Australian-Italian artist, writer, producer, designer and musician Albert C.W. Chessa has conversations with people across the worlds of art, interactive media, film, television, music, and related disciplines.
Darren Jacobs is a British actor, voice artist, writer and performance-capture performer best known for bringing Heartman to life in Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. Born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, Jacobs began his career in the performing arts before developing a wide-ranging body of work across stage, film, television, animation and games. As Heartman, whose appearance is based on filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn, Jacobs provided the character’s distinctive voice and performance, becoming part of one of modern gaming’s most unusual ensembles. His interactive work also includes Stratos in Starfield, Varros in Game of Thrones: Kingsroad and John Constantine in DC: Dark Legion, while his screen and voice credits extend to Castlevania: Nocturne, Rebel Moon, Ford v Ferrari and numerous ADR performances. Across mediums, Jacobs has built a career around character, physicality and an unusually versatile command of voice.
5 Oct 2026
Daniel Roebuck | The Albert Chessa Network #11
Daniel Roebuck is an American actor, writer, director and producer best known for a remarkably varied career across film, television and games, including The Fugitive, Lost and the Star Wars Jedi series. After emerging as the troubled Samson in River’s Edge, Roebuck became a prolific character actor, playing Deputy Marshal Robert Biggs alongside Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive and reprising the role in U.S. Marshals. His television work ranges from Matlock and his acclaimed portrayal of Jay Leno in The Late Shift to Dr. Leslie Arzt, the memorably ill-fated science teacher of Lost. Roebuck has also become closely associated with horror through repeated collaborations with Rob Zombie and Don Coscarelli. More recently, he brought warmth, humour and irascible charm to Greez Dritus in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor. Across four decades, Roebuck has built a career around distinctive supporting characters whose personalities often extend far beyond their screen time.
23 Sept 2026
Alexander O. Smith | The Albert Chessa Network #10
Alexander O. Smith is a writer, translator and localization director best known for shaping the English-language voices of acclaimed Japanese games including Vagrant Story, Final Fantasy XII and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. After studying classical Japanese literature at Harvard, Smith joined Square’s emerging localization team, developing an approach that treated translation as creative adaptation rather than literal substitution. He later established Kajiya Productions with fellow translator Joseph Reeder, extending his work across games, novels, manga and song lyrics. From the theatrical language of Ivalice to the humour and wordplay of Ace Attorney, Smith’s scripts preserve the character of their originals while allowing them to live naturally in English. Through translation, voice direction and narrative design, he has become one of the medium’s most distinctive interpreters of language, culture and authored worlds.
31 Aug 2026
Nick Suttner | The Albert Chessa Network #9
Nick Suttner is a writer, podcaster and game-industry advocate best known for his thoughtful work on distinctive, auteur-driven games, including Shadow of the Colossus and The Last Guardian: An Extraordinary Story. Beginning as a games journalist at EGM and 1UP.com, Suttner later worked in developer relations at PlayStation, helping champion independent creators and unusual projects. His books combine close observation, interviews and personal reflection, treating games as authored works shaped by design, place and feeling. From his Boss Fight Books study of Shadow of the Colossus to his work on Future Press’s extensive Last Guardian companion, Suttner has repeatedly returned to Fumito Ueda’s worlds and their creative histories. Through writing, podcasting and advocacy, he has become a distinctive interpreter of games as interactive art, craft and deeply lived experience.
15 Aug 2026
Randall Lobb | The Albert Chessa Network #8
Randall Lobb is a Canadian writer, director and producer best known for his deeply researched pop-culture documentaries through Definitive Film, including Turtle Power: The Definitive History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Power of Grayskull. Based in Ontario, Lobb developed an approach rooted in research, intimate interviews and fan-led storytelling, treating comics, cinema and fantasy worlds as cultural history. His projects range from A Riddle of Steel, exploring Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian, to The Crystal Calls, his behind-the-scenes film on Netflix’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Across these works, he foregrounds the artists, writers, performers and collectors who sustain beloved franchises. Through curiosity, depth and an instinct for the human stories beneath nostalgia, Lobb has become a distinctive chronicler of modern fandom and popular mythology.
15 Aug 2026
Richey Beckett | The Albert Chessa Network #7
Richey Beckett is a Welsh artist, illustrator and designer best known for his richly ornamental monochrome work and long-running collaborations with bands including Mastodon, Deftones and Baroness. Raised in Wales, Beckett developed a distinctive visual language rooted in mythology, medieval engraving, folklore, sacred iconography and Art Nouveau draftsmanship, producing artwork that feels simultaneously ancient, ceremonial and intensely modern. Working across album packaging, posters, publishing, apparel and fine art, his compositions are recognised for their dense linework, symbolic precision and immersive worldbuilding. Beyond music, Beckett’s practice extends into gallery work, literary illustration and independent printmaking, with an emphasis on craftsmanship and traditional ink techniques. Through meticulous detail and a deeply mythic sensibility, he has become one of the most recognisable and influential visual artists working within contemporary heavy music culture.
22 Apr 2026
Skinner (@theartofSkinner) | The Albert Chessa Network #6
Skinner is an American artist, illustrator and animator best known for his vividly detailed “psychedelic nightmare” imagery and collaborations with bands like Mastodon. Born in California, he left his job during the 2008 economic downturn to pursue art full-time, using the moment as a test of resilience that quickly evolved into a prolific, multidisciplinary career spanning painting, sculpture, installations and international exhibitions. Expanding beyond static imagery, Skinner has collaborated with filmmaker Phil Tippett and directed music videos for Mastodon, alongside work in live animation, writing and production. With a practice rooted in exploration and collaboration, he continues to build immersive, surreal worlds that feel both deeply personal and unmistakably singular within contemporary art and animation.
13 Apr 2026
Myles Langlois (@myleslanglois) | The Albert Chessa Network #5
Myles Langlois is a Canadian animator, writer, voice actor and director best known as the creator of Apollo Gauntlet. Born in Winnipeg, he first developed the cult series as an independent web project for the Rug Burn YouTube channel before adapting it into an Adult Swim original in 2017. Known for his offbeat humour, retro-inspired visuals and distinctive voice work, Langlois has built a reputation for creating strange, inventive animated worlds that feel both handmade and deeply original. His work blends deadpan comedy, surreal fantasy and a strong DIY sensibility that has made him a distinctive voice in contemporary animation.
6 Feb 2026
Kyle Card (@TheOnsenGuy) | The Albert Chessa Podcast #4
Kyle Card (@TheOnsenGuy) is a Canadian actor and television presenter based in Japan, known for his work in Japanese film, series and interactive media, as well as his reporting for NHK World, and his YouTube series exploring Japan’s onsen culture.
Follow Kyle at these outlets:
instagram.com/bakairu (http://instagram.com/bakairu)
youtube.com/@TheOnsenGuy (http://youtube.com/@TheOnsenGuy)
29 Sept 2024
Duncan Birnie (@DuncanBirnie) | The Albert Chessa Podcast #3
Duncan Birnie (@DuncanBirnie) discusses his craft, photography and camera work, both physical and digital.
https://www.duncanbirnie.tv
https://www./albertchessa.com.
Horizon Zero Dawn remake launches October 31, 2024.
The Albert Chessa Podcast (2014-2024) is a collection of conversations between Australian-Italian writer-illustrator Albert Chessa and figures across the worlds of art, interactive, music, filmmaking, wellbeing and more.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:08 Duncan discusses his kinship with photography
#duncanbirnie #photography
11 May 2024
Sarah Blakey (@NazFXStudios) | The Albert Chessa Podcast #2
Sarah Blakey (@NazFXStudios) discusses her kinship with the works of Fumito Ueda.
facebook.com/nazfxstudios
albertchessa.com
Ueda’s The Last Guardian turns 8 on 5 December, 2016.
The Albert Chessa Podcast is brought to you by you, the listeners. If you like what you hear or see, head over to Patreon.com/AlbertChessa and become a patron today. Perks include access to shows and week earlier via unlisted links, annual stickers, custom gifts, and much more.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:08 Sarah discusses her relationship with Ueda’s work
#fumitoueda #ueda #sotc #thelastguardian #sarahblakey #podcast #nazfx
21 Apr 2024
Philip Mitchell (@DarkCrystalPodcast) | The Albert Chessa Podcast #1
Philip Mitchell (@DarkCrystalPodcast) discusses the possibility of a Dark Crystal RPG and much more.
darkcrystalpodcast.com
albertchessa.com
Henson’s ‘Ideas Man’ documentary releases on May 31, 2024.
The Albert Chessa Podcast is brought to you by you, the listeners. If you like what you hear or see, head over to Patreon.com/AlbertChessa and become a patron today. Perks include access to shows and week earlier via unlisted links, annual stickers, custom gifts, and much more.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:14 Albert introduces the show topic
00:20 Phil talks about the Dark Crystal Apple II game
01:10 Phil talks about staying in touch with the inner child
02:07 Phil talks about The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths
03:04 Finding the right ‘armature’ for a Dark Crystal Open World RPG
05:01 Phil discusses ‘Breath of the Crystal’
06:00 The possible timing of ‘Breath of the Crystal’s release
07:22 Phil’s growing Dark Crystal community, ‘Dreamfasting’ on Facebook
08:25 What would you want out of BOTC’s gameplay
09:25 When in the timeline to set BOTC
11:00 Exploring the idea of gathering a party in BOTC
12:40 Discussing abilities you’d have in the game
19:19 What to take from the Shadow of War games for BOTC
22:22 Hyping out about The Age of Resistance
27:25 Henson’s Oscars epiphany of a ‘choose-your-own-adventure film’
30:20 The skeleton of BOTC is established
32:55 Update on the ‘create a Dark Crystal creature’ contest
34:40 The Dark Crystal’s blurred lines between community and creators
36:04 Landstrider racing as a mini game (like FF7’s Chocobo racing)
36:40 Voice acting in BOTC
39:35 What to take from Assassin’s Creed for BOTC
44:00 What to take from Ghost of a Tale for BOTC
44:45 BOTC’s Collector’s Edition
49:10 Phil shares details on socials, signs off
50:00 End of show
#thedarkcrystal #darkcrystal #henson #jimhenson #tiktok #podcast #darkcrystalrpg
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Apple Podcasts (US)
3.0 / 5
2 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
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