Your connection to fantastic people
Published by: Antihero Entertainment Co.
Editor-in-Chief/Interviews
Alycia Ripley
Editorial Assistant Christopher Schobert
Design Director Lara Nedeltscheff
Staff Photographer Katie Raimonde
Contributing Writer Rebecca Gaffney
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All contents © 2025 Antihero Entertainment Co. or published under license. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in anyway without the prior written permission of the publisher. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Antihero Entertainment Co. cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. This magazine is fully independent and not affiliated in anyway with the companies mentioned herein.
by: Dj Carr
WAVY THE VANGUARD
I found wavy’s Instagram through mutual friends as I’m always on the lookout to connect with creative, hard-working people. Her visuals and captions were fascinating (also, nostalgic: the way she uses mostly lowercase letters reminded me of 90’s Nine Inch Nails lyrics) and she appears to always use time in the most productive and fun ways. I thought, how do so many people know this creative spirit and I don’t? How did she make that disco mask? I was impressed by her tenacity and the reputation she’d built through her art, collaborations, and social media. Getting to know wavy was a reminder to reach out when you’re struck by someone and their work as you most likely just came upon a kindred artist.
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KANSAS MIDDLETENT
THE ADVOCATE
It’s often those who have faced the most adversity and struggle who bring the greatest kindness and altruism to their work and relationships. Actor, model, stuntman, and business owner/activist Kansas Middletent is no exception. I was immediately taken with his warmth and upbeat nature when we met at a fashion show showcasing Native American designers and models and couldn’t wait to share his story with our readers. His smile is contagious and his words are calming. Read on to feel inspired by this influential speaker and performer.
A: I'm thrilled to introduce you to the Antihero community. How would you describe your current career to our readers?
K: First and foremost, I’m a father. I consider myself a community champion, which means helping community in any way I can. I’m a business owner of Rising Stars, which allows me to be involved in consulting, social media marketing, public speaking, and workshop facilitating. Every project is special and every community has a different need. I love being in communities where the elderly and the youth are involved. If I must say, I do love speaking and working with native youth the most. They always get the full version of me.
I’m also blessed to call myself a model. Every modeling job has its own vibe, environment, and motivation. I will have to say RES, Seneca Fashion Shoe, and Sycuan are some of my favorites. Modeling has definitely brought out skills I forgot I had. I always felt like an ugly duckling. I was shy and unwilling to leave my comfort zone. Modeling helped me find that little kid again who wasn’t afraid of being judged or made fun of. I love and feel free in those 15 seconds of fame. Lastly, I’m fortunate to be an actor/stunt man through the SAG - AFTRA union. The biggest SAG project I’ve worked on is Horizon: An American Saga. The experience was amazing. I learned how the industry operates. I made some great networking connections, showcased my talents and skills, and was able to create memories that will last a lifetime. The most meaningful part wasn’t just hanging out with Kevin Costner and the other cast, but what it means for small town Rez kids from my community and communities across Turtle Island. We want to show the world and our people that we can do anything, be anything, and that we deserve that chance! It gives Rez kids the ability to pursue and become even more than I ever dreamed of.
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SCARLETTE THE SPIDER
I’ve been listening to ASMR videos on You Tube for over a decade but it’s rare that someone’s voice and inflections calm me through rough moments. Scarlette has not only one of the most calming ASMR channels but also the most creative. A true polymath, Scarlette is a dancer, (if you want to feel inspired to move your body, check out her pole rehearsal videos on IG,) crochet artist, horse handler, ASMR creator, mother, and one of the most authentic women I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. This hard worker brings positive manifestations alive within a life dotted by challenges and hardships. It makes sense that she lives in Rocky Balboa’s hometown of Philadelphia because when I first described Scarlette to a friend, I said, “She’s like a petite, female version of Rocky. She just keeps getting up and winning.” Like the spider tattooed on her throat, she’s moves intentionally in all directions while caring for her family, for horses, and her various audiences. If there’s anyone deserving of the Antihero label, it’s Scarlette.
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KELLY REED
DEMON FROM HELL WITH A SWEET CREEPY SHELL
While at the Lewiston (NY) Art Festival, my mother found me trying to score a sample of handcrafted ice cream and said, “I just came from this girl’s tent and you of all people will love her.” She was correct. Kelly Reed, a.k.a kellraiser, is a pintsized, hair color dependent-on-the-day, friendly goth girl of the OG variety. Creative, authentic, punk, and cheerful, her art may be full of creepy creatures but she herself is a ray of sunshine, clad in black. Kelly’s art references pop-culture and classic monsters born of cinema and literature. She designs her own creatures, steeped in metaphor and psychology, often drawn on top of book pages that add to the creature’s lore. Before stores like Target appropriated what was ‘punk’ and ‘edgy,’ Kelly Reed was an antihero, polishing her craft. She’s currently touring art festivals where you can decide which of her monsters suit you best.
KELLY SWARTZ
THE BUTTERFLY
While visiting a friend at an art fair, I heard a voice that sounded steady and smooth like jazz, bronze like a crayon that probably no longer exists in the Crayola line-up. Upon meeting her, I found Kelly to be the buoyant, entrepreneurial voice we love to highlight. She epitomizes metamorphosis and never shies from sharing her struggle. You’ll take much from her story and the incredible positivism and light accompanying it.
Photo by: Katie Raimonde
SERGIO NAVARRETTA
THE STORYTELLER
An established Canadian writer/director as well as executive producer, Sergio’s passionate not only about the art form but the kinds of stories being told. I’d written an essay about his film, The Cuban, which starred Louis Gossett Jr, a favorite of mine since Iron Eagle, and reached out to see if he’d take me a bit under his wing. Sergio has given me solid advice on everything from the mentality to bring to the first day of shooting, to asking yourself the bottom line cost to go to camera on a project. Always helpful, kind, and inspiring, I’m excited to introduce you to him and his refreshing perspective.
A: I'm so excited to have you here! How would you describe your career to our readers? What are some projects you're particularly proud of and feel connected to?
S: I am a film director and sometimes executive producer. Most days I'm a problem solver, creative thinker, mentor, and thought leader. Movie theatre attendance is dropping, Hollywood is imploding, and content is consumed on a plethora of platforms. Podcasts are replacing legacy media and our job as creators is to stay ahead of the curve. Ultimately, whether directing a feature film, TV show, unscripted series, a video game, or a documentary (excluding TikTok videos, I can't bring myself to do that), I find it all a similar process. We've been using stories to entertain and inspire for thousands of years.
I'm most connected to my film, The Cuban, since I had creative control and a way to honor my late father and process his passing. I'm also proud of executive producing Arctic Dogs, an animated feature film. It was gratifying to know the film was uplifting for children during the pandemic which reaffirmed my belief that film has the power to move us emotionally. The film Lamborghini, after ten years in development, finally found a studio to finance and produce it. I was an executive producer and it was exciting to see it come to life.
Photo by: Lindsey Nemeth
TAYLOR MCCONNACHIE THE ASSEMBLER
After my short films were shot, I had no idea where to turn for post-production services. I hoped a talented editor would cut them but my remaining budget was negligible. An editor named Jane MacRae referred me to Taylor who’d founded Coma Edits, a Toronto-based post-production studio. Jane felt Taylor and I would hit it off and that she’d connect to my material, my respect for the post-process, and work with my lack of funds. Not only did Taylor and her team do a beautiful job on all three films, our friendship allowed me to observe the way she conducts the studio as a mentorship, a collaboration with passionate artists and causes, and a business centered around large projects that allow her to also help those with limited means. She has created not only a successful studio but provides other artists with a platform to succeed.
A: Welcome! I'm excited for readers to get to know you personally and how the studio works. How would you describe your career? What projects do you feel connected to?
T: I’m a film editor and founded a post-production collective called Coma Edits in 2011. The collective is anchored in mentorship which harkens back to when we once guided emerging talent through the industry and worked in tandem with them. With the pivot to digital filmmaking we lost part of the handoff between those experienced and those finding their stride. This dawned on me when I was emerging and couldn’t find doors opening for new talent. Many people held what they learned close to the vest and this is why I believe it’s time for change industry-wide. I
found a few kind hearts to cast some light and younger folks asking questions similar to what I once had. I vowed that if anyone knocked at my door, I’d swing the fucker open to welcome them. We now round out a full post-production house when we work together. Hence, Coma Edits. I’ll always be an editor first but I also colour and post-supervise. I run the operations too so day to day I could also be a secretary, custodian, therapist, strategist, etc. Whatever the day brings, I try to fulfill what’s needed. One thing is certain: it all involves mentorship.
A film I cut called Beautiful Scars is a project I’m proud of and connected to. I was brought in to help pivot the story to be about identity rather than solely the musician’s musical career. Many projects I'm passionate about are ultimately identity stories. If we can
Photo by: Christina Gapic
IN EVERY ISSUE
In every issue of Antihero, we’ll pose one question to each interviewee and contributor, setting a common ground from which to illuminate each unique perspective. Asking someone ‘why’ is the best way to learn how they think, feel, and see the world.
Since this issue aligns with themes of hibernation & revitalization, we visit the idea of our personal winters and summers, the waiting, changing, and emerging from cocoons. We asked our interviewees/contributors: How do you tend to hibernate and revitalize? How do you let go of stress to feel at peace?
Taylor McConnachie: I smoke a ton of weed which calms me enough to get to the meat of what I’m struggling with. I listen to music which helps me rage, cry, process, and reflect when walking or working out but also while chatting with people closest to me. I also cook, usually also with music playing...talking to whoever I’m about to feed. I try to have lots of homemade grub around the shop so that no one is ever hungry when working so if I’m not cutting, I’m typically cooking. It’s the non-verbal way I love those around me. Funnily enough, watching shiz isn’t somewhere I go for stress relief. Heartache, you better believe I’m hiding in movies. Humour, mos def cackling along with favourite characters. But stress is an energy I need to ground myself in and exhaust the feeling out of my system.
Sergio Navarretta: Travel recharges me. When I am home I like to do forest walks. I spend time deep in the forest and I often find answers there that I am looking for or insights. I find idle moments the most difficult so I try to stay busy. I also rely on my faith and my rituals which make me feel peaceful. I remind myself that every day is an opportunity to start anew.
wavy: Cozy clothes, cuddles with kitties, time in nature and sun, trips to my favorite place, good food, good drinks, etc. I am no good at coping with stress. I am still learning. Journaling daily helps me reset and feel at peace with my emotions, but stress is something that tends to hang a dark cloud over my head until I work my way through it.
Kansas Middletent: My favorite way to revitalize is when I’m driving alone. I’m going to be vulnerable in this moment but I allow myself to feel my emotions. I acknowledge them and release them. I’m at peace when I’m at home with my family crafting Native American arts.
Alycia Ripley: Hibernating involves writing, watching movies, brainstorming. Staying more to myself. Trying to improve at everything. Revitalizing involves socializing, putting ideas into action. Sunlight. Driving to Connecticut to visit my best friend. I tend to run a bit invisibly anxious. Deep box breathing can help. Walks through my neighborhood with music playing. (I also tend to ‘work’ during those walks, coming up with ideas/scenes.) And humming: stimulating your vagus nerve (part of the parasympathetic nervous system that ‘calms down’ the body) can shift you out of fight/ flight/freeze/fawn state of energy.
Rebecca Gaffney: I’m an only child; my alone time is a requirement. When stressed, I retreat into silence and breathe. This is a fairly recent practice I wish I developed when I was younger. I’m fond of hitting hibernation by blasting music, slamming a couple bourbons, and dancing while singing. I reemerge a slightly better version of myself, or at least more fun. I can say with certainty that I’ve never truly felt at peace. However, I do achieve calm easier now that I’m older. I trust my soul’s needs more and am less shaken by exterior chaos. With age comes wisdom, and less fucks to give.
Kelly Swartz: To hibernate, I make popcorn, lay down, and watch cartoons. To recharge, I watch or listen to stand up comedy, call a friend, or do some yoga. To revitalize, I utilize movement such as at the gym or going skating. I move around to release energy and ‘get out of the mind and into the body.’ I also free paint and experiment with color. With emotional stress, I’ll definitely call a friend. In full self-care mode, I hydrate, snack, and check-in with the mind/body. I’m at peace in clean, warm bedsheets, with laundry done, room clean, and nothing planned for the morning.
Katie Raimonde: My hibernation involves projects related to building/creating things such as 1000-piece puzzles, building Lego, or creating artwork on canvas. It’s relaxing to sit at my dining room table and work on projects or play games with my family during winter months. Some of my favorites are Bloom, Sushi Go, Café Baras, Ticket To Ride and 13 Beavers. Music is a strong method through which I revitalize and enhance my mood. Whether blasting 80s music in my car with the sunroof open or taking a zumba class at the YMCA, music helps me feel my best.
Scarlette: I temporarily disappear from social media. No warning or apology anymore, just a brief absence until I’m ready to be back. I deal with stress through movement whether, it’s walking, stretching or exercise. Being in the house with my kids and in bed by 11 makes me feel at peace.
Kelly Reed: I internalize stress quite a bit. This is an area I’m still trying to master. To feel at peace, I spend time with good friends who are creative and inspiring to be around regardless of if the conversation is focused on art. To recharge, I also watch a lot of live music and engage with other creative endeavors outside of the art community.
Lara Nedeltscheff: At this stage of life, I’m not alone often. My family life is FULL, consisting of lots of good times, concerts, school events, and cuddles. When I need a moment there is nothing quite like a puzzle to help me manage my mind- (it’s a problem that is 100% solvable), drawing and painting, a day trip with the kids, walking the dogs, kitty cuddles, or oddly enough a home organization project helps me gain some peace.