In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Gianna Brooke!

Who is Gianna Brooke: Gianna Brooke is an entertainment reporter with a fun and friendly vibe. Her natural charm and enthusiasm make every story engaging, turning even the simplest topics into something exciting. When she’s not busy covering the latest lifestyle trends, she’s flexing her creative muscles as an actor and model. Gianna enjoys diving into new projects and is always looking for fresh ideas to showcase on her social media platforms. Her approach to storytelling is all about genuine connections, celebrating the unique experiences of people she meets.

In this episode, Gianna opens up about her journey into the entertainment journalism industry. She shares how a high school project, where she and a friend created funny morning announcements, ignited her love for storytelling. Reflecting on her experiences, Gianna discusses the challenges of merging emotions with facts in journalism, stressing how important it is to prepare well before sharing stories. Believing that every conversation matters, she strives to make people feel comfortable and open during interviews. Throughout our discussion, she emphasizes how vital it is to stay connected with the communities she covers, showing how her own experiences have informed her storytelling in a relatable way.

Here's Gianna Brooke's website

The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore).

Host: Rob Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.
• Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.

Support the podcast

• The Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Danielle De Jesus!

Who is Danielle De Jesus: Danielle De Jesus is a Nuyorican painter and photographer born and raised in Bushwick, Brooklyn, whose works tell the story of growing up in New York City amidst gentrification and displacement. De Jesus draws from her experience growing up in the diaspora as a native of Bushwick, New York to document her home neighborhood while creating narratives that uplift the lives and stories of the multi diverse residents she grew up with. Danielle De Jesus' work pushes us to think critically about the larger economies of urban America, but also about matters of intimacy and the interior lives of local residents.

In this episode, Danielle shares her story. In the conversation, De Jesus shares insight on her process, intricate small-scale works, and painting dollar bills to narrate Puerto Rican politics, identity, community, rooted in Bushwick. She discusses how a viral 2016 painting of Lin‑Manuel Miranda as Hamilton on a $10 bill led her to repurpose dollar bills as political archives, inviting viewers to reconsider value through tiny, painstaking details. She reflects on gentrification, the persistence of local culture, and the struggle to remain in New York—even with a Yale degree—so her work stays connected to the people it documents.

Be sure to check out Danielle's Paintings on US Currency

Here's Danielle De Jesus's website

The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore).

Host: Rob Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.
• Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.

Support the podcast

• The Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

In this new episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest on this episode is me, Rob Lee!

Who is Rob Lee: Rob Lee, veteran podcaster, cultural critic and educator, is the host of The Truth In This Art, a podcast rooted in human connection in a world dominated by self-promotion and rankings. Through intimate, authentic, and conversational interviews, Rob invites listeners to connect deeply with the city of Baltimore while gaining insight from a diverse range of professionals—artists, chefs, professors, activists, CEOs, and more.

In this episode, I'm interviewed by some of my favorite guests and friends including artists Maurice James Jr. , Zoë Lintzeris and arts administrator Camille Kashaka. The hosts peel back the curtain a bit to reveal who I am. In this episode, I'm interviewed by Maurice James Jr., Zoë Lintzeris, and Camille Kashaka as we uncover the story beneath the work, discuss film experience and its cultural impact, and explore how algorithms, media dynamics, and artist compensation shape creative life and the need to protect one’s peace.

Get to know me in a whole new way!

The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore).

Host: Rob Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.
• Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.

Support the podcast

• The Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Phaan Howng!

Who is Phaan Howng: Phaan Howng is a Taiwanese American multidisciplinary artist who lives and works in Baltimore, Maryland. Howng creates lush, vegetal paintings and installations that examine the various historical perplexities within human-plant relationships, particularly humans' desire to control and tame nature. Her work, Big Ass Snakes on a Plane, is currently on view publicly in the Station North Arts and Entertainment District in Baltimore as one of the installations in the public arts initiative Inviting Light.

In this episode, Phaan shares her story. Phaan shares her start moving from Florida to North Carolina to settling in her current base of Baltimore all while explore art as a career. Howng discusses what it was like finding her multidisciplinary approach to making art and her curiosity with plants. Howng describes some highlights from 2025 including her work, Big Ass Snakes on a Plane, and her work curating EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS, which features the work of 25 artists of the APIMEDA (Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and Desi American) diaspora who live and create in the Baltimore and the DMV area.

Be sure to check out Big Ass Snakes on a Plane in the Start North Arts district.

Phaan's website is https://www.phaan.com/

The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore).

Host: Rob Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.
• Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.

Support the podcast

• The Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

In this premiere of The Truth In This Art, the guest on this episode is Lonnie Millsap!

Who is Lonnie Millsap: Lonnie Millsap is an award-nominated (Thurber Prize, Reuben Award nominee) Los Angeles-based cartoonist. He is known for his work in the New Yorker Magazine, where he's word has been pushlished over 90 times, his synicated cartoon 'bacön' and over publishing over 13 books including his most recent, 'My Pockets Are Juicy!', The juiciest collection of cartoons ever drawn. Millsap is known for his unique illustration style and humor. Also, Millsap has earned the praise of cartooning legends like Keith Knight, Gary Panter, Sergio Aragones, Dan Piraro and Jim Benton.

In this episode, Lonnie shares his story. In it, Millsap describes turning his childhood passion of drawing everything into a carerr of publishing books as well as welling them. Millsap shares some of his inspiration from Gary Panter and Charles M. Schulz. Millsap also provides some background on 'The juiciest collection of cartoons ever drawn.', My Pockets Are Juicy!' and his syndicated comic 'bacön'. Lonnie shares his thoughts on the community within indie comics and cartooning. (Lonnie and I met during in the indie comics loop - initially at Small Press Expo and then I had the chance to interview Lonnie at Cartoon Crossroads Columbus in 2025, it was great!)

This was a great way to start off the new season and I hope you enjoy.

Lonnie's website is https://lonniemillsap.com/

The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore).

Host: Rob Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.
• Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.

Support the podcast

• The Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

Ben Passmore closes out this season of The Truth in This Art.

Ben Passmore (DAYGLOAYHOLE, Your Black Friend, Sports Is Hell, BTTM FDRS; contributor to The Nib) joins Rob Lee to discuss his new book, Black Arms to Hold You Up: A History of Black Resistance.

An award-winning cartoonist whose work ranges from the fantastical to the autobiographical, Passmore brings sharp, often humorous social commentary on politics, activism, white supremacy, sports, and the Black American experience.

In this episode, Passmore shares the story behind Black Arms to Hold You Up—why he chose graphic nonfiction, how he approached making it, and the care required when drawing real people and histories. He breaks down craft decisions that make complex ideas legible without flattening them, and how he balances clarity, intention, and voice.

The conversation also digs into audience and context: making art in rooms where you’re often the only Black person, how perception shifts outside community, and what cultural moments reveal about how we frame Black artists. It’s about how comics can carry culture, memory, and critique—connecting personal storytelling to broader histories while inviting readers to keep learning.

Topics Covered:

• Exploring intent, process, and responsibility in nonfiction comics with Black Arms to Hold You Up
• Working across fantastical and autobiographical modes with social commentary
• Navigating audience, context, and perception in art spaces
• Making complex ideas accessible without losing nuance

Make the conversation count: buy Black Arms to Hold You Up. Passmore’s new graphic nonfiction holds contradiction with care, keeps the humor respectful, and carries history without flattening it.

The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore).

Host: Rob Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.
• Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.

Support the podcast

• The Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

Kayla E. joins The Truth In This Art to discuss Precious Rubbish.

Kayla E. (award-winning artist, Creative Director at Fantagraphics, 2023–2024 Princeton Hotter Fellow) joins Rob Lee to discuss her debut full-length graphic memoir, Precious Rubbish.

An award-winning artist whose practice spans comics and fine art—textiles, sculpture, video performance art, painting, and drawing—Kayla E. brings candid, instinct-driven storytelling about life, family, and making work on her own terms.

In this episode, Kayla E. shares the story behind Precious Rubbish—why she made it for herself with no plan to publish, how every decision was guided by pure instinct, and how the book’s distinctive color palette was lifted from vintage “Komic Kards.”

The conversation also digs into audience and context: setting aside what’s proper, traditional, or would sell; focusing on truth over convention; and connecting the memoir to a broader art practice across mediums. It’s about how comics and fine art can hold difficult life stories while inviting readers to look closer.

Topics Covered:

• Making a memoir with no intent to publish—letting instinct lead form and content
• Lifting the color palette of Precious Rubbish from vintage comic cards
• Collecting ephemera and old stuff as an aesthetic engine
• Balancing honesty and care when depicting a terrifying family history
• From comics to fine art: textile, sculpture, video performance art, painting, drawing

Make the conversation count: read Precious Rubbish—grab it from your library, Amazon, or thriftbooks.com. Kayla E.'s graphic memoir stays true to lived experience, trusts instinct, and turns memory into art without sanding off its edges.

The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore).

Host: Rob Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.
• Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.

Support the podcast

• The Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble

Professional film curator and educator KJ Mohr returns to The Truth In This Art to talk about the Maryland Film Festival (MdFF) and Baltimore’s indie film scene at the SNF Parkway!

In the conversation we explore the 2025 Maryland Film Festival (MdFF)—what’s new, including the amazing new website and Festival Journeys—what still matters, and how a festival can truly feel like home. As director of the Festival and year-round programming, KJ shares how listening to instinct and inviting many voices into the process shape a lineup that feels authentically Baltimore and true to independent film. A large, local screening committee helps build the program from the ground up, and the Parkway’s communal vibe keeps people talking long after the credits roll. From indie film discoveries to community-centered conversations, MdFF 2025 champions Baltimore’s film scene at the SNF Parkway.

Festival Journeys: Four clear entry points—MdFF Pride (like I Was Born This Way), Black Voices (like Sun Ra: Do the Impossible and Kouté vwa), She/They (like Bay to Baltimore featuring ultramarathon open‑water swimmer and painter—and Truth in This Art alum—Katie Pumphrey), and WTF (like Fuck Toys)—to help audiences navigate with ease.

CineTech: Free-with-registration demos and conversations highlighting gaming and interactive, choose‑your‑own‑adventure storytelling, expanding how audiences experience moving images and connect across creative communities.

Student Films: Expanded to five days to make more room for student work, with student and local films threaded through most programs—spotlighting the next wave of filmmakers.

Mission and SNF Parkway’s future: A welcoming home base where films, filmmakers, and audiences connect—an inclusive, community‑rooted space that reflects Baltimore while linking to the wider film world.

Join us at the SNF Parkway for a robust week of programming—screenings, shorts, conversations, and in‑the‑room moments—and, most of all, a chance to be in community with Baltimore’s arts, film, and culture, and the independent film community that calls the SNF Parkway home. Explore the new website, pick a Journey, and come be part of it.

The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore).

Host: Rob Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

• Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
• Edited by Daniel Alexis
• Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

• Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.
• Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.

Support the podcast

• The Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.org
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.social
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=en
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/
• The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble