Pheaturing Neil Sheasby From Stone Foundation

There ain't no cure for the summertime blues. Hey, kids, it's Summer, welcome to the Phile. I'm gonna raise a fuss, I'm gonna raise a holler. LOL. That's just a great song. So, how are you? It's Summer, but it doesn't look like it outside. There's a storm a'comin'.  Congratulations to Kanye West, who is a new father. Kim Kardashian gave birth to a baby girl. Kim was in labor for six hours, thus marking the first time the words Kardashian and labor have ever been used together in the same sentence. The doctor said when he slapped Kim's baby, he regretted that he couldn't slap the entire family. Kim says she wants to keep the baby out of the public eye. In fact, the E! network is developing a new show called, "Keeping the Baby Out of the Public Eye With the Kardashians." Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are parents of a baby girl. Does it have any chance at a normal life? Here's what they should do. They should put her in a rocket and launch her to another planet, and hope she's discovered by Ma and Pa Kent.  Have you seen the new Superman movie, Man of Steel? It's a different look at Superman. It's about Superman's struggles as a guy. I guess we all knew this, but I didn't realize how tough it was... he's kryptonite intolerant.  Do you remember the evil dictator of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? They had elections and he's out. And you thought Ahmadinejad was in a bad mah-mood before. He's really in a bad mah-mood now.  People are still talking about Edward Snowden. If you don't know who he is,  he is the guy who leaked all of the NSA secrets. He had a 98-minute press conference this week and yet they can't find the guy. This is the biggest manhunt since Martha Stewart started online dating. Scientists say that by the year 2045 we can all be immortal. It involves putting your brain into a robot. But why do we need to figure out how we will live forever? Can't we just ask Larry King? This immortality technology sounds like a contemporary search for the Fountain of Youth. Ponce de Léon, the Spanish explorer, searched for the Fountain of Youth in the 16th century. Nobody knows if he ever found it, but he died in 1521. So I'm guessing no. Scientists say the key to preserving immortality is the brain. Just my luck. The one part of my body I need to preserve is the one I spent my youth actively destroying.  During an interview, a UFC fighter referred to LeBron James as a dork. When he heard that, LeBron said, “Would a dork wear a headband, a shirt tucked into his shorts, and knee-high socks?”  So, did you hear about the whole Paula Deen being racist story? Paula Deen said, "I'm no racist. I don't care who gets diabetes from my cooking." I can't decide... do I hate her racist words more than I loooove her racist macaroni? She since apologized, then has released this poster...

Oh, man. I wonder how many complaints I'm gonna receive about that? Moving on...  Summer is here and Ben & Jerry have released a new flavor of ice cream.

That joke might of been funnier 20 years ago. When did Forrest Gump come out? I mentioned the new Superman movie just now, and people are still raving about the special effects. I didn't think they were that great. Check out this screen shot and decide for yourself...

Why the hell is Supes carrying a large roll of toilet paper?  I mentioned this in the last few entries of the Phile, June 3rd was Bad Wolf Day and I asked and some other websites asked their readers to send in pictures of Bad Wolf written in odd ways in public. Check this one out I received...

Phile reader Matt Giarrizzo, who was on the Phile's Sixth Anniversary entry sent me this pic of his childhood puppet who was a bad wolf...

That's not exactly what I had in mind, but it'll do. Good job, Matt.  I have been also talking about this, recently Disney, the greatest company in the world to work for, is releasing some of their classics movies with the original titles. I am sure this bit is getting old, but here's another...

Now, it being Summer, one thing I like to do is swim. I have been in a lot of cool swimming pools, but there's some others I would love to go in. So, for the next few weeks I will be showing you some phascinating pools. If you like doing laps in the swimming pool, you might want to stock up on the energy drinks before diving in to this one.

It is more than 1,000 yards long, covers 20 acres, has a 115 foot deep end and holds 66 million gallons of water. The Guinness Book of Records named the vast pool beside the sea in Chile as the biggest in the world. This pool took five years to build, cost nearly £1 billion and the annual maintenance bill will be £2 million. Its turquoise waters are so crystal clear that you can see the bottom even in the deep end. It dwarfs the world's second biggest pool, the Orthlieb, nicknamed the Big Splash, in Morocco, which is a mere 150 yards long and 100 yards wide. An Olympic size pool measures some 50 yards by 25 yards. Wow.  Shit, it is really storming outside. lets take a look and see how this summer day looks...

You can't tell, but it is storming pretty bad. Oh, well. Let's see who started pushing up daisies this week.

James Gandolfini
Sept 18, 1961 - June 19, 2013
Probably more like a baritone now.

Slim Whitman
Jan 20, 1924 - June 19, 2013
Now yodelling in that Great Infomercial In The Sky.

If you see the mindphuck email me at thepeverettphile@gmail.com. Man, it's still thundering and lightning like crazy. Stay home and read the Phile, be safe. Okay, now from the home office in Port Jefferson, New York, here is this week's...

Top Phive Things Overheard In Kim Kardashian's Delivery Room

5. "Forces... clamp... scissor jack... spackle..."

4. Aww! She got her mommy's blank stare!"

3. "Khloe, please! Finish your sloppy joe before holding the baby!"

2. "No, Scott... this is NOT 'just like the Chilean miners' rescue!'"

And the number one thing heard in Kim's delivery room was...

1. "Hey, I found Robert Kraft's Super Bowl ring!"

The 27th book to be pheatured in the Peverett Phile Book Club is...

Alexis Asbe will be a guest on the Phile next Sunday.

Today's pheatured guest is the bass player for the English band Stone Foundation whose latest album "The Three Shades Of ..." is available now on iTunes. Please welcome to the Phile... Neil Sheasby.

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

Neil: Very well thank you.

Me: Before we start talking about your band Stone Foundation and everything, you are a member of the group unHOF, which helps the Phile with The Peverett Phile Rock and Roll Hall of Phame. Explain to the readers what unHOF is about.

Neil: I'm not sure I even knew I was a member.

Me: Oh... okay. I'm an idiot. So, the next question was gonna be what do you think about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

Neil: I think it can be a worthwhile acknowledgment of an artists achievements.

Me: You're from England I know, but which part? I was born in London but lived in Oxford.

Neil: We come from the Midlands, we are based almost in the centre of England in a place called Atherstone in Warwickshire.

Me: You are the bass player in Stone Foundation, right? How long have you been playing bass?

Neil: Since I was 14.

Me: I am sure Stone Foundation is not the first band you were in. What other bands have you played in?

Neil: I was in a band called Dance Stance that were very popular on the live circuit of colleges and universities back in the 80s, then a Rare Groove kind of thing called Rare Future followed by a short lived band called Mandrake Root before forming Stone Foundation. Our drummer Phil Ford was also in all of these line up's with me too.

Me: How long has Stone Foundation been together, and where did the name come from, Neil?

Neil: Me and singer Neil Jones have been writing songs together for over 10 years, putting the line up that we wanted took a little time, our current incarnation has been going about 7 years. The name came from a headline in Grand Royale, the Beastie Boys magazine, it was an article about Andy Newmark, who I believe was the first white drummer to play for Sly & The Family Stone.

Me: Tell the readers who is in the band with you. There's like seven of you in the band I think.

Neil: Neil Jones (vocals/guitar), Phil Ford (drums), Ian Arnold (keyboards), Gary Rollins (sax), Lynn Thompson (trumpet), Spencer Hague (trombone).

Me: Don't you have an ex-member of Dexys Midnight Runners in the band?

Neil: No, you must be thinking of Paul Speare ex Dexy's Sax player, a good friend of mine and he has contributed to every album we've released thus far.

Me: I see. Do people ever think you are a Stones tribute band?

Neil: I've never heard that said before, no.

Me: I guess I am the only one then. Just kidding. Who are your influences, music wise, Neil?

Neil: So many, but we are particularly fond of soul music (all aspects of it) as well as British groups like Graham Parker & the Rumour, Dexys, etc. More recently we've been enjoying that Matthew E White record "Big Inner".

Me: Stone Foundation just did a tour with The Specials, a great band. How was that experience? Pretty cool I'm guessing.

Neil: Very cool, it was an honour and a real privelage to play alongside a band that were so inspirational and important to us growing up, they soundtracked our young lives so to get the opportunity to tour with them years later was an experience that we will all remember forever. The crowds were immense too, 10,000 plus some nights. It was fairly surreal.

Me: My dad was a big Specials fan, and I got into them a little as well, but liked Madness better. Anyway, you guys played on a Specials tribute album, right? What song did you do?

Neil: We covered "Sock It To Em' JB", a cover of a cover...

Me: What was the biggest and your personal best favorite gig you played?

Neil: Two spring to mind immediately, the Ricoh Stadium gig supporting the Specials was a very emotional event and our last gig in London where we sold out Ronnie Scotts and had crowds queing to gain entrance all round soho, that was very heartening.

Me: I downloaded your latest album "Three Shades Of..." from iTunes. What are the three shades?

Neil: Peace, Love and Happiness.

Me: Who does most of the songwriting for the band, Neil?

Neil: Me and Neil Jones although I must hasten to add that this new album that were currently recording has been a much more collaborative affair and the rest of the band have made considerable contributions to the writing and it's creation.

Me: On the album you play with a singer named Nolan Porter. He's American I believe. When did you first meet Nolan?

Neil: A promoter hooked us up first of all to do some dates together over here then Neil Jones visited him and his wife Patrice Zappa (Frank's sister) whilst he was holiday-ing in the States and our friendship and musical collaboration has just developed and blossomed ever since. We recently released a live album with Nolan from a gig we did last July at the 100 Club in London.

Me: When Nolan sings, what does Neil Jones, the band's singer do?

Neil: Neil still sings and obviously plays guitar too.

Me: Do you think Nolan would wanna be interviewed on the Phile, Neil?

Neil: I'm sure he would be fine with that.

Me: I have to ask you about The Record Shack... that's your record store, am I right?

Neil: I'm a record dealer by trade, it's my company, yes.

Me: How long have you had the store?

Neil: About 8 years.

Me: And most importantly where is it located?

Neil: Here in the UK, I work from home and do record fairs at the weekends when time permits.

Me: Here in Central Florida, in the Orlando area, there's only two record shops... Rock and Roll Heaven and Retro Records. Oh, there's also Park Avenue, but they only have a handful of albums. Are they a lot in your area and across England?

Neil: Sadly, a lot of the real good ones have long closed there doors but a few remain and we are starting to see a resurgence in vinyl in this country.

Me: I just recently just started to get back into vinyl, Neil. Have you always been into vinyl?

Neil: I have, over the years I have amounted quite a sizable collection, I've always worked in record shops though, it's the only real job I have ever had since leaving school and now obviously I run my own company doing just that. I feel like a modern antiques dealer!

Me: Do you collect CD's or download music? I download to much music myself.

Neil: I don't really do the download thing, I like a physical product so mainly vinyl and CD.

Me: So, what's next for Stone Foundation? You guys working on new music you said?

Neil: We are working on a new album at this moment, which I hope will be released around September or October. It's the best stuff to date without question, I'm very proud of it.

Me: Can't wait. Before I let you go, and have you plug your store's website and band's site, on the Phile I ask random questions, so here is yours. If you could have another name what would you choose? 

Neil: I'm not sure about another name, thankfully it's not something I have to think about, it's taken quite long enough to get the name Stone Foundation established.

Me: Good point. Alright, what are your websites?

Neil: Stonefoundation.co.uk and the bands music can be purchased via therecordshack.co.uk.

Me: Thanks for being here, I hope it was fun, and I hope you'll come back real soon. All the best. 

Neil: Thanks for your time and support. Best Wishes.

Me: "The Three Shades Of..." available on iTunes now, kids.

That's about it. Thanks to Neil for a great interview. I hope he didn't mind my stupid questions, and I hope he'll come back when the next Stone Foundation release comes out. The Phile will be back tomorrow with the guys from the fantastic band Ten Foot Polecats and then on Monday with Phile Alum Joy Ike. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye. Strawberry Blondes Forever!

Pheaturing Melissa Marchese From Weekend Riot Club

Hello, welcome to the Phile, how are you? I am okay, but have a slight headache and feeling a little grumpy. Which is unusual, as I am normally feeling a lot grumpy. Maybe I should exercise. My exercise routine usually consists of doing diddly squats.  This is the third entry in three days, and I cannot believe I forgot to mention this... Quarterback Tim Tebow has signed with the New England Patriots. So the good news is that Tebow got a job. The bad news: Now he’s associated with the word “patriot,” and he’s being audited by the IRS. Nobody knew about this. It was a top-secret deal. The only people who knew were Patriots coach Bill Belichick, Tim Tebow, and of course, the NSA. They were listening in. So it looks like Tebow will be playing in New England. Let me rephrase that. It looks like Tim Tebow will BE in New England. The Patriots were able to lure him with a brand-new state-of-the-art bench.   The guy who blew the whistle on the NSA scandal is a former security worker named Edward Snowden. He is a high school dropout. He was making $122,000 a year. He lived in Hawaii. He was engaged to a beautiful former ballerina. And he gave it all up. So not only is he a whistleblower. He's also a moron. Just kidding, I think what he did was cool... I wouldn't have done it if I was him, but that's just me. Do you mind that the NSA is opening your mail and listening to your phone calls? I don't care. It's like the lady that tells you the directions in your car. At first I thought it was annoying, and then I realized it's just like being married.  President Obama said he welcomes a national debate over our surveillance policies. He said that's a debate we wouldn't have had five years ago. Five years ago? It's a debate we wouldn't have had two weeks ago if they all hadn't gotten caught.  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is on Twitter. A politician on Twitter... what could possibly go wrong?  In March, Forbes magazine put out their annual list of the world's richest people, and one of the people was a Saudi Arabian prince, and he is furious about it. Forbes estimated his net worth at around $20 billion, and he claims he is worth $30 billion, so now he is suing Forbes. I love the premise: Say I'm more rich or I'll sue you.  I didn't know the NSA had a logo, but I guess they do. Have you guys seen it?

I guess it's sponsored by Verizon. I was thinking, they didn't hear my calls, I have AT&T.  Speaking of Verizon, they have a new ad...

That's the worst photoshop picture I have seen in a long time. That's awful! And what's with the dog in the corner?  I have mentioned the last two days that Disney, the greatest company to work for ever, is releasing some of their classic animated films with the origin al titles. Why? I haven't the foggiest. So far I showed you Beauty and the Beast was supposed to be called Stockholm Syndrome, which I don't get and The Lion King was supposed to be called Hamlet With Animals, which I totally get. Here's today's...

LOL. That one I definitely understand. It's funny.  So, yesterday my son and I went to see Man of Steel.
I was surprised they were selling Superman inspirational posters at the movie theater. I was even more surprised at what it said.

Anyway, I'll review the movie in a minute, but I was crazy at who they chose to play Superman.

I mean, look at that sour look on his face.  A few weeks ago it was Bad Wolf Day... if you don't know what Bad Wolf means, then you are not a "Doctor Who" fan, and shouldn't be reading this blog. Just kidding. I need all the readers I can get. I asked you to write Bad Wolf down on a piece of paper and Twitter it, or send it in and some of you did that, and took it to the next level. So, here's another Bad Wolf picture.

That was great, and as they couldn't find an 'O', look what they did. Very cool. Some of you got it. Others, I'm not so sure. Look what else someone sent me...

Nice try. Oh, yeah!

Born amazing, his Kryptonian genetics a crushing rebuke to all Earthling bench press efforts, the mighty Kal-El (ain't calling him Superman just yet; the movie barely wants to do that itself) isn't cut from the same cloth as the tortured Dark Knight. In fact, most representations we've seen of this mega-person from comic books to TV shows to films have presented him as fairly delighted in his own prepubescent abilities to lift cars and boulders and stuff. He changes clothes in clear glass phone booths. He's not exactly shy. He's bright primary blue and yellow and red. He's the best and proudest and strongest and most morally correct guy this side of a deity. Until now, of course. It's 2013 and he's kind of neurotic.  Dark times call for lone lions who come out of nowhere with the power to fix what no army, corporation, government or religious body can. The closest we get to a group effort on behalf of goodness these days is the bickering, dysfunctional family of the Avengers, and they aren't exactly reaching out beyond their ranks to encourage you to personally lend them a hand. More to the point of this reboot, dark economics at the box office demand lone superhero movies to singlehandedly save a studio's summer release schedule. So just a few short years after the wildly anticipated (and now considered a misfire) Superman Returns, Superman has returned. But please, call him Kal.  Henry Cavill stars as the gun shy adult Kal, a man raised by the Kents (Kevin Costner, Diane Lane) in Smallville and repeatedly told by them to remain small. The world's not ready for you or your ability to turn railroad tracks into bendy straws just yet, they tell him. Even when young teen Kal (Dylan Sprayberry) springs into action to thwart a devastating local accident, Costner's more worried about the boy's difference being exposed than about the deaths of other Smallvillians. In other words, the adoptive Earth parents have drilled some good old-fashioned fear and shame into their superkid's head. He's got some coming out to do.  Enter Lois Lane (Amy Adams) to uncover Kal's secret identity, surviving Kryptonian General Zod (Michael Shannon, yelling just the way he should) to start a cruel, murderous fight and the U.S. government to run around flailing. And once Zod's evil plan gears up you've got the makings of a post-9/11 showdown with the fate of the entire planet in the balance, one depicted so aggressively and violently as to rival all the other tentpole movies that also employ/exploit 9/11 imagery to jolt our deepest fears (been paying attention to that? They pile up quickly). The battles are tough and visceral, the effects, sound and editing are pummeling. And throughout, Cavill is stoic but not a blank slab of concrete, conflicted but not crazy and, thanks to the threat all around him, steadfastly refusing to toss out any Iron Man-esque one-liners. It's a balance that's tough to pull off and he's the right man for the job. Meanwhile, thanks to director Zack Snyder and, probably more importantly, producer Christopher Nolan, this is Superman at his darkest and definitely most furious. Even his cape is blood red.  It would be an act of movie fan dishonor to hint at the outcome, but it's in the final act that this most recent chapter in the evolution of The Last Son of Krypton turns a corner into some truly new territory. It lays down a blueprint for future films and a lot more future wars, whether fought with the collective Justice League or alone, the way this brooding hero would probably prefer. But matter how he does it, this is the right Superman at the right time, the return that feels most welcome. From 1 to 10, I give Man of Steel a 7.

I had quite a few emails asking about a phriend who has been on the Phile a few times but not recently. Well, she's here on the Phile today, kids. Please welcome back to the Phile, the one individual who shoots from the hip, heart, camera, gun, sling-shot, tank...

Kicking back on the doorstep drinking slushies enjoying the sun with dad, and dad breaks out into an epic air drumming solo, and makes every sound hahaha of Sabbaths "Supernaut", just because he woke up with it in his head and needed "to bust it out." HAHA! I've always been STOKED I have a dad who has epic taste in music. Then dad spent the next few minutes laughing that Bill Ward can't keep up with drumming in Sabbath now, only my dad could make me laugh about that fact, but anyone else make a joke about it and I'll punch you the fuck out.

I'm not saying a word about it. Debbie Boldacious, everyone. Alright, now for the 27th book to be pheatured in the Phile's Book Club. It's a book I wouldn't normally read or have anything to do with, and something very different amongst all the other books I pheatured here. Here we go, and don't laugh. They approached me.

There's underwear in the title, so I was hooked. Alexis Asbe will be a guest on the Phile in a few weeks.

Today's pheatured guest is the hot singer for the Canadian rock band Weeekend Riot Club whose debut album "Psychotropia" is now available on iTunes. Please welcome to the Phile... Melissa Marchese.

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

Melissa: Hey man... if I were any better I'd be twins!

Me: I have to admit, you are the hottest lead singer I interviewed for a band in a long time. Anyway, you are in the band with two guys. Who are those guys, Melissa?

Melissa: Thanks. Hotness is as hotness does. The dudes names are Paul Fontes (drums) and Mike Chetcuti (guitars). They're pretty hot too.

Me: No, they're not. LOL. Who came up with the name Weekend Riot Club. It's very cool sounding, Melissa, and sounds like it could be the name of a band from the 90s.

Melissa: Yah, we're all three of us pretty heavily influenced by 90s music. We came up with it one afternoon over coffee I think, definitely a team effort. We were hoping for a name that could describe the energy of our live show while makin' sure people know that this is not just about us, but everyone. 

Me: You're from Canada, right? What part?

Melissa: We all hail from the legendary rock n roll town that is Hamilton, Ontario. Halfway between where I grew up, Niagara Falls, and Toronto. Lots of great shit going on in this town... music... art... comedy.. there's a kind of renaissance happening in our city right now. It's really exciting.

Me: I ask every Canadian I interview if they are fans of one of my favorite bands... Barenaked Ladies. Are you?

Melissa: Hah yes! Funny I was in a huge BNL stage right when we started Weekend Riot Club. We got to check them out in Buffalo, New York a few years ago. I totally made a fake backstage pass out of a pack of gum and stapled it to my shirt. Surprisingly it actually got me pretty far... not far enough though! Later we met Steven Page when he played solo at a winery in Niagara. Back then I remember being super awkwardly starstruck. I could barely put together a sentence...

Me: Cool. I got to interview Kevin Hearn here on the Phile. What bands are you influenced by or listened to growing up?

Melissa: Man oh man... so many! Growing up I listened to everything from Shania Twain, to Alanis, to Roy Orbison (my daddy's fav). I've always been a huge Joss Stone fan too... When we started Weekend Riot Club I really started getting into 90s grunge. When we're chillin' with the band you can usually find us listening to Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, Incubus and the like...

Me: It seems that recently every Canadian musician I interviewed knows Adam Bentley, who was on the Phile a few times, and his band The Rest. Do you know him as well, Melissa?

Melissa: Yes! Adam is a gem in our Hamilton music community and a wealth of knowledge! He's been a huge help and mentor to us. Have you seen their new vid?? Awesome!

Me: Okay, let's talk about the formation of the band... you were introduced to Mike by a mutual friend, and you both started to write music together, am I right?

Melissa: Yah, pretty much. A friend of his and I started jammin' together and then the three of us got together with Mike. I actually wasn't part of the writing process then. Mike sneakily wrote secret love songs to me that I ended up singing and at the time, had no idea they were directed at me! Pretty barfy-romantic I know!

Me: Did this mutual friend know you could sing and was thinking you two could work together musically, or were you set up to date Mike?

Melissa: Nah, the mutual friend and I were jamming a song that Mike had written for their previous band, so we all got together in hopes that I could do some sweet vocals on it. He definitely was not setting us up... he was pretty pissed when we got together actually.

Me: You two did both, date and work musically together, right? What came first?

Melissa: The music for sure was first. It always is, even now, almost 5 years later. It's pretty weird actually... But I wouldn't have it any other way. It's kinda like we do most of our relationship communication through the music.

Me: I have to give Mike credit, he has some balls. He wrote love notes to you, made them into songs, and had you sing them. Fucking clever. Did you think it was clever?

Melissa: Yah! What a smooth fox! I was pretty taken aback at the time, I really had no idea. He didn't really let on in any other way (that I could pick up on anyway).

Me: How did you find out what he was doing, Melissa?

Melissa: He told me over the phone in a super cryptic way... When he kissed me though, I put two and two together... LOL.

Me: And when you did find out, how did you react?

Melissa: Warmly :)

Me: So, where did Paul come in on this? Did he feel like an outsider?

Melissa: Nah. Paulo Fontes never feels like an outsider. One night we were at an after party for the Hamilton Music Awards, and were chatting with this guys named Joe. We were explaining how we really needed a sweet drummer. He mentioned he had a friend but would only introduce us if we were serious and had our shit together! We did, so he did... and Paul joined up in January 2011. He is the heartbeat we were dreaming of.

Me: Q: I love your single "Things Are Looking Up". Did Mike write that song, Melissa?

Melissa: Yes, Mike wrote it all on his own.

Me: I should ask him what he was thinking when he wrote that song. What was looking up, if you know what I mean?

Melissa: Oh man... so much... It was like there was this feeling of hope that surrounded us, almost everywhere we turned. I'm sure it had a lot to do with us discovering the Hamilton arts scene at the time.. He grew up here and it was really only known as an old steel town years prior. Lots of people still see Hamilton as this dirty dark place, but the people who are workin hard in this city know that we are in the middle of that renaissance that I was talking about. It also has a lot to do with the world we live in now... there's so much bad shit that gets so much attention in traditional media, but with the internet boomin' it's very clear you can find like minded people and a general sense of goodness is more and more evident among people every day. You can't squash the love...

Me: You guys look like a hard rocking band, but in an early publicity photo you had a different look. I have to show it here.

Me: It looks like you all wore heavy make up and your hair was more fluffed up. Did you decide to go to the more natural look to match your music better? Good idea, Melissa. You all look so serious in your photo's though.

Melissa: Yah, that photo you're referring to is the first photo shoot we ever did. I was a Catholic school teacher in that picture! I didn't know which way was up, my life was changing so fast so I guess I was still trying to figure out who I was. Now I guess I just give less of a shit about what I look like... the music is the only thing I try to worry about now.

Me: You just released your debut album "Psychotropia". I have no idea what that word means, what does it mean?

Melissa: Our producer/engineer has a studio called Psychotropic Studios and while we were recording the album there was always one of his Mix magazines on the back of the potty with his name and the name of his studio printed on the address label. The word 'psychotropia' just came about and gave us all the feeling we were looking for to describe the album. Think psychotropic drugs... think utopia... think about what's goin' on in the world today.

Me: What can you tell us about the album, Melissa? Who produced it?

Melissa: We're really proud of the album and how it turned out. Nick Blagona produced and engineered the album. This man is a legend and I am still scratching my head about how we ended up getting to work with him. He's worked all over the world with bands like Deep Purple, The Police, Bee Gees, Alexisonfire and tons more... He is a treasure and he happens to call Ontario his home! When we went into the studio, we were originally just going to record a few songs. It wasn't until Nick heard us quickly jam some other tunes we had that he insisted on us recording them all. We ended up with 12 tracks, 11 plugged in and a nice little lullaby at the end. Nick really led us through the process... and the approach was how he'd made records back in the day... a few quick takes then move on to grab the emotion in the room.

Me: Okay, so, on the Phile I ask random questions. You ready? What are the redeeming qualities of the person you most dislike? Man, that's a hard question, isn't it?

Melissa: I'd like to quote my good friend and guru, Hamilton stand-up comic, Zak McDonald, and say, "I love everyone."

Me: Good answer. Melissa, thanks for being on the Phile. Go ahead and plug your website and please come back again soon. Take care.

Melissa: Dude, thanks so much. The guys and I really appreciate it. You can connect with us at weekendriotclub.com, @WeekendRiotClub on Twitter and Instagram, and Facebook.com/WeekendRiotClub.

Me: Thanks, Melissa. "Psychotropia" is available now. Get it.

Well, that about does it for this entry. Thanks to Debbie Boldacious and Melissa Marchese. The Phile will be back next Saturday where we kick of Summer with Neil Sheasby, the bass player for the British band Stone Foundation. Then on Sunday it's the guys from the band Ten Foot Polecats and a week from today is Phile Alum Alum Joy Ike. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let alligators and snakes bite you. Bye, love you, bye. Strawberry Blondes Forever!

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!