The Orlando Nerd Fest closing party rocked The Geek Easy.

Posted on by Thor

The fifth day of the Orlando Nerd Fest was an after party held at The Geek Easy in the back of A Comic Shop (114 S Semoran Blvd #6, Winter Park, FL). Early in the day, the crowd was pretty thin, but it grew more crowded even as the sketch progressed. As I understand it, a bus transported Nerds over from the Orlando Airport Mariott. Wendy Wallenburg was there with Brian Minnich, the photographer she represents. Several girls in costume entered the bar, but they quickly disappeared, perhaps feeling over dressed for the occasion. A guy in a lab coat was the only other person on the edge of being costumed.

As the band performed on stage, guys gathered on the dance floor. One dance involved marching in a circle and the moves seemed as well rehearsed as the duck dance at a wedding reception. Wendy was busy with her social media as she sat across the room in the only cushy comfy chair. I recognized the performers from a Nerd Festival I had covered last year.  They performed an edgy nerd rap that had the crowd raising their hands in the air. I’m sure the party heated up after dark, but with one sketch done, I decided to call it a day. That was a wrap for this year’s Nerd Fest for me. Next year I should arrange to sketch people in costume. The talent involved in putting together some of those costumes is astounding.

Mystery Sketch Theater

Posted on by Thor

Mystery Sketch Theater, a live model sketch session, is held on the first Wednesday of every month at A Comic Shop
114 (South Semoran Blvd. Suite 6, Winter Park). On February 6th the model will be Ivy Les Vixens. Who’s got more pink frilly things in her closet than
Ivy? Not many, and that’s why she’s back to help us Celebrate
Valentine’s Day at our February session! Ivy is the powerhouse princess pussycat, ringleader of the Les Vixens, a
post-modern burlesque experience. She thrives on glamor, go-go,
glitter & girls. With more than six years entertaining the gay
community, she has established herself as the energizer bunny of the
go-go world, with the sweat, blood and hair flips to prove it. She
performs every Saturday night at Revolution, dances at Rain on Tuesdays,
and travels the country with a multitude of different entertainers,
leaving a trail of sequins and glitter wherever she goes.

A Comic Shop recently received a restaurant license to serve food
and drinks (including wine and beer). We will no longer be able to
bring in outside food and drink (so they don’t get into trouble). Please
feel free to purchase snacks and beverages from them during our
session.


Come
early for a good seat. Those drawing tables go quickly! Sessions
cost only $5 for two hours of drawing fun and prizes, and start promptly
at 8PM at The Geek Easy, located inside of A Comic Shop:

Mystery Sketch Theater

Posted on by Thor

Every month at A Comic Shop on 436 near University
Boulevard, there is a sketch session called Mystery Sketch Theater. The models are usually dressed as super
heroes or Henai characters. Quite honestly I seldom know who the model is
portraying. It is a great chance to loosen up and it is a luxury to have a
model pose for 5, 10 and sometimes 20 minutes at a time.  I keep a small sketch journal for these quick
academic poses, but I can’t resist drawing the artists around me. About ten to
twenty artists gather each month. There always seems to be just enough artists
to fill the available art desks.

Towards the end of the evening the organizers ask the
artists to shout out a strange character or theme for the drawing. All the
drawings from that pose are then put on the model stand and the model picks her
favorite sketch. That artist then wins a prize which is usually a book about
comics or movies. I seldom win this fantasy sketch round since I’m usually
still working on my one overall sketch. I did win once, and I recall getting a
plastic cup with blinking lights in the base.

The Geek Easy

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Some of the Skill Focus Burlesque girls will be going to Dragon Con in Atlanta, Georgia to spread the gospel of Nerdy Burlesque. Dragon Con is the largest multimedia, popular culture
convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics,
literature, art, music, and film in the universe! This year, Dragon Con will be held Labor Day weekend (August 31 – September 3, 2012) in Atlanta, GA. Gas money is expensive though, so Ruby Darling threw a Free Dragon Con themed burlesque party at the Geek Easy to get folks drunk and sell them cupcakes! The Geek Easy is located in the back room of A Comic Shop
(114 South Semoran Blvd. Winter Park).

Cherry Bob-omb and Ruby Darling were behind the bar. Cherry had a luscious display of cupcakes in front of her. I decided to get a spoors cupcake which was awesome.Cherry’s other half, Mr. Bob-omb was next to the keg of free beer which was kept cool in an R2D2 ice bucket. There was a cardboard box for donations. The foamy Yuengling beer was quite good, and I stuffed some bills in the box. It is hard to write anything without sounding suggestive. Bob had to keep pumping the keg and done just right with plenty of wrist action and rhythm, it is hilariously suggestive.

At 11PM the Skill focus girls gave burlesque performances on two model stands that were arranged runway style. Shy LaBuff came to the event dressed as a Lord of the rings Dwarf. The fiery red bear matched her hair.  Her performance however was as Mario from the Mario Brothers Donkey Kong game. As always she was hilarious. Syber Digit added some sophistication to her routine and Ruby Darling really knew how to linger before each and every sensual reveal.

This brings me to another important reveal, The Star Wars Celebration VI is coming up August 23rd through August 26th at the Orlando Convention Center. The Skill Focus: Burlesque girls are going to celebrate Star Wars in their favorite way: Striptease!  They’ve got your light side and your dark side right here. The show titled Chan Shot First: An Intergalactic Burlesque Tribute, will be at Sleuth’s Diner Theater (8267 International Drive Orlando). Enjoy a fancy adult beverage from our Star
Wars menu of drink specials and be amazed as Skill Focus performs burlesque numbers as some of your favorite
scoundrels, princesses, and various life forms. The show is Saturday August 25th starting at 8PM.Parking is ample and free. Look for Ripley’s and the Crab House!

Tickets are $10 general public, $8 for members of the 501st

Doors and the bar open at 7:15pm

18+ only – nudity and nerdity!

Call 407-363-1985 to reserve your tickets now…seating is limited – don’t miss out!

Star Wars themed drink specials will be available all night long, plus a full bar and appetizer menu.

For reservations, call 407-363-1985. Seating is limited!

Captain America WWII Burlesque

Posted on by Thor

Terry and I went to see “Captain America the First Avenger” on it’s opening weekend. Ultimately we were disappointed in the film. There was plenty of fist fighting and no character development. The predictable romance was unsatisfying; the actors had no chemistry. The constant fighting and explosive action became boring after a while. That evening there was going to be a World War II themed Burlesque party at the Comic Shop. Sophie Lamore one of the organizers of the event told me that my name would be on the list so I could sketch the event. Since the event cost $9, Terry decided to hang out with friends at Redlight Redlight while I sketched. It was Chad Bruce’s birthday.

When I got to the Comic Shop there was a large group of people at the back of the store waiting to get into the Geek Easy, a separate social gathering room in the back of the building. I noticed some Captain America comics on the bookshelf across from me. I had arrived a little late, so I was surprised that no one was allowed in yet. Though there probably wasn’t enough time, I decided to sketch the people waiting. A few women had on WWII themed dresses and a couple of guys wore military cargo pants. As I sketched people started filing in. When everyone was inside I walked up to the admissions table and told the woman my name so she could check the list. It was a bit odd announcing I was Thor in a comic shop. My name wasn’t there. I told her to check with Sophie who I had talked to about covering the event. From inside the venue, Sophie didn’t remember putting me on the list. The message was relayed to me. I was offered a discounted ticket, but realized it was a good excuse to get back to Chad’s birthday party. Besides I already had a finished sketch. My job was done. I drove back to Redlight Redlight to hang out with Terry and to wish Chad a happy birthday. As Terry and I left the bar, Chad offered me some eggs from his very own hen house. It was a farm fresh evening.

Mystery Sketch Theater

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The model at this month’s Mystery Sketch Theater called herself “Arsenic”. She talked about a body painting convention that had happened last month and it sounded like a choice sketching opportunity. When she entered the “Geek Easy” in the back of “The Comic Shop” she was carrying a tray of home made cupcakes. The red haired wig was large and cumbersome. As it shifted around on Arsenic’s head, it made her seem extremely young. The two artists next to me were comic book artists and their work had a polished look.

After finishing off a sketch of all the artists at work, I started doing isolated studies of Arsenic. Her poses were not particularly dynamic since the focus seemed to be on the costumes details rather than any one story point. I began blocking in my sketches immediately with ink. I skipped the tentative spidery pencil work I usually do and I think the sketches were stronger because of that.

There were the usual artist complaints that the drawings were not “on” or that the pose wasn’t working from their viewing angle. I don’t get bothered by the little details anymore. I was just happy she didn’t walk away. Kristen shouted loudly giving us all a one minute warning. Several artists groaned that there wasn’t enough time. I’m slowly learning to let go since sometimes an unfinished sketch has more charm and appeal than a finished piece.

The cupcakes were light and fluffy with no icing. Where else do you get to spend a relaxing evening drawing where the model offers treats? On the way out I thumbed through several graphic novels. I keep searching to see if there is an artist whose work feels like it was sketched on location. I keep toying with the idea of working with a small cast of actors who would be sketched at various locations around town to create the panels needed for a graphic novel. The huge response I got from people willing to pose for the Mennello Museum mural made me realize that my idea might not be a pipe dream.

A Comic Shop

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“A Comic Shop” is hidden in an innocuous strip mall on 436 just south of Aloma. It is located right next to a tattoo parlor. The shop is located right across the street from Full Sail where I work. I arrived early right from work and decided to sketch the humble strip mall architecture. After I finished my sketch I ordered some fried rice at the Chinese restaurant in the mall. The rice tasted old and I could only eat half of it. I come here once a month for “Mystery Sketch Theater” which is held in “The Geek Easy”, a lounge hidden away in the back of the shop. There was an assortment of desks and chairs scattered around the lounge.

Kristen Pauline and Adrienne Frankenfield started moving the model’s stage into place and I helped out. Adrienne had a little map that showed where to place each desk. Ten to twenty artists show up to sketch a model who is usually dressed in a comic themed outfit. This month we were sketching Arsenic Arson…