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thursday, august 2, 2018
JAIME’S TATTOO GARDEN PAGE 16
EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE
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THIS issue editor: Ron Evans contributors: Holly Thorpe,Cory Calhoun, Dustin Hays, Chad Yenney Jamie Howell, Allegra Hart WEB: thecometmagazine.com facebook.com/thecometmagazine instagram: @thecometmagazine twitter: @cometmagazine info@thecometmagazine.com
B-SIDES...................................PAGE 4 THE DOCTOR IS IN....................PAGE 6 crossword..........................PAGE 7 events..................................PAGE 8 National spotlight.............PAGE 14 JAIME KOENIG........................PAGE 16 HOWELL AT THE MOVIES.........PAGE 20 comet tales.........................PAGE 22 THE SPACEPOD.......................PAGE 26 EDGAR RUE COMIC..................PAGE 28 SARAH SIMS...........................PAGE 30
jaime koenig- PAGE 16
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COMET HEADQUARTERS AUGUST 2, 2018
Stay cool another month, my friends. Blessed autumn is on the horizon. Pic by Siri Rose
Note From The Editor Greetings from the underground bunker that houses Comet Headquarters, 13 miles beneath an undisclosed radio tower near Jumpoff Ridge. Ok, fine. I’m writing this at Wenatchee Valley Brewing Co. It’s the real place this thing gets put together. Plenty of high-octane suds and big-ass fans on the ceiling to keep things cool. And while the sweet release of autumn is not quite in the air just yet, the tell-tale orange and black aisles of Halloween stuff is popping up, and that’s the only beacon of hope I need. Hope also springs every-whichwhere in this issue (our first 32 pager!) with plenty of happenings to help us keep it together whilst we ride out the heat wave. And if all else fails, this very publication doubles as a rather passable parasol in an emergency.
Jaime’s ink herself) paid a visit to the shop and talked about the ancient art of painting on a human canvas.
Kicking things off is a write up on Wenatchee’s beloved Snatchee Records. Dustin shares how 2018 may be the humble but prolific indie label’s busiest year ever. You will also get a sense of the community that Snatchee has built around itself, one that came to the rescue after a recent disaster involving a bass guitar and an overzealous sprinkler.
Finally I talk about one of my favorite things. Flying Saucers. Not the phenomenon so much as the term itself. As it turns out, we may have been wrong about them all along. Read on!
Next, our resident naturopath, Dr. Allegra Hart give some tips on what to do if you left your shade umbrella at home before that nine hour rafting trip. HINT: Keep that butter handy...
Jamie Howell gives us a deeper look into the box office numbers of this year’s movie lineup and not surprisingly, comics are still king. I chatted with local jewelry maker Sarah Sims about her craft and her passion. Jewelry has sometimes been overlooked in the fine art world but that seems to be changing as more people are seeking out hand-crafted one of a kind works that you simply cannot get from a mold process.
See you next month, space cadets. Get on out there but stay in the shade when applicable. And remember to never leave home without your butter.
Happy trails, Ron Evans Editor, The Comet Magazine
From the vaults of the now-defunct RadarStation magazine we present Chad Yenney’s interview with freakout art extraordinare, Oliver Hibert. Hibert is one of a kind and Chad gets some great responses about his work and his Ron Evans is the owner of RadarStation art gallery at 115 S. Wenatchee Ave., amazing collaborations.
host of the Tales from the Spacepod podcast, author of “Edgar Rue,” and cre-
Our cover story this month is on Jaime Koenig, owner of Jaime’s Tattoo Gar- ator of many other things, many of which have robots in them. He is editor of den in Wenatchee. If you know someone that has a tatt and they got it in The Comet and lead designer. Wenatchee, odds are it came from Jaime. Holly (who happens to bear some of
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B-SIDES: Catching Up With Snatchee Records
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he leader of Wenatchee’s music scene has long been the punk rock label Snatchee Records. One of the owners and face of the label, Andy Peart (known DUSTIN HAYS around the muMusician/Music Historian sic scene as Ando), updated me recently on what the local label has been up to so far this year. The label was formed by musicians Raymond Malstead and Ryan Beauchamp, originally recording local shows at the Basement in 2008 and ultimately starting a DIY label under the now household name in 2009. Creating a light at the end of the tunnel for the local rock and punk scene, the pair began hosting shows across central Washington as well as recording several local bands at Malstead’s Sunnyslope home studio and releasing the material on short compact-disc runs. Wenatchee has a lengthy history of music venues closing, that has directly contributed to the longevity of any local groups trying to gig and gain a following in their hometown. For the last decade
Snatchee has picked up the slack for all the local restaurants, cafes and granges that no longer provide a home for the local musical talent. In their early years of activity, Cashmere’s Pioneer House, Apple Annie’s Antique Mall, Riverside Event Center, Devil’s Gulch Drinkery, Monitor’s Outpost Saloon and Wenatchee’s Wally’s House of Booze (then Wally’s Tavern) all hosted Snatchee events featuring both local and touring bands. Over the years, Wally’s House of Booze (322 S. Wenatchee Ave.) has become the main hub for the label’s activity. When not hosting and organizing shows, Peart can be found tending bar at the iconic Wenatchee dive bar. Along with his partner of 15 years Jasmine Hall and Not All There’s Matthew Smith, Peart purchased the label from Malstead in 2012. Under the new ownership, the label’s catalog has expanded to include vinyl releases from Fang (Oakland, CA), Potbelly (Whidbey Island, WA), 13 Scars (Tacoma, WA), Days N’ Daze (Houston, TX), Prophets of Addictions (Tacoma, WA), The Independents (Florence, SC), The Brass (Portland, OR), Western Settings (San Diego, CA), Burn Burn Burn (Seattle, WA), Phasers on Kill (Tacoma, WA), Dirty Kid Discount (Portland, OR), Violent Affair (Oklahoma City, OK), Buddy Jack-
son (Missoula, MT), The Staxx Brothers (Seattle, WA), Acid Teeth (Seattle, WA), Rich & Rare Rebels (Leavenworth, WA), and multiple compact disc releases from Wenatchee’s Not All There. With 2018 being one of their busiest years since their formation, Snatchee Records has already added six releases to their catalog this year. Pagan County Rebels’ compact disc “Seasons” (Seattle, WA), Car 87 (Vancouver, Canada) and Potbelly’s split 7”, Good Touch’s self-titled 12” EP (Seattle, WA), Ground Score’s “Old Theories On Society” LP (Portland, OR), The Nightmares (Wenatchee, WA) and Ball Bag’s (Renton, WA) split 7”, as well as The Nightmares’ self titled 10” EP (released just last weekend). This June turned out to be a whirlwind of a month for the label. At a punk show on June 2 at Wally’s House of Booze, an overhead sprinkler was accidentally struck by the neck of a bass guitar and quickly flooded the entire ground floor of the venue. The crowd rushed out of the building and the closing band, Seattle’s Shadow Cats were unable to perform. 10,000 gallons of water was released for the broken sprinkler head in a matter of 20 minutes. “It felt like I was walking through a shallow lake,” Peart recalled. The sound board was quickly rushed
outside by Hall and suffered minimal damage, but many microphones, cables and speakers remained covered in water until the fire department arrived and turned off the system. The Facebook community following Snatchee Records began talks of sending donations and organizing benefits even before the night had ended. Wenatchee’s France & Co. was called in to clean up the mess, and through some miracle Wally’s opened at its usual time the following morning, with almost no evidence left from the flooding the night before. As the soaked gear dried out over the following week, the only casualties from the flood were a set of floor monitors that had been sitting directly under the broken sprinkler. New monitors were purchased, and by the next weekend Snatchee Records was back hosting live music at Wally’s. Saturday, June 9, marked the 8th Annual Snatchee Records Zombie Pub Crawl. A cast of beaten and bloodied zombies crawled south on Wenatchee Avenue from Joe’s Log Cabin to the House of Booze, stopping at several bars and restaurants along the way. The Nightmares and Tacoma’s Psycho 78 provided music at what was advertised as the final Snatchee Records crawl. Peart and Smith
THE COMET were interviewed by multiple area news outlets and cited dwindling crowd numbers as the reason for the event’s cessation. Peart added that he’s not completely ruling out any future Snatchee Zombie crawls, but that there will definitely be a break for a few years. “Someone else could do a Zombie Crawl,” he said, “and I’ll just go to theirs.” In late 2017, Snatchee expanded their operations to include screen printing for bands under the label’s umbrella, after becoming a tenant at the new local art collective Warehouse 3 Design Centre (located inconspicuously at 201 S. Wenatchee Ave #D). The South Wenatchee warehouse operated by Andre Gerspach provides a much-needed space for a number of local artists and musicians such as Bryant Goetz, Terry Johnson (of Terry Signs), Todd Gaytley, Himiko Cloud, The Nightmares and Ghost Power!!! — just to name a few. The rest of the year continues to look promising for Snatchee Records. On Aug. 4, Wally’s House of Booze will host Peart’s annual “Birthday Bash,” with Reno Nevada’s Boss’ Daughter (featuring John Underwood, a frequent Wally’s performer), The Nightmares and Shadow Cats — their first time back since their missed set in June. A Yakima duo, The Cockaphonics, featuring Snatchee founder Malstead on piano, will be performing at Wally’s the following weekend on Aug. 10. Seattle’s Acid Teeth is set to release their second 7” single on the label in the coming months. Recently reunited champions of the local scene, Snatchee Records alumni and fellow Warehouse 3 tenants Ghost Power!!! is set to perform at Wally’s House of Booze on Sept. 15, and their supporting acts have yet to be announced. The powerhouse duo will be making their return on Aug. 18 at Cashmere’s Festification, their first show since 2015. If you have yet to attend a Snatchee Records event, it’s never too late. It appears that the label isn’t slowing down any time soon, and is always working to provide a good soundtrack and entertaining show to anyone that wants to join in on the fun. You can follow Snatchee Records on fb.com/snatcheerecords509, and can find their full catalog and merchandise for purchase at snatcheerecords.bandcamp.com 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. Hays also hosts “Sounds of the Valley” a weekly radio show on KORE FM Community Radio (99.1/105.9 FM) focused on the local music scene, both past and present. C
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the doctor is in: the sunburn season 1. Start slow with your sun exposure 5. Cover up. After you have reached and gradually increase your time out. your sun limit, consider moving to the This allows you to find your personal sun shade, and putting on sunblock or clothlimit and minimizes your risk of burning. ing. Wear large hats, long-sleeved shirts, and pants. 2. Increase your intake of healthy fats. If you do get burned, try these natural Some examples are: Butter from pasture-raised cows, goats, solutions to speed your healing: and sheep. Option 1: Castor oil can help reduce Tallow from pasture-raised beef and Yes, aloe can lamb. pain and boost healing. Pat into your skin be a helpful way ALLEGRA HART every few hours. Lard from pasture-raised pigs. to soothe sunNaturopathic Physician Option 2: Take a bath (cool or warm Avocados. burned skin and Cold pressed olive oil (ideally eaten water is fine) with Epsom salts to calm speed healing, but there are more options. the burn. You can also mix 2 tablespoons First, it is helpful to understand we do raw). of Epsom salt in 1 cup of water in a spray Cold pressed coconut oil. need some direct sun exposure. Getting bottle. Keep it in the fridge and spray Wild fish. out in the sun without anything blocking yourself as needed or every few hours. the sun from touching our skin is impor3. Eat more antioxidants like dark ber- Make sure to follow this up with your fatant. Sunlight allows us to make our own vorite moisturizer. Vitamin D. However, it is also important ries, green leafy veggies, and green tea. to avoid sunburns. Everyone is different in 4. Avoid chemical sunblocks and Option 3: Add ½ cup baking soda and how they respond to sun exposure. Some might have just a few minutes before they sprays, which are highly toxic and inter- 1 cup of finely ground oatmeal to a tepid rupt hormone function. If you need sun- bath and soak for 20 minutes. begin to burn, and others a few hours. Here are some general tips to enjoy block, choose versions with zinc oxide Option 4: Mix 1 cup of whole milk and your time in the sun and reduce your risk or titanium oxide. These do not absorb of sunburns: through the skin and will not interfere 1 tablespoon of honey then dip a clean with your hormone balance. cloth in the mixture and lay on the skin “Is there anything, besides aloe vera, that is good to put on a sunburn?” Sincerely, Burned in Wenatchee
for 20 minutes. You’ll need to rinse off the milk later to avoid smelling like sour milk or being stalked by your kitties! I also make a Nourishing Deep Cleansing Oil that is great for hydrating and healing your skin quickly that is available through drallegrasapothecary.com Make sure to drink lots of water and herbal tea (iced or hot) to reduce the dehydrating effects of sunburn. I hope these options help soothe your sunburn quickly! Learn more about healthy living at Dr. Allegra’s Blog naturaeclinic.com and send any questions you’d like answered toinfo@ naturaeclinic.com This column is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional health care. C
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HOW WE CRUSH IT
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Made exclusively for The Comet by Cory Calhoun Have ideas for puzzles or feedback? Email info@thecometmagazine.com ACROSS 1 Stroke recipient? 7 Twitch 12 Storm’s side 16 A way to get in touch with big screen icons? 17 Site of a devastating 2010 earthquake 18 Antiquity 19 They’re one-sided by nature 20 *Trapper Keepers, e.g. 22 *Circuit parts 24 Certain colas 25 Nail 26 Hereditary actress Collette 27 Aspire to greatness 32 Go ___ Watchman (2015 To Kill a Mockingbird sequel novel) 34 Jack of Twin Peaks 36 Spanish city with a famous castle 37 Nuke, briefly 39 Bloviate 40 *Axis foes 41 Juice 44 GI fare 46 “Whatevs” 47 Conversation starters … or what the starred clues’ answers are in (and outside of) this puzzle 51 Boxer Laila 54 Yuletide 55 Ways to move *Organ suppliers 57 Tennis shot 60 Baby ___ choy 62 Coff ee order 63 Cheri of late-1990s 64 Saturday Night Live “(Sigh) … dang it” 67 Arising 70 Helper: Abbr. 73 Late Chinese diplomat 75 Chou En-___ End of a pepper? 76 *Ones like Harvey Bird77 man, professionally *University of Tennessee 79 players 84 Word following proor anti85 Like some windows 86 Eyelike windows
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Brexit-centric cont.
SOLUTION TO last month’s PUZZLE S T I R S
L A S T N I R O G I S H P U T
D A R T S
O H B O Y
O N E A C R E
T H E C O N D R J R O O Y M
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R A T T Y 8 M M D I S H
O I D M I H E O D A S 1 9 A S C E 3 7 P E O N
W I S P
S P C I H Z U Z Z L E A M Z S P T S 3 7 T U S A A P P Y L A L A C R O E T O T A S I N E
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K S O Y I R A S N E R
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Thursday, AUGUST 2, 2018
GTFO: EVENTS WORTH LEAVING YOUR HOUSE FOR
AUG 1-31: Live Music at Icicle Creek Brewing Company
AUG 3-24: Wenatchee Public Library
AUG 3-24: Beer Garden at the Museum
See iciclebrewing.com/#events for more info. AUG 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Sergio & Co. AUG 3: Gypsy Troubadour AUG 4: The Burying Ground AUG 10: Vince and Markus AUG 11: Seth Garrido AUG 17: The Fabulous Johnny Cash Acoustic Review AUG 18: River Dog Shakedown AUG 24: Sweet Ike AUG 25: Crushwater AUG 31: Hans Hessburg Duo
310 Douglas Street Aug 3: Short Shakespeareans will do a preview of their upcoming “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” 2:00 pm. Aug 8: Susan Wickett-Ford, teaching artist for Silver Kite Community Arts of Seattle, will use instruments, voices and movement to celebrate culture. 10:30 am. Aug 10: Free showing of the movie “Labyrinth” 3:30 pm Aug 24: Free showing of the movie “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events” 3:30 pm
Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center Join us in the parking lot for the perfect view and listening spot for these free outdoor shows at Centennial Park. AUG 3: The Prefunc AUG 10: Kevin Jones AUG 17: Desmadre Musical AUG 24: Beth Whitney & Troy Lindsey 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm. Beer Garden admission $1 (21+)
AUG 1-31: Live Music at McGlinn’s
AUG 2: Ol’ Dog Days Benefit Concert
McGlinn’s Public House, Wenatchee Parklet Vibes Summer Music Series. All shows are free and kid friendly. Shows with inclement weather will not be canceled but moved indoors. AUG 1: Lucky Break Boys, 7:00 pm AUG 3-4: Debbie Miller, 8:00 pm AUG 5: Fox And Bones, 6:00 pm AUG 8: Nic Allen, 7:00 pm AUG 10-11: Eddie Manzannares, 8:00 pm AUG 15: Lance Tigner, 7:00 pm AUG 17-18: Gregory Rawlins, 8:00 pm AUG 22: Eden Moody, 7:00 pm AUG 24-25: Gina Belliveau, 8:00 pm AUG 29: Jennan Oaks, 7:00 pm AUG 31: Sarah Christine, 8:00 pm Visit mcglinns.com for complete show listings and links to learn more about the artists.
AUG 1-29: Ye Olde Bookshoppe 11 Palouse St. Open Mic Nights, every Wednesday. Poetry, spoken word, short stories, music! 6:00 pm
Sunshine Ranch, Wenatchee The second annual Ol’ Dog Days event features headliner the Kevin Jones Band, and local artists Eden Moody and Elaine Eagle. Food is provided by Two Chefs Catering and attendees will have the opportunity to purchase raffle tickets for great prizes, as well as a variety of beverages. Funds from the event will benefit Wenatchee Valley Humane Society’s general fund, which allows for the care of shelter animals. Doors 4:30 pm, music 5:30 pm. Ticket includes food and concert: $35 adults, $15 children 15 and under.
AUG 2-18: The Full Monty Numerica Performing Arts Center, Wenatchee NPAC, Don Fox Designs LLC, and Jaime Donegan Productions present a raucous, pop-rock-musical send-up of gender expectations and stereotypes…that takes it all off. Based on the cult hit film of the same name, THE FULL MONTY is filled with honest affection, engaging melodies and the most highly anticipated closing number of any show. AUG 2, 8-9, 15-16 at 7:00 pm AUG 3-4, 10-11, 17-18 at 8:00 pm AUG 11 at 2:00 pm Details and tickets: numericapac.org/hot-august-nights
AUG 3-31: Live Music at Wally’s House of Booze Presented by Snatchee Records at Wally’s Tavern, Wenatchee AUG 3 & 31: Community Center AUG 4: Boss’ Daughter, The Nightmares, Shadowcats AUG 10: Mables Marbles, Cockaphonics AUG 11: Kings of Cavalier, DAR, Waking Things AUG 24: Millhous, Project Failure, Not All There AUG 25: Murder of Crows, Nephilim Rising Music at 9:30 pm, $5 cover (21+) See facebook.com/pg/ SnatcheeRecords509 for complete event listings.
AUG 4: Ando’s Birthday Bash! Presented by Snatchee Records at Wally’s Tavern, Wenatchee. Featuring live music from many friends: Boss’ Daughter (Punk Rock from Reno, Nv) The Nightmares (Rock from Wenatchee, Wa) Shadowcats (Solo Acoustic Punk from Seattle, Wa) Music at 9:30 pm, $5 cover (21+)
AUG 4: Austin Jenckes with Cody Beebe & the Crooks Suncadia Resort, Cle Elum Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and join us at the Suncadia Village Amphitheater for a free outdoor concert. Austin Jenckes was born and raised outside of Seattle in the small town of Duvall, Washington, and now makes his home in Nashville, Tennessee. Austin’s songs are laced with dynamic soaring melodies and
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introspective life-lived lyrics. Stylistically, his music makes you long for a simpler time when the world moved a little slower and things felt a bit more pure. Under the stars and open to all ages. 7:00-9:00 pm.
Aug 6-23: Super Summer Adventures
AUG 4: Headwaves at Norwood
AUG 9-11: All of Creation Summer Art Camp
Norwood Wine Bar, Wenatchee Tickets are now available for our next show, and this one is going to be special. Headwaves is a five piece group, based out of Seattle, WA. The music is a mix of hazy dream pop, heady rhythms and lush synth rock. 8:00 pm. Tickets at brownpapertickets.com/ event/3569464
AUG 4: KCFD1 2nd Annual Car and Bike Show Thorp Fire Station, Kittitas Come see classic cars, hot rods and motorcycles at the fire station in Thorp. There will be live rock and roll by Blind Alley, multiple food options for purchase, and memorabilia for purchase. Proceeds from car/bike entry will go towards local children’s charities. We hope to see you there! 9:00 am. Entry to view cars, bikes and music is free.
Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center 127 South Mission Street Weekly Summer Camps for 1st – 7th graders. See wenatcheevalleymuseum.org for details
Pybus Market, Wenatchee FREE art day camp for children ages 4 to 18 years old, hosted by Pacific Crest Church, Thursday and Friday August 9th and 10th, in the Pybus Market concourse. Participants will create their own artwork with local artists and volunteers from the Wenatchee Valley. Stations include: watercolors, abstracts, sculpture and recycled art, poetry, character drawing, and more. This year we are adding photography classes, limited to students 10 and up. This class also has limited space and is first come first served. Pybus Market will host a public exhibition of selected works by students in the center concourse on Saturday, August 11th. Art Camp: August 9 and 10, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm Student Exhibition: August 11, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm Details: www.pybuspublicmarket.org/events/all-ofcreation-art-camp-for-kids-10am-to-12-noon/
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Thursday, AUGUST 2, 2018
GTFO again: More EVENTS WORTH LEAVING YOUR HOUSE FOR
Aaron Crawford
AUG 10: Aaron Crawford at Lisa Bee’s East Wenatchee As the founder of Cascade Country, Aaron Crawford is forging a new path: paying respect to the roots of traditional country while blending those flavors with the Seattle sound including the likes of the grunge scene icons Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and even Foo Fighters. Music starts at 6:00 pm. Tickets sold at the door: $10 adults, $5 kids 12 and under. Bring chairs or a blanket to sit on.
AUG 11: Kruisin Kittitas Carshow and Burnouts Main Street, Kittitas Presented by the Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce. Over 75 classic cars will line Main Street of Kittitas. The event will also feature live music, swap meet vendors, and food vendors. The car show entries will parade down Main Street before the main event, the Burnout Competition, which is one of the only legal burnout events still occurring in the US. Cars on display starting at 8:00 am. Burnout Competition at 3:00 pm.
The paperboys
many factions of ethnic groups are buried. 9:00 am-5:00 pm. See http://61981.blackbaudhosting. com/61981/Wenatchee-to-Roslyn-Geology-Tour
AUG 12: ‘50s Flash Back with ‘Illusion of Elvis’ Red Horse Diner, Ellensburg Come watch Danny Vernon as the ‘Illusion of Elvis’. Danny is known for his high energy Elvis Tribute shows that focus on connecting with his audience. He enjoys performing all three decades of Elvis’ career. His charismatic red-headed wife, Marcia Ann-Margret, performs alongside him, adding a unique and enjoyable chemistry to the show. Cruise your hot rod out for a show and shine day. Enjoy the performance from our large green lawn in our great out door venue. Hot food & cold drinks always available! 2:00 pm. All ages welcome.
AUG 12: Dynamic Detail Workshop with Steven Reddy
Icicle Creek Center for the Arts, Leavenworth Bring a chair or blanket and join us for music in the meadow with The Paperboys, in concert! 7:00 pm. Tickets: icicle.secure.force.com/ticket/
RadarStation, Wenatchee Gage Academy of Art instructor Steven Reddy offers an easy-to-follow, unfussy approach to drawing, teaching beginner-friendly techniques necessary to make drawing and sketching an everyday habit. 12:30 pm. Class is limited to 15 participants. For details and registration, see https://goo.gl/forms/ZuLLoNlcH1BCqPgk1
AUG 11: Wenatchee to Roslyn Geology Bus Tour
AUG 14: Ice-Age Flood Controversies: Past and Present
AUG 11: Music in the Meadow with The Paperboys
Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center The tour begins in Wenatchee and continues west on US-2/97 to look at the geology of the Wenatchee Valley. Then the route will turn south on US-97 where the local geology and old town site of Blewett mine history will be discussed. An additional stop along US-97 will look at the Swauk Formation conglomerate/sandstone and Teanaway Basalts (dikes). From Blewett Pass the trip will head southwest to Cle Elum where coal mine history will be discussed. Time will be provided in Roslyn to explore the local museum and eat. A trip to the local cemetery will show where
Hosted by Wenatchee Valley Erratics Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute, at the Wenatchee Valley Museum Vic Baker, Professor of Planetary and Geosciences, U. of Arizona, and long-time Friend of the Erratics, will discuss catastrophic flooding that has invoked controversy ever since the beginning of geological sciences. Debate has continued over the 50 years that Dr. Baker has been studying the area. This talk will provide an update on recent discoveries, with some reflections on both the past and future science of catastrophic floods. 7:00 pm-8:30 pm. Free. See https://iafi.org for details.
‘Illusion of Elvis’
AUG 16: Four Minutes of Fame RadarStation, Wenatchee Just when you need it most, a cool literary evening in a super cool venue! Enjoy original poetry and prose by local writers at Write On The River’s summer Four Minutes Of Fame, hosted by Wenatchee’s newest gallery and intimate performance space at 115 South Wenatchee Avenue. Adult beverages and snacks will be available for purchase. Readings start at 7:00 pm. For more info, email info@writeontheriver.org
AUG 17-18: NCW Quilt & Fiber Art Festival Town Toyota Center, Wenatchee Over 300 traditional and art quilts on display. View & visit the doll and beading displays, merchant mall, artisan market, live demonstrations and a silent auction to benefit the Wenatchee Valley YWCA. The featured quilt artist is valley native, Eileen Dvorak. Raffle tickets will be available for “Summertime,” a wool appliqué. 9:00 am -5:00 pm both days. Admission $7, and parking is free.
AUG 18: Fuzz Fest 218 Lisa Bee’s, East Wenatchee This is our biggest party of the year. We are going all out! I have Tom Bennett from Utah singing and the Olson Bros Band as well. We will have treats, games, giveaways, a pie eating contest, food and drink specials, VIP tables for music and more. Music starts at 5:00 pm. Advance tickets: $15 adults, $10 children. Call 884.5000 for more info.
AUG 18-19: Lake Chelan Creative Arts Festival Riverwalk Park, Chelan 8th Annual Lake Chelan Arts Council Arts Festival. Original art from juried artists, silent auction, activities for kids, and more. 10:00 am to 5:00 pm both days.
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Steven Reddy
Planes on Paper
AUG 19: Summer Sunday Symphony: Battling Napoleon Cave B Estate Winery, Quincy Join us for a very special evening of music and wine at the Cave B Summer Music Theater Stage, located directly in front of our Quincy tasting room. The second show in our Summer Sunday Symphony Series with the Yakima Symphony Orchestra is Battling Napoleon, with special guests the Yakima Symphony Chorus. This is a kid friendly event, please bring your own chair (low chairs are preferred) or blanket. Wine, Water & Snacks will be available for purchase. 8:00 pm. Tickets and details: www.ysomusic.org/concerts-events/summer-sunday-symphonies-218/
“Summertime”
AUG 2-23: Summer Concerts in the Park N. Alder Street Park, Ellensburg The Ellensburg air comes alive when summer concerts start in August. Bring your lawn chair and a picnic dinner to enjoy the wonderful, local musical artists. AUG 2: Gone Fiddling Again (Folk/Swing/Blues) AUG 9: One Bad Kitty (Classic Rock/Blues) AUG 16: Rusty Cage (Classic Outlaw Country) AUG 23: Ellensburg Big Band (Swing /Jazz) 6:30 pm. FREE
AUG 25: Wenatchee Wine & Food Festival Toyota Town Center, Wenatchee It’s the largest gathering of wineries in the region, and the only professionally-judged wine event dedicated to wines produced in Chelan, Douglas, Grant and Okanogan counties. Meet the wine makers and taste the award-winning wines, plus enjoy locally hand-crafted distilled spirits, craft beers, as well as a wide selection of amazing food. Entertainment will be provided by the Confluence Jazz Trio. Award winning wines will be available for purchase to benefit the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. All wine and food samples are included in your ticket. $45 for general admission, $75 for VIP entry. 6:00-9:00 pm
AUG 31: Planes on Paper at Lisa Bee’s Lisa Bee’s, East Wenatchee Planes on Paper is going to be our last official concert of the summer. We are teaming up with them to raise money for Sustainable Wenatchee, an environmental 51(c)3 nonprofit working to promote a culture of sustainability in the Wenatchee Valley. 6:00 pm. Tickets at the door: $10 for all ages.
AUG 31: We’re All Mad Here RadarStation, Wenatchee Flannel Fox Entertainment Presents WE’RE ALL MAD HERE, an Alice in Wonderland Drag Show featuring Queens from Spokane’s Haus of Voodoo. Show #1: Doors 6:30 pm, Show 7:00 pm Show #2: Doors 9:00 pm, Show 9:30 pm (SOLD OUT) Your ticket must be for the correct show time to enter. 18+ recommended. Tickets at eventbrite.com/e/were-all-mad-here-alicein-wonderland-drag-show-tickets-48318332433
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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.
Ye Olde Bookshoppe
Pan’s Grotto
11 Palouse St. Summer Store Hours: Mon 11-7, Tue-Thur 10-7, Fri-Sat 10-8. Art Walk Hours: 5:00-8:00 pm. Featured in August is S. Rose Vintage Designs by Alicia Nelson. One of a kind vintage button jewelry and accessories created in loving memory of her daughter, Skylar Rose Nelson (March 22, 1999 – January 12, 2015). 20% of proceeds go directly to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
3 N Wenatchee Ave, Suite 2, don@pansgrotto.com Re-Imagined: A group show featuring local artist’s renditions of some of the world’s most well-known art. Re-Imagined challenges artists to put a unique spin on a classic. Showing all of August, stop by and see!
Julie Aynn Photography 15 Palouse Street #103 5:00–8:00 pm Join us for a fun night of delicious baked goods from Cakes & Bakes by Stephanie – scones, cupcakes, cookies and more; plus handmade bath bombs that look like bakery treats, soaps and more from Udabomb Bath Bombs. Samples available!
Mela 17 N. Wenatchee Ave. caffemela.com Mon-Fri 6-6, Sat & Sun 8-4 First Friday Opening Reception: 5:00-8:00 pm Mela features Bryant Goetz. He says of his work, “My mixed media paintings seek to enter the conversation of painting somewhere between the figure and abstraction. There is a certain melancholy feeling I seek to achieve in every painting, which I find beautiful and ambiguous. They leave just enough of the story unfinished to evoke a personal emotional response from each viewer. Spontaneous moments of clarity take place throughout the process and serve as jumping off points as the image evolves. Although oil painting serves as the central medium for the work, no single medium is held sacred. The combination of oil paint, pastel, charcoal, spray paint, and markers each provide a distinct dimensionality to the work.”
Lemolo Cafe & Deli 114 N Wenatchee Ave. Sun & Mon 11-4, Tue-Sat 11-6 Open First Friday until 6:00 pm Lemolo Cafe & Deli features the work of Methow artist, Ginger Reddington. Her lively colors and unique, scratch board style makes for striking paintings of local icons. From rusting farm equipment to salmon and mountain scenes her pictures are bold and happy.
Tumbleweed Shop & Studio 105 Palouse Tue-Sat 11-6, Sun 11- 4, First Friday 5-8 Featuring Katie Waters: “I grew up in Leavenworth and my mom taught everything I know about sewing when I was young. From an early age I loved making up-cycled pieces and using vintage fabrics. We had a fantastic craft room for as long as I can remember, and we were constantly filling it with treasures from yard sales, goodwill, and the sale rack at Joann’s. This, paired with my mom’s talent is my inspiration for my bonnets and blankets. I hope you enjoy them as much as I love creating them!”
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RadarStation 115 S. Wenatchee Ave. First Friday Reception 5:00-9:00 pm Alice in Wonderland - Group Art Show: This month at RadarStation we celebrate all things Wonderland with a group show opening reception from 5:00-9:00 pm. This will be followed by a free late-night screening of the Walt Disney classic animation “Alice in Wonderland”, beginning around 9:00 pm. Due to the graphic nature of some the art currently on display, this event is 18+ only. Free Admission.
Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center 127 South Mission Street wenatcheevalleymuseum.org Tue-Sat 10-4, First Friday 10-8 (FREE) The main gallery features the NCW Juried Art Show & Sale presented by the Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center and showcases exceptional work by regional artists. The upstairs rotating gallery holds A Brief History of Photography. This exhibit, featuring a wide selection of cameras from the Museum’s historical collection, is a precursor to the coming exhibit Beyond the Frame: Inland Bounty, The work of Edward S. Curtis in the Columbia River Basin. This project is in conjunction with the greater Beyond the Frame effort taking place throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce 137 North Wenatchee Avenue 509.662.2116 First Friday Reception 5:00-8:00 pm The Chamber Tasting Room will feature the Art of Cider making with Manchester Road Ciders as well as a mini Class with a Glass. Class with a Glass instructors will lead you through a step by step painting process and by the end, you will have your very own mini-masterpiece to take home. This project is guaranteed to take 15 minutes or less! We look forward to helping you activate your inner artist. Class with a Glass typically offers classes in their downtown location in the Old Fruit Growers Building on the corner of Columbia and Palouse.
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Two Rivers Gallery 102 N Columbia, 2riversgallery.com Wed-Sat 11- 4, Sun 1-4 First Friday Reception 5:00-8:00 pm Robert G. Wilson: The Edge of Modernism. Compositions with opalescent light, sharp or tremulous lines that meet beyond the borders trending toward the contemporary Northwest. “I paint new images that explore the time in which we live. No matter how abstract or non-objective a work of art, check the details. Painting is about paint. Paint speaks without words. Five inner powers drive my art: imagination, insight, inspiration, instinct and intuition.” Robert Wilson lives in East Wenatchee, Washington. Call 206.601.7100 to schedule a studio visit, or visit www.robertwilsonart.com.
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church 428 King St. 509.662.5635 First Friday Reception 5:00-8:00 pm Jean Tudor has been enameling for 50-60 years. She has completed a series of seventeen 8”x10” pieces based on a canticle called Benedicite or Song of Praise. The song brings to mind creation that always continues, and it calls on all, past and present, to praise and magnify the Lord. The material used is silver and copper cloisonné vitreous enamel on copper, with silver and gold foil inlaid. Check out her website: http://www.jeantudorenamels.com
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NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT: oliver hibert Can you talk about how making art evolved in your life? I’ve always made art and drew as a kid. Loved to stay up way too late every school night and draw and make comics and flip books as a kid. By 15 I discovered fine art and painting and just never stopped since. I went to an art high school my junior year and dropped out so I could have more time to paint. I’ve haven’t stopped since. I’ll never grow up.
BY CHAD YENNEY
I love the contrasting use of bold black lines and fluorescent colors in your work, would you describe your painting technique? I’m not sure how to describe it. Or at least, I don’t know what to label it, but I’m not interested in that anyway. I just paint how I want to see. I am a bit of a perfectionist who loves color, contrast, and flat, smooth, pretty things. I assume some of your time is spent making art and another is spent on the business side of things, how do you manage your time and where are you spending your energies? I try to balance it all best I can. Sometimes it’s pretty rough switching to a crazed hermit artist locked away in the studio painting fluorescent fantasies, to doing public events, to the mundane or technical things that a working artist has to deal with. There’s always too much to do but I prefer it that way. It’s just how it is. I like the creative parts a lot more though, so the scales are always slightly tipped on the making art side. What have you learned from dealing with galleries over the years? I learned that it’s a great way for people to see your work in person, and I think that’s important for people to truly understand a painting for example. But you know, I don’t really like galleries in ways too. Luckily we live in a time where we can share our works with the world without leaving our house, but yeah it’s still important for people to see them in the flesh, too. Galleries are necessary, but thank Satan for the Internets. You’ve worked with some of my favorite musicians, like the Flaming Lips, New Fumes, Morgan Delt and The Zombies. Would you give a little background into how these projects work, as far as collaboration and concepts are concerned? Well, I guess they just happen.. They are all my friends, so most of my experi-
THE COMET ences aren’t always business with them.. (excluding the Zombies).. But they are all pretty laid back. Working with Wayne [Coyne] is always super fun, last-minute, rushed and crazy but I love him and working with the [Flaming] Lips. Basically we just try to make cool art together or for them. Sometimes they have ideas; sometimes I just jump in and do whatever I want. It’s always different depending on the project I guess. So, besides all these music-based projects, you’re also doing skateboard graphics, and tarot cards sets. What other things have or are you excited to be working on? I am making a silent short horror film, as well as a second psychedelic film… Very excited about those. It’s hard to keep track sometimes, Idk if there isn’t a medium I’m not doing or have on hold at the moment. I try to paint as much as I can… I have a cool zine that will be released for Halloween... And a big book project in the works that I can’t quite talk about yet… I try to keep everyone updated at my site oliverhibert.com or on my IG @ oliverhibert Anything you’d like to say about love, drugs, or the universe? Love is the universal drug. Follow online oliverhibert.com and IG: @oliverhibert Originally written for RadarStation Magazine Summer 2017.
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jaime’s tattoo garden: Artistic shop finds new space
BY holly thorpe
T
he downstairs space of The Hair Loft (537 Orondo Ave.) was recently transformed into a tattoo parlor decked out with crystals, colorful art and murals. The transformation is thanks to Wenatchee’s Jaime Koenig. Koenig recently moved her business, Jaime’s Tattoo Garden, from Wenatchee Avenue to the new and much larger space. “I kind of like the secluded vibe of it, it’s really comfortable,” Koenig said. “I’ve never been into the standard tattoo shop vibe. This offers me the opportunity to go more the route that I wanted. I’m appointment-only anyway. I like to take my time with my clients and make it a more personal experience, so it’s nice to have that option. And it’s cool to work with such talented ladies at the Hair Loft and the massage therapists, too.” Koenig, 26, opened her business a year and a half ago, and has since acquired a large and eclectic local following. She
said she has been “tattooing religiously” for the last five years, but she started when she was 17. “I am mostly self taught. I have had mentors here and there,” she said. “I quickly learned that I needed to get some advice and some info, so I sought out some artists to teach me the ropes a little bit. But I didn’t do your traditional-style apprenticeship or anything like that.” In 2013, she moved to Wenatchee to work at brother’s tattoo shop, Avenue Tattoo and Piercing. “I kind of just fell in love with being here and stayed. I was working other jobs and tattooing on the side and it got to the point where my clientele just exploded,” she said. “I had to make a choice. I had to decide whether I wanted to really make it a career and jump into it head-on, or to go a different route. And I decided that it was worth it. It’s kind of like the career chose me and I didn’t really choose it. But it’s been beneficial and I love what I do.” Koenig is originally from California,
where she was homeschooled. She said she’s always been artistic, but she’s still getting used to showing off her work. “Growing up I was not someone who shared my artwork with anybody — it was purely for me,” she said. “It was just like this obsession that I’ve always had — the urge to create has been so incredibly strong forever that it was undeniable. And it was never anything that I did for other people. I never did it to sell, I never did it to show.” Besides tattooing, Koenig also draws, paints and creates digital art. She said she’s only recently started selling prints and regularly showing her work in galleries. “To now be in a spot with my art with my career that I don’t really have to do much of anything other than just create and people appreciate that for what it is and it speaks for itself — that’s the best thing that could ever come of it,” she said. Tattooing, she said, and pushes her artistically.
“It challenges me — it’s a completely different art form than anything I’ve really done before,” she said. “That’s why I got into it in the first place. I’d already gotten really good at drawing and painting and all of that, and I always thought it was a really cool concept to have a piece of art that is literally attached to you. Not something that washes off, but something that’s integral to who you are.” She started the business looking to offer her particular artistic style to the area. “I do feel like I fill kind of a niche here that wasn’t fulfilled previously,” she said. “I offer a much more feminine, detailed, painter-type format that isn’t really offered here.” While there are many talented tattoo artists in the area, Koenig said, she opened the business because she had a very specific vision for what she wanted her shop to look like and for the type of work she wanted to do. “The standard tattoo shop vibe is more of like the gangster, grunge feel, like biker
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or whatever. There are a lot of shops that are art-based, but I wanted to approach it in a more therapeutic manner. I wanted it to be a shop where the art can flourish and the ideas can really come to full fruition,” she said. “I only do tattoos that I feel like I can execute well. I’m not really in it for the money, I’m in it for the art, so I wanted a space that really facilitated that.” She said her space and her style attract all types of customers to the shop, especially those who might be turned off by a more traditional tattoo shop. “I have a lot of middle aged and older women that come in to get their first tattoo… People tell me all the time how comfortable my environment is,” she said. “I like being approachable I like people to feel comfortable, and I want people to know that I’m going to do everything I
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possibly can to execute their ideas to the best of my ability.” At Jaime’s Tattoo Garden, getting a tattoo is a process. Koenig specializes in larger, more complex pieces, and spends time before doing the tattoo to work with the customer on the finer details of the piece. “I like to be really, really up front with every single part of it,” Koenig said. “I hear way too often, ‘Yeah, I got this tattoo and I hate it,’ or ‘I went in to get this tattoo, and I had this idea in mind, and when I saw the design it wasn’t really what I wanted, but I felt uncomfortable telling them, so I went ahead and got the tattoo anyway’ and then they’re stuck with something they hate. I never want to be associated with that. I want people to have a piece of art that is exactly what they imagined or more than
they imagined.” Koenig brings clients in for consultations, works with them on colors and design choices, and drafts tattoos in Sharpie to make sure everything is just right. Increasingly, her clients are allowing her more and more creative liberty. They come in with an idea or a concept, and Koenig helps them come up with a final product. “Most of my clients come to me specifically for my artwork now,” she said. “They know what I am capable of and they’ve seen the diversity in what I have to offer and a lot of times they come to me with a vague idea and say ‘Just do whatever you want with it.’ ” Jaime’s Tattoo Garden has been a best kept secret in some ways. Koenig has done almost no advertising, and has only
recently begun building a website and getting business cards. Word of mouth has kept her busy, she said. “The general consensus is that people come to me when they want high quality detail work or when they want something more artistic or if they have this really large idea with a lot of different components and they’re not sure how to put it together,” she said. “I’m lucky. I have a really loyal clientele. I tattoo some amazing people and they’re really supportive.” Follow Jaime Koenig’s work on Facebook at facebook.com/jaimestattoogarden and Instagram @jaimes.tattoo.garden. C
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Howell at the movies: Box Office Mojo Mining:
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omics are where it’s at — to the tune of more than a billion bucks a year in North America. But if you really want to make some moolah, you take a comic book and you turn it into a movie. BY jamie howell Movies hoover up more than $11 billion a year — and the flicks responsible for raking in most of that these days feature superpowers, spaceships or both. Back in the 1990s, the big money-makers were films like Titanic, Saving Private Ryan and Forrest Gump. But when the new century kicked in, things started to shift — the tear-jerking dramas and poignant comedies gave way to, well, magic. In the 2000s, we started to see Harry Potter, Spider-Man and The Dark Knight hitting the annual box office bingo. Now, it’s the 20-teens and, of the top 10 top-
grossing movies of the year so far, more than half of them are comic-book based. Black Panther has its paws deepest in the kitty, with $700 million in sales since it opened in February. Next in line at the fountain of money is Avengers: Infinity War with $678 million; followed by Incredibles 2 with $573 million. Check out the top ten list below and you’ll see, essentially, every blockbuster either is, or could be, a comic. The horror movie, A Quiet Place, is the biggest exception, and Ocean’s 8 features “real” people, albeit people with supernatural gifts for thievery. But the trend is clear. The thing we most want to see is something super — superhuman, supernatural or, at the very least, super rich (as in Tony Stark- or Bruce Wayne-wealthy). A regular, old life is just too dull by today’s movie standards. We want bionics, mutations, mythic Amazonians, lead characters who don’t even blink at a hop to hyperspace. It’s a bit like the porn progression — first it’s a naked booby, and before you know it you get caught googling midg-
ets and coprophagia (gross!). Some of it’s the CG. Technology now allows us to make the impossible happen on-screen in ridiculously believable ways. We barely even register that anything’s out of the ordinary when, wow, somehow there’s a camera op who can follow Deadpool in and out of an SUV full of bad guys in mid-crash, flipping from slo-mo to hyperlapse, following bullets through skullcases and sword tips through torsos. Of course, it does take an Iron Giant full of cash to make these effects-heavy features. Avatar still holds the crown for most dough ever spent making a movie at $425 million. You’ve got to throw a backbreaking wad of Benjamins at those digital sweatshops in Burbank (or you could maybe try Hungary if you’re looking to save a few forints) to keep those squadrons of sun-deprived animators punching pixels for years at a time. But don’t you worry, the movie studios are doing okay. Avatar also holds the record for most profitable movie of all time, pocketing $1.2 billion (yes, billion) after expenses. Once they go worldwide, all
these movies basically triple their investment. In short, we value our fantasies. The studios know it and, in figuring out how to sell those fantasies back to us for the highest possible return, they’ve landed solidly in the world of comics. The last thing I’m going to do is complain about fantastic stories that look awesome on-screen. But as I read about Netflix ponying up $8 billion on new content this year in a bid outspend Disney, I can’t help but think, wasn’t it cool back when Robert Rodriguez could make El Mariachi for $7,000? Eraserhead cost a hundred grand — that’s like the coffee bill on a movie set today. What else could we do with $8 billion? Feed three million hungry Americans for an entire year, that’s one thing. Put 754,000 impoverished kids in school for a year — that’s another. Naw, we’re gonna make Aquaman instead. Enjoy the show! C
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show me the money BLACK PANTHER $699,955,434 2/16/18 AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR $677,544,078 4/27/18 INCREDIBLES 2 $572,780,648 6/15/18 JURASSIC WORLD $397,555,500 6/22/18 DEADPOOL 2 $317,668,854 5/18/18 SOLO $212,715,759 5/25/18 A QUIET PLACE $187,841,212 4/6/18 ANT-MAN AND THE WASP $183,124,127 7/6/18 OCEAN’S 8 $137,287,915 6/8/18 READY PLAYER ONE $137,018,455 3/29/18
Dig numbers?
Comic industry data: comichron.com Movie industry data: boxofficemojo.com, the-numbers.com
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COMET TALES: rEADER SUBMITTED WRITINGS Ecstasy
by lorna rose
On this Friday night in southern California, I made myself up just right: a striped gray tube top and matching miniskirt, black mascara on curled eyelashes, red stain inside red lip liner, my legs soft, every hair, every bump gone. My dark blonde hair, shined up with pomade, hung down just past my shoulders. Those days I wore it straight, ironing each section of hair until it fell flat and careful on top of the others. I was to meet my friend Andy and a group in Hollywood, where we would be going to my first rave. A rave is a type of underground party at an unofficial club; usually they are held in empty storefronts or warehouses where DJs spin electronic music. They also usually involve drugs; people go to raves to get high. I didn’t know exactly what to expect on that front. The only drug I’d done was marijuana. Tonight I was up for anything. Among our friends tonight would be my date, Graham, a friend of Andy’s. This was going to be our first date. A dark club seemed like a sexy place for a first date. Keep it fun and social, I reasoned. I met the group outside a warehouse on the outskirts of Hollywood. “Wow!” said Andy when we see saw each other, his eyes looking me up and down, which was just the response I was going for. Graham approached and gave me a hug. “You look beautiful,” he whispered. “Thanks.” My friend Catherine was also among the group; the rest, another five or six men and women, I did not know. We headed into a gray, graffitied concrete building. From the outside it simply looked like a quiet broken-down structure. Except for some blue glow sticks and a dim light coming from the back, I couldn’t see anything inside. As my eyes adjusted to the dark I saw we were in a large open room. I noticed large chairs and couches around, all covered in what looked like satin or corduroy sheets, the kind that cover furniture when it’s not being used, but nicer. Why are there so many and why are they all covered? I wondered. Loud music thumped from somewhere in the back. The smell of alcohol mixed with the smell of a dank warehouse. Other people in couples and groups were standing around in the big open room. It wasn’t crowded. Some people were dancing. Toward the back of the room I saw people going through a door to another room. Most of them seemed to be sipping from red plastic cups. I stood and watched for a minute. Andy grabbed my waist and beckoned me toward the group. As we gathered in a circle I felt my high heels clang against the concrete floor. Andy began handing out white pills the size of Tylenol capsules. Mine had pink flecks in it, and someone in the group handed me one of those red plastic cups to wash the pill down. The drink tasted like a White Russian. I finished it. I thought, I’m ready for tonight. I’m ready to feel good. The music grew louder then, and I started to move to it. Soon Andy and Catherine and the others joined me. Graham danced across from me, and every few seconds I glimpsed him watching me. That’s right, take it all in, baby. A few minutes later I broke away to use the bathroom. Catherine led me to women’s room at the front, near the entrance. “I think Graham really likes you,” Catherine said as we took our places in neighboring stalls. “Oh yeah?” I tried to sound surprised. “Is this your guys’s first date?” asked Catherine. “Yeah.” “What do you think? Is he boy toy material?” she asked. I tried to keep my voice casual and loose. “I don’t know. We’ll see.” “Are you drunk?” “Nah. I just had a few sips of that White Russian.” I wanted to be feeling something by now, a blissful blurriness of a bent real-
ity from the little white pill. As we left the bathroom we ran into Graham. “Graham, I’m not feeling anything,” I shouted. The music had gotten louder. “How long has it been?” “Thirty minutes.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out another speckled capsule. “Here.” “Thanks.” I swallowed it dry. The club had gotten crowded. We wandered back to the group and started dancing. Everyone around us was dancing. Andy sidled up behind me, grabbed my bare middle, and moved with me. In the next moment Graham was there, dancing close against my front, and soon his hands replaced Andy’s on my waist. His curly hair plastered to his head, and his hips grinded into mine. I smelled Old Spice mixed with sweat. As the beat throbbed on I felt a warmth grow inside my arms. Blood rushed forward into my fingers, and my fingertips glowed alive, electric and tingling. Soon everything I touched, my clothing, my hair, a red plastic cup, shot an impulse through me, like a bolt of lightning, and I felt flutters on the top of my scalp. I broke away from the dancing and sat down on the nearest couch to catch my breath. I reached down and felt the couch. I glided my fingers over the velvety surface, and each fiber felt soft and rich and wonderful. My hungry fingers craved more things to feel, to devour with touch. Each caress of The Couch brought a new lightning, crackling and sizzling. My fingers pulsed, and each stroke of a surface wasn’t simply a stroke but a deep examination. My touch dipped inside The Couch cover, and every fiber, every stitch, shot such tingles up my arms that pretty soon I was laughing. I wanted to drink The Couch. I wanted to eat the velvety cover. More surfaces. I draped my hands over my shirt and through my hair. More heat and lightning and a feeling of exquisiteness, as though I was tasting my favorite food for the first time, and I’d forever be trying to taste it again for the first time. I imagined my fingers leaving a trail of light; whereas everything was dark before, things would now glow and illuminate the drab. Everything was alive in a wild and voracious way. Something caught my eye. I didn’t want to look away from The Couch but I was curious. Someone had a blue glow stick. It was a neon beacon against the dark, and with every movement it left a blue streak in its wake, like taillights tearing down an empty intersection at night. The blue light twirled and waved, and I could see that the stick was around a girl’s wrist as she danced. That blue smear of light seemed to bend time and slow it down, as though the streak touched the bounds of time and distorted it. Graham sat down next to me. He seemed far away, like I was looking down the wrong end of a telescope. I reached out and devoured his curly hair with my fingers. I felt such happiness, its fine and feathery texture so warm and delicious. I laughed again. He laughed too. I must touch still more surfaces. I reached down below me. Andy appeared. He seemed faraway too. I knew he had taken a pill but somehow he seemed sober and sensible. I stumbled as I stood up to whisper in his ear: “I can’t stop feeling my legs.” I could see the group had started floundering toward the door, people laughing and still dancing. I wondered if anyone was getting the same exhilaration from the pills as I was. I didn’t want it to end. Graham and I followed the group out the door, laughing about nothing, me still bending over to touch my legs, and spilled out onto the street in the direction of his car and then his Santa Monica apartment.
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my bad
by jon davies
In real life we got along face to face, this still takes place with 99% of the people who share time. Relying on this mind has shattered most of these to tatters. I thought there was a flow of words to be proud of, instead a woven shroud I’m in doubt of. Clever rhymes age quickly showing child like mind. Let the world pass, why is what I like so far off. To my lovely ex wife so full of spice. May the future be bright showing you light. Knowing you’ve earned your place with skill and grace. The corporate ladders no match, for you climb with determination and an eye out for glass. You’ll see that ceiling hover and with team building savvy bring attention to outdated conventions. Quietly or with fanfare as the situation declares, boldly hold up the glass as a source to recycle into new medical vials. Advancement deserved with patients brought along on the curve. Treatment to the people under star, moon and steeple. I believe in you, you’ve felt it. From graduation to urgent care, through conflict and distance. You are a manager and more if you want it. I’ve said it in so many little ways in the past. They existed mixed in with my mistakes and gaffes. No tricks or flattery, no games or masks attached. You’ve been strong since the day I met you. I’m sorry I cracked.
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.
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the spacepod: SKIES, LIES AND PIES.
BY ron evans Flying saucers. The term conjures up images of B-Movie invasions, big-headed aliens and tales of unsolicited probings. While the slightly more grounded (couldn’t be helped) “UFO” has become the more bankable and all-encompassing descriptor for weird shit in the sky, “flying saucer” was king for a good long run. It’s a fine term because it needs little explanation, right? The saucer, she’s a flyin’. And yet, it seems that the originator of this once-ubiquitous term may not have really been describing a flying saucer the way we have come to understand it at all. In June 1947, aviator Kenneth Arnold was piloting his CallAir A-2 plane near Mount Rainier when he saw something that ought not be there. She was flying. And she was a saucer. Nine of them to be precise. Arnold described what he was seeing as “flat like a pie pan,” “shaped like a pie plate,” “half-moon shaped, oval in front and convex in the rear,” “something like a pie plate that was cut in half with
a sort of a convex triangle in the rear”... Dammit man, be clear! Also, was he eating pie when he radioed them shits in? Finally he meandered onto “saucers.” Worst eyewitness ever. “Yes, officer. He was a nude black man looking like a caucasian asian woman wearing a jumpsuit! And he was eating pie I think.” It seems Arnold never actually said “flying saucer.” The press tossed the flying part in and the rest was colloquial history. Except it’s not just a colloquialism, it defined what we thought of alien spacecraft for the next few decades, so it’s worth looking into. And people have. Breaking down what Arnold actually said, it’s pretty clear that the crafts were in fact all sorts of shapes making all sorts of movements. One craft moved like “a fish flipping in the sun.” Hardly what sounds like a saucer ‘tall. Imagine if that one had taken. Ed Wood may have invaded Hollywood with Flipping Space Fish in his disasterpiece opus, Plan 9 From Out-
er Space. The discrepancies go further; “boomerangs skipping about,” “like the tail of a Chinese kite, kind of weaving and going at a terrific speed.” At least he let the pie thing go. “Also like a pie pan skipping…” Damn you, Arnold! The full saucer phrase was “like saucers skipped over water.” But later on, Arnold was clear to elaborate that he was referring to the movement of the crafts in the sky, not their shape. And yet “flying saucers” was what made the headlines. When you close your eyes and picture the classic flying saucers that Hollywood has burned into our heads you are simply not seeing what ol’ Arny the King of Witnesses saw. Yes, he stammers and moves all over the place but eventually you get a full picture of what he saw that day and it was decidedly more boomerang than saucery. We can’t know if there was pie on board. We just can’t. In 1950, Arnold talked to Edward R. Murrow about the hullabaloo. “When I
described how they flew, I said that they flew like they take a saucer and throw it across the water. Most of the newspapers misunderstood and misquoted that too. They said that I said that they were saucer-like; I said that they flew in a saucerlike fashion.” Said the pie-happy flyboy. Interestingly, it’s not just Hollywood that took to this term. By this time, the Roswell UFO incident had already taken place but the headlines we all associate with that case “Flying Saucer Crash” ect. weren’t hitting the presses until early July and already stories were beginning to change. “Falling orb”, “metallic triangle” and “shiny box” ahem… were being replaced with “flying saucer”, “metallic discs” and “shiny box.” Well it’s a classic, after all. This is not entirely accurate, of course. There were plenty of eye-witnesses who maintained all along that the ship they saw crash that day in Roswell was in fact, saucer-shaped. But, there are dozens of accounts that differ. One could at least
THE COMET assume that this was due to the headlines of Arnold’s sighting already making their way around the world. This was 1947. The very dawn of the Cold War. It was the perfect time for a new level of paranoia and a new potential enemy. But more importantly, it was the perfect time for a new craze in entertainment. Invaders from outer space. While the U.S. government was honing in on what those pesky Ruskies were up to, the citizens of this fair nation were developing a solid fear of a bigger enemy. Some sci-fi historians wax on about metaphors and allegory as to why this fascination
happened when it did. One idea is that we were actually hopeful of aliens being out there that were benevolent and would step in to keep us from blowing ourselves into meat pies. Oh shit. Damn you, Arnold! Other sentiments point to more complex angle. One that comic book writer Alan Moore and Ronald Reagan alike (how often can you say that?) once hypothesized. I won’t totally spoil the ending of The Watchmen for you, but Reagan once said “If suddenly there was a threat to this world from some other species, from another planet, outside in the universe. We’d forget all the little local differences
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that we have between our countries, and we would find out once and for all that we really are all human beings here on this Earth together. Well, I don’t suppose we can wait for some alien race to come down and threaten us, but I think that between us we can bring about that realization.” Enter the 1950s and you can’t escape flying saucers. Flying saucer films, books, comics, toys, frisbees and models were all the rage. Even top secret military projects were setup to investigate flying saucer reports. We quickly created an entire kingdom. A long-lasting and all-consuming
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kingdom. A kingdom built upon a foundation of lies! Okay, that’s dramatic. But you gotta marvel at how a simple miscommunication led to such an enduring and iconic term. There’s a similar tale to how D.B. Cooper came to be known as D.B. Cooper. Ah, but that’s for another show. I mean issue. But now, it’s pie time. Listen to the Tales From The Spacepod podcast at talesfromthespacepod.com or subscribe on iTunes and most other podcasting apps. C
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Based on the cult hit film of the same name, The Full Monty, a ten-time Tony Award nominee, is filled with honest affection, engaging melodies and the most highly anticipated closing number of any show. PARENTAL GUIDANCE RECOMMENDED
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by ron evans
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THE COMET
8 questions: sarah sims of third eye designs
BY ron evans
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arah Sims has been crafting her elegant handmade jewelry for several years under her business moniker Third Eye Designs, selling both online and in Wenatchee area brick and mortar shops like the Tumbleweed. We asked her 8 Questions.
Where did your journey into jewelry making begin? Being highly sensitive and easily overstimulated, I turned to art as a way to keep myself centered and balanced. I have been creating art since I can remember, macraméing necklaces, stringing beads. While attending college, I was blessed with a job at a local bead shop where jewelry became my main art form practice. I’ve always been interested in rocks and stones, but at the bead shop I was exposed to their metaphysical properties, a way of using crystals as healing tools, and I was blown away. I became immersed in crystals and their many uses. It is my goal to
create quality pieces using sustainable practices. In 2010, I started selling my designs to local shops on commission. In 2016 I took the plunge and started a wholesale business, selling pieces in bulk to local shops. It was challenging at first for my ego to accept that I would be mass producing as opposed to creating one of a kind pieces, but then I realized, “Hey, I can pay my rent! That feels good.” What kind of materials do you enjoy working with? I use 100% recycled Sterling Silver and Gold-Filled wire, with semi-precious stones. Everything is made with love and positive intentions. My jewelry is handmade, hammered and wire wrapped with crystals to create earth friendly, minimalist designs for everyday wear. Any favorite stones? All of them. But crystal quartz, Moonstone and Labradorite are my all time favorite stones. I also really love working
with earthy stones like turquoise, green What’s your dream as far as making art/jewelry is concerned? garnet, jasper, and agates. My hope is that I can inspire creativity in What attracted you to jewelry-making others and help them find beauty in the over other all your other creative out- world around them. lets? Jewelry is nice because it is instantly grat- Do you dabble in other art forms? ifying. I can sit down, design something Oh I dabble alright. I paint, doodle, knit, and create it from start to finish in only and make lots of arts and crafts using a few moments. Sometimes pieces take things found in nature. hours or days to get right, but usually inspiration hits and I get to see it material- What are you currently working on? ize within minutes. I also enjoy how easy I am currently working on creating an inventory for my summer arts and craft it is to pack with me on adventures. fairs. I’ll be in Sandpoint in August, and Do you have a dedicated studio or do I’m doing a family fair in Malaga in September. you work in other locations? I have had many work spaces, some downtown in an office building, some in my home, some on the go in the car or in Find Sarah’s unique handmade items at a tent while I’m traveling. I am current- Tumbleweed and RadarStation Wenatchee, ly back to a home studio in Malaga, WA Posy in Leavenworth, Spirals in Chelan and Evolve in Ellensburg. Follow her online at where I live on an organic farm. IG @Third_Eye_Jewelry and SarahSims.etsy.com.
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