Adrian Has Issues

Kelly Brack is a writer and artist based out of Vancouver, British Columbia. Under the umbrella Noir Comics, he has created published works including Deercatcher: The Scan B.C. Files, which was loosely based on the popular Twitter page for British Colombia’s police scanner. In this episode, Adrian speaks with Kelly about his latest project, Death of the Horror Anthology, which will be launched on Kickstarter on October 1. The anthology will feature works by acclaimed comic creators and pasts guests such as writer Vita Ayala & Emily Pearson, Micah Myers, Cody Sousa and Pat Shand. Recorded on the eve of the release of Spider-Man for Playstation 4, Kelly and Adrian reminisce about the classic Spider-Man 2 movie tie-in videogame from 2004, plus hilarious conversations regarding bizarre pizza deliveries and Kelly’s hot takes on the Star Wars universe.

This week's guests are Kirsten Thompson and James B. Emmett. The former is the writer and the latter is the editor of the magical mystery thriller, I AM HEXED. The comic tells the story of witches fighting for equality in the backdrop of Washington, D.C. during the 1960's, which in and of itself serves as a metaphor for our current political climate and the advancement of LGBTQIAPK+ people. Kirsten and James chat with Adrian regarding these issues found in the comic as well discuss the #MeToo movement, manga and representation in comics. 

This week's episode features an in-depth discussion with Cody Carpenter and Mark Day, the producers and composers of the explosive electronic/chiptune album Shadow Spirits, Vol. 1. What started as a 4-track EP in its inception, grew into a full-length auditory experience that hearkens back to the soundscapes of 8-bit and 16-bit role-playing videogames. In addition to discussing the inspiration behind the album, Cody and Mark also give listeners insight into their other work in music and indie game development. 

Erica Schultz is a comic book writer, letterer and editor. She is perhaps best known for her creator-owned crime thriller M3 (Vices Press) and her work with Dynamite Comics which include the SWORDS OF SORROW series and CHARMED. She has co-created two books with artist Claire Connelly: THE UNAUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY OF WINSTON CHURCHILL and CHEESE: A LOVE STORY. Erica a has also contributed stories for anthologies such as 27: A ROCK ANTHOLOGY (Red Stylo Media) and WHERE WE LIVE (Image Comics) and has written a HAWKGIRL story as part of the pilot program for DC Comics New Talent Showcase and Writers Workshop. In this episode, Adrian and Eileen speak with Erica about two upcoming titles: the horror thriller TWELVE DEVILS DANCING from Action Lab/Danger Zone and XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS #6 from Dynamite Comics, both of which hit comic shops on July 11, 2018! We discuss a variety of themes including: Cults and the cycle of abuse. The role colors play in horror comics. Overcoming problematic tropes in female characters. T

Max Rauch is a musician, producer and recording engineer based out of New Jersey. Since 2012, he has been the vocalist and guitarist for the indie rock band LKFFCT. In April 2018, the band released the 4-song EP entitled Cayenne through the label Sniffling Indie Kids. In this episode, Max and Adrian engage in a conversation about the songwriting process of Cayenne, the enduring spirit of the New Jersey DIY music scene and hilarious takes on growing up in New Jersey under shadow of New York. 

Oneshi Press is an independent publishing company founded by writer/editor Lynsey G and multimedia visual artist Jayel Draco. Together, they have produced fantasy and sci-fi graphic novels, comic books and art books. Their projects include Tracy Queen, PACK and the Children of Gaia series. in their second appearance on the podcast, Lynsey and Jayel bring Adrian up to speed on the latest projects from Oneshi including their ongoing Quarterly Anthology series and two new entries in the Children of Gaia saga: War & Horses and Refuge. Additionally, there's some funny and insightful takes on the irritating nature of "corporate-speak" and what it truly takes to build maintain a thriving creative community.

Ashley Burgy is a good friend of mine going on 7 years now, having bonded over a mutual love of hockey and pop-punk music of the early-to-mid 2000s. Recorded prior to the start of the post-season of the NHL, Ashley and I engage in a hilariously irreverent discussion regarding our favorite teams that were fortunate enough to make the playoffs. From there we go on some fun tangents about Scientology's battle with folk music, a reboot of Mad Max set in the Everglades, problematic punk band members and how Kid Rock is only the tip of the iceberg regarding some of the problems plaguing the NHL. We were both a little under the weather during the recording of this episode so please bear with us.

Christopher Sebela is an Eisner Award-nominated writer, colorist and letterer based out of Portland, Oregon. His comic book credits range from work for Marvel & DC Comics (INJUSTICE: GROUND ZERO, SUICIDE SQUAD, CAPTAIN MARVEL), Oni Press (HEARTTHROB) and Black Crown (HOUSE AMOK). In this episode, Christopher speaks with Adrian about his experience writing JOHNNY BLAZE: GHOST RIDER, his first solo title with Marvel and his two newly-announced titles from Image Comics: the revenge tale SHANGHAI RED with art by Josh Hixson and CROWDED with Ted Brandt, Ro Stein & Triona Farrell. The latter of which spurs an examination of how online behavior and the culture of social media and how it affects our every day lives. There's also insightful talks about Christopher's writing process and the role music plays when working on scripts.

Hey, y'all! Adrian here. As you'll soon discover, my guests and I went on a strange journey in this episode. George "norg" Nowik, Sean "Ailsean" Stone and Chuck "finbeard" Simpson are three-fifths of LONELYROLLINGSTARS, a video game tribute band that was formed by members of other "VGM" acts The Smash Bros., Viking Guitar Live and Armcannon. The band stopped by to promote their recently released sophomore album Sugarburger, which features arrangements of songs from games like Splatoon and Shovel Knight and Persona 4. In a conversation filled with many hilarious asides and tangents, the band discusses a plethora of topics: Their unconventional approach to songwriting, performing livewith Transformers: The Movie composer Vince DiCOla, the evolution of written language and the controversial nature of avocados. Like I said: we go on a wild journey in this episode. Strap yourselves in and just enjoy the ride. 

Jeff Rider is a comic book writer based out of San Francisco, California. Under the banner of his imprint Cloudwrangler Comics, Jeff has written several acclaimed comics such as Gravity Matters with Sean Dillon & Erica Schultz and Major Holmes & Captain Watson with Carlos Cabaleiro & Rachel Deering. The lovely and talented Eileen Melendez fills in as host for an ailing Adrian. For those who may not know, Eileen is the producer and occasional co-host of Adrian Has Issues as well as the creator of the upcoming blog/podcast The LatiNerd Experience. She, along with Jeff Rider, is also the co-editor of CACN.net, the online home of the Creator After Con Network. In this episode, Eileen speaks with Jeff about the real-life inspiration behind his latest comic project, The Arcane Cocktail Enthusiast, which features breathtaking artwork by Davide Puppo. The comic tells the story of Lark Leraar, a mixologist and wizard whose drinks are (literally) magic and is informed by the themes of respectful treatment o

Pat Shand is a writer and content creator based out of New York. Some of his credits include Breathless for Black Mask Studio and Little Girl for Devil's Due. Under the umbrella of Space Between Entertainment, Pat has also produced titles such as Destiny, NY and Clonsters. In this episode, Pat talks about Space Between's latest project Prison Witch, which was co-written with his wife Amy. Prison Witch is a 70-page graphic novel that tells the story of a coven of witches behind bars. The title will be launching on Kickstarter on March 6, 2018 and will feature interior art by Erica D'Urso with covers illustrated by Jenn St-Onge (Bingo Love) and Michelle Lockamy. Pat also gives helpful advice for other creators that may be considering using Kickstarter as well as the origins of Space Between Entertainment.

This week's episode features my friends and fellow podcasters, Kate Bresnahan and Bry Scalley! They are the hosts of the Takoyaki Time podcast, which covers all things anime, manga and Japanese pop culture. Continuing the conversation from their podcast, Kate and Bry Scalley talk about their introductions to western geek culture and anime itself, which leads into a discussion on the differences between American comic book culture and Japanese anime/manga and how those gaps are often bridged. Don't worry, it's not nearly as serious as it sounds. We had an absolute blast chatting and please do yourselves a favor and listen to their podcast. 

This week's episode features writer Vita Ayala (Bitch Planet: Triple Feature, Wonder Woman Annual) and illustrator Emily Pearson (Cult Classic). Our conversation covers a plethora of topics including their artistic origins and how a possible case of mistaken identity may have lead to their collaboration on the comic book series The Wilds from Black Mask Studios. We also cover the title's themes of self-care and individuality and how they inform not only the story itself but society as a whole. What is abundantly clear from the very beginning of this episode is Vita and Emily's chemistry and how well they compliment each other. This is evident in how well they respect each other as creators and as individuals, which is the cornerstone of any collaborative effort.

Mags Visaggio is an Eisner and GLAAD Award-nominated writer of comics such as Kim & Kim and Quantum Teens Are Go for Black Mask Studios, the upcoming miniseries Eternity Girl from DC Comics arriving in March and Transformers Vs. Visionaries from IDW Publishing. In her second appearance on the Adrian Has Issues podcast, Mags and Adrian discuss and debate a plethora of topics including: A breakdown of Mags' comic book script-writing process. The inspiration and concepts of behind Eternity Girl and Transformers Vs. Visionaries. Telling personal stories within larger, genre-specific comics. The challenges of comic book marketing and outreach.

Jennie Wood is a writer and musician born and raised in North Carolina and currently resides in Boston, MA. She is the author of the YA novel, A Boy Like Me, which is a Next Generation Indie Book Awards finalist, an INDIEFAB Book of the Year finalist, and one of Foreword Reviews’ 10 Best Indie YA novels for 2014. A frequent contributor to the acclaimed anthology series FUBAR by Jeff McComsey Jennie is perhaps best known as the creator and writer of the critically acclaimed, award-winning Flutter, a graphic novel series published by 215 Ink. The trilogy has received numerous accolades from The Advocate, Bleeding Cool and the Virginia Library Association. In this episode, Adrian and Jennie discuss the real-life inspirations behind the conclusion of the Flutter series and how much of the story reflects American society in the wake of Trump's presidency. The conversation tackles subjects such as sexism, racism and the continuing need for indie comics to be a voice of positive change in uncertain times. Plus, Jenn

Recorded on location at AnimeNYC 2017 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City, this episode features two great interviews with independent creators: Nat Roze is the creator of the webcomic Weird Sisters, which tells the story of a sorority of witches loosely based on characters from Shakespeare's tragedies. Anna Giovannini is an illustrator and CEO of Immagina Press. Under Immagina Press, Anna has produced and published several titles including Mercenaries and Anima.

Recorded on location at AnimeNYC 2017 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City, this episode features three interviews with some rising stars in the world of anime and manga. Created by a dedicated group of men and women of color, both Noir Caesar and Saturday-AM aim to create groundbreaking and innovative projects that incorporate anime, manga and hip-hop culture.

Jeremy Simser is an illustrator and storyboard artist currently residing in Vancouver after working for 15 years in the Toronto area. Some of his storyboard credits include both television and film projects such as Game of Thrones, The Flash, Supergirl and the upcoming 2018 film, Deadpool 2. In this episode, Jeremy gives listeners an in-depth look into the role a storyboard artist plays in producing TV shows and movies. Plus, Jeremy details his work with writer/illustrator Kelley Brack and making the transition into becoming a comic book creator.

Jerome Walford is a Brooklyn-based writer, illustrator and publisher. Under the banner of Forward Comix, his past works include the sci-fi action/adventure series Nowhere Man and the Gwan Anthology. titles have received critical acclaim as well as awards from the Glyph Comics Awards, Society of Illustrators and the Urban Action Showcase Comic Awards. Following the success of Gwan, Jerome outlines the next step for his company, which includes a Kickstarter campaign that will see the creation of four unique titles spanning various formats and genres. In this episode, Jerome lays out the details behind Forward Comix's titles for 2018. He also explains how in order for his company to grow and expand, he enlisted in the help of an editorial team comprised of Maya Rock and Rebecca Griffin Greene. 

Calbert Warner is a NYC based music composer, gamer and photographer. Under the moniker Schematist, Cal has crafted musical projects that incorporate numerous subgenres of electronic music such as World Fusion, Breakbeat and Glitch-Hop. Schematist's latest release, Anireal, is a biographical musical journey of Jessica Fong, the founder of Lonely Egg Studios. The album tells the story of Jessica's experiences in dealing with depression and mental health and serves to bring to light subjects that are often overlooked or even ignored throughout society. In this episode, Cal and Adrian engage in a thought-provoking conversation on the power of music and the influence it has played in both of their lives. Additionally, both individuals express a mutual love of videogame soundtracks and the brilliance of Final Fantasy 9 and other role playing games.