Haven’t shot with AJB in a while, but I am living downtown now, which at least puts me closer to his studio.  :)  The next time we shoot, I’m going to be more in shape so I can do more physically challenging poses. P90X, grrr!

Video games…they’re awesome. Currently playing (in order of descending frequency): Alice–Return To Madness, Epic Mickey (love it, except for the freaking camera angles…it’s not nearly adjustable enough…but story-wise, puzzle-wise, it’s all great, and reaches back in time for some really neat Disney mythos), Twilight Princess (yes, I know, it’s been out forever, but I’m trying to get all the side-quests done before the final battle!), Assassin’s Creed II (I need to play more often because I keep forgetting the button combos for a lot of the moves…but historical fiction, in a video game? Hell yes!), and BioShock 2 (Big Daddy is my hero…my fella has one of the little dolls like the one the Little Sister made to look like her Big Daddy…very jealous…!)

On a similar note, board/card games are also awesome. Recently played Chez Geek (from the makers of Munchkin) for the first time; my analysis is inconclusive because the game didn’t last long (my fella got dealt a great hand in the beginning, grrr). Ticket To Ride (although a board game, I generally play it on Xbox) is a particular weakness of mine…it brings out a truly fearsome, competitive side of me…when playing this addictive game of trains, I have been known to curse endlessly at the television, stamp my feet, and (only a few times) toss down my controller just a little too roughly. I just played Talisman last night for the first time at a local gaming store; despite the intimidating size of the board (the guys had added on some of the expansion pieces), it was fairly easy to pick up, and I did pretty well, considering I entered after the game had begun. My character, the Dread Knight, was totally bad-ass, mwahaha! Also, a side-note…I did not feel at ALL conspired against or like the guys were “going easy on” me…I don’t always feel like that when I go to play in this most often all-male environment. So, thanks guys.

Need to get back to cleaning the new apartment. We’re still in Phase I: cleaning up my room so I have room for a bed. Phase II is figuring out lighting (I’m thinking large stackable glow cubes). Phase III is painting the rooms; I’ve got different parts of the world for each room! Except for T.G.’s room (T.G. is my roommate/co-playwright). Speaking of T.G., stay tuned for our comic, “Ellipses & Parentheses”.

See you all again soon!

Currently, the things buzzing around the centre altar are: working again with AJB, my website www.ApocalypticPinups.com and ways to improve it, the burlesque shows I’ve been doing with the Hot Tail Honeys, video
games, a new photo project where I play an ex-IRA assassin, and “Despicable Me”.

Andrew J. Baran is a most talented fellow, and I always (eventually) love working with him. We come up with pretty fantastic ideas when we hang around together. I’m all keyed up about doing more projects with him, including this blog. Woot for the blog…!

My website (or one of several) features photos and a kind of RPG interaction that concentrates on Pinups of an Apocalyptic (or Post-Apocalyptic) variety. There will be photo-books, prints, pins, mugs, fake movie posters, cookbooks, and more! I am hoping that eventually I can reach enough fans that I can have a reason to have a table at comic-cons. Yay for comic-con!! ^_^

So lemme get right to the point...

I have been doing live shows with Pope Katherine I and one of her former Hot Tail Honeys, the delicious Dolce Vita. We performed on December 11th at the Slowdown for the Omaha Rollergirls Black and Blue Ball, as well as at Gator O’Malley’s for Rockabilly Night (which may become a monthly thing!) and at Ravenite for Bollywood Night.

I shall describe December’s show, for it fills me with inspiration, and I’m sure you’ll all love to imagine it! We opened with a group chair dance number set to the incomparable Peggy Lee’s “Hey, Big Spender”, and followed with a solo number each. (Note: I know I’m more detailed in the descriptions of my own dances, but I’m not being egotistical; I never got to see the entirety of anyone else’s act because I was racing around trying to put on my next costume! Ah, the heartpounding, terrifying joys of doing a live show…)

You cannot resist the sparkly blazer of Jerry Junglejuice!

Pope's fan dance

Love Me Dead

The boys at the USO will love this!

Pope started off the solos with a rendition of her classic fan dance, surprising those who knew the dance from years ago with a dramatic change in music (going from Muse’s cover of “Feelin’ Good” to Richard Cheese’s jazzy version of “Down With the Sickness”). Dulce was next in a gorgeous gown fit for the Corpse Bride, stripping to Ludo’s “Love Me Dead”. And number three was little ole me, introduced by Jerry Junglejuice as K.Q. Cheshire (my full name is Kathryn Q. Cheshire, since there are already too many Kittys and Kittens and Kats in the burley world…when I perform with the HTH, I shorten my first name to K.Q., out of respect for Her Holiness). I borrowed the music and the adorable (what I call) malt-shop-Christmas outfit from another classic Hot Tail Honeys dance; my deceptively real-looking giant lollipops gleamed in the spotlights, and my Sailor Moon dumpling pigtails bounced to Christina
Aguillera’s “Candyman” and I sugared and spun and Charlestoned like I was performing at the USO for the boys abroad. I won’t give away the hilariously cute ending; that should encourage you to come see me perform some time!

The amazing juggling of Prof. Luke!

Professor Luke was our male buffer between Acts I and II. He performed juggling feats until our MC blew the whistle (literally) and called a foul…“What does juggling have to do with the Rollergirls?! If you’re not a girl, and you’re not stripping, you’re off the stage!”…Luke remedied the situation by juggling rollerskate wheels. Act II contained: a Pope covered in balloons (that she still managed to pop after losing her hair-piece/poppin’ pin) to Carmen Miranda’s “Don’t Touch Me Tomatoes”; the darling Dolce dipping and shimmying off her slinky sparkly gown to the sultry sounds of Michael Buble singing “Fever”; and Miss Cheshire telling a tale through dance about a wolfie in little girl’s clothing, going from a mysterious red cloak and cowl, to an innocent white dress with a green’n’gold cincher, to a red-hot feathery bikini, and in the end, sliding into a wolf-like fur coat and prowling on the floor as the Black Squirrels’ “Mr. Big Bad Wolf” came to a howling finish.

Rev spins it up

“Boylesquer” number two was the most holy Reverend, tuning up his orchestra, but then—prompted by stern glares from Junglejuice—giving the ladies in the audience what they wanted and taking it all off! Well, enough to flush a few cheeks and raise a few heart-rates. He gave a glorious, light-filled staff-spinning performance (no, not THAT staff!) with glow-sticks and LEDs blazing (the venue was not suitable for firestaff, unfortunately), set to a spine-chilling metal/techno version of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue. I get all shivery just thinking about it! In the final Act, Dulce donned her Donna Reed attire, trussing up a tasty cherry’n’whipped cream pie right onstage (which eventually ended up right on HER instead).

Chaplain-'stached!

Up next, to the music of “Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing”, was Kathryn Q. Cheshire again (yes, I’ve gone full-on 3rd person here), presenting the best of her vaudevillian strip-humour yet, starting off in manacles, a baggy black-and-white prison stripes jumpsuit, a strangely lumpy belly, and dragging “iron” balls and chains; suddenly, she turns around, pulls out a policeman’s cap and baton, wriggles out of the top half of the jumpsuit—exposing a modern blue cop top—and spins back to the audience, revealing a Charlie-Chaplin-like moustache. With silent-movie-slapstick physicality, she makes her “escape”, only to peel off her P.D. Blue to uncover an even more modern bright orange brassiere, stamped with a prisoner number and bespangled with a few rhinestones. The Cheshire Kat retrieves her balls’n’chains to perform a little “prison poi” (again, no fire allowed, so sad!), then finally, the meeting of two prison eras are removed, and the audience feasts its eyes on the extremely skimpy final layer (if you can call it a “layer”): a black-and-white prison striped thong with strings of silver beads skimming her behind, and a black sequined “ball” pasty with a silver chain tassel adorning each breast. She spun those tassels ‘round and ‘round as she side-stepped off the stage. The final number began with a military-themed Pope stepping gracefully but sinisterly out from behind the curtain, then, in an homage to Lady Gaga, moved into an intense writhing dance set to “Alejandro”. In her final layer of sheer white and “blood” smears, Pope was joined by the entire ensemble and we finished off the show with a bang.

To Shana (our darling stage maid!) Professor Luke, Kelcivious Jones (a.k.a. Jerry Junglejuice), Reverend Steve, Dolce, and Katherine…I love you all and I hunger to do another show with you all soon… 

Enjoy!

Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly...

After a few attempts over the last few years of doing “Daily [Deviations, Comics, Journals, Et Ceteras]”, I once again take a big ol’ stab. This time (hopefully to soon be “THE time”) it is a blog for the online magazine, Scarlet. So, I take a big breath, stretch out my back, and begin.

I imagine this blog will discuss many things, as well as include some things that populated my Xanga ages ago. Generally, I will pour out my creative ridiculousness, whether it pertains to past, current, or imagined projects. Being resurrected from Xanga limbo will be the“ _______’s of the Day”: Word, Picture, Proverb, Quote, Riddle, and more.

-ajb

This is my homage to Frank Frazetta from a few years ago.

Every time I’m with you, in your presence I feel full, like a cup running over. You fill me to the brim and on my own accord I overflow with compassion, kindness, and gratitude, for you, for me, and for anyone else in our path.

I love you. And I want to know you more.

I love your long golden hair that shimmers in the sunrise as the new day starts and we set out to change the world yet again. Your long golden mane so wild, so tempting, and still so touchable.

The dark brown of your eyes are deep caverns I want to explore. So beautiful, so rich, so dark. They intrigue me and when we talk I can’t help but stare into them like a blazing fire, mesmerized by their mystery that is so profoundly you. These are the window’s to your soul, a soul that longs to be known and I feel I could look into your eyes for a lifetime and still learn something new every day.

Your lips call out to me, so succulent and soft. A pout, a smile, even a pensive look plays with my mind and I want to kiss every expression you own, and feel each one rest on my lips.

Your body, each limb and curve is glorious. It is uniquely you. Your collarbone is a magnificent work of art, sculpted like that of a Michelangelo statue. Your hands and the pads of your fingers are angel feathers sent from heaven to glide over skin and dance with the energy inside of me.

I love you. And I want to know you more.

You are fragile to my touch, like a newborn baby chick. Yet, your body emanates strength in every muscle.

You’re not afraid to stand up for what is right, and fight for it. Yet, I know you long to be held and comforted. I love to hold you. I love to comfort you. And I love to encourage you to stand strong.

I love the way you carry yourself and love yourself in quiet confidence. And then, sometimes in loud confidence like across a room at a party or among friends and even strangers.

You play out the lost art of seduction effortlessly, flawlessly, as if it’s interwoven into your DNA. I watch you in admiration. I admire the way you approach people and talk to them, the way your calm confident demeanor wins hearts and minds for a greater good, not a lesser evil.

I am overjoyed; Overjoyed that I know you intimately; Overjoyed that while others get to experience you momentarily, I get to experience all of you for a lifetime, forever. And because of this I love to gaze upon you out in public as well as in the private settings of our house, our reading room and our bed chamber.

I love you. And I want to know you more.

Your imagination is like a wild fire. You day dream in color and pictures with words and song and set others’ minds ablaze, transporting them to your new world. You make my feet leave the ground and want to fly catching limitless possibilities like fireflies in the night.

Royalty becomes you – a princess or a queen. Debutante and demure, you can be quite socially acceptable. Yet, underneath those respectable looks and gentle graces lies an exotic woman – an Egyptian queen, an Italian lover, a Greek goddess. You’ve learned how to play both parts well. But now all coexist inside you together. They are all you, all at the same time. And that’s what makes you exotic to behold, a rare flower.
I love you. And I want to know you more.

You emanate child-like wonderment. Every moment is full of appreciation and awe. You awaken me out of my adult ego and make me long for simplicity in thought and action.

I am in love with your funny ranting, your quirky moves and goofy antics. I am most fully alive in these moments, when we play like children.

I count myself blessed to call you my friend and have the privilege to know you intimately, to hug you and hold you affectionately, to encourage you and share day dream experiences, to be funny and goofy keeping us youthful and to be in your presence silently reading a good book on a snowy day by the fire, or sunning ourselves on white sand beaches next to turquoise water with a new read.

Yes, I count myself blessed to know you.

~J

Two years too long!

She is without a doubt one of the most wonderful people to work with.