Audio By Carbonatix
Phoenix is brimming with creativity. And every other year, we put the spotlight on 100 of the city’s creative forces. Leading up to the release of this year’s Best of Phoenix issue, we’re profiling 100 more. Welcome to the 2014 edition of 100 Creatives. Up today: 26. Anwar Newton.
Yeah, you’re probably familiar with Anwar Newton, a.k.a. the guy who recently went to San Diego Comic-Con on shrooms and chronicled his trippy experience in hilarious texts that quickly went viral.
Just so happens, Newton’s funny on the regular. In fact, he’s a comedian. And he’s based in Phoenix.
See also: Tempe Artist Mikey Estes: 100 Creatives
“An average day for me involves staring at glowing screens for about 75 percent of it and the other 25 percent is spent in search of a good burger,” says Newton, who’s also a pen-and-pencil artist and works as a film grip and gaffer.
Lucky for us, the 29-year-old manages to squeeze in time to tell jokes, too.
“I’m currently working on a comedy album with local stand-up comics to be featured in the NXOEED Album Art Hunt from artist James Hunt on October 3,” he says. And on August 29, he’ll perform at Comedy On Fire 17 at The Firehouse Gallery.
Maybe bring him a burger.
I came to Phoenix with my bloated debt and all of my worldly belongings in the back of a 1988 Honda Accord hatchback.
I make art because… I suppose being able to make people laugh could be considered a work of art or artful. I think I continue to try my hand at comedy because I think I haven’t 100 percent failed at it yet, which, objectively speaking, is a pretty subjective way of looking at it.
I’m most productive when I’m actually on stage, which is how I try to spend any free evening I have. I treat it like I do my other two jobs as in I pretty much just show up and hope people don’t notice I’m wearing the same shirt I wore yesterday.
My inspiration wall is full of post-it notes that say “You should probably start working on an inspiration wall.” My comedic influences are George Carlin, Redd Foxx, Richard Pryor, and Louis C.K.
I’ve learned most from being alone and observing other people and seeing the weird things people do when they think no one is looking. Everyone is a weirdo just trying to hide their weirdness from all the other weirdos and seeing that play out is very entertaining to me. Also, one of the most important classes I’ve ever taken was a speech class in community college. It is probably the only college class from which I learned anything of any value.
Good work should always confuse people if it is actually good or not. Because ultimately that whether it is good or not doesn’t matter, but the conversation of why you think it is “good” or “bad” is always interesting.
The Phoenix creative scene could use more people paying attention to it.
See the 2014 edition of 100 Creatives:
100. Bill Dambrova
99. Niki Blaker
98. Jeff Slim
97. Beth May
96. Doug Bell
95. Daniel Langhans
94. Nanibaa Beck
93. Nicole Royse
92. Ib Andersen
91. Casandra Hernandez
90. Chris Reed
89. Shelby Maticic
88. Olivia Timmons
87. Courtney Price
86. Travis Mills
85. Catrina Kahler
84. Angel Castro
83. Cole Reed
82. Lisa Albinger
81. Larry Madrigal
80. Julieta Felix
79. Lauren Strohacker
78. Levi Christiansen
77. Thomas Porter
76. Carrie Leigh Hobson
75. Cody Carpenter
74. Jon Jenkins
73. Aurelie Flores
72. Michelle Ponce
71. Devin Fleenor
70. Noelle Martinez
69. Bucky Miller
68. Liliana Gomez
67. Jake Friedman
66. Clarita Lulić
65. Randy Murray
64. Mo Neuharth
63. Jeremy Hamman
62. La Muñeca
61. Kevin Goldman
60. Emily Costello
59. Kerstin Dale
58. Vara Ayanna
57. Nathaniel Lewis
56. Ruben Gonzales
55. Lisa Poje
54. Bobby Zokaites
53. Frances Smith Cohen
52. Julie Rada
51. David Miller
50. Xanthia Walker
49. Kyllan Maney
48. Cary Truelick
47. Constance McBride
46. James D. Porter
45. Allyson Boggess
44. Abigail Lynch
43. Ashley Cooper
42. Jaclyn Roessel
41. Brandon Boetto
40. Melissa Dunmore
39. Gavin Sisson
38. Rossitza Todorova
37. Monica Robles
36. Josh Kirby
35. Jesse Perry
34. Yai Cecream
33. Nathan Blackwell
32. Carley Conder
31. Ben Willis
30. Nicole Michieli
29. Brian Cresson
28. Tyson Krank
27. Mikey Estes
