Wednesday, February 26, 2014

"True Story - No Really" Dept.: My Eartha Kitt Story - a 12 pg comic by Christopher Yao

Last year I participated in a 12 Hour Comics Creation marathon sponsored by Ty Templeton's Comic Book Bootcamp and held at The Comic Book Lounge And Gallery.  I had been kicking around an idea to take some of the weirder one-on-ones I'd had with people I'd met while living in Toronto and making them into a short black and white comic drawn by a variety of artists. This was a perfect opportunity and I was lucky enough to have the INCREDIBLY talented Christopher Yao agree to work with me in the 12 hours we had to come up with something from scratch.  This story was created on the spot and Chrs drew each page as I was working two or three ahead to make sure that things held together the way I wanted it to. If I was to have the chance again, there are two scenes that had to be cut and there's some of the narrative that I would tweak here and there - but in the end, I think it's a very good representation of what happened and how I wanted to relate it.  Enjoy!




























Thursday, February 20, 2014


He gets bored sitting in the depths of N'Kai - the least I can do is give him a numerically ordered series to read.

Five Things I Plan To Learn To Do Before I Die


1) Play the Ukulele PROPERLY: I own a ukulele. I can even play it from time to time with a finger chart open in front of me and a song book by it's side. I can not really PLAY that ukulele.  I'll fix that.

2) The Latin Hustle:  Years of avoiding gym as a elective class in junior high school and altogether as any sort of a class in high school has left me without the annoying repetitiveness of a a little phenomenon that my peers experienced called "The Health Hustle". Being born when I was meant that I was about 5 years too young to actually do the Hustle when it was a line dance that people were doing.  Still as years have gone by and with an embarrassing love of disco music ladled on top of it I am still Hustle-free. I'm going to fix that.

3) Become the model builder and miniature painter that I have always wanted to be:  I would love to do repaints of dolls and miniature figurines because I have always been fascinated with them but have never been able to devote the time to it that I've wanted to. I want to be GOOD at it too - I know that'll mean practice, but it's something I like to do and have already done for a little while so I'm not just starting cold.

4) Perform the classic Abbott and Costello WHO'S ON FIRST Routine well enough to make an audience laugh:  I know that Bud and Lou went through that routine til they could do it in their sleep and that they spent years refining it on stage as part of their act. I don't care. I want to learn this one. Preferably from Bud's POV but optimally from either side. I have found a few willing co-conspirators for this one. This is ALSO going to happen.

5) Tapdance - I have been a huuuuge admirer of anyone who can do the tapping toes. Watching someone tap in film can bring me to tears of joy. I have to do this.


"Notoriety, Sweet Notoriety" Dept.:

It's always interesting seeing your name show up in an article related to a completely different community compared to the one you're usually used to having people know you for.  It's a welcome change, to tell you all the truth. As of late I've been having a lot of fun helping my friends in the performance community "punch up" their stage names or promotional tag-lines. This was in the February 11th, 2014 issue of the Ryerson College newspaper, The EyeOpener, in a biographical article about my friend, Knox Harter. (click it to make it bigger, Mom)



So I'm a major patron of the burlesque community - yeah ok, I think I like that. I think I like that a lot.

Thanks for the shout-out Knoxie! And thanks as well to my friends Ms Cerise Noir for bringing it to my attention and Ms Delicia Pastiche for finding it for me online (I'm old - sometimes I need help).



Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Starting Over Again - Once More With Feeling




Chairman of the Parole Board:   They've got a NAME for people like you, "Hi" That name is called "recidivist."

Parole Board member:   Ree-Peet offender!

CotPB:  Not a pretty name, is it "Hi"?

H.I. McDunnagh: No, sir. That's one bonehead name, but that ain't me any more.

CotPB: You're not just telling us what we want to HEAR?

H.I.: No, sir, no way.

Parole Board member:   'Cause we just want to hear the truth.

H.I.:  Well... then I guess I AM telling you what you want to hear...

CotPB:  Boy, didn't we just TELL you not to DO that?

H.I.:  Yes, sir.

CotPB:  Well..Okay, then.


Twice a week, til I falter, folks. I will falter - it's a Fallen World.