Stranger Things – Psycho Bunny Sketch of The Week 7/15/2019

Don’t watch many televisions shows nowadays. There’s a few exceptions. Got to watch season three of Stranger Things. Stranger Things is the popular Netflix series, very loosely based on The Montauk Project and The Philadelphia Experiment, combined with early to mid ’80s nostalgia.  The only reason I bothered to check out Stranger Things was The Montauk influence. After viewing season one, I was hooked.

As for both The Montauk Project and Philadelphia Experiment, those were conspiracy theories I had an interest in during the early 2000s. Although I never went so far to obtain a tin foil hat, I would entertain these theories. That was until 2016, when the phenomenon of fake news took over. Now all these conspiracy theories weren’t as amusing. Besides. Many of the hardcore conspiracy theorists were just plain nuts. You could say I lost my patience.

However, there is a special place in my heart for Montauk. If it wasn’t for my previous interest, I would have never bothered with Stranger Things. Once during the summer of 2000 or 2001 before 9/11, I spent a day trying to explore Montauk. I didn’t locate Camp Hero, but I did find the whole complete book collection in the Montauk Public Library.

It’s been said that Aleister Crowley also conducted magickal experiments at Montauk.

Back to Stranger Things. Once Hollywood got involved, there were some rearrangements. Montuak, Long Island became Hawkins, Indiana. The Duffer Brothers, the creators behind Stranger Things were almost sued. Right before it came to trail, the plaintiff withdrew. Guess The Duffer Brothers got some damn good lawyers.

We cannot deny though, that Stranger Things is one of the few decent television series. Season three did seem heavy on the mid ’80s kitsch, product placement, and adolescence romance. My new favorite character from Stranger Things was one I loathed; Billy Hargrove. Billy was the mean scuzbucket metal head. If you weren’t careful, he just might bang your wife. His thin porn ‘stache makes a nice touch. A few hours before working on this blog post, I wasted an hour online discussing Billy’s potential playlist. In my own theory, I figured there was two. One was for Billy himself, as he speeds down the road in his muscle car. Most likely he would blast Motley Crue, WASP, and David Lee Roth era Van Halen. The other one was when he gets together with the MILFS. He’ll get down and dirty with the Mrs. as Journey plays in the background – just before the husband gets home from work. Before I go any further, a round of applause is due for Australian actor and poet Darce Montgomery. Montgomery completely nails the role of the ’80s burnout lowlife. But I digress.

Might as well wrap this up with a long awaited Psycho Bunny sketch of The Week. From speculations, yes, this week’s sketch is Stranger Things influenced. If more time to spare, I could’ve done Billy fan fiction. Luckily there’s things I have to work on. Meanwhile, enjoy the Psycho Bunny sketch of the week for July 15th, 2019.

Psycho Bunny does Stranger Things with beer. Based on the comic written and drawn by Michele Witchipoo. July 2019.

Michele Witchipoo – Social media:

Facebook: pages for Psycho Bunny and for Michele Witchipoo – WitchesBrewPress.

 Twitter: One account for me, and one for Psycho Bunny.

Tumblr: World Ov Witchipoo

Instagram: there’s WitchipooArt.

Going to promote my RedBubble shop again. 

 Get yourself some cool stuff on RedBubble, featuring my designs.

 

…and again. Buy my latest comic. The Temptation of Squeaky. It’s about a well-fed cat who meets up with a demon in hope of getting more treats. Just to clarify, it’s not a “satanic Garfield.” That’s a flippant and lazy description. I suggest you find out for yourself. Ordering online it’s $4.00 ($3.00 + $1.00 S&H).

The Temptation of Squeaky. Comic written and drawn by Michele Witchipoo. Released this year on WitchesBrewPress.

Till next time.

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Psycho Bunny Does Games of Thrones; The Psycho Bunny Sketch of The Week, 5/14/2019

Right now everyone seems to be into Game of Thrones. Except for me.

I’ve never even had a chance to either read the book, or watch the show. It’s been recommended to me many times. As I’ve said before, never had the time. Then the hype started kicking in. With audiences everywhere making such a fuss, I decided to stream old Barney Miller reruns instead.

Most likely I’ll check it out when the hype has quieted down. But I’m like that with television in general. Music, film, books, I’m passionate about. Television never caught my interest. Although I should pay closer attention. You never know who tries to rip off your comic book characters and ideas. Like constantly asking for a PDF of your comic while claiming they spoke to Seth McFarlane’s manager online – and being vague with the information. That experience made me quite weary. Last year my decade old suspicions were finally confirmed. After a panel at NYCC, I relayed to a seasoned comic book veteran about that particular experience.  He called me a “smart girl” for following my gut instincts. In addition, he called that other person’s behavior as “unprofessional.”

Live and learn as the old saying goes.

Anyway…back to Game of Thrones. The more hype I see about this show online, the more I secretly wish to post spoilers. I’m sure that’s something Psycho Bunny would do. Introducing the Psycho Bunny sketch of the week for May 14, 2019.

Psycho Bunny tries to reveal spoilers for Game of Thrones. Based on the comic written and drawn by Michele Witchipoo on WitchesBrewPress. May 2019.

Speaking of hype, my latest comic is available for sale. You can order via PayPal, Venmo and Square. You can also purchase the comic next month at these two comic cons next month. Cradle Con and IncrediCon. Copies have been selling, so don’t miss your chance.

Social media links:

Facebook: pages for Psycho Bunny and for Michele Witchipoo – WitchesBrewPress.

 Twitter: One account for me, and one for Psycho Bunny.

Tumblr: World Ov Witchipoo

Instagram: there’s WitchipooArt.

 Tune in next week for a new Psycho Bunny sketch of the week.

 

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.

 

 

Rockabilly Grover

The pop culture website Sketch Lottery is no more. So I’m taking some of my past contributions and re-posting my sketches here. Here’s Grover, a popular Sesame Street character, done in a Rockabilly style. Originally created in 2017. Always thought this rendition was cute.  At least here he doesn’t have a thing for chickens.

Grover, a classic Sesame Street character, re-imagined as a Rockabilly dude. Originally done for Sketch Lottery in 2017. Drawn by Michele Witchipoo. 

This week has been busy. Although there’s been a few Psycho Bunny weekly sketches completed, I haven’t had a chance to scan them. Therefore the Psycho Bunny sketch of the week might be postponed until next week. If it’s not posted by tonight, then next week I will continue where it was left over. See you then.

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:

Facebook: pages for Psycho Bunny and for Michele Witchipoo – WitchesBrewPress.

 Twitter: One account for me, and one for Psycho Bunny.

Tumblr: World Ov Witchipoo

Instagram: there’s WitchipooArt.

 

Alf Meet Grumpy Cat On Sketch Lottery

Starting from June 1st to August 31st, Sketch Lottery is having a free-for-all. Basically for summer 2018, draw any of the past Sketch Lottery subjects. Which meant I finally had a chance to sketch Alf.

Alf had this thing where he ate cats. So it’s only fitting that Alf met his match with Grumpy Cat.

 I met Grumpy Cat once. During the summer of 2014. A Barnes and Noble book signing, located in the Union Square area of downtown Manhattan, NYC. Tartar Sauce (Grumpy Cat’s real name) was asleep. Tartar Sauce’s human liked my shirt. Here’s a photo of me when I was platinum blond. Before I went with my signature blue hair.

Posting with Tartar Sauce, better known as Grumpy Cat. June 3rd, 2014, Barnes and Noble book signing/meet and greet. Union Square (Manhattan) location.

Anyway, back to the sketch. Originally I was going to ink the piece, but liked how the pencil work was coming along. So I kept it just the way it was. Really like this one a lot. Besides. Grumpy Cat is sort of like my spirit animal.

Alf meet Grumpy Cat. As seen on Sketch Lottery. Pencil art by Michele Witchipoo, July 2018.

You can see my sketch, along with other sketches on Sketch Lottery.

 

New York Comic Con 2016

From Thursday Oct. 6 to Sunday Oct. 9, I felt as if I lived at the Javits Center. That’s because it was the annual New York Comic Con. Earlier this year I received my Pro pass for which itself felt good.

As usual it was packed and the cosplayers were out in full force.

NYCC. Photo by Michele Witchipoo Oct. 2016

To the left as you walked into the main entrance, there was a entire section dedicated to Wonder Woman. Not just because the Wonder Woman movie will be released in 2017, but Oct. 2016 marked the 75th anniversary of the character’s first appearance. There were also a lot more Wonder Woman cosplay than ever before.

Wonder Woman booth at NYCC. Oct. 2016. Photo by Michele Witchipoo

Wonder Woman booth at NYCC. Oct. 2016. Photo by Michele Witchipoo

Wonder Woman booth at NYCC. Oct. 2016. Photo by Michele Witchipoo

Wonder Woman booth at NYCC. Oct. 2016. Photo by Michele Witchipoo

Wonder Woman cosplay at NYCC. Oct. 2016. Photo by Michele Witchipoo

To my relief there wasn’t as many Harley Quinns, but plenty of Pokemon characters. There was some unique ones that stood out above the others. Darth Maul looks happy here.

NYCC. Photo by Michele Witchipoo Oct. 2016

NYCC 2016 had an increase in Bob’s Burgers cosplayers. Louise and Tina Belcher were the most seen. Occasionally you would run into the entire family.

NYCC. Photo by Michele Witchipoo Oct. 2016

NYCC cosplay. Photo by Michele Witchipoo. Oct. 2016

NYCC cosplay. Photo by Michele Witchipoo. Oct. 2016

During the course of the four day event, I checked out a few panels. Panels are very good. For one, they give you a wealth of information in regards to the comic book industry, or discuss pop culture. If all else fails, you can rest your weary feet in the seat closest to an outlet to recharge your cell.

Some of the panels I attended were: BOOM Studios, DC Comics, and IDW (where they discussed an upcoming release to benefit the Orlando Pulse shooting victims).

Panel for IDW during NYCC 2016.

Two panels however intrigued me the most. One was for Trump magazine (NO! Not Donald Trump!!!) put on by Dark Horse and Kitchen Sink Press. In 1956, Trump Magazine was a short-lived publication financed by Hugh Hefner, and put together by MAD Magazine’s Harvey Kurtzman. Among some of the speakers on that panel were Denis Kitchen and Al Jaffee.

The Panel for Trump Magazine (No, not Donald!), a short-lived publication from the 1950s.

The other panel that grabbed my attention was the panel titled ‘Bringing Stories To Life: Holding a Comic Con at Your Library.’ Here local librarians from Connecticut explained the ins and outs of operating local comic cons from the library.

Librarians from CT discuss how to do comic cons at the local library. NYCC Panel. Photo by Michele Witchipoo. Oct. 2016.

Back for more cosplay.

NYCC cosplay. Photo by Michele Witchipoo. Oct. 2016

NYCC cosplay. Photo by Michele Witchipoo. Oct. 2016

NYCC cosplay. Photo by Michele Witchipoo. Oct. 2016

Classic Planet of The Apes. NYCC cosplay. Photo by Michele Witchipoo. Oct. 2016

One thing you cannot forget. The real reason why we have comic cons in the first place. To promote comics. As in artists, writers, pencilers, inkers, etc. Onward to Artist Alley.

Walking around the Javits Center was exhausting. It was time to head home and come back another day.

Everyone needs rest sometime. NYCC. Photo by Michele Witchipoo. Oct. 2016.

During the NYCC, I found out there was going to be a panel for the latest Planet of The Apes reboot series. Since I was a huge fan of POTA, I trekked all the way out of the Javits Center to the Theater At Madison Square Garden. That’s where they held the special events, like the one for Doctor Who earlier during NYCC.

Point blank, this Q&A ‘career conversation’ with actor Andy Serkis, who portrays Ceasar in the Apes reboot was the only letdown during NYCC 2106. This might be clarified why in separate blog post.

Actor Andy Serkis after finishing his Q&A panel during NYCC 2016.

I stuck around however to catch the Stan Lee panel at the same venue. Which went off much smoother. Moderated by film director and famous geek Kevin Smith, the panel also had Walt Simonson and Chris Claremount. The packed house was treated to an oral recollection of Marvel comic history. Insert very crappy photo of the panel itself.

Very bad, blurry photo of the Stan Lee panel at NYCC 2016 with Kevin Smith, Walt Simonson and Chris Claremount.

Barely getting enough rest, it was time to head back to NYCC.

Classic Star Trek cosplay on the NYC subway. Photo by Michele Witchipoo. Oct. 2016.

Since NYCC has become so popular, expect free swag. During the weekend I got a free Monster energy drink which I usually never touch, some wafer cookies and a complimentary sample of Death Coffee.

The cosplaying continued.

Ronald McDonald as Thor. NYCC. Photo by Michele Witchipoo. Oct. 2016.

The last day of NYCC was spent getting merch I didn’t need like this Muttley POP. Then off to cruise Artist Alley once more.

Troma booth at NYCC 2016. Photo by Michele Wtichipoo Oct. 2016.

Adult Swim book at NYCC 2016.

Various Planet of The Apes art

Planet of The Apes motion book display as seen during NYCC 2016

This year there was some new interesting talent in Artist Alley, as well as those established such as Terry Moore (Strangers In Paradise), Joe Staton, and Erik Larsen (Savage Dragon).

One person that stood out was graffiti artist Andre Charles, otherwise known as ACharlesNYC. I brought a pin from him. He was so kind to give me a second one for free. Which was a score because I was having trouble which color to choose from. Besides, it’s always good to share old school NYC memories with someone.

Another new comic I discovered during NYCC was titled Pugly.

Also snagged a free issue of Faith, a popular comic book title now published by Valiant.

Of course some more cosplay.

NYCC cosplay. Photo by Michele Witchipoo. Oct. 2016

NYCC cosplay. Photo by Michele Witchipoo. Oct. 2016

NYCC cosplay. Photo by Michele Witchipoo. Oct. 2016

Some T-Rex creatures were spotted as well.

Another trend I noticed. This year people were cosplaying with their pet dogs. I asked someone cosplaying a character from Adventure Time how he got his dog in. He replied listing your pup as a service dog. While it’s cute, I was left wondering if it was safe at all for the dogs themselves.

Adventure Time cosplay. NYCC. Photo by Michele Witchipoo. Oct. 2016.

Another curious observation during the NYCC weekend. I kept on seeing something scribbled on the bathroom doors inside the ladies room. Later I discovered it was a quote from The Handmaid’s Tale in Latin: ‘don’t let the bastard grind you down.’  Quite fitting for these times, especially during the current U.S. Presidential election, in which NYCC was the perfect escape from. Ironically, this was the same weekend that news broke out about Trump ‘grabbing pussy.’

Quote from Margaret Atwood’s book The Handmaid’s Tale in Latin: ‘Don’t Let The Bastards Grind You Down.’ NYCC. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

In all it was fun as always. Maybe one day I’ll have another table at NYCC Artist Alley again. Till next year.

Superheroes resting at the shoe shine stand. NYCC 2016. Photo taken by Michele Witchipoo. Oct. 2016.

Penelope Pitstop Vs. Josie & The Pussycats.

Memories of a ridiculous debate.

Back in the ’90’s, I had this part-time job. It was pretty much a slacker gig, doing telephone surveys at night. Yeah, I was that person interrupting dinner with those annoying phone calls. That job was perfect cause it meant no stupid office dress code. Anyway one night it was kinda slow, and someone mentions Hanna Barbera animation.

What started out as nostalgia turned into a heated debate about who was better – Penelope Pitstop or Josie and The Pussycats.

Seriously.

I took the position of Josie and her crew against someone who thought Penelope was better solely based on her looks and sexual appeal. The person defending Penelope the most – wait for it – was a man…yeah, it gets predictable from here. The man was Australian, and to be honest, I found him kind of arrogant. Had he been American, most likely today he would’ve been a Trump supporter.

My stance regarding Penelope was “Well yeah, but why would someone want to be a victim all the time?” Penelope always found herself in helpless peril, dependent on a man to save her. Meanwhile Josie and The Pussycats a) played their own instruments, b) according to the story line, was a successful pop band c) hold their own as they traveled through space, and finally d) still looked good while doing it. I mean, who wouldn’t want that?

Nope. According to the Penelope fan, Penelope was the prettier one, and due to that, she gets the prize. I disagreed. Long story short, the guy who was so into Penelope somehow got insulted. As this debate continued, he started to get a bit angry. No matter how I counter-acted with Josie’s merits, he stood firm. His only reasoning being this; Penelope was sexier. 

When the guy’s voice raised, the supervisor had to break it up. I remained calm, but remember thinking ‘WTF?’

It’s a good thing this happened during the early ’90’s. Had this been posted online, all the seventh-wave internet feminists would’ve pounded him.

Unless you’re into bondage, I just can’t imagine siding with Penelope Pitstop.

That I believe, was my first encounter with geek sexism. You can laugh, or you can cry. It all depends on interpretation. 

Quick rendition of Penelope Pitstop. Feb. 2016.

Very quick rendition of Josie. Feb. 2016.

The Day I Was A Goth TV Extra

Usually I don’t like to go back into the past. The only thing I tend to get nostalgic for is music. Usually people think I’m much younger. Once someone talks to me about music, bands I’m into and concerts I’ve seen, thus my true age is revealed. Music is one of the few things that tends to date me. Outside of music and fashion, I don’t like to look back. Much rather live in the present.

Back in March 2004, I had a one day gig. The time I was an extra for a FOX network show.

Jonny Zero never really had a chance, as it was canceled just after eight episodes. Back in 2005, the show was put in the Friday night ‘death slot.’  As an action drama it really had no fighting chance against the popular reality shows.

Me as an extra at the Jonny Zero TV shoot. March 2004. Here you can see me kinda cranky. Need my caffeine. Had been up since 6:58 am in the morning, so I could arrive in full outfit for a shoot beginning at 11am. Among some of my accessories was my beloved vinyl bat shaped purse. Still miss that bag.

As my recollections would have it, I remember having to get up around 6:58 am to be on time for the 11am shooting. The location was at a now defunct club located on West 14th street, known for having goth and fetish parties. As a non union extra, I was told during the audition to bring two outfits for the taping. On set, it was easily seen who were the ‘lifestyle’ Goths and the actors under the SAG banner. The SAG extras had the cliche’ touches such as black lipstick, badly applied eyeliner and layers of ultra white face makeup. The true Goths had the Frankenstein platform boots, for example, popular within that subculture during the first 2000 decade. Think New Rock boots.  Used to own a few platforms myself.

Me at the Jonny Zero filming, March 2004. NYC. My time as a ‘Goth’ TV background/extra. What ever happened to this outfit?

Among the SAG extras, this pretty platinum blond lady with a long fake ponytail sat next to me.  “What’s your name” she demanded. I replied “Michele. What’s your name?” With a swish of her fake ponytail extension, her response was “I’m bitter.” Another swish, she snorted “I’m too old for this shit.” Okay…thus set the tone. Continuing the one side convo, she began name dropping. “I’m friends with Voltaire.” The singer, not the philosopher. I was not impressed.

Non union ‘Goth’ extras at the ‘Jonny Zero’ filming. March 2004. NYC. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

I found better company among my own crew, the non union real time Goths. A few club kids were roped in for Jonny Zero as well. In between camera takes, I mostly hung out with Grace. We had both worked at both the same punk clothing store on St. Mark’s Place and the Rave clothing shop on West 8th street. This was dating back in 2000, and later again in 2001. Same owner, same shady business practices. As Grace gave me the update about the owner and the wholesale manager (both who I suspect later got deported back to Israel), we overheard the script’s dialogue. It was dismal. No wonder the show got canceled after only eight episodes. We kept the snickering to a minimal before doing the dancing scenes. Which took take after take after take…after take…after take…after take. Is it any wonder the show got the ax after eight episodes.

Another sign things weren’t going well for Jonny Zero. My friend who helped me get the gig saw someone from the crew get hit by an SUV. Right outside the club where the episode was being filmed. Yikes.

Usually when you do a shoot for television or film, expect to stay at location for the entire day. As filming continued, the extras were sent to a building across the street to change into their second outfits. Afterwards we were to wait for word as to when the extras were needed. So we waited quite some time.

Me, March 2004 at the Jonny Zero filming. My time as a ‘Goth’ extra. NYC. When I was younger and thinner.

Me, March 2004 at the Jonny Zero filming. My time as a ‘Goth’ extra. NYC. I loved that dress. It was a sleeveless number, and had added the extra shirt for the contrast. Now wondering: whatever happened to that dress?

When you’re on set, they give you free food. If you’re there for the entire day, you get breakfast, lunch and dinner. In the case where SAG and non-Union are on the same set together, the SAG members always eat first. When SAG and the camera crew were done, the non Union was allowed to get their dinner. Of course when it came to our turn, there wasn’t much food left. If anything can be learned from this blog posting, go SAG.

Waiting on set during the Jonny Zero filming. March 2004, NYC. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

During in-between takes during the Jonny Zero television filming. March 2004, NYC. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

After dinner, both extras and non extras continued to be holed up in the building across the street from filming. As the saying goes, the natives were getting restless. The natives being the real non – Union Goths while the SAG extras behaved themselves. Some of the Goths and Club Kids were becoming slightly rowdy. Boredom was kicking in, as the more mature SAG members sat quietly away from the non-Union crowd.

Can’t remember much afterwards. Think we pretty much hung around until dismissed. Some came back to finish the scenes a week later. The show was broadcast, in which it sunk without a trace. The funny thing was, don’t think I ever saw the completed episode. Me and a friend tried to watch it in his apartment, but we missed most of it. My friend was featured in some scenes. As for myself, I was told you couldn’t see me. Just as well.

Despite my kvetching, Jonny Zero was the most fun I had on a television set. Prior to that, I had done extra work for a NYC Lottery commercial in 1999, and other scattered stuff. It would be years before I got on television again, and that might have been for a Queens public access show during one of the New York Comic Cons, around 2008. By then I had put all my energy into my self-published comics, which eventually led me to get published by others. Things have a way of working out.

I’ll leave you with this video clip.

Oderus Urungus (GWAR) On Jerry Springer

On March 23rd, 2014, Dave Brockie , better known as Oderus Urungus from the band GWAR passed away. He was only 50 years old. Brockie was the second GWAR member to pass way (Cory Smooth, aka  in 2011), and since his death, GWAR’s future remains in question. 

Here’s my own tribute to Oderus Urungus. My watercolor illustration from when GWAR was a guest on The Jerry Springer Show back in 1997. The episode was called “Shock Rock” and had concerned mothers confront these bands about their influence upon America’s youth. El Dulce from The Mentors was also on the panel, but Brockie and his crew clearly reigned supreme.

As I started to do this piece, chants of “JERRY! JERRY!” started going through my head. It was apparent that doing a trash program like Springer was really beneath GWAR. In end, something was gained. you can bet that this episode gained them new fans, saving them from a mundane existence. Hell, even Springer became an honorary ‘Scumdog.’

I could post a clip from YouTube, but in the few years I’ve been doing this blog, videos seem to get torn down. So I suggest you Google the video yourself. Meanwhile, please enjoy my Brockie illustration, done in glitter watercolor, ink and pen. It’s been a while since doing artwork I was proud of. For that, I’d like to thank Oderus Urungus as he travels through the gladiatorial arena. 

Oderus Urungus from GWAR on The Jerry Springer show, 1997. Episode “Shock Rock.” Illustration done by Michele Witchipoo 2014. Gliter watercolor, ink, pen.