#artist alley tj | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

purplefacey · 5 years ago

Text

BLINK ( tyrus. )

in which you are not allowed to blink, until you met your soulmate

tyrus week!!

Cyrus Goodman was a sucker for romance. Even though he was yet to meet the person who he was supposedly destined to be soulmates with. He had deep chocolate color eyes, that you would see very vibrant as he had yet to blink.

Blinking was something everyone in the world had wanted. As you were born, your eyes were wide open and you were told that when you meet you soulmate you can finally blink. If you had to sleep, somehow you managed to sleep with your eyes open.

Some people had to easier for them, as they had already met their soulmate. Two out of his three best friends, had already met their soulmates. Andi and Amber both met at the Spoon as Amber was working.

Amber has come up to the four of them, including Jonah and asked what they wanted to eat. As if Andi looked at Amber, and they made eye contact. Suddenly both of their eyes were able to blink.

The two though, had different interests. Andi was more of a crafty, artsy girl while Amber was more of a going out and partying girl. They both eventually warmed up to each other and have been together every since.

Marty and Buffy had met at a party. None of their friends were around to see it, but both Buffy and Marty remembered the moment as if it was yesterday. Buffy was getting food at the snack station when Marty came up to her.

When she glanced up and met eye contact with his, suddenly both of their eyes closed and opened again. It was a miracle that they both shared the same hobbies, as it was much easy for them to start up their relationship.

Cyrus and Jonah were the last two to meet their soulmates. Cyrus was scared of who might be his soulmate. He questioned that it might be a girl. That god might not know he was gay and give him a girl.

He was scared that his soulmate would hate him. Cyrus was a very sensitive person, but he also had all the love in the world for anything. He was afraid his soulmate would not like that about him.

One day the GHC was at the Spoon, as they all had a long day of school and needed a break. Both Marty and Amber were their with their girlfriends, as they gained the trust of all of them.

“So this girl comes up to me, and goes ‘Hey, I think you’re my soulmate,’ and I’m here like no i’m not. Then she goes, when I glanced at you, i was suddenly able to blink! How is that possible if you’re not my soulmate. Like it was the universe’s job to tell her I wasn’t her soulmate, Buffy comes up to me and kisses me. She was like ‘Hey, babe,’ and she was just standing their in shock. Turns out the guy behind me was her soulmate,” Marty says to the table as they all start laughing.

He had his arm around Buffy as she was wearing his sweatshirt and cuddled into his arms. Andi was sitting on Amber as there was not enough seats and she was perfectly fine with it.

Jonah spoke up suddenly, “I wonder when Cy and I will meet our soulmates. I want to know what it’s like to blink!!” The two couples just laughed. “It’s practically the same, just your eyes closing every two seconds. Also easier to sleep,” Amber said chuckling.

Cyrus looked down at his feet. He felt like he was going to be the very last to find his soulmate. Even though, Jonah didn’t find his quite yet, he knew it was going to come. Sooner or later.

Suddenly a boy with brown hair and a blonde stripe going down the middle of his hair walked into the Spoon. Andi glanced at the door and saw her friend, Walker walk in. “Walker, hey!” Andi suddenly yelled as the boy turned towards her and waved.

He started towards them as the group just looked at Andi confused. “He’s an artist. I met him in the after school art classes I take,” she said as the group just nodded.

“Hey Andi Man, how have you been?” Walker asked her as he arrived in front of the table. The other glanced up at him. “I’m good. These are my friends. Marty, Buffy, Jonah, and Cyrus. This one here is my girlfriend, Amber,” he said to him.

Jonah looked up at the boy as Walked looked at him. Suddenly both of their eyes closed and opened again. “Woah..” Jonah remarkablely said as Walker just smiled at him. “Guess we are soulmates,” he said as the two bigs just smiled at each other

Cyrus now knew he was officially the last one to find his soulmate. He should be happy for his friends, but he also felt left out as he was the only one without a soulmate.

Three weeks later, and Cyrus was still without a soulmate. His friends tried to make him feel like he wasn’t left out, but he still felt like it. He was truly happy for them, he was. Cyrus just wanted to be happy like them.

The seven of them were at a bowling alley just to get out of the house and have fun. Each couple seemed so into bowling. Marty and Buffy were being competitive in a flirty way, Jonah and Walker were just helping each other bowl, then Amber and Andi were feeding each other at the Cafe.

As much as Cyrus wanted to bowl, he wasn’t feeling it today with all the love in the world. He looked around at his friends, before slipping out of the bowling alley and walking towards the park right near it.

He sat down on one of the swings. It squeaked a tad bit when he sat down but he was fine with it, because he wasn’t going to swing that high anyways. Cyrus sat there for a good five minutes before hearing a voice suddenly.

“Can I sit?” a voice suddenly said as Cyrus just nodded without looking up at the boy that sat next to him. They sat down for a few minutes, before the boy next to him decided to try to talk.

“Wanna talk about it?” the boy said as Cyrus just sighed, still not looking at him. “All my friends have found their soulmates, while I haven’t. I’m happy for them, but I want to be like them. To be able to blink and have someone to love,” Cyrus ranted to the boy.

The boy sat silent for a little bit before speaking up. “Me too. My sister found her soulmate and so did most of my friends. Its hard seeing people interact, when you don’t have that, isn’t it?” he started. This made Cyrus suddenly want to look up to see this boy.

As he looked up, the two made eye contact. Suddenly the world went black for two seconds and they both looked around and at each other. They smiled.

“I’m TJ, your official soulmate now,” the boy, now known as TJ smile.

“Cyrus,” he said as he just smiled at him.

part two anyone? lol :)

#andi mack #cyrus goodman #tj kippen #tyrus #buffy driscoll #marty from the party #muffy #jonah beck #amber kippen #ambi #wonah #walker brodsky

39 notes · View notes

disastergays-png · 6 years ago

Text

reminder

tj is into alternative and rock music! he likes bands! he collects vinyl! and because i’m making the post his favorite band is fall out boy because they need more love their older music is great and tj’s favorite song is i’ve got a dark alley because why not but he enjoys like modern pop punk, alternative bands, artists that would play at warped tour. and he has a secret stash of band merch he’s bought from hot topic and fangirls in it when he gets home.

#tyrus #tj kippen

32 notes · View notes

panda-paco · 7 years ago

Text

Anthrocon 2017 + trip around 3 countries

Anthrocon 2017!! Despite the technical problems and many complaints of the people, it was an amazing experience for me, probably the best AC (for me) until now. And even more for all the experiences I lived after the convention.

I must say that I didn't have high expectations of this Anthrocon, and for months I was more excited about the idea of BLFC and felt that the trip to Pittsburgh was only for tradition more than because I really wanted or I was really excited for another AC, and even came to think that it would no longer be worth going back to plan a new Anthrocon for 2018 (which is still in doubt as I really want to go to new different summer conventions, as Megaplex (plus Disney World) and going to Pittsburgh is a bit expense for me). But this edition of the biggest convention in the world (still, we don't know if in December this title is going to be snatched) made me take again to have a great affection for the Uncle Kage's great event.

There were many complaints about technical aspects, and yes, I was also an attendee affected for those issues, but in the end who make the convention a super cool event are ourselves, not so much the staff or the convention center. (Of course, they must do their part, I'm consious of that). In general I had an incredible time, I went back to see many old friends, I met people who I wanted to meet in person, I made new friends. It would be extremely difficult to mention everyone, surely there would be people who I miss to mention: there were many who made me spend extremely pleasant moments, whether at breakfasts, at dinners; who invite me beers; who meet them at some point and to talk; who join me in my path and helped me to take pictures with my favorite fursuiters; many fursuiters who accepted me taking pictures with them and hugging me; many fursuits and people who were excited to see me and of course, I was glad to take a picture with them or just hugged them. In the artists alley so many people very kind, so many talks, so many commissions that asked me, so many waiting in huge lines that made you lost half of the convention time only to pay a sticker X__X

I was also on the cruise on Thursday, where they took us on a tour around the Pittsburgh rivers in fursuit, there were many photographers and media, one of them interviewed me, ooh nooo, it had never happened to me that I would be interviewed in United States, I had them several times in Mexico but it was the first time I had to do it in English, I got very nervous and I'm not sure if I did it right (surely not).

In this year's ConBook, the drawing of my friend Ed Puma appeared on the cover, while my drawing appeared also printed on page # 4, which also made me very happy.

On Saturday I spent most of the day in fursuit, and surely many noticed that, you could see the panda from the morning in the dealer's den and the artists alley, in the afternoon in the group photo, in the fursuit parade (as always, the best Fursuit parade of the universe, even though the staff of the Anthrocon wanted to ruin it by making us move faster, I ignored them and just enjoyed my moment), in the panels of Youtubers, in the fursuit meet and greet of the roof of the convention center, and even afterwards in the rave. More than 10 hours in fursuit (And I must say I didn't stink, I am very careful with the body odors and constant cleaning of my fursuit)

The raves became super intense, dancing until we were rushed from the convention center, and then to follow the time in the lobby of the hotel. The last day of the convention, where we were gotten out early from the convention center, and were also finishing very early all the events at the Westin, and that there was no longer water or headless lounge (RIP for those who we were fursuiters), and me very sleepy, awake late night but didn't want the night to end. You can even see it in this video: Https://youtu.be/apJdpfXi6sY?t=13m40s

If you want to see all the photos I took of the event, and even a few that shared me, you can do it in this link: Https://www.dropbox.com/sh/q4bq4nirato003t/AABK-FlLn2TsDEppZ1_wEeWza?dl=0 Even in that link are pictures of the subsequent trips that I will tell coming up next.

After Anthrocon, my original idea was to travel to New York City, spend two days in that big city and then return to my Guadalajara (I already had my plane ticket), but what happened was "Kurtt", who convinced me to lengthen the roadtrip still beyond.

We arrived in NYC, it was a nightmare to get a hotel, as it was July 3rd, and there were lots of tourists coming up to watch the fireworks for the 4th of July, which complicated things as far as hotel and parking, but in the end we got. We strolled around the big apple, and on July 4th we saw the fireworks. Okay, now I will mention the names of the people who were with us, at last there are not as many names as could be the mentions at Anthrocon. On the trip I went with Kurtt, Ed Puma and Drew Otter, back in NYC we saw Yoshi Azul, Moof and Zarafa. With the last two mentioned we saw the fireworks, and the next day Zarafa was our tour guide, and took us to quite cool places that I didn't know in Manhattan.

The next day we left NY and went to Boston (only Kurtt, Ed, Drew and me), where we stayed with Leon Skunk, and we saw Tonya Song. We walked around downtown, went to a faraway place just because it was called Deer Island and then we went back to Leon's place where Tonya was also with us. The next day we went to the house of Gale and Strobes, where they welcomed us wonderfully, it was an excellent evening full of good talk and ended in dance.

Madly we launched that night to Canada, crossing through Maine, until we reached Quebec City, where we realized that everyone there spoke French, and even there were people who didn't speak English X__X It's a beautiful city, it seemed that we were no longer in America, but in Europe. I never imagined being there.

The next day we went to Montreal, where we arrived at a comic convention, and we met by coincidence to Noodle dragon, we never imagined that we would know a furry there. We went to a park full of raccoons, and then we saw another furry named Ritch, who was our helpful guide, especially in the language, as indeed there were people who knew nothing of English, only French. We took some pictures at the Montreal Olympic Stadium.

Our next stop was Ottawa, and that day we arrived in Toronto, where we were received by many furries, many of them friends I met at Furnal Equinox and I was very pleased to see again: Lumen, Dat, Arctic, TJ, Zanth and Dumpling. It was also very nice to be back in Toronto, wow that is a very nice city.

After leaving Canada, the first place we visited back in USA was Niagara Falls in NY, and I visited my good friend Matt the tiny deer, it was an express visit as he had to work in the afternoon. That day we had the madness to get to Atlanta but it was not possible, we stopped at a place in West Virginia, in a rest area, to spend the night. The next day before arriving in Atlanta, we arrived in Charlotte to go to the Nascar Museum. Arriving in Atlanta, we saw friends of Kurtt and Ed: Tanner and Jake Foxx, with whom we stayed. But I also met Zilch and Zip, that pair of foxes I so much wanted to meet, they are a lovely guys !!

From there we traveled to the north of Arkansas, in a place near the nothing, in the middle of the forest, where Albi Azul welcomed us, and we were able to meet and play with Asriel, his fox. Albi is a great host, he prepared homemade ice cream, and the next morning took us to a delicious hibachi place. It was a super pleasant moment on the trip, being in the middle of the forest, away from big cities, away from the hustle and bustle. But the next day we had to leave, heading to San Antonio, TX.

In San Antonio we were received by AJ and Frederick, two friends of Kurtt. They were also very good hosts. In that stop in San Antonio was where we waste lots of money, because with so many stores and so many malls, we did shopping, things that we can't find in Mexico for sale, or that are just much cheaper than in our own country.

We went to Monterrey, Mexico. We crossed the border into Laredo. We couldn't see any furry in Monterrey, many of those we knew from that city were not available or were definitely out of town. We had the opportunity to meet a new furry but the plans were hindered and all the plans were improvised at the moment, we walked through Parque Fundidora, a wonderful afternoon with el cerro de la silla so imposing and beautiful. And finally we could eat real Mexican food again. The next morning we arrived in San Luis Potosí, where I decided that it was a good idea to take my bus from there to get back home.

Arriving home I found that I left many pending to do, many unanswered messages (wich I haven't replied all of them, yet), a sad dog that missed me for many days, few dollars in my wallet, but with thousands of experiences which nobody can ever take away. I thank those who have to thank for all these experiences. And I hope that you can live such incredible moments, even more, like these. I thank a lot to the furry fandom because it has been the main engine in which these experiences come true, so many people so cool that we have known that has made us open doors in the world. I really love this fandom.

23 notes · View notes

tlaloc4kids · 7 years ago

Text

Big Fat VTCC Write-Up!

this is gonna be a long post but I want to share everything that happened and boost some folks!

Leading up to the 4th annual VTCC (Vermont Comic Con) was really awful and I know a lot of my followers were watching things unfold. Countless printer issues that could not be resolved on my end with the first company and getting my books months later than promised from another company that preferred to ignore my messages. But everything showed up for the con before it happened - that’s optimal. This whole thing was such a massive exhaustive learning experience and I thought it would break me, but after it was all over I felt like I could easily do it the next day. If you ever want to contact me and ask me about how to table your own first table I am so willing to share my experience with you (though obviously it’s amateur lol).

My friend (I’ll call her A for Tumblr, but folks know who she is) helped me plan shit out and pack things a couple weeks before the event. She agreed to be my table buddy and I could not have asked for a better person. Everything was organized and easy and accessible. I tend to get very energized and confused when I’m excited/nervous (80% of why I’m so awkward to talk to most of the time) so her ability to point and say “yeah no how about this instead” was VITAL. Yes, I paid her and bought her food and coffee, but it doesn’t feel like enough to repay this task she took on like a pro.

The first day was great. I was tabled right across from a very familiar internet creator and placed along a two-sided row of local comic artists and writers. I couldn’t believe how awesome it felt to be in a place surrounded by people who are not only my peers but make such good stuff! To my immediately left was Jak, creator of ‘Harmony Monsters’ and someone I was told to greet while attending. Farther down on the left was Stephanie whose work is spectacular and whose company I thoroughly enjoy. Three tables down on the right was Heather, creator of ‘Juvenile Diversion’. We had agreed to swap comics at some point so now I have hard real-life copies of her comic. Directly behind me was Emily whose work I’d seen on the comic creators group a lot and wanted to get my grubby hands on. Also I bought this comic last year and want you to support them so I can get the rest. There were many more people but even during the times I had to get up and walk around and hurl cash at people it was impossible to get to them all like I normally do.

What really made my time there worthwhile were not only the countless friends and family members who came to see me AND spend money on my stuff, but the people who stopped to ask “is this mlm/bl??” or whose faces lit up at the concept of a queer romance being at this convention. My pitch when people went to handle the book was “it’s a queer romance between an Aztec rain god and a college student” and it warmed my dead heart to see the glow in people’s eyes, hungry for diverse comics/relationships/weird concepts. People laughed, people nodded, people approved - they wanted to see my work. Nobody threw the book down in disgust or outed me for having a gay comic in public. Everyone who came over was really accepting and wanted to see it. It hit me a couple days ago how many of those people I didn’t know. I owe a lot of this success to previous comics like ‘The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal’ and ‘Check Please!’ who have whet people’s appetite. I was in a good place too! Jak’s comics were also diverse and he had an assortment of gender/identity charms. I tried directing people in his direction in hopes that, charged with a desire to obtain similarly-focused goodies, they would patronize his wares. Also we shared M&Ms, we’re basically best friends now lmao

I sat on a panel about comic creation that involved a lot of listening to one specific member talk a lot and two questions from the audience. At least I made an appearance lol

The second day was not as lucrative as the first - the local fair had just opened up and I imagine a lot of people went to that since half of VT ends up going to it. But I pushed a lot of business cards and shared more M&Ms with people. I got to swap books and items with folks (pins for stickers, books for books, etc) and chat with some people within eyeshot of my own table. Paige was a joy to talk to. I found my way over to the featured artist alley where I couldn’t get my eyes off Stacey Lee’s work. I bought a poster from her even though I didn’t know the characters at all and we chatted about comics. She told me to check out ‘Silk’ so I’m planning on buying my first ever collection of syndicated industry comics in hopes that it supports her. She also asked for my business card which is pretty rad. I don’t know why she wanted it but it was a nice gesture at the very least.

At the end of the day we broke down our things. Thanks again to A’s careful planning everything had a place to be safely stored and transported. On our way out I waved to Paige and we hugged (!!!hugged by??internet person??!myheart). Everything was kind of surreal. It still doesn’t even feel like the con itself was any effort at all other than being at the table and I was lucky enough to have a person to sit with me. I would instantly do it again...

...but I’m gonna get some better-looking books first lol

Thank you THANK YOU to everyone who came out to see me! I promise I’m really approachable because I’m not slinging coffee and I’m super proud of my babies and want to talk about them! Maybe next time we can share M&Ms.

1 note · View note

2aminmyworld · 8 years ago

Text

yesterday, i randomly ran into the author/artist of one of my favorite webcomics, the less than epic adventures of tj and amal. i had read it while she was creating it, up until it ended. since then, i have been meaning to get it, but, as i don't have a credit card (i haven't held a job with a formal salary until this year), i couldn't purchase the book of it online. within the next couple months, i would have been able to, but, as i was looking around the ohayocon artist alley for a gift, i saw the familiar book. i'd never bought something like it and was surprised by the sudden opportunity, and i wasn't in cosplay or anything to hide my identity, so i had to calm down by walking through the rest of artist alley before coming back. luckily, the creator wasn't there when i arrived (soothed some nerves), and i picked up a book and was about to tell the person there i wanted to buy it when she returned! and i asked, "could i get this?", but there was a little misunderstanding where i think that she didn't think that i was wanting to buy it. when i made myself more clear, she asked if i wanted her to sign it and said, "sure, if it's not too much trouble." i was smiling and looking at the little art pieces on the table (some made me laugh because they were sort of inside jokes from the comic). it was a minute later that i realized she was DRAWING something in the book. when she handed it to me, i really wanted to say something like "i kept up with this comic for every release. i'm happy to have it!" but all i could manage was "thank you. i was planning to buy this online," which is the vaguest and most incoherent way of saying that i had read and loved it. i wish that i could have said something more meaningful and nice!! it's a great comic if you want to read something!!

#ohayocon #the less than epic adventures of tj and amal #me #im a nervous person and like to be low key with things i enjoy... that's why it was a bigger deal to me than it should have been

1 note · View note

aion-rsa · 4 years ago

Text

Blood Feuds and All the Feels: TorCon 2021 Highlights

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This piece is sponsored by

For the second year in a row, Tor Books and Den of Geek have presented TorCon, a virtual convention bringing the exciting panels and dynamic conversations of a book convention to your computer screens. This weekend built on the success of the inaugural con with over 30 authors from Tor Books, Forge Books, Tordotcom Publishing, Tor Teen, and Nightfire matching wits and being candid about their emotional, scary, and hopeful writing processes.

The weekend started off spooky, with horror trivia and thoughtful conversations from female thriller writers, then transitioned into a bevy of gay delights by way of deep dives into emotional storytelling in SFF and upcoming fall reads to make you shiver with antici…pation. Panels ran the gamut from one-on-ones (with assists from Den of Geek moderators) to panels playing games in real-time, all for your entertainment. Check out the highlights below, with links to relive the livestream fun or check out the events for the first time if you missed them live!

Visit the TorCon Bookstore here.

Catriona Ward in Conversation with Gillian Flynn

Listening to one of today’s gutsiest thriller writers Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl, Sharp Objects, Dark Places) chat with Catriona Ward, author of the highly-anticipated The Last House on Needless Street, felt like listening in on the pivotal conversation in a mystery, where everything slots into place. “No one goes from skipping along the street to becoming a monster,” Ward said, “it’s incremental. You turn around and look back at your footsteps and you don’t realize you’ve walked the path to monsterhood.” Between this empathy for the monster and their frank discussion of female culpability in horror, it’s no surprise to learn that Gone Girl‘s ending was the easiest of Flynn’s shocking conclusions to come up with.

Moderated by Den of Geek Books Editor Kayti Burt, the conversation tackled the inherent creepiness of unreliable narrators and whether the authors know their books’ dynamic twists when they first sit down to write. A sense of place is extremely important to both writers, from the eponymous house—and its Bible-reading house cat—in Ward’s forthcoming book to the themes that ground Flynn’s stories. “Whether it’s about what it’s like to grow up in extreme poverty in the ’80s with Satanic Panic and reclaim that mentality, or female aggression and violence and what it looks like cyclically,” Flynn said, “it just happens that the mystery is the way for me to attach an engine to it and give me the discipline to actually tell this story.”

Rewatch Here!

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Chaotic Storytelling—Take 2!

Last year’s most chaotic panel returned with a new batch of ambitious authors ready to pants, not plot, their way through a speculative story in front of a live audience. How do you get from Gladys the tortured mummy in Stephen King’s castle to one of Keanu Reeves’ many incarnations saving the day? By tripping over some security lasers that emit glitter, of course. Enjoy this glimpse into the minds and creative processes of J.S. Dewes (The Last Watch), Jenn Lyons (The House of Always), Christopher Buehlman (The Blacktongue Thief), Andrea Hairston (Master of Poisons), and Neil Sharpson (When the Sparrow Falls), with plot twists and surprise d20 rolls supplied by moderator Drew Broussard of LitHub.

And while most of the panelists agreed that they were unlikely to collaboratively co-write a novel—unless it was a project like Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar’s This is How You Lose the Time War—they relished the opportunity to tap into their more unpredictable sides and go with the first plot ideas that popped into their heads without that self-editing voice. After all, as Lyons reflected, “sometimes fun is destroying stuff.”

Rewatch Here!

Nightfire Family *Blood* Feud

Tired: Family Feud. Wired: Gathering a temporary coven of authors from Macmillan’s newest horror imprint Nightfire to answer horror trivia submitted by the Tor staff. Guided by moderator Lee Mandelo (Summer Sons), these masters of thrills and chills had to answer burning questions such as… What’s the most common hiding spot in a slasher film? Which tropes are the most beloved? Who’s the scariest serial killer? (Spoiler: The shark from Jaws makes the list.)

In addition to guessing at their editors’ and publicists’ answers, the panelists let us into their own brains for some fascinating insights. Thomas Olde Heuvelt (HEX, Echo) once passed out while giving blood, while Cassandra Khaw (Nothing But Blackened Teeth) has a soft spot for Sophie Kinsella’s rom-coms. Gretchen Felker-Martin (Manhunt) has to purposely scare herself to get in the zone, while Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Certain Dark Things) fondly told childhood stories about a spot known as Blood Alley.

“We like to be scared because we all have our little dark sides to ourselves,” Olde Heuvelt said, with Khaw praising how the genre creates a space for people to process fears. Moreno-Garcia pointed out that horror doesn’t necessarily have to scare to be effective, that its tropes are in conversation with other genres and familiar stories retold. And Felker-Martin summed it up best: “Horror is about looking at things you don’t want to look at until you can expand your sphere of empathy enough to encompass them.”

Rewatch Here!

James Rollins in Conversation with Holly Black

Holly Black kicked off our conversation with the thrilling news that she’ll be publishing her first adult novel, Book of Night, with Tor Books! While Black is embarking on a new stage in her writing career with this series, for James Rollins it was like coming home: The thriller writer returns to epic fantasy with The Starless Crown, the first installment of the ambitious Moon Fall series in which he applies his love of scientific discovery on the fringes with a story that he carried in his head for over a decade before putting pen to paper.

With Den of Geek contributor Natalie Zutter moderating, the conversation delved into the authors’ shared love for the band Dead Can Dance as well as the appeal of liminal spaces—from the Faerie court to a twilight realm on a tidally-locked planet—and characters with a foot in two worlds at once. Both authors enjoy writing fantasy characters who fail to honor that old adage to be careful what you wish for, with magic bringing as much potential for world-ending disaster as for life-changing joy. As Black pointed out, “The difference between curses and wishes is just shading.”

Revisit the discussion for talk of non-Chosen Ones, fantasy jewelry, swamp bats we would die for, and the pop culture getting these authors through the pandemic. To that end, could there be some Lupin-esque heists in Book of Night? “Maybe” Black teased. “I hope so!”

Rewatch Here!

All the Feels: Emotional Storytelling in SFF

“With all due respect,” Becky Chambers (A Psalm for the Wild-Built) said to the more stoic authors on this panel, “if you’re not crying when writing a book, then what is the point?” Kerstin Hall (Star Eater) joked about how to “hack” readers, but quips aside, moderator TJ Klune (Under the Whispering Door) guided these authors in a soul-searching conversation about how they put themselves into the emotional highs and lows of their SFF stories. “It’s all about contrast, isn’t it?” asked T.L. Huchu (The Library of the Dead), comparing their writing to how artists work with light and darkness on the same canvas. “If you have these highs, when the really messed-up stuff happens, you’re bringing the characters down from a height, which creates a greater effect.”

From infusing the worldbuilding with feelings to constantly stepping back from the text and taking the temperature, these authors of everything from cozy sci-fi to cannibalistic family sagas never lose sight of the intense relationship on both sides of the page. Part of being a writer, as Alex Pheby (Mordew) pointed out, is letting readers meet you partway by “letting them have space in the text where they can engage their own feelings” instead of being prodded by the author to feel a certain way. Most important when writing from a place of trauma, Lucinda Roy (The Freedom Race) said, was for the author to be sure that they had come to terms with their own emotional starting point: “Have I reconciled my spirit to this trauma in such a way that I can stand back from it and write about it in a way that will be useful to others?”

Despite the name of the panel, it was still a heartstring-tugging surprise to see the panelists get emotional over their brief time together. When asked about inspiration, Roy said of her fellow authors, “Those kinds of people are my people.” Aww, right in the feels.

Rewatch Here!

Ethereal & Eerie: A Glimpse at Captivating Fall Reads

Bless all the authors on this panel for candidly saying that in most cases they would not want to live in the worlds they’ve created—especially because for many of them, like Catherynne M. Valente (The Past is Red, Comfort Me With Apples) and Lee Mandelo (Summer Sons), their books are set in a version of our present. As moderator Seanan McGuire (Where the Drowned Girls Go, Across the Green Grass Fields) pointed out, “Would I have written a book about where I am now if I wanted to stay?”

The panelists spoke about how they set the proper atmosphere for their novels, from Valente cribbing from an actual Florida HOA agreement to Freya Marske (A Marvellous Light) recreating a real manor house she visited in England. The most pressing question is which came first, the world or the characters? For Alix E. Harrow (A Spindle Splintered), it was walking out of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and saying, “I want to Spider-Verse a fairy tale.” While Zin E. Rocklyn (Flowers for the Sea) drew upon her “very deep respect” for the water (“that shit is scary and it’s our least explored area of the Earth”) to create the world first, her character came immediately after: “I wanted to mess with something that was catastrophic and bleak.”

What with releasing new books during spooky season, of course talk turned to tried-and-true Halloween reads and especially favorite eerie bookish characters, including We Have Always Lived in the Castle‘s narrator Mary Katherine Blackwood (Shirley Jackson sure knows how to write ’em) and the eponymous protagonist of Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi. And how do these authors get in the proper eerie mindset? Everything from Rocklyn’s Spotify playlists to Valente and Mandelo each needing to do no more than step outside into a nearby cemetery. It’s gonna be a great fall ahead.

Rewatch Here!

Charlie Jane Anders in Conversation with TJ Klune

If this were an in-person con, Charlie Jane Anders (Victories Greater Than Death) and TJ Klune (Under the Whispering Door) would have been all over the place, appearing on and/or moderating in a variety of other panels. It was such a treat, then, to see the two of them in devoted conversation, led by Kayti Burt. The two found a lot of common ground, from writing for both YA and adult readers, to debating the benefits and drawbacks of standalones versus series, to speaking candidly about trans identity and asexuality.

As Burt astutely pointed out, both authors go to great lengths to depict kindness and empathy even within their more traumatic or grim stories. That intentionality is for the readers’ sake, Klune said, speaking about his YA superhero series The Extraordinaries and the second installment Flash Fire: “Queer kids deserve to have a book about queer kids that isn’t about the angst of coming out and homophobia; queer people should be able to read about happy queers who do stupid things.” And while Anders often finds that she establishes the tone at the start of a project, she’s aware that tropes can sometimes lead the story in a darker direction and that she as the writer can choose to diverge from where a story may seem like it’s turning grim: “Most tropes aren’t the boss of me! They work for me, not the other way around!”

Rewatch Here!

Space is Gay!

With books like Everina Maxwell’s Winter’s Orbit, Charlie Jane Anders’ Victories Greater Than Death, and Ryka Aoki’s Light From Uncommon Stars, it comes as no surprise that space is becoming increasingly gay. But moderator K.M. Szpara (First, Become Ashes) keenly started off the panel by asking the authors to define what they even mean by space. For Aoki, it was the sense of needing space: “If there’s any world you sometimes need a break from, it’s the world we live in as queers.” Anders likened the genre, with its interstellar jaunts and gallivanting, to one of the very best romance tropes: “It’s like there’s only one bed, but with the entire cosmos around you.”

“There’s only one pod!” the panel chorused, and we knew this was going to be a gallivant for the ages even if we were stuck on terra firma. But it wasn’t just riffing: When asked what should be made gay after space (dinosaurs and cyberpunk came to mind), Aoki brought up the necessary point that our work in space was not done: “Don’t just make it gay,” she said, “make it queer and trans.”

This panel had some of the most sparkling witticisms of the con, with this self-appointed starship crew of authors plotting a gay space heist involving tactical ballgowns, robbing Elon Musk’s inevitable space bank, and knowing exactly where to hide a body on a space station. Even when discussing more serious topics such as the need for queer scientists and educators (in addition to sci-fi writers), Aoki had the panel and audience cheering: “Imagine Bill Nye the Science Bi!”

Rewatch Here!

Conjuring the Diaspora: Myths, Legends, and Classics Reimagined

Moderator Lily Philpott began this panel, about the intersections between the Asian diaspora and speculative storytelling, by acknowledging how vast the diaspora is, inviting the panelists to each speak about their ancestors and formative myths and legends. With these authors based on three different continents, no two people had the same perspective on identity. To wit, in discussing the disparate influences on Light From Uncommon Stars, Ryka Aoki said, “I’m not doing that to show you how many places I can be, I’m doing this to show you how many places I am.” With regard to rediscovering one link to her family history in Japan while losing another, Aoki said, “I refuse, with this book and with many of my books, to see myself as fragmented.” Whereas Nghi Vo (The Chosen and the Beautiful), whose family is Vietnamese and Hakka Chinese, said that while she appreciated the discussion of wholeness, “I have no interest in being whole. I have plenty of identity in fragment.”

As for what drew them to SFF, for Aliette de Bodard (Fireheart Tiger) it was because it’s fun! “I think on some level what I’m trying to find were these stories my grandmother would tell me as a child,” the French-Vietnamese author said, “and that sense of wonder you had when finding a dragon or turning a mountain and meeting the mountain spirit.” Interestingly, Shelley Parker-Chan’s She Who Became the Sun started out as more historical palace drama but eventually turned fantastical, especially playing with the what-if aspect by adding magic. “One of the appeals of fantasy for me is you can approach issues side-on,” said the author, who grew up in a Cantonese-speaking Malaysian-Singaporean community in Australia. “With fantasy, you can conjure up characters who evoke those same issues, like with gender, but it’s cloaked by a softening layer that makes it vague. So many true people with their own experiences can see themselves in it.”

“The experience of the diaspora is one of monsters,” Vo said. “If you start with monsters, you start in horror and SFF. When you’re operating from a place where monsters want to eat you, and realize you’re a monster as well, you have to figure out how you’re gonna eat everyone else—that’s where I’m writing from.”

Rewatch Here!

Jo Firestone in Conversation with Joe Pera

Unfortunately, this is the only TorCon event that was truly live in the sense that there isn’t a link to rewatch Adult Swim star Joe Pera (Joe Pera Talks With You) and Punderdome creator Jo Firestone dryly yes-and their way through discussing Pera’s first book A Bathroom Book for People Not Pooping or Peeing but Using the Bathroom as an Escape. A boon for socially awkward and/or overstressed readers everywhere, the book was a challenge for Pera in translating stand-up from the stage to the page, and a delight in collaborating with illustrator Joe Bennett.

Kayti Burt led the audience Q&A, featuring such pressing questions as the best wood on which to display this book in a bathroom (teak). Pera hopes that the book, intended to be read in the duration of a short but much-needed bathroom break, will be a meditative guide but not necessarily recognizable by name: “Sometimes, like with stand-up, it’s best when someone stumbles upon it and has no idea who you are,” he said, “and feels like they’ve discovered something more personal that talks to them.”

The post Blood Feuds and All the Feels: TorCon 2021 Highlights appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/2SvsV4v

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

1 note · View note

blkwidowsweb · 7 years ago

Text

Chicago Spotlight: A Conversation with Sean Ali

DeShawn Ali, better known as DJ Sean Ali in the world of House Music, is a DJ/Producer and Label Owner. His genuine love for music started at an extremely early age. Just like most families in the city of Chicago, he was introduced to a variety of genres of music in his household. When his father was not around, he would take his dad's albums, read the credits, and listen to the music from start to finish. There was blues, jazz, gospel, R&B, soul, rock, new jack, and everything under the sun. It did not matter to him because he just simply loved music across the board. DJ Sean Ali was introduced to house music as a teenager in the mid-80's. Out of all the genres of music that he loved, there was something about House Music that he became fascinated with and passionate about. What he loved was that it had a taste of every type of music all rolled up into one. He became influenced by legendary house heads like Lil Louis, DJ Les, Danny Calco, Nu-Wave, and Alley Cats. He has a great respect and admiration for what they brought to house music and for what they were willing to pass on and share with him. He went from spinning at block parties to skating parties, school parties, block parties, to family reunions, you name it. His name soon started to become the buzz in the house music world of fellow DJs. Soon after, he would be sought after for weddings, and booking gigs at major venues like Zentra, Betty Blue Star, Funky Buddha Lounge, Smart Bar, Prop House, China Club, and Jun Bar. He thinks of himself as a stress reliever for the public. His skill has taken him to many places as well. He has traveled to places like Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, NY, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. He is also highly respected by his peers as well because he has taken his craft to new heights and he is constantly expanding and giving back the way others gave to him.

To date, Sean Ali has multiple chart topping releases beyond "Sacrifice, such as "Still Standing" with co-production by Terance James featuring Thea Denee, "Electricity" remix off the Soul Element EP, featuring Sheree Hicks, "Hypnotic" EP featuring Sheree Hicks, including a bonus track called "Magic", "Dream Come True with co-production by Terance James Featuring Sheree Hicks, "Miles Away" EP and "Green Light" featuring Sheree Hicks which made top 20 on the soulful charts, "Present To Win," Featuring Rashaan Houston, "Love Is In the Air" Remix, produced and written by Sean Ali and Sheree Hicks, featuring vocals by Sheree Hicks as well, all available on traxsource.com. Recently, along with Sheree Hicks, Sean was co-writer of Sheree's new release on House 4 Life records, the title track "Celebrate" which also had remixes by Doc Link of Liberate Records, J. Caprice, and Milty Evans.

I had a chance to speak with him about his various projects and the evolution of his career.

Black Widow: Can you tell me a little bit about your background and what part music played in your life growing up?

Sean Ali: My father was good friends with a lot of musicians and singer/songwriters from back in the day. He would take me to the record store or the musicians would come to the house. I was immersed in old school music because it was always played in the house. My dad loved to play his records. I wanted to learn more about the artists that I was listening too, where it came from and who produced it. I was always into it. That was the beginning of my musical journey.

Black Widow: I totally relate. My grandparents were jazz musicians performed with some of the greats at The Apollo and Club Delisa and we used to have a ton of people at the house! My grandma would host parties at her home with some of the singers and dancers and I would listen to their stories. It was fascinating.

Sean Ali: Right, Same here. There were times Jerry Butler, the “Chi-Lites”, some of The Artistics, and others were at our house too. I had no clue who they were until I was older.

Black Widow: So your dad was an avid music lover?

Sean Ali: Oh Yeah, he was also a photographer and worked with George Daniels at all his events too. My dad was right there taking photos and show them to me… Keith Sweat, Run DMC, LL Cool J. He would be at concerts and parties all the time. I couldn’t help but like music. My dad is my role model, so I take after him in many ways.

Black Widow: So when did you discover house music? What drew you to it?

Sean Ali: Good Question! So, Byron Stingley stayed like a few homes down from me and Lil Louis lived around the corner.

Black Widow: Oh wow! I had no idea!

Sean Ali: Yeah we are all from the same neighborhood. When I would listen to music at home, I always listened to both sides. I noticed the B-side would have a groove to it. So when I would go to parties in the neighborhoods or go around Lil Louis crib (they’d play music in the back a lot), and it would be the same music I heard at home but the B-side versions. I’d go home and dig through all the records that had a faster tempo on those B-sides and listen to them all. A lot of my friends in the neighborhood didn’t really go to house parties because they thought it was strange. You know we were more…you know… thuggish! [LAUGHTER] The house scene was preppy then!

I knew I liked the music so I decided to check a party out and I remember walking in and watching how they were dancing, how they got along and interacted with each other, how they played the music and I was sold!

Black Widow: Do you remember the first party you went to?

Sean Ali: Wow! Yeah, it was at a friend’s house. He was deep into house music. He was a few years older than us. That’s when I really experienced it. It was around 1984/1985 and I was maybe 15 years old. I heard every disco song ever at his house. I was bugging him, who sings that? Every week he’d play music at the house and I was like a student taking notes, writing down the artists who were on these records. As far as some of the larger parties, I think my first party was at the Bismarck. I used to go there on a regular. I was too young to go to Sauer’s and stuff like that. I know folks say they were there but I’m only 45 you know what I’m saying?

Black Widow: Same here! I was too young to go to any of those spots!

Sean Ali: Yeah I wasn’t even trying to get into those parties. [laughter] I’ve been to COD’s before, but I never experienced The Underground and Original Warehouse and stuff like that, but my uncles and aunts would go. I was going to the Bismarck, The New Warehouse, the Alcatraz and Elbo Room.

Black Widow: So when did you did you decide you wanted to DJ and how did you learn?

Sean Ali: About 1990/91, my neighbor was DJing and we lived across from each other. My bedroom window faced his bedroom window. DJ Boxx used to live upstairs from him.

Black Widow: Get out! All of y’all lived around each other! That’s crazy!

Sean Ali: I moved to Forest Park and in our building, we would always hear someone playing house music and we would be like who is that? All the DJs were in the city on the southside and we were in Forest Park, so it was unusual to hear house music like that. I asked a friend who he was, and he told me his name was TJ and I said, I need you to introduce me to him. I wanted to sit down with him. Even before that, I would go to friends’ houses and try and mess around a bit on equipment but back then people didn’t want you messing up their turntables’ trying to scratch and do tricks like that. I had my own equipment, but I needed someone to show me how to get started. I had a friend named Lester and Dannon who would show me the ropes but I was more comfortable with TJ because he was younger, around my age. I’d go to his house and chop it up with him and borrow records and get a feel for it. I still wasn’t serious about it though because I was too busy going out.

Black Widow: Enjoying the parties and music!

Sean Ali: Yeah I was enjoying it more than I was playing it back then. I got serious out it late 90s/2000s. I stepped away from it for a while and got into hip-hop a bit then I started promoting parties; like Ice Bar and stuff like that. The money was good but the gangs, drug money and stuff like that took me away from it. It went a different direction and I had to leave it. After I left hip-hop, I didn’t know where I wanted to go. I knew I didn’t want to go stepping every night but I still loved that club scene.

Black Widow: Yeah, you didn’t want to deal with all that extra stuff. I get it.

Sean Ali: Yeah and when I got married, I moved up north and started hanging with Chris Underwood and feeding myself back into the game a little bit but because I was up north, I was at Betty’s, The Note, Ventra, Red Dog…

Black Widow: See that’s where I was going because I was living up north back then too in Wicker Park. So I didn’t start coming south to party until about 10 years ago. Everything I did was north back then.

Sean Ali: Same here! I think the Dating game was the first time I think I was at a south side spot. Maybe around 2007.

Black Widow: So when you got back into it, who were some of your influences?

Sean Ali: Oh Wow…whew! I know people always say Terry Hunter but he was always one of my favorites. I loved his taste in music, how he produced music and how he selected and played music. It was always on point and I was never disappointed on the dance floor. Vick Lavender as well, He was another one. Vick was going to give you that soulful journey. Dimitri from Paris, Lil Louis, Gene Hunt, Gene Farris, Lil John, Grant Nelson, Masters at Work, Joe Clausell…it’s so many, I hate to feel like I’m missing someone. It was dope because everyone had their own style and people weren’t trying to be like one particular person.

Black Widow: When did you decide to get into producing?

Sean Ali: About 2006 I think. I knew how to program and produce because I was doing hip-hop tracks. I would always buy equipment, beat machines, keyboards anything that was coming out. I remember a friend was telling me I could make house music on this equipment. So, I started playing around with it and creating sounds, but I never put it out or took it seriously per say. You know I never asked a “Terry Hunter” to check it out or a “Farley” to listen and/or play it.

It wasn’t until I started to see the opportunities to get gigs dry up a bit that I realized I had to be more than a DJ. To get that visibility as a house artist, you really had to be multi-faceted. I knew I had to step my game up. DJ, Producer, Label owner…I had to at least do two out of three. I wasn’t even thinking about a label yet.

Black Widow: So the label came after?

Sean Ali: Oh yeah, I had to get the producing down first. I hooked up with a friend who was already doing great music. We decided to link up and create “Sol4orce” around 2009. That’s around the time we linked up with Sheree (Hicks). We started working on some tracks but we would only give them to a few people. We were still nervous about giving them to bigger name DJs at the time. We didn’t know if the music was strong enough yet. We realized we needed some vocalists. So, we got Lafayette Parker to do a song for us in 2010 and we tried to shop it to a few labels. I wrote the song and I remember telling my brother, we got a hit! This a runner right here! [LAUGHTER]

I remember telling folks “yo… when you see Terry (Hunter) or Ron (Carroll), let em know I got some heat!” [LAUGHTER] Thinking they are going to call me or approach me like “Hey I heard you got some heat, let me hear it” …. [LAUGHTER] That’s not how that works!

Black Widow: Nope…not at all! [laughter]

Sean Ali: I remember asking a cousin to find Sheree on Facebook because I wasn’t even on Facebook at the time. We’ve known each other for a long time. She wasn’t even thinking about doing any house music back then!

Black Widow: Right! That’s what she said when I interviewed her!

Sean Ali: Yeah, I reached out to her and told her what I was doing, and she told me what she was doing. I had to convince her that she could do house music. I told her about the sound that I was hearing in house music and sent her YouTube videos of Stephanie Cooke because I knew she would like her style and she loved it. So, I sent her a track and the next day she sent over the vocals and that’s how I got my first song with Sheree Hicks. It’s so dope because it was a song I was confident in too.

Recording with Sheree was so intimidating initially because she was already out here doing her thing with some big names. I was on pins and needles. I used to travel with her back in the day so I knew she worked with some big name cats and here I am in a studio apartment with her and engineers that were scared to mess up. [laughter] "you push the button…nah you push the button"…

No one wanted to mess up so I stepped in. I remember after it was done, she said, “I don’t like it, it doesn’t sound right. I was like WHAT! [laughter] I knew I could learn from her. I couldn’t’ act like I knew everything or like I was too good to learn. She knew people that would help me and teach me. I knew we had something special and she took me to another studio with professionals and hooked me up with a cat named Chris and he really knew what he was doing. The way he recorded her vocals left me speechless.

Black Widow: That’s dope that you understood that I’m new to this and I can still learn...

Sean Ali: It was a great experience and from that one song, I was ready to get it out there. I was confident now and I had Sheree Hicks so I was feeling myself. I remember running into Stacy Kidd at Green Dolphin and telling him about it. I sent it to him and he took a listen and loved it. He wanted to put it out and that was it after that. It was called “Sacrifice”. Sheree had this subtle and smooth voice and I knew the music was going to be different from what other producers were doing.

Black Widow: What made you decide to start a label?

Sean Ali: I got tired. Once I found my niche, I was doing songs daily. We were building our catalog and we were tired of sitting on it. We wanted to get it out there. When you go through a label it’s always, “I can’t do it for three months, or change it or I don’t like it” and then if you do put it out, you aren’t getting paid what you think you should. It got to the point where I had to learn the business side and start to handle that.

Black Widow: It was the way you controlled your art…Artistic and financial control?

Sean Ali: Yeah I wanted to know what I made, what I sold, and what’s happening with this music especially on the financial end. I wanted to see the numbers. That was one of the reasons I decided to run a label but I wasn’t sure how to go about it or even if I had time to do it. Distributors, artists, contracts, other people’s business and stuff like that. I met up with Sean Houston and then I met Monk Julius and we clicked right away. He was about business 100%. He was like start that label.

Black Widow: You had to learn the in’s and outs of the business…not just the creative stuff?

Sean Ali: Yeah absolutely. Sheree and I were at the same place at the same time. We met Josh Milan around that time too. I would send him stuff and ask for advice and he said the same thing…start your own label. I had Monk, Sheree, and Josh telling me the same thing, so I was like, yeah, it’s time. He had just started Honeycomb Music and he had someone call me and explain it to me.

Black Widow: I love that! So many people act like we don’t share information and that we don’t help one another with different endeavors but that really isn’t the case. It’s a lot of people that want to see everyone make it.

Sean Ali: Exactly!

Black Widow: That says something about the quality of people you keep around you.

Sean Ali: Yeah Definitely. Once I did and started getting paid…that was it. I was all in! That’s how “Sounds of Ali” was born. It’s been 4 years and counting now…

Black Widow: And you have no regrets do you?

Sean Ali: None at all! I love it. It’s just so dope because people ask me my opinion and want to shop music to me from all around the world. I love it! It means a lot.

Black Widow: Are you partial to a particular sub-genre of house music?

Sean Ali: This is hard. I love good house music…just good music. It doesn’t matter to me. It can be deep house, jacking house, techno house, soulful house…it just doesn’t matter the sub-genre. If it’s good, it’s good! If it’s produced right, with great sound and melody, dope artistry, it can happen in any genre in house music. I just love good house music.

Black Widow: I love that answer! That’s it!

Sean Ali: I do produce a lot of soulful house music because I love a lot of jazz sounds. That’s part of my background. That’s what I grew up listening to but I can groove to anything as long as it’s good.

Black Widow: Good music just moves you!

Sean Ali: Look, I’ve seen you dance before and your reaction to music. So I know you get what I'm saying. I see what music does to you and I see how connected you are to the music as an artist and as someone who just loves music. I saw you watching Dawn (Tallman) perform and you were in tears!

Black Widow: Yeah I had a moment! Like For real!!!

Sean Ali: Good Music…that’s what it does! That’s power! People try to be cool but I don’t care…it does something to you.

Black Widow: I’m drawn to music that moves me.

Sean Ali: That motivates me! When I see that, that motivates me to go back into the studio and get to work. I want to touch the heart and soul of people. I just enjoy all of that and it’s not just soulful house that does that. That’s just good music. It affects people in so many ways; even with the spoken word…it touches people. For example, I love Ursula Rucker…

Black Widow: OMG! I can’t believe you mentioned her! She’s literally my favorite modern day poet! I’m a huge fan of hers.

Sean Ali: Yeah she’s dope. I just dig her vibe! You know It can be done and what you and (Dee Jay) Alicia did with “Rough”, you guys took it up a notch and gave it more energy with that strong afro vibe and those drum beats.

Black Widow: Thank you so much! That’s so dope of you to say! What’s coming up for you in 2018?

Sean Ali: Monk Julius has joined the production team. You can create better with more hands! We are working a lot together on various projects, including some Afro tracks to show our versatility. We also are working with Tasha Larae from Arrested Development along with DJ Pope out of Baltimore on a track coming out on Quantize. We have Lester Jay coming out too. We got a couple of tracks out now on Traxsource. Actually, we have one coming out the same time as you guys. Jaleal Meadows is an artist under Chic Soul Music and we did two songs off of his EP that’s coming out on the 20th.

Black Widow: That’s what I love. It’s so much new music coming out of Chicago right now.

Sean Ali: I love it when we all have releases coming out. It’s good for Chicago. Terry (Hunter) got joints, Mike (Dunn) got joints, Greg (Winfield) has a #1…

Black Widow: If you look at all of the artists just right now from Chicago on the charts, it’s so different but it’s all dope!

Sean Ali: Right! Everything!! Soulful, Jackin, Afro, we are out here!

Black Widow: Yes we are creating…Chicago is creating good music!

Sean Ali: So much and we all make the city shine! That’s what it’s all about!

Black Widow: What does it mean to be a Chicago artist and represent your city?

Sean Ali: Wow that’s major! It means the world to me. I’m going to represent Chicago anywhere I go. You have to understand that Michigan Avenue used to be full of record labels back in the day. It’s so many musician’s from here who impacted the music world from so every other genres too. Chaka Khan, Curtis Mayfield, The Chi-Lites, The Stylistics, Frankie Knuckles, Ron Hardy…it’s so many! You can go on and on! Chicago is not just the mecca of House Music, we are a huge part of Music Culture! I feel like a millionaire being from Chicago…our history is just so rich!!! Growing up in the house scene, you have access to people who are considered legends. We have access to so much talent here! It’s a blessing.

Black Widow: Indeed we take for granted the quality of musicians and artists we have here and the access we have to them. That’s something that you don’t get anywhere else! Thank you so much for speaking with me and I wish you nothing but continued success and growth!

Sean Ali: Thank you! It was my pleasure. I love what you are doing with the site and with your music. I can’t wait to check out “Fenix”!

Black Widow: Thank you! I’m really excited about the song! I appreciate that!

Thanks for checking out my latest interview with a musical creative from Chicago! I hope you enjoyed it.

Until next time, see ya on a Dance Floor!

Black Widow

You can find Sean Ali at the following:

On Traxsource

On YouTube

Facebook: Sounds of Ali Music

Twitter: DJseanAli

Instagram: SoundsofAli

#black widows web #blkwidowsweb #house music #soulful house #sean ali #sounds of ali #Soulful House #chicago dj #chicago producer #chicago spotlight #chicago house music #chicago house music djs

0 notes

rubbersoul333 · 1 year ago

Text

This is Pom, he's the mascot of ArtAlleyTJ which is an event I participated in last weekend, I tried to focus on making him look dynamic in this illustration which was for a little gallery they had in the expo🌸

#artalleytj #art alley #artalley #art alley tj #pom #tanuki #artist alley #tijuana #tj #tj art alley

2 notes · View notes

floridageekscene · 7 years ago

Text

Being a geek has its payoffs. For example, I’ve had to become a pretty dedicated person to hang onto my geek cred—scoring 100% completion runs, exploring every installment in my favorite series, and making four-hour roundtrips to Florida’s biggest anime Con, Metrocon, each year.

Since its inception, this Floridian Con giant has certainly spread its wings into other wares—including superheroes and the indie gaming scene. Unlike Megacon, however, which has always been a jack-of-all-trades in geekery, Metrocon’s Dragon Ball-shaped heart is firmly fixed on all things otaku—meaning that you’re never quite out-of-sight of a Karasuno jersey or Tokyo-dwelling ghoul.

This year marked my third time at Metrocon, alongside the event’s 15th anniversary. And despite a few significant bumps along the way, I had a “plus ultra” time.

The Scoop:

What – A for fans, by fans anime convention featuring celebrity guests, exhibitors, and the most unique and exciting convention entertainment in the multiverse!

When:

Thursday, August 3rd (12:00PM – 12:00AM) Friday, August 4th (10:00AM –1:00AM) Saturday, August 5th (10:00AM – 12:00AM) Sunday, August 6th (9:00AM – 6:00PM)

Where – Tampa Convention Center

Who – Steve Blum, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Scott McNeil, Christina Vee, Vic Mignogna, Max Mittleman, Ray Chase, Robbie Daymond, Paul St. Peter, Kyle Rowling, NoFlutter, Caleb Hyles, Jonathan Young, Pikabellechu, Oliroux, TeppyBAKA, Mew21, Erin Hurst, TJ Omega, Dei Cosart, Duy Truong, and Papanotzzi

Price – $30-$40 (single-day), $85 (weekend)

Perks – Costume Content, Picture This! Contest, AMV Contest, Anime Idol, Lip Sync Battle, Illustration Content, Metrocade Video Gaming, Tabletop Gaming, Panels and Workshops, 600,000 square feet of convention space

With Metrocon crammed into one of my busiest weeks in August, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to make the drive this year and knew I’d only be able to attend on Sunday. But I was absolutely determined to go to the ends of Eos to obtain an autograph from Ray Chase and Robbie Daymond, voices of two of the lead characters in Final Fantasy XV (the number of hours I’ve clocked into that game is almost as uncomfortable as the length of time I waited for its release). Sweetening the deal were appearances by Steve Blum (voice of my favorite, phoneless, vampire-gunner-monster hybrid), Paul St. Peter, and Mary Elizabeth McGlynn.

The ride couldn’t have been smoother (with the total lack of traffic near the heart of Tampa nearly leading me into the uncanny valley). The parking fee: fair and affordable at a mere $10.

I woke up extra early and arrived about an hour before the autograph session with Chase, Daymond, and St. Peter—which, from past Con experience, has always been more than enough time. Unfortunately, the press pass reserved under my name had been given to someone else on accident, meaning I got held up in the ticketing line a bit too long, missing the only scheduled slot to meet with the voices of the FFXV bros. The autograph line had apparently been cut off about an hour early. On a Sunday.

It was disheartening, given all that I’d done to prepare for the moment. I spent my first few hours at Metrocon standing in the next autograph line as early as possible in order to ensure a meeting with Blum and McGlynn. The line cut off after being open a mere 15 minutes, about two hours prior to the scheduled meet-and-greet period. Because I had not been given a “free autograph” card when I checked in, I nearly missed obtaining autographs altogether—if not for a kindly attendee standing in front of me who offered me hers.

That’s not to dismiss Metrocon as a whole. Events this size require almost inhuman amounts of synchronization, and people were likely growing tired and short on supplies by the final day. Special guests had flights to catch, and that unfortunately meant not everyone would be able to meet them within an allotted time. Even so, I’d like to see reconsideration given to the autograph lines, perhaps allowing simple walk-ups like Megacon or spreading the guests’ appearances throughout the day rather than concentrating them into a single timeslot (as was the case on Sunday).

To their credit, the staff were very sympathetic of my plight. I was given a free pass for the day, handed more “free autograph” cards than I could ever use, and graciously allowed the chance to meet Ray Chase before he left. Many of my friends had an unabashedly smashing time at the event this year, so I can only call my experience an outlier. Even so, it was mine.

Rather than be pessimistic about these mishaps, I chose to enjoy the rest of Metrocon’s offerings—and, boy, am I glad I did. Being in line for three hours meant that I missed the Anime Chess Match and most of the panels that evening, but the vendor’s hall—which, might I add, was monstrous this year—completely turned the rocky start upside down.

I can’t remember the last time I purchased so much in so little time at a Con. I could hardly pass an artist or vendor without holding out a fistful of dollars in my best Futurama meme impression.

Many of Metrocon’s merchandise vendors were manned by familiar faces, focusing on clothing, figurines, keychains, and wall scrolls, primarily. The scarcity of imported snacks and savories from Japan seemed a bit out-of-place with Metrocon’s focus, but whatever diversity or unpredictability the merchandise lacked was more than made up for with the total joyride that was Artist’s Alley.

Simply put: there were a lot of prints and other homemade wares that grabbed my interest—and when I say “grabbed,” I mean like a shinigami grabs a stray apple. Fan-made acrylic keychains and standees—novelties I’ve seen little of elsewhere—were such a common sight that they almost seemed collaborated (I snatched a chibi Kotomine Kirei before the day was done). There were hologramic prints that transitioned between archenemy’s faces, pixelized bead statues, and some incredible close-out deals. (Vash the Stampede print by SamDelaTorre for a single double-dollar? You bet your doughnuts!)

My Hero Academia was a “super” common sight, both among the cosplayers that day and the art prints for sale. I purchased one print of All Might in particular (drawn by the gifted MuddyMelly) that I hope to bestow with Christopher Sebat’s signature someday. Overwatch and Final Fantasy XV unsurprisingly held significant representation in-between all the quirky superheroes.

And that’s saying nothing of the live-action medieval duels, the wristband-checking Master Roshi, and the literal hordes of cosplayers—who, despite it being Sunday, came out in such force and with such fantastic style that I couldn’t help but feel pride as an otaku.

My spirits lifted with each new booth I explored and costume I photographed, until, by day’s end, I left with a trunk full of loot and a Sora-like smile plastered to my face—not least of which can be credited to a Gladio cosplayer wielding a sword made of cup noodles. (You, sir, are the hero Eos deserves.)

Metrocon is a for fans, by fans, four-day anime convention featuring celebrity guests, exhibitors, and the most unique and exciting convention entertainment in the multiverse, located annually at the Tampa Convention Center.

Visit the Metrocon Official Website

Follow Metrocon on Facebook

Photography by Amy Covel

#gallery-0-4 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-4 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-0-4 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-4 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Metrocon 2017 – Sunday Being a geek has its payoffs. For example, I’ve had to become a pretty dedicated person to hang onto my geek cred—scoring 100% completion runs, exploring every installment in my favorite series, and making four-hour roundtrips to Florida’s biggest anime Con, Metrocon, each year.

#anime #Con #Con report #cosplay #Final Fantasy XV #manga #Mary Elizabeth McGlynn #MetroCon #Metrocon 2017 #Otaku #Paul St. Peter #Ray Chase #Robbie Daymond #Steve Blum #Tampa #Tampa Convention Center #Video Games

0 notes

bigbigtruck · 2 years ago

Text

San Japan!!

Hey y'all, I'll be tabling in the Artist Alley at San Japan (Sept 2-4, San Antonio) with my pal @missjamiekaye! I'll be taking commissions and will have copies of TJ & Amal available. Won't be doing handshakes, hangouts, or hugs, sad to say. I'll post our table location here when we get it - for now, though, I'll be the one in a goofy t-shirt and a pink N95 mask.

#san japan #conventions #bigbigtruck art

28 notes · View notes

atypical60 · 8 years ago

Text

OK, so I may be a girly-girl. And I love being feminine. And I love pretty things.

Yes. This would be Me in all my girly glory!

But I’m not a fussy dresser.

This could be because I wore uniforms to school for many years.

I pretty much still dress like this–except I go bare-legged with a mighty fake tan!

Or it could be from the words of my mother who always said that it was far better to be under dressed for the occasion rather than to be over dressed.

And I get that!

It means dressing appropriately but not over-the-top. It also means not dressing like you just rolled out of bed.

This is not what is meant by Day-Into-Night. This is purely Sleepy Time Ensemble! Nobody should be wearing a get up like this outside of their home. Not now. Not ever. Never!

And, with age, I’ve become a bit more relaxed about my day-into-evening dressing.

Back when I was younger, I would literally spend hours mulling over what I would wear to attend an event or special occasion. It would be worse when an event was directly after office hours.

I’m not lying to you when I tell you that there were times when I took a change of clothing to the office.

Over the years, I’ve become more chill.

When Bonaparte and I have a date night, it is on the weekend. It is the very rare weeknight evening if we must attend an event.

So, when we do go out in the evening, it is after a busy day of being out and about running errands, shopping and whatever else pops up.

And during those weekend days, I’ll wear jeans. I love jeans—and I swear to you, I love them now more than when I was younger. They are no fuss, they are simple and can change from casual to elegant in a matter of minutes!

My daytime look can be as simple as a white tee, very casual skinny jeans and sneakers. Hair up and bit of makeup.

Classic weekend look–white tee. Skinny Jeans. Sneakers.

My bio hair piled up on top of my head.

..or a plaid shirt layered with a sweater. It’s all good for daytime.

My nighttime look is also simple with the addition of a Chanel-inspired Lady Jacket, a touch of darker eye makeup, a simple clutch and heels.

Quick change artist, I am. Less than five minutes to change shoes, add a jacket..

...plop on a head of fake hair, freshen makeup and add a clutch to match the heels…

Ba-da-boom. The look is complete.

Another great day-into-night look. During the day loafers or sneakers. At night. Red heels. Fake pearls. Mo’ makeup and this time, my bio hair!

For the most part, it’s as simple as a change of shoes.

If I do wear a dress while out for an event, you can rest assured it will be simple and comfortable with plenty of allowance for dancing all night and running back and forth to the open bar!

Lots of big fake hair, a simple black dress and a very inexpensive skinny necklace purchased during a major J. Crew Factory sale are the beginnings of another day-into-night look during the work week.

This dress? It’s by Tiana B. This dress is so old that I cannot remember if it was purchased from QVC or TJ Maxx. I think I paid twenty bucks for it and it is over ten years old and still going strong!

I really, really like the look of a thin chain or two with this dress. It’s very delicate. Something of which I am not!

You know, I’m not much of an accessory person. I have my scarfs which I wear mostly to hide turkey neck.

Probably my most important accessory. The scarf. It does a stellar job hiding my turkey neck!

And it occurred to me while writing this post that even though I have quite a bit of costume jewelry, I don’t wear a lot of it –with the exception of the fake pearls.

My good jewelry consists of my diamond engagement ring, my diamond band, the pearl ring Bonaparte gave me when we started dating and pearl drop earrings from Bonaparte.

The lighting was horrific yesterday! Or perhaps the pearls were so lusturous that they didn’t photograph well. But other than my diamond ring and band, this is the extend of my “good” jewelry!

I realized that I could need a simple gold bracelet, or earrings or a necklace.

But the fact is, I’m pretty picky when it comes to good jewelry.

I noticed of those ads that WordPress provides at the bottom of a recent post—it was from a jewelry company. AUrate. So, I clicked.

The photograph was pretty intriguing. The simple bracelet. The simple ring. Very nice.

And this is what I found: The company was founded by two women who were besties at Princeton. OK. Now I feel a six-degrees-of New Jersey here. I lived in the next town over—Pennington and spent a lot of time in Princeton. I wonder if they ever went to Hoagie Haven on Nassau Street?

Sophie Kahn and Bouchra Ezzahraoui, the two young founders of Aurate. It’s wonderful to see a company started by two young women. It’s very empowering.

All the jewelry is crafted in New York City. Now I’m getting misty-eyed and my mascara is starting to run. To think these two women started a company in my old home town.

They give back. For every piece of jewelry that is sold, a book for an underprivileged child is purchased. That, to me, is a very kind gesture and I hope these two women keep up the kindness.

AUrate’s jewelry is not budget-priced. However, there are a few people in my family to whom I will be dropping hints at for an item or two when next Christmas rolls around.

This open flower necklace, at $250, is not only beautiful and different, but it’s very reasonably priced for gold jewelry. I have never seen an “open” necklace but I love it! It’s simplicity with an edge!

The photo is really small, but here’s how the necklace looks on. Is this the perfect day-into-night piece or what?

Seriously—this stuff is nice!!! It’s right up my alley of simple and classic. And the jewelry is very appealing to women of all ages.

I’m also really quite fond of this Black Stones bracelet. At $150 it is affordable for gold!

But back to the point. The items AUrate has to offer are the perfect jewelry for day-into-night. Or night-into-day.

This Asymmetric Pearl Ring is another item that I really, REALLY like. I’m loving this open concept in jewelry. This is a new classic with a bit of a modern touch! It’s fabulous!

Remember. We are at an age where fussing isn’t conducive anymore. We’re over that. It’s time to concentrate more on the great times we are having rather than spending hours over what we are going to wear. We can look great in minutes—no matter what time of day or night it is or where we’re going! It’s all in our attitude!

Here’s my favorite song to get me in the mood for a great night out! “I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas. This song always makes me happy!

Day-Into-Night Dressing For The Older, Wiser Woman! OK, so I may be a girly-girl. And I love being feminine. And I love pretty things.

#Aurate #Fashion #fashion over 50 #jewelry

0 notes