Adrian Has Issues

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.