Another quarter, another Making the Mountain, another chance to refill your inspiration tank. This Friday, we'll be hearing from perception engineer Professor Phelyx, musician Tom Hagerman, and cartoonist Karl Christian Krumpholz. Here's a sneak preview.
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Professor Phelyx[/caption]
Professor Phelyx is a Denver native who began performing magic in 1979. Now, as a comedic mentalist, he has performed thousands of shows. He has appeared on stage with many very famous acts and has headlined in Las Vegas. He credits his success to his "odd collection of skills," his willingness to try anything, and his love of creating wonder in even the most skeptical minds.
What's a surprising piece of equipment you use for your craft?
I would say that traveling with a stainless steel blindfold has upset the TSA a time or two.
Does your work affect your body in anyway? That is, could someone in your industry look at your hands and know you're in the field?
Arthritis has become a troubling bit of evidence that my doctor says is simply a result of overuse. Sleight-of-hand requires intense training and maintenance. Another obvious hand-related bit is an immaculate manicure. I insist.
In one sentence, what do you love about your work?
My greatest feat is turning adults into children.
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Tom Hagerman[/caption]
Tom Hagerman is best known for his multi-instrumentalist role in the Grammy-nominated, Denver-based rock band DeVotchKa. He has performed on recordings by M Ward, Crooked Fingers, She and Him, Neko Case, Bettye Lavette, Calexico, and Sage Francis, among others, and has written many orchestral arrangements for the Colorado Symphony's pop shows with artists including The Flaming Lips, The Lumineers, Amos Lee, Ingrid Michaelson, Gregory Alan Isakov, The Flobots, and Devotchka. He is a Colorado native, a graduate of the music school at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a product of music education in public schools.
In one sentence, what do you love about your work?
I love playing music when I stop thinking about anything and just perform (which is rare), and I love to hear the final product of things that took significant time to create.
Karl Christian Krumpholz’s work has appeared in VICE, Birdy, Suspect Press, and Modern Drunkard, among others. He provided the artwork for the documentary Neal Cassady's Denver Years for Colorado Public Television and examines the history of Colorado venues in the weekly Denver Bootleg comic in Westword. For almost
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Karl Christian Krumpholz[/caption]
four years, he has drawn the true-ish tales and slice-of-life moments about the denizens, bars, and characters of the city in the weekly webcomic 30 Miles of Crazy, which was nominated for a DINKy award at the first Denver Independent Comic and Arts Expo. He is also always looking for a better place to get a drink.
What's a surprising piece of equipment you use for your craft?
I use a lot of weird crowquil nibs that I found from Japan, used by manga artists. I also use a lot more Photoshop than I would normally like, but the comics do not color themselves.
Does your work affect your body in anyway? That is, could someone in your industry look at your hands and know you're in the field?
Aside from the ink-stained fingers, when I'm inking/using crowquils for a long period of time in one sitting, it turns my hands into cramped-up claws. I generally have to take a break after three pages.
In one sentence, what do you love about your work?
Learning about, illustrating, and telling stories about the history, people, community and city around me.
Making the Mountain happens this Friday, February 24, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. Click here to RSVP on Facebook!
