Pheaturing Jon David

Hello, welcome to the Phile, back on Thursday, I am your host, Jason Peverett. I just completed nine work days in a row which is like a miracle for me. Then last night I went to see John Hiatt in concert. And no, he is not the owner of the hotel chain. He played for over two hours and it was a great show. I even got to meet him, kids.

My goal now is to get him on the Phile. So... Former President George W. Bush is working on his memoirs. I’m excited just to hear him pronounce the word “memoirs.” This is supposed to be an incredibly honest account of the key decisions in the president’s life. There’s a whole chapter dedicated to “smooth vs. crunchy.” Is it really a good thing for President Bush to remind us of the decisions he made? I would have just let people forget. Speaking of smooth and crunchy, Ben & Jerry’s was giving out free ice cream and Starbucks was giving out free pastries all day the other day. Everyone is getting cocky because we have free health insurance.
It was announced today that pigeons will have their own reality TV show. It will be hosted by Mike Tyson. He collects pigeons the way Fabio collects my fan letters. That's a joke, by the way. Pigeons are great messengers. They can fly at speeds up to 60 mph. They’re dangerous though, as sometimes they can’t stop in time. They’re like flying Toyotas. The Senate held hearings on what role Goldman Sachs played in the mortgage meltdown of 2008. They allegedly sold bad mortgages to their clients and then bet against them to make profits for themselves. I think that’s what the “American Idol” judges are doing to us this season with these crappy singers. They’re down to the final six contestants on “American Idol.” It’s not a great crop of singers this year. They’re thinking of renaming the show “America Doesn’t Got Talent.” Did you see Shania Twain on "Idol"? I used to have the biggest crush on her. Shania Twain got divorced because her husband was sleeping with her assistant and now Shania is living with the assistant’s husband. She’s like the Larry King of Canada. Gov. Rick Perry of Texas shot a coyote while he was jogging. Who carries a gun while jogging? I can barely manage my iPod. Not like I ever going jogging. I barely like walking. I like the idea of runners carrying guns. Think of how interesting the Boston Marathon will be. The International Olympic Committee stripped China of its bronze medal in the women’s team gymnastics event from the 2000 Olympics because they fielded an underage athlete. Ten years later, when she still hadn’t finished high school, they figured it out. Stephen Hawking says he does believe in aliens but we shouldn’t try to contact them. I want nothing to do with aliens — I’m fine with Canadians though. So, you know I am a big fan of inspirational posters, right? Check out this one.

And now, from the home office in Port Jefferson, New York, here is the...

Top Ten Signs You've Been Stuck At The Airport Too Long
10. Named your last two children "Cinnabon".
9. For fun you challenged air marshall to a taser fight.
8. You've blown your life savings on duty-free Kahlua.
7. Built yourself makeshift house out of gray conveyor belt security tubs.
6. Spent $6,000 pimping your luggage cart.
5. You're engaged to a metal detector wand.
4. Been there since before the Wright brothers were born. You'll go crazy trying to figure out that one, folks!
3. You dream of the day you get to sleep on the floor of the Admirals Club lounge.
2. Were just elected prime minister of the Republic of Terminal C.
And the number one sign you've been stuck at the airport for too long...
1. You get caught in the men's room "handling your baggage".


Dixie Carter
May 25, 1939 - April 10, 2010
Let's be clear here: Dixie Carter is NOT FAMOUS. Nobody ever played her. Nobody ever even THOUGHT about playing her. I am SO tired of all the "Hey! You forgot Dixie Carter!" emails, that I added her. Happy?

1901
Train robber and one of the last of the Old West outlaws, Thomas "Black Jack" Ketchum is unsuccessfully hanged in Clayton, New Mexico. The executioner's poor choice of rope and Ketchum's recent increase in weight combine to produce a gruesome decapitation in the gallows.
1945
With Allied forces closing in on Berlin, Adolf Hitler marries Eva Braun in their fortified bunker. They kill themselves the following day.
1945
The American 7th Army liberates the Dachau death camp outside of Munich.
1981
Marilyn Barnett publicly alleged that she had a lesbian relationship for seven years with Billie Jean King, one of America's best-known female athletes and winner of many national and international tennis championships.
1992
Rioting erupts in Los Angeles after Rodney King's assailants are acquitted by a jury. The looting and destruction begins in South Central L.A. and quickly radiates outward. By the time things are under control, 51 are dead and the city has sustained $1.5 billion in property damage. Civil disorder manages to spread to other North American cities, through the influence of live TV coverage.
1996
Search and rescue teams begin dragging Maryland's muddy Wicomico River after former CIA director William Colby is reported missing. They soon discover his partially-submerged canoe underneath a boat dock, but his body isn't located until it rises to the surface a week later.

Today's guest is the 8th Peverett Phile Book Club Author who I used to work with at Disney years ago. His book "Diary Of A Lonely Demon" is available at MorgallaOnline.com and Lulu.com. Please welcome to the Phile... Jon David.


Me: Hello, Jon, congratulations, sir, your book "Diary of a Lonely Demon" is the 8th book to be pheatured in the Peverett Phile Book Club. So, how are you?

Jon: Thanks for the interview, Jason. It's good to see you again. I am very well, thank you for asking.

Me: Is this your first interview?

Jon: Second.

Me: Where are you from, Jon?

Jon: Born in Detroit, Michigan and raised in the suburbs north of it.

Me: I bet your parents are proud of you, right?

Jon: They are indeed, I don't know what I would do without such encouragement.

Me: Recently I was at MegaCon in Orlando and met a few authors there. Are you planning on doing any convention appearances?

Jon: I've been to some local conventions like Youmacon which is mostly anime. The ironic part being that I'm not that much into anime at all. This year I'm attending Penguincon in May and of course I'll be at Youmacon again in the fall.

Me: Tell the readers about Morgalla. She is an interesting character I could see on merchandise or in a cartoon. How long ago did you create her?

Jon: I actually created her *hand to God* in the mid-90's before "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" came out. I thought I was being really original but I hate it that Whedon beat me to the punch. Oh well, them's the breaks. I thought I was being original by making a strong-woman character but hey, anime beat both myself AND Joss Whedon to the punch. "Tough chicks" seems to be in these days and people might think I'm just following a trend. First and foremost though, Morgalla is an individual as unique as a fingerprint as any of us are. Any other lables that might apply to her would only be secondary.

Me: Was she the first character you came up with?

Jon: Oh heck no, I've always come up with little characters here and there in my childhood.

Me: The drawing of her and the other characters in the book are very anime or magna inspired. Is that what you're into?

Jon: In terms of art and animation ironically no, I'm more into comics and that is more of an admiration type deal as well. I wanted to break into comics when I was younger but alas I could not. I was more inspired by the animation department of Warner Brothers in the past two decades with Paul Dini's writing and Bruce W. Timm's both writing and drawing style. Those guys were heavily envolved in the "Batman/Superman" and finally "Justice League" tv shows.

Me: How long did it take you to get the look of her right?

Jon: Not very long at all, she is precisely how I envisioned her. As my drawing style has evolved, so has she.

Me: She wears a lot of different T-shirts, Jon. A Peverett Phile t-shirt would look good on her. What do you think?

Jon: Mmmmmmaybe. *winks*

Me: How long did you write the book? It's the first in a trilogy, right?

Jon: Yes. The book was only a hobby years ago but around the turn of the century I sought out an avenue in which to be successful. I took the short story and did my best to make it bigger and better. It grew from 38,000 words to 98,000 today. It took a few good years to get it where it is today, since I have to work a full-time job I couldn't devote as much time as I wanted to the project.

Me: Are you working on the others or are they done?

Jon: The first draft of book two is done and is going through re-writes and the third book is about a third of the way done. I really want the three books to meld together in a true trilogy. There are aspects in each book that will tie in with the other two.

Me: Will it just be three books in this series?

Jon: Yes. That is for sure.

Me: Do you have plan for another series, with different characters?

Jon: Hmmm... yes but it's still too early in the planning phases to say anything.

Me: Jon, what inspired you to write a book, and who are your influences?

Jon: I have ideas and I enjoy writing about them. I'm not good enough to both write and draw out my own comic, so I guess this was the best to put my ideas out there. As for my influences, besides the men whom I mentioned before there are a hundred-and-one influences that I think people will see in my writing. Ironically, I'm more influenced by movies than anything but I own all seven Harry Potter books and have become a big fan of JK Rowling.

Me: Tell the readers of the Phile what the book is about.

Jon: In one sentence, it's about a young man who finds out his new girlfriend is a demon from Hell, hilarity ensues. But seriously, the entire series focuses on Morgalla who longs for as normal a life as possible. Some of the dangers she faces are of a fantasy/scifi influence but some of her problems are the same that we face every day.

Me: Would Christians like it? It is about Hell, right?

Jon: Yes they would. I'm sure there are some who will judge it by its subject matter, that I'm encouraging Satan-worshipping or something but that's not true at all. Morgalla wears a CROSS after all, the first book is about how she came to wear it. Christians will like it because it assures that faith in a higher power is a good thing.

Me: Are you gonna get the book put in stores?

Jon: Fingers crossed. Let us hope.

Me: If a Phile readers wants to know more and wants to purchase one, where should they go?

Jon: MorgallaOnline.com. She also has a page on facebook, you can contact me through either of those sites if interested.

Me: Is there anything else you wanna say? Thanks for doing this interview and I wish you lots of luck. Keep writing, Jon. Continued success.

Jon: Thank you, Jason. I know people will be a fan of Morgalla if just given the chance.

That's it for another entry of the Phile. I have to go, but before I do, thanks to Jon David and Wikipedia. Don't forget May 1st it's free comic book day. The Phile will be back next Thursday with musician and radio personality Jeff Howell. Spread the word, not the turd. Bye love you bye.

Pheaturing Tom Hutchinson From Big Dog Ink

Hello, welcome to a Saturday entry of the Phile, readable on the iPhone and iPad. I am your host, Jason Peverett. I was told that I should mention who I am more often. So, a woman in Ohio says she opened a can of SpaghettiOs and found a dead rat. You know what’s even more disgusting — she also found SpaghettiOs. The big news this week is airports in Europe are still closed due to the volcano erupting. Smoke and ash is spreading all over Europe. Meteorologists originally thought it was coming from Willie Nelson’s tour bus. You can’t fly an airplane through an ash plume because the engines will be shut down faster than Mel Gibson at a bar mitzvah. The volcano is erupting underneath a glacier, meaning everything kicks up through a hole in the ice. Some scientists are calling it an “ice-hole,” but other scientists are saying the problem is pre-existing ash, therefore it’s more of an “ash-hole.” Did you see Kate Gosselin very upset when she was voted off of “Dancing With the Stars.” Some mothers only have two kids and they cry when they have to go home. It was the Queen of England’s birthday a few days ago. So happy belated birthday, Simon Cowell. It’s a sad day if you’re a fan of Star Trek films, because Leonard Nimoy, who played Spock, is retiring. The bad news is, William Shatner is not retiring. That one was for you, Steve. The U.S. Treasury released its new $100 bill. It’s the most high-tech piece of currency the world has ever seen — until Apple comes out with the “$100 bill Nano.” The Fox network had their annual telethon “Idol Gives Back.” I was hoping they would give back the hundreds of hours I’ve wasted watching “American Idol.” Three bisexual men are suing a gay softball league. Apparently the league told them they couldn’t play because they are “not gay enough.” I think, if you’re a man and you’re suing over not being allowed to play softball, you’re already gay enough. The movie Avatar is now out on DVD. James Cameron wanted it to be released on Earth Day because nothing says “save the planet” like millions of plastic DVD cases. It was the 40th Earth Day, which is bad news for Earth. Once you get in your forties, your equator expands, your poles start to melt — soon you’ll look as bad as Uranus. An estimated one billion people celebrate Earth Day. Al Gore, in particular, is wasted right now. A new poll found that a substantial number of Americans still aren’t convinced that President Obama was born in the United States. Only 58 percent believe that Obama was born here, and 20 percent think he was born in another country. I don’t believe Obama was born at all. Vice President Biden appeared on “The View.” They were trying to set the Guinness Record for most Botox on one couch. And they did, so congratulations. As I said, the other day was Earth Day and Disney released their new movie Oceans that day. I thought the tag line for that movie was a little odd. 'Oceans- big a wet like your mom'. I am not interested in seeing the movie, then I saw a screen cap from it and might change my mind. Check it out.

You know I love inspirational posters, right? Well, a reader sent me this one that I think is the coolest poster I have ever seen.

APRIL 24TH IN HISTORY

1928

The Supreme Court of Canada declares that though women are indeed legal "persons," they are nevertheless ineligible to serve in the Canadian Senate. The Court agreed that the term "person" applies equally to humans of both genders, but the British North America Act referred specifically to "fit and qualified persons" -- necessarily excluding unfit and unqualified people (aka females).
1934
The present incarnation of actress Shirley MacLaine is born.
1967
Cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov soon becomes the world's first space mission fatality after his Soyuz parachutes become entangled four miles above the Earth.
1980
A mission to rescue 53 American hostages from Tehran fails; 8 US soldiers are killed.
1993
An IRA bomb causes $1.5 billion of damage in central London when it destroys several square blocks. One person is killed and 40 injured.
1995
The Unabomber strikes, killing a timber industry lobbyist. Gilbert Murray is killed in his Sacramento office, opening mail addressed to the man he replaced.
1997
A petri dish arrives in an 8x10 manila envelope at the Washington, D.C. offices of B'nai B'rith International. The dish, labeled "anthracks," drips a liquidy red gel which is later determined to contain a relatively harmless strain of Bacillus cereus.

This is the 8th book in the Peverett Phile Book Club. It is available from Lulu.com and MorgallaOnline.com. The author, Jon David, will be a guest on the Phile next Thursday. So, look out for that.

Artist Month on the Phile continues with the founder of Big Dog Ink, a collaborative dedicated to creating unique and high quality comic book properties. Please welcome to the Phile... Tom Hutchinson.

Me: Hello, Tom, welcome to Artist Month on the Phile. You are an artist, right?

Tom: Thanks for having me but I must admit to being a simple writer. I used to draw but realized that I just didn't have the chops to be a full on comic book artist. I do love to sketch and design characters though so I always get involved in the design stages even if it is simply a written statement of what I want the character to look like. I have a hand in the design of all the characters in my books but I let the professionals provide the final look based on my ideas.

Me: You know, Tom Hutchinson is a very popular name. There was a Governor, an English footballer, even an American footballer. Ever do your family tree?

Tom: I have heard of folks doing the research on their families like this but I have not. It would be interesting for me too because I am adopted and would have two seperate trees to work on. I know my birth father was american indian of some kind so that's pretty cool. Maybe one day I'll have some time to work on it.

Me: I noticed Project Fanboy interviewed you. You prefer the Phile though, right? LOL. By the way, I interviewed Sebastian Piccione from Project Fanboy about Earthbound Comics. Are you you aware of those guys? What about Fierce Comics?

Tom: Yes Project Fanboy interviewed me and gave "Penny For Your Soul" a great review. We have had a number of positive reviews online so far that I really appreciate. Earthbound Comics I am aware of, but not Fierce. The truth is there are hundreds of small publishers out there and unless you go to a lot of conventions or are serious about searching out indy books online, most indy books you will never see which is why I have tried to be very active online and in the comic convention scene with Big Dog Ink. We want people to see us and we think they will like what we have to show them.

Me: On-line comics are getting very popular, Tom. I prefer old school books though. Do you publish books to sell at comic book stores?

Tom: Our aim at Big Dog Ink is to produce comics that can get accepted into the Diamond Comics Previews catalog. With "Penny For Your Soul" and "Critter", we are two for two in that regard. We make a very concious effort to create interesting and fun books with high quality art. We have had many folks who have read our books come back and tell us they thought the art quality is something they would have expeceted to see at Marvel or DC and we really appreciate that feedback. We also keep our production values up with glossy paper and heavier covers and we think it makes for a great looking package. Online comics are fine, but I personally don't care for them. No offense intended to anyone, but it's just not a platform I enjoy. We do have plans to get our books onto iTunes and iPad and such however.

Me: You mentioned two books that I am aware of... "Penny For Your Soul" and "Critter". I admit I like "Critter" a lot better, Tom. I tend not to read books about demons. Even though that is what the book of the month is about. Anyway, I take it you are not very religious creating a book like "Penny For Your Soul". When and how did you come up with that concept?

Tom: Well let's take this in two parts. First off I am not an athiest or anything. I grew up with Sunday School and church and Christmas services etc etc. Also Charlton Heston and The Ten Commandments was one of the greatest movies ever. I just tend to be the kind of guy who questions things that most people just accept as a given. The Bible is one of those things that people just accept as pure truth. That there is no possible way it could be anything but fact from those ancient days. Truth is the Bible has been altered for generations. Even from when it was initially put together. Many books that were written like the Book of Enoch are not in the Bible and there are reasons for that. Religion is a powerful tool to help keep the masses in order. Be good... go to Heaven. Be bad... an eternity of Hell awaits you. The Bible is about faith and anytime you question the writings inside, the answer is essentially "I have faith that this is the truth. That this is the Word of God." In my case I belive in God and such, but I also have my own set of questions as to the hows and whys of the stories in the Bible and some of that will be reflected in Penny For Your Soul. Arguing religion is really pointless so I simply offer this as a fictional tale in the vein of Marvel Comics "What If" comics. What if there was a third party vying for control in the End of Days Battle between Heaven and Hell? So as to the comic itself, it initially started when I wanted to create a character that I could put into virtually any situation. That I could change her appearance as I wished (which goes back to my love of design) and so I started to imagine a shapeshifter. As I started to design her look and her surroundings it came upon me that she might be a demon. Possibly the daughter of Lucifer himself. And so the story slowly started to form. The pieces started falling into place. My interest in religion and the movies like The Ten Commandments and stories of the "End Times" all started working for me in ways I would never have guessed. Also books like "The Di Vinci Code" were inspirations. This is a pop culture book. You will see religion mixed with film and books and even some old school Las Vegas gangster style. So again "Penny For Your Soul" is "What if the End of Days took place in Las Vegas?" I hope you all will read it and find out.

Me: Tell the readers of the Phile what is the premise of the book.

Tom: The break down premise of "Penny For Your Soul" is this: A demon decides she wants to get in on the End of Days battle between Heaven and Hell. So she sets herself up in Las Vegas and offers to buy her patron's souls for ten thousand dollars.

Me: As I said, I like "Critter" a lot better. It dawned on me that you two of your main characters are female, Tom. Is that on purpose? I have a female character as well. Her name is Eve Rest.

Tom: I have had many people ask me about that. And many of those same people have had really great conversations about women in comics and the sexuality of it and such. I love those talks when the people involved are intelligent and open minded and are willing to listen to an opposing view point. But back to the question. Was it on purpose? Not in any particular way. Critter was a girl because I like girls with cat ears and tails who can kick a bad guys butt and look good doing it. She is certainly a bit of cheesecake, but I hope that people will give her a chance to be more than that because she is. She has a fairly elaborate story that I am hoping to have a chance to tell beyond this initial one-shot origin story. And honestly if a character has an interesting story, why can't she look cute at the same time? As for Penny, Danica was designed in much the same way in that she could change her form and clothes as I wished menaing I can have her in a business suit in one story and be a pole dancer in another story. But also with "Penny For Your Soul", I wanted to have a strong female lead for the book since Heaven and Hell are represented by male figures ie: Lucifer and Jesus etc.

Me: I love the art work in "PFYS" though. The drawings of Vegas are very descriptive. Where do you live, Tom?

Tom: I live just north of Burbank CA, in Tujunga. But boy do I love going to Las Vegas!

Me: I forgot to ask you if you had a good time in Orlando for MegaCon. Was that your first time here?

Tom: MegaCon was awesome. It was my first time there and I had a blast. We also just got back from Wondercon and man that was incredible too. Great folks at that show and I absolutely plan on returning next year.

Me: Who are your influences when it comes to writing and art?

Tom: Well I get this question a lot and to be honest I have no writing influences to speak of. I don't follow wirters from book to book like many people do. I'm a character person and I don't belive for a second that just because you can write Spider-Man that does not mean you can write Wonder Woman. That's an odd example I know but I think you get my point. People follow Frank Miller or Alan Moore from book to book regardless of the character they are taking on. But I just couldn't care less about some of the characters that have their own books and I would never follow a writer from one character that I like to a character I have no interest in. I know many people will totally disagree with me and that's fine. I'll even give you an example. I loved Gail Simone on "Birds of Prey" and thank god it's coming back! But when she went to Wonder Woman ( a character I love and have collected since I was a kid) I really didn't think she brought anything to the character. I was excited when I heard she was taking over, but the results were ultimatley me dropping Wonder Woman for the first time in my 25 years of comic book reading. Again, that's just me. As for art, it's guys like Adam Hughes, George Perez, Art Adams and the like that I don't draw anymore. I just never felt like could ever compare to the guys that are my artistic heroes and so I went into writing in hopes that I could work with these guys at some point in my writing career.

Me: I have to ask you about Big Dog Ink. It's your own company, right, that publishes comics. How long has Big Dog Ink been around and are you taking submissions?

Tom: Big Dog Ink is my company, yes. Along with my partner Stephen Smirl whithout whom, Big Dog Ink may not even exist. We started it up roughly a year ago as a way to promote my books and his together. Strength in numbers so to speak. He has an amazing mind for the numbers of comics and I like to think I have the artistic edge and toegther that is a powerful force as we often get together and crunch numbers and ideas and ways of doing things to maximize our efforts to get Big Dog Ink Comics out to the readers. As for submissions, yes. In fact I just signed two guys, Oren Kramek and Alfred Paige, to bring their books "Ned the Chainsaw Guy" and "Pinpoint" respectively to Big Dog Ink. Ned was just accepted into Diamond and will be in the May catalog alongside "Penny For Your Soul" #2 and the "Critter" one-shot origin book. We have a different deal than the other publishers which includes letting you keep your rights to your creations. Big Dog Ink is a collaborative as much as it is a publishing company and we do things a little differently so if you think you have a strong story AND a strong artist, feel free to get in touch with us and we can talk. We will be looking for quality books we think Diamond might be interested in. If we don't think you are up to Diamond standards we won't take the book. Feel free to contact us about how to submit your stuff.

Me: What new projects and other books does Big Dog Ink put out? "Ursa Minor" looks promising.

Tom: "Ned The Chainsaw Guy", "Pinpoint", "Island Tales", "Ursa Minor" are all in various forms of production. We also have some licensing in the works as well as concepts for another half dozen books that are in the pipeline. But we arent going to rush anything. Quality is key and we don't want to do anything to compromise that. If we have to wait to get a strong artist on a book, then we wait. Simple as that.

Me: Okay, I saw a real life picture of Critter and... I... well done. Who is that girl?

Tom: Yeah. Well, she is beautiful. That pic was a photomanipulation of a model that lives in Estonia if you can belive that. I have never been able to get in touch with her though I know who took the picture. Isn't fantasy fun!

Me: Is she available for an interview?

Tom: You're welcome to try but she doesn't even know that this pic was made

Me: Before I let you go to pug all your websites, Facebook and everything, did you know there was an adult site called Big Dogz Ink?

Tom: bigdogink.com, islandtales.com, justalittlecritter.com, we have facebook fan pages for Big Dog Ink, "Island Tales" and "Penny For Your Soul". A "Critter" fan page is up next as well as "Ned the Chainsaw Guy" and "Pinpoint". We also have a forums section on the bigdogink.com site where we talk comics and release dates and new projects etc. Yeah I know the Big Dogz site. It's a tattoo place so if you're into that stuff take a look!

Me: Thanks for doing this interview, Tom, and taking part in Artist Month. I look forward to see what you come out with next. Go ahead and mention where a Phile reader can purchase and check out your books. All the best.

Tom: "Penny For Your Soul" #1 will be available in retail stores through Previews in May (aiming for the 12th) so head to your local shop and they can order it for you. "Penny" #2 will be solicited in the May Preveiws along side "Critter" and "Ned the Chainsaw Guy" #1. We have a full page ad in the catalog so you can't miss us and any comic shop retailer will be able to order the books for you. We also sell variant covers on our website. We just had Eric Basaldua of Top Cow and "Grimm Fairy Tales" fame do a cover for us that has to be seen to be belived. It will be live on the site in a day or so and also get in on the facebook fan pages because we give stuff away with contests that are only done on Facebook. And if you just want to see what the books look like we have preview pages on all of our sites so you can see it before you buy it!

There you have it. Thanks to Wikipedia and of course to Tom Hutchinson. I go back to my regular days off from work next week so the next entry of the Phile will be next Thursday with the Peverett Phile Book Club author Jon David. Then later on in May one of the biggest interviews you have seen on the Phile. I won't give it away yet but I will give you a clue... Colt 45. Until next week, spread the word, not the turd. Bye love you, bye.

Pheaturing Kenny Durkin

This ones about anyone who does it differently. This ones about the one who curses and spits.
This ain’t about our living in a fantasy. This ain’t about giving up or giving in. Yea, Yea, Yea,
we weren’t born to follow, we were born to read the Phile... Yea, yea, yea...



Hey there, welcome to the Phile for a Saturday, kids. Jen went to the Bon Jovi concert tonight so it's just Logan and I hanging out. So, how are you? If you reading this on your iPad, you are cool. There are rumors that Elizabeth Taylor is getting married for the 9th time. One more and she qualifies for a free chicken sandwich at Quizno’s. KFC restaurants have unveiled the “Double Down,” which is two slabs of fried chicken with bacon in the middle. Why not — we all have free health insurance. Conan O’Brien announced that he will move his show to TBS. Later in the day, Jay Leno announced that he will also move his show to TBS. Al Gore was ambushed for an interview with Fox News and he refused to do the interview. What’s wrong with you, Fox News? If you want to interview Al Gore, just leave a trail of ham into the studio. Sarah Palin has made more than $12 million this year. That is a lot of money for someone that can’t say words that end in “g.” They say $12 million is a conservative estimate, but she may have made more. Yet she continues to blame Obama for the bad economy. Did you see Adam Lambert as the celebrity mentor on “American Idol.” I’m pretty sure they’ve given up on the contestants this year, when the mentor is the guy that lost last year. According to a new study, children who are spanked are twice as likely as those that aren’t spanked to get into fights and destroy things — which is probably why they get spanked in the first place. I would never spank my son. He takes karate and could kick my ass. A volcano erupted in Iceland a couple days ago and it’s still going. Researchers say this is the only interesting thing that has ever happened in Iceland.
Larry King has filed for divorce from his wife, Shawn. He may have thought he was filing taxes, I don’t know. Okay, I said my wife went to a Bon Jovi concert tonight, and she is madly in love with him. I don't understand why. He looks kinda like Adam Sandler in Little Nicky. Don't believe me? Look.

Last week I didn't have an inspirational poster to show you but I do this week.



Daryl Gates
August 30, 1926 - April 16, 2010
He was considered to be an excellent police chief in LA, except for - you know - that thing where the entire city RIOTED for several days. Thanks, Daryl.

APRIL 17TH IN HISTORY

1792

The Guillotine is tested at Bicetre Hospital in Paris, decapitating a sheep and a number of human cadavers.
1943

My dad was one day old.
1961
In an effort to overthrow Fidel Castro, 1,500 Cuban exiles make a series of amphibious landings at the Bay of Pigs. After it becomes painfully obvious in just a matter of hours that the forces were trained, equipped, and armed by the United States, President John F. Kennedy withholds necessary air cover. In three days of fighting, Cuba captures 1,197 of the rebels and kills approximately 200.
1965
The FBI Laboratory in Washington reports their inability to make out the vocals on the hit single "Louie Louie." Thus, the Bureau is unable to determine whether the record constitutes obscene matter.
1969
A Los Angeles jury convicts Sirhan Sirhan of assassinating Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Sirhan receives a death sentence, but it is later reduced to life in prison.
1974
Vinnie Taylor of Sha Na Na dies of a smack overdose.
1984
London police officer Yvonne Fletcher is shot dead and ten bystanders are wounded when a gunman in the Libyan Embassy opens fire on a crowd of protestors gathered outside. One week later, the British government cuts off all diplomatic relations and the Libyans are deported. The Libyan Government finally "accepts general responsibility for the behaviour of its diplomats inside its London Embassy at the time of the shooting" in July 1999, and pays an undisclosed sum to Fletcher's family.
1997
After a newspaper publishes photographs of Belgian paratroopers committing human rights violations during a 1993 UN peacekeeping mission in Somalia, Belgium's Defense Minister Jean-Pol Poncelet announces that the elite fighting unit may be disbanded. The photos depict one soldier urinating on a Somali corpse, and two men swinging a child over a campfire by the wrists and ankles.

This is the 7th book in the Peverett Phile Book Club. It's available from Lulu.com and MorgallaOnline.com. The author Jon David will be a guest on the Phile real soon.



Today's guest is a brilliant artist who is has his own blogspot at durkinworks.blogspot.com. Please welcome to the Phile for Artist Month... Kenny Durkin.




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

Kenny: Exhausted but otherwise very happy. Taking care of my 3 week old baby, my teenage son, my daughter and drawing a lot. Life is good!

Me: I cannot believe we are practically neighbors. How long have you lived in the Clermont area?

Kenny: I've lived in Clermont for about 6 years, but been in Florida for ten. I moved down in spring of 2000 to draw caricatures for a living. I draw at several retail stands at Disney World, and at parties and events in the Central Florida area.

Me: It's nice out here, isn't it? Ever been up in the Citrus Tower?

Kenny: I love it here in Clermont, it's very "un-Florida". The trees, hills and lakes are more like Wisconsin, where I grew up. I've never been to the Citrus Tower, but I can see it from my house.

Me: Me, too. What about the coolest store in town, Heroes Landing, have you been there?

Kenny: I've been to Heroes Landing many times. I enjoyed my first Slurm ever there, got some cool comics and stuff, and talked with the awesome staff. I'll be back!

Me: Where are you from originally, Kenny?

Kenny: Like I mentioned before, I'm originally from Wisconsin. I lived in a little town called Bristol which is in the southeast corner of the state on the Wisconsin/Illinois border. It was a great place to grow up because it's roughly halfway between Milwaukee and Chicago, so there's a lot of history and culture to experience. Although I live in Florida, I'm forever a cheesehead.

Me: We met briefly at MegaCon, Kenny. How was it for you? Was it fun? Your son had a great time, didn't he? He was dressed like a Jedi, right?

Kenny: I've attended many conventions as a guest artist and I think this is my third or fourth MegaCon. They've all been fun, but this year's MegaCon was definitely the most successful for me. My son Alex did attend with me sporting his Jedi robes. Powerful Jedi is he.

Me: I like your art work and style. There's a lot of circles in your drawings I noticed. Why is that?

Kenny: Circles? Wow, I never noticed that. I guess my artwork tends to be less angular and more rounded. I'm going to have to analyze that further. Great observation!

Me: You have a very distinct style. How long did it take to come up with your own thing?

Kenny: Thirty-eight years so far. I think developing a "style" is a lifelong process. You can't force it though, you have to let it develop on it's own. Just be true to yourself and it will happen.

Me: Who were your influences growing up?

Kenny: Ahhh...one of my most frequently asked questions, and most difficult for me to answer. I hope this doesn't sound like a cop-out, but my influences are pretty much everything. I find inspiration from television, books, movies, music, nature, my friends, family etc. I'm as inspired by a great artist like Michelangelo as I am by a guitar solo by Eddie Van Halen. They're both equally amazing to me. I guess if I had to, I could give you a VERY short example of who my influences are: Jim Henson, George Lucas, Stephen Spielberg, Tim Burton, Walt Disney, John Lasseter, Brad Bird, Tex Avery, Chuck Jones, Berke Breathed, Bill Watterson, Gary Larson, Leonardo Da Vinci, Norman Rockwell, Al Hirschfeld, Mort Drucker, Jack Davis,Sam Viviano, Sergio Aragones, Sebastian Kruger, Tom Richmond, Steve Silver, Jake and Elwood Blues, B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, Eric Clapton, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, The Who, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Gorillaz, and anyone who was in Van Halen except Gary Cherone.

Me: Did you always draw? I doodle A LOT. I bet you always carry a Sharpie around, don't you?

Kenny: I always draw. Always. Every day. No excuses. Drawing is like breathing, I have to do it to live. No blank paper is safe around me.

Me: I noticed you have your very own blogspot, Kenny. Mine is four years old, how long have you had yours? It's a great place to show off your artwork, right?

Kenny: I've had my blogspot since 2005. I think if you're going to be a visual artist these days, you have to have a strong presence on the web. A blog is a vital tool for the artist to showcase their work. I update my blog every single day, which constantly gives my viewers new content, informs them of what I'm up to, and encourages repeat visits.

Me: Don't you contribute to another blogspot?

Kenny: I have contributed to both Toon Weekly and The Toony Bin, both of which are now defunct. But I am on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and DeviantArt.

Me: You are part of the ISCA I think. The International Society of Caricature Artists. I am amazed there is such a thing. When did you become a member and was it hard to get into?

Kenny: The ISCA was formerly the National Caricaturist Network (NCN). It was founded in 1989 and has since grown to almost 600 members worldwide. I've been a member for about 10 years. If you're even slightly interested in caricatures, or you're a visual artist, I highly recommend joining. There is a membership fee, but that's all you'll need to join.

Me: There's an ISCA convention coming up in Vegas this November. Are you going to it?

Kenny: I have every intention of attending the ISCA convention in November. I've been to 5 conventions before, and they're astounding.

Me: Who is the first caricature you have ever done and what is the hardest one you drew?

A: If you count Grover from Sesame Street, then that would be my first caricature that I can remember. There are two caricatures that come to mind as the hardest ones I've ever drawn. The first was at an event celebrating soldiers returning from overseas who had been injured in one way or another. I was drawing caricatures at that event for the soldiers and their families. One gentleman in particular was so severely burned that his features were virtually unrecognizable. I was so nervous because I didn't want my drawing to insult him. He had a remarkable attitude though, and told me to draw him as he appeared and not to hold back. I drew him as Superman and he and his family loved it, but I was shaking. The second most difficult caricature for me to draw is my wife. Gorgeous women are always the most difficult to caricature.

Me: How did you learn to do that? I tried a number of times, Kenny. Sometimes I get it, sometimes I don't.

Kenny: You learn how to caricature just like you learn anything else. Practice. Keep hitting your head against the wall until you break through. Study the masters, look at all the different styles. Keep a sketchbook with you at all times and draw while you watch tv, or sit on your break at work, or go to dinner, or stand in line at the grocery store. Have fun, don't give up, and you'll figure it out.

Me: Each artist has their own style to do it, what is yours?

Kenny: It's always difficult for me to analyze my own work. I'd like to think of my style as cartoony, whimsical, animated and expressive. I tend to not draw realistic or very rendered.

Me: Man, I wish I would of had you draw a caricature of me at the 'Con. That would be cool.

Kenny: Anyone visiting me at a Con is more than welcome to get a drawing by me. Just ask!

Me: Okay, let's talk about Durkins Dragons. How did you come up with the dragon idea?

Kenny: I was just sitting around doodling one day and drew this dragon. Now, I had drawn countless dragons before, but I was having fun drawing this particular dragon and I liked the way he turned out. So I drew another one, and another one. 24 dragons later, and I had enough for my first book.

Me: You published a book called "Durkins Dragons", which I will make it part of the Peverett Phile Book Club as we speak. There it, official. It's called "Durkin's Dragons: Parodies and Tributes". How long did it take you to write and draw it?

Kenny: The Durkin's Dragons series started with the first book I just mentioned. I produced a calendar for 2010 with 12 all-new Durkin's Dragons. The third publication, "Durkin's Dragons: Parodies and Tributes" is a compilation of dragons based on notable characters from pop culture. There's no text or story. They are single panels of artwork, took a couple months to compile.

Me: It's not to be confused with the book "My Durkin is Dragging", which is a whole different book. Right? That's a joke, Kenny.

Kenny: My Durkin has been Dragging a lot lately...

Me: What kinda tributes and parodies are in it? Will you have a Volume 2?

Kenny: There's some from Star Wars and Disney, musicians, animation and other geeky, fun stuff. There will most definitely be a Volume 2.

Me: The dragons are in another book you published before. How is that book different?

Kenny: The dragons from the previous book are all exclusively my concepts, just a bunch of silly, goofy dragons. The dragons in the calendar are more themed around the specific month they each represent.

Me: What I really think is cool, and what made me want to interview you is your comic book series "Black Cat Bone". Have you heard of the blues band Black Cat Bones?

Kenny: I've heard of the band Black Cat Bones. The term "black cat bone" comes from hoodoo and is used frequently in blues music.

Me: Speaking of Blues, any comic that is based around the blues is cool with me. When did you come up with that idea?

Kenny: I've always been a fan of blues music. It influences much of the music we listen to today, from country, to rock, to rap. I wanted to tell the story of the blues, it has such a rich mythology. I had the idea to tell it through the life of a character who would personify the blues and the journey it took through history. I came up with Kit "Blue-Eye" Baxter, a little black cat who sings the blues.

Me: You must be into the blues, Kenny. Who is your favorite singer and blues band?

Kenny: I think B.B. King is at the top of my list of blues artists, though I have to give props to the Blues Brothers who were my "gateway" in to blues music.

Me: How many issues of the comic has there been already, and how many are you planning?

Kenny: I've produced the first two chapters already. They are titled "Black Cat Bone: The Blues is Born" and "Black Cat Bone: Flood Waters Rising" The third book, "Black Cat Bone: The Devil's Music" has been written and I'm feverishly producing the artwork for it as we speak. The fourth book, "Black Cat Bone: Crossroads" is being written. I originally planned on nine chapters (like a cat's nine lives), but the story has expanded since then, so I'm not sure of the exact number of issues I'll need to complete the story.

Me: It would make such a cool cartoon. Have you thought about that at all?

Kenny: I want to animate every single thing I draw. Black Cat Bone is no exception. It really needs to be heard as well as seen. Are you listening, Pixar?

Me: You also drew for a book called "Norm PhartEphant". I like the play on the ph instead of f, like in the Phile. When did that book come out?

Kenny: "Norman Phartephant: Volume 1" came out in 2009. The second volume came out early 2010. I'm currently inking the third book, which will be released later this year.

Me: It's written by Angela Larson, Kenny. How did that gig come about, drawing for another writer? Mention to her I would love to have her on the Phile, and make the Norm book a part of my book club.

Kenny: Angela needed an artist and I needed to illustrate something. It was a win-win. Plus, I love toys and Norman's books are based on a plush elephant who pharts when you squeeze his tail. The toy was produced by Angela Larson's company, Fierce Fun Toys.

Me: Kenny, thanks for doing this interview. I am jealous of your talent, sir. Go ahead and plug your website and tell the readers where they can purchase the books, comics or your art. And is there anything else you want to say?

Kenny: My blog is www.durkinworks.blogspot.com. Be sure to visit it every day for new stuff! You can order all of my publications and other cool stuff from my blog as well. When you go there, just click the links to the right. I appreciate the opportunity to talk, and stay tuned, I've got a lot of new, fun stuff in the "Works"

Me: Thanks again, and I hope to see you around town. Let's meet at Friendly's some time.

A: Sounds great. Don't forget to bring your sketchbook!

That's the 7th book in the Peverett Phile Book Club. Jon David's book will now be the 8th. Thanks to Kenny for a great long interview and also to Wikipedia. I have no idea when the next entry of the Phile will be as my work schedule is all screwed up but I am guessing next Sunday, April 25th. It might be Saturday again, who knows? I do know the guest will be the last for Artist Month, Tom Hutchinson. I am now gonna have a quick shower before the new season of "Doctor Who" starts. Spread the word, not the turd, we're halfway there, living on a prayer. Bye love you bye.

Pheaturing Robert Turk From Goblin Road

Hello, welcome to the Phile for a Sunday, where we continue Artist Month. Thanks for stopping by. Today's Artist is a goblin designer and creator as you probably could tell from the picture above. Give me a meat loaf and I'll show you goblin. Well, did you see the college basketball final games? I don’t really follow college basketball, so when I heard that Duke beat Butler, I thought it must be a scandal at Buckingham Palace. In 2001, a blind American climber reached the summit of Mount Everest. At least that’s what they told him. Kathmandu is very commercialized these days. Do you know what’s on top of Mount Everest? A Starbucks. It doesn’t have a bathroom, but the Starbucks next door to it does. John McCain told Newsweek that he doesn’t really consider himself a “maverick.” What kind of man would call himself a maverick for years and then suddenly say he doesn’t think of himself as a maverick? I’ll tell you what kind — a maverick. The iPad has only been out for a few days and it has revolutionized the publishing industry. You can download books, you can read them and store them, and for religious fundamentalists, there’s a new app that lets you burn them. Have you been watching "American Idol"? I was so excited when Big Mike was about to be kicked off then the judges saved his annoying ass. Anyway, I am a big Beatles fan and it was Beatles night on “American Idol” last week. Some of the worst performers of all time paid tribute to some of the best performers of all time. Having the “Idol” contestants sing Beatles songs is a bad idea. It’s like having spandex night on “Biggest Loser.” Sandra Bullock put out a statement officially denying the rumor of a sex tape of her and her husband, Jesse James. She says there never was a tape and there never will be a tape. I think the “never will be” part goes without saying. Tiger Woods played his first golf tournament in five months, and his first tournament in six years without lipstick on his lucky underwear. Bristol Palin is continuing her campaign about teen pregnancy. It’s funny that she’s going around telling kids not to get pregnant when her mom is telling people, “Drill, baby, drill.” Bristol was a pregnant teen herself. She named her baby “Tripp,” with two p’s, which is reason enough for teens not to have kids. During Artist Month I have been asking people at work to draw me. Here is another drawing of me by Milisa Demoulin.

So, have you heard about this kid named Justin Bieber? He seems to be everywhere. He even has his own brand of condoms. Don't believe me? Check it out.

I don't have any inspirational posters this week to show you, but I do have this great shot of the last night Space Shuttle going flight going up behind Cinderella's Castle. Ooh and ahh.

Anatoly Dobrynin
November 16, 1919 - April 6, 2010
Deadski.

It's Sunday, so I have to bring you another...

This is the 7th book in the Peverett Phile Book Club.

The author Jon David will be on the Phile in a few weeks.

Today's guest is the second Artist for this month. He and his wife Rebecca are the creators and designers of Goblin Road who make goblin dolls and such. Goblin Road will be appearing next at Spoutwood April 30th to May 2nd in Glen Rock, Pa. Please welcome to the Phile... Robert Turk.



Me: Hello, Robert, welcome to the Phile. So, how are you?

Robert: Doing great! Well rested after my Orlando trip and now back to work on getting ready for our next show. I also took a day to polish some stuff on our website and post a bunch of our new products to etsy.

Me: So, how was MegaCon, and did you do anything fun in Orlando?

Robert: MegaCon was the first comic book convention I have ever attended. I loved seeing all the wonderful costumes, meeting a bunch of artists, and having a long discussion with a comic book artist/producer I met named Ralph (wet ink studios) that wants to do a Nose Goblin comic book with us. I have family in Lake Mary and brought my 3 year old daughter down to visit them the week before the convention. And we stopped over in Atlanta on the drive down to visit relatives there. By the time Friday rolled around for the convention, I was exhausted! I will definitely do the trip backwards next time; Get there just in time for the convention and then spend the week after visiting and running around. We did stay an extra day and go to the zoo in Sanford, which she enjoyed because of the elephant and alligator. I wanted to go see the The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Islands of Adventure, but of course it wasn't open yet, and my wife said she would kill me if I went without her. Maybe next year!

Me: You and your wife Rebecca, who also welcome here, are very creative and talented. How long have you been making the Goblins?

Robert: Thanks for the compliments. We have been in business as Goblin Road for about 5 years now. We fully intended to go into business making handcrafted soaps and candles at one point, but discovered a really cool event called Faerieworlds out in Eugene, OR and started making other things entirely. The stuffed goblins came about as one of a kind art dolls in February of 2009. Since then they have undergone many changes. The current version of the Nose Goblins we started doing at the Ohio Renaissance Festival last fall. The Mud Goblins are new this year, and we plan on having one other Goblin creature by the fall.


Me: What made you create Goblins, opposed to elves, trolls or anything like that?

Robert: Well, our name has been Goblin Road since we started doing festivals five years ago so it just kind of fit. I am fascinated with mythology, role playing games, and fantasy art (especially the work of Brian & Wendy Froud, Tony DiTerlizzi, and Larry MacDougall) with a special fondness for Goblins. Too often they get a bum wrap, and have been very under represented in the Faerie community. I like darker, more primal things so faeries and elves were right out. And Trolls makes me think of the plastic dolls with the frizzy hair. We hadn't seen a Goblin doll, so we decided to make one ourselves.


Me: A long time ago I created these characters called the Nekk. They live in the woods. Do you have any other characters?

Robert: We do! And we have more in the works. We think of the Nose Goblins and the Mud Goblins as species of Goblins, and there is a whole mythology for them still banging around in my head. We did some exclusive Redcap Goblins and Furry Gob Mothers for Faerieworld's Winter Celebration in Oregon back in February, and for many of our shows we take some one of a kind characters that fit the theme of the event. We are also working on a book (and possibly a comic book) that will introduce more of our Goblins world, and we do plan on making some of the characters from that in a plush form as we go forwards. We do have a woodlands Goblin breed or two, they just have not been realized yet.


Me: Are they made kid proof? Or are they more collector's pieces?

Robert: We do both. Our standard Nose Goblin is now tested and approved as required by the State of Ohio, the State of Pennsylvania, and the US government. There are all sorts of laws about what it can and cannot be made of, how it has to be labeled, and when and how it must be tested. We have a young daughter, and we were not happy a few years back with all the recalled toys from China; so we wanted to make sure that when we made our toys that they were safe not only for her, but for anyone that wanted to play with one. So yes, the Nose Goblin (and soon the Mud Goblin) are tested and approved for ages three and up. And by the way, each and every one is handcrafted by Rebecca and myself, nothing imported from China here. We have also discovered that something about our dolls is very appealing to an adult audience, and most people buying our products are not buying them for children. When we started making the Goblins, we were only doing them as one of a kind dolls, and selling to adults. In order to answer that appeal, and fulfill our artistic needs, we still make one of a kind Goblins and pretty much go all out with these creations. We have also started offering accessory packs for our adult customers, so they can dress up their Goblin how they want, since it seems that folks love playing dress up with these creatures.


Me: What is a Goblin anyway?

Robert: To me, a Goblin is the other side of the coin to a Faerie. They are primal, sometimes dark, grounded, gritty, fun, mischievous, often ugly, silly, and completely at ease in their body. They reflect a more down to earth sentiment, and are tied with some of the grosser things that make life real. A goblin eats when he is hungry and doesn't bother with silverware or napkins (unless it is really cool silverware with spikes and edges and messy to use), a goblin sleeps when he is tired but feels free to go dance around a bonfire at 3am if he isn't sleepy yet, a goblin farts when he needs too. You would never hear a fairy fart, they are too pretty and flitty and dignified. I guess Goblins are more low brow, not to say that there aren't educated goblins. I mean, they can be wizards and such if they want to be, but I certainly wouldn't want to be in the same room as Goblin attempting magic. Something is liable to get blown up.


Me: When did you and Rebecca first come up with the idea to make Goblins?

Robert: The Goblins started as a Christmas present for my daughter in 2009. We try to make handmade gifts at the holidays, and as is often the case we both set out making her the same present without talking about it first. I think I was further along in my doll, as Rebecca's was still just a sketch, when she discovered what I was working on and decided to 'fix' it. I am great at doing things in three dimensions, but not so hot in patterning and sewing. That is her strong point, as she is the professional costume designer. So we both ended up working on my version of a Goblin doll, and our daughter loved it. So did our friends who saw it. We weren't doing anything like it at the time, and didn't know anyone who was. So we made up 11 of them to test at our next show, and they pretty much sold out within 2 hours. We made a bunch more for the show after that (Spoutwood Farm's May Day Faerie Festival in Pennsylvania) and they sold out again. It wasn't until the third day of Spoutwood though that we really realized we were on to something. Our author friend Ari Berk came over and spent a while dressing them up and picking out his favorite and then took it back to the guest of honor artists pavilion. The next thing we knew we had Charles Vess, and Holly Black, and pretty much everyone else from the big tent up front standing in line at our booth to buy Goblins. It was surreal. It was also a clear sign that we were now Goblin makers. And since then it has been the Goblins that are our focus.


Me: There's two different kinds, right? What's the difference between a Nose Goblin and a Mud Goblin?

Robert: There will be more than two kinds eventually. But for now we have the Nose Goblins and the Mud Goblins. The Nose Goblins are the first Goblins to wander over into the Human world and look for good homes. They are rather like the guinea pigs of the Goblin Lands; they are soft, easy going, loving, adaptable, and not the smartest or the fiercest of the Goblin tribes. They are also good luck and seem to keep nightmares away. The Mud Goblins are a different breed entirely. They are slow, sad, and pitiful. They live in the swamps, and take great pleasure in squishing mud between their fingers and toes. They were actually inspired by the President's of the USA song 'Lump', as I fully imagine them sitting alone in a boggy marsh. It did take us a lot of sketches and prototypes to get a Mud Goblin we were happy with, in fact you didn't see any at MegaCon because Rebecca was back home working on making them a little more sad.

Me: How long does it create to make one from scrap?

Robert: If we were to start on one Nose Goblin and just make it from start to finish, it would take about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, not counting the time for our artist friend to hand spin the wool into yarn for the hair. A Mud Goblin takes considerably longer, due to the intricate stitching and stuffing to get his frog like toes and fingers. We do not normally sit down and do a single Goblin start to finish though. We each have our own jobs in the process and pass a stack of goblins back and forth till they are complete. I cut out the goblins, then Rebecca reinforces some edges, stitches them up, and puts in the hair and the law labels. She passes back the Goblin 'skins' for me to stuff, and when that is done stitches on the eyes and reinforces the stress points. Depending on who gets to it first, one of us will stitch up the backs and make the scarves. I then put on the hang tags and pack them up to hit the road. This last step usually happens at 2am the night before an event. We both make accessories, depending on whose skill set the accessory calls for, and we do all the one of a kind designs together.


Me: It beats the hell outta Build-A-Bear, doesn't it? Would you ever consider opening a store?
We like it better than that Bear place, for sure. As for a store, we have thought about it. I would love to have something like 'Baby Land General' in Georgia one day (The Cabbage Patch theme store). Our first goal though is moving our studio out of our house, and hiring another artist to help us make the dolls. Right now we have trouble meeting demand, and just barely get enough made for each event we do.


Me: Apart from MegaCon, do you guys do a lot of conventions? You also do fair's I imagine.

Robert: This year we are scheduled for 14 events all over the country. Two of those events are long running Renaissance festivals (6 weekends at Kentucky Ren and 8 weekends at Ohio Ren). We mostly do outdoor Ren festivals and Faerie festivals, but we also have two more indoor conventions this year (Faeriecon and Rencon) as well as a very strange and wonderful convention known as Wicked Winter in NJ that we did in February. Megacon was our first comic book style convention, and we are discussing changes we need to make to our display and product line up so that we can do more conventions of that sort. That said, 14 events is a lot! And we are considering ways to make our schedule more manageable for next year. This is my full time job now though, and I love being at events and meeting all sorts of people.


Me: Do you get a lot of overseas buyers?

Robert: We have had a few oversees customers, but shipping can be a bit expensive when ordering from overseas. We have a lot of companies contacting us wanting to make our product in India and China, but for now we are dedicated to keeping it in house and completely hand made.

Me: Tell me about the one of a kind dolls you make. Do customers get to design and make their own?

Robert: We do the one of a kind dolls a few different ways. For many of the shows we go to, we make several one of a kind art dolls that tie in with the event's theme. For instance, Wicked Winter's theme was a Mad Tea Party, so we made three one of a kind mad hatter goblins: a steampunk hatter, a B-movie mad scientist hatter, and an Opium Den mad hatter. For our next show, Rencon, we are going to do some Shakespeare themed Goblins. All of our one of a kind Goblins are signed by us, come with a certificate of authenticity, and include our pledge that we will never make that particular goblin again. We also have customers asking us all the time to make a special goblin for them. If they give us an idea, we will run with it. This last Christmas we had people request a plaid goblin, a wizard with black hair and a blue cloak, Mal from Firefly, a set of Goblins in the UF team colors, and Gandalf. On our website we have a gallery of past custom designs, and we can really do pretty much any character people may desire - with one exception. We have a lot of people ask us to make the stuffed Firey doll that is sitting on the bookshelf of Sarah's room in the movie Labyrinth. We won't do that one, as it isn't a goblin and we are pretty sure it belongs to the Frouds, who we respect greatly and see at many of our shows.

Me: Where is Goblin Road based, Robert?

Robert: Lancaster, Ohio. But right now we travel to shows in Oregon, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Florida, Kentucky, Illinois and Ohio. We have lived in Florida, Oregon, and Ohio, and want to move again to the Appalachian mountains (though I do miss the swampy trees and Spanish Moss in Florida). Really, Goblin Road lives in our hearts and minds, and we will go wherever it takes us.

Me: How much would an average Goblin be? What about a Phile Goblin?

Robert: The standard tested and approved for ages 3 and up handmade Goblin is $45. Handcrafted accessory packs range right now from $12 to $25. Custom goblins start at $55 and go upwards depending on how much time and materials will be going into the artistic creation. We always give a quote up front and that is what the customer pays, even when we go crazy and spend more than we should on making it. As for a Phile Goblin, I am not sure how well your filing cabinet logo will translate to a Goblin. But a harried Sci-Fi interviewer could be a fun challenge.

Me: Your wife Rebecca was part of the Orlando Shakespeare Festival, is that right? Did you live in Orlando as well?

Robert: Yes, we actually met while working at the Orlando Shakespeare Festival. I went to high school in Niceville, FL and moved down to Orlando to live with my father and pursue a theatre degree at UCF. I was doing my internship at the Shakespeare Festival and Rebecca came down in the spring as a costumer. I ended up staying on after that for 4 or 5years as the Production Stage manager and a resident Sound Designer and did a bunch of shows with them. Rebecca went to Illinois for a miserable year apart to work for a university and ended up coming back to the Shakespeare Festival to run their costume shop. We also ran the design/tech side of their Young Company (a summer program for high school students) for several years. At some point we decided to move on and find new challenges, and wound up in Oregon. After being in Oregon for two years we moved to Ohio, where Rebecca is now the Costume Director for Ballet Met.

Me: I read that you also make something called Mythagos. What is that?

Robert: Wow, you really did some digging. We used to be focused on our amazing leather corset ensembles that we made and sold at the Faerie Festivals. We did these as custom fit garments, and handmade them to fit the individual. We had two design lines: Elementals (Fire, Wood, and Air - we never finished our Water design) and the mythical creature based Mythagos (Dragoness, Succubus - and an angelic one was in the works). These were difficult, expensive, and time consuming to make and doing custom garments for people has its own world of issues, especially when you only see your customer once to take their measurements. Thankfully, we came up with the Goblins and they have been a surprising success. We still take our corsets to one show a year, and we will make them if our schedule allows and we can meet the customer in person, but they take so much energy away from our main focus now that we don't really promote them anymore.

Me: Do you make anything else?

Robert: Yes! We also make one of a kind leather masks, and leather crowns. And we now have a book in the early stages (as in I have a composition book with notes and a bunch of Rebecca's sketches). We used to make all sorts of things: Cloaks, Corsets, Wings, shamanic rattles, felted wool purses, decorative bottles, clothing, and soaps and candles. We are now focused pretty much on the dolls and the masks. I really want to make some traditional rod puppets in a goblin theme and some Jester sticks with Goblin heads, but I never seem to find the time. We have a large skill set, and are always trying new creative endeavors, so occasionally some oddity we made on a whim will end up at an event or on our etsy page.

Me: Robert, thanks so much for taking part in Artist Month on the Phile. Go ahead and plug your website and anything else you want to. Good luck and continued success.

Robert: Thanks Jason, this was fun! Our website is www.goblinroad.com, and you can get a list of our upcoming shows on the front page of our site. We also like to support Plant-It 2020 (http://plantit2020.org/) because more trees in the world is always a good thing. Many thanks to those of you who stopped by to visit at Megacon, and we hope to meet more of your readers at the various shows we do around the country.

Well, that's it for the Phile today, kids. We are going to my niece's birthday party so I didn't have time do to ... In History. Anyway, thanks to Robert Turk for a great interview. His Goblin's would make great gifts. I have to work out if he can make a Phile Goblin. Okay, the next entry of the Phile will be on Saturday as I am working overtime next week, and Saturday Jen is going to the Bon Jobi concert. Next week's guest will be Artist Kenny Durkin. Spread the word, not the turd. Bye love you bye.