Talking Apes
About Talking Apes Podcast
Welcome to TALKING APES – where we take a look at the unsung PLANET OF THE APES TV series from 1974. Every episode of TALKING APES delves into an episode of the PLANET OF THE APES TV Series, with plenty of quotes, audio and social commentary pulled from each show. Now we talk with luminaries that worked on PLANET OF THE APES. Hosted by Richard Woloski (Skywalking through Neverland and Classic Marvel Star Wars Comics) and Kevin Toft (of Collect-Opolis and The Max EFX Podcast).
Talking Apes is available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Amazon Music, Spotify and dozens of additional podcast directories accessible around the world.
About the Hosts
Richard Woloski

I remember watching the Planet of the Apes CBS series in my grandparents kitchen on their 13″ black and white TV every Friday night from September to December 1974. The series had a faster pace than the films, and a MEGO toy line which was very important at that age. The series served as a gateway to the films which played just about every Saturday on WLVI-TV 56 in Boston. And the more I saw them the more I was beginning to understand that there was a message buried in the plot.
But after Star Wars was released in 1977, all my other fandom took a backseat. Then in 1996, AMC ran a marathon of the classic films and I was instantly hooked again. Being much older I was able to see them in a whole new way and I as able to understand the social impact. and it was around this time I was meeting the actors and make-up artists at conventions and getting to know the filmmaking process the way I had dug deep into the making of Star Wars. I was even Linda Harrison’s pen pal for a while.
Fast forward to 2014. I knew the Apes TV series had been released on DVD, and I was afraid to watch it. As I’ve learned, some things are better left in the past. But I loved the series as a kid and I love nostalgia. But still I was conflicted. A year prior, my wife Sarah and I started up the podcast, Skywalking Through Neverland. Now, what if I turned my Apes rewatch into a podcast? There were other podcasts that had broken down and analyzed the films but none had done it with the TV series. It was all adding up. So I talked my friend Mark Oguschewitz into joining me in this “podcast miniseries” and we broke down the live action series. That lead into breaking down the animated series. That lead into an interview format show where we had guests such as Dana Gould, Bobby Porter, and the crew behind the documentary Making Apes.
With my new co-host, Kevin Toft, we’ve talked with entertainment icon Paul Williams who shared exclusive stories from his Apes film, Battle for the Planet of the Apes, not heard anywhere else. Now we plan to keep the classic Apes era alive and build a fan community through Talking Apes.
Kevin Toft

From the very first Planet of the Apes movie with gorillas and rifles on horseback, I was hooked. I enjoyed the following movie sequels, which were each more impressive than the next, and the subsequent TV series. I love the design work involved in creating the Ape culture which has inspired my design and art over the years, and was instrumental in my decision to become a designer and graphic artist.
Continuing on my journey, I’ve held creative positions in advertising, stage crew and scenic painting with the Pageant of the Masters (in Laguna Beach, CA), video game production at Virgin Games and at Sony where I was a member of the launch team for the PlayStation. Currently, I am a visual designer focusing on UIUX. I have been fortunate to meet amazing people in the visual effects industry, including many of my heroes that have worked on major films with ILM (Industrial Light Magic). I assisted on the set of the film Wild, Wild West, was a production assistant with Kiefer Sutherland’s, and Deadman’s Party, an Oingo Boingo tribute band.
As a fan of Science Fiction and an admirer of fantastic design, I collect all manners of art, models, and books. I enjoy going to conventions, visiting with old friends, and making new ones! Now, as the host of the MAX EFX Podcast, Collect-Opolis and Talking Apes, I have the chance to explore fandom in an entirely new way! I am so happy to be doing this and am super grateful to Richard and Sarah Woloski for welcoming me into the amazing world of podcasting.
Patrick Izzo

I was 2 1/2 years old in 1977 when my dad took me to see Star Wars. From that point forward, I was hooked on Sci-Fi. I discovered Planet of the Apes around 1981 or 82, but it wasn’t the movies that I had found at that time, it was the 1974 TV series where episodes had been repurposed into TV mini-movies. Every summer in the early 80’s they reran these mini-movies like “Treachery & Greed on the Planet of the Apes” and “Life, Liberty & Pursuit on the Planet of the Apes” and I looked forward to following the adventures of Pete, Alan & Galen each summer. It wasn’t until later that I discovered the Planet of the Apes movies which just fueled my love for the franchise further. Fast forward decades later and I was searching the net for info about the TV series as it seemed to me that it was almost forgotten as it hadn’t been on broadcast TV for years, it wasn’t streaming anywhere, etc. Was this a fever dream or did I really remember that show? It was then that I stumbled upon the Facebook page for Talking Apes, at that time called Talking Apes TV, and was thrilled to find that there were other people who were not only fans but were actively discussing the series and breaking down each episode! I became an avid listener and contributor to the show and was eventually asked to take over as the Talking Apes Facebook Administrator.
Other than Sci-Fi, I’m a huge Philadelphia sports fan cheering on the Flyers, Eagles & Phillies every year. I’ve been a “metal head” since I was a teenager picking up a guitar at 16 finding inspiration from some of my favorite bands like Van Halen, Metallica, Megadeth, etc and spent a few years slowly piecing together a replica of Eddie Van Halen’s 5150 guitar. I’m also a craft beer aficionado and love visiting locally owned breweries in the area.
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Social Media and Contact Info for Talking Apes
CONTACT US
- Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1232735833733071
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/123450949603041
- Send emails to share@skywalkingthroughneverland.com