The Mirror v10iss5 by The Mirror Magazine

Vol. 10 Issue 5 • DECEMBER 2021 - JANUARY 2022 •

THEMIRRORMAG.COM

FLIP OUT S O U T H

F L O R I D A

G A Y

OUR REAL ESTATE EDITION EVERYTHING FROM REDECORATING TO HOUSE FLIPPING Begins on Page 24

N E W S

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TABLE OF CONTENTS PUBLISHER’S EDITORIAL Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Please Don’t Change Anything at All Page 10 ENTERTAINMENT An Interview With Actress Sharon Gless Page 18 GADGETS Top Tech Gadgets For The House: Your New Oven Page 48 ENTERTAINMENT An Interview with Gay Comics Legend Tim Barela Page 52 CARS The 2022 Rolls-Royce Ghost Black Badge Page 58

REAL ESTATE HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS Page 24 A WORD (OR TWO) ABOUT WILTON Page 28 HEARTWARMING HOUSEWARMING GIFTS Page 30 A YEAR UNLIKE (ALMOST) ANY OTHER Page 34 REAL ESTATE SHOWS TO WATCH Page 38 HGTV HUNK: CARMINE SABATELLA BALANCES FAME, FORTUNE & FAMILY Page 42

Pictured on the cover: Carmine Sabatella. Photo credit: McCall & Nikki Ryan Photography. Story on page 42.

4 | THE

| DECEMBER 2021 - JANUARY 2022

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| DECEMBER 2021 - JANUARY 2022

PUBLISHER

NORM KENT norm.kent@sfgn.com

Associate Publisher/ JASON PARSLEY Executive Editor jason.parsley@sfgn.com

EDITORIAL Art Director BRENDON LIES artwork@sfgn.com Webmaster KIM SWAN Senior Features Reporter DAMON SCOTT A&E Editor J.W. ARNOLD Food Editor RICK KARLIN Special Columnist PIER ANGELO

SALES & MARKETING For ad placement in the Mirror Magazine, CONTACT 954-530-4970 Sales Manager JUSTIN WYSE justin@sfgn.com Senior Advertising Assoc. EDWIN NEIMANN edwin@sfgn.com Sales Consultants TIM HART Printing PRINTER’S PRINTER National Advertising RIVENDELL MEDIA Accounting Services CG BOOKKEEPING Legal Counsel RUSSELL CORMICAN Thank you to our special guest columnists for this issue: Gregg Shapiro | Pier Angelo | James Oaksun

Pictured on the cover: Carmine Sabatella. Photo credit: McCall & Nikki Ryan Photography. Story on page 42. The Mirror is published bi-monthly. The opinions expressed in columns, stories, and letters to the editor are those of the writers. They do not represent the opinions of The Mirror or the Publisher. You should not presume the sexual orientation or gender identity of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations in The Mirror. SFGN contracts with independent entities for stock images. Furthermore the word “gay” in The Mirror should be interpreted to be inclusive of the entire LGBT community. All of the material that appears in The Mirror, both online at www.themirrormag.com, and in our print edition, including articles used in conjunction with the Associated Press and our columnists, is protected under federal copyright and intellectual property laws, and is jealously guarded by the newspaper. Nothing published may be reprinted in whole or part without getting written consent from the Publisher of The Mirror, Norm Kent, at Norm@NormKent.com. The Mirror is published by the South Florida Gay News. It’s a private corporation, and reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs. MIRROR Copyright © 2021, South Florida Gay News.com, Inc.

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JANUARY 28 – APR I L 9, 202 2

Joe Horton, Daydreaming (detail), 2020, Oil on linen, 16 x 20 inches

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All people wish to be heard and seen for exactly who they are without question or compromise. Artists are uniquely capable of visually capturing and communicating their emotions and essence through their work. This exhibition will include artists who identify as LGBTQ+ as well as artists whose work interrogates issues of rights, representation, and the lived experience of LGBTQ+ individuals. Presented in collaboration with artist Jose Alvarez. Proceeds from artwork sales directly benefit local artists and support the Council’s mission to grow arts and culture in Palm Beach County.

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Robert M. Montgomery, Jr. Building 601 Lake Avenue, Lake Worth Beach, FL 33460 Tuesday – Saturday, 12 – 5 p.m. Free and open to the public

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PUBLISHER’S PLATFORM

A home with many stories to tell.

MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL,

PLEASE DON’T CHANGE ANYTHING AT ALL The theme of this month’s Mirror is Real Estate, and once again we are talking about “flipping houses.” Commercially, it can be very profitable, I understand. Not so emotionally. Psychologists have said moving is a very traumatic experience. I wouldn’t know. I have lived in the same townhouse for 44 years. I am the polar opposite of this very issue. I am not going or moving anywhere. I have not counted the minutes, the hours, or the days, but 44 years is a long time to be in one place. Doesn’t matter. It’s mine, unique to me, and I have never needed anything more. During my collegiate and early professional career, from 1967 to 1978, I moved 14 times in 11 years from New York to Florida: from Hempstead to Atlantic Beach to Point Lookout to Woodstock to Sugar Loaf to Albany to my maroon Ford Econoline van to Key West to Deerfield Beach to Coral Springs to tiny duplexes in Fort Lauderdale. Too much, too often. After all that, I just wanted a special place I could forever call my own. I found it in a brand-new townhouse being built in Victoria Park in 1978, and I have never left. And I won’t. They will be carrying me out of here. 10 | THE

Besides, I got “too much stuff.” It would take a year to pack, and I am lucky if I have six months. But don’t bet against me. I have spent my life bucking the tide.

THERE IS NOT MUCH MORE YOU NEED IN LIFE THAN A TRUE FRIEND, A COMFORTABLE BED, A GOOD PILLOW, AND A DOG BY YOUR SIDE.

| DECEMBER 2021 - JANUARY 2022

// Norm Kent I know I could have made money “flipping” this house years ago, but when you are essentially a single guy living alone with roommates here and there, you learn there is not much more you need in life than a true friend, a comfortable bed, a good pillow, and a dog by your side. A bigger house only brings you bigger problems and more trips to Home Depot. Basically, my home is the equivalent of a straight college guy’s dorm room, eclectically filled with my college paperbacks, ’78 vinyl records, and decades of sports memorabilia. I already have too much of everything, except that each and every single thing here has a special memory. Of course, after my brain surgery last July, I have forgotten what half TURN THE PAGE TO CONTINUE READING.

DECEMBER 2021 - JANUARY 2022 | THE

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PUBLISHER’S PLATFORM CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

of them are. But they matter. They are the special memories and moments of my life. Back in 1978, I collected Topps Baseball Cards, and many are still on shelves on the walls. Now, in 2021, I own stock in Amazon but it’s not the same thing. You pin pictures of baseball cards and your 1965 Mustang convertible on the wall, not your stock certificates. I noticed I also have signed Billy Joel and Richard Nixon baseballs; in case you want to buy either on eBay. There is also a “Billy Beer” can and Joe Namath rookie card, but not too many Van Gogh’s. Really, ask John Castello, the realtor. My house is an average gay man’s nightmare. Too much “stuff.” I think I have a few books still that the Hofstra University library is looking for, but guess what? The whole world is digitalizing so whether it’s my alma mater or the Stonewall Museum, no one wants my old books or magazines anymore. I saved them for years to give them away someday. That day has come, and now no one wants them. The world changes. Alvin Toffler saw it coming in “Future Shock.” I should have. Today, it’s easier for me to order a new book on Amazon or Kindle than risk climbing a 20-foot ladder to find my missing 50-yearold college paperback copy of Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road.” I really wanted to reread that over Thanksgiving. Forget about it, couldn’t find it anywhere. Never going to happen. A call to Alexa will have to do. I will have a new copy tomorrow. Two months into chemotherapy treatments for pancreatic cancer, I find that I get tired reading quickly. I am now saved by ordering audible books. Makes me feel sometimes like my mother is reading me a bedtime story. Unfortunately, I am not a child looking to the future. I am more like the Bohemians in Jonathan Larsen’s Tony Award winning play “Rent” where the cast sings, “There is no future. There is no past. There is just this moment.” If you grew up in New York City, you know not only the resilience of New Yorkers, but that the tiniest flower can blossom through a piece of hard concrete. So it is with all our lives. You don’t need waterfront property on the intracoastal to find hope, happiness, and harmony in life. You can blossom from where you are planted. I don’t care how many ornate lights you put around your front porch. When you enter your home, you better have someone or something to share and care for, or it’s all meaningless. The collections of books, memorabilia and photographs in my home are not just “pictures” on a cluttered wall. They mark where I have been, and who I have been with, from majestic beaches in Mykonos to Brooklyn’s working Navy Yard. 12 | THE

There’s no place like home.

“THE ONLY PEOPLE FOR ME ARE THE MAD ONES, THE ONES WHO ARE MAD TO LIVE, MAD TO TALK, MAD TO BE SAVED, DESIROUS OF EVERYTHING AT THE SAME TIME, THE ONES WHO NEVER YAWN OR A SAW A COMMONPLACE THING, BUT BURN, BURN, BURN LIKE FABULOUS YELLOW ROMAN CANDLES EXPLODING LIKE SPIDERS ACROSS THE STARS.” - JACK KEROUAC

The photographs catalogue treasured moments I have shared with my friends and family, from Mom’s 90th birthday at Tropical Acres to my then partner John cheering as the loan Marlins’ fan in the midst of a sea of San Francisco Giants jerseys during the 2003 major league baseball playoffs. They symbolize a journey of a life fully lived, friends once and still loved; countless memories forever shared. Definitely, though, too much money spent. Flip this house for a profit? I don’t think so. Would not give it up for anything. It’s been a blessing, and remains so today, from the eight ceramic urns containing the ashes of my pets — labs and white German shepherds, like Ice, Lightning, Thunder, Woodstock, Daybreak,

| DECEMBER 2021 - JANUARY 2022

Dodger, Chocolate, and Hurricane, to the night I fell over Shadow, two years ago, in the hallway at night, and smashed my two front teeth. Thanks to publishing the Express Gay News, SFGN and the Mirror over the past 20 years, I have been able to share part of this special journey with you. I am forever grateful as well for getting to showcase many of you individually and illuminate our community collectively. Savor every moment every day you can. Around every corner, no matter how dark it seems, there is always an ice cream cone with sprinkles that has your name on it. Taste it all, my friends, when you can, where you can, how you can.

S O U T H

F L O R I D A

G A Y

N E W S

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| DECEMBER 2021 - JANUARY 2022

ENTERTAINMENT

‘COMPLAINTS’ DEPARTMENT AN INTERVIEW WITH ACTRESS SHARON GLESS // Gregg Shapiro Pictured: Sharon Gless. Photo via Facebook.

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ENTERTAINMENT

ave you ever read a memoir that is so intimate, so revealing, so honest, that as you were turning the pages it felt like the writer was sitting next to you, speaking directly to you? Kudos to multiple Emmy Award-winning actress Sharon Gless for making that a part of the experience of reading her new memoir “Apparently There Were Complaints” (Simon & Schuster, 2021). The Los Angeles native with Hollywood in her veins (her maternal grandfather was a hotshot entertainment lawyer), Gless rose to prominence via her portrayal of New York police detective Christine Cagney in the popular and groundbreaking 1980s TV series “Cagney & Lacey” (alongside Tyne Daly). As if she hadn’t already established an LGBT following through that show, she went on to play Debbie Novotny, the smart and sassy mother of Michael on Showtime’s equally groundbreaking “Queer As Folk” in the early 2000s. Gless was generous enough to sit down for an interview in advance of the publication of her book.

GREGG SHAPIRO: Sharon, your new memoir, “Apparently There Were Complaints” opens on a serious note with your 2015 pancreatitis diagnosis. So, I’d like to begin by saying that, from one Gemini to another, I hope you are in good health. SHARON GLESS: Thank you, honey, I’m in very good health. Thank you, my fellow Gemini. GS: Why was now the time to write your memoir? SG: Well, it’s taken seven years. It’s not like it was yesterday. I never actually intended to write a memoir, Gregg. I was called in to a meeting by CBS for what I thought was a conversation to offer me a new series. We talked for an hour and, apparently, I was

so entertaining that at the end of the hour meeting, the president of CBS said, “You know we own Simon & Schuster.” I said, “I didn’t know that.” She said, “We do, and I think you’ve got a book in you.” I said, “I don’t usually write.” She said, “That doesn’t matter. You’re a storyteller, Sharon.” So I walked out with a book deal [laughs] with Simon & Schuster and not the series I was hoping for. Actually, I didn’t meet [with] Simon & Schuster for another year. I sort of let it go. The next day there was a text from the president of Simon & Schuster. I sort of ignored it because I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to act! A year went by, and I wasn’t so busy, and I was in New York, and I said, “What the hell!” I went to meet him. I read one chapter to him, one chapter that I had written in case he asked for anything. He signed me that day [laughs]. GS: Were you a journal or diary keeper or did you rely on your memory for the details?

“Apparently There Were Complaints” (Simon & Schuster, 2021). Credit: Sharon Gless.

SG: Never. No. My very best friend Dawn [Lafreeda], who’s been my best friend forever and … I’m a talker, a storyteller, and I would tell her stories about my life throughout our relationship. She kept them! She said, “You have a book in you.” So, there’s another person saying so. She kept the stories. When Simon & Schuster made me the offer, Dawn dragged out all my stories. A couple of times I had gatherings at my house where I had four people over, and I said, “Ask me some questions,” and put a recorder down. I’d just start talking. Then as more of my life coming out on the page, which is hard to do, I started remembering more and more. It took a form that I had always intended. I came up with the title, “Apparently There Were Complaints,” very early on. I made the

“I MADE THE BOOK ABOUT ALL THE COMPLAINTS PEOPLE HAD ABOUT ME THROUGHOUT MY LIFE.” - Sharon Gless ACTRESS

book about all the complaints people had about me throughout my life. It helped that Dawn had kept records of all the stories I’ve told. Some of those I used [in the book]. It’s funny, as you write, as you keep going, you start remembering more and more and more because one emotion leads to the next emotion or the next time someone hurts your feelings or the next complaint. GS: I’m glad you mentioned the emotional part of it, because writing a memoir means revisiting the past, including your complicated relationship with your grandmother, whom you called Grimmy, as well as your parents. Did you find it to be painful, freeing or both? SG: Sometimes because some of the memories were painful. There were

TURN THE PAGE TO CONTINUE READING.

DECEMBER 2021 - JANUARY 2022 | THE

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ENTERTAINMENT CONTINUED FROM THE PREVIOUS PAGE.

times when I was reading some of it that I would go back to that place. I just finished recording it [the audio book] a couple of weeks ago. What surprised me is when I’d get to certain places, especially about Grimmy, you can hear on the recording, my voice breaks. I left it in. They asked me if I wanted to [rerecord it] and I said, “No. Leave it in.” She was really the best thing that ever happened to me. It’s that she was tough. GS: One of the things that stood out to me about “Apparently There Were Complaints” is the way that not only does it sound like you — I’ve interviewed you before so in reading the book, it sounded like you… SG: Thank you! It’s very important to me that you hear my voice in that. GS: It totally comes through. The other thing that shines through is your sense of humor and comic timing. SG: Thank you! GS: How important was it for you to make that aspect of your personality a part of the book?

would never do something like “This Is Your Life” [laughs], remember that? I didn’t know about a show that traces your genealogy. I’m always fascinated in my background. I’m certainly not opposed to anybody scraping up my genealogy. GS: You write about your interactions with LGBT people in your life, personally and professionally, and Chapter 43, titled “I’ll Be There,” which is about your experience playing Debbie Novotny in Showtime’s “Queer As Folk” made me weep, it was so beautiful. This is less a question than it is an expression of gratitude for, well, being there. SG: Thank you! The pleasure, for lack of a better word, is all mine. You have all changed my life. I became so much more educated. I thought, “Oh, I know it all. All my best friends are gay.” Right? But I learned so much on “Queer As Folk.” The stories that they wrote and the performances. I didn’t realize the real plight, the behindthe-scenes pain that went on in the gay community. Because of “Queer As Folk,” I became quite educated and impassioned. I meant it when I said, “I’ll be there.”

SG: Very important. I do “IT’S NEVER have a sarcastic, not a mean GS: The Peacock streaming GOING TO BE sarcastic, a funny sarcastic service is doing a “Queer As BETTER. BUT side. Some of the complaints Folk” reboot. What do you and some of my addictions think about that? GOOD LUCK TO and some of the things I THEM, AND I talk about … you’ve got to SG: Yes, I’m aware they’re HOPE THEY HAVE take some of it lightly or doing a reboot of it. What I who’s going to want to read think about it is I’m so sorry EVEN CLOSE that? Clearly, I survived. they’re not using the original TO THE HIT WE It’s not all bad news. When cast. It’s never going to be WERE.” I came up with the title, better. But good luck to them, [laughs] which was perfect and I hope they have even - Sharon Gless because there were so many close to the hit we were. I ACTRESS complaints about me in my think the biggest star of that life, sometimes you just have show right now is going to be to laugh, even at the sadder stuff. I’m still the city of New Orleans. We’ll see how the standing, Gregg! stories go. GS: Yes, you are! Memoirs, like TV shows such as “Finding Your Roots,” are a way for both the subject and the audience to uncover fascinating details that might not otherwise have been public knowledge. The story about your boarding school classmate Gibbie, also known as the late Abigail Folger, in chapter seven feels like an example of that. Would you ever consider being on one of those genealogy tracing shows? SG: I didn’t know a show like that existed. I 20 | THE

GS: Because the entertainment industry is a central component to your memoir, if “Apparently There Were Complaints” was to be made into a theatrical movie or TV miniseries, who would you want to play you? SG: It would take several actresses because there’s a lot of years. If there was somebody who could span it. I’m a big fan of Jennifer Lawrence. She has a husky voice, too. And there’s also an irreverence and a sensitivity

| DECEMBER 2021 - JANUARY 2022

Sharon Gless. Photo via Facebook.

to her. If anybody ever wanted to do that, I think she’d be great. GS: Finally, in addition to us both being Geminis, we also share South Florida as our home. What do you like best about living here? SG: The happiness on my husband’s [TV producer Barney Rosenzweig] face. When he retired he moved us here. I’m married to a man who if he’s happy, everybody’s happy [laughs]. He adores Florida. Los Angeles was always my home. I was born there, raised there. I’m an Angeleno, through and through. I’ve been to Los Angeles over the last year and I don’t like what’s happened to it. Now I’m grateful to be returning to an island as beautiful as the one I live on. Los Angeles needs a total reboot, rebuild, re-everything. It’s fallen on hard times, L.A. I remember it when I lived there. It was a magical city.

THE

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REAL ESTATE

HOME IS WHERE

THE HEART IS / / Pier Angelo

Welcome to the fourth edition of the Real Estate Issue. Home prices are rising at an even faster pace than in the lead-up to the last housing crisis, but by some key measures there’s less risk of a blowout. Today’s real estate market feels a lot like the bubble market circa 2006. The similarities cannot be ignored: the record prices, bidding wars, new developments that fill up as soon as they’re built. “The numbers don’t make sense. How do you make a rational offer on a house when you have irrational people in the game?” asks James Carmer, a software engineer who’s toured more than 100 houses in Austin, according to Bloomberg Businessweek. For most Americans, a home is their most valuable asset — as well as the collateral for a pile of debt. If housing goes down, so does the economy. “Real estate is suddenly pretty bubbly in almost every interesting market in the world,” said bearish investor Jeremy Grantham at a recent Morningstar Inc. investment conference in Sydney. “Eventually there’ll be a day of reckoning.” According to a report by Bloomberg Businessweek there’s one very big difference between then and now, though: “Mortgage loans are much harder to get. An index of mortgage credit availability reached almost 870 in June 2006. This March it was just 125. Lenders have raised lending standards even beyond the requirements of the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010, which was passed in response to the financial crisis. Loans are smaller in proportion to house values and borrowers’ income. Borrowers’ average credit scores are higher. And you can’t bluff your way into home ownership with a no-doc or low-doc

IT’S THE END FOR ZILLOW Zillow shut down its home-flipping operation after the complex algorithm caused the company to overpay on houses. Zillow will take write-down of approximately $569 million and reduce workforce by 25% while it winds down the business in coming months.

24 | THE

| DECEMBER 2021 - JANUARY 2022

Pier Angelo and his partner Tom holding their Dog Cabbage. Portrait painted by Dünny Potter. To order your own pet portrait, contact Potter via phone at 206-707-4571, or through his website at ArtByDunny.com.

loan — i.e., one that allows you to attest to your creditworthiness without providing full documentation.” Investors who want to buy and rent out homes for the cash flow are an additional stress on the market because they reduce the supply of existing homes available for purchase. The pandemic has also left its imprint on the housing market. High lumber prices because of last year’s mill shutdowns have added almost $36,000 to the price of a new home, according to the National Association of Home Builders. Selecting the right realtor IDs one of the most important aspects of your house buying, or selling, endeavor. Even though the coronavirus’s effect on the economy has sent shock waves through the population there is a widespread belief among realtors that people now place a greater importance on where they live or want to live. Realtors with roots in our community are becoming creative with virtual solutions and safety measures. Take advantage of their expertise right here in your own back yard. They are here to help you.

REAL ESTATE

A WORD (OR TWO)

ABOUT WILTON / / James Oaksun

What can I say about real estate here in the Island City? Quite a lot, as it turns out! But I am limited in space, so I’ll just share the highlights. The same basic trends that I outlined in my main article in this issue also are in force in Wilton Manors. Sales are up, supply is down, months of inventory are at historic lows, and prices are at historic highs. When considering Wilton Manors real estate, I believe it is most beneficial to evaluate the three parts of the city: West (meaning west of Andrews), Center (Andrews to the train tracks), and East (east of the train tracks). Recently I’ve broken East Wilton down into non-waterfront and waterfront homes, for reasons that I’ll explain in a moment. The main table here shows summary statistics for the Island City. Year over year, the median home price increased 23% in West Wilton, 16% in Center Wilton, 26% among non-waterfront homes in East Wilton, and 27% for waterfront East Wilton homes. Inventory has dropped below three months, except for waterfront properties in East Wilton, where there is a bit more available. In short, it’s a seller’s market on steroids. Consider the gap in prices between waterfront and nonwaterfront properties in East Wilton. Clearly, people are willing to pay handsomely to have waterfront in East Wilton — roughly $300,000 more than for a comparable non-waterfront property. Hence my decision to break the two classes out separately. Now, take a look at the second chart. We are now seeing an increasing number of sales in Wilton at more than one million dollars. Generally, these are waterfront homes in East Wilton (there are some exceptions). Between January 2016 and December 2019 there were only 10 sales at one million dollars or higher, total. Already this year, through September, there were 22 sales at more than a million. Those are prices previously thought to exist for neighborhoods like Coral Ridge, Coral Ridge Country Club Estates, and The Landings. But no — people are increasingly willing to spend more than a million dollars to live in Wilton. Bear in mind I’m only talking about single family home sales here — condos and townhomes are excluded. (Their prices are also going up substantially.) Yet the fact remains that with the run-up in prices in the last several years (and this year in particular), many people can no longer afford to live in Wilton Manors. No, no one has a divinely (or Divine-ly, take your pick) ordained right to live

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in the Island City. However, the reality is that many people work in Wilton, and increasingly we have workers who are housingstressed or -insecure providing goods and services to well-heeled vacationers and a local moneyed elite. True, this is also the case with San Francisco, Palm Springs, Rehoboth, Provincetown and many other places. We are just part of that mainstream, now.

James Oaksun, Florida’s Real Estate Geek(SM), is BrokerOwner of New Realty Concepts in Fort Lauderdale. In addition to having degrees from Dartmouth and Cornell, he is a Graduate of the Realtor Institute (GRI).

REAL ESTATE

HEARTWARMING HOUSEWARMING GIFTS / / Rick Karlin

Real estate sales are at an all-time high. It seems everyone’s moving into new places post-pandemic. Eventually, you’re going to get invited to a house-warming party, and even when the invitation says, “No gifts” it feels wrong to show up empty-handed. Sure, you can always go with the tried-and-true bottle of wine, but why not be more inventive and original? These gifts are what the new homeowner always needed or wanted but didn’t know it!

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GLASS ACT

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MEALS IN MINUTES INSTANT POT MEAL STARTERS

The chefs of the Williams Sonoma test kitchen created these time-saving meal-starters designed exclusively for the Instant Pot. This gift set features two of the most popular starters: lemonParmesan leek risotto and tortilla soup. Cook them in the Instant Pot in less than 20 minutes. Available at WilliamsSonoma.com.

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ADVERTISING

PRE-WEDDING PLANNING: TO MARRY OR NOT TO MARRY?

Now that we have the right to marry in Florida, and you have chosen your husband or wife, there are legal issues to consider in addition to the when and where of your wedding plans. First, while there are over one thousand rights conferred by the act of legal marriage, your marriage also comes with a serious set of obligations - one way of pro-actively dealing with the obligation end of a marriage is to consider a pre-nuptial agreement. Next, contrary to popular belief, even after marriage, the “estate planning” documents we previously relied on to give us rights to inherit and act on behalf of our partners are still needed to assure that your assets and your care in event of disability and death are managed according to your wishes, and not by default under the law, which most often is NOT as you would have chosen. And finally, with the current excitement about Gay Marriage, for deeply personal, philosophical, political, and economic reasons, many, if not the majority of same-sex couples will choose to remain in unmarried committed relationships - our community will continue to benefit from the legal status conferred by “domestic partnership” legislation. PRENUPTIAL AND POSTNUPTIAL AGREEMENTS Most of us believe it won’t be us - but, statistics say approximately half of marriages end in divorce. In the absence of a legally binding pre-nuptial agreement, should your marriage end in divorce, your assets (real property, personal property, bank accounts, brokerage accounts, and retirement savings accounts) may be subject to being divided between you and your ex by Florida’s rule of equitable distribution. In order to avoid that potentially devastating outcome, many couples agree in writing to give up all or most of the rights to the other’s separately acquired assets, retirement plans, and assets earned during the marriage. The agreement can be entered into either before the wedding - a “pre-nuptial” agreement, or after the wedding - “post-nuptial” - but, should comply with some basic rules that ensure it won’t be overturned in a nasty divorce. For example, both parties should be represented by an attorney so that neither can assert that she didn’t realize the legal implications of signing the document, that the document wasn’t presented on the “eve” of the wedding, avoiding the argument that it was presented at the last minute and that it was signed under the pressure of the imminent nuptials.

Pre-nuptial Agreements are regarded by many as a very unromantic proposal to make upon the acceptance of the marriage proposal. However, the effect of entering into the agreement in advance of a possible divorce, is that your behavior when you are at your worst, that is, at the divorce settlement table, will be governed by your agreements made when you were feeling sane, in love and respectful of your spouse to be. Marriage shouldn’t be encumbered by a coerced financial liability to your spouse, but, should be a consensual union based upon mutual love and respect. That being said, the decision to create a “pre-nupt” should be jointly reached and not coerced and negotiated with love and mutual regard. For example, if you intend to be the working spouse and your betrothed the stay-at-home parent, then, your agreement should include provisions assuring that your partner who is forgoing advancing his or her career, etc., be compensated for his “sacrifice” to your joint marital plan. As for planning for disability and death, essential documents are still needed. First, a will and or a revocable living trust to ensure that your assets are managed according to your wishes upon your death. Marriage provides some inheritance rights, but, does not ensure that your spouse will inherit as you both might imagine. To assure that your

wishes be carried out in the event of disability, a Durable Power of Attorney (for finances), a Living Will, a Designation of Healthcare Surrogate, and a Preneed Guardian Designation, may be prepared. DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP Domestic Partnership is a subject close to my heart: I worked on the Los Angeles County Domestic Partnership legislation with Tom Coleman in the 1980s and, with his blessings, I imported it to Broward County in 1997. The rise of the importance of domestic partnership as a status for unmarried committed couples reflects the sea change in the way people live and configure their families in the United States. In the fifties, 78% of households in the US were headed by married couples. Now more than 50% of all households in the US are headed by unmarried people. 42% of the workforce is unmarried. Across the US we have seen a trend towards inclusive domestic partnership benefit packages provided by employers, that is, gender-neutral, encompassing both gay and straight domestic partnerships. To say that “you must marry” in order to obtain equal treatment at work, including pay, family leave, insurance, taxation, is just wrong. I think the current debate over the demise of domestic

M.S.W., J.D.

partnership legislation in the wake of gay marriage is necessary and that ultimately, domestic partnership recognition in the corporate world will definitely continue to grow. It is necessary to stay competitive in an industry where almost half of the workforce chooses to remain unmarried. Gay Marriage is necessary, but the fact is that most gay couples are not married, and many will choose for personal, economic, political, and

philosophical reasons not to marry but live in committed relationships: they deserve equal rights to pay, and benefits that domestic partnership legislation offers. Planning your life as a couple should be undertaken as an act of love, the cost should be affordable, and your attorney should be chosen with an eye to experience and of course, respect for our LGBT community. Planning your life as a couple should be

undertaken as an act of love, the cost should be affordable, and your attorney should be chosen with an eye to experience and of course, respect for our LGBT community. - Robin Bodiford

Attorney Robin L. Bodiford is an estate planning, probate, and bankruptcy attorney in Fort Lauderdale, FL..

REAL ESTATE

A YEAR UNLIKE (ALMOST)

ANY OTHER / / James Oaksun

What a year it has been in real estate! It used to be that we could speak of double-digit (10% or more) year-over-year price increases as notable. Well, no more. In the last year nationally as well as in Florida, price increases have been about 20%. And, as I have noted in these pages on numerous occasions, real estate has to be viewed not just locally but hyper-locally. You have to look at the neighborhood level, and even within neighborhoods, to get a picture on which you can act. Recently, I have issued a new Real Estate Yearbook covering 36 neighborhoods in Broward County (in Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors, Oakland Park, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Pompano Beach, Lighthouse Point and Deerfield Beach). The median increase in value in these neighborhoods year-over-year, at the end of September, was 26%! But there was a wide range of increases, from a low of 9% up to 243%! Now, admittedly, the 243 is an outlier. A better measure of dispersion is the interquartile range (from the 25th to the 75th percentile). And that goes from 17% to 42%. A banner year, possibly record breaking. Let’s dive into the numbers to see what is going on. In the first place: Demand is up (measured as total sales). Chart 1 shows the total 12-month sales ending Sept. 30, for the past five years. (Because of seasonality here in South Florida, I look at sales on a full-year basis. Quarter to quarter variations can be misleading due to higher sales early in the year and lower sales toward year-end.) Now, these are the sales for the 36 neighborhoods in my Yearbook (and presumably the neighborhoods of most interest to my readers). From 2017 through 2020, annual sales were essentially flat. But then the sales for the 12 months ending 9/30/21 took off and increased year-over-year by 40%. In the second place: Supply is down (measured by the number of listed homes unsold during a given month). Chart 2 also goes back to 2017 to show how that has changed over time for the 36 neighborhoods in my study. There is just a bit of volatility as you can see. But then, once we get to late 2020 and into 2021, a shift occurs and the available inventory starts dropping. Compared with where things stood last year, the number of unsold listed homes has dropped by 48%. In the third place: The combination of higher demand and lower supply has shriveled the available inventory and led to record price increases.

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The Criminal Defense law CenTer of souTh floriDa The Criminal Defense law CenTer of souTh floriDa Photo via Adobe.

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Chart 3 is my estimation of inventory in months for the 36 neighborhoods in my study. The general rule of thumb in real estate (I hate rules of thumb, but hey, people use them) is that six to nine months (maybe a bit higher for premium priced homes) would represent a balanced inventory situation that would favor neither buyers nor sellers. Double digit months of inventory suggests a “buyer’s market,” and fewer than six months represents a “seller’s market.” As you can see, inventory was relatively balanced for most of the timeframe. But then, as we hit later in 2020, the number started dropping. Now, most of the neighborhoods I study have three months or less of available inventory. It’s a seller’s market of epic proportions. What’s causing all this? What does it mean and what does the future hold? Sometimes I am asked from where the buyers are coming who are willing to pay these prices. The available information I have suggests that most of the buyers are already in South Florida and are trading up. Interest rates remain at low levels (though not as low as they were in 2020 and early 2021) and credit is available for well qualified buyers. But I think we are seeing the impact of COVID on the market. People are “nesting.” We went through a period where our homes were our offices, our restaurants, our theaters, our gyms, and our schools, in addition to being our residences. To fulfill all these functions requires space that single family homes (especially at the upper end of the market) provide. Will it continue? Well, I don’t have a crystal ball (but my future research plans include a focus on forecasting). Recently we saw Zillow announce a $550 million dollar loss and the intent to sack a quarter of their workforce. That could suggest the market has become overheated. Yet we are now headed into high season in Florida with snowbirds coming to enjoy our year-round lifestyle. We may see further upward pressure on prices until more inventory comes onto the market. And nesting people are reluctant sellers, at any price.

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IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BIKTARVY®

This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.

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REAL ESTATE

SHOWS TO WATCH / / Pier Angelo

Looking for great real estate shows that you can binge watch over the weekend? Below are eight of the best real estate agent-related TV shows. These reality shows document everything from unique architecture to beautifully designed interiors, scenic locations, and the daily lives of real estate agents working in the country’s top markets.

PROPERTY BROTHERS Property Brothers is a Canadian reality television show that has been on HGTV since 2011. It features twin brothers Drew Scott, a real estate agent, and Jonathan Scott, a licensed contractor. The show follows the two as Drew scouts neglected houses to purchase, and Jonathan renovates them. Together, they help families find a fixer-upper and turn it into their dream home, sticking to a strict budget and timeline.

HOUSE HUNTERS House Hunters is one of the oldest real estate shows. It has been around since 1999 and has spawned a franchise with various spinoffs. In the original “House Hunters,” the show follows buyers as they work with a local real estate agent to choose among three different properties. Buyers can be families, couples, or just individuals looking to buy or rent. Several spin-offs include “House Hunters International,” “House Hunters on Vacation,” “House Hunters Renovation,” and “House Hunters: Million Dollar Homes.”

FIXER UPPER

“Property Brothers.” Photo via Facebook.

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Another popular show on HGTV is “Fixer Upper,” featuring Chip and Joanna Gaines. The Gaineses are a married couple who own a home renovation and redecoration business in Waco, Texas. The series ran for five seasons and ended in 2017. On the show, the Gaineses show a home buyer three fixer-upper homes in the Waco area. Once a home is chosen, Joanna designs it, and Chip works as the main contractor. The show is known for having popularized a “farmhouse chic” interior design.

FIRST DRAFT OF HISTORY. “Tiny House Nation.” Photo via Facebook.

JOURNALISM JOURNALISM IS IS THE THE

TINY HOUSE NATION

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“Tiny House Nation” began in 2014 and can currently be found on Netflix. The show follows buyers around the U.S. interested in tiny homes, which are structures no bigger than 500 square feet. The show features renovation experts John Weisbarth and Zack Giffin as they help families build the perfect tiny home.

SFGN's reporting has been supported by tens of thousands of readers in SFGN's reporting has been supported by tens of thousands of readers in South Florida. Now we're asking for your support. Please help us continue South Florida. Now we're asking for your support. Please help us continue giving you news every day. Every contribution is valuable – even $1. giving you news every day. Every contribution is valuable – even $1.

FLIP OR FLOP “Flip or Flop” is similar to “Fixer Upper,” but takes place in Orange County, California. The show stars real estate agents Christina Hack and Tarek El Moussa. The show has followed the couple since 2013 as they buy bank-owned homes, short sales, or foreclosed homes and then renovate and resell them for a profit. You can find “Flip or Flop” on HGTV.

REHAB ADDICT “Rehab Addict” focuses on historic homes that require renovation. The show has been airing since 2010 on DIY and HGTV. It follows Nicole Curtis, who travels around Minnesota to fix historic homes at risk of demolition. Curtis then preserves and restores the homes to their original appearance, rather than modernizing them. The homes are often pre-World War II homes.

AMAZING INTERIORS “Amazing Interiors” is a Netflix series that documents homes with unusual interiors. The homes often have normal exterior appearances but unique rooms. For example, some homes are parttime museums or feature indoor aquariums or roller coasters in the backyard. The show doesn’t have a host or narrator. Instead, each episode showcases three unique homes, with a main focus on one currently being constructed or renovated.

CURB APPEAL “Curb Appeal” is an HGTV show that has been airing since 2002. The show focuses on updating the outdoor surroundings of a home, including the paint, landscaping, and fences. Architect and interior designer John Gidding hosts the show. Each episode features a real home and homeowner, who receives advice from several guest experts on what changes should be made to the home.

FIRST DRAFT OF HISTORY.

WOULD WOULD YOU YOU LIKE LIKE TO TO SUPPORT A FREE PRESS? SUPPORT A FREE PRESS?

SFGN's reporting has been supported by tens of thousands of readers in South FloridJOURNALISM a. Now we're asking for your supportIS. PleTHE ase help us continue JOURNALISM IS THE giving you news every day.DRAFT Every contribution is valuable – even $1. FIRST OF Your gift will ensure that South Florida Gay News is able to continue to Your gift will ensure that South Florida Gay News is able to continue to provide an online and print resource for our community. Thanks to your provide an online and print resource for our community. Thanks to your valuable contribution, SFGN is able to provide you with local LGBT news valuable contribution, SFGN is able to provide you with local LGBT news that affects every aspect of your life. that affects every aspect of your life.

FIRST DRAFT OF Your gift wil HISTORY. ensure that South Florida Gay News is able to continue to HISTORY. South Florida Gay News exists to meet the needs of the South Florida South Florida Gay News exists to meet the needs of the South Florida LGBT community. When you give, your donation directly benefits you, as LGBT community. When you give, your donation directly benefits you, as well as everyone else. well as everyone else.

provide an online and print resource for our community. Thanks to your valWOULD uable contribution, SFGN iYOU s able to provideLIKE you with local LGBT news TO WOULD YOU LIKE TO that affectsA everyFREE aspect of your lifPRESS? e. SUPPORT SUPPORT A FREE PRESS? SFGN's reporting has been supported by tens of thousands of readers in South Florida. Nowhas we're asking for your Please helpofusreaders continue SFGN's reporting been supported bysupport. tens of thousands in giving you news Every contribution valuable – us even $1. South Florida. Nowevery we'reday. asking for your support.isPlease help continue giving you news every day. Every contribution is valuable – even $1. Your gift will ensure that South Florida Gay News is able to continue to provide resource ourNews community. to your Your gift an willonline ensureand thatprint South Floridafor Gay is ableThanks to continue to valuable contribution, is able tofor provide you with local LGBT provide an online andSFGN print resource our community. Thanks to news your that SFGN affects isevery of your valuable contribution, able aspect to provide youlife. with local LGBT news that affects every aspect of your life. South Florida Gay News exists to meet the needs of the South Florida LGBT you give,toyour directly ts you, as South community. Florida GayWhen News exists meetdonation the needs of thebenefi South Florida wellgive, as everyone else. directly benefits you, as LGBT community. When you your donation well as everyone else.

South Florida Gay News exists to meet the needs of the South Florida LGBT community. When you give, your donation directly benefits you, as well as everyone else. SFGN.com/donate SFGN.com/donate DECEMBER 2021 - JANUARY 2022 | THE

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REAL ESTATE

HGTV HUNK

CARMINE SABATELLA BALANCES FAME, FORTUNE & FAMILY // J.W. Arnold Pictured: Carmine Sabatella. Photo credit: McCall & Nikki Ryan Photography.

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REAL ESTATE

lip through the channels and you’re likely to come across “Inside Out,” HGTV’s breakout hit of the season. The premise is simple: an interior designer and a landscape architect compete for the budget dollars of a couple seeking a fabulous renovation of their fixer-upper. The show doesn’t forge into the hokey theatrics of the network’s successful Canadian series “Love It or List It,” but it’s still competitive as Carmine Sabatella and Mike Pyle play on both the wants and needs of their sometimes cash-strapped clients.

More often than not, Sabatella, a gay real estate broker, investor and designer, comes out on top, performing amazing transformations. The competition with Pyle, his straight co-host, remains friendly and the duo were notified just last fall that the series would be picked up for a second season to air next year. “We got the green light,” said Sabatella, who is used to juggling his multiple business enterprises with the demands of filming. “We were one of the top favorite shows of last year with 16 million viewers … actually, we were a little worried because, with COVID, we had some delays here and there and couldn’t even finish the final episode.” Sabatella emphasized that the show was “legitimate.” They do battle for as much of the budget as possible, but “the banter is authentic, we are organic and natural.” And unlike other makeover series, the hosts were onsite throughout the renovations, not just dropping in to film intros and reveals.

At times, as many as four projects were underway during filming, Sabatella said, sending him across Southern California in just one day. The first series filmed over nine months before being halted by pandemic precautions. Luckily, the final renovation was salvaged and will be featured in the first episode of the second season. Sabatella was well known within real estate circles before the show aired, but now he’s become a fan favorite. He recognized whenever he travels and still remembers the time an 11-year-old girl stopped him while he was in Pennsylvania for a friend’s birthday. “I’ve heard a lot of people comment that the entire family enjoys the show,” Sabatella admitted. “I don’t want to lie, I do enjoy it. If you’re not a HGTV fan, you may have no idea who I am, but within the HGTV community…” Sabatella, who is a father from a straight marriage years ago, added, “My daughter thinks it’s really fun when I’m recognized. Her friends and parents watch the show. She’s 16

“I’VE HEARD A LOT OF PEOPLE COMMENT THAT THE ENTIRE FAMILY ENJOYS THE SHOW.” - Carmine Sabatella ONE HALF OF THE DYNAMIC DUO ON “INSIDE OUT.” PHOTO CREDIT: MCCALL & NIKKI RYAN PHOTOGRAPHY.

TURN THE PAGE TO CONTINUE READING.

Carmine Sabatella (left) always tries to carve out family time with his daughter Gianella and husband Ryan Delair, even during filming. Photo credit: McCall & Nikki Ryan Photography.

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REAL ESTATE

“I BREAK THE MOLD IN THE SENSE OF WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF AS THE AVERAGE GAY MAN. I’M MARRIED AND LIVE IN SOUTH PASADENA. WE HAVE A 16-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER.” - Carmine Sabatella ONE HALF OF THE DYNAMIC DUO ON “INSIDE OUT.” PHOTO CREDIT: MCCALL & NIKKI RYAN PHOTOGRAPHY.

CONTINUED FROM THE PREVIOUS PAGE.

and in high school, kind of past that stage of supportive through the process. I’m sure it’s being embarrassed by her parents.” hard for him to hear about it constantly and Life is a balancing act, even when he’s see me working 14 to 16 hours a day.” not filming. He can be on set from 9 in the He remains circumspect about his morning until 6:30 p.m. on many days. When experiences, though. he gets home, he has to catch up on work “I break the mold in the sense of what from the “day job.” And, he people think of as the average always tries to get in time at gay man. I’m married and live SABATELLA the gym, but most of his gay in South Pasadena. We have fans have already noticed. a 16-year-old daughter. We HOPES “INSIDE “I always try to promote live a very traditional life. It’s OUT” WILL BE a good work-life balance. a lot more common now than RENEWED FOR I didn’t use to do this 10 or 15 years ago and we’re [television], and you have to seeing more support for gay MANY SEASONS cut it off and give yourself families and that’s huge. The TO COME AND your own time or you’ll be couple who we just filmed ACKNOWLEDGES worthless,” Sabatella said. with yesterday led the whole He usually wakes up early [fight against] Proposition 8 THE CHALLENGES and hits the gym from 6:30 in California, guys who fought OF BALANCING – 8:30 a.m., depending if to the bitter end to allow my he has to drop his daughter husband and I to get married,” FAME, FORTUNE off at school. Another 30 he said. AND FAMILY. minutes to an hour of cardio He hopes “Inside Out” will get squeezed in later in the be renewed for many seasons day, but he is careful to always block out time to come and acknowledges the challenges of for his daughter and husband. He especially balancing fame, fortune and family: “I’m still enjoys the time they spend at the dinner trying to figure out how to take these three table over a meal. aspects of my life and create one narrative. Sabatella praised his husband, “He is That’s the goal, I want to combine all of this amazing. He is patient and I’m not the most in one package. It’s happening, I’ve got my patient, but he knows this is something I’ve brand and I’m excited to see where we will wanted to do for a long time and has been go.” 44 | THE

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Carmine Sabatella (seated) and his husband Ryan Delair. Photo credit: McCall & Nikki Ryan Photography.

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ENTERTAINMENT

LEONARD, LARRY & TIM AN INTERVIEW WITH GAY COMICS LEGEND TIM BARELA // Gregg Shapiro Pictured: “Leonard & Larry.” Credit: Tim Barela.

52 52 || THE THE

|| DECEMBER 2021 - JANUARY 2022

ENTERTAINMENT

n the pantheon of queer comic strips, especially those that ran in LGBT publications, certain names instantly come to mind including Alison Bechdel (“Dykes to Watch Out For”), Howard Cruse (“Wendel”), Diane DiMassa (“Hothead Paisan”), and, of course, Tim Barela (“Leonard & Larry”).

Barela, whose final comic strip ran in print almost 20 years ago, is celebrated in “The Complete Leonard & Larry Collection” (Rattling Good Yarns Press, 2021), featuring forewords by Charles Solomon and Andy Mangels, and an introduction by Barela (as well as blurbs from Chip Kidd and Bechdel). Beginning in 1983, Barela was able to incorporate subjects that still resonate today, including committed relationships, gay fatherhood, AIDS, same-sex marriage, gay priests, queer offspring, and finding connection (see the part where bearded leather-man Jim bonds with his gay Texan lover Merle’s mother over opera). To his credit, Barela also manages to effortlessly pull off being meta on a few occasions. All of this and more make this book a must-have. Tim was kind enough to answer a few questions about his career in autumn 2021. GREGG SHAPIRO: Tim, I’d like to begin with the basics. When did you become aware of your talent for drawing and visual art? TIM BARELA: I just always drew as a kid. I never knew a time when I wasn’t interested in drawing or understood the basics of art. It came naturally. When I got to grade school, what I couldn’t understand was that most other kids didn’t get it the way I did. That all they could do was draw clunky stick figures and worse. That they didn’t grasp the mechanics of drawing shapes and shading and perspective. I guess, for me, it was just instinctive somehow. GS: Who were some of your influences when it came to illustration?

TB: My influences came from all over. I can’t really pin down one influence in particular. I absorbed it all. I was fascinated with just about everything about the art world that I came in touch with. GS: Who were some of your influences when it came to illustrating comics? TB: The same goes for cartooning and cartoon illustrations. Most influential was what I saw on TV and in newspaper funny pages. But as far as the development of my personal style, I think the most significant influence was a cartoonist named — if I remember correctly — Dave Berg who drew features in “Mad Magazine.” He had a realistic, cartoony style that I really liked and tried to emulate. GS: I can certainly see Berg’s influence. One of the things that stands out is the detail in your drawings, from rain on a car to the various shapes of noses to male pattern balding to fashions of the period. TB: The funny thing about your pointing out the unique features of my various characters is that so many previous reviewers have always complained about not being able to tell them apart, who was who, that everyone looked alike. When I drew “Leonard & Larry,” I did try to make everyone individual and unique. Whether I succeeded or not is in the eye of the beholder, I suppose. As far as fashion was concerned, I always thought I was really bad at it. Mostly, I don’t care much about fashion and barely notice what people wear. At least until I needed to pay attention for something I was drawing.

The cover of an issue of “Leonard & Larry.” Credit: Tim Barela, via Amazon.

“I WAS FASCINATED WITH JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ABOUT THE ART WORLD THAT I CAME IN TOUCH WITH.” - Tim Barela ARTIST

GS: Staying on the subject of the various characters in the “Leonard & Larry” series, what are the challenges and rewards of juggling multiple storylines and characters? TB: It would be boring if there weren’t other secondary characters with situations and storylines of their own. It’s more like real life when you can deviate from your main characters’ lives and explore the lives of other people in the universe you’ve created. GS: Seeing as how the characters age over time, as they would in, say, a novel, do you begin the process by writing an outline or creating a timeline? TB: I never do outlines or timelines. I just come up with characters and situations

TURN THE PAGE TO CONTINUE READING.

DECEMBER 2021 - JANUARY 2022 | THE

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ENTERTAINMENT CONTINUED FROM THE PREVIOUS PAGE.

and figure out how they relate to each other. It goes from there. Everything about my storytelling just evolves organically. GS: Because “Leonard & Larry” was serialized, were there other serials, perhaps Armistead Maupin’s “Tales of the City” (which you reference in the book) owing to the gay subject matter, to which you can see parallels? TB: “Tales of The City” was very influential as far as my storytelling goes. I regret to this day being such a gushing fan the first time I met Armistead Maupin at a signing at a bookstore in Belmont Shore in Long Beach. By the time Armistead came to a signing in San Francisco, years later, with me and several other cartoonists, the tables were turned. I had my own gushy fans to deal with. But yes, Armistead was a big influence. After all, I’ve never been a gag cartoonist. I tell stories. Stories with jokes and gags. That’s how my characters work best in my head and on paper. GS: How much, if any, of Tim is in Leonard or Larry, or any of the other characters for that matter?

TB: I’m just a fan of classical music. I always have been, ever since I discovered the genre as a 10-year-old with a transistor radio. I’ve had lots of musician friends over the years, but mostly pop and rock. I used to do art for album covers in the ‘70s and ‘80s. As a former voting member of the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, I’ve attended the Grammys more than once. Music has always been a big part of my life. But personally, I have no musical talent or inclination to play a musical instrument, whatsoever. GS: Beginning on page 103 and continuing through much of the book, the ghosts of Tchaikovsky and Brahms make repeated appearances, offering counsel to some of the characters. This reminded me of the irreverent Netflix cartoon series “Big Mouth,” in which the ghosts of Freddie Mercury and Duke Ellington regularly appeared to talk to the characters struggling with puberty and sexuality issues. Are you aware of “Big Mouth” and is it possible that the ghosts in the show are an homage to what you did with “Leonard & Larry”?

TB: Brahms and Tchaikovsky were just one of those “... I’VE NEVER TB: There are a lot of different quirky, weird ideas you come aspects of my personality up with when you can’t BEEN ABLE TO in all my characters. Both think of anything better or KEEP BIKERS, Leonard and Larry. But Jim, funnier to put on the page. Larry’s employee, probably LEATHER AND THE And strangely, it worked. has more of me in his Interestingly, both real men OCCASIONAL BIT character than any of the were born on the same day, OF KINK FROM others. May 7, but not the same year. They were both 19th-century CREEPING INTO GS: Larry owns Larry’s and composers MY STORYTELLING musicians Leather, a shop on trendy and absolutely hated each AND CARTOONS.” Melrose Avenue. Your recent other and each other’s music. book launch was held at I thought it would be funny - Tim Barela The Barracks, a leather bar to have them stuck together ARTIST in Palm Springs. Would you in the afterlife, one straight, please say a few words about the other gay, constantly your association with the leather community? bickering and insulting each other and commenting on things like a Greek Chorus. TB: I’ve always been associated with the They haunted classical music-lover Jim’s leather community. I used to be a real, dreams and literally haunted his husband Harley-riding biker, after all. I got my Merle. It was oddly funny, and my readers start drawing cartoons for motorcycle loved them. As far as the animated series magazines, long before “Leonard & Larry” “Big Mouth” and their two famous, dead, came along. And I’ve never been able to musical characters are concerned, I’ve keep bikers, leather and the occasional bit never seen it. In fact, I wasn’t even aware of kink from creeping into my storytelling of the show until you brought it up. If what and cartoons. I did in L&L years ago was some kind of influence, I’m flattered. I always used to be GS: Your fondness for classical music also told that practically every other producer plays a role in the series. Are you just a fan in Hollywood had a copy of “Frontiers or are you also a musician? Magazine” or one of my books on his desk. 54 | THE

| DECEMBER 2021 - JANUARY 2022

The cover of an issue of “Leonard & Larry.” Credit: Tim Barela, via Amazon.

Glad that they could eventually use some of my ideas if that’s the case. But you’d have to ask the creators and writers of that show if they did. GS: I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that, with a surname such as Barela, you probably aren’t Jewish. And yet you have flawlessly captured the mishegas of Jewish co-lead character Leonard’s mishpuchah. TB: [Laughs] You’re right, I’m not Jewish and never have been. But my family always had Jewish neighbors or friends, and I’ve had Jewish employers and editors. Jewish characters have always just been a part of my mix, and always will be. GS: The book closes with a new, 2021 fourpanel comic by you, your first in several years. How did this come about? TB: My current editor and publisher, Ian Henzel, insisted that the story in my new book, which ends abruptly because the strip was canceled back in 2002 and no one else wanted to pick it up, needed to have a sense of closure. That the new book, as Ian put it, needed “a bow” on it. And he was right. And since my strip took place in real time — one of only three North American comic strips to ever do so, I can proudly say — and my characters aged, I thought it would be fun to do a sort of “where are they now” kind of cartoon to close the book with. To show that Leonard and Larry are still around, but, like the rest of us, they’ve both grown old. And yet, nothing about their relationship over these long years has changed all that much.

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THE 2022 ROLLS-ROYCE GHOST BLACK BADGE PROVES THAT

BLACK IS THE NEW BLACK // Larry Printz

All photos courtesy of Rolls Royce.

58 | THE

| DECEMBER 2021 - JANUARY 2022

CARS If you’re into fashion or design, you’ve no doubt experienced some designer trying to peddle some pathetic color that’s otherwise unsellable as the new black. But it’s merely a ruse to get you to purchase something you never would otherwise, because black is always the new black. Need proof?

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155 MPH Check out the newest Rolls-Royce, the 2022 Rolls-Royce Ghost Black Badge, a murdered-out rendition of the world’s ACCELERATION (0-60 MPH): most-exclusive sedans. There’s little chrome here, and 4.5 SECONDS where there is, such as on Rolls-Royce’s Pantheon grille and Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament, a special oxide is used to darken it. The end result makes for a car that’s even more imposing, more alluring and very of the moment. This is the finest in automotive haute couture from a brand that knows how to cater to its customers, especially younger ones. Certainly, that’s the point of Black Badge, a trim variation that Rolls-Royce has been applying to its cars since 2016. In fact, it’s reduced the average Rolls-Royce buyers age by about 20 years, and it’s now a very young 39 years old. As if to prove the point, Rolls-Royce introduced the car to its dealers and the media in Miami Beach, where it was unveiled at the darkened sedan at the equally dark “Mad Club Wynwood,” against a backdrop of mirrors and dry ice that ensured the car was difficult to see, or at least its exterior was. The interior was another matter, an exuberant, indulgent and impossibly opulent mixture of brown and blue leather that may not be to your taste, but most assuredly is someone’s. And that’s the point of owning a Rolls-Royce, a car you don’t buy, but commission. RollsRoyce will finish the car to your specification, no matter how outlandish. This is something its principal competitor, Bentley, will not do. From there, Rolls-Royce whisked by boat across Biscayne Bay at a speed that recalled the opening of the TV show “Miami Vice,” stopping momentarily to let a Celebrity Lines cruise ship make its way out to sea. I’m sure this is how the wealthy get across Miami Beach; it’s far quicker than driving. We were soon docked and I climbed into a Ghost Black Badge. Whoa. This was not some old duffer in drag. It’s a thoroughly modern, fun-to-drive automobile. For 2022, the Ghost’s 6.75-liter V-12 engine produces 591 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque through an eightspeed automatic transmission to all four wheels with fourwheel steering. The Ghost combines adaptive dampers, a road-scanning camera and GPS data to adjust the suspension and driveline for the road ahead. The adaptive suspension expertly balances comfort and agility, and accelerating hard off the line ensures you’ll get where you’re going, and quickly. Push this big boy through a corner and you’ll be surprised at its handling prowess despite its weight and the expected body lean. Yet it provides unparalleled comfort. The Rolls-Royce Black Badge is a quiet, comforting, brooding bit of automotive indulgence and athleticism that’s truly for those who require the finest things in life.

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Larry Printz is an automotive journalist based in South Florida. He can be reached at TheDrivingPrintz@gmail.com. DECEMBER 2021 - JANUARY 2022 | THE

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