MusicMusic Art Art Culture Culture Rejoice Reunite December 2019 Volume 1, Issue 11 February 2020 Vol. 2, Issue 2. Eddie Ade Knowles Drummer,Son ofeducator, a Gun revolutionary... Eddie Ade 18 KnowlesWith a newreminds self-titled us where album, we came rock from.and roll three- piece Son of a Gun sets their sights on the 518. 18The SceneJason once had Keller a call-sign, and Peggy Apple picks up the mic for us. 18 SeanHis voice Rowe fillsPeggy the airwaves Apple from WEQX, now we 22 welcome Jason Keller to fill some column inches. From foraging through the forest to hunting for the 22OPrhythm Callaghan for his latest song, Sean Rowe is adept.. Music is the pulse of the people. OP Callaghan 22 gives that pulse... and sometimes takes it. www.radioradiox.com Free February 2020 Page 3 Music Art Culture Revolution Sidekicked Article Sean Rowe Understanding that no one is an island, Sean Rowe fi notes that bring us to thends campfire. Page 22 Photo provided. Sidekicked can be found online. This time the heroes have been sidekicked in Son of a Gun an exciting comic by Russel Brettholtz. In the greatest tradition of By Rob Smittix three piece bands, Son of a Gun delivers high noon to all comers. s kids we spent every RRX: In your own words can or Jolt being denied a loan from Page 18 penny we had on can- you explain Side-Kicked to those the Flying Fox, the millionaire su- Ady, sugary sodas and of who haven’t read it yet? per-hero he works with, or Frost- course on comic books. In fact, I Russ: In the comic book Side- bite being told by the editor in still have a collection that takes Kicked, super hero sidekicks get chief of the newspaper he works up way too much space, accord- sick and tired of being disrespect- for that the public doesn’t care Observations and Ramblings ........35 ing to my wife. I was thinking it ed by the heroes that they work about stories about the sidekicks. would be nice to add just a few for so they go on strike. The story Disrespected by the super Xperience Fiction....38 more comics to the stack but centers around Phantasm, side- heroes, ignored by the media, this time from local comic book kick to Chicago’s greatest super and taken for granted by society, writer Russell Brettholtz and his hero, Mr. Marvelous, and his four Phantasm and his friends call a series entitled Side-Kicked. I also friends: Mustang, Jolt, Frostbite meeting of all of Chicago’s side- thought it would be cool to talk and Atlas. kicks and decide to go on strike. with Russ and get some insight Each of them has a reason to They will no longer assist the on what it takes to put together go on strike. Whether it’s Phan- city’s heroes. And when the vil- comics and release them. tasm being told he’s replaceable, lains realize what’s going on, they Page 4 February 2020 Music Art Culture Revolution Continued from Page 3. keep the paperwork organized paralegals working for lawyers. penciler who draws the comic in and to update both the physical The secretaries working for high pencil. The first issue of Side- exploit the opportunity to reign and computer files. But I quickly powered executives. And of Kicked was drawn by Miguel havoc down upon Chicago. found that the bulk of my job was course, being a comic book fan, Mendonca (who now works for RRX: So your comics are fixing the financial planner’s mis- sidekicks working for super he- DC comics) and the next three is- about the sidekicks who don’t takes. And I was good at my job. roes. I wanted to tell a story about sues by Bong Dazo. Those pages get credit where it is due, so they My goal was to eventually become the arrogance of power. And were then sent to the inker, Glau- ultimately prove that they them- a financial planner myself. But Side-Kicked was born. ber Matos, who uses an ink brush selves are the heroes and that when I approached my boss to RRX: Your final product is to go over the penciled lines to they are necessary to the city’s try and work out a way in which very impressive. You are the writ- add shading and depth to the safety. I used to be a sidekick on a I could work for him while also er but you’ve assembled a great page. talk radio show, so in that aspect pursuing the classes necessary team. Explain to us the process The pages then went to the I can somewhat relate; you know to become a financial planner, he of putting a comic book together colorist, Colin Moore, who adds I crack the jokes he gets the cred- fired me. and what everyone on your crew all of the color to the pages, and it. What was it that convinced As a comic book fan for most does to make it come together. finally the pages go to the letter- you to write a comic in which the of my life and a dabbler in cre- Russ: As the writer of Side- er, HdE, who adds all of the di- sidekicks are the focal point? Is ative writing, I knew there was Kicked, my first responsibility alog balloons and sound effects. there some part of your life that a story to tell from my experi- was writing the script. Comic When the artwork is complete the was an underlying influence for ence. I could not be the only per- book scripts break down what is pages are then sent to a printer this story? son to work so hard for someone shown in every panel on every who prints and binds the finished Russ: One of my previous only to be so completely disre- page along with any dialogue or comic book. jobs was as the assistant to a fi- spected. I thought about all the sound effects that need to ap- RRX: If I’m not mistaken you nancial planner. My job was to nurses working for doctors. The pear. The script is then sent to the used Kickstarter crowd funding February 2020 Page 5 Music Art Culture Revolution to help with the funding for this over $10,000 to finish issues two has recently sold out of its third project. Did this prove to be an through four. printing. effective approach or have you All of that money went to pay- I recently finished production perience used other methods as well? ing the art team, printing physi- on the fifth issue of the series, Russ: Side-Kicked wouldn’t cal copies of the books, and ship- with the sixth issue currently be- Monthly exist without Kickstarter. Com- ping those books to the people ing drawn and another three is- ic books are expensive to make. who supported the Kickstarter sues already scripted. Issues five The artwork can easily cost be- campaign. through nine of the series pick Art Fredette Publisher tween four and five thousand dol- It wasn’t until I started attend- up the Side-Kicked story short- lars per issue. I actually had to ing comic book conventions and ly after the ending of the fourth Liam Sweeny sell a large portion of my person- selling my comics there that I issue, and tell the story of what Editor-In-Chief al comic book collection in order was able to make some money for happens when aliens invade Chi- Creative Director to raise the money needed to even myself (which of course just went cago. Unfortunately for Chicago, Kit Haynes start the artwork for Side-Kicked. into a war chest for my next com- the new relationships between Associate Editor Once I had four finished pag- ic book project). the sidekicks and the heroes as a es and the cover, I felt confident RRX: What’s next for result of the strike have left the Dick Beach setting up a Kickstarter page to Side-Kicked? city with defenders who may not Staff Geek try and crowd fund the rest of Russ: The first four issues of be ready to deal with a conflict of the money needed to finish the Side-Kicked were collected in a that magnitude. comic. I ran two Kickstarter trade paperback and published A Kickstarter campaign for the campaigns, the first raising about and distributed by Darby Pop fifth issue was funded success- Contributors $7,500 for the first issue, and the Publishing. This collected edi- fully in June, and I am planning Rob Smittix second campaign raising a little tion tells a complete story and another campaign for the sixth issue later this year. Josh Reedy Photo provided. RRX: Where can people find Amy Modesti you online? Where can folks ob- tain copies of your comics? Stephanie Bartik Russ: I can be found online Fred Aseel at CatAtomicStudios.com, face- book.com/sidekickedcomics, Sassy Auburn twitter.com/SideKickedComix, Jeff Spauling or by e-mail at sidekickscomics@ gmail.com. My comic books can George Glass be found online on Amazon.com, Darbypop.com or on ComiXology. Contact 35D Saratoga Avenue, Waterford, NY 12188 (518) 326-1673 [email protected] Published by Imperial Broadcasting in conjunction with RadioradioX.com. Russell Brettholtz draws from his life experience of fixing mistakes in his work with sidekicks. Page 6 February 2020 Music Art Culture Revolution Something Old, Something New Photo provided.