This week’s episode finds host Adrian King picking up where he left off on what was the final mini-episode installment. Adrian further elaborates on his role as an artist and seeks to reestablish his personal relationship with the creative process, as well as teasing a future project involving some output from the creative community.

Allison Martin is a trombonist with nearly 20 years of performance experience and a Bachelor’s Degree in music education. Having played as a soloist and in ensembles since her youth, Allison was well on her way as a professional player in orchestra before stepping away from music entirely. After years of studying abroad in Japan, Allison has returned with a renewed spirit and destined to make her mark. Equipped with an expansive skillset and an irreverent sense of humor, Allison’s path eventually brought her into the Video Game Music community with an appearance in the popular “Line Them Up” Paper Mario tribute video. 2022 saw the release of her debut album, See The World, a love letter to exploration and the games that inspired her personal journey including entries from The Legend of Zelda: Link To The Past, Final Fantasy VI and Pokémon. In an insightful and in-depth conversation, Adrian talks with Allison about her personal and creative life and the two cover a plethora of topics including: Creative burnout, the secret genius of informercials and the movies of Neil Breen.

East Bay Area musician and audio engineer Ian Cowell returns! Continuing the conversation from Episode 176, Ian tells the story of how a series of situations involving mistaken identity with another Cowell served as the catalyst for meeting some incredible individuals in the VGM/Synth community. Adrian and Ian also provide their thoughts on the importance of virtual VGM concerts, videogame music covers winning Grammy Awards and the value of content creators beyond the things they produce.

The “Minisode” format was intended to be a more intimate and personal account of Adrian’s thoughts and feelings on pop culture and creativity outside of the conversational tone of the standard episodes. In this final entry, Adrian continues a train of thought that was started in Minisode 10. Adrian attempts to redefine what it means to be a creator and podcaster and the role both play in artistic communities he serves. With this comes a conclusion that will no doubt shape his personal and professional journeys for years to come.

This week’s guest is Ian Cowell, an East Bay Area musician, producer and engineer. His incredible style ranges from synthwave, progressive rock, lo-fi and chip music. He has incorporated them into these truly unique arrangements of original music and videogame covers. Ian has been building a steady following in the VGM community with guitar-shredding prowess and irreverent humor. Ian capped off 2021 with the release of Exceptional Goblins, an exhilarating full-length album featuring arrangements from games such as Yoshi's Island, The Legend of Zelda II and Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne. What was intended to be a look into the creation of Exceptional Goblins, the conversation between Adrian and Ian quickly veers into a fun and poignant discussion on a number of topics including: Being Dads as well as gamers and normalizing playing videogames on easy/casual difficulty levels.

Grant Henry, known best by his stage name Stemage, is a composer, session player, and audio engineer. He is the creator of Metroid Metal, performed with Viking Guitar and the guitar player for the Emmy-nominated animated series Steven Universe. His credits also include Ikenfell, Chicory: A Colorful Tale and Runner3. Recorded at the start of 2022, Adrian chats with Stemage about his experiences writing the music for the Hextech Mayhem, a rhythm-based videogame set in the League of Legends franchise from Riot Forge (Ruined King) and Choice Provisions (Bit.Trip). Additionally, Stemage lends his thoughts on balancing hired session work and personal projects, the process of creating the Adrian Has Issues theme song and how he’s found inspiration from an unlikely musical source.

On this week's episode, Adrian chats with Allen Brasch, the owner and editor-and-chief of GameGrooves. Founded in 2018, GameGrooves aims to celebrate the Videogame Music community with blogs, podcasts and albums that feature music artists from a number of genres. Allen details the origins of GameGrooves as well as the events that lead up to the company's most successful album to date: A ska tribute to the music for the game Mario Kart 64 entitled Skario Kart, which features music by Skatune Network, Tape Girl & more. Adrian & Allen also provide their thoughts on the ever-evolving videogame music cover scene, their love of Sonic Adventure 2 and the ambitious 2022 Album Challenge.

In this week's episode, Adrian is once again joined comedian and writer Mario Candelaria (Ashes, The Chart, Tales From The Pandemic). The duo start off discussing the inspiration behind Mario's latest comic "Fog Line," but the conversation takes several irreverent yet poignant turns featuring takes on Lethal Weapon 2 and Mad Men & more. Mario also goes on a deep dive into his love for hit R&B singer The Weeknd, irredeemable characters in fiction and celebrating the success as well as failures along the creative process.

Ro Panuganti is a musician who specializes in guitar-driven music in the vein of progressive rock/metal that have become staples within the videogame music community. His covers have ranged from classic game/movie franchises from The Legend of Zelda and Undertale to Frozen and Hamilton. After building a following through these releases and his YouTube channel, Ro embarks on the next leg of his musical journey with a 5-song concept album entitled Project Discover. In this episode, Adrian has a conversation with Ro regarding the EP which draws inspiration from his experiences as a 2nd generation immigrant, Indian mythology and his deep love of videogames. Ro also details how the themes of identity and representation play into the story but also draw parallels to the VGM community and the path to grow as an artist.

On this week’s episode Adrian welcome back Cody Carpenter to the podcast. Cody is a third generation musician and has lent his unique talents to a plethora of projects including the 2018 film Halloween and The Lost Themes trilogy, which he co-wrote, co-produced, and performed with his father John Carpenter and Daniel Davies. In addition to his projects under the pseudonym Ludrium, Cody has been producing and performing a series of fantastic instrumental albums in the vein of jazz fusion and progressive rock. We discuss the inspiration behind the tracks on latest album Memories And Dreams through Blue Canoe Records as well as weigh in on the resurgence of videogame-themed movies and the influence gaming has had on their lives and creative ventures.

On this week’s podcast, Adrian is joined by Eileen Melendez aka The LatiNerd and returning guest, comic book writer/letterer Erica Schultz (Daredevil, Forgotten Home). Erica’s latest title The Deadliest Bouquet from Vices Press focuses on three sisters who are forced to confront a complicated family legacy when investigating their mother’s murder. Adrian, Eileen and Erica examine the book’s themes complete with irreverent yet insightful takes on sibling rivalry, death as well as action movie stars of the 80’s & 90’s.

On this week’s guest is singer/musician/YouTuber Lacey Johnson! Armed with boundless enthusiasm, razor-sharp wit and a monster-slaying keytar, Lacey covers music from games like Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts and many more. In addition to her YouTube channel, Lacey is also known for energetic live performances that have been making a statement in the Video Game Music community. Lacey shares her experiences with the joys and challenges in arranging music as well as producing videos. Adrian and Lacey also make predictions on what post-pandemic concerts will look like as well as hold an honest discussion on how confronting fear is integral to the creative process.

On this week's podcast, cartoonist Alex Schumacher returns! In early 2020, his semi-autobiographical webcomic "Decades of (in)Experience" through Antix Press had celebrated 200 episodes. Now a year later, Alex talks about the decision to conclude the strip as well as rebrand his other project, the satirical shenanigans of Mr. Butterchips. Embarking on the next phases of his personal and creative endeavors, Alex shares his thoughts regarding the importance of art to evolve and reinforce the idea that it's never too late for new beginnings. For all the latest updates on Alex Schumacher please visit his website alexschumacherart.com.

On this week's podcast, Adrian chats once again with veteran punk rocker Mikey Erg (The Ergs, Worriers) Fresh off the release of his new self-titled solo album, Mikey discusses his "Return to punk rock" and his experience writing and recording a new album in the midst of a global pandemic. Adrian and Mikey also reflect on the absence of live music, share concert-going regrets and the underrated punk prowess of Pearl Jam.

This week’s guests are composers Aivi & Surasshu. They are a chiptune and piano duo, comprised of pianist Aivi Tran and sound designer Steven "Surasshu" Velema. The two have created a significant number of songs for the award-winning Cartoon Network animated series Steven Universe and Steven Universe Future. The duo have been making waves for their work on the soundtrack for the indie RPG Ikenfell created by Chevy Ray of Happy Ray Games along with Sabrielle Augustin. The soundtrack features guest artists such as Sammus, Stemage, Renko, Adriana Figueroa and Reckadem. In this episode, Adrian speaks with Aivi & Surasshu about the evolution of their professional/personal relationship, the concept of “Digital Fusion” in music and Ikenfell’s themes of inclusion and normalization of queer characters in storytelling as well as the game’s unique accessibility options.

On this week’s episode, Adrian teams up with Talking Like A Teen co-host Ashley Burgy for a conversation with voice actress Jennifer Hale. Jennifer has lent her voice to a plethora of animated series (Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Powerpuff Girls) and videogames (Mass Effect, Metal Gear Solid) and currently holds the Guinness World Record for the most female videogame voices. Jennifer talks about her experiences narrating her first audiobook for Christopher Paolini’s novel, To Sleep In A Sea of Stars and co-writing a song inspired by the book along with Todd Herfindal . Plus, Adrian and Ashley chat with Jennifer about the Mass Effect cast reunion hosted by NerdsVote and the importance of being socially and politically active.

This week Ringo Award nominated writer Frank Gogol returns to Adrian Has Issues! Frank is the writer and creator of comics such as the anthology Grief, No Heroine (which Frank and I discussed on Episode 154) and the critically acclaimed coming of age miniseries Dead End Kids through Source Point Press. In this episode, Frank talks about dealing with the whirlwind success of the original series and approaching writing the follow-up Dead End Kids: The Suburban Job. Adrian and Frank talk about the significance post-9/11 society plays in the comic and how we as a society are still experiencing the ripples of the tragic events. Plus, Frank gives his perspective on the importance of pre-ordering comics from both a retailer and reader point of view.

This week's guest is Fallon Goskowski. Fallon is a singer, thespian, the founder of Access BOSS...and Adrian's older sister. Adrian & Fallon reflect on what it was like growing up as Blerds to now being parents to both organic and digital children and express their thoughts on what it means to be Black while fighting to exist and be seen in traditionally White spaces.

This week's guest is David Pepose, the writer and co-creator of the Ringo Award-nominated comic Spencer & Locke as well as Going To The Chapel. from Action Lab Danger Zone. As the comic book industry experiences huge shakeups in publishing and distributing, creators like David Pepose are looking to more crowdfunding ventures such as Kickstarter to appeal to a wider audience that might not have the backing of a traditional publisher. Adrian speaks with David about what inspired his latest comic The O.Z., which is described as The Hurt Locker meets The Wizard of Oz. The conversation then shifts into the marketing of said title, as it is David's first Kickstarter comic and he breaks down his experience with a new outlet of potential readers. There's also talk about what the continual shift towards crowdfunding means for the direct market and the future of indie/mainstream comics and coming to the realization that we're not Keanu Reeves (but that's okay).

Jono Diener is a musician and comic book writer based out of Flint, Michigan. He’s performed in bands like The Swellers, Baggage, and No Trigger to name a few. Diener put together A Comic For Flint: HOPE released by Source Point Press, and is featured in the anthologies Maybe Someday (A Wave Blue World), and Everything Is Going Wrong: Comics on Punk and Mental Illness in addition to his self-published titles Monster Bounty, and Jetpack Zack. In this week’s episode, Adrian chats with Jono about his comic book writing career and his involvement in THE INEVITABLES, an art/music project which was created by Vinnie Fiorello (Less Than Jake) and Obi Fernandez (Westbound Train) and features artist Liana Kangas (She Said Destroy), designer Devin Watson, artist Fabian Lelay (We Are The Danger) and letterer Cardinal Rae (Forgotten Home). Jono and Adrian also examine the post-pandemic nature of both the comic book and music industries and the challenges of creating while dealing with anxiety.

On this week’s episode we’re featuring the comic book “mixtape” entitled Tales From The Pandemic. Taking inspiration from quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic, writer Mario Candelaria (Ashes, The Chart, The Good Fight Anthology) assembles a talented team of artists including our other guest Adam Ferris (The Good Fight Anthology, Unlawful Good, Baroque Pop). Mario and Adam give listeners a candid look at their professional and personal friendship, give their thoughts on being comic creators during these uncertain times and hip-hop’s influence on the creation of the anthology.

This week’s episode features a 2x bonus of videogame music awesomeness! The first half of the show features Ro Panuganti. Ro is a YouTuber, multi-instrumentalist and videographer, specializing in covers of videogames and films in the style of rock and progressive metal. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the popular role-playing videogame franchise “Mother”/”Earthbound,” Ro talks about co-producing the eclectic tribute album Fuzzy Pickles from GameLark with fellow musician Peter “Soundole” Smith. In the second half, Adrian and Ro are joined by fellow guitarist/YouTuber Christian Richardson. Christian and Ro give a detailed breakdown of the long yet rewarding journey the duo took to arrange and co-produce the thrilling album Moon Rock from Materia Collective, which pays tribute to the music of Super Mario Odyssey from Nintendo.

Celebrating 7 years as a podcaster, Adrian further examines the “culture of creativity” on a deeply personal level. In asking listeners a question, Adrian also comes to a realization that will undoubtedly shape future podcasts for years to come.

This week’s guest is Jules Conroy aka FamilyJules7x, a California-based guitarist and YouTuber. Jules details his origins as a musician leading up to the release of his second iteration of “Replay,” a sprawling 20-minute musical tribute featuring 46 different videogames from Pong to Super Mario Bros. to Persona 5. Plus, Jules talks about his successful cover album of the Super Meat Boy soundtrack, which transitioned into working with game composer Danny Baranowsky and being hired as the guitarist for the popular Nintendo game Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the Necrodancer.

This week’s episode features multimedia visual artist and Oneshi Press co-founder Jayel Draco. Jayel and Adrian engage in an irreverent yet poignant conversation about Oneshi’s latest project, Mr. Guy: Zombie Hunter. The story revolves around a wisecracking half-goblin determined to cure himself of a zombie infection…and possibly save the world in the process. While discussing the book’s themes and origins, Jayel examines the nature of parody and meta humor in storytelling and Adrian learns a valuable lesson about life thanks to gelatin-encased foodstuffs known as aspic. Oh, and the Red Baron makes an appearance or two. Why? You’ll have to listen in and find out!

On this week’s episode we welcome back our good friend and podcast regular Erica Schultz. Erica is the acclaimed writer of comics such as Xena: Warrior Princess (Dynamite), Twelve Devils Dancing (Action Lab Danger Zone) and Daredevil (Marvel). Her latest title Forgotten Home has recently been released in a collected trade format on Comixology Originals. The Vice Press comic tells the story of a Sheriff's Deputy investigating missing children that may be related to magic from her homeworld. Picking up where we left off on Episode 148, Erica and I look back at the themes of Forgotten Home and how they’ve found a new relevance in the wake of both the COVID-19 pandemic, the fight for racial justic/equality and the Black Lives Matter movement.

This week's episode features a conversation with Jeff Beck, the owner of the comic book shop East Side Mags in Montclair, NJ. Established in 2014, ESM combines an inclusive, personal approach to comic book retail and a DIY punk aesthetic. Recorded prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, Jeff and Adrian wax nostalgic about the New Jersey punk/emo scene of the late 90s and early 2000s. Additionally, our heroes share their mutual love of post-hardcore favorites Glassjaw as well as offer takes on the high-profile reunions of Rage Against the Machine and My Chemical Romance.

This week’s guest is Ringo Award nominated comic book writer Frank Gogol. His acclaimed works include the anthology GRIEF, DEAD END KIDS and his latest title NO HEROINE. All three titles are from the publisher Source Point Press. In this episode, Frank gives listeners a stark and honest examination of life post-addiction and recovery and how they play into the theme of monster-hunting in NO HEROINE. Adrian and Frank also discuss the complicated nature of heroism, the collaborative effort of comic book creation and much, much more.

This week features returning guests Lynsey G and Jayel Draco, the co-founders of the independent publishing company Oneshi Press. Adrian chats with Lynsey and Jayel about their current project Tracy Queen Vol. 2: Dangerous Experiments. The second volume sees the titular character continue her quest for empowerment and independence from her criminal past and greedy adult movie moguls. Oh, did we mention talking raccoons and clone armies? The podcast conversation explores Tracy’s motivations and how they reflect the ideas of s*x-positivity, feminism and the pitfalls of blind hero worship.

Adrian welcomes back sequential artist and writer Alex Schumacher. Alex's ongoing webcomic DECADES OF (in)EXPERIENCE chronicles the exploits of Luke Carlin, a 30-something man dealing with the ups and downs of everyday life through a dark yet comical lens. Adrian and Alex commemorate the comic's 200th strip with a candid look at Luke's journey and his growth (or sometimes lack thereof) in the series' first five years.

Grant Henry, known best by his stage name Stemage, is a composer, session player, and audio engineer. He is the creator of Metroid Metal, former guitarist for the video game tribute band LONELYROLLINGSTARS and the guitar player for the Emmy-nominated animated series Steven Universe. His latest project is the soundtrack and sound design for the videogame Card of Darkness. The Apple Arcade exclusive is a collaboration between game designer Zach Gage (Tharsis) and Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward. The game is developed by Choice Provisions (Bit.Trip). In this episode, Grant discusses developing the game’s unique soundtrack and the balancing act of creating warm, inviting music juxtaposed to the challenging nature of the gameplay. Additionally, Adrian and Grant cover a myriad of topics including the continuing popularity of vinyl music, mobile gaming and much more.

Joe Caramagna is a New Jersey-based comic book letterer and writer. His recent titles include a number of Disney properties including Ducktales, Big Hero 6 and Frozen II: True Treasure, which is the official comic book tie-in for the animated film Frozen II. Recorded on Local Comic Shop Day 2019, Joe sits down with Adrian for a second time in East Side Mags in Montclair, NJ. The pair discuss Joe's current comic book projects plus provide some hilarious commentary on social media, mysterious hockey mascots and supervillains with poor organizational skills.

Ro Panuganti is a multi-instrumentalist, recording artist and videographer, specializing in covers of videogames and films in the style of rock and progressive metal. His music have covered songs from games such as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Metroid. In this episode, Ro chats with Adrian about his latest album from Materia Collective entitled Metal Trainer, which arranges music from the Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow era of games in a breathtaking progressive metal collection. Ro also talks about his origins as a musician, creating the content on his popular YouTube channel and pitches a gritty Netflix Original-style series based on Team Rocket’s Jesse and James.

This week’s podcast features friend and frequent guest Erica Schultz, the acclaimed comic book writer behind such titles as Xena: Warrior Princess (Dynamite),Twelve Devils Dancing (Action Lab Danger Zone) and Daredevil (Marvel). Her latest book, Forgotten Home (Vice Press) tells the story of a Sheriff's Deputy investigating missing children that may be related to magic from her homeworld. In this episode, Erica talks about her work as an instructor at The Kubert School and gives listeners a masterclass on proper writing techniques and storytelling tips. Plus, Adrian and Erica go on a number of hilarious deep dives including takes on Michael Bay films, bizarre 90’s TV shows and epic staredowns with M. Night Shyamalan.

This week’s guests are Frank Gogol and Chris Madd, the Ringo Award nominated writer and cover artist for the acclaimed coming-of-age graphic novel Dead End Kids from Source Point Press. The series tells the story of youths from broken homes who band together to solve the murder of a friend. Recorded on location at East Side Mags in Montclair, NJ, Adrian chats with Frank and Chris about how creating art served as a cathartic experience and the connection Dead End Kids has made with readers, resulting in issues #1 and #2 broke into the Top 400 worldwide in sales.

Malka Older is an author and humanitarian worker with over a decade of experience in humanitarian aid and development. Her written works include 2016's Infomocracy, which is the first installment of a trilogy of titles entitled The Centenal Cycle and the cyberpunk series Ninth Step Station. In this episode, Adrian speaks with Malka about her experiences working as the showrunner and head writer for Orphan Black: The Next Chapter, which is the continuation of the award-winning television series, which ended it's original run in 2017. The new installment, narrated by Emmy Award winner and series star Tatiana Maslany, is being presented via Serial Box, an online service that offers serialized fiction in audiobook and ebook bundles from bestselling authors and original content. Adrian and Malka also engage in an in-depth conversation about a number of concepts including “speculative resistance” and “narrative disorder” and how they affect her writing process as well as our interpretation of how we view the world.

This week’s guest is comic book writer Ian Mondrick. Ian’s work has been featured in notable comic book anthologies such as Unlawful Good and Corpus, eventually creating his own entitled Curio: The Anti-Thematic Anthology. Ian chats with Adrian about his upcoming horror comic Tomb of the White Horse which features a cover by Kim Myatt with art by co-creator/illustrator Benjamin A.E. Filby, colorist Lesley Atlansky (Baroque Pop) and letterer Zak Saam (Vagrant Queen). He and Adrian also have hilarious observations on parenting, pop culture FOMO and Avengers fan-casting with fellow comic book creators. Click the link below for the Kickstarter page for Tomb of the White Horse!Tomb of the White Horse on Kickstarter

This episode’s guest is musician Mikey Erg, the drummer and vocalist of the influential New Jersey punk band The Ergs! which was formed in 2000. Over the years Erg has performed in a plethora of punk bands including Worriers, The Measure[SA] and The Dopamines as well as The LLC, the house band for The Chris Gethard Show. Recorded on location at Vinyl Paradise in Sayville, New York, Adrian chats with Erg about his latest release entitled Waxbuilt Castles,. The album marks his second solo album, which pays homage to Erg’s musical influences such as The Beatles and Elvis Costello. Erg details his experiences mastering the album at the legendary recording studio Abbey Road in London and reflects on the 15th anniversary of The Ergs! landmark debut, Dorkrockcorkrod.

This week's episode features a conversation with Chelsea Tyler, a Maryland-based musician and the singer/guitarist of the alternative pop band DRMCTHR with Bryan Czap and Craig Perkins. Chelsea describes how both she and the band continued to evolve from the release of their 2013 EP Wonderlust to their full-lenth album Hold Your Love in 2017. Now with the latest singles "Burnin' Up" and "Underneath" released in 2019, the band has emerged with a renewed energy and purpose after a series of personal and professional setbacks. Plus, Adrian and Chelsea share their thoughts on the future of Pop music as well as working to dispel the fallacy of suffering for one's art.

In this minisode of Adrian Has Issues, a music playlist serves as a catalyst for Adrian to reflect on a pivotal moment in his personal life. In turn, this causes him to look ahead to the future and outline plans for the podcast including the addition of The LatiNerd Experience and Talking Like A Teen.

Grant Henry, known best by his stage name Stemage, is a composer, session player, and audio engineer. He is the creator of Metroid Metal, former guitarist for the video game tribute band LONELYROLLINGSTARS and the guitar player for the Emmy-nominated animated series Steven Universe. His latest project is music and sound design for the videogame Bubsy: Paws on Fire! which is available for PC, Playstation 4 and Nintendo Switch. In this episode, Stemage speaks with Adrian about his unique experiences composing music for both videogames and television as well as hilarious discussions on the 1982 cult classic film Tron, pinball and weird production company logos from the 80s/90s.

David M. Booher is a Los Angeles based comic book writer and screenwriter. Some of his past credits include the sci-fi epics POWERLESS and ALIEN BOUNTY HUNTER, both from Vault Comics. His latest project is an all-ages fantasy graphic miniseries CANTO from IDW Pub. The comic was created by Booher (POWERLESS) and artist Drew Zucker (THE HOUSE) and features the talents of colorist Vittorio Astone (ZOJAQAN) and letterer Deron Bennett (IMMORTAL HULK). Described as "THE WIZARD OF OZ meets DANTE'S INFERNO," CANTO tells a tale of brave creature who sets out into a dangerous in hopes of saving a young girl's life. David made his very first podcast appearance in Episode 98 of Adrian Has Issues. In this episode, David speaks with Adrian about the inspiration behind CANTO as well as assembling the creative team and the steps taken to create an effective pitch to publishers. Plus, there's fun observations on The Lord of the Rings, The Neverending Story and more!

Mustin a multi-instrumentalist and music producer based in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He's credited as being a pioneer of the videogame music remixing scene with early contributions to OverClocked ReMix and Project Majestic Mix before founding one of the first videogame music record labels, OneUp Studios, and one of the first videogame music cover bands, The OneUps, who still perform regularly at conventions such as PAX, MAGFest, VCON, and more to this day. Mustin has been featured on CNN and MSNBC, remixed for MC Frontalot and Freezepop, and has worked with the likes of brentalfloss, Mega Ran, and more. In this episode, Adrian speaks with Mustin about his solo album entitled "The World Is Square" from Scarlet Moon Productions. The album is a 7-track videogame tribute album, featuring laid-back "chillout" renditions of songs from Squaresoft games such as Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger and Secret of Mana. Mustin also discusses how the album was inspired by various women in his life plus he and Adrian bond over being gamers as well as fathers.

Young Doctors In Love is a 6-piece indie pop band from Toronto, Ontario. After taking something of a hiatus since the release of their 2014 full-length album “World’s Greatest Rock & Roll Band,” band leader Clay Puddester returns with a new lineup for their latest album. In this episode, Clay and vocalist/songwriter Stephanie Matos chat with Adrian about the songwriting process of their new album entitled “…In Love” plus some other fun topics including: Brainstorming ideas for future music videos. The album’s connections to the Thomas Pynchon novel, “V." The timeless novelty of smoke machines and lasers...and much more.

Mario Candelaria is a comic book writer and comedian based out of Philadelphia, PA. Some of his credits include Ashes: A Firefighter's Tale (Z2 Comics), Corktown(Alterna Comics) and Baroque Pop: A Lana Del Ray Fanthology (Red Stylo Media). In this episode, Mario brings Adrian up to speed on all the events leading up to Wrestlemania 35, which includes storylines from WWE Raw, WWE Smackdown and even NXT. Also in this episode: Kofi-mania sweeps the nation...The rise of Becky “The Man” Lynch...Brock Lesnar is still wrestling, I suppose...And much more!

Janet LaBelle is a singer/songwriter based out of Brooklyn, NY. During her formative years as a teen, she got her start as the vocalist for the New Jersey pop-punk band Avery, which landed her an indie record deal and the band toured nationally and had their music was featured on television shows & commercials. Since those days, Janet continued to grow as an artist and a solo performer, having released a number of EPs: Moon Songs (2010), Blossom & Blue (2011) and Just A Little Rain (2012). Janet has also performed for other bands including Brooklyn’s Sharkmuffin and Jimmy Destri & The Sound Grenade, a project helmed by Blondie keyboardist Jimmy Destri. This week’s episode features Adrian’s conversation with Janet LaBelle, which covers various topics including the songwriting and recording process of her latest EP, 2018’s I Only See You from Loantaka Records as well as New York’s surfing scene and how music can help people therapeutically.

Cody Carpenter is a third generation multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. His grandfather, Howard Carpenter, is a founding member of the Nashville Strings. His father, John Carpenter, is a filmmaker and composer. In addition to contributing music for his father's films, Vampires (1998), Ghosts of Mars (2001) and 2018's Halloween along with Daniel Davies, Cody has composed the full-length scores to projects such as Showtimes' Masters of Horror. In this episode, Adrian speaks with Cody regarding his two most recent albums: 2019’s Force Of Nature, an instrumental jazz/fusion album from Blue Canoe Records featuring Grammy Award-nominated bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Scott Seiver and 2018’s Reflections, Cody’s snyth-heavy solo album under his pseudonym Ludrium. Additionally, Adrian and Cody explore various concepts including: The rising popularity of synth/progressive music, the challengers of touring as a musician and music as a universal language.

Today's guest is Jayson Napolitano the owner and founder of Scarlet Moon Productions, a music label, PR firm and artist group that specializes in gaming music that rangers from AAA titles to independent games. Jayson, along with composer Lena Raine (Guild Wars 2, Wandersong & Friends), is the co-producer of Prescription for Sleep: Celeste, the Seventh installment of the popular series, Prescription For Sleep: Game Music Lullabies. The collection is a jazz/ambient arrangement of the soundtrack of the acclaimed videogame Celeste. The Billboard charting album features music by Metal Gear Solid and Bayonetta composer Norihiko Hibino on saxophone and Etrian Odyssey and PersonaQ performer AYAKI on piano as duo dubbed GENTLE LOVE. They are joined for the first time in the series by guest violinist Maiko and the composer of Celeste, Lena Raine. In this episode, Jayson details the formation of Scarlet Moon Productions, his experiences in co-producing Prescription For Sleep: Celeste and introduces the concept of videogame music as a form of healing.

This week’s episode features a first-time guest on the Adrian Has Issues podcast: Adrian King himself! Vancouver-based comic book writer/artist Kelly Brack returns to guest-host the show and put Adrian in the hot seat. Fielding a series of crowdsourced questions asked by comic book creators including Danny Lore (Queen of Bad Dreams), Stephanie Cannon (Hexed) and Lonnie Nadler (Age of X-Man), Adrian gives listeners and irreverent and insightful takes on topics including: Meeting your idols as a fanboy, Canada’s Grandpa adoption agency, Tropical Fruit...and more!

This week’s episode features writer David Pepose and artist Jorge Santiago Jr., the Ringo Award-nominated co-creators of SPENCER & LOCKE, the comic book crime thriller from Action Lab Danger Zone. The comic, featuring Jasen Smith (colors) and Colin Bell (letters) tells the story of the misadventures of a hardened cop and his imaginary partner: an anthropomorphic blue panther. Picking up where we left off back in Episode 101, David and Jorge bring Adrian up to speed on the latest installment SPENCER & LOCKE 2 and the series’ new villain Roach Riley, a twisted take on Mort Walker’s comic strip Beetle Bailey. David and Jorge also discuss how they approached the second volume and continued to build on the high concept of the original arc by raising the stakes, but also maintaining the heart and personal connection to the characters.

Picking up where things left off at the closing of Episode 132, a somewhat unconventional encounter inspires Adrian to revive the "Minisode" format. In this episode Adrian discusses the future of the podcast as well as other potential projects. These past 5 years of podcasting have brought dizzying heights and staggering lows, but Adrian brings a renewed vigor for the art of podcasting and perhaps with it, a new direction.

This episode is not only the first of 2019, but this also marks the 4th anniversary of the Adrian Has Issues podcast! Hosts Adrian King and Eileen "The LatiNerd" Melendez celebrate by discussing various topics including surviving the flu season, analyzing the themes found in the award-winning animated feature Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse and penning a love letter to Marvel Comics' most iconic character: New York City.

This week’s guest is Aaron Berke, a filmmaker. entertainment journalist and comic book author. His short film “Hats” was nominated for Best Short Film at the Big Apple Film Festival and Screenplay Competition and Best Comedy Short Film at the Garden State Film Festival. A writer for entertainment websites such as Comicverse and Entertainment Voice, Aaron has set his sights on creating comic books. In this episode, Adrian chats with Aaron about his first published comic entitled “Victoria” (with art by Marika Brousiano) which is featured in Vol. 6 of the Oneshi Press Quarterly Anthology. They also discuss Aaron’s love of Buffy, The Vampire Slayer, Superman and come up with a few ways that DC/WB can fix the Justice League movie franchise.

This week’s episode features the return of both artist Emily Pearson (THE WILDS) and Pat Shand (BREATHLESS), the creative duo behind the latest comic from Black Mask Studios entitled Snap Flash Hustle. The story centers on an alternative model who enters the world of elite models who use their influence for ill-gotten gains. Adrian engages in a candid conversation with Pat and Emily about the real-life inspiration behind the thriller and the difficulties of making a living in creative industries.

This week’s episode features a conversation with Michigan-based artist Adam Ferris. An artist for Source Point Press, he is the artist on 5 successfully-funded Kickstarted anthologies: UNLAWFUL GOOD, BAROQUE POP, UNDIGENOUS, THIS NIGHTMARE KILLS FASCISTS and CURIO. Adam serves as the founding editor of his latest project, an anthology entitled THE GOOD FIGHT. Inspired by the events of the Charlottesville protests, THE GOOD FIGHT aims to spread stories of hope and battle against bigotry and hatred through illustrated stories from a plethora of comic creators. The anthology features over 40 stories from comic book creators such as: Mark Waid (CAPTAIN AMERICA), Greg Pak (MECH CADET YU), Erica Schultz (TWELVE DEVILS DANCING), Mario Candelaria (BAROQUE POP), Natasha Alterici (HEATHEN) and many more. Proceeds from the Kickstarter will go directly to the Southern Poverty Law Center. The Kickstarter for THE GOOD FIGHT launches on November 12.

Kelly Brack is a writer and artist based out of Vancouver, British Columbia. Under the umbrella Noir Comics, he has created published works including Deercatcher: The Scan B.C. Files, which was loosely based on the popular Twitter page for British Colombia’s police scanner. In this episode, Adrian speaks with Kelly about his latest project, Death of the Horror Anthology, which will be launched on Kickstarter on October 1. The anthology will feature works by acclaimed comic creators and pasts guests such as writer Vita Ayala & Emily Pearson, Micah Myers, Cody Sousa and Pat Shand. Recorded on the eve of the release of Spider-Man for Playstation 4, Kelly and Adrian reminisce about the classic Spider-Man 2 movie tie-in videogame from 2004, plus hilarious conversations regarding bizarre pizza deliveries and Kelly’s hot takes on the Star Wars universe.

This week's guests are Kirsten Thompson and James B. Emmett. The former is the writer and the latter is the editor of the magical mystery thriller, I AM HEXED. The comic tells the story of witches fighting for equality in the backdrop of Washington, D.C. during the 1960's, which in and of itself serves as a metaphor for our current political climate and the advancement of LGBTQIAPK+ people. Kirsten and James chat with Adrian regarding these issues found in the comic as well discuss the #MeToo movement, manga and representation in comics. 

This week's episode features an in-depth discussion with Cody Carpenter and Mark Day, the producers and composers of the explosive electronic/chiptune album Shadow Spirits, Vol. 1. What started as a 4-track EP in its inception, grew into a full-length auditory experience that hearkens back to the soundscapes of 8-bit and 16-bit role-playing videogames. In addition to discussing the inspiration behind the album, Cody and Mark also give listeners insight into their other work in music and indie game development. 

Erica Schultz is a comic book writer, letterer and editor. She is perhaps best known for her creator-owned crime thriller M3 (Vices Press) and her work with Dynamite Comics which include the SWORDS OF SORROW series and CHARMED. She has co-created two books with artist Claire Connelly: THE UNAUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY OF WINSTON CHURCHILL and CHEESE: A LOVE STORY. Erica a has also contributed stories for anthologies such as 27: A ROCK ANTHOLOGY (Red Stylo Media) and WHERE WE LIVE (Image Comics) and has written a HAWKGIRL story as part of the pilot program for DC Comics New Talent Showcase and Writers Workshop. In this episode, Adrian and Eileen speak with Erica about two upcoming titles: the horror thriller TWELVE DEVILS DANCING from Action Lab/Danger Zone and XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS #6 from Dynamite Comics, both of which hit comic shops on July 11, 2018! We discuss a variety of themes including: Cults and the cycle of abuse. The role colors play in horror comics. Overcoming problematic tropes in female characters. The portrayal of platonic relationships in pop culture.

Max Rauch is a musician, producer and recording engineer based out of New Jersey. Since 2012, he has been the vocalist and guitarist for the indie rock band LKFFCT. In April 2018, the band released the 4-song EP entitled Cayenne through the label Sniffling Indie Kids. In this episode, Max and Adrian engage in a conversation about the songwriting process of Cayenne, the enduring spirit of the New Jersey DIY music scene and hilarious takes on growing up in New Jersey under shadow of New York. 

Oneshi Press is an independent publishing company founded by writer/editor Lynsey G and multimedia visual artist Jayel Draco. Together, they have produced fantasy and sci-fi graphic novels, comic books and art books. Their projects include Tracy Queen, PACK and the Children of Gaia series. in their second appearance on the podcast, Lynsey and Jayel bring Adrian up to speed on the latest projects from Oneshi including their ongoing Quarterly Anthology series and two new entries in the Children of Gaia saga: War & Horses and Refuge. Additionally, there's some funny and insightful takes on the irritating nature of "corporate-speak" and what it truly takes to build maintain a thriving creative community.

Ashley Burgy is a good friend of mine going on 7 years now, having bonded over a mutual love of hockey and pop-punk music of the early-to-mid 2000s. Recorded prior to the start of the post-season of the NHL, Ashley and I engage in a hilariously irreverent discussion regarding our favorite teams that were fortunate enough to make the playoffs. From there we go on some fun tangents about Scientology's battle with folk music, a reboot of Mad Max set in the Everglades, problematic punk band members and how Kid Rock is only the tip of the iceberg regarding some of the problems plaguing the NHL. We were both a little under the weather during the recording of this episode so please bear with us.

Christopher Sebela is an Eisner Award-nominated writer, colorist and letterer based out of Portland, Oregon. His comic book credits range from work for Marvel & DC Comics (INJUSTICE: GROUND ZERO, SUICIDE SQUAD, CAPTAIN MARVEL), Oni Press (HEARTTHROB) and Black Crown (HOUSE AMOK). In this episode, Christopher speaks with Adrian about his experience writing JOHNNY BLAZE: GHOST RIDER, his first solo title with Marvel and his two newly-announced titles from Image Comics: the revenge tale SHANGHAI RED with art by Josh Hixson and CROWDED with Ted Brandt, Ro Stein & Triona Farrell. The latter of which spurs an examination of how online behavior and the culture of social media and how it affects our every day lives. There's also insightful talks about Christopher's writing process and the role music plays when working on scripts.

Hey, y'all! Adrian here. As you'll soon discover, my guests and I went on a strange journey in this episode. George "norg" Nowik, Sean "Ailsean" Stone and Chuck "finbeard" Simpson are three-fifths of LONELYROLLINGSTARS, a video game tribute band that was formed by members of other "VGM" acts The Smash Bros., Viking Guitar Live and Armcannon. The band stopped by to promote their recently released sophomore album Sugarburger, which features arrangements of songs from games like Splatoon and Shovel Knight and Persona 4. In a conversation filled with many hilarious asides and tangents, the band discusses a plethora of topics: Their unconventional approach to songwriting, performing livewith Transformers: The Movie composer Vince DiCOla, the evolution of written language and the controversial nature of avocados. Like I said: we go on a wild journey in this episode. Strap yourselves in and just enjoy the ride. 

Jeff Rider is a comic book writer based out of San Francisco, California. Under the banner of his imprint Cloudwrangler Comics, Jeff has written several acclaimed comics such as Gravity Matters with Sean Dillon & Erica Schultz and Major Holmes & Captain Watson with Carlos Cabaleiro & Rachel Deering. The lovely and talented Eileen Melendez fills in as host for an ailing Adrian. For those who may not know, Eileen is the producer and occasional co-host of Adrian Has Issues as well as the creator of the upcoming blog/podcast The LatiNerd Experience. She, along with Jeff Rider, is also the co-editor of CACN.net, the online home of the Creator After Con Network. In this episode, Eileen speaks with Jeff about the real-life inspiration behind his latest comic project, The Arcane Cocktail Enthusiast, which features breathtaking artwork by Davide Puppo. The comic tells the story of Lark Leraar, a mixologist and wizard whose drinks are (literally) magic and is informed by the themes of respectful treatment of indigenous peoples, sustainable and ethical food practices. 

Pat Shand is a writer and content creator based out of New York. Some of his credits include Breathless for Black Mask Studio and Little Girl for Devil's Due. Under the umbrella of Space Between Entertainment, Pat has also produced titles such as Destiny, NY and Clonsters. In this episode, Pat talks about Space Between's latest project Prison Witch, which was co-written with his wife Amy. Prison Witch is a 70-page graphic novel that tells the story of a coven of witches behind bars. The title will be launching on Kickstarter on March 6, 2018 and will feature interior art by Erica D'Urso with covers illustrated by Jenn St-Onge (Bingo Love) and Michelle Lockamy. Pat also gives helpful advice for other creators that may be considering using Kickstarter as well as the origins of Space Between Entertainment.

This week's episode features my friends and fellow podcasters, Kate Bresnahan and Bry Scalley! They are the hosts of the Takoyaki Time podcast, which covers all things anime, manga and Japanese pop culture. Continuing the conversation from their podcast, Kate and Bry Scalley talk about their introductions to western geek culture and anime itself, which leads into a discussion on the differences between American comic book culture and Japanese anime/manga and how those gaps are often bridged. Don't worry, it's not nearly as serious as it sounds. We had an absolute blast chatting and please do yourselves a favor and listen to their podcast. 

This week's episode features writer Vita Ayala (Bitch Planet: Triple Feature, Wonder Woman Annual) and illustrator Emily Pearson (Cult Classic). Our conversation covers a plethora of topics including their artistic origins and how a possible case of mistaken identity may have lead to their collaboration on the comic book series The Wilds from Black Mask Studios. We also cover the title's themes of self-care and individuality and how they inform not only the story itself but society as a whole. What is abundantly clear from the very beginning of this episode is Vita and Emily's chemistry and how well they compliment each other. This is evident in how well they respect each other as creators and as individuals, which is the cornerstone of any collaborative effort.

Mags Visaggio is an Eisner and GLAAD Award-nominated writer of comics such as Kim & Kim and Quantum Teens Are Go for Black Mask Studios, the upcoming miniseries Eternity Girl from DC Comics arriving in March and Transformers Vs. Visionaries from IDW Publishing. In her second appearance on the Adrian Has Issues podcast, Mags and Adrian discuss and debate a plethora of topics including: A breakdown of Mags' comic book script-writing process. The inspiration and concepts of behind Eternity Girl and Transformers Vs. Visionaries. Telling personal stories within larger, genre-specific comics. The challenges of comic book marketing and outreach.

Jennie Wood is a writer and musician born and raised in North Carolina and currently resides in Boston, MA. She is the author of the YA novel, A Boy Like Me, which is a Next Generation Indie Book Awards finalist, an INDIEFAB Book of the Year finalist, and one of Foreword Reviews’ 10 Best Indie YA novels for 2014. A frequent contributor to the acclaimed anthology series FUBAR by Jeff McComsey Jennie is perhaps best known as the creator and writer of the critically acclaimed, award-winning Flutter, a graphic novel series published by 215 Ink. The trilogy has received numerous accolades from The Advocate, Bleeding Cool and the Virginia Library Association. In this episode, Adrian and Jennie discuss the real-life inspirations behind the conclusion of the Flutter series and how much of the story reflects American society in the wake of Trump's presidency. The conversation tackles subjects such as sexism, racism and the continuing need for indie comics to be a voice of positive change in uncertain times. Plus, Jennie gives listeners insight into how musicians like Courtney Love, Lorde and Veruca Salt inform the world of Flutter.

Recorded on location at AnimeNYC 2017 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City, this episode features two great interviews with independent creators: Nat Roze is the creator of the webcomic Weird Sisters, which tells the story of a sorority of witches loosely based on characters from Shakespeare's tragedies. Anna Giovannini is an illustrator and CEO of Immagina Press. Under Immagina Press, Anna has produced and published several titles including Mercenaries and Anima.

Recorded on location at AnimeNYC 2017 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City, this episode features three interviews with some rising stars in the world of anime and manga. Created by a dedicated group of men and women of color, both Noir Caesar and Saturday-AM aim to create groundbreaking and innovative projects that incorporate anime, manga and hip-hop culture.

Jeremy Simser is an illustrator and storyboard artist currently residing in Vancouver after working for 15 years in the Toronto area. Some of his storyboard credits include both television and film projects such as Game of Thrones, The Flash, Supergirl and the upcoming 2018 film, Deadpool 2. In this episode, Jeremy gives listeners an in-depth look into the role a storyboard artist plays in producing TV shows and movies. Plus, Jeremy details his work with writer/illustrator Kelley Brack and making the transition into becoming a comic book creator.

Jerome Walford is a Brooklyn-based writer, illustrator and publisher. Under the banner of Forward Comix, his past works include the sci-fi action/adventure series Nowhere Man and the Gwan Anthology. titles have received critical acclaim as well as awards from the Glyph Comics Awards, Society of Illustrators and the Urban Action Showcase Comic Awards. Following the success of Gwan, Jerome outlines the next step for his company, which includes a Kickstarter campaign that will see the creation of four unique titles spanning various formats and genres. In this episode, Jerome lays out the details behind Forward Comix's titles for 2018. He also explains how in order for his company to grow and expand, he enlisted in the help of an editorial team comprised of Maya Rock and Rebecca Griffin Greene. 

Calbert Warner is a NYC based music composer, gamer and photographer. Under the moniker Schematist, Cal has crafted musical projects that incorporate numerous subgenres of electronic music such as World Fusion, Breakbeat and Glitch-Hop. Schematist's latest release, Anireal, is a biographical musical journey of Jessica Fong, the founder of Lonely Egg Studios. The album tells the story of Jessica's experiences in dealing with depression and mental health and serves to bring to light subjects that are often overlooked or even ignored throughout society. In this episode, Cal and Adrian engage in a thought-provoking conversation on the power of music and the influence it has played in both of their lives. Additionally, both individuals express a mutual love of videogame soundtracks and the brilliance of Final Fantasy 9 and other role playing games.

This week's episode features comic book writers Kim Gaines and Shawn Lanier, the co-creators of the upcoming comic book series Eventide. The ongoing series focuses on a group of youths with extraordinary abilities who do battle with evil spirits that plague their town. The book also features art by Sean Dillon and letters by Marcus Kiser. Kim and Shawn discuss the origins and inspiration behind Grub Machine and Eventide. There's also great discussions and observations on animated series such as Batman: The Animated Series, Avatar: The Last Airbender and the hit anime series Bleach. 

Mark Torres is a New York-based radio personality and comic book writer. He is perhaps best known as the host of It Came From The Radio, a syndicated sci-fi/fantasy themed call-in radio show. In this episode, Mark tells his story of his rise as a comic book creator and how it coincided with his work as a radio host/podcaster. Mark and Adrian also discuss effective strategies for show hosts, movie sequels/trailers and a spirited debate on whether or not Star Wars Episode VII is secretly a dud. 

Following stream of consciousness, Eileen contemplates out loud the idea of The LatiNerd Experience, exploring what the idea is to her and what she wants it to be for the communities she strives to serve. Reflecting on the past and present, she tries to define what she wants to explore and share for the future. Though to some she is known as the producer and occasional co-host of the Adrian Has Issues podcast, here Eileen has the opportunity to share her unique perspective that is all her own. We hope you will enjoy taking this journey with Eileen through what will ultimately be The LatiNerd Experience. Bienvenidos!

Justin Fischetto is a comic artist, writer and illustrator based out of Long Island, New York. In this episode, Justin talks about his journey as an independent artist and how his love of action, sci-fi and horror movies influence his work as both Justin Fischetto and his artistic alter-ego, "Sycko." Additionally, Adrian and Justin talk about horror movies, "Inktober" and much more!

Steve Petrivelli is a Philadelphia-based comic book writer, known for his comic Sweetie, which was illustrated by Sean Dillon. His latest project is Retail, a slice-of-life comic series about a group of friends surviving the hectic world of retail after college. Keith Grassmick, the artist on Retail #2, is a visual artist specializing in action, fantasy and science-fiction. He studied at the Rhode Island School of Design, and The Academy of Art University in San Francisco. In this episode, Steve explains the inspiration behind Retail, as well as meeting Keith prior to collaborating on issue 2 of the series. Steve and Keith also discuss how music such as indie/folk act The Mountain Goats and Canadian black metal bands influenced the story. There's also plenty of hilarious irreverent discussions on carrier pigeons, regional rivalries and the perks of being an audiophile. 

Jeff Rider is a comic book writer based out of San Francisco, California. Under the banner of his imprint Cloudwrangler Comics, Jeff has written several acclaimed comics such as Gravity Matters with Sean Dillon & Erica Schultz, Major Holmes & Captain Watson with Carlos Cabaleiro & Rachel Deering and Been Bit with Stan Chou. In this episode, Jeff brings Adrian and Eileen up to speed on his current projects including Gravity Matters: Blackline and the recently-released crime noir thriller The Demon vs. 10 Angels, which features art by Attiba Royster. In discussing his creative relationship with Attiba, Jeff details the necessity for creators to step into the shoes of their collaborators and learn about life experiences outside of their own. Additionally, Jeff explains his involvement in the Creator After Con Network, an organization which works to bring independent creators together facilitate future collaborations.

Mario Candelaria is a comic book creator and writer based out of Philadelphia, PA. Some of his credits include Ashes: A Firefighter's Tale (Z2 Comics), Corktown (Alterna Comics) and Baroque Pop: A Lana Del Rey Fanthology (Red Stylo). Fabian Lelay is a comic artist and illustrator based out of New York and an artist in residence at Carmine Street Comics. Some of his credits include Jade Street Protection Services (Black Mask Studios) and the upcoming We Are The Danger with Stephanie Cooke (Rogue's Portal). Recorded on location at East Side Mags in Montclair, NJ, Adrian conductws an interview with Mario and Fabian regarding their involvement in the Baroque Pop anthology. Soon thereafter, the conversation took several hilarious twists and turns that just couldn't be contained in a simple Q&A format. Also In This Episode: Bizarre Wrestling Moves! Cats vs. Dogs: The Ladder Match! Fabian's Essential Anime List! Jeff Beck: The Next Steve Jobs!

Mega Ran (formerly known as Random) is a rapper, producer and engineer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  As a former middle school teacher, Mega Ran transformed his education background into a stellar career in the underground hip-hop scene. His music combines hard-hitting beats and thought-provoking lyrics with video game aesthetics, which can be heard in critically-acclaimed albums such as 2007's Mega Ran and 2011's Black Materia, which is a tribute to the icon 1997 role-playing game Final Fantasy VII. With his new album, Extra Credit, Mega Ran further branches out from the "nerdcore" leanings of his earlier releases. Instead, the LP picks up where 2015's RNDM left off, focusing on more personal, confessional lyrics. In this episode, Mega Ran speaks with host Adrian King about the inspiration behind Extra Credit as well provide commentary on the continuing rise of "Blerd" culture and using his educational background to teach a new school of aspiring emcees.

David Pepose is a writer and editor who has worked for several entertainment companies including CBS, Newsarama and DC Entertainment. David has been quickly making a name for himself as the co-creator of his first published comic, a neo-noir thriller Spencer & Locke from Action Lab Entertainment. Rounding out the book's creative team is Jorge Santiago, Jr (artist), Jasen Smith (colorist), Colin Bell (letters) and variant covers by Maan House and Joe Mulvey. In this episode, David details how comic creators Bill Watterson and Frank Miller inspired the gritty crime miniseries as well as the book's underlying themes of redemption and mental health. 

At long last! The highly-anticipated 100th episode of the Adrian Has Issues podcast! Since Episode 1, this podcast has worked hard to deliver a quality podcast in which listeners can hear candid, one-of-a-kind interviews and conversations with independent comic book creators, musicians and more. Any creator will tell you: anything worth doing takes time and dedication. We're so grateful that so many wonderful people have been willing to take time out of their busy lives to share with us their personal stories and give insight into not only their own projects, but also their respected industries. It takes a community to truly build something great, so we dedicate this episode to all of you. Thank you for everything!

In Episode 99, Adrian and Eileen forego a guest and decide to interview each other instead! Our hosts ask a series of random questions that cover everything from future plans, places they've lived and plus the story of their hilariously awkward first date.

This week's guest has hit quite a few milestones. This is his first-ever podcast appearance in which he talks about his first-ever comic book for a brand-new publisher! Having already written a number of screenplays, Los Angeles-based writer David Booher has set his sights on creating comic books. The result is his debut title for Vault Comics, a new independent publisher specializing in science fiction/fantasy. Powerless tells the story of a world in which all of its inhabitants have superpowers, until a virus threatens to take away those abilities. This story serves as a poignant and timely commentary on identity, which draws many parallels to David's own life. We also discuss the role of both comic book publishers and readers in continuing to support LGBTQIA+ creators, David Booher's upcoming Vault title Alien Bounty Hunter as well as a hilarious look back at some our favorite childhood toys and action figures. 

Chris Hornbrook is a professional drummer and percussionist, perhaps best known for his work as a founding member of the influential metalcore/post-hardcore band, Poison The Well. Since the band's indefinite hiatus in 2010, Chris has performed with a number of bands including Big Black Delta, Sleigh Bells and Senses Fail. In this episode, Chris discusses his evolution as a musician, which has spanned over 20 years. He also stresses the importance of diversifying and adapting to one's situation as a means to prolonging one's career. 

This week's episode features two guests: John Rodriguez and Mira Mortal, the artist and writer of a gripping new horror comic, Made-Up: Zombie Clown Circus from Source Point Press. John and Mira give listeners an in-depth look at not only the inspiration behind the graphic novel, but also their dynamic as a creative team. Their chemistry is apparent on and off the comic book page as the duo share hilarious observations on horror movies, childhood injuries and animated gifs featuring Samuel L. Jackson. 

Mike Driscoll is a New York-based 3D animator and a "professional podcast guest," serving as a recurring guest on the Mr. BS Show. Mike and Adrian reflect on their misadventures as former guests of the short-lived Dave Podcast and share their thoughts on the format as a whole. Plus, there's humorous observations on fatherhood, hockey and their mutual love for the films of Kevin Smith.

Oneshi Press is an independent publishing company founded by writer/editor Lynsey G and multimedia visual artist Jayel Draco. Together, they have produced fantasy and sci-fi graphic novels, comic books and art books. Their projects include Tracy Queen, PACK and the Children of Gaia series, the latter of which is the focus of this week's episode. Jayel and Lynsey describe creating such a massive, sprawling universe nearly 20 years in the making. They also stress the importance of being a "student of pop culture" in an effort to develop a culturally inclusive and progressive fantasy world.

David Baron is a Harvey-Award nominated colorist who has worked on titles such as JLA and The Authority for DC Comics as well as Valiant Comics titles like Bloodshot: Reborn and Archer & Armstrong. He is currently hard at work on his creator-owned comic, the sci-fi/action miniseries Stained, which is being published by 451 Media (Red Dog, Sunflower). The book features art by Yusuf Idris and letters by Simon Bowland. In this episode, David takes listeners through his process behind crafting the world of Stained with an emphasis on character development and creating emotional connections. David also expresses his thoughts regarding self-publishing as a necessity for creators to tell their stories. 

This week's guest is Alex Schumacher, a California-based writer and cartoonist represented by Arsenal Media. He is currently producing the weekly illustrated feature Decades of (in)Experience for Antix Press, the column Bread Crumbs From The Void for Five 2 One Magazine and the monthly strip Mr. Butterchips for Drunk Monkeys. His work has been published by Arcana Studios, Cultured Vultures and Hobo Camp Review. In this episode, Alex gives listeners insight into his life and how years of minimum-wage jobs and various misadventures inspired his work in the underground comics scene. Also, Adrian and Alex trade war stories of their writing processes and the "tough love" approach to creating content. Also In This Episode: Novelty answering machines! Fun with action figures! The audio cassette resurgence!

Don Lee is an actor, producer and stunt performer who has worked on films such as Star Trek Beyond (2016), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) and Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014). He has also performed stunt and fight choreography for television shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2015), CSI: Miami (2011) and The Outsiders (2017), which is currently airing on WGN. In this episode, Don shares his experiences starting in competitive martial arts tournaments and eventually working as a Hollywood stunt performer. Don gives Adrian as well as listeners an in-depth look at the level of both physicality and professionalism that goes into performing grueling stunts on a regular basis.

Lazarus Wilde is the acoustic solo project from musician Kenny Collette, the frontman for such bands as Victory Dance and Franchise. Having released the acclaimed self-titled EP via Cardigan Records in 2016, Lazarus Wilde is set to release his debut full-length Breathe Now on April 7. In a candid, one-on-one conversation, Lazarus details his personal experiences with mental health and how they served as inspiration for his new album. Also, he and Adrian share their thoughts on music's power to convey messages and connect people from all walks of life.

The Adrian Has Issues podcast recently celebrated a 3-year anniversary. Adrian and Eileen decided to take the time out to say "thanks!" for the love and support from the comic book and podcasting communities. However, in those three years, there have been some issues that need to be addressed. With much reflection and soul-searching, our hosts expressed those issues in the hope of creating a dialogue among the community regarding topics related to professionalism, responsibility, ethics and more. The intention is not for the sake of condemnation, but to help a supportive group continue to grow and be there for one another. Podcasting is very important on a personal and professional level, but if it is to grow it takes everybody working together.

This week's episode features guests Mark Frankel and Alexander Sapountzis. The former is the CEO/COO and the latter is the CTO/Creative Director of the independent publisher Wayward Raven Media. Along with Editor-In-Chief Joshua Lee Andrew Jones, Mark and Alexander oversee the production of several comics including Signed C: The Missing, The Committee and the webcomic Damn Heroes, which is written by Frankel and drawn by Sapountzis. In this episode, Mark and Alex describe the origins of Damn Heroes, which serves as a humorous ribbing of various superhero tropes. The duo also share their many experiences as exhibitors at numerous conventions and stress the necessity for creators to produce original content amidst the countless remakes and retreads in pop culture. 

Christopher Khayman Lee is a Los Angeles-based writer and actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as the character Andros, the "Red Ranger" on the popular kids action series Power Rangers In Space. Recently, Chris is the founder and lead writer of the company West Coast Comics, which produces the webcomic L.A. Crazytown. In this episode, Chris shares his experiences working on Power Rangers and the enduring popularity of the franchise, as well as the many ups and downs of being an indie comic book creator. Plus, Adrian and Chris create a psych profile for numerous superheroes including Batman, Deadpool and even Andros himself. Also In This Episode: Cannibals = The new zombies! Batman vs. A well-adjusted Bruce Wayne! Christopher vs. The League of Extraordinary Stuntmen! Bizarre Andros fan theories!

Darryl Mansel is a North Carolina-based podcaster and comic book writer. He is the creator of the Poprika Podcast Network and has recently released the first issue of his indie comic Pineville on Comixology. In this episode, Darryl gives us insight into what inspired Pineville and how crucial elements such as story outlining and taking a minimalist approach to storytelling played into the comic's narrative. Plus, Darryl and Adrian discuss viewing comic books as a legitimate art form and dealing with buyer's remorse and an updated debate on the current state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Enrica Jang is a writer, editor and the founder of the independent comics publisher Red Stylo Media. Under the Red Stylo Media banner, Enrica has overseen the release of several comics anthologies including The 27 Club, Angel With A Bullet and the upcoming Baroque Pop: A Lana Del Rey Fanthology (produced by comic book writer Mario Candelaria). The publishing imprint has also released comics under Red Stylo Press including Azteca, Torchbearer and City of Walls. The latter title features art by former guest AK Lovelace. In this episode, Enrica explains how a real-life train incident served as inspiration for her comic Crossing (featuring artist Alex Cormack & letterer Mark Mullaney). Enrica also gives listeners insight into her story submission for the Baroque Pop anthology, as well as contemplate art's place in the troubling uncertainty of the Trump era.