Do-it-yourself publishing lives!

When Iron Feather Bookstore and the Denver Zine Library jointed forces three years ago to celebrate the world of underground, DIY-publishing, they weren’t sure how the public would respond. But the first annual Denver Zines Fest was such a hit that they did it again. And again. And here we are in 2008, with the third annual installment.

The event, which takes place Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at First Unitarian Church in Denver, will be teeming with zine writers and publishers vending their wares, comics and other projects. Volunteers will run workshops and demonstrations throughout the day offering how-to instruction on cartooning, screenprinting and (natch) zine-making. The best part? Everything free and open to the public.

We talked via e-mail with organizer Stevyn Prothero of Iron Feather Bookstore about the event, the importance of hard copies in a digital world and why Denver could use a little more collaborative spirit in its underground arts scene…

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Can you guess why this man looks so happy?

TV hounds know it’s nearly impossible to miss Doug Benson. The bearded, affable comedian has showed up on two seasons of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” as a series regular on VH1’s “Best Week Ever” and on various other shows like “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “Friends” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

But Benson’s renown increasingly revolves around a little green bud. He’s a creator-writer-star of “The Marijuana-Logues” stage show (take a wild guess what it’s about) and is the main attraction in the forthcoming documentary “Super High Me,” which takes inspiration from Morgan Spurlock’s “Super Size Me” but trades fatty McDonald’s burgers and shakes for a 30-day regimen of pot smoking.

I recently chatted via phone with the veteran L.A. stand-up in advance of his appearances at Denver’s Comedy Works tonight through Saturday about the origins of his movie (which comes out June 17) and the potential to get creatively cornered as a “pot comic.”

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Steve Wilson is one of 30 comics that will play the Aspen Rooftop Comedy Festival this weekend.

Word got out last May that HBO’s U.S. Comedy Arts Festival was leaving Aspen, causing a great whooshing sound across Colorado. Dang! We had gotten used to watching the biggest names in the English-speaking comedy world show up in our tony mountain town every year, from Jerry Seinfeld to John Cleese, and everyone in between.

But since that festival isn’t coming back, we’re happy to report that Rooftop Comedy, an online site featuring original video content and links galore, has decided to fill the void. Their festival, which will bring 30 comics to Aspen Friday and Saturday (May 30-31), is based more on up-and-coming talent, although many of the performers have already enjoyed national TV and major web exposure.

We e-mailed Rooftop Comedy president Will C. Rogers to pick his brain about the festival, which includes competitions and awards, and the state of new comedy in general.

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“Prospect New Town, here we come!”

Thank Google for the best diner food to land in Boulder County in a long time. Paul Roberts, and his wife, Pam, were weary of their life in Mill Valley, Calif. They were eager to try recipes honed over a decade at the Sunnyside Cafe in a whole new place.

Intrigued by an article in Outside magazine that pointed them toward Colorado Springs, the family heeded the advice of a customer who suggested Boulder instead. A quick Web search served up pictures of the funky Prospect New Town neighborhood, on Longmont’s southern fringe, and a road trip commenced. Prospect was their second stop.

“We pulled in on the day after Christmas, and it was beautiful,” Roberts says. “My wife was crying. My daughter was crying. We were saying ‘This is it! This is it!’ ”

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Virtual DJs (you know who you are) need not apply.

Local promoter, DJ and Twist & Shout dance music guru Peter Black (formerly of the Rockstars Are Dead night) has a way of latching onto hot acts before they blow up, which makes his Analog Space nights at the Meadowlark so much sweaty, screaming fun.

The dance parties kicked off at the beginning of the year and were an instant hit, so now Black and his cohorts are adding an outdoor bar, more guest DJs and celebrating the opening of the Meadowlark’s brand-spanking new outdoor stage. We talked to Black about the monthly dance party, which takes place tonight, about its inception, its popular CD giveaways, and why Analog Space has banned DJs that use MP3 players.

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