This is part 3 of your lit. rat’s “Critter Chat” interview with swine-feline duo, Swinebert Glockchester and Dempsey Woyzeck, from T.A.A. FM’s upcoming podcast series, “Swinebert & Dempsey.“
Swinebert: We’re also going to do more video for T.A.A.’s YouTube channel, I’m doing a solo video series called “Swinebert Says” where I riff on my life in minerature. I do that on me and D’s Twitter account sometimes, and use #SwinebertSays, when I can fit it in! (LOL)
Dempsey: For me, I’m also doing a similar solo videos series called
“Life According To Dempsey” where like Swinebert, I also riff on my life, but also share bits about my family I don’t always share in other channels.
I sometimes do on Twitter and use #LifeAccordingToDempsey,
and like S.B., I can’t always fit that hash tag in, and mine’s WAY longer!
(Forepaw to Forehead)
Taurean: I can relate, I’m always battling length and engagement on Twitter, so I hear you both on that! What else are you working on?
(Swinebert & Dempsey’s “Hog Wild World Tour”
[TEASER] – Talking Animal Addicts on YouTube)
Swinebert: We’re also working on our first web series that chronicles our “World Tour Holiday” we went on last year, and I know the production of that’s been slow on your end, but we know it’ll be worth the wait.
Dempsey: Right you are, S.B., this was not only a fun trip, but is also changed our family (incl. our humans) in BIG ways, and we can’t wait to share the amazing life changes that occured because of our trip last summer.
Taurean: Thanks so much for taking time to chat with me.
Swinebert: Our pleasure, you’re as much a part of our family as you are our director/producer/PR guy.
Dempsey: Agreed, we look forward to sharing more with T.A.A. in the near future.
Your lit. rat had the chance to interview two memebers of our growing extended family of in-house fantastic fauna.
Our favorite pig and cat duo, Swinebert Glockchester and Dempsey Woyzeck, from T.A.A. FM’s upcoming podcast series, “Swinebert & Dempsey.“
Taurean: It’s so great to finally have a proper interview with you guys.
Swinebert:Agreed, we’ve put this off for too long!
Dempsey: Truly, we’re looking forward to this.
Taurean: Okay, let’s get started. How did you two meet?
Swinebert: Our humans are friends, and decided to move in together, so by association, me and Dempsey became roomies.
Dempsey: We didn’t get along at first. We’d met many times before we all started living together.
But being in the same house meant the things we couldn’t stand about each other stood out more than when we only saw each other every now and then.
Taurean: What kind of things bugged you about each other?
Swinebert: Dempsey seemed like such a stick in the mud! He kept to himself a lot, always had his snout in a book, and didn’t say much to me, and when he did, it was usually because something I did was driving him nuts!
Dempsey: Swinebert has a very dynamic and impactful personality, as you well know…
His Brooklyn accent threw me for a loop in the beginning. He always sounded “angry” to me at first.
Now I know it’s just how he talks, and find it endearing.
Plus, once I knew how S.B. sounds when he’s actually angry, his normal speaking voice became all the more endearing to me.
Swinebert: Thanks, I think…
Taurean: What are your humans like? What do they do for a living?
(Swinebert’s Human: Ferenc Süto, left youth, right grown-up)
Swinebert: My human’s Ferenc Süto. He works in a café by day and goes to night school four times a week. His dream is to one day open his own restaurant.
Dempsey: My human’s Vermont, Vernie for short. He works in a bookstore. Like me he LOVES books!
He’s still not sure what he wants for a career, but his dream is to inspire teens who don’t read for fun, to learn that love for literature. He also works part-time at a pub once a week, usually a Friday.
Taurean: Dempsey, I know you’ve mentioned in videos recently you have a girlfriend. Mind sharing a bit about her?
(Cèline, Dempsey’s Girlfriend)
Dempsey: Sure! Cèline and I have been together almost 8 years. We first met at a pet parents potluck my human Vernie threw trying to connect with more pet parents to find potential pet-sitters for Swinebert and me in case our usual one can’t make it.
Swinebert: Cèline’s human became our back up pet-sitter, and she’ brought Cèline to our place. Her and D clicked *claps hooves* like that. She was kind of freaked out by me at first.
Being a city cat she’d never met a studly hog such as myself up close before. But we’re buds now.
Taurean: That’s good to know. Have you got a sweetheart of your own, Swinebert?
Swinebert: Not at the moment, but I hope that’’’ will change someday.
Dempsey: I know it will, S.B. Hang in there. It took me several years before Cèline and I met.
To be continued…
Check back next Sunday for part 2 of my chat with Swinebert and Dempsey…
You’ll learn more about their friends and family, their city/town, White Oak Acres, and what they’re planning just for T.A.A. fans!
Usually, Weekly Readings is when your lit. rat reviews a mix of picture books I’ve read here and there.
This week is a special edition of Weekly Readings, because we’re spotlighting two new voices in the fantastical fauna landscape who’ll be stopping by T.A.A. as part of their “Book Blasty Tour.”
Up to now, we’ve only reviewed picture books so far on T.A.A, but Weekly Readings is slowly expanding into middle grade (and some YA) novels, and we’re kicking that off right now-
The Perpetual Papers of the Pack of Pets/The Observations of the Obstreperous Animals
Katrina von Cat, The Master of Wisdom and knowledge, is used to being the center of her universe, but since the arrival of scrappy dog Stanley, Katrina’s universe has been starkly realigned, and she’s not happy about it!
Throw in the, aspiring astronaut, quirky alien obsessed Guinea pig next door, “Mr. Fluffypants” (but rather you address him as Zorg), and you’ve got recipe for mayhem, misadventures, and Shenanigans that make the legendary “Tom and Jerry” look like bosom buddies.
(Though thankfully, neither Stan nor Katrina can wield branding irons, swords or anvils at each other [far as I know], as I’m pretty sure their pet insurance doesn’t cover pet on pet warfare…)
Given the pet-centric trappings of these books, I decided I needed to get the pet perspective, and who better than T.A.A. FM’s own canine-feline duo, Guido & Bonnie (@GuidoandBonnie) to share their thoughts on the books-
First up, I’ve got to say I’m the luckiest dog in the world, I’ve got a great home, stellar food, and I actually love hanging with my feline right-paw, Bonnie, and reading the funny and offbeat misadventures of Stanley and Katrina reminds of how lucky I am.
Stanley, I know you and Katrina have issues co-mingling, and I so get it. When Bonnie and I first met, we did not get along, either.
But we found ways to make it work, and I’ll share with you (and any other internet-savvy dogs out there) some tips on inter-species bonding-
1. Find ONE thing you like about your pet roomie
(and ask yourself why)
For me, I like that Bonnie keeps me grounded, but still lets me express my craziest (and sometimes brilliant) ideas.
Because we wouldn’t be in the pet advice/entertaining business had we not met, and Bonnie was hesitant to put herself out there after being burnt out in her short stint as a show cat in the pageant circuit.
Having gone through it yourself you know it’s not for everyone.
The best part about working on our upcoming show is that we work with our team, we don’t have to dress up if we don’t want to, and we can set our own hours and pace.
You might want to ask Taurean J. Watkins (who works with Bonnie and me) about working with T.A.A. (He’s a very accommodating director/producer, always on the lookout for talent, he works a bit slow, but it’s always worth the wait!) Okay, back to the tips-
2. When you have a fight, try to see it from their POV (Point of
view)
This is common trait among writers such as ourselves, but also makes sense in relationships, especially inter-species relationships.
Bonnie likes to be laid back and pragmatic.
Whereas I’m the take charge, balls to the wall, Go-Getter type!
While that definitely leads to disagreement, we also benefit from it.
Bonnie’s learned from me to be a little more daring, and I learned from her to be more methodical in my ambitions.
We learned from each other the best parts of our POVs which might otherwise really annoy us about each other to better our relationship.
You and Katrina can do that, too.
3. Meet Each Other Half Way
Even though Bonnieand me are friends now, we also have things about each other that still get our dander up (and for us pets with fur, that play on words is SERIOUS business!)
That’s why we best describe our friendship as B.F.F.Bs
(Meaning: Best Friends Forever withBoundaries)
Setting up boundaries is vital for ANY relationship. but especially with those we spend the most time working and/or living with.
Since Bonnie and I live AND work together, we make the effort to respect the others quirks and ticks(and NOT the kind we call 1-800-
Bonnie likes to be as laid back and centered as possible, where I’m the happy-go-lucky, hyper-emotional type.
So when we both want to do something together, but can’t agree on how to do it, we meet halfway, so we each get a little of what we want. Hope those tips help you out, Stan (is it okay if I call you “Stan?”)
Like Guido said above, I too have a lot to be thankful for, my home, the great food, and my girl Andrea (the daughter of Guido’s human), and I’m equally thankful for Guido.
Katrina, I know living a dog can be vexing at times, and Guido and I do have our share of issues, but what makes our friendship work is that while we learned to enjoy being together, we need our time apart.
Often the hardest part about our friendship is that our (Same species) friends and family don’t get it.
My mom and Granny (my mom’s mom) are are très [very] Traditional when it comes to dogs.
They’re our sworn, genetic enemies and we must never submit to them! Whenever they come to visit us, Guido leaves the house howling in terror!
Keep in mind, this the same dog who once took a beating to protect yours truly from being catnapped by pet smugglers a few years back!
So he’s no coward, he just can’t stand the species bigotry comments my mom and Granny hiss out at Guido’s expense.
I know they had horrid experiences with dogs as kittens, but I wish they’d see Guido’s different.
You seem to share this view, Katrina, at least where Stanley’s concerned, but you do get on with this Henry, so perhaps you do see it can be on a canine by canine basis.
My kitty siblings and my dad are more accepting toward Guido.
By contrast, Guido’s doggy relations (outside his mother) have embraced me as one of their own, in fact, one his Guido’s brothers has a serious crush on me! (Secretly between us fellow felines, if he were a cat, I’d be so into him, but since he’s not, I don’t want to encourage him…)
Also, don’t forget to subscribe to their YouTube Channel, where you can find their Paw-some “Word of the Week” video series, in fact your lit. rat did one with Guido and Bonnie-
Finally, check out the fan book trailer we made to help spread the Good Word on Stanley and Katrina’s books-
NOTE FROM THE LITERARY RAT: If my ramblings convinced you to buy one or more of the books mentioned above, please support T.A.A. by clicking on the affiliate cover images above or links within the review(s).
