Rogue Sounds
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YOUR LOCAL, NON-PROFIT, INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER Volume 6, Issue 7 // April 25 - May 8, 2019 2 / WWW.ROGUEVALLEYMESSENGER.COM APRIL 25 - MAY 8, 2019 / THE ROGUE VALLEY MESSENGER / 3 The Rogue Valley Messenger PO Box 8069 | Medford, OR 97501 CONTENTS 541-708-5688 roguevalleymessenger.com FEATURE page SOUND page [email protected] For this year’s Medford Over the past decade, THE BUSINESS END OF THINGS Comic Con, organizers 5 radio stations have 16 figure it was time for a consolidated so that 90 WEB MASTER Tammy Wilder logo—and what better percent are owned by OUR FINANCIAL WIZARD Sara Louton, Advanced Books place to turn than their only four companies. But DISTRIBUTION Coleman Antonucci fans! A logo competition community-radio station ADVERTISING MANAGER Sasha Armstrong turned up local artist Junie KSKQ is locally-grown, Maupin, and our writer has and as varied as the place OUR WORDSMITHS, ETC. her origin story. it comes from. PUBLISHER & EDITOR Phil Busse MANAGING EDITOR Sara Jane Wiltermood PRODUCTION MANAGER Donna Brosh CALENDAR EDITOR Jordan Marie McCaw CULTURE page DON’T page COLUMNISTS Rob Brezsny, Dr. Dan Smith, It seems that Director, Bill SMOKE Dr. Cory Tichauer, Dr. Margaret Philhower and Rauch, has done it again Our weed reporter went Tanya Shelander with a smart adaptation 18 to the Champs expo in 22 FREELANCERS Catherine Kelley, Heather Metz, and apropos selection in Las Vegas this year. What Nick Blakeslee, Vanessa Newman and Josh Stirm Cambodian Rock Band. used to be a glass and GET IN TOUCH Inspired by an actual accessories show, this compilation CD consisting year transformed largely MAIL [email protected] of 22 songs from the late into a hemp-CBD product MUSIC [email protected] 60’s and early 70’s, a surreal showcase, an industry that EVENTS [email protected] story about a tortured soul has doubled in size over the last year. ADVERTISE [email protected] in a troubled country. SALES DEADLINE: 5 pm Thurs EDITORIAL DEADLINE: 5 pm Thurs Feature #1 ..................................................................... 5 Food & Drink ..............................................................19 CALENDAR DEADLINE: 12 pm Thurs Feature #2 ..................................................................... 7 Art Watch.....................................................................20 CLASSIFIED DEADLINE: 4 pm Thurs Deadlines may shift for special/holiday issues. Our Picks ........................................................................ 9 Wellness .......................................................................20 ABOUT THE COVER: Live Music and Nightlife ........................................10 Sports & Outdoor .....................................................21 Don’t Smoke the Messenger ...............................22 If creating superheroes is a superpower, Events ...........................................................................11 local artist and Medford Comic Con logo Sound ...........................................................................16 Free Will Astrology ...................................................22 contest award winner Junie Maupin Screen ...........................................................................17 Rec Room ....................................................................23 has got what it takes to save the Rogue Culture ..........................................................................18 Valley—and beyond! CCA$H CAA$$HH FOR YOUR OLD GOLD, SILVER & DIAMONDS F ather & S on J ewelers 126 East Main St. Medford 541-774-8900 We Repair We Offer ALL Types of Jewelry... plus (Most Custom Watch Battery Brand s ) Work! & Installation FatherAndSonJewelryMedford.com 4 / WWW.ROGUEVALLEYMESSENGER.COM APRIL 25 - MAY 8, 2019 / THE ROGUE VALLEY MESSENGER / 5 FEATURE AnAn ArtisticArtistic SuperheroineSuperheroine A Profile of Medford Comic Con’s Logo Contest Winner, Junie Maupin BY NOAH LEE MARGETTS Smashing through walls and seeking justice, local artist Junie Maupin has created the new face of the Medford Comic Con, hitting the Medford Library April 27 and 28. “There were some great and interesting submissions for the Logo Contest, but ultimately, it was a unanimous decision by our committee; there were no runner ups,” says Terra McLeod, Medford Library Branch Manager and co- organizer of the event. “This was the first logo contest, with the intention of keeping it as the first permanent logo for MCC.” Maupin illustrates the powerful dynamic of how to marry business sense with creative fulfillment. After studying Web Design for Marketing at JUNIE MAUPIN Klamath Community College, CREDIT: NOAH LEE MARGETTS she got a Bachelor’s degree in Emerging Media & Digital Art from SOU, minoring in Business Administration. Her inspiration towards art as a career started at home. “I’ve Con convention logos. That that I’ve drawn inspiration from. make videos fairly frequently,” always had the support of my definitely helped design the They’ve done that kind of graphic says Maupin. family with my art, so obviously character that we see today. I did memoir thing and I think I want When it comes to social media, that’s a big inspiration there, my a couple thumbnails, sketched out to pursue that. Linda Berry, she she gives this sage advice, “You older brother drew a lot, then my a few ideas that I was thinking makes these really interesting know, just get yourself out there. dad was an artist and my grandma of. Then I scanned my drawings comics about her life. They’re in It’s not going to happen instantly, paints,” says Maupin. into the computer. I did all the book forms, not small issues or the likes or the followers or When combined with her line work and base coloring in anything like that. Craig Thomson, interactions. Just do it anyway you family’s support and her strategic Adobe Illustrator. I learned how he’s another one that did a graphic know because it’s free, it doesn’t educational choices, Maupin set to do that at Klamath Community memoir about growing up.” cost anything to post something. herself up well as both an artisan College and I also learned the Like so many artists, Junie supports Just do it and don’t get caught up and a businesswoman and has more advanced techniques at SOU herself with non-artistic work and in like how many followers or likes proven so with her victory here at when I did my degree in Emerging currently works as a Deli Supervisor you have. Because I used to do the Medford Comic Con, and she Media and Digital Art.” at the local Grocery Outlet. that and it was a big problem for also recently won the logo contest Maupin wins a Central Art “I’m still going to be here in the me when I was starting to draw for the City of Ashland’s Fourth of Supply $100 gift card, integrated Rogue Valley,” she says. “I like it digitally and everything. It really July Festival. publicity with Comic Con and a here. I moved here from Klamath got to me and then I realized I had “I was always drawn to female free table to the next five MCC’s. Falls. I would love to actually to step back from that and kind of characters,” says Maupin. “Well, So what now? work at a place that does graphic reexamine things,” she says. usually I draw a lot of women “A graphic memoir specific to design full time. I’d still want to MEDFORD COMIC CON to begin with. I like drawing kind of growing up,” she says. “I do my little art business thing Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28 think it’d be kind of cool to do. on the side. I do speed sketches Medford Library, 205 S. Central Avenue, superhero figures or that kind Medford. of thing. I looked at other Comic I’ve seen other artists do this too on my YouTube channel. I try to 6 / WWW.ROGUEVALLEYMESSENGER.COM APRIL 25 - MAY 8, 2019 / THE ROGUE VALLEY MESSENGER / 7 FEATURE Tired Thumbs are Not Just From Texting Anymore Retro Games are Alive and Clicking at Medford Comic Con BY NOAH LEE MARGETTS Boop…Wokka-Wokka…Doodly-do-do-do…KA-POW! As part of the retro game roadshow organized by SORG (Southern Oregon Retro Gamers) at the 2019 MCC, thousands (yes thousands) of archaic arcade games will be available to play on gaming systems from: Konami, Hudson Soft, Bandai, SNK, Tradewest, HAL Laboratory and the iconic Tecmo. Play Pong, Pac-Man, Donkey Kong and so many more at the Medford Comic Con on April 27 and 28. “This year’s MCC theme is Fandoms Unite, so having a video game room was a natural addition to the Con,” says co-organizer and Medford Library Branch Manager, Terra McLeod. “I had been wanting something like this for a couple of years.” But where to get such classic games? Enter Kurt Liedtke of SORG, who has continually donated the use of his personal collection to populate the pop-up gaming suite. “My all-time favorite game is Tecmo Super Bowl, circa 1991,” says Liedtke. “It was the first sports game to track player stats throughout a season and included a customizable playbook with real NFL players. The fact that annual Tecmo Super Bowl tournaments are still held shows just how much of a landmark game it was.” A few years back Liedtke found Klamath County Library’s monthly retro game night. As a new member of the community, he generously offered the use of his personal gaming collection. This soon grew to the current roadshow which has become popular not only on the Comic Con circuit, but Oregon’s Tech Con as well. Liedtke explains, “An enormous subculture surrounding retro gaming has grown over the past decade. I believe that part of the popularity