Back in the early ’70s, after the devastating loss of both Duane Allman and bassist Berry Oakley to motorcycle accidents, the Allman Brothers Band pushed forward to continue creating the music that they were known and loved for. In 1973, the band released their fourth studio effort, Brothers and Sisters, and achieved even more critical success. The album contained their...
Comics: Elaine Lee and Michael William Kaluta on Their Starstruck Kickstarter
For the past 30-plus years, two of the most original comic creators have crafted a tale quite unlike anything else offered by the medium. This unique, creator-owned project has survived, even thrived, while the magazines and imprints which once hosted it have faded away or vanished overnight. And while it’s true that there have been times when it seemed moribund,...
Chief of Staff: Interview with Mr. Selfridge’s Tom Goodman-Hill
Any good businessperson will tell you that one of the keys to success is making sure to surround yourself with the most loyal, trusted and hardest working team of people possible. Such is the case in the British drama Mr. Selfridge, currently airing Sunday nights in the States on PBS’s MASTERPIECE Classic. When American entrepreneur Harry Gordon Selfridge crosses the...
Comics: Travis Hanson on Adventures for a Lazy Afternoon and The Bean
One of the best parts of working in the arts, generally—and of the comics industry, in particular—is that you get to meet some truly amazing and inspiring people through your mutual friends and acquaintances. I’ve been introduced to any number of creators and fellow travelers by friends over the past 15 years, both in person and, increasingly, via social networks....
Bentley’s Bandstand: Dawes, Son of Rogues Gallery, Steve Forbert
Dawes, Stories Don’t End. Stealthlike, Dawes has become the new American band possessed by true greatness. The Southern Californians have two previous albums which pointed this way, but on Stories Don’t End they’ve headed off on a striking path to putting their names in the history books and inspiring gererations of music fans for a very long time. Dawes have...
Comics: Nimue Brown on Hopeless, Maine: Personal Demons
Continuing my exploration of Archaia Entertainment’s roster of creators, I’d like to introduce you to Nimue Brown, co-creator with Tom Brown of Hopeless, Maine. As Tom revealed over the course of our conversation, Nimue has played a key role in bringing that haunted isle to life even as she supplied each of its diverse denizens with their proper voice. Despite...
Conspiracy Theories: A Scientist on Global Warming
My dear childhood friend, Dr. Christina Ravelo, had no idea that on one recent lovely sunny Southern California day another friend of mine, an author of worldwide renown, was accusing her of being part of a global warming conspiracy. Dr. Ravelo is a Professor in the Ocean Sciences Department and was formerly Director of the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary...
DVD Review: LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out
For the lighter side of the Star Wars universe, LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out offers up an animated combination of characters from the original and prequel trilogies. Inspired by the popular video game series, The Empire Strikes Out is a 22-minute special that originally aired in September, 2012 on Cartoon Network. Just as in the games, all the...
The Human Equation: Interview with Bomb Girls’ Meg Tilly
During World War II every able-bodied person helped in the fight against the enemy. While the men served on the front lines, the women did whatever necessary back home to support the troops. The popular Canadian-made TV drama Bomb Girls follows the stories of four women working in a Canadian munitions factory while the conflict continues to unfold overseas. Multi-talented...
Comics: Cliff Galbraith Discusses the 2013 Asbury Park Comicon
I’ve known Cliff Galbraith for at least a decade. We first met at the Comic-Con International: San Diego, where I was walking the floor in search of interesting stories and he was hawking copies of his gloriously anarchic, highly entertaining comic Rat Bastard. We hit it off immediately, and enjoyed catching up at every show we both attended for years....