<![CDATA[The Unexpected Mentor]]>8cdb93c2-0686-5d4a-9f69-98448e7acb89Thu, 03 Jul 2025 22:25:07 +0000Captivate.fmDan Vado & Emily Parenthttps://artwork.captivate.fm/b2e9254a-b52d-4660-ac90-bad30659e70b/RqWuY_QtnAiySvfQfbC4v0E4.jpegThe Unexpected MentorDan Vado & Emily ParentDan Vado & Emily ParentDan Vado is a glass-half-empty sixty-something San Jose music venue owner and the founder of SLG Publishing, a comic book publishing company that achieved notoriety in the 90s for publishing popular alternative comics such as Johnny the Homicidal Maniac and Lenore, the Cute Little Dead Girl. Emily Parent is a twenty-something social media content girl and self-published author whose ambitions to be a creative professional are clouded by dreams of being famous. Though Dan is best known for publishing creator-owned comics and providing a platform to new and untried artists, he never intended to be anyone’s mentor. However, when Emily came crashing through the front door of his venue, unwaveringly insistent that she was special, Dan thought it might be satisfying to bring her back to reality. They may have gotten more than they bargained for in this series of weekly conversations that attempt to scale the intergenerational barrier between the way things once were for creative people and the way they are now in the age of social media. https://www.unexpectedmentor.comtrueepisodicnopodcast[LIVE EPISODE] Making Something Out of Nothing[LIVE EPISODE] Making Something Out of NothingDan here! If you have ever heard the expression that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, you will understand what happened with our first-ever live episode of the  Unexpected Mentor. What you are about to listen to is a somewhat off-the-cuff conversation that often veers from the subject at hand. 

It was a fun hour, and something we will try again. I think you will be entertained, as I always get going when speaking to an audience. It was not the best example of the discussions that Emily and I have had, but it does have the value of showcasing people try something they have never done before and not letting the fact that what they are trying to accomplish might be slightly outside of their pay grades

So if you take anything from watching this keep this in mind; nowhere is it written that you need to be perfect the first time you try something because there is always something to be learned from falling short. It is what we learned from doing this episode that will carry us through to the next time to be better still.

Hope you find something of value in this hour of Dan and Emily!

]]>Dan here! If you have ever heard the expression that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, you will understand what happened with our first-ever live episode of the  Unexpected Mentor. What you are about to listen to is a somewhat off-the-cuff conversation that often veers from the subject at hand. 

It was a fun hour, and something we will try again. I think you will be entertained, as I always get going when speaking to an audience. It was not the best example of the discussions that Emily and I have had, but it does have the value of showcasing people try something they have never done before and not letting the fact that what they are trying to accomplish might be slightly outside of their pay grades

So if you take anything from watching this keep this in mind; nowhere is it written that you need to be perfect the first time you try something because there is always something to be learned from falling short. It is what we learned from doing this episode that will carry us through to the next time to be better still.

Hope you find something of value in this hour of Dan and Emily!

]]>33df87e8-297d-42ce-aee5-bba2dacf55b7Thu, 03 Jul 2025 05:30:00 -070001:12:19truebonus19191Dan Vado & Emily Parent[#8] You're Giving Away Your Power[#8] You're Giving Away Your PowerDan and Emily together here! (Emily typing) We just took this Thursday morning to eat a load of bread raccoon-style and listen to this episode on the big speakers in the Art Boutiki. We set out at the beginning of this episode to talk about joy, but as is often the case with us we meandered about and took some time to talk about the emotional necessities of creativity and the power we hold over ourselves when it comes to what we feel. One of Dan's personal credos is that no one can MAKE you feel anything -- we all have control over how respond at the end of the day.

This episode was a hard one for me to scale because it plugs back into fear. I'm still trying to figure how to be comfortable with that fearful part of me when it comes to creativity. Of course I told Dan that this morning and he was like "yeah that's why I'm here" so that's reassuring.

Thanks for listening. :) Next week we'll be trying something new and hosting a live recording, so the episode will post later at night. I'll put a heads up on socials too.

MORE THINGS--

Also we have an instagram: @unexpectedmentorpod -- follow here to see us goof around talk about art.

Also check out The Unexpected Mentor Patreon to support this show and more things like it.

Other links:


THANK YOU SEE YOU ON THURSDAY BRING SEND YOUR QUESTIONS IN THE CHAT OR ON INSTAGRAM AND WE'LL ANSWER THEM LIVE!!!

]]>Dan and Emily together here! (Emily typing) We just took this Thursday morning to eat a load of bread raccoon-style and listen to this episode on the big speakers in the Art Boutiki. We set out at the beginning of this episode to talk about joy, but as is often the case with us we meandered about and took some time to talk about the emotional necessities of creativity and the power we hold over ourselves when it comes to what we feel. One of Dan's personal credos is that no one can MAKE you feel anything -- we all have control over how respond at the end of the day.

This episode was a hard one for me to scale because it plugs back into fear. I'm still trying to figure how to be comfortable with that fearful part of me when it comes to creativity. Of course I told Dan that this morning and he was like "yeah that's why I'm here" so that's reassuring.

Thanks for listening. :) Next week we'll be trying something new and hosting a live recording, so the episode will post later at night. I'll put a heads up on socials too.

MORE THINGS--

Also we have an instagram: @unexpectedmentorpod -- follow here to see us goof around talk about art.

Also check out The Unexpected Mentor Patreon to support this show and more things like it.

Other links:


THANK YOU SEE YOU ON THURSDAY BRING SEND YOUR QUESTIONS IN THE CHAT OR ON INSTAGRAM AND WE'LL ANSWER THEM LIVE!!!

]]>8abfeb93-69be-4613-9244-aa997d8c23e6Thu, 19 Jun 2025 05:30:00 -070022:02truefull18181Dan Vado & Emily Parent[#7] Will Having a Child be the End of my Creative Career?[#7] Will Having a Child be the End of my Creative Career?From Dan: While it was not part of the plan, this episode about having a family while working in the creative world is coming out a few days before Father’s Day (in 2025, or whatever stardate equivalent if you are reading this from some ancient looking device after the collapse of humanity... which seems right around the corner).

Being a father was not something I wanted for myself, nor did I have it as a square on my life bingo card. If I had gone until today and not been one, I assume I would have been fine, but honestly, I cannot imagine my life without the two creatures who grew up to be fine people and my best friends.

I did it all while writing and publishing comics, organizing conventions, and just doing things  that were satisfying me on both a personal and professional level. I think had I not been writing, I would have found it challenging to be happy as a dad, and maybe I would have been one of those guys yelling at the ref during youth hockey.

Oh, yeah, wait, I was one of those guys.

Anyway, this is my favorite episode because it addresses topics that are important to me. It also marks a turning point in my relationship with my co-host and producer, Emily Parent. You might notice I'm starting to treat her with something like kindness. Every week I thank Emily for creating this platform. I hope you find something useful in this, and all, of the episodes and I would love your comments and feedback.

Other stuff:

Dan and Emily LIVE, a free live podcast recording, is happening in San Jose on June 26th at the Art Boutiki. Come have a beer, bring some questions for Dan and Emily, and celebrate the fact that for the time being we are here on earth making art together. Check out ArtBoutiki.com for more info!

Also we have an instagram: @unexpectedmentorpod -- follow here to see us goof around talk about art.

Also check out The Unexpected Mentor Patreon to support this show and more things like it.

Other links:


BYE SEE YOU NEXT WEEK WE LOVE YOU (emily typed this part)

]]>From Dan: While it was not part of the plan, this episode about having a family while working in the creative world is coming out a few days before Father’s Day (in 2025, or whatever stardate equivalent if you are reading this from some ancient looking device after the collapse of humanity... which seems right around the corner).

Being a father was not something I wanted for myself, nor did I have it as a square on my life bingo card. If I had gone until today and not been one, I assume I would have been fine, but honestly, I cannot imagine my life without the two creatures who grew up to be fine people and my best friends.

I did it all while writing and publishing comics, organizing conventions, and just doing things  that were satisfying me on both a personal and professional level. I think had I not been writing, I would have found it challenging to be happy as a dad, and maybe I would have been one of those guys yelling at the ref during youth hockey.

Oh, yeah, wait, I was one of those guys.

Anyway, this is my favorite episode because it addresses topics that are important to me. It also marks a turning point in my relationship with my co-host and producer, Emily Parent. You might notice I'm starting to treat her with something like kindness. Every week I thank Emily for creating this platform. I hope you find something useful in this, and all, of the episodes and I would love your comments and feedback.

Other stuff:

Dan and Emily LIVE, a free live podcast recording, is happening in San Jose on June 26th at the Art Boutiki. Come have a beer, bring some questions for Dan and Emily, and celebrate the fact that for the time being we are here on earth making art together. Check out ArtBoutiki.com for more info!

Also we have an instagram: @unexpectedmentorpod -- follow here to see us goof around talk about art.

Also check out The Unexpected Mentor Patreon to support this show and more things like it.

Other links:


BYE SEE YOU NEXT WEEK WE LOVE YOU (emily typed this part)

]]>ceb56db1-4057-4508-bbb5-93390145fcb7Thu, 12 Jun 2025 05:30:00 -070029:01truefull17171Dan Vado & Emily Parent[#6] Making Money as an Artist[#6] Making Money as an ArtistHi! Emily here! A few months after this episode was recorded, tax season came around and I had to file my taxes for the first time as a person who had made real money from her creative business. I was so freaked out about doing something wrong that I big-brain-smartly waited until the literal day before the filing deadline to even start. Dan, being the dad-type that he is, saw my obvious panic and invited me to come sit at his venue while I filled out the tax paperwork. He promised that he would do his best to help me out if I got stuck or confused. So Dan and I hung out all afternoon on that overcast Monday, and he went about his normal weekday tasks in the music hall while I sat in the corner and did my honest best not to commit any tax related crimes. We spent about four hours that day in a focused silence sparsely interrupted by my calling out to ask him whether or not something counted as a write off. No matter what he was in the middle of, he always paused it to come help.

When I listen back to this episode now, it's super apparent to me that Dan was coming at this conversation with the same desire to help -- both me, in that moment, and you listening now. He and I both want to live in a world where people can be creative and make a living while doing it. This episode is our way of trying to make that world a little more possible. We sat down at the mics and he told me everything he could think of about how to be my own creative business in hopes that I might be able to benefit from his hard-won wisdom.

Thanks for listening. Thanks for tuning in and chatting with us on Instagram and generally being very nice to us. It's been the most fun thing giving this podcast over to you guys after months of it just floating in the timeless ethereal space that exists between my and Dan's microphones.

And on the topic of business, here's the things I like to remind you:

We're getting scarily close to hitting our first 1k followers on instagram @unexpectedmentorpod !! I think once we hit that number I'll make a little t-shirt to celebrate. I think I'll make it look really bad, like a child drew it, because I know Dan is gonna look at it and say "No one is going to buy this" and then I'll have the chance to prove him wrong.

Also if you'd like to help make my taxes next year really scary consider supporting us on The Unexpected Mentor Patreon.

Also also, Dan and I are hosting a LIVE PODCAST EVENT in like 3 weeks but I'll tell you about that later I'm tired of typing.

Other links:


Bye I love you happy Thursday. Next week is Dan's favorite episode ever you definitely are going to want to hear it.

]]>Hi! Emily here! A few months after this episode was recorded, tax season came around and I had to file my taxes for the first time as a person who had made real money from her creative business. I was so freaked out about doing something wrong that I big-brain-smartly waited until the literal day before the filing deadline to even start. Dan, being the dad-type that he is, saw my obvious panic and invited me to come sit at his venue while I filled out the tax paperwork. He promised that he would do his best to help me out if I got stuck or confused. So Dan and I hung out all afternoon on that overcast Monday, and he went about his normal weekday tasks in the music hall while I sat in the corner and did my honest best not to commit any tax related crimes. We spent about four hours that day in a focused silence sparsely interrupted by my calling out to ask him whether or not something counted as a write off. No matter what he was in the middle of, he always paused it to come help.

When I listen back to this episode now, it's super apparent to me that Dan was coming at this conversation with the same desire to help -- both me, in that moment, and you listening now. He and I both want to live in a world where people can be creative and make a living while doing it. This episode is our way of trying to make that world a little more possible. We sat down at the mics and he told me everything he could think of about how to be my own creative business in hopes that I might be able to benefit from his hard-won wisdom.

Thanks for listening. Thanks for tuning in and chatting with us on Instagram and generally being very nice to us. It's been the most fun thing giving this podcast over to you guys after months of it just floating in the timeless ethereal space that exists between my and Dan's microphones.

And on the topic of business, here's the things I like to remind you:

We're getting scarily close to hitting our first 1k followers on instagram @unexpectedmentorpod !! I think once we hit that number I'll make a little t-shirt to celebrate. I think I'll make it look really bad, like a child drew it, because I know Dan is gonna look at it and say "No one is going to buy this" and then I'll have the chance to prove him wrong.

Also if you'd like to help make my taxes next year really scary consider supporting us on The Unexpected Mentor Patreon.

Also also, Dan and I are hosting a LIVE PODCAST EVENT in like 3 weeks but I'll tell you about that later I'm tired of typing.

Other links:


Bye I love you happy Thursday. Next week is Dan's favorite episode ever you definitely are going to want to hear it.

]]>8c05c508-0c34-435e-9cc6-916e18bda2cdThu, 05 Jun 2025 05:30:00 -070040:40truefull16161Dan Vado & Emily Parent[#5] Lessons from SLG Publishing[#5] Lessons from SLG PublishingHi from Dan Vado... Listening to this episode the night before its release, what stands out to me is that I was surprised by how much Emily had remembered from the previous weeks of work. It gave me the feeling that there was something here worth listening to. You'll hear Emily recite parts of what I call my "origin story" and even now I can hear how much she seemed to care about the lessons of my journey. I remember that this got me feeling for maybe the first time that there was something to this podcasting thing.

Tracing my path from comic book store to comic book publisher to finally music venue owner, mistakes are covered, successes are highlighted, and advice is offered to people who are probably not listening.

(Hi from Emily... It's me. I'm people. I most definitely wasn't listening hard enough at the time. Luckily, I made up for it relistening to the conversation multiple times over.)

Episode five of The Unexpected Mentor -- Lessons from SLG Publishing.

BTW -- we have an instagram: @unexpectedmentorpod where we've as of late been talking about some of SLG's greatest hits.

Also check out The Unexpected Mentor Patreon. As we speak I'm designing a cool patron-exclusive t-shirt, and a few other surprises are coming into view on the horizon.

Other links:


Bye I love you happy Thursday see you next week for some SERIOUS BUSINESS talk.

]]>Hi from Dan Vado... Listening to this episode the night before its release, what stands out to me is that I was surprised by how much Emily had remembered from the previous weeks of work. It gave me the feeling that there was something here worth listening to. You'll hear Emily recite parts of what I call my "origin story" and even now I can hear how much she seemed to care about the lessons of my journey. I remember that this got me feeling for maybe the first time that there was something to this podcasting thing.

Tracing my path from comic book store to comic book publisher to finally music venue owner, mistakes are covered, successes are highlighted, and advice is offered to people who are probably not listening.

(Hi from Emily... It's me. I'm people. I most definitely wasn't listening hard enough at the time. Luckily, I made up for it relistening to the conversation multiple times over.)

Episode five of The Unexpected Mentor -- Lessons from SLG Publishing.

BTW -- we have an instagram: @unexpectedmentorpod where we've as of late been talking about some of SLG's greatest hits.

Also check out The Unexpected Mentor Patreon. As we speak I'm designing a cool patron-exclusive t-shirt, and a few other surprises are coming into view on the horizon.

Other links:


Bye I love you happy Thursday see you next week for some SERIOUS BUSINESS talk.

]]>78e8a8c5-8ca0-40d2-bc2e-f30319900b88Thu, 29 May 2025 07:45:00 -070027:46truefull15151Dan Vado & Emily Parent[#4] Telling a Genuine Story[#4] Telling a Genuine StoryEm here! I called Dan this morning to tell him how nervous I was about this episode because we attempt to tackle so much in this short 30 minutes. We move from the idea of having a creative process to applying that process toward writing about identity to the use of identity as a pathway to creative genuineness... and all of the ways that telling a "genuine story" has shown up as a guiding light through Dan's career with SLG. Dan has a personal credo on the value of making art that one NEEDS to make as opposed to making stuff you want to make or think you should make, and that serves as a major undertone for a lot of these early episodes.

One big piece of SLG History you'll hear us referencing is Jhonen Vasquez's Johnny the Homocidal Maniac, which attracted a fair bit of attention when Dan was publishing it in the 90s. (Or so I've been told -- I was a baby at the time so my knowledge of alternative comics was somewhat limited.) I'll add that to the links below if you want to check it out.

BTW -- we have an instagram: @unexpectedmentorpod where I post little video clips of our favorite episodes bits.

Also check out The Unexpected Mentor Patreon. We're putting together a little list of nice things we can do for patrons, so if there's something you want to see or have (t-shirts, full uncut episodes, live recordings, etc) let us know on Insta.

Other links:


Okay thanks see you again soon :)

]]>Em here! I called Dan this morning to tell him how nervous I was about this episode because we attempt to tackle so much in this short 30 minutes. We move from the idea of having a creative process to applying that process toward writing about identity to the use of identity as a pathway to creative genuineness... and all of the ways that telling a "genuine story" has shown up as a guiding light through Dan's career with SLG. Dan has a personal credo on the value of making art that one NEEDS to make as opposed to making stuff you want to make or think you should make, and that serves as a major undertone for a lot of these early episodes.

One big piece of SLG History you'll hear us referencing is Jhonen Vasquez's Johnny the Homocidal Maniac, which attracted a fair bit of attention when Dan was publishing it in the 90s. (Or so I've been told -- I was a baby at the time so my knowledge of alternative comics was somewhat limited.) I'll add that to the links below if you want to check it out.

BTW -- we have an instagram: @unexpectedmentorpod where I post little video clips of our favorite episodes bits.

Also check out The Unexpected Mentor Patreon. We're putting together a little list of nice things we can do for patrons, so if there's something you want to see or have (t-shirts, full uncut episodes, live recordings, etc) let us know on Insta.

Other links:


Okay thanks see you again soon :)

]]>a0d14a7d-ec42-4ea8-b992-7381ece65964Thu, 22 May 2025 05:30:00 -070029:48truefull14141Dan Vado & Emily Parent[#3] Fear of Screwing Up[#3] Fear of Screwing UpHiya! Emily again. Episode three. Fear of screwing up.

Back in November when we recorded these first few episodes, I was so excited about the vision for this project that I would often go home and edit our long conversations down to a rough-cut episode just a day or two after recording. It became a ritual for Dan and I to sit around a laptop and listen to it together the next time we met and discuss (or, more often, vehemently disagree about) what was interesting and what needed to be cut. When we listened to this episode I remember he gave me a really skeptical look and said "Do you really think this is going to resonate with anyone?" -- In response to which I INSISTED that this episode was the best one yet.

I still believe it is. Let me know what you think.

BTW -- if you're not following us on Instagram, check us out: @unexpectedmentorpod (I mostly just post silly little video clips of me and Dan arguing)

If you like this thing and you want to see more things like it, join us on The Unexpected Mentor Patreon. Your support is immensely appreciated and we love you.

Here's a few other links:


That's all. Hope you love it. Hope you go make something cool. Hope we can all get a little braver and push through how scary it is to make that thing we NEED to make.

Love you. See you next Thursday.

]]>Hiya! Emily again. Episode three. Fear of screwing up.

Back in November when we recorded these first few episodes, I was so excited about the vision for this project that I would often go home and edit our long conversations down to a rough-cut episode just a day or two after recording. It became a ritual for Dan and I to sit around a laptop and listen to it together the next time we met and discuss (or, more often, vehemently disagree about) what was interesting and what needed to be cut. When we listened to this episode I remember he gave me a really skeptical look and said "Do you really think this is going to resonate with anyone?" -- In response to which I INSISTED that this episode was the best one yet.

I still believe it is. Let me know what you think.

BTW -- if you're not following us on Instagram, check us out: @unexpectedmentorpod (I mostly just post silly little video clips of me and Dan arguing)

If you like this thing and you want to see more things like it, join us on The Unexpected Mentor Patreon. Your support is immensely appreciated and we love you.

Here's a few other links:


That's all. Hope you love it. Hope you go make something cool. Hope we can all get a little braver and push through how scary it is to make that thing we NEED to make.

Love you. See you next Thursday.

]]>e073d6d3-b394-4e4d-83c9-1dcc8f5f8df0Thu, 15 May 2025 05:30:00 -070023:23truefull13131Dan Vado & Emily Parent[#2] Creative Criticism & Seeking Validation[#2] Creative Criticism & Seeking ValidationDan Vado here, welcome to the second episode of The Unexpected Mentor. I’m assuming you are here because you listened to and found something interesting in the first episode. As Emily mentioned in the previous episode notes, I was (at the time of this recording) involved mainly because I was trading my time for some help with my music venue's social media. I discovered that deep inside the person I was doing my best to make go away was an extraordinarily talented and smart young person whom I now have the privilege of working with and stealing the spotlight from where I can.

Mentorship is weird; I didn’t even realize it’s what I was doing, so the title here rings true. Since the first episode's release, I have heard from many people who told me that I had helped them in some way in their creative or professional lives.

I hope you get something from this as much as I have gained from being part of it.

Here's some links:


Produced and edited by Emily Parent. Music by Dillon Vado. Episodes post every Thursday.

]]>Dan Vado here, welcome to the second episode of The Unexpected Mentor. I’m assuming you are here because you listened to and found something interesting in the first episode. As Emily mentioned in the previous episode notes, I was (at the time of this recording) involved mainly because I was trading my time for some help with my music venue's social media. I discovered that deep inside the person I was doing my best to make go away was an extraordinarily talented and smart young person whom I now have the privilege of working with and stealing the spotlight from where I can.

Mentorship is weird; I didn’t even realize it’s what I was doing, so the title here rings true. Since the first episode's release, I have heard from many people who told me that I had helped them in some way in their creative or professional lives.

I hope you get something from this as much as I have gained from being part of it.

Here's some links:


Produced and edited by Emily Parent. Music by Dillon Vado. Episodes post every Thursday.

]]>79c7fc2f-55a5-4d78-9ad7-2a4ac5d0103dThu, 08 May 2025 05:30:00 -070027:56truefull12121Dan Vado & Emily Parent[#1] You Will Get Better[#1] You Will Get BetterEmily here. Truly, honestly, thanks for tuning in. This podcast means a lot to us.

This episode was our proof of concept. Neither of us were convinced at the time of recording this that the other party would have anything of value to say. At the time, I think Dan was just hoping to get some free social media consultation and I was certainly hoping to bring more exposure to my newly published book. It's not until somewhere in the middle of this first episode that we stop and listen to each other and realize that the other might have something interesting to offer.

The conversation in this episode was recorded in November 2024. Stay tuned for the next few weeks and you might find yourself inspired, like I was, to be a little more honest in your creative endeavors -- and in your overall life.

Love you. Here's some links.


Produced and edited by Emily Parent. Music by Dillon Vado. Wise advice by Dan Vado. :) Episodes post every Thursday.

]]>Emily here. Truly, honestly, thanks for tuning in. This podcast means a lot to us.

This episode was our proof of concept. Neither of us were convinced at the time of recording this that the other party would have anything of value to say. At the time, I think Dan was just hoping to get some free social media consultation and I was certainly hoping to bring more exposure to my newly published book. It's not until somewhere in the middle of this first episode that we stop and listen to each other and realize that the other might have something interesting to offer.

The conversation in this episode was recorded in November 2024. Stay tuned for the next few weeks and you might find yourself inspired, like I was, to be a little more honest in your creative endeavors -- and in your overall life.

Love you. Here's some links.


Produced and edited by Emily Parent. Music by Dillon Vado. Wise advice by Dan Vado. :) Episodes post every Thursday.

]]>24a29bf4-f6bd-4bd5-848a-6086949329cdThu, 01 May 2025 05:00:00 -070026:26falsefull11111Dan Vado & Emily ParentThe Unexpected Mentor | An SLG Publishing PodcastThe Unexpected Mentor | An SLG Publishing PodcastOn The Unexpected Mentor, unlikely friends Dan Vado and Emily Parent attempt to sort out the truth of what it means to live – and attempt to make a living – as an authentic, independent artist.

]]>On The Unexpected Mentor, unlikely friends Dan Vado and Emily Parent attempt to sort out the truth of what it means to live – and attempt to make a living – as an authentic, independent artist.

]]>f695bbb9-f8af-45d8-a2ec-0a7be0eb6215Thu, 17 Apr 2025 05:30:00 -070002:37falsetrailer111Dan Vado & Emily Parent