Q with Tom Power CBC Arts & Entertainment

Geoff McFetridge has been called “the most famous Canadian artist you’ve never heard of.” As a graphic artist and painter, he’s collaborated with directors such as Spike Jonze and Sofia Coppola, designed for brands like Nike and Apple, and created huge murals for Ottawa’s transit system. In a rare interview, Geoff tells Tom how the DIY culture of skateboarding in Calgary influenced him to get into art, how he ended up designing the Beastie Boys’ Grand Royal magazine, and how he keeps one foot in the world of art galleries and one foot in the world of corporate design. 

After working at some of the biggest animation studios in the world and breaking out with her own art, the Canadian cartoonist Aminder Dhaliwal is reflecting on what it means to protect your creativity (and your sanity) in a world that’s always demanding that we work harder and faster. The result is her new graphic novel, “A Witch’s Guide to Burning,” which tells a fairy tale-like story about how to find your magic again when you’re feeling burnt out. Aminder talks to Tom about the book and what burnout feels like to her.

The director Tarsem Singh first made a name for himself in the ‘90s making iconic music videos for bands like R.E.M. and Dream Warriors. In 2000, he captured moviegoers' imaginations with the sci-fi thriller, “The Cell,” starring Jennifer Lopez. His latest movie, “Dear Jassi,” is based on the real-life story of Jassi Sidhu, a young Sikh woman from Vancouver who was kidnapped and murdered while visiting the man she secretly married against the wishes of her family. Tarsem sits down with Tom to talk about this tragic love story, and why it was also pretty personal to him.

After blowing up on TikTok, the rising Canadian pop star Alexander Stewart has now released his debut album, “bleeding heart.” He sits down with Tom to discuss his journey, writing songs about eating disorders and body dysmorphia, how devastated he was when his voice changed, and how Shawn Mendes’s singing coach took him under his wing.

The Australian director George Miller made his name with the post-apocalyptic “Mad Max” film trilogy that he launched 45 years ago. In 2015, he revived the franchise with a fourth film, “Fury Road,” which won six Oscars and introduced the character of Furiosa. Now, George has created a new film in the franchise that focuses on Furiosa’s origin story. He sits down with Tom to discuss “Furiosa” and his evolution as a filmmaker through the entire “Mad Max” franchise. 

The director Jane Schoenbrun first became known for their 2021 movie “We're All Going to the World's Fair,” which tapped into a teenaged fascination with the culture of viral memes. Now, Jane has made a new film called “I Saw the TV Glow,” which follows two suburban teens who get emotionally enmeshed in a fictional ‘90s TV show called The Pink Opaque. The result is a moody investigation of identity, growing up and making decisions about who you want to be. Jane talks to Tom about how this film relates to transness, why ‘90s TV has a special place in the film, and their own experience getting intertwined in TV shows as they grew up.