Weekend Top 6 Picks for November 16 and 17, 2019

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Saturday November 16, 2019

9am to 1pm.  $10 to enter your chili $5 to eat. Coffee With Pat and Matt Chili Cook-off. The Nook on Robinson (2432 E. Robinson St., Orlando). Fundraising chili cook-off. Our friend Patrick Greene is heading off on another adventure. This time to do Vienna’s prestigious Monochrome Q21 residency! The chili cook off event is a fundraiser for his art venture and a farewell-for-now party. First prize is a $25 bar tab, 2nd and 3rd prize winners get a Pat Greene for Mayor t-shirt.

10am to Noonish. Children under 3 are
free. Admission is included with your $10 ticket. To enjoy free admission present your Annual Pass Member card at
the gate.  Owl Be Home for Christmas. 

Audubon Center for Birds of Prey


(1101 Audubon Way, Maitland Fl). Holiday kick-off event with holiday crafts, meet-and-greets with bird ambassadors, tasty treats and Santa.


(407) 644-019.

5pm to 7pmish. Free. Star Wars Masquerade. 

Gods and Monsters


(5421 International Drive, Orlando Fl). celebrating the Disney release of The Mandalorian, with a Star Wars Masquerade in VAULT 5421. The Empire Strikes Back at 5pm, followed by Return of the Jedi and other Star Wars films and shows on our big screens throughout the night, with spacey tunes playing, themed cocktails, and Cosplay Cage-Dancing by Jacqueline Obsidian from 8pm-12am! If you go in Star Wars cosplay or SW themed masquerade attire to receive 1 FREE SHOT or soda at the bar and 15% off store wide inside Gods and Monsters! (Just mention your attire, at the bar, for your FREE shot or soda and at the register for store discount.)

Sunday November 17, 2019 

Noon to 2pmish Free for kids 12 and under. Regular Ticket Pricing $12.00.  Peanut Butter Matinee: My Neighbor Totoro.

Enzian Theater


(1300 S. Orlando Ave., Maitland Fl). One of my favorite of Miyazaki’s films. Backgrounds are gorgeous. Two girls move to the countryside and befriend playful spirits and a cuddly giant in this animated film from Hayao Miyazaki.


407-629-0054.

 2pmto 4pmish $62 to $37Macbeth.  Orlando Shakes


812 E. Rollins St., Orlando. Shakespeare’s cursed play about a Scottish thane who, under the urging of his wife, murders his way up the ladder of success.


407-447-1700. 

3pm to 5pmish $42 Boesman and Lena. Mad Cow Theatre 

(54 W. Church St., Orlando Fl.) Tale of the struggle of two refugees who encounter a stranger while wandering the South African wastelands.


407-297-8788.

Dezerland

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I heard about a game night at Gods and Monsters called Tipsy Tabletop. I had sketched in Gods and Monsters in the past and they were located in the former Artegon Marketplace on International Drive. I typed Gods and Monsters into my GPS and headed out. When I got close the GPS started giving me unexpected directions. I ignored the directions and parked near the Cinemark Theaters which is where I usually park when going to Gods and Monsters. The Cinemark was active but when I turned into the Market there was a high metal fence set up blocking access to the inner market area. I knew that Bass Pro shop was open on the west side of the mall, so I figured I might be able to get to Gods and Monsters by walking around the exterior of the building.

Dark storm clouds with lightening loomed on the horizon. When I got to this front facade of the mall I stopped in my tracks. The huge letters used to spell out Artegon but now spelled Dezerland. What is Dezerland? The mall had been empty for over a year. Did it mean Deserted land? I decided to sit down and sketch to ponder the possibilities. Gilson’s Brazilian Restaurant with a large black limousine parked in front was open to my right but Fudruckers looked closed.  Also to my right was an automobile museum that didn’t look like it was open yet.

Artegon had been sold to a business associate of Donald Trump named Michael Dezer for $24 million dollars. Mr Dezer was converting the interior of the mall into an action park. I remember that Artegon had installed an indoor skyline course where people could walk tightropes several stories up. On the first week it opened a tourist fell to his death since he had not been harnessed in correctly. I wonder if Dezer will remove that skyline or keep it?

The city of Orlando had put a stop work order on Dezerland since the proper permits had not been filed. Cars were being painted inside without proper ventilation. Interior walls were altered and electrical work done. Dezer is being fined $200 a day until the paperwork is filed. He had planned to open the park as an auto dealership and theme park early this year. That would explain why the place looked so deserted.

The auto museum is supposed to house one of the largest collections of cars in the country. When I peaked in the closed entrance I just saw a few child’s toy sized cars. A map of the plans shows that the car museum would be much larger that I was able to see peaking in the front windows. The museum is supposed to house the largest privately owned collection of cars in the world, including the James Bond Cars, the Bat Mobile and the Ghostbusters Hearst.

The theme park includes, a retro
pinball machine palace an arcade game room, bumper cars, various virtual
reality rooms and experiences, trampolines, a bowling alley, laser tag,
and Florida’s longest straightaway go-kart track. Future plans include an apartment complex on the south side of the former mall. The Dezerland website lists the opening date as Spring of 2019. I’m not sure what to expect but it could be a sketch opportunity when it is up and running.

Just as a footnote I found out that Gods and Monsters had moved a few blocks away. I will eventually find my way over there again.

Charity Benefit for Pulse

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I went to Gods and Monsters (5250 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819) to sketch a charity benefit for Pulse. The tragic attack on Pulse on June 12th  deeply affected our city and our lives. The families of the victims need help, the survivors need help and the staff of Pulse need help as well. We are holding a charity event to raise funds to be donated directly to the GLBT Center of Orlando who in turn will pass these funds on to anyone affected by this tragedy who is in need of assistance.

100% of proceeds from the art auction and raffles goes to the fundraising efforts for the Pulse victims and their families being organized by Hope and Help Center  and the GLBT Center of Orlando. Donations were accepted for water and dry goods and toiletries to donate to the blood donation centers and various counseling sites. Donations were also currently being accepted.

Gods and Monsters also accepted donated items and art for the auction benefit for the victims and their families. Donations could be dropped off at Gods and Monsters anytime during normal hours. There would be raffles, auctions, music and entertainment held throughout the day, starting at 4pm. After 9pm the lounge became 18+ as some entertainment may be more mature in content. Also, 25% of sales all day from both the store and bar are going to be split between the funds for the victims and their families through Hope and Help, the GLBT Center of Orlando, and the Pulse Employee Recovery Fund.

I didn’t notice any signs of the benefit happening while I sketched. I imagine any charitable work happened quietly behind the scenes. A few people sat at the Off World Barhaving drinks. At least 25% of liquor sales went to the  causes. A reporter was also supposed to meet me at the venue to do an interview, but they never showed up. It was a small town response to a monstrous event the reach of which was still rippling around the world.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for Novemvber 25th and 26th.

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Saturday November 25, 2017

9AM to 5 PM – Free. Cocoa Beach Art Show 2017 (Minutemen Causeway, Cocoa Beach, FL 32931) The Cocoa Beach Art Show is back! Returning to Downtown Cocoa Beach
Saturday, November 25th, and Sunday, November 26th.

7 PM to 9 PM Saturday and Sunday. Opera Wars. (The Abbey 100 S. Eola Drive Orlando, FL 32801.) Opera del Sol and Space Coast Symphony Orchestra present Opera Wars and invites audiences to venture where no opera has gone before. Set
in outer space, Opera Wars is an intergalactic adventure of love and war
set to some of opera’s most treasured compositions. Step aboard the
I.S.S. del Sol, as their Space Cruise Director welcomes one and all to their
Pre-Launch Experience, where audiences will have the opportunity to interact with the Space Crew. In partnership with ‘Farm and Haus’, they invite you to eat, drink, and as they blast off, enjoy some of opera’s most exciting selections
presented with their musical partners The Space Coast Symphony Orchestra,
including Figaro’s Aria, Summertime, Ride of the Valkyries, Habanera,
Nessum Dorma, and many more. The future of opera is bright!!

9 PM to 11 PM. 3rd Annual Amateur Contest and Holiday Kickoff! (The Venue 511 Virginia Dr, Orlando, Florida 32803.) Cheer on your favorite amateur contestants in the 3rd annual competition and kick off the season in style with the Cuties!
Sponsored by Premier Couples Superstore who always have a bit of naughty with their nice!

Sunday November 26, 2017

Noon to 6 PM – $15 to play. D and D: The Pit Of Amnesia. (Gods and Monsters, 5421 International Dr, Orlando, Florida 32819)  Introducing a brand new D and D campaign created by game master Jess!
You awaken, in complete darkness, not remembering who or what you are,
surrounded by others in the same predicament! Armed with the weapons you
found scattered around you, it’s now your mission to get out of this
cave and find civilization! And hopefully find any memories you might
have lost in the dark. In this D and D campaign, you get to experience a different format of
game play, where players have to start with mostly vacant character
sheets and fill them out as they play the game!

Recommended for those who’ve experienced a D and D
campaign at least once or twice before. The fee to play
will cover a completed character sheet and a print of the character
art at the end of the game, as well as pizza and a soda. All participants are encouraged to bring their own dice, but
dice can be supplied to any players who do not have them. If you wish to
purchase your own set, there will also be a 15% discount off all gaming
products and off snacks for all participants.  Please be sure to send them a message or stop in store to get your name on
the list for this adventure and get instructions on
how to pay through Pay Pal. This adventure will be limited to six players
at a time.

Noon to 1 PM – Free. Yoga. Lake Eola Park near the Red Gazebo. Bring your own mat.

Noon to 3 PM – Donation. Music at the Casa. (Casa Feliz Historic Home Museum, 656 N Park Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789) Harpist Catherine Way. Members of the public are invited to visit the historic home museum on a
Sunday afternoon from 12 to 3 pm, listen to live music and take a tour
of the museum and the James Gamble Rogers II Studio by
trained docents.

Gods and Monsters the Mercury Collective.

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Gods and Monsters (in the Artegon Market Place)
and The PAR Group, LLC, presented “The Mercury Collective — Premier Launch Party” The evening was promoted as an artistic development and networking event, with some of Orlando’s best emerging music artists and media creatives. “A New Hip-Hop, Soul, and R&B Renaissance.”

I arrived at the start of the event and didn’t notice any creatives or Hip-Hop musicians. I sat down and started drawing the guys at the next table playing a role-play board game. Star Wars and Super Hero figurines lined the shelves, and edgy local art hung on the walls. This dark industrial room was a busy and fun to draw. The Artegon Market Place was shut down last month, so this venue no longer exists. All the vendors were told to leave, wondering what had happened.

I had sat in on the early promotions before Artegon opened. It sounded like an amazing opportunity for local artists and crafters to present their wares to tourists on International Drive. I was considering renting a space. The mall that preceded Artegon was always empty, with most stores closed with a color banner covering the storefront to represent what it would look like if people shopped there. The foot traffic didn’t increase much when Artegon opened. There were random beer-tasting events that I went to sketch, But Gods and Monsters was always the best draw.

Inside was a gallery where local artists presented their work. The good news is that Gods and Monsters (5421 International Dr,, Orlando, Florida 32819) is still open along with the other larger shops like Bass Pro Shop and the Cinemark Movie Theater. The next event I want to sketch at Gods and Monsters is a Retro Futuristic Electro Swing Party. That starts on Friday, March 10th, at 10:30 p.m.-2:00 a.m. It will be an evening of entertainment and fashion from Ocular Hysteria. Admission is $5 at the door. There will be Go-Go Dancing and grinder performances from DefenzMechanizm throughout the night, Antique beats provided by Joseph Vourteque Ringmaster / MC Director/Producer at ROUGE Electro Swing & Cabaret Chicago/Detroit. Costumes are encouraged, Photo ops and prizes!! There will be vendors and artists.

MVG League at Gods and Monsters.

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Gods and Monsters is a large Comic Book shop located in Artegon (Suite E8, 5250 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819. One one visit, I found the back of the Store converted into An MVG Tournament arena featuring Pot Bonuses, High Octane Players, HD Live-Streams, food and drinks.

This event followed the CEO rulesets for each game.This seemed to be an Olympic style multiplayer competition with announcer giving commentary for onlookers. To be quite honest I had no idea what was happening as I watched the big screen. Having never played any of these video games, I couldn’t tell who was fight in who and why.  

Photographers took photos of the competitors, action. Several people asked y take photos over my shoulder of the sketch in progress. The event was referred to as “Energy” which provides a bold take on the “Spirit
Bomb,” an iconic phenomena from the Dragon Ball Z series, in which Hero
“Goku,” calls for energy from the entire planet, in order to deal a a
catastrophic, world-ending, blow to his enemy.

As a viewer,
you’ll have the chance to “Lend Your Energy” to your favorite player.
In return, the player that generates the most “energy” will be given the
effect of “Powering Up.” This element,
with the addition of other Easter eggs, we believe will enhance the
experience by closing the gap between players and viewers. Although a bit confusing for me, it was all quite exciting.

Phantasmagoria at the Gods and Monsters Grand Opening Celebration.

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On June 13th Gods and Monsters, (inside Artegon, 5250 International Drive; Suite E8, Orlando, Florida) the second largest comics, toys, collectibles and gaming venue in the U.S. celebrated its grand opening. Inside the cavernous venue were comics games and collectibles making it a geek paradise, as well there was the Transmetropolitan Gallery and Offworld L.O.U.N.G.E. making it a comfortable haven to relax and linger. The Grand Opening consisted of 12 hours of entertainment, activities, art demos, contests and give-a-ways, all while raising money for the Hero Initiative!

The Official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was at 10am. The re was a free arcade sponsored by Free Play Florida and BART.  Throughout the day, there were special appearances by renowned cosplay models, Callie Cosplay, Heather1337 and Jenifer Ann. [ don’t claim to know who they are, or even who they were dressed as, but it upped the events celebrity status.

Florida’s critically acclaimed Victorian Horror Troupe Phantasmagoria performed in the back of the cavernous space. The acoustics weren’t ideal to say the least so it was near impossible y hear The actors over the din of conversation from excited fan in the store. They are consume professionals however and they shouted their lines to the rafters.

 the re were artist demos all day long and i said hello to Toni Taylor who was work in on a large canvas that will wrap around a pillar. Other artists included Bianca Roman-Stumpff, Kevin Wood, Mark Pacich, Robo Ohno, Shawn Surface, Derrick Fish, Jenni Gregory, and Michael “Locoduck” Duron .

Photo opportunities with costumed characters, including Starlite Princess, Iron Man and Spider-Man.

After Phantasmagoria’s performance there was a Costume Contest with prizes. The entire audience seemed to consist of comic book characters. Both adults and children got on stage to sport their costumes. One of the cutest costumes was a young girl dressed as a bumble bee. One of the goriest was z zombie Betty Boop.

Corsets and Cuties Halloween Burlesque

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Corsets and Cuties will be performing a Halloween Burlesque show at Gods and Monsters, 5250 International Drive; Suite E8, Orlando, Florida, on 

Friday, October 23 at 10:00pm.

The She-Devils of Corsets and Cuties dare you to step out of your comfort zone and feast your eyes on the flesh of the damned.

If you have seen the Cuties perform before, you know to expect the
unexpected. However, the voluptuous beauties are bringing a touch of
the macabre to the stage. Demons, Zombies, and Vampires will titillate
your fancy. But be careful. You may leave your heart behind.

This sketch is from a Corsets and Cuties performance at a BASE Orlando body painting showcase.

In this performance, Barbie Rhinestone shyly took to the stage and sat in the chair. She was in trench coat and she seemed surprised to be surrounded by an audience. Babs shouted from the crowd, “You go girl!  The music kicked in and Barbie made a shy half hearted attempt at shaking her shoulders. The crowds wild, encouragement got her to stand up and use her hips a bit. Then garments were discarded with a sensual flourish while her bright pink hair whipped free. Corsets and Cuties performances are always outlandish and hilarious. 

 
Advance tickets. 
Tickets are $15 at the door.
18+
Please park on the south side of Artegon Mall. Gods & Monsters is located directly behind Sheplers.

Star Child’s Odyssey: A Retrospective View Into the Imaginative World of Toni Taylor

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Star Child’s Odyssey: A Retrospective View Into the Imaginative World of Toni Taylor opened on August 15th at Gods and Monsters, inside Artegon, (5250 International Drive; Suite E8, Orlando, Florida). I held a free ticket give away last week on AADW and Toni won the ticket to “The Visit” by M. Night Shamalan. I decided to visit her opening to present her with the ticket and to sketch. Toni was one of the first artists I met when I started doing one sketch a day. She was kind enough to let me visit her studio to watch as she painted.

Toni Taylor began her professional illustration career in 1985 as a
cover artist for Heavy Metal Magazine. She is a visionary artist whose
work travels through the realms of fantasy and mysticism. She feels a
special kinship with the mysteries of Ancient Egypt as well as the
spirit of Native America. Goddess imagery is represented powerfully in
her collection and as a lover of all things celestial, the beauty and
limitlessness of the Cosmos often finds its way into her paintings. Mark Your Calendar! Toni’s paintings will be on display for one month.

Toni has begun creating three dimensional tree sculptures using wire, driftwood and moss. They were quite beautiful and amazingly affordable. Dale Bartlett, the Tree Mon, helped inspire Toni to explore these mysterious miniature creations. Dale had tears in his eyes as he told me that Toni would certainly surpass her master. He was so proud of her. The retrospective showcased work from all facets of her career over the years. In the realm of her imagination anything is possible.

Anna Maiya Young and Todd Fisher the owners of Gods and Monsters had the foresight to include the Transmetropolitan Gallery inside the huge comic store. Anna told me about her bucket list of talented artists that she wanted to showcase. Those artists include, Clive Barker, David Mack, Ben Templesmith, Menton 3, David Stoupakis, Chet Zar, Damien Echols and Vaughn Belak, so her bucket list is almost complete. Needless to say there will be amazing art showcased in this venue all year.

A falconer and a knight from Medieval Times stopped in to the opening. Also some of the cast from Phantasmagoria mingled in the crowd adding to the color of the evening.  Later  performers danced with fire outside. I could feel the heat on my skin as they gracefully performed with five pronged torches. A butler offered a mistress a drink and then she became a human flame thrower spitting flames six feet in the air.

Artegon then and now.

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Artegon is an artist market set up in the former Festival Bay Mall. Festival Bay had only a few merchants who were long term, one was the Bass Pro Shops, Ron Jon Surf Shop. Unfortunately the rest of the mall was usually half empty. Artegon came in with an exciting concept to convert the mall into an artist market. I liked the idea, having been to a number of exiting markets around the world like the bazaar in Turkey. Rent for artist vendors started at a cheap rate of $6 a day, so I went to several of the early pitch meetings to consider the idea of setting up a shop for myself.

After the pitch we all got a chance to tour the new facility. All of the inner courtyards had been given alleyways of cages for vendors to set up shop. Each cage was about 10 feet square. The effect as we walked through the dark space was much like an insane asylum or Thunder dome from Mad Max. One artist had invested in a huge retail gallery space for his own vanity gallery. When I re-visited Artegon several months later, he had moved out. Unfortunately the cages are never more than half occupied.

A metal zip line elevated aerial adventure  had been constructed in the largest courtyard. Within one month of the opening, a tourist fell to his death from the attraction. There is no safety net, but I imagine tourists must sign a waver before they climb up to the heights. The Daily City, another Orlando News site set up shop for the opening of Artegon, but that store also closed. Walking around recently I didn’t recognize and local artists as vendors, although local B-Side artists collaborated to create some decent murals.

Driving from the airport to Orlando on the Bee line and on I-4 I noticed billboards for Artegon. They hope to bring in tourists to the market and travel destination. Despite the marketing efforts the place still has a lonely vacant feel. Gods and Monsters, a comic superstore just opened, and at the opening day the market was finally bustling with costumed superheros. Perhaps it will take a superhero to save this artist market ideal. Right now the place seems to have an identity crisis.