The Padrón family is conservative with new releases the company will begin shipping the Padrón PB-99 a line extension to the sub-brand that is better known as Padrón Black which will come in maduro and natural versions measures 6 3/4 inches long with a 60 ring gauge Hand-rolled in Nicaragua using Nicaraguan tobaccos which is consistent with the Padrón Black series The 99 in the cigar name honors what would have been the 99th birthday of José Orlando Padrón, who founded Padrón Cigars in Miami in 1964. (He died in 2017.)  Padrón Blacks are small-production brands, one of the lesser-known entries in the Padrón library and one that’s not even listed on the company’s website which originally was made for a cigar-shop event and later became a TAA exclusive released in 2019 Read Next: Quesada Oktoberfest Returning For 2025 is still several months away but Quesada Cigars … Tatuaje Cigars’ Pete Johnson continues his experimentation on how different wrappers can affect … High scoring cigars that won’t break the bank this black ceramic jar holds 10 Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua … the university has teamed up with Bocock Brothers for an … About | Privacy Policy | Advertising| Editorial | Contact Us Subscribe | Login “Enthusiastic and stubborn optimist who is passionate about climate solutions and positive impact.” Fun fact about yourself:  The architecture profession is in my blood; my father Undergraduate School and Degree: Auburn University – Bachelor of Architecture Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school Associate / Project Architect at ZGF Architects Where did you intern during the summer of 2024? Sabana Where will you be working after graduation?  Sabana Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school When I left the professional world to pursue my MBA I had no idea what entrepreneurship and the startup ecosystem would truly be like I distinctly remember arriving on campus and meeting the faculty at the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship Dave Mawhinney and the rest of the team welcomed me with open arms encouraging me to explore and refine the entrepreneurial ideas I had Their support was instrumental in helping me build Sabana This experience not only shaped my startup but also allowed me to contribute to Tepper’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by helping other students explore their own ventures Without being awarded this fellowship and the support by the Swartz Center I wouldn’t have been able to achieve so much in such a short time What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career I received the John Wiebenson Award from the American Institute of Architects recognizing my dedication to mentorship and community impact in Washington This honor was especially meaningful as it highlighted my efforts beyond architecture; specifically for supporting organizations like DC Central Kitchen and So Others Might Eat (SOME) in my own time the most important aspect of our work is the impact we have on others and this award affirmed the power that architects can have to drive positive change in their communities I chose Carnegie Mellon because I knew that building a startup tackling complex real-world challenges requires world-class talent Carnegie Mellon is the #1 Computer Science school in the nation and a pioneer in Artificial Intelligence making it the ideal place to launch a business like Sabana The Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship stood out to me not only because of the amount of support and guidance that it offers where ambitious founders and experienced mentors come together to push bold ideas forward If I was going to build something transformative I needed to be in an environment where I could surround myself with the best minds to make it happen it was the perfect combination for the journey I wanted to pursue Dave Mawhinney has been an advocate and believer from day one I feel very grateful to work with empathetic leaders like Dave that have real world experience in the world of startups and venture capital Marketing for Entrepreneurs and Commercialization and Innovation Workshop where I gained invaluable insights into high-growth startups completely reshaping my perspective on businesses like these he is my Capstone advisor and we have dedicated time each week to talk about my startup’s wins and losses and how to push forward My favorite MBA course was AI Venture Studio in Spring 2024 with Prof interdisciplinary class brought together graduate and PhD students across AI and business to collaborate on entrepreneurial ideas and laid the foundation for Sabana alongside my co-founder culminating in a Demo Day where investors encouraged us to keep going we committed to Techstars AI in Chicago to take Sabana to the next level What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school One of my favorite MBA traditions was attending the annual ClimateCAP Conference with the Tepper School’s Energy and Clean Tech Club I look back fondly on those weekends at Ross (2024) and Haas (2025) where I connected with MBAs from top business schools who share a passion for sustainability It’s a rare opportunity to build lasting friendships and collaborate on climate-focused initiatives I’m very proud to have helped establish this as a new tradition for Tepper students what is the one thing you’d do differently and why Even though I’ve learned that starting a business requires ruthless prioritization I wish I had spent more time with classmates through extracurriculars I would have joined an affinity club earlier I only joined the Golf Club in my final semester and I wish I had done it sooner to better balance work with fun hobbies Unplugging once a week and spending time with classmates in a more relaxed setting has been a great way to recharge and build deeper connections with some of the classmates I haven’t had much of a chance of meeting What is the biggest myth about your school A common misconception about the Tepper School is that it’s solely tech-focused offering strong interdisciplinary courses and concentrations in operations The Tepper School encourages cross-campus learning and I’ve seen many classmates take courses at the Heinz College of Public Policy to deepen their expertise in policy and leadership I took a Life Cycle Analysis course at the College of Engineering which expanded my understanding of sustainability and carbon emissions calculations This flexibility allows students to tailor their MBA experience to their unique interests and career goals What did you love most about your business school’s town my fiancée and I explored MBA options on the East Coast looking for an affordable city with great activities While most Tepper School students stay near campus (Oakland) we chose to live downtown in the Cultural District and catching theater performances or comedy shows in one of Pittsburgh’s many great venues The city offers so much more than people expect having a fiancée who’s a proud Yinzer made the choice even easier House of Lies) best reflects the realities of business and what did you learn from it While it’s largely satirical and a completely ridiculous depiction of the industry the show does capture several underlying truths about startup culture “It’s not about how much you earn Companies that lose money.” This statement highlights how high-growth startups often prioritize valuation over immediate profitability in order to expand quickly Unlike traditional businesses that focus on sustainable revenue many startups operate at a loss to attract investors and expand market share If you decide to raise through venture capital this is a reality you’ll likely have to navigate What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming Carnegie Mellon is one of the best universities in the world to learn about AI and its curriculum is evolving rapidly to keep pace with advancements New AI-focused courses open every minimester I’ve taken courses like Design Thinking with AI where I’ve had to use different AI products For students interested in the latest technologies I can’t emphasize this enough: come to CMU and explore its interdisciplinary curriculum Coming from a traditional architecture background working alongside Computer Science students and PhD researchers has opened up an entirely new world for me These experiences extended beyond the classroom ultimately leading me to co-found a startup with fellow students and later join the Techstars AI Accelerator last fall but I have to pick my great friend Tatiana Imler We both joined Consortium prior to coming to Carnegie Mellon and countless other extracurriculars while raising amazing kids What are the top two items on your professional bucket list I want to continue growing my startup and see how far we can take it My ultimate goal is to build a self-sustaining business that truly improves the lives of our customers and team and I hope to return one day as an Entrepreneur in Residence or in some faculty capacity but in a flexible role where I can continue working on startups while mentoring the next generation of students I’ve always loved mentoring and working with people and I can’t think of a better way to pay it forward than helping others who needed guidance to embark on this crazy adventure What made Ruben such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2025 “Ruben has been an invaluable addition to the Tepper School MBA Class of 2025 embodying the entrepreneurial spirit and leadership that define the very best of our community His vision and drive have not only propelled his own startup forward—while simultaneously managing the demands of a full-time MBA and a competitive accelerator program—but have also significantly contributed to building a stronger entrepreneurship ecosystem at Carnegie Mellon he took the initiative to launch and lead a climate-focused hackathon bringing together students from across the university to tackle pressing sustainability challenges His ability to inspire action and create opportunities for others speaks to his deep commitment to both innovation and impact His resilience and discipline are matched by his care for his community making him not just a standout entrepreneur but also a deeply valued classmate and friend Ruben represents the best of the Tepper School — determined and committed to leaving things better than he found them.” DON’T MISS: THE 100 BEST & BRIGHTEST MBAS: CLASS OF 2025 Our Partner Sites: Poets&Quants for Execs | Poets&Quants for Undergrads | Tipping the Scales | We See Genius Website Design By: Yellowfarmstudios.com Adrian Quesada is one of those people who doesn’t much like to sit still to learn about its influences and antecedents and when he started playing guitar in his early teens and curious about the samples that provided hooks for so many songs he loved he schooled himself on the original jazz and funk cuts being repurposed he and some other Laredo expats who missed the cumbias back home formed the Latin funk orchestra Grupo Fantasma immersing himself in Afro-Caribbean rhythms and West African artists like Fela Kuti and King Sunny Adé be it with Black Pumas or one of his many side projects (Read a transcript of this episode below.) he encountered Willie’s 1998 album Teatro produced in a small movie house by Daniel Lanois as a showcase for Willie’s guitar-picking over a bouncing bedrock of Afro-Cuban rhythms is considered a masterpiece by Willie World insiders But it’s also a distinct outlier in the catalog a record many longtime Willie fans were slow to warm to who was intrigued by the concept and impressed with the execution But it was his deep dive into the album’s centerpiece “I Never Cared for You,” that floored him It’s a song Willie wrote and first recorded in the early sixties and when Quesada found older versions of it Lanois hadn’t put anything into the song that hadn’t always been there. On this week’s One by Willie Quesada examines not just “I Never Cared for You,” but the whole of Teatro marveling at the surreal world Lanois created for the recording and at his own surprised discovery of the Latin elements in Willie’s music One by Willie is produced by John Spong and PRX The PRX production team is Jocelyn Gonzales The Texas Monthly team is engineer Brian Standefer with graphic design by Emily Kimbro and Victoria Millner And Dominic Welhouse provides invaluable research and editing help I’m John Spong and this is One by Willie a podcast in which I talk each week to one notable Willie Nelson fan about one Willie song that they really love talks about “I Never Cared for You,” off Willie’s 1998 Daniel Lanois–produced album,Teatro Teatro’s long been something of a Rosetta stone among Willie albums the record that most clearly displays the Latin influence on his guitar playing But the thing about a Rosetta stone is that it’s going to make a lot more sense if you’ve got somebody to translate Well Adrian—who grew up studying flamenco guitar in Laredo and then founded the Latin funk orchestra Grupo Fantasma in Austin before creating wonderful one-offs like his 2018 collection of brown Texas soul music and 2022’s sublime Boleros Psicodélicos—is going to play both those roles as we listen to Teatro and other Latin elements that he hears in Willie’s music and conclude that it’s this blend of experiences that makes Willie “the most American thing we have.” Then he’ll put on his producer’s hat to marvel at the surreal world Lanois created to record Teatro before shifting finally to pure fan mode to describe a night last October when he saw Willie play a big outdoor show at downtown Austin’s Lady Bird Lake Oh but two other quick things: Diehard Willie and Teatro lovers will notice that the tracks we listen to are different from the ones on the album proper That’s because we were actually watching the Teatro performance doc that Wim Wenders made in the days after the album was recorded And note that videos of the individual tracks are up on YouTube and you should check those all the way out And then lastly: We recorded the interview at Adrian’s Austin studio just a few weeks before his song “Like a Bird,” from the movie Sing Sing John Spong: Where we’ll start then is where we always start What’s so cool about the Willie song “I Never Cared for You” Adrian Quesada: The song “I Never Cared for You”: so you had suggested checking out the Teatro album It’s one of those concepts and ideas that this is going to be the coolest thing I didn’t know about Who knows what I was listening to at the time The idea of making it dance music and of this album as a whole and in particular and how seamless it felt—nothing felt forced at all it actually felt like this is how the music was supposed to be in the first place—was what made me do kind of the deep dive And “I Never Cared for You” grabbed me in so many ways And I went back and listened to the original version and a few other versions my first guitar lessons for a few years were playing flamenco guitar It was way too rigid and way too much discipline for me at fourteen drinking beer in a garage and playing rock and roll And I just want to play with an electric Les Paul and go play with my friends in the garage.” So I studied for about four years but I was not disciplined enough for that at that time my sister’s a flamenco dancer in Madrid and so it’s just been around all that with “I Never Cared for You” was like it feels almost like a flamenco song to me And you definitely hear the influence of Afro-Cuban music when I thought a lot of this was maybe Lanois kind of forcing the issue on it at first that and the other.’ ” [And] went back and checked out the original you can see how he drew that line from the original to this one. where it almost has that undercurrent to it in the original version And I went back and listened to some live versions and everything And it’s a different rhythm than you hear in a lot of country music it could be something like a million different styles in Latin music that obviously grabbed me and made me like want to kind of dissect the song John Spong: I found a host of versions that I wanted to play for you before we listen to the one with Lanois And so the original version was a single on Monument in ’64 that Fred Foster produced And I think it’s David Parker is the guitarist who plays this flamenco opening for it And it’s weird because that’s the only record Willie put out on Monument He had had two records with Liberty that didn’t work and it probably didn’t work because this is not country music in 1964 by any stretch And then he goes to RCA for the rest of the sixties one that I have that can be hard to find: Bear Family Records out of Germany put out a Legends of the Grand Ole Opry CD which is all of Willie’s appearances on the Grand Ole Opry from the early sixties I just see all those white people in the Ryman Auditorium thinking what does he think he’s doing here?” Can I play that [David Parker plays guitar on Willie Nelson’s Grand Ole Opry performance of “I Never Cared For You”] Willie Nelson: “That’s David Parker [Willie Nelson performs more of “I Never Cared For You”] “I never cared for you.” If you don’t get the context of all the lyrics it’s intense to be playing that for your date that night ‘I Never Cared for You.’” A little of the trademark Willie darkness that people forget about Do you want to show me what you learned now Adrian Quesada: We’ll watch the Teatro version And should I start it at that Django interlude they recorded this record over four days in this incredible recording studio Daniel Lanois had made in a movie theater And it was almost all first takes over the course of two days “We’re going to re-create everything we’ve just done and film it.” So they invite into the crowd .sitting in the seats in the old theater are Woody Harrelson It’s just Willie World and Lanois world coming together to watch this thing.  I was reading: one of the engineers on the session he said that they had to find Willie some weed And so he went to try to find the best weed they could get And I don’t remember if it was like he tried it before he gave it to Willie just out of courtesy when he gave him some “I had no idea what was going on for hours,” after trying the hit to smoke the same stuff that they had gotten Willie the guy went and they gave him a bag of weed And then he let slip that it was for Willie Nelson John Spong: “And get the better weed.” It was $800 an ounce or something the whole intro to it on this movie version [Willie Nelson performs “I Never Cared For You”] John Spong: When we did one of these with Lanois he put this on and then just started doing a free-form it sounds like he’s doing the solo in “Hotel California.” Adrian Quesada: I thought they added that for this version but it’s in some earlier versions too That [guitar playing,] it’s in some earlier versions too “I never cared for you.” He ends on a major when people do something like that in a song “I never cared for you,” but suddenly everything’s-going-to-work-out guy that we think of his eyes are really cold while he’s looking at that guitar So I’ll start with the music.: I’m not a singer I usually [am] more attracted to music than lyrics the first thing that grabbed me was the chord progression in that it could be a few different styles it’s sort of like what they call gypsy rumba I’m saying the most popular example of something like that would be the Gipsy Kings in that it’s like flamenco-ish–inspired Flamenco styles are very rigid and very particular which obviously is Willie’s stamp on everything Rumba just kind of meant “party,” a rumbero is somebody who’s like identifiable rhythm in Afro-Cuban music and made its way into a lot of different Latin styles from there there’s kind of a rumba undercurrent to it when I was listening to it and I heard this this kind of made my brain make the connection to everything I know there’s a lot on the jazz influence for sure he’s playing like a Cuban piano player.” And a lot of the Cuban piano players have this really kind of angular way of playing that’s really kind of I’ve always felt like the way a Cuban piano player start their solos is with a really intense like a [singing] “Duh duh duh duh” Pay attention.” They’re just banging on the door and then they stop and they leave a lot of space There’s a lot said about his phrasing subdivide everything and superimpose three over four I’m always trying to superimpose six over so you’re doing three over four there So you’re putting three beats instead of two it’s like you could throw him in a Afro-Cuban all-stars band and he would not sound out of place Adrian Quesada: …to think that the hero of country music would be just as comfortable sitting around with a bunch of Cuban musicians playing “How is he doing that so effortlessly?” And it still sounds like him But there was something where I’m like I know some of the obvious influences in his vocal styling and guitar if that just comes natural to him or if he really listened to a lot of Cuban music.” And in particular Because I think when Latin music became salsa He’s superimposing this other rhythm over what is typically just a four-four rhythm John Spong: I remember when this record came out And so it was twenty years before I spent time with it and was like I think I understand a little bit more of why it’s regarded as one of the most important things he ever did it was like a Rosetta stone thing for me almost in that I’d always heard about a flamenco influence on what Willie did but I didn’t know what to listen for It’s like this brought out this thing that’s always in his guitar work in particular but that you can’t miss it when you’re listening to this maybe Lanois did force the issue on a few songs: He was the producer “This is the rhythm and you guys adapt to this.” But I went back As we were listening to some earlier versions too; it’s not that much of a stretch on this version really force the issue on combining genres Adrian Quesada: And none of it really does on this one That was the other thing that grabbed me on this was it just fit like a glove with everything he was doing .obviously they probably chose songs that fit this style and all that my brain was just exploded with trying to play along to it and dissecting all that Is it serious?” And then like I said it ends on like a happy note where I’m like I just always think that somehow there’s a sense of humor to a lot of this Adrian Quesada: This one actually just felt really natural to me I always want to force that kind of African 6/8 thing over traditional timekeeping John Spong: And the piano players you’ve mentioned when we’ve been texting about this are Rubén Gonzalez and Thelonious Monk there was a strong jazz influence for sure So I can hear some of the influence probably of somebody like Thelonious Monk I don’t know if “jarring” is the right word [music clip…Thelonious Monk playing piano] And I think the best musicians and the best instrumentalists like that have a strong voice where you can hear two seconds of them on an instrument Except that if there’s any connotation there of it being a negative But that’s one of the things that always line Willie and Monk up for me There’s a sense of humor in all this That’s why we keep coming back to that John Spong: You can tell he’s just cracking himself up with some of the note selections .[music clip…Rubén Gonzalez playing piano]… John Spong: So that’s Rubén Gonzalez.  just quick little phrases there that have that I’ll even turn on my metronome on my phone so if you’re hearing that and he’s playing John Spong: The other thing I wondered about in listening for those kinds of influences on this and it’s a different part of the world a bunch of buddies and I used to go listen to live conjunto music a lot And a lot of the guys that would go with us And so they had their take on what we were listening to And one of the things they always talked about was how the drummers and I don’t know if it’s unique to conjunto or if it was unique to these guys that we were seeing “What are the drummers doing?” Because there would be these weird double-time fills that seemed to come for no good reason There were these kind of seemingly random things dropped into the song seemed to have that kind of random quality to it and so reacting to somebody dancing or something like that And there definitely is a big random element to some of that for sure when he’s about to do something on the guitar like that it’s like a reaction to almost something I don’t know if it’s something that’s coming out of him something he sees in an audience or just a melody that came to him in the moment when he is a little kid picking cotton in Abbott And that’s what I love about what he’s done for so-called Americana music I don’t feel like it reflects the entire American experience nice name for it; it’s not just Bakersfield and a lot of Willie’s life story and stuff I think reflects more of the American experience I think Willie is the most American thing we have it sounds like you read a little bit about how this was produced and you’ve watched the movie; I’ve got some pictures Because Mark Howard is his engineer for all this stuff Those are some pictures of what the studio was like Adrian Quesada: It seemed like at the time Lanois’s thing was always setting up camp somewhere And doing a unique kind of studio for every environment — this is crazy I wonder how long it took them to set this up but it’s Persian rugs and Tiffany lamps I want you to be able to see Cuba.” So he’s passing Cuban cigars around through the whole recording I wonder what Willie’s initial reaction was to this whole concept He was on the bus and then he would come in to cut the soundboard was in the middle of the room It felt more like a performance than a studio thing And that was one of the things that Lanois made a big deal of Adrian Quesada: I think that was part of Lanois’s thing in general was no separation between a control room and a live room that has to be a major nightmare to always pull off And I always felt like that same concept of I want to be in the room with people.” But now my new studio has kind of a hybrid setup where we do have a control room we can utilize and it is so much easier on your ears and on your schedule But I do think that that’s a part of a lot of it was just them feeling comfortable and more like they’re just playing a show versus what can sometimes in a studio feel like serious work doing multiple takes and fixing things and doing this right And I think he just wanted everybody to feel loose John Spong: They talk a lot about the drummers always just calls them “the Cubans.” And so the drummers He talked about how somebody would open up a lighter and light a cigarette and they would immediately make a rhythm out of it Because they were fully immersed in the whole thing So he gets one that’s left-handed and one that’s right-handed to make sure that the cymbals can be on either side there’s hardly any bass guitar on this record the electric piano is doing bass on a lot of it particularly on that song you can hear when it starts Adrian Quesada: You can hear the electric piano doing that and it’s somewhat in the register of a bass But I think when people make bold moves like that without the bass you gottta get it really right to make that work it’s cool because that’s not her instrument We’re going to give Willie a Gibson guitar for some songs and we want you to try this on the Wurlitzer.” Adrian Quesada: The Wurlitzer sounds awesome on it Adrian Quesada: He sounds so good on electric That’s the question: Does his playing change There’s just more sustain on electric guitar particularly a nylon-string kinda cuts off notes real quick it’s just a little bit of a smoother thing so you can hear more of that… He goes into more of those kind of jazz licks those gypsy jazz kind of licks and things like that You get to hear him flexing a little bit there because he was killer the studio was there for like four years and they moved on Adrian Quesada: So what’s the deal with that theater now John Spong: I read that some people are trying to get it turned into a studio again They didn’t have these kind of resources probably and they didn’t have this kind of Rolodex Oxnard was a little farming community at the time And Bob Dylan and Willie and Iggy Pop would walk down the street between sessions and nobody recognized them Adrian Quesada: I read that that was part of the appeal there too I’m just floored by what they did and the fact that they would move on What was the reception of the album like when it actually came out he referred to it in his review as “Willie’s soon-to-be-controversial new album.” I guess I was on the verge of adulthood then and so I didn’t pay it any attention And that’s one of the things with Willie he puts out so many records that when a reggae album comes out if you’re not inclined to listen to it there’s another Willie record that you already love to go play I was thinking about this record when you turned me on to it and I obviously went down and learned more about it “How did I not know about this one?” I’m like “I think it’s okay if I miss somebody’s 45th album.” And also at the time John Spong: So when you get to Austin for school John Spong: And so from what I’ve read when you’re finding the stuff that’s soloed Especially as you become a musician and stuff I got really into jazz music and was really into hip-hop forcing the issue on that being my identity and I always loved the history of Austin and I love to learn and I love that part of the culture we know now of Austin was Willie moving here and creating the vibe the general vibe that is still a part of Austin you could argue that probably one of the biggest moments to create the culture that we now know was Willie moving here and the scene that he created it’s interesting because there’s always been music in Austin Willie didn’t introduce Austin to music that cosmic cowboy scene would’ve happened whether he got here or not And it makes more musicians want to come here when he owns the Opry House through the eighties And every touring band in the world wants to play Willie’s place That’s a big part of Austin becoming this “live music capital of the world,” as they bill themselves because it’s a huge touring stop now because when I read people talk about your career just through all these different projects of yours you’re like founding fathers of a different generation and they’re not all in the same vein by any stretch and need to be creating music is this other complete tie I just can’t even believe to be mentioned in the same sentence like that with him I always feel like I’m getting better I’ll be on a bike ride hear something I need to get to the studio because now I have this idea.” And yeah can’t even think of anything funner to do than I haven’t found a hobby that comes even close to how fun this is “making music with my friends.” I saw him a couple of months ago and was hanging on to every lyric “making music with my friends,” how much cooler than that John Spong: It’s not a goofy line in a song And you were talking about that when I walked in that was the Austin City Limits 50th Anniversary concert he did and I haven’t seen him in a long time everything has so much meaning now with him as long as he’s been doing this.” Like “Last Leaf on the Tree,” I was crying John Spong: It’s a lot of wisdom in that voice at this point talking about “I Never Cared for You.” A huge thanks to him for coming on the show and visit our page wherever you get your podcasts and give us some stars or type in some comments Every little bit of that helps more than you know Please follow us on Instagram at @onebywillie—all one word—find us on Bluesky and join our ever-expanding Willie conversation at the One by Willie group on Facebook Last year, Quesada Cigars went through a massive restructuring, as the family of Manuel “Manolo” Quesada Jr.—who has long been the head of the company— took over 100 percent ownership of the company After suffering a stroke during Procigar 2024 Manolo turned over the company’s operations to his daughters Raquel and Patricia and moved to Spain any plans to make major changes to the company—if there actually are any such plans—would take time to implement so I was not surprised when the booth and products at this year’s PCA Convention & Trade Show were very much in line with what Quesada has done in the past the Quesada booth was very similar to what it has used for the past couple of years: a cream-colored carpet on the ground defined the space nicely and there were multiple tables and chairs inside the space There were also display cabinets on both ends: two single-column displays on one end and two larger cabinets on the other end Having said the above, Quesada is always one of those companies I want to check out in person every year—even the years when I was assigned the booth to cover—because I love seeing what the company is releasing. This year was no different, as I really wanted to see the ambitious Quesada and Casa Magna Lancero Experience LE sampler and the Quesada Oktoberfest 2025 Humidor in person Quesada and Casa Magna Lancero Experience LE This is an impressive 20-count sampler that contains 10 different lanceros from various Quesada and Casa Magna blends most of the cigars inside the sampler have never been sold The samplers were offered exclusively to retailers who placed orders during the 2025 PCA Convention & Trade Show Production: 300 Samplers of 20 Cigars (6,000 Total Cigars) First released in 2011, this line has since become one of the company’s longest-running series. Considering it is named after the annual beer festival that takes place in Munich, Germany, it is perhaps no surprise that the Oktoberfest blend was specifically designed to be paired with Märzen-style beer. One thing to note is the return of the Salomon Press, one of the most unique-looking cigars ever sold tapered ends on both sides of its nearly 7-inch long body and the center of the cigar features an aggressive box press the thickness of the cigar shrinks dramatically Production: 500 Boxes of 10 Cigar (5,000 Total Cigars) per vitola This was a special release that was given to retailers who made an order of at least 150 boxes during the PCA Convention & Trade Show It includes 20 of each Oktoberfest 2025 vitola—so 100 total cigars—and there were only 25 of them released on a first-come Casa Magna Liga F Petit Corona 50-Count Box The smallest vitola in the Liga F line has a new packaging option, a 50-count box. The new option will not replace the existing five-count cardboard boxes. As Quesada tells me, the title Brutal Companion refers both to the emotional baggage he carries, as well as the HIV diagnosis he received in 2016, which he’s never spoken about publicly until this year. To mark the book’s release, Quesada talked with Them about the experience of writing such brutally honest poems, the role of privacy in his life and work, and the importance of destigmatizing HIV. Tell me a little about the title of the book I couldn’t stop thinking about how I still carry a lot of sadness from heartbreak and childhood trauma and I just thought this is something I’m carrying around with me and I need to find a better way to come to terms with it because it’s going to be my lifelong companion when I moved to Chicago and I learned that I acquired HIV I’ve had HIV now for years.” I think I always harbored a misconception of what living with HIV was like because all I knew was what I’d seen on the news or TV when I was growing up So I was coming to terms with knowing that this is something I’m going to have for the rest of my life I found this parallel between my body and the diagnosis “Brutal” was a word that just kind of came to mind What were some of those misconceptions you held about HIV Even among my gay friends that I grew up with in high school There was a lot of speculation when we stopped seeing someone out and about “Did they get sick?” We knew what that meant I came out to my mom when I was a teenager “What do you mean?” Because I'd always come home [that] I was going to come back home and say I was positive It took some time for me to get that out of her I received my diagnosis on my mom's birthday “How am I going to tell my mother?” I eventually did within that year Can you tell me a little bit about the structure of the book the cover of this chapbook that came out that has some of these poems in it is part of this triptych by Hieronymus Bosch called The Garden of Earthly Delights The movement of the book and its sections feel similar in a way There’s a certain pitch that you find in each section where it’s lighter and then it’s much calmer once you get to the end I feel like the end is trying to get back to something “My mother is going to die.” And then the last poem of the book is a fortune-teller telling me my mother has died I’ve gone through this journey of resisting not just thinking about my mother’s death Then I get to the end and it’s almost like my worst fears have come true Your press materials described the book as a collection of poems that “refuses to remain private for the comfort of others.” Was that a privacy that you felt was imposed on you we didn’t talk about relationship dynamics I didn’t learn how to communicate well when I was growing up There is a lot of external pressure to be quiet about a lot of things But I also grew up really ashamed of being gay because I saw my family members make fun of people who were queer “I can’t be that way because I’m gonna be the butt of a joke.” So there was some self-imposed censorship and I think that’s how I learned to write my poems “I’ve gone through this journey of resisting not just thinking about my mother’s death Then I get to the end and it’s almost like my worst fears have come true.” How did you get to the point of being comfortable letting those walls down No one ever said “don’t do that” until I was in a workshop with this poet “So why aren’t you just saying ‘I?’” and I was like “I don’t know.” I understand now that it’s okay to put myself down in that way I’ve had mentors and teachers give me permission over the years but I don’t think I gave myself permission because I was afraid and ashamed I’m ashamed of even sharing this — I started abusing drugs and alcohol I was living with a roommate who was also an ex-boyfriend and I didn’t know who else to turn to I’m having some trouble with drugs and alcohol.” They did not respond well But I think it took that experience of feeling like people who I thought were closest to me were rejecting me because I was using drugs and alcohol There were a lot of other friends who I reached out to who talked me through things and really helped me make sense of it But it wasn’t until I met my current partner who’s had similar experiences with drugs and alcohol that I’ve really felt like I don’t have to worry about being ashamed or being embarrassed I finally feel settled and loved for who I am This has been just in the last five or six years when most of these poems were finally coming together But I think it took meeting those people for this to happen Was there anything that surprised you in terms of writing new poems for this collection The newest poem in this book I wrote in the past couple of months It’s a poem in section one called “Year of the Dragon” and it’s about the first time I ever used drugs “Here I am talking about drug use and all these moments that I’ve been through How did I get into this?” It seemed like a really appropriate title — that idea of chasing the dragon But I’d never written about that moment or about that guy He looks a little different because of that So the newer poems felt like I was just ready “I finally feel settled and loved for who I am.” Was it just your willingness to rip off the Band-Aid that surprised you Now I tend to write my things in a notebook 33 Queer Books, Movies, TV Shows, and Albums to Add to Your Fall CalendarFrom Wicked to lesbian knight romance the fall 2024 calendar is packed with LGBTQ+ fare.Was writing poetry something that felt encumbered before now I felt like I was so much more concerned with not just the content but how I was communicating a particular experience I was so much more concerned with the presentation instead of just “Give me all the details and then I can go and make changes.” I was really afraid of being open about my HIV because I don’t know a lot of people who have HIV who are in this community I know people in the past who are no longer with us who had it and were poets But I remember being at the health office a few years back and [poet] Danez Smith was on the cover of an HIV magazine It’s not gonna hinder me to be open about this.” I just wish there were more people who were really forthright about it This conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity Brutal Companion is available now via Barrow Street Press Get the best of what’s queer. 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READ MONOGRAPH Clifford Chance has announced the promotion of two new partners in its Madrid office Felipe Font and Jesús Quesada are among 31 new partners named globally by the firm Felipe Font joined Clifford Chance as an associate in 2011 and was promoted to counsel in 2022 He specializes in restructuring transactions He holds a dual degree in Law and Business Administration from the Complutense University of Madrid and advises companies and funds—both national and international—across sectors such as real estate who joined the firm in 2007 and was also promoted to counsel in 2022 focuses on structured finance and private credit He holds a dual degree in Law and Business Administration from the Universidad Pontificia Comillas (ICADE) Quesada advises clients in the real estate commented: “Felipe Font and JesusQuesada’s promotions to the partnership are a recognition of their excellent careers clientdevelopment and team leadership skills.” Crowe reinforces labour with Jonatán Molano Becker opens Milan Office as Its European Hub It represents the main source of information in the legal business sector in Spain and Portugal The digital magazine – and its portal – address to the protagonists of law firms and in-house lawyers The magazine is available for free on the website and on Google Play and App Store information about deals and their advisors For further information, please visit the Group’s website www.lcpublishinggroup.com Marvel Unlimited Can’t-miss news and updates from across the Marvel Universe Meet the ‘Thunderbolts*’: Go Behind the Scenes of Marvel Studios’ Action Epic Watch ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Trailer, Featuring Marvel’s First Family in Action 'MARVEL Cosmic Invasion' Coming 2025 May 7's New Marvel Comics: The Full List 'Marvel Rivals Infinity Comic' Writer Paul Allor Unleashes Ultron on the X-Men's Hellfire Gala In this article: Black Panther (T'Challa), Storm, ShuriMARVEL KNIGHTS: THE WORLD TO COME #1 PreviewLOAD MORERelatedComics Learn how and why the New Avengers formed and which heroes joined their ranks over the years Comics Comics Visionary writer Jonathan Hickman teams up with acclaimed artists Federico Vicentini and Iban Coello to shatter and redesign the Marvel cosmos in 'Imperial,' a four-issue event series launching in June Comics Check out the cover for the second issue of 'Marvel Knights: The World to Come,' the new series from visionary creators Joe Quesada and Christopher Priest launching this June. “Boleros Psicodélicos II” is the sequel to his 2022 Latin psychedelic opus Where Quesada finds the time to be so prolific who knows; but where he finds the inspiration is quite clear It’s all around him — whether it’s in the talented musicians in his community or the crates of vinyl waiting to be excavated at his local record store “There’s so much,” he tells De Los via video call from Austin “Anytime I open a door learning about this music that’s inspiring [the album] I learn about 10 new songs that I’ve never heard The De Los staff is at the 2025 South by Southwest music festival bringing you updates from all of the Latin music acts performing who appears with Quesada on the new single “Ojos Secos.” When it came time to decide how to split up the new album between covers and originals, Quesada explained that it came down to one test: Can he write an original song that rivals the vibes of a song that inspires him? If not, then he’ll just devise a cover for the track. “There are certain songs that are really big inspirations and I can’t stop listening to them,” said Quesada — who covers Spanish artist Joseles’ “Te Vas y Yo Te Dejo” and “Hoy Que Llueve” by Los Pasteles Verdes in the forthcoming LP. “When I try to write something inspired by it I just throw in the towel and realize I’m not going to write anything even close or better than it, so this one needs to be covered.” Music you know from Latin stars Bad Bunny and Rosalía but you’re cheating yourself if you don’t check out these wildly creative Spanish-language albums Quesada’s art of crafting a quality cover song was further refined by samples sourced by L.A.-based producer Alex Goose Goose’s approach aligned with Quesada’s appreciation for hip-hop music which he credited as his first big musical influence Quesada said he got his start by jamming with friends using songs by A Tribe Called Quest and Wu-Tang Clan as jumping-off points Beyond the Grammy-winning artist’s musical endeavors Quesada added a new feather to his cap in January: He’s now an Oscar-nominated songwriter Quesada was nominated for Best Original Song at this year’s 97th annual Academy Awards alongside Abraham Alexander for writing the track “Like A Bird,” as featured in the Colman Domingo-led film “Sing Sing.” Awards The actor says he’s never before put so much of himself into a role His co-stars once actually lived in that world “It was a wild thing to experience,” Quesada said of becoming a first-time Oscar nominee “This whole campaign and everything [was] so It really takes over your life there for a little bit It’s something I’ll never take for granted I’ve always wanted to do more work in film and to have something like that be recognized was absolute insanity.” Quesada noted that the opportunity to write the song came during a very busy time for him and his co-writer Abraham Alexander — which worked to his advantage because it allowed them to not “overthink” the process The track kicks in during the final scene of the film which Quesada watched ad nauseam until the song “just fit like a glove,” he said “I watched the scene over and over for hours and tapped out some drums until I found the pace and the editing,” Quesada said “There’s such a rhythm to the way that they edit films that I wanted to capture that.” the Los Angeles Times vertical that explores Latino culture and identity He previously worked at The Times as a reporter with the Fast Break team a member of the 2022-23 Los Angeles Times Fellowship class as an editorial assistant and intern with Arts and Entertainment and at the Houston Chronicle as a features intern County native and a graduate of the University of Notre Dame where he majored in history and minored in journalism Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, Mad Cave Studios | Tagged: , Joe Quesada launches shared continuity Shakespeare Comics Universe with Garth Ennis "Shakespeare's themes are as relevant today as they were when he first put quill to paper and by reimagining his work through a modern lens we get to explore those truths in thrilling Undiscover'd is about rediscovery—of classic stories and of the strange magic hiding in plain sight We're not building a new universe—we're revealing fantastical layers of the one we already live in These are tales of discovery and rediscovery of fantastical imagination grounded in the familiar." "Some of Amazing Comics' Undiscover'd titles will draw direct inspiration from Shakespeare's original plays while others will take more unexpected paths—always staying true to the core themes that made them timeless," said Charles Dorfman It begins with Hamlet as a young boy and serves as a prequel to the classic tragedy offering a fresh entry point into the world All Undiscover'd stories take place in our reality—recognizable but reimagined through different genres and eras "Upcoming Undiscover'd stories will span genres like sci-fi but they're all grounded in the same world: ours We've got an AMAZING slate of talents already on board we'll be announcing even more creators joining the fold—and soon the projects they'll be bringing to life." These names will include; "Shakespeare was the original master of spectacle and soul—he was blood "His plays are timeless because they're universally relatable and packed with emotional and narrative twists We're not doing straightforward adaptations or Classics Illustrated We're creating bold high-octane comics with heart—stories designed to introduce an entirely new generation to the Bard." The world’s most popular beer festival, Oktoberfest is still several months away but Quesada Cigars is getting into the spirit a little early The seasonally themed Oktoberfest cigars were on display at this year’s PCA trade show in New Orleans and are scheduled to ship this August The 2025 edition of Oktoberfest is available in five sizes: Bavarian measuring 5 1/2 inches by 52 ring gauge ($12.08); the box-pressed Kaiser Ludwig a 6-by-52 torpedo ($12.08); the hefty Uber 6 by 65 ($12.60); and the Salomon Box Press ($12.60) which has a length of 6 3/4 and a double-tapered body that swells to a 50 ring gauge at its widest point The Salomon Box Press was previously an event-only cigar but Quesada says it was incorporated into the regular line due to customer demand Only 500 boxes of each size are being produced Read Next: A Tatuaje Gets Two New Wrappers The Padrón family is conservative with new releases, so a new Padrón is typically a big deal. High scoring cigars that won’t break the bank, even after new tariffs go into effect. Part decoration, part humidor, this black ceramic jar holds 10 Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua … In midst of college baseball season, the university has teamed up with Bocock Brothers for an … In this article: Black Panther (T'Challa), Everett RossRelatedComics Comics Following his acclaimed 'Predator Vs.' trilogy writer Benjamin Percy pits the combined might of Marvel's heroes against the full fury of the Yautja in 'Predator Kills the Marvel Universe,' on sale this August Comics The legendary Marvel Swimsuit Special is back this July with your favorite heroes soaking up the sun in 'Marvel Swimsuit Special: Friends, Foes, Rivals' #1. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page « Back Joe Quesada revealed some of the creators working on projects at his upcoming publishing imprint during the Angoulême International Comics Festival Amazing Comics is an international imprint working with Mad Cave Studios in the United States and Dupuis in Europe Quesada as CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Amazing Comics while Nanci Dakesian is the Chief Operating Officer and Editor-in-Chief Quesada spoke about the origins of the imprint “Amazing Comics has been living in my creative journal since 2005 — I always knew it was in my future Having the opportunity to help rebuild Marvel and later become part of the Disney family was one of the greatest highlights of my career It allowed me to play in almost every creative sandbox imaginable and collaborate with some of the most brilliant talents on the planet I get to take everything I’ve learned over two-plus decades at Marvel and pour it into Amazing Comics bringing many of those incredible creators along with me Our mission is simple: to tell great stories with stunning art and to build a true community between Amazing and our readers.” The first book of the imprint will be DISCIPLE which is billed as an expansive retelling of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet Quesada and Charles Dorfman are writing the series colors by Richard Isanove and lettering by Joe Caramagna “I’m beyond excited about DISCIPLE — not just because it’s my return to self-publishing but because I get to team up with Charles on something truly special DISCIPLE isn’t just a retelling — it’s a full-on expansion building a world around the original story that’s packed with history but with some wicked surprises along the way We’re keeping all the classic Shakespearean names but make no mistake — this story is going to take some wild unexpected turns that’ll have readers hooked and guessing every step of the way!” The initial roster of talent released by Amazing Comics can be seen below:  Upcoming Amazing Comics will be illustrated by all-star artists DISCIPLE will be produced by Amazing Comics which will function as an imprint of Mad Cave Studios and premier European publishing house Dupuis in France and website in this browser for the next time I comment Post comment Δdocument.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application ROSALINDA “ROSIE” GARZA QUESADA PHARR- Rosalinda “Rosie” Garza Quesada Garza Quesada is preceded in death by her parents Julio Garza and Josefina  Bautista; and a brother Alejandro Quesada and Arturo Quesada; 11 grandchildren; a great-grandson; and six sibings Cremation will take place at Memorial Cremation Center in Edinburg Funeral Services are under the direction of Memorial Funeral Home in San Juan Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Menu Listen Adrian Quesada Prepares New LP Boleros Psicodélicos II The Black Pumas co-founder’s forthcoming solo album will arrive on June 27 With 232 pages and an expanded 12″ by 12″ format our biggest print issue yet celebrates the people and Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory Records the sophomore album from the endearing Brighton duo is a jolt of punk-rock beauty The NYC-based project’s second album delights in its confident sense of chaos with vocalist Cole Haden knowing full well there’s no way we’re going to avert our gaze for a single moment Channeling Ziggy Stardust’s glam transcendence Will Toledo resurrects the album as a grandiose narrative vehicle while marking his valiant stride into the rock canon “I was surprised at how many people knew about Boleros Psicodélicos,” Quesada shared people all over the world were asking me if I was doing a volume two But I definitely needed another perspective because I didn’t want to make the same album twice I gave Alex Goose one of the tracks to see what he could do with it and the following day sat behind him in the studio and watched him work It was like handing the project to a hip-hop producer “I still wanted the album to feel timeless but I didn't want to pretend like it was recorded in the ’70s anymore,” he continued “I wanted it to play just as loud next to a Bad Bunny record The first Boleros Psicodélicos was done remotely during the pandemic I had written more songs in that same style and wanted to give myself the opportunity to expand I could write a hundred songs in this same vein Check out “Ojos Secos” below, and pre-order Boleros Psicodélicos II here. Northern Transmissions is a music website started for music lovers, by music lovers. We feature interviews, album and live reviews from today’s most influential independent bands and artists. Northern Transmissions also features music news from around the world everyday. multi-instrumentalist and Black Pumas co-founder’s forthcoming LP is a sequel to 2022’s Boleros Psicodélicos LP Colombian gypsy-jazz combo Monsieur Periné Chihuahua’s lo-fi troubadour Ed Maverick Swiss-Ecuadorian duo Hermanos Gutiérrez and more as well as Puerto Rican vocalist and former Calle 13 member iLe who reunites with Quesada following their epic “Mentiras con Cariño,” from the first Boleros Psicodélicos “I was surprised at how many people knew about Boleros Psicodélicos because I didn’t want to make the same album twice but I didn’t want to pretend like it was recorded in the ’70s anymore I wanted it to play just as loud next to a Bad Bunny record The first Boleros Psicodélicos was done remotely during the pandemic It’s my favorite place to be.” “”Ojos Secos” is all about heartbreak,” adds Cuco “I wanted it to feel like an old bolero In his career Adrian Quesada has released an instrumental noir called Jaguar Sound created the soundtrack for the film Home Free toured the world in support of Black Pumas’ Chronicles of a Diamond earned an Academy Award nomination for his song “Like A Bird,” from A24’s Sing Sing living on the Texas/Mexico border city of Laredo his obsession with Latin American balada music dates back two and a half decades to when he first discovered a song by Los Pasteles Verdes on one of Austin he has worked with everyone from Prince to Los Lobos and Wu-Tang’s GZA Adrian Quesada Boleros Psicodélicos II Tracklist ATO Records Monsieur Periné) Te Vas y Yo Te Dejo (feat TX – Terrace at the Long Center 5/7 – Miami FL – The Fillmore Miami Beach* 5/9 – Austin TX – ACL Live at The Moody Theater* 5/10 – Houston TX – White Oak Music Hall* 5/11 – Dallas TX – Longhorn Ballroom* 5/13 – San Antonio TX – Aztec Theatre* 5/15 – Tucson AZ – The Rialto Theatre* 5/16 – San Diego CA – The Sound* 5/17 – Los Angeles CA – Greek Theatre* 5/20 – Oakland CA – Fox Theater* 5/21 – Sacramento Pre-order Boleros Psicodélicos II HERE Sign up for reviews, interviews, news, videos, playlists — and more. FLYING HIGH Abraham Alexander, left, and Adrian Quesada earned an Oscar nomination for their song, \u201CLike a Bird,\u201D from Sing Sing. (Photo courtesy of Alexander)Share Subscribe now an ASU and Barrett Online student majoring in museum studies with minors in art history received the 2024 José Franco and Francisca Ocampo Quesada Research Award Joanna Arteaga Ferrín is fulfilling a dream with support from a scholarship available exclusively to students in Barrett The Honors College at Arizona State University which funds student research that increases the understanding of Hispanic culture and that promotes the interdisciplinary research work of Hispanic students “I am an older student who came back to school after being an adult for 11 years and working in a field that I fell into because of my associate’s degree in commercial art and advertising I never thought I would have the ability to go back to school to pursue my dreams of studying art history and museum studies,” she said “The entire goal of this award is to give Latinx/Hispanic students the ability to reach for their dreams and achieve their goals Receiving this award reminded me that anything is possible if you set your mind to it and you pursue it with passion and integrity,” said Ferrín a non-traditional student whose professional background is in modern and contemporary art is available to Hispanic students working on their honors thesis or any Barrett student whose thesis focuses on a Hispanic-related topic Research supported by the Quesada Research Award has included many subjects such as Hispanic access to health care the effects of breastfeeding on obesity among Hispanic women and the anthropological site of Teotihuacán near Mexico City The Quesada Award application, which is available on the Barrett Scholarship Portal is now open and will be accepted until Oct Ferrín used funds from the award for her honors thesis titled Interpreting Self: A Collection of Contemporary Oral Histories Exploring Generational Latinx Identity & Narrative.  including a digital exhibition and catalogue will have oral histories from 55 first- and second-generation Latinx Americans in the United States focusing on their experiences related to migration Each participant’s story is illustrated by a portrait of them made by Ferrín.    “The project was inspired by my own experience of being part of the first generation in my family to be born in the United States I am a Latina who always felt in-between two different worlds; no soy de aquí Ferrín encourages Barrett students to apply for the Quesada Award and has this advice “Don't be intimidated by the requests for budget and proposing your project's goals The process of doing this will not only expand your horizons and fine tune your goals but it also reflects the process for other projects you will have to present in the future for funding,” she said “When you are invited to speak to the (award) panel your passion for your project will shine through even more after spending time breaking down exactly what you're aiming to do and why the award will benefit your project.”  Among the cigar industry anniversaries celebrated in 2024 was the 50th anniversary of Quesada Cigars an occasion that called for a new limited edition cigar line The Quesada 50th Anniversary’s blend uses an Ecuadorian habano wrapper and filler tobaccos grown in the Dominican Republic and Peru There are two cigars being released in celebration of Quesada’s 50th anniversary: one is a 6 x 60 perfecto and the other—this cigar—is a 6 1/4 x 56 box-pressed vitola that the company is calling a Toro Prensado while the Toro Prensado has an MSRP of $17 with 2,200 boxes of the Toro Prensado and just 200 boxes of the Perfecto The cigars are being rolled at Quesada’s Tabacos de Exportación factory in the Dominican Republic “Having had the privilege of participating as our industry grew and evolved we looked at the fifty years of our history and developed a cigar that will reflect our manufacturing and blending traditions,” said Manuel “Manolo” Quesada Jr “As we have commemorated other anniversaries reaching fifty years as a premium cigar manufacturing company is a milestone to be celebrated.” But the release wasn’t limited just to the above cigars bound for retail stores The company created two special humidors as part of the release each containing 100 of the Toro Prensado and 10 of the Perfectos one of the humidors was auctioned “for a very special cause” during Procigar 2024 while the other humidor will remain with the family Quesada Jr.’s family’s involvement in cigars goes back beyond 50 years His great-grandfather brokered Cuban tobacco in the 1880s He joined the family business at the age of 13 he and his family opened Manufactura de Tabacos S.A. becoming the first cigar manufacturer in the Santiago Free Trade Zone The first cigar’s wrapper leaf has a toffee color that I really like, while the other two are a bit less dynamic with their color but still in line with what I’d expect from an Ecuadorian habano wrapper. That said, they are notably lighter than the color of the cigars in our shipping story Each cigar has a fairly typical number of veins and while I wouldn’t describe any of them as having an oily wrapper and I’m surprised that each cigar is as firm as it is given that box-pressed cigars tend to have a firm but they are a tick or two firmer than what has become the average The foot has a sweet initial aroma of cake frosting eventually giving way to wood shelves and a combination of dried tobacco and the first fallen leaves of the late summer or early fall The cold draw ranges from ideal to a bit firm in terms of airflow bread-like flavor and some mild marshmallow sweetness The Quesada 50th Anniversary Toro Prensado starts with a bready very approachable and an easy way to get things started Some creaminess joins the mix not long after creaminess and a touch of black pepper on the finish the more it reminds me of an emptied bag of unsalted mixed nuts Some sweetness eventually latches onto that nuttiness and then some distinct woodiness and wheat toast emerge complex and nuanced approach that makes it easy to enjoy The pepper ticks up in intensity after the first inch or so giving the profile a mellow but defined point of sharpness as the smoke hits my taste buds but especially on the finish as it lasers in on the apex of my throat Flavor is a very pleasant medium until that pepper hits though the wrapper appears to be fragile so I’m a bit concerned about its durability The second third starts with creaminess enveloping a really wonderful campfire and s’more flavor with just a bit of peanut butter added in for good measure There’s a fairly significant change around the midpoint as the creaminess departs and is replaced by some charred notes especially if incorporating retrohales into the smoking process I’m comfortable saying that the Quesada 50th Anniversary Toro Prensado has a distinctly different profile from the first third as opposed to simply an evolution of it the second third develops some more outward brasher character by way of more black pepper as well as roasted nuts and a woodiness that makes that makes me think of dried pinecones The burn line begins to shovel a touch in the first cigar but it’s not quite bad enough to warrant a touch-up and all three cigars burn well with good smoke production Flavor is now medium-plus and body is still medium The final third of the Quesada 50th Anniversary Toro Prensado gets underway with a decidedly toastier and peppery flavor not quite burnt or charred but seemingly flirting with the idea of getting there Much like I noted in the transition into the second third it’s clear that the Quesada 50th Anniversary Toro Prensado is in yet another place profile-wise While there are some of the typical elements of a blend with a habano wrapper it’s also remarkably unlike many habano-seed blends that use a more Nicaraguan-dominant blend and thus get heavier and earthier Some creaminess returns in the final inches to bring back some of the softness and nuance from the first third though without necessarily diminishing the wood toast and pepper that have largely been the drivers of this third Flavor peaks close to full before dialing back to medium-plus body is medium-plus and strength is medium-minus Construction is good in terms of the burn line The third cigar developed a crack between the band and the head of the cigar While the cigar held up pretty well in the first two thirds it becomes an issue in the final third both cosmetically and in terms of small pieces breaking off the Quesada 50th Anniversary Toro Prensado is a very good cigar right now showing off a different spin on an Ecuadorian habano-seed wrapper that starts with subtlety nuance and complexity and evolves into a fuller-bodied yet still refined profile that does an impressive job stimulating the senses with both puffs and retrohales I had some issues with one of the wrappers but all three cigars otherwise burned very well with little to none suggestions of the combustion issues that have been affecting so many cigars recently While I certainly like where the blend is now I am really inclined to think that it will get even better in the near-term future as the tobacco continues to mellow I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com Adrian Quesada's song "Like A Bird" was featured in Sing Sing and is now nominated for an Oscar and while the ceremony takes place in Hollywood Austin resident Adrian Quesada was nominated Thursday for the category "Music (Original Song)" in the 97th Academy Awards The Laredo native is being considered for his song "Like a Bird," which was featured in the 2023 prison drama film Sing Singand received a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay Quesada co-wrote the piece with Texas-born songwriter Abraham Alexander and it's up against four others: "El Mal" and "Mi Camino" from Emilia Pérez "The Journey" from The Six Triple Eight and "Never Too Late" from Elton John: Never Too Late This isn't the first time Quesada has been recognized for his music The songwriter has been nominated for eight Grammy Awards throughout his career winning Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album back in 2011 He's also part of an Austin-area psychedelic soul duo, Black Pumas, working as a producer and guitarist alongside singer Eric Burton. The pair was nominated as "Best New Artist" at the Grammy Awards five years ago Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com Adrian Quesada's song "Like A Bird" was featured in Sing Sing and is now nominated for an Oscar Alamo Drafthouse employees recently voted to unionize at one of the movie theater chain's Austin locations On May 2, workers at Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter Lane shared a release stating they are joining together with United Auto Workers (UAW) after nearly 100 percent of employees voted in favor of creating the union According to the release, workers say Alamo Drafthouse has created "unsustainable working conditions" and has also been responsible for "devastating layoffs that robbed those affected of their hard-earned PTO and gave them notice to find new jobs." the employees are seeking a fair contract and better working conditions They also want to become certified by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Union members want their fellow coworkers to sign membership cards and they are encouraging the company's CEO and vice president of operations to sign a check-card agreement Workers also want Alamo Drafthouse to begin summer hiring Workers are also pushing for the company to recognize its South Lamar location which is currently unionized with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) Read the full story at KVUE.com there’s a new sampler that combines the two together The new Quesada and Casa Magna Lancero Experience LE is a 20-count sampler that contains 10 different lanceros from various Quesada and Casa Magna blends Each sampler comes with two of the following: the 1974 and Selección España Lanceros were sold before Quesada says it will offer the samplers exclusively to retailers who place orders during this week’s 2025 PCA Convention & Trade Show which takes place April 12-14 in New Orleans “The Lancero vitola is an extraordinary size with an aura of excellence which represents special memories of moments shared with my sister Patricia throughout our journey in the cigar industry,” said Raquel Quesada “This LE Collection embodies over 50 years of expertise and commitment to cigar manufacturing The samplers are expected to ship to stores in late April I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media I previously co-founded and published TheCigarFeed I have written about the cigar industry for more than a decade covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff here at halfwheel wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros Joe Quesada reveals Marvel Knights: The World To Come a new series with Christopher Priest for June Late 2021, Joe Quesada posted, saying "I've been pecking away at a project and keeping it on the down-low I think in 2022 I'll start posting some small bits and pieces it involves Marvel superheroes and lots of stuff happens!" And what he posted showed Captain America and Black Panther Then on his Substack in 2022 he revealed another full page of whatever project this will be As well as another look in June 2022… but that was some time ago Now it has been revealed as Marvel Knights: The World To Come #1 by Joe Quesada and Christopher Priest a six-issue comic book series set in the future of the Marvel Universe I've been holding onto this secret for years and it's such a relief to finally talk about it The World To Come is the first series I've drawn since Daredevil: Father and it feels great to draw sequentials again I often said that the thing I missed the most was not having the time to draw actual comics; in a way but there's nothing like drawing an actual story I love the feeling of visually guiding the reader's eye from panel to panel and page to page stretching the character's anatomy to give a sense of motion while trying to convey their feelings through their expressions and body posture There's no other art form like it in the world It also helps that I have the privilege of working with people more talented than I am Christopher Priest is hands down one of the best writers in the industry and Richard Isanove keeps reinventing what comic book coloring should look like I'm involved or have been involved in almost every aspect of the entertainment world has been one of the highlights of my career The World To Come spans decades as well as the entire globe and beyond how often do you get to read a comic with a screaming meerkat?" Marvel Knights: The World To Comics #1 by Joe Quesada and Christopher Priest is a six-issue comic book series set in the future of the Marvel Universe the Marvel Knights line reignited the comic book industry and redefined Marvel storytelling for the 21st century two of the imprint's key creators—influential writer artist and former Marvel Comics Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada and acclaimed writer Christopher Priest—present a new evolution of the Marvel Universe under the groundbreaking Marvel Knights banner this June in MARVEL KNIGHTS: THE WORLD TO COME Developed and almost already completed in its entirety MARVEL KNIGHTS: THE WORLD TO COME is a six-issue series where Quesada and Priest combine their decades of experience crafting masterful comic book sagas to produce an entire new vision of the Marvel Universe The story begins in Wakanda with startling developments centered around T'Challa Shuri and more that will reverberate across the globe changing the Marvel mythos as you know it and boldly reinventing its most legendary heroes "Recounting the history behind Marvel Knights Marvel Knights Daredevil #1 hit the stands spent endless hours and sleepless nights producing the best books we could We knew they looked different—edgier than anything Marvel was publishing at the time—but in a struggling comic book industry there was no guarantee anyone would notice but we didn't anticipate the overwhelming fan reaction or the lasting impact Marvel Knights would have on Marvel Fast forward to October 2017—my best bud and Marvel Knights Black Panther writer (and pitched me an idea rooted in his original Marvel Knights take on T'Challa and Wakanda I told him I HAD to draw it—and that we should go even bigger." Priest delivered an opus—a journey that lets us—and fans—celebrate those original books while taking familiar characters to new and unexpected places I haven't had this much fun drawing a project since Marvel Knights Daredevil #1," Quesada said of the new series "More than twenty years ago I started as an Editorial Assistant on Marvel Knights books and now I get to watch Joe and Priest celebrate it with this masterwork," says Executive Editor Nick Lowe "We've been working on this for a long time (Joe's finishing the last page of #5 this week) but I can't believe the rest of the world gets in on it with us this June!" Aaron Brown and Lenny Barszap were roommates at a UT Austin party house and they invited an unhoused philosophy professor to sleep on their couch while they continued to party now the non-singing half of Pitchfork favorites Black Pumas and he brought in a whole bunch of ’90s heavyweights to make the record The Home Free soundtrack comes out later this month Adrian Quesada collaborated with a bunch of artists from the ’90s and former Beastie Boys keyboardist Money Mark appears on many of the tracks leader J Mascis and Beasties turntablist Mix Master Mike Another reunites the great Luscious Jackson The former Pharcyde members Fatlip and Slimkid3 both appear while Ben Kweller covers the Smashing Pumpkins’ “Today.” Other contributors include Karl Denson The lead single from the Home Free soundtrack might be its most intriguing genre collision “Mix Master Mascis” is obviously Adrian Quesada’s team-up with J Mascis and Mix Master Mike and it’s fun to hear Mascis’ guitar heroics get chopped into shards check out “Tent City,” the Home Free trailer and the tracklist for the soundtrack album Home Free Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Nine Mile Records The Home Free soundtrack is out 1/31 on Nine Mile Records The most important stories and least important memes