#99 - Interview with Anime Scholar Helen McCarthy!

#99 - Interview with Anime Scholar Helen McCarthy!

Author: Third Impact Anime Podcast August 21, 2020 Duration: 1:50:46

We're back again with another interview! For this episode, Sully and Austin had the chance to sit down with noted anime scholar Helen McCarthy! Helen has been a pioneer in the English-speaking anime community for almost 40 years, having brought anime programming to UK sci-fi conventions, founding and editing Anime UK, and authoring over a dozen books on anime fandom and research. Helen co-authored the monumental Anime Encyclopedia with Jonathan Clements, now in its third edition, written one of the definitive biographies of the God of Manga, Osamu Tezuka, which was published in English, Japanese, and Korean, and had the chance to interview Hayao Miyaki in-person for her book Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation.

Sully and Austin reflect on Helen’s beginnings in anime fandom, what it took to publish the world’s largest English-language anime resource, and the importance of diverse voices in global anime scholarship. Helen also gives a sneak peak into her upcoming book: a collection of scholarly essays on the works of Leiji Matsumoto!

Show notes are available on our website: www.thirdimpactanime.com

More helpful links: https://linktr.ee/thirdimpactanime

Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/TI_Anime

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Stitcher | Podbean

Support on Ko-Fi | Patreon


Every other week, the conversation starts around a microphone with a group of longtime friends who have spent years hosting panels at anime conventions. Third Impact Anime Podcast is built from those late-night hotel lobby debates and packed conference room discussions, channeling that energy into a deep dive into the medium we love. This isn't just a review show; it's an exploration of the threads that connect classic series to today's trending hits, always with an eye on the artistic choices and cultural history that shape them. You'll hear us unpack new releases and revisit forgotten gems, share stories from the convention floor, and occasionally sit down with special guests from across the anime community. The result is a podcast that feels like hanging out with the most knowledgeable fans you know-the ones who can't help but talk a little too much about the details that make anime so compelling. Join us for a bi-weekly look at the artistry and passion that fuels this global phenomenon.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 188

Third Impact Anime Podcast
Podcast Episodes
#166 - Best Anime of 2025 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:14:42
While other podcasts did their end of year retrospective two months ago, why rush when you can take 3 months? In this episode, Sarah, Austin, Tori, and Bill break down the "best" anime of 2025, and by "best" we mean "the…
#164 - An Interview with Samantha Ferreira on Anime Herald Magazine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:14
Coming soon to a newsstand (meaning your mailbox or email inbox) near you; Anime Herald Magazine! Sully and Austin sit down with Samantha Ferreira, the founder and editor-in-chief of Anime Herald, to talk about her journ…
#163 - Halloween Special 2025: Pet Shop of Horrors (1999) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:34:30
Make sure to only give water and vegetables to all your trick or treaters this Halloween or terrible things could happen! Sully, Tori, and Austin present our 2025 Halloween episode with a review of the 4-episode anime se…
#162 - Mobile Suit Gundam: 08th MS Team feat. Coop (RiderStrike) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:23:00
At long last, after podcasting for 8 years and counting (wow...), we have finally gone and done it; we're reviewing some Mobile Suit Gundam. Since we are very sensible and reasonable folk at TIA, we thought we would star…