The Greg Laurie Show

Cartoonist Butch Hartman—creator of Nickelodeon's *The Fairly OddParents*—sits down with Greg to talk about a career built on drawing, storytelling, and eventually surrender. Butch traces his path from a chaotic Michigan childhood, where cartoons were a refuge, to CalArts, Hanna-Barbera, and the day Ted Turner told the staff they could pitch their own ideas. He explains why limited animation gave Fred Flintstone a five o'clock shadow, why confidence with ink matters more than talent, and why he left Nickelodeon in 2018 to build a studio around *The Garden*—a Christian series he self-funded when no one else would.
Along the way: how tithing broke a stronghold, why he and his wife now pastor a church that started under a tree, and his conviction that if God gives the vision, He gives the provision.
Timestamps
00:00 Prototype plush and the $8,000 Goofy maquette story
01:22 Meeting a fellow artist and Fairly OddParents' 18-year run
03:07 CalArts, Hanna-Barbera and the day Cartoon Network launched
05:16 How limited animation made TV cartoons possible
06:14 Discovering he could draw by tracing Peter Pan on a wall
07:41 Greg's chaotic childhood and the animator with the "magic pencil"
09:04 Butch's Michigan upbringing and retreating into cartoons
10:57 TV dads as father figures — Hugh Beaumont and Mike Brady
12:03 Yellow Dog, brush pens and Mad Magazine influences
16:17 Why caricaturing women is a bad idea
17:34 Drawing fast at Magic Mountain and switching to digital
19:13 First jobs: American Tail, Dexter's Lab, Powerpuff Girls
19:55 Seizing the pitch opportunity that changed everything
21:05 Writing letters to Charles Schulz as a kid
22:38 Getting saved at 35 at Crenshaw Christian Center
24:47 Starting Church in the Park during COVID
25:13 Preaching Esther on a whiteboard
26:24 The Garden: making a Christian cartoon nobody else would
28:52 Giving vs. the culture of self-worship
30:26 Why Nickelodeon won't touch overtly Christian content
31:50 Reaching unexpected people in unexpected places
34:42 Where Butch stands on AI in animation
37:27 Voice acting and playing Dr. Rip Studwell
38:49 Favorite movies and the greatest animated film ever
42:35 Human creativity, arrogance and the last days
44:47 Advice to a younger Butch: don't be afraid
46:13 Go-to Scriptures for anxiety and trust
47:01 An invitation to make Jesus Lord of your life
50:15 If God gives the vision, He'll give the provision
51:32 How Butch wants to be remembered
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What does it mean to spiral—and is it actually possible to find blessings amid devastating loss? On today’s episode of The Greg Laurie Show, Pastor Greg welcomes author and pastor Levi Lusko for an honest—and often humorous—conversation about grief, calling, leadership, and the surprising ways faith can sustain us through the worst life has to offer.
Together, Pastor Greg and Levi trace their family’s intertwined journeys through ministry, loss, and redemption. From the nostalgia of swapping cassette tapes and youth ministry war stories to the raw pain of losing a child or parent, the two open up about suffering, resilience, and the pursuit of God’s purpose in real life. This conversation is both a balm for broken hearts and an encouragement for leaders, parents, or anyone wondering how to move forward when life gets overwhelming.
Find Levi’s book on loss, Through the Eyes of a Lion, here: https://levilusko.com/through-the-eyes-of-a-lion.
Check out Blessed are the Spiraling here: https://www.blessedarethespiraling.com/.
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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 How a Missed Mentorship Changed Everything
02:33 First Meeting: From Fan to Friend
04:33 Youth Ministry: “If You Can Preach to Teens…”
06:38 Choosing Montana Over Harvest: Defining Your Calling
08:05 Walking Through Grief: The Loss of Christopher
12:05 “Seeing Through the Eyes of a Lion”: Lenya’s Legacy
14:09 Navigating Grief: Guilt, Healing, and Connection
16:33 Losing His Dad: “A Different Kind of Grief”
17:51 Writing About Pain: Impact Beyond Tragedy
18:25 “Success Builds Walls, Failure Builds Bridges”
21:44 How Personal Loss Changed Pastoral Ministry
22:09 Honoring Lost Loved Ones by Healing
23:50 Brokenness, Empathy, and Leadership Growth
24:20 Separating Grief: The Laundry Pile Analogy
26:14 Hope in Heartbreak: “They’re Not Lost If You Know Where They Are”
29:09 Parenting and Calling: Raising Kids in Ministry
31:09 Marriage & Hydration: Keeping Relationships Alive
32:27 “Intimacy Is Into-Me-You-See”: Wisdom for Newlyweds
35:20 Message Prep: Connections, Curiosity & “Move It or Lose It”
37:45 Preaching & Writing: The Unique Joys of Both
39:46 Writing Habits: Seinfeld, Deadlines, and Staying Creative
43:06 Staying Faithful: Why I Chose My Church Over Big Offers
45:23 New Book: “Blessed Are the Spiraling” and Midlife Crisis
47:38 From Fire to Significance: Shifting Life’s Focus
51:25 Movement Conference: Investing in the Next Generation
53:18 Learning to Champion Others, Not Compete
55:12 What’s Changed in Reaching Young People
58:16 “Make Your Bed”: Keystone Habits & Authentic Leadership
59:45 The Power of Challenge, Not Coddling
01:00:19 Last Meal? In-N-Out & Good Coffee
01:01:11 Movies, Heroes, and Becoming Yoda
01:02:19 Pulpit Bloopers: Unusual Booty and Other Slip-Ups
01:05:08 Hope, Legacy, and What’s Next
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Frank Turek was near Charlie Kirk on the day he was killed at UVU. A year later, he sits down with Greg to talk about grief, evil, and what Charlie's legacy means for the church now.
From there, the conversation opens up into Frank's new book, The War on Reality (co-written with Phoenix Hayes, with a foreword by Erika Kirk), and the cultural questions Frank is hearing most on college campuses today.
In this episode:
- The night Charlie was killed and what Erika said to Frank at the hospital
- Why the top three objections to Christianity today are all about morality
- The transgender conversation, detransitioners, and what to actually say to your kid
- Why socialism keeps making a comeback on campus
- The rise of antisemitism after October 7th
- AI, hallucinations, and the "Madagascar" test that failed 33 out of 35 students
- Plus: Beatles trivia, desert island songs, and Greg's awkward encounter with Ringo
Learn more about Frank's book at thewaronreality.com.
Subscribe for new conversations every week.
Timestamps:
00:41 Remembering Charlie Kirk one year later
02:26 Why it's not PTSD — it's normal grief
04:11 Evil, eternity, and the ripple effect
07:16 Erika Kirk: "Don't let his legacy die"
09:53 How campus objections shifted to morality
14:10 Is the church feeding the war on reality?
18:34 The trans social contagion and detransitioners
22:03 Questions to ask a child who says "I'm trans"
25:38 Why socialism keeps making a comeback
29:13 Ten reasons Christians must engage politically
32:51 The hidden dangers of AI hallucinations
37:20 The spiritual roots of rising antisemitism
44:09 Go-to verses for stress and suffering
49:42 One last sermon: glorified or horrified
53:35 Beatles rabbit hole and witnessing to Ringo
59:10 Why he wrote The War on Reality
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Today marks the 25th anniversary of 9/11, the day thousands of Americans lost their lives at the hands of Islamic terrorists. Pastor Greg Laurie reflects on this tragic moment in our history, and how a unique spiritual moment was born from it, sharing from his personal experience at the World Trade Center just two days after the attack.
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"This is a tribute I wrote and filmed to remember the impactful life of Charlie Kirk on the first anniversary of his tragic death. Charlie, a follower of Jesus, lived a life worth remembering—and emulating. His courage, conviction, and commitment to sharing his faith made a lasting impact on countless lives." —Pastor Greg Laurie
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