Writer/Producer Koji Steven Sakai is the founder of Little Nalu Pictures LLC. He has written seven feature films that have been produced, including, most recently, The Commando, a feature film starring Michael Jai White and Mickey Rourke. He also produced five feature films; a one-hour comedy special on Starz, Comedy InvAsian, a television series featuring the nation’s top Asian American comedians; and Brash Girls Club, a limited comedy series which premiered on Tubi TV.
Koji’s debut novel, Romeo & Juliet Vs. Zombies (paperback/audiobook); his graphic novel, 442 (online and in print); his newest novel, Zombie Run (print and ebook); and his newest graphic novel, Santa Vs. Zombies, was released in print this past winter.
In addition to his writing, he produces and hosts three podcasts; Guy Code; Best OR Worst Podcast with M. Martin Mapoma; and Midnight Watchers with Quentin Lee and Jennifer Field.
He is currently a screenwriting instructor at UCLA Extensions, New York Film Academy in Burbank, and Chapman University.
Host Koji Steven Sakai talks to his son’s baseball coach Angel S Ramirez for some life (baseball) advice. Angel talks about giving 100 percent—even when people aren’t watching—taking care of what you can, girls, and more!
Koji wanted to impart all of his “wisdom” to his son. But of course, his son already thinks he knows more than me. So instead of trying to tell him now and having it go in one ear and out the other, he decided to record them here with the hopes that maybe… just maybe… when he’s ready he’ll listen to his advice in the future and not make the same stupid mistakes he did. He’ll also bring on guests to impart their advice as well. Koji has no doubt their advice will be better than his.
This week hosts Koji Steven Sakai and M. Martin Mapoma brought on filmmaker Kipp Tribble. In this first episode of the week, we got to know him and found how he got his start in the film industry and much more.
Also, just a heads up, we call this episode #84, it’s really #85. Our apologies for any confusion.
Guest
Kipp Tribble is a prolific writer, producer, and director. Some of the more recent films include, The Stay (2020), Char Man (2019) and Reboot Camp (2020). You can follow Kipp on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/kippdiddy/?hl=en
Our society is so focused on celebrity, we sometimes forget that “regular” people lead interesting lives too! Best or worst moment of your life? Hosts Koji Steven Sakai and M. Martin Mapoma are here to let your story out. We put people on the spot. What are you going to hear? It could be funny, it could be poignant, it could be sad… you’ll know when we know.
Best or Worst is a twice-weekly podcast. On Tuesdays, we get to know our guests and on Thursdays, we find out their best or worst moment.
This week hosts Koji Steven Sakai and M. Martin Mapoma brought on actor Tim Chiou In this second episode, we put him on the spot and asked him about the best OR worst day of his life. His answer involved a UCLA NCAA tournament game and almost got him sent to jail.
Guest
Tim Chiou is a Taiwanese-American actor who has played a number of television and film roles. He most notably played the reoccurring role of the venture capitalist Ed Chen on Season 4 of HBO’s Silicon Valley. You can follow him on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/timchiou/?hl=en
Our society is so focused on celebrity, we sometimes forget that “regular” people lead interesting lives too! Best or worst moment of your life? Hosts Koji Steven Sakai and M. Martin Mapoma are here to let your story out. We put people on the spot. What are you going to hear? It could be funny, it could be poignant, it could be sad… you’ll know when we know.
Best or Worst is a twice-weekly podcast. On Tuesdays, we get to know our guests and on Thursdays, we find out their best or worst moment.
This week Koji was on solo duty and it’s probably a good thing because this topic is something that makes him super uncomfortable. This week he gave his son 11 pieces of advice around sex. Our favorite was his first… to masturbate regularly. Check out the whole episode (which is super short) to find out the other ten!
Koji wanted to impart all of his “wisdom” to his son. But of course, his son already thinks he knows more than me. So instead of trying to tell him now and having it go in one ear and out the other, he decided to record them here with the hopes that maybe… just maybe… when he’s ready he’ll listen to his advice in the future and not make the same stupid mistakes he did. He’ll also bring on guests to impart their advice as well. Koji has no doubt their advice will be better than his.
This week hosts Koji Steven Sakai and M. Martin Mapoma brought on actor Tim Chiou. In this first episode of the week, we got to know him and found how he got into acting and the stresses of being an Asian American student trying to get good grades.
Guest
Tim Chiou is a Taiwanese-American actor who has played a number of television and film roles. He most notably played the reoccurring role of the venture capitalist Ed Chen on Season 4 of HBO’s Silicon Valley. You can follow him on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/timchiou/?hl=en
Our society is so focused on celebrity, we sometimes forget that “regular” people lead interesting lives too! Best or worst moment of your life? Hosts Koji Steven Sakai and M. Martin Mapoma are here to let your story out. We put people on the spot. What are you going to hear? It could be funny, it could be poignant, it could be sad… you’ll know when we know.
Best or Worst is a twice-weekly podcast. On Tuesdays, we get to know our guests and on Thursdays, we find out their best or worst moment.
This week Koji brought on actor Jennifer Yun or some life advice for his son. Jennifer talked about the importance of grit, listening to different music, and the importance of learning. We also spent time at the end talking about picking the right traveling partner.
Koji wanted to impart all of his “wisdom” to his son. But of course, his son already thinks he knows more than me. So instead of trying to tell him now and having it go in one ear and out the other, he decided to record them here with the hopes that maybe… just maybe… when he’s ready he’ll listen to his advice in the future and not make the same stupid mistakes he did. He’ll also bring on guests to impart their advice as well. Koji has no doubt their advice will be better than his.
This week hosts Koji Steven Sakai and M. Martin Mapoma brought on writer and playwright G. Riley Mills. In this second episode, we put him on the spot and asked him about the best OR worst day of their life. Gary’s best or worst was a great story about dreams and what happens when we get our hopes get up.
Guest
G. Riley Mills is the cofounder of Pinnacle Performance Company and co-author of The Pin Drop Principle (with David Lewis) and has taught effective communication to executives and CEOs across the globe.
As a writer, Mills has twice been awarded the Joseph Jefferson Citation (Chicago’s Tony Award) for Best New Work. His first book, Sawdust and Spangles (written with Grammy-nominated musician Ralph Covert) won a 2007 NAPPA Honor Award; their follow-up project A Nutty Nutcracker Christmas was nominated for a 2012 Distinguished Play Award by the American Alliance for Theatre & Education and was profiled in USA Today and on ABC News: Nightline. They were nominated for a 2013 Distinguished Play Award by the AATE for their acclaimed musical, The Hundred Dresses, which premiered off-Broadway at the Atlantic Theatre Company in New York City in 2012.
As a professional actor, Mills last appeared at Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago. Television credits include episodes of ER, Early Edition, and Missing Persons. Film credits include lead roles in The Home Coming (World Wide Pictures) and 35 Miles from Normal, which premiered at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival. A member of the Screen Actors Guild, Mills recently cofounded a not-for-profit company called The Bookwallah Organization, whose sole mission is to collect storybooks and set up libraries in orphanages around the world (www.bookwallah.org).
Our society is so focused on celebrity, we sometimes forget that “regular” people lead interesting lives too! Best or worst moment of your life? Hosts Koji Steven Sakai and M. Martin Mapoma are here to let your story out. We put people on the spot. What are you going to hear? It could be funny, it could be poignant, it could be sad… you’ll know when we know.
Best or Worst is a twice-weekly podcast. On Tuesdays, we get to know our guests and on Thursdays, we find out their best or worst moment.
This week hosts Koji Steven Sakai and M. Martin Mapoma brought on filmmaker and musicians Robyn Rosenkrantz and Michael Glover. In this second episode, we put them on the spot and asked them about the best OR worst day of their life. They’re answer involved meeting people from a planned community created by Mussolini—yes, that Mussolini!
Guest
After 7 feature films, a dozen CDs, and 30 years on the road, award-winning filmmakers & musicians Bright Blue Gorilla have plenty of entertaining stories to share. Producer Robyn Rosenkrantz and Director Michael Glover have been charming audiences around the world since 1990 when they quit their L.A. jobs, sold everything they had (except their guitars) and bought one-way tickets to Europe. They’ve been performing & traveling ever since and are still going strong! Their movies have been on Netflix and are currently available worldwide on iTunes, Amazon, and other platforms.
Our society is so focused on celebrity, we sometimes forget that “regular” people lead interesting lives too! Best or worst moment of your life? Hosts Koji Steven Sakai and M. Martin Mapoma are here to let your story out. We put people on the spot. What are you going to hear? It could be funny, it could be poignant, it could be sad… you’ll know when we know.
Best or Worst is a twice-weekly podcast. On Tuesdays, we get to know our guests and on Thursdays, we find out their best or worst moment.
This week Koji brought on actor Kelvin Han Yee for some life advice for his son. Kelvin talked about the importance of making beds, metaphors, grief and loss, love, and so much more. One of our longest and (in our humble opinion) one of our best episodes.
Guest
Kelvin Han Yee is an actor. He currently lives in Southern California. You can see his work at https://www.kelvinhanyee.com/.
Koji wanted to impart all of his “wisdom” to his son. But of course, his son already thinks he knows more than me. So instead of trying to tell him now and having it go in one ear and out the other, he decided to record them here with the hopes that maybe… just maybe… when he’s ready he’ll listen to his advice in the future and not make the same stupid mistakes he did. He’ll also bring on guests to impart their advice as well. Koji has no doubt their advice will be better than his.
This week hosts Koji Steven Sakai and M. Martin Mapoma brought on filmmaker and musicians Robyn Rosenkrantz and Michael Glover. In this first episode of the week, we got to know them and talked about how they met, their newest film (36 Husbands), and their unique careers.
Guest
After 7 feature films, a dozen CDs, and 30 years on the road, award-winning filmmakers & musicians Bright Blue Gorilla have plenty of entertaining stories to share. Producer Robyn Rosenkrantz and Director Michael Glover have been charming audiences around the world since 1990 when they quit their L.A. jobs, sold everything they had (except their guitars) and bought one-way tickets to Europe. They’ve been performing & traveling ever since and are still going strong! Their movies have been on Netflix and are currently available worldwide on iTunes, Amazon, and other platforms.
Our society is so focused on celebrity, we sometimes forget that “regular” people lead interesting lives too! Best or worst moment of your life? Hosts Koji Steven Sakai and M. Martin Mapoma are here to let your story out. We put people on the spot. What are you going to hear? It could be funny, it could be poignant, it could be sad… you’ll know when we know.
Best or Worst is a twice-weekly podcast. On Tuesdays, we get to know our guests and on Thursdays, we find out their best or worst moment.
Koji Steven Sakai 