ORLANDO WEEKLY ● MAY 4-10, 2022 ● orlandoweekly.com

Editorial Managing Editor Matthew Moyer Digital Content Editor Alex Galbraith Calendar Coordinator Kristin Howard Contributors Gianna Aceto, Rob Bartlett, Melissa Perez Carrillo, J.D. Casto, Ida V. Eskamani, Jacquelin Goldberg, Holly V. Kapherr, Faiyaz Kara, Sarah Kinbar, Seth Kubersky, Jim Leatherman, Matt Keller Lehman, Bao Le-Huu, Anthony Mauss, Leah Sandler, Steve Schneider, Nicolette Shurba, Eric Tegethoff

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Castaño’s self-portrait with pets

HERE COMES A REGULAR

Local artist Kieran Castaño takes over historic comic strip

The “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” comic strip has been a beloved staple of newspaper funny pages across the country since 1918. And, “believe it or not” (see what we did there?), the new artist behind this august institution is none other than Orlando artist Kieran Castaño. Castaño is known around these parts for his poignant and oft-political paintings, but his penand-ink illustration style is a perfect fit for bringing the esoteric factoids of Ripley’s to vivid life. Orlando Weekly is proud to be running these strips in our pages starting with this issue (see page 33!), and you can definitely believe that.

Were you a fan of the comic growing up?

I was! Actually, my introduction to illustrations and everything weird was Ripley’s. When I was a kid, my parents were the maid and groundskeeper to many wealthy people in Westchester, New York. For a few years of my life, we lived in one of these mansions. One day I went looking in the library, hoping to find anything with pictures in it, and lo and behold, I found the first edition of Ripley’s book. I will forever have the memory of opening the yellow book with the marching Chinese men on the cover, and sitting there for hours reading the unbelievable.

What’s one of your favorite subjects covered in the strip thus far?

So many good ones to choose from. I’ve kinda turned into that guy that just tells you a random fact about anything when you weren’t even asking for a fun fact, but hey, somebody’s gotta do it. How else are we gonna win at trivia night? I think my favorite will have to be animal facts, especially bat facts. I love bats, so I’ve been lucky enough to draw them about three or four times this year. Did you know that bats French-kiss? Or that the smallest and cutest thing you’ll ever see is the bumblebee bat? Well, now you do.

What newspaper comics artists have influenced you?

To be honest, I can’t say that a particular newspaper comic comes to mind other than “Peanuts” and “Garfield.” My influences are more from magazines and independent comics. Art Spiegelman’s work for Wacky Packages and Garbage Pail Kids. Justin Green’s Binky Brown. Robert Crumb’s heavily detailed portraits. Any of Daniel Clowes’ work. The many contributors to Mad Magazine. Vintage horror film posters … oh, and I should probably say Robert Ripley! (interview by Matthew Moyer)

NEWS+VIEWS

7 Your Words

Reader reactions to recent stories, plus Clay Jones’ comic 9 ICYMI

News you may have missed last week, plus Tom Tomorrow’s comic 11 State news

State Rep. Randy Fine and Gov. DeSantis showed their whole asses last week 13 SEEN

We saw: Beth Hart at the Plaza Live

ARTS+ CULTURE

14 Artists look like this

Jimm Roberts’ Southernmost Art and Literary Portraits fills OMA with hyperlocal portraits 17 Live Active Cultures

New Generation Theatrical jumps into an invigorating 2022-2023 season with Reasons to Be Pretty

FOOD+DRINK

19 Dream theater

Immersion at London House injects phantasmagorical whimsy into the molecular tasting menu genre

FILM+ MUSIC

25 On (small) Screens

Streaming premieres this week: The Circle, The Wilds, The Twin, The Takeover, Clark and more 27 Tales from the crypt

Jon Padgett narrates Thomas Ligotti’s nightmares in ‘Gas Station Carnivals’ 29 This Little Underground

West End Trading Co. expands, Super Passive drops new EP, concert picks of the week

BACK PAGES

30 The Week

Our selections of things to do and see this week 31 Free Will Astrology Your horoscope for the week of May 4-10 31 Gimme Shelter Handsome boy Gambit is back at OCAS after his owner lost their home; consider giving Gambit a new one 33 Savage Love Quickies: Give me a hand!, plus our newest comic, “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” 35 Classified advertisements

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