North Indy Magazine July 2023

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IN THIS ISSUE

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EPISODE 4: DWIGHT SIMMONS, LOCAL COMEDIAN

EPISODE 5: NEALE JOHANTGEN

THEATER MANAGER - IMAX THEATER AT THE INDIANA STATE MUSEUM

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ERIN TURK

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NATALIE PLATT

ON THE COVER

LOCAL ARTIST

DAN "HANDSKILLZ" THOMPSON @INVISIBLE_HOMETOWN

4

HEROES OF THE INDUSTRY

A Passion for the Art Form Keeps Comic Carnival Going, Almost 50 Years On

7

REAL-TIME ANALYTICS

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"HELLO NEWMAN"

Indianapolis PopCon is the Convergence of All Things Pop Culture

14

WEAR IT OUT

Style Is Seldom in Short Supply at The Urban Hippie

16

SPLASHING ONTO THE SCENE

Frank’s Paddlesports Livery Is Indy’s Newest River Attraction

20

ORDER'S UP

Uptown Cafe Operates With Community and Quality in Mind

KEY CONTRIBUTORS

DAN THOMPSON / RENEE LARR / KJ MCGLINN / RYAN GABBERT SARAH BROWNING / JAYLAN NOELLE / DANIEL WOODY

Recorded at Round Table Recording in Broad Ripple Village Sponsored by Rock The Ruins, Guggman Haus and Black Circle.

Writer / Ryan Gabbert Photographer / Michael Durr

riving south on Keystone Avenue, you are flanked by familiar sights, strip malls, fast-food restaurants and beauty salons. Looking a bit closer, you can see something unique. Comic Carnival is the oldest comic book store in the Midwest, and has been a beloved Indianapolis establishment for nearly 50 years.

In 1975 Mark Hylton was trying to figure out his next move. He had worked a few jobs around Indianapolis, but due to an accident that resulted in him losing an arm, he needed his new career to be a little different.

Hylton discovered that there was a growing market for comic books in Indiana, and decided to roll the dice. Finding comics at garage sales and through ads in the local paper, he began by selling them out of just one spinning rack in a barbershop in Broad Ripple, and he never looked back. Comic Carnival eventually expanded to multiple locations around the city and became, as stated on its website, “Indianapolis’ Pop Culture Headquarters.”

Ever since its founding, Comic Carnival has served the Indianapolis community as a beacon for comic book lovers, and anyone looking to let their mind wander to new and fantastic places. It has a wide selection of products ranging from rare vintage comics to action figures, board games, card games, apparel, toys and much more. There is truly something for every customer.

Hylton retired in 2015, passing the torch to Tim Reynolds and Dan Gaines, both comic enthusiasts eager to take the store to new heights. For Reynolds, this had been a long time coming, as his love of comic books began at an early age.

“My uncle had a collection of old comic books that he left at my grandmother’s house, his mother’s house,” Reynolds says. “When I would go up there to visit her I would look through these and think, ‘Wow, look at all this really cool stuff happening,’ and I would make up my own words and my own dialogue as to what was happening because I couldn’t read. I remember the summer I found those, I stayed with her for a few months, and I went home and was really excited to learn how to read so I could see what these comics said. The next summer when I came back, or maybe it was at Christmas,

Staff at Comic Carnival 7235

N Keystone Ave Suite E, Indianapolis

I could read a bit and was just tearing through these things. These were all late ‘50s and early ‘60s comic books, so these were ‘Justice League’ and even some ‘Spider-Man.’ I was just enthralled by them.”

This passion for comics shines through, not just when you talk to him, but also through every employee who works at Comic Carnival. The staff is welcoming, knowledgeable, and will do their best to ensure you leave with exactly what you are looking for (unless it’s Superman #1).

Entering Comic Carnival is like passing through a portal to another world - a world filled with heroes, villains, exotic locations and dangerous adventures. On the shelves you’ll find the familiar classics, as well as a regular influx of new comics, so new readers and old-timers alike can find something fresh and exciting.

Getting new comic book readers is something that Reynolds is especially passionate about, not for their business, but for the sake of spreading the love of comics as an art form, and to ensure the industry continues to flourish freely for years to come.

Every year on the first Saturday in May, Comic Carnival hosts Free Comic Book Day. It is the store’s biggest annual event, but this year it also served to honor Co-owner Gaines, as he sadly passed away earlier in 2023.

“We give away hundreds and hundreds of comics trying to get new readers interested in comic books,” Reynolds says. “They are from a specially cultivated selection by the publishers, and we facilitate that giveaway. This year we did a memorial for Comic Carnival’s other owner, Dan. We did some raffles of products and gave the proceeds to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. That is a fund that fights against censorship, especially for comic creators and comic publishers.”

Comic Carnival embodies the same ethos it was founded with back in 1975. It serves as a place for comic and pop-culture enthusiasts to be amongst kindred spirits, read about their favorite heroes and have friendly debates. Perhaps settling once and for all the ultimate question of DC versus Marvel.

If you want to learn more about Comic Carnival, check out their website at comiccarnivalcom. wordpress.com, find them on social media, call 317-2538882, or go down to the shop and have a look around at 7235 North Keystone Avenue, Suite E in Indianapolis.

INDIANAPOLIS POPCON IS THE CONVERGENCE OF ALL THINGS POP CULTURE

Writer / KJ McGlinn Photography Provided

It was more than 10 years ago when PopCon co-owner Carl Doninger and a few close friends had the idea to create not just another convention, but an experience unlike any other. This experience would immerse attendees in familiar pop culture while introducing them to new, exciting experiences.

Doninger had a passion for tabletop gaming while some of his friends loved comic books and another with a passion for the show “My Little Pony.” A few just loved popular TV shows and creators on YouTube. What the group realized was every person in their life had a passion that fell under the pop culture category, but not everyone had a place to gather and celebrate that passion.

Soon, Doninger was joined by co-owner Kris Keys. “I thought it was a cool opportunity to plan an event that was a little different than other conventions out there,” Keys says.

The first PopCon was held in Indianapolis in June of 2014. Nine different pop culture genres were represented from movies and TV, to comics and anime and to eSports and tabletop gaming. Now, 10 years later, PopCon is a tradition for friends and family alike in Indianapolis and an annual trip for many people from around the world. Each year, more than 30,000 people attend PopCon.

“Once you fall into our universe, you are welcomed and immediately feel like you are part of something bigger. Friends are made and cultivated. Annual reunions are organized,” Doninger says.

While the term ‘comic con’ is something you’ve most likely heard, PopCon is not a comic convention. You will certainly find comic books and people in cosplay--hat is part of the fun. But, you’ll also find a fully immersive world of pop culture.

“Most importantly, you’ll also find a family,” says Doninger. “I love seeing the previously oblivious parents thrilled to see their kids in their element, and then realize that they love PopCon too.”

As an attendee of PopCon, not only does the event promise a welcoming atmosphere but also the opportunity to try escape rooms, virtual reality, laser tag, tabletop gaming and video gaming.

Celebrities that have already been announced this year include Patrick Warburton (“Rules of Engagement,” ”Seinfeld”), James Marsters (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Torchwood”) and Michelle Gomez (“Doctor Who,” “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”). Voice actors from popular anime shows like “My Hero Academia” and “Attack on Titan” will also be in attendance. The convention is a favorite among anime fans.

For parents who may not know anything about the anime that their children love, it is a place for them to bond, learn and share the excitement.

“It’s special when that parent that drove more than 12 hours to bring their child to meet someone at PopCon, realizes there are 100 other parents that did the same thing,” Doninger says.

If you’ve often thought a comic con might not be your thing, the duo invites you to come to their event where they assure you that PopCon will become “your thing.” Walk through the vendor hall full of artists and creators. Sit down and try a board game or take the young kids to the Lego display that is bigger than a basketball court.

Simply put: If you’re passionate about it, you’ll find it at PopCon.

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WEAR IT OUT

STYLE IS SELDOM IN SHORT SUPPLY AT THE URBAN HIPPIE

Writer / Jaylan Noelle Photographer / Michael Durr

Near the busy corner of 46th Street and College Avenue rests The Urban Hippie boutique. Leave behind the sounds of rushing cars for the woodsy smell of the shop’s secret, signature scent.

Store Owner Daisha Virgin opened The Urban Hippie four years ago with the help of her aunt, Tammy Castleberry, who had been running a Fort Wayne store by the same name for nearly a decade.

“It was just the coolest little boutique,” Virgin says. “I just loved it so much. We had always talked about opening one together. It was just all about timing and it turned out to be, at the time, the perfect time.”

After spending years working long hours in a high-stress corporate job, Virgin was burnt out and ready for a change.

“It was really a time for me to just take a step back and breathe, create an environment that I felt was creative, and encouraged my desire to just have a fun, different place for people to go and shop,” Virgin says.

The new Indianapolis location, under the sole ownership of Virgin, carries similar styles to its sister store. Virgin says the store sells unique, “funky boho” clothing, as well as simple staples for any closet.

With a wide variety of clothing options including plus sizes, Virgin says her main goal is to have something for grandma, mom and daughter.

“I have a lot of families that come in here and shop together and everybody finds something,” Virgin says. “I also make sure I carry things that are different because I don’t want to be just another boutique.”

The Urban Hippie features pieces from more than 40 vendors, mainly from California, Texas and Chicago.

Owner - Daisha Virgin

Most of the jewelry is locally made, including one-of-a-kind beaded pieces by Virgin’s mother, Stephanie, and accessories made from old vinyl records by Irvington-based Brandy Perry of Hippie Nerd Creations. The Urban Hippie also offers home goods including pots, plants and incense. Customers can take home the store’s signature scent with one of their locally made candles.

Though Virgin is happier being her own boss, owning a business comes with challenges.

“I’m

what goes on in these walls, which is really nice,” Virgin says. “But of course, you know that owning a business isn’t all rainbows and butterflies.”

Since opening in March of 2018, Virgin says owning the boutique has been a “roller coaster.”

When Virgin chose the location, the corner of 46th Street and College Avenue was just getting up and running. Scarlet Lane Brewing Company had signed their lease, Root & Bone was almost

Urban Hippie 4601 N College Ave # B, Indianapolis

open, and an eatery had opened across the street.

One year after the boutique’s opening, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the businesses on the corner to shut down. The eatery across the street closed and the other businesses learned to adjust.

Over time the corner regained momentum. The Urban Hippie grew its online presence, and the neighboring brewery and restaurant opened.

Earlier this year Alison Keefer, owner of Gallery Pastry Bar and Gallery on 16th, opened Gallery Pastry Shop across the street. Virgin says she is hopeful the pastry shop will benefit the corner.

“It’s been evolving and hopefully with Gallery taking over, this corner will really take off,” Virgin says.

After all of the surprises that came during the last four years, Virgin holds on to a manifesto listed on the shop’s website: “The original hippie movement may have started as part of a volatile change in America, and at one time created a divide between generations, but out of that volatility grew change. And just like the butterfly, sometimes change brings beauty.”

With a shared goal of benefiting the area, the local businesses work together to bring more traffic to the corner. Virgin says the locals who frequent the corner have been welcoming and have a heart for supporting local businesses.

The Urban Hippie partners with locals to host a variety of events including yoga with animals and live music events. The boutique will host a SoFar Sounds event later this summer. The location of the show will be announced 36 hours before the event.

For more information about future events and to shop for new arrivals, follow The Urban Hippie on Facebook and Instagram @UrbanHippieIndy, or visit indyuh.com. The shop is located at 4601 North College Avenue in Indianapolis, and can be reached at 317-602-4831.

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SPLASHING ONTO THE SCENE

PADDLESPORTS LIVERY IS INDY’S NEWEST RIVER ATTRACTION

FRANK’S

Writer & Photographer / Daniel Woody @daniel.woody

Paddlesports Livery at The Parks Alliance of Indianapolis, owned and operated by the husband-and-wife duo, Peter Bloomquist and Kate Lawry.

They came up with the idea of opening a paddlesports livery in 2018. The White River was a natural fit because it has served as a source of healing for both of them throughout their lives. Sure, there were other liveries on the river, but they saw a gap in the market in Indianapolis. A dream was born to turn Indy into a river city and activate the White River. But first, they needed a name.

Peter spent his younger years planning and executing river trips all over the U.S., guiding his friends like the river guru he was. He didn’t do it alone, though. His Boston terrier, Frank, was often right by his side. Not the breed you’d expect to be a river dog, but Frank was always eager to hop in the canoe for an adventure and was likely a more experienced river-goer than most humans. Sadly, Frank passed away at the age of 10, but he’s now paddling the rivers of doggy heaven and looking down over his namesake livery. And so Frank’s Paddlesports Livery was born.

Location? Check. Name? Check. But how the heck were Peter and Kate actually going to pull this off? Well, their goal was to serve the community, so in 2019 they went on a mission, seeking advice from more organizations, nonprofits and community groups than you can count. After years of brainstorming and countless cups of coffee, they partnered up with The Parks Alliance of Indianapolis, an Indy-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that exists to connect resources to

needs by uniting government and community, on behalf of Indy’s parks and public spaces. Now they share an office on the White River, like co-workers who bond over river stories at the water cooler.

From the beginning, Peter and Kate have been all about community engagement, so they created a Tactical Advisory Committee to ensure Frank’s operates safely and ethically, and to give organizations involved in our waterways a place to join forces and activate our rivers. The committee includes representatives from Friends of the White River, The Parks Alliance of Indianapolis, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the IUPUI Earth and Environmental Sciences departments, Friends of Fort Harrison, Newfields, Reconnecting Our Waterways, Indy Parks and Recreation, the Rocky Ripple Town Council, Discover White River, the White River State Park, and Camptown.

As if that wasn’t enough, The Parks Alliance, Frank’s and the Tactical Advisory Committee are working together to create the Blueways Initiative later this summer. The initiative will provide free or discounted services to eliminate barriers and provide equitable access.

After years of collaboration, Frank’s Paddlesports Livery opened to the public on May 20 of this year. Frank’s has it all including canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards. They offer seven-mile and fourmile trips with shuttle service included. They’ll even shuttle your personal watercraft for half the cost of their normal rental rate. Their trips start upstream from the livery, so you’ll have a grand finale right back at your car. And if you’re looking for more than just a paddle, Frank’s is the place for corporate events, team building, river cleanups, and tailored trips complete with a guide and a campfire meal. It’s like a VIP experience for river enthusiasts.

And here’s the best part - with each trip, Frank’s provides a prepaddle brief on river safety, as well as the history of the White River and its Native American inhabitants. They even give you refuse bags to practice Leave No Trace principles. It’s paddling with a side of environmental responsibility. Their mission is to be Indy’s top provider of paddlesport rentals, tours and instruction. They’re here to help build a river community, offer equitable river access and promote environmental sustainability. And they’re open Tuesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., ready to make your river dreams come true.

Reserve your spot at frankslivery.com, and if you want to chat with Peter and Kate, feel free to email them at admin@ frankslivery.com. They’d love to hear from you, especially if you have a good paddling story or a photo of your canine river companion!

Frank’s is located at The Parks Alliance headquarters, in the heart of Riverside Regional Park, and nestled between the White River and White River Greenway at 3001 North White River Parkway Drive West in Indianapolis.

Co-owners - Peter Bloomquist and Kate Lawry

ORDER’S UP

UPTOWN CAFE OPERATES WITH COMMUNITY AND QUALITY IN MIND

When Jonathon Smith was 16 years old, he realized he needed to find a job if he wanted to get his own car. In 1998 Smith got a job at Sunrise Cafe in Carmel, working the toaster to save up the money he needed to purchase a vehicle. Smith couldn’t have imagined that his high school job would lead to the ownership of several restaurants of his own, 25 years later.

“My parents told me if I wanted to get a car, I needed to get a job,” Smith says. “My best friend told me his uncle owned a restaurant and that’s how I got the job. A few years later, in 2002, I helped Scott Horsfield open the Fishers location of the Sunrise Cafe.”

Smith says he enjoyed the job and the other longtime, loyal employees, and decided to stick with it. In 2013 Smith and Horsfield opened a Sunrise Cafe location in Noblesville as partners. In 2015 Smith bought out Horsfield and changed the name to Uptown Cafe.

“Uptown Cafe is my version of Sunrise Cafe, but with a few subtle tweaks,” Smith says. “At Uptown we try to make everything homemade, from our condiments, dressings and sauces, and baked items like our cinnamon rolls and English muffins. That’s why I changed the name. The Uptown Cafe location in Noblesville is actually a historical landmark. It’s been there since 1932.”

Smith has since opened two other Uptown Cafe locations in Indianapolis and Carmel. He co-owns the restaurants with a group of friends he’s known since his days at Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) High School. Smith says he appreciates the opportunity Horsfield gave him to own and operate restaurants, and he wants to continue that tradition with others.

“I’m turning around and paying that forward by allowing them to get into restaurant ownership,” Smith says. “I want to grow this into

Writer / Renee Larr Photographer / Sarah Browning

Asia Spencer and Jonathon Smith

"MY DAY-TO-DAY FOCUS IS TO BE THE BEST BREAKFAST AND LUNCH SPOT IN CENTRAL INDIANA."

something that can be a career for all of us. The biggest concern was keeping this group of people together.”

The group purchased the Fishers Sunrise Cafe location in March. Smith says they will keep the restaurant’s name for now, but will start to change the menu slowly. The group will add homemade menu items and purchase ingredients from local businesses.

“I assumed the lease on the location from Scott for the next two years,” Smith says.

UTC041223A_TownePostAd1A_print.pdf

“The name will stay the same for that period of time. After that, we will likely switch the name to Uptown Cafe. We’ll start slowly tweaking some of the products to more homemade items.”

Smith is a hands-on restaurant owner and works at a breakneck pace. He says he’s up at 2 a.m. and home at 7 p.m., ensuring things run smoothly in the day-to-day operations. He wasn’t planning on acquiring the Fishers location when he did, but it’s been a

Uptown Carmel 2271 Pointe Parkway (116th west of Keystone)

Uptown Noblesville 809 Conner Street (On the Courthouse Square)

Uptown Indy 6404 Rucker Road (64th & Binford)

Sunrise Fishers 9767 E 116th Street (116th & Cumberland )

Uptown Market

Enjoy our house-made items at home. Purchase breads, biscuits, muffins, rolls, salads, sauces, dressings, condiments, and more online at: www.uptowncafes.com/shop.

— JONATHON SMITH

pleasant surprise.

“I’ve been working at this pace for the last two years,” Smith says. “I opened the Carmel location in 2021 so that store is only in its second year, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity when the Fishers acquisition came up.”

In 2020 during the height of the pandemic, Uptown Cafe received a Small Business Resilience Grant from the City of Noblesville and Mayor Chris Jensen. Smith says the funds not only helped with finances, but also raised staff morale. Uptown Cafe created The E.G.G.

(Educational Gift Grant), to continue giving back to the community that so graciously gave to them.

“We hadn’t made any changes to our children’s menu in over a decade,” Smith says. “We decided to revamp the menu, donating the proceeds from the menu items to the local school systems in each area. We usually write a check around the holidays to give to the schools.”

His humble beginnings on the toaster, which led to the ownership of several restaurants, isn’t lost on Smith. He realizes he’s come full circle, but says he doesn’t think about it too much. Instead his focus is on growing the business.

“I’m very grateful for Scott bringing us all together, but I don’t think about how far I’ve come from high school,” Smith says. “It’s awesome, but my day-to-day focus is to be the best breakfast and lunch spot in central Indiana. I grew up loving the food and we wanted to continue that tradition. Three of the five owners of the Fishers location all went to HSE schools. My focus is to keep the group together and grow the business.”

Sunrise Cafe in Fishers is located at 9767 East 116th Street. For additional details, visit sunrisecafefishersin.com. For more information regarding Uptown Cafe, visit uptowncafes.com.

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A L E ! S

Sun, Aug. 6 • 11am - 3pm

Huge Sales Around Broad Ripple at These Locations & More!

Artifacts

Barre Ripple Movement

e Bungalow

Clara K. & Cartabella

Create Art Studio

Cristiii Boutique

Foundry 317

French Pharmacie Flea

Indy Urban Market

Lark & Lily Boutique

Lola Blu Boutique

Marigold Clothing

Monon Toys & Cra s

Runners Forum

VanderZon Jewelers

...& more to come!