Atticus Bart, Atticus Bede, Atticus Jago, Atticus Roan, Atticus Cillian.

Atticus Emeric Wolf

Atticus Guy Steven

Atticus Ira Thomas

Atticus Jasper West

Atticus Barnaby Jude

Atticus Jay Thomas

Atticus Leo Walter

Atticus Lysander Penn

Atticus Lev Henry

Atticus Reuben Francis

Atticus Benjamin Rex

Atticus Sebastian James

Atticus Nathaniel August

Atticus Henry Raphael

Atticus Jacob Paul

Atticus James Baxter

Atticus Baxter Rowan

Doves with Messages of Peace & Goodwill

A friend of mine Mary from Malaysia emailed me this beautiful story “Take My Son” & suggested that I might adopt it in my blog. No doubt many of you may have read the story, but a good story such as this is well worth repeating.

A Chinese proverb has this to say: “Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I might remember. Involve me and I will understand.”

This beautiful but sad story will involve you & awaken your understanding like “a picture that paints a thousand words.” Remember how at times something hits you hard & strong upon later reflection. “Life” as said by Soren Kierkegaad, “can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”

Here goes the story: (Source: Unknown)

Take My Son

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael . They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.

When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas,there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands.

He said, ‘Sir, you don’t know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art.’ The young man held out this package. ‘I know this isn’t much. I’m not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.’

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture.. ‘Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It’s a gift.’

The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.

On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. ‘We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?’

There was silence.

Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, ‘We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.’

But the auctioneer persisted. ‘Will somebody bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?’

Another voice rang angrily. ‘We came to see the Van Gogh’s, the Rembrandts. Get on with the . . . (agitated words) Real bids!’

But still the auctioneer continued. ‘The son! The son! Who’ll take the son?’

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the long-time gardener of the man and his son. ‘I’ll give $10 for the painting . . .’ Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.

‘We have $10, who will bid $20?’

‘Give it to him for $10. Let’s see the masters.’

The crowd was becoming angry. They didn’t want the picture of the son.

They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.

The auctioneer pounded the gavel. ‘Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!’

A man sitting on the second row shouted, ‘Now let’s get on with the collection!’

The auctioneer laid down his gavel. ‘I’m sorry, the auction is over.’

‘What about the paintings?’

‘I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.

The man who took the son gets everything!’

God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: ‘The son, the son, who’ll take the son?’

Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.

“FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, WHO SO EVER BELIEVETH, SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE . . .” (John 3:16) THAT’S LOVE!

It was love, not nails, that kept Jesus on the cross.

As a gesture of goodwill, just pass this on to two other friends & tell them to do likewise to only two others each. By sheer geometric progression, this message of salvation will outreach globally to every nook & corner.

]]> http://rzattar.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/red-hot-private-the-week/ Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:39:33 +0000 rzattar http://rzattar.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/red-hot-private-the-week/

If you are in the market for a European tourist destination, you should consider the Marche region of central Italy. Depending on your specific interests, it is an ideal vacation spot. You can get classic Italian food, and wash it down with fine local wine. And the Marche region hasn’t yet been discovered by tourists. There’s a tradeoff; you won’t have to fight the crowds to see what you want to see. On the other hand, you’ll have a hard time finding fancy hotels. And the roads are not always the best, not much of a surprise when you consider the region’s hilly terrain. We’ll start our tour of this region in the north and work our way south.

The little town of Urbino is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was a great center of learning in the past. The University is home to approximately twenty thousand students, considerably more than Urbino’s resident population of approximately fifteen thousand. You can also visit the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche (National Gallery of The Marche) with Titian’s Resurrection and Last Supper. The city also contains several Renaissance churches that are well worth visiting.

Given that the great Renaissance painter Raphael was an Urbino native, it’s not very surprising that this town is home to the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche (National Gallery of The Marche) located in the Palazzo Ducale (Duke’s Palace). Would you believe that this beautiful Renaissance building doesn’t contain much of his work? On the other hand, you can find Titian’s Resurrection and Last Supper there. The Casa Natale di Raffaello (Birthplace of Raphael) displays a Madonna fresco which is definitely associated with Raphael. But experts have not yet determined if he painted it himself or if his father painted it and Raphael and his mother served as models. The city also contains several Renaissance churches that are well worth visiting.

The port city of Ancona was largely destroyed during World War II. Its attractions include the Twelfth Century Duomo di San Ciriaco (Saint Ciriaco Cathedral) and the Romanesque Santa Maria della Piazza.

Ascoli Piceno is a valley town home to some fifty thousand people. You will want to tour the Piazza del Populo (Square of the People) and the Thirteenth Century Palazzo dei Capitani del Populo (Palace of the People’s Captains) and several other historic churches. You should try to get to Ascoli Piceno on the first Sunday in August to enjoy Renaissance costume parade and jousting tournament.

The Marche boasts many regional specialties, such as brodetto (fish soup) with thirteen kinds of fish and seafood. See our companion article I Love Touring Italy – The Marche Region for a sample menu and more information on Marche wines as well as an in-depth examination of its tourist attractions. The region is home to two red DOCG (the G stands for Guarantita) wines, the Montepulciano-Sangiovese based Rosso Conero Riserva and the Vernaccia di Serrapetrona based on a local grape.

Seguimos con la serie de canciones para el casting del musical. La idea es que cada participante elija de entre las 5 canciones con cuál se va a presentar al casting, su mejor arma para ser seleccionado. Y no puede faltar, aunque no se trate de un musical en sí, está perdonado, pues sobre el escenarioo Rocío Jurado era una de las mejores interpretando la letra de las canciones. ¿Quién se atreve a sacar la pantera enamorada que lleva dentro y hacer un gospel repartiendo mucho amor?

(video para ensayar)

Como yo te amo, como yo te amo
convéncete, convéncete, nadie te amará.
Como yo te amo, como yo te amo
olvídate, olvídate, nadie te amará,
nadie te amará, nadie porque… Yo.

Te amo con la fuerza de los mares, yo
te amo con el ímpetu del viento, yo
te amo en la distancia y en el tiempo, yo
te amo con mi alma y con i sangre, yo
te amo como el niño a su mañana, yo
te amo como el hombre a sus recuerdos, yo
te amo a puro grito y en silencio, yo
te amo de una forma sobrehumana, yo
te amo en la alegría y en el llanto, yo
te amo en el peligro y en la calma, yo
te amo cuando gritas, cuando callas, yo
te amo tanto, yo, te amo tanto, yo.

Como yo te amo, como yo te amo
recuérdalo, recuérdalo,
nadie te amará, nadie te amará.
Como yo te amo, como yo te amo
olvídate, olvídate,
nadie te amará, nadie te amará.
nadie porque… Yo…

The Soul Train Awards are back!!!

While many are still talking about how much better the American Music Awards were, I was checking out footage from the Soul Train Awards…
href=”http://www.bet.com/video/678487″>

The following are the nominees and BOLD are the winners I think will get it.

BEST NEW ARTIST

• DRAKE (I think he’ll get it)
• Jazmine Sullivan
• Keri Hilson
• Ryan Leslie (I’d like to see him get it)
• Solange

BEST R&B/SOUL ARTIST FEMALE

• BEYONCE (As usual, they’ll give it to her)
• Chrisette Michelle (I think she deserves it)
• Jennifer Hudson
• Ledisi
• Whitney Houston

BEST MALE R&B/SOUL MALE

• Charlie Wilson
• MAXWELL (I think he’ll get it AND deserves it!!!)
• Musiq Soulchild
• Raphael Saadiq
• Robin Thicke

SONG OF THE YEAR

• “God in Me” – MARY MARY (It was big and a close second!)
• “Pretty Wings” – Maxwell (I’d like to see this late entry win)
• “Single Ladies (Put a ring on it)” – BEYONCE (She’ll win but not by much!)
• “Spotlight” – Jennifer Hudson
• “Turnin Me On” – Keri Hilson/ ft Lil Wayne

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

• Beyonce – I am… Sasha Fierce (Platinum) Sony Music
• Jamie Foxx – Intuition (Platinum) J Records
• Kanye West – 808s & Heartbreak (Platinum) Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam
• MAXWELL – Blacksummer’s Night (Gold) Sony Music
(My choice to win although Kanye’s album minus his personal drama was superb if you are just talking about music!)
• Ne-Yo – Year of the Gentleman

RECORD OF THE YEAR (SONGWRITER AWARD)

• Beyonce – “Single Ladies (Put a ring on it)”
• Drake – “Best I ever had”
• Jamie Foxx Ft/T-Pain – “Blame it”
• Keri Hilson – “Knock You Down”
• MAXWELL – “Pretty Wings” (Hands DOWN if you are talking about the QUALITY of writing)

BEST REGGAE ARTIST AWARD
• Movado (He had a fairly good year but may not stand out compared to Sean)
• SEAN PAUL (because the people who choose them always go to the guy most popular they’ll probably choose him)
• Serani
• Taurus Riley
• Ziggy Marley

CENTRIC AWARD – SOUL APPROVED/UNDERGROUND

• Corneille
• Eric Roberson
• LAURA IZABOR (I think she’ll win as the most visible, held up and I have not stopped playing this album. Great work musically though I wouldn’t say “underground.” Atlantic just didn’t promoter her)
• Maysa
• The Knux

BEST GOSPEL PERFORMANCE MALE, FEMALE OR GROUP

• BeBe and CeCe Winans – “Close To You”
• Fred Hammond f/John P Kee – “They That Wait”
• Marvin Sapp – “Praise Him in Advance”
• MARY MARY – “God In Me” (As the biggest crossover they’ll win hands down…and I happen to think it’s a great song anyway with a greater message)
• Smokie Norful – “Justified”

BEST COLLABORATION

• Keri Hilson featuring Kanye West & Ne-Yo – “Knock you Down”
• Keyshia Cole featuring Monica – “Trust”
• MARIO featuring Gucci Mane and Sean Garrett – “Break up” (I choose this song although it may be too street for some tastes…but the combination of flows made for an engaging journey into downtempo Rhythm & Beats aka R&B)
• Mary Mary featuring Kierra (KiKi) Sheard – “God In Me”
• Trey Songz featuring Drake – “Successful” (People like this dude Drake right now and Trey finally got some hits out this year beyond New York and ATL…This was a good second place mention)

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

• Michael Jackson

Since there weren’t any choices, it goes to Michael. It goes to him not because he was the best this year but because he died this year, let’s keep it real. This music industry is so politically inclined they couldn’t just say we are giving MJ the accolades we haven’t given out of guilt…maybe if more of us were supportive and loving toward one of the greatest to ever do it then maybe the people closer to him would have done more to protect and take care of him.

Looking forward to seeing who actually wins! Maybe the industry can take notes from the AMAs by giving awards based on sales and not politics since sales mean PEOPLE chose the winners! *Pardon me Grammys* but the voters are not necessarily in tune with the music…I’ll get on their case in another blog coming soon!

*Freedom*
www.socialtravelers.net
www.facebook.com/freedom.us
djfreedomjustice@gmail.com

So its been over a decade and the turtles are still kicking. As part of their 25th anniversary, Mirage and 4Kids Entertainment, the people behind the 2k3 series have joined forces to bring you “Turtles Forever”. In this direct to DVD movie, the Ninja Turtles from the popular 80’s toon team up with the Ninja Turtles from the 2k3 series in order to stop 2k3’s villain, Krang aka Shedder from destroying the Turtles universe – literally. We get a special treat at the end when the appearance of the original Mirage comic book Turtles make their debut in animation form. Turtles Forever is witty, amusing, and well animated. Its hard to believe after so many years the Turtles are still mean, green, ninja butt kicking machines. All in all, Turtles Forever is – Cowabunga.

Production Art Work.

]]> http://raphaelg.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/new-and-updated-website/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:32:45 +0000 Rafi Grynsztajn http://raphaelg.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/new-and-updated-website/

My website is now completely renovated and updated:

Check it out http://photographybyrafi.com

Someone was complaining, with much disgust – “How can the archangels become like servants to do the bidding of these so-called healers who are human?”

Oh my. Whatever gave people that impression.

We call upon our guardian angels, our spirit guides, not to do our bidding, but to (hopefully) impart wisdom and guidance to our everyday lives. As Healers, we also call upon the blessings of these higher evolved energy pools to guide us in healing. Sometimes the healing process can be accelerated when we can see the ’cause’ of the illness. And sometimes – if the Universe or karmic time permits – our guides and angels can help remove certain obstacles or illnesses when the timing is just right. That being said, when the soul-lesson has been learned.

I do not believe we can ‘instruct’ our angels and guides to do us little favors. Nor is it right. Kinda disrespectful. At most, we can only pray that our angels and guides lend a helping hand in our times of need. And only when we truly deserve it! The idea of ‘I need something so I shall pray for it’ is not so appropriate, I think. Hence I always say:

“Find God not when we are sad or in need. Find God when we are happy and not in need. Only then can we truly appreciate what we have ALREADY been given!”

Hope you get my drift.

I am not highly attuned to angelic energy and presence. I have only ‘met’ a few in my healing work – Archangel Michael with the fiery wings, and Archangel Azreal who isn’t fond of talking. I work more closely with the animal spirit guides instead, for the past few years.

I did have a brush with Archangel Raphael last year, about the same time Buddha Amoghasiddhi ‘appeared’ to me. It was only recently that I finally realized what the both were trying to tell me – walk towards the path of Healing without fear!

So here I am

Presenting my second interview of the week with Mr. Jim Lawson.  His style has become synonymous with the Ninja Turtles for the nearly 25 years he’s worked at Mirage.  Lawson has drawn more Ninja Turtles comics than anyone else in the business, and he was quite gracious to let me interview him.

Interviewing Jim Lawson has been a grand opportunity for me, and I’m very thankful to share his insights and knowledge about the Turtles.  In the interview, we discuss the recent purchase of TMNT by Nickelodeon, his future plans (with dinosaurs!), Paleo, most likely the last TMNT comic to come out (at least for a long time) Tales #70, and R.E.M.!

This whole experience has been fun connecting with the Mirage crew, and I hope that further opportunities will come to them as they face the future.

Recently, on your blog, you addressed the issue of the TMNT purchase from Nickelodeon, and briefly mentioned some of your possible future plans.  Have you further thought about your options since then?

Not really. It’s been kind of overwhelming emotionally since the announcement of the sale—I think only now that the dust is beginning to settle and I can start thinking about the future. As I sit here right now, I can’t honestly say just what it is that I want to do.

Do the possibilities still remain to finish up the Paleo TPB and even release more Paleo comics?

Yeah, definitely. Paleo was published under the Zeromayo partnership between Peter (Laird) and myself.  Whether Pete still wants a relationship and involvement in that, that’s unclear to me. However, I don’t see that there would be anything preventing me from finishing the TPB myself.

You also mentioned that the thought of doing a children’s book has been in your head for awhile, do you have any ideas that you might want to share about what this would involve?  Dinosaur themes or something similar to your work from on the Turtles Comics?

The children’s book idea is something that’s always appealed to me- and now that I’m playing around with colors, even more so now. Nothing concrete, storywise- but you’re correct, dinosaurs are absolutely a direction that I would like to go.

How did Peter Laird break the news about the deal to the writers and artists, or how did you find out about the deal?

I think that it was October 13—Gary (Richardson) called us all into a staff meeting here at Mirage. Everyone was there including Pete. It was then that we were told that a deal to sell the Turtles was nearly complete.  Some details of the sale were talked about and Pete discussed his situation and reasons for my he felt he had to make this decision.  Contracts were given us to review and sign. It was pretty emotional.

You explained your personal account of what it was like for you to walk around the Mirage office after hearing about the deal (as a zombie), were everyone else’s reactions similar to yours?

I think so. Everyone seemed sorta paralyzed by the news. But conversely, I think that we all knew in the back of our minds that this day was coming.

I’m happy for Pete—it’s been tough watching him struggle for the past few years with regards to his loss of enthusiasm for the comics. I hope this unburdens him and he can rediscover the creative person that he once was.

I’ve always enjoyed how stylistically and minimalist your artwork has been especially in depicting action, how did you develop this style that has almost become synonymous with the TMNT?

Lots and lots of drawing. I’m asked occasionally why my style changed so dramatically over the run of the TMNTs. I can’t say that it was my intention to draw the way I do now-it just naturally happened.  I really like that it’s such an evolving thing- it’s very exciting for me as an artist.

I’ve noticed that the pacing and beats in all of the miniseries that you have both written and drawn have had a lot of downtime, scenic, mood-setting moments (most recently in the Donatello miniseries) which is quite impactful stylistically.  What’s some of the inspiration behind these moments?

That’s an interesting question. In response to that, all I can say is that I try for a sense of realism in my stories. I very much want to try to convey a character’s mood or emotion- I want to really get in their head and to know what an individual’s thoughts are.  It’s during my own quiet times when I’m introspective and reflecting so I think that that’s what I try to bring into my writing.

I’m sure you’ve answered it a ton before, and that’s why I was hesitant to ask earlier, but who’s your favorite character and why?  How do you go about drawing the separate characters when they look nearly identical?

I don’t know if I have a favorite character. Leo I find really interesting. I guess as the unofficial leader of the Turtles it’s my belief that he is subject to more responsibilites and influences than the other guys. There’s just got to be more of a depth there. From an artistic standpoint, all the Turtles are nearly identical, appearance-wise.  I think for me personally, the differences become more of a facial expression or body positioning– Leo stands straight, Mikey looser, Raph when he’s addressing someone, more aggressive- in their face. Don very often standing separate. That type stuff.

What is your creative process like?  Do the writers leave you plenty of room for your own interpretation?

It changes from writer to writer, but for the most part, yeah- in my experience the writers that I’ve dealt with have allowed me a lot of freedom. Perhaps it’s because Mirage was what I consider a small-time publisher- everyone pretty much knew each other so I think there was this sense of familiarity and trust.

As for my creative process, there’s no trick to it really. I’ll usually have some germ of an idea and write it out more or less in outline form. Often, certain scenes that I want to highlight I’ll try to dialogue at that early stage. Occasionally, I’ll even have ideas about how I want to end the story and I’ll have to backward engineer events leading up to that. 

Do you have any special pencils or pens that you like to work with, and what is your view on digital pen tablets?

Yeah, every artist has their favorites. The pencil that I like right now is something called a Black Warrior. My favorite paper is Strathmore Bristol. With pens, I’ve been using some Japanese brush pens for the past few years- my favorite is the Zebra FD-301. More recently, I’ve taken to using the Pentel Pocket Brush—it features a waterproof ink that is required for use with watercolors.

I have no view on digital pen tablets, as I’ve never used one.

For the younger generation of Comic readers today, you were a participant at the Creator’s Bill of Rights drafting, could you explain your influence in the couple day event?

In all honesty, I don’t think that I had much of an impact on the Creator’s Bill of Rights.  Peter and Kevin were the influential ones- myself and the other Mirage artists were more secondary characters, in my opinion.

How was it like working with Tristan Jones for the first time on Tales #64 (out now)?

Awesome. Tristan’s a hell of a nice guy, as well as being a very talented writer. His enthusiasm for the Turtles is infectious. I’m gonna miss him a lot.

Can you hint at anything that might catch our eye in the second two pieces to the Donatello miniseries?

Not really. In the Don mini, my intent was to give a view of the character that might be a little different than what most people might think. The darker side of Donatello, if you will.

Currently, you’re working on quite possibly the last comic of the TMNT at least for a decent amount of time with Tales #70.  You stated that the story is set in Return to New York and that you’re replicating the process and feel of those comics back in the 80s.  Are there any other exciting things that this issue may contain?

The story will feature Raph, almost exclusively. Eric and I have in mind a fight scene that will be unlike anything that I’ve ever done, so I’m looking forward to how I’m going to choreograph that in the pencils. The book will also be done on the old school Duoshade paper so that should give it a classic RTNY feel, I hope.

With issue #70 focusing primarily on Raph, does this mean the story takes place right before the Turtles fight the Mutant Shredders?  Or does it focus on when he runs off when they’re in the foot base and Leonardo has to save him (one of my favorite frames of all comics)?

As to when Tales 70 takes place, it’s in that 3 or 4 day time period after Leo and Raph have that fight at the barn in Northampton. The story does take place in the NY sewers. I guess as sort of a prequel to issue 19.

Over the last 20 years you have drawn plenty of frames in comics, are there any that stand out to you as a favorite?  Or any issue that you had a lot of fun on?

A standout most certainly has to be the Leonardo mini-series, Blind Sight. Much of that book was done in white silhouette, and that gave it definitely a different look. As well, it was a real challenge to my drawing and design sense, as far as actually creating the art. Unquestionably the most memorable book that I’ve done.

How did you develop the style behind the silhouettes in Blind Sight?  I’ve often noticed that you’ve used the style (before and since then) for a single frame or two, is this a technique you like to use to establish a certain mood?

Simply yeah- the white silhouette was just that, kind of a drawing gimmick. It had a kind of visual power that you couldn’t help but notice, though. That’s I suppose, what attracted to it and made me want to take it to the next level.

You often post commissions on your blog, will you continue to do commissions and how would someone go about getting one?  What is the average cost?

I’ll continue to do commissions until I leave Mirage, most likely. When that day is though, I’m not entirely sure. That said, folks who want a commission need only to contact me at my email: jmlawsn@aol.com. Prices vary with the number of figures and complexity of the drawing. As far as a range, commissions are generally from $50.00 to $250.00. Most are in the $100-$150 neighborhood.

Despite having your job as a TMNT writer and artist for the last 20 years, are you excited for the break to try something new?

Absolutely, and I think that’s why I’m uncertain about the whole comics thing—part of me is really hungering for a new adventure, something totally different. It’s hard to imagine a future without drawing as being my bread and butter, but that certainly is a strong possibility.

Just for some general questions that you may have fun at:

What’s your favorite music/band/musician?

No question, REM is my favorite band.

If you hands down love R.E.M., then what’s your favorite song(s)?

Some of my favorite REM tunes are:
Walk Unafraid
E-Bow the Letter
7 Chinese Brothers
I’ll Take the Rain
Nightswimming

What type of Motorcycle do you ride?

Right now, I have 4 motorcycles—they are:
2005 Yamaha FJR 1300
2007 Moto Guzzi Griso
2009 BMW F800 GS
1979 Honda Ratwing

What are you currently reading?

I very recently finished “Endless Horizons” by Dan Walsh. Walsh is a sometimes columnist for several motorcycle magazines and this is his travelogue about a journey that he took to South America.

What is/are your favorite film(s)?

Films that feature some kind of adventure, I guess. But within that, everything from Hildago to The Road Warrior to Up to Kun Fu Hustle to Army of Darkness.

What is the comic that continues to inspire you?

Usagi Yojimbo amazes me. How Stan (Sakai) can continue to generate stories that are of a consistently high quality after all these issues- it’s stunning. I just bought the little hardcover/color comic that he just published, Yokai. It’s absolutely beautiful.

Once again, thanks to Jim Lawson for the interview, and I hope everything works out well for him and all of the Mirage crew.  I know that I’ll be their to support them in whatever their endeavors are because through the Ninja Turtles they’ve impacted my life astoundingly, and I hope they can continue work like that in their own lives and work.

Mi madre me cuenta siempre que mientras estaba embarazada miraba unas 4 telenovelas al día para pasar el tiempo. Evidentemente algo paso en aquél entonces porque mientras yo flotaba plácidamente en liquido amniótico se me pego el melodrama en la vida y se quedo para siempre en mi torrente emocional.

Cuando fui creciendo me dediqué a formar mis gustos musicales hasta llegar a niveles de pretenciosidad insoportables que no me permitían ser libre. Pero llego un momento en que no aguante mas mi ejercicio de auto hipocresía y mandé todo a la mierda. Me sincere por completo al respecto de este asunto y me dije “me gustan las canciones y no prejuzgo mas a su autor o intérprete” A partir de ese momento  para mi una buena balada puede ser de Elliot Smith o de Alejandro Sanz, si me emociona ya cumplió su función en mi vida. Entonces un mundo de sonidos guardados en mi memoria emotiva despertaron para no dormirse nunca más.

Una vez superado este incordio en mi vida pude reconocer mi fanatismo por canciones y músicos que para la gran fauna del rock & pop podían ser extremadamente horteras pero para mi eran enormes.  Al día de hoy muchos rockeros de pura cepa valoran el verdadero talento de estos maestros del arte de emocionar a cualquier hombre o mujer que lleve el deseo en su cuerpo y se atreva a ser sincero al respecto.

Lo que sigue a continuación es mi top five de las que considero las canciones melodramáticas mas grandes de habla hispana.

Vivir Así Es Morir De Amor- Camilo Sesto

Esta canción es absolutamente inmensa, la re descubrí cuando me vine a vivir a España allá por el 2002. Los arreglos, la enorme voz de Camilo y ese estribillo que no se canta… Se grita!!!  Esta canción es inmensa, hermosa, enorme y genial.

¿Y Cómo Es Él? – José Luis Perales

Aquí la canción del cornudo consciente mas enorme de la historia. El tipo es tan grande que envía a su amada abrigada y con paraguas para que no se moje a los brazos de su amante!!! José Luis Perales es enorme y en esta canción lo demuestra a pleno.

Que Sabe Nadie – Raphael

Poca gente supo capitalizar tanto la mística de su personaje como Raphael.  Jugo siempre con la ambigüedad hasta el extremo y esta canción confirma mis palabras. Mas de un rockstar de pacotilla quisiera la mitad del desparpajo y glamour que derrocha el maestro, desde aquí mi humilde reconocimiento a su arte.

Porque Yo Te Amo – Sandro

El mas grande, nuestro Elvis latino. Un tipo que podía hacer temblar a una mujer solo con mover sus labios sin decir una sola palabra. Esta canción es una de mis favoritas de su repertorio. El maestro en estos días lo esta pasando chungo. Desde aquí todo mi amor y la fuerza para que se recupere pronto.

Te Quiero, Te Quiero – Nino Bravo

Esta canción es una belleza perfecta, un tipo que no se corta un pelo en decirle a su chica todo lo que siente por ella. Si a esto le sumamos la enorme voz de Nino Bravo la combinación es letal. Cuando empieza con el “Te quiero, te quiero, te quiero” no hay fémina en este planeta que se pueda resistir a semejante emoción.

Dedico este post a mi adorada madre por criarme con estas canciones de fondo. A CaroQ por inspirarme a escribir esto mientras cantábamos estas canciones a grito pelado en la Vespa hace un par de días. Y a todos los desbordados emocionales de siempre.

Queridos lectores y lectoras,

Se ha hecho público que la revista gay más famosa e influyente de esta parte de Europa podría cerrar. ZERO se encuentra en suspensión de pagos.

Hace justamente unos días escribí un post sobre una publicación icónica de Estados Unidos, nacida en 1969 y llamada THE WASHINGTON BLADE y que también cerraba. Me acuerdo que cuando escribí el post pensé en la revista ZERO pero no pensé que ZERO pudiera tener que quizás cerrar.

He de decir que nunca compré esta revista pero en el PINK CORNER pudé hacerme con una que creo que guardo y que guardaré junto con la última que iré a comprar de aquí unos minutos.

Esta revista podía encontrarse en cualquier biblioteca pública y aunque había aspectos de ella que no me gustaban la verdad es que en el fondo me gustaba que existiera porque suponía que los homosexuales habíamos conquistado ciertos espacios.

Toda la comercialización de ser gay que encontré en la revista no dejaba de ser la misma que se puede encontrar en revistas como, por ejemplo, ELLE respecto al ser mujer.

ZERO estaba pensaba para cierto tipo de homosexuales (con un cierto estilo y poder adquisitivo) pero yo me sentía beneficiado de que existiera.

Me acuerdo que al llegar a la biblioteca siempre la veía allí y no podía dejar de sonreir que en una biblioteca donde quizá no todo el mundo era muy gay-friendly, la revista ZERO advertía a todos los que veían sus portadas de que los gays y lesbianas existiamos.

De hecho me acuerdo de portadas famosas como la de Zapatero y también me acuerdo de la de Boris Izaguirre. Quizá algun estudioso o estudiosa debiera investigar la influencia que esta revista tuvo en que se aprobara el matrimonio gay (espero que no haya que estudiar la influencia que podría tener su no existencia en la derogación del matrimonio gay por un posible nuevo gobierno a cargo del PP)

Cuando me he enterado del posible cierre de ZERO he pensado en GAY.CAT y he entendido perfectamente que zero tenga que quizás cerrar.

De hecho si GAY.CAT no ha cerrado todavía como web es simplemente porque GAY.CAT ha dejado de ser una web gay y ahora es simplemente una web personal. Gracias a ello tiene para mi sentido seguir escribiendo en GAY.CAT. De hecho los temas que se tratan en GAY.CAT que no tienen una relación directa con lo gay son los que atraen más visitas (IRAN, HOTEL VELA de BARCELONA, RUDY GAY, …)

GAY.CAT cerró pues ya hace meses como web gay y se mantiene porque la utilizo como web personal (por eso hablo tanto, por ejemplo, de lo de enviar un robot a la Luna que nada tiene que ver con una web gay)
El hecho de que aparezcan posts como este que si son muy adecuados para una web gay no es debido a que GAY.CAT juegue a ser una web gay y a ser una web personal. GAY.CAT trata temas gais simplemente porque para GAY.CAT los temas gais forman parte de los temas personales.

Hablando de futuro quizá no habría que quedarse de brazos cruzados ante el cierre de la revista ZERO y habría que buscar que a nivel del estado sigamos teniendo un medio potente de dejarnos ver en todos los quioscos y bibliotecas del país. Como GAY.CAT ha estado casi tres años intentando tener una web gay sin éxito alguno me imagino que continuaré con GAY.CAT como mi web personal.

Esperando que ZERO no cierre y que está web siga siendo un faro en la gran noche de la homofobia que todavía cubre la mayoría de las tierras de este bonito planeta,

Desde Catalunya, con Amor, GAY.CAT