Corpus Christi Originals Podcast

Fourth Corpus & Coffee: Danny Powers, owner of Powers Tattoo and Body Piercing (30 years), discusses meeting Don Powers as a customer getting naval piercing, marrying the shop owner, husband dying in 2003 leaving her with 5-year-old son and active shop, choosing to fight and run it 30 more years, moving from McAllen to Corpus after meeting second husband Steve on Facebook, CPR and bl...

Third Corpus & Coffee: Susana Salinas, owner of The Coffee Mugg (Harry Potter-inspired), discusses newly divorced with two kids on food stamps, opening upstairs with zero customers, viral post changing everything, CNN interview from Germany, Warner Brothers cease and desist ("they know you exist"), moving from Coffee Muggle to Coffee Mugg, espresso machine bursting into flames after ...

Second Corpus & Coffee: comedian Bobby Peña III (co-admin of CorpusChristyComedy.com) and daughter Elisa (Artistry by Elisa) discuss retiring from AT&T to pursue comedy full-time, raising kids who follow their dreams, winning Rock Hard Roast Battle while family's heart monitors went off, why comedians need social media, collaboration over competition in art community, sixth-gener...

First Corpus & Coffee edition: casual conversation over coffee with comedian Miguelito (Miguel Porfirio), 5 years into comedy, discussing why open mics are gyms not performances, the pressure of proving you're still funny, when audiences mouth your material, the night he crashed out at Mesquite Street, gratitude vs. hostility mindset, joyous communication on stage, why word choice ma...

Luis Buentello brings 12 years of congressional experience working for Blake Farenthold and Michael Cloud to his run for Texas District 34. Born in Mexico, became a citizen after a 5-year process, cut red tape for veterans and constituents, and now wants the job for himself. Discusses why he resigned from Cheniere Energy to run, running a clean campaign despite dirt on opponents, the Far...

Mayra Flores discusses her run for Texas District 34, which now includes Corpus Christi. From working cotton fields in Memphis, Texas to respiratory therapy to Congress, she addresses water crisis solutions, border security misconceptions, faith through political betrayal, her divorce as a Christian, Trump's endorsement flip, and why she believes Corpus needs $20-30/hour jobs. Unfiltered...

Bull session with three Corpus Christi comedy veterans: Tina La Cochina fresh off her Kill Tony appearance at the Mothership, Javi Luna discussing comedy etiquette and roast battle boundaries, and Lito Cortez running the only clean comedy showcase in town for 9 years. Topics: surviving panic attacks on stage in front of 2.5 million viewers, why Corpus is big enough for everyone, the soci...

Comedian Javi Luna returns for his third appearance discussing 14 years in comedy, touring 150 shows a year with Chingo Bling, the craft evolution from writing 30 minutes daily to organic improvisation, and why being second act is the sweet spot. From Latin Comedy Jam to self-producing specials, creating Tag Your Bit to give newer comics stage time, and the "heartbroken still joking" era...

Marty and Amber Flores share the story of Marty McPies, the downtown Corpus Christi pizza restaurant born from a Marine Corps veteran's journey home. Marty spent years in Iraq, the Navy, railroads, and refineries while teaching himself to make pizza with one goal: come back to Corpus Christi and build a life. Amber left 10 years of teaching to help grow the business from food truck to br...

Marcos Leal returns for Episode 100 to discuss his country-rock project Swim the Current, the 10-year anniversary of Shattered Sun's Hope Within Hatred, and for the first time publicly, the complete story behind his departure from ill Niño. From signing a record deal off a cover song to dealing with broken promises and industry politics, Marcos shares the unfiltered truth about creative ...

Joaquin Rangel, founder of Joaquin in2 Inclusion, discusses building a nonprofit that supports children with special needs across Texas. From starting with $10,000 of his own money to landing grants and organizing metal shows to fund inclusive learning labs, Joaquin shares the challenges of navigating the nonprofit world, working with schools, and breaking the school-to-prison pipeline. ...

South Texas metal band ZombieKing sits down fresh off their first full Texas tour to discuss the reality of grinding in the regional metal scene. Eddie and Juan share tour stories featuring pythons and bed-of-nails performers, get brutally honest about navigating Corpus Christi's music scene, and reveal how they rebuilt their first album in just 6 days under label pressure. Plus, big new...

Episode 97 welcomes Ben DeLeon, creator of the Un-Shuck Yourself podcast and newest member of the Corpus Christi Originals Network. Ben opens up about battling imposter syndrome, his journey from selfish teenager to present grandfather, the philosophy that shaped his mindset (martial arts, Taoism, Eastern wisdom), and why he puts out free advice for people who need it. We discuss AI as a...

Rising comedian Chris Longoria shares how comedy saved his life after losing his grandfather, launching That Dude Talks podcast, and producing The Naughty List Comedy Show Dec 6, 2025 at The Annex in Corpus Christi, Texas—a free show benefiting Toys for Tots featuring Kill Tony's Davey Jackson. Topics: grief recovery, Corpus comedy growth, hosting tips, community giving, podcast producti...

Episode 95 is HUGE. Comedian Lito Cortez joins me to talk about the craft of comedy (why adjectives matter, how to not bomb on stage), UFO sightings right here in Corpus Christi (we show the footage), faith and the supernatural (are aliens and Christianity connected?), being a clean Christian comedian without being preachy, and his views on marriage, creativity, and living authentically....

Melanie Sandoval was diagnosed with a brain tumor at 18 weeks pregnant. Instead of giving up, she launched a nonprofit. Today, this first-generation Mexican-American doula and single mother of three is fighting for South Texas families through Kindred Hearts and Doula Things with Mel. This episode discusses the maternal health crisis (Corpus Christi is down 20+ OBGYNs), men's mental heal...

In this powerful live-streamed episode from October 5, 2025, host Jesus Hilario H. sits down with Creon Martin (Daddy Cre), rapper, entrepreneur, and host of the Man Look Talk Show on the Ridin' High Podcast Network. Creon shares his journey from growing up in North Side Manor, navigating street life and a 7-year prison sentence, to building his clothing brand Wave God Supreme. He opens ...

Join us on Corpus Christi Originals as we sit down with Monty Prescott & Shawna Davis of South Texas Haunts and special guest Ben DeLeon from the Recycled Corn Podcast. We dive into chilling paranormal investigations across South Texas, haunted landmarks in Corpus, folklore like La Llorona, and the overlap of ghost stories with local history and culture. From EVP evidence to personal...

For the first-ever women’s edition of the Corpus Christi Originals Podcast, we’re spotlighting local trailblazers in cycling and BMX: Melanie of HYPEBYKE and I Bike CC, and Laurie Lyng Corpus Christi BMX. These women share their journeys, challenges, and victories in growing bike culture in Corpus Christi. From community rides to BMX trails, hear how they’re inspiring the next generation...