Photos: Off Panel comic art show

Over two dozen Colorado comic artists showed their work at Wazee Union on Saturday, January 3, at the Off Panel comic art show. The event included works by TK Miller and Stan Yan, as well as organizer Daniel Crosier and Westword contributor Noah Van Sciver — and photographer Danielle Lirette…

An open letter to James Franco: Do the Double Dick dude

James, By now, your buddies have forwarded you the Reddit Ask Me Anything where a 24-year-old man with Diphallia — aka two penises — says he wants to give you a facial. Say yes. Let’s get through the superficial reasons first. This magical male unicorn (er, two-nicorn?) is anonymous, which…

Denver arts: Twelve people to watch in 2014

People power the arts scene in Denver. Not money or business connections or bending to public demand, but creative people who have the courage to make things happen in their own imaginative ways. As the new year started, we went on a search for people to watch in 2014, and…

3 things to do for free in Denver this week, January 6-8

Even if paying rent has left a hole in your wallet, there are economical entertainment opportunities around town. Whether you want to watch a horror film, see an activism documentary, or listen to an improv music performance, you can do it all for free in Denver this week. Let us…

Ten Best Comedy Specials of 2013

2013 was a great year for comedy nerds. With so many comedy specials, albums, and formats available, fans can exhaust themselves consuming 2013 comedy and still barely scratch the surface of what’s out there. It was also a year marked by lackluster efforts from great comedians. Thinky Pain, from Marc Maron, is little more than a punched-up episode of his WTF podcast, while on Caligula, Anthony Jeselnik seems like his own schtick is eating him alive. Fortunately, however, 2013 also witnessed strong outings from two of today’s most prolific comics (Louis CK and Aziz Ansari) killer debuts (like Kumail Najiani’s Beta Male) and welcome returns from veterans like Bill Cosby. Netflix has emerged as a player on the comedy distribution market in recent years, producing specials for several comics through their partnership with New Wave Entertainment. While the old guard of HBO and Comedy Central are still turning out great specials each year, self-distribution and new players on the scene have been a boon to fans who today enjoy access to a greater breadth of comic voices than ever before.

The Westword 2014 Arts and Culture Bucket List: #25-16

What are the hundred things everyone should do in Colorado before they die? We posed this question to our writers and editors, and over the next few weeks, we’ll be rolling out their answers across our blogs. Check back on January 16 for the full list — and in the…

Ten best comedy events in Denver this January

Any Denverite whose New Year’s resolution was to laugh more has both admirably modest ambitions and a bounty of entertainment options this January. If you didn’t resolve to laugh more, do it retroactively because achievable goals build confidence. With exciting developments from Denver’s two favorite local comedy troupes and visits from luminaries such as Aziz Ansari, Doug Stanhope, and Kumail Najiani –all of whom released hilarious standup specials last year– January has comedy events to suit any and every taste.

We are geeks; we are stoners

You hear a lot of stereotypes about geeks. We get pigeonholed as pasty, overweight, socially awkward virgins pretty often. It’s not uncommon for us to be labeled bookish, fashion-challenged, or even just as losers. What you don’t often hear us stereotyped as is stoners. Well, that’s bullshit. I’ve known a…

100 Colorado Creatives: Kalina Ross

#25: Kalina Ross Kalina Ross has a big heart and a knack for making things happen, which might explain why the events she plans always come iced with a frosting of love and community. A former player for Urban Cipher, a group that supports entrepreneurial activities and events for local…

A Touch of Sin puts a face on China’s have-nots

Over the past few years, our view of modern China — at least as culled from news reports — has been that of a country whose economy has grown so fast that the center cannot hold. Put another way: How can the inhabitants of one country possibly buy so many…

Boulder Ensemble Theatre makes the scene bolder

Though it’s known as a home to artists, intellectuals, entrepreneurs, scientists and other creative types, Boulder was pretty much a theatrical wasteland in 2006 when husband and wife Stephen Weitz and Rebecca Remaly decided to start the Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company. By then, Nomad, the Quonset hut that had housed…

Oscar Isaac on the “screwball tragedy” of Inside Llewyn Davis

Three types of artists hinge on authenticity: punk bands, folk singers, and rappers. Actors, like Oscar Isaac, are by definition phonies. But the star of Joel and Ethan Coen’s new film, Inside Llewyn Davis, gets that pressure to keep it real. In high school, he was a straight-edge punk frontman…