Acting his age: Teen from Valley lands a key role on ABC drama

Braeden Lemasters’ acting career continues on its impressive path.

The 17-year-old Howland native is part of the core cast of the new ABC drama “Betrayal,” which premieres at 10 p.m. Sunday.

He plays the son of one of the main characters and will appear in all 13 episodes of the season.

Lemasters already has amassed an amazing resume. He was a series regular on “Men of a Certain Age,” playing the son of actor Ray Romano. He has starred in the film “A Christmas Story 2” (2012) and appeared in “The Stepfather” (2009) and “Easy A” (2010), and he has had guest spots in the TV series “Six Feet Under,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “House,” “NCIS” and “Wedding Band.”

Lemasters and his parents, Dave and Michele, moved to Los Angeles 10 years ago so he could pursue an acting career. Dave, as many know, was the guitarist in Left End — one of the Mahoning Valley’s most popular rock bands — from 1987 to 2003.

Lemasters’ role on “Betrayal” appears to be his most prominent yet.

The show centers around two families linked by an illicit affair and a murder trial. Lemasters plays Vic McAllister, son of Atty. Jack McAllister (Stuart Townsend) and grandson of Chicago power-broker Thatcher Karsten (James Cromwell, who won an Emmy Monday for his work in “American Horror Story”).

Lemasters plays a 17-year-old who is fiercely loyal to his family and also the next-in-line to his grandfather’s throne.

In a phone call to The Vindicator this week, he described his character. “[Victor] will stand up for his family any way possible. He is impulsive and will act out on his thoughts even if he doesn’t think it through.”

“Betrayal” fits in with ABC’s other racy nighttime soaps with one-word titles: “Scandal” and “Revenge.” Like those two, it also aims to push the envelope for broadcast TV with its adult situations.

Lemasters said the show’s material has already drawn some complaints, but he added that it’s kind of cool to be part of something groundbreaking.

LAWN-CON TAKES A STAND FOR TRUTH, JUSTICE, AMERICA

Chris Yambar went to battle to protect the name of his grassroots comic-book convention.

He had been hosting Lawn-Con on the front yard of his West Side home for three years. Being a comics industry professional, he thought the name was his. Then DC/Warner Bros. usurped the name for an outdoor segment of Comic-Con, the massive international gathering that takes place in San Diego every summer.

Yambar fought back. He had his attorney, Denise Glinatsis Bayer, draft a letter to DC, asking the company to either donate a cache of merchandise to be given to Youngstown-area children or buy the name.

Yambar hadn’t trademarked the name at the time, and DC felt no need to either. But earlier this month, Yambar did obtain a federal trademark for “Lawn-Con.”

He is actually thankful to DC/Warner for forcing him to take the action. “Now if somebody wants to do one, say a ‘Lawn-Con Albuquerque,’ they would have to contact me, and I would be happy to set it up, find talent for it, and I’ll show up, and we’ll do it for a charity in the area,” he said.

Yambar’s Lawn-Con has always helped First Book Mahoning Valley, a charity that provides free books to kids.

“[DC/Warner] did more to help us get books into children’s hands than they could ever imagine,” said Yambar.

This year, the fourth annual Lawn-Con will be Oct. 5 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 23 S. Hartford Ave., Youngstown. It will feature tons of comics for sale, live entertainment and appearances by industry pros, including Superman and Thor artist Ron Frenz.

Yambar is an internationally recognized pop artist and writer for numerous comic characters, including The Simpsons, Popeye, SpongeBob SquarePants and his own award-winning creation, Mr. Beat.

In addition to the annual souvenir shirt, designed by Frenz, and a print by award-winning editorial cartoonist Randy Bish (shown here), a limited-edition mystery comic will be available at the event, with all proceeds going to First Book Mahoning Valley.

BALDWIN OF DIRTY PROJECTORS WILL PERFORM AT CEDARS

Nat Baldwin, bassist for rock act Dirty Projectors and a singer-songwriter on his own, will do a solo show at Cedars West End, 702 Steel St., Youngstown, on Tuesday. Opening act is The Building.

Baldwin has written for the likes of Vampire Weekend and Grizzly Bear. He is releasing an album of demos he recorded five years ago that had never seen the light of day until now.

WARREN ROCKER TO SHOW ART AT GUERILLA GALLERY EXHIBit

Steve Wishnewski’s first solo art show will be Oct. 19 at Aaron Chine’s Guerilla Gallery, 160 N. Park Ave., downtown Warren.

Wishnewski first caught the eye of many this spring with his portrait of Dave Grohl at the Rock ’n’ Art Alley Fest in Warren. He donated the piece to Trumbull Art Gallery for auction.

Others will remember Wishnewski as the bassist for rock band Rounding 3rd, which split up in 2007.

His upcoming exhibition, titled “The Human Condition,” is drawn together by our common humanity.

An opening reception will be from 7 to 10 p.m. Oct. 19. Admission is free. An after-party will follow at the Horseshoe Bar, 206 E. Market St.