Author, talk show host and stand-up comic Chelsea Handler spoke to Mercury News arts, entertainment and style reporter Mark de la Viña about covering celebrities — and how she is not above such scrutiny.

Actor Gene Wilder, star of “Young Frankenstein,” is the subject of an SF Sketchfest tribute this week at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco. He spoke to arts and entertainment writer Mark de la Viña about his movies, his new career as a novelist and the enduring popularity of the comedy classic.

Doug Martsch, singer, guitarist and chief songwriter for the rock group Built to Spill, talks to Mercury News reporter Mark de la Viña about the band’s unconventional approach to its music.

Horror film icon and “Night of the Living Dead” director George Romero talks to arts and entertainment reporter Mark de la Viña about “Diary of the Dead,” the rampant sadism in contemporary fright flicks and his professional start working on “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” in the mid-’60s.

Dave Foley, a founding member of the Kids in the Hall, talks to Mercury News reporter Mark de la Viña about the beloved sketch comedy group and its upcoming appearances at SF Sketchfest.

Comedian Anjelah Johnson became an Internet phenom on the strength of her YouTube video about a visit to a nail salon. The San Jose native, now a cast member of Fox’s “MADtv,” talks to Mercury News reporter Mark de la Viña about her post-cheerleading life as a stand-up performer.

The Oscar-nominated John C. Reilly stars in his own comedy, “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.” The acclaimed character actor talks to Mercury News reporter Mark de la Viña about the mock biographical film, how the role gave him a taste of the rock-star lifestyle and how he enlisted Jack White of the White Stripes to play Elvis in the comedy.

Comedian Dane Cook talks to Mercury News reporter Mark de la Vina about how the Internet helped him become one of the hottest stand-up performers — someone greatly resented by many comic peers.

Andy Sternberg interviewed Wired editor and The Long Tail author Chris Anderson at the 2007 O’Reilly Tools of ChangeConference.

Anderson described the premise for his upcoming book project — titled “Free” — to be published in mid-2008 by Hyperion. He also discussed future plans for Wired’s Web site and introduced his new start-up, BookTour, which was launched at the conference.

(We apologize for the subpar audio quality. We had some technical problems.”

In an audio version of their first video podcast, Dean Takahashi and Mike Antonucci debate whether or not to buy the new Xbox 360.