It's All Because (The Gays Are Getting Married)

A brilliant political parody music video from Oded Gross. I'm biased. One of my oldest and dearest friends, Brian Siegel, plays the Gay Guy Gardening. He's so cute in it too!

The Big Gay Dinner: Year 5!

I started this out five years ago at Comic-Con as a small get-together with some other gay comics industry folks and our friends, both queer and straight. The name was just my ironic nod to South Park.

I think it's a testament to the unity and enthusiasm of the people that come, that it has lived into that name, and become a large, inclusive, and just all-out fun event that folks look forward to every year. I'm honored that the community embraced it.

Here are some pics from Comic-Cons past: TBCG-3 and TBGD-4

Cute Spandex Guys Reveal Which Superhero They Would Do!

More from Hard Heroes 4 at MJ's! In the clip above I asked everyone, "Which superhero they would like to be... and which superhero they would like to do?" Aquaman seemed like a surprisingly popular choice. Who knew?

The clip features lots of awesome guys including Trevor Wayne, Ian O'Phelan, Tobias Trost, Sean Platter, David LeBarron, Justin Hall, Steve MacIsaac, Ken Knox, the folks from Lucky Legendary and The LA Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence!

Ted Abenheim and Eddie "Sister Erotica" Hibbs put together this benefit for Being Alive LA with help from the LA Sisters and a host of sponsors. I was there as one of the featured artists with the Prism Comics contingent.

There are pics and another video in my previous post. I'll post more photographs and another clip soon. (Busy getting ready for Comic-Con!)

Legendary Ladies Share their Superhero Fantasies at Hard Heroes

The above clip features Leawyn and Justice from LuckyLegendary telling me their superhero fantasy. On Sunday we were at MJ's for Hard Heroes 4, a benefit for Being Alive LA, where I was one of the featured artists. (Thanks to Ted Abenheim of Prism for asking me and organizing it.)

More clips and pictures from the event coming soon. So check back!

Two-Fisted Fetish Weekend! Toonfetish BBQ and Hard Heroes IV

Gearing up for Comic-Con, I'm involved in two hugely fun events this weekend. So if your weekend can take this much action from both ends (Friday and Sunday) I invite you to come along!

On Friday Rick Castro and I are throwing the Feed Your Fetish Barbecue at the Antebellum Gallery. It's the closing celebration for the Toonfetish exhibit that is up right now. I promise it will be a sizzling summer soirée. We're screening "Kizuna" the first gay anime (yaoi), and Joe Phillips' adult cartoons "Stonewall & Riot" and "House of Morecock!" Suds 'n wieners will be served. (Click the image above left for details.)

Check out my previous Toonfetish videoblog and photoblog for more about the event.

On Sunday I'm one of the featured artists at the Hard Heroes party that Instigator Magazine is putting on at MJ's as a benefit for Being Alive LA. I went to the last HH party, and these are tons of fun. Lots of hotties in spandex... if that's your thing. And really, who isn't in to that?! (Click the image above right for details.)

Sketch Painting: Demonic Trevor

When I was chatting with Trevor and Sean the other day about Sean's DemonicSex book and got it into my head to do a little sketch painting of Trevor as a demon. Wanted to re-interpret his tattoos and re-interpret "demon."

MUSIC: Legendary Linda Hopkins Surprises Silver Lake Bar

Two clips of legendary blues and gospel singer Linda Hopkins surprising the local Silver Lake patrons of The Other Side piano bar with an impromptu jam session accompanied by Sonji Kimmons. I had to stopped by Other Side after some art openings and before heading over to Akbar just in time to catch this golden moment. She sang "Down Home Blues" and "Everyday I Have the Blues."

Above is a photo of regular Saturday night chanteuse Sonji Kimmons performing later that night. You may recall Sonji from previous blog entries about my wanderings through Silver Lake.

ART: Reception for "REALization" at S B London Gallery

Each collection at S B London builds on the one before. Here's a clip of the artist and industrial designer Stacie London sharing her thoughts on it. Also a shot of Stacie and friends at the opening reception for "REALization" the exhibit of industrial art currently running.

If you watched the clip, yes Shelayna did make it there after all. There she is with me and Lesley, and there's a shot of the forms from the new collection. The piece in the background is from "TRANSformation," the previous series.

[Check out more in my Art Opening photoset on Flickr.]

ART: Patrick Williams Reception at Monkeyhouse Toys

Here's a clip of me chatting with artist Patrick Williams at the opening of his solo show, "On Polymer Seas," at Monkeyhouse Toys in Silver Lake. "The work looks at the plastic divide between humans and the world at large..."

Above are some examples of his work, acrylic on stuffed cotton and on canvas. Check out the rest of my Monkeyhouse photos.

Rundown: Campy Bollywood Videos, Sitayana, Bombaby, and a Travelogue

My friend Paul sent me two campy Bollywood videos featuring an actor named Chiranjeevi.

• The first is a highly choreographed tractor fight. Yes... tractor fight! And how exactly does this guy get the tractor to jump with no ramp? Not sure...

• The second is a huge production number. It's like Xanadu meets Busby Berkeley meets Xtina.

Completely unrelated to this, a development exec friend asked about ideas for an animated series with a Bollywood flavor to it. Two projects I've seen come to mind:

The first is "The Sitayana" or "Sita Sings the Blues" an animated feature Nina Paley is working on. The art is just gorgeous! Check out the trailer, clips and stills on her website.

It's the classic Hindu legend of the Ramayana from the point of view of Sita, the heroine or the epic.

The other twist is that she sings Annette Hanshaw blues songs, which makes for an unusual and highly effective juxtaposition of styles.

The other project I thought of is "Bombaby: The Screen Goddess," a comic mini-series by Antony Mazzotta. From the website:

"Sangeeta Mukherjee is the daughter of well-to-do, traditional parents, dealing with a bratty little sister and a possible arranged marriage when an out-of body experience reveals that she is not an ordinary young woman. Sangeeta is, in fact, the reincarnation of India's ancient protector, the Goddess of Mumbai. But how will Sangeeta use this new-found power?"

The character design and overall aesthetic are spectacular, and Mazzotta nails the look and feel of 1960s Bollywood!

While I'm at it, let me mention that my pal Stephen has taken a year off to travel through Southeast Asia and is keeping a richly detailed blog about his adventures.

ART: Gay Erotic Zine & Comix Convention at Antebellum

This Saturday I hung out with Rick Castro and friends at the first ever Gay Erotic Zine & Comix Convention at Antebellum Gallery. Chatted with Kim Kinakin and Sean Platter. Trevor Wayne dropped by. Great fun!

Sean in a hottie sandwich with Trevor and Aram. Brian checks out some of Dronio's artwork. Some of the Zines on display. Me and Brian.

You can view all my photos from the event here.

NEWS: Mensa Girl, Walmart Shuns Gays

A two-year-old girl from Hampshire has become the youngest ever female member of British Mensa.

"Psychologist Joan Freeman, who tested Georgia, said she thought the toddler could have scored even higher but needed a nap after 45 minutes of work."

Wal-Mart shuns gay groups. World's largest retailer stops donating to gay-rights organizations.

"Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, has decided to curb its support of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) organizations after conservative Christian groups threatened a boycott, and after some of its own employees expressed disapproval.The move comes a year after Wal-Mart (Charts, Fortune 500) had put on a gay-friendly smile."