1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:05,160 Hello and good morning. Hey, good morning Arrow. It's John cafierrero John. 2 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:08,080 What a creative man you are. I'm so excited to talk with you 3 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:11,359 because I got to know what your hook is in the way that everything you 4 00:00:11,519 --> 00:00:14,679 touch has me singing right along with you. I don't get how you do 5 00:00:14,759 --> 00:00:18,280 this all the time. Oh, thank you. That's an amazing compliment. 6 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:20,800 I really appreciate it. I'm so happy to hear that. Well. I 7 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:24,359 glad you dig my stuff. I've sat here all morning listening to the Land 8 00:00:24,399 --> 00:00:27,679 of Hatchie Mulatchie, and the thing is, I keep getting these flashbacks of 9 00:00:27,719 --> 00:00:30,559 when I used to buy all of these K tail albums. I go, 10 00:00:30,679 --> 00:00:33,960 my god, this is exactly what I had as a kid, songs that 11 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:37,560 I could sing with. That is so cool. Yeah, I mean the 12 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:43,119 land Hatchie Malatchie. It actually is this obscure children's song from the nineteen fifties 13 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:47,600 and it's been out of print for decades. It was originally performed by Rosemary 14 00:00:47,679 --> 00:00:53,520 Clooney, and I just thought it was a really surreal and bizarre song that 15 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:59,079 I felt really tied and would fit in perfectly with this Sweetie Candividualante comic book 16 00:00:59,119 --> 00:01:04,200 that I'm producing and specifically covered it with a highly unique approach for the series. 17 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:07,519 I'm so glad that you're putting music with this because my last two books 18 00:01:07,519 --> 00:01:11,519 that I published came with music as well, and I thought, I just 19 00:01:11,519 --> 00:01:14,760 want to do a soundtrack because I'm feeling this is it the same thing for 20 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:17,120 you that when you were putting together a story. It's like, man, 21 00:01:17,159 --> 00:01:21,480 there's music in my head. I gotta get it out, absolutely without a 22 00:01:21,519 --> 00:01:23,439 doubt. In fact, when I first heard the original version of the Land 23 00:01:23,439 --> 00:01:27,920 of Hatchie Malatchi, my wife Suzanne, who created and writes Sweety, and 24 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:32,400 I were talking and I said, are you listening to this? And I 25 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:36,959 was hearing the song on this free form radio show that had happened to play 26 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:40,519 it, and I said, this would be perfect for Sweete And I immediately 27 00:01:40,599 --> 00:01:46,040 just pictured doing this unique cover of it that would be sort of what you 28 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:49,319 would hear if you were watching it as a film. To create it with 29 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:52,319 that kind of a punk sound in the background, I mean that sound is 30 00:01:52,359 --> 00:01:55,599 something that really resonates, is what it does. And I remember sitting down 31 00:01:55,599 --> 00:01:59,159 with Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols and he goes, it's not punk, 32 00:01:59,239 --> 00:02:05,359 It's blue. How do you describe your sound, Well, I would really 33 00:02:05,439 --> 00:02:09,919 describe it as maybe power pop or you know, punk pop. It's really 34 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:14,840 just what I'm feeling. I mean, one of my favorite bands, really 35 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:17,360 my favorite band of all time as a kid and even to this day as 36 00:02:17,479 --> 00:02:23,159 The Ramones, and I always just kind of view everything as if it was 37 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:25,360 you know, the Ramones, but through my own filter. So it's really 38 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:30,360 just kind of like my own version of the Ramones, which I think comes 39 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:32,639 out as kind of like power pop or you know, punk rock, punk 40 00:02:32,719 --> 00:02:37,759 pop. It's really just derivative of my personality. You might even just call 41 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:42,319 it like cartoon punk. Yeah. Yeah. Being a part of the Doctor 42 00:02:42,319 --> 00:02:45,240 Demento journey, I mean, my god, I mean what today, I 43 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:47,479 mean with the platforms that we have, but it's still not Doctor Demento. 44 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:53,919 How do you find your place in space? You know, it's I think 45 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:58,879 people find you. I think it's really a matter of you just put out 46 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:01,560 what you feel and what you believe in, and there are going to be 47 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:06,639 people that are like minded or just have similar tastes that are just going to 48 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:09,199 be drawn to it and hopefully find it. And with like you said, 49 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:15,360 there's just so many platforms out there all over the world that everything it very 50 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:21,800 easily just gets lost in the ether and hard to find. So I think 51 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:23,680 you just have to put your stuff out there, really believe in it, 52 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:28,919 and enjoy what you're doing, and maybe even do it for yourself more so 53 00:03:29,039 --> 00:03:30,879 than anything else, and then just hope that other people like it too. 54 00:03:31,319 --> 00:03:36,000 So when your wife is putting together the the animation and you know in the 55 00:03:36,039 --> 00:03:38,439 in the comic book itself, what is that like for your creative process as 56 00:03:38,439 --> 00:03:42,080 well, Because I mean you're coming from a musical side, She's coming from 57 00:03:42,199 --> 00:03:46,800 an imagination that's just got to be so vivid because I do see the colors. 58 00:03:46,599 --> 00:03:52,759 Oh absolutely, Yeah. She's very imaginative and really has created an incredible 59 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:57,800 series and an incredible, incredible storyline and stable of characters, and she writes 60 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:01,080 it and then from there I work with the the different illustrators to get the 61 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:06,400 book illustrated and colored and packaged. And it really is I look at it 62 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:11,080 like making a movie. It's really just like taking a great script and then 63 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:14,400 trying to make the best movie out of it that you can. And music 64 00:04:14,439 --> 00:04:17,040 comes hand in hand with that. One of the things that I've always wanted 65 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:19,959 to understand is that how do you know when to stop when you're doing a 66 00:04:19,959 --> 00:04:21,920 series? In other words, how do you know, okay, this is 67 00:04:21,959 --> 00:04:25,839 this book, Okay stop, we're we're going to create the series. It's 68 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:28,600 going to go, Because I mean, would I would do five thousand books 69 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:32,279 pages just to get one story out. Well, you know, most comic 70 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:36,800 books actually are kind of capped at about twenty two pages. The average comic 71 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:42,160 book is about twenty two pages of original content and then the rest is just 72 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:46,120 ads and other miscellaneous stuff. So for the very first issue of Sweetie, 73 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:50,120 because it was the debut issue, we went about ten pages longer than you 74 00:04:50,199 --> 00:04:55,480 normally do, and then issues two through six in volume one more twenty two 75 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:59,560 pages apiece. And we are thrilled that the reception for the first six issues 76 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:02,360 and the first volume was so good and less people wanting more that we just 77 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:06,600 kicked off a sequel series, which is now Sweetie candividual Ante Volume two, 78 00:05:06,639 --> 00:05:11,399 Issue number one was just released last week, and the first six issues of 79 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:15,360 Volume one were collected as a trade paperback that just came out at the end 80 00:05:15,399 --> 00:05:20,079 of January. So you in comic books, you do have some confines to 81 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:27,360 work within because there is sort of an expectation of roughly twenty two pages for 82 00:05:28,199 --> 00:05:30,720 your average issue, but you can go on with as many issues as it 83 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:34,040 takes to tell your story. And we knew that this was going to be 84 00:05:34,079 --> 00:05:40,399 a multiple volume thing because the storyline is so rich and there's just constantly new 85 00:05:40,439 --> 00:05:45,279 things being revealed about the character in her world and the other characters that exist 86 00:05:45,319 --> 00:05:48,639 within it. And the first volume really just scratched the surface. But we 87 00:05:48,639 --> 00:05:51,399 were thrilled to death that people liked it to the extent that they did, 88 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:56,319 and the fact that now that volume two has launched, there's been so many 89 00:05:56,319 --> 00:05:59,759 people that are saying I was so thrilled when I saw that more was coming 90 00:05:59,759 --> 00:06:01,600 out, because I was kind of disappointed to see it end. Wow. 91 00:06:01,639 --> 00:06:04,439 See, it's fun to go to a comic book store and just listen to 92 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:08,959 everybody's stories and when they pick up a book that they haven't seen before and 93 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:11,879 all of a sudden, they begin, you know, sharing their journeys as 94 00:06:11,879 --> 00:06:14,639 well. How did you get involved with comic books? Was it a kid 95 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:17,199 thing? I mean, what was the journey? Yeah, I've always loved 96 00:06:17,199 --> 00:06:20,399 comic books ever since I was a kid. And honestly, even when my 97 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:25,600 wife and I first started dating, we used to go to comic book stores 98 00:06:25,639 --> 00:06:29,959 and buy comics and then go back home and read them together. So you 99 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:33,600 know, we both love comic books, and I think was just fate that 100 00:06:33,639 --> 00:06:39,399 we'd wind up working on one together somewhere down the line and doing something completely 101 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:43,680 original, and that is really refreshing with this because a lot of comic books 102 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:47,519 today, there's very few original properties. Most of them are based on pre 103 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:51,519 existing properties, just like films, and that's cool because it's great to see 104 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:56,879 something that you love in another medium. But it was a challenge to take 105 00:06:56,879 --> 00:07:00,639 something that was completely new and new character in a new world introduce it. 106 00:07:00,079 --> 00:07:03,920 And we're really thrilled with the reception that people took to it, because that's 107 00:07:03,959 --> 00:07:09,839 not very common for new properties to survive among so many other big properties. 108 00:07:09,839 --> 00:07:13,959 And literally our publisher Dynamite, who from the very beginning I felt was the 109 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:16,439 right home for this, And after talking to a number of different companies and 110 00:07:16,439 --> 00:07:20,439 then finally talking to Nick Perucci of Dynamite, it was evident to me that 111 00:07:20,439 --> 00:07:24,199 they were the right home and Nick was immediately like, we want this, 112 00:07:24,279 --> 00:07:28,639 and we ink to deal with them and with Dynamite, we're an incredible company. 113 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:32,639 But all these very well established properties. I mean they're the home of 114 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:39,079 red Sonia, Vampirella, Army of Darkness based on the famous Sam Raimi movies, 115 00:07:39,279 --> 00:07:43,800 James bondub Seven, Alvira, Mistress of the Dark, Game of Thrones. 116 00:07:44,399 --> 00:07:47,839 So there's so many incredible properties there Barborella, and to be among them 117 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:53,720 is just an absolute thrill for both Suzanne and I. For you guys to 118 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:56,800 collaborate like that is it? Because the way that I run my house is 119 00:07:56,800 --> 00:07:59,639 that is when I go into the studio, that's my studio time. I 120 00:07:59,639 --> 00:08:01,959 get to arrow. But when I get to come out, then I can 121 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:05,160 be mister husband. When when when do you guys get to need I mean, 122 00:08:05,199 --> 00:08:07,680 do you separate and then come back at lunch or what do you guys 123 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:11,920 do? No, you know, it's kind of like, uh, you 124 00:08:11,959 --> 00:08:16,319 know, I'm very much like a doctor sort of on call twenty four hours 125 00:08:16,319 --> 00:08:20,600 a day, and my work date does not ever really end. I mean 126 00:08:20,639 --> 00:08:24,040 there are little moments in between where I'll have downtime for just personal life or 127 00:08:24,079 --> 00:08:28,240 whatever. But things just happen all the time, and when you're creating or 128 00:08:28,279 --> 00:08:31,799 working on things. You know, for me, quite a bit of the 129 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:35,080 middle of the night is sometimes when I like to work on stuff the most. 130 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:41,440 So yeah, there's really it's kind of like our house is sort of 131 00:08:41,519 --> 00:08:46,080 like this weird studio. Yeah yeah, yeah. Now I have a show 132 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:48,919 on iHeartRadio called Creativity is the addiction? Do you find yourself in that position? 133 00:08:50,039 --> 00:08:50,879 It's like, I've got to keep creating. I've got to feed it, 134 00:08:50,919 --> 00:08:54,159 I've got to give it more. Absolutely, yeah, without a doubt. 135 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:58,080 I mean, I'm always doing something, and I always have a million 136 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:01,960 different projects going on at once. I mean literally, right now, I'm 137 00:09:01,039 --> 00:09:05,559 producing volume two of the Sweetie Candy Vigilante comic book series. I'm also in 138 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:09,600 the process of producing Doctor Demento coven in Punk Volume two, which is, 139 00:09:09,799 --> 00:09:13,279 as you know from the first volume, the huge undertaking and a really rich, 140 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:20,039 diverse project. I'm working on new Osaka pop star material, Managing the 141 00:09:20,039 --> 00:09:22,720 Misfits, the State of d d Ramones. There's always a lot of different 142 00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:26,879 things going on, all things that I really love and feel fortunate to be 143 00:09:26,919 --> 00:09:30,559 involved with. Well, I love what you do. I mean, you 144 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:33,320 really do bring us the story in so many different ways, and it's like 145 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:37,279 it doesn't catch us off guard. It catches us in a moment of oh 146 00:09:37,279 --> 00:09:39,960 my god, I found my escape, and it's coming from you and your 147 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:43,600 wife. Oh thanks. I'm really glad to hear that. And the way 148 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:46,519 that the world is today with all of the chaos in the world and negativity, 149 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:52,399 I mean, having an escape really is a valued treasure in my opinion. 150 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:54,759 Even with the song Milanda Hashie Malatchie. When I hear it, I 151 00:09:54,799 --> 00:09:58,720 mean, one of the reasons I wanted to do it is because I felt 152 00:09:58,799 --> 00:10:03,279 that it was sort of our version. Osakopopsto's version is imagined as it's coming 153 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:09,440 from Sweeti's candy coated glasses point of view, but through her sort of unhinged 154 00:10:09,919 --> 00:10:13,320 mind, And when I listen to it sometimes I think, boy, with 155 00:10:13,399 --> 00:10:16,039 the state of the world right now, it'd really be great for us all 156 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:18,919 to have a land of Hatchie Malachi to go escape to. Oh my god, 157 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:22,639 you just said two of my favorite words, except you said candy coded 158 00:10:22,159 --> 00:10:26,159 view. I live by this mantra, candy coded plastic bathroom mirror smile, 159 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:30,960 and we all have that great And so for you to say that, I'm 160 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:37,480 going, holy crap. Yeah, Well, I always enjoy your interviews Arrow 161 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:41,600 because you're really You've got a really imaginative mind yourself, and you're really thorough 162 00:10:41,879 --> 00:10:46,559 and into the things that you talk about. So it's always a pleasure to 163 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:50,039 thought in vision the viewer and the listener, because every time I come into 164 00:10:50,039 --> 00:10:52,600 this studio, it's like, Okay, they're waiting, now I need to 165 00:10:52,759 --> 00:10:56,639 deliver. Do you You've seem to be that type as well. Yeah, 166 00:10:56,759 --> 00:10:58,360 you know. I want to make sure that anything I do is fun and 167 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:01,720 entertaining for anybody that's going to take the time to give it a listen. 168 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:05,279 So I really do try to put my best foot forward in everything I do, 169 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:09,519 and at the same time, I really am genuinely passionate about it. 170 00:11:09,519 --> 00:11:13,879 So I think the two together is just it's a combination that's worked really well 171 00:11:13,919 --> 00:11:16,360 for me, and I take pride in it. Wow, where can people 172 00:11:16,399 --> 00:11:20,200 go to find out more about you? This entire project? And I'm sure 173 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:22,000 that you know, if you're going to be doing any visiting of any stores 174 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:26,960 or comic book conventions, I mean you've got to be somewhere. Oh absolutely, 175 00:11:26,039 --> 00:11:31,399 Yeah. Well for starters for Osaka pop stores, music and to check 176 00:11:31,399 --> 00:11:35,679 out our animated music videos and learn more about the band Osaka pop Star just 177 00:11:35,759 --> 00:11:41,159 visit Osaka Popstar dot com. It's just like the city in Japan O s 178 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:43,519 A k A p O P s t a r dot com. And to 179 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:48,039 learn more about the Sweetycandy Vigilante comic book series, visit our official website for 180 00:11:48,080 --> 00:11:54,879 the series, which is sweety s w E E t I E Candy Vigilante 181 00:11:54,159 --> 00:12:00,440 dot com. And you can order the records at Osaka Popstar dot You could 182 00:12:00,519 --> 00:12:03,399 order the comics at Sweetyandyvigilante dot com. You could check out the music on 183 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:09,440 all the digital platforms Spotify, Apple Music, you know, Amazon, pretty 184 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:13,639 much all of them. And you can find SWEETYE Candy Vigilante literally in your 185 00:12:13,679 --> 00:12:16,200 favorite comic book shop. So if you want to support your mom and pop 186 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:20,720 shops, stop into your local comic bookshop and ask for it. And if 187 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:24,679 you want the convenience of having it delivered to your door, check out the 188 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:28,840 website and order everything from us online because we've got rare, variant covers, 189 00:12:28,879 --> 00:12:33,559 autograph copies, and pretty much everything you could you could look for in a 190 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:35,840 sweet shop online. Wow, how long did it take you to let it 191 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:39,279 roll off your tongue the way that you say sweetye candy vigilante. I mean, 192 00:12:39,279 --> 00:12:41,879 come on, that's like seeing say it five times in a row and 193 00:12:41,919 --> 00:12:46,080 see if you can do without shripping. Yeah, now, it's it's an 194 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:48,320 amazing title. At the point my wife first mentioned it to me, I 195 00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:54,399 immediately thought, you know, this is definitely something that I think has legs 196 00:12:54,399 --> 00:12:58,919 and could catch on because it's certainly entertaining me. Please come back to the 197 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:01,279 show anytime in the future. Hour is always going to be open for you. 198 00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:03,240 John. Oh, thank you Arrow. It's always a pleasure and I 199 00:13:03,279 --> 00:13:07,159 really appreciate all of your support and I'm so glad that you like what I 200 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:09,600 do. Will you'd be brilliant today? Okay, thank you to Arrow. 201 00:13:09,639 --> 00:13:11,240 Have a great win. I'll speak with you next time.