July 2, 10:40 a.m.-ish: My screenings begin with the demonic-possession thriller Deliver Us from Evil, and I notice, during the "found footage" prelude, that the action begins on the Fourth of July. So, clearly, the film is being released at the right time. Ninety minutes later, I notice, during the climactic exorcism, that the action ends on 4/20. So, clearly, the filmmakers were high.

If you're the parent of a child who's a voracious consumer of comic books, don't make the mistake of worrying that he or she won't grow up to be anything. That child could, after all, grow up to be an artist. Or an educator. Or a detective. Or ... a superhero.

At least, those are a few of the career titles held by Dominic Velando and Jarrett Crippen, two adult comic-book lovers who will be presenting workshops at this year's QC Planet Comic & Arts Convention on July 13. The fifth-annual event will, of course, boast dozens of comic-book, action-figure, and graphic-art vendors with publications and collectibles for sale, plus adult and children costume contests and a silent auction held throughout the day. But it will also feature educational presentations by Velando and Crippen, who, in a pair of recent interviews, shared some thoughts on public art, eccentric teachers, Stan Lee, and the perils of aging into one's Spandex.

If you're of my generation - the generation that, as grade-schoolers, used to stay up long after bedtime to watch the early years of Saturday Night Live - there may be two names you most associate with your early exposure to blues music: Jake and Elwood.

Yet if you, too, became a fan of John Belushi's and Dan Aykroyd's famed Blues Brothers act through the duo's SNL appearances, their 1978 album Briefcase Full of Blues, and their 1980 feature film, the one to thank for your youthful blues immersion shouldn't be Jake or Elwood (or John or Dan). It should be Curtis.

Described by Blues Revue magazine as "one of the most down-to-earth, soulful, honest singers ever," and a harmonica player who is "rollicking, funky, and electrifying," Curtis Salgado has been at the forefront of the blues scene for decades. Included among Salgado's considerable credits are his many years of professional partnership alongside five-time Grammy-winner Robert Cray, his headlining of blues festivals from San Francisco to Thailand, and his 2010 and 2013 Blues Music Awards for Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year - the latter of which Salgado received after successfully battling lung cancer, which he was diagnosed with in 2012.

Check out the liner notes for Briefcase Full of Blues, though, and you'll see that Salgado is also the man that the album is dedicated to, making him the de facto reason many of us knew the lyrics to "Soul Man" before entering high school. (Also check out the name of Cab Calloway's character in 1980's The Blues Brothers movie. It's Curtis.)

"Belushi told me that Aykroyd was trying to get him into the blues, but he wasn't biting," says Salgado during our recent phone interview. "And then when he saw me, he got it."

It's about 15 minutes into my phone conversation with jazz vocalist Margaret Murphy-Webb. She's energetic and engaging and boasts an infectious laugh, and every once in a while she calls me "baby," which I like a lot. And then, knowing that the artist is pursuing a music degree at Chicago State University after nearly 30 years of performance, I ask her if, because of tuition and other costs, she has to supplement her income with any additional jobs.

"Oh, baby, you don't know!" she exclaims. "I'm a Chicago police officer! August 1 will be my 20th year!"

I actually did not know this (nor, for the record, would any other visitors to MargaretCMurphy.com, where that information is noticeably absent). I apologize for my ignorance and ask if it's cool to mention her career in print, and she says, "Oh yeah! I just assume people know, but I try not to tell people. That's dirty laundry." She laughs. "But they don't boo me when they know I'm a police officer!"

Of course, I'm betting that the musician doesn't ever deal with booing, given her gorgeous phrasing and vocals, and her presence that the late, great jazz saxophonist (and Murphy-Webb's former mentor) Von Freeman said "reminds you of Betty [Carter] and Billie [Holiday] in that, from the moment she steps onto the stage, she has the audience enraptured."