Not the greatest sketch, but here’s an Inktober 2019 piece. The Inktober prompt was pattern. Yet people seemed to like the sketch on my Instagram. Maybe because the style looks a bit like my early Babalon Babes zine days. Threw in a few alchemy symbols.
Hopefully if all goes well, I will have my new comic ready by this weekend, or next week. This particular issue will be in print. It’ll be available for sale at Cradle Con and IncrediCon, both in June 2019 – next month. You can also order a copy from the website, which should be revamped soon. If not, you can always order through PayPal. Payment is $4.00 ($3.00 plus $1.00 for S&H), and can be sent to psychobunnycomix@aol.com
Stay tuned for details, regarding when it’ll be available for sale, etc.
17. Fear not at all; fear neither men nor Fates, nor gods, nor anything. Money fear not, nor laughter of the folk folly, nor any other power in heaven or upon the earth or under the earth. Nu is your refuge as Hadit your light; and I am the strength, force, vigour, of your arms.Â
Last week was my birthday. Unlike last year, I decided not to do anything major. Instead, my celebrations were more low key. Before going to dinner, I took in an exhibit of artist Pamela Colman Smith. Not much is known about her, except for one fact. She is the artist behind the most famous tarot deck of them all, the Rider-Waite.
The Rider-Waite deck has become the blueprint on how tarot cards are based. The other exceptions in regards to divination cards have been various oracles, and the Thoth deck, designed by Aleister Crowley and Lady Frieda Harris.
Not much is known about Pamela Colman Smith. She lived in England, Jamaica, and Brooklyn, NY. Colman-Smith was a student at the famous art school, Pratt Institute. For a while she earned a living as an illustrator and theater designer. Along the way, she became of member of The Golden Dawn. Other members of The Golden Dawn included W.B Yeats, Bram Stroker, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Aleister Crowley, and Arthur Edward Waite.
It was A.E. Waite who commissioned ‘Pixie’, for artwork. Some of A.E. Waite’s influences was Eliphas Levi and Sola-Busca Tarot, originally from Italy. In 1909, the deck was published by The Rider Company. The Rider Company still remains today as an imprint of Ebury Publishing, A Penguin Random House Division. Hence, why the deck is titled Rider-Waite. Technically it really should be named Rider-Waite-Smith.
The U.S. copyright for this deck fell into public domain in 1966, with notable exceptions. In the U.K., and Europe, according to the EU, copyright is slated to end in late 2021.
As for Pamela herself, her own illustration career only went so far. After a while her career petered out. Not much is known about her, and this blog post doesn’t really help in the bio department. Sadder still, she died as an obscure creative living in poverty.
Apparently she only received pittance for her work towards the Rider-Waite deck.
On January 31st, 2019, an opening reception and exhibit opened inside the Pratt Institute Library, Brooklyn location. As of this post, the exhibit is in it’s last few days, closing April 11th, 2019.
Additional links:
https://brokelyn.com/rip-pamela-colman-smith/
https://hyperallergic.com/490918/pamela-colman-smith-pratt-institute-libraries/
http://zeroequalstwo.net/pamela-coleman-smith-life-and-work-in-brooklyn/
https://www.magicianandfool.com/pamela-colman-smith-exhibit-at-pratt-institute/
https://www.annexgalleries.com/artists/biography/2219/Smith/Pamela
All photos taken by Michele Witchipoo 2019.
Had some downtime tonight. So I went through the sketch book I’ve had for almost six months. It’s pretty beat up with most of the pages torn out, which means it’s time for a new one. Came across something I was working on earlier this year, but never completed till now.
Over ten years I started by doing sketches containing magickal symbols etc. Over time I’ve drifted away, focusing on other subjects. Somehow it always comes back to the tarot. Which lead me to studying assorted esoteric subjects.
From 2005 to 2009 I used to self-published a sketchbook/zine titled Babalon Babes. Looking back ‘babes’ is such a cheesy word, but it worked at the time. There were four issues of Babalon Babes. Basically Babalon Babes was a combination of erotica and esoteric. Whatever I was into eventually found it’s way into the sketchbook. The only one still available is issue 4, which was the astrology issue. The other issues were more eclectic, ranging from ceremonial magick, Thelema  Chaos and dark paganism. Almost brought it back in late 2012 with a Norse theme, but nixed the idea later on.
Very basic interpretations of the Star card: Hope, dreams, spirituality, renewal, inspiration. People will have different interpretations depending on the question, deck itself, and on the rest of the reading. It’s supposed to be a good card for love but also an unpredictable one. The Star card corresponds to the astrology sign of Aquarius. It showed up in a quick reading I did for myself earlier tonight. It wasn’t a serous reading but it was curious to see this card pop up. Perhaps I was worried about what 2017 might bring. Surprisingly reassuring, especially with mercury in retrograde as of this blog post.
At the moment I’m mostly happy with this piece.
Just a reminder that I’ll be at Catland Books for the Crimson Hand Comic Arts Festival. Various artists will have tables at this outdoor event. Gotta love that NYC summer heat. Anyway, something for everyone. See you tomorrow!
On very short notice. Next Saturday, July 23rd (Fnord, wink…) at Catland Books will be the Crimson Hand Comics Arts Festival. I’ll be one of the artists selling my work at the fest. Since Catland Books is occult based, I’m going to be featuring the last issue of Babalon Babes, which has an all astrology theme. The event will take place in Bushwick, Brooklyn, NYC.
As always, don’t forget to check out both Facebook pages, one for Psycho Bunny, and the other page for my illustration work. You can always order comics through my website store, if you can’t make it to the event. Remember, the festival is on Saturday, July 23rd. (fnord)
During the years of 2004 to 2009, I self-published a pin-up sketchbook titled Babalon Babes. Not to be confused with Babylon, the name Babalon is a goddess which comes from Aleister Crowley’s Thelema system, or the 93 current. Babalon’s attributes have many layers. Among some of those layers are known as The Scarlet Women and The Great Mother. Babalon could be seen as a deity not afraid of her sexuality, completely liberated in which she could be seen as The Great Whore. American scientist Jack Parsons wrote about Babalon, taking part of a working known as The Babalon Working.
During 2003 – 2004 I was studying a lot about Thelema. This in turn influenced me to put together a collection of pin-ups containing both erotica and esoteric nature. Most of the Thelema influences went into Babalon Babes issues 1 & 2.
Issues one, two and three were sold for a while at Jim Hanely’s Universe at their previous location.
With issue two, the transition between Thelema and my beginning interest in Chaos Magick started to merge. It was also issue two, and continuing into issue three that I mentioned the Cut-Up method, popularized by William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin. This same Cut-Up Technique was later used by popular musicians such as David Bowie, Kurt Cobain and Radiohead. T.O.P.Y (Thee Temple ov Psychic Youth) also spoke about Cut-Up workings.
Then came issue three, which I had self-published during a tumorous time in my life. The abusive marriage I was involved with came to a head. Should have left after the new husband gave me a nasty black eye, but I foolishly stayed. Due to such, I ended up homeless, crashing on various couches, depending on the kindness of near strangers and having my vulnerability taken advantage of. Despite of all this, I managed to make it to MoCCA Art Fest 2007 in time to sell Babalon Babes issue three, and the first Psycho Bunny Scrapbook. That alone was a feat into itself. Strangely enough, the cover of this issue, drawn between 2006 – 2007 still stands on its own.
After moving back to NYC for good in late 2007, I threw all my focus into my comics. In Fall 2009, I released the last issue of Babalon Babes, which finally had a theme. This time the focus was completely on Astrology.
Why am I posting past work? Well, as someone said recently, sometimes you have to look backwards to go forward. It sounds contradictory but there’s truth to this statement. Sometimes one needs a refresher on why one chooses the path they’re on. Think of it as a wake-up from a deluded nap. Then again, everything is just an illusion, isn’t it?
Looking back at these issues, I can’t believe some of my pin-ups were that sexually explicit. Would I draw these type of images today? Probably not, but I did draw the images back then, so best to own up to it. It was after all, a different time in my life.
I thought about doing another issue of Babalon Babes. Last time this came to mind, I thought about having a Rune/Norse theme. Then I scraped the whole ideal completely. Sometimes it’s best to leave things as they are.
There will always be a slight chance that Babalon Babes will come back, but for the time being, no. I decided to stop printing issue two aeons ago due to certain reasons. Issues One and Three got eventually got the chopping block a few years after. The only issue with copies still available is issue 4, the Astrology issue. Which you can always order off my website. Warning – there’s not many of those left either. Yet who knows? Never say never. At this point it’s either burn the bridge or go with whatever is left.
It’s too cold in NYC today. As of this blog post, the current temperature is 25 degrees. A good day to stay in and work on a Valentine Day’s sketch.
Yes, I know. I had promised to post new Valentine’s artwork everyday until Feb. 14th. Of course, life took over and this was not possible. So here’s my attempt at playing catch up with today’s sketch. Combining both Friday the 13th and Valentine’s Day, I figured I’d create my own version of a ‘Pandora’s Box.’ Taking a cue from Goetia demons, here’s Sallos.
Here’s my Samhain illustration for 2014. Similar to the style of my former sketchbook/comic Babalon Babes. (Last issue was published in 2009.)
Happy Halloween!
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