December 2015
GREAT LAKES PIRATES Thee Bluebeard adventures
We have a new Logo, Right inside!!!
Meet the Man behind Thee Bluebeard
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Star~Dust
Editor, Motivator
Timber Gray Wolf
Editor Chief, Designer, photographer
Issue #6 Great Lake Pirates is published monthly freelying through ISSUU. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted into any form by any means without written consent from the publisher. Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs will be returned only if accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All letters sent to Great Lake Pirates will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication, copyright purposes and use are subject to Great Lake Pirates unrestricted right to edit and comment.
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Contents 04) Tails of SteamJack 08) Ships of the East 11) The Bluebeard Adventures 16) The Man behind Thee Bluebeard 22) Pirate of the Month 24) Scotch Eggs 26) Siren of the Month Do you have an awsome article that you would want to share? Email us the article and if the staff loves it, You will know soon enough. What will you need? The document in a Word Doc., any photos that would go along withe article and a clear photo of you. GreatLakePirates@gmail.com
They were troubling times. The era of Pax Britannica had been broken by the Eastern War as nations vied for territories around the inland seas of Africa and Asia. The British RAF (Royal Aether Force) was put to task with their French allies to stop the momentum of the Russian Empire. Astrea was the daughter of Cornelius Valentine, Captain of the private merchant vessel Eleanor, a swift, un-armed dirigible sloop. During the chaos of war Cornelius found good business on both sides selling the gasses and lightning they collected from the stratosphere. One fateful night changed everything. The Eleanor, farming the cumulous in the far North, felt a shudder from a nearby explosion. Cornelius ordered the ship about and down in order to investigate. Once breaking the heaviest of the cloud cover he came upon a large naval vessel below. Its hull had been torn asunder and a fire had begun to burn through its lines to the canvas envelope. Crew from the lower decks raced up and desperately drained the engine of water to douse the flames. Then, he saw it... the horror. The deck of the Eleanor grew silent
as one by one the crew, rocked by fear, threw themselves over the side. At this moment, Astrea reached the deck from her cabin below to assess the cause of the commotion. As she crossed the threshold, she could see her father looking over the far rail. In a moment he turned. His skin and hair had lost all color. His eyes, dilated, were empty and held no resonance. He stared at his daughter, or to be more precise, he stared right through her as if staring into some unknown abyss. Then in a blink he was gone, collapsed over the rail. Astrea jumped to the deck and raced to the far end, but it was too late. Her father was gone. She looked down and with a flash, the ship below exploded and curled it’s way to the waiting earth; but in that flash she saw something, something dark even in the night sky, like roots of a tree but alive and thrashing, trailing something immense into the smoke and clouds. The vapor billowed in its wake and choked her. Some wondered why she survived when all others on deck failed. Some say that she killed them all in order to claim her position. Others say that it was a tragic accident, an abject turn common in the state of
war. Those that knew her believed her claim. Why did she not fall prey to the madness? Perhaps she was always a bit mad. Perhaps some advantage of her female rationale had saved her. In any case, she was alive and intent on destroying the creature that killed her father. With the remaining crew that had been below deck during the encounter, she returned to Townsend Port. She renamed the ship the “Matanza” and went about using her father’s sizable fortune to find information. Her father’s prior merchant status had given her access to locales on both sides of the war, and she moved from port to port hearing of ships gone lost with no battle reported, all in the far North. There were never survivors, at least until visiting a tavern in Trondheim. There, sitting at a lonely back table was an English priest named Brenner. He had a shock of white hair, and his hands trembled as he steadily drank. His eyes showed age, but he was in fact very young. Father Brenner had been on the crew of the RAF airship Garnet out of Castlerock. Their intent was to take the barren route over the
Arctic Ocean in order to hopefully get intel on Russian armaments in the Northeast. However just as they had started to cross over the Norwegian Sea they felt a large crash, like they had hit a rock, but it was no rock or mountain. It was a great beast. A cephalopod of cyclopean proportions had hold of the ship; but this was no octopus of the sea. It’s tentacles were massive and enveloped the ship from all sides. It had claws, and it tore through the great dirigible, and ripped down the massive jib. Tendrils from its enormous head encoiled the sailors and ushered them into its gaping maw.
Its giant wings pounded the air as the ship dipped slowly through the troposphere to the rolling seas below. It was then that our priest appeared on deck and stared into the eyes of the beast, and began to panic. For deep in those eyes was a miasma of darkness, hopelessness and despair; a link to untold horrors, and as he stared he could feel his body go weak, and a tugging on his soul. Something clawed and tore at his essence. As his thoughts turned to madness he held on to his faith, and through prayer and meditation was somehow able to maintain control.
The ship was ripped asunder, and the poor priest collapsed as the ship fell into the ocean. He awoke floating on debris, cold and hungry. A few days later, near death, he was picked up by a fishing vessel. They brought him back to Trondheim, where he had remained ever since. While most did not believe these tales, still others, especially those of family members that were lost, grabbed on to the lore giving a focus for their rage and despair. The most able of them joined as crew to the Matanza, and worked to prep the ship for its ultimate encounter with the beast.
Cannons were added, powered by both black powder and steam. The ship was fitted with a larger boiler and stronger canvas, and the sides of the vessel were ribbed with defensive steel and a layer of protruding spikes. Captain Astrea moved her search to the far north, farther than most men had ever ventured. It was here she found the destroyed city of giants, pyramids of stone built one upon the other, half buried in ice, and crumbling perhaps from some past ancient war. Information was found here written as sculpture in bas relief. This city had been built by men for an ancient race, and the city had been attacked by creatures from the cosmos. The same creatures witnessed by Astrea and Father Brenner. There had been a great war that had ended in mutual destruction, or so it was thought. It was clear from the carvings that the alien creatures caused panic in men, and to counter this the men were fed a concoction that must have calmed their nerves and disciplined their mind. The ingredients were detailed enough to make out: citrus, vanilla and guarana bean. The components were easy enough to find. They called it SteamJack because they felt it gave them power over the beast and because of the blackjacks they drank it out of. Now with the ship fully armed and hopes that a defense had been found, they headed out on the hunt. Weeks went by. Captain Valentine followed the reports of downed vessels closely, and finally one
starlit night, without warning they were attacked. At first the beast recoiled at the hardened and prickly hull of the Matanza. Immediately Astrea and her crew were on the creature, turning the ship hard starboard and bearing the portside guns directly at its side. For all accounts this voodoo elixir must have worked, as the crew was at their stations when she yelled “Fire!� The creature let out a horrible shriek and fell back from the attack, perhaps surprised by taking its first real damage in thousands of years; but it returned quickly and in doing set itself up for another broadside from the starboard cannons. This blast it took in stride, though the damage was apparent. It quickly moved to engulf the Matanza with its tentacles, its claws grasping at the sides of the deck. The crew was at the monster, hacking and slashing with their blades, while others continued to fire from the portals below. At this Astrea ran to the captain’s cabin and emerged with what appeared to be some kind of monstrous hand cannon strapped to her left arm and shoulder. The weapon was tied to a line that the crew would later discover was piped directly into the main boiler. She leapt from tendril to tendril moving up to those above the mandible, dodging the coiling limbs of the horrendous cephalopod. One final leap and she was at the head, finally staring directly into one of its great abysmal eyes. Her own eyes flashed with madness and with a smirk she sliced at the great
eye before her and jammed the improvised cannon deep into the socket and fired. The explosion shook the ship and Astrea blew back and fell fast over the railing. The dark creature fell backwards, its wings flapping aimlessly and violently. Its body expanded and contracted like a mighty billows as its great hands clawed at its own face. Dark smoke poured from hidden orifices covering its wavering form, and in one final expansion, the floundering evil beast exploded into a sticky mass that evaporated into curling dark vapor. The crew erupted with a cheer, but Father Brenner ran to the railing where Astrea had fallen in the blind hope that she was still alive. When he got there he was amazed to find her hanging from her peculiar device still attached to the ship. To say the least, she was a bit dazed, but the elated sailors pulled her on board, and barring a few bruises, she was no worse for wear. Back in port the crew regaled the locals with their grand tales of adventure. Their joy was soon crushed weeks later when they learned ships continued to disappear. Apparently the creature they destroyed was one of many arising from the Northern seas. Captain Astrea Valentine returned to the air, distributing SteamJack to other ships, hoping to even the odds. Many more of the foul creatures would fall at her hands over time. In the end she was known as merchant pirate, monster slayer; and her name would resound in song and story through history.
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Ships of the
East
By: Anais W’nstorm & Dueien D’mont Though the Caribbean Ocean and European-built sailing vessels are what come to mind when one thinks of pirates traveling, the East had their own distinct sea-faring vessels. Commonly known as the Chinese junk or junk ship, this unique ship sailed in the waters of South Eastern Asia, and are still in use today. Junks have been in use for nearly 2000 years, and are recorded being used as sea-faring vessels since the 2nd century AD. They have been used as pleasure crafts,
ocean and cargo ships, and live-aboard ships; many junks today are made for recreational reasons. Junks vary by regional rig design and size, but all junks share distinct similarities such as fully battened sails. Though this type of sail gives the ship a higher center of gravity (which can make the ship more likely to tilt
over) fully battened sails are stronger and more resistant to large rips. Fully battened sails can also be easily adjusted to make the most of any strength of wind and allow the ship to sail into the wind. The hull of classic junks are made of soft woods, such as teak, in a horseshoe shape. Junks have multiple belowdeck chambers, each one accessible by its own hatch and ladder. In ancient ships
Chinese explorer Zheng He’s ship compared to Christopher Columbus’s Santa Maria. Both lived and sailed at the same time.
Holes were drilled in the frontmost and rear-most chambers to allow water to freely flood into and out of those chambers, and reduce the amount of force the ship suffered in open water. It is believed that the rest of the chambers were watertight. Junks have been built with stern-mounted rudders possibly as early as the 1st century AD, a design that was later adapted by Western ship builders. Between the 13th and 15th centuries larger junks began using fenestrated rudders (rudders with diamond-shaped holes cut out of them) most likely to make the rudder easier to use. Perhaps the most notable of the Eastern Pirate lords is Ching Shih (1775–1844). In her prime she commanded around 300 junks and 20 to 40 thousand pirates. She started her career married to the pirate lord Cheng I. After his death in Vietnam, She worked quickly to rise to her husband’s position and dissuade any rivals from claiming her post, and died happily in retirement. As a pirate lord Ching commanded a variety of junk vessels, from river ships to sea-faring craft. Chinese explorer Zheng He (1371–1433 or 1435) commanded the largest junks known in existence. The treasure ships of Zheng He’s
fleet were 390+ feet long and had four tiers of decks! These treasure ships were used to collect valuables and oddities from Southern and Western China and Eastern Africa on behalf of the royal family . While Western ships are better known, junk ships were much more diversified and versatile. In fact several of their designs were later adopted into Western ship-building practices. With a history and lore all their own, perhaps we should all step back from our Spanish steel and Caribbean rum and remember Asia’s pirates, and their very distinctive junk ships.
Ching Shih
Batten: A horizontal beam or member used to support a sail of a ship. Fully Battened: Describes a sail that has several members or battens supporting the entire sail
Anais W’nstorm & Dueien D’mont
Interviewed by: Timber Gray Wolf Here is a great man, that has filled so many of us with joy and happiness. As well the creative mind behind �Thee BlueBeard Adventures�. We are greatful for his time that he took to let us interview him.
With all the traveling you do for events, whats been your furthest event. As well what has been one of your most favorite?
What draw you to the pirate life. Also how did the birth of this widely know piratesona come about? What drew me to the pirate life?.... Well I have always been on boats and the excitement of random travel. Being your own captain of whatever vessel you are on always intrigued me whether it be a bus, your feet or a skateboard. I always rebelled against the norms even when it was something like pop culture or what the masses actually enjoyed doing in addition to what they hated. I always had to be doing the opposite. Being self sufficient and creative with my needs. Piracy just fit the bill. The character was actually born by accident when I was selling art at conventions. I would dress very eclectic and sell a part of myself in addition to my art. then the day came when the eclectic dress became a pirate. I feel that if you are going to sell your art or anything you are selling your self not as a product but as an experience for someone who want something new in their life. Bluebeard arose from that and has continued to grow and change. just like anyone else.
Traveling.... Oh boy! inside travel has been exciting and grueling in equal measure. I have performed in Seattle, la, Key West, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Iowa, Detroit, my backyard.... I am NOT about to say any of them are similar to each other because the experiences are so vastly different and the cultures in those areas are so stark in contrast to eachother but my favorite shows tend to be the smaller ones because I can be more intimate with my fans and really connect with the audience without feeling like I’m alone on the stage or some sort of unattainable figure.
With our readers getting to enjoy tails of thee bluebeard comic, what been your imitation on the comic? The webcomic.... The Blue Beard adventures was also a bit of an accident. I keep trying new things all the time sometimes just for fun. as I said I am anarchist and a comic book fan. while at a Comic Con in Detroit I drew a cartoon / comic book style image of Bluebeard on the table where I was sitting. it looked kind of funny and it seemed to talk back to me and then I realized I just made a cartoon version of myself or rather a cartoon version of my character. I sat on it for a few ears and then finally wrote some dialogue hand cranked out 24 pages of drawings with a sharpie marker in a giant sketchbook. none of it really looked good enough witho and when my wife thought a year after that she said she wanted to try and color it so I redrew 26 all new pages and handed it to her. After lady G finished coloring one page my eyes bugged out of my head! she made my simple line drawings look amazing and added another new lively dimension to the character in the world I was creating. It became apparent rather quickly that she was going to be an integral part in this comic and not just the colourist. But we set out to make a comic book for fun and if anyone likes it or not we were enjoying ourselves. I must admit I had no intention of taking it very far until a lot of the fans where sending us private messages and helping us get it off the ground using patreon . now we are in the process of getting it into print by next year and maybe taking it on the road. We have been very pleasantly surprised by the response of the fans and even the passive readers. But our fun little project is really taking on a life of its own and is becoming almost a full time job for both of us but who would I rather have a full time job with then an artist wife who thinks like Bluebeard does? How long did it take to crate your ship that you would bring to events? Ahhh The Mighty Mighty! Yes my ship.... I originally built it as a mobile heart booth for a convention so that I wouldn’t need a table. I knew I was too late to get into the con so I just pulled my shift around full of art and stopped every now and then and sold what I could. it was an honest act of piracy on behalf of the convention I was at but the ship itself like most of my projects took on a life of its own. the first incarnation of the mighty mighty was a Radio Flyer wagon and some panelboard with tree limb masts and a custom built aft deck. I built the whole thing in two weeks as a kind of come - to- life cartoon. It was only supposed to be used twice but seven years of use later it fell apart. once again lady G stepped in and told me I had to rebuild it but we had to make it better this time. so we bought a much stronger Garden wagon and redesigned it to be stronger, bigger, sexier and just more impressive! The second time around it probably took closer to a month to build it in my basement . but I designed it to come apart and break down for easier travel . the only function it really has is to be my ship wherever I can anchor it and hold my art and lunch when I am doing shows. The photo opportunities have been simply grand! the ship is constantly being modified and improved.
We heard that you are taking a break soon. Will fellow pirates still see you wonder events, as many seem to miss seeing you around. I am taking a break actually for about a year. just to slow down a little and work on some other side projects I have had on the back burner for a while. I do plan to make a few appearances for fun like going to see Santa Claus or maybe visit the Easter Bunny really important things like that. but I will in fact be around on the interweb and in a few indie film projects.
Outside of the pirate life, what might be your day job? Outside of being a pirate I am actually studying to get my captains license on my ship. in addition to that I am an independent artist, interior designer, figure model, and to an elite group I am called dad. So I have many many day jobs but piracy has become my primary source of income over the past few years. Is there anything else that you would like to share? Well I am planning to become an improv teacher and really dig into the webcomic, ‘Thee Bluebeard Adventures’, so that I can do more Bluebeard stuff at home and not travel every single weekend. maybe just hit five or six public appearances a year as opposed to 26. I just have this dream of merchandising the Blue Beard comic and selling the brand and then having my own Bluebeard gift shop/comic book store/cafe/ ship. You know just kind of sail from town to town up and down the rivers, all along the coasts, across the lakes of the world bringing joy to the masses. I want to inspire the world to be better and happier and more tolerant.
DECEMBER’S PIRATES
This month’s contest had a wide cast of pirates that entered. If you would want to get in on January’s Pirate of the month, Fallow and Like us at /GreatLakePiratesMagazine
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Interviewed by: Timber Gray Wolf
How long have you been into the pirate life and what made you want to be a pirate? I’ve been a Pirate for approximately 10 years. Always been fascinated by the history of pirates and the way they are portrayed, nowadays, as fun, almost superhero, adventurists, living life by the seat of their breeches!
Does your pirate prosona have a back story? My pirate image has always been about authenticity. I belong to the Pirate Brethren of the Great Lakes and am on a crew captained by one of five pirate lords, Black Roger. He is very knowledgeable on pirate history and authenticity, so I’ve learned a lot from him. What is some the inspiration behind your garb and prosona? I’m mostly in black because I’ve always wanted to look dark and rough, as too is my name.
Do you watch Starz’s original series and if so how do you think of the story so far, also what do you look forward to the 3rd season? I’ve only watched a couple episodes of the Starz show, and love it! Looking forward to buying the seasons and catching up, it looks to be pretty realistic!
Outside of going to events, are there days that you just Garb up and go out on the town. If so what type of place do you happen to go and do? I don’t normally garb up n go, although I did at the Bay City Tall Ships event and got the honor of free run of the ship “the Bounty”, with two other mates, the last year it was there. It’s a Terrible shame she went down, but I have pictures of my time on her that I will Cherish forever! What might be your “day job” I am a pest control technician, been for over 20 years, own my own business now.
Is there anything you would like to share with our readers? I look forward to faire every year, and just love what I do there! I’m honored to be in your magazine and appreciate you wanting this interview.
What do you like the most about going to the events and what is one of your favorite so far? My favorite event is the mich. Renfest. My captain runs a leather shop, with his lady, who runs a corset shop, so I help them and I hang out with my pirate friends and play with the guests,as well as, handing out pieces of eight coins to the kids, it’s the most fun! I must say, my best years, at faire, have been the last 2, because I have my Beautiful lady, Loralynn Lebaron, by my side, who, by the way, be an Authentic Witch one day, and a Sexy Pirate the next! We, and our crew, have a blast. And this year, I had the pleasure of having a gun duel with another Pirate Lord, Captain Greybeard, he is a riot, but a lousy shot, lucky for me, lol !
Ingredients: • 4 eggs; Hard boild, Chilled and shelled • 8oz pork sausage (or sausage of choice) • 1 raw egg • 1/4 cup of Milk • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs • Oil for frying • Salt and fresh herbs
Procedure: Set up a breading station using sepate bowls for; 1. Seasoned Flour (1/2 cup flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper) 2. Egg wash (beat together raw egg and milk) 3. Panko bread crumbs (with mince fresh parsly, chives, chervil, thyme, optional) • Portion sausage into four equil balls. • Flatten sausage into a thin disc using the palm of your hand. • Encase the hard boiled egg in the sausage meat and clamp it closed thoroughly. • Coat with flour then egg wash, and finally bread crumbs
note: Breaded eggs can be refrigerated overnight for convenience.
Preheat oil to 350ºF and cook for 5 minutes, until golden brown. Drain on paper towl and lightly season with salt while still hot. Serve warm or room temp, with your favorte; mustard, cheese, or sause. (Serves Four)
Interviewed by: Timber Gray Wolf
“Gem has been performing since 2013. She has an extensive theatre and musical
background, is finishing scuba certification, loves to travel, and is great with children. Gem makes a splash as the lead mermaid at the Great Lakes Medieval Faire (2013, 2014, 2015). She’s also performed at the Holly Michigan Renaissance Festival (2014), a variety of birthday parties and pool events, and has even had the chance to swim at the world famous Weeki Wachee Springs (2013). She has a great passion for what she does, and loves spreading magic and leaving people with a smile. – Cleveland, Ohio”
What drew you to the dawn the fins and your driving inspiration? Mermaids have always been a passion of mine. The image of a mermaid to me is so empowering and enchanting, I just knew I was meant to be one! Once I realized that swimming in a tail and being a “real” mermaid was actually something I could do, I kept my eyes on my dream, and here I am!
What style of mermaid tail is your favorite to use and how many do you have? I have owned a total of 3 tails, 2 spandex and 1 silicone…though I have swam in ones made of neoprene and latex as well. I really am in love with my silicone tail (made by Sirenalia), because it looks very realistic and makes me feel magical. I also designed it myself, which makes it one of a kind! Photo credits of Mermaid Gem go to Dosik Lens, MI Geek Scene, Greater Cleveland Aquarium, Prelude Photography, Chris Switzer, and Cerulean Photography.
How was it learning to swim with a tail? Basic tail swimming came pretty easy to me, since I was already a strong swimmer beforehand. But I’m still learning new tricks and techniques all the time, some are more challenging than others. It’s really fun, and a great workout!
Being a preforming Mermaid, what kind of events do you go to and what has been one of your favorites so far?
Do you belong to a waterclan or a lone swimmer? Both! I go at it alone where I’m based out of Cleveland, OH, but I also work with other mermaids through Freshwater Merfolk, a group based out of Detroit, MI that serves a big portion of the Great Lakes area with mermaid entertainment. What might be your “day job” when walking upon dry land? I work at Yankee Candle, and assist with promotion and events for Power Rangers!
I’ve done Renaissance Faires, Aquariums, Birthday Parties, Community Events, among others…it’s really hard to pick one favorite! Probably a toss-up this year between the tank show at Michigan Renaissance Festival, and the meet and greet I did at Greater Cleveland Aquarium.
Meet the supporting crew behind Great Lake Pirates, the Siver Moon Pirates. Like us on FaceBook and if you see us at events pull us aside and feel free to take photos with us!
Proud supporters of SteamJack & RootJack
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