Adrian Has Issues

This week's episode features comic book writers Kim Gaines and Shawn Lanier, the co-creators of the upcoming comic book series Eventide. The ongoing series focuses on a group of youths with extraordinary abilities who do battle with evil spirits that plague their town. The book also features art by Sean Dillon and letters by Marcus Kiser. Kim and Shawn discuss the origins and inspiration behind Grub Machine and Eventide. There's also great discussions and observations on animated series such as Batman: The Animated Series, Avatar: The Last Airbender and the hit anime series Bleach. 

Mark Torres is a New York-based radio personality and comic book writer. He is perhaps best known as the host of It Came From The Radio, a syndicated sci-fi/fantasy themed call-in radio show. In this episode, Mark tells his story of his rise as a comic book creator and how it coincided with his work as a radio host/podcaster. Mark and Adrian also discuss effective strategies for show hosts, movie sequels/trailers and a spirited debate on whether or not Star Wars Episode VII is secretly a dud. 

Following stream of consciousness, Eileen contemplates out loud the idea of The LatiNerd Experience, exploring what the idea is to her and what she wants it to be for the communities she strives to serve. Reflecting on the past and present, she tries to define what she wants to explore and share for the future. Though to some she is known as the producer and occasional co-host of the Adrian Has Issues podcast, here Eileen has the opportunity to share her unique perspective that is all her own. We hope you will enjoy taking this journey with Eileen through what will ultimately be The LatiNerd Experience. Bienvenidos!

Justin Fischetto is a comic artist, writer and illustrator based out of Long Island, New York. In this episode, Justin talks about his journey as an independent artist and how his love of action, sci-fi and horror movies influence his work as both Justin Fischetto and his artistic alter-ego, "Sycko." Additionally, Adrian and Justin talk about horror movies, "Inktober" and much more!

Steve Petrivelli is a Philadelphia-based comic book writer, known for his comic Sweetie, which was illustrated by Sean Dillon. His latest project is Retail, a slice-of-life comic series about a group of friends surviving the hectic world of retail after college. Keith Grassmick, the artist on Retail #2, is a visual artist specializing in action, fantasy and science-fiction. He studied at the Rhode Island School of Design, and The Academy of Art University in San Francisco. In this episode, Steve explains the inspiration behind Retail, as well as meeting Keith prior to collaborating on issue 2 of the series. Steve and Keith also discuss how music such as indie/folk act The Mountain Goats and Canadian black metal bands influenced the story. There's also plenty of hilarious irreverent discussions on carrier pigeons, regional rivalries and the perks of being an audiophile. 

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, Major Holmes & Captain Watson with Carlos Cabaleiro & Rachel Deering and Been Bit with Stan Chou. In this episode, Jeff brings Adrian and Eileen up to speed on his current projects including Gravity Matters: Blackline and the recently-released crime noir thriller The Demon vs. 10 Angels, which features art by Attiba Royster. In discussing his creative relationship with Attiba, Jeff details the necessity for creators to step into the shoes of their collaborators and learn about life experiences outside of their own. Additionally, Jeff explains his involvement in the Creator After Con Network, an organization which works to bring independent creators together facilitate future collaborations.

Mario Candelaria is a comic book creator and writer based out of Philadelphia, PA. Some of his credits include Ashes: A Firefighter's Tale (Z2 Comics), Corktown (Alterna Comics) and Baroque Pop: A Lana Del Rey Fanthology (Red Stylo). Fabian Lelay is a comic artist and illustrator based out of New York and an artist in residence at Carmine Street Comics. Some of his credits include Jade Street Protection Services (Black Mask Studios) and the upcoming We Are The Danger with Stephanie Cooke (Rogue's Portal). Recorded on location at East Side Mags in Montclair, NJ, Adrian conductws an interview with Mario and Fabian regarding their involvement in the Baroque Pop anthology. Soon thereafter, the conversation took several hilarious twists and turns that just couldn't be contained in a simple Q&A format. Also In This Episode: Bizarre Wrestling Moves! Cats vs. Dogs: The Ladder Match! Fabian's Essential Anime List! Jeff Beck: The Next Steve Jobs!

Mega Ran (formerly known as Random) is a rapper, producer and engineer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  As a former middle school teacher, Mega Ran transformed his education background into a stellar career in the underground hip-hop scene. His music combines hard-hitting beats and thought-provoking lyrics with video game aesthetics, which can be heard in critically-acclaimed albums such as 2007's Mega Ran and 2011's Black Materia, which is a tribute to the icon 1997 role-playing game Final Fantasy VII. With his new album, Extra Credit, Mega Ran further branches out from the "nerdcore" leanings of his earlier releases. Instead, the LP picks up where 2015's RNDM left off, focusing on more personal, confessional lyrics. In this episode, Mega Ran speaks with host Adrian King about the inspiration behind Extra Credit as well provide commentary on the continuing rise of "Blerd" culture and using his educational background to teach a new school of aspiring emcees.

David Pepose is a writer and editor who has worked for several entertainment companies including CBS, Newsarama and DC Entertainment. David has been quickly making a name for himself as the co-creator of his first published comic, a neo-noir thriller Spencer & Locke from Action Lab Entertainment. Rounding out the book's creative team is Jorge Santiago, Jr (artist), Jasen Smith (colorist), Colin Bell (letters) and variant covers by Maan House and Joe Mulvey. In this episode, David details how comic creators Bill Watterson and Frank Miller inspired the gritty crime miniseries as well as the book's underlying themes of redemption and mental health. 

At long last! The highly-anticipated 100th episode of the Adrian Has Issues podcast! Since Episode 1, this podcast has worked hard to deliver a quality podcast in which listeners can hear candid, one-of-a-kind interviews and conversations with independent comic book creators, musicians and more. Any creator will tell you: anything worth doing takes time and dedication. We're so grateful that so many wonderful people have been willing to take time out of their busy lives to share with us their personal stories and give insight into not only their own projects, but also their respected industries. It takes a community to truly build something great, so we dedicate this episode to all of you. Thank you for everything!

In Episode 99, Adrian and Eileen forego a guest and decide to interview each other instead! Our hosts ask a series of random questions that cover everything from future plans, places they've lived and plus the story of their hilariously awkward first date.

This week's guest has hit quite a few milestones. This is his first-ever podcast appearance in which he talks about his first-ever comic book for a brand-new publisher! Having already written a number of screenplays, Los Angeles-based writer David Booher has set his sights on creating comic books. The result is his debut title for Vault Comics, a new independent publisher specializing in science fiction/fantasy. Powerless tells the story of a world in which all of its inhabitants have superpowers, until a virus threatens to take away those abilities. This story serves as a poignant and timely commentary on identity, which draws many parallels to David's own life. We also discuss the role of both comic book publishers and readers in continuing to support LGBTQIA+ creators, David Booher's upcoming Vault title Alien Bounty Hunter as well as a hilarious look back at some our favorite childhood toys and action figures. 

Chris Hornbrook is a professional drummer and percussionist, perhaps best known for his work as a founding member of the influential metalcore/post-hardcore band, Poison The Well. Since the band's indefinite hiatus in 2010, Chris has performed with a number of bands including Big Black Delta, Sleigh Bells and Senses Fail. In this episode, Chris discusses his evolution as a musician, which has spanned over 20 years. He also stresses the importance of diversifying and adapting to one's situation as a means to prolonging one's career. 

This week's episode features two guests: John Rodriguez and Mira Mortal, the artist and writer of a gripping new horror comic, Made-Up: Zombie Clown Circus from Source Point Press. John and Mira give listeners an in-depth look at not only the inspiration behind the graphic novel, but also their dynamic as a creative team. Their chemistry is apparent on and off the comic book page as the duo share hilarious observations on horror movies, childhood injuries and animated gifs featuring Samuel L. Jackson. 

Mike Driscoll is a New York-based 3D animator and a "professional podcast guest," serving as a recurring guest on the Mr. BS Show. Mike and Adrian reflect on their misadventures as former guests of the short-lived Dave Podcast and share their thoughts on the format as a whole. Plus, there's humorous observations on fatherhood, hockey and their mutual love for the films of Kevin Smith.

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, the latter of which is the focus of this week's episode. Jayel and Lynsey describe creating such a massive, sprawling universe nearly 20 years in the making. They also stress the importance of being a "student of pop culture" in an effort to develop a culturally inclusive and progressive fantasy world.

David Baron is a Harvey-Award nominated colorist who has worked on titles such as JLA and The Authority for DC Comics as well as Valiant Comics titles like Bloodshot: Reborn and Archer & Armstrong. He is currently hard at work on his creator-owned comic, the sci-fi/action miniseries Stained, which is being published by 451 Media (Red Dog, Sunflower). The book features art by Yusuf Idris and letters by Simon Bowland. In this episode, David takes listeners through his process behind crafting the world of Stained with an emphasis on character development and creating emotional connections. David also expresses his thoughts regarding self-publishing as a necessity for creators to tell their stories. 

This week's guest is Alex Schumacher, a California-based writer and cartoonist represented by Arsenal Media. He is currently producing the weekly illustrated feature Decades of (in)Experience for Antix Press, the column Bread Crumbs From The Void for Five 2 One Magazine and the monthly strip Mr. Butterchips for Drunk Monkeys. His work has been published by Arcana Studios, Cultured Vultures and Hobo Camp Review. In this episode, Alex gives listeners insight into his life and how years of minimum-wage jobs and various misadventures inspired his work in the underground comics scene. Also, Adrian and Alex trade war stories of their writing processes and the "tough love" approach to creating content. Also In This Episode: Novelty answering machines! Fun with action figures! The audio cassette resurgence!

Don Lee is an actor, producer and stunt performer who has worked on films such as Star Trek Beyond (2016), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) and Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014). He has also performed stunt and fight choreography for television shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2015), CSI: Miami (2011) and The Outsiders (2017), which is currently airing on WGN. In this episode, Don shares his experiences starting in competitive martial arts tournaments and eventually working as a Hollywood stunt performer. Don gives Adrian as well as listeners an in-depth look at the level of both physicality and professionalism that goes into performing grueling stunts on a regular basis.

Lazarus Wilde is the acoustic solo project from musician Kenny Collette, the frontman for such bands as Victory Dance and Franchise. Having released the acclaimed self-titled EP via Cardigan Records in 2016, Lazarus Wilde is set to release his debut full-length Breathe Now on April 7. In a candid, one-on-one conversation, Lazarus details his personal experiences with mental health and how they served as inspiration for his new album. Also, he and Adrian share their thoughts on music's power to convey messages and connect people from all walks of life.