On the Beat With Ali Cantarella at C2E2 2020

Last weekend, I had a fantastic time at C2E2 (Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo). Held at McCormick Place, C2E2 is a celebration of all things pop culture, full of celebrities, artists, authors doing signings, photo ops, panels and more. Debuting in 2010, the first C2E2 drew an estimated 25,000 attendees. This year, more than 100,000 people are expected.

While I have interviewed many celebrities at C2E2 over the years, this year I added a new element. I brought Joey Roth to handle the interview duties.

The current IPW Chicagoland Champ, Joey has been wreaking havoc on the Chicago wrestling scene for years. The self-described “best villain ever,” has also embarked on an acting career. A natural entertainer, Joey seemed to be a perfect choice to conduct interviews and I am proud to say he hit a home run. Actually, he hit several home runs.

Our first interview was with Ali Cantarella of Cantarella Ink. A native of the Detroit area, Ali is now based in Chicago. She holds a BFA in Illustration from Columbia College Chicago. In 2013, she released her debut comic, The Hasty Pastry, which focuses on a girl, her dog, a bakery and all the wackiness that ensues. Ali creates with watercolor, pen and ink, technical pens and multimedia.

I now present Joey's interview with Ali.

Ali has done many pet portraits, but she doesn't limit herself to only animals. She gave me her version of my “Johngy” character and I absolutely love it. Soon, it will be hanging in my place, with a handful of other “Johngy” art pieces I have received from various artists at C2E2 over the years.

I hope you enjoyed meeting Ali and will check out Cantarella Ink. Ali was our first interview this year, but Joey wasn't done and I am not done with my recaps of C2E2. Over the next several days, I will be running more interviews Joey conducted at C2E2.

Thank you to Ali for her time, consideration and for just being cool. Thanks to Joey for his fine work on the mic. Thanks to C2E2 for the hospitality.