After Pulse: Anthony Mauss

Posted on by Thor

Advisory: Please note that this post is about the Pulse nightclub massacre on June 12, 2016. It contains sensitive and difficult to read content.

Tony Mauss, was the husband of the writer, activist, and incredible columnist Billy Maines, who passed away on July 21, 2017 at the age of 45. It was always an event to be with Billy. When Billy moved from his job at the Orlando Weekly to Watermark, life got busy. Everyone wanted to speak to him. He knew the issues inside and out. He always had fun at the forefront but was happy to discuss any issue. He could make a point the way an Olympic gymnast could land a perfect floor routine.

When Pulse happened, things changed. Tony was up at 1AM on June 12, 2016. He saw what was happening on Facebook. He was getting texts as it was happening. Their home is just two or three blocks from Pulse so the sirens could be heard. He made the conscious decision to not wake Billy up. He knew As Billy woke up, Tony asked him not to look at his phone. OF course Billy had to look at his phone.

Pulse changed Billy. It pulled him in. Things got very serious. The second he woke up he went to the scene of the shooting. Billy’s writing went on to become the vulnerable face of Pulse. He wrote that the shooting was a hate crime and that he was frightened and that he could not believe it happened here in Orlando. He was honest and sincere in facing the tragedy. He gave everything.

Interview at Maxine’s

Posted on by Thor

JB Webb and the Reverend produce a podcast about the Orlando Arts and Culture scene called The JB Rev Show. I recently did some art work for this show which depicted this dynamic duo as if on the cover of a comic book. It was fun working with JB to make that happen.

I was called in to Maxine’s on Shine for an interview on the show. The production was staged in the red room in the back corner of the restaurant. Before the place became the restaurant it is today this room was used to stage weddings. Now it’s walls are blood red and it has plenty of romantic and erotic art.

The JB REV Show is quirky and fast paced. I put on the headphones and joined in for the ride and it was over before I knew what hit me. Honestly I am not sure if I got a word into the mix. I was so mesmerized by the quirky hosts. I then settled in to sketch the production as they interviewed their next guest, Tony Mauss who was the husband of Billy Maines.

My life is measured by the pages in my sketchbooks. Just 15 pages prior to this sketch, I had sketched Billy Maines as he talked about his experiences after the Pulse Nightclub Massacre. Shortly after doing that sketch I found out that Billy had been let go from Watermark where he was the editor and chief, and shortly after, he died on Friday, July 21, 2017 at the age of 45. It was a real shock since he seemed in good health the day we spoke with him. He did joke about a persistent cough.

In a statement to the Orlando Weekly, Tony said, “My husband, Billy Manes, passed away peacefully on Friday afternoon
surrounded by his family of friends. He had been ill for a couple of
weeks with what turned out to be pneumonia, and by the time we sought
medical attention, it was too far advanced. He died due to complications
of his condition leading to organ failure.”

Mauss continued, “Billy Manes was a walking fucking miracle, a man who
fought ferociously to create a world where justice, equality and respect
were the cornerstones of his community. He loved Orlando. He knew what
was possible here in this sprawling mass of ex-pats, misfits,
introverts, seekers, party people, bookworms, performers, makers,
artists and friends. His driving force was love. He loved you, Orlando,
and he knew of your love for him. He fed off it; it sustained him. He
would have fought proudly for each and every one of you forever.
Unfortunately, his body had other plans.

“So … grieve, Orlando, grieve, but don’t forget to laugh, create joy, and love each other wildly. That would honor him.”

Though the JB Rev Show makes a point of being irreverent, they toned down the jokes a notch to pay tribute to a man who had spent his life reporting about local politics in the Orlando Weekly and Watermark, making the seemingly boring inner workings of local government entertaining and relevant.