 30 foot trailers serving schools and corporate events, only to have the business shut down overnight when COVID hit...

In this episode of the Pixel Retentive Podcast, Carl sits down with Veronica Kido, award-winning publicist and founder of Kido Communications, to explore how strategic brand positioning earns real media attention. Veronica shares how her background in journalism shaped her approach to PR, why most companies misunderstand how media actually works, and how validation testing transforms branding from...

In this episode of the Pixel Retentive Podcast, Carl connects with Chris Zukowski, game marketing researcher and creator of howtomarketagame.com to unpack what it really takes to build a sustainable creative business without chasing social media vanity metrics. Chris shares his journey from corporate UX leadership roles at IBM, American Airlines, and Solera Health to becoming a full-time creator i...

In this episode of the Pixel Retentive Podcast, Carl sits down with Jonathan Domanus, founder of CardMill, to explore what it really takes to turn a personal frustration into a funded hardware startup. Jonathan shares how a lifelong love of Magic the Gathering led him to build an automated trading card scanner and sorter after realizing the only existing solutions cost upwards of $10,000. Armed wi...

In this episode, Carl sits down with Jonathan Grzybowski, CMO and co-founder of Penji, to unpack what it really takes to bootstrap and scale a global creative company without outside funding. With over 15 years in the industry, Jonathan shares his journey from launching a digital marketing agency in his early 20s to building Penji into an Inc. 5000 creative subscription service with 500+ team memb...

In this episode of the Pixel Retentive Podcast, Carl sits down with Justin Superstar Johnson — Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker, founder of BMP Creative, and creator of the AI-powered editorial tool Spooky Cutter. From editing wedding videos on stacked VHS decks in the late 90s to producing over 2,000 videos annually for Netflix, Justin shares how showing up on time, having a good attitude, and...