Table of Contents RKYV # 41 {Oct. 2010}
World View - “A Canadian Living in the USA” - By Tom Rossini
RKYV ONLINE LOGO – David Marshall {current} r. j. paré {modified} Roy G. James {original}
Indie Comic - “Different Unlike Us Emotions” - Written by Darke Raven, Art by Yum Yum
Virtual Cover # 41 - Art by Joey Maas - Layout by David Marshall Interior Art - By r. j. paré, Joey Maas, De Tourist, Mike Grattan, James ‘Jig-One’ Titman, Larissa Gula Editorial Column - “At the Outset: A Few Thoughts from the Editor” - By r. j. paré
Featured Artist Review - “Joey Maas” - By r. j. paré Short Fiction - “The Dream Wiz’s Girl” - by Larissa Gula
Non-Fiction? - “The last Footsteps to 2012” - By CS Cartier Poetry - By Larissa Gula, Wanda VanHoy Smith, r. j. paré, CS Cartier Pop Culture - “Comic Book Review” - By Brad Bellmore - “Manga Maximus” - By Darke Raven - “Raised on Saturday Morning Cartoons” - By Pauline Paré
Christina Aguilera – by James ‘Jig-One’ Titman
At the Outset: A few thoughts from the editor by r. j. paré October And kingdoms rise And kingdoms fall But you go on. U2
The October Crisis No, I am not about to launch into a diatribe on Canadian History & Politics. Trust there will be no mention of the FLQ or the right honorable Mr. Trudeau found within this editorial. Err… Umm… well that is other than just mentioning that I won’t be mentioning them. Grr… Never mind. Anyhow the crisis at hand refers to my distinct lack of forethought when dealing with my auto lease. See, the thing is – they run out. Now I fully intended to return the vehicle in question just as soon as I had made other arrangements. Then of course you get busy with one thing and another. Long story short – the car company won’t wait forever. Those nice folks decided to save me the mental burden of figuring out when to return their vehicle by stopping by one early morning and taking it off my hands. Of course, the fact that I still had many belongings in the van now meant I had a 2 hour trip ahead of me in order to recover all my stuff and no vehicle with which to make said trip. LOL. Thank the big guy upstairs for really good friends. The goalie on my rec ball hockey team offered to lend me his car for a few days while I made arrangements to get my things and acquire a new set of wheels. I am one lucky dude and Jeff, buddy you are The Man!
Phe Sunrise – by De Tourist
As 2010 hits the “back-stretch,” also known as the Holiday shopping season, we here @ RKYV are busy assembling some über-cool short stories, art, poetry & columns together for you to enjoy [What else? We’re not on an assembly line here – LOL]. This month we are featuring art-lit submissions received for October 2010. And we do have some fun stuff. x x x x x
Tom Rossini exams “Controversial Issues” in his latest “A Canadian Living in the USA” column. Larissa Gula pens the short story “The Dream Wiz’s Girl” – a morality tale involving supernatural judgment. CS Cartier continues his series of articles examining the basis for so many recent doom-prophecies in “The Last Footsteps to 2012”. Brad Bellmore, Darke Raven & Pauline Paré provide insightful reviews of comics, manga and television in our “Pop Culture” segment. Also, some damn fine pieces of art & poetry have been submitted recently, from authors and artists credited throughout this issue and it is my pleasure to share them with all of you - RKYV readers, fans and fellow contributors!
This month’s RKYV features the talented Joey Maas. His photo-inspired pop culture paintings are pretty darn slick and he was gracious enough to sit down with us for an interview, recently – I hope you all enjoy learning a bit more about him and his amazing work in our “Featured Artist of the Month” segment. Our intrepid assistant editor, David Marshall, designed the cover to this month’s issue of RKYV ONLINE. Now originally he was a bit too swamped with other stuff [like his actual job & having a life] but as you can see, in the end he came through. Kudos dude. [Good thing too, flip to the last page for a glimpse at what might have been! Yikes..:) ] See next ish… r. j. paré
The bird's with me – by De Tourist
Untitled sketch – by Santiago London
World View A Canadian, Living in the USA by Tom Rossini
Controversial Issues I was doing some thinking the other day when I had a few minutes of peace and quiet as the lovely wife took the kids out for some trick or treating. I was sitting with a friend giving out candy and she stated that they did not care for Hallowe’en and wished it would go away. This of course was after seeing Freddy Kruger for the 13th time. She went on to say that we should be celebrating All Souls Day and All Saints Day more so then Hallowe’en. It made me think how true that is being of Catholic faith ... so why is it like this here in the USA / Canada. We talked about this a little bit in between the ohhh's and ahhh's as the kiddies came by in their cute costumes saying "trick or treat" and we both came to the conclusion that every single topic can be debated and on every single topic another person can have a different viewpoint. What makes it maddening is that majority rules. Let me further explain something else first. "The New World" is one of the few places where you can share these thoughts freely, without legal repercussions in most situations. I then thought to myself “is this ability truly worth it?” We have fought to keep our right to free speech [through wars], we have fought for our rights in the courts and we have fought for our rights in all forms of communication. But have your ever stepped back to really think of all the controversial issues there are? I grabbed a pen and started writing some down... Biggie Smalls – by James ‘Jig-One’ Titman
x
Abortion, adoption, affirmative action, alcohol, animal rights, biological weapons, capital punishment, censorship, cloning, drug legalization, endangered species, environment, euthanasia, genetic engineering, global warming, gun control, health care, sexuality, human rights, immigration, internet privacy, media ethics, middle east, pornography, prayer and sex ed... The list seems to never end and neither do the debates. Is it a wonder that nothing ever seems to get done.
by Sam van der Wouden – a piece from her Tuyter Gallery collection At work, it seems that whenever an idea is brought up we need to think about it, sniff it and walk around it 3 times before we lie down on it. This report needs to be run that report needs to be run and this expense report needs to be run - all for what??? So my thought the other day was... Is this the kind of society I want?? Is this my kind of Utopia?? The more I think about it the more I wish I was on an island in the Caribbean where I could fish and swim and have a few cold ones. Instead of reading postings on facebook discussing how the US Military may have finally gotten their way with Omar Khadr case. Love ya Randy. Respectfully submitted Editor’s Note: I completely agree with Tom’s sentiment. We are suffering under an overload of media-fueled controversy. Recently 300, 000 folks [approx.] got together in Washington for this very reason. John Stewart’s “Rally to Restore Sanity” was organized to encourage people to take a breath, calm down and realize that when someone disagrees with you there is no need to demonize them [which is de rigueur in media sensationalism]. To truly enjoy our free society we need to stop viewing our conversations as polarized enemy positions. Liberty – by James ‘Jig-One’ Titman
Floral Commission – by Tindersen B. Hoopdriver
Indie Comic Different Unlike Us by Darke Raven
Dita, Pretty in Pink – by Mike Grattan
Featured Artist Review Joey Maas by r. j. paré Intro: Joey is a talented modern artist from Portland, Oregon, United States. His paintings are masterful examples of blending subject [photo], media [acrylic] and surface [canvas, plywood] in entertaining and evocative ways. The term ‘Pop-Art’ just does not convey the breadth of style and design present in these photoinspired impressions. r.j.p: Have you always known that you wanted to be or, rather, were an artist? JM: Well, I've always known that I needed to create something, but I didn't start painting until about 2 years ago. I was always pretty decent at most things creative, and had no interest in things like sports or cars, or whatever the other kids in school were doing… I became interested in art, punk rock music, and skateboarding in the mid-80's, which where I grew up, weren't things that more than maybe 5 people were into. I was definitely the outcast in my high school.
Artist’s Name: Joey Maas Title: Malcolm McDowell / Alex Media Used: Laminate Flooring Size: 24” x 28”
r.j.p: The choice of surface/backing for this rendering of the cult classic badboy quite helps creates a triptych piece that would be perfect in anyone’s den or home theatre. JM: The styling of A Clockwork Orange makes it easily one of my favourite movies ever.
r.j.p: Did you study or major in art while in school? JM: I did in my early years of high school, but I didn't take any formal college courses or any classes after that. I started high school in a really small town in South Dakota, which had a fantastic art program. I pretty much took every art course that I possibly could at that school. This was good, because in my junior year we moved to another town with a terrible art program and an awful instructor who forced us to paint scenery paintings and hated my work. He would belittle me every chance he got. ...Thanks for nothing Mr. Monahan.
Artist’s Name: Joey Maas Title: Sonic Youth Media Used: Acrylic on Plywood Size: 24” x 24”
r.j.p: A fun ‘far out’ visit to a 60’s style psychedelia. The painting was so much fun it inspired to me tried my hand at adapting it for this month’s cover [much to Dave, the assistant editor and primo cover designer’s chagrin - as my effort included so many manip-FX that it apparently hurt his retinas - LOL]. For a good laugh, flip to the last page of this month’s issue if you’d like to see it. JM: This is a commission piece for a good friend of mine. She wanted a Sonic Youth painting, but didn't want one of their more popular promo shots. I found this photo, and knew it was the one. It's pretty weird, but it's nice to take a little bit of a break from traditional portrait work. r.j.p: Who was your primary source of encouragement, as a child, in pursuing art? JM: Honestly, I was much more discouraged rather than encouraged. My parents split up when I was young, and I lived with my mom. She was never too supportive of my choices to play music and make art. To this day, I don't think she's ever taken a look at my art blog, and when I talk to her, her first question is always, "Are you making any money?" I'd like to do a painting for her sometime, but I fear it would end up in the closet as soon as I left their house.
On the other hand, my father's side of the family has been very supportive in recent years. It seems like they're so proud of me, regardless of how much money I'm making. They really seem to understand what I'm trying to do, and It means a lot when your family respects what you striving for.
Artist’s Name: Joey Maas Title: Café Racer Media Used: Acrylic on Plywood Size: 42” x 24” r.j.p: What is your favourite media to work with? JM: Acrylic by far. I've been wanting to try my hand at oils again, but I'm a really impatient person, and I think I would get annoyed by the drying time. Plus, I know I'd bump it with my elbow or something and smear a part I've been working on for hours. Which would probably result in me screaming at a canvas for the rest of the afternoon, and nobody wants to see that. Especially me. r.j.p: Do you use any special tools and techniques to create your art? JM: Nothing too out of the ordinary, as far as the actual painting process goes. Pencil, brushes, paint, etc. I like to paint on different types of backing as much as I can. Canvas, plywood, laminate flooring, masonite, whatever I can find that's smooth enough to work on. I have a big slab of granite I'd love to do something on, but I have no idea how to hang it.
Artist’s Name: Joey Maas Title: Dr. Strangelove Media Used: Acrylic on Plywood Size: 24” x 24”
r.j.p: What inspires you to create art? JM: Well, I find inspiration everywhere, but the initial reason I started painting again was because I was renting a terribly ugly bedroom here in Portland. We're talking brown carpet, and wood paneling, and it's about the only thing I could do to somehow make it tolerable. I've always been into interior design, especially modern, and mid-century modern styles, so that was a big influence on my first pieces. I just want to do work that people would love to hang in their living room. r.j.p: How would you categorize your artistic style? JM: I guess traditional pop art, with a little splash of design, and sometimes a retro theme. I wouldn't exactly call it groundbreaking, but some people seem to enjoy it. r.j.p: Would you say that there is a "message" or "unifying theme" in your work? JM: I tend to paint for aesthetics rather than to make a sociological statement, I really respect people who really convey a message through their work, but to me, that's what music is for, and I feel very fortunate to be able to do both music and art. I'm sure if music was never a part of my life, my paintings would be quite different. I really respect Banksy for his integration of pop art and politics. Whether you like his work or not, he's really quite genius, and I think he deserves every bit of the success he's received. r.j.p: Which famous artists / creators or styles have influenced you? Why? JM: I can only really think of two artists that I would consider famous. Early in my high school drawing stage, it was definitely Pushead. He did a lot of work for some of my favourite punk bands, as well as for Zorlac Skateboards. I grew up reading Thrasher magazine, so he was always right in my face. I basically started drawing because I was copying skateboard graphics and record covers, and to this day, if I sit down to draw a random picture from my head, it turns out like a Pushead piece. Another popular artist I really like is Josh Agle, or Shag, as he's better known.
He's certainly influenced me in recent years. His pieces all tell a story, while remaining very stylish. But actually, the artists I really identify with and push me to do cleaner work are people like Mike Grattan, and James "Jig-One" Titman. They're not famous, but they certainly should be. Those damn Brits are kicking ass in the pop art scene. It's really cool, because they're both so nice. We're all friends on Facebook, and give each other a lot of support. I'd love to do a group show with them someday. Viva La Revolution!!! r.j.p: Would you rather be showcased in a hip, local gallery show or work on a financially successful & profitable advertising campaign? [The old Art vs Commerce question] JM: Hell, I'll take it all. My dream is to be where Shag is right now. He's selling a ton of work, gets great gallery shows, and dabbles in the corporate world, but only on his own terms. I guess if I had to choose, I'd go for the hip gallery artist thing. I wouldn't have to deal with licensing and legal issues, plus there's generally a party involved at a gallery show.
Artist’s Name: Joey Maas Title: Robert DeNiro Media Used: Acrylic on Masonite Size: 28” x 36”
r.j.p: The brash colour perfectly suits this striking scene from a bloody good film. JM: One of my favourite scenes, from one of my all time favourite movies. r.j.p: With advancements in computer graphic tablet technology, some artists are now creating their work directly in the digital medium and releasing it in purely digital formats... are the days of canvas, paper & pulp doomed to the realm of fading memories? JM: That's a tough one. I guess I just don't get the digital art thing. I mean, I can see if it's for a website, or video game, or for something that is specifically a computer based format, but art in the classic term is not dead. You can't hang digital artwork on your wall, or thankfully, at least not yet. In my opinion, if art is only released digitally, it loses all of its value. It can be stolen, reproduced, and distributed by anyone at any time. I'm very thankful to have grown up before the computer age was in full swing.
r.j.p: What do you think of the term "starving artist"? JM: Man, I live that term. I'm not really offended by it or anything. I sell my work for a fraction of what I think it's worth and although sometimes I think I'm doing alright, there's the times that I'm scraping by at best. I'd really love to just be able to live comfortably and do what I love to do. I guess that's everybody's dream though. Ideally, I'd like to be able to charge more, while spending more time on my work, but people around here don't have that kind of money. r.j.p: Do you feel more a sense of community with other artists or a sense of competition? JM: I guess that depends on what artists I'm talking to. Generally, most people I interact with are so supportive and just great people to talk shop and swap advice. But when I first was getting started in the pop art world, I wrote emails to some of the people who I thought were really cool pop artists, and every one of them were either mean, or just didn't respond. It just made me want to get good enough to completely crush them. I'm honestly not competitive at all though. I just want to do quality work, and somehow get by at this game.
Artist’s Name: Joey Maas Title: Jean Shrimpton [Lambretta Ad] Media Used: Acrylic on Plywood Size: 18” x 42”
JM: Jean Shrimpton (born 7 November 1942 in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire) is an English Supermodel and actress. Nicknamed "The Shrimp", she was an icon of Swinging Sixties London.
Artist’s Name: Joey Maas Title: Maila Nurmi / Vampira Media Used: Acrylic on Canvas Size: 20” x 24”
r.j.p: This tribute to the wonderful camphorror character, created by Mrs. Nurmi and her husband fittingly suits the 50’s ‘spooky’ style that has become a kitsch classic. JM: One of my first paintings ever was a Vampira piece, but since I've always been a huge fan, I really think she deserved more than one attempt. r.j.p: How do you market yourself? JM: Actually, Facebook has been very useful, I've gotten a ton of commission work from just posting up my paintings, but I try to post my work on as many websites as I can. Just getting it out there is about all you can do when you're in my position. I try to paint everyday, and sometimes go for 14 hours at a time, so it's sometimes hard to find time to update all the sites. I'll usually have to take a day off just to update my online presence. I also do a decent amount of promotion for my local exhibits, and right now I'm booked for about the next six months. r.j.p: Do you find it difficult to stay motivated / inspired? JM: I haven't really yet. It's sometimes hard to get started, but once I'm working, it's hard to stop. I do get burned out once in awhile, but it never seems to last long. I get a certain satisfaction from standing back and looking at a piece I just finished. If nobody ever saw my work, I'd still be doing this. r.j.p: What do you think of the impact that social networks and digital print/publish services have had as an alternate means of connecting you, your work and your audience? JM: Like I mentioned before, Facebook has been a great way to get my work out there, and meet really great people. I haven't done any print work yet, but I'm sure I'll give that a shot in the future. It's obviously much easier to get your name out there via the web, but I also think that it floods the market, and makes it much more difficult for hard working people to get noticed.
Take deviantart.com for instance, you could post the most amazing piece of art ever created, and nobody would see it because two-hundred people just posted their crayon drawings of Miley Cyrus at the same time you did. I do miss the days, when you had to get off your ass and make phone calls, go to the post office, type up press releases, and actually do some work. I think that kinda thinned the herd a bit, and the people who worked really hard were usually able to be seen and respected. Computers make people lazy. r.j.p: What other interests do you have, besides art? JM: I'm really interested in learning to build furniture. Right now I'm hanging drywall in my studio, and I plan on building just about every piece of furniture in it. There's even going to be a small bar behind backlit frosted glass. It's going to be the most stylish midcentury modern studio around. Otherwise, I've been playing drums for over 20 years now, and I'm sure I'll keep doing that for a while, but I'm not nearly as serious as I was about it in the past.
Artist’s Name: Joey Maas Title: Sharon Tate Media Used: Acrylic on Canvas Size: 20” x 20”
r.j.p: What I like about this beautiful piece is that Joey conveys a vulnerable and slightly ‘haunted’ quality to this undeniably gorgeous yet tragic figure. JM: I did a Sharon Tate piece awhile back that was a bit creepy looking, so i decided to follow it up with something a little more classic. Check out my previous painting of Sharon, it's quite different. r.j.p: What advice would you have for a young artist starting out today? JM: It sounds cliché, but "just do it", and don't let anybody tell you differently. If you have the need to create, then that's something you have to do to feel complete. And if nobody likes or really gets what you're doing, then that's their problem.
Artist’s Name: Joey Maas Title: The Start of a New Series Media Used: Acrylic on Plywood Size: 17” x 49”
r.j.p: A truly splendid piece. The elegant composition mixing a splash of spilled red wine, against the shiny-black pumps gives a glimpse of one moment perhaps, in a wild romantic tale [a night of passion?] JM: I've been thinking of doing something a little different for a fashion series I'm working on. These are my girlfriend's A.F. Vandervorst shoes she bought a while back. I'm not sure what to call this one yet. Any suggestions? I have a few more ideas, including a Swatch piece that I'm really excited about. I've been a huge fan of the classic style Swatch watches since about 6th grade. r.j.p: Do you have any big plans or shows coming up? JM: Yeah, I have a bunch of local shows here in Portland, but I also have a group show in San Francisco at the beginning of December, and a show in Seattle at The Elysian for February and March. I lived in Seattle for like 12 years, and this will be my first art show there ever. I'm really excited about it. r.j.p: How would you like your art, and by extension yourself, to be remembered? JM: Wow, I've never really thought about that. I guess I would just hope that I brightened up somebody's home. ...And that it's worth billions so my wife and my family could benefit from it.
Artist’s Name: Joey Maas Title: Rocket Girl Media Used: Acrylic on Masonite Size: 14” x 36”
r.j.p: This bright and vibrant piece really stands out. The surreal aspect of the 60’s model holding a rocket and smiling as though she were a period stewardess demonstrating how to use the in-flight emergency air masks, or an auto-show hostess unveiling the latest fin-tailed V – 8 to roll out of Detroit, lends a delightful absurdity to the composition. This piece was adapted by David Marshall for the cover layout for this month’s issue. JM: In the original photo, she was holding a really big pen. And although I tend to use pens more than rockets, I figured a rocket would be much more interesting.
To follow Joey online, visit
J MAAS neo pop art www.joeymaas.blogspot.com
by Larissa Gula
Short Fiction
[graphics, logos & illustrations by r. j. parĂŠ]
Standing in his concrete living room, the Dream Wiz snapped his fingers clumsily while overlooking the boiling collection of water mounted directly in the center of his rectangular dwelling. On the farthest wall, a flat screen sat black, unneeded, and unused. The focus of the Dream Wiz was his work, and his work was inside the water that boiled on its own. Bubbles danced and clashed for their escape inside of the black cauldron-like mounting; within the masses of swirling opaque circles, the worker known only by his title could see the faces of clients he would serve throughout his night shift. For these clients, he had sacrificed a name. He had sacrificed his identity through fingerprints; he had none now. The boiling water had claimed them, mutilated and scabbed them over beyond recognition, on his first day of work decades past.
The hazel eyes of the lanky, darkly and loosely clothed Dream Wiz fell upon one bubble circling the center of his sight, reflecting in his glasses. A Marine tossed and turned as he recalled the trauma of a mortal world’s war gone by; the Dream Wiz popped the Marine’s bubble demurely with a long, narrow hand that paled in longing for a pat from sunlight. The face disappeared with the popped bubble; somewhere, the Dream Wiz knew, a man would rise from his bed in a sweaty tangle. He would spend half an hour calming his heartbeat before he was able to solve the puzzling knot he had turned his sheets into. He would be back, in all probability, after the Sandman took up his post and performed his own duty to humanity. And then the Dream Wiz – short for ream Wizard – would repeat the process of ending nightmares before the shadows drove the dreamer’s insane.
The Dream Wiz sighed, pulling back from his boiling water and fanning his pale face; his glasses had fogged. He despised when they fogged; when they fogged he had nothing to think about but how he ended up in the basement of such a company and his. He worked in tandem with the beasts of the world. The worshipped figures in worldwide cultures worked under one name, the highest power that no one saw, only obeyed. On the coastline of the America’s section of Supernatural Biology Inc., the Dream Wiz and his brother focused on humanity’s sleeping patterns. His brother, Sandman, put the restless to sleep. The Dream Wiz woke the restless. Through this system, forcing biological forces to collide, each earned his paycheck and his right to retain his powers. Finally, the concrete wall reappeared; Dream Wiz looked towards another persistent bubble that frothed and expanded with the emotion it contained. A small, facially scarred child pounded her mutilated head against her bed’s pink pillow, looking for the comfortable spot in her sleep, as if the reality of her bed could save her from the psychological reality she faced. Her nightmare was an infiltrating maze: it tangled her thoughts, creating misfiring neurons of disease. Her mouth gaped in silent screams. Normal nightmares were not supposed to do that, the Dream Wiz knew. They were false elaborations. They didn’t command misfiring in sleep. Yet a part of her brain was at work. It was recalling. It was remembering. The nightmare was real. The Dream Wiz mourned with a sigh through his pale lips as he looked into the tiny girl’s head through his bubbling water swirls. There was the overpowering image of a tall shadow, a man perhaps?
No, the Dream Wiz shuddered – no, there was the strong curve of a hip no man possessed. The shoulders were narrow, the Dream Wiz realized; yet their structure did not take away from the viciousness of attitude and expectation the figure held. The outline of a knife in her hand, a knife held as a weapon over the girl’s bruised naval at all times, gave away her true nature. It was exactly the opposite of the expectations her figure gave. The Dream Wiz’s hand remained hovering over the red-tinged bubble. Here was a designated “Case” for the night, one that would make him bitterly curse his job, his powers, and his family ever retaining their abilities and beginning the company he worked for. He cursed the genes that gave him the specific profession of quelling nightmares and sorting them into ones that needed addressing, and ones that would never occur again. Here was a Case where the dreams were nothing other than repeating memories: repeating under the covers, just as they would repeat outside of the bedroom every day. It meant he would receive a visitor tonight. Often ignored, wires ran from beneath the Dream Wiz’s boiling black cauldron to a shimmering flat screen mounted on the far wall. Tonight, they awoke from a state of technological Sleep. The Dream Wiz waited as what he saw translated into data, and as what he saw was carried as a coded message from the base of the tub; the keyboard beeped harshly across the room. A copy of the message flashed across the dark screen. “Mute, abused child found. Bruises on lower body. Visible parts of flesh missing; threats by use of knife seen in memory. Summon Him. Set the scales.” An old fashioned, bronze scale lifted itself from a corner of the room. It set its balance alone, merely hovering above the Dream Wiz’s head and quivering in anticipation. He attempted to ignore the jingling, the jangling, the excitement judgment brought the old scales. The Dream Wiz felt no such euphoria at being put to work. The Dream Wiz allowed his stretched hand to sway and circle away from its dominant target. Like a watchful falcon, it searched for an easier target dream, one that would be brought down without associated guilt. His search for straightforward work came across the face of a younger gentleman lying beside his fiancé. In sleep, he cringed from the subconscious hurt in the memory of losing his high school lover. The Dream Wiz almost chuckled; if the persistent bubble with the face of the tortured little girl had not been perched atop other bubbles and darkening to a violent magenta, he would have smiled more broadly. This young gentleman’s love was only contained to the past; it would be so inconvenient to have him utter the name of a quenched flame, especially seeing as his new one sat beside him.
It was simple, straightforward. The Dream Wiz’s index finger reached for the small bubble. “I heard my services are needed tonight.” The Dream Wiz hesitated for the second time his night’s work; the bubble dissipated and deflated beneath him of its own accord, the man already awake after receiving a slap on the backside from the volume of Tolkien his wife had been reading. The young man’s wellbeing was beyond the Dream Wiz’s hands now. “Yes, cousin, unfortunately there is work for you tonight,” The Dream Wiz responded, already forgetting about the young man. The voice behind the Dream Wiz morphed into a skeletal presence overlooking the boiling liquid inside of the black tub beside him. It hissed lowly in silent pondering. The Dream Wiz avoided looking at what he believed, what his own body perceived, was a walking pile of bones underneath transparent skin in a suit.
“Remind me how we got into these professions of ours?” the skeletal presence grumbled. “Of all the jobs on the international market, from all the jobs in our own company…we had to be born qualified for this. This, one of the select few positions that involve judgments we were never truly qualified to give…” “…even when we believed we were qualified, even when we believed genetics held all of the answers to where we would go and who we would influence,” the Dream Wiz finished for his nameless and skeletal cousin. He destroyed the face of a pregnant teenager recalling the force of a man upon her. The man was in prison now. She had nothing to fear and had no reason to be examined and questioned as a “Case”. She, the Dream Wiz at least knew, was a face that deserved to wake up and seek comfort from the roommate beside her in the darkness of their college dorm. It was not complicated for him, at least. “So…what must I lose my own sleep over now?” the other asked darkly between brittle, darkening teeth. The Dream Wiz could picture the jaw line cracking underneath the skin; if he bothered to look he feared he would actually find he could see the jaw bone itself splintering in plain sight beneath the skin. The Dream Wiz’s hand floated back to the night’s dreaded bubble, now a brilliant shade of deep crimson. The mouth of the child within was gaped in a silent scream. “Oh, dear…this is the mute child?” the nameless cousin asked; the skeleton seemed to have a working organ after all, if the pity in his voice measured up to emotional standards.
“Mute, abused, and lonely.” The Dream Wiz recited the information he gathered by infiltrating dreams and memories in a hollow voice of confirmation. “Ten years old. She has never spoken, never had a friend who was not a flea-ridden, third hand stuffed animal. Never made it to public school. Scars from abuse and cutting alike are torturous. They cause her more pain because of improper healing.” The cousin rolled a glass orb between finger bones wrapped in thin layers of flesh-like imitations. Orb man, the Dream Wiz thought coldly. The nickname never stuck when they were children together in their company’s greenhouse parks, dreaming of the day their unchanneled, untrained powers would make a difference on their planet. He would never utter such a name to ruin the sway this cousin had now; no name at all conveyed terror incredibly efficiently amongst the underground and supernatural market. “What would you do if you ever dropped their life prematurely?” the Dream Wiz presently asked as he followed the pink orb with his eyes; it was an excuse to avoid his cousin’s own empty orbits. “I wouldn’t.” The Dream Wiz bit his dry and swollen tongue; his cousin always did have a cocky, arrogant side sitting alongside the philosophical. “So. If she dies in her sleep…” the nameless cousin began. “No more abuse. No more limping because her left leg did not heal properly and no surgery was ever provided. No lifetime of therapy and useless pills that no healthcare system would possibly take on in its state. If our Seer’s notes about the next century are true, this won’t change.” The Dream Wiz looked over the poor face in the bubble, scarred with chunks of fleshy cheek and nose missing. His glasses needed adjusted, he realized. He didn’t move. The bronze scale hovering above both workers had silently weighed the listed factors as the Dream Wiz spoke. “No day down the aisle, either…” “Ahem,” the Dream Wiz heard his unwanted visitor huff. The scales uttered a clang of disapproval over such an un-objective statement. “If she dies, the human courts will prosecute the mother and her black market prostitute ring. That will never happen until police get a clue,” the Dream Wiz sadly proclaimed. The left scale of Life was hanging high above, reaching for the ceiling; the weight of the right side of Death’s reasons was threatening to fall onto the Dream Wiz’s head.
“If she dies it will be more blood on our hands…” the Dream Wiz sniffed, finally adjusting his glasses. Nothing tipped. Nothing moved. Nothing uttered a single sound. The scales adamantly sat in resolved decision, a decision made by the mysterious forces that ran the entire company. “Very well.” The nameless cousin frowned. He had the respect to close his bottomless eyes (a thin membrane slid over the pit holes in his skull) as he tipped his hand. The orb rolled to the floor and shattered with a tiny breath of air as its inside contents scattered into the faint drafts in the room. The shards of glass disappeared, evaporating as the Dream Wiz’s little girl sighed and smiled inside the raging red bubble; her memories had become a new set of dreams grass beneath her crippled feet. She had never touched grass. It felt so good – smooth, even in the fiber stems that were meant to be course. Flowers she had never smelled anywhere before tickled a nose that was fully formed again. A puppy she didn’t remember from her mother’s baby shower (what had the woman done with it? the Dream Wiz shuddered in his room) frolicked at her feet. It barked, yipping and calling for the girl to laugh with a reclaimed voice and buttercup breath. She ran, playing, trying to catch the puppy that led her… The girl’s bubble paled through a rainbow, from the harsh red dimmed to a mild green. The opaque form once a bubble sunk into the tub, taking the smiling face of the traveling soul with it. The girl’s journey was now in the hands of yet another company worker, who would lead her to its director, and to her final resting place. Left in the basement, watching their work slip from the cauldron, were two workers who stood side by side; wondering how they would ever pay the bloody debt these nightmares had accumulated.
fin
by Sam van der Wouden from her Tuyter Gallery Collection
Non – Fiction?
The Last Footsteps to 2012 by C.S. Cartier
RECAP: RKYV #35 – Intro to Last footsteps to 2012 RKYV #37 – Last footsteps to 2012: Theory One - Coronal Mass Ejection RKYV #40 – Last footsteps to 2012: Theory Two - Death from Above
Theory Three – Magnetic Pole Shift - part 1 There is so much about our existence and our own history that is unclear. We can speculate, and theorize about the facts know to us, but ultimately all details are only interpretations and open to the investigators as some specifics are never recovered or relearned. I have been presenting some science facts mixed with some theories to report on different scenarios that can manifest according to doomsayers. The Mayan Calendar’s end sparked a plethora of dire predictions from massive coronal ejections to asteroid Armageddon. Let us now take a look at something that is not an outside threat but something that is inside and what makes this graver is that this prediction has already happened. What is further more interesting, I believe that if the findings are accurate that this physical aspect is a natural planetary function just as natural as volcanoes or earthquakes and further it is probably responsible for the dinosaur extinction. Let us look at the specifics so we all understand the science behind the words.
I believe it was grade five when I learned the structure of the planet we call Earth. Starting at the center we have the Inner followed by the Outer core. The Earth’s core (a solid inner and liquid outer) starts about 2900 kilometres down, give or take. They are primarily iron and nickel; some believe perhaps a form of iron crystal. Encompassing the Core is the Earth’s Mantle which is the thickest layer of the planet that is composed of mostly silicate rocks rich in iron and magnesium. Some may believe that the mantle is liquid, it is in fact solid. High temperatures cause the silicate material to be adequately ductile explaining the movement of tectonic plates. If you think that the mantle is hot liquid magma, the science is more complicated as these cases are caused by hot spots to simplify. Temperature and pressure in the areas of the hot spot punch a hole in the crust to vent the vent the massive energy built up. The crust that I refer to is the outermost layer; thinnest at the oceanic crust (5-10 km) and thickest on the continental crust (5-70 km). Now, let us break down physical attributes of the planet. Look at any globe, nearly everyone has, and you can point out the North and South Pole. In doing this, you would be WRONG. The planet has a magnetic field (MF) and it is this magnetic field that determines where the poles are located. It is the MF that determines so much about the planet that all life depends on it. For example, it is the MF that controls that amount of radiation from the sun. So where is the North Pole? The answer is going to surprise you, for your question is inadequately asked. The proper question should be where is the North Pole today? That is right; it is moving‌ and moving considerably, nearly 40 miles a year. This is the, pardon the pun, the core of the next theory. It is the essence of probably so many environmental changes and explains way more than we know.
Scientists are scrambling to understand why the Magnetic poles are moving and what it will ultimately mean. Well, most adults know that explanations are usually saved for the after because hindsight is 20/20. Our planet is clearly going through changes. I personally do not think it is because of industry and the depleting ozone (well, not primarily). Earth’s weather is dependent on our magnetic field.
Why the movement? Our Magnetic Field is created from the liquid outer core moving around an iron center. I am dumbing down the science, but that is essentially how it is created. The uppermost part of the core is charged and the lowermost has the opposite charge. Clearly our centered core is moving in its liquid bath. Currently we are seeing little movements. There is however strong evidence that the surface of our planet — the thin skin called the “crust” — has suddenly shifted greatly in the past. While the Earth remained in its normal axis, this shift caused entire continents and oceans to move, changing climates and altering entire ecosystems and weather patterns. Let us remember, scientist and historians believe that this particular event has happened in the past. Sudden shifts have a place in our history. Proof and possible repercussions will follow, in ‘Part Two’ of this theory, in the next awesome issue of RKYV.
by Larissa Gula
Poetry x
Editor’s Note: The first three sketches included with this month’s poetry submissions are by L A Raven. They are part of a series of 15 min caricatures she is doing as $10.00 commissions upon request. For more info or to order your caricature, contact the artist via facebook: http://www.facebook.com/l.a.raven
Selected Poem by Larissa Gula Newspaper Walls… …are poster replacements. Rather than advertise the newest movie, clippings and printed, wordy reports take over the eye. They force viewers to read and absorb the opinion of another human, one who’s desperate to hold and cling to his job like the rest of us. Problem is: the reader never bothers to question what is slapped on the walls anymore.
Jennie Jackson – by L A Raven
Selected Poem by Wanda VanHoy Smith TREES AND SEAS Two vastly important things in life are trees and seas. How would the cartoon that is Superman, in his own mind, exist without either one? The architect that designed the green planet was a genius with the brush of an artist. With more imagination than Walt Disney, the creator covered land with sparkling oceans where sea horses glide among florescent coral and forests of kelp wave tall as palm trees. A home where whale roam Where seals play and dolphin dance all day. Where too many doomed lobster are trapped and die smothered in butter. Trees should have mouths and tongues to protest the act of clear cutting, a heartless genocide of old growth evergreens.
See a red eyed frog weep in a teak tree in the rain forest because they are cutting down his home along with a canopy of trees that shelter neighbourhood birds so cattle can graze to feed the greed of corporate steak houses. Welcome to Burger King and Sizzler. Giant Redwood trees don't fear lightning and thunder but tremble at the sound of a chainsaw. Treasured for their age and size they know why Christ said, “ Forgive them. They know not what they do.”
Why do Mother Earth’s children poison the seas and desecrate the trees like a child scribbling on pretty hall wallpaper with crayons.
Kass Grant – by L A Raven
Selected Poem by C.S. Cartier Michelle Spicer – by L A Raven>
… the town where all the flowers die… in the eye of hope you see me stalk the wild laughter that embarks into the jungle of desire stab me with a glare that permeates the same gentleness that I’d expect and anticipate from your soft fertile soul the hope is real, but your heart is not ready for the continuants you whisper for my touch knowing full well you cannot handle such pleasure or such commitments the soil is not spoiled by the existence of the hollowness of my desire but maybe the proximity my yearning simply makes it less rancid in my mind buried deep within the earth is the resolution tomorrow, all questions will be answered my wish is that the answer will not be a question they will not solve the oxymoron you have come to expect the truth is an enigma rapped in lies and mislead by actual truth RUN… SCREAM… CRY… BEG…
…that is the order of things it is my will verses the truth and my will… has survived as a dream and will never evolve into anything more you can never live up to such things, no one could the hunt has evolved my state, I have become one with the hunted and I can taste the salty sweat paste that crusts the corners of my mouth How bitter is that? Did you not know, this is the town where All the Flowers die? The dry arid sand lies beneath the shallow rich dirt It is a noose like poison wrapped as tightly as the beautiful colors on the peddles The pungent, luscious aroma of nature’s true bud is sour rivers of blood instead of breath, ugliness where once innocence the power of the almighty could not elevate the seeds of life for as I have told you, not even I, could will it right follow the instinct to survive, follow the truth… you should not be here… the truth is, we are all flowers and this is the town were flowers never grow… our suicide by hope and dreams written by… one that knows
pallid bloom – by r. j. paré>
Poetic Perspectives by r. j. paré the repo man We’re debt addled consumer sheep led down the primrose path of low, low, LOW payments! …enticing, seductive & fraudulent Once our earnings actually accumulated with grace against oft feared ‘rainy-days’ Now we feign ignorance, when the phone rings Now we hide, when the door knocks Lest we bleet as our savings are slaughtered with interest they will quote our contracts …voluminous, obtuse, yet ironclad These doodads, trinkets and toys enjoy them while you can until arrives, the Repo Man.
what value? – by r. j. paré
<Terminology – by James ‘Jig-One’ Titman
Award winning painting in the Circle of Life Gallery Show â&#x20AC;&#x201C; by Giovanni Medina
Pop Culture Comic Book Review by Brad Bellmore RASL
Thumb mostly up. RASL by Jeff Smith is surprising comic. Surprising in that it seems to be flying under the radar. Jeff Smith is the paragon of independent comics, publishing Bone with great success over a very long period of time. Given that success, I find it odd that RASL is not gaining rabid notoriety. I suppose independent is still independent despite the creator’s fame, especially when the big publishers still dominate the shelves at comic book stores. In fairness, I must admit that I’m a huge Jeff Smith fan, so hopefully that hasn’t biased my review too much. But I don’t apologize for that either because his talent and skill are the reason I’m such a huge fan. For those of you who like Bone, this isn’t Bone. The style is similar but this is more on the darker side of what Bone delivered and it is more grown up. A lot more grown up. Nudity grown up. That said, this isn’t Sin City either. The basic story follows Dr. Robert Johnson, a scientist who, as a U.S. Government employee developed a means for inter-dimensional travel. Deciding this was too dangerous for the military, he destroyed the lab and took the “portable” model and hit the road. The device includes a Native American ceremonial mask and what looks like two six foot long jet engines. Now that he is on the lam, he goes by the tag RASL and uses the device to fund his “disappearance”. He does this by jumping dimensions, stealing original works of art and returning here to sell them to private collectors. RASL finds himself being chased through the drift by a lizard-faced assassin named Sal. This is an awesome story. Bits and pieces of how the device was developed get sprinkled along the way, giving us the science without slowing down the fiction, hinting at what might truly be the danger of this technology. There is also the tension of the chase with the hunter on his tail. There are lost loves, new loves and even newer loves that are echoes of the lost loves. This is a wonderfully layered tale with plenty of hooks to keep you wanting the next issue.
The art is classic Smith. Like. The people have a similar look, but not quite as cartoony. There is steaminess to them but also realness. There is something about his people that remind me of someone I’ve met before. You can get this directly from Jeff Smith at his website www.boneville.com if you can‘t find it at your local comic store. He already has two trade editions of the story available as well as the regular periodical version. Check it out. I think you will enjoy the read.
Manga Maximus by Darke Raven This week we go to nearly 1000 words but we're not covering a title as much as the body of work of a single company. The short life and times of Realbuzz Studios (2005 to 2008), one of the first innovative Christian Manga publishers I have seen which (sadly) to date has not been matched by any other publisher in the genre in terms of originality, innovation or solid storytelling. Today’s Experiment: Realbuzz Studios’ mangas of 2005 to 2008 Couplers Volumes 1 to 2 (3 to 4 unpublished), Goofyfoot Gurl Volumes 1 to 5 (6 unpublished), Hits and Misses (Volumes 1 to 4 unpublished) and Serenity Volumes 1 to 10 (possible 3rd series unpublished). When I was coming up with a topic of things to be thankful for I thought long and hard over it, then suddenly inspiration hit in the most unlikely of ways when I was looking for emangas to review only to find that a new company had leaped into the fray of publishing Christian style manga… that’s when my thoughts went back to the last company that tried, the little company that could, Realbuzz Studios, and I knew what I would be thankful for… I am thankful that this company existed, if only for a brief time, to show what a really well thought out and crafted all ages manga could be that not only could appeal to Christian readers but readers of all ages, walks and, yes, even beliefs (if my first looks at this new company’s wares are any indication they are no Realbuzz and are a long way from achieving what Realbuzz did).
From 2005 to 2008 Realbuzz Studios were publishing Christian themed mangas that actually had that bit of appeal that could go well past its target audience. Finely written (with the exception of last series Couplers), drawn and crafted, these series each had their own approach, flavour, and pace and yet could easily be recommended to a wider audience than it’s original target audience of Christian youths for their strong vibrant presentation, well crafted stories and smart snappy characters and content… again, though, with the exception of Couplers. However in 2008 the company finally sank into court and was eviscerated, which sucked because it left several series unfinished (and one, Hits and Misses, unpublished completely), and it’s fate to this day is a sad reminder of how a company could strive to be so great yet still end up falling so short in the end. It all started in 2005 when Realbuzz first launched with their premiere title Serenity with then first publisher Barbour. Serenity was the story of Serenity Harper, a rather wild child who moved to a new school after being booted from the old only to find herself the unwilling pet project of said school’s bible study group… who quickly after a series of misadventures grow on Serenity (and her on them in turn) making this rag tag band of do-gooders her new friends (and vice versa) by the end of the series run in Volume 6. However the writing was on the wall already for Realbuzz and by the time Phase 2 of the company sprung to life they had already moved to their second home with Thomas Nelson in 2007. Not only did they re-launch the original six volume run of Serenity they also added four new volumes, which would have published with Barbour until a separate banner title of Serenity: Lights Camera Action with a flip book format, one side being the story of the gang as they delved into the world of independent film making (and the drama in their lives as they dove into each film), and the other featuring the movie of the volume they worked on (complete). The second title, Goofyfoot Gurl, was probably the least Christian slash religiously influenced. While Serenity had a ton of religious overtones and influences this title it’s barely noticeable (or so subtly put into the title that it’s not right in your face yet can be noted if you look for it). The story of friends who mix surf, sun and the drama of their own lives highlight this wonderfully assembled tale of catching the perfect wave, and getting through life’s little hiccups with a little help from one’s friends. Four volumes ran in 2007, with an additional two running in 2008... more or less.
Finally third title, launched at the twilight of the company, Couplers, took on a rather strange Space Opera tone talking about a multigenerational ship of human survivors seeking a new home, while facing a threat from a race of cybernetics called the R.A.T… however the series was flawed by a real lack of depth or story element which made the entire Space Opera thing seem shallow and pointless without any real storytelling depth of a better done series (the original Star Wars trilogy for instance). Also while the R.A.T. first appeared in Volume 2 their “threat’ was never really delved into and before the series could go any further into it’s story (or develop further into why the R.A.T. was a threat) the series ended prematurely with only two volumes out. In fact post the collapse of Realbuzz two series were left dangling. Besides Couplers (which had Volumes 3 to 4 done but never published), Goofyfoot Gurl was left hanging in mid story arc with Volume 6 to be published (leaving the cast on a road trip to Florida which is still a dangling story line yet to be finished). Additionally one series, Hits and Misses (a Serenity style series with a softball twist), never even launched with four volumes done but never printed. But that was 2008, 17 volumes published, 7 left unpublished and one to two series (a third Volume of Serenity books and a spin-off with one of the girls of the bible study group going to college) left on the drawing board. Will they ever return? Make a comeback and finish what they started? Who can say? But even with praise from Stan Lee himself praising the company for its hip contemporary way they never seemed to have a chance not even lasting one year in each home before being driven out for one reason or another. Do I want to see them return? Yes. Will they? Who can say? Stay tuned.
Next month? We end the year with my new favourite, Sunshine Sketch aka Hidamari Sketch.
Raised on Saturday Morning Cartoons by Pauline Paré WORLDWIDE ZOMBIE TELEVISION EPIDEMIC? AWESOME! There are zombies everywhere! Don’t panic. This is a good thing. On Halloween night, AMC premiered it’s much anticipated series “The Walking Dead” to great reviews. With 5.8 million viewers it premiered with the best ratings AMC has ever had for a pilot. The Walking Dead is based on the graphic novel of the same name, written by Robert Kirkman (who will be penning the 4th episode).
The series is set in a zombie apocalypse, a common theatrical theme, but is able to examine the character reactions to this horror in a way that a movie is unable. In the first instalment we see Rick Grimes revive from a waking coma to find himself in a completely new and terrible world. He sets off to find his wife and child in the start of a most amazing adventure. The acting is terrific and the action is great and well paced. There are enough breaks between the horrors to explore the characters reactions to this new, hellish world.
The entire series is filmed in 16mm film giving it a lush, cinematic appearance. It is a relief to see the material presented in such a serious fashion. There is one scene with a sweeping view of cloth wrapped bodies lined up in the parking lot of the hospital that is quite moving. The storytelling is quite engrossing and emotional, as well as performed to perfection by an amazing cast. Brit actor, Andrew Lincoln, plays the lead and I was happy to see Lennie James in the first episode. I have been a fan of his work ever since Jericho. As most AMC series, the writing is way above par. This season will be only 6 episodes long but “future seasons”, should The Walking Dead be renewed, would be 13 episodes long, according to executive producer Gale Anne Hurd. While the concept of the zombie apocalypse is unique as a series concept, there was a BBC zombie series released previously, in 2008. The series consisted of 5 half hour episodes (2.5 hours total). The premise of the series is that a zombie epidemic breaks out during the filming of Big Brother leaving the contestant trapped in the house with no idea just what is happening outside their doors. The series is comical at times and frightening at others. While the production quality is not nearly as good as The Walking Dead, Dead Set is a fun way to spend 2 ½ hours.
So now that zombies have invaded our television, what comes next? There was a rumour that Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was going to be made into a miniseries but upon further research, I found that will not likely be the case. A major motion picture is in the works as well as a video game but nothing for television. I personally would like to see “Fido” (2006) turned into a series for a more comical look at the zombie phenomenon. So if you look out your window and see zombies wandering around the streets, you are most likely living in one of the dozens of cities that have adopted an annual zombie walk.
If you want to enjoy zombie fun the other 364 days for the year, keep tuned to your television for the newest zombie apocalypse!