The Comet - April 2019 by The Comet

THE COMET

february 2019

EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE

april 2019

THE COMET

THIS issue editor: Ron Evans publishing assistant: Sarah Sims contributors: Cory Calhoun, Dustin Hays, Dan McConnell Allegra Hart. WEB: thecometmagazine.com facebook.com/thecometmagazine instagram: @thecometmagazine twitter: @cometmagazine info@thecometmagazine.com

b-sides..................................PAGE 4 crossword..........................PAGE 7 events..................................PAGE 8 wen-con...............................PAGE 16 the spacepod......................PAGE 22 doc is in...............................PAGE 23 apple blossom doc.............PAGE 24 comet tales........................PAGE 26 wen-con pg.16

THE COMET

april 2019

COMET HEADQUARTERS april 2019

WEN-CON approacheth. Can you smell it? Sure. You can smell it. That intoxicating bouquet of energy, creativity, anxiety, troubling body odor and cosplay. Yes, it does have its own odor. There is nothing in the valley quite like WENCON. I look at this event with a mixture of excitements and terrors. Being involved with a beast like this is a lot, even though the final take away since year one is... “worth it.”

Everyone agreed. It was on a trajectory of success, but we knew we couldn’t just kick back and watch the people flow in. The Wenatchee World’s Sean Flaherty and Bre Hinkle were on the case, chasing down guests, exhibitors, feature vehicles, gaming aficionados, cosplay experts and event sponsors all year. The Town Toyota Center was plotting layout, floor space, logistics and my favorite part of WEN-CON...The Cosmic Lounge. The result is a rather impressive year three convention, I have to say.

And I have it easy. I get to do most of the fun parts of WEN-CON. The real work lies at the feet of the events coordinators and ground floor organizers. I hope you will join us for some of the wackiness. And if you get tired and I talked with a couple of them in this very issue, and I think it’s a fascinating need to take a load off, I’ll likely be in the Cosmic Lounge sipping a glowing drink and smelling of satisfaction, inspiration and troubling body odor. It’s look into the madness that goes into pulling something like this off. WEN-CON, y’all. Come get freaky! Phone calls, emails, contracts, more phone calls and deadline stretching. The WEN-CON board is made up of around 6-8 people (depending on whether Happy trails, pizza is served at the day’s meeting) which is an incredibly small number Ron Evans given the scope of the event. And yet, somehow the train keeps a rolling. Editor, The Comet Magazine The numbers of attendees that first year smashed all of our expectations. The second year we were all just hoping the first year wasn’t a fluke. It wasn’t. Ron Evans is the owner of RadarStation art gallery at 115 S. Wenatchee Ave., host WEN-CON is a real thing. It’s a real thing because the lovely nerds, cosplay- of the Tales from the Spacepod podcast, author of “Edgar Rue,” and creator of ers, artists and fellow weirdos of the area flocked to it in droves. One of the many other things, many of which have robots in them. He is editor of The Comet very first things I remember saying at the first WEN-CON meeting this year and lead designer. was “well, this convention is ours to fuck up.”

april 2019

THE COMET

B-SIDES: Wenatchee Rock n’ Roll turns 60

THE FURYS - IOOF HALL, CHELAN WA - JUNE, 1960

ROCKIN’ RHYTHM KNIGHTS It’s hard to imagine life without Rock n’ Roll. Oh what the world must have been like without screaming guitar licks, shoutin’ vocals and racing rhythm sections... back when the radio waves, record stores and the local scene was still saturated with western bands, lounge acts, and orchestras. It was 60 years ago that DUSTIN HAYS the musical landMusician/Music Historian scape of the valley finally got a bit rambunctious. Though Rock n’ Roll records had steadily been getting more and more radio play across the country, it took a few years for it to resonate into our valley. 1959 seems to be the year that several groups of young local musicians started forming their own bands, playing the fresh style of music. Of the stories I’ve heard from those days, there were three bands that had the honor of being the first to rock Wenatchee.

Knights. Featuring vocalist Lee Johnson, guitarists Bill McClellen & Bobby Gilstrap, Cleo Gilstrap on the electric piano and drummer Norm Bollis, they covered material by early national rock acts like Bill Haley & the Comets, Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry. The group performed solely at the East Wenatchee Grange Hall and split up by the end of 1960, but several members of the band remained active in the local music scene for several decades after. In 1962, Pianist Cleo Gilstrap appeared on the 3rd Julian Records release by East Wenatchee’s Blane Gifford. Cleo then played drums with Ivan Woods & the Travelers, a country group that performed all across Central Washington. Now 82, he still performs weekly at the Wenatchee Senior Center. Johnson continued into the ‘60s with his country/western combo “Lee Johnson and the Blue Echoes,” initially performing around town before they played a several-year engagement in Boise Idaho at the 121 Club. Towards the end of the decade, Johnson and his group relocated to California and in the early ‘70s released two vinyl singles on the San Diego indeTHE ROCKIN’ RHYTHM KNIGHTS pendent label Revere Records. The band relocated back to the Wenatchee valley The first rock group to sprout up in and continued performing into the next East Wenatchee was the Rockin’ Rhythm decade. Cousins Cleo and Bobby Gilstrap

both ended up performing with the Blue Echoes into the ‘80s. Bobby actively performed and recorded in the valley up until he moved to Arkansas a few years ago. Johnson passed away in 2012 at the age of 72. THE FURYS Made up of Entiat and Chelan high schoolers, The Furys formed in September of ‘59. Originally with both Kevin Woods and Glenn Taylor on guitar, Bill Franklin on drums and Jerry Ingram on electric piano, they soon recruited Gary Gibson to play saxophone and moved Taylor to bass guitar. Some of the Furys’ first shows were at school dances in Chelan, and at the Wenatchee IOOF and Masonic Halls. By 1960, they began playing bigger venues like the Moses Lake Bandstand, the Chelan Pavilion and most importantly Wenatchee’s D&D Roller Bowl, opening up and performing as the backing band for national artists such as Bobby Vee, Dorsey Burnette, Roy Orbison, and the Ventures. In May of 1960, the Furys became the first local rock group to book studio time recording a series of original instrumental songs that were briefly used on Chelan’s KOZI Radio as music for on-air advertisements. The songs were never released

publicly. During the summer of 1960, Wenatchee singer Frank Cook hired the Furys to be his backing band for a Seattle recording session at the then state-of-the-art studio owned by established Northwest producer, Joe Boles. The group recorded two tracks, one being a rock adaptation of the popular 1940’s song “Blues In The Night,” with the flip side being a Cook original titled “(Wild Wild Horses) Couldn’t Hold You.” Cook released the songs on vinyl later that year leaving out any mention of the Furys on the disc. The following year the group was recruited to record with another local singer, this time for the new local label Julian Records. Recently formed by local KMEL disc jockey Don Bernier & musician Blane Gifford, Bernier used the profits of the label’s first single (Gifford’s first release) on a studio session for local songwriter Judd Hamilton, who Bernier had discovered at a Wenatchee Valley College talent show. Recorded at Spokane’s Sound Recording Studio, the session was one of only a few interactions between Hamilton and the Furys, the final time being at a D&D performance where the group backed Hamilton opening for the Ventures in ‘61. Within a year, Hamilton left town for California, befriending the Ventures and finding a significant amount of success work-

THE COMET

april 2019

THE MYSTICS ing closely with the group. By the end of 1961, the Furys had tired of the teen dance scene, and grouped up with a local singer, Jack Bedient, who had recently released a single on California’s ERA Records. Bedient performed a few times with the group before the Furys disbanded that winter. Woods, Taylor and Franklin soon regrouped with Bedient, began learning more “lounge appropriate material” and started touring down the coast as Jack Bedient & the Chessmen. The Chessmen ended up in Reno, Nevada, releasing a slew of records throughout the ‘60s, for a short time being signed to major label Columbia Records. Bands from across the globe have covered the Chessmen’s material (most recently in 2012 by Spain’s Hula Baby) and their records are highly sought after by record collectors. THE MYSTICS Another formative local rock group, and the first based in Wenatchee was the Mystics. Consisting of Bill Britt on guitar, bassist Larry Hensley, Mack Hodges on saxophone and drummer Harold Morgan, the group was first organized out of Britt’s fascination with the songs of the Everly Brothers. The band performed at the D&D Roller Bowl, the Columbia Hotel and at school dances and grange halls

across the state. Along with naming the group, Britt’s older brother Bob helped them book several out-of-town gigs in Ephrata and Chelan, and as far north as Twisp and Omak. Before Jack Bedient & the Chessmen left town in ‘62, Bedient performed several times with the Mystics at the Chelan Pavillion. In 1963, Britt briefly replaced the Chessmen’s bassist after he injured his arm on tour in California. In his absence, The Mystics recruited 15 year old Eastmont student Loren Bolinger on guitar. Britt returned from his stint with the Chessmen and began evolving the Mystics’ acts to more lounge-appropriate material and eventually left the group to become the Chessmen’s permanent bassist. By 1964, the Mystics had split up, with Bolinger joining The Talismen (of Wenatchee) initially on saxophone, but switching to guitar by 1965. Morgan left the state to join Lee Johnson & the Blue Echoes in Idaho, playing with the group for three years. After his exit from the Blue Echoes, Morgan returned to Wenatchee to reunite with Mystics’ bassist Larry Hensley playing various clubs around town for several years. When Lee Johnson relocated back to Wenatchee in the mid ‘70s Morgan rejoined the group and remained a member until the early ‘80s. As Rock n’ Roll continued to grow in

popularity across the globe, more and more rock bands sprouted up across Central Washington. Unlike the uber successful bands that everyone learns about growing up, local legends often fade into obscurity or are completely forgotten with the passing of time. The majority of the musicians from those early days of Wenatchee rock have passed away, and the few that remain are enjoying their retirement, only occasionally bragging about their old bands. The upperclassmen of the Wenatchee scene may not be household names to us musicians and concert-goers of today, but

each of them put in time learning songs, swapping bands, leaving town to tour, playing six nights a week, all for the love of the game. They were killin’ it decades before we were even a twinkle in our father’s eye, and that’s deserving of some recognition. Dustin Hays is a Wenatchee musician, local music history aﬁcionado and enthusiastic member of the local music scene. He performs as a solo singer-songwriter around the area and as a member of one of the valley’s newest groups The Nightmares.

Monthly Movies on the Big Screen

THE BREAKFAST CLUB April 10 @ 6:30pm

Five high school students discover how much they have in common during Saturday detention.

TIC K only ETS $3 Sponsored by

april 2019

THE COMET

april 2019

THE COMET

TBD, ????????? ??, 20??

CORY CALHOUN'S PUZZLE CORNER Crosswords & more made exclusively for The Comet

>>> For tips on solving meta crossword puzzles like this one, visit tinyurl.com/corymetas <<<

META CROSSWORD #3:

GET YOUR STORAGE IN ORDER

ACROSS 1. Dark as midnight 5. Where the sun rises 9. Chief monk 14. Zilch 15. Currently at 16. Woolly South American beast 17. Diva's opera solo 18. Crunchy, nutritious snack 20. * "Sure, my calendar is open" 22. Fix, as an election 23. * Zilch 24. See 2-Down 25. Certain vowel purchase on Wheel of Fortune, say 27. Fib 29. Frozen mass on water 32. "(shrug)," in texting 35. * Quagmire 38. Blue Jaysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; home: Abbr. 39. * Like Santa's little helpers 41. Like some exams 42. Brexit-centric continent: Abbr. 43. __-centric 44. * Land of the Rising Sun 46. Period 47. * Romantic rendezvous 48. Bonus periods, for short 49. Wheel turners, often 52. Suffix meaning "little" 53. End of many a citrus drink 54. Uncle ___

Hint: Look for a 12-letter noun. 1

27 30

46 50

47 51 53

52 58

32 40

42 45

19 22

9 16

29 35

ANACROSTIC CHALLENGE

A R A B

ANSWERS: 4

"I don't believe it!" A great place to have a ball

M A G M A

Chop down Eisenhower, familiarly QUOTE: 1

, 3 18

10 25

12 27

T E R I

B I B O Q U S

Bar clearer? 14

DOWN 1. Aloft 2. With 24-Across, classic Sally Field drama 3. It cuts the cheese 4. A trip around the sun? 5. Waiting for Guffman actor Levy 6. Financing abbr. 7. Alpha Ceti, for one 8. Hereditary actress Collette 9. Every last bit 10. Inferno 11. Ox of lore 12. Doctor Zhivago actor Sharif 13. Source of poi 19. Leer at creepily 21. Apiece 26. Think highly of 28. Suffix with Brooklyn or meteor

SOLUTION TO LAST EDITION'S THEMELESS CROSSWORD

>>> For solving instructions instructions, visit tinyurl.com/coryanacrostics <<<

CLUES: Good Will Hunting director Van Sant

29. Actress Fisher of Now You See Me 30. Business info on Yelp, often 31. Mistakes in print 32. Uncertain 33. Listings like 5-Across: Abbr. 34. Shoelace securer 35. Charisma 36. "I smell __!" 37. Performs like Gucci Mane 40. ___ and the Real Girl (2007 Ryan Gosling film) 45. Org. with members on ice 47. Logic construct 50. Dynamic start? 51. 1980s NYC mayor and one-time star of The People's Court 52. Phone data measurement 54. Stamina 55. Similar 56. Casaba, for one 57. GI fare 58. It comes with an amount owed and a due date 59. To __ (perfectly) 61. Legendary Clapton 62. Disaster relief org. 64. Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead rating 66. __-Fine (Jello competitor) 67. Musician who once had a feud with Jay Z

57. * CEOs' college degs. 60. Game official 63. * Corn variety 65. Veteran actress on Netflix's One Day at a Time 68. Bridalwear component 69. Poetic tribute 70. Apple computer debut of 1998 71. Type of deep-sea shark 72. Frozen rain 73. Bones 74. "I hear ya!"

A L L A H

W E B A P P L I C A T I O N S

A S O L O O T O S O G O

R P E E P E L P G I K S K E S E Y E S T A O Y O U R O T T T H M A E E E A C T I M I E S O T R E Y S E

G A R I S H Y E T I T E R

G R A C I A S A M I G O

S T A N D U P C L O S E S

A F A R H A P E I N G S T A E A R T E S M T O P I N G S C U M V S O O O C Y T E T A I R A G E R L E D S

SOLUTION TO LAST EDITION'S DOUBLE ANAGRAM CHALLENGE 13

Theme of new words: Flowers. SOLUTE - E = LOTUS; SNORE - N = ROSE; OVERLADEN - O = LAVENDER; PULPIT - P = TULIP; SUCCORY - Y = CROCUS. Leftover letters E, N, O, P & Y anagram into PEONY.

I CRAVE FEEDBACK! Thoughts? Suggestions? Lemme have it. CSCXWORDS@GMAIL.COM

32 34 book series, 1978-2017

EMAIL @

april 2019

THE COMET

GTFO: EVENTS WORTH LEAVING YOUR HOUSE FOR

Evan Egerer

JANuary Mondays: Ye Olde BookShoppe Open Mic

Ye Olde Bookshoppe • Wenatchee • 6:00pm • Free A new year; a new night! Bring your words, your song, your voice, your ears, your heart and soul. Join our weekly open mic, and a casual Bushel Bee:and fun way to express yourself and meet some like-minded folk :)

Leavenworth

JANuary Thursdays: RADARSTATION Open Mic

Killdeer String Band Ridge. Whether you ski under the lights or come up just for a rockin’ show, Mission Ridge is the place to be. All the excitement goes down inside the Hampton Lodge and can be enjoyed from either the Chair 5 Pub or the KaWham Café. Leavenworth Festhalle: Jan 5 Dynamite Supreme Leavenworth Jan 12 Massy Ferguson Jan 19 Cosmic Serenity Leavenworth Mountain Film Jan 26 TBD

Bushel & Bee• 7:30pm Trivia• Night! RadarStation • Wenatchee Free Music, Comedy, and Poetry. Hosted by LAPH ProducWednesday, April 3 at 8pm, 21+ Festival 2019 tions every Thursday on the world famous RayGun January Music Icicle Brewing Join us for trivia!! $2 buy in, prizes to win- April 5 atat5:30pm - April 6 at stage. Sign up at 7:00, with performances around 7:30. Icicle Brewing Company • Leavenworth

10pm ning team! Tickets at https://leavenworthfilmfestival. Jan 4 Evan Egerer, 6:00pm brownpapertickets.com/ JANuary Thursdays: Trivia + Humane Society Night Jan 5 Sarah O’dea, 6:00pm Tap and Putt 7:00pm and Bee Art• Wenatchee Night at •Bushel Showcasing two amazing collections of the Jan 9•16•23•30 Sergio & Co, 7:00pm Trivia Nights At Tap and Putt. $3 to enter and a chance Tuesday, April 16 at 7pm, 21+ best short films from the PNW and Jan 11 recent Justin Froese, 6:00pm to win the $$$ pot. We also donate $1 of every draft hang with us, tosipshow on the cider as we cele- Jan around the world a focus on athletic 12 Christina May, with 6:00pm purchase Come to the Humane Society animals local Kristen Meece. pursuits and ourNight, natural world. Jan 17•31 Bluegrass 7:00pm some lovebrate and help us art helpfeaturing them! January Fridays: Bingo Night Icicle Brewing Company:

Tap and Putt • Wenatchee • 7:00pm LiveatMusic Every Friday 7pm. Get a free board with each draft purchase Leavenworth and chances to win Wild Tickets, Gift Cards, Swag, Growlers and more!

Apr 5 Adrian Xavier, 6pm Dain Norman, Mission RidgeApr Ski &6Board Resort • 6:30pm6pm Aprare11allBluegrass Night, Saturday nights about live music up7pm at Mission Apr 13 Cowboy Dan and Dustin Hays, Hayes,6pm 6pm Apr 19 Siggie The Vintage Man, 6pm Apr 20 Tai Shan, 6pm Apr 25 Bluegrass Night, 7pm Apr 26 Fox and Bones, 6pm Apr 27 Postcard West, 6pm JANuary Saturdays: Mountain Music Series

Jan 18 Cascade Cascade, 6:00pm Jan 19 Killdeer String Leavenworth AleBand, Fest 6:00pm 2019 Jan 26 Glass Heart String Choir Saturday, April 13 at 5:30pm - 10:30pm

Tickets at icicle.secure.force.com You’llPublic findHouse a host• Wenatchee of amazing breweries McGlinn’s • 7:00pm and mixing it up with music and Jan 4•5cideries, Champagne Sunday Jan 12 all Martina fun, in theCeleste magnificent alpine setting of Jan 18•19 Eddie Manzanares Leavenworth. January Music at McGlinn’s

Jan 26 Nic Allen

Numerica Performing Arts Center: Wenatchee Piano Battle Thursday, April 4 at 7:30pm - 10pm Tickets at numericapac.showare.com Part serious classical recital, part tongue-

Jan 4: Art of Beer Flight Night

Wenatchee Valley Brewing Company • 108 Islandview St. We are currently brewing a lot of fun new beers, and this event includes four of our experimental batches served on aperformance flight. The experimental flightspiawill be at a in-cheek by two classy special price: Normally $8 --> $5 for regular customers nists, the Piano Battle is a unique concert --> $4 for our Mug Club Members. that pleases both the ear and the eye. Experimental flights come with a tasting worksheet, and at least one of our Brewers will be there to explain the brews and howClub they were produced. The Breakfast 5:00-8:00pm

Wednesday, April 10 at 6:30pm - 8:30pm Tickets at numericapac.showare.com JAN 5: Aaron Crawford Monthly on the• Big Screen The Vogue: Movies A Liquid Lounge Chelan Liveonly music$3. with country artist Aaron Crawford. One of for the best shows we’ve had. Don’t MISS! 8:00pm-10:00pm • All ages

RadarStation:

Wenatchee Jan 10: Wayne’s World

Numerica Performing Arts Center • Wenatchee Monthly Movies on the Big Screen for only $3. Part of Open Mic the 2019 Cold Winter Nights Comedy Series. Thursdays at 8pm - Free Rated PG-13 | Running Time: 1 hour 35 minutes Comedy, music and poetry. Hosted by 6:30pm • www.numericapac.org/event/waynes-world/

LAPH Productions every thursday onon the comedian Loren Meloy every Thursday

JAN 10: Brian Regan world famous RayGun stage. Doors at 6:30, Town Toyota Center • Wenatchee sign up at 7, performances start at 8.

Join us for what is sure to be a night of laughter and fun as comedian Brian Regan stops by the Town Toyota

Flash Gordon (1980) Wednesday, April 10 at 7:00pm The most colorful sci-fi film of all-time With a soundtrack by Queen! $5 radarstationart.com/tickets Dude Bro Party Massacre III Friday, April 12 at 7:30pm

THE COMET

april 2019

Sway wild Center as part of his 2019 tour. Don’t miss out! 7:30pm-10:30pm • Tickets are on sale NOW at www.towntoyotacenter.com

social justice. 7:30pm • Tickets $17-$21 • www.numericapac.org/event/ villalobos-brothers/

ture audience. Seating is limited! 7pm • Tickets: $22 • VIP Tables: $140 • Series Pass: $60 • www.numericapac.org/event/cwn-andrew-sleighter

JAN 11: Matthew Perryman Jones w/ Molly Parden Hosted by director Michael Rousselet

JAN 18-19: at Campbell’s Gabriel Rutledge RedCompedy Lion Hotel - Grizzlywith Lounge:

AN 19-20: IcefestGarden, 2019 AprBavarian 5 Magick Double Bird,

Brewminatti • Prosser The cult classic horror comedy comes to Originally from Pennsylvania, Matthew grew up in RadarStation. Q&A. Georgia and cut his artistic Drunken teeth in thepost-film Atlanta music scene before heading north to Nashville. Songs from $10 radarstationart.com/tickets across his catalog have been featured in dozens of film and TV placements, and tours have taken him across the U.S. and abroad to share stages with legends like Shawn Colvin and Patty Apollo 13 Griffin. 7:00pm • Tickets at brewminatti.com/upcoming-events/ Saturday, April 20 at 7:30pm

Campbell’s Resort on Lake Chelan Wenatchee “Gabriel Rutledge is a quick thinking, fast talking, hard working bad ass.” - Louisville Weekly The w/ A pastComedy winner of at both the Grizzly Seattle International Comedy Competition and The Laughing Skull Comedy Festival, Nigel Lawrence Gabriel has made numerous television appearances. He Hosted by Rotten Apple is also author of the book “Happiness Isn’t Funny.” Thursday, April 18 at 7:30pm – 9pm Get tickets at https://rottenapplepresents.com/events/comedy-at-campbells-gabriel-rutledge/ Tickets at https://rottenapplepresents.com/

events/nigel-lawrence/ A screening of the Ron Howard film. JAN 18-27: Chelan Winterfest 2019Lawrence from YouLake might recognize Nigel Starring Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton and Kevin Wally’s House of Booze • Wenatchee East Woodin Ave • Chelan ‘Chelsea Lately’ and ‘Live @ Gotham’ onfed The annualBacon. MichaelPre-film Carlos Birthday Show!!! Also feaCapcom audio presentaNestled among the snow-capped hilltops and glacier turing Cowboy Dan and spoken word artists. Come out waters of Lake Chelan, Winterfest is the perfect escape Comedy Central. tion and discussion. and party with us! to a Washington winter wonderland. Join us for wine $5•radarstationart.com/tickets Show at 9:30 $5 cover • 21+ and ale tastings, horse-drawn carriages, intricate ice Jan 12: Michael Carlos • Cowboy dan

JAN 12-13: Bavarian Bruisefest 2019

Undertow Musicactivities Collective: sculptures, live music, for kids of all ages, a massive beach bonfire, spectacular fireworks show and Wenatchee much more! Specific event and ticket details: siteline.vendini.com/site/ Mark Eitzel Living Room Show lakechelanwinterfest.com

Leavenworth Festhalle Unhinged: Evening of Poetry The 5th Annual BavarianAn Bruisefest is here! This 10-team tournament hosted Friday, April 19inatbeautiful 7:30pmdowntown - 10:30pm Monday, April 29 at 8pm - 10pm Leavenworth has become a massive attraction for teams -Mature- / -Uncensored- / -Explicitall over the PNW. JAN 19:Tickets Cosmic Serenity at undertowshows.com Get Your Tickets Here: House of Booze • Wenatchee First game starts at 9am; last game ends around 7:30pm Wally’s Mark Eitzel acoustic show. These shows are https://www.brownpapertickets.com/ on Saturday. On Sunday, 9am first game; last game Snatchee Records Presents!! A night with Cosmic Serenhosted by fans private ends around 6:30pm. Games on the hour all day long. ity, Alterna/Psych fromin Hilo, HI. spaces. All tickets event/4193206 Championship ceremony will take place on Sunday after Music must purchased at 9:30be • $5 cover • 21+in advance. Doors open at 7, show starts at 7:30. the last game. Former Poet Laureatue of UW-Stout’s Hon9:00am-6:30pm leavenworth.org/event/bavariianJJan 19: Stand-up Comedy with andrew sleighter Wally’s Tavern: bruisefest-2019/ ors College and frequent contributor to the Numerica Performing Arts Center • Wenatchee

Greater Wenatchee Area’s literary scene,

Wenatchee Cold Winter Nights brings three months of comedy at

Jan 17: Villalobos Brothers the Numerica PAC to kick-off the New Year – including LIVE MUSIC Connor Dahlin gives his first solo show for Numerica Performing Arts Center • Wenatchee the people the valley. The Villalobos Brothersof (Ernesto, Alberto, and Luis) use their violins and voices to redefine contemporary Mexican music. Their original compositions masterfully blend elements of jazz, rock, classical, and Mexican folk to deliver a powerful message of love, brotherhood, and

a three-part stand-up comedy series featuring some of $5 cover, music at 9:30, 21+ the best comics in the industry. January’s stand-up show features Andrew Sleighter, seen on Last Comic Standing, Nuvo TV’s Stand Up & Deliver, and Conan. He has also written and performed sketch comedy for Comedy Central. Intended for a ma-

Leavenworth Whiplash’d Leavenworth loves winter, and each year on MLK Jr. Apr 6 Knights of Trash, Silver weekend we celebrate winter’s bounty with IceFest! The Treason, Thehalf Nightmares village is still dressed in over a million twinkling lightsApr and 12 this weekend is a flurry frosty frivolity. The Finger Guns,ofQuestion? Come celebrate winter with us! No Answer, Rylei Franks Games and events both days • Fireworks Sunday at Apr 13 Tom Bennett, Robbers Roost, 6:00pm • leavenworth.org/event/bavariian-icefest-2019/

Twin Skinny Jan 25-26: Winter Music 2019 Apr Timbrrr! 19 Millhous, The Festival Nightmares, Downtown Leavenworth and Leavenworth Festhalle Plus guest The sixth annual Timbrrr! Winter Music Festival offers Apr 20 Disciples of Dissent, Head fun. a weekend of music and northwest wintertime Children at Play During the day, wound, attendeesSlow can take in live music at a handful venues throughout downtownDevils Leavenworth. Aprof26 Steeltoe Metronome, At night, 21+ guests will rock out to the festival’s headGulch & The Missionaries lining acts and enjoy local beer from Icicle Brewing Co. Apr 27 celebrated Some Kind Nightmare, and Timbrrr’s Hot of Toddy Garden. Lineup and ticketNoogy, details: winter.timbermusicfest.com Not All There JAN 25: Sway Wild (ft. Mandy Fer & Dave McGraw)

Ye Old Bookshoppe: Brewminatti • Prosser Wenatchee We first met them at Brewminatti Block Party 2018 and LOVED them. Excited to have them back. “...roots trailblazers Dave McGraw and Mandy Fer Open Mic - New Night continue their upward stride towards artistic nirvana.... Mondays at –PopMatters 6pm - 7:30pm - Free scintillating...” Bring your words, your song, voice, “...refreshing...stunning...some of your the best I have heard.” –No Depression your ears, your heart and soul. Join our “...had me at ‘hello’...” –Seattle Intelligencer weekly open mic, casual andPost fun way 7:00pm • Tickets at brewminatti.com/upcoming-events/ to express yourself and meet some like-minded folk :)

JAN 26: Brett Benton Duo

Club Crow • Cashmere Brett Benton returns to Club Crow! Come get down with this dirty delta and heavy hill country blues duo like y’all always do! Always a party! 9:00pm

april 2019

THE COMET

Wenatchee first Friday Kasey Koski with Wenatchee First Fridays helped put together this list of shows, along with their First Friday hours. Remember, while most places have special events, artists receptions and free admission during First Friday, the art itself is on exhibit all month long in most locations.

Beckman uses a variety of media in an installation exploring how the typography, symbols 115 S. Wenatchee Ave. Designer Floors MAC Gallery icons of American culture have defined Collapse gallery two artists from 1300and 19 N. Wenatchee Ave • open Firstwelcomes Friday 9am-8pm Fifth Street • First Friday (Closing) Reception 5pm-7pm our collective memory. Juxtaposing images Portland, Or. Terry Valdez features portrait paintings in a show titled WVC Art Department faculty members show that they text from contrasting subjects and time Phil Gerigscott received his B.A. art educa- are and Coyote Emerging & The Millennial Series. Hisinportrait professional practitioners of their disciplines with periods, he questions veracity staged from Phil’s subjectstion are of pastGoshen studentsCollege. from years as anpaintings Art Edu- are a group exhibition of their the creative workof in our a variety of historical records and embellished folklore of cator in frequently the Eastmont School District. Eachofindividual seen around the city Portland andmedia. The exhibition includes pieces by Ruth Allan, by theirhis owncomic uniquestrip existence has inspired to Scott Vicki DeRooy,as Natalie Dotzauer, Elena theBailey, Western Frontier, told from the traditionOpe runs weekly Terry in Portland’s attempt to peel back and connect to the complicated Payne, Yev Rybakov, and Majka Sadel. al lenses of white, patriarchal storytellers. Willamette Week and Burlington, Vermont’s layers of this emerging generation. Seven Days. Ryan Riss recently graduated with an MFA in Craft degree from the Oregon Wells House College of Art & Craft. His drawings create 1300 5th St. WVC Campus meditative reflections on the world. (509) 888-6240 First Friday 5-7pm Mission St. Commons Ever wondered what is inside? Wells House 218 S. Mission St, Open: M-F 8-6 volunteers are pleased to be joining the First www.missionstcommons.com Friday celebration. We will be providing tours Courtney Rutzer and Gray Lyons: New Work of this historic house throughout the evening. Courtney Rutzer paints and embroiders Join us and see the beautiful restored interior colorful creations on raw canvas, exploring and the projects yet to come. the theme of “belonging.” Gray Lyons makes whimsical porcelain forms, decorated with slip-trailing. See them together at Mission Tumbleweed Shop & Studio Street Commons in April. Lemolo Cafe & Deli Mela 105 Palouse 114 N Wenatchee Ave • Open First Friday 1am-6pm 17 N.Mon-Fri Wenatchee10-6 Ave • Opening Reception 5pm-8pm , Sat 10-5 First Friday 5-8 MAC Gallery Sketching On the Fly: Travel Journal Adventures Color fromjoin Plants 2: karen dawn dean Come us for April’s First Friday Art WVCMusic and Art Center My travel sketches tend to be completed under time Natural dyes have been stuck to my bucket list forour Walk. This month we are featuring one of 1300 Fifth Street, Mon-Fri 9-5 pressure. Maybe the sketch was done while waiting almost 50 years. I finally stepped out of my normal all-time favorite local artists, Dancing Aspen. April 2019 in line or for a5—May meal. As8, such, the sketches tend to art making practice, dug into the alchemy and herWood shavings, dried color leaves and plants Wenatchee Friday drawn Artist’sinaccurate Reception: be vibrant and fresh.First The quickly metic practice of botanical extraction. It’sare been a hand milled into silver, copper or brass. The lines dart and 5. bounce around the page portraying a year’s-long journey of discovery; coaxing and persuadApril 5:00—7:00 small moment time. For me, the traveler, the An drawing striations plants to give up wood their unique I will share of the grain colors. and patterns and Justin in Colt Beckman, Happy Trails: Ining marks my memory... I still can recall the moment some of the techniques I’veimpart learnedunique about indigo resist veining of the leaves images or vestigation into the Typography, Symbols and printing and the eco-dyeing process at 6:30 pm. Two caught... the sun, sky, place and the people I was with. textures onto the metals. No two pieces can Icons of the Western Frontier. workshops mid-month. ever be identical. CWU Graphic Design Professor Justin Colt

Collapse Contemporary Art Gallery

Designer Floors 19 N. Wenatchee Ave.

Mon - Fri: 9-5pm, Sat 10-3pm Mission St.9am-8pm Commons First 218 S.Friday Mission Street • Open Mon-Fri 8am-6pm Wenatchee artist, Robert Wilson, works with Vonda Drees presents her daily journaling practice oil oil sticks on canvas and paper. bold of of and connection, intuition and spirit. Other His members colorful abstracts use unique brushofmarks andproGrunewald Guild to bring a variety work and gramming information. layered colors to sculpt an echo of nature’s powerful invisible grace, beauty and rhythms.

Mela

17 N. Wenatchee Ave., caffemela.com Mon-Fri:6-6, Sat-Sun:8-4 First Fridays Reception:5-8 “It Ain’t Over Til It’s Over” Paintings in oil and cold wax by local painter Diana Sanford. Diana is a process painter allowing each painting to declare itself through the process of painting. Sometimes the results are completely abstract but a landscape painter at heart, what often surfaces are remembered landscapes from North Central Washington and beyond. Layers of oil and cold wax are applied and carved back until the final image declares itself and the end becomes evident, The Nature Conservancy which could take many weeks or months. 115 Orondo Street • First Friday 5pm-7pm

Perspectives on the Value of Shrub Steppe The Nature Conservancy will be hosting a showing of Two Rivers Gallery Marc Dilley’s photography and Jan Cook Mack’s plein102 N Columbia, 2riversgallery.com air work from the Moses Coulee in Eastern Washington. Wed-Sat:114, honors Sun:1-4 This showcase the rich history of our arid lands and the unique landscape5-8 that is the precious home to First Friday Reception many species of plants wildlife.the Educational Two Rivers Gallery is and exhibiting paintingsPanel Conversation 6pm-6:45pm.

of the Wenatchee Watercolor Society. Once each year we feature the annual show on our April First Friday. The evening

THE COMET

Pan’s Grotto

Tumbleweed Shop & Studio

complimentary From Orion to the Zodiac isrefreshments. it written in the stars? Humanity has looked up at the sky in awe since the beginning of time and we are still watching the stars in contemplation. Come check outMuseum our local&artists spin on Wenatchee Valley Cultural different constellations the entire month of January.

up withBead whenCo.asked to represent time. owner This Tumbleweed launched in 2002 when show will be Russell up for all of April, don’t misssoit. and creator Jessica began creating delicate, phisticated, eco-friendly jewelry at her in-home studio. Tumbleweed in keeping life and accessories Lemolobelieves Cafe & Deli simple, fun and beautifully designed.

includes guitarist Jac Tiechner and 105 Palouse with •us. Come what5pm-8pm our Artists have come 3 N Wenatchee Ave, Suitemusic 2 • Openby 10am-8pm First Fridaysee Reception

Center

127 South Mission Street wenatcheevalleymuseum.org T-Sat: 10-4, First Friday (FREE): 10-8 Come and visit the 40th Regional High School Art Show before it’s gone! This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase our students’ creativity and talent District and Statewide. Student winners from the North Central District travel on to show and compete with students from across the state at the capitol in Olympia.

Ye Olde Bookshoppe

114 N Wenatchee Ave. Sun & Mon 11-4, Tue-Sat 11-6 Open First Friday until 6 A group show by local women artists who draw, paint, live and play in the mountains of Washington. Lindsay Breidenthal, Amber Zimmerman, Ali Hancock and Amber Wray will have their works hung at Lemolo Cafe and Deli for the month of April.

Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce

137 North Wenatchee Avenue First Friday Reception 5-8 pm. Come to the Chamber Tasting Room and taste wine from Karma Vineyards while enjoying the beautiful pastel work of local realtor and Twoamateur Rivers Gallery artist, Steve Schwind. $10 tasting fee.

11 Palouse St. Store Hours: Mon. 11-7; Tue.-Thur., 10-7; RadarStation Fri.-Sat. 10-8. 115 S. Wenatchee Ave • First Friday FREE Reception 5pm-9pm 102 N Columbia • First Friday Reception 5pm-8pm Art Walk Hours: 5-8 pm RAD: An Installation Mural Yeti Chocolates is a newly established small Featuring the oil paintings of Western artist Dean Rad Volume I by Ron Evans is a celebration of the Rainey. The gallery have a whole new show of over batch artisan chocolate company in the Robert GraveswillGallery glorious music players from the 70’s and 80’s. Painted 50 local and regional artists. Music by pianist Jeannie Wenatchee Wenatchee Valley chocolate acrylics on large canvases in athat stylemakes that’s more graph-truffles McPherson. LocalValley wines. College Complimentary refreshments. and other confections that tantalize the palate Sexton Hall, 9th Avenue entrance ic design than traditional composition. The current project is and over entice twentythe feetsenses. long. Sarah Sims will have Monday-Thursday, 9 am-1 pm. more handmade Earth-friendly jewelry and more fun Robert Graves Gallery presents new work mini-paintings will be added to the Dish of Fate. from ceramic artist Gary Dismukes, who prePans Grotto viously showed in the Gallery’s 2018 Northwest Artists Ceramics Invitational. The show 3 N Wenatchee Ave, Suite 2, runs March 1-April 25. The opening reception Don@pansgrotto.com Free Art Tour with Terry Valdez is Friday, March pm, January with an 4,artist’s talk Time: Everyone wants it, no one ever seems Professional artist Terry Valdez leads the first in a series of free guided art tours1, on5-7 Friday, atof6 Communities” pm. to have enough, about it always, and 5:30pm-7:10pm. His talkwe willthink briefly highlight his “Confluence funnel series at Columbia Station. Guests willasking then board Current to tour Robert Graves Gallery Members Show. now we’re you to shareBsome ofthe yours Tours begin and end at Columbia Station. Sign up by phone: 509-664-7624 or email: sdanko@linktransit.com.

april 2019

Wenatchee Valley Museum & RadarStation Cultural Center

115South S. Wenatchee 127 Mission StreetAve. • First Friday (FREE) 10am-8pm

First Friday FREE Reception 5-9Frame: pm Inland BounIn conjunction with the Beyond the The Mothership: A Wall of Sci-fi. ty exhibit, the Museum presents Gifts of the Earth. It is aAlook at some ofinstallation the resources of Indigenous multimedia sculpture featur-people of the Wenatchee Valley. Learn about native ing spaceship panels, B-movie radars, plants, audio their uses, and the cycle of seasons and harvest. textures from Capcom radio transmissions and old science-fiction films. This 12 x 8’ installation is mostly made from found objects, random junk, tartar sauce cups, Christmas lights and digital artwork.

Link Transit Art Tour

Starts at Columbia Station at 4:45/pre-registration required. Explore First Friday ArtsWalk with Link transit: An art mini-lesson led by popular instructor Chester Ferrell, a visit to the Wenatchee Watercolor Society show at Two Rivers Art Gallery, and fare-free service highlight Link Transit’s April 5 First Friday ArtsWalk ofYe Olde Bookshoppe ferings. Space is limited and advanced reg11 Palouse St First Friday Reception: 5pm-8pma spot. istration is• encouraged to guarantee NCW based crafter Amanda Northwind been makCall Selina Danko at 509-664-7624 has or email ing hand hammered jewelry for her shop, Mystic North, sdanko@linktransit.com to sign up. for 5 years. When’s she not dreaming up new ideas, you can find her out in the mountains.

Free Link Transit service begins at 4 p.m. on all First Fridays on routes 1, 5, 7, 8E, 8W, 11 & 12. The tours and live music are a collaborative effort between Link Transit and the First Friday ArtsWalk. All tours begin and end at Columbia Station and feature a brief workshop highlighting Link’s fixed route service. Each First Friday Free Transit! month features a unique cultural experience Monthly art tours coincide with Link Transit and offering a chancefree to win fun prizes. First Friday service after 4:00pm on Routes 1, 5, 7, 8E, 8W, 11 & 12.

april 2019

THE COMET

april 2019

THE COMET

WINDSOR MCCAY - ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN 1904

THE COMET

april 2019

THE COMET

wen-con: wenatchee’s pop culture convention returns

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE WENATCHEE WORLD AND DIGITALMEDIA NORTHWEST

by ron evans Once again, the mighty beast of pop-culture, cosplay, gaming and all things nerdpositive returns to Wenatchee this April. WEN-CON 2019 is rapidly approaching so we chatted up some of the organizers, participants and exhibitors to set the stage for both the seasoned WEN-CONner and the newbs alike. Do the kids still say “newbs?”

Bre Hinkle- Events Coodinator Since the very beginning, I’ve been involved in WEN-CON in some way or another. I remember the year prior to year one when I first was asked if I wanted to be on the planning committee. Uh, yes! You had me at POP-CULTURE CONVENTION. Back then I was the Marketing Manager/Graphic Designer at Town Toyota Center. Those first two years in

that position my duties included: updating social media, creating arena signage and concourse advertising, billboards, banners, rack cards, building slides for the JumboTron and website editing. That was just the marketing side of it, but what about the fun stuff? I got to be in charge of creating the Cosmic Lounge and all Cosmic Lounge advertising, signage, the decorations, music, lighting. But, I think my favorite part was helping create the drink specials. Hello, taste tests! I also helped organize the Cosplay Contest aspect of the event, and went on to be one of the judges for the Adult/Teen contest for both years. All that was leading up to the event, but during the event - it’s hard to really list all the things I did. It came fast and furious both years, and the first year I don’t think we were quite prepared for such a huge turnout. So, it was a lot of me just running around and helping wherever needed (even making popcorn for the Cosmic Lounge), pretty much the go-to person between Town Toyota Center staff and Wenatchee World staff. The Comet: Talk a little about the experience of stepping into a coordinator role this year for WEN-CON?

If I thought I was busy those first two years, was I ever wrong. Taking over the position of Event Coordinator for WENCON has definitely been a lot more time consuming than my previous role with Town Toyota Center, but it really has been and continues to be a great experience and a ton of fun. I was very fortunate walking into this position to have files, records and detailed notes from Melissa Pitt, who previously coordinated the event. She still continues to help whenever I have a question, and for that, I am truly grateful. There are so many contracts and documents that need to be approved/edited/ signed by multiple parties being emailed back and forth. From talent, agents, the Wenatchee World to vendors and sponsors with questions or specific needs. It can be somewhat overwhelming at times, just responding to emails and waiting for responses back. And there’s definitely no finger pointing. Some things in this industry just move slowly. Yet I continue to be surprised by the most magical of things that come out of nowhere and happen within hours. More on that later!

People often ask about going to a two-day convention. What are your thoughts on that? That’s a tough one. Ideally, I want WENCON to grow so much that it has to be a two-day convention. But there are so many factors to consider. The big one being - we’d have to move the date, possibly into the end of May or June. With the Wenatchee Wild being on fire and winning championships, the current mid April date most likely will be during playoff time and thus reserved for the Wild. Then you have to look at changing the date and trying not to compete with other similar events in Washington, or even Oregon. On the plus side of a date change, the ice in the arena would be out, which means we could remove several rows of seats on each side of the bowl, allowing for more vendors/exhibits. So, I’m really torn on this one. I think when the time is right, we’ll see it move to two days. What were/are your favorite aspects of the convention? I think for me, it’s the people. These are my kind of people. This is an event for

THE COMET

anyone who’s ever been made fun of as kid for being really into something. Gaming, My Little Ponies, you name it. I also think I’m just into really almost every aspect of the event. I’m a graphic designer because I always loved to draw. I still illustrate here and there and just generally love arts & crafts, so it’s great having all these amazing artists, illustrators and crafters. It’s just amazing to see that level of talent in person. And cosplay? I’m not a professional by any means – but I’ve been a huge Halloween fan all my life and been making my own costumes since I was a teenager. I’m also a pretty big board game enthusiast, mostly fantasy/RPGS. I paint my minis. Not a huge fan of console gaming, much prefer a PC and some old school MMORPG’s. What was I doing when I was 18? Staying up late and playing Everquest. I was a Dark Elf Enchanter. I yelled “Train to Zone” a lot. And who isn’t into pop-culture? Did you know the first episode of the final season of Game of Thrones is coming out the day after WEN-CON? I know what I’m doing that Sunday! But yeah, for me it’s seeing all these kindred spirits having a fantastic time, making new friends and flying their geek flags high. Love it.

I mentioned some magical things that came together quickly earlier. Technically it has been put up on the website, but people may not have heard about it yet. So, earlier this week we had a few exhibitors reach out to us after seeing an ad and BAM! just like that, we now have a lifesize Tauntaun and Imperial Probe Droid coming! Along with the Landspeeder, it’s almost too good to be true! These creations are impressive. AND our very first miniatures game experience is now also confirmed to come. I was so excited when I saw the pictures of the terrain and all the minis. It’s called the Battle of Grayskull Temple by Bruce Smith, which is such a perfect He-Man tie in, with Tom How is this event different from oth- Cook (Classic TV Animator, He-man and ers such as the Wine and Food Festi- more) coming. And… it fits pretty perfectly with the costume I’m making. Wait... val? should I really cosplay at WEN-CON It’s really hard to compare this event to even though I’m in an administrative role anything else I’ve seen in my 4 years at and I want people to take me seriously? Town Toyota Center - and I’ve seen some Absolutely. You know why? Because fabupretty awesome events there. I think part lous secrets were revealed to me the day of the reason may be that WEN-CON I held aloft my sword and said “For the is a mix of a trade-show, a magic show, honor of Grayskull!” I….AM….SHE-RA! Halloween and so much more. There are events going non-stop all day, sometimes

Talk a little about the trivia in the lounge?

multiple at the same time – plus there are vendors that are selling some awesome things and you never know what displays are just right around the corner. It’s like a collage of so many different things. Other events like The Wenatchee Wine & Food Festival are usually more laser focused on a theme and are typically shorter in duration. WEN-CON really is an actionpacked, all-day experience. Any surprises we can announce here first?

april 2019

Chanét Stevenson I am the Marketing Manager and Graphic Designer, and I have been with the Town Toyota Center since July of 2018 (8 months). Before this, I worked as a reporter and graphic designer for Columbia Basin Publishing in Moses Lake for five years. This coming WEN-CON will not only be my first time helping with this event, but it will also be my first time attending a Con of any sort. I have never attended a comic-con or pop-culture event before, so I am really excited to be a part of this and get a first-hand experience in helping with WEN-CON.

Trivia will also take place in the Cosmic Lounge beginning at 1 p.m. Come with your knowledge of current events, classic pop-cultural favorite movies, tv shows, characters, etc. You’ll want to bring your A-Game as prizes will be given out. And if answering trivia questions just really isn’t your superpower, did I mention that there will be drink specials?

We threw around a lot of different ideas for the Cosmic Lounge before coming to the decision to coordinate a horror theme around the artwork. Once we had the idea, then came the challenge of figuring out how to best enhance each art display with consideration to how much space we have to work with and lighting. With this being my first time working the Cosmic Lounge, I feel so fortunate to have such amazing guidance and support from others who have been involved with WEN-CON for years. I am grateful for their input and ideas. I am also truly Tell us about the Cosmic Lounge ex- amazed by our staff and operations crew at the Town Toyota Center and their abilperience? ity to meet every challenge that comes As for the Cosmic Lounge, we are going with transforming our arena into the ultifor more of a horror theme this year as mate WEN-CON. I am excited to see how opposed to the sci-fi feel that has typi- it all comes together and am thrilled to be cally been done in the lounge before. We a part of this WEN-CON experience. are bringing in original art pieces by local painter Chris Quinn that when illuminated by black light, reveal intricately crafted, dimensional masterpieces. There will also be drink specials offered in the lounge, and glowing concoctions crafted by some of our amazing bartenders.

WEN-CON coverage continues on next page.

april 2019

THE COMET

wen-con: EVENTS & DOIN’S

from a screening in Ireland and we were delirious from the Irish hangover and jet lag, we didn’t know what to expect. When we came into the WEN-CON screening there was a mixup on projector screen availability and we ended up with a 4x4ft postage stamp projected 20ft in the air to a giant room full of perplexed people. We thought it was the most suitable screening for our 1980’s absurd love letter to horror. We shrugged and embraced it. We were just happy it was being screened to a packed house. Hoped they could forget they were watching it on a milk carton. Man, did it kill! The laughter was so eruptive and warm, it felt like our film was Talk about the experience of show- projected on a 100ft IMAX theater. It is ing this opus, “Dude Bro Party Mas- honest to god my favorite DBPM3 screenMichael is one of the founding members sacre III” to an unsuspecting crowd in ing ever. That Wenatchee screening is held near and dear in our hearts. of the online comedy troupe 5-Second Wenatchee that fateful night in 2017. Films, and a contributing writer for the Tomm Jacobsen and I just flew right in One of the most talked about mini-events surrounding WEN-CON in its debut year was the screening of Dude Bro Party Massacre III, hosted by the filmmakers. We decided to bring director Michael Rousselet back for a second screening, this time held at RadarStation Friday night before the big show. He mentions the room setup from the first year’s screening, I want to stress that the great folks at Town Toyota Center put this room together in the midst of the chaos of WEN-CON and at the very last minute because it was a very late idea. We thank them for even giving us the room for the night, but we doubly thank them for the great story that room gave us.

animated series “Cyanide & Happiness.” He’s co-writer & co-director of 5-Second Films’ first horror-comedy feature film Dude Bro Party Massacre III which indieWire raved as an “Instant Cult Classic.” Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, Rousselet is forever cursed as the “patient zero” of Tommy Wiseau’s “The Room” having (inadvertently) launched its cult popularity in 2003 when he and his college friends converted the film’s dismal theatrical performance into successful fan screenings, which are now performed all over the world. He is sorry but not that sorry.

You were touring the film around the world during this time. Where are things now concerning DBPM3? DBPM3 is still randomly being screened around the country and the fan reviews and recommendations keep popping up online. It’s still alive and beating. It’s the little comedy that could and probably shouldn’t. Right now, it’s available on Showtime and Shudder. It’s really funny to see the title “Dude Bro Party Massacre 3” on tv menus next to “Halloween 2.” How can you not click on that? Also the user reviews on the horror streaming service Shudder are suspiciously glowing, it seems to have found a wonderful home in the niche horror community. We will be chatting a bit after the screening at RadarStation, this will be mostly about the film and the pro-

THE COMET

april 2019

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS THE TINY SCREEN OF FAME. duction. You will also have a panel at WEN-CON where we will be talking about other things as well. What can people expect from this panel? I’ll be showing some 5secondfilms, clips from our feature DBPM3 and talking about filming on a tight to no budget. Also, I’ll be discussing the trials and tribulations of trying to stand out amongst the noise of online content, raising money for projects by crowdfunding, and why “The Room” is probably the greatest movie ever made. You will be heading to Seattle for a video premiere after our WEN-CON panel. Tell us about this project. My good filmmaking funny man friend Zoran Gvojic made a horror/comedy music video called “Social Mediasochist” in 2014 about horror icons in High School falling in love. It was a wild success and was ripped/stolen on countless sites. The official video so far has garnered 39 million views, who knows what the honest number would be. I helped produce the sequel about Jason Voorhees having a midlife crisis working at a dead-end job in an office of “Horror Reboots” while his marriage is tested by a Maniac Pixie Dream Girl. It was incredibly bloody and funny. I can’t wait to watch it with a live audience.

You managed to sneak onto the set of The Disaster Artist. Did you make the final cut of the film? Short story is I snuck on the set and bluffed my way into getting screen time. On a big Hollywood shoot everyone is super busy, it’s amazing how far you can get wearing a suit and acting like you belong. Long story is about 15 years. I’ll find a balance at the Q&A. As someone who was paramount in making The Room the cult success it is today, were you mentioned or covered at all in the film? I get mentioned a few times in Greg Sestero’s amazing book “The Disaster Artist.” And no, thank god, I wasn’t actually mentioned or characterized in the movie. Even if I was writing that film I’d leave myself out. The story on the making of “The Room” is so perfect, you don’t need to go beyond the film’s premiere when some stoned college kid brought everyone he ever came in contact with to a screening. What should people expect of the screening on Friday? Booze, blood, bros, and bahas (laughter, not the band “Baha Men”). C

FRIDAY NIGHT PRE-SHOW EVENTS: 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM The Official Wen-Con 2019 Pre-Party with Suburban Vermin AT RIVERSIDE PUB 7:30 PM - 10:30 PM DUDE BRO PARTY MASSACRE III AT RADARSTATION SATURDAY WEN-CON EVENTS: 9:30 am to 10:30 am Smash Bros. Ultimate -VIP Only- Tournament powered by IBEW 10:30 am to 12:30 pm Bruce Smith: Battle of Grayskull Temple - Miniatures Game 10:30 am to 11:30 am Michael Rousselet - 5 Second Films and The Room panel room 2 11:30 am to 12:30 pm Dragonball Fighter Z Tournament powered by IBEW 11:30 am to 12:00 pm Jason Sims Magic :: WEN-CON Stage 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm Rosslyn Luke - Q&A :: Panel Room 1 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm Wenatchee Valley Dental Village Youth Cosplay Contest WEN-CON Stage 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm

David Hayter - Q&A :: Panel Room 1

1:30 pm to 2:30 pm

Black Ops 4 Tournament powered by IBEW

2:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Yu-gi-Oh! Tournament - Nerdcore Games

2:30 pm to 3:30 pm

tales from the spacepod live - podcast & news quiz panel room 2

DUDE BRO PARTY MASSACRE III FRIDAY APRIL 12 @ 7:30 PM - RADARSTATION DRUNKEN POST FILM DISCUSSION $10 TICKETS AT RADARSTATIONART.COM

3:30 pm to 4:30 pm

Smash Bros. Ultimate Tournament powered by IBEW

4:00 pm to 5:30 pm

Sew Creative Adult/Teen Cosplay Contest - WEN-CON Stage

log onto wen-con.com for the latest updates on schedules and event times.

THE COMET

april 2019

wen-con: guests & exhibitors

DAVID HAYTER - ACTOR/WRITER

JUSTIN HUNT - ILLUSTRATOR

ROSSLYN LUKE - ACTOR

CIARA HANNA - ACTOR

ROBERT MEYER BURNETT WRITER/PRODUCER

TOM COOK - ANIMATOR

EXHIBITORS 501st Legion Anime world Art by Danie Artoo 1.5 Bottlecrow Publications Bruce Smith: Battle of Grayskull Temple, Miniatures Game Bumblebee Cave Collectible Gaming Central City Comics Cherrie Bartholomew Art Christa D Clayholio Comics Clockwork Dragon College of Cranehaven Colwell Illustration Crazy Crafters Crucifiction Games Damon Anthis Art Devri Walls Diane Beck’s Creations DigiPen Institute of Technology

DRAH HARD | ACCIDENTAL ALIENS Eli Wolff Elite Gaming Gear Escape Tactics Fairy Bliss Fine Designs - Official WEN-CON Apparel Frakking Bombs Galactic Alliance Garage Door Thrift Store Garrison Titan Gears in the Garden Giant Slayer Grandma’s Gone Geek Greater Northwest National Cartoonists Society Greater Wenatchee Toy Show Herb Leonhard Art/The Prancing Pony Gifts Hey I want that Homemade is Cuter Hugz4kidz Guild

IBEW Icicle Ridge Graphics Idlewaifu Jason Sims Magic Joy Knight-Richards Justin Hunt Katie Clark Art Krampus Kave LZlC KW3 Local Tel Lorretta Smith Mildly Adequate Mountaineer West Productions NCRL Nerdcore Toys & Collectibles North Cascades Bank Odd Fox Armory OneBluebird Art Orchard Monkeys QEW PUBLISHING Radar Dames Radarstation

Samantha Hildebrand Sanctuary Space Order Company StudioLG Tales from the Spacepod Tardis Tetsumiro The LuLaRedheads The Ones You Loved Comics & Toys Tom Cook, Classic TV Animator Two Rivers Medieval Faire Vermin Co. Waulking Quill Textiles Wenatchee Ghostbusters Wenatchee Valley Tech skills Center Wenatchee World Westridge Wood Co. X-34 Luke Skywalker Landspeeder “Y Comics, LLC” Ye Olde Bookshoppe More added weekly at WEN-CON.com

THE COMET THE COMET

april 2019 march 2019

april 2019

THE COMET

THE SPACEPOD: the apollo 13 tapes

by ron evans I recently stumbled upon something that cinema history. I can’t get out of my head. In a good way. I guess. Semantics aside, there are dozens of discoveries to be made whilst listening to The Apollo 13 Tapes. More to the point: these tapes. Apollo13RealTime.Org. You can hear the exact moment when the Most of us are aware of the story of the ground crew at Houston realizes the mistroubled Apollo 13 mission and its ulti- sion may not make it to the moon. And mate outcome. Much of that knowledge shortly after, that the injured craft may came from the 1995 Ron Howard film, not even make it home. Although, not in which is fair. After all, even during the so many words. Apollo 13 mission, TV audiences were more interested in reruns of sitcoms the These dudes were stoic, calm and ratioevening of the launch or during the in- nal beyond any fucking reasoning. It’s space broadcasts. That is until... some- like they had ice water coursing through thing went all kinds of wrong. their veins. Even in the trickiest parts of this near tragedy - with the entire world If the words “Houston, we have a prob- watching, they remained focused. lem.” are currently echoing in your skull, you can’t be blamed. Even though nobody About the project. on the actual spacecraft ever said those exact words. The words that came from We should be so lucky to have examples commander Jim Lovell’s mouth were like this historical representation for all “Uhhh....Houston, we’ve had a problem.” major events. Beginning around the 55 Apparently Tom Hanks, who played Lovell hour mark into the mission, the audio in the film, suggested a more immediate- picks up right after one of those poorly tense on that line to push the...immediacy. watched space broadcasts. You know, It’s hard to disagree with that decision when a routine suggestion from ground since that phrase has now become one of control to “stir the tanks” changes the face the most recognized and quoted lines in of history forever? The left channel of au-

dio is Capcom to Apollo. The right side is Flight Director to tech crew. And every The drama is much more subtle here, of word is captioned with footnotes and a course. Even Ron Howard admitted to real-time glossary. ramping up, and in some cases making up, some of the drama because the actual I’m not gonna attempt even a Cliff Notes story was too boring. Too rudimentary. version of the Apollo 13 story here, I’m Too real. I get it. Movies vs. Real Life. But simply going to point you toward this again, coming from an interest in history amazing project. What you have here are and accuracy...these tapes are all the drathe original tapes of not only Capcom ma you could ever want. to the spacecraft transmissions, but the separate ground control banter. In other No, Kranz never kicked a wall in frustrawords, you get to hear what the engineers, tion. No, John Swigert (Command Modflight directors, radio technicians and ule Pilot) and Fred Haise (Lunar Module physicists were saying in huddle forma- Pilot) didn’t hate each other. In spite of tion before they relayed their analyses the film scoring well in terms of accuracy, and procedures and, in some cases, guess- these elements were merely Hollywood es, up to the crew in space. drama. The first surprise, other than the modifications to some of the dialog from real life to reel life, is that calmness. The next is that while the film depicts an entire mission with Flight Director Gene Kranz (portrayed by the always captivating Ed Harris) at the helm, in reality a large portion of the real “shit hitting the fan” moments were done just as Kranz was clocking out, handing things over to Glynn Lunney. A decidedly cattier Flight Director, but still calm as all shit.

But I promise you, these 7 hours of dialog will change the way you see the film, the true Apollo 13 story, and humanity all at once. Our species is capable of achieving so much over a very broad spectrum. We can get stranded men back to Earth in a broken tuna can. We also sometimes poop in the display toilets at hardware stores to make our buddies laugh. We are complicated monkeys. C

april 2019

THE COMET

THE DOC IS IN: healthy eating on vacation

Q: HOW DO I EAT HEALTHY WHILE ON VACATION?

Dr. Allegra says: Figuring out how to eat healthily Naturopathic Physician while you travel can be confusing. It often seems there are no “good choices,” but this is typically not the reality.

ALLEGRA HART

Traveling is often seen as a free-for-all where anything goes with your food. Diet plans and exercise seems to be thrown out the window and a “whatever” mindset often sinks in. This usually leads to having to “recover” from your vacations or even feeling bloated and ill while you travel. Nobody wants to go on vacation and feel crappy. If you want to go on vacation and continue to feel good, it is wise to make a plan to eat better while you travel. I usually pack enough for a few meals including food to replace the airplane meals. I’m lucky if I can eat 25% of what

is served to me on a plane so I never count on that being edible. I’ll stock up on travel-friendly foods that can handle being crushed and don’t require refrigeration.

dously.

There are many ways to make eating healthy on the go easier. Here are my tips for making good food choices while on vacation.

Pack foods and snacks- make sure to pack travel-friendly food to eat along the way to fill in gaps with your healthy food options. I like things like jerky, crackers, trail mixes, and fruit and nut bars. I also travel with a lot of collagen, powdered protein to mix into water or meals, to ensure I will always have a way to add more protein to my meals and snacks.

Research the area- find out what restaurants are available in the area. I will search for “paleo restaurants” in the city I’ll be staying, this term helps to locate restaurants that are open to “alternative” diets. You might consider using search terms like “dairy-free,” “keto,” or “grainfree” to find the right fit for you. It is likely someone may have already created a list of healthy restaurants. Locate grocery options- locate any nearby grocery stores so you have a place to purchase your basics. Making at least 1 meal a day on your own is not only a great way to eat better but also save money. Stay with a kitchen- rent an apartment or suite with a kitchen. Check out Airbnb to find great options. Having a kitchen on hand expands your food options tremen-

Get a fridge- ask for a fridge in your hotel room to keep some basic food options on hand and store restaurant leftovers.

Check with your hotel’s restaurant before you go. Call ahead to talk to the kitchen to find out if they can meet your dietary needs. You can also ask them about grocery store options nearby. Do your best and let the rest go! Plan, prepare.... and then allow yourself to enjoy the journey. Planning will be your best friend when you want to prioritize your health. When I plan my food I have much more time to enjoy my surroundings and actually RELAX on my vacations, that’s what vacations are for, right?!

ABOUT DR. ALLEGRA HART Dr. Allegra Hart is a licensed naturopathic physician, speaker, author of Nourishing Space Within: Essentials of Self-Care, founder of Naturae Naturopathic Clinic and Dr. Allegra’s Apothecary and works with patients worldwide. Dr. Allegra specializes in helping women cultivate natural self-care and rebuild their health from the inside out. If we as individuals can do the work necessary to set a healing foundation on our own- the ripple effect will inevitably ignite others to do the same. If you have a question for Dr. Allegra, email us at info@naturaeclinic.com with the subject “The Doctor Is In Question”. This column is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional health care. C

april 2019

THE COMET

About a parade: apple blossom doc premieres

by ron evans Local film company, North 40 Productions has been cranking out engaging and important documentaries over the past couple of decades (including work with Howell at The Moon). They most recently aimed their lenses at the Apple Blossom Festival, which turns 100 years old this Spring. We sat down with producers/directors Jeff Ostenson and Charles Atkinson about the ins and outs of documentary filmmaking and how “A Lot Of Fuss About A Parade” came to be. With a subject matter that literally goes back a century, where did you begin with this massive project? Atkinson: The ﬁrst thing I needed to do was to understand exactly what it is today. I was familiar with a lot of the major components from a spectator perspective, but I had no idea how it all came together and how things like the Royalty program worked. After learning everything we could about what it looks like today, the stories we discovered from years passed had more context. Ostenson: We really wanted to tell the story of the Apple Blossom through the eyes of the volunteers, staff, and royalty over a single Apple Blossom Festival process/season. History is history and it’s important. We bring it in where we felt it was warranted, but we really wanted to explore the people who make Apple Blossom happen right now (or last year) and

why they love it so much. Through these characters we begin to understand how the festival has thrived for a hundred years and why it will likely make it to 200. Was this a ﬁlm that was conceived by North 40 Productions or were you approached by the Apple Blossom Festival about doing a centennial-centric project? Ostenson: Honestly, we had talked about doing a documentary about Apple Blossom about five years ago but didn’t really have the opportunity to pursue the project at that time. Then, about a year and a half ago, Darci Christoferson - Festival Administrator, asked us to meet to discuss how they might best celebrate the centennial. We pitched them several options including a two-minute sizzle, a ten to fifteenminute documentary short, and a feature documentary. After quite a bit of discussion, we all agreed that a feature would best honor the Festival, its history, and the people who have been putting it on for the last 100 years. When working on this (or any other documentary) is there a kind of sketch or outline in what you, the ﬁlmmakers, are trying to convey? Or is it more about lining up interviews and archival footage and just seeing where it goes? Atkinson: A little of both. We quickly

connected with the storyline of the royalty selection process. Firstly, pageants are interesting and pose lots of questions in today’s culture and political climate. So we really wanted to uncover what made this process different from traditional pageants. As we learned more about how the royalty story took us on a comprehensive journey through the life of the festival, we used their narrative as the anchor for the ﬁlm and then began placing historical stories around that A-plot.

teers. We couldn’t hope to cover it all so we settled on the 99th year and focused in on that. Another big challenge was balancing the royalty selection process with the Festival itself. The royalty selection is a huge source of drama and we wanted to share that drama and get viewers invested in the process, however, we didn’t want the pageant to overshadow the rest of the festival. Jury’s still out but I feel we did a good job of balancing the two major plots of the film; Pageant and Festival.

Ostenson: We showed up with cameras pretty much anytime something was happening. Once we completed filming, we then began interviewing people who we felt might have something to say about the festival. From there we built a big board in my office and created a storyboard of scenes. This storyboard got changed a ton. Throughout, we kept a few questions in mind: how does something like the festival make it 100 years? Will it last another 100? And is the festival and royalty selection process valuable to our community? If something didn’t support the answer to this, we pulled it.

Atkinson: It takes a special breed of editor to be able to sift through all that footage and not go crazy. Were there any surprises that stand out to you that popped up during research/production? Atkinson: Well I’d say one my biggest surprises was seeing all the people who love this festival and give a lot of time and money to make sure that it happens and that it’s a community building opportunity for all ages and interests. The festival has hundreds and hundreds of volunteers each year. It’s pretty impressive.

What were some of the challenges you were faced with while working on this Ostenson: For me, it was the top ten project? training. They put those girls through so much positive, professional and confiOstenson: The biggest challenge was dence-boosting training. It was amazing scope. Over 75 interviews, more than 300 to watch all ten of them mature over the hours of material, 45+ different shoots, six weeks. Also that the royalty selection 100 years of history, more than 500 volun- process is really a pretty elaborate job in-

THE COMET

terview. They’re really looking for three high school senior girls to market the festival locally until it happens and then market Wenatchee and the Apple Industry to the region (when they go to all the other parades). Apple Blossom at one point was becoming (in part) a bit notorious for being a crime-ridden, out of control Mardi Gras-esque experience. That aspect is long since gone and may be something of a sore subject to some of the festival organizers. Were there any hesitations in covering that side of the festival? Ostenson: While your description of the rise and fall of cruising is accurate, most of the people we spoke with remembered the “cruising era” with fond memories (myself included). It was hard to pull this into the film because it doesn’t really apply to the 99th year (2018). Atkinson: One thing we knew we didn’t want to do as we started the film was cover everything from 1919 to today in a comprehensive way. We knew we had to be selective and personal to reach viewers. One downside of that is certain eras or subjects are left on the cutting room floor. That being said, the film does have one easter egg in it for those looking for a taste of the out of control party scene. Do you typically hold test screenings

for your films? If so, what are you people going to see the film! looking for in those screenings? Pageants may not seem like an interAtkinson: Whenever we have the chance esting topic for some, anyone truly we like to screen our projects for a focus following these contests or participatgroup. With any feature length project ing in them would disagree of course. this is a must. We typically have a set of How did you go about including these questions we pose at the end of a screen- elements in a captivating way for the ing and gather group feedback in large uninitiated? and small conversations. Another equally beneficial component of screening a Atkinson: We definitely pull the curfilm for a focus group is what we gather tain back on what goes into the Apple as filmmakers by watching the film with Blossom pageant. I would say that most an audience for the first time. It’s an eye traditional pageants are flash in the pan opening experience for those of us who events. However, anyone connected to have been buried in it for months. We see our region knows that the royalty selected things in a new light and have completely each year for the Apple Blossom Festival new reactions to story beats that work make countless appearances around the and don’t work. community, have a huge impact on youth and tour over a dozen cities around the Ostenson: Focus groups always result in Pacific Northwest representing our valsome small but critical changes to the fi- ley and the festival. I’d think that whether nal draft. or not you’re compelled by your typical pageant, if you’re interested in a local 100The trailer for the film is making its year old tradition and what it looks like rounds online, how has the response today, you’ll be able to dig in for a ride. been for that? Ostenson: Frankly, I think the pageant is Atkinson: Audiences have been really the most interesting part of the film. To excited about the trailer. Our goal was to see behind the scenes of everything that obviously build excitement for the film goes on blew my mind and kept me enand also represent the whole feature with gaged with the characters even after all the short trailer. It accomplishes this pret- the time I’ve spent in the edit. I went into ty well. this project questioning whether a pageant has a place in 2018. After this expeOstenson: Lots of shares and over 10,000 rience I can say confidently that it most views. Now we need to turn these into certainly does.

april 2019

What can we expect from opening night at the Numerica Performing Arts Center? Atkinson: We are really excited for the premiere at the PAC. It’s nearly sold out. Many of the dfferent local supporters of the film will be attending. The PAC is always a fun place to screen films. It’s great having a drink and snack bar available. We’re also really excited to see past and current volunteers and royalty come out to celebrate 100 years of the festival. The film will also have three special screenings at the Liberty Cinema. Those playdates are April 28, May 1 and May 5 all at 6PM. Tickets for those showings will be available through Sun Basin Cinema’s website and at the box office - just like purchasing a ticket to any regular movie at the theater Ostenson: For N40 and those involved with the film, a huge celebration and some relief that we pulled it off (assuming we do). For the audience, my hope is that they walk away proud of their community with a considerably better understanding of the royalty selection process and all the work and love that is put into having a successful festival. I also hope that for people who have never really cared about the festival have a sense of wanting to become a part of it through either showing up to participate in the events or even volunteering. C

april 2019

THE COMET

COMET TALES: rEADER SUBMITTED WRITINGS a shameless self-promotion. by connor dahlin Brief True Promotion

provides you entertainment for a Friday night and philanthropically supports local artists/writers.

This night of performance poetry will be a fairly unique event for the people of the valley. At times it can be comedic, but there’s always A Shameful Self Promotion –Satire Version this undercurrent of a more serious topic. It’s the sort of performance that makes you feel, and makes you think and at some points it’s all There’s this weirdo guy. I think he used to have long hair? At a few of just plain absurd. the RadarStation’s Open Mics and elsewhere sprinkled throughout the valley, he’s talked of this performance poetry show that he’s The style of the work being performed is various. Subject matter is putting on. all over the place, as seen in the satire, I obviously have a weird sense of humor. Some topics include: sexuality, romance, big government, Yeah, the guy who referred to his privates as a mushy mushroom and hyper-masculinity, mysticism, something as mundane as a chicken said the Big Bang was an omniversal fart. I mean, how do you even sandwich, everyday life monotonies, the wisdoms and beauty of approach that? nature, and so on. He’s asking the fine people of our valley to show up to a very specific I’ve performed across the valley and beyond as an addition to shows place at a very specific time (RadarStation on April 19th, doors open at and open mics, but I’d never set up an occasion to purely showcase 7, show starts at 7:30) and pay him 10 human dollars to bear witness my poetry. This is a sort of debut, lets see how the crowd likes it sort to such strange tomfoolery. 10 human dollars, can you believe it, A WHOLE 10 HUMAN DOLLARS?! of experiment. The show is only an hour based off of how high octane my performance style can be. Not to mention that much of the content that I’ll be sharing is very heavy, so an hour seemed like the perfect window, not too much and not too little. If you’ve seen my work before, and it sparked some interest, this is the full course meal. The performance will help give people a bigger view of “what the hell is he on about?”

He grumbles about how the money will be used for this Whispers of Wenatchee book, publication, something or other. Has anybody ever even heard of that? A book? Who reads books anymore? What’s this variable vagrant up to? What world does he live in?

Anyhow, I’ve done a little digging. This kid got paid to talk about words for an hour long lecture at a university that nobody has ever heard of (“Words About Words” performed at the Raw Deal in Menomonie, WI. in May, 2016) and then moved here and then got paid to talk about oppressive patriarchy in Christianity at the Cascade Unitarian Universalist Church in East Wenatchee (“The Triumph and Tragedy of Early Christianity” performed in May, 2017). And now he’s asking people to pay him personally to sit up on a stage and barrage people’s innocent ears with his talk of strange and obscure things. God, he’s so emotional, chill out dude. Can we all just pool some money together to get him a shrink or something?

The idea of making it a ticketed event and putting out a jar for donations is a means to fund raise for the aforementioned Whispers of Wenatchee. Last year I published the pilot project (of which you can purchase at the RadarStation), basically it’s a compilation of writers from all over the valley and beyond. Essentially it’s a display of the creativity of those who live in and pass through our Greater Wenatchee Area. Making a book like this isn’t cheap and the amount of work it takes to put it together is substantial. I want to turn the Whispers of Wenatchee into a series and continue working with and displaying the works of local writers, events such as this is a means to such ends. So, not only is the show relatively cheap compared to Man, for anyone who dares to attend such an occasion, I say it’s a good thing there’s (the finest assortment of the most carefully crafted, most others, but the money goes toward what I consider a good cause. delicious and tantalizing) alcoholic beverage’s available for purchase. So even if this show isn’t for you, help me spread the word to those who Gonna need to choke down a few of those to digest the inevitable would be interested. At the end of the day, supporting the show both verbal vomit that’ll be jammed into their auditory receptors.

THE COMET

Isn’t he the author of this anyway? Has he been writing this in 2nd person the whole time, I mean… that’s weird. Why would anybody help sustain his aspirations with A WHOLE 10 HUMAN DOLLARS. There’s something rather unorthodox about his approach, wonder how overwhelming or underwhelming a performance named, “Unhinged” would be. It all seems to be under some weird guise of this thing called poetry. Whenever they introduce him on stage they say he is performing poetry, but really he just casually walks up there and says absurd things and then walks off, and the people may laugh a little or go, “hmmm,” but does anybody actually understand a single thing he’s saying? Where did he come from anyway? Just appeared in our voluptuous valley like some cryptic apparition? Where do I even begin to try to wrap my head around this?

april 2019

much. Seems more likely to me like he’s just like any other strange meandering creature that crawls on the late night avenue that you avoid with no direct eye contact and substantial distance. I digress. The point of all this is to say, definitely don’t go to his show. Your mother wouldn’t approve of it. Why do anything other than sit at home and stare at an electric screen? Or better yet, go out and spend way more than A WHOLE 10 HUMAN DOLLARS on drinks out with the bros. Even if your mom did approve of it, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that our most respectable and benevolent current socio-political establishment wouldn’t (wink, wink). Such free speech outta be spat on and dragged through my dirty ass.

I mean it. Don’t go to this show. Such mundane profanities, such Apparently he’s gonna be telling a bit of his story, help establish a disdainful eloquences, ugh, it stinks. little context for his character, his performances, and his general story and progression as a writer and performer. And while that may Actually, you know what, we should all just throw as much money as sound all innocent and proper, he plans on pulling out some of his possible at him just to get him to go away. Go to the show but don’t be most provocative and animated performances he’s got stored away happy about it. Guzzle down some fermented yeast or putrid grapes in a strange box full of his other lunatic stray papers. With all that I’ve and buckle up buckaroos. There will be a donation jar, just jam it full seen him perform, I haven’t the slightest clue as to what he’ll even of your fancy green papers, because hey why not. Garnish him with talk about. I’ve seen him talk about like systematic stuff, some foo- all of your finest gems and sparkly luxuries, lord knows the hoodlum foo romanticisms, man, I even remember him reciting one where he could use a bit of class, this poor young soul needs help! acted all insane and apparently killed a cat (I love and would never harm cats, this piece was called “An Illustration of Insanity). Free popcorn and free eyefuls of (raw, thick, Snatcheeian) art make this a night to remember and a night to willfully forget. C I think we should all honestly consider whether this Connor Dahlin fellow even exists at all. I mean, does he even have a job? I mean is this upcoming event even an actual thing? What the hell is he on about? Maybe he’s a vengeful sagebrush spirit haunting us for building a canyon pass road over him and his comrades. Maybe that’s a bit too

SEE THE AD ON PAGE 15 FOR DETAILS ABOUT CONNOR’S UPCOMING PERFORMANCE POETRY EVENT AT RADARSTATION

Are you a writer? Send your short story, poetry, essay or excerpt to comettales@thecometmagazine.com and we may publish it in the next issue.

april 2019

THE COMET

april 2019

THE COMET

by ron evans

THE COMET

april 2019

CONTINUED IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF THE COMET

april 2019

THE COMET