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Celebrating LGBT Pride Dreher, pp 6 - 9

Bring Down The Flag Rand, p 12

Shaken, Stirred Skipper, p 22

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JACKSONIAN JULIANNA PARDUE

J

ulianna Pardue was never far from a comic book when she was a child.

Her dad collected them, so she fondly remembers playing around and rifling through his many boxes of issues. In elementary school, Pardue actually started reading them, and not long after, she began collecting them herself.

A freelance artist and writer, Pardue, 24, says her passion for the medium has only grown over the years. “People don’t even really appreciate the entire process that goes into making a comic,� Pardue says. “You’ve got the writers, the editors, the pencilers, the inkers, the colorists and even more. People take for granted all those speech bubbles. Comics are art, just like anything else is. I enjoy creating them because its personal, and so much of art is putting yourself into what you’re creating.�

The Terry native has known that she wanted to do art for a living since she was a student at Terry High School. “There has always been something in my soul that compelled me to create,� she says. “Art is an itch that I have to scratch all the time. I can’t imagine doing something that isn’t just that.�

Pardue graduated from Mississippi College in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in studio art with a concentration in drawing and a minor in English writing. While there, she worked at the college’s writing center, assisting students with essays and creative and academic writing. She started writing comics

CONTENTS

during her last semester in her senior year of college.

Her comics include many under-represented populations including strong women, minority races and even disabled veterans.

She says she strives to share stories that aren’t being told and shape her characters into authentic representations. For this artist, a character’s background is extremely important. Pardue says she doesn’t get swept up in the good versus evil dynamic. Sometimes she roots for the good guy, and sometimes she even roots for the bad guy.

When not devoting her time to her various art commissions and projects, Pardue works as a copy editor at Creative Distillery, an advertising agency, graphic design and copy-writing service. Pardue enjoys the demanding but encouraging atmosphere the business offers.

To sell her artwork, Pardue often rents booth space at various comic conventions.

She also sells pieces online at Society6, a virtual store for artists to sell prints, apparel and other custom products. She says the first step to finding a market for comic-book art is for the creators themselves to value the work. “If artists doubt their value, then so will the consumer,� Pardue says. “Be confident in the work that was put in to complete your art. I think people are finally starting to see that comics just aren’t for kids and nerds anymore.� —Nia Wilson

cover illustration by Julianna Pardue

6 ............................................ TALKS 12 ................................ EDITORIAL 13 .................................... OPINION 15 ............................ COVER STORY 22 ......................................... FOOD 25 ....................................... 8 DAYS 27 ...................................... EVENTS 28 ....................................... MUSIC 28 ....................... MUSIC LISTINGS 30 ..................................... SPORTS 31 .................................... PUZZLES 33 ....................................... ASTRO

9 Fired for Gender Identity In 2013, Tristan Broussard was fired from his job at Tower Loan because he didn’t identify as the gender on his driver’s license. Now he and his lawyers are locked in a legal battle over the question.

22 James Bond’s Favorite Drink Read about Julie Skipper’s adventures at a BRAVO! Italian Restaurant and Bar gin tasting.

30 Dreams of a Summer League The River City Summer League kicks off this week, giving Mississippi fans another outlet to celebrate the sport.

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4 ............................. EDITOR’S NOTE

JUSTIN SELLERS ;COURTESY LIZ LANCASTER; COURTESY THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER

JUNE 24 - 30 , 2015 | VOL. 13 NO. 42

3

EDITOR’S note

by Donna Ladd, Editor-in-Chief

O, Speak and We Shall Live

O

n the night of June 16, 1964, Bud and Beatrice Cole, along with four other adults and two children, were attending a stewards’ meeting to discuss finances at the Mt. Zion Methodist Church east of Philadelphia, Miss.

Just the night before, they had a meeting at the church to discuss whether or not to work with Michael Schwerner. The civilrights worker had already visited Mt. Zion, where the black parishioners were interested in allowing him to establish a Freedom School. Through it, their family members could augment the poor public education the state allowed them and study to take the poll test that white Mississippi required to keep them from registering to vote.

It was dangerous for black Mississippians to try to vote or to get more educated, but they were willing to try. They even had printed flyers to distribute around the community. But, thankfully, Beatrice Cole left them at home in her other purse on the night of the stewards’ meeting.

Just after 9 p.m., the meeting ended, and John Steele turned off the lights and locked the door of the church. The parishioners got into their cars and drove a few yards before seeing a line of cars and trucks barreling toward the church down the dirt road.

Several vehicles filled with local Ku Klux Klan members screeched to halt, blocking their exit. Five men got out carrying pistols and shotguns. “Shut off those damn lights!� a Klansman shouted. The men then demanded to know where Schwerner was.

After church-goers said they didn’t know, the mob allowed some to leave. But not the Coles or Mrs. Georgia Rush and her son John Thomas. The mob pulled them out of their cars, beating the Rushes, including pistol-whipping Mrs. Rush.

Other angry Klansmen dragged the Coles out of their vehicle, searching them.

They only found Sunday School materials in

Mrs. Cole’s purse, though. “You better say something, or we’ll kill you,� one Klucker told Bud Cole, then beat him repeatedly with a blackjack while stomping him. As Beatrice watched her husband being bludgeoned, she asked one of the Klansmen, “Will you let me pray?� “If you think it will do any good, you’d better pray,� he answered.

Mrs. Cole got on her knees on the dirt road, bowed her head and tried to save the

“You better say something, or we’ll kill you.� life of her husband. “Father, I stretch out my hands to Thee, I stretch out my hands to Thee. No other help I know.�

Her prayer was from page 282 in the Methodist Hymn-Book. “Let him live!� one of the other Klansmen yelled about Mr. Cole.

The men then jumped in their vehicles and fled. Back at the Bloomo school, Klansmen from Meridian made fun of the Neshoba County boys for not doing better than that. “Hell, we can whip n*ggers any time we want on the streets in Philadelphia. We don’t have to travel all the way out there to do it.�

So the Klansmen went back and burned the church to the ground. By the next morning, all that was left among the ashes were the foundation and the bell, which had fallen from the steeple. And a glass jug that reeked of kerosene.

On Father’s Day, James Chaney and Andrew Goodman returned with Schwerner

to talk to the people of the community and poke around the ashes.

It would be their last day alive, thanks to the Confederate flag-waving Klansmen in my hometown, and the three names would become part of history as they were martyred in an episode that helped convince the national Democratic Party to pass federal civilrights laws, even if it meant losing the southern Dixecrats to a reconfigured Republican Party for, at least, decades to come.

Every June, people gather at Mount Zion, which has been rebuilt, to honor the three men that died who are as close to heroes as this nation will ever know. Over the years, they’ve been disrespected by many Mississippians, among them white men who have represented us in Washington, D.C.— from Sens. Trent Lott and Thad Cochran on down—who have refused to vote for resolutions honoring them or to sign on to a national symbolic apology for not doing more to stop the lynching of black people (often with police help) for so long.

Back here at home, Gov. Kirk Fordice belittled opponent Dick Molpus publicly for apologizing to the families of the three men on the 25th anniversary of their execution to get racists to vote against Molpus. That kind of callous response by so many white people and politicians has been a painful way of life for Mississippians of all races who crave to lead lives greater than our history seems to allow, and to see our neighbors do the same.

But at least most of us know the three men’s names and what they did.

Far fewer know the names of Junior Roosevelt “Bud� and Beatrice Cole; Georgia and John Thomas Rush; T.J. Miller; James M. Cole; Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius Steele; and then-10 year-old John Steele and 8-year-old Jackie, all of whom faced the Klan.

Every time I go to Mount Zion, I wander through the cemetery to visit the graves of the older parishioners who were there that

night, the ones who found the courage to stand up to a mob of local men who were told by “upstanding� Mississippi that it was OK to terrorize black people, that they were inferior anyway. I see that cemetery as a field of unsung heroes—people who, against every odd, decided to stand up when people told them they couldn’t. I immediately thought of them when I saw the pictures of the nine people a Rebel flag-obsessed white supremacist mowed down during an AME Bible study in Charleston, S.C., last week.

I especially can’t get the face of 87-yearold Ms. Susie Jackson out of my head. By 1964, she had lived almost 40 years during Jim Crow and, oh, what she must’ve seen.

She could have told us stories about the nastiness of white people who believed she was inferior. She probably feared the Ku Klux Klan and, like every black mother and grandmother in America, likely worried for the lives of the young men in her life.

Ms. Jackson also would know what the Confederate flag had always stood for, even if she was faithful enough to forgive the men and women who wave them in defiance and despite what they mean to so many people in our country. It breaks my heart that her life was bookended by Rebel Yell-enforced segregation on one end and a race-obsessed killer on the other who had gotten his inspiration to murder these worshipers from reading hateful posts by a group that grew out of the mailing list of the old Citizens Council, which began here in Mississippi.

America and the South just came full circle, all. The question now is if we have the will—no, not the courage; that belonged to people who were pistol-whipped and lynched to save us all—to break the circle and step up to higher ground.

Read “Witness in Philadelphia� by Florence Mars and “Attack on Terror� by Don Whitehead for the powerful accounts of the incidents in Neshoba County.

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CONTRIBUTORS

4

ˆV>Â…ĂŠ-Â“ÂˆĂŒÂ… Music Editor Micah Smith is a longtime fan of music, comedy and all things “nerd.â€? He is married to a great lady, has two dog-children named Kirby and Zelda, and plays in the band Empty Atlas. He wrote the cover story.

ˆ>ĂŠ7ˆÂ?ĂƒÂœÂ˜ Editorial Intern Nia Wilson is a Jackson native who enjoys laughing at her own jokes and using her awkward charm to manage life’s many hurdles. If her nose isn’t in a book, she’s off Netflixing. She wrote the Jacksonian story.

Arielle Dreher

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Reporter Arielle Dreher is working on finding some new hobbies. She enjoys performing Dr. Seuss rhymes in rap battle scenarios. Email her story ideas at arielle@jackson freepress.com. She wrote a news story.

R.L. Nave, native Missourian and news editor, roots for St. Louis (and the Mizzou Tigers)— and for Jackson. Send him news tips at rlnave@jackson freepress.com or call him at 601-362-6121 ext. 12. He wrote a news story.

Freelance writer Julie Skipper practices law by day and gets out around Jackson as much as possible the rest of the time.

She fancies art, fashion, and travel, and rarely encounters a stiletto she doesn’t like. She wrote a food story.

Freelance writer Larry Morrisey is the director of grants programs for the Mississippi Arts Commission. He is a host for “Mississippi Arts Hour,� the agency’s arts interview radio show on MPB. He wrote a music story.

Art Director Kristin Brenemen is an otaku with a penchant for dystopianism. Rock out with her Pizzazz at the Mississippi Comic Con this weekend. At night, she fights crime. She designed much of the issue.

Advertising Director Kimberly Griffin is a fitness buff and foodie who loves chocolate and her mama. She’s also Michelle Obama’s super secret BFF, which explains the Secret Service detail.

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Wednesday, June 17 A 21-year-old white man named Dylann Roof joins a prayer meeting and then opens fire inside a historic black church in downtown Charleston, S.C., killing nine people, including the pastor.

Friday, June 19 Retired Judge Andrew Berman releases dashboard camera video from a Chicago Police car that shows white Officer Marco Proano repeatedly firing his handgun into a car full of black youths who had been pulled over for speeding and posed no apparent threat.

Saturday, June 20 Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney joins President Obama, civilrights leaders and hundreds of protesters in Charleston in calling for the immediate removal of the Confederate battle flag from outside the South Carolina Statehouse. ‌ More than 500 people attend a memorial service in Brownsville, Tenn., to honor Elbert Williams, the first NAACP member slain for daring to speak up for civil rights.

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Sunday, June 21 Thousands gather on the Arthur Ravenel Bridge in Charleston, S.C., to join hands in solidarity on the day Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church reopens for the first time since the shooting.

6

Pride and Prejudice: ‘We’re Talking 50 Years of Civil Rights’

by Arielle Dreher

I

t was 1962 in Jackson, and Dee Smathers moved to Houston in 1965. advocate for lesbians with protests and fund lived in an apartment on State Street with She worked as a social worker there but their jail bails. THEM was organizing events her first college roommate turned lover. struggled with alcoholism and started to at- before Stonewall, the New York riots historiDee’s family was living out of the state, so tend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. cally considered the catalyst of the national she did not worry about their LGBT movement for equality, judgment. Her partner, on the Dee said. other hand, was living a secret Lesbians in the 1960s life. That lie was destroyed were expected to look a cerwhen her parents discovered tain way—wearing blue jeans, she was living with Dee. dressing in masculine attire. “They dragged her out of This violated a Houston city orthe house kicking and screamdinance against cross-dressing, ing,� Dee said. “Literally, kickDee said, and cops would come ing and screaming.� into bars and arrest women They called Dee a “filthy wearing jeans. Women would lesbian.� Dee had never heard run to the bathrooms when the word “lesbian,� so she the cops came and flip their had to ask her landlady what jeans around—with the zipper it meant. Stunned because in the back, to distinguish their she thought she and her lover pants from the men’s. THEM were the only ones, Dee called would bail women out of jail all her friends and family, anwho didn’t make it to the bathnouncing what was used as an room in time. insult to proudly define her Dee became involved with new identity. the gay Alcoholics Anonymous “You can’t go back into community in Houston that the closet after that,� Dee said, Charlene (left) and Dee Smith-Smathers (right) in the Boston was vibrant in the early 1980s, Logan International Airport on their way home after getting laughing. and that’s where she met CharDee got involved with married in Brookline, Mass. lene Smith. the Civil Rights Movement Charlene was born in Arin Mississippi—driving a civil-rights workDuring this time, Dee witnessed the kansas and raised in Mississippi. She moved er who couldn’t drive, picking up African beginning of the feminist and LGBT move- to Houston with her then-husband, who Americans and taking them to vote—but ments in Houston. She sat in on meetings of struggled with alcoholism. Charlene began she didn’t stay in Mississippi long. After a a group that met called the Texas Homophile drinking, too, and attending AA meetings. year and a half living abroad in Spain, she Educational Movement, women who would It was only when she met another “lip-

Monday, June 22 The U.S. commits to contributing weapons, aircraft and forces, including commandos, as needed for NATO’s new rapid reaction force, to help Europe defend against potential Russian aggression from the east and the Islamic State and other violent extremists from the south.

Tuesday, June 23 The International Organization for Migration reports that the number of people displaced within Iraq due to violence and fighting by the Islamic State group has exceeded 3 million.

Breaking news at jfpdaily.com.

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COURTESY CHARLENE SMITH-SMATHERS

Thursday, June 18 The Senate passes a $612 billion defense policy bill that calls for arming Ukraine forces and makes it harder for President Obama to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

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Pop-culture conventions are the picture of diversity. And yet, there are a few “con� stalwarts. Keep your eyes open for these at Mississippi Comic Con, June 27-28 at the Mississippi Trade Mart.

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stick lesbian� (a lesbian who dresses in a stereotypical feminine way) who confided in Charlene that she was gay, that Charlene, herself, felt comfortable admitting that she was a lesbian too. Charlene had to deal with ending her 17-year marriage and getting sober simultaneously.

It was not until Charlene got sober in November 1986 that Dee would consider dating her. The couple has been together ever since. Charlene ended her marriage, with some guilt but eventual confidence to live her life freely.

In 1995, they moved their organic farming business to Mississippi for more land and to be closer to Dee’s father. Charlene also took an accountant job with the Department of Education.

But Mississippi did not feel like home after living in Houston for the couple. “You set your watch back 20 years—or more,� Charlene said.

The couple found that the LGBT community in Mississippi was scattered and splintered at best, and they decided not to get involved. They settled on a farm in the outskirts of Hinds County and still live there

today. Unlike Houston, the LGBT community was very closeted in Mississippi.

run and funded by members and local donors, focusing on community building and engagement.

There were active LGBT groups in Mississippi prior to 2004, but Unity MS has brought together the LGBT community in the capital, hosting an annual event called OUToberfest in October to correspond with National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11.

The event has drawn people from Dallas, Memphis and Florida. The first OUToberfest was in 2005.

Ten years later, instead of OUToberfest, Unity MS is hosting the celebration in June—and this year, its timing is ripe.

DOMA Wake-Up Call It was only after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, in 2013 that the atmosphere and the dialogue changed. Dee and Charlene flew to Brookline, Mass., to get married. When they got home, the newly joined Smith-Smathers met hundreds of other advocates and LGBT members across the state—mainly using social media to stay connected. Some of those people had helped found Unity MS Knol Aust, co-founder and current chairman on the board of Unity MS, said DOMA empowered the LGBT community in Jackson. “DOMA had people thinking equality would work, and saying, ‘Oh, the federal government recognizes us now,’�

Aust said. “It woke a lot of people up.�

Unity MS formed in 2004, following the amendment to the Mississippi Constitution banning same-sex marriages in the state with 86 percent of the public voting in its favor. The nonprofit is completely volunteer-

Waiting on the Supreme Court Even though Dee and Charlene’s marriage is federally legitimate, their marriage is not recognized in the state of Mississippi.

Dee has struggled with several health scares since returning to Mississippi from breast cancer to esophageal cancer to most recently, heart failure and end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Charlene has to carry her durable power of attorney for health-care papers when-

ever she takes Dee to doctor appointments because Dee has given Charlene the power to make medical decisions on her behalf.

The Supreme Court legalizing samesex marriage would mean a victory for the couple’s lifelong battle. “We’re talking 50 years of civil rights, of women’s rights, feminism, abortion rights—and, well, gay rights is always there,� Dee said.

The Smith-Smathers, like most of the LGBT community in Mississippi and nationwide, are “on edge� and have been all month, awaiting the decision. “This morning when I was trying to get ready, my blood pressure was going through the roof, and my head was ‘Ahhhh we got to go hurry, hurry,’� Charlene said.

The Smith-Smathers are going to come into town every Monday and Thursday for the rest of the month, anticipating the Supreme Court’s decision and the celebrations to follow. They are packing overnight bags, too, so that they can stay in the middle of the action for what they hope will be a historical moment.

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The Mississippi Money Race

by Arielle Dreher

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To see more state election Campaign Finance Reports visit jfp.ms/campaignfinance. For local election Campaign Finance Reports visit jfp.ms/localcampaigns.

SOURCE: CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS FILED AT THE SECRETARY OF STATE’S OFFICE RECEIVED JUNE 10, 2015.

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make a serious run for Stacey Pickering’s spot as the Republican candidate for state auditor.

The central and south districts have wide-open races for public-service commissioners since both incumbents are not running in those districts. The primary election will be Aug. 4 with runoffs scheduled for Aug. 25. General election is on Nov. 3. All numbers are pulled from June 10 filings to the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office, unless otherwise noted.

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ississippi state executive offices are up for election this year. Incumbent Gov. Phil Bryant and incumbent Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves both have the largest amounts of money at their campaigns’ disposal: a combined total of more than $5 million.

The races for the auditor and treasurer Republican spots are competitive, according to June campaign-finance reports. David McRae has raised more money than the incumbent Lynn Fitch in his race for state treasurer. Mary Hawkins Butler has raised enough to

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TALK | lgbt

Transgender Man Sues Tower Loan

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Morgan called the meeting because Broussard was not following the rules governing how female employees must dress.

Broussard did his best to explain that he lives and identifies as a male, but Morgan wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t budge, demanding that Broussard dress as a female in the office. With this dic-

tum, he required Broussard to sign a statement: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I understand that my preference to act and dress as male, despite having been born a female, is not something that will be in compliance with Tower Loanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personnel policies. I have been advised as to the proper dress for females and also have been provided a copy of the female dress code.â&#x20AC;?

Broussard refused. He explained that he couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t agree to such a statement because he is male.

That day, Tower Loan terminated Broussard.

On April 13, 2015, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Altshuler Berzon LLP, and Delaney & Robb filed suit against Tower Loan for discrimination on behalf of Broussard.

In May, his lawyers requested that the case be moved to federal court in Mississippi; that request is pending. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think at the core of this case is whether or not an employer can discriminate against an employee,â&#x20AC;? said Amy Whelan, a senior staff attorney for the NCLR who is helping represent Broussard.

Whelan explained that they plan to show how Tower Loan, in the alleged discrimination against Broussard, is violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Title VII prohibits â&#x20AC;&#x153;employment discrimination based on race, color, region, sex and national origin.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;(The law) clearly says that employers cannot discriminate against their employees based on sex,â&#x20AC;? Whelan says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They told Tristan Broussard that they were firing him because he is transgender. â&#x20AC;Ś Tower Loans thinks that Tristan should behave â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;like a womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;whatever that means, and they disregard the fact that he is a transgender man. That is completely based on sex and gender stereotypes.â&#x20AC;?

When the Jackson Free Press reached out to Tower Loanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s headquarters in Flowood for its side of the story, John Tucker, who introduced himself as Tower Loanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s general counsel, said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t comment on personnel or pending litigation.â&#x20AC;?

Because there is still a question over which court will hear the case, Tower Loanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rebuttal against Broussard is not yet known.

But Whelan seems confident, pointing to a 2011 case in Phoenix, Ariz., Mia Macy v. ATF, where a transgender woman won a case against the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for denying her a promotion based on her sex. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think what is going to be important is that Tower Loan has taken a position already before the (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission), which is the organization that enforces Title VII, that title VII doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t protect transgender workers,â&#x20AC;? Whelan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That position is contrary to many federal court decisions. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s even contrary to the two federal agencies that are tasked with enforcing Title VII.â&#x20AC;?

Comment at www.jfp.ms.

35,'(

see my college decal sticker,â&#x20AC;? Smith said.

This year, Mississippi Pride 2015 falls in the midst of what is a â&#x20AC;&#x153;momentousâ&#x20AC;? time for the LGBT community, Smith said. Besides the Supreme Courtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ruling, June is also national PRIDE month.

June 28 will be the 46th anniversary of Stonewall, the 1969 riots in New York that marked the beginning of the LGBT movement for equal rights. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had community leaders say weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never see this in our lifetime, and now itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like, we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be last this time,â&#x20AC;? she said.

Before DOMA, Aust said it was difficult to get big donors or organizations to sponsor events in Mississippi. In the past few years, however, that has changed. The Hu-

man Rights Campaign has an office in Jackson, and GLAAD hosted a film screening at the Jackson Hilton Hotel last week. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We became (one of) the last frontiers,â&#x20AC;?

Smith said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We would use the argument (for funding) if we can win in Mississippi, we can win anywhere.â&#x20AC;?

Mississippi native Robbie Fisher, 50, just came out last year, and this weekend will be her first big LGBT community event since then. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Things started changing the past few years,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always known I was gay, but seeing everyone coming forward after DOMA and the Religious Freedom Act, it emboldened me to come out.â&#x20AC;?

Fisher produced a documentary called

â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Mississippi Love Story,â&#x20AC;? starring Eddie Outlaw and his husband, Justin McPherson, who own a salon and barber shop in Fondren. They married in Justinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home in California. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m excited to see a crowd laying claim to spaces that everyone else has been in all these years,â&#x20AC;? Outlaw said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to stick our flag in the ground in publicâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;loud and proud.â&#x20AC;?

Mississippi Pride 2015, is a weekendlong event starting Friday, June 26. Visit mspride.org for the full event schedule.

Email reporter Arielle Dreher at arielle@ jacksonfreepress.com. Comment and read more about the LGBT community in Mississippi at www.jfp.ms/lgbt.

IURP SDJH

The Supreme Court is supposed to rule on marriage equality before July, which will determine the outcome of the Mississippi case, Campaign for Southern Equality v. Bryant, that was appealed to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The court has halted proceedings in the case, waiting to see how the Supreme Court rules.

Jenni Smith, a co-founder of Unity MS, said the LGBT community in Jackson has come a long way in the past 20 years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;(Back then) I was backing my car into a parking spot at the gay bar so no one would

Broussard says that Sparks contacted him to apologize later that day. He says Sparks told him that she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know he was going to be firedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;that she thought he was a good employee. When the Jackson Free Press reached out to Leah Sparks, she declined to comment.

COURTESY SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER

n early February 2013, Tristan Broussard, 21, applied to work at the Lake Charles, La., branch of Tower Loan, a private finance company based in Flowood, Miss., with more than 180 branches in the United States. In an interview, Broussard says he remembers Leah Sparks, the branchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s manager, being particularly impressed with his qualifications and disposition.

He was cut out for the job.

On March 4, 2013, Broussard had his first day on the job. Like most first days, he spent a good portion of his day filling out paperwork for Sparks. He had to read employee handbooks and sign contracts and W-2s. And like most jobs, he had to provide a valid form of identification. Broussard handed over his driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s license. When Sparks noticed that Broussardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s license listed his sex as female, she asked Broussard about it, he claims now. Broussard explained that he is a transgender man.

Tristan Broussard has known he was a male as long as he can remember. By the time he had applied for the job at Tower Loans, he had lived as a man, consistent with his male identity for a year and a half. Upon learning about the sex listed on Broussardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s license, Sparks notified Tower Loans corporate headquarters in Flowood.

On March 11, 2013, a Monday, David Morgan, vice president of Tower Loan, visited the Lake Charles branch. Broussard assumed he was conducting a routine assessment of office operations.

When Morgan arrived, he asked for Broussard and Sparks to meet him in the back conference room. When Broussard entered the room, Morgan handed him a copy of the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dress code. In the week he had been working, he had not received any complaints about his manner of dress or compliance with the dress code, he says.

Tristan Broussard and his lawyers are locked in a legal battle over whether employers can force employees to dress based on a stereotype of birth gender.

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by Zachary Oren Smith

9

DISH | candidate

Alphonso Hunter: Rebuild Hinds County

by Zachary Oren Smith

O JAY JOHNSON

n July 1, 2013, Alphonso Hunter filled the Hinds County Board of Supervisors seat vacated by the death of longtime District 2 representative Doug Anderson. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m here to serve with no intent to run,â&#x20AC;? Hunter said at a meeting, at which fellow board members confirmed his nomination.

Yet, Hunter did decide to run as an independent in the November 2013 general election. When asked about his

in construction work, construction contracts and running a small business.

In your day-to-day operations, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re dealing with managementâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;managing people, working with people. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got road crews out doing construction-type work: repairing roads, drainage work.

Maintenance is cutting grass. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re out building ditches.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a licensed general contractor, certified by the State of Mississippi.

We do commercial foundation, concrete, streets, work on bridges.

Just a whole array of the construction industry in general.

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How does your experience as a contractor relate to the responsibilities of a supervisor?

10

The two tie togetherâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Hinds County spends lots of money in contracts.

They buy and purchase equipment.

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re always in negotiation on pricing materials, labor, getting the best price for the dollar.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an ongoing dayto-day operation. Say, for example, if in Hinds County, someone comes in with a blueprint Alphonso Hunter is taking another shot at the Hinds County Board of Supervisors seat he held temporarily and wants to negotiate after the death of District 2 Supervisor Doug the (constructing) Anderson. of a building. With my experience, I can take that blueprint change of heart, Hunter told the Jackson Free Press: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have a passion for the county and have a clear understanding of (its) I live in, and the people want me to run. specifications, and in the negotiation, They asked me to run. With that, and I Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll know all of the language. I bring a have the experience and the expertise and set of expertise that I think the board the background and a lot of the things somewhat lacks.

I would like to think that if you had that county does, I do on a daily basis.

I think I can do the job well.â&#x20AC;? Hunter the ability to really understand the details lost that election to current District 2 and the specificationsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;of knowing Supervisor Darrel McQuirter. This year, exactly what you are buyingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;you can Hunter, 56, is making another bid for the make better decisions. Somebody might seat. He recently sat down with the JFP come in and say, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We can build this to talk about his vision for the county. street. We are going to put you down 10 inches of asphalt.â&#x20AC;? Well, you look at Tell me a little about the experience the (specifications), the weight limit on that prepares you for this role. the roadâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;do you really need 10 inches?

My experience has mostly been Somebodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trying to sell you something

you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need, when you can do just fine with eight inches. What the builders understand is it brings them a plus for the county because they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to pay to bring in someone to make that sort of assessment of the project.

How long have construction?

you

been

in

Well, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been in construction sinceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;I started out as a kid following my dad as I grew up.

Your dad worker?

was

a

construction

My dad was a construction worker.

You know how your father puts you in his truck at age 9 or 10 years old? So Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been around it for something like 35 years.

What is your vision for District 2 of Hinds County should you be elected?

My vision is for Hinds County to become the county that it once was, that made it home to the state capital.

For it to become a prosperous county where people want to move back, and do business.

What are Hinds Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best qualities?

One of the things I always say about Hinds County is (it) is good country living with big-city advantages.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got lots of land, open space. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got your major facilities, like your major medical facilities; youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got your major educational institutions like Jackson State (University) and other educational facilities; youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got some of your major businesses, but weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve just somewhere lost the image. We find ourselves being more negative than positive.

We have some issues: some crime issues, some educational issues. â&#x20AC;Ś The community has a vested interest to come together and try to curb some of those problems weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re having with crime. â&#x20AC;Ś Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to have to get back on track â&#x20AC;Ś with a real legitimate rehabilitation system to try and help some of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s convicts to get back on their feet.

The absence of good family leadership is very important to the growth of the county as a whole even when it comes to economic development and education; those are the driving engines.

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to have this good, solid male leadership.

It has to be male leadership?

Right now, we are suffering from male leadership. We have to have good leadership as a whole, but I think we have a problem with a lot of the absence and a lot of the people who have been incarcerated who are struggling to get back into the mainstream. And we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to continue to talk about the pipeline of education to prison; we need to plug that pipe.

How would you go about getting the formerly incarcerated reincorporated into the community?

One of the things, you would have to have a real, legitimate conversation about it. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d have to go in to district attorneys. Find those that are already on the books. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not trying to reinvent the wheel. You just want to go into it, get deeply involved in it, and take advantage of whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s there. Put money into it, and make it available to the people. Make it known to the people that you can have your record cleared up. Get some help once youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve gone through these programs.

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to help the people who want to help themselves. Just because you are trying to create a mission to rehab does not mean that you can take a soft stand on crime, but you know that you have to have a connection because it is important.

It also creates an environment where if someone probably fell through the crack after having been in the criminal-justice system you might have someone out there thinking about doing something, and they can tell him, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hey, man. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do this. This is what I did, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got my life on track, and now I can take care of my family. Now I can build my community.â&#x20AC;?

In Hinds County itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very special.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where I have lived all of my life. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where my home and everything I own is. Where all my siblings grew up. And I enjoy it. I have no problem with it, but I think we have the opportunity to be just as good as any other county in the state of Mississippi.

Comment and read more candidate interviews at jfp.ms/2015elections.

Tell the PSC you support a really bright idea.

SOLAR POWER! Ever wondered why there arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t more solar panels in Mississippi? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re one of only six states without a net metering policy.

The Public Service Commission is currently collecting public comment on a draft rooftop solar net metering policy.

And net metering incentivizes homeowners, businesses and leasers to send their solargenerated electricity back to the grid. People and businesses not only save on their electric bills but also become clean power energy suppliers.

Which is why you now need to add your voice to the growing list of people who support this crucial step toward a clean energy future for our state. Tell the PSC you support a really bright idea.

SOLAR POWER!

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!

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Visit YESONSOLAR.ORG to send the Public Service Commission your message.

11

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m French Canadian and Irish

B

oneqweesha Jones: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Welcome to Ghetto Science Public Televisionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s special edition of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Qweesha Live Special Report.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Wondering if I will jump on the Rachel Dolezal media bandwagon? The answer is yes. I have joined in this media frenzy because I have a special guest who claims to be the first â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;transracialâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; radio and television personality. Welcome to the show, Mr. Moâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Tel Williams.â&#x20AC;?

Moâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Tel Williams: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thank you, Qweesha. I proudly claim the title of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;transracialâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; media super producer. I made my debut on a community radio station in Atlanta, Georgia, 22 years ago. The name of my late-night radio program was â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Not Black World Report with Super Producer Moâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Tel Williamsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;not to be confused with Montel Williams or Brian Williams.â&#x20AC;?

Boneqweesha Jones: â&#x20AC;&#x153;How did your listening audience react to you denying your race?â&#x20AC;?

Moâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Tel Williams: â&#x20AC;&#x153;A majority of the audience got mad because I kept saying, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not black. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Puerto Rican.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Every five to 10 minutes, I changed my race, ethnicity or nationality. I also bragged about wearing a polyester suit and Jheri Curl hairstyle.â&#x20AC;?

Boneqweesha Jones: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why do you deny being black, and when will you return to being black?â&#x20AC;?

Moâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Tel Williams: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a long story that I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have time to tell on your show. And when America stops the hypocrisy and administers justice toward the people who are darker than blue, I will come back to being black. Until then, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be French Canadian and Irish.â&#x20AC;?

Boneqweesha Jones: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Moâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Tel Williams proves thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing new under the sun.â&#x20AC;?

Changing Flag Is Just a Step Toward Progress

The State Flag Must Go

W

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I

12

am a long-time member of the Sons of the Confederacy. I have joined family members at Civil War reenactments around the country and cheered when my cousin rode his horse up to a 4th of July reenactment of the Gettysburg address at Gettysburg and â&#x20AC;&#x153;arrestedâ&#x20AC;? the Abe Lincoln actor for treason.

My great-grandfather was a Harrison (FFV) whose father moved to Mississippi by Oxcart after the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit to find land. He returned to Virginia to fight for his home state and was with Lee all the way to Appomattox. We have a piece of the apple tree they cut down that day as proof.

What do I think about the Confederate flag?

The battle flag has to be removed from the state flag of Mississippi and from display anywhere other than museums, historical events and cemeteries.

Why? Because not even the blood of all those who died for a cause my forefathers put their lives at risk to defend can wash away the hate that evil men have done in corrupting this symbol.

I wanted to replace the battle flag with the Bonnie Blue (the first flag flown over the new Confederate State of Mississippi) along with a set of broken chains to represent moving forward by breaking the chains of our past that have held us back.

This is a cause all true Mississippians should get behind.

Hate is never the answer. Trying to pretend that the battle flag can be cleansed of all the hate that men of ill will have wrongfully and disrespectfully heaped upon it is impossible.

As a true son of Mississippi and of the legacy of my Confederate forefathers, I urge you all to support changing the flag.

Fred Rand is a graduate of Manchester Academy in Yazoo City and the University of Mississippi. He is president of several companies in Memphis. He writes southern novels under the name James Hunter Stuart.

hile we applaud House Speaker Phillip Gunnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s statement this week that the Confederate emblem should be removed from Mississippiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s state flag, we would sound a note of (optimistic) caution.

Gunnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s statement only surprised us a little, as weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve heard rumblings that some in the Mississippi GOP hoped to change the flag. This week, with cover from the Southern Baptist Convention and similar moves in South Carolina in light of the tragic murders in a historic black church, this is the time for Mississippians to take an important step.

Yes, the flag is a problem. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a reminder of an oppressive regime of state-sponsored apartheid, and its presence is a direct offense to many Americans.

It is also a problem for economic development.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important, though, is that the flag debate doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just take place in the context of â&#x20AC;&#x153;change is good for businessâ&#x20AC;? but also in terms of â&#x20AC;&#x153;truth and reconciliation.â&#x20AC;? Changing the flag is an important step in making progress toward racial equity and economic prosperity. But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only one step.

For Mississippi to embrace racial and ethnic equity, we have broader needs, including a look at all the ways that the state and other institutions have been racist in the past and presentâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;from slavery, to Jim Crow, to housing policy, to the drug war, to public education and even resistance to Medicaid expansion. This is a conversation many conservatives donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to have. They want to believe racial inequity is behind us. But that ignorance makes the discussion that much more important.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s noteworthy that Gunn was also one of the authors of â&#x20AC;&#x153;42A,â&#x20AC;? the constitutional amendment meant to thwart the good-faith, public-referendum process to adequately fund public education that the people of Mississippi undertook in the purest democratic way. The state GOPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unprecedented meddling in the referendum process in an antidemocratic atrocity they need to overcome.

The way is to embrace a wider dialogue on economic inequality that includes â&#x20AC;&#x153;truth and reconciliation,â&#x20AC;? something that could be done with existing organizations such as the William Winter Institute of Racial Reconciliation and Jackson 2000 (JFP publisher Todd Stauffer is a board member).

The flag is an economic issueâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;but so are structural and institutional racism. Racist policies of the past begat racist policies of the presentâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and while the history of dehumanizing, demonizing and humiliating people with dark skin is somewhat documented, we havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t talked enough in Mississippi about how these policies have harmed nonwhitesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; opportunities to generate and hold wealth in ways that their white counterparts have. And sustained wealth (even middle-class wealth) results in more options for families, communities and cities.

In Mississippi, this touches so many parts of our lives, from the struggles of parents with kids in public schools to Jacksonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s struggles in maintaining its infrastructure and attracting new businesses. Understanding that history, and how it got us to where we are today, is just as important as changing the flag for the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s potential for progress.

Email letters and opinion to letters@jacksonfreepress.com, fax to 601-510-9019 or mail to 125 South Congress St., Suite 1324, Jackson, Mississippi 39201. Include daytime phone number. Letters may be edited for length and clarity, as well as factchecked.

MYRA OTTEWELL

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The Rest of Our Race Story

ALL STADIUM SEATING

T

Listings for Fri. 6/26â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Thurs. 7/3

he Amazing Institutional Church of God in Christ is on West Capitol Street in Jackson. In 1952, when it was Parkway Baptist Church and had an all-white congregation, I was there as a kindergarten child.

In 2006, I wanted to experience worship in a black church, and because the location was familiar, I picked it. I went early and sat near the back. After a few minutes, an elderly woman who was sitting on the front row came all the way back, bent down, patted my arm and said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want you to know you are welcome here anytime.â&#x20AC;?

I was invited to move down and sit with others.

As I talked with those on my pew, I told them that I was working on a documentary about race relations in Mississippi. I was quite shocked when a young woman left the choir loft during the service, came over to me and asked if I would like to address the congregation. I went up to the mic and said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Brothers and sistersâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;? and was immediately greeted with plenty of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Amensâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;All rights.â&#x20AC;?

It is unfathomable to think that a young, white man would be welcomed into a Bible study and prayer time at a black church and, an hour later, would murder nine beloved church members, allowing one to escape to tell the story. My heart grieves with our brothers and sisters of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston.

I grew up in Jackson, but after graduating from the Mississippi University for Women (then MSCW), I moved to Canada, where I worked as a student summer missionary. Then, after 30-plus years of teaching, some Vancouver-area students challenged my good memories of Mississippi. Their teacher had shown them the film, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mississippi Burning.â&#x20AC;? I was there as a guest speaker, but the students were incapable of believing that this older, white woman was not a racist. That event was the impetus for the five-year journey that became the documentary, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mississippi ReMixed.â&#x20AC;?

While I worked on the filmâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;at first wanting to prove those students wrongâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;I began to interview people that I would not have otherwise encountered, Jackson Free Press editor Donna Ladd among them. I honestly had never heard anyone talk so knowledgeably about Mississippiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history and the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow laws.

It was challenging, to say the least, to have to listen to someone whose views and understandings were so different from mine.

At the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, I learned that, in 1865, Mississippi and South Carolina enacted the first black codes that became the basis for Jim Crow laws in the Deep South. I listened to recordings of 1963 phone calls from irate Mississippians who used caustic language to express their disgust that Medgar Evers got to explain his objectives for the Jackson Movement on local TV. As I listened to the stories of black Mississippians, I realized that as a young person, I had only superficial, yet cordial conversations with either black women who worked for our family or with the wonderful cooks at Camp Wahi, where Annieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rolls were legendary and her last name was unknown.

I listened to Dolphus Weary, then of Mission Mississippi, tell me that when he was 14, five acres of their land was stolen by a white neighbor who moved the boundary lines. I interviewed him at the Mississippi Public Broadcasting studios and have a photo taken with him afterward. My red eyes belie the smile on my face.

I read â&#x20AC;&#x153;The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness,â&#x20AC;?

by Michelle Alexander recently. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure I would not have read that book without my involvement in the film. I found new information that was both paradigm-busting and truly compelling.

As our culture fractures, there is a growing tendency to limit our intake of news reports and opinion pieces to those that will reinforce our own point of viewâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;in increasingly vitriolic tones. The real challenge today is to understand a point of view different from our own. Yes, we need a conversation about race, but we also need to prepare our hearts and minds for the encounter.

As Dr. Weary says in the film: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are trying to change Mississippi one relationship at a time. Not the kind of relationship where I tell you what I think you want to hear, but the kind of relationship where I tell you what I think you need to hear. I need somebody like that in my life, and other people need somebody like that in their lives.â&#x20AC;?

We all do.

Visit mississippiremixed.com to learn more about Myra Ottewellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s documentary.

We need to prepare our hearts and minds for the encounter.

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now, includes being the official judge of AVC Conventionsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; various cosplay contests, and as a business, offering custom crafts, such as superhero-themed pillows and plush video-game figures on their StoreEnvy.com page.

Camiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love of cosplay began with a love of comics.

When she was about 7 years old, she and her mother went ice-skating with her homeschool group, but when they made it to the counter, the rink

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think it was more that I knew all these characters, but I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know (them),â&#x20AC;? Cami says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once I was introduced to comics, it was like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Oh, I can finally learn about these characters that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve played with their toys but no idea who they were.â&#x20AC;?

Not long after, Cami approached her parents about creating her first costume for the â&#x20AC;&#x153;X-Menâ&#x20AC;? character Rogue. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And being the bad parents

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ran out of skates in Camiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s size. Still, Tiny wanted to bring her daughter somewhere fun, so instead of ice-skating, they visited the comic store.

Since her mother had always drawn comic-book characters and collected superhero toys, Cami had grown up around the medium, but that trip to the comic shop revealed a whole world behind the X-Men movies sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d see with her parents and her momâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s old action figures.

that we are, we actually let her dye part of her hair white,â&#x20AC;?

Jeff says, joking. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And it stayed that way for a while.â&#x20AC;?

When it came to the suit, though, they werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sure where to start. Tiny called her friend, costume designer John Ridge, who worked on suits for director Sam Rai-

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he home of Jeff and Tiny Roebuck in Brandon, Miss., displays a decade of comic-con plunder and custom artwork.

Inside the unassuming house, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find a mural of American silent-film actress Theda Bara in her â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cleopatraâ&#x20AC;? garb on the door to the laundry room. Secret storage compartments are hand-painted to look like old stone ripped from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The house contains all manner of hidden entrances behind bookcases and portraits.

However, the largest creative project for father Jeff, mother Tiny and daughter Cami is never-ending. Near the back of the house, behind a rotating blackout door, is the cosplay workshop. The Roebucks have stocked the room with a variety of fabrics and other materialsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;just about anything they need to turn Cami into the character she currently has her eyes set on for the numerous conventions sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll attend this year.

That includes AVC Conventionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first-ever Mississippi Comic Con, which runs Saturday, June 27, and Sunday, June 28, at the Mississippi Trade Mart (1200 Mississippi St.). â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just cool to be a different person, to wear a costume,â&#x20AC;? Cami says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of people that make costumes get, you know, a high from doing competitions or winning or whatever, but I just have fun wearing them.â&#x20AC;?

The Roebucks have been assisting Cami with her cosplay (creating costumes to dress like oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite characters from film, television, books or comics) since she was only 7 years old. However, the idea of turning their collective hobby into a potential business came about only three years ago. After seeing colleagues make careers out of costuming, Cami realized she could do something similar. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not good with â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;workâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; stuff, which sounds lazy and bad, but I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean it like that,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I homeschooled for a reason. My way of learning and doing things is abnormal, I guess. So, I thought, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Well, if I can make money doing weird stuff like wearing superhero costumes to conventions and making stuff to sell, that would be awesome because thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what I like to do.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;?

In 2011, the Roebucks founded MoodHairCosplay, which acts as both an alias for Camiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s costume work, which

15

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munity, their parents arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t supportive of it at all,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re super against it, but a lot of them just arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t into it, so (cosplayers) are left to figure out stuff on their own. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really nice having people that I can bounce ideas off of and figure stuff out with.â&#x20AC;?

Having visited events of every size, from the 52,000attendee Dragoncon in Atlanta to the 1,000-attendee Marble City Comic Con in Knoxville, Tenn., the Roebucks have a unique perspective on what it will take for Mississippi Comic Con to expand. One significant factor in making a convention successful is the way in which its locale embraces the culture, something that Jeff said was evident at Pensacon. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The airport even changed its name to the Pensacola Intergalactic Airport for the convention,â&#x20AC;? he says. Boarding terminals became â&#x20AC;&#x153;stargates,â&#x20AC;? and the signage displayed

follow-up convention. Truthfully, he hardly had time to plan for the first one.

Before Mississippi Comic Con, Mississippi Pulp Con was Jacksonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s go-to for pop-culture enthusiasts. For three years straight, Hanks, who moved to Philadelphia, Miss., from Florida nine years ago, organized the film-festival portion of the event. When he found out that Pulp Con had been cancelled in spring 2014, he called the organizer, local artist Chuck Jett, and asked for his blessing in building a new event to take its place. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When we first announced it, we had a little bit of backlash because people didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realize that I went to Chuck first and asked him if it was OK if I did this,â&#x20AC;? Hanks says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They just assumed that we were trying to swoop in and take over. But once we were like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Look, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s even going to be at the event as an artist,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; that got cleared up fast. Then,

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a variety of fictional aircrafts, including TIE Fighters from â&#x20AC;&#x153;Star Wars,â&#x20AC;? the U.S.S. Enterprise from â&#x20AC;&#x153;Star Trekâ&#x20AC;? and Wonder Womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s invisible jet.

However, Dragoncon has long been the familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s undisputed favorite, due to its incredible scope, which stretches across Atlanta, with cosplayers filling restaurants and stores. Cami compares it to a family-reunion atmosphere, where they meet up with the many friends theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made through conventions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll ever grow as big as Dragoncon,â&#x20AC;? Cami says of Mississippi Comic Con. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But I definitely think it will grow. I mean, it already has grown immensely since last year. I hope they can take it to where itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like a Dragoncon for Jackson, though. That would be amazing.â&#x20AC;?

An Origin Story Some fans anxiously awaited Mississippi Comic Con even before its predecessor, last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SOPOCU Con, wrapped up. But while founder Greg Hanks hoped to make it an annual event, he hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily planned a

you know, we had support. A lot of people got excited.â&#x20AC;?

Only a nerve-wracking four months stood between Hanks and the SOPOCU Con start date, but with some assistance from friends and a few volunteers, the convention was a success. He realized events like the ones he always enjoyed attending could work in Jackson. He also realized he needed to make a few changes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;SOPOCU Con was originally just supposed to be that show, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s it. It was something Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d wanted to do for a while,â&#x20AC;? Hanks says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But when it happened, and it was successful, and we decided to do other shows, we couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really call them all that.â&#x20AC;?

Hanks and business partner Jay Branch decided on the name Mississippi Comic Con, which wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t require any explanation. With the streamlined name, Hanks says theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re able to skip straight to telling people about the conventionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guest lists, which is helpful whether theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re talking to potential sponsors or just

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miâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first Spider-Man film. He gave her tips and a list of materials they would need and pointed her toward stores that would happily provide free sample materials if they mentioned his name.

Since then, the Roebucks have become a facet of the comic-con community throughout the South. They joke that Cami has an infinite number of â&#x20AC;&#x153;unclesâ&#x20AC;? from growing up in the convention circuit. Many of the drawings they have framed in their home were gifts from top-tier comic illustrators who have become family friends, most through connections with one of their oldest supporters, Three Alarm Comics in Biloxi, Miss. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kind of funny, because you know how people get all creepy meeting their celebrity heroes and things like that?â&#x20AC;?

Cami asks. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of those artists are my heroes, but I never knew to be starstruck by them because theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all good friends with Scott (Hoverman), who owns Three Alarm Comics.â&#x20AC;?

The family has also become a cosplay-creating machine.

Just like with the Rogue costume, it usually starts with Cami coming to her parents with an idea. Then, each parent mans his or her battle station: Tiny handles much of the design work and sewing, and Jeff is in charge of constructing props, a skill that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s developed through his day job as Inky the Clown. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s used everything from lawn furniture to metal thermoses to create past successes, such as the freeze ray from â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dr. Horribleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sing-Along Blogâ&#x20AC;? and the Destroyer gun from â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Avengers.â&#x20AC;? Cami typically bounces between props and sewing, but her specialty is bringing out flourishes in the design that make the costume distinct from others.

Craftsmanship has always been the main focus, whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on a smaller scale like her current projects, such as Kiki from the animated film â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kikiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Delivery Service,â&#x20AC;? or something elaborate, like the butterfly dress that â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hunger Games: Catching Fireâ&#x20AC;? character Effie Trinket wore. Costumes often take weeks of work.

Many times, it comes down to deciphering what materials are even needed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With a lot of comic-book stuff, which is mostly what I do, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s some things (with) no reference to what itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s made of, and some stuff is drawn to where thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no way you can actually sew it that way,â&#x20AC;? Cami says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really difficult: getting reference photos and trying to figure out how they would make that.â&#x20AC;?

Luckily, the workshop has plenty of supplies to experiment with to find the right match for each character. For more rigid costume pieces, the Roebucks use KobraCast and Worbla, thermoplastics that provide various levels of sturdiness. They also use spandex. Lots and lots of spandex.

The family involvement doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t end in the workshop, either. On several occasions, Jeff has joined Cami in costuming. Together, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve tackled Black Widow and Agent Phil Coulson from â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Avengersâ&#x20AC;? and fatherdaughter duos such as Luna and Xenophilius Lovegood from â&#x20AC;&#x153;Harry Potterâ&#x20AC;? and Hit Girl and Big Daddy from the film â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kick-Ass.â&#x20AC;? Camiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boyfriend Derek Bond joined her at this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pensacon in Pensacola, Fla., which he helped organize last year. They cosplayed together as â&#x20AC;&#x153;bombshellâ&#x20AC;? versions of DC Comicsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Aquaman and wife Mera, which are redesigned with a 1940s aesthetic. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a costume accessory, really,â&#x20AC;? Bond says, joking.

Cami says that having so many people and opinions in the process can be somewhat challenging at times, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a much better alternative to what most cosplayers face. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve noticed with a lot of people in the cosplay com-

17

Comic Con, from page 17

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LARRY GORDON

passing out fliers at Fondrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s First Thursday.

The enhanced image has also been useful in growing the number of vendors. Attendees will find products from companies such as Bossier City-based Man Made Soap, which sells scents like the infamous Sex Panther from â&#x20AC;&#x153;Anchorman.â&#x20AC;? Carbonation Toys of Shreveport, La., will also be on hand showcasing its â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fizzkidsâ&#x20AC;? series of vinyl figurines in soda-like containers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Flavorsâ&#x20AC;? include Black Cherry Zombie Juiceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drooling undead and Cranked Colaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bug-eyed, feral feline.

Hanks and Branch also took on the name AVC Conventions.

In a short time, Hanks has already managed to leave his paperworkcentric job at his in-lawsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; plumbing company in order to work for AVC full time. He may be working longer hours these days, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something he enjoys doing. It also doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hurt that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finding a good use for his educationâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in business, psychology and communication, which he earned at Mississippi State University in 2011, and a masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in communications with a concentration on public relations, which he earned at Kent State University in 2013. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The convention thing kind of took off. I mean, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve only been doing it for two years. Our first year, we did one show, and I think this year weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to have five or six, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kind of taken over my life,â&#x20AC;? he says.

While Hanks acts as the face of the company and handles a majority of the web and social media presence of AVCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conventions, Branch is an expert at face-to-face marketing. As a club owner in New Orleans, Branch learned to make the most of on-the-street promotion, handing out fliers, taping up posters and having one-on-one conversations with the people their events are meant to reach.

It seems to be working. Nearly 5,000 people attended last Februaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Louisiana Comic Con in Bossier City, La., one of AVCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest creations.

Hanks and Branch took note, and will return to Bossier City for the SBC Anime Festival July 11. In turn, that success also helped grow Mississippi Comic Con. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s twice as big, and there are twice as many guests. We started out small with one day. We didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to jump into anything, you know, because if you do a three-day show your first year, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good chance thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be the only show you ever do,â&#x20AC;? Hanks says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So we started off with one day to see if (Jackson) actually wanted it, and they seemed to. This year, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing two days, and we hope that we at least double our attendance.â&#x20AC;?

Of course, adding a full day of activities to the events

18

takes a more rigorous planning process, extending the hotel stay for each special guest and wrangling enough volunteers to sacrifice a whole weekend instead of a day or two. But Hanks says heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s learned that tacking on more days can actually help attract vendors and special guests, many of whom would have to make a single-day round trip if Mississippi Comic Con remained a one-day event.

Hanksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; recent successes have also shown him that

tainly a priority, but as a father of three, Hanks says he also sees conventions as a place for families like the Roebucks to share their mutual interests. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important for kids to see their parents excited about things because it makes them want to know more about it or be just as excited,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why we try to have a diverse list of things for people to do. You know, not everybodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to like everything that we have, but we try to have something that everybody can relate to or be interested in.â&#x20AC;?

As someone who isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t from Jackson, Hanks says he still has things heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trying to figure out about Jackson, including how Cosplayer to reach people who might not Cami Roebuck has regularly attend a convention. created costumes such as Batwoman and Jacksonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support of the Missis(below) â&#x20AC;&#x153;Star Trekâ&#x20AC;? sippi Comic Con is one of the character Janice Rand. most important factors, he says, and that goes beyond it simply being the home of the event. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You know, Jackson is the capital of the state. It needs to make sure that means something (and) be proud of it,â&#x20AC;? Hanks says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It should be the epicenter of everything in our state.â&#x20AC;?

running a convention means relying on others, including Head of Security Bass Fanning and Guest Relations Coordinator Emily Summerlin, who is also the visitor and membership services coordinator for the Mississippi Museum of Art. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The biggest thing that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had to learn is that I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do everything myself. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m kind of a control freak, and so is Jay. There are specific ways we like to do things, but we physically canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do every aspect of the show,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have to find people that we trust to represent us, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done that in a lot of areas. Luckily, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve met people who are into this and want to help.â&#x20AC;?

It makes sense, given that Hanksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; reason for creating Mississippi Comic Con was to bring people together. Creating a space for artists and fans to meet, in general, is cer-

Comics & Contemporary Art Jackson artist Jasmine Cole will miss out on Mississippi Comic Con this year due to a family reunion, but her watercolor paintings, many of which feature cult-classic characters such as Samurai Jack and Marceline the Vampire Queen from â&#x20AC;&#x153;Adventure Time,â&#x20AC;? will be there in fine form.

This wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be the first time that Cole has catered to the comic con crowd. She also held an artist booth at SOPOCU Con. She immediately noticed a natural camaraderie in the crowd. Attendees had a mutual respect for each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crafts, whether they were artists, collectors or cosplayers. Outside these events, Jackson offers relatively few places to meet people with similar interests. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sometimes, you can meet someone at a supermarket, and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have, like, a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;(My Neighbor) Totoroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; t-shirt or something, but mostly itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s at comic shops and just art events, even,â&#x20AC;? Cole says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;Ś Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nice to be around people who appreciate the same things that you appreciate, and you can kind of share it. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s this vague sense of community when you can be around other people that share a passion that you have.â&#x20AC;?

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a community that Jasmineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father, Ron Cole, introduced her to when he used to collect comics. His hobby gave her plenty of material to read as a child. Around that time, she also started watching animeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;animated shows from Japan. Coleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interests merged and inspired her to absorb anything to do with art.

She continued pursuing her passion for art while attending the University of Mississippi. She changed majors

Business school and liberal arts education.

A winning combination.

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20

Make Mine Mississippi The melding of Mississippi life and comic-book art is nothing new for Steven Butler, either. The Lucedale native has been a career comic illustrator for about 26 years. His frenetic, action-filled panels have appeared in books from major publishers such as Marvel Comics and Archie Comics. Butler is also a family friend of the Roebucks and attended last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SOPOCU

Con as a guest artist, a role that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll reprise at Mississippi Comic Con. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was very impressed with the turnout. It showed me that thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;Ś life in the comic-collecting, convention-going crowd locally,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I just really didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what to expect because I hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t done a show in Jackson in a number of years. That was probably back in 1989, around when my friends and I were first getting started in comics.â&#x20AC;?

Growing up, Butler didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have easy access to comics or conventions that Cole and Cami Roebuck enjoy. Instead, he would stop by Lucedaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surrounding supermarkets and drugstores to find copies when he could, but he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t step foot in an actual comic shop until the mid-â&#x20AC;&#x2122;80s when he was attending the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, where he graduated with a bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in art in 1988.

While at USM, Butler connected with fel-

am. I draw them,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; and he was like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Well, hey! I write them!â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;?

Soon after, Butler, Bird and Mann came up with a book about burglars titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cat & Mouse.â&#x20AC;? The team found a publisher, Malibu, to release the book, but more

COURTESY STEVEN BUTLER

a number of times, though she continued taking courses that synced with her creative side. At the suggestion of her mother, Lora Cole, Jasmine decided to study subjects outside of art, as well, and in 2009, she earned two bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degrees: one in studio art and another in print journalism.

Then, she began her graduate studies at Mississippi College in Clinton, receiving her masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in visual arts in 2010 and a master of fine arts degree in 2013.

She now teaches art appreciation classes at Mississippi College.

Given her education in traditional art, some might not pin Cole as the convention-going type, but she admires all forms of art, each with its own history and reasoning. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also quick to point out the merit of comic-book-style art as a mode of creative expression. Ask her to name a few of her favorite artists, and the long list will include famed painters such as Jacob Lawrence and Jackson Pollock, alongside Fiona Staple, the illustrator behind the sciencefiction and fantasy comic â&#x20AC;&#x153;Saga.â&#x20AC;?

Like some Renaissance, pop art and even abstract paintings, comics are â&#x20AC;&#x153;rooted in a sense of storytelling,â&#x20AC;? she says. But if comics donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t speak to a person, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s OK. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really worry too much about whether one type of art works for everyone because everyone has a different perspective on any type of art, whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s realism or pop art or comic-book art,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If (it) speaks to someone, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done something good.â&#x20AC;?

While some stigmas suggest that comic-con culture is centered on things meant for children, Cole says more and more people are accepting those interests as art forms, thanks in part to the success of movies and TV shows based on anime, comic-book and graphic-novel properties. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That idea of it not being mainstream, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as strong as it used to be.

I think people are really embracing it, you know,â&#x20AC;? Cole says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;Ś I think (comic culture) is definitely ingrained, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been around for so long. Especially now, with so many studios and companies making money off of it, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s everywhere.â&#x20AC;?

For Cole, the next step toward the success of events like the new Mississippi Comic Con would be to reintroduce the art communityâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;museums, dealers and creatorsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to comics as a unique voice in contemporary art.

Lucedale, Miss., native Steven Butler has illustrated comics from Archie Comics and Marvel Comics, where he drew several Spider-Man titles.

low artist Mitch Bird, who was equally infatuated with the world of comics. The pair began working together on proposals for publishers throughout the school year and summer break, but they soon added an unexpected third member to their team: Roland Mann, who went on to become an editor for multiple â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ultraverseâ&#x20AC;? titles at Malibu Comics. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We met this guy who was walking around with his girlfriend who was campaigning for homecoming queen, independent from a sorority,â&#x20AC;? Butler says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had some art up, and he (pointed) and says, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hey, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s into comics?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; I said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I

importantly, they found companies who wanted to work with them individually.

In 1990, Butler took on his first ongoing series, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Badger,â&#x20AC;? for First Comics, where he worked for a year. However, he could tell that the company wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t going to last forever. He met a few Marvel Comics employees at a convention who were interested in seeing how he worked with their famous properties, and he jumped at the chance.

In less than a year, he received his first assignments for Marvel: an issue of â&#x20AC;&#x153;West Coast Avengersâ&#x20AC;? and a special extended annual issue of â&#x20AC;&#x153;X Factor.â&#x20AC;?

Having proved himself, Butler soon got work as the principal artist for the Spider-Man spin-off, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Silver Sable and the Wild Pack,â&#x20AC;? which he worked on for three years before Marvel hired him to draw the ongoing series â&#x20AC;&#x153;Web of SpiderMan,â&#x20AC;? which he started on in 1994.

Then, in December 1996, Marvel filed for bankruptcy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of their editorial people got fired, and then you lose all of your con-

tacts,â&#x20AC;? Butler says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There was no guarantee. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a contract. Only a few people did. So there were a lot of folks that were left without a way of getting work.â&#x20AC;?

About 115 people were suddenly without a job. Thankfully, Butler was flexible. He began doing toy design and caricatures to pay his bills. Then, he received offers from Disney Adventure Magazine and Archie Comics, where he drew a long-running series based on Sonic the Hedgehog.

While he takes the occasional assignments for larger publications, Butlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main focuses lately have been art commissions he receives through Facebook and his new superhero series, â&#x20AC;&#x153;John Aman Amazing Man,â&#x20AC;? which is now four issues into its six-issue run at Gallant Comics.

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let the name fool you, though.

Gallant isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a new publisher going toeto-toe with Marvel or DC Comics. The moniker actually refers to Butler and Jackson ex-pat Barry Gregory, writer for â&#x20AC;&#x153;John Aman.â&#x20AC;? Gregory also co-owns the Orlando-based independent printing company Ka-Blam Digital Printing with Beaumont, Miss. native Thomas Florimonte. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lord knows we get a lot of people saying, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hey, you need artists? You need writers?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a company. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just me and one other dude,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;?

Butler says.

Gallant is his attempt to inject some fun and classic good-versus-evil ethics into the â&#x20AC;&#x153;doom and gloomâ&#x20AC;? found in many modern comics. Working on the series has also shown Butler how accessible the medium can be for newcomers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now, anybody thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth their salt and wants to take a chance and put something out there can do it. But youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to work,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to hustle. Doing the conventions is part of it, because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grassroots, meeting the fans face to face. And youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also meeting other people doing their own thing. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a community.â&#x20AC;?

Butler says that when he was getting started, most comic artists lived in or near New York City in order to meet deadlines. Today, with current technology and quicker mailing services, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible to have a career in comics from anywhere.

Still, some of his peers and fans donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand his choice of home state.â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of people say, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Why in the world are you living in Mississippi? Why donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you move somewhere?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; And I say, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Why do I need to?â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;?

Mississippi Comic Con is Saturday, June 27, from 10 to 6 p.m., and Sunday, June 28, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission $15, $25 for both days. Two children 10 and under per adult enter free with paid admission.

Visit mississippicomiccon.com for details.

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LIFE&STYLE | food

Shaken, Not Stirred

by Julie Skipper

I

COURTESY LIZ LANCASTER

often find myself drinking seasonally. Generally, that means more red wine and full-bodied beverages in the winter and lighter wines in the summer. Spring and summer also make me think of gin.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll admit that back in my law-school days when I first drank gimlets and martinis, I went the vodka route. But now that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a little older and wiser, I stick with a classic gin martini, also called a vesper. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m also a fan of pink gin (made with gin and angostura bitters). And Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had enough of the liquor to know that some are more floral than others, some are stronger in ginâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s signature juniper note, and Hendrickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tastes of cucumber, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d really only ever tried a few brands.

So when I heard that Chris Robertson, assistant service manager at BRAVO! Italian Restaurant and Bar, planned to host a gin tasting at the restaurant one Saturday afternoon, I immediately emailed my man and a group of friends to see who was game.

Lately, Robertson has built on the restaurantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s popular Sunday wine tastings, expanding them to the cocktail side of things as well over the past year with a Tiki cocktail tasting, a class on how to stock your home bar and a Scotch tasting, among others. In all the tastings Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d attended before, Robertsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s friendly personality, fun stories and honesty about what he likes to drink complement his extensive knowledge and passion about cocktails, which makes the tastings informative and fun. He also includes recipes for drinks, so you leave with takeaways to practice. The latest was no exception.

My date and I arrived to find communal tables set up in the restaurant area, so we joined a booth where we made friends with Dennis Riecke, a gentleman who moonlights at a liquor store and, therefore, viewed the gin tasting as an educational opportunity. Cheers to that, we said. As we chatted with him, we sipped on the Gin Rickey we got as a welcome cocktail. Robertson explained it was his ode to local legend (and ladiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; man) Cotton Baronichâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the 85year-old gentleman known for his years tending bar at the BRAVO! Italian Restaurant and Bar has expanded its wine tastings into the world of liquor, including gin.

Sun & Sand, George Street Grocery, Hal & Malâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and the Edison Walthall Hotel.

After that, Robertson introduced the tasting with a promise to open our eyes (and tastebuds) to the wide world we progressed to Bristow English dry gin (distilled locally in be getting this one to stock the home bar. of gin, proclaiming, â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we (think we) know anything about Gluckstadt in small batches) and Ransom Old Tom gin, To finish off the dayâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;as if we needed moreâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the gin, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s probably wrong,â&#x20AC;? adding that those we would try in- which was actually brown, like whiskey. guys from Cathead Distillery (who makes Bristow gin) sent cluded no bottle that cost more than We progressed to Bitter Truth a special treat to the tasting: some of their Bristow Single $50, so everything was relatively accespink gin from Germany, which was Barrel Cask Strength Confession. Just smelling that one was sible to enjoy at home. great to sip over ice, with lots of cit- enough for me. Like the Ransom Old Tom, this one was His selection for the gin school rus notes and a lower alcohol content. brown, which indicated to me to tread lightly. (I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do included six samples. The first, Bolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Robertson shared the fun fact that well with brown liquor.) I ran into someone else from the Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2DC;ViĂ&#x192;Ă&#x160; Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;`Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;½Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160; Â&#x2DC;}Â?Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2026;Ă&#x160; Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC; Genever from Holland, Robertson pink gin is far from â&#x20AC;&#x153;girlyâ&#x20AC;?; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s actually tasting a few weeks later, and she was still talking about this Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2030;{Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2DC;ViĂ&#x160;vĂ&#x20AC;iĂ&#x192;Â&#x2026;Ă&#x160;Â?Â&#x2C6;Â&#x201C;iĂ&#x160;Â?Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2C6;Vi encouraged us to take as a shot. After Bondâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s official drink. one, though, so for those who like their liquor to really pack ÂŁĂ&#x2030;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2DC;ViĂ&#x160;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x201C;ÂŤÂ?iĂ&#x160;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x2022;ÂŤ having tasted it, I could see why; my Next up was Uncle Valâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Botani- a punch, it was clearly a treat. /Â&#x153;ÂŤĂ&#x160;Ă&#x153;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Â&#x153;`> fellow agreed it would put hair on your cal Gin from Sonoma, Ca., which was Robertson plans to continue these Saturday courses, Pro tip: shake cocktails that chest. Robertson added that to him, it my favorite of the day. Just smelling it so youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have more chances soon to go learn for him and contain citrus or cream; stir evalmost drinks like a white whiskey, is a treat; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really crisp, but the bo- enjoy a Saturday afternoon day drink (or several). Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s erything else. though with a strong taste of juniper. tanical is a good nomenclature to use, planning a tequila tasting July 25, with more ideas brewing As he explained the process of disas itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not overly floral, just fresh and for the fall. In the meantime, go visit him and the bartendtillation, including drawing a diagram herby with citrus notes. ers at BRAVO! and see if theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll shake or stir you someof the process on a small whiteboard, It finished smooth; I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get thing gin-tastic to try. and what makes a gin English (Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll admit, by that point, the any burning or harshness, and I feel like it would be good For more information on alcohol tastings at BRAVO! drinks had taken some effect, and I was chatting with my both in simple, straightforward cocktails, as well as in more Italian Restaurant and Bar (4500 Interstate 55 N., 601-982table companions, so I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really remember the distinction), complex mixed ones. In case you couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tell, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll definitely 8111), visit bravobuzz.com.

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Liue Music 8pm

Saturdays

Liue Music 8pm

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Tuesdays

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Trivia Night 7PM FREE!

Sponsored By 1149 Old Fannin Rd. Brandon (769) 251- 0692 2pm - 12 am Mon - Thurs 11 am - 12 am Fri - Sun

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THURSDAY 6/25

SATURDAY 6/27

SUNDAY 6/28

AIA Mississippi Movie Night is at the Mississippi Museum of Art.

The Offbeat After Hours dance party is at Offbeat.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;All Shook Upâ&#x20AC;? is at the Madison Square Center for the Arts in Madison.

BEST BETS JUNE. 24 - 31, 2015

JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY

WEDNESDAY 6/24

History Is Lunch is at noon at Old Capitol Museum (100 S. State St.). Architect Belinda Stewart discusses the restoration of the historic Tallahatchie County Courthouse.

Free; call 601-576-6998; mdah.state.ms.us. â&#x20AC;Ś Old Crow Medicine Show performs 8 p.m. at Thalia Mara Hall (255 E. Pascagoula St.). The Americana band from Nashville performs. $24.5-$39.5; call 800-745-3000.

THURSDAY 6/25

MATT STONE

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Catch Me If You Canâ&#x20AC;? is 7:30 p.m. at Black Rose Theatre (103 Black St., Brandon). The Broadway â&#x20AC;&#x153;whodunitâ&#x20AC;? is about an advertising executive whose bride disappears during their honeymoon. Reservations recommended. Additional dates: June 25-27, 7:30 p.m., June 28, 2 p.m. $15, $10 children, students, military and seniors ages 55 and older (cash or check); call 601-825-1293; email brtreservations@gmail.com; blackrosetheatre.org.

The Jackson State University Band Camp performs at the Independence Showdown Battle of the Band June 27 at Newell Field.

various Jackson locations. Includes a festival at the Mississippi Museum of Art June 26 from 6-10 p.m., workshops at Charles Tisdale Library June 27 from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and Pride Sunday Fun Day June 28 at Julep from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and JCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s at 3 p.m. Free; mspride.org.

982-8111; email jeffg@bravobuzz.com; bravobuzz.com. â&#x20AC;Ś Hardside performs 8:30 p.m. at Big Sleepyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (208 W. Capitol St.). The Texas hardcore band is signed to 6131 Records.

Shadow of Doubt and Torab also perform. All-ages show. $8; call 601-863-9516; find the event on Facebook.

SATURDAY 6/27

MONDAY 6/29

Mississippi Comic Con begins 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at Mississippi Trade Mart (1200 Mississippi St.). Formerly known as SOPOCU Con, the two-day convention brings together comic, art and pop culture enthusiasts. Includes guest artists and vendors. Additional date: June 28, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

BY MICAH SMITH $15 per day, $25 two-day pass, children 10 and under free with paid admission (limit of two per JACKSONFREEPRESS.COM paid adult); call 354-7051; misFAX: 601-510-9019 sissippicomiccon.com. â&#x20AC;Ś The DAILY UPDATES AT Independence Showdown Battle JFPEVENTS.COM of the Bands is 5 p.m. at Newell Field (800 Riverside Drive). Enjoy music from marching bands from throughout the south, the Jackson State University Band Camp and the Mississippi Allstar Band. $10 in advance, price increase at the gate; call 800-745-3000; email maaband@gmail.com.

The Eudora Welty Portrait Reader Preview is 6 p.m. at the Eudora Welty House (1119 Pinehurst St.). This event offers a sneak preview of 20 original illustrations of the famed author before the show officially launches July 1 with drinks and music from Caroline Keys of Stellarondo. Free; call 601-353-7762; eudorawelty.org.

Mississippi native actor and recording artist Jason Dottley performs and emcees the Mississippi Pride Celebration, held June 26-28 in Jackson.

FRIDAY 6/26

Mississippi Craft Beer Festival is 5:30-9:30 p.m. at Duling Hall (622 Duling Ave.). Includes a tasting featuring 100 craft beers, local food and music from the Delta Mountain Boys. $30, $10 designated driver, $60 VIP (includes entry at 4:30 p.m.); call 601-981-9606; email arden@ardenland.net; fondren.org. â&#x20AC;Ś The Mississippi Pride Celebration begins at

SUNDAY 6/28

The Summer Wine Tasting is 4 p.m. at BRAVO! Italian Restaurant & Bar (Highland Village, 4500 Interstate 55 N.). Sommeliers Lesley McHardy and Val Spellman host the tasting. For ages 21 and up. RSVP. $30 per person; call 601-

The Summer Nocturne Recital is 7 p.m. at St. Dominic Hospital (969 Lakeland Drive) in the chapel. Professional musicians from the Jackson area perform vocal and instrumental selections. Performers include Cheryl Coker, Viola Dacus, Harlan Zackery, Lynn Raley, Bill Clark and Barry Hause. Donations to the St. Dominic Humanitarian Fund are welcome. Free; call 601-594-2902.

WEDNESDAY 7/1

History Is Lunch is at noon at the William F. Winter Archives and History Building (200 North St.). In conjunction with the Margaret Walker Centennial Celebration, Dr. Robert Luckett of Jackson State University presents â&#x20AC;&#x153;Margaret Walker in Her Own Words.â&#x20AC;? Free; call 601-576-6998; mdah.state.ms.us.

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EVENTS@ TUESDAY 6/30

25

Best of Jackson Winner 2012-2014

LIVE MUSIC Friday June 5th

Saturday June 6th

LARRY JOHNSON High Frequency ft. Beasty Tunes Band Jazz Tuesdays 9 PM Tuesday June 9th

9PM

7 PM

Voted one of the Best Restaurants and Bars In Metro Jackson Best of Jackson 2014

Plate Lunch Starting At $10 Includes Tea! Minutes from Downtown!

1100 John R. Lynch Street | Suite A | Jackson, MS 769.251.5222 | thepenguinms.com

Daily 4-7pm HAPPY HOURAll Drinks Including Wine

$2 Domestic & 2 For 1 On

Call To Book your Private Party!

Saturday 6/27

Wednesday 6/24

Karaoke

w/DJ Stache @ 9pm

Monday 6/29

Thursday 6/25

Ladies Night

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w/ DJ Glenn Rogers LADIES DRINK FREE! 9pm - Close

26

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Mon. - Sat., 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Maywood Mart Shopping Center 1220 E. Northside Dr. 601-366-5676 www.mcdadeswineandspirits.com Please Drink Responsibly

ACCOUSTIC SOUL PARTY

Friday 6/26

RIVERSIDE VOODOO

Pub Quiz

w/Daniel Keys @ 8pm

Tuesday 6/30

BYO G

(Bring Your Own Guitar) w/ Adam Goreline

4pm-2am 6 0 1 - 9 6 0 - 2 7 0 0 Open Mon-Fri 11am-2am Sat 4pm orge St, Jackson, MS facebook.com/Ole Tavern 416 Ge

Mississippi Craft Beer Festival June 26, 5:309:30 p.m., at Duling Hall (622 Duling Ave.).

Includes a tasting featuring 100 craft beers, local food and music from the Delta Mountain Boys. $30, $10 designated driver, $60 VIP (includes entry at 4:30 p.m.); call 601-981-9606; email arden@ardenland.net; fondren.org.

Mississippi Pride Celebration June 26, 6-10 p.m., June 27, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., June 28, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., at various Jackson locations. Includes a festival at the Mississippi Museum of Art June 26 from 6-10 p.m., workshops at Charles Tisdale Library June 27 from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and Pride Sunday Fun Day June 28 at Julep from 10 a.m.2:30 p.m. and JCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s at 3 p.m. Free; mspride.org.

Rock the Block June 27, 5 p.m.-2 a.m., at Commerce Street. Rybolt Productions hosts the concert in partnership with downtown venues such as Martinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Hal & Malâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and La Finestra.

Performers include Dream Cult, Young Valley, The Tallahatchies, Living Together and Empty Atlas. Includes food and beer vendors. No coolers. Free; martinslounge.net.

Write to Change the World July 11, July 25, Aug. 1, Aug. 15, Aug. 22 and Aug. 29, 12:30-3 p.m., at Jackson Free Press (125 S. Congress St., Suite 1324). Learn to write sparkling stories that can change your life and the world around you in Donna Laddâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s non-fiction writing classes.

Classes recorded if you miss any meeting. $350, includes snacks and materials; call 601-3626121 ext. 15; email class@writingtochange.com; writingtochange.com.

11th Annual JFP Chick Ball July 18, at Hal & Malâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (200 S. Commerce St.). The annual event to combat domestic violence includes food, door prizes, a silent auction, poetry and live music.

Seeking sponsors, auction donations and volunteers. Proceeds benefit the Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence. For ages 18 and up. $5; call 601-362-6121 ext. 16; email natalie@ jacksonfreepress.com; jfpchickball.com.

#/--5.)49 History Is Lunch June 24, noon, at Old Capitol Museum (100 S. State St.). Architect Belinda Stewart discusses the restoration of the historic Tallahatchie County Courthouse. Free; call 601-5766998; mdah.state.ms.us.

Santore Braceyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Social Media Lunch Bunch June 26, noon, at One Block East (642 Tombigbee St.). Bracey is a candidate for Hinds County Tax Collector. Includes a Q&A session, appetizers and networking. Free; call 601-214-0156; email santorebracey2015@gmail.com; bracey4u.com.

Summer of Our Power: Southern Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Movement Assembly for a Just Transition June 26, 5-9 p.m., June 27, 8 a.m.-9 p.m., June 28, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., at Chokwe Lumumba Center for Economic Democracy (939 W. Capitol St.). The economic democracy conference includes presentations, workshops, meals and entertainment.

Registration required. $50 all three days; per day: $15 June 26, $30 June 27, $10 June 28; call 601208-0090; cooperationjackson.org.

OffBeat After Hours June 27, 8 p.m., at OffBeat (151 Wesley Ave.). Graphic Content hosts this dance party in celebration of the book, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Wicked + The Divine.â&#x20AC;? Costumes are encouraged.

Free; call 601-376-9404; offbeatjxn.com.

History Is Lunch July 1, noon, at William F. Winter Archives and History Building (200 North St.).

Dr. Robert Luckett of Jackson State University presents â&#x20AC;&#x153;Margaret Walker in Her Own Words.â&#x20AC;?

Free; call 601-576-6998; mdah.state.ms.us.

+)$3 Storytime on the Porch June 25, 3-4 p.m., at Eudora Welty House and Museum (1119 Pinehurst Place). Children in grades pre-K through 2 hear a classic story and make a craft. Free; call 601353-7762; email info@eudoraweltyhouse.com.

Events at Mississippi Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Museum (2145 Highland Drive) UĂ&#x160;6Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160; Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x152;\Ă&#x160;-VÂ&#x153;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160; Â?LiĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160; Â&#x153;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x192;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;p Harmonica Heaven June 28, 1:30-5:30 p.m. In Inspirations Studios. Enjoy music from the local multi-genre artist and learn about playing the harmonica. Included with admission ($10, children under 12 months free); call 601-981-5469; mississippichildrensmuseum.com.

UĂ&#x160; Â&#x2DC;Â&#x153;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160; Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x153;Ă&#x153; Saturdays, 10 a.m. through Aug. 22. In the Literacy Garden. Children and their families listen to a story and participate in a garden activity. Held Saturdays through Aug. 22. Included with admission ($10, free for children under 12 months and members); call 601981-5469; mississippichildrensmuseum.com.

Once Upon a Time: Storytime at the Manship House July 1, 3:30-4:30 p.m., at Manship House Museum (420 E. Fortification St.). Children in grades K-3 listen to a story and make a craft. Reservations required. Free; call 601-961-4724; email info@manshiphouse.com; mdah.state.ms.us.

&//$ $2).+ Summer Wine Tasting June 28, 4 p.m., at BRAVO! Italian Restaurant & Bar (Highland Village, 4500 Interstate 55 N.). Sommeliers Lesley McHardy and Val Spellman host. For ages 21 and up. RSVP. $30 per person; call 601-982-8111; email jeffg@bravobuzz.com; bravobuzz.com.

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Ă&#x20AC;iĂ&#x192;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;vÂ&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;-Ă&#x2022;VViĂ&#x192;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160; iĂ&#x152;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160; >VÂ&#x17D;Ă&#x192;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;*Â&#x153;Ă&#x153;iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;x Ă&#x160; Walk/Run June 27, 7:30-10 a.m., at Renaissance at Colony Park (1000 Highland Colony Parkway, Ridgeland). Check-in at 7 a.m. Proceeds go to Dress for Success Metro Jacksonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts to provide career development tools to disadvantaged women. Registration required. Fundraising encouraged; call 601-966-5115; email jackson@ dressforsuccess.org; dfspowerwalk.org/mj.

JPS Football Alumni Flag Football Tournament and Barbecue/Tailgating Contest June 27, 3 p.m., at Hughes Field (545 Ellis Ave.). The firstannual event includes music, space jumps and games. Alumni teams (maximum of 20 players) must register via email and wear their schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home colors. Vehicles not allowed in tailgating area. Tents, grills and coolers welcome. Alcohol prohibited. Free for spectators, $75 alumni teams, $25 tailgating slot; call 601-688-3204; email provineramsfb@gmail.com; provinefootball.com.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;All Shook Upâ&#x20AC;? June 25-27, 7:30 p.m., June 28, 2:30 p.m., at Madison Square Center for the Arts (2103 Main St., Madison). The American jukebox musical is about a mysterious guitar-playing roustabout who shakes up a small town. $15, $12 seniors ages 60 and older and students under 18; call 601-853-0291; email madisoncenterplayers@ gmail.com; madisoncenterplayers.org.

#/.#%243 &%34)6!,3 Old Crow Medicine Show June 24, 8 p.m., at Thalia Mara Hall (255 E. Pascagoula St.). The Americana band from Nashville performs. $24.5$39.5; call 800-745-3000.

Mississippi Comic Con June 27, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., June 28, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., at Mississippi Trade Mart (1200 Mississippi St.). Formerly known as SOPOCU Con, the convention brings together comic, art and pop culture enthusiasts. Includes guest artists and vendors. $15 per day, $25 two-day pass, children 10 and under free with paid admission (limit of two per paid adult); call 354-7051; mississippicomiccon.com.

Independence Showdown Battle of the Bands June 27, 5 p.m., at Newell Field (800 Riverside Drive). Enjoy music from marching bands from throughout the south, the Jackson State University Band Camp and the Mississippi Allstar Band. $10 in advance, price increase at the gate; call 800-7453000 (tickets) or 601-879-4627 (vendors); email maaband@gmail.com.

Benefit Musical June 27, 5 p.m., at Divine Ministries (1417 W. Capitol St.). The Gospel Trumpettes Singers, The Spiritual Harmonizers and more perform. Free, donations welcome; call 601-5194455 or 601-667-9029.

,)4%2!29 3)'.).'3 â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Book of Aronâ&#x20AC;? June 24, 5 p.m., at Lemuria Books (Banner Hall, 4465 Interstate 55 N., Suite 202). Jim Shepard signs books. Reading at 5:30 p.m. $23.95 book; call 601-366-7619; email info@lemuriabooks.com; lemuriabooks.com.

%8()")4 /0%.).'3 Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2C6;Â?`Ă&#x160;-Ă&#x2022;Â&#x201C;Â&#x201C;iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;-Â&#x2026;Â&#x153;Ă&#x153;V>Ă&#x192;iĂ&#x160;June 27, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., at Mississippi Craft Center (950 Rice Road, Ridgeland). The open house includes guided tours of the facility, refreshments, special programs and drawings for prizes. Free; call 601-856-7546; craftsmensguildofms.org.

Eudora Welty Portrait Reader Preview June 29, 6 p.m. at Eudora Welty House (1119 Pinehurst St.).

This event offers a sneak preview of 20 original illustrations of the famed author before the show officially launches July 1 with drinks and music from Caroline Keys of Stellarondo. A limited number of Readers pieces available for sale ($10).

Free; call 601-353-7762; eudorawelty.org.

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AIA Mississippi Movie Night June 25, 6:30-10 p.m., at Mississippi Museum of Art (380 S. Lamar St.). In the Art Garden. This monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s film is Charlie Chaplinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Modern Times.â&#x20AC;? Free; call 9601515; aiamississippi.org. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Catch Me If You Canâ&#x20AC;? June 25-27, 7:30 p.m., June 28, 2 p.m., at Black Rose Theatre (103 Black St., Brandon). The Broadway â&#x20AC;&#x153;whodunitâ&#x20AC;? is about an advertising executive whose bride disappears during their honeymoon. Reservations recommended. $15, $10 children, students, military and seniors ages 55 and older (cash or check); call 601-825-1293; email brtreservations@gmail.com; blackrosetheatre.org.

"% 4(% #(!.'% Human Trafficking Awareness Workshop June 27, 9 a.m.-noon, at St. Richard Catholic Church (1242 Lynwood Drive). In Foley Hall. Registration is at 8:30 a.m. Advocates for Freedom elaborate on the epidemic of modern-day slavery and ways to get involved. Includes refreshments. Free; call 601-366-2335 email cox@saintrichard.com.

Check jfpevents.com for updates and more listings, or to add your own events online. You can also email event details to events@jacksonfreepress.com to be added to the calendar. The deadline is noon the Wednesday prior to the week of publication.

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The Bratton Sound

by Larry Morrisey

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ob Bratton went looking for a sound, but he ended up creating it himself. The Madison resident has been building custom guitar amplifiers for the past year, but has only sold them under the moniker C2 Guitar Amps since March.

The idea came about five years ago, when Bratton, who has played guitar for a

out the circuit. Bratton starts with a blank circuit board, then attaches the different parts, carefully soldering them together. He also makes small modifications to the circuit to make the sound of his amps distinctive.

While the circuitry in his amps is based on that of classic amplifiers, though, Bratton doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stick with the past when designing the cabinets. He wants them to /$55< 0255,6(<

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decade, began looking for a new amp. A fan of classic blues and rock, he wanted to find a tube ampâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a vintage-style amplifier with a series of vacuum tubes in its circuitry, which many blues and rock legends have used. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You get a cleaner tone out of an alltube amp. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just so smooth,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once you get one overdriving, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just fantasticâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a gritty, growly sound.â&#x20AC;?

Bratton soon found that most of the amps that he could afford did not measure up. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I started looking for a tube amp, but nothing really struck my fancy. I bought and sold them and never could find what I liked,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So I decided to build one myself.â&#x20AC;?

Unlike some do-it-yourselfers, Bratton has the professional experience to take on this type of project. He has worked in aircraft maintenance for the Air National Guard for more than 30 years, giving him a solid understanding of electronics. Before working for the Guard, he spent several years doing trim work in home construction and other carpentry work.

Bratton starts a project by picking a classic amp sound that he wants to emulate.

He finds circuitry plans for older models online and uses them to order the parts and lay

blend into a living space. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I started, I really wanted to make something that could fit on a bookshelf or in the family room and not stand out like a sore thumb,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wanted it to look like it belonged there, like a piece of old furniture.â&#x20AC;?

Rather than covering his cabinets with the rough, black vinyl that most amp manufacturers use, Bratton leaves the wood exposed. He stains them and seals the cabinets with coats of lacquer. The craftsman finishes off his amps with a grill cloth (the cover that protects the speaker) made from burlap, a call-back to his familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s roots as cotton farmers in the Mississippi Delta.

While Bratton hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sold many amps thus far, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s currently planning on placing some of his products in local music shops. He would especially like to connect with active musicians and have his amps be used in local clubs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If somebody has an amp in mind that they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find or something theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve dreamed up, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll put anything in the world together for them,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to get them into playersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; hands who will use them, abuse them and enjoy them.â&#x20AC;?

For more information, call 601-2385205 or find C2 Guitar Amps on Facebook.

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his yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s NBA Finals were thrilling, with the Golden State Warriors becoming NBA champions. Slowly, the league is changing from isolation basketball, where eight guys stand and watch a superstar go one-on-one with a defender, to a completely team-oriented game.

While everyone waits for football to begin, Mississippi basketball fans can see more of the sport this summer. In Vicksburg, the River City Summer League kicks off this Friday, June 26, and Saturday, June 27.

River City is for professional players and those hoping to join the professional ranks at some point or to get noticed by professional leagues. The league is a tool to help players stay in shape during the long offseason. It boasts some names that Mississippi basketball fans will likely recognize.

One player many in the metro area might remember is Dundrecous Nelson, a two-time Dandy Dozen pick out of Murrah High School and was the MVP of the 2012 Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game. Nelson was also a member of the Ole Miss basketball team in 2012 before he was kicked off due to run-ins with the law, mainly over smoking marijuana.

Another former Dandy Dozen playing in the league is MyChal Ammons out of Vicksburg High School. Ammons played in the Mississippi-Alabama AlliĂ&#x153;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160;Â&#x2DC;Â&#x153;Ă&#x152;iĂ&#x192;Ă&#x160;vĂ&#x20AC;Â&#x153;Â&#x201C;Ă&#x160;>Â?Â?Ă&#x160;Â?iĂ&#x203A;iÂ?Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;vĂ&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x160; Â&#x201C;iĂ&#x152;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160; Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;ÂŤÂŤÂ&#x2C6;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;ÂŤÂ&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;

HOME COOKINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

CAPSULE

by Jon Wiener

Jackson, Miss. small forward Mario Kegler (Callaway High School/Arlington Country Day School) is the No. 36 ranked recruit in the latest ESPN.com Top 100.

Germantown High School cornerback Nigel Knott is No. 46 in the ESPN.com Top 300 for football.

Sixteen-year-old Jackson Academy golfer Wilson Furr won the 100th Mississippi State Amateur, which was June 19-21 at the Country Club of Jackson (345 St. Andrews Drive, 601956-1411). Furr is the youngest ever winner of the event.

Former Jackson State University golfer Tim Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neal played in his first U.S. Open June 18-21 at Chambers

Star game and college basketball at the University of South Alabama. The former Gator left South Alabama 2014 before his senior year to play professional basketball.

He signed a contract to play in MacedoJUSSTIN SELLERS

FREE SHOW 8 P.M.

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by Bryan Flynn

Jonathan Phelps

nia overseas after leaving school.

Metro area hoops fans might also remember LeAntwan Luckett out of Ridgeland High School. Luckett was twice named SWAC Player of the Week for his play at Alcorn State University

this past season and received the title of first-team All-SWAC 2015 after the season ended.

Also playing the league will be former Vicksburg High School and Jackson Showboats star Jonathan Phelps. The former Dandy Dozen player is working to stay in shape to continue his professional career.

The best part about catching some hoops at games for this league is that admission is free. Basketball fans will get to see some names they know without any money coming out of their pocket.

Games will be at the Jackson Street Community Center gym (923 Walnut Street, Vicksburg, 601-631-3723), with games beginning June 26-27 and resuming on July 10-11 and July 24-25. The league ends after games on Aug. 7-8. Tipoff for games is 6 p.m. on Fridays and 9 a.m. on Saturdays. For more information follow @ rivercityleague on Twitter.

Follow Bryan Flynn at jfpsports.com, @jfpsports and at facebook.com/jfpsports.

3PORTS &ACT OF THE 7EEK ([WUHPH LURQLQJ LV D VSRUW ZKHUH SHRSOH LURQ FORWKHV ZKLOH GRLQJ WKLQJV OLNH VSHOXQNLQJ EDVH MXPSLQJ RU HYHQ ULGLQJ RQ WKH EDFN RI D WD[L FDE 9LVLW [WUHPHLURQLQJ FRP WR VHH LW LQ DFWLRQ

Bay Golf Course in University Place, Wash. Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neal shot 74-73 and missed the cut.

The Mississippi Braves return to Trustmark Park (1 Braves Way, Pearl, 601-932-8788) June 25-29 for a fivegame series with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.

The Medicomp 7 on 7 tournament for high-school football will be June 2728 at Liberty Park (810 Madison Ave., Madison). More than 30 teams from Mississippi and Louisiana will compete.

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Hinds Community College will host a youth golf clinic for ages 6-18 July 7-10 at Eagle Ridge Golf Course (1500 Raymond Lake Road, Raymond) from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. for $150, which in-

cludes lunch. For more information, call 601-857-5993.

The 2015 NBA Draft tips off June 25 on ESPN at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The U.S. Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Team will battle China in the quarterfinals of the Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World Cup on Friday, June 26.

ESPN Radioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s popular afternoon show â&#x20AC;&#x153;SVP and Russilloâ&#x20AC;? became â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Russillo Showâ&#x20AC;? this week with Scott Van Peltâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s move to late-night sports television.

Hear the new incarnation from 1 to 4 p.m. on ESPN 105.9 FM. The NBA free agent signing period opens July 8. Where will Jackson legends Monta Ellis and Mo Williams land?

Jon Wiener is the host and producer of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Home Cookinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? on ESPN 105.9 FM The Zone. He has a bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in English and masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in broadcast journalism.

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