T-minus 4 days til NYCC

First, a little mood music:



Soooooooooo..... New York Comic Con is THIS FRIDAY! Holy crap. This is the big one. Mentally preparing myself this week for 'being on' a full 3 days. Haven't worked a 3 day con in looong time. The costumes will help. Not that I don't love working comic book conventions, I fucking LOVE THEM butttt it can just get a bit exhausting on soooo many levels.

I've got my con outfits all picked out- doing a blonde Barbie/Betty Draper look on Friday. The much-hyped dual showgirl action of me and my best friend Fenny will happen on Saturday and my pinup girl Wonder Woman will be worn on Sunday. I'm kinda stupidly excited about busting out my blonde wig on Friday. I love how it fucks with people.

Fenny's been busting her ass on our showgirl costumes. In case you missed it- the plan is for us to dress up as red and blue showgirls with cigarette trays full of promotional material, namely postcards and buttons. This being a fun way to combine Fenny and I's checkered cosplay past into something productive and a little more respectable, as we'll be working while wearing ridiculous outfits. Plus they're entirely of our own creation.


I'll be wearing a red outfit and Fenny the blue.

Fenny got to work on the costume portion of the outfits, including customization of some excellent quality steel-boned corsets we bought online from http://www.corsets-uk.com/ with satin and sequins and our awesome starry bras.





While Fenny was constructing the costume portion, my job was to build the cigarette trays we'll be handing out cards from and work a deal with my friend and burlesque performer Kita St. Cyr of the Rhinestone Follies of an art trade for feather headdresses and bustles. In return for her craftsmanship I am doing a portrait of her burlesque troupe. Also can I say how much I looove being able to work out a barter of art for stuff? It's frigging awesome.



The cigarette trays I constructed from wooden 'breakfast in bed' trays that I bought at a craft store. Spray painted them black and added two boxes that will hold the postcards that are glue gunned to the bottom of the tray. I also added some black foamcore board to the edges to increase the depth of the tray. I still need to pick up some thick black ribbon for it to hang around our neck. Tested out how the trays look 'fully loaded' as well- postcards and buttons for the kiddies! Postcards will be handed out indiscriminately, buttons will be given to folks who actually come up and talk to us about Girls Drawin Girls. (While supplies last...)



We've got PLENTY of postcards for both Girls Drawin Girls and my own Paigey! cards that we'll be giving out.



I've also started to promo-bomb on subways and ATMs and bars and comic shops around NYC to get a little local interest going.



I'm hoping everything goes off without a hitch. Just thinking of next weekend is making me tired, but it's an awesome, exhilarating tired that I could never do without.

Girls Drawin Girls at New York Comic Con

Just finished and ordered A THOUSAND postcards of the promo art I did for Girls Drawin Girls at New York Comic Con. My best friend Fenny and I will be walking the floors of NYCC/NYAF as showgirls/pinups handing out flyers and posing for pictures. Keep on the lookout!



Please stop by and check us out at Small Press Booth 2479- we'll have prints, books, toys, magnets, jewelry, buttons- ALL WITH HOT CHICKS ON IT!

Interview with John Wilcox

I've got a really awesome, very extensive interview over at John Wilcox's website Progsheet that took a few months of emails back and forth to properly compile. If you ever wanted to read me ramble -ALOT- check it out.
I talk about my artistic processes, how my brain works, when I met Adam Warren, why I'll never play derby and my time at Kubert School.

A few words with... Paigey!


(Click the pic or link)

Some snippets to whet your curiosity:

"Hell, I used to write what would be today's equivalent of 'Mary Sue' fanfiction in my junior high school diary where a character who was pretty much an idealized version of myself joined the X-Men and Wolverine was basically my character's on again/off again boyfriend. Ha ha, yeah, those books have LONG since been destroyed."

"Kind a like a punk rock Judy Carne from Laugh In. Needless to say, I got his attention."

"I am way too impatient for that, I want it to look awesome right out of the gate."

"My tools need to be rigid, especially under my 'death grip', as I call it."
(Ha ha, that one sounds dirty.)

Aftermath: Baltimore Tattoo Convention/ Small Press Expo

This past weekend (Sept 11-12) was SMALL PRESS EXPO down in Bethesda, Md! Yet another Maryland con where I can crash at my parents house or with Fenny my BFF (thus saving on expenses), SPXpo is an independent comic convention- no big 2 here! I had a 1/2 table where I set up a more pared down selection of my wares since I had sold through so much at Baltimore Comic Con 2 weeks previous.



I had fun, but I'm probably gonna hold off attending as an exhibitor next year. Between saving money for my big venture out to Heroes Con next year, it also wasn't as financially successful as my other tables in comparison, especially those at more mainstream cons. It's funny, I'm in a weird middle ground when it comes to my work. I'm seen as a kind of charming oddball novelty at the more classically defined comic conventions versus almost being daresay a sort of corporate shill lacking the indie cred at the independent shows. Dunno, I kinda got that vibe a bit. I was joking that if I came back next year I would make a Xeroxed comic called 'Monkey Poo Donkey Piss' that was created on a 2 day bender of 3 tabs of acid and Mountain Dew and watch the cash roll in. I did see a few people who recognized me from my work with Charm City Roller Girls which is always nice and from various mailers I send out containing promo postcards to comic shops in the area, which is nice because here I thought I was just shoving them out into a void.



And yes, if you've noticed my upper right arm is considerably more *COLORFUL*, it's because I had spent that Friday at the Baltimore Tattoo Convention getting my Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat tattoo zapped on me by the amazingly talented and inspiring Cyn Rudzis of British Ink in DC.

Laid down the transfer! We're going in!

Outlines! No turning back!!

This was my first ever tattoo convention! It had a pretty cool vibe- and didn't start til 2 and went til midnight! Tattoo folks know whats up!

I sat for 5 1/2 hours- longest tattoo yet! Cyn said I had awesome 'butter' skin that took the ink amazingly well. I also was called 'a rock', a goddess', 'the Baddest Bitch in Baltimore' and 'sat like a champion, not even showing signs of breaking til the last 5 minutes' by tattoo artist/British Ink owner Paul Roe, who is an awesome Teddy boy with the sweetest British accent. I could listen to him tell me great things about myself all day. ;D

Also couldn't get over how GORGEOUS Cyn is- loved her dress. So classy! So well put together! And even better- she was an ABSOLUTE BLAST to hang out with!

So now I guess I've got to beef up on my Kitty knowledge and prepare myself for when I inevitably get quizzed by other fans on her exploits.

Also, EXCITING: I'm going to do an art trade with Cyn/British ink for tattoos! So I can get ANOTHER pinup on my OTHER ARM!!! ::SQUEE!!:: I'm thinking it's probably going to be Angel from Rock & Rule in her street clothes, either with microphone or keytar, in the old school style like Kitty's in. The gears are turning!!!

After SPXpo on Saturday night Fenny and her husband J took me out to a Korean BBQ joint called 'Honey Pig' in Northern Virginia- THAT'S OPEN 24 HOURS! Whaaat??? I've been curious about KBBQ, I've had it a couple times and enjoyed it but I need someone to hold my hand when I dive into a new food culture.

OMG it was SOOOOO delish. We got a ton of food- ribs, pork and a scallion pancake. I also had several shots of rice wine, which knocked me a little on my ass.

Mmmmmmmeat.... ;d

Also! Also! My Maid of Honor present from Fenny finally came!! After several botched attempts at pre-ordering a few different statues, we finally werte able to locate the uber-sexy Rockin Jellybean (one of my fave artists) Invisible Woman statue. OMG soooo hot! She has PANTY LINES!

Fan art! SPXpo! Tattoos!

OMG! An actual art post! Holy crap!
I managed to get in two pieces of fan art from my two favorite comics I'm currently reading, that I will also be selling as prints at my upcoming convention appearances.
Being...
Ramona Flowers from Scott Pilgrim

Michonne from The Walking Dead

Which ha, yeah, are basically on opposite ends of the spectrum for comics. Cuz that's how I roll.

In other news, I will be at the Small Press Expo in Bethesda this weekend (9/11-12) at table D2A! Come by if you're gonna be in the area, I'll have my usual wares for sale and am always up for some spirited conversation!



I will also be getting a MAJOR NEW TATTOO on Friday at the Baltimore Tattoo Convention! The super amazing Cyn Rudzis of British Ink in Washington DC will be inking my upper right arm with a Sailor Jerry inspired pinup of my most favorite of all comic book characters, Kitty Pryde! In her blue 80's swashbuckler costume, no less! Soooo excited!!!
I even snapped a picture of my arm and drew a rough sketch for Cyn of what I want it to look like (she's going to add her own pizazz of course!):



So definitely, if you see me at SPXpo, be sure to check out my newly-minted arm before it gets all scab-tastic, and buy something from my table to help me cover the costs! ;D

Aftermath: Baltimore Comic Con 2010

The words 'holy shit' do not cover the enormity of awesomeness that was this weekend. Baltimore Comic Con kicked SO MUCH ASS this year that when all was said and done I was exhausted, had almost started crying like 3 times (for good reasons) and my face hurt from smiling so damn much. And I dressed up as Wonder Woman!



On a half-assed whim I had gathered a red top, yellow cinch belt and my electric blue Mode Merr skirt together and had decided it looked like a Wonder Woman costume if I had some way to get the stars on the skirt. 'What a simple, fun, easy costume this will be!', I thought, harkening back to my days as a cosplayer. After ruling out patches and iron-ons I decided that the best way to apply the stars was painting. Friday night before the con. At my parents house. After I got into Maryland from the bus which was an hour late. Simple, fun and easy right?? Ha! So after 5 hours of painting I finally finished at 1am.



It was totally worth the hard work though, it was very well received and my table/artwork got alot of extra attention from people coming by wanting to snap a pic of me. I was basically my own booth babe. Sometimes I do get the semi-patronizing 'you did these all by yourself?' from random passerby, but also I kinda take that as an off-handed compliment at the same time. I'm like one of those deep sea fish with the dangly light- I lure folks over to the table, then chomp on them with my art.




The *BIG* thing that happened this weekend was two of my artistic heroes, Eric Powell (The Goon, those awesome Nashville Rollergirls bout posters) and Dave Johnson (Drink & Draw Social Club founder, too much awesome shit to list) both came to my table to specifically say hello to me! Holy crap!! Like really, I almost cried I was so happy. I also went by the legendary Adam Hughes and his lovely wifey Allison Sohn's table to say hello, as I know Adam a bit from the convention scene for a few years and Allison and I go back to her being my life model at Kubert School.

With Adam Hughes

With Dave Johnson



Wish I had thought to have gotten a pic with Eric Powell and his uberhot roller derby girlfriend Rambo Sambo. :/ I was a bit star struck and wasn't thinking clearly as all of this was going on.

I was also interviewed by a pop culture blog called Jam Packed Productions that was going through artist alley on Sunday and talking to some of the artists. My segment begins at the 5:39 mark. My best friend/manager/sales associate/PR agent Fenny Lin also makes an onscreen appearance and yeah, wow, I knew my shirt was what I call one of my 'Boobie Shirts', but this may very well be the 'Boobiest of Boobie Shirts'. Cuz WOW. Thanks Pinup Girl Clothing!



I'm kind of starting to see myself as almost like the Christina Hendricks of the comic book industry.


Can't think of why exactly. 9_9

And I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone who came by and chatted, picked up a card to check me out later or even bought something, I super appreciate it! Next up for me will be Small Press Expo in Bethesda, Md on September 11th and 12th. I will also have a HUGE NEW TATTOO by then a well- of KITTY PRYDE. *Squee!* So excited!

Things I Love Thursday 8/26/10

***The Kurgan from Highlander***


The Kurgan from the first Highlander movie has been one of my all time favorite movie villains since high school. Played by the amazing and versatile actor Clancy Brown, The Kurgan is so unapologetically vile, ruthless and brutal that he easily eclipses Christopher Lambert as the real star of the show. And he's just so... so... METAL! His leather jacket has ONE SLEEVE! And SAFETY PINS IN HIS NECK!!! ::swoon:: And he's got the sexiest evil voice ever. I dunno, I just love a villain who sounds like he swallowed a bag of gravel.

Fortunately someone on the internet made a music video of the best Kurgan scenes that properly displays that which makes him so awesome. TO MOTORHEAD. ::squeeeee::



I even started to draw The Kurgan for fun a few months back, but alas deadlines, commissions and other priorities got in the way and so my unfinished sketch sits on my cubicle wall at work, waiting for me to finish him. ::sigh::



***Strolling Tables***

Strolling tables are what looks to be a new thing to hit the party/entertaining scene where a costumed showgirl or drag queen is in the middle of a circular table with a hole cut in the center that is lavishly decorated and serves a double function of serving table and hostess.



Dude, so should've done this for my Artist Alley table at New York Comic Con- THAT would show them! Ah well, there's always next year when they inevitably reject me... again. /bitter
You can see more strolling tables at Screaming Queens- so frigging cool. Now I wanna make one myself, that looks like a giant polka dotted pinup girl dress.

***Simon's Cat***

I was recently shown the Simon's Cat cartoons through a friend who posted this one on her facebook. They are entirely too cute, and being a cat person I totally know exactly all of the scenarios all too well.



Be sure to check out the Simon's Cat channel on Youtube for more cartoons.