Pheaturing Fierce Comics

PHIRST OF

Hey, kids, welcome to the Peverett Phile... proud sponsor of generationrescue.com and tacanow.org. It was a sad week here at Disney... the Virgin Megastore closed down. Also, the House of Blues is now down to one Blue. The House of Blue. And La Nouba is now down to just one juggler. During the Miss USA pageant, Miss California was asked a question about gay marriage by Perez Hilton. At a press conference, Donald Trump said he thought Perez was "engaging in self promotion." Trump accusing someone else of self promotion!?!? That's like the Octo-Mom accusing someone of having too many kids. Trump had to decide whether she would keep her crown after topless photos turned up. He said it was his judgment that Miss California could keep her crown. Trump would never tell someone to remove a useless piece of rubbish from their head... why would he? President Obama hosted a poetry slam at the White House. These can get out of control. Apparently somebody got up on stage and rambled on and on, and didn't make any sense... when Joe Biden was done, they started the poetry. It was groundbreaking to have a poetry slam there. It's never happened before. I think Dick Cheney once held a torture slam. "There once was a man from Nantucket. I put his head in a bucket."

The three remaining contestants on "American Idol" competed twice to see who would win. Danny Goki was not chosen. Now I have to take the Goki posters over my bed down.  It was a good episode of "American Idol", even though I didn't make any money of it this week. To raise money for California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says he's willing to sell some aging landmarks, like San Quentin Prison. So far, the only bid has come from Dick Cheney. He wants to use it as a vacation home. John McCain's mother was on TV saying that she doesn't like Rush Limbaugh. Here's my question: John McCain's mother is still alive!? And finally... A Canadian scientist was arrested for smuggling vials of Ebola into the U.S. This wouldn't happen if we'd just legalize Ebola. Well, it's Artist Month still and today I have an interview with four gentlemen from Fierce Comics based in Tampa. But first...

THE PEVERETT PHILE TOP TEN LIST

Top Ten Little-Known Symptoms of the Swine Flu
10. Appearance resembles a pig with lipstick.
9. You cry uncontrollably at the "Other White Meat" commercials.
8. Irresistible craving for truffles.
7. You only want to see movies with Kevin Bacon.
6. You get nauseated whenever you see a football.
5. An unexplainable attraction to Susan Boyle.
4. Impure thoughts about Miss Piggy.
3. Uncontrollable urge to date Madonna.
2. A strong desire to watch "The View".
And the number one little-known symptom of the Swine Flu...
1. Tender-loins.

Star Trek
A time-traveling Romulan (Eric Bana) with a venge-on for Spock (Zachary Quinto) forever alters the known history of the Star Trek universe when he destroys a vessel captained by the father of newborn James T. Kirk (Chris Pine). Twenty-five years later, his next act as retribution-seeking A-hole precipitates the maiden voyage of the U.S.S. Enterprise, for which Kirk consequently never became captain. What I liked about it is... all of it. Whether you think "Star Trek" is gay and stupid or you're a Trekkie currently being administered a wedgie by the former, you can forget what you know about the franchise. Abrams envisions a Trek that's cool, not kitschy, opening with-and maintaining throughout-a burning intensity previously absent from the series, while preserving the principles and characterizations that first seduced pudgy, hyperhidrotic social mutants decades ago. Pine and Quinto are nails as nemeses Kirk and Spock, selling, along with the rest of the cast, an adventure that's as much action as it is academic; that's complex, but easy to follow; and that's comic without being campy. Finally, a Star Trek movie that does the laughing at itself! The only bad part will be the cackling gaggle of giddy line campers in Starfleet uniforms flanking you on all sides opening weekend. You might want to save this for a mid-week matinee. From 1 to 10, I give it a ten. Will I get it on DVD?What do you think?

Chuck Daly: Might as well now.

1960
The Soviet Union launches Sputnik IV, a three-ton spacecraft containing a "dummy cosmonaut." The mission goes fine until they attempt to retrofire. A bug in the guidance system had pointed the capsule in the wrong direction, so instead of dropping into the atmosphere the satellite moves into a higher orbit.
1972
Hoping to gain everlasting infamy, Arthur Bremer pumps five bullets into Democratic presidential candidate George Wallace during a campaign stop in Laurel, Maryland. In his haste, the gunman forgets to yell his carefully-chosen catchphrase, "Penny for your thoughts!" And when Wallace survives the assassination attempt, albeit confined to a wheelchair, Bremer's name is soon forgotten.
1974
Three Arab gunmen disguised as Israeli soldiers seize control of the schoolhouse at Ma'alot. Taken hostage are more than 100 teenaged students and their teachers. The captors, members of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, demand the release of 26 political prisoners. Israeli commandos storm the school only 15 minutes before the deadline; 18 children are killed in the firefight.
1985
Graduate student John Hauser loses most of his right hand in a UC Berkeley computer room when he opens an innocent-looking box attached to a looseleaf binder. It is the second device left in this building from the Unabomber. In fact, the engineering professor who applies the tourniquet to Hauser's arm was the victim in the previous attack, three years prior.
1991
Alan Cooper stands trial in England for "committing a lewd, obscene, and disgusting act on the 12-foot dolphin called Freddie as they frolicked for 20 minutes off the harbor mouth at Amble, Northumberland." Cooper responds by claiming that his accuser was a sworn enemy and had trained dolphins for a movie to jump out of the water and tear off a woman's bikini bra. He is eventually acquitted of masturbating the cetacean.
1997
Federal prosecutors in the Unabomber trial file the necessary paperwork requesting the death penalty for Ted Kaczynski.

Okay, this is really cool. Not only do I have an interview with one artist, but three, plus the founder and creator of a really cool comic book company based in Tampa, who I met at MegaCon. Comic book fans, please welcome Scott Reed, Karsten Klintzsch, Rob Rhine and Ben Filipiak from...

Me: Scott, I love your work, sir. How long have you been drawing and where did you study art?

Scott: I've been drawing since I could hold a pencil. I'm a graduate of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.

Me: Growing up, who was your favorite super hero?

Scott: My older brother and I were crazy about Batman and Robin. I think my very first exposure to super heroes were the old Mego toys from the early 1970's, and we only wanted the Batman and Robin figures, as I recall it. Very rarely we would get a glimpse of the old Batman tv series, which was like a religious experience if that happened since this was before cable. I
think it was only aired once in a while, late at night or when the network was desperate to fill some spot.

Me: You worked on some really big icon books over the years... "Star Trek", "GI Joe", "Godzilla". Which one was your favorite to do?

Scott: I worked as an inker in those days, and it was just sort of a job to me back then. I didn't have a strong preference of which book I was assigned to as long as I had the work. "Star Trek:DS9" was pretty cool, though. I love "Star Trek", so it was great being involved in the franchise in some small way.

Me: Is there a comic book series you would love to work on?

Scott: I'd like to get a crack at writing Conan someday.

Me: You drew for Malibu, and Marvel, right? Any plans on drawing for DC?

Scott: No, I was an inker for Malibu and through them, had a couple of inking gigs at Marvel shortly after Malibu was bought up by Marvel. Back then, I didn't really have the chops for penciling, and I didn't have the time to develop it because I was so busy inking. I don't have any plans to work for DC, but who knows what the future holds.

Me: Who is your favorite comic book artist of all time? Mine is Alan Davis
and Jim Baikie.

Scott: Good choices. Davis has such a sleekness to his work. I tend to go back to the source material more. I believe Davis is a student of Neal Adams work, and I can look at Neal Adams stuff all day. I would have to say my favorites are Jack Kirby and John Buscema. I love every single thing John Buscema ever touched, he was just such a master of the human form and had a perfect combination of grace and power to his lines. I love Jack Kirby, but Kirby was ALL power and no subtlety, and I think John Buscema had a perfect combination.

Me: Tell the readers of the Phile about "The Overman" and "High Strangeness", two books you worked on. What are the premise of both of them?

Scott: "High Strangeness" is an essay on U.F.O's, with a hypothetical scenario of what might happen if we did learn 'the truth' but couldn't understand it and didn't really have the frame of mind to deal with it. The second half of the book is an illustrated history of U.F.O's, which I
self-published online as a web comic in 2002, and later collected the work in print. "The Overman" is a science-fiction story about one man's attempt to stop a union between Mankind and machine, and ultimately failing. Shane White illustrated the whole thing, and we collaborated on this project on and off for 20 years before finally getting it right. You can preview it at www.theovermancomic.com. The collected edition trade paperback is in stores
this month.

Me: Is there anything new you are working on now, Scott?

Scott: I have a big, big project that I'm hoping to have completed later this year or early 2010, called "Champion Of A Lost Universe". It began as a weekly web comic in 2006, but I'm repositioning it as a 150-page graphic novel, and you can watch my progress over at www.websbestcomics.com as I complete it. I've devoted the whole site to a weekly production blog, so you can find glimpses of the work-in-progress there, hopefully enough to build up some interest. I expect to shop it around to publishers in the next few months.

Me: What do you like to do better, graphic art or drawing comics?

Scott: I design websites and logos for a living when I'm not dabbling in this comic book stuff. I enjoy doing that work quite a lot, and frankly it's easier and pays far better than comics. You can see much of that work at www.websbestdesigns.com.

Me: Hello, Karsten. I would say hello in German but I don't know how. Anyway, welcome to the Phile.

Karsten: Hello, Jason, and hello in German is easy, just "Hallo".

Me: Where in Germany do you live, sir?
Karsten: I live in the capital city, Berlin.

Me: Did you grow up with American comics while living in Germany? What was
your favorite comic book you grew up reading.

Karsten: Yes, there weren't much European or even German books. First time I had comics in my hands i guess it was Mickey Mouse, which I don't like, I like Donald more or later "Phantomias", the Batman Version. But I read Batman and Superman, too. And Flash, I loved Flash, but then, one day the news stand didn't have them anymore and i had to look for something else, it was 1983 and I browsed though the stand with the little trade paperbacks and saw the Cover of "Die Gruppe X Nr.4". It was The Uncanny X-MEN Cover from 1978, no. 115, inside the storyline from 111 to 114. And that was the day I collected the X-MEN. Which was hard because they came out only 3 or 4 times a year with 4 stories inside but as you can see, years later as they originally were published. But I was hooked; the abilities and characters
were awesome. But the best thing was the art, the art of John Byrne. It is a beautiful style. But there were other books that were produced more, Spider-Man. You see, the question wasn't "what book to collect" there weren't much options; at least in my local news stand and I didn't got too much around all town to look for more. Okay, there were Avengers and Fantastic four, I
have some of them too, but it wasn't my thing. The difference between these 4 books is obvious, the Avengers and Fantastic Four are liked and the public likes them, and they despite the X-MEN, say they are outlaws and should locked up, but that they do good all the time, the public didn't see. And that is what hooked me more, same for Spider-Man and JJJ. Later, in 1996 I discovered a shop that had international Comics, and I started to collect the X-MEN, the originals and the spin offs, everything X-MEN related, and some other books. Beautiful. But I had to stop for a while now.

Me: My favorite super hero is Captain Britain, mostly because he is English, and so am I. Who is your favorite super hero? Nightcrawler is the only German hero I could think of.

Karsten: Right, I couldn't think of another right now myself, I like the elf, when he is with Wolverine, together they are fun, alone he is too sad and way to much into religion for my taste. Also it is fun to see German words and sentences. Sadly they were badly translated at some times. Ha, I hope my English isn't too bad. But a real favorite I don't have. There were times when you could say: "This one is it", but that changed. Depends on my mood I guess.

Me: So, DC or Marvel?

Karsten: Dark Horse. I don't participate in that war, which publisher is better. Dark Horse has some books I like very much, DC does and so does Marvel. I am neutral.

Me: Before you started drawing for Fierce, who else have you worked for?

Karsten: Nobody. At least not in the comic business.

Me: You are working on "Redneck Red", right? How did the boys at Fierce discover you and what made you want to work for them?

Karsten: What made me work for them... hmm, that is easy, two things: The work on a book and the money. It was Mike Foss who found me on a Forum, he saw a comic page I posted wanted me for a book he wrote, but then he showed it to Ben, and he asked if I would do a couple of sample pages, which I gladly did, I had much freedom and had my fun with it. If you want to see them, you can find them here: comicspace.com/maximilian/comics.php?action=gallery&comic_id=20768. They liked them in the end and now I am in the team and try to produce the best art I can. Which can be frustrating, I am not easily satisfied, and by looking on the pages today I see some things I would change now.

Me: So, Redneck Red... coming from Germany did you know what a redneck was?

Karsten: Yes.

Me: When you get a script sent to you, how long does it take you to draw the book? Do you send everything through e-mail?

Karsten: Yes, we communicate through e-mail and wait for feedback, and if there is something to change, I do that. Gladly there wasn't much to change in that first book. It depends on the amount of pages the book has. This one has 22 and a cover, it is finished within a month.

Me: Have you ever been to the States?

Karsten: Yes. It was February 1993. New York for two day and then 12 in Orlando Florida.

Me: Karsten, any future projects you are working on, or will be working on? Also, is there a book you would love to draw for?

Karsten: Oh yes, I have some stories of my own in my desk which I would love to get out, but they are epic and need time. But first there is "Redneck Red". Yes, there are 4 titles I would love to draw for: PREDATOR (if it still exist, I don't know), STARWARS, X-MEN (no specific title) and BATMAN.

Me: I wish you luck, and hope to see you at a convention soon, my friend.

Karsten: Thank you very much and good luck to you, too.

Me: Okay, now to you, Rob... where did you study?

Rob: The international school of awesome. Honestly, I don't have any formal art training. I have been into drawing and art since I was a more wee one than I am now.

Me: Do you have a favorite super hero?

Rob: Is that a trick question? I mean there are so many to choose from... Spiderman, Green Hornet, Usagi Yojimbo... I am afraid to go on any further as I will just bore everyone. I am a nerd.

Me: I love the "Maniacal Smile", Rob. How did you create it, and tell the Phile readers the premise.

Rob: Thanks! I love that you love it! I created the character when I was 16. I originally just wanted to put a book out that would shock readers and gross them out. You can ask my esteemed publisher, I hit my goal on that. :) Over the course of 11 years, I tried to fine tune it and make it as good as I could... but alas, I am no writer. I now have the privilege of working
with Mike Foss who is making my art look better with great storytelling. Basically, Smiley is the story of a guy who isn't good at anything. He has the worst super power ever... irritable bowel syndrome. He wears a big inflatable rubber suit to look muscular, and is guided by his
quadriplegic-ex-superhero-uncle, Richard Reed. (LOL) It's like South Park meets The Tick. If the Philes have a good sense of humor, this book is for them!

Me: So, can I get a Maniacal Smile t-shirt XXL? LOL.

Rob: Actually, HELL YEAH! we have SOOOOOO many shirts... Tell Ben to comp one to you!

Me: You are working on a graphic novel called "Blue Manta", right? What is that about and when will it come out?

Rob: "Blue Manta" is in the works. It has taken a bit of a back seat to our current work on Smiley. People really love the look of the character, so I am sure we will get it out under the Fierce label soon... as for the skinny on the story, we still have lots to figure out on it... BUT be sure to check out future issues of Smiley, the Big blue will be lurking in it's pages soon...

Me: Let's talk about the comic book company you three work for... Fierce Comics. I never heard of it until I went to MegaCon. When did the company form and how many different titles does it have?

Ben: It was originally founded in 2003 and initially published mostly web-based comics. In 2005 the company began developing concepts for print and searching for high-quality creative talent to help lead the growth in that direction. Most of the company¹s promotional efforts were focused on the Tampa Bay area during this time, so it's not surprising that you hadn¹t
heard of us. At this point, the company publishes "Redneck Red" and the "Maniacal Smile" on an every other month basis. Two additional titles are in development for release in 2010 and several others are earmarked for 2011, assuming a successful launch of the 2010 titles.

Me: If a Phile reader wants to get a Fierce Comic comic, where would they go?

Ben: Until recently, the books have been sold direct to the public; however, we are working with ComicsMonkey to establish a distribution channel that will make the books easily available to comic shops nationwide. We hope to have that in place by the end of April. The real key is for comic readers to ask their comic shop owners for the books. Nothing is more
powerful than end-user demand when it comes to getting books into comic shops.

Me: Also, if a budding artist or comic book writer wants to work for Fierce, what would they have to do?

Ben: Well, we aren¹t currently looking for writing submissions, but it's fairly easy if you're an artist - just go to the submissions page of the web site and download a submissions form. The instructions are right on the form. We maintain a list of freelancers and rank them according to
different variables including quality of work, turnaround time, industry experience, and page rate.

Me: Any chance Fierce will be releasing trade paperbacks?

Ben: Right now we're focused on hitting deadlines and maintaining our current frequency of an every other month release schedule per title. It'll ultimately be customer demand that dictates our trade strategy.

Me: Okay, what is the website and what is next for the company?

Ben: The website is www.fiercecomics.com. There's a free members section on the site called MyFierce, where you can sign up to get inside access to what's coming up and interact with our core creative team. There aren't many independent comic companies offering this level of interaction on their web sites, so I encourage your readers to take advantage of it and sign up.
We also offer sneak peeks at available issues, wallpaper and avatar downloads, and an awesome gear section with a lot of great products. We have aggressive expansion plans for the company, but for now our primary focus is building a solid distribution channel and fan base. When that's
locked-in, the steps that follow will be very, very exciting for our fans.

Me: Thanks for doing this interview, I am a big fan, and thanks for my t-shirt. I hope this was fun, was it?

Rob: wait... you already have a Tee?! Ben, scratch the comp for another one to him... JK! This was fun! Thanks for taking the time to get to know the greatness that is Fierce Comics! Punch and Pie...

PHINALLY

Man, that was freakin' cool. Check out Fiercecomics.com. And if they make a Manical Smile movie, I want that part. A super hero with IBS can't be wrong. Thanks to Ben and the boys from Fierce Comics, who I would love to interview again one day. Thanks also to Wikipedia. The Phile will be back again on Monday with an interview with the very attractive and talented Jennifer Newberry. Then on Friday the Phile will be back with another artist. Thanks always for reading, and spread the word, not the turd.

Pheaturing Kyrsten Magnuson From Magnuson

PHIRST OF

Welcome to the Phile, the most updated blog on the internet a proud sponsor of generationrescue.com and tacanow.org. It's another Monday version of the Phile again, kids. Crazy, right? Today is an ultra busy day in the Peverett household. I am taking Logan swimming, then it's his acting class play, and then Logan and I are gonna go see Star Trek. He asked me if I liked Star Trek and I said no, the last Star Trek movie I saw in the movies was Search For Spock. He then asked, "Why do you want to see this movie then?" He has a point. In Phriday's entry I'll give the review of it. Hey, did you see Michelle Obama on "Sesame Street" this week? I wish I could be on "Sesame Street." They already have one grouch. She said she could see the effects of the economic downturn. It's true — Oscar the Grouch was selling his can for drugs. For 50 bucks you can pluck Big Bird's ass. For Mother's Day, President Obama gave his wife, Michelle, a great gift — he gave her that pirate he captured. The Octo-Mom's kids all chipped in and got her a tie. One more thing... if you live in Florida, we are being bombarded with lovebugs, and I don't mean an army of Herbies. They are everywhere! Our house is covered, and we vacuum them up a few times in the house. But I noticed at Epcot there's not one single lovebug. Makes you wonder what kinda cancerous chemical they spray to keep them out. 

Okay, I mentioned last week that the Phile is starting an adopt a soldier, and it officially kicks off today. Here's how it works: once a month on the Phile I will give you Phile Phans a list of soldiers and an address. Then if you want please go ahead and send letters to these guys as well as small items. I will find out what kinda items you can send that won't get anybody in trouble, but they want to hear from you all. Most of the six names don't have families to send them love, so I know the Phile readers, who are a generous bunch won't hesitate to send them a letter letting them know how you feel. Anyway, here are the names, and thanks.

Eugene Shiner

Carlos Rivera

Tony Torres

Casper Wadlington

Phillip Wallinger

Manuel Garces

And the address to send them letters is:

143d ESC

APO AE 09355

Danny Gans: The Las Vegas billboard industry just took a BIG hit.

Dom DeLuise: Dom Dead. Decomposing delightfully. Deadpoolers delirious.

Dom DiMaggio: Dom duplicate. Doornail dead. Deadpoolers dumbfounded.

1310
54 members of the Knights Templar are burned at the stake in France for being heretics. Established during the Crusades to protect pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land, this military order came into increasing conflict with Rome until Clement V officially dissolved it at the Council of Vienna in 1312.
1907
A derailment outside Lompoc, California kills 32 Shriners, when their chartered train jumps off the tracks at a switch near Surf Depot. Many of them were scalded to death when the steam boiler ruptured. No word on the fates of their groovy fezzes.
1960
Four Mossad agents abduct fugitive Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann from a bus stop in Buenos Aires.
1981
Jamaican music legend and U.N. Peace Medal recipient Bob Marley dies of brain cancer in a Miami hospital at the age of 36. Marley had quietly begun a course of radiation therapy at Sloan-Kettering a few months prior, but abandoned it just two days later after word leaked out.
1985
56 soccer fans are killed and more than 200 injured in Bradford, England when fire sweeps through the grandstands of Valley Parade stadium. In less than ten minutes, the structure is reduced to a burning pile of wood.
2001
"Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" author Douglas Adams dies of a heart attack at age 49.

Today's interview is with the very lovely and cool guitarist for the L.A. rock band Magnuson, who are playing at the House of Blues in LA on May 20th. So, if you live in that area go ahead and check them out, and tell the Phile sent you. Please welcome to the Phile... Lady Magnuson.

Me: Hello, Lady, welcome to the Phile. Can I call you Lady or Kyrsten?

Kyrsten: Kyrsten's fine. I changed my "myspace name" to Lady Magnuson due to the fact that most people had difficulty spelling my name. I figured I'd make it easy on both parties haha.

Me: Did I spell your name right? That's one helluva hard name to spell. I bet you get a lot of people misspelling it, right?

Kyrsten: Hahaha yes, sometimes I get frustrated because my name is the same as Kirsten Dunst (except for 1 letter) and everyone gets her name right, but then I think back on the fact that if I were to be born as a boy my name would have been Wolfgang. (No offense Mr. Puck... it just wouldn't work for me). 

Me: So, you are a bass player, eh? I seem to interview a lot of bass players here at the Phile. How long have you been playing bass?

Kyrsten: I'm actually primarily a guitarist. I do play bass from time to time, but guitar is my real love. I started playing guitar at the age of 12 and then picked up the bass at around age 18. It seemed like a natural progression to me.

Me: What make of bass do you play? Ibanez I am guessing.

Kyrsten: Yup, you got it... Ibanez. My main guitars are Brian Moores (if you haven't heard of these, definitely check them out!).

Me: Who else is in the band with you?

Kyrsten: We're just a trio with my husband, Greg on bass and our drummer Matt.

Me: Tell me about when you firsts started playing guitar.

Kyrsten: When I first picked up the guitar I was obsessed with the Beatles, so I made it a goal to learn everything in the Beatles songbook I had at the time. Shortly thereafter I really fell in love with playing classical and jazz music. Currently I've gotten quite the craving for progressive rock and metal, so I believe that's what most people would say my sound is. I try to incorporate all of my favorite styles though, I get sick of playing just one genre for any length of time.

Me: Tell me about your husband. Is it his band or yours, or do you have joint custody? LOL. So, think he would want to be interviewed as well?

Kyrsten: Ooh interesting question. I'd have to say Greg started the original band. It was only him playing acoustic guitar and using his last name as the band name and then found a guitarist, drummer, and bass player to form the complete band. It was only after ther drummer left (forcing Greg to leave the guitar behind and be the replacement drummer) did I join the band to replace Greg on guitar. Kind of like band musical chairs! However, our line up and music has changed quite a bit since then, so I'd say all 3 members share custody now! Sure, Greg would love to be interviewed!

Me: What about the drummer? Who is he? 

Kyrsten: About the time that I joined the band, Greg had been drumming/singing for a while and was kind of getting sick of it. He's primarily a bass player, so even though he was a decent drummer, we figured having an "actual" drummer might be better, allowing Greg to just be the lead singer. So we started the dreaded drummer audition process. I believe Matt was about 17 when he tried out. He had learned every song on the CD and although he was still young, definitely could hold his own and showed much potential. It was a bit difficult at times since there were many 21 venues that he wasn't allowed to be in (except for when we were playing), but other then that it was smooth sailing. Eventually the bass player and guitarist left to pursue other projects, so Greg filled in on bass... leaving us with the current line up. PHEW!

Me: There's a picture of you I saw on the set of "ER". I have a bunch of questions about that. One, was it in California or Chicago? Two, how did you get on the set? Three, did you meet anybody from the show? I am jealous. "ER" is one of my favorite shows, and I really miss it.

Kyrsten: Haha good eye! The "ER" set is in Burbank, CA on the Warner Bros. lot. I have a friend that used to be a tour guide there, so for a friend's birthday I arranged to have my tour guide buddy give us a private tour of the lot. The set was AMAZING! It looks like a real hospital inside, its crazy. There are walls painted to look like perspective views down different hallways, so its not as big as it seems, but man they have every detail covered in there. Such a trip. Unfortunately, they weren't filming at the time, so I didn't get to meet anyone. But yeah I love that picture, glad I was able to take it!

Me: There's another picture of you and posing with a surf board, but something tells me you don't surf. You are from California though... anyway, tell me what the deal is with that picture. It's very cute, by the way.

Kyrsten: Hahaha the old school picture! That was my senior picture in high school. I was on the surf team at school (yes, that's right we have surf teams) and was surfing about 3-4 times a week at that point... with the beach only being about 5 minutes away it was a blast. I was also skateboarding to and from school everyday, so when my mom asked me what items I wanted to be in my senior picture it was a no brainer... my favorite boards!! I think I was the tannest I've ever been in my life there, sadly.

Me: Kyrsten, let's talk about your album, "The Struggle Within". What does that name mean? It's a very good album. Yes, I did download it from iTunes. I also downloaded "Last Days". What can you tell me about both albums?

Kyrsten: I believe Matt gets the credit for coming up with the name "The Struggle Within". Many of our songs are about the universal truth of knowing what is right but not always acting on it. Maybe there are some people out there who always know and do the right thing, but for the rest of us... that's who this album is for. "Last Days" was the CD that was done by Greg before the band really got started. Our old guitarist has a few parts on the CD, but most of the guitars, drums, bass, vocals, sampling, etc. were done by Greg. I spent about 6 hours critiquing it for Greg before he did the final mastering. I think I wrote about 6 pages of notes for him on things I liked/didn't like/thought there should be more of/less of, so in a way I feel like I'm a part of that album, even though I do not appear on it. I really love this album and the whole "apocalyptic" theme to it. We still play 3 or 4 songs off of this album in our live shows, just tweaked a bit for the new line up.

Me: "The Struggle Within" has some very strong tunes, Kyrsten. Who produced it? Are you guys already planning on releasing a follow-up?

Kyrsten: Thanks! It was produced and recorded by Dave Jagoz who used to work with Victory Records artists back in the day. The whole album was recorded in his studio. He's really an amazing and down to earth guy, it was such an honor to work with him. We're definitely doing a follow up very soon. We've already finished 2 songs and have about 3 or 4 others in the works right now. I'm really excited about this one, I can't wait to get the new stuff out there!

Me: I saw a video of yours for the song "Hopeless Rerun." How long ago was that made? It looked like it was a lot of work making it. Have you made any more videos?

Kyrsten: Let's see... that video was done about a year ago. Wow, doesn't seem like its been that long! It wasn't too bad of a project, we set everything up in Matt's garage and filmed the whole thing ourselves. Our wonderful neighbor, Rob, who does video editing for a living offered to edit it together for us. I really give him all of the credit for the final product, he was able to take our little "home movie" and turn it into exactly what we were seeing in our heads. We haven't made any other music videos yet, but I've sketched out ideas for the rest of the songs off of "The Struggle Within", so whenever we get the time/motivation, we'll definitely do more. For now, we're just putting up as many live videos as we can on youtube. I think its important that people see a band perform live... you can't hide behind effects and editing then.

Me: Kyrsten, who first formed the band? Were you in bands before your husband?

Kyrsten: Like I said above, this was originally Greg's project, but we've taken that foundation and turned it into something collective. So yeah, he formed the initial direction, we all formed its current configuration. I was in many bands before I met Greg. I joined Magnuson my soph. year of college, so I had a few high school bands here and there that I was a part of, the longest one lasting about 2 years. I've got some awesome VHS tapes of live shows from back in the day, I should get them up online sometime... for a laugh if nothing else haha.

Me: I read so mewhere that you don't like country. Why is that? How would you describe your music?

Kyrsten: Yes, I must admit I'm really not a fan of modern country. I love me some bluegrass, but yeah can't get down with what's on the radio right now. I was born and mostly raised in Texas, so I had my fair share of country music. I bought a banjo with all of my allowance money back when I was 15, so I pretty much lived by Flatt and Scruggs for a while there. I typically describe our current music as "progressive indie". I know there are some poppy elements to it as well with all of the harmonies and whatnot, but I'd consider it closer to prog-rock than anything.

Me: Is it true you performed on a cruise? Where was that if you did, and what did you do? It wasn't with the band, was it?

Kyrsten: Oh man, The Cruise. Greg and I went to Mexico a year or so ago on a cruise. They have this huge production performances on the main stage every night and on the last night the show is made up entirely of guests on the cruise, so if we wanted to try out for a part we just needed to go audition the song we wanted in the karaoke lounge. Greg and I wandered into the "auditions" one night and figured why not give it a shot. However, by that time, most of the good songs had been taken... leaving Britney Spears and James Brown. So long story short, they put me in a HUGE plaid skirt, a blonde wig (still don't know why, my hair was identical at the time), an d threw me out on stage with back up dancers. Pretty much the entire boat was watching me sing "Baby One More Time". I have video... and I'm NOT sharing. Greg's James Brown was amazing though, he looked insane in the outfit (cape and all), but he definitely stole the show.

Me: You also performed at The Rock and Roll Marathon... tell the readers of the Phile what that is and how was it? Did you see a lot of bleeding nipples? Every year at Disney during their marathon the runners always seem to have bleeding nipples. By the way, that sounds like a great name for a band, doesn't it? Bleeding Nipples.

Kyrsten: The Rock and Roll marathon is an annual 10k held in San Diego, where there's a stage with a band playing at every mile or so. Its really a great time and a lot of the people running dress up in costumes. I think they broke a record this year for the most amount of Elvii (Elvis's?) running in a marathon at one time. Oh and yes, we pretty much made a sport out of Bloody Nipple Spotting. *cringe*

Me: Okay, go ahead and plug your website. And do you have anything else you would like to tell the phans?

Kyrsten: Yay, plug! www.magnusonband.com or myspace.com/magnuson. Let's see anything else... I like to say thanks to you for this interview, and thanks to everyone that read it. I hope that it inspires someone out there who wants to get into music, but doesn't think they can do it. We do pretty much everything ourselves (maintain websites, make music videos, silkscreen t-shirts, shoot... Greg even made his bass), and we love every second of it! So if you have a passion for playing music, don't let anything or anyone stand in your way!

Me: Like I said, I love your music, and think you guys are cool. Thanks for doing this interview, Kyrsten, and take care. 

Kyrsten: Thank you!! If anyone out there would like to reach me or the band you're more than welcome, I check myspace everyday... yes, even with all of the band craziness, I still have no life. ; ) Take it easy!!

PHINALLY

Man, she was cool, wasn't she? Alright, that's about it for this entry of the Phile. It'll be back this Friday with the third in the Artist Month interviews... the talented group behind Tampa's Fierce Comics. Until then, spread the word, not the turd.

Pheaturing Robin Edwards

PHIRST OF

Hello, welcome to the Phile, proud sponsor of tacanow.org and generationrescue.com. So, if you need someone to wipeout your hard drive, with your pics, iTunes and everything else I am your man. Hey, did you see those two kids on "Idol" performing "Slow Ride" on Tuesday. I am still flipping out. The White House has a Twitter page now. Here's what it said: "I am a building. I am not doing anything." Another: "The president is inside me. Weird." The last one: "I wish I could go see Wolverine." Fires are raging in California. Miss California immediately put out a statement saying she's OK with flaming things as long as they don't get married.

Also in California, Manny Ramirez of the L.A. Dodgers tested positive for a steroid that's sometimes used as a sexual enhancer. Apparently Manny couldn't get to third base on his own.
A new show debuted earlier this week. It's about fashion designers who compete. Sounds exactly like "Project Runway." I don't have a problem with similarities between two shows. Look at "The View" and "When Animals Attack." Elizabeth Edwards, wife of presidential candidate John Edwards, was on Oprah. It was a really awkward interview. On the bright side, Oprah gave her a car. The governor of Maine signed a bill legalizing same-sex marriages. You know what that means — gay lobsters. And finally... Sunday is Mother's Day, and there's speculation that sales of flowers will be down. One enterprising delivery service is doing something about it: "Teleflora introduces the Imaginary Bouquet. Tell mom it's all you can afford." It's Artist Month here on the Phile, and today's Artist is the talented comic book artist Robin Edwards. But first...

THE PEVERETT PHILE TOP TEN LIST

Top Ten Things Dumb Guys Think "Twitter" Is 

10. Someone who is more dumb than a twit.
9. City in Iraq where Saddam hid them WMDs.
8. That skinny model from the 60s.
7. A very tight sweater.
6. Al Gore's wife.
5. The number after a billion.
4. Two mistakes away from a no-hitter.
3. It's like a fritter, but it's toasted.
2.The first symptom of swine flu.
And the number one thing dumb guy's think Twitter is.
1. The involuntary muscle reaction to seeing Madonna naked.

May 8TH IN HISTORY

1842

Following a birthday celebration for King Louis Philippe, 59 Parisians returning home by train are trapped in their railcars and incinerated when their train collides with another. In these early days of rail travel, coaches were locked and no means of escape was available.
1902
Mt. Peleé erupts on the West Indies island of Martinique. A wall of superheated ash and rock cascades down the slopes, slamming directly into the community of Saint Pierre. The shockwave and intense heat even manage to destroy twenty ships in the harbor. Only two of the town's 28,000 residents survive the cataclysm.
1988
Science fiction author Robert A Heinlein dies of emphysema, leaving behind a legacy of subversive novels -- many of which meditate on unconventional sexual mores.
1991
In a room at Little Rock's Excelsior Hotel, Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton exposes his penis to state employee Paula Jones and propositions her to perform fellatio. In her civil deposition, Jones will later claim to have witnessed certain "distinguishing characteristics" of the governor's genitalia, the precise nature of which soon becomes the subject of much speculation. For her trouble, Jones eventually receives an out-of-court settlement for $850,000 and a nude pictorial in Penthouse magazine.
1998
Former Senator and onetime Presidential candidate Bob Dole tells television interviewer Larry King that he participated in the Viagra impotence drug trials, and thoroughly enjoyed himself in the process. Dole's name soon becomes synonymous with erectile dysfunction.
1999
Actress Dana Plato, who played Kimberly Drummond on "Diff'rent Strokes", dies in Oklahoma of an overdose of Valium and Loritab. Just the previous day, Plato had appeared on the Howard Stern syndicated radio program claiming to be clean and sober.

THE PEVERETT PHILE INTERVIEWS

Alright, now for today's guest. She is a comic book artist who lives right here in Central Florida, and is pretty good. I mean, look at her House drawing. Please welcome to the Phile... Robin Edwards. 

Me: Hello, Robin, welcome to Artist Month on The Phile. So, how are you?

Robin: I am doing just spiffy, thanks for asking!

Me: Let's talk about your style of work. Is it called anime or magna? Is there a difference?

Robin: I would say that it's a combination of things; there is a definite Japanese influence but I'm also influenced by Disney and Craig Thompson. On a side note, 'anime' in Japanese is just a term for an animated show (i.e., cartoon), and 'manga' is their word for comic.

Me: Do you think that style is the biggest its ever been? At MegaCon it seemed that magna and anime was everywhere.

Robin: It has garnered a lot of popularity in recent years. I think more publishing companies are starting to embrace it and translate Japanese titles (like DC's CMX line of graphic novels) and it's becoming a more accepted art style.

Me: I can't seem to get into anything like that from Japan, Robin. Who are your favorite artists that any Phile reader should check into?

Robin: Sure! My personal favorites are stories that I claim 'aren't popular' by today's anime/manga fan standards. I would suggest Rumiko Takahashi's series 'Maison Ikkoku' for starters. It's my all-time favorite, and I go back and read it again and again. It's a down-to-earth comedy/drama (no aliens, sex changes, or dog-demons, as Takahashi is more famous for). A more recent favorite of mine is Toru Fujieda's 'Oyayubihime Infinity' (Thumb princess infinity). This title has been translated by CMX. Very cute story, and beautiful artwork.

Me: So, let's talk about your work. What tools do you use? Sharpies are my personal favorite.

Robin: I mainly use mechanical pencils to pencil everything, and Sakura Microns or Copic liners to ink my work (although I do bust out a Sharpie every now and then for big areas of black!). I do a lot of inking and touch-ups on the computer, though, using Photoshop. I also apply screentones (those little dots and patterns used to give a picture shading) in Photoshop.

Me: You are really into the Japanese culture, right? I know you've been to Japan, but how many times? Do you speak Japanese?

Robin: I have been to Japan five times in the past 9 years. My husband and I go to have fun and visit a good friend of mine from high school who is from there. I actually got into the Japanese culture back in junior high when I started taking martial arts (and playing video games!). I'm self-taught in the Japanese language, and have been studying it for over 13 years.

Me: Two of your projects are called "Ganbare! Shimura-san" and "Cardboard Angel". What was your first project you have ever worked on?

Robin: Oh, man... TV Circuit was the first web comic I ever made, back in 2000. I only got halfway through with it and then quit because I wanted to rewrite it (it has since been updated and finished and is now out in graphic novel format). There's a ton of old stories and artwork floating around from my high school days, but TV-C was the first!

Me: What does ganbare shimura-san mean?

Robin: Ganbare! Shimura-san means 'Hang in there, Shimura!' The title is in Japanese on its web site, but we translated it into English when it went to print.

Me: Have you been drawing graphic novels all your life?

Robin: I believe my first comic that I ever really worked on was a "Star Trek: The Next Generation" fan comic, dating back to 1992. Computer paper and staples! I turned Wesley into a Borg. I got more into creating comics as a living after high school.

Me: What is your favorite comic you have written, Robin? And do you like drawing or writing better?

Robin: This is tough, because all of my works hold a special place in my heart. I'd have to say my favorite right now is 'Cardboard Angel,' as it's the one I am currently working on! I do like the writing process because ideas can come to me very quickly. I can sit at my computer for hours working out an entire series. Drawing the work is fun too, but it can be time-consuming. I do like seeing the finished product, though!

Me: You also drew and wrote stories called "Fractured Kisses 1-4", and "TV Circuit", right? What are all those stories about?

Robin: Fractured Kisses is actually the title to a collection of short stories my friend Gina Biggs (creator of Red String) and I (along with some other artist buddies of ours) put together between 2001-2004. Each issue had short stories in it; the first three stories I created were about a couple named Eriko and Kouichi, and the fourth story was actually the first version of Cardboard Angel's first chapter. After FK#4 came out we decided to halt its production and focus on our web comics, which brings me to TV Circuit again! It went back up in 2004-2005. TV-C is about a woman named Kyoko who strives to find a better job and life after witnessing some shady dealings at the tv show she was anchoring.

Me: What project are you currently working on right now?

Robin: Other than Cardboard Angel, I'm working on a horror story that is part prose, part comic, called 'In Life and Death.' I'm also tossing around ideas for another comic, titled 'Bad Karma.'

Me: You also do commissions, right? What was the craziest commission you have ever done for somebody?

Robin: I was once asked to draw a series of drawings featuring female superheroes in dangerous situations (like being tied up and gagged). Quite possibly one of the most awkward requests I've ever gotten!

Me: Tell the readers 'bout Strawberry Comics, Robin.

Robin: Strawberry Comics is a collective of female artists dedicated to bringing readers stories that are character-driven and filled with drama and romance. Our stories span different genres and art styles.

Me: I hope to interview Gabriel Ba the artist who drew "The Umbrella Academy". What is the one question I should ask him?

Robin: I would personally like to know what drove him to create comics.

Me: Okay, if someone wants to check out or hopefully buy your artwork, where should they go?

Robin: The best place to go is Strawberrycomics.com--it's the main hub! All of our stories are available for reading or for purchase through the site.

Me: Thanks again, Robin. And keep drawing, okay? And tell Todd I said hello.

Robin: 10-4, good buddy! Thanks for having me!

PHINALLY

There you go. Thanks to Robin Edwards and her husband Todd, as well as Wikipedia for the history. Please check out Robin's work, she has a wide varied of styles which I would love to interview her about in the next Artist Month (whenever that may be). Next week it's some of the guys behind the comic book company Fierce Comics. Also, I am still working out the adopt a solider program. In the meantime, the next entry of the Phile will be on Monday with Lady Magnuson from the band Magnuson. So, please check out the websites mentioned here on the Phile and remember to spread the word, not the turd. 

Pheaturing Cethkyn

PHIRST OF

Hey, there, it's Monday, and the Phile is updated! Welcome to the most updated blog on the internet... the Peverett Phile. President Obama has declared that Chrysler has the swine flu.
Chrysler is going to merge with Fiat. That’s great — crappy cars in two languages. The CDC says people should wash their hands before handling food. Here’s what should happen: Joe Biden should wash his foot before putting it in his mouth. Biden said people should stay off of subways and trains. I think the next time Biden puts his foot in his mouth, Obama should put his foot in Biden’s ass. More than 300 schools in 14 states are closed because of swine flu. I would be delighted if I was a child — it’s like snow days. I am blaming the people at Purell for the swine flu. Rep. Michelle Bachmann of Minnesota seems to have another idea of who’s to blame. Here’s what she said: “I find it interesting that it was back in the ‘70s swine flu broke out then under another Democrat president, Jimmy Carter... I think it’s an interesting coincidence.” Well, she’s wrong — it was Gerald Ford, a Republican, who was president when the last swine flu broke out. Alright, enough of the swine flu crap. Today's blog has a review of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and an interview with the Orlando based rock band Cethkyn. 

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

The fourth movie about Marvel Comic's emo mutants is hellbent on redeeming the debacle that was the last X-Men movie. But this time, beloved berserker Wolverine is up-front and center as we follow him from humble beginnings more than a hundred years ago up until the point before he joins the pajama-clad frat that is the franchises namesake. This prequel is loaded with mutants, action set-pieces, and plenty of answers about ol' Ginsu Knuckles. High Jackman reprises the role that made him an international star, and he's joined by Liev Schreiber as his brother Sabretooth, Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, and, making his film debut, hip-hop artist will.i.am as a character so obscure, Stan Lee is probs all what the fuck? There's a lot of excellent nerd porn in this otherwise perfunctory pre-summer CGI spectacle. Besides an opening credits sequence as good, if not better, than Watchmen, X-Men Origins: Wolverine allows a little breathing room in-between preposterous action sequences and plot exposition. This helps small, non-kablooie moments to shine—many of those moments belong to Liev Schreiber, who delivers a sinister, and savage performance. The movie is more brutal, the narrative tidier, and the onslaught of mutant cameos more evenly rationed than its predecessors. It may not save the franchise, but for fans of the X movies, it serves as a replacement sequel to the best movie in the series, Brian Singer's X2. Kudos to Jackman, of course, who clearly respects the comic book character that doubles as his meal ticket. His frothing rages are credible, especially for an actor who sung and danced his way through hosting the Oscars. Like most comic book movies, this one tries to please both hardcore fans, and normal folk looking for a big, flashy action flick. In the end, it will probably disappoint the fans. The civilians who don't know a Danger Room from a Boom-Boom Room, will raptly consume the movie, and then feel hungry for another superhero jamboree an hour later. The problem with the flick, however, is that you've seen it all before. The wire-fu, the hero walking while a fireball explodes behind him, and the physics-defying climax are all... ho-hum. Make sure you stick around through the credits. All the credits. Yes, until the end. Do what we tell you. See it in the theater. It will no doubt be diminished on the small screen. I mean, if you're going to see a movie where a man is catapulted through the air by an exploding truck and onto a helicopter, you might as well see it writ large, and loud. I give it a ten anyway, and Logan said fifteen minutes in the movie... "This is the best movie ever." Jen wants to see it so she can see Hugh Jackman's naked ass. 

At an advanced screening of X-Men Origins: Wolverine in Los Angeles, director Gavin Hood introduced the film by announcing that they've included multiple after-the-credits endings spread across several prints of the film, meaning folks will have to visit multiple theaters in order to watch them all. Hood did not reveal exactly how many endings there were; the one at the screening apparently included Deadpool, according to First Showing. Some of you might remember a similar stunt taking place for the film adaptation of Clue, which seemed like a more obvious choice to include multiple endings since the board game plays out the same exact way. But this move by 20th Century Fox has not only become a signature of the new big-screen Marvel universe -- it's also a fairly smart way to entice folks to theaters after an almost-but-not-quite-there version of Wolverine leaked online last month. Last night's after-the-credits ending lasted roughly 25-30 seconds; the rest of them (however many there are -- I'm guessing 3-6) probably run about the same. Even though all the different endings will most likely find their way onto YouTube the weekend this film hits theaters, do you think it's enough to win back at least some of the money lost to piracy? Was something like this even needed in the first place?

1854

Joseph Tussaud returns to London with the well-used blade of the guillotine he purchased from Clement Sanson, the last in a line of Sansons who held the office of Executioner of Paris for over 150 years. The blade is now part of Tussaud's Wax Museum collection.
1970
28 Ohio National Guardsmen kill four students and wound nine others at Kent State University. The Guardsmen had read them the riot act, but the students refused to disperse. So they shot them.
1991
Bing Crosby's son Dennis Crosby puts a shotgun to his head, ending his life in a boarding house in California. A younger brother, Lindsay, had also killed himself with a shotgun two years earlier.
1999
At the Sigma Chi fraternity at the University of Wisconsin, Chad Alvarez nukes a fraternal brother's Quaker parrot, Iago, in the house microwave. The animal explodes. For this he is sentenced to ten days in jail, and fined $1000. Alvarez is the son of the university's football coach.
1999
A newly-delivered baby falls through a train toilet as it is born near the city of Guangzhou, China. After the fall, a second train speeds over the newborn. Although the baby survives unharmed, radio announcers are later reprimanded for laughing hysterically as they report the story.
2000
The "I Love You" computer worm rampages through Internet email systems, inflicting damages somewhere in the $2-to-$15 billion range. The worm spreads by exploiting design flaws in the Microsoft Outlook mail client and also the gullibility of your typical computer user. A variety of Filipino suspects is ultimately narrowed down to an AMA Computer College student from Manila.
2001
After dinner at Vitello's in Studio City, film and television actor Robert Blake remembers that he left something at the restaurant. When he returns to the car, he discovers his wife, Bonnie Lee Bakley, slumped over in the passenger seat. She had been shot in the head by person or persons unknown. Bakley later dies of her injury. One year later, Blake is charged with the murder.


Today's interview is with the first Orlando band I interviewed... Cethkyn. They are also the first band to do it right by sending me a press kit and CD. So, welcome to the Phile... Cethkyn.

Me: Hey, guys, welcome to the Phile. Congratulations on being the first band I interviewed from Orlando. Did you all go to High School here? If so, which one?

Cethkyn: All of us but Travis went to High School in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. We all moved down here in 2004 and Travis joined us in 2005. He is originally from Barre, Vermont.

Me: Do you all live downtown?

Cethkyn: Nah, we got a house on the eastside of Orlando where most of us live at. It also serves as our practice site.

Me: Let's talk about the band name. What the hell does it mean? How do you pronounce it?
Matt and Kevin started the band back in 1998 using the name Medication. They found out that another band had that name so they made up the word Cethkyn, pronounced Seth-kin. It’s a philosophy we describe as “Anything for Anybody.”

Me: So, who is in the band, and how did you all meet?

Cethkyn: The lineup is: Matt-vocals, Kevin-guitar, Travis-guitar, Dan-bass, Adam-drums.
Kevin, Matt, Dan, and Adam all knew each other from Wisconsin and Adam met Travis when they were in the army together in Iraq.

Me: Do you have day jobs, or is the band a full time gig?

Cethkyn: We all have day jobs which fuels our desire to make continuously better music.

Me: How long have you guys been playing?

Cethkyn: Kevin and Matt have been playing together for ten years. Dan and Adam joined the band in 2004 and Travis came on in 2005.

Me: I am so out of touch with local bands, guys. Back in the early 90's I think I knew pretty much every local band out there. What other bands do you guys know in town?

Cethkyn: We have played with so many great bands around town so we will inevitably leave someone out but we really enjoy Lost in Progress, Almost Winter, Yellow Day Union, Dead Men’s Dreams, Katharik, Fields of Glass.

Me: You are working on a new CD, right? Where are you recording it?

Cethkyn: We recorded the CD at Crush Studios in Altamonte Springs.

Me: What can we expect from it, and will you be sticking it on iTunes?

Cethkyn: With the CD, we strived for a heavy intense sound that attempted to capture the energy of our live show. The songs should be up on iTunes in a couple weeks.

Me: How many songs will be on it? Are you guys self-producing it? Will it have any ballads for us old pholk ? I am only 40 but old enough to be your fathers probably.

Cethkyn: There are seven tracks on it: six songs and an intro. Sorry man, we’re not much for making ballads.

Me: Speaking of, I would love to go downtown and see you guys in concert but I am dreadfully afraid of mosh pits.

Cethkyn: We encourage everyone to check out our live show and we do have fans that like to get the pit going. We also have a lot of fans that are more comfortable staying close to the bar where it’s safe and their drinks are close. I don’t think you would have anything to worry about!

Me: What was the biggest concert you have ever played?

Cethkyn: Last year we were able to win a spot on 101.1 WJRR’s Earthday Birthday 15 show at Tinker Field. That was quite a humbling experience and definitely one of the highlights of our time as a band.

Me: Do you get to play outside of O-Town? Come to Clermont and I might come to a show but sit backstage. Actually, there's no where to play out here.

Cethkyn: We actually played two shows in Clermont last year. Also last year we had the chance to play all over Florida, including Miami, Ft. Myers, Tampa, Jacksonville, Gainesville, and even Savannah, Georgia.

Me: Do you guys have a lot of female or male fans?

Cethkyn: We have a pretty equal amount of male and female fans. That’s what we love about our fans: they are a very eclectic bunch and include all ages and types of people.

Me: I see you guys play at a club called The Dungeon, which I never heard of. No, I don't get out much. Where is it, and what kinda club is it?

Cethkyn: It’s a great little place on North OBT by Clarcona Ocoee Road. Lots of great local metal bands along with quite a few touring bands play there and they have shows almost every day of the week. The address is 6440 North Orange Blossom Trail.

Me: When your new CD comes out are you gonna take the show on the road?

Cethkyn: Right now we are really focusing on increasing our local fan base and building solid relationships with other artists and bands in the Orlando area. We also want to go back in the studio this year to record another CD. We have enough new material and are anxious to get it all recorded. The ultimate goal though is to put together a nationwide tour.

Me: Okay, fellas, plug your website, and tell the readers of the Phile anything you want.

Cethkyn: www.myspace.com/cethkyn Also, we’re working on www.cethkyn.com right now.
Anyway, with the economy taking a dump, local music is more important now than ever. We are lucky to be here in Central Florida because there are so many great local bands and venues and most shows cost less than $10. Don’t let the bastards keep you down, get out there and support the local scene!

Me: Take care, and let me know when the CD comes out. Rock on, and be safe.

Cethkyn: Hey thanks for talking to us, we always appreciate it. Our CD “Classics” is already out and available at any of our live shows and at cdbaby.com.

PHINALLY

There you go, kids. Thanks to the guys from Cethkyn, and Wikipedia. The Phile will be back this Friday with an interview with the second artist in Artist Month... comic book artist Robin Edwards. I am also planning on the adopt a soldier program, and the Phile is also a proud sponsor of generationrescue.org and tacanow.org. So, please check out those websites and spread the word, not the turd.

Pheaturing Daniel Mann

PHIRST OF

Rabbit. It's the first day of May, kids. Welcome to the Peverett Phile, proud sponsor of generationrescue.org and tacanow.org. To all Mexicans, Happy Labor Day. Labor Day in Mexico means that is the one day they work. Actually, because of this Swine Flu business, no one in Mexico is working. Man, Mexicans use any excuse they can not to work. I don't know how anybody first found out about Swine Flu, I just know someone squealed. And it's not true it was started by Kevin Bacon. Everyone in Mexico right now looks like Michael Jackson with those face masks they’re wearing. To help avoid the spread of Swine Flu, the U.S. government is asking Mexicans not to come to the United States. Isn’t that what they’ve been doing for the past 40 years? They’ve traced the Swine Flu’s origin to one little piggy who went to the market when he should have stayed home. Kim Kardashian, who doesn't have Swine Flu, shocked her fans the other day with a blonde wig. Then she admitted that her ass is actually an old Buick. In a new interview, Iranian President Ahmadinejad complained Obama’s not returning his messages. Hello — maybe he’s just not that into you. Arlen Specter has switched sides — he left the Republican Party and went over to the Democrats. Who’s he think he is, Lindsay Lohan? Scientists have cloned dogs . . . dogs that glow in the dark. Why? They’ve made it easier for Michael Vick to find them now. Wednesday marked Obama’s first 100 days in office. It’s a big deal, because 100 days is when his warranty runs out. We can’t return him now. And finally... if you are looking for a job and work at Disney, they are offering you a hundred dollars if you can referral a friend or relative for housekeeping. Unfortunately, all the Spanish and Haitian's I know already work for Disney. It's Artist Month here on the Phile, with an interview with an Artist every Phriday this month. Today's artist guest is Daniel Mann. 

MAY 1ST IN HISTORY

1776
Adam Weishaupt founds the Bavarian Illuminati, the secret society which controls your mind as part of its plot to overthrow organized religion and control the global economy. If you don't believe it, ask yourself what novus ordo seclorum is doing on your dollar bill.
1863
The Confederate Congress decrees that captured Negro soldiers from the Union Army are to be summarily put to death, on the grounds that they have already "incited servile insurrection."
1889
The first of May is designated "International Workers Day," in commemoration of Chicago's Haymarket riots of 1886. The new holiday is actually an appropriation of the banned Beltane (Day of Fire), or May Day, traditionally celebrated by encircling a phallic maypole with delectable fertile virgins.
1942
The 215th and final hanging occurs at California's San Quentin maximum security prison. Subsequent executions utilize the facility's gas chamber, and ultimately, inmate's choice of that or lethal injection.
1945
Joseph Göbbels and his wife Magda tell their six children they are about to receive inoculation shots, but the injections actually contain poison. The parents then exit the Fuhrerbunker, where an SS man shoots them both in the back of the head.
1960
The Soviet Union fires a SAM-2 surface-to-air missile at the U-2 spy plane piloted by Francis Gary Powers. The aircraft crashes inside Russian territory, near Sverdlosk. For whatever reason, Powers opts not to swallow his suicide pill and is taken into custody.
1993
During a May Day rally, Sri Lankan president Ranasinghe Premadasa and his retinue of bodyguards are blown to bits by a Tamil Tiger suicide bomber.
1997
Sportscaster Frank Gifford is caught on video having sex with TWA flight attendant Suzen Johnson at the New York Regency Hotel. On the tape, Johnson is heard moaning: "Oh, God that's so good. Oh my, you're so big. I knew you would be -- I just knew you would be." A tabloid paid Johnson $75,000 to fornicate with Gifford, and she later goes on to pose nude in Playboy for a six-figure check.
2003
Commander in Chief George W. Bush rides shotgun aboard a Navy S-3B Viking jet, before landing on the USS Abraham Lincoln, marking the first time a president has boarded an aircraft carrier by plane. Underneath a large "Mission Accomplished" banner, he announces that major combat operations in Iraq have ended.

SOMEONE PHAMOUS HAS DIED

Bea Arthur: And then there's mulch.

THE PEVERETT PHILE TOP TEN LIST

From the home office in Groveland, Florida, here is this week's top ten list...

Top Ten Punch Lines to Dirty Pirate Jokes
10. "Thar she blows!"
9. "Got a little captain in you?"
8. "Is that a wooden leg or are you just glad to see me?"
7. "And that's why my Roger is so jolly"
6. "You think that's a salty dog?"
5. "Willie Stargell's bat" (sorry, that's a punchline to a dirty Pittsburgh Pirate joke).
4. "It's not a plank, but you can walk on it"
3. "Now I see why they call him Long John Silver"
2. "No, matey, I said, 'Swab the deck!'"
And the number one punch line to a dirty pirate joke...
1. "Yo, ho"

THE PEVERETT PHILE INTERVIEWS

Our guest this week is a fabulous artist, as you can see from some of his artwork, who I met at MegaCon. Please welcome to the Peverett Phile... Daniel Mann.

Me: Hello, Dan, welcome to the Phile. So, what have you been up to since MegaCon?

Daniel: Since MegaCon, we have been to a number of other conventions. Metropolis,
South Bend, Steel City Con and FX international (which is back in Orlando). For a list of our convention calendar you can go to our website.

Me: Your company is called Kid Domino, right? Who came up with that name, and what does it mean? There's a band called Kid Domino as well.

Daniel: I wasn't aware of the band (I'll have to check them out). We came up with that name based on one of my friends paintings in college who was involved in the beginning of the company, but decided to further his education. We toyed with a few other names, but ultimately came back to our original idea.

Me: Where is the company located and when was it founded?

Daniel: The company is based in Kirklin, Indiana which is basically a suburb of Indianapolis. Our offices are located there as well as an illustration/fine art gallery. There is no admission fee so you can just drop in (there are more things to do in the area on Saturday and Sunday).

Me: Dan, you do art work of every kind I can think of. What do you like best? Oils, pencils, etc? I love to doodle with Sharpies myself.

Daniel: I enjoy every medium for different reasons, but my favorite are oils. There is a tradition that is very fulfilling with oils and the luminosity of the colors of the finished product are more vibrant than any other medium. Pen and ink are rewarding in a different way. I love creating depth and atmosphere with straight black and white. There is a crispness that strikes
me.

Me: Did you go to art school or did your talent come easy to you?

Daniel: Art has always come fairly easy for me, but I have been doing it since I was six years old. I've also had a lot of encouragement through my lifetime to pursue art. I graduated from Indiana University with a BFA in fine art and an Art History minor. College really honed my skills as an artist and broadened my world view. I recommend to anyone to further their education, if it at all possible.

Me: What was your favorite drawing you have ever did? Is there any character you would like to draw that you haven't tried yet?

Daniel: I don't know if it's my favorite (I like them all for different reasons), but the most satisfying was the Christ painting that I did in college. People respond to that image in such a wide range of emotion that it transcends just an oil painting. It stands 6 feet tall by 4 feet wide and resides in Oak Creek Community Church in Mishawaka Indiana. Good or bad,
people always have a deep reaction to that piece.

Me: Let's talk about your graphic novel, "The House of Souls". Who came up with the concept? How many issues have you done and what is the basic story premise?

Daniel: The concept really spawned from a painting I did called "The Greed Tree". The story takes you through all seven sins and is basically about free will. The main character "Shroeder", is involved in a game in which he collects souls. To get a better idea you can order a copy of the preface from our website. It's a great read and really helps lead into the first comic. My
brother is really responsible ultimately for our stories, but we all brainstorm ideas. He definitely has a gift for storytelling.

Me: If someone would like to get some of your artwork, or your graphic novel, where would they go?

Daniel: WWW.kiddomino.com is where you can get all of our products including art
prints and originals from the story.

Me: Any other graphic novels in the future?

Daniel: We have a few projects in the works including "Two Worlds" and "David". As many artists know there is always another project to work on.

Me: You do commissioned work as well, right? How much do you charge and what is the craziest thing anybody has ever drawn? I betcha I can come up with something crazier.

Daniel: I'm sure you can having already met you. Commissioned work ranges in price
depending on the medium, number of characters, and size. The best way to do commission work is to contact us through the website. I love to create things for people and will always work with someone on pricing. Pencil drawings start at around $50 and are less expensive at the conventions. I've been asked to do some pretty crazy things (I've turned down requests
before), but the strangest thing that I went agreed to was a nun and a priest doing anything I wanted. I didn't understand why or what their motive was (nor did I want to know). Actually, it turned out pretty cool; I made them look very ominous.

Me: Thanks for doing this, Dan. Go ahead and plug whatever you wish, or any website. I hope to see you again in the future soon.

Daniel: You can order prints, bookmarks, originals, graphic novels or even web designs through our website www.kiddomino.com. I hope to see some of you at our next show. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

PHINALLY

Thanks to Daniel Mann and the guys at Kid Domino for this interview, and check out the website. Alright, as I mentioned the Phile is a proud sponsor of two amazing organizations... Generation Rescue and TACA. Please check them out and donate to them. Also, starting next Phriday the Phile is gonna start an adopt a soldier program. I will have more news on that next week. Also next week, continuing Artist Month, the interview will be with comic book artist Robin Edwards. But... the next entry of the Phile will be on Monday with an interview with the members of the Orlando rock band Cethkyn, as well as a review of Wolverine, or as I like to call it X-Men 4, and Geek Talk. Thanks again to Daniel Mann and Wikipedia. Until next week, spread the word, not the turd.