{"podcast":{"title":"The Pencil Pushers Podcast","slug":"the-pencil-pushers-podcast-1164975","podcast_index_feed_id":1164975,"rss_url":"https://pencilpusherspodcast.libsyn.com/rss","website_url":"http://pencilpusherspodcast.libsyn.com/website","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/b/c/4/4/bc44146b58c3e74316c3140a3186d450/PPP_CoverArt_Image_1.png","author":"Mike Rosado","episode_count":89,"summary":"The Pencil Pushers Podcast celebrates the art of hand-drawing. Produced by MRC Brand Design Studio, it features interviews with illustrators, animators, comic artists, and other talented individuals. Hosted by Mike Rosado, an artist, musician, and designer, the Podcast aims to showcase artists' work and provide insights into their creative process. Join Mike as he chats with his friends and idols in the world of illustration, animation, and comic art.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-28T06:22:19.380236+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-pencil-pushers-podcast-1164975"},"episode":{"title":"Armando 'Mondo' Roque: Toy Designer & Creative Director","slug":"armando-mondo-roque-toy-designer-creative-director","published_at":"2025-09-29T07:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-pencil-pushers-podcast-1164975/armando-mondo-roque-toy-designer-creative-director","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-pencil-pushers-podcast-1164975","url":"https://pencilpusherspodcast.libsyn.com/armando-mondo-roque-toy-designer-creative-director","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/pencilpusherspodcast/Mondo_draft.mp3?dest-id=1139948","summary":"Welcome to The Pencil Pushers Podcast. In this episode, I chat with the multitalented Armando \"Mondo\" Roque about his incredible journey from childhood robot doodles to designing iconic toys.Mondo takes us back to the '80s, reminiscing about sketching RoboTech battles as a kid and getting his start as a caricature artist at Knott's Berry Farm. He shares his winding educational path through multiple art schools and how he eventually made the leap from corporate graphic design to a creative role at By George Inc., where he helped develop standout projects like the animatronic Hero Droid BB-8.Now serving as the creative director of Dreams of Robots, Mondo blends nostalgia with innovation to craft unique art toys that speak to fans of all ages. His story is a reminder that chasing your passion can lead to professional success, and that choosing creativity over comfort can pay off in powerful ways. Host: Mike Rosado ( mrcraleigh.com ) ( instagram.com/ekimodasor ) Post Production: Max Trujillo ( instagram.com/trujillomedia ) Sponsors: MRC ( mrcraleigh.com ) and Burny Wild's ( burnywilds.com )","meta_description":"Welcome to The Pencil Pushers Podcast. In this episode, I chat with the multitalented Armando \"Mondo\" Roque about his incredible journey from childhood ro…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":5027,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-pencil-pushers-podcast-1164975/episodes/armando-mondo-roque-toy-designer-creative-director/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-pencil-pushers-podcast-1164975/armando-mondo-roque-toy-designer-creative-director.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}