The Long And Short of It…Chewbacca Recollections, NYCC 2007.

All you geek rejoice! This upcoming Saturday, May 4th means two things. We not only have the annual Free Comic Book Day, but also Star Wars Day.

Although technically the very first Star Wars installment premiered on May 25th, 1977, it hasn’t stopped dedicated Star Wars fans to choose May 4th as its commemorative day. “May the fourth be with you” as it is told.

As of this blog post, Ben and me were discussing actor Peter Mayhew. He’s the British 7 feet tall three inches actor who portrayed Chewbacca, one of the most beloved characters in the Star Wars universe. His family broke the news via Twitter about Mayhew’s recent passing.

Chatting about the world’s most famous Wookie, I relayed my own Chewbacca story. It’s both amusing, yet sad with a slight sprinkle of Hollywood Babylon.

Chewbacca realizes Han Solo needs help for his gambling addiction. Originally drawn in 2014 for Sketch Lottery, by Michele Witchipoo.

It was the year 2007. The setting was at the second annual New York Comic Con. I was walking around the Javitis Center with another friend, Mario. We found ourselves upstairs in the autograph section. Our purpose was to locate the three top winners of the SyFy Channel program “Who Wants To Be A Superhero.” As someone who usually despises reality shows, “Superhero” was one of the rare exceptions. So as Mario and me sought out Major Victory, Fat Momma and Feedback, we glanced over at the other celebrities. There was actress Hayden Panettiere from the then-popular show Heroes. Her signing price was, at the time, $100. That was considered a lot for autographs back then. Since 2007, pop culture autographs have become more lucrative. Charging $100 and up is now standard for actors like Mark Hamill, David Tennant, Matt Smith and Jason Momoa. Anyhow, before all the A-list actors jumped onto the John Handcock racket, autograph signings were formerly reserved for washed-up celebrities.

This is where Gary Coleman comes in.

If you grew up during the late ’70s and early ’80s, then surely you must remember the American TV sitcom “Different Strokes.” Gary Coleman was the breakout star. Unfortunately, once the network canceled the comedy, Coleman’s career was never the same. When Coleman’s star fell, it fell pretty bad. The actor tried everything. I even remember Coleman pretty much grasping for straws when he tried to become a rapper. It was a very short-lived venture. My accidental discovery happened during my late teens. Having yet another insomniac moment. Couldn’t sleep, so I turned on the television. Since I lived in the NYC outer borough of Queens, we were stuck without cable. No MTV, no HBO, no nothing. Which meant there was nothing to watch but filler. Local station programming consisted of forgotten ’60s syndicated shows, Time/Life info-commercials, ads for the Jessica Hahn party line, and rejected talk shows. The latter is where Gary Coleman wound up with his rap act.

Below are two videos to prove I’m not making this up:

(Below is an example what I had, living in Queens, NYC late ’80s/early ’90s. Late night TV. Sans cable. We got stuck with this bullshit.)

It got worse as time went on. Turns out Gary Coleman was broke because his own foster parents and former manager stole most of his money. Despite a judge ruling in Coleman’s favor later on, the only work he could secure was as a security guard. His fate seemed to be resigned to supermarket tabloid articles along with the occasional self-deprecating appearances. His health problems didn’t fare any better. Coleman suffered from congenital kidney disease causing nephritis (an autoimmune destruction of the kidney). This stunted his growth from an early age. Up until his death he required daily dialysis. This was additionally compounded by his anger management problems.

So back to 2007. We’re at the second annual New York Comic Con. Mario quickly turns to me, stammering “Ohmigod, don’t turn around!”

Me: “Why?”

Mario: “That’s Gary Coleman! I can’t look at him! Don’t look at him! I’m going to laugh…”

After we both snicker, I look over Mario’s shoulder. Sure enough, there was Gary Coleman, sitting in a booth. He was hawking autographs. The actor was trying to put on a friendly face, but nobody was lining up for his signature.

Suddenly commotion ensues. A whole crowd of rabid Star Wars cosplayers and fans rush past us. It wasn’t a stampede, yet as they sped, we swore we felt out hair blow back. Our spot was soon crowded with these fanatics, overcome with glee. They surround a very tall man as if he was a demigod.

“Who’s that?” Mario asked someone.

“That’s the guy who played Chewbacca” was the response.

Various Stormtroopers practically dance around this man as if they were Ewoks from Return of The Jedi. More people approach this impromptu homecoming. It casts a dark shadow upon Gary Coleman’s booth. In their rejoicing, the Star Wars fans inadvertently eclipse Coleman. It was as if Coleman didn’t even exist. This was a comic book convention after all. Upstaging wasn’t Peter Mayhew’s intention. This didn’t matter to Coleman. The man of 4ft and 8 inches looked visibility upset. Mario and I silently watched as Coleman chomp down on his hot dog, garnished with a painful mixture of anger and sadness.

Mario shares his observation: “Wow. He bit into that hot dog with such bitterness…” 

After watching the Star Wars fans worship the original Chewbacca for another few minutes, we walked off to find the winners of “Who Wants To Be A Superhero.” Left behind was the clashing juxtaposition of Chewbacca and Arnold Jackson. Ironically, those two characters were symbols of my ’70s childhood.

We all know about what became of the Star Wars franchise after 2007. In fact, I saw Last Jedi twice during its theatrical release. Last Jedi has become my personal favorite next to the original trilogy. Rouge One was also fantastic. Just recently I caught Han Solo on Netflix. Star Wars has outgrown and will outlive George Lucas. Regardless of how Disney currently handles the Star Wars property, it’s become part of the American storytelling mythos. It’s just like the retelling of ancient folktales from various cultures, such as Norse, Celtic, Greek, Egyptian, Japanese, Indian, English, African, Buddhist, Jewish, Islamic, Christian, Pre-Christian/Pagan, etc. Only substitute them with various stories from the Star Wars universe, along with classic Marvel and DC characters.

After NYCC 2007, I heard another personal Gary Coleman antidote. It from my other friend Bejay. So I mention seeing Coleman at the comic con. Bejay tells me that he met the actor once. It was during Bejay’s time as a party promoter. Gary Coleman complimented Bejay on his Club Kid platforms. Unlike Mario, Bejay expressed more compassion for Coleman: “I felt sorry for him…”  Gary Coleman passed away in 2010. On April 30th 2019, Peter Mayhew, aka, the original Chewbacca also passes away. He was 74.

On May 2nd, 2019, I talk to Ben about the time I saw Chewbacca and Gary Coleman at NYCC 2007.

Me: “…so that’s my Chewbacca story. It’s both funny and sad…”

Ben, as he refers to Gary Coleman while having a horrified expression upon his face: “…That’s kinda depressing!”

May the fourth be with you.

Chewbacca. Drawn with a portable Pentel ink brush, other with other art pens. Michele Witchipoo. May 2019.

 

 

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Shout At The Booze – Psycho Bunny Sketch of The Week 4/1/2019

Last week I was scrolling through Facebook. A few mentions of that Netflix film “The Dirt” popped up in my feed. I wasn’t that big of a Motley Crue fan. Only like the first two albums. Afterwards, they kinda sucked. You know, same old tired rock formula. Maybe the lackluster was due to ditching the satanic imagery and makeup. During that time I switched to Post Punk, Goth and Punk. It was so uncool to be caught listening to Motley Crue. Even the metalheads I knew listened to early Metallica, Venom, Anthrax, etc. Motley Crue wasn’t even in the equation.

Anyway, might as well make use of my Netflix subscription. I checked out the film. They managed to squeeze an hour’s worth of Dirt. It had the feel of a made for TV movie, only more T&A and without Perry King. I expected the round-the-clock gratuitous groupie sex. What blew me away was Nikki Sixx’s $1000 a day heroin habit. Hey – that’s most of the rent for my apartment! Second, he lived to tell about it. While the band did kinda come across as sexist, narcissistic clowns, one gathers it was the norm. It’s probably the norm now, with rappers, even with crappy boy bands. At least Crue didn’t pull an R. Kelly.

The Dirt was still a guilty pleasure. Perhaps I’ll get the Crue bio after all. During the early 2000s, I used to walk into this local Barnes and Noble out in Long Island, read parts of the book, then purchase another title.

Without further ado, here’s the Psycho Bunny sketch of the week. I picked Nikki Sixx because I can’t get the junkie price tag out of my head.

Confession: I owned a copy of Shout At The Devil on vinyl right before or during freshman year of high school. During a trip to Philadelphia, an ex gifted me the album on CD. Which I received some flak. Hey. The CD was a present.

Psycho Bunny does Nikki Sixx from Motley Crue. Based on the comic written and drawn by Michele Witchipoo on WitchesBrewPress. March/April 2019.

Too Fast For Love – Social Media Links:

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Deflated – The Psycho Bunny Sketch of The Week 2/6/2018

Trying to get back on track once again with these weekly sketches. As you probably already know, in the U.S. they have something called the Super Bowl. This past Sunday was Super Bowl number 52.

I’ve always thought sports and politics have a lot in common. For starters, it’s all just a bunch of bull****. Both incorporate the divide and conquer mentality. Worse of all, both athletics and politicians are way overpaid.

However. Still did my annual tradition of going over to the Gottscheer Hall for their Super Bowl festivities. An Irish expat brought me a lot of Krumbacher beer. Then witnessed a beautiful site of everyone booing the Scientology commercial. The best part – The Patriots lost.

So while my heart isn’t exactly bleeding for Tom Brady, I present you with another belated Psycho Bunny sketch of the week.

Psycho Bunny’s view on American football. The Psycho Bunny sketch of the week 2/6/2018.

The usual plugs where I can be found. Facebook there’s pages for Psycho Bunny and Michele Witchipoo – WitchesBrewPress. On Instagram there’s WitchipooArt. My website where you can order my comics needs a complete re-hauling again. There’s other links but I’ll leave post them next time.

 

 

 

Playboy: Psycho Bunny Sketch of The Week.

The other day, Hugh Hefner, founder and publisher of Playboy magazine died at age 91. Hefner created a million dollar empire, becoming a pop icon in the process.

Not being in the millennial generation, Hugh Hefner was a symbol of hedonism, erotica, and freedom. During my childhood, I discovered my father’s slash of Playboy. Perhaps it was the taboo element of the magazine, but I loved the thrill of looking through those magazine. Of course I was caught, thus the magazines quickly disappeared.

As I became an adult, I continued to be fascinated by Hugh Hefner, and other personalities similar to him, such as Hustler publisher Larry Flynt. In my early twenties, I also learned about ‘alternative’ porn such as the lesbian magazine On Our Backs. Chance meeting with the authors of Sleazoid Express back in the ’90s turned my interest to vintage exploitation and Times Square filth. Learned even more with the book Tales of Times Square.

However, never forget reality. Erotica and porn is a complex dark world. You’re dealing with various human beings who are chewed up and spit out once their purpose is served. Was Hugh Hefner really a symbol of American hedonism and free speech, or was he just nothing more than a sleazy opportunist who didn’t respect women?

The truth was Hugh Hefner was both. Not so much of a hedonist, but rather a controversial symbol of the American Dream.

On one hand he was a symbol of free speech, and civil rights. From 1969 – 1970 he had a television show called Playboy After Dark. The Playboy Jazz Festival still continues to this day.

Along the years Playboy published content from writers, illustrators and cartoonists. Dan DeCarlo was known for his pin-ups. Yes, that same Dan Decarlo who created Josie and The Pussycats for Archie Comics. Harvey Kurtzman was another cartoonist. Writer Ray Bradbury had his classic novel Fahrenheit 451 serialized in Playboy from March to May 1954.

On the other hand, he did publish photos without consent. The very first issue of Playboy was launched thanks to non-consented photos of Marilyn Monroe. The story goes that Monroe being broke posed for a nudie calendar. Using an alias, she only got paid $50 for the photo session. The photographer later sold these same photos to Hefner for $500. The rest is history.

Later on, Playboy continued the trend of publishing photos without the person’s consent. Celebrities such as Madonna, and Vanessa Williams had their nude likeness exposed in without their consent. Vanna White was a personal friend of Hefner, but her nude photos were published regardless of her approval.

More of Hefner’s disregard of women were uncovered following the days after Hefner’s death. Time Magazine, New York Times, Salon, and other mainstream news sources didn’t exactly publish obituaries in a nice light. They weren’t exactly wrong either. Hefner built his entire empire based on exploiting women – although in the end, he wasn’t worth as much.

Yet it was Playboy magazine that many artists (such as myself) who used those same photographs as reference material while learning to draw.

Another irony. It was a 1985 Boy George interview published in Playboy that helped my friend “come out” to his mother about his attraction to men. This same friend also forgave me cause he lent me the interview and I lost it…oops.

Today in the post-millennial internet age, Playboy is quite tame compared to the free online porn readily accessible. Also, people will always look at naughty photos. People are visual creatures. Regardless of gender, sexuality, etc., people will always objectify each other. Objectification is psychological. It may not be correct behavior, but it’s a fact. In the end it’s up to us to responsible for our own behavior. Even if it’s easier said than done.

Recently I had a conversation with someone about seeing things black and white, as opposed to looking from a grey perspective. Playboy is a perfect example of why things are not always so black or white. Playboy was a huge splat of grey.

May Hugh party in his Playboy mansion in the afterlife. Although buying a plot next to Marilyn Monroe was straight-up old man creepy.

Here’s the Psycho Bunny sketch of the week.

Psycho Bunny embodies the Playboy lifestyle. Oct. 2017. Based on the comic Psycho Bunny written and drawn by Michele Witchipoo on WitchesBrewPress.

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Psycho Bunny Sketch of The Week 1/30/2017

Seems since Jan. 20th 2017, there’s been a different protest everyday. Psycho Bunny has his own priorities.

Introducing the Psycho Bunny sketch of the week.

Psycho Bunny has his own priorities for protesting. The Psycho Bunny sketch of the week. Based on the comic written and drawn by Michele Witchipoo on WitchesBrewPress. Jan. 2017.

There will be no craft fair on Feb. 4th due to a cancellation. However, there will be other events in the NYC area where you can purchase a copy of the comic. So stay tuned.

Don’t forget to click “like” on both Facebook pages for Psycho Bunny and WitchesBrewPress. Psycho Bunny also has his own Twitter account. It may not be as shocking as Cheetos, but at least it’ll be somewhat saner. Just overall misanthropy,  spread equally.

Till next time.

Psycho Bunny Vs. Pokemon Go

Not since the days of Pacman has a game have such impact. Apparently downloads of the Pokemon Go app has surpassed even Twitter.

I’m on the fence in regards to this game. On one hand it’s fun. On the other hand, it’s definitely Orwellian. The last thing we need is a soul sucking app. Another perceptive is that it’s making people get up, and get out of the house, despite the blistering summer heat. It’s a very physical game. A form of low-fi exercising, if you care about that sort of thing. As you look on your screen for a Pokemon to catch, you discover little tiny details about your surroundings. For example, in my own neighborhood, I wasn’t even aware about some fake owl attached to a building on my block. That fake owl just happens to be a Pokemon stop.

Is it privacy invading? Of course it is. It’s like every other tool in life. It’s how you use it that makes the difference. I wouldn’t worry about this game too much. This trend will probably burn itself out. By next summer, we will have already moved on to the next trend. At least it wasn’t that stupid ice bucket challenge from two summers ago.

I was extremely cynical about Pokemon Go at first. Blending fantasy with reality had curiosity getting the best of me. Of course, now that I’m excelling at this game, half the time the servers are down.

This game comes out at a crucial time in American history. So why are we allowing ourselves to be distracted by cute little pocket monsters?

Better than sitting in misery, I suppose. Yes, there’s the TTIP, the U.S. Presidential race, and every other tragedy that’s been happening since Bowie died ten days into 2016. Actually, it really started when Lemmy died a few days before New Year’s Eve. That was definitely a sign of things to come, then Prince sealed the deal. (Alan Vega died most recently). Look. We knew the world sucked already. For those who sit in their cruddy apartments alone bickering about how “I don’t follow pop culture, I have better things to do…” In response there’s two words: Sturgeon’s Law. Politics and religion cannot bring people together, but perhaps this game will. It all depends on your perceptive.

This video represents Summer 2016. Video by Daquan Wiltshire. I can relate, especially people used to get on my case for watching vintage cartoons.

Why would one want to live in a world of constant misery, being haunted by ghosts of your past for example, and trying to bring down everyone around you. Personally, I appreciate the little whimsical things in life.

Enough of this haphazard editorial. Here’s the Psycho Bunny pic of the week.Of course, don’t forget to order any comics from my website, or from my RedBubble shop, or my two Facebook pages, one for Psycho Bunny, and one for WitchesBrewPress.

Till next time folks.

 

The Odd Couple

“On November 13, Felix Unger was asked to remove himself from his place of residence. That request came from his wife. Deep down, he knew she was right, but he also knew that someday, he would return to her. With nowhere else to go, he appeared at the home of his childhood friend, Oscar Madison. Several years earlier, Madison’s wife had thrown him out, requesting that he never return. Can two divorced men share an apartment without driving each other crazy?”

I grew up watching reruns of “The Odd Couple.” Really didn’t pay too much attention at the time. Although I do remember the chemistry of putting opposed personalities together. In real life, combining roommates who are polar opposites would spell disaster. Yet for television it was comedy gold.

Actor Jack Klugman, who portrayed the proto-type slob Oscar Madison, passed away recently. He died Christmas Eve, December 24th, 2012. Hearing about his death made me curious about watching The Odd Couple again. So on New Year’s Day I watched the marathon on TV. Finally I got my money’s worth subscribing to basic cable. It was then I realized what a great show The Odd Couple actually was. Based on the play and film written by playwright Neil Simon, it showed the drastic difference between classic programing and today’s reality show fare.

Along with Klugman was actor Tony Randall. Randall portrayed Felix Unger, the personification of O.C.D. During it’s original broadcast supposedly the show never cracked the top ten in the ratings. Yet years later The Odd Couple is now considered classic television. One of the best Odd Couple episodes was “My Strife in Court.” Originally broadcast on February 16, 1973, Felix ends up in court when he gets falsely accused of scalping Broadway theater tickets. ‘Cause after all…when you assume, you make an ass out of you and me.

Sadly Tony Randall is also no longer with us. He passed away May 17, 2004. So while maybe Klugman and Randall are performing skits in the sitcom afterlife, I did this pen and ink sketch.

Enjoy my fan art of The Odd Couple.

The Odd Couple.
Pen and ink sketch. Done January 2013.
Drawn by Michele Witchipoo

Model Behavior

So the other day I read this online article. It went like this; some married actor who knows all about the almighty power of Christ made unwanted advances to some model who knew the power of the almighty internet.

Oops.

I’m talking about the exchange between devout Christian actor Brian Presley, and model Melissa Stetten. Supposedly although Presley was married with child, he put the moves onto Stetten. A bad move indeed. She went on Twitter and posted the entire conversation. Her 13,000 Twitter followers read every word. Here’s the link to the article, in case you have no clue what I’m talking about: http://www.happyplace.com/16363/melissa-stetten-uses-twitter-to-humiliate-attempted-adulterer

Which I can’t help but wonder…aren’t you supposed to turn off your cellphone during inflight? And if she was able to get internet service while inflight, well then dude, what cellphone company is she using?

Anyway. First impulse after reading this article, you mutter to yourself “busted” and laugh. Perhaps you might post a link to the article you’ve read onto Facebook. Which is what I did. On the surface, as my friend puts it; “So ‘self-important douchebag’ meets a ‘big deal on the internet’ and a fight breaks out on the short bus.”

Yeah, pretty much.

Sigh…relationships. As the character Randal in the 1996 film ‘Clerks’ says: “I find it best to stay out of other people’s affairs.” It’s really no-one’s business speculating about other people’s relationships. Married, not married, separated, divorced, stable, ‘it’s complicated’, monogamous, open… who really cares? Is it really anyone’s business? Can we really pass judgment and speculate upon others? In reality, the answer is no.

Don’t get me wrong though. Do I have any sympathy for Presley, who fell off his Jesus juice wagon? Oh hell no. One of my pet peeves is hypocritical so-called religious folks. Like when Foetus once sang, “A Good Christian Is a Dead Christian.” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Dog4Rv0IhI ) If this story is indeed correct, well then the douche had it coming. The ‘self-important’ thespian was on center stage. Relationships are one thing, but using religion as a crutch, and then being an outright hypocrite is ten times worse in my opinion. And I don’t mean second coming. Unless he’s had his third, or fourth… oh! Bad joke drum roll please. Bah-da-dum!

All bad puns aside, you also have to consider this. Through this model’s Twitter account, we only know one side of the story. Hers. In reality, there are actually three sides. Her side, his side, and what really went down. In the day of digital gossip and hearsay, there’s a fine line between mocking someone and outright slander.

And let’s be real here. Not all women are victims. In reality, many women can be outright vicious and cruel. Melissa certainly isn’t a victim. Just like the majority of men can be assholes, the majority of women can be bitches. It’s the truth. (Is the author of this blog post, Michele, not a ‘people person?’ Why goodness gracious, you’ve noticed!) Also, one can’t help but wonder that if Melissa the model went a little too far with her tweets. Let’s say the model is the narcissistic bully here. She exaggerated this situation, and slandered for comedic effect, power, and media attention all for herself. Publicity at any cost. This is the same model who only a few months ago, claimed to have won some million dollar jackpot as a hoax, and then posted the prank online for all the world to see.

I knew women like this. Oh yeah, and men do this too. They love to slander, exaggerate, and collect blackmail. When the time is right, or when you’ve caught on to their crappy little game, they gather the evidence. As they collect all the dirt, they twist your words into something ugly, taking what you’ve said completely out of context. They’ll even sometimes outright lie, and then afterwards stab you in the back. When the knife is plunged, they’ll sprinkle a little touch of some spicy slander. In the game of life, this happens every day.

Yet on the internet everyone and their mother has an opinion. Just like everyone has a butthole. Mind you I’m being polite here. Some comments on one site briefly detailing this incident were actually defending not the possibility of this guy being slandered, but actually defending his borderline harassment. Ah, good old sexism prevails.

And ladies…we’ve all been there. At one time or another, no matter what we look like, we’ve all experienced unwanted advances at some point.

Back when I was younger, and cuter, and sometimes thinner, I had experienced situations such as these. Mind you, I was never as gorgeous as the Twittering model we speak of. So you can imagine that for every aggressive unwanted advance I had to endure, just multiply hers by a hundred.

Ironically I started re-reading this book titled “Thing of Beauty.” It’s about another model, Gia Carangi. Although Melissa Statten isn’t anything like former supermodel Gia, the book offers brief glimpses into the business of looking pretty for the camera. With that, here’s another way of looking at this situation. Melissa the model is in the business based on looks alone. She deals with constant scrutiny, sometimes rejection, and enduring upscale sexual objectification from shallow cretins. There’s a few exceptions, but as a general rule, a fashion model’s time in the limelight is limited. All that matters is your fuckablity, whether or not you show up on time for shoots, and if your look makes the chak-ching sound. Perhaps this encounter with Mr. Married Dramatis Personae was her breaking point.

You see, I believe that feminism and post-feminism doesn’t come from taking a whole bunch of ‘Women Studies’ classes in college, or attending pseudo-intellectual lectures. ‘Cause politically correct academia isn’t the real world. True post-feminism actions happen within everyday situations. Having to deal with continuing misogyny from both genders, that’s the real world. How about underpaid single moms worrying about putting food on the table. That’s the real world. Yeah, yeah, as of this posting it’s the year 2012, but as much as things changed, there’s still of lot that needs to be changed. Having to sit next to an overly aggressive, hypocritical dipsomaniac for a redeye flight – that’s the real world. And sometimes ignoramuses just don’t know when to quit it. So in the end, I’d like to shake Melissa’s hand, when she’s not busy tweeting.

Angry female texting. Art by Michele Witchipoo. Pen and watercolor, created June 7th, 2012.