Join Jo as he sits down with Dan Henk, tattoo artist, author, and creator of the upcoming anthology "The Joke is on Mankind." Dan shares his incredible journey from being a blue mohawk punk rocker getting beaten up by nazi skinheads in 1980s Virginia to becoming a successful tattoo shop owner in Long Beach, New York.

We dive deep into Dan's unique approach to his anthology - offering original illustrations worth $300-500 to every contributor instead of payment, his experiences interviewing with DC Comics and Penguin Books, and wild stories from the punk scene including nights at CBGB's and the 930 Club. Dan also discusses the evolution of tattoo culture from counterculture to mainstream, shares advice about persistence in creative fields, and reveals why "no" doesn't always mean never.

Whether you're interested in horror anthologies, tattoo artistry, punk rock history, or the creative process, this episode delivers authentic stories and hard-earned wisdom from someone who's lived it all.

Jo interviews comedian Shawn Wickens about his upcoming performance at the Atlanta Fringe Festival (May 30-June 7, 2025). Shawn shares his journey from improv to stand-up, and how a stoned revelation led to his unique show "Secret Time Travel Meeting." Discover how Fringe Festivals have taken Shawn from New York to international stages. Learn about the lottery system for festival selection, audience interaction techniques, and how Shawn created merchandise before developing his show. This conversation offers insights into live theater, comedy development, and the spontaneity that makes performances special.

00:01 - Introduction and Atlanta Fringe Festival announcement 00:36 - Explanation of Fringe Festivals worldwide 01:50 - Shawn's journey from improv to theater 03:32 - Experiences at Regina Fringe Festival 04:59 - "Secret Time Travel Meeting" show concept 05:37 - International Fringe Festival experiences 07:45 - First joke development story 10:04 - Performing for different audience types 12:48 - Story about a challenging private show 15:13 - Value of improv training for live performance 16:35 - Audience interaction techniques 17:32 - Origin of Time Machine Blueprints 19:09 - Creating merchandise before the show 21:27 - Philosophy on performing and travel 23:53 - Interactive elements (costumes, NDAs) 25:37 - Game shows as performance inspiration 28:30 - Advice: "Fear less, enjoy more" 30:26 - Upcoming shows and future plans

• Shawn performs "Secret Time Travel Meeting" at Atlanta Fringe Festival (May 30-June 7)
• Show combines comedy with time travel discussions from a stoner's perspective
• Fringe Festivals use lottery systems, making them accessible to performers
• Shawn has performed internationally in Canada, New Zealand, and Australia
• Show encourages audience participation and costume-wearing
• Created timemachineblueprints.com and published a book before developing the show
• Improv background helped develop resilience in live performance

Shawn Wickens began with improv in New York (2004) before transitioning to stand-up. Creator of "Secret Time Travel Meeting" performed at Fringe Festivals worldwide. Owner of timemachineblueprints.com and author of the same-named book.

• Atlanta Fringe Festival (May 30-June 7, 2025)
• Time Machine Blueprints book on Amazon
• Instagram: @timemachinestoned
• Upcoming shows in New York, Rochester, Harrisburg, and potentially Estonia

On this episode of What's Kraken?, Jo talks with prolific author Armand Rosamilia who has published over 100 books. Armand shares how a childhood punishment introduced him to Dean Koontz and launched his writing career. Learn why crime thrillers earn him "10 times more" than horror, how he writes 400,000+ words annually using just two fingers, and the story behind his hit "Dirty Deeds" series. Armand also discusses his Twitch writing sessions and annual "MondoCon" writer's retreat.

• 01:21 - Dean Koontz and the summer punishment that created a writer
• 05:31 - Transitioning from horror to crime thrillers
• 08:58 - The birth of "Dirty Deeds" series
• 11:19 - Writing 400,000 words annually with two fingers
• 20:43 - Using Twitch for live writing sessions
• 24:11 - MondoCon writer's retreat
• 27:05 - Current project: "Down and Dirty 5"

• Armand has published over 180 books and has been a full-time writer for 14 years
• Crime thrillers earn him 10 times more revenue than horror fiction
• Writes 1,096 words daily to reach 400,000+ words annually using just two fingers
• Created the "Dirty Deeds" series (12 books) about a hitman who rescues children
• Uses Twitch for live writing sessions three times weekly
• Hosts an annual writer's retreat called "MondoCon"

• Website: ArmandRosamilia.com
• Twitch: Armand_Rosamilia (Mon/Wed/Fri at 1PM EST)
• YouTube: Armand Rosamilia