Bloglander

By day, Matt Nelson works as price coordinator at a grocery store. But by night, he becomes the comic artist behind the adventures of Catbeard, a pirate cursed to have a beard made from a living cat as he hunts for the legendary treasure of Scurvy Skeen.

“I have to be honest, usually after I get past that first sentence,” Nelson said, “people are either sold — or like, 'Huh?'”

One day while watching TV with a friend in March of 2011, Nelson grabbed his cat Tiger and squished her against his face joking that he now had a beard. His friend joked that he was Catbeard, the pirate, and Nelson was hit with inspiration. Thus, the webcomic Catbeard the Pirate was born.

“And I kid you not, it was like a bolt of lightning. I sat up,” Nelson said, ”and I was like, ‘I’m doing that — I have to do that!”

Nelson spends roughly two hours a day working on Catbeard. It takes him roughly a week to finish a single page, and each of his crowd-funded graphic novels contains around 120 of them. Every campaign allows Nelson to print off and sell another 100 or so of his books and brings a sigh of relief as the fear of failure never quite goes away for him.

“It’s nerve racking every time. Even though I’ve done four or five of them now,” Nelson said. “Holy crap, is this gonna be the one that fails?”

In July of 2015 while Nelson was away from home at work, he noticed that there was smoke coming from the direction of his apartment.

“And I just had this weird feeling. I called my landlord and was like ‘Hey, how’s it going. Just kind of wanna make sure that’s not us.’ And he said, ‘It is us!’” Nelson said. “It was pretty traumatic.”

While his unit was spared from the flames, there was a significant amount of smoke and water damage. Nelson lost a lot of his books, furniture and many other belongings, but his cat Jiji [a][b]made it out unharmed.

Many friends and fellow comic artists came to Nelson's aid. Nathan O’Brien, founder of the annual Lilac City Comicon, started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for Nelson. They raised more than  $3,000 for him.

“The comics community here in this town is really small,” Nelson said, “but really tight.”

The Kickstarter for the fifth book is set to launch in the next month. It’s dedicated to his cat Jiji who he had for 21 years and recently passed away.

Nelson plans to wrap up Catbeard after seven books and move on to new projects. He’s considering writing a horror story or even working on a giant monster anthology.

“There’s a little part of me in the back of my head that’s like, ‘You’re gonna miss doing Catbeard if you stop after seven books,’” Nelson said. “I just don’t wanna be the guy who does cat stuff forever.”

With every film-to-stage adaption, it’s fun to guess how certain beloved scenes will play out live in front of an audience and whether that version will do the film justice. With Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage, as with the film, we dive in the summer of 1963 and find “Baby,” played by Kaleigh Courts, packing up for the family camp that plays a monumental role in her coming-of-age story.

It’s clear throughout that Courts is a trained dancer, but it was impressive to see her feign being an awkward dancer in the beginning, arms and legs flailing about before her training with Johnny, played by Aaron Patrick Craven. It was satisfying to see her progression from dance rookie to sultry-moves wizard. Craven plays Johnny a tad more harsh and cold in demeanor than Patrick Swayze's film version in the film, but in the end, the audience seems as won over with him as Baby is. What he initially lacks in attention to Baby, he makes up for with attention to every detailed move, spin and piece of footwork. Craven takes complex moves and makes them look too easy, the telling sign of a talented dancer.

Several times Erica Philpot, who plays Elizabeth, a singer, steals the show with her captivating vocals and range, whether performing a solo number or accompanied by other vocalists. Anaïs Blake plays Penny, the professional dancer who Baby steps in for, and dazzles with her routines and variety of bold costumes.

Every scene seamlessly transitioned into the other with the help of a convincing mountainous stage set and props. The cast broke into the usual expected dance numbers accompanied by iconic songs from the film like "Hungry Eyes" and "Hey! Baby!" The orchestra, conducted by Jonathon Marro, provided the perfect accompaniment and sets the appropriate tone throughout.

Another treat for the audience was the inclusion of several songs, like “Save the Last Dance For Me” by the Drifters and “Stubborn Kind of Fellow” by Marvin Gaye, that were added into the musical that were originally intended for the film, but didn’t make it. And, of course, there were the long-awaited moments that delighted fans of the movie, like when Johnny storms back in to the room to say “Nobody puts Baby in a corner,” or the perfected lift in the end when Johnny holds up Baby in their big performance. Both iconic scenes were met with roars and cheers from the audience.

At one point one of the characters, Robbie, quotes The Fountainhead to Baby: "Some people count, some people don’t.”

To me, it rang as an ironic statement in a play where every character was vital to the storyline and every actor contributed to its success. In Dirty Dancing, the stage version, everybody counted, and most in the audience likely left the INB charmed by their effort.

Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage runs through Sunday at the INB. Visit the INB website for showtimes and tickets.

This Saturday local bookstores across the country are celebrating the fourth annual National Independent Bookstore Day. More than 500 independent bookstores in 48 states are set to have in-store events, activities and exclusive merchandise in conjunction with the celebration.

Auntie's Bookstore will join in the festivities with events featuring local authors and businesses. The store will also offer 20 percent off all used books along with exclusive merchandise created by major publishers and authors. Past exclusives include signed books, artwork and T-shirts.

Here’s a list of the day's events at Auntie's Bookstore in Spokane:

11 am - 1 pm: Local artist Katey Mandley will display an 8-foot easel in store for an impromptu drawing and art session. The 2003 Gonzaga graduate will be joined by the Spokane Art School. The easel is set to be on display until 4 pm.

11 am - 12:30 pm: Writers of the Future first place award winner Jeremy TeGrotenhuis will be signing copies of Writers of the Future Vol. 34. People who visit his table will also get the chance to win tickets to this year's Lilac City Comicon and draw pictures with the writer.

11 am - 3 pm: Students from Lewis and Clark High School will be selling books for a wish list as a part of a fundraiser to support their school’s library. If you donate a book to them from their list you’ll receive the educators 15 percent discount that day.

11 am - 1 pm: Northwest Yo-Yo Champion Chris Cook will be performing yo-yo tricks to onlookers. Cook has spent two summers as a professional yo-yo demonstrator for yo-yo manufacture Yomega Corporation. His books Damn Good Cookie and The View from the Broken Mic will be on available for purchase in store.

11:30 am - 1:30 pm: Joseph Haeger will be hosting “Let’s Write a Story Together” where people are invited to finish short stories and poems Haeger has started on postcards.

12:30 pm - 1 pm: Spokane Civic Theatre will be performing selections from their upcoming show Hello, Dolly!, set to run May 8-June 10.

1 - 3 pm: Author Trent Reedy will be in store promoting his upcoming book Gamer Army!, equipped with a Nintendo.

1 - 3 pm: Author of When Colors Meet Darcy Lee Saxton will be displaying artwork and creating on-the-spot contour-line portrait drawings for people.

1:30 - 2:30 pm: Chelsea Martin will be displaying and signing copies of her book Caca Dolce: Essays from a Lowbrow Life. She is also the author of The Really Funny Thing about Apathy.

1:30 - 2:30 pm: Co-authors of the crime-noir series Kiss the Messenger Devin Devine and Tony Russell will be in store to talk poetry with people and take poem requests for their typewriter.

2:30 - 4 pm: Spokane authors Sam Ligon and Kate Lebo will be displaying and signing copies of their book Pie & Whiskey: Writers Under the Influence of Butter and Booze. Ligon also wrote Among the Dead and Dreaming and Safe in Heaven Dead, Wonderland and Drift and Swerve. Lebo is the author of Pie School: Lessons in Fruit, Flour, and Butter.

3 pm - 4 pm: Pineground founder Annica Eagle will have a selection of pun challenges to pose to her. In 2017 she receive third place in the O. Henry Museum Pun-Off World Championship.

National Independent Bookseller Day • Sat, April 28 from 11 am - 4 pm • Auntie's Bookstore • 402 W. Main Ave • auntiesbooks.com • 838-0206

Ryan Miller has a show. It’s a show about… something.

To be fair, it’s even hard for Miller to explain. Billed as “an experience,” "Lights Like Us" wasn’t, however, created by the Spokane-based graphic designer to be intentionally mysterious to its intended audience.

“People think I’m being mysterious in not describing what it is, but I’m really not,” Miller says. “It’s just hard to compare it to something.”

The closest comparison that comes to mind for Miller is that of a TEDx presentation, but longer. Local artist Jesse Pierpoint is set to make an appearance during the show to create a live art piece. Another friend of Miller’s is set to perform a song.

Looking back, the show — set for Thursday, May 3 — was a bit of a impulse for Miller.

“So it’s kind of one of those bucket list things,” he says. “I don’t know what made me do it. I just one day was like ‘let’s lounge around at the Bing [Crosby Theater] and tell some people and see what happens.’”

During the show, Miller plans to share his thoughts and views on the world. He envisions two ways of viewing the reality we live in:

“One is that it’s really crappy and everything’s going to hell. And the other way is that it’s already good and we’re just not seeing it,” Miller says. “And I think the second one is a little bit more optimistic and hopeful, inspiring and empowering at the end of the day."

When it comes to giving presentations and public speaking, Miller is no novice. In 2010 he started Branches Church in Mead, and has spoken at many of its events. His goal for "Lights Like Us" is to be able to discuss topics in ways that he couldn’t do otherwise in a church setting. 

“I was in the church world for a long time — every week — and those have to be a certain type of presentation in a certain box with certain language,” Miller says. “So with ["Lights Like Us"], I get to be out of that box.”

Miller has made quite the career for himself in the art and design world. In 2014, he and his wife founded 08Left, a design venture known for its aviation and airport-related art.


He’s probably, however, more well known for his work on video games. Miller contributed to the story for the computer game that his brothers Robyn and Rand Miller created, Myst, which sold more than 12 million copies.

Miller also plans to incorporate some of his talk from "Lights Like Us" into a presentation that he’ll use to audition for this year’s TEDxSpokane.

For those still confused about what to expect during "Lights Like Us," consider this last thought from Miller: “It's an opportunity to do something different, at a cool place in town, with some cool, other cultural things happening that don’t always happen. Which, I admit, is still pretty kind of vague.”

"Lights Like Us" • Thu, May 3 at 7:30 pm • $20 • Bing Crosby Theater • 901 W. Sprague • bingcrosbytheater.com

What some may see as old, worn out or garbage, Spokane couple Michael Rideout and Kayla Cartelli see as opportunity. 

The two use every bit they can salvage from retired fire hoses to turn into handmade products. Generally, fire departments either auction off or throw away old fire hoses no longer fit for service. Rideout and Cartelli have started American Fire Co. with the goal of finding creative ways to recycle that would-be trash into treasure.

The couple's business serves as a great example of finding uses for items that would otherwise end up in a landfill. Other creative recycling tips, ideas and examples can be seen in the Inlander's Green Issue.

Since setting up shop two years ago, more than 3,000 can holders, 84 decorative flags and many other products made from fire hoses have been sold online to people across 49 states and five countries. In other words, business is booming.

“Instead of it [fire hoses] sitting in a dump, we’re giving it new life,” Cartelli says. “It’s a different medium. It’s a form of art. It’s just a different way to make something pretty.”

Ask Hannah Camacho where she's from and she hesitates a little.

"My dad was a traveling preacher, so technically when I claim a homeland it feels a little hypocritical, cause we would move every week to a new church and he would hold revival meetings," Camacho says.

So before she and her husband moved their family to Spokane a few years ago, she was sorta from Wisconsin and sorta from all over the place.

Camacho says the nomadic lifestyle of growing up in a 40-foot fifth-wheel trailer with her four siblings — "my mother was a saint" — forced her to learn how to make fast friends and dive right into interesting conversations.

"I think it was certainly hard, because we weren’t really able to create a lot of relationships long term," she says. "But I think in many ways it’s made it easier for me to get to know people just because you have a week to make friends."

That might explain some of her success in landing long-form interviews with people who've worked on some of the biggest shows and movies in Hollywood for her podcast Basic Brainheart, a passion project she started about a year ago.

She started the podcast in part to push herself to keep learning and improve her own storytelling and art, and in part to look at what makes people successful.

"I think a lot of times there’s this assumption there’s some secret sauce, there’s some magic that people are just born with and they automatically are somehow a great storyteller but nobody knows how or why," she says. "I want to maybe demystify what that process looks like to become a better storyteller, better artist, a better creative."

On top of interviewing animators and artists who've helped create major films and shows, she's also interviewed Oscar-nominated screenwriters and directors.

"You can find a million interviews on the people who are in front of the camera," Camacho says, "but if it wasn’t for the people behind the scenes, there would be no story."

Over the course of each roughly hour-long episode, recorded from her Liberty Lake home, Camacho learns from makers like Inside Out writer Meg LeFauve and Eric Heiserrer, who adapted the screenplay for Arrival, as they explain how they got where they are now. 

Her biggest takeaway so far is that mostly, creative success comes down to hard work.

"It’s very refreshing to hear that everyone’s story comes back to: It’s just really hard work and learning to hone your craft. It’s really the people that stick to it and learn and are willing to accept feedback that break through," Camacho says. "It’s a relief to hear that there’s no secret sauce, you know what I mean?"

That's especially meaningful to Camacho, who works by day in marketing and communications for Numerica Credit Union and spends most of the rest of her spare time with her husband and three kids, who are 10, 8 and 7.

"It’s encouraging and kind of puts a fire under my tush, in terms of keep learning, keep going and be open to feedback, and eventually you’ll create something that’s great," she says.

She also wants to set a good example for her kids to encourage them to work toward the things they're passionate about.

"As a mom of three, I'm passionate about learning things for myself and want to show and model what it looks like to set a goal and meet it and that really the only thing between you and that goal is hard work," Camacho says.

Her show has also put an emphasis on women in creative fields. Because of her work, Camacho has been signed on as an official partner of Women in Animation, an organization that pushes to get more women into careers in animation and support those who are already doing that work.

Being a wife, a mom and having a career and aspirations of her own, Camacho says it's inspiring to learn how other women make it work.

Largely, she wants to encourage women and girls to get into these creative fields that have a significant cultural impact in setting models for people to follow.

"I think storytelling sets the tone for our culture, and if there’s not representation behind the scenes, that will not translate into stories that matter in terms of setting the tone for our culture," Camacho says. "Right now there’s a lot of males that are crafting those stories they think everyone wants to hear, but they’re ignoring the female voice, or they’re just not bringing that in. So women behind the camera are just as important as women in front of the camera."

Basic Brainheart is available on iTunes and Soundcloud, and you can check out some of Camacho's own illustrations on her Instagram. Here's some of her work that we've shared with permission:

A rare bird sighting. ☺️ #dragon #visdev #castle #visualdevelopment

A post shared by Hannah Camacho (@hannah_camacho) on Apr 4, 2018 at 5:19pm PDT

#conceptart #visdev #visualdevelopment

A post shared by Hannah Camacho (@hannah_camacho) on Feb 28, 2018 at 7:17pm PST

🐉 💎 #dragon #diamond

A post shared by Hannah Camacho (@hannah_camacho) on Mar 26, 2018 at 5:35pm PDT

There's just one show left in the current WestCoast Entertainment STCU Best of Broadway season, but before Dirty Dancing even tries to put Baby in a corner, you can start planning your ticket needs for 2018-19.

The new season was announced Monday, and while it will kick off a little later than usual as the INB Performing Arts Center gets a quick renovation between seasons, there's a lot to love between returning favorites and Spokane premieres, as well as some special one-night engagements and a new series of National Geographic Live!

Here's the lineup:

STCU BEST OF BROADWAY SEASON
• Finding Neverland, Nov. 15-18
• Waitress, Dec. 12-16
• Disney's The Lion King, Jan. 23-Feb. 3, 2019
• School of Rock, May 8-12, 2019
• Les Miserables, Aug. 6-11, 2019
Season tickets are on sale now, ranging from $238 to $417 for all five shows. A single-ticket on-sale date well be announced mid-summer.

SPECIAL ENGAGEMENTS
• A Magical Cirque Christmas, Nov. 20
• Legally Blonde The Musical, March 21, 2019
• Stomp, April 2-3, 2019

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LIVE
• Pink Boots and a Machete with primatologist Mireya Mayor, Feb. 20, 2019
• Capturing the Impossible with extreme filmmaker Bryan Smith, March 27, 2019
• A Rare Look: North Korea to Cuba with photojournalist David Guttenfelder, April 24, 2019

This is the fifth season for National Geographic Live, and you can get a ticket package for all three shows for $81. Single-show ticket sales will be announced this summer.

On Friday I visited Washington State University in Pullman for the grand opening of the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, a remarkable addition to both the campus and Eastern Washington for fans of visual arts of all types.

The so-called "Crimson Cube" is a work of art in itself, its gleaming exterior designed, according to architect Jim Olson in his remarks at the ceremony, to "reflect the world outside" the museum, but most importantly, giving visitors a chance "to see ourselves in the building."

Jordan Schnitzer was on hand as well, and passionately discussed his love of the arts that led him to donate a sizable chunk of change — $5 million — to create the new space, which features seven total gallery spaces and 10,000 more square feet of exhibition space than the old museum. One of the spaces, the Harmon/Wright Gallery, currently features a show of works from Schnitzer's private collection until Aug. 4, and anyone with a taste for contemporary art will want to check it out.

Here's a picture of Schnitzer fighting with WSU President Kirk Schulz and architect Olson over who gets to cut the ribbon to open the galleries to the public:

Okay, they weren't really fighting. The whole vibe was mighty cheery for the hundreds of folks who glutted the new space's pavilion for the opening party.

Here are five works on display right now that you really need to see in person:

1. WITCH from Andy Warhol's Myth series. So colorful, so cool.

When Casey and Gianna Reynolds first met for coffee, it was to collaborate for a creative project. Although that particular project didn’t land, a relationship between the two ensued.

Fast forward six years, and the married couple have been working together on creative projects ever since. Gianna does the fashion designing, and Casey handles the media.

Their latest project, a fashion show, has been the couple's creative baby they’ve been nurturing for the past year with the help of a myriad friends. The upcoming immersive fashion showcase at House of POp this Sunday, April 8, is a multimedia event that includes accessories by Sam Moore of Dope Kawaii, a cinema piece by Antelabel and dance performance by Mackenzie Fagras. Gianna’s latest fashion collection, dubbed Nooskool, is also featured by the models. Attendees can expect freeze modeling and a few other surprises.

Nooskool is inspired by Gianna’s love of Japanese fashion, the rave scene, cyberpunk and hackers. The collection began with a jacket, and Gianna added pieces later that were centered around that look.

“The entire theme of the show boils down to collaboration and communication. The storyline of the video is even how a team is dysfunctional, but you can still accomplish something by being dysfunctional, and I think that’s the whole vibe of the thing,” says Casey. “It’s perfect chaos.”


With her previously-established fashion company, Kuriio, with the ethos and tagline of “fashion for weird people,” it’s evident that Gianna doesn’t stray from unusual looks or materials. She looks for ways to revive or recycle items, like a rain jacket she made from a shower curtain. Being a self-proclaimed hoarder, she never runs out of things to add or use in her designs. Nothing is duplicated, because she doesn’t make the same piece twice.

“Every single piece she creates has some kind of a backstory or some kind of inspiration. A life of its own,” Casey chimes in.

For Gianna, fashion is like painting or sculpting. It is a purely creative outlet, but she happens to also enjoy the commerce side of it. Detail, love and care goes into everything she makes.

“I feel like something that’s been worn and loved has some sort of energy and care to it and why not take that and move it into something else to continue to be loved?” says Gianna.

Nooskool is a combination of harajuku and street style. It embodies a sassy attitude with weird patterns and bold colors. Although it retains hints of '90s pop culture and nostalgia, it manages to encompass a current and modern energy.

“It’s not a throwback. It’s not oldschool. It’s Nooskool,” says Casey with a smile.

The Antearmy & Kuriio Present: Nooskool • Sun, April 8 at 7 and 9 pm • Free • House of POp • 227 W. Riverside • bit.ly/2FV5aeo

The Festival at Sandpoint announced its star-studded 2018 lineup yesterday (and no, it was not an April Fool's Day stunt), ringing in its 36th year with two weekends of rock, pop, folk and bluegrass at Sandpoint's War Memorial Field in August.

Tickets for the big shows range from $40 to $75, and they're on sale now. Here's what you can look forward to.

Aug. 2 — Big Head Todd & the Monsters
The Colorado-bred alt-rockers have dabbled in blues, jazz and funk since forming in the late '80s and have developed a fervent following in jam-band circles.

Aug. 3 — Amos Lee
A traditionalist whose smooth, Americana-influenced sound recalls the great singer-songwriters of the '70s, with the occasional tip of the hat to classic R&B.

Aug. 4 — ZZ Top
If you were bummed these bearded southern rock legends canceled their previously scheduled Northern Quest gig, fear not: They'll be taking over Sandpoint with those spinning guitars that made them MTV staples in the '80s.

Aug. 9 — Greensky Bluegrass
This five-piece from Kalamazoo puts a jammy, improv-heavy twist on old-school bluegrass, and the result has brought them some cult adoration.

Aug. 10 — Sublime with Rome
Although they didn't have a hit until after lead singer Bradley Nowell's death, Sublime has since had a long (but bumpy) trajectory, now with frontman Rome Ramirez. They're returning to the area following a Northern Quest gig with the Offspring last July.

Aug. 11 — Phillip Phillips and Gavin DeGraw
A co-headlining show with two adult contemporary favorites: Phillip Phillips is best known for winning the 11th season of American Idol and Gavin DeGraw for early 2000s hits like "I Don't Want to Be" and "Chariot."

Beyond those headliners, there will be a family concert on Aug. 5, which features music from the Festival Community Orchestra alongside carnival-style attractions, and the annual fireworks-finale performance by the Spokane Symphony closes things out on Aug. 12.

And in other regional music news, the Sasquatch! Music Festival just announced its daily schedule, with Bon Iver, Modest Mouse and the National headlining each of the fest's three days. Sasquatch! takes over the Gorge Amphitheatre from May 25 to 27.