Adrian Has Issues

Steve Petrivelli is a Philadelphia-based comic book writer, best known for his comic Sweetie, which was drawn by Sean Dillon. In what is his second appearance on Adrian Has Issues, Steve gives listeners a detailed breakdown of the early years of the comic book industry, which are often referred to as the "golden" and "silver" age of comic books. These two eras would shape the comic book landscape for years to follow and formed what we now know as two of the biggest publishers of comics, Marvel and DC.

Erica Schultz is a comic book writer, editor and letterer who has worked for various companies including Marvel, DC/Vertigo, Red Stylo Media and more. I had the pleasure of speaking with Erica Schultz on the very first episode of Adrian Has Issues. My girlfriend/Creative Director Eileen joins me once again in the co-host seat as we engage in a hilariously candid discussion on number of topics including: -Searching Yourself On Google -Awkward Hollywood Casting -Adrian vs. Stranger Things -Eileen vs. Regional Coding -Erica vs. Canadian Geese -Road Rage: Canada vs. USA -Mutual Combat Law -DC Comics New Talent Showcase

This week's episode features a good friend of mine, Logan Richards. Logan is a sculptor and artist based out of the Midwest. We met a couple years back on twitter, as we're both massive fans of the progressive rock band, Coheed and Cambria. If you've listened to Episode 56: The Weerd World of Neesh, you know how much I love Coheed and I could not pass up another opportunity to discuss them. Logan is also the founder of Eyehart Toys, which creates custom vinyl toys and other really cool art projects. This episode is less of an interview and more of a laid-back conversation, as we spend the next hour or so catching up.

Dark Moon, a Sci-Fi/Horror motion comic, tells the gripping story of a group of individuals struggling to survive on a distant moon inhabited by aliens. On this week's episode, Adrian talks with the series' creator Tom Freeman. Tom tells the story of how his background in music served as inspiration for the series and how he intends to take audio and visual storytelling to the next level by creating soundtracks for each episode. Adrian and Tom also get into a discussion on some of their favorite horror movies and share ideas as to what is next for the genre.

In Episode 61, Stan Chou taught artists and writers a new method of creating comics inexpensively and effectively using "sketch comics." In Episode 62, Buddy Scalera showed us how to then take your project and properly market ourselves to publishers and fans. Now in Episode 63, we take the approach one step further! Concluding the "CACN Trilogy," this episode features J. Jacob Barker, a writer and one of the founding organizers of the Creator After Con Network, a group which works to build a positive community of creators/promoters within the comic book industry. Adrian and J take to a local mall to discuss the roles both creators and fans play in strengthening the community and the importance of maintaining a level of professionalism within each connection. Plus, an awkward encounter during the recording session proves to be an unexpected teaching tool.

Buddy Scalera is a New Jersey-based content strategist, author and journalist. He is also an editor and a comic book writer, penning scripts for Marvel (Deadpool) and self-publishing several creator-owned titles (7 Days of Fame, Necrotic: Dead Flesh on a Living Body) through After Hours Press. Buddy is perhaps best known as an educator in the comic book community, hosting numerous workshops and convention panels at San Diego Comic-Con, New York Comic-Con and more. In this episode, Adrian is once again joined by his Creative Director, Eileen. Together, they engage in a candid interview with Buddy Scalera on numerous helpful topics including: Creating (and maintaining) a personal brand as a creator Using music as a creative influence Vital marketing/networking techniques How to effectively sell merchandise as a convention exhibitor Eileen and Buddy pay tribute to "His Royal Badness"

Stan Chou is a comic book artist based out of New York, specializing in illustration and motion. Stan honed his craft as a freelancer, working on such titles as FUBAR, Red Bloods and Smell A Rat. He is currently a senior in-house artist at Double Take Comics, which is owned by Take Two Interactive, the owners of both Rockstar Games (Grand Theft Auto) and 2K Games (Borderlands). Adrian and Stan engage in a candid discussion on the comic book industry. Stan details his concept of creating "sketch comics" as a means for artists to generate content as well as reduce costs and establish pitches to publishers. Also In This Episode: The importance of "attendance" at comic conventions Establishing valuable connections with fellow creators The evolution of comics in the digital landscape Tips on how to build a successful comic book universe

Joe Darone is a New Jersey-based musician and currently heading the experimental indie rock band Suit of Lights. Joe's musical career started in the late 80's as the drummer and art director for the punk rock band The Fiendz, which have toured with influential acts such as The Ramones and The Misfits. In the early 2000s, Joe played drums for the power pop band The Rosenbergs before forming Suit of Lights in 2004. Over the years, Suit of Lights has employed a number of prolific Jersey musicians such as Steve Pedulla (Thursday), Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle) and Jamie Egan (Streelight Manifesto, Catch 22). In this episode, Joe Darone chronicles his experiences within the NJ music scene as both a musician and a graphic designer under the handle Zeckle. We also discuss Joe's thoughts on modern society which have influenced the latest Suit of Lights album, Break Open The Head such as: embracing sincerity over cynicism, maintaining one's artistic integrity in a "blockbuster culture" and the importance of discovering new music.

This week's guest is Orie Enav, the founder and CEO of Dragonfruit, a dating app designed specifically for geeks in mind. Orie explains how DragonFruit was born out of necessity (and frustration) of the current dating app landscape, which seemed to leave out the geeks of the world despite their booming popularity in mainstream pop culture. Adrian and Orie also comment on the importance of creating a safe and inclusive place within the geek community. Adrian also gets a crash course in co-operative board games such as Pandemic and Zombicide.

This week's guests are writer Kevin Cuffe and artist Paul Gori. Kevin and Paul are the creators of the comic book Oathbound, presented by Loophole Comics, which combines the elements of fantasy epics and spaghetti westerns to tell a tale of family and redemption. Kevin and Paul tell the story of their close friendship which started on twitter despite being on opposite sides of the United States, not to mention the rest of the crew, which is located internationally. Though well-versed in comics, the two creators expressed the challenges in learning how to effectively market themselves during the Kickstarter campaign. We also discuss favorite fantasy movies from the 1980's, great spaghetti western moments and the frustrating-yet-hilarious difficulties we've faced in regarding out last names.