Pheaturing Phile Alumni Ben Filipiak & Rob Rhine From Fierce Comics

Happy Father's Day! Welcome to the Phile, kids, how are you? I have to say I had a really cool, fun, and a successful father. Logan has... me. We can't all be lucky.  The big story continues to be 29-year-old Edward Snowden, the man behind the leaking of the NSA spy scandal. Speculation is that Snowden is hiding in Hong Kong and could be working for China. Hey, let's get real. Aren't we all pretty much working for China? Some experts believe the privacy scandal will hurt the NSA. Are they crazy? Do you know how many people want to join now that they've heard the guy who blew the whistle is a high school dropout, making almost $200,000 a year, with a pole dancer girlfriend, and he’s living in Hawaii? People are lining up to get this job.  According to a Gallup poll, President Obama's approval rating has dropped to 45 percent. Luckily for Obama, he has "impeachment insurance." It's called "Joe Biden."  The world's oldest human tumor has been found on the rib of a Neanderthal skeleton in Croatia. The tumor would have been discovered sooner, but they have government healthcare over there.  Today for Father's Day my son and I are gonna go see Man of Steel. Superman. I'm so excited because a superhero movie hasn't opened since Friday. For my money, the best Superman was Sean Connery. The whole movie, if you go to see it... this is a spoiler alert... is Superman complaining about having to fly friends to the airport.  In case you didn't know, the first Father's Day was celebrated in 1910. Before that, there were no fathers. If you're looking for a thoughtful, inexpensive gift for dad, here is an idea: try not to roll your eyes when he says something. There's a lot of sales for Father's Day. Check out this ad...

I have no idea where 1015 Olive Drive is in Davis. Or where Davis is in fact.  So, who got the new Xbox One? I am not sure they have the right promotions going on to help sales.

I think I'll get the brick.  I am a huge Beatles fan, as you might know, and I always wondered where they got the idea for the "Abbey Road" album cover. Well, I think I know.

That's so stupid.  Well, the great company I work for which is Disney is releasing some of their classic movies with their original titles. I have no idea what the reason behind this is, but go along with it. Yesterday I revealed Beauty & the Beast was originally called Stockholm Syndrome which I do not understand. Today's one is a bit more easy to figure out.

It's true.  On June 3rd it was Bad Wolf Day... and if you don't know whnat Bad Wolf means you haven't seen "Doctor Who". Anyway, it was asked of you to write or create the words Bad Wolf and send them in to me and other websites and you kids did it. So, here's another Bad Wolf entry.

LOL. That's my favorite one I think. Baaad Wolf. Do goats say baa or only sheep? I don't know.  Well, it is Father's Day, and for today I thought I would start a new annual pheature. It's time for...

Well done, stupid father who wore an inappropriate t-shirt. You are the Phather of the Year!  You know, today's guests on the Phile have created some really cool characters. And here on the Phile, I have as well. Everyone knows and has heard of Winnie the Pooh, but did you know Winnie the Pooh has a brother? Winnie was all full of insight, and his brother is as well. So, please welcome to the Phile again...

Me: Hello, Vinnie, welcome back to the Phile. How are you?

Vinnie: I stubbed my toe.

Me: I am sorry to hear that, Vinnie.

Vinnie: It's okay. Do you know what's worse than stabbing your toe?

Me: No, what?

Vinnie: Breaking your spine and being unable to walk for the rest of your life.

Me: Yeah, that would suck.

Vinnie: Do you want to hear a joke?

Me: Sure.

Vinnie: What does a gay horse eat?

Me: I don't know, what does a gay horse eat?

Vinnie: Carrots.

Me: Um... I don't get it.

Vinnie: Oh. Okay.

Me: Did you see your brother was in the news recently, Vinnie?

Vinnie: Yes. Chinese internet censors target Winnie the Pooh and Tigger after Xi-Obama comparison. Winnie should be banned in China, that way I can be popular.

Me: Did you see the picture of why Winnie was banned?

Vinnie: No. Me: Good, I'll show it here.

Me: Anything else you wanna say before you go, Vinnie?

Vinnie: There's absentee father's in all cultures, races and even animal breeds! Where was Bambi's father? Where was Dumbo's dad? Winnie the Pooh? Happy Father's Day.

That was so stupid. Anyway, here's a new Mindphuck. If you see it, email me at thepeverettphile@gmail.com.

Today's guests are Phile Alum and the author and artist of the 26th book to be pheatured in the Peverett Phile Book Club... "The Maniacal Smile Omnibus". Please welcome back to the Phile from Fierce Comics... Ben Filipiak and Rob Rhine.

Me: Hey, guys, welcome back to the Phile. How have you been?

Ben: Awesome, Jason. Couldn’t be happier.

Rob: Hidee hoo!

Me: It's been years since you were here last, I am am glad Fierce Comics is still going strong. The Phile is as well, but looks different now, right?

Ben: Yeah man, looking great!

Me: Like the Phile which has gotten better in the years, do you think Fierce has gotten better?

Ben: Without a doubt. Our titles are getting more and more exposure and becoming pretty well known.

Rob: In every way. With each passing year we learn and apply something new and better to our respective crafts.

Me: I saw you guys at MegaCon this year, and was glad to see that you are still doing the Maniacal Smile. He's Fierces' main character, am I right?

Ben: Smiley has been around longest, so there’s more material for that title, and we’ve been putting extra effort behind Smiley lately to showcase his marketability, but we have an equal focus across all three titles. Redneck Red, for example was wildly popular both at MegaCon and at the last Tampa Bay Comic Con. So much so, that we’re seriously thinking of rescheduling a previously planned new release to do a follow-up story arc to "Roar of the Swamp".

Rob: Right. Smiley is a piece of a much larger puzzle of awesome that is the Fierce brand! He is my favorite by default.

Me: He has his own board game. I have a picture of it here to show...

Me: Who came up with the concept of the game, guys?

Ben: I have a tremendous amount of faith in the marketability of The Maniacal Smile. I seriously believe it’s only a matter of time before we see his face licensed on all kinds of products and I wanted to start demonstrating that with products other than comics. After some research, I decided a game would be the best way to start. I brought the idea to make a game forward, and solicited concepts from the team. Rob shot back a few ideas and one was to play off the Guts of a Hero theme and have the players moving through Smiley’s intestines. It was one of those “that’s perfect” moments that make this kind of work so rewarding for all of us. And believe me, it was work! We invested an enormous amount of time into developing the game. Everything from the board design to the nuances of the game play, and even how the game play experience can be changed through expansion packs was painstakingly tested and reworked countless times to get it just right. I couldn’t be more proud of the end result, and hearing people play it at MegaCon was extremely fulfilling. They were cheering and laughing like they were in Vegas or something. It was awesome.

Rob: It is quite an amazing achievement when you look at it. I will be honest, redrawing the board and tweaking it was the hardest part. But once we knew we had it locked in and perfect, we could not have been happier!

Me: I looked to see if there was a Maniacal Smile action figure. Is that something you see being made any time?

Ben: Dude, I can see an entire line of Fierce related action figures! We’ve explored the idea, but it’s probably not going to happen this year. However, if any of your readers are in the injection molding/action figure manufacturing business, we could always use a competitive quote. For that matter, we’re open to licensing for almost any product and this is a great time for a manufacturer to build a relationship with an emerging national brand.

Rob: This is one of my personal dreams and goals that I want to achieve with Smiley! Press a button and he makes a wonderful nimbus sound! I also think a Midwalker figure that is clear blue with a way to light him up would rule… and of course a GIANT Swamp Ape would be sweet as well. Maybe do it like other action figure lines and have a piece of him with every figure to build him... I could go on and on with this topic, but I digress, LOL!

Me: Last time you were here you were part of Artist Month or something, but Rob, you're the artist and Ben, you're the founder and writer at Fierce, did I get that right?

Ben: Yep, you pretty much nailed it. I founded Fierce Comics back in 2005 with Pat Batton. We met Rob and Mike a couple years into it when we teamed up to produce a Free Comic Book Day book featuring the best of Tampa Bay’s independent comic creators. We’ve been a fearsome foursome ever since. Nowadays Rob is the artist behind Smiley, Mike writes Smiley, Pat is our web master, letterer on Smiley, and co-writer on "Redneck Red", and I write "Midwalker" and manage the business. We have a lot of complimentary skills, so it works well.

Rob: We have found balance to the force to be sure.

Me: Well, this time you are part of The Peverett Phile Book Club, and I made the trade "The Maniacal Smile Omnibus" the pheatured book. Who wrote the stories, and Rob, you drew the book, right?

Rob: I produced the majority of that book from high school until my early 20’s. I wrote and illustrated most of it alone. I had some friends that assisted along the way on various things like writing or lettering. But the big change happened when Foss came on board. Since 2006 we have been making Smiley together and better with each issue!

Me: What is in the Omnibus? Does it have any new material?

Rob: The Omnibus serves as the foundation or origin of where Smiley came from and how he became the coolest indie comic today! There is a lost issue 13 and a few ashcan issues in there that either were never printed or if they were, only a few were made. I would say the majority of the Omnibus is full of rarity!

Ben: I’ve got to say, the Omnibus is a very unique book. It isn’t often you find an artist who is willing to open his kimono and expose all his art from back when he was one step away from stone knives and bearskins. It’s really cool to flip through it and actually see his progress. It’s a great example for aspiring young artists who don’t think they can stick with it to get good enough for print.

Me: This is not the only trade Fierce put out, is it? There's another Smiley trade and a Redneck Red book.

Ben: That’s right, there are also the "Maniacal Smile: Guts of a Hero" and "Redneck Red: Roar of the Swamp" books.

Me: How many artists do you have on staff, Ben?

Ben: Technically, all work not done by Rob is done by freelance artists. We try to work with industry professionals whenever possible, and we’ve been fortunate to work with the likes of Scott Reed, Mike Shoyket, Don Hillsman, and Tony Kordos. That doesn’t mean we won’t work with others, we just want to maintain a high-quality, professional-level product. In fact, we frequently receive freelance and journeyman artist submissions from all over the world and there’s a good probability that we will be working with some of them on books in our production plan. The bottom line is if the caliber of the work is at a level we feel comfortable putting the Fierce brand on, we can explore opportunities. All an artist has to do is follow the submission guidelines on our website. When we get the submission, it’s reviewed for quality, fit and value. Does the quality meet our standards? Does the style fit the project in question? And finally, does the anticipated page rate work within our budget as an independent publisher and not a massive global organization bent on owning every piece of pop culture ever created.

Me: If I remember Fierce was based in St. Pete in Florida... not Russia. Is it still?

Ben: Yep, still in St. Petersburg, Florida, God’s gift to Tampa Bay.

Rob: ... and making I-275 through Tampa basically the devil's skidmark!!

Me: Alright, for readers that don't know, tell them who Smiley is. Is he a good guy?

Rob: Smiley is a good guy to be sure! He is in actuality a young man named Alex McClendon. Kind of a slacker, but he has a good heart! He was blessed with super IBS and his uncle Rich is working to mold him into the hero he could no longer be. Rich used to be a hero named Limbs, but his arms and legs were cut off by a bad guy, taking away his namesake. As Alex tries to become the hero of the city, he adopts a new alter ego... that of Quadriplegic Man to assist Smiley in his heroic duties! This book is like "South Park" meets "The Tick". We work to make it funny, but we can do anything with it... and have LOTS of plans to keep it going at full steam!

Me: If they were going to make a movie based on him, who would you want to play him?

Rob: Hmm... I think he would be better suited for animation than a movie... but the voice would definitely have to be done by Jason Lee. Perfect for Alex and Smiley!!

Me: I see you based a character based on me... Super Irritable Bowel Syndrome.. What does he look like? He doesn't have strawberry blonde hair and wear Foghat t-shirts, does he?

Rob: HA! Nope! He's Alex. Alex is based a lot off my own experiences with... stomach issues. That and my very own brother who does not have IBS, but does suffer from lactose intolerance. Makes for funny stories! I think we ALL have IBS in us... just depends on how much Taco Bell you eat.

Me: Since you were here last you started a third series... "Midwalker". Who came up with that concept?

Ben: That was my little light bulb.

Rob: Ummm... judging by the feedback, it was more of like a lighthouse then a bulb...

Me: What is "Midwalker" about?

Ben: Okay, get ready for it, and cue sales pitch: It’s about a guy who can exist midway between life and the afterlife. He can literally exist partly as a typical human and partly as an ethereal being. But the catch is that it feels like an amazing drug trip to him. It’s the biggest high you can imagine. He describes it as feeling like he’s being immersed in love. So all he wants to do is cross over all the time and feel this incredible feeling. He basically becomes a power junky in a very unproductive way and wrecks most of his personal relationships. And what’s worse, when he’s in that state, he draws the attention of the underworld who set out to hunt him down. We’ve received a lot of vey positive responses to this title. Whenever someone buys issue one, they pretty much always come right back for the other issues raving about it. It’s been a very personally rewarding experience.

Rob: Also drawn by DC Comics artist Mike Shoyket... how did you miss that in the pitch?! HAHAHAHAHA!!

Ben: It’s true, I’m a big fan of Mike’s and I do mark out to him and Scott every time I explain the book to someone. Have you seen the way Mike renders emotions on the characters? It’s perfect. And I believe Scott is one of, if not the best colorists in the industry. Both of them together result in what I feel is award winning quality. I guess I could say that I feel like I’ve got the perfect team to tell this story and that doesn’t always happen in life. When it does, you’ve got to take a step back and appreciate it. 

Rob: All ball busting aside, I agree. "Midwalker" is a HUGE notch in our company’s collective belt. The art is pretty damned good and colors as well. I pitch a tent at the thought of a hard cover collected edition!

Me: A few people are doing Satan themed books lately, Ben. I think Stan Lee has one coming out. But in your book Satan is not the main character, right?

Ben: Stan who? Just kidding! Gosh I love his Silver Age work. When you think about the number of people he must have inspired and entertained it kind of blows you away, you know? I wouldn’t say that "Midwalker" is about Satan. It’s really more about exploring what a human being would do if they could get a little taste of the ultimate euphoria. Think about it, if you could get a taste of heaven and it was the most amazing thing you’ve ever felt, how would you handle that? Would you care about going to work? Would you care about your friends or your girlfriend? Would you tell people about it? Or would you want to keep it to yourself and get back to that feeling as often as possible? And what if that “feeling” came with some amazing abilities? Would you care? I think everyone would answer those questions differently and you might be surprised by how Josh handles it in the book.

Rob: One of my favorite things about "Midwalker" is that it does sort of go into religious undertones, but it's not preachy. It allows the reader to become immersed in the character without forcing any messages down your throat. Ben has done a great job writing it to be palatable to anyone.

Me: I have to ask, as I don't know, do all your characters share the same Universe like DC characters and Marvel characters do?

Ben: I wish, but unfortunately that isn’t the case. The Smiley universe is in the fictional city of Utopia, whereas "Redneck Red", "Midwalker", and most of our upcoming (non-Smiley related) titles are based in real-world Florida. However, that doesn’t mean we won’t ever have a universal crossover fix at some point. I see all the current titles as being “Fierce Heroes”, but they do occupy two different universes. That’s mostly because all the characters in the Smiley universe have four freaking fingers on each hand. Why Rob, why couldn’t they have been given normal human hands and feet??? We could have probably gotten around the Utopia thing easily enough, but when all the characters have a unique anatomical trait like freak show hands and feet, we’re pretty much stuck. It’s sort of like the DC challenge when they try to incorporate other characters into the DC universe, except those characters have humanoid appendages.

Rob: Because I HATE drawing pinkies!!! ... No, I don't know. I like the feel of the style to it. Kind of a throwback to old Looney Tunes or "Ren and Stimpy". Plus, even if he had all four fingers and all, I don't see the super IBS guy doing too well in the real world. It is meant to be silly and cartoony. BUT, I am sure there will be a Fierce crossover event one day... and maybe OUR Smiley can... jump... out of his own comic into the "real world" I'll be sure there isn't any annoying talking stars on him though. That would be lame!

Ben: I agree. Smiley is what he is and he’s perfect that way. It’s what makes him so successful. Ultimately, when I refer to the “Fierce Universe”, I include "The Maniacal Smile"; even if he is in another reality. When we get to the point where the Earth faces a threat so large, no single hero can do the job, The Maniacal Smile will be among the Fierce Heroes defending us.

Rob: Amen! I can't wait to really see him and Red interact. It should prove to be hilarious!

Me: I am a big Marvel fan, and one of the reasons is that it takes place in the real world. Spidey lives in New York, Iron Man lives in Malibu. Your characters take place in made up places. Why is this?

Ben: I’ll let R2 answer this one, since Red and Middy are in the Sunshine Stizzate.

Rob: I did it because of the absolute silliness of the book. I figured why be tied down to real world locales. The background is just as important as the title character as well. I want Utopia to be like that... Also, it's an oxymoron. The city is far from perfect... I like to have as much originality and humor as I can in the book.

Me: How long has Fierce been going, you guys?

Ben: Fierce Comics was founded in 2005, however, Rob started working on Smiley when he was in diapers back in 1998. We reorganized the company as Fierce Media LLC in 2011 and publish under the brand Fierce Comics.

Me: And I don't think I asked last time, but where does the name Fierce come from?

Ben: That’s an interesting story and one worthy of a bigger discussion. Suffice it to say that I wanted a brand that reflected the intense, cutting edge characters and stories that I had in mind and was already working on with Pat. I went through a lot of possible names, but when I landed on Fierce, I just knew it was right. Pat and I were running things online at the time and we quickly learned that if you are going to get into this business, you’d better be prepared to fight for your intellectual property rights. Long story short, I eventually trademarked it and the name has gained a significant amount of recognition ever since. Plus, it’s also a little more marketable than Filipiak’s Comics. Most people can’t even pronounce that.

Rob: I second that notion wholeheartedly. One of the best moves I have ever made was to copyright Smiley.

Ben: I’d have to second Rob’s second. His copyright filing unquestionably validates Smiley’s tagline as The Worlds First Smiley-Faced Comic Book Hero!

Me: I heard you were on the show "Being Human". I take it that was the American version. What did you guys play and was it fun?

Ben: Yep, it’s the awesome American version. Some of our books were used on set in an episode during season three.

Me: Did they feature your characters?

Ben: They actually had the books on screen. The final result is a brief scene where the character Kenny, who is essentially a bubble-boy, is explaining to Aiden what he received in his weekly pull list of sterilized comics. He’s holding two stacks of Fierce Comics, including "Redneck Red" and the "Maniacal Smile"... and the Omnibus in sitting on his desk. It’s only a few seconds on-screen, but to fan boys like us, it’s awesome.

Me: How did you get involved with this?

Ben: Last year, the production company reached out to us to see if we would be interested in having our books used in the production of an episode in season three. They were great people to work with and we were honored to be asked. I’m hoping to see our titles get more exposure with television and/or movie production companies. We receive a lot of feedback about how our titles would make either a great cartoon or movie. It’s consistent too, so I feel like the opportunity is really there. We consistently hear that "The Maniacal Smile" should be on Cartoon Network, and several people have approached us about writing a screenplay to pitch a "Redneck Red" film. I’d dismiss those comments a lot more easily if they weren’t so frequent and so consistent. There really must be some genuine market appeal there and I’d like to explore it.

Rob: Red would make a great low budget movie... Redneck ultra violence on a B scale. Think Troma-esque. The best part is Red is already a sort of cult favorite comic, the movie would transition to be the same.

Me: One of the newest mediums in comics is... shit, I forgot the name... digital moving comics. They have voices, music, sound effects, but with limited movement. Do you know what I'm talking about? Is this something you see yourselves doing?

Ben: Yes and no. We have the technical ability and the internal team skill set, but we lack the time resources we’d need to make it happen. We’ve talked about it several times, but it always comes back to the fact that we only have so much time.

Me: That makes sense. Motion comic is what I was thinking of. Thanks so much for being on the Phile. Please come back again, and I will look for you next year at MegaCon, and Rob, I'll get you to draw a picture of me. Go ahead and mention your website. Also, you have a new on-line store, right?

Ben: Thank YOU, Jason. Glad to see the Phile growing! If any of your readers want to see the things we talked about, they can head on over to fiercecomics.com and make sure they friend us over at facebook.com/FierceComics. 

Rob: Thanks, Jay!! We really appreciate it! BEN!! How could you be so thoughtless... this is about MONEY baby!! Plug the STORE!!! 

Ben: Fiercestore.com.  

Me: Oh, this year I am asking random questions thanks to Tabletopics. Are you guys ready? Oh, this dumb. What amendments should be made to the U.S. Constitution? 

Ben: I think I’ll let Rob handle this one... 

Rob: Hmmm... I don't know what amendment to add, but I would like a petition drafted to get me in the same room as Lauren Cohen (Maggie from "Walking Dead"). If I only had about 7 minutes alone... wait... that was dumb! 

Me: No, it wasn't. She's hot. Thanks again, guys, and please come back soon. 

Ben: Anytime! 

Rob: Punch and pie.

That about does it for this entry of the Phile. Thanks to Ben and Rob for a great interview. I'd love to have them back on the Phile again soon. The Phile will be back tomorrow with Melissa Marchese, the hot singer from the band Weekend Riot Club. So, spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye. Strawberry Blondes Forever! Happy Father's Day!

Pheaturing Phile Alum JoDee Purkeypile

Hello, and welcome to the Phile. I'm your host, Jason Peverett, star of the new movie Man of Shit. The new Superman movie opened yesterday. It's a great story: When Superman’s dad realizes his son is gifted with x-ray vision and super hearing, he puts him in a rocket and sends him toward earth, because he knows with those powers he can get a job in the Obama administration.  This is the big news of the week... a former technical assistant for the CIA named Edward Snowden leaked the story that the federal government was collecting phone records from Verizon customers. Snowden said, “You’re being watched.” To which NBC executives said, “Finally! We would love to be watched." People are asking how this Snowden guy could download all this classified information and give it to a British newspaper without the NSA knowing about it. I think I know the answer. If you don't want the NSA spying on you, get a job working at the NSA. That's how it works. Snowden said he was going to disclose all this information earlier, but he wanted to wait until after the election. To which Mitt Romney said, "Hey, thanks a lot. Appreciate it." The NSA has been listening in on phone calls. It's people with cellphones... you hear these people walking down the street screaming into their cellphones. They're the ones who are upset about people listening to their phone calls. You know your phone is being tapped when you're having a conversation and you hear the attorney general breathing. Edward Snowden is very pleased with himself. He says he doesn't want to live in a society where the society monitors its people. And then he fled to China. He went to China to avoid government persecution. That’s like going to Ireland to avoid getting drunk.  Last weekend, President Obama held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. It went well, although it got awkward when Obama asked China to stop spying on America and Jinping said, “You first.”  A woman interrupted the finale of “Britain's Got Talent” and actually started throwing eggs at Simon Cowell... at which point she won “Britain's Got Talent.”  This is sad news, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his wife announced that they are getting a divorce after almost 30 years of marriage. When asked why, Putin said, “We tried to make it work, but you know what they say: Men are from Malgobek, women are from Kadnikov.” Actually, Putin and his wife made their announcement after they attended the ballet. That's weird because most guys would want to break up with you before they had to go to a ballet.  As part of a senior prank, students at a high school in Washington spray-painted all over their school, but they actually misspelled the word “senior” twice. That probably explains why they didn't get into “collage.”   Speaking of school, did you know there's a new map of Africa they are using? It's a little different then the maps I remember. Take a look...

Fucking desert, dude. I wanna go to Land of Bling.  So, who got the new Xbox? Or the new Playstation 4? There's a new ad that Sony released that might help you choose which one to get.

I work for Disney, which is the greatest company to work for, and I have an exclusive. They are gonna release some of the classic films, but with their original titles. Check it out.

Why the hell was it gonna be called Stockholm Syndrome? I don't get it. Can someone explain it to me?   Everybody tells me I should get some Yankee Candles for my wife. I have no idea why, but I thought I would go to the Yankee Candle store to check it out, and they sure have some odd candle names.

I didn't buy any of them. Lawd Jesus It's A Fire is a good name though. LOL.  Alright, on June 3rd it was Bad Wolf Day. If you don't know what Bad Wolf is you need to watch "Doctor Who".  Anyway, I told you readers to write Bad Wolf somewhere and send it in, and some of you took it a step further. Check out the latest Bad Wolf picture.

If I see those tissue boxes next time I'm in the store I'm gonna make the boxes say something else. Like Phile, or Peverett, or Foghat.  Alright, I mentioned Edward Snowden just now... and I have to say something serious about him. He gave up a $200,000 year salary and his freedom so you could know that the NSA is spying on you. He fought for your privacy rights and didn't ask for anything in return. He's a better man that I am. I say thank you, Edward. You rock. Moving on... So, if you didn't know, I live in Florida, and in Florida some of the weirdest stuff happens, stuff that wouldn't happen in any other state. That's why I started a new pheature on the Phile called...

A 37-year-old Florida woman allegedly stabbed her boyfriend with an 8-inch-long kitchen knife after he farted in her face during an argument. Deborah Ann Burns, 37, was arrested last week for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. And perhaps not surprisingly, deputies say alcohol helped fuel the argument. The Immokalee woman told Collier County detectives that she stabbed her boyfriend of six years after an argument broke out while the two were watching a nightly television program. Burns' boyfriend told deputies that they began arguing over money. They both got up and went into the kitchen. That was when Burns said her boyfriend walked by and farted in her face, according to an arrest report. According to the report, Burns confronted him about the fart and he became agitated, ordering her to shut up. That's when deputies say the argument escalated and became physical between Burns and the 53-year-old boyfriend, Willie Butler. He allegedly chased her through the kitchen and threw a knife at her, which missed, according to the arrest report. When authorities responded to a report of a possible stabbing, deputies found Burns' boyfriend standing front of his mailbox. He had cuts to his abdomen and left forearm. While deputies were talking to him, they could smell a strong odor of alcohol from him. He told authorities that Burns threw a kitchen knife at him, striking him in the abdomen. He then said she ran out of the house and returned shortly where another argument took place. This time, Burns struck him with a stick in the left arm, causing another cut, according to court documents. Burns' boyfriend made no mention of the alleged fart, but did tell deputies that if Burns returned, "he would kick her (butt) and take care of her." Burns denied cutting Butler, according to the arrest report. Butler was so intoxicated and combative that deputies said they could not obtain a sworn statement from him. Burns remains in custody on a $50,000 bond.

Is that male or female? The farter or the fartee? I don't know.  Okay, a phriend of the Phile wanted to come on and say something about Edward Snowden as well as I did. He's a singer, patriot and renaissance man. You know what time it is...

My money is on them finding Edward Snowdon sometime soon... dead of suicide... or heart attack... or mugging in a dark alleyway... or single vehicle accident. They hire a special type of person to facilitate these things happening. Expose The NSA? Good thinking, chucklehead...

If you see it email me at thepeverettphile@gmail.com. Oh, and Laird has a point. Okay, now to be serious... yesterday was the 6th month anniversary of something terrible that happened. I barely remember it happening as I was on Oxy at the time. Anyway, I have a very special guest here who wanted to come on the Phile and talk about it. Please welcome to the Phile... Erica Lafferty.

Me: Hello, Erica, welcome to the Phile. I am sure some of my readers know who you are, but if not, do you want to tell them, and tell them who your mum was?

Erica: My mom, Dawn Hochsprung, was the principal at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

Me: I cannot believe it was six months, Erica, since that happened. Tell the readers that don't know what happened to your mum.

Erica: She was shot and killed in her school, along with five of her coworkers and 20 of her students. 

Me: I am so sorry, and I am sure all my readers are sorry as well. You wanted to come on this blog and others to give your opinion on what the government is doing since this happened, am I right?

Erica: Yes. In the weeks and months after that horrible day, lawmakers from across the country told us, the families of the victims, that they'd take action to make our communities safer.

Me: And do you think they are making communities safer?

Erica: What we found out is that, for some of our members of Congress, those were empty promises. 

Me: And in those six months, thousands more people have been killed by guns, Erica, as you know. You've been pretty busy in the last few months. What have you been doing?

Erica: I've been doing everything I can to reach out to members of Congress. But my voice isn't enough. On the six-month anniversary of Newtown, every single person who cares about reducing gun violence in America needs to recommit to this fight.

Me: Are a lot of Americans with you on the fifht to reduce gun violence?

Erica: More than 1.4 million Americans have said they're with us.

Me: Your mum was very brave, Erica, I have to mention that.

Erica: In her last minutes, mom was just as brave and caring as I knew her to be.

Me: Remind the readers how brave she was and what she did.

Erica: After telling everyone to hide, she went running into the hallway, saw the gunman, yelled and lunged at him in an effort to protect the school she loved.

Me: I am sure you think about her a lot, Erica...

Erica: I miss her every second of every day.

Me: I have to say, I thought you were gonna be young, but you're getting married in just a few weeks, right? Congrats.

Erica: I am getting married, to a guy she was rooting for, in a dress we picked out together...

Me: Wow.

Erica: But because a dangerous man got his hands on a gun, my mom won't be there to see it. I'm still grieving... and I'm not alone.

Me: Erica, do you know how many Americans are killed by a gun every day?

Erica: On average, 33 Americans. That's 33 new families a day who mourn like I do.

Me: Do you think background checks are important?

Erica: If a background check saves even one life, and keeps even one family from hurting like this, then this fight will all be worth it.

Me: If your mum was alive today, what would she think of all this, Erica?

Erica: I think my mom would like to know that the tragedy that fell on Newtown meant that another tragedy could be stopped before it even started.

Me: Well, thank you, Erica, for spreading the word. Keep the fight going.

Erica: Thank you, Jason.

Me: Is there anything else you wanna say to my readers?

Erica: Yes, take action for my mom, Dawn, and the 25 other people who we lost in December. Say you're with us today: my.barackobama.com/Six-Months-Since-Newtown.

Me: Erica, thank you, and good luck on your wedding day.

Erica: Thanks, Jason.

Me: Erica Lafferty, everybody.

Before I continue I have to say wow, that was hard to talk about. I can't imagine... Alright, back to the stupid stuff. The 26th book to be pheatured in the Phile's Book Club is...

The author and artist, who are Phile Alumni... Ben Filipiak and Rob Rhine will be the pheatured guests on the Phile tomorrow.

Today's pheatured guest is a Phile Alum whose latest CD "Messenger" is now available on iTunes and he has a day named after him. Please welcome back to the Phile, the guy with one of the coolest names ever... JoDee Purkeypile.

Me: Hello, JoDee, welcome back to the Phile. How have you been?

JoDee: I've been alright, friend. The year started off rough, but I'm doing better. Been busy playing live and planning some touring, and writing for the next album, as usual.

Me: Okay, I have to ask you about something before we get started... what the hell is JoDee Purkeypile Day?

JoDee: Well, you see, in Austin they give certain musicians a day, where you go play at the City Hall and the Mayor introduces you and reads a thing about how wonderful it is to meet you and what a big fan he's always been, ever since he was a kid, before you were even born, and then you play a song, and then you go get drunk somewhere. Sometimes, friends will bake a cake effigy of you, a body cake, which they all eat sitting indian style in a circle at your feet. It's often quite interesting and a real hoot. 

Me: I would of used that to my advantage, if you know what I mean. LOL. Did you get anything out of this?

JoDee: I was really hoping I would get a big key or a plaque with my name on it, but I think they gave me a computer print out certificate and a gift card to Souper Salad. It was a strange thing. It was good, just bizarre. It's nice to know a middle school dropout can have a day proclaimed for him by the Mayor. I haven't tried using it to my advantage for sexual conquest yet, but I shall do so this year.

Me: Well, you should. Where is JoDee Purkeypile Day celebrated and what is the date for this day? 

JoDee: July, 28. The City of Austin doesn't technically celebrate it every year, but I do. I put on a vampire cape and a crown of thorns and walk around drunk demanding gifts of exotic jewels, fruit, nuts, and linens from the good people of Austin.

Me: Did you know about it in advance? This is a big deal, JoDee, and a great honor. No one would ever declare a day as Jason Peverett Day.

JoDee: Yes, I was contacted because of an article about me in Austin Monthly magazine in 2011. I should like to proclaim today as Jason Peverett Day, and why not? I think that sounds fantastic.

Me: Um... nah. LOL. Alright, let's talk about your great new album which I downloaded from iTunes called "Messenger". Are you the Messenger?

JoDee: Thank you. Yes, I suppose that I am the messenger to you to see how the sunk emerge anew. 

Me: Is there a certain message you are trying to get across?

JoDee: No, not really. I wrote that song a few years back. I was reading a lot of Poe and H.P. Lovecraft, sort of dark things like that, and so the lyrics came from that kind of imagery. There's no real story in the words, they just sounded nice. I've had people tell me they think it's a love song to a girl incapable of feelings. The other story is that it's about a deaf girl. Not so much. Like I said, it just sounded good and I figured it was a nice album title, too.

Me: How does this album compare with your last album "October House", JoDee?

JoDee: "October House" I recorded by myself at home on funky old equipment. "Messenger" I recorded with an engineer, Matt Smith, at his studio on funky old equipment. The songs for "October House" were very much about my life at that time, dealing with an insane long distance relationship, and all the fears and longing that went through my head. Anyway, that ended, and now these songs tend to deal more with rediscovering myself. That's a generic way of putting it, I guess, but that's where I'm at. Figuring out where to go, what to do. I suppose the first album is the love album, this one is the purgatory album, and the next will be the bitter break-up album. I don't know, time will tell.

Me: "October House" was recorded in England, right? Where was this one recorded?

JoDee: No, I wrote half of the songs there, but I recorded it all at home in Austin, Texas. I recorded this album in Bastrop, Texas, out in the woods. It was the greatest way to work. We booked two weeks and would finish a song a day. It's about an hour drive out from Austin, but going home every night with a finished track is a nice thing.

Me: You live in Austin, right? Were you born there?

JoDee: I was born in Lubbock, Texas. I moved to Austin when I was 4 or 5.

Me: You mentioned you were inspired by H.P. Lovecraft. Are you a fan of his books?

JoDee: Yes, I am. I've read them all. I read them again, from time to time, if I'm feeling sinister.

Me: You are a book collector, am I right? I am to, but comic books in trade paperback form. Do you read comics?

JoDee: I do collect books. My dad collected comics for a long time, but not anymore. I never really got into them.

Me: Did you ever think about writing a novel or anything, JoDee?

JoDee: Well, I don't know. Maybe, perhaps. I've tried my hand at short stories and things, but I'm more interested in songwriting. You never know, maybe one day.

Me: Okay, back to your music, JoDee. Did you write all the songs on the album? 

JoDee: Yes, I wrote them.

Me: Who plays on the album with you?

JoDee: I play the most of the guitar, bass, and drums on the record. Brendan Rogers played piano and organ on all but two songs, Sean Crooks played bass on three, Jason Borkowski played drums on one, and Esther Garcia played strings on "Messenger".

Me: When I first interviewed you back in '09, you were in a band called Alice Rose. Is that band broken up completely?

JoDee: Yes, this is what I'm doing now. We are all great friends still, of course, and Brendan and Sean, who played on the album, were bandmates with me.

Me: Do you prefer being a solo act?

JoDee: I must say that I do. I prefer not having to decide within a band structure on what to play, what to release, all that stuff. It's definitely more pressure being a solo artist, but it's where I needed to go. I was tired of being hidden in the shadow and behind the name of Alice Rose. That time was important, but it passed and it was time to let people know who I am, rather than the guy who sings lead vocals in that band with a girl's name.

Me: Did you think of changing your name or coming up with another band name?

JoDee: No. I do call my live band the Messengers, though. So, it's kind of an old school band name, JoDee Purkeypile and the Messengers.

Me: I have to ask you about something that I don't think we ever talked about... your dad was a musician and played with Joe Ely and Jimmie Dale Gilmore just to name a few. Does he still play?

JoDee: He doesn't play out a lot anymore, but he has a nice old Hammond C-3 he plays at his house. He's great.

Me: So, he didn't play guitar?

JoDee: Not really. He taught me a Bo Diddley riff once when I was very small. He bought me a vintage 60's blue Fender Mustang when I was like 8 or 9, but I never played it. I was all about the drums 'til I was 12. I didn't play guitar until I was 12. I wish I had, though. I still remember the smell from when he opened the case. It smelled like cigarettes. Just like all my stuff does, now.

Me: What about you, did you ever play organ?

JoDee: Yeah, I picked up keyboards just from having a couple of things he'd given me. He gave me one of his chopped Hammond B-3s, and a piano. I taught myself, just from fucking around on them and recording demos and things. I played piano on "She Can Ride A Bike", and all the Mellotron on "Strange Things" on this new album.

Me: It's cool you followed in your dad's musical footsteps. My dad was a musician as well but I don't have any musical abilities... except a little kazoo playing. Do you think if your dad wasn't a musician you wouldn't be?

JoDee: I don't know. The reason I started playing drums was because he had traded an amp or something for an old Ludwig drum kit, which he set up for me. I started banging around on it when I was around 5, and up until I was 12 that's all I wanted to do was be a drummer. He wasn't a songwriter, though, so I'm not sure where I got that from. Probably from growing listening to the Beatles and Dylan and things. So, I'm not sure. I wanted to be an artist, an actor, several different things when I was young, but music was what I eventually sold my soul for.

Me: Alright, so this year on the Phile I am asking random questions thanks to the game Tabletopics. Here's yours, JoDee... Do you possess any of the qualities of your astrological sign? I have no idea what that means.

JoDee: Actually, I don't think I do. I'm an aquarius, but I can't swim. I write a lot about water, for some reason, but it kind of terrifies me, in a way.

Me: Thanks so much for being back on the Phile. Please come back again soon. Go ahead and mention your website and continued success.

JoDee: Thank you, Jason. You can find me at facebook.com/JoDeePurkeypileMusic, jodeepurkeypile.bandcamp.com, reverbnation.com/jodeepurkeypile, and twitter.com/JoDeePurkeypile. Thanks again.

Me: Thanks, JoDee. "Messenger" is available now. Get it, people.

That about does it for this entry. Thanks to Laird Jim, Erica Lafferty and of course JoDee Purkeypile. The Phile will be back tomorrow on Father's Day with Phile Alumni Ben Filipiak and Rob Rhine, then on Monday with Melissa Marchese the hot singer for the rock band Weekend Riot Club. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye. Strawberry Blondes Forever!

Pheaturing Amber Edgar

Hello, and welcome to another entry of the Phile. Yesterday my son and I went to Disney's Hollywood Studios for the last day of Star Wars Weekends, and once again, I got sunburned on the back of my neck. I'm wearing my Kentucky The Bluegrass State t-shirt, so when I go out later, I really will look like a red neck. I should of started the Phile with a howdy not a hello.  Well, in case you haven't heard, the mystery is over. After a month of waiting, it turns out that an 84-year-old woman here in Florida has won the $590 million Powerball lottery. As for how much tax she’s going to have to pay, the IRS said it’s too early to tell because they don’t know whether she’s a Republican or Democrat. Speaking of the IRS... the IRS spent $4 million on a conference in Anaheim that included luxury hotel suites, passes to theme parks, and tickets to sporting events. They say they're not sure of the exact amount they spent because they didn't keep any receipts. Right about now Wesley Snipes is saying, “Hey, what about me? I didn’t have my receipts.”  President Obama has called on Congress to pass a media shield law that would allow reporters to do their job without fear of government prosecution. Don't we already have that? It's called the First Amendment.  A new study says 20 percent of women in their 40s would describe themselves as very happy. However, only 1 percent of women in their 40s would describe themselves as a woman in her 40s.  Domino's Pizza leads the way in delivering pizzas. Guess what they're now using? Drones! Unmanned drones delivering your pizza pie... what could possibly go wrong? When I used to order a pizza it would come in an old Toyota. The guy showing up would be an undocumented guy in a Toyota. What was wrong with that? Today the air space over New York City was closed for four hours. It was because on the radar they picked up one of those pizza drones headed to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's house. They scrambled some fighter jets.  More black eyes for baseball due to performance-enhancing drugs. Guys would go to an anti-aging clinic in Florida and get juiced up and then come back and play baseball. Among these players is Alex Rodriguez, who could be suspended for 100 games. A-Rod was accused, singled out. Out of habit, Lance Armstrong issued a denial. This raises a lot of questions, like, “Don't you have to be playing to be suspended from playing?”  Google announced that it is buying a wind farm in Sweden. And not to be outdone, Bing is buying an oscillating fan off of Craigslist.  Who saw the Tony's last night? Not me. Also on last night was "Game of Thrones" and the NBA playoff's, last night they attempted to divide nerds, jocks, and drama club just like in high school. The Tony's in NYC and Pride in LA are the gay bookends holding this country together today.  Well, as I said, yesterday we went to Star Wars Weekends again, and I have to admit, Disney goes all out on the detail.

Jedi squirrels. They were everywhere. So, if you wondered what Vader did when he wasn't in the parade, in a show or signing autographs in the meet and greet, I have an exclusive. Check it out.

 
I was watching TV the other day and I came across the show "Figure It Out". I used to love that show, just because of Summer Sanders. Anyway, I noticed something that caught my eye...

Am I just a pervert? By the way, I sent a request to Summer to see if she'll like to be a guest on the Phile. I doubt it will happen, but you never know.  I have to mention this, despite huge profit increases, the great company to work for, the Walt Disney Company, they have raised theme park prices. Disney released this pic with the press release...

Just kidding. LOL. I love working at Disney. Been there for 25 years... So, on June 3rd it was Bad Wolf Day... I had a few readers ask me what Bad Wolf meant. It's a "Doctor Who" thing. Anyway, I asked you kids to write Bad Wolf on something and take a picture. A few people did and sent them to me, so for the rest of this month I will be showing those pictures. Take a look...

Pretty cool. Okay, now from the home office in Port Jefferson, New York, here is this week's...

 
Top Phive Exciting Features Of The New Xbox One
5. It's not compatible with any old Xbox games... giving users a thrilling, fresh start on game-buying!
4. Thanks to a shoe-horned corporate tie-in, it also dispenses ice cold Pepsi One.
3. Allows users to simultaneously watch TV, download games, browse the Internet AND develop the curling, yellow fingernails of an unwashed shut in.
2. Thanks to TV voice command, simply uttering "harrowing nudity" will call up an episode of "Girls".
And the number one exciting feature of the new Xbox One...
1. Controversial "sharing fee" is easily paid, thanks to convenient, glowing red coin slot on the side of the console.

It is 9:13am, 80 degrees and Kelly revealed the cover of her new single, wearing bridal gear. Noooooooo!!!

Alright, I think I got over it. Nope, I didn't. Moving on... a phriend of the Phile wanted to come on and tell us a story what recently happened to him. He is a singer, patriot and renaissance man... you know what time it is.

 
Good morning humans... Today is my father's 71st birthday. He was a great man... everything that's good and honorable about me came from him. So, my son Michael and I are at Wendy's. This woman with a baby in a diaper sits at the table right next to us (even though the place was all but empty) and begins to change the little shit machine's diaper right ON the table... the smell alone could gag a maggot. I looked at her and asked, "Do you MIND?" She replies "Oh... I'm SOOOO sorry I ruined your meal." THEN gave me the finger. I waited until she was puting ketchup on her bacon double cheeseburger... walked over... picked my nose and wiped it on the top of the bun. It's the little pleasures in life I enjoy.

That's snot right. LOL. Alright, the 26th book to be pheatured in the Phile's Book Gallery is...

Phile Alumni Ben Filipiak and Rob Rhine, who are the writer and artist of this book will be on the Phile next Sunday. That's Father's Day.

Today's pheatured guest is a singer, songwriter from Canada who has her first single available on Soundcloud and Bandcamp right now. Please welcome to the Phile... Amber Edgar.

 
Me: Hello, Amber, welcome to the Phile. How are you?

Amber: I'm doing great, and keeping busy!

Me: Okay, I have to tell you, you have been mentioned on the Phile before. I interviewed Adam Bentley from The Rest a few times and last time I did so, Anna Jarvis from The Rest was also interviewed. We talked about The Rest's video for "Hey! For Horses" which features puppet's and Anna said you were the Director of Photography for that video and designed and built the 3D horses. It's a small world. How long have you known the kids from The Rest?

Amber: Yes, I shot the "Hey! For Horses" music video with my DSLR and also created the "3D horses" featured in the video from paper-mache, wires and paint. But my friend Kori Pop really must be credited for most of creativity seen in the video... the concept, set-design, character-design and virtually everyting else I can think of on the project Kori created. I've known those zany cats from The Rest for about a year now. Last March I was looking for a new place to live and heard from a mutual friend that Adam was renting out a room in his house. We were housemates for most of 2012. I got to know the band a lot more over the year (they spent time at the house for band meetings), and even had stint of doing some promotional photography for them. Adam and I got along most of the time but often had Inspector Clousou VS. Kato-style battles at various hours of the day. I was probably Kato, since Adam is the one with the moustache. Unfortunately our fights were not as exciting or destructive as the ones portrayed in the classic Pink Panther films from the 60s. Ours were definitely more "fake, air fights".

Me: Was it fun working on that video?

Amber: It was fun. I've never created a puppet-porno before. I think we've created a new genre?

Me: I think so. I told them the next video should be the same but with real people and animals. What do you think?

Amber: Disturbing and hopefully illegal in most countries.

Me: Being a musician as well as, have you ever played with The Rest? I think I saw a picture with you on stage with Anna. 

Amber: I've never been a musician for The Rest. Only acted as their paper-puppet-pornographer and "for real" professional photographer. That being said Anna Jarvis often accompanies me for solo shows. Anna is a reputable "cellist for hire" around these parts. She's been a session musician for Silverstein and Dallas Green, and has played gigs recently for Amanda Palmer and Hollerado. So I'm very lucky to have her for the occasional gig, but I will make it very clear that I'm trying to steal her from The Rest. Shhh don't tell them that!

Me: You also worked with another band I pheatured on the Phile... Dark Mean. What did you do with those guys?

Amber: I've shared a show date on occasion with The Rest while playing bass or guitar for other bands that were on the same bill. The last show I remember sharing with The Rest was in 2011 at The Piston in Toronto. I was playing bass for Dark Mean, we were on a mini-tour from Toronto to Montréal.

Me: All you Canadian talented types are so close, aren't you? Do you know Christine Leakey as well?

Amber: Actually, I've chatted with Christine Leakey once at a party. Yes, the degree of seperation seems brief within Hamilton music scene though, since I'm just getting started out I'm unsure how true that holds for the "Canadian music scene" at large.

Me: What part of Canada are you from, Amber? Hamilton, I'm guessing. Every time I think of Hamilton I think of the pig from "Charlotte's Web". That was Hamilton I think.

Amber: I landed in "the web" from a small town in Alberta called Innisfail. I moved out here to Ontario about 5 years ago to play guitar in a band.

Me: Okay, I always ask my guests from Canada if they are fans of one of my favorite bands ever... Barenaked Ladies. Are you a fan of them?

Amber: Definitely a Canadian classic! Crazy-solid live band.

Me: Before we talk about your music let's talk about Citizen A. That's your studio, right?

Amber: Yes, I work out of a leased unit, of a re-furbished hotel.

Me: I take it the A stands for Amber. Am I right?

Amber: Sort of. When I came up with the name, I was unsure if my business would succeed and if it did, what the look and feel of the design work would morph into over time. So I didn't want any name that was too descriptive sounding, so for kicks I went something overtly generic. Mass-marketing for manufactured products, treat people like demographics and consumers. Since graphic design is a sort of strange-bridge between art, psychology and commerce I still think the anonymity of "Citizen A" has the potential to become it's own cheeky joke.

Me: How many people do you have working for you, Amber?

Amber: On paper, at this point only myself. But I have a league of seven extrordinary people who I source work to regularly. At this point in the business, and in the tough economic climate... unfortunately I can't responsibly commit to payroll for other people. Perhaps in the future, when my business grows out of it's "toddler" stage and the cash flow stabalizes.

Me: What does Citizen A do apart from working with some really cool bands?

Amber: Website developement, branding and logos, print collateral (think biz cards, brochures, envelopes, flyers). But speaking of bands, I think I've created some really cool and affordable merch products for bands that will make them more money from their digital sales. More soon at citizena.ca.

Me: You designed a deck of cards or something for Tegan and Sara I think. That's really cool. How did you get to be approached for that project?

Amber: Feminist Playing Cards is a deck of playing cards featuring illustrations of influential feminist musicians by 14 feminist artists. Led by the direction of Lynn Casper (Founder/Producer of Homoground), the project launched a Kickstarter campaign which successfully surpassed its $12,000 goal in March 2012. There are only 2,500 decks in print. More info at feministcards.com. Lynn went to a Tegan and Sara show, put a few boxes of playing cards in the "gift boxes" that T+S had for their fans, and cards were mentioned on a Rolling Stone spread. Link here: rollingstone.com/music/pictures/tegan-and-sara-a-day-in-the-life-20130222/feminist-playing-cards-0132552.

Me: That's really cool. The cards were Feminist Playing Cards? What is that? No Kings or Jacks?

Amber: I designed the actual box artwork as well as the back of cards. I illustrated 4 of the card faces... Sinnead O'Conner, k.d. lang, Leisha Hailey and Bebe. All artists which have some significance to me personally. I sort of regret not drawing John Lennon, but I'm still content with my choices.

Me: So, Amber, what came first, music or art?

Amber: I'm guessing art. I loved drawing as a kid, but I've always played a bit of guitar since I was eleven or twelve.

Me: How did you decide you wanted to be a musician?

Amber: My grandma and grampa played in a country band that did party gigs out in Alberta. Hearing about all that growing up, and being surrounded by my grandma's playing really inspired me to get more into music.

Me: You went to school at Berklee in Boston I think. What did you study there and how long did you go there for, Amber?

Amber: I took some courses online from them, to learn more about sound and studio production. Studying the various, and subtle changes in frequencies, learning the art of mixing and some fundamentals like that. I originally wanted to be a music producer but that wasn't in the cards… pun intended… maybe the music-producer dream will happen later in life. I've always had an interest in how sound works, and how to create with it.

Me: Okay, let's talk about your new single you have out called "Honey and Sorrow" with a B-side called "Trouble". First of, have you ever been in trouble? I mean, really big trouble.

Amber: Not with the law… yet.

Me: I love both songs, Amber. Did you write them both?

Amber: Thank you! Yes I did write both of them.

Me: Did song writing come easy for you?

Amber: No, not at first. Some days it's easier now. But I've written a lot of bad songs. I think I've had to write hundreds of bad songs, to finally pen a few good ones.

Me: Who plays on the tracks with you? You sound like you got a pretty cool band.

Amber: Hamilton musicians are amazing so I didn't have to look far. Billy Holmes (Dark Mean) on drums, Jon Daly (City & The Sea / Greg Preston and the Great Machine), Marie Avery (vocals), Kori Pop (vocals / rhodes) and Kelly Atkinson on tambourine. Greg Preston has to get a special mention and my favourite contributions of Greg's are the backup vocals on "Troubles", and the tasty lead guitar line on "Honey & Sorrow". It's an okay song in my opinion, but his guitar line and the other people on the track really bring it to life.

Me: So, are you going to be releasing any more music?

Amber: I'm wanting to release an EP in late fall. We'll see what happens.

Me: Have you been doing many concerts? I probably won't be performing live until August. I'd like to focus on writing, rehearsing and recording.

Me: I have to ask you about the CD cover. It's you squatting on an amp holding something that looks like a remote control for a garage. What are you holding?

Amber: Camera remote... I took the photo.

Me: By the way, you have better balance then I have. I would of fell off that amp. You didn't fall off it, did you?

Amber: No, I used to skateboard and snowboard so my balance is pretty decent.

Me: Alright, on the Phile I ask random questions thanks to a game called Tabletopics. Here's yours... if you could master one instrument which would it be?

Amber: It's a toss up between piano and guitar. So much compositional power with a piano, and so much sonic breadth. I always sing a bit better when I'm playing with a piano, but I'm not really confident enough to perform live yet while playing. Guitar is more comfortable, as it's my first instrument.

Me: Amber, thanks for being on the Phile. I hope it was fun for you. Please come back when your next release comes out. Is there a website you'd like to plug?

Amber: It was fun, thank you for having me, Jay! I'd like to plug a local hip-hop dude here in Hamilton… he's ben one of my favourite work-day listens for the past week or so. EmMAY: emay.bandcamp.com.

Me: Thanks again, and tell The Rest kids I said hello if you see them, okay?

Amber: I will, if you're ever in the neighborhood, give us a head's up and come over for a Matty Buzanko brew. It's the BEST BEER IN CANADA!

That about does it for this entry of the Phile. Thanks to Laird Jim and Amber Edgar. The Phile will be back on Sunday with Phile Alum JoDee Purkeypile and then on Sunday with Phile Alumni Ben Filipiak and Rob Rhine from Fierce Comics, and Monday with Melissa Merchese, the lead singer for the band Weekend Riot Club. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye. I'll leave you with a picture of when I got my 15th year statue. Strawberry Blondes Forever!