BLEEP Magazine 304 by BLEEP Magazine

MAY 2013 Issue • 304

P E E BL

people to watch

2013

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what’s

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We met up with a bunch of ‘stud muffins’ in New York’s East Village to check out some of Kyle Brincefield’s newest looks. His fun, playful and club-ready looks have made a splash in NYC and now he’s crossing the continents and headed down under.

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ON THE COVER In our ‘Gatsby’ inspired cover shoot, we feature four artists we think you need to know. It’s our People To Watch issue and we have stuffed it full of some of the coolest actors, singers, designers, chefs and dancers we could find. Check out Emily Smith, Ryan Craven, Cassandra Kubinski and Edward Miskie as they tell us why they do what they do and where they’re headed next. CHEZ SHAY

Shay Spence has a passion for cooking and he’s bringing that passion from Austin all the way to New York City.

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Letter from the Editor This is one of my favorite issues of the year. It’s the issue when we spotlight a handful of artists we consider ‘People to Watch.’ I think it’s great to focus on new faces. So much of the media is full of has-beens trying to dance on TV, reality stars whose only talent is being horrible to their fellow man, and rich people behaving badly. That’s not art. But for every Kardashian, there’s a new fashion designer who is doing something that’s actually artistic and dynamic. For every housewife with an auto-tuned single, there’s a new songwriter who’s singing about their own lives and doing it live. There are some amazing talents out there and I love that we get to tell you about them. I was meeting our design editor, Lisa, in Times Square and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time to be a part of “Inside Out,” a photographic art instillation where large portraits of every day people are pasted on the street at the intersection of 7th Avenue and Broadway. Lisa spoke with JR, the artist, who said, “It’s about time there are pictures of actual people in Times Square and not just these models.” I LOVE THAT. I took my photo, it printed out right there and we pasted it onto the sidewalk. I, along with hundreds of other people from all over the world, spent a Saturday with our photo in the center of Times Square. Beyond the thrill of the experience and the beauty of seeing so many diverse faces, I marveled at the simple brilliance of what the artist was doing. By giving space to the faces of the everyday person, he was stealing the shine from the faces of paidcelebrity-spokespeople and Photoshop-perfect models who adorn the billboards and video screens in Times Square. For a Saturday, I was the biggest face in Times Square. Lisa was the biggest face in Times Square. That’s what was so brilliant about the instillation. Not only did it make a statement about the diversity of humanity, but it changed the “Times Square experience” we and everyone else who was photographed that day had. For more about the Inside Out installation, check out their website. For more on our ‘People to Watch,’ read on and check them out.

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Ryan Brinson Editor-in-Chief

LET’S DANCE We chat with three dancers, each specializing in a different style, and they show us why they deserve to be ‘People To Watch.’ BLEEP 5

ANOTHER BEN HUMENIUK CARTOON!

BLEEP CREATIVITY. UNCENSORED. RYAN BRINSON Editor-in-Chief LISA SORENSON Design/Decor Editor RACHAEL MARIBOHO Culture Editor SARAH ROTKER Business & Audience Development Manager BEN HUMENIUK Cartoonist SETH WALTERS Cover Photography FEATURE EDITORS: Juan Lerma WRITERS: Caleb Bollenbacher Danielle Milam Courtney Shotwell Lisa Sorenson Laura Seitter Alex Wright FEATURE CONTRIBUTORS: Katherine Morgan Nathan Robins WEB CONTENT: Sheena Wagaman Renee Rodriguez

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P E E L bliPs B PIPPIN

WE’VE CAUGHT A ‘COLD’

We’ve written about how incredible Shoshana Bean is before. She’s released her new music video for her song “Cold Turkey” and let us tell you something, it’s so much fun. Don’t miss out - take a look at what she’s doing and if you haven’t bought it yet, hop on over to iTunes and get a copy.

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BROADWAY blip

I love a standing ovation. I love the moment when the audience leaps to their feet because what they just saw was so astounding, so entertaining and so magnificent they have no other option but to stand and cheer. But I’ve never given a show a standing ovation during the middle of the first act...until Pippin. Not only is the revival of Pippin on Broadway a beautifully staged and excellently delivered show about a boy trying to find his way in life, but the integration of actual circus performers into the already circus-themed musical brought the show to new heights. Literally. Acrobats and actors alike soared through the air...and I hate the fact that I’m going to say this...with the greatest of ease. Whether it’s dangling on the trapeze, floating above the stage on the silks, scaling poles, jumping through hoops or climbing on top of one another’s shoulders, the performers in Pippin feel at home under the bigtop. To be honest, I lost track of who were the acrobats and who were the actors, which is a compliment to both the performers and the director, Diane Paulus. Paulus plays to the strengths of all of her principle cast, allowing each one of them to shine. Oh. And the cast is wearing some of the most fun, creative, sexy and cool costuming I’ve ever seen on Broadway. The opening is spectacular, the finale is poignant and everything inbetween is a spectacle for the eyes, ears and the imagination. I can’t emphasize enough how much I loved this production besides saying, as I was leaving the theatre, I was already planning when I could go back and see it again. The sooner the better.

DON’T MISS IT

CAST MEMBER YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO TAKE YOUR EYES OFF OF: A lot of them actually. This is the type of show that really brings the ensemble to the forefront and plays to all of their strengths. But the actor we couldn’t take our eyes off of was Erik Altemus. WHY: His role of “Lewis” isn’t the biggest role in the show, but Altemus is able to make every moment he’s on stage count. This may be his Broadway debut, but it’s clear he’s got many more show openings in his future. -Ryan Brinson, Editor-in-Chief

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the intersection by

caleb bollenbacher

First Glances At Second Chances

Some of you more faithful BLEEP readers (pat yourselves on the back…we love you) might recall a guest post I contributed way back in the day regarding comic books. If not, that’s perfectly all right; we can remain friends. At its essence, I was making the case for comic books as an art form, especially in light of their increasingly common adaptation in Hollywood. The move from page to screen is an exciting one, and it’s getting more and more prevalent. Now I want to talk about the reverse. While comic books remain fantastic source fodder for the screen, they are starting to become a canvas for adaptation themselves. For clarity’s sake, they have been for some time – Star Wars comics, for example, have been around since the 70’s – but they’re just starting to get interesting, as far as I’m concerned. What I’m specifically referring to are what I am christening “resurrection comics:” stories that are finding new life in splash pages. One aspect of this, adapting classic works of literature, started years ago but continues in what looks to be a strong new tradition. Marvel Comics has been publishing series such as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Pride and Prejudice, which offer modern takes on beloved tales set to breathtaking art. The other major side of this crossover storytelling, the one that is full of all sorts of intriguing possibilities, is the recent practice of television shows making the jump to comic books. The ghosts of popular TV series past have found new life as comics. Shows like “Buffy The Vampire Slayer,” “Firefly,” and “Smallville” are outliving their tenure on the small screen and bringing their audiences along to an entirely new medium. The comic incarnations of “Buffy” and “Smallville” are going so far as to name themselves the heir apparent to their televised counterparts, with lengthy arcs being referred to as “seasons.” Now, these two particular series may not be the best examples due to their great longevity on television (the two ran for a combined SEVENTEEN seasons, an impressive feat), but this premise makes me nearly giddy with its potential. What if our lost favorites of the small screen, especially those that 12 BLEEP

were cut short before reaching the end of their intended run, could see story resolution on the page? It’s utterly tantalizing for serial enthusiasts like me, though for the most part it’s been nothing but the ultimate tease. Shows like “Twin Peaks” and “Carnivàle” – which were critical darlings but found themselves ending on cliffhangers because of ratings declines – have been on the verge of resurrection in comic book form. Unfortunately for their faithful following, these proposed seasons were blocked for various reasons (one because of a roadblock by the show’s creator, the other because of the network’s refusal to relinquish its rights to the story). Still, it seems that the idea has too much potential for it to remain stuck as an eternal pipe dream. Comics are as close to television as anything gets. They’re visual by definition, they live and die on the strength of serialized storytelling, and they come out of a unique collaboration between artists. From a business standpoint it makes perfect sense as well. There’s no need to worry about the cost of actors or shooting locations when they can be summoned at the whim of an artist’s pen. It makes too much sense for it to not be happening. Of course if life were fair then there would be a great deal more carousels and ferris wheels, but unless I find out that all my favorite forms of media are secretly run by sadists, I’m going to keep my fingers crossed that the minor move towards resurrecting TV with comics is a sign of good things to come.

REEL LIFE

by Alex Wright

Luck be a lady...

y Harvard classmate Dustyn is one lucky guy. This month he made his Broadway debut opposite Tom Hanks in the appropriately named drama, “Lucky Guy.” My best friend Kelsey and I made the trek to New York to applaud, celebrate, and—in my case—sob, during his curtain call. Over a glass of wine after the show, Dustyn explained to us how he got the part: a mixture of good timing, good luck, and good preparation. The longer I’m out of school the more I’ve learned that this business is all about timing and luck, but throughout my trip in the Big Apple, I began to ask myself a question I’ve put off: am I a lucky gal? Will Lady Luck shine down on me in my career? What about my love life? Thinking about timing, it is difficult to not face the life clock that ticks louder and louder with each passing year and with each new Facebook post. As I see more and more friends pop up on my newsfeed with engagement, wedding, and baby announcements, I can’t help but wonder if I’m somehow running late for this train for which I don’t necessarily want to be a passenger— at least not right now, not at this time of my life. The relationships that I have entered always seem to end because of timing. I met an amazing guy in LA, only to have one blissful month with him before he moved to another country. My last two serious relationships fell apart because of poor timing—in both cases a move across the country led to broken hearts. Criss-crossed telephone lines and Skype conversations were quick but temporary substitutions that couldn’t withstand the test of time. It’s true that distance makes the heart grow fonder, but even that has an expiration date. I’m beginning to feel that lasting relationships are more like a game of musical chairs. Do you end up

with whoever’s lap you are sitting on when the music ends? Do people marry when they meet each other and both are ready for a serious relationship? Do you get that part because you caught the casting director on a good day, and you remind them of their little sister? Is it all lucky timing? Speaking of lucky timing, I saw my ex-boyfriend while I was in New York—my best friend and roommate that I met on Craigslist before discovering that we were classmates in a small group of eighteen people. Our music had ended months ago, but as we sat across from each other with our drained whiskeys on the rocks, our chairs could have just as well been empty. Our mouths were full of things to say and questions to ask, but our words were hollow. Nostalgia is one of the cruelest emotions; it disguises itself as trip of happy reminiscing, but in the end, you are left used up and exhausted, in the same place as before but in a much worse state. After months of nostalgically looking back at our relationship, it was surprisingly relieving to sit with him and feel… feel like that train was long gone. Time had changed us. We were lucky that our paths criss-crossed when they did, and I would never change our time together, but I felt nothing for him except the admiration that comes from knowing someone deeply. I know it sounds dramatic to say, but as I shut the door on the taxi, his kiss goodbye still warm on my cheek, I felt like that was the last time I would ever see him. Two nights later at the same restaurant, I had a date with Craig, a guy I met last year at Showcase. We were both in relationships when we met, but now, a year later, we found ourselves single. He’s flying out to Los Angeles next month. Timing seems pretty perfect… BLEEP 13

#designereyecandy by lisa sorenson

Twice a year, over 70,000 designers and industry partners flock to the mecca of design showcase, High Point Market in North Carolina. This April, myself along with Linda, the owner of our firm, Baker Design Group, were among those thousands. The city of High Point is literally a city of furniture, fabrics, rugs, and anything else you can think of in the design industry; and, April and October Market seasons mean a show of putting their newest, latest and greatest. This is the #designereyecandy take away from my experience...

Above: This â&#x20AC;&#x153;furniture cityâ&#x20AC;? is overwhelming at first take. Blocks and blocks of showrooms and vendors await inside these buildings parading as architectural sculptures. Top right: A classic pattern interpreted on a clean modern headboard grounds this cozy and masculine bedroom vignette as pops of cinnamon and paprika play against textures of grays, taupes, and khakis. Right: How many times do I have to tell you? Wallpaper is back! A crisp white and vermillion bold graphic paper is backing a clean line simple wall sconce in a perfect pair.

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ARE YOU ON INSTAGRAM AND TWITTER? FOLLOW @DESIGNERLISA AND HASHTAG #DESIGNEREYECANDY FOR UP-TO-THE-MINUTE DESIGN FINDS!

Top left: FASHION. Interior and Fashion design work simultaneously as designers in both industries pull inspiration from each other. This rug line showed us just how fashion design has been interpreted into their new market introductions.

instant opulence.

Above center: Mirrors and reflective surfaces are still finding their way into innovative surfaces. Every kind of furniture piece now has a mirror surface offering but the true art is the unexpected installation of Top right: I see you neon. While neon has electrified mirrors. spring and summer fashion this year, accessories and finishing pieces are turning to the same electricity for Above right: Industrial. The well-known aesthetic of fun design play. Restoration Hardware was very evident in many new introductions with the use of metals, grommets, and Above left: Bold color is still singing! Emerald green wires in these clean, eye-pleasing pieces. This light has emerged to the front over the last year and the pendant carries the look so simply and so well. clean whites and golds contrast against this creating BLEEP 15

the

List

by Rachael Mariboho

eople NO T p to w

Our annual celebration of people to watch recognizes exceptional artists on the verge of major stardom; their accomplishments and artistry are paving the way for innovative and inspiring creative expressions in the worlds of film, television, music, fashion and art. While we want you to watch these people, adore them, follow them, tell your friends all about them, there is a group of people we don’t want you to watch this year. These are the faux stars whose constant presence in the media is taking up the time and space that should be allotted to the brilliant artists profiled here. So in honor of the truly talented people on these pages, we present our picks for the people in pop culture who need to take a break this year and let the press focus on those with actual artistic ability.

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atch

2013

The ‘Teen Moms’

I don’t know who these women are or why they are in every tabloid magazine. I don’t even know their names. When I see the headline about a teen mom who is—take your pick— going to jail, getting out jail, marrying her baby daddy, beating up her baby daddy, becoming a stripper, selling a sex tape, I turn the pages as quickly as possible.

Suri, Violet, Honor, Ryder and the rest of the Hollywood toddler set

The trend of photographing the young children of celebrities does not seem to be going away, but it should. It really should. I don’t care how adorable Sarah Jessica Parker’s twin girls are, and they really are the cutest things in the whole world, we don’t need to see pictures of them going to school everyday.

LeAnn Rimes

I understand that she is often in the press because of Brandi Glanville’s rise to fame in the last year, but enough is enough. We know she broke up a family and then lost a lot of weight. I am fairly certain that story has not changed, so until it does, please no more pictures of her in a bikini. Actually, we’d like her to get out of the headlines and back to making good music.

Lindsay Lohan

She is obviously exhausted and in need of some rest, which she will get, supposedly, during her 90 day “rehab” stint. Maybe if we had a break from her for three months we would care a bit more about what happens to her when she gets out.

The Kardashians

I know it seems like I pick on them a lot, but I am writing this for their own good. We know too much about them. Even if we don’t watch their show, which we at BLEEP do not, their second-by-second movement is displayed in every tabloid. It’s enough already. We do not need to know who is losing or gaining weight, whose hair has changed, whose baby daddy is cheating, or who’s depressed. Remember when E! was just about awards show fashion and showing great movies you rarely watched?

My Take

by Laura Seitter

In Memoriam: Roger Ebert You know the age-old conversation starter: You are having a dinner party, and can invite any five people, dead or alive. Whom would you invite? The question measures politicians against artists, the spiritual against the scientific. Roger Ebert, beloved American film critic, journalist and screenwriter, is among those whom I yearn to share a meal with. He was neither a politician, nor an artist in the traditional sense, but he wrote of such things with incredible clarity and passion. His movie reviews, for which he is most well known, are elegant essays that often speak truths about the worlds both on screen, as well as off. Roger Ebert was an Illinois native, and began his career as a film critic with the Chicago Sun-Times in 1967. He ventured into screenwriting in 1970 with Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, and was involved in a handful of other projects throughout the decade. He hosted several weekly film review television programs throughout his career, including “At the Movies” with fellow critic Gene Siskel, and later, Richard Roeper. Mr. Ebert became the first film critic to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 1975. Throughout his 40-year career with the Chicago Sun-Times, Mr. Ebert reviewed several thousand films, and published more than 20 books. His prolific work was widely syndicated, and he had established himself as one of the best known and most well respected journalists in America. He married in 1992 at the age of 50, and in 2002 was diagnosed with thyroid and salivary gland cancer, which he battled on and off throughout the rest of his life. Roger Ebert passed away on April 3, 2013. Though I was aware of Mr. Ebert’s TV show and column throughout my childhood, I began following his work more earnestly in the last few years, when his writing was circulated more and more on the Internet than in print. One of the things I came to admire about Mr. Ebert was how boldly he had entered the digital age. Despite his long and fruitful career as a newspaper journalist, he transitioned gracefully into the blogosphere, Facebook, and Twitter to share content with his readers. His

tumultuous battle with cancer took his mobility and his speech, and rather than resign to his condition, he embraced a new medium that allowed him to reach even more readers. Mr. Ebert, along with the late Gene Siskel, introduced the world to the binary “thumbs up/thumbs down” model of critique, and also used the star system to great effect in his reviews. Despite this limited, categorical system, Mr. Ebert’s accompanying reviews conveyed witty, thought-provoking and downright entertaining commentary. Reviews were always written relative to the audience of the film; a unique aspect of his work that made his critiques more universal and relatable. Mr. Ebert understood that just because a movie wasn’t Oscar-worthy didn’t make it poorly made or unimportant in its own right. This BLEEP issue’s theme, “People to Watch,” is about looking toward the future and celebrating those whose star is on the rise. Equally important, though, is celebrating those who have gone before, taking risks and instilling inspiration in others. In his 2011 memoirs, Life Itself, Mr. Ebert states that “if, at the end of it all…we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do.” The “People to Watch” in this issue certainly do that, bringing joy to others through their various crafts, and Mr. Ebert certainly did so throughout his career. BLEEP 17

beauty & the bean courtney shotwell by

The traffic problem Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, recently caused much controversy defending his company’s support of same-sex marriage at a shareholders meeting. I decided to take it upon myself to do some research. I was intrigued by all of the uproar. Why not become a more educated consumer of your weekly investments? To get in the writing mood, I am sitting by a cozy window in this very coffee shop sipping on a dark roast, of course. In response to a challenging question from a shareholder that the company’s support of same-sex marriage was hurting the company’s stock price, he explained that it’s not about the bottom line but about “respecting diversity”, according to Time Magazine. Last year, Starbucks openly supported Washington state’s referendum that legalized same-sex marriage. In response, the National Organization for Marriage launched a boycott of this Big Brother coffee house. It is reported after this support for same-sex marriage that the organizations stocks did suffer. Schultz then stated, “If you feel, respectfully, that you can get a higher return than the 38% you got last year, it’s a free country. You can sell your shares of Starbucks and buy shares in another company. Thank you very much.” This is accurate. This is what has been consistently reported. Can I remind everyone of the statement made by Chick-fil-a President and COO, Dan Cathy? In the summer of 2012 , Cathy was interviewed on a radio talk show. He was asked of his restaurant’s view on same-sex marriage. He responded in saying, “…We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, 18 BLEEP

and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that. ... We want to do anything we possibly can to strengthen families.” These are some bold statements on both accounts. I find it interesting that both companies were asked similar questions regarding their work place. Clearly, the belief system within an organization starts from the top and works its way down. We are growing a generation that is anything but scared to speak our mind and implement our values into the workplace. Whether those values lean left or they lean right, they strongly lean one way or the other. Very seldom do I run across a political conversation that is not full of strong opinions. I’m thankful we can have those conversations. I’m thankful they are being publicized. I am thankful that both leaders in both companies stuck to their guns in post-statement interviews. Good for them. Good for them that they didn’t give into the criticism of the media and the public. Both parties stood close by the original statements made. The politics of it all is kind of unique, isn’t it? I’m embracing my inner Patriot right now, loving America just because we have the freedom to express ourselves in so many different avenues of life. Interesting? I think so. Hopefully, you have educated yourself. Now, we can all enjoy the fraps, roasts, and organic goodies with a little more education under our belt. If you haven’t ventured out of your normal coffee order lately, I highly recommend this delectable dark roast that is now resting deep within my coffee loving veins.

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TITUSS BURGESS “COMFORTABLE” IN CONCERT

MON, MAY 13, 2013 9:00 PM THE CUTTING ROOM NEW YORK, NY $15 ADVANCED - $20 DAY OF SHOW

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WWW.THECUTTINGROOMNYC.COM

CREATIVE pages

A Million Little Bricks:The Unofficial Illustrated History of the LEGO Phenomenon by Sarah Herman

Danielle Milam

2/5 LEGO BLOCKS “Playtime is important. Sometimes it doesn’t matter what you are building, as long as you’re having fun.” Steve Klusmeyer Every creative person views our creative time as play time. Why shouldn’t we? We get to express ourselves in a raw form and turn it to beauty. The LEGO Group (TLG) has understood this need for creative playtime for years. For many of us, our creative expression started in childhood with a set of LEGOs. In her book, A Million Little Bricks, Herman goes back to the beginning and tells the full story of TLG. Starting as a wooden toyshop in Denmark, TLG has grown in unpredictable ways. TLG’s belief in children’s capacity for imaginative play has made them superstars of the toy industry. Their own creative design of the famous interlocking block and their ability to think beyond the brick, allow children and adults to use their product as a unique medium for uninhibited design and miniature modeling. They learned how to change with the times and create sets aimed at the things kids already role-played. Some of their early successes were in the form of space, the middle ages, and occupations like firemen. This later led to the sets based on movies and landmarks. It took a while for LEGO to realize the full potential of their sets. They were first marketed as toys that could only build certain buildings. Soon, it became clear that the trick wasn’t in limiting the building potential, but in maximizing it. They began marketing sets

that could be transformed into dozens of creations. This underlying belief that LEGO’s can create anything is still a huge part of today’s Lego culture. I got to experience this first hand last year as one of my students dismantled his Star Wars set to create a life sized roadrunner complete with a moving head and wings. He didn’t just see a spaceship; he saw that those blocks could become anything he needed them to be. TLG continues to expand successfully. They have infiltrated books, movies, video games, theme parks and even the Bible - the story of Adam and Eve shown in LEGO format makes me giggle every time. Their inherent ability to create and inspire others to create astounds. Unfortunately, Herman doesn’t quite capture the true LEGO aura of fun and imagination in her telling of the LEGO story. The book reads as very factual and a bit dry. If there were a college course on LEGO’s, this would make a wonderful textbook for it. However, I expected more personality intermixed with the exhaustive factual history, and I just didn’t get it. I did enjoy the photographs and found myself itching to get out my old LEGO set after studying them. Luckily, the overwhelming creative power of TLG comes through even though it’s not helped by Herman’s style. MUST READ FOR: DIE-HARD LEGO FANATICS OR ANYONE RESEARCHING HOW TO CREATE A SUCCESSFUL CREATIVE COMPANY. EVERYONE ELSE SHOULD GO TO THE BOOKSTORE, FIND A COMFY PLACE, AND LOOK THROUGH THE PHOTOGRAPHY. Want more book reviews? Check out www.daniellesviews.blogspot.com

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2013

PHOTOS BY SETH WALTERS STYLING BY TRINA SCOTT

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cassandra

KUBINSKI singer

WHAT WAS THE FIRST PERFORMANCE YOU REMEMBER GIVING? I remember singing a song called “Gone Fishin” in a circus that my best friend and I wrote, cast, and produced. We roped in all the neighborhood kids to be in it- acts from gymnastics to ballerinas to lions jumping through “flaming hoops” (hula hoops with orange cloth on them). Michelle and I wrote “Gone Fishin” and sang it acapella on the driveway, with step-touch moves and snaps. I was probably eight.

BONUS BLEEPvid

to play the lead. My mom brought me for the open calls for Annie, the 20th anniversary production, at its birthplace, the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Conn. Long story short, Martin Charnin cast me as the lead, and I got an Equity card and eight shows a week. After that incredible experience, I think it re-set my expectations about my careerfrom then on, I thought I’d be a entertainer.

WHERE DID YOUR SOUND COME FROM? My sound now is a combination of influences: singer/songwriters I grew up listening to, my favorites being Billy Joel and Carole King; American musical theatre (especially Sondheim, Loesser, and the “epic” musicals like Cats and Saigon), and also my fascination with sound in general. I love the sound of the city- I hear rhythm in people’s footsteps and in the trains. DID YOU GROW UP SINGING? Or the sound of a river, water droplets, or cicada bugs I apparently sang very early in life, according to my in the summertime- it all influences my music. My mom. She says we went to see “American Tale,” and I current album “Just Being Myself” has a mix of singer/ came home singing all the words from “Somewhere songwriter, cinematic/theatrical, and sound design Out There” around three-years-old. She called my influences. grandmother and asked “Is this normal?” That made me laugh. From that point on, I sang along with the WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MOMENT IN YOUR records my parents played, and then got into singing CONCERT? lessons and community musical theatre by age 10, so I love when people laugh. There are a couple songsit became more formalized then. “Literally” and “Shutout” come to mind- where I can audibly hear people laugh. I also love when a song AFTER YOU FIGURED OUT THAT YOU AND MUSIC silences the room- I know there’s something special WENT TOGETHER, WHAT WAS THE MOMENT YOU about that moment when people collectively decide SAW A FUTURE IN IT? they just want to feel that moment, and embrace the After playing an orphan in a community theatre music rather than continuing with their conversations production of Annie in Enfield, Conn., I really wanted in the club, and we all get to feel the gravity of the BLEEP 27

emotion together.

is always writing hit songs and also has an artist career, like a Carole King or Lady Gaga. I also dream WHO IS YOUR DREAM COLLABORATOR? of having an awesome balance among songwriting Billy Joel, as a songwriter and live act. A few dream and performing, acting in film, TV, and commercials, producers: Timbaland, Matt Serletic, John Alagia, and and being back in the Broadway and theatre scene. I Benny Blanco. do all of that now, but the focus is surely on the music side of things at present. WHAT INSPIRES YOU? Human connections. A great conversation with WHAT’S UP NEXT? my mom, dad, sisters, or best friends; Watching the Performances May 4 in Astoria and May 20 on the people I love succeed at something they’ve worked Lower East Side; performing a lot in support of our towards; Extreme emotions, and feeling them new album, and video for “Just Being Myself”; making completely; Nature. Love. Humor. a few new music videos; and, planning a tour in Thailand for fall. WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? My dream is to be one of those songwriters who W W W.JUSTBEINGMYSELF.ME 28 BLEEP

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edward MISKIE

moving on from there.

WHAT SEPARATES YOU FROM OTHER ACTORS IN THE INDUSTRY? Absolutely nothing. We all have our strong suits. Yes, our goals and motives may vary, as do our talents and types, but in the end we all just want to work; WHERE ARE YOU FROM? and the difference between working and not is what I grew up in the farm country of central Pennsylvania someone behind a table is looking for. – a little town called Lebanon. But when people ask I always say Hershey (as in chocolate) because that is WHY DID YOU START THERE ARE GIANTS? the only remotely recognizable town close enough to I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in say ‘I am from here’. late 2011. About four months into treatments, I was

actor/blogger

dumped by my boyfriend of the time, who happened to be 6’9. My initial thought was ‘I need a project to not think about this’… my second thought was ‘how am I going to meet other tall men?’ Both of those notions backfired on me as the project has turned into a business and the tall men I meet for the magazine WHAT WAS THE POINT OF MOVING TO NEW shoots are mostly straight. The beauty of these results YORK? – aside of the cancer being gone - is that there is real To get away! I knew I didn’t want to go to college, I lack of voice for the tall male community outside of knew I didn’t want to stay in Pennsylvania. At the time Rochester Big & Tall. I am diligently working to provide I had a voice teacher who planted the ‘you can move that voice and in doing so have become the ONLY tall to NYC and not go to college to be a performer’ idea men’s magazine in full operation today. in my head, so I went with that – three days after I graduated high school. WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING PART OF TAG? WHEN WERE YOU BIT BY THE THEATRE BUG? I was nine-years-old and auditioned for The Wizard of Oz at our High School… I ended up as the Mayor of Muchkinland and was taller than Dorothy.

Hearing from the readers. I get emails from some HOW ARE YOU TRYING TO REACH YOUR GOALS? of them thanking me for providing a place to get Keeping on “the grind,” never giving in or giving up, answers and feel included. I get emailed asking making the best of what I’m given to work with and

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‘where do I go for this’ and ‘what do I do for that’ and it’s really touching to hear from fans, I guess you’d call them, knowing you’ve helped them even if it is with as something as small as finding a size 19 shoe.

possibly could have or wanted to, and somehow have left an indelible mark on the world. WHAT INSPIRES YOU? People. I have had the privilege to meet some really incredible people either here in New York or across the country while doing shows. I have learned so much from the most unexpected people.

WHAT’S THE GOAL OF THE SITE? Because this started out as a Tumblr and a busy-work project, there was never really a WHAT’S NEXT? set goal in mind other I just sang at “The than to keep it going. I Callback” at 54 Below and suppose now that we will be performing in The are where we are, I’d Sound of Music at North really love to see this Shore Music Theatre continue to grow and from June 11 - June 23 in then eventually get picked up by a larger publication Beverly, Mass. It’s an honor, a joy, and a huge validation that also realizes that there is a place in the periodical to have been able to book something so great my first world of life and style for a tall conversation. audition season back from such a tough year away. WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? To look back and feel as if though I have no regrets, I have accomplished anything and everything I 32 BLEEP

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karaoke stage, I still do really enjoy that.

WHEN/WHY DID YOU MOVE TO NEW YORK? I moved to New York a little over a year ago. I knew it was where I wanted to be, but having college loans to pay as well as the ever-growing cost of living WHERE ARE YOU FROM? in the city, there was no way I could do that unless I I actually have a twin sister and we were just had a job lined up. I worked really hard networking, talking about this recently. We were saying how we researching and applying everywhere that made never know how to answer this question. See, my sense. Eventually I was contacted by my current family moved around a lot growing up. About every company and I was offered a job and relocation. One four years I was living in a different city. I was born month later, I showed up in a city that I had not set in Cincinnati, but spent time living in Cleveland and foot in since I was fifteen years-old with nothing but Indianapolis before making my way to Texas where I two suitcases and one friend. It was the thrill of my stayed for high school and college. life!

model

WHAT WERE YOUR INTERESTS WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER? I loved to dabble in everything growing up. I tried (and failed) at almost every sport out there. I’m pretty sure I had two left feet and no hand-eye coordination, but I gave it all a try. It wasn’t until I was in late middle school when I started playing volleyball in the backyard with my sister that I got into my now number one pastime and hobby. I also really loved art and music as a kid and found that to be what I was more gifted in. I remember taking multiple art classes as well as singing in school talent shows and in church. Although, I never pursued any of those beyond painting in my apartment or gracing a

WHEN DID YOU GET INTO MODELING? I was actually in Seattle at the time visiting my parents over summer break before my senior year of college. I was out at a park playing volleyball one afternoon with a group of friends. One of the guys was an amateur photographer and brought out his camera to shoot action shots of everyone playing. He later showed me some of the pictures he took of me and said that he was determined to do a photo shoot with me. Having always felt like the odd man out growing up with being gay, skinny and short… not to mention having that 90’s bowl haircut, braces and glasses all through my adolescence, I thought to BLEEP 35

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are only bound by what we allow to limit us. Of course there are factors such as timing and opportunity that can come into play, but Walt Disney said it best, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” I am proof. I wanted to live, work and thrive in New York City and I was WHY DO YOU ENJOY IT? determined to make it happen and even more so… Although people don’t realize it, modeling is actually I was determined to work hard for it. Was it an easy a ton of work. You could shoot for hours and only end ride? Absolutely not, but that is part of the fun! If you up with three or four really good shots. Sometimes can learn to weather your own storms, mend your the pictures may look one way, but what you have to own wounds and leap your own hurdles then there is do to make that work is an entire different story. One no greater feeling of accomplishment than knowing time I did a shoot down in Houston for a swimsuit you are where you are because of everything you did magazine. We shot out at a water park at 7 a.m. in to get there. early March. The temperature was probably in the mid forties and the water was ice cold, but you would WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? have never known in the pictures. However, I think To continue to be happy. I think we all have goals, that’s what makes it so much fun. You get to create an aspirations and wants that we would like to achieve, illusion or help the photographer paint a picture with but the end result of all of those being met or filled his camera. And at the end of the day when you see would be happiness. If you can go to bed at night your picture in a magazine or in a book, it’s a pretty knowing that what you did that day made you happy awesome feeling. or was at least an effort towards a greater happiness, then what more could you want? I also live by the WHAT ARE YOU INTO OUTSIDE OF MODELING? mindset that if someone doesn’t have a smile, give I work as an Account Executive for a marketing and them yours. Happiness is contagious… ever smiled at media providing company here in the city. I am in a stranger? Try it! charge of bringing forth new business and clients I do get to travel pretty often for work as well. When WHAT’S UP NEXT? I am not in the office I can be found several nights a Who knows! That’s the best part! Every day presents week on the volleyball court. I play in two of the top an opportunity to create something of yourself or leagues in the city as well as in weekend tournaments to start something new. I plan to keep creating new about once a month. memories, meeting new people, garnering new experiences and embracing each moment. I am not WHAT INSPIRES YOU? going to sit around and expect someone else to Besides my family, I would say what most inspires create my happiness for me. I am going to continue to me is the notion that my possibilities are limitless. We do me and be the best version of myself that I can be. BLEEP 37

emily SMITH actor

WHERE ARE YOU FROM? Austin, TX WHEN WERE YOU BIT BY THE THEATRE BUG? I wasn’t so much ‘bit’ by the theatre bug, as I was kidnapped by it. Unlike most other actors, theatre was never my childhood dream. My sisters both went to school for musical theatre, so I had no desire to follow in their footsteps. Instead I wanted to teach English, advocate women’s rights, write poetry or become a politician. You know...like you do. But I also loved to sing. So I joined choir. The choir kids usually staffed the yearly musical out of sheer necessity. So I auditioned for Once on this Island then Grease the following year, but I never for a moment considered acting. I just wanted to sing more and hang out with my choir friends. After all, why sing “Those Magic Changes” when you can sing just about anything arranged by Moses Hogan? But I was not to be left in choir. My theatre director had seen something. I still have no idea what it was, but she told me I would no longer be considered for the musicals if I didn’t start to audition for the plays. So the next year (terrified and completely out of my comfort zone) I auditioned for Neil Simon’s Rumors. That was it. I was 17, in my very first play, and there was absolutely no possible way of ever going back. WHERE DID YOU GO TO COLLEGE AND WHAT FOR? Baylor University for Theatre Performance. WHAT WAS THE POINT OF MOVING TO NEW YORK? Honestly? Why the hell not?! I’m not saying NYC is the greatest city in the world. I’m not saying I will live here forever. But when you are a stage actor just starting out, I really can’t fathom living anywhere else. Theatre lives here. It is the heart and soul of this city. In other cities you can audition occasionally. Here? Everyday. In other cities you can see original works only on rare occasions. Here? EVERY. DAY. In other cities people ask you, “Why don’t you move to NYC?” Here? They ask “Why would you ever leave?” HOW ARE YOU TRYING TO REACH YOUR GOALS? Audition. Audition. Audition. Audition. 38 BLEEP

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hidden secrets of Emily step into the light for all to see. Every vulnerable thought and desire on display for your cathar-ting pleasure. WHAT’S YOUR DREAM ROLE? WHY? In the interest of full disclosure and truth and journalistic integrity, I’m going to give the real answer and not the million answers that would make me sound a LOT more educated/cool. My dream role is Hamlet. I promise you, this is the truth. Shakespeare wrote the most honest portrayal of a woman... then decided to make her, a him, which was just a poor choice on Shakespeare’s part. Sometimes I cry just thinking about “what a piece of work is man.” Sometimes I passionately plead “that is the question!” Hamlet is torn between such dark and opposing fates that cause my stomach to ache with familiarity. What terrifies me is the knowledge that I will soon be too old to play Hamlet. By the time I have proven myself enough for a producer to cast me in such a role, I may have already out grown it. But I hope and dream none the less.

WHAT’S BEEN THE MOST SURPRISING ASPECT OF AUDITIONING? How prepared I already was (professionally). When you go to school in Waco, TX then move to ‘the city’, where 90% of your competition went to school in the city, you can’t help but assume you’ll be light-years behind when it comes to decorum. How wrong I was! Baylor actually prepares you to be liked in theatre. We’re extremely professional, with strong handshakes. We’re polite and genuine. We have great resumes and headshots. We can perform any style, and run a light board or build a set. We’re taught how to be good company members, ready and willing to do whatever is asked of us. So I guess the surprising WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? thing is that auditioning here is just like auditioning I want to wake up, get dressed and go to work. At a anywhere. Except with 500x the competition. It’s just theatre. As an actor. Everyday. That’s it. nice to know I’m not behind the curve on this one. Well...maybe include a paycheck. WHAT SEPARATES YOU FROM OTHER ACTORS IN THE INDUSTRY? To say what separates you as an artist is very close to saying what makes you better as an artist, which is almost to say what makes you better as a person. What makes us an amazing group of people is that we are all genuinely different and passionate and intelligent and competitive. But...I suppose I stand out in that I have little desire to stand out. My personality is alarmingly shy for someone who has chosen to stand emotionally naked before thousands of attentive eyes. Theatre is a need. I can’t live without it. Dramatic? Yeah, okay, but true none the less. It chose me, regardless of my personality. I don’t act because I want people to see and hear me. I want them to see and hear the story. The story is so important, and when I’m on stage, I plead with the audience to understand just how important that particular story is. My absolute favorite thing as an actor is when people don’t realize I was in the show they just watched. That’s when I know that Emily Smith wasn’t on stage at all. Only Clytemnestra. Only Mrs. Lovett. Only Titania. And yet. Those few hours on stage? Those are the hours where the most well 40 BLEEP

WHAT INSPIRES YOU? Nearly everything. My family’s history, my friends’ progress, my hero’s performances. My professors, my coworkers, my books, my clothes. Everything! Even really disappointing art (frustration and anger can be powerful motivational forces). But the biggest thing is originality. Mostly because it is all but impossible. Originality goes beyond creative thinking, beyond talent and training, beyond genius. To create something original may be my one life goal. So when I see Sierra Boggess as Christine Daae, or Rude Mechanical’s production of “Method Gun,” or read Itamar Moses’ “The Four of Us,” I literally sink into an inspiration induced coma. I’ll spend days obsessing over minute details like cape flourishes, and I’ll tell anyone who will listen why they should care about things like cape flourishes. I want everyone I come in contact with to hear about this amazing new thing I just saw because I know they’ve never seen anything like it, and it will change them the way it changed me, and together we can create something just as original and amazing and new and inspire others. And that’s when art can truly affect the world. What could possibly be more inspiring than that?

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SUPER

JOE

INTERVIEW BY CALEB BOLLENBACHER

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ARTIST JOE EISMA GREW UP IN WEST, TEXAS AND WOUND UP GOING TO COLLEGE FOR VIDEO PRODUCTION AND SCREENWRITING. AFTER WORKING IN TV NEWS AND NEWSPAPER AND REALIZING IT WASN’T FOR HIM, HE DECIDED TO GO TO GRAD SCHOOL TO STUDY VIDEO GAMES. ONE OF HIS PROFESSORS TURNED OUT TO BE AN EX-COMICBOOK-ARTIST AND THAT BECAME THE CATALYST FOR EISMA TO BEGIN TO PURSUE WHAT HE HAD LOVED FOR YEARS, DRAWING COMICS.

“fireman!” and it was like “I want to be an artist. I want to work out of a studio.” And essentially I kind of did that. WHEN YOU DOODLED, WHAT DID YOU DRAW? Marvel superheroes. Wolverine, Captain America, Iron Man. I always drew Iron Man for some reason. And Transformers. I was a big Transformers fan and I would draw my interpretation of them – and I look at them now and they’re awful – but it’s funny now because I really hate drawing robots as an adult.

WHEN DID YOU REALIZE YOU HAD AN EYE FOR TELLING STORIES VISUALLY? I always drew, so I kind of always had that artistic tendency. And then I really got into film as a young adult, Baylor really nurtured that and I went hog-wild for Stanley Kubrick, Alfred Hitchcock, Ridley Scott, those guys. When you watch movies you can do it through a number of different perspectives. You can WHEN YOU WERE A KID, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO do it casually, but really getting interested in film I DO WHEN YOU GREW UP? started paying attention to stuff like cinematography, I remember being in elementary school and they do set design, lighting, all that really great technical stuff. that thing where they’re like “what do you want to be And I would take interest in stuff like editing. You can when you grow up?” and everyone’s like “policeman!” 50 BLEEP

really tell a story through editing: how you arrange stuff, what you cut out. I really got passionate about that, and then taking that into comics is how I do my pages, leaping into them with that same zeal. WHAT MOST SURPRISED YOU ABOUT PUTTING TOGETHER YOUR FIRST GRAPHIC NOVEL? I was really surprised at how loose the industry is, and also by that same token how small it is. A lot of production schedules when you’re starting out at the really small publishers, money is tight but at the same time they know they can’t really crack the whip so they are more lenient with scheduling and stuff. I was really slow back then, I did like three pages a week.

film as much as I was and they just kind of shake their head at the fandom I have for the genre. I think Hunter is kind of that same way where he’s kind of ostracized in a way, but he’s still a really nice guy and I always try to be really polite and really nice to people.

WHY ARE GRAPHIC NOVELS/COMICS IMPORTANT? WHAT KEEPS THEM RELEVANT? I think that the greatness of the comic genre is that the sky is the limit. The thing I always ran into with any film thing or video production was budgets. People were always like “we don’t have the money for this” or “we have to go find an actor for this”, and you’d be dealing with numerous people. With comics you still have to deal with other people, but you deal with IS THERE A CHARACTER THAT MOST RESONATES a noticeably smaller production team and it frees WITH YOU FROM ONE OF YOUR NOVELS? you up. Your budget is just how far your imagination I’m going to take the suspected answer, which goes, and I think that’s what’s so great about it. I think would probably be Hunter from Morning Glories. Hollywood took notice of this a long time ago and Hunter is the good-natured, nerdy kid, and a lot of our just started buying up properties left and right and readers can easily identify with that because I think a has never stopped. It’s almost like comic books get lot of them were that kid, and I know I was. I was really to be the development ground because they can go awkward in high school, really kind of nerdy, and later wild and Hollywood can see what works and rein it in I got nerdy into film. A lot of my buddies weren’t into whenever they adapt it. BLEEP 51

people to watch

2013

WHAT’S THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE FOR COMIC/GRAPHIC NOVELS? There was a pretty bleak period there for a while. Sales really crashed right around the 2000’s. There was a big speculator boom in the 90’s and it effectively killed comics. But I think things are recovering great. Content-wise I don’t think it’s ever been better. There’s such a diverse breadth of titles, you can find pretty much anything. I grew up with superheroes and I still have a soft spot for that stuff, but I get way more enjoyment out of reading stuff that could be an HBO series or something, stuff that’s science fiction or crime. That’s what’s so great about it, there’s so much diversity in terms of content and that puts the market in a really healthy place. WHAT DOES YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS ENTAIL? WHAT INSPIRES YOU? Inspiration-wise I still go back to film. I’ve got a Blu-ray player here in my office and I’ve got Netflix on my iPad so I watch stuff all the time. That or listen to music, depending on the page. For each thing that I work on obviously the inspiration is different. Obviously with Morning Glories we say that it’s Runaways meets “Lost”, but there’s a lot of other elements that influence it. 1960’s “hammer horror” from England, that was a pretty big influence. Then the late 90’s horror boom of like “Scream” and “The Faculty,” stuff like that is pretty big for me visually. Comics, obviously. I draw comics so I’m influenced by comics. There’s stuff I grew up with, artists and series from the 80’s that I still enjoy, I still like to look at their work and it still inspires me. And modern guys too, people like Frank Cho and Steve McNiven. In recent years I’ve gotten really into manga 52 BLEEP

and creator Naoki Urasawa, who does 20th Century Boys and Pluto. I think that what I like about it is that it’s so akin to “Lost”, which is what Nick [Spencer] and I are trying to do. BLEEP IS INTERESTED IN ARTISTS WHO ARE PROMOTING SOCIAL CHANGE WITH THEIR WORK. IN THAT REGARD, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON ISSUE 18 OF MORNING GLORIES, THE WHOLE JUN/GUILLAME LOVE SCENE, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF ALL THE PROP 8 DEBATE THAT WAS GOING ON AT THE TIME? That was such crazy, fortuitous timing! I promise we didn’t plan that. But yeah, it really took the book into a whole other level. Suddenly the fanbase exploded

on tumblr, and I guess by the way we’d portrayed it that love scene really resonated with people. I heard from a lot of readers that they appreciated that it wasn’t gratuitous or anything like that. We tried to keep it as tasteful as possible. And it certainly wasn’t done for shock value since it was part of a character’s arc. As to the issue of Prop 8 and what have you-my feeling has always been that we’re human beings, and love is love.

BIG IDEA FOR THE BIG SCREEN? Sometimes I do. I would like to write my own stuff one of these days. I have a few ideas. One is something really personal and another is comedy. If I had a chance to write for a film, I’d love to do something kind of slice of life. I’m a big fan of this guy, Andrew Bujalski, based off this film of his called “Mutual Appreciation.” It was so conversational and I don’t know--it just resonated with me!

MORNING GLORIES IS A STORY THAT IS SHROUDED IN SO MUCH MYSTERY. HOW TIRED ARE YOU OF GETTING BOMBARDED WITH QUESTIONS OR BEING OFFERED BRIBES IN EXCHANGE FOR SPOILERS? So tired! (laughs) Seriously though--I get it. In a way it’s kind of flattering--it shows that our readers are really dedicated! I wish I could give away more, but I always feel like the fun of stories like this is uncovering the mystery.

WHAT’S NEXT? ANY BIG PROJECTS OTHER THAN THE NEXT 73 ISSUES OF MORNING GLORIES YOU GUYS HAVE PLANNED? I’ve actually been talking to a number of different writers about new projects. I’ve got no plans to leave Morning Glories, but I think everybody else on the creative team has branched out into other things, so it’s really my turn now. I enjoyed working with Sam Humphries last year on Higher Earth, and we’re trying to pin down a project to do together. And I recently finished a pitch for a kind of twisted love story with a new writer, Jeremy Holt.

YOU MENTIONED BEING INTERESTED IN SCREENWRITING. IS THAT AN IDEA YOU STILL ENTERTAIN? AND IF SO WHAT WOULD BE YOUR

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WE MET UP WITH A BUNCH OF ‘STUD MUFFINS’ IN NEW YORK’S EAST VILLAGE TO CHECK OUT THE NEWEST LOOKS FROM KYLE BRINCEFEILD. HIS FUN, PLAYFUL AND CLUB-READY LOOKS HAVE MADE A SPLASH IN NYC AND NOW HE’S CROSSING THE CONTINENTS AND HEADED DOWN UNDER.

family bathroom and travel to nearby Chicago for clothes unavailable in our area. I learned about garment construction in high school during a fashion class I took, but never fell in love with sewing. I consider myself more of an artist/designer hybrid as most of my garments are pre-produced or vintage.

AT WHAT POINT DID YOU START WORKING WITH FASHION? All through high school, I was prepared to enter college, study fashion and find my way in the industry from there. Things didn’t exactly go that way and after a few setbacks, I had no fashion degree and I was prepared to figure out WHAT WERE YOU INTERESTED IN AS A KID? another career path. Normal Indiana kid stuff. We always had ATV’s, mopeds, I ended up moving to New York when I was 20, because go-karts and that kind of stuff growing up. We spent a I felt that’s where I needed to be. After three years of lot of time in the woods as kids, making forts and tree bartending and cocktailing around the city, I unknowingly houses. found my way back into the fashion world through an untapped niche market. I began creating pieces for WHEN DID YOU START TAKING NOTICE OF WHAT myself and the demand was on. PEOPLE WERE WEARING AND HOW IT WAS CONSTRUCTED? WHERE DID YOUR STYLE OF DESIGN COME FROM? Probably in my early teens is when I started becoming I’m really inspired by downtown New York City, the a little more fashion conscious and exploring trends. I artists, the style, the East Village, the dirt, the grit and went through just about every phase from goth, punk, the glitter. I love originality, I love people with confident prep and so on. I would “Manic Panic” my hair a different style. I live for people that walk out of their apartments in color every week, try new piercings on myself in the whatever they want without a care in the world. WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? A small town, Roanoke, Indiana, across from a cornfield on 10 acres of wooded land. Very peaceful and nice, but a far cry from where I wanted to be growing up.

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Jason Brickhill- videographer, model, actor

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Michael Isaacs- fashion student Featured looks: Studmuffin NYC Alphabet Spike Suits, Studmuffin NYC Alphabet Spike Sweats, Studmuffin NYC Alphabet Spiked Sweater, Studmuffin NYC Studded Scales denim, Adidas Originals track jacket and hat, all else is designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vintage.

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My brands style sort of began by browsing local NYC shops for studded items and noticing the insanely overpriced tags. There was a gap in the market for affordable studded gear with originality and that didn’t scream “I’m a punk rocker.” I began putting studs and spikes on more conventional clothing, such as sweatpants and sweatshirts and it really hadn’t been done before, or at this level at least.

Adidas Originals. I’ve always had a thing for Adidas, it’s well made and stylish. You can usually catch me running around the city in a tracksuit or track shorts, a snapback and some Adidas sneakers.

WHAT’S NEXT? Right now is actually a really exciting time for me, the Studmuffin NYC name has caught attention overseas in Australia. With my new business partner, Faraz Ali; owner WHAT ARE YOUR DESIGN INFLUENCES? of Awkward Sydney, we are now working on opening My influences come from all over; From artists, Studmuffin Sydney. It will be a huge step for me and I can’t designers, different cultures and so on. I really enjoy wait to get to work down under! Whole new collection, hand-painting original garments and am inspired by different feel, different style...so exciting. artists like Keith Haring and Stephen Sprouse. I love art and see my clothes more of art pieces that are going to WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? be around for a very long time. Costume designer, stylist My dreams are simple. My dream is to get by, not have and friend; Patricia Field also gives me great inspiration. to worry about money, to be a well-liked individual, to do The lady is a genius, literally. right to others and be respected. I don’t dream of money or riches really, just to do what I love, have fun and get by WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW WITH YOUR DESIGNS? doing it. Right now, I’m gearing up for Studmuffin NYC Spring, new designs, lots of fun, and new colors. New items HOW CAN PEOPLE GET YOUR DESIGNS? will be up soon on our website for purchase at www. Our webstore is up and running at and new items studmuffin-nyc.com . I’ve been working with a lot of new, are added all the time. We also just celebrated a year of great photographers and spreading the SMNYC name to selling our clothing out of the Patricia Field boutique in a more global audience. NYC, located at 306 Bowery or 298 Elizabeth. Additional custom inquiries can be directed to: WHERE DOES YOUR PERSONAL STYLE COME FROM? Custom.Studmuffinnyc@gmail.com. My personal style comes mainly from comfort and getting around in the city. My guilty pleasure is anything WWW.STUDMUFFIN-NYC.COM 62 BLEEP

William Noguchi- stylist and visual displays at Patricia Field

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CHEZ SHAY PHOTOS & INTERVIEW BY GARRETT BURNETT

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people to watch

2013

AUSTIN, TEX. NATIVE SHAY SPENCE NEEDED A DIRECTION AFTER GRADUATING FROM TULANE IN NEW ORLEANS LAST YEAR. AFTER MOVING BACK TO AUSTIN TO REGROUP, HIS PLAN TO WORK WITH FAMILY WAS THWARTED BY THE REALIZATION THAT COOKING IS WAS HE REALLY WANTED TO DO. HE HAS A PASSION FOR FOOD AND A PASSION FOR HELPING OTHERS CATCH THE VISION.

anything other than EasyMac. I enjoyed the praise and feeling like I was really good at something for the first time. I’ve worked in kitchens after graduating college. Odd jobs, service jobs, catering, mostly centered around Royito’s (my dad’s hot sauce company). Since being back in Austin, I’ve had several awesome opportunities to have the Food Trailer open for major music events (ACL, SXSW) for which I was able to create the menu and execute something that most 20-somethings can’t say they have experience doing.

AT WHAT POINT DID THE CULINARY ARTS BEGIN TO BECOME SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO PURSUE? I always loved food but until my junior year of college, I was on a first name basis with the Wendy’s cashier. [But] I literally became addicted to the Food Network and learned so much. I never thought about food in that way. With my weird schedule, I had time to watch during the day between classes so I watched Paula Dean pour butter on something. It acted like a second class. Then it turned into research online followed by actual cooking for roommates. Then I cooked for my parents, they were shocked to see

DO YOU HAVE A SPECIALTY DISH? I’m an Italian food fanatic. Dish that got me to The Ultimate Food and Wine Experience with Tyler Florence was a Gnocchi w/ short rib ragu.

WHAT OTHER CHEFS DO YOU LOOK UP TO? National chefs like Anthony Bourdane, Tyler Florence and Anne Burrell as well as local chefs in Austin like Bryce Gilmore at Barley Swine and Paul Qui at Uchiko.

WHAT’S NEXT? Moving to New York to study Culinary Arts and Management at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE). I also launched a new bog, ChezSpence.com, for people who love pop culture, entertainment, food or WHEN YOU WERE A KID, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO any combination of the three. I mixed satire and pop DO WHEN YOU GREW UP? culture with my love food. I post recipes inspired I recently found a book I wrote in elementary school by pop culture events,for movies, and TV Premieres. For where I said I wanted to be a lawyer or actor, and example, I posted a recipe for Cuban Sandwiches on specifically in Orlando, perhaps with Disney World. basis of Beyonce and Jay-Z’s trip to Cuba. I never gave it much thought when I was younger. I always thought I wanted to be a lawyer, maybe WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? because it was the first job I heard about that had a My ten year goal is to open my own restaurant. steady income. I’ve always been interested in politics, Ultimately, want a solid career in the food industry never a question about what I wanted to study. The that makes Ime and get do what I love to do reality set in and I knew that wasn’t the right career within the mediahappy related to food. for me.

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WHAT SEPARATES YOU FROM OTHER CHEF HOPEFULS? Food blogging for a different demographic and perspective. It’s more relatable, and I want to open up the food world to people who would maybe be intimidated by it.

WWW.CHEZSPENCE.COM

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people to watch

2013

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? In Japan. I came to New York in 2009.

yuki Ishi

more interested in contemporary dance, but it’s not popular in Japan, so I decided to move to New York. In 2009 I came to New York. I met unique hip-hop WHEN DID YOU FIRST START DANCING? dancers who didn’t take classes, but were practicing I was 18 years old. It was when I could start working hard and created their own style of dance. Influenced part-time jobs to make money to take class. by them, I started to find my dance style using all of my dance backgrounds: break dance, ballet, WHAT WAS THE FIRST ROUTINE YOU REMEMBER? contemporary and hip-hop. Currently people call me Maybe hip-hop. I practiced by myself watching it on a “Contemporary B-boy.” TV. WHAT HAS BEEN THE “BIGGEST”/MOST AT WHAT POINT DID DANCING BECOME IMPORTANT PERFORMANCE YOU’VE HAD TO IMPORTANT TO YOU? DATE? I met my best friend by dancing. Before I turned In New York, I performed “The Nutcracker” with a 18, the world I knew was only school and home. My circus company. The story is “The Nutcracker,” but the junior high school and high school ware very intense. music and direction were original. My role was the Japan has a crazy culture. In Japan, to enter college is Rat King. I could use all of my talents. I really enjoyed difficult, but the person who could get into a famous performing. I think that kind of performance is the college is seen as elite, can be hired from big company best way to use my talent. and can earn a lot of money. So my parents enrolled me in the boys school focused on preparing students HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ADVANCING YOUR to get into a university. DANCING CAREER? From the ages of 12 to 17, I was studying at school I’m taking ballet class every morning as training all day from Monday to Saturday, then I had more and practicing by myself to develop my own dance homework when I got home from school. I had no style. Sometimes I join the street dance cypher (circle time to play outside and the only relaxation I had dance battle) to try my skill. was watching TV. Watching TV, I was fascinated by singers and dancers because they looked so freed WHERE DO YOU PERFORM, CHOREOGRAPH, ETC? and brilliant. I wanted to live like that. I wanna see I’m dancing with small dance companies, projects such light! As soon as I entered college, I could finally and circuses around NYC, as well as sometimes start to dance. choreographing my own solo pieces. Dance gives me a lot of energy to live. I realized that I can’t live without dance. WHAT DOES DANCING MEAN TO YOU? Dancing gives me the reason to live. Dance is the WHAT KIND OF TRAINING HAVE YOU HAD? WHAT same as sword training for a Samurai. To master IS THE PRINCIPLE STYLE OF DANCE YOU DANCE the way is my life. I want to see what I can do next NOW? to master dance. In the same time dance gives me Actually, ballet was the dance I wanted to do, but the important things like good friends and good it’s difficult and I couldn’t practice by myself. I tried memories. but I was using my body wrong. I didn’t realize that until I met good teachers in New York. WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? In Japan, I didn’t have support from my parents, I Practicing everyday to develop my dance style. had to make money by myself. I was working until midnight and went to my WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? morning class without sleep. Sometimes I would Hopefully join in a big production and to dance fall asleep while grabbing ballet bar. I decided I was more. 74 BLEEP

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jandro rera

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? El Paso, Texas. WHEN DID YOU FIRST START DANCING? I started dancing in college, at age 19, which is ancient in ballet.

WHAT WAS THE FIRST ROUTINE YOU REMEMBER? My first teacher was introducing my to the basics and used the same rule she gave to her younger students to help turnout, “Pretend you have a little gold star on the inside of your heel and let your star shine!” AT WHAT POINT DID DANCING BECOME IMPORTANT TO YOU? I was hooked almost immediately. Within a few months, I knew this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. WHAT KIND OF TRAINING HAVE YOU HAD? I’ve trained primarily in ballet, mostly neo-classical since most of my teachers were associated with New York City Ballet. I’ve stuck with ballet with a few exceptions because I love the beauty and the structure of it. WHAT HAS BEEN THE “BIGGEST”/MOST IMPORTANT PERFORMANCE YOU’VE HAD TO DATE? During a school performance, a well-known critic came to the show I was performing in. I was only featured in one dance, and I shared performances with a friend, but the blogger singled me out and gave me a rave review! We‘ve stayed very good friends, and he’s been a wonderful source of advice and encouragement since then. HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ADVANCING YOUR DANCING CAREER? I recently created a Vimeo page that features Variations I worked on with a coach, as well as rehearsal and performance footage. Many artistic directors require audition tapes before they’ll let you take company class so I emailed the link to as many people as I could. I’ve already gotten some great feedback from a lot of companies! WHERE DO YOU PERFORM, CHOREOGRAPH, ETC? Most recently I performed with Alison Cook-Beatty in a brand new pas-de-deux she created. It was a commission for Opera Dolce, and working with her was a wonderful experience. She’s so full of life. WHAT DOES DANCING MEAN TO YOU? Dancing to me is a way of life. You can’t fake it, and you can’t do if halfway. Being a dancer takes more love, devotion, and above all inner-strength than any other profession there is. WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? I’m planning on going back to college. Lots of dancers are balancing their careers with getting a degree, which is the intelligent thing to do. Initially I left school so I could pursue the best training possible; now that I’ve done that I’d like to finish what I started. WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? I’ve been lucky enough to study and perform with some really wonderful people. I’m already living the dream and with luck it’s going to keep getting even better. BLEEP 77

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? I grew up in Tehuacana, Tex., population 322, just outside of Mexia, Tex., hometown of Anna NicoleSmith.

Rapp in a play with music and dance called “Dedalus Lounge” and doing solo and duet work for Luigi and Francis J. Roach. I teach for Royal Family Productions children’s program and dancing with those kids at Symphony Space with a live band is always an honor and a complete blast. If I were to pick one, it would be doing “For Once in My Life” for Francis. I got loads of praise from the solo and it boosted my confidence.

WHEN DID YOU FIRST START DANCING? I first started dancing in college. I went to school and said “I want to be an actor, what do I do?” They said I needed to take acting, singing and dance. I had always wanted to learn how to sing and I would HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ADVANCING YOUR meet girls in dance class. I had studied martial arts for DANCING CAREER? several years and all that kinesthetic sense helped me That’s a funny question for me. A few years ago pick up on dance very quickly. I thought I was done with the business and was looking to move on. And I was pulled back into the WHAT WAS THE FIRST ROUTINE YOU REMEMBER? game. I have been teaching and choreographing in The first routine I remember was in my first show NYC and been asked to be a part of a few new dance “The Odyssey.” It was a modern dance version of companies dedicated to preserving American Musical Homer’s “The Odyssey.” I was put down stage in front. I Theater dances and starting new works. I have been had barely been dancing three months and I couldn’t involved in a few workshops of Broadway revivals, get it right and fought and screamed and yelled to and working on two new shows putting together get it right. the movement for them. All that after I thought I was done. AT WHAT POINT DID DANCING BECOME I have been advancing my career by taking as IMPORTANT TO YOU? many varieties of dance as I can fit in. Flamenco, Fosse Dance became very important to me quite Style with Diane Laurenson, tap (by far my biggest immediately. I realized I was accelerating at dance challenge), ball room, swing and always Luigi. I have faster than the other disciplines and I knew I could revived my ballet training by studying with Sonia use dance to get me into doors that my singing and Melo, by far my favorite ballet teacher in NYC. acting couldn’t. And there has been a lot of truth to that. I’ve gotten several acting roles because of WHERE DO YOU PERFORM, CHOREOGRAPH, ETC? connections I made in the dance world. Also, early on I have several projects coming up this year, a play I wanted to dance so, so, so bad. But it was hard, I with dance that has been bumped twice (I hope it used to scream, yell and curse and throw things and comes to fruition). I have two shows I am working on. leave class and then show right back up the next day. One is a musical called “The Waiting Game” based on And my first mentor would just look at me and say, the debut album of my very talented friend Meaghan “Welcome back.” Farrell called “Waitress.” WHAT IS THE PRINCIPLE STYLE OF DANCE YOU DANCE NOW? I have trained at Houston Ballet, Broadway Theater Project, Jacob’s Pillow, Steps on Broadway, Broadway Dance Center and Luigi. I mainly dance the Luigi style now. Years ago when I took my first class with Luigi, I felt like I had found a home. It’s classy, musical, teaches you how to move like a star and easy on the body and I think the Luigi style is very healing to the body.

cu ho

WHAT DOES DANCING MEAN TO YOU? Dancing means so many things. It’s an outlet for my creativity and emotion. Dance is also a torturous beast that I love and hate at the same time that has taken my youth, given me injuries, friendships, experiences, heart ache. [The kind of ] memories people dream of, write about, take for granted, don’t understand, mock me for and love me for. It’s everything you can’t say, it’s heightened emotion. It’s a metaphor for life. It’s a heartless evil beast and your best friend.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE “BIGGEST”/MOST WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? IMPORTANT PERFORMANCE YOU’VE HAD TO Class and rehearsal. DATE? I’m not sure what my most important performance WHAT’S YOUR DREAM? to date is, I have had lots of opportunities to dance To originate a role on Broadway singing and with people who I have read about in books or seen on dancing. TV or Broadway. Highlights are dancing with Anthony 78 BLEEP

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by Katherine Morgan

ADAM, student, 21 from Seattle, Wash.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE? A lot of my clothes are handme-downs from family members, like my grandpa and brothers, but there have been some pieces that I found from thrift shops like Value Village.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS ONE THING THAT WILL NEVER GO OUT OF STYLE? Well-fitting clothes because clothes that are too bad for you look incredibly dumb.

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WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIECE OF CLOTHING THAT YOU’RE WEARING NOW? Probably the white shirt that I’m wearing now. I just got it, so it looks pretty new. It’s nice for the summer time. But my favorite item ever would be my jean jacket. I got it for Christmas time. My friends call it a Canadian blazer.

bleepquiz Emily Christine Smith

Actor

I am... researching a musical for a possible NYC premiere. I’m here because... NYC is where the theatre trends start, and I want in on the ground level. What makes me happiest is... that magic moment at the beginning of a first read-through. The color that best represents me is... SIC’EM GREEN ‘N GOLD. What I hope to accomplish today is... finish a book. Write a play. Meet a friend. Find a new audition song. Make some money. My best friends are... hundreds of miles away. I can’t live without... singing. Between an Olympic champion or an Oscar winner, I’d rather be... AN OLYMPIC CHAMPION! If I wasn’t me, I’d be... Sigourney Weaver in the 80s. I like it best when you... hire me. God is... patient. Very, very patient. I’m hungry for... authentic Southern BBQ. I cry… at inappropriate moments in pop songs (i.e. “Party in the USA” chorus). Style means… that perfect subtlety that so far eludes me. I want to go... to a sporting event! Please and thank you. The most obnoxious sound in the world is... the “Tweet” alert tone on the iPhone. What makes me weak is... my (not so) secret desire to be just like everyone else sometimes. At this exact moment, I’m passionate about... new play development. I crave...the ability to quit my day job. My inspiration is…my mother. BLEEP 83

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