Adrian Has Issues Adrian Has Issues

Here it is, folks—the first post-hiatus episode of Adrian Has Issues! Joining me in the co-hosting chair is none other than Eileen aka The LatiNerd. We sit down for a thought-provoking conversation with the co-founders of Oneshi Press: Jayel Draco (Lead Designer) and Lynsey G Editor-In-Chief). Oneshi Press is an independent publishing company with a strong emphasis on community and inclusion. Their latest project is issue #4 of PACK, a vigilante thriller in which 6 stray dogs, and 1 stray man battling crime and corruption in a gentrified Brooklyn. In this episode, Eileen and I have an honest discussion with Jayel and Lynsey regarding the real-life social issues that inform the world of PACK. We explore how themes of racism, allyship and community affect people not just on street level but in the highest levels of government.

This week’s episode finds host Adrian King picking up where he left off on what was the final mini-episode installment. Adrian further elaborates on his role as an artist and seeks to reestablish his personal relationship with the creative process, as well as teasing a future project involving some output from the creative community.

Allison Martin is a trombonist with nearly 20 years of performance experience and a Bachelor’s Degree in music education. Having played as a soloist and in ensembles since her youth, Allison was well on her way as a professional player in orchestra before stepping away from music entirely. After years of studying abroad in Japan, Allison has returned with a renewed spirit and destined to make her mark. Equipped with an expansive skillset and an irreverent sense of humor, Allison’s path eventually brought her into the Video Game Music community with an appearance in the popular “Line Them Up” Paper Mario tribute video. 2022 saw the release of her debut album, See The World, a love letter to exploration and the games that inspired her personal journey including entries from The Legend of Zelda: Link To The Past, Final Fantasy VI and Pokémon. In an insightful and in-depth conversation, Adrian talks with Allison about her personal and creative life and the two cover a plethora of topics including: Creative burnout, the secret genius of informercials and the movies of Neil Breen.

East Bay Area musician and audio engineer Ian Cowell returns! Continuing the conversation from Episode 176, Ian tells the story of how a series of situations involving mistaken identity with another Cowell served as the catalyst for meeting some incredible individuals in the VGM/Synth community. Adrian and Ian also provide their thoughts on the importance of virtual VGM concerts, videogame music covers winning Grammy Awards and the value of content creators beyond the things they produce.

The “Minisode” format was intended to be a more intimate and personal account of Adrian’s thoughts and feelings on pop culture and creativity outside of the conversational tone of the standard episodes. In this final entry, Adrian continues a train of thought that was started in Minisode 10. Adrian attempts to redefine what it means to be a creator and podcaster and the role both play in artistic communities he serves. With this comes a conclusion that will no doubt shape his personal and professional journeys for years to come.

This week’s guest is Ian Cowell, an East Bay Area musician, producer and engineer. His incredible style ranges from synthwave, progressive rock, lo-fi and chip music. He has incorporated them into these truly unique arrangements of original music and videogame covers. Ian has been building a steady following in the VGM community with guitar-shredding prowess and irreverent humor. Ian capped off 2021 with the release of Exceptional Goblins, an exhilarating full-length album featuring arrangements from games such as Yoshi's Island, The Legend of Zelda II and Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne.

What was intended to be a look into the creation of Exceptional Goblins, the conversation between Adrian and Ian quickly veers into a fun and poignant discussion on a number of topics including: Being Dads as well as gamers and normalizing playing videogames on easy/casual difficulty levels.