John "Derf" Backderf: My Friend Dahmer
In 2012, graphic novelist John "Derf" Backderf released his graphic novel, My Friend Dahmer, about one of the most notorious murderers in U.S. history, Jeffrey Dahmer. Between 1978 and 1991, Dahmer killed 17 people. Derf’s book isn't about Jeffrey the monster, but rather about a teenage boy who grew up about 1 hour south of Cleveland and enrolled in the middle school that Derf attended. Recently, a French-edition of My Friend Dahmer won top honors as the 2013 best debut graphic novel at the largest comic festival in Europe, the Angoulême International Comics Festival. On that occasion, we bring you an interview done with John Backderf shortly after the release of My Friend Dahmer.
Editorial Artist Andrea Levy
John Backderf’s comic strip The City used to appear every week in the Plain Dealer, and that’s where you can still find the work of editorial artist Andrea Levy. Levy uses her skills as a photographer and illustrator to express opinions about a wide range of topics including politics, sports, business and culture. Andrea was a recent recipient of a Creative Work Force Fellowship Grant, a program sponsored by The Community Partnership for Arts and Culture and Cuyahoga Arts and Culture. Her story comes to us by way of filmmaker Paul Sobota.
Cellar Door Records
Cleveland! It’s long been a great place for concerts, music and entertainment. One business doing its part to keep Cleveland a vibrant, relevant and exciting music scene is Cellar Door Records. They opened a couple of years ago in the downtown neighborhood of Cleveland and quickly established themselves as a vital entertainment hub, featuring everything from live concerts, to recordings, to films, and an online magazine.
Blacksmith Dave Koenig
After retirement, it’s not uncommon to seek a quiet, peaceful existence... which is exactly what Dave Koenig did after calling it quits as a corporate executive. His search lead him to pick up a hammer, a pair of tongs, and don a rawhide apron to become a Blacksmith.John “Derf” Backderf, Artist
Andrea Levy, The Plain Dealer
Justin Markert, President, Cellar Door Records
Dave Koenig, Blacksmith