#90% of this chapter is ROAD TRIP ROMANTIC COMEDY!!

[traceytries]

Chapters: 11/? Title: The Puppy Summary: An unexpected member joins Mo Guan Shan and the ghost on their jouney.

[roidespd-blog]

Chapter Sixteen : THE QUEER KING RECOMMENDS

The Queer King recommends THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON (2017) No one knows what really happened to activist and trans pioneer Marsha P. Johnson the night she died. People still trying to understand. Why do you need to see it ? Marsha P. Johnson is an icon and learning about her is learning about Stonewall and our culture.

The Queer King recommends FAGGOTS, Larry Kramer (1978) Fred Lemish, looking for love, gravitates in a New York City full of glory holes, BDSM, orgies and becomes disillusioned along the way. Why do you need to read it ? It’s Kramer’s first novel. It’s ruff. His writing doesn’t shy away from the reality of gay life and he does not take any prisoners alive. A must read.

The Queer King recommends TANGERINE, Sean Baker (2015) On Christmas Eve, Sin-Dee discovers her pimp boyfriend has been cheating on her. With her friend Alexandra, she goes searching for him Why do you need to see it ? Shot on an IPhone for a ridiculous amount of money, this dramedy puts trans women up front with incredible narrative audacity.

The Queer King recommends A LITTLE LIFE, Hanya Yanagihara (2015) Jude, Willem, JB & Malcolm are best friends living in New York City. From college to middle-age, with most focus on Jude, you will learn to care for them like no other fictional characters before. Why do you need to read it ? I can’t stress this enough. This novel is extraordinary. 18 months later, I’m still not over it. It will break your heart.

The Queer King Recommends PLEASE LIKE ME, Josh Thomas (2013–2016) Josh discovers he’s gay, putting a spin in the lives of his girlfriend, his lazy best friend, his newly-wed dad and his depressed mother. Why do you need to see it ? This Australian comedy achieves in tone and heart what Looking never could. And also, there’s Arnold. Oh, Arnold.

The Queer King Recommends HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, John Cameron Mitchell (2001) Hedwig, an East German gender queer rock singer, is waiting for her operation that will get rid of the one-inch mound of flesh between her legs. Why do you need to see it ? Poignant, full of incredible tunes and an extraordinary performance from writer-director JCM. Sugar Daddy, Bring it Home.

The Queer King Recommends THE PRINCE OF SALT/CAROL, Patricia Highsmith (1952) Young Therese meets Carol, an rich older woman. The “friendship” that will follow will change her life forever. Why do you need to read it ? An unprecedented feat in literature, a lesbian love story in which the protagonists are not punished in the end. The movie adaptation by Todd Haynes is also a must-see.

The Queer King Recommends 120 BATTEMENTS PAR MINUTE, Robin Campillo (2017) France, 1990s. Act Up. The AIDS Epidemic. Love. Revolution. Why do you need to see it ? To remember what happened. It’s earth-shattering. Silence = Death. What are you waiting for ? Go see it, now !

The Queer King Recommends ONE DAY AT A TIME (2017–2019) A family of hispanic descent tries to survive in today’s America. Why do you need to see it ? For the greatest coming-out storyline on television. So perfect. Bring the show back!

The Queer King Recommends GIOVANNI’S ROOM, James Baldwin (1956) David, a young american who lived in Paris, remembers his complex relationships with the men in his life, particularly a bartender named Giovanni. Why do you need to read it ? Top-3 greatest gay novel of all-time. The first time I read it, I couldn’t finish it. I read the last 30 pages 4 years later. It’s THAT powerful.

The Queer King Recommends A VERY ENGLISH SCANDAL , Stephen Frears. (2018) Three-part miniseries about the Jeremy Thorpe Scandal. Why do you need to see it ? Three words. Whishaw. Davies. Frears. Funny as fuck. I’m starting a Ben Whishaw fanclub BTW.

The Queer King recommends THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT, Stephan Elliott (1994) Three drag queens take a road trip across Australia to get to a paid-job. Why do you need to see it ? One of the rare 90s positive representation of LGBT+ people, it’s funny, gorgeous looking. A classic. PS The soundtrack is IN-CRE-DI-BLE.

The Queer King recommends JUST KIDS, Patti Smith (2010) The chronicles of a love story beyond societal restrictions between Patti Smith and revolutionary artist Robert Mapplethorpe. Why do you need to read it ? Aside from the historical accuracy of the 60/70s, you explore what it feels like to really love someone. And Mapplethorpe is a fascinating man. I cried multiple times.

The Queer King recommends THE X PORTOFLIO , Robert Mapplethorpe (1978) A series of photographs that shade a light on homosexual practices (most of them extremes). Why do you need to see it ? A lot of Mapplethorpe’s work is great, but this is beyond. Not for the sensible soul. Hardcore.

The Queer King recommends SHORTBUS, John Cameron Mitchell (2006) An extremely diverse group of people are desperately trying to connect in a vibrant New York City. Why do you need to see it ? That little miracle isn’t shy about sex. ALL kinds of sex. It’s very much like a Robert Altman movie, if Robert Altman shot a lot of oral sex in his career.

The Queer King recommends LESS, Andrew Sean Greer (2018) As his 50th birthday is coming up, writer Andrew Less is traveling around the world to avoid going to his ex’s wedding. Why do you need to read it ? For the exploration of a gay man’s psyché while his youth and opportunities are behind him. As a gay man, it made me sad. Then it gave me hope. Also now, I want a blue suit.

The Queer King recommends CLOSET MONSTER, Stephen Dunn (2015) 18-year old Oscar tries to figure out his sexuality and face his childhood demons Why do you need to see it ? The Buffy references and great acting. Duh.

The Queer King recommends THE WAY HE LOOKS, Daniel Ribeiro (2014) Blind high school student Leo meets new classmate Gabriel. He starts developing romantic feelings towards him. Why do you need to see it ? Desires and self-realization are themes very well exploited in this movie. The two main actors are phenomenal. I almost wished I was 16 again (but not really).

The Queer King recommends WHEN WE RISE, Cleve Jones (2016) A complete memoir about the journey of activist Cleve Jones, following into the path of Harvey Milk to keep fighting for LGBTQ+ rights and against the AIDS Epidemic. Why do you need to read it ? An in depth look at life at the fore front of activism, with gorgeous interludes of romance, sex and heartbreaks.

The Queer King recommends KILLING EVE, Phoebe Waller-Bridge (2018-present) MI:5 Eve Polastri’s pursuit of International killer Villanelle. Why do you need to see it ? Because lesbian desires are still mostly unseen on mainstream, award-winning programs. It’s very, very, very good.

The Queer King recommends ZIGGY, STARDUST & ME, James Brandon (2019) 1973. Jonathan meets Web. He’s not supposed to. He needs to change. Sweet Ziggy won’t help him now. Why do you need to read it ? It’s not out until August (but I have a proof copy). It’s not great literature (it’s YA after all) but it did fill my heart with feelings of love and hope. Everything Bowie is good for the soul anyway.

The Queer King recommends PRIDE, Stephen Boresford (2014) 1984, Brittain. A strike is breaking the country apart. Lesbians & Gays decide to give their support to the miners. Why do you need to see it ? Because it’s still rare to see a funny movie about gay people which is not condescending.

The Queer King recommends ANGELS IN AMERICA, Tony Kushner (1991–1993) A complex, metaphorical examination of American life, the AIDS epidemic and homosexuality in the 80s. Why do you need to read it ? The writing is glorious, full with incredible characters. A very sensitive approach of flaws in the human spirit. It’s epic.

The Queer King recommends LE ROSE ET LE NOIR , Frédéric Martel (1996) Everything that happened to the Queer community in France from 1968 until the arrival of the PACS. Why do you need to read it ? Information is key. You won’t get a deeper source of information.

The Queer King recommends LILTING, Hong Khaou (2014) A mother tries to understand who her son was after his death, co-existing with his grieving lover. Why do you need to see it ? A story of death, acceptance and race, Lilting is a delicate piece of filmmaking. And again, Ben Whishaw. Goddamn Ben Whishaw.

The Queer King recommends MOONLIGHT, Barry Jenkins (2016) The youth, teenage years and adult life of a black gay man struggling with his identity. Why do you need to see it ? Black gay men are not a common subject. It won Best Picture at the Oscars. Fucking Amazing.

The Queer King recommends POSE (2018-present) The tribulations of gay and transgender characters in the ball scene of the late 80s. Why do you need to see it ? The first of its kind — where representation is limitless, it’s an homage to a fabulous and terrible time in LGBTQ+’s life. As I said in a previous article, it’s essential.

[kelmcdonald]

Winter is Almost Done

New Post has been published on https://kelmcdonald.com/news/winter-is-almost-done/

Winter is Almost Done

This is crossposted with my newsletter.

Hey all,  February has come and gone. Spring is right around the corner.  I spent the month working on the new chapter of You are the Chosen One. I took a chunk of February off of it, so that I could do some concept art before diving into all the pages. But now it’s ready to get the ball rolling. When I’m working on Chosen One stuff, I have the whole thing written as a script. Then I go through and mark what are new areas and characters that need to be designed. This time around I sat down to make sure the characters had more than one outfit. There are only a few new locations in this chapter, so switching to that now seemed like a good idea. Like I always say, it’s available to read for anyone who backs my patreon. 

Speaking of my patreon, I’ve been considering making a discord server for Patreon backers. Is that something that you all would be interested in? It’s something a lot of the patreons I back have. They are nice. I might use them to do movie nights once a month or something. Maybe a monthly q&a? Anyway, chime in if this appeals to you.  While working on all these new pages, I’ve done a good job stay ahead by doing art streams with Alina Pete and Jose Pimienta. It has been a pretty fun time. I put Alina and I’s streams together on a youtube playlist. So if you want to check it out, you can watch archives of Alina and I chatting here. 

We mostly talk about what we have been reading and watching. Alina is in the middle of playing Cyberpunk 2077. I talk about whatever I’ve been watching or reading that week. We also go off on a lot tangents about whatever comes up, whether that be furries, opinions about different writers, and anything really.

One of the things I mention is a novelle Psalm of the Wild Built by Becky Chambers. It’s about a world where AI was created and when the robots rebelled they didn’t kill all the humans. They simply stopped doing their assigned buts and ventured off into the wilderness to find their own meaning. Now centuries later the monk main character is traveling to an abandoned temple to find the reason for her unhappiness. She runs into a robot and the two travel together and learn about each other. It was very quiet and introspective. The bulk of the book is the two leads on a road trip through the woods. They trade assumptions humans and robots have about each other. There is discussion about finding purpose in life, burn out, and taking care of yourself. It’s kinda short which I think helps the pacing. It’s long enough to really dig into its themes but if it was longer it could easily ended up dragging. I found it because I was looking for some books exploring Solarpunk, a more hopeful and pro-environmentally friendly view of the future and sci-fi worlds (in contrast to the bleakness to cyberpunk dystopias)

I’ve also been getting into Mythic Quest, a comedy on Apple TV that is about a game studio. It’s really funny. But I especially like that both seasons so far have an episode in the middle which is a self contained story that is only tangentially related to the rest of the season. But it is tied to it thematically. Like in season 1 you get an episode that follows the rise and fall of an indie game studio in the 90s. You see it through the eyes of a couple that made a successful game together, but when they try to make a sequel there is a clear clash of art vs commerce. That is spilling into the couple’s romantic relationship. It’s very bittersweet and connects thematically to the clash between the creative director of Mythic Quest and it’s head coder. It was a nice poignant story that added some more emotional depth to what is at stake for the employees of Mythic Quest. Then the second season has its own one off episode. It follows the early career of an old fantasy writer who writes the lore of the Mythic Quest game. He’s trying to break into scifi and fantasy writing in the 70s, but his talents aren’t suited for prose. In the episode, his short story is critiqued by two other newbie authors. He takes their criticism badly and spirals. However, after drunkenly seeing pong in a store window, he has an epiphany about the future of writing. When he tries to explain he basically explains open world games and games with variant endings. 

The thing that I appreciated (and maybe it’s something I picked up because I write) is that the criticism he gets makes it clear that he’s a writer that is frequently distracted by making things different with his world and explaining why. And because he is so caught up explaining why the world developed a certain way, he is forgetting to make the reader invested in the plot and characters. That’s bad for prose, but is well suited for an open world game where the gameplay is more the focus than the backstory. The player’s investment is in their character because they made themself. Then they can engage in world lore as much or as little as they want. Anyway, I’m gonna keep my nose to the grid stone in March. The City Between and You are the Chosen One are staying on track with their weekly updates. But I also have a graphic novel to write. Blue Moon by me and Meredith McClarren is go. So I’m sitting down to write a bunch for that.  That’s all for this month. Thanks for your support! Please back my patreon or get something from my store if you can. Have good month!