Episode 135 - Klay McKenzie, R.I.F.T.

My guest today is Klay McKenzie, who is the writer and creator of R.I.F.T! A new sci-fi comic series!
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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hi, everybody. I'm Lisa,asked Lisia Adventuress. I'm the CEO and
founder of Inventing a to Z andhere at in my podcast mode podcast Mode
and very very different podcast. Ihave a really cool cat who's going to

(00:20):
talk about what he's doing. He'san artist, he draws comic books,
he writes comic books. Adventure.You gotta meet this guy, Clay,
and we're meeting him on site.He's selling his product. I love the
entrepreneurial spirit that you have. We'redoing a podcast on location, Clay.

(00:41):
This is amazing, Clay Clay tellingI tell everybody who you are. They've
been waiting. I couldn't wait foryou to get on this podcast, and
I said, I'm going to followyou to your festival. Likewise, we
are doing this, so introduce yourself. So my name is Clay Mackenzie.

(01:03):
I am a comic book artist anda comic book writer. I have three
comic books out right now. Thisis my series Rifts. It's a sci
fi comic about a black inventor namesAdam Riff. He lost his daughter in
space, so he's trying to rescuehis daughter. And I do all the
artwork for the book. I writethe book. I am out here at

(01:25):
Boston Common, a very popular parkin Boston. I mean, you're selling
some books to some people, andI'm very excited to be here. I've
been looking forward to this all month. Well, I have been looking forward
to having you. You're I'm soimpressed with everything that you're doing, Clay.
So let's talk about pulled up thatbook that was too quick riffs.

(01:49):
It's a comic book, adventure,black superhero loving it. He's out looking
for his daughter in out of space. Let me see some of those pictures
this, Yeah, show your illustrationsbecause we got to see it. I
know the sun is shining a littlebit, can't see everything clearly, but
hold it up so we can see. Love it go slogo, slogo.

(02:09):
All right, all right, sohere's jack it up. Huh. We
got listen. We gotta roll withwhatever Clay is doing because this is a
superstar in the making here. Loveit. So so let's talk about awesome
Clay. Look at you. Allof these are your illustration, right,

(02:30):
this is all you, Clay.I love it. Beautiful you are.
You're the superhero. So Clay,let's talk about what rift what does rift
stand for? What does rift standfor? All Right, so I'm gonna

(02:58):
have to read some lips today.Your audio went off again? Play,
but this is a part of it. This is what happens when we follow
around a superstar artist in the making. Okay, your audio went off,
come back and again? Can youhear me now? I can hear you
now? Okay, I'm sorry aboutthat. UM riff stands for rip,

(03:23):
ripped in fabric of time and talkabout that. So basically what that means
is UM the main character, Adam, he travels through portals to try to
find his daughter, and the ripthe riffs are basically, you know,
the rips and the fabric of time, so he's able to get from one
location to another in an instant.So he's able to go from one planet

(03:46):
to another planet really fast with thoseportals. Daughter. I love, I
love the whole story behind this andthere's there's there's so much depth to it,
I'm sure. So yes, thankyou. How when did you start
drawing? And what was I gotseven questions for you in one so okay

(04:09):
you started drawing? When? Howold were you when you started drawing these
these different characters? Um? Istarted drawing when I was really little,
probably like five years old. Imade these characters when I was eight years
old, but I fully went forit and made it an actual series when
I was twenty four. And howold are you now? Play? I'm

(04:30):
twenty eight now loving it? Soit took you, all right, So
twenty four, So four years andin four years you created these comic books.
You're selling them at a festival.You're you're kicking button taking you really
are. And I'm so proud ofyou. See So I want all the
entrepreneurs and inventors out there to knowClay had this conceptually when you were eight

(04:54):
eight years old, right, starteddrawing your tea, started really doing it
professionally. At twenty four, you'retwenty eight years old, you're selling books,
you're selling comics, you're at festivals, you're making it happen. Listen,
he's on the podcast from apart froma festival selling you're putting everything into
this business that you own. That'sa real that's a true entrepreneur. So

(05:17):
talk, so talk to me aboutthis character. I want to know about
Adam. So, Adam, why, why? Why did you choose this
character? And the whole looking forhis daughter thing. Let's talk about that.
That's very interesting. Okay, Soum with Adam, he just kind
of came to me one day.I just you know, when I was

(05:38):
a kid, I used to havea really well I still do, had
a very active imagination. So I'mthinking one day, I'm just kind of
playing amongst myself, and I'm like, oh, it would be really cool
if I had a guy who wasgoing through portals to try to travel and
the daughter thing. Once again,it kind of came to me. I
always found that kind of bond betweena father and daughter and interesting, so

(06:00):
I kind of subconsciously made it partof my story. And I've always loved
sci fi. Me and my dad, we love sci fi, so that
was kind of a given. Ilove that. I love that, and
I liked that relationship too between afather and a daughter, and that he
will go through all kinds of portalsin order to find his daughter like you
would do. Right, Yeah,yep. He will stop at nothing until

(06:25):
he finds his daughter. And that'swhat you do for your children. And
I love that you have and theblack superhero black Man love it and very
very empowering. So love that aboutwhat you're doing. Play and that father
daughter bond and the bomb that youhave with your dad. Yes, super

(06:47):
important, really important. I lovethat. I love them. It all
matters. It does matter. Itdoes matter. And I said, you're
trying not to miss sales. You'relook at it. There's a sale over
there. You make it. You'renot messing a sale. No I um
um, I wanted to show offon I just recently got into the paper.
I was just looking around for thenewspaper. I just recently got into

(07:11):
the paper as well. Yeah,I don't look what thanks so much?
So how did you make it tothe paper? What did what? What
kind of an interview was it?And what paper is it? Um?
So, it's the Brockton Enterprise.It's the it's the city. It's the

(07:36):
city. Um where I'm from,Brockton Enterprise. I just randomly was at
a barbershop selling my book one dayand this guy told me that he knew
a reporter from the Enterprise and hetold her about me, and then they
reached out for an interview that sameday and I was able to get in
the paper. What is the BrockmanEnterprise? I'm sorry? What is the

(07:56):
Brockman Enterprise? Is that a localpaper where you live is are you living
in Boston? Yeah? Yeah,I live in I live in a town
called Brockton. It's thirty minutes awayfrom Boston. And that's the paper that
I got into. I'm the bigthanks so much to have you on this
show. And I love that evenwhat you said. But the selling at

(08:20):
a barbershop? People, do youhear what play is saying? It's this
is what you're doing, and you'resaying it like it's so natural. Right,
Yes, I'm this entrepreneur because everybodydoesn't get this play. Everybody doesn't
get that you have to put yourwhole self in in order to sell them,
become you know, of a superstarlike you are. Right. It
takes it takes tenacity, it takesdry perseverance, passion, and you have

(08:46):
it. It's automatic with you.I appreciate that. You're welcome. Do
you need to be pushed? I'msorry you said that again. Do you
need to be put Do you needI love I love the air and the
camera. Do you need to bepushed? Yes? I am trying to

(09:07):
expand so much right now. Iwant to go as far as I can.
I want to be in stores.I want to be all over the
country, all over the world,you know, as many places as I
can go. I want to go, and you're going. I don't want
to I don't want to have aceiling. You are going. There is
no ceiling. There is no ceilingwith your attitude. You know that super

(09:30):
latitude, right, your attitude oneis your latitude, and you're going.
There's no stopping you. Play,And however I can help you to get
there. I can't wait. Ilove your energy, I love your tenacity,
your determination. And I have tothank Angela Evans for introducing us,
because she said, Lisa, youhave to meet him. I told Play

(09:54):
that you would help him, andI will help you. I love that
you're out there. I would beout there with you in Boss and I
want to be with you selling thatmagazine and those publications. Okay, love
to help you do that. SoI have a question for you. Who
is your driving for us? Whopushes you? Who inspires you to do
what you do? Um? Definitelymy mom. My mom is sick right

(10:20):
now, and UM, I doa lot of this, you know,
for for her. You know,like I really want to just you know,
make my family proud and stuff likethat. You know, I'm very,
very driven by my family. I'msorry you said your mom is sick.
Yeah, she's sick right now.I'm so sorry to hear that.

(10:41):
It's okay. I'm so sorry thatyour mom is sick. And I'm sure
your mom is so proud of youfor doing everything that you're doing. And
you're You're an amazing You're an amazingson, You're an amazing person. So
how how can we thank you somuch? You're so very welcome play How

(11:01):
can we follow you? How canwe purchase your comics? Tell us all
of your social media links, yourwebsite? Um, yeah, so you
can. You can get my bookat rift anime dot com. That's my
website. It's right here, riftanime dot com. That's the main place

(11:24):
where you can get my book.Um. I have Instagram it's riff dot
anime. I have a TikTok it'sriff anime underscore. Same with my Twitter
YouTube it's all riff anime. Andum, you know you can catch me
in person. I go pretty mucheverywhere. I drive around all over the

(11:45):
state in the country selling my book. Um, you can find me at
different pop up shops, but onlineyou can find me at those places.
So, and I have to telleveryone m clay will be at our conference.
The conference is going to be Sunday, September twenty four, Jersey.

(12:05):
So gases up Play in New Jerseyat the country club. You're gonna come,
You're gonna sell your books, yourmagazines, You're gonna do some signings.
Everybody's gonna want your autographed by then, right, everybody's definitely. So
I have to I mean, isthere anything that you want to add?

(12:28):
I'm talking and I know you don'thave a lot of time because you're doing
your festival, But is there anythingyou want to add? You want to
share with inventures, entrepreneurs, artistsout there. Let's let's get a word
of wisdom or some words of wisdomfrom Play. No matter what, always
follow your passions, even if youwere the only person that believes in it,

(12:48):
go for it. You never knowwhere your faith could take use you're
not. Thank you so much.You're an amazing man. Play. I
can't wait to meet you in person, and likewise that will happen real soon.
Thank you, thank you, thankyou so much for being on our

(13:09):
podcast, and I look forward toseeing you soon. Let's do a happy
dance. Hold on, what's thehappy dance. Oh yeah, happy dance.
Yeah, that's the happy dance superherohappy yeah right yeah. Well,
thank you again, Clay you um, we'll talk real soon. Thank you

(13:30):
again. Yeah, thanks so much.