Margaret Cho - EP216 - The Creative Asylum

Gilbert & Jaime Hernandez (Love & Rockets) - EP222 - The Creative Asylum

Are you a fan of comics? When I first discovered Love and Rockets, it was an absolute revelation, so getting to have a conversation with Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez — the legendary Los Angeles-based brothers behind Love and Rockets, one of the most celebrated and enduring comic book series in American literary history, needless to say I was deeply honored and excited to get to speak with both brothers together. Since self-publishing their first issue in 1981 which led to an immediate deal with Fantagraphics Books, the brothers have spent over four decades crafting two richly parallel worlds: Gilbert's mythic, multi-generational tales set in the fictional Latin American village of Palomar, and Jaime's deeply intimate portraits of Chicano punk life in Southern California, centered on the iconic characters Maggie and Hopey. What makes their work truly extraordinary is how it shattered the conventions of the medium — trading superhero spectacle for magic realism, soap opera depth, feminist themes, and honest, groundbreaking portrayals of Latinx, queer, and working-class life at a time when such stories were areas not covered in the comics medium. What has made Love and Rockets timeless is its radical humanity. The characters age in real time across decades of storytelling, accumulating the kind of emotional weight and complexity rarely achieved even in literary fiction. Rooted in the DIY spirit of the California punk scene that shaped them, Gilbert and Jaime have always followed their own instincts — using their remarkable draftsmanship not for mainstream spectacle, but in service of honest, deeply felt human stories. Rolling Stone ranked Love and Rockets the greatest non-superhero graphic novel of all time, and it has influenced generations of cartoonists, writers, and filmmakers worldwide. Whether you're a lifelong fan of L&R or discovering Los Bros Hernandez for the very first time, this conversation is a masterclass in artistic integrity, cultural storytelling, and the enduring power of comics as literature. * * * * PLEASE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Website: https://www.TheCApod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCApod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CreativeAsylumCA/ ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

David J (Bauhaus, Love & Rockets) - EP221 - The Creative Asylum

There are few things more thrilling than getting to have a conversation with one of your musical heroes from your own musican youth. In this episode, a conversation with David J — bassist, songwriter, producer, poet, and one of the true architects of post-punk and gothic rock. As a co-founder of Bauhaus, David helped create one of the most influential and groundbreaking bands of the late 1970s and early '80s. He later went on with fellow Bauhaus members Daniel Ash and David Haskins in the formation of Love and Rockets, an equally important band that fused psychedelia, alternative rock, pop, and underground cool beyond words. David J has also built a rich solo career, releasing a catalog of music that explores everything from cabaret and spoken word to avant-garde rock, noir balladry, and intimate pop infused songwriting. David J’s creative life extends far beyond the bass however: He's carved out an impressive body of work as a producer, writer, playwright, and director, bringing the same imagination and outsider spirit to every medium he touches. If you’re into post-punk, goth rock, Bauhaus, Love and Rockets, alternative music, music production, artist interviews, and epitome of "cool," this episode is for you. * * * * PLEASE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Website: https://www.TheCApod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCApod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CreativeAsylumCA/ ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Bette A. (Slow Stories) - EP220- The Creative Asylum

Have you ever asked yourself what is the purpose of art and creativity in our lives? Dutch artist, novelist, and activist Adriaanse (Bette A.) has spent her career asking exactly that question — and living the answers both in her day-to-day life as well as in the book that she collaborated with Brian Eno on, "What Art Does: An Unfinished Theory."  Born in Amsterdam and trained at the Rietveld Art Academy, Bette studied Image and Language before going on to earn a Master's in Creative Writing at Oxford, writing and publishing novels in both English and Dutch. Her work spans fiction, visual art, creative systems and teaching about the poetic possibilities of process itself. Her thinking is united by a idea that creativity belongs to everyone, and that you do not have to be an "artist" to live a creative life. In other words, Bette believes there is no meaningful difference between a grandmother deliberating over which colors of wool to pick for a knitting project and a professional artist showing work in a museum.  Her recent short story collection Slow Stories (written and rewritten pieces that were plucked from over two decades of her creativity) were the basis for TWO SLOW STORIES: A Collaboration of Storytelling, Music, and Art, a record featuring the music of Brian Eno and two re-imagined stories from that book narrated by Bette herself. Eno and Adriaanse's shared creative approach is deeply process-oriented rather than goal-oriented — spontaneous, present, and unafraid of not knowing where things are heading. In this episode, Bette reflects on both collaborations, what she and Eno discovered about each other's artistic instincts, and why she believes that attuning yourself to something slow and non-urgent is, in today's world, a radical act. * * * * PLEASE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Website: https://www.TheCApod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCApod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CreativeAsylumCA/ ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Tracy Bonham - EP219 - The Creative Asylum

She screamed "Everything's fine!" through the MTV universe of 1996, and the world screamed it right back. Tracy Bonham is today's guest on the Creative Asylum. A classically trained violinist, a two-time Grammy nominee, and the singular force behind the era-defining alt-rock anthem "Mother Mother," the lead track on her major label debut The Burdens of Being Upright, Bonham is an artist who refused to allow the downsides of major label meat-grinder to define who she would be as an artist. "Mother Mother" topped the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart in June 1996, making Bonham the first female solo artist to achieve that feat. She that held that distinction for 17 years until Lorde came along. Bonham's major label success was relatively short-lived however: She was dropped after the release of her sophomore release, but that hardly kept her from maintaining her creative drive, with a solo career spanning six studio albums, from Blink the Brightest to Modern Burdens — her feminist reimagining of The Burdens of Being Upright featuring an all-star lineup of female voices, an album that made Rolling Stone's Top 50 Albums of 2017. In this episode, Tracy talks about her prolific solo career after the majors, including her evolution as a music educator and her delightful and unexpected creative pivot: Young Maestros Vol. 1, a children's music album released in 2021 — a music education project blending original songs with curriculum inspired by Schoolhouse Rock and Sesame Street. From headlining Lilith Fair to touring arenas as a featured violinist and vocalist with Blue Man Group, Tracy Bonham has spent three decades proving she was always much more than a one-hit wonder. This is a conversation about artistic reinvention, independence, and the long game of a life in music for anybody who sees their creative path as one that has no end. * * * * PLEASE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Website: https://www.TheCApod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCApod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CreativeAsylumCA/ ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Gina Gershon - EP218 - The Creative Asylum

Tough, sultry and fearless, Gina Gershon took an instance of cult infamy and transformed it into a celebration of cinema, sometimes gritty and always distinctly her own. Gershon is a true Hollywood original, with a career spanning literal decades with an iconic filmography that includes Showgirls, Bound, Face/Off, The Insider and The Player, one of my personal favorites from the iconoclastic director Robert Altman. She has acted in films with a remarkable roster of other legendary directors including John Sayles, the Wachowskis in their incredible directorial debut, Bound, William Friedkin, John Woo and Paul Verhoeven in the aforementioned cult classic, Showgirls.  On Broadway, she played Sally Bowles in Sam Mendes' celebrated revival of Cabaret and has performed at Carnegie Hall on three separate occasions. Hell, she's even fronted a rock bank with Girls Against Boys backing her up on tour! Her new memoir, AlphaPussy: How I Survived the Valley and Learned to Love My Boobs, published by Akashic Books, is drawn from her 40+ years navigating Hollywood, the San Fernando Valley, and the minefield of being a woman with strong opinions in an industry full of people who'd probably prefer she didn't have them. AlphaPussy plunges readers into her 1970s SoCal childhood, her occasionally defiant adolescence and the hard word that it took to develop her impressive career. Dealing with themes of manipulation, survival, and moving around and being able to stand on your own two feet, the AlphaPussy philosophy is about personal agency — being calm, confident, speaking your truth, and not looking away — a mantra forged in the fire of the belly of the Hollywood beast. In this episode, Gina brings her frank wit, down-to-earth warmth and honest candor to a conversation you absolutely do not want to miss. * * * * PLEASE FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Website: https://www.TheCApod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCApod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CreativeAsylumCA/ ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.