Dennis Spielman

Cosmic Callback at Factory Obscura

On June 16, 2023

Open now through July 31, COSMIC CALLBACK: AN ILLUMINATED INTERLUDE takes you on a sound and light odyssey through the heart of a star and back again. Created by a team of 10 local artists, this new experience features an original soundscape accompanied by light and projections. Participants are invited to get comfortable on soft-sculpture seating, and gaze upward toward the cosmos.

COSMIC CALLBACK is a Factory Obscura collaboration, with contributions from: Amber Rae Black, Lindsey Cox, Emma Difani, Jaiye Farrell, Tammy Greenman, Barney Karper, Kelsey Karper, Hugh Meade, Dan Moyer, and Nikolas Thompson.

Photo by Dennis Spielman of a person standing looking inside the star at the Cosmic Callback experience.

COSMIC CALLBACK is open for general admission during regular Mix-Tape hours through July 31, 2023, at 25 NW 9th St in Downtown Oklahoma City. Tickets are $8 for General Admission, $6 for Kids 12 & under, and free for Children 3 & under. Save $2 when you bundle your tickets with the Mix-Tape experience. Admission is free for Mix-Tape Members!

For more information and to book tickets, visit www.factoryobscura.com

Yes! I Can Roger!

By Dennis

On May 22, 2023

In Real

Inspired by Dire Straits’s Skateaway music video and Roger Miller’s You Can’t Roller Skate With a Buffalo Herd, Gregg Standridge’s art exhibition at MAINSITE Contemporary Art says you can skate with a buffalo herd.

I’ll release a more comprehensive interview on Archiving Contemporary Art in the future. Enjoy this summary profile before seeing this in person before Friday, June 9, 2023

The Launch of The Show Starts Now

By Dennis

On May 16, 2023

In Real

I am thrilled to finally launch The Show Starts Now! Dive headfirst into a world of curated experiences designed to shatter your humdrum routine with The Show Starts Now. The unique, Oklahoma-based streaming service is more than just entertainment—it’s a passport to electrifying adventures. We celebrate the extraordinary in the everyday, bringing you closer to inspiring individuals, captivating locales, mesmerizing skills, and unforgettable journeys.

Today’s official launch is a far cry from the beta preview I shared back in October. For the first time, this feels complete, like I’m proud to share what I’ve made. I closed the beta access a few months after being released because the platform wasn’t getting any traction, only having one subscriber. A few months ago, I met with a brand consultant, Jenn Easley-Maynord of Artio Services, who gave me some much-needed insight and direction. One was a slight name, dropping “Studio.” I was advised that the word could be confusing with people thinking I’m a studio facility, like Parire Surf Studios. I went with the .tv domain to help with branding, too. The price was lowered from $7.99 to $5.99, matching other indie OTTs like Dropout.tv and Rooster Teeth.

Another central pivot from the beta version, I kept the location focus broad, and now I’ve leaned into the Oklahoma focus. This includes adding Uncovering Oklahoma, which was not my original plan. I dug through my archives, re-editing all of my old stories back from 2017, improving the image and sound quality, changing some music with better tracks, updating graphics, and other adjustments. Not everything was uploaded to The Show Starts Now, as I didn’t bother with closed businesses, episodes that got shuttered to another series, or places I have on my shortlist to revisit for an updated story. On a related note, the complete Tales Unveiled podcast series was added to the service with audio improvements as my skills have grown.

While older Uncovering Oklahoma episodes were improved, they were not as dramatic as the first season of Yes! Science! Initially released in 2019, Pallas the Librarian interviewed people in various STEM-related careers about their work, performed fun science experiments, and discussed books that have inspired our guests. The enhanced season includes some newly filmed Science Fact segments with Exhale and The Museum of Osteology. Pallas and I plan to work on season two, with our first episode being filmed in partnership with Sooner Con!

Also first released in 2019 was Art & Victory. This was a monthly panel discussion series for creative entrepreneurs. Again, the pandemic stopped me from continuing the series. For The Show Starts Now, I took the brand and spun the concept into three series: Discussions, Lessons, and Sessions. Discussions feature live audience panel chats, while sessions are one-off artistic creation videos, and lessons are multi-part guides. The Arts Council of Oklahoma City and I worked together to create the initial Lessons and Sessions on the service, which in trade, they also get a copy branded for their platform.

Take A Bite with Phi and Visiting Haunts are brand new series I created exclusively for The Show Starts Now. The entire first season of Take A Bite with Phi is available, while Jeff and I plan to film the reason for Visiting Haunts this summer. I’m just hoping to get subscribers so we can afford to travel, as we would love to feature out-of-state places like Eureka Springs. I also want to go to Texas for Creative Burgers.

The entire first season of Archiving Contemporary Art is available, with the first season consisting of stories from Uncovering Oklahoma. The series gets inside the minds of artists and art collectives about their creative works. Episodes from season two will be released soon, which are brand new. I have several episodes worth of content that needs to be edited, but my goal was to get the first season complete for the streaming service.

I have first to thank my wonderful wife, Leslie, who none of this wouldn’t be possible without her support. Seriously, I wouldn’t be able to take on as many creative projects without here because, let’s be honest, none of these shows are paying the bills. I do hope that changes soon with the launch of The Show Starts Now and that I’ll be able to pay other people’s bills. Continuing the special thanks to Jeff Provine, Lessa Keller-Kenton, Pallas, Phi Nguyen, Sherl Martin, Vicki Langford, Christian Pearson, Kristy Boone, Apollo Woods, Justin Coleman, and Undrell Maholmes for working with me to create many of these videos. Thanks to everyone I ever interviewed for all of my shows. Thanks to everyone who supported or still supports me on Patreon. Thanks to everyone who shared one of my works. Honestly, thank you, everyone!

I hope you take a moment to subscribe, watch a few videos, and enjoy The Show Starts Now. I’m open to feedback and suggestions for what you want to see in the future. If you can’t subscribe now, follow The Show Starts Now on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.

Happy Adventures!

People gathered around for gaming night in a D&D lounge

The Kobold Lounge

By Dennis

On May 11, 2023

In Real

The Kobold Lounge in Oklahoma City is a unique community hub designed for tabletop gaming enthusiasts. Originating from a private Dungeons & Dragons group, the lounge has evolved over the past five years into an all-inclusive venue for various tabletop games, including Magic the Gathering, Monsters vs. Heroes, and board games such as Monopoly and Risk.

One of the lounge’s distinguishing features is its wealth of resources available for players. These include books and materials for crafting game maps, fostering an environment conducive to creativity and communal play. The lounge also boasts state-of-the-art technology with its virtual tabletops, allowing players to utilize digital, moving maps for an immersive gaming experience.

The Kobold Lounge also offers classes that teach newcomers the basics of playing D&D – from character creation to combat and group interaction – making it a welcoming space for both beginners and veteran gamers. The owner invites everyone to come to The Kobold Lounge and experience the joy of tabletop gaming in a warm, inclusive environment.

From Nonprofit to Entrepreneurship: Mike Beckham’s Journey to Building Purpose-Driven Simple Modern

By Dennis

On May 4, 2023

In Real

Simple Modern, an Oklahoma-based company, is well-known for its stylish and high-quality drinkware products. Despite being in a highly competitive market, the company has managed to work with major brands such as Marvel, Disney, and Target, which Mike Beckham attributes to a combination of vision, execution, and a bit of luck.

“There’s a long story about how we got our very first license,” said Mike Beckham, CEO of Simple Modern. “If you look at all the licenses we have, the very first one was I had to get what’s called a local license with the University of Oklahoma. And I thought that would be a piece of cake, because I’d had some success in the business world, and I was an alumni of OU. And I was wrong. It was not a piece of cake. I had to really fight for it and work for it to convince OU that I was somebody that they wanted to license.”

Mike Beckham shared that his journey into entrepreneurship wasn’t a typical one. With a background in finance and nonprofit work, he lacked initially confidence in pursuing business ventures until his younger brother brought up the idea of starting a company together in 2009. This experience transformed his perspective, helping him realize his skills were well-suited for building businesses. Although Simple Modern has grown significantly, Beckham still considers it a startup, showcasing his ongoing passion for entrepreneurship.

“I think it was the way that I first got vision and the confidence that entrepreneurship was something that I could do, and that my skills could actually really work in building a business, and so I caught the bug, I think,” said Beckham.

Beckham’s experience working for a cause-oriented organization allowed him to develop a strong sense of purpose and commitment to giving back, which became the foundation for Simple Modern’s mission-driven culture. By integrating philanthropic values into the company’s core strategy, Beckham has been able to create a business that not only focuses on generating profits but also actively contributes to the betterment of society.

“Our goal at Simple Modern is to create a business that is about more than just generating profits, but also about giving back and making the world a better place,” said Beckham.

Mike Beckham emphasizes the importance of defining success as learning and cultivating a growth mindset. He believes that skilled experimentation accelerates learning and leads to innovative solutions. Despite increasing automation, Beckham remains optimistic about the future of entrepreneurship as a career choice.

“One of the best pieces of advice that I can offer to somebody that’s a young entrepreneur is that if you develop a growth mindset and you become very good at experimentation, it almost inevitably will lead to value creation, because you start to learn really rapidly about customers and what they want, and their needs, and how to fix it, and what works and what doesn’t, and how to pivot, and as you pivot, how to learn more,” said Beckham.

In the upcoming Oklahoma Venture Forum Awards Show, Beckham will be the keynote speaker. He plans to share more about Simple Modern’s story and focus on the importance of mission-driven leadership in entrepreneurship. Additionally, Beckham aims to share some of the lessons he’s learned throughout his 14-year journey in the world of startups.

“I love being a part of supporting this community, and I love what OVF is all about,” said Beckham.