Table of Contents

RKYV # 35 {April 2010} Featured Artist Review

RKYV LOGO - David Marshall {current} - Victor L. Castro Jr.
RKYV LOGO – r. j. paré {modified} - By r .j. paré
RKYV LOGO – Roy G. James {original}
Short Fiction
Virtual Cover # 35 - Questions I wanted to ask Jesus after
- Art by Victor L. Castro Jr. Leanne & I spotted him at the corner of La
- Layout by David Marshall Cienega/Third St. in Beverly Hills, but
never got the chance…
Interior Art - Micro Darwinisms
- By De Tourist, r. j. paré, Engin Korkmaz, Lee- - By Marie Lecrivain
Ann MacDonald, Mykl G Sivak, Nadide Paker
Gurcuoglu, Victor L. Castro Jr. Poetry
- By Frances Nichols Vargas, r. j. paré
Editorial Column
- “At the Outset: Pop Culture
A Few Thoughts from the Editor” - “Comic Book Review”
- By r. j. paré - By Brad Bellmore
- “Learning from those that do”
Sports - by CS Cartier
- Rossini’s Ramblings - “Raised on Saturday Morning Cartoons”
- By Tom Rossini - By Pauline Paré

From the album – signing on – by Mike Grattan

 At The Outset

A few thoughts from

the Editor
by r. j. paré
“And the man in the suit has just bought a new car
From the profit he’s made from your dreams.”

Steve Winwood & Traffic

– “Low Spark of High-heeled Boys – 1971

S.P.A.C.E. – The Small – Press – Alternative – Comics – Expo

Held annually in Columbus, Ohio this small press con exemplifies the spirit
and creativity of the small press creator & independent publisher. There’s
none of the aforementioned “suits” profiting off your dreams here. What
there is – and if you haven’t gone I highly recommend it – is a vibrant
community of artists and writers being given the opportunity to showcase
their amazing creations to patrons specifically looking for “indie”
publications. What I appreciate, each year, is so many creators taking the time
to share their experiences, offer tips, critiques and suggestions as they
genuinely want to help each other succeed. In the coming months I hope to
introduce to RKYV readers to some more of the amazing creators I have met @
S.P.A.C.E. by inviting them into these pages as “Featured Artists/Creators of
the Month”.

Now as for this month’s issue, what can I say? In this editor’s humble opinion
it is most definitely a GEM! I am sure by now the eye-catching cover art has
already gotten your attention – Kudos to David Marshall for another killer
design & layout – this time using the fabulous pencils of Victor L. Castro Jr., a
professional comics artist who is beginning to really ‘make a name’ for himself
with his incredibly detailed & textured drawings.
CS Cartier begins his 2012 series exploring the public phenomenon/obsession
of “end-time scenarios”. Brad Bellmore & Pauline Paré review their latest
comic book reading and TV viewing – respectively. Meanwhile, Tom Rossini
eats crow in his rambling sports report. Marie Lecrivain graces our pages with
some more of her creative short fiction, while Frances Nichols Vargas, Stephen
Campbell & yours truly [r. j. paré] wax poetic sharing some of our
unpublished verse.

Returning columnist James Gibson hits home with an insightful look at our
fascination with food and its relationship to good health while managing a
digestive disorder. My own 12 year old daughter is struggling with Crohn’s
diseases and is heartening to read a “happy ending” [pardon the pun].

I cannot thank the contributing artists enough. Credited throughout the issue
their beautiful and dynamic truly makes this e-Zine “POP”. Without which, it
would merely be a series of visually bland lines of text.

Enough of my drivel, “On with the good stuff!” you say.

Very well, enjoy the issue.

r. j. paré
EIC RKYV ONLINE e-Zine

[NOTE: The RKYV Board of Directors

officially disavows any knowledge of
what Mr. paré does on those
mysterious 3 hour lunches – but we’d
appreciate if you’d forward the cell
phone pics to our inbox. We could use
the laugh.]

Untitled – by Carl Haynes

Untitled – by Engin Korkmaz
 Health & Wellness

FASCINATION WITH FOOD

– A Crohn’s Patient’s Perspective –
by James Gibson

gibsonjs@mnsi.net

Introduction

Food is an integral part of our lives as we need it to survive.

But no less an authority than Voltaire said that, since it is
essential, “nothing would be more tiresome than eating and
drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a
necessity.” Taking it up a notch, George Bernard Shaw
proclaimed that “there is no love sincerer than the love of
food.”

Mind you, in my case, the cards were stacked against any true love of
food given my British heritage. The actress, Martha Harrison in fact suggested
that what motivated the British to colonize so much of the world is that they
were just looking for a decent meal. Oh, welcome to the Church of the Holy
Cabbage. Lettuce pray.

When I gained my independence and married my wife, Sharon, she

patiently instilled in me, through example, an appreciation for good, healthy
food. As the novelist, Thomas Wolfe wrote: “There is no sight on earth more
appealing than the sight of a woman making dinner for someone she loves.”
 Among the many things I gained from my wife’s cooking were a respect
for the contribution of gravies and sauces to a meal, and the vital role of butter
in revitalizing cabbage, turnip dishes, and corn; I agree, to a point, with the
satirist, Garrison Keillor that, while sex is good, it’s not as good as fresh, sweet
(buttered and salted) corn.

Over the last four decades, however, my wife’s cooking and our mutual
fascination and celebration of food was tempered by the realities of Crohn’s, a
disease estimated to affect over a half a million people in North America
alone.

What Can I Eat?

The Crohn’s was diagnosed shortly after we were

married. In fact, just before a Japan trip to the 1970
World’s Fair- where we experienced sushi before
sushi was sushi (I guess we should have
remembered standup comic, José Simons’
reminder that in Mexico they have a word for
sushi: bait), she was having intestinal pain, went to
an internist, and received the diagnosis. She was
then given two choices, have surgery or live with
it. She chose the latter.

While the Crohn’s dictated parts of our diet, we still ate very well, just
within limits- plenty of lean meat, fish, and poultry for the protein, but less
high-fibre foods because of an obstruction; and with a few alterations. For
instance, one of our favourite dishes is braised cider pork stew. It calls for two
kilograms of trimmed boneless pork shoulder and apple cider; but we
substitute pork tenderloin for the pork shoulder because it’s less fatty and
apple juice for the cider because it doesn’t interfere with medications.
What Do I Want To Eat?

Recently, my wife spent half of the year in hospitals; we

called it the ‘culmination of forty years of Crohn’s with a
good ending’, because she emerged Crohn’s free,
although susceptible. From that point on there was a
paradigm shift, as her eating experiences changed from
‘what can I eat’ to ‘what do I want to eat’.

Needless to say, life after the surgery changed for the better. We could
now more fully enjoy sharing food with friends and family. One drawback,
however, was that weight gain loomed as a threat; so, on a daily basis we
continued to include the seven foods known to nutritionists to boost your
body’s fat-burning potential - oats, eggs, skim milk, apples, red meat,
cinnamon and almonds, and we constantly visualized our plates in three
sections- half filled with fruits and vegetables, one quarter with whole grains,
and the last quarter with the lean meat or protein needed for healing.

At first, Sharon’s healing process involved several short stays back in

the hospital and daily home-nursing care. But during a weekend pass, a sister
from Kansas and her recently-retired husband, on their ‘Tour of the Relatives’,
spent an afternoon with us before spending the American Thanksgiving with
a fourth sister in Missouri.

During the visit I prepared my favourite meal, roast beef and

Yorkshire pudding, which everyone enjoyed, all the way from the
smells of the cooking up to the eating. The experience reinforced that
it’s the simple pleasures of food and conversation that make life so
great!

Now, you may think that red meat is not exactly what one should eat
but research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition compared diet
results for women who ate red meat and those who didn’t and the meat eaters
lost more weight. Experts think it’s the dense protein in lean red meat that
helps you maintain muscle mass as you wear off fat during exercise. Even
Tommy Smothers has come forward in support of red meat. “Red meat is not
bad for you,” he says. Now blue-green meat, that’s bad for you!”
 The savory scents of our food being prepared were picked
up by others. “What do I smell?” the homecare nurse asked on
several visits. “It makes me want to rush home and do some
cooking.” “Stew,” I replied the first time and “Chili,” the second.
On a nursing leash or not, we never get bored when there is food to
prepare. In these cases, Sharon browns the meat for the chili and
for the stew, and I chop up the onions, carrots and peppers.
Meanwhile the heady aromas fill the house.

Epicurus.

Sometimes absence makes the heart grow fonder and at its peak,
Sharon’s illness caused us to miss many family gatherings. Epicurus said that
we should look for someone to eat and drink with before looking for
something to eat and drink, so, after the surgery we were determined to rectify
that, including Thanksgiving with family. On the day before the holiday we
went to a Swiss Chalet in Waterloo where many of our nephews and nieces
and their children- all with noise makers and using them- were excited to be
together. Then, on the big day, we all gathered again, this time at a home.

“Oh... oh my, that looks good,” I remember commenting, as my brother-

in-law surprised me by placing a platter of sliced ham on the table. He loved to
be in the kitchen, cooking, carving, and basting. “And sis, this looks nice,” I
complimented, admiring the assortment of items on the table- bowls of fruit,
vegetables, nuts, a horn of plenty, and carafes of juices. “Yeah, you’re always
so festive,” interjected Sharon. “Thanks,” my sister replied graciously.

“But there are no kumquats,” I quipped; George Carlin once labeled

this edible fruit that closely resembles the orange, the funniest food of all. I
received only silence and a blank stare.

Then the remainder of the food - turkey, mashed potatoes, turnip,

stuffing, Ambrosia salad, gravy; a simple, home-cooked, but very British fare –
was passed around and the group stayed quiet while it ate. In this
gastronomical solitude, however, I let my eyes wander the table; what I
observed were the smaller portions on the plates of the younger people.
 Over the following months came further celebrations over food:
Christmas, and then Easter. But just before summer, came the annual
Smith/Rennie Family Reunion, held in rural Grey County. Always scheduled
the second Sunday in June, this picnic has existed without interruption for
over half a century. There has always been a time of socialization, followed by
games, and then the now-fashionable pot luck supper at 4:00 PM. There is
nothing spectacular about this Gathering as attendees are requested to bring a
dessert and a meal of some sort, place settings, lawn chairs and family birth
dates, with only juice, pop, coffee and tea supplied. But the assortment of food
is spectacular, albeit without hot pasta dishes; which is unfortunate because,
as an unknown author once stated, “those who forget the pasta are condemned
to reheat it.”

Conclusion

The best summer festival in Southwestern Ontario is the mid-June

Carrousel of Nations that celebrates Windsor’s diversity. On the second and
third weekends, one can enjoy Carrousel Around the City, a celebration of
food, music, dance and tradition located at different ethno-cultural “Villages”
throughout the Windsor area. Visitors and locals alike can take a world tour
without leaving town! In the past, Sharon could never truly indulge in the
festivities without worry, but now she and I can consume what we want, be it
German, Chinese, Polish, Hungarian, Caribbean, Greek, or even Scottish
cuisine which is enjoying a renaissance. Care for a Kipper? Bon Appetit!

Outdoor Shower Christmas

Sixteen – by Mykl G Sivak
 Featured Artist
Review
Victor L. Castro Jr.
by r. j. paré

BIO: Victor L. Castro is a freelance penciller

who continues to make a name for himself as
he makes his way up the ladder towards the
comic industry giants and takes his place
among comics greatest pencillers.

r. j. paré: Have you always known that you wanted to be or, rather, were an
artist?

Victor L. Castro Jr.: Not until

recently, most artists spend a good amount
of time just being someone who can draw.
It is when you choose to apply your talent
to the public, galleries, and in my case
comics that you get a sense of being an
artist.

Artist’s Name: Victor L. Castro Jr. [pencils]

Mark McKenna [inks]; Tom Chu [colours]
Title: Atrocitus [© DC Comics]
Size: 11 x 17” print
Date Created: Feb 2010

r.j.p.: Wow… just wow. As an unabashed

fan-boy of anything GL related, I have to
say this team ought to be doing work on
one of DC’s many GL related books – And
I do mean, now!
r.j.p.: Did you study or major in art while in school?

V.L.C.: attended a junior college in Albany for one semester that was
focused on Fine Arts but other than that no.

r.j.p.: Who was your primary source of encouragement, as a child, in

pursuing art?

V.L.C.: That would have to be split between my father and brother. My Dad
influenced me more on the traditional art styles while my brother introduced
me to comic art.

r.j.p.: Do you use any special tools and techniques to create your art?

V.L.C.: No not really, some pages I use a

non photo blue pencil for laying out the
camera angles but I usually just jump right
in with pencil.

Artist’s Name: Victor L. Castro Jr. [pencils]

Jason Embury [colours]
Title: Spawn vs Ghostrider [© Todd
McFarlane & Marvel Comics respectively]
Date Created: 2009

r.j.p.: What a dynamic scene. Victor

detailed pencils have laid out a really cool
pin-up that could easily serve as a kick-ass
crossover cover. [Marvel, Image – are you
listening?]
 Artist’s Name: Victor L. Castro
Jr. [pencils and ink], Jeff Balke
[colour]
Title: Ironman [© Marvel
Comics]
Date Created: 2009

r.j.p.: Robert Downey Jr., eat

your heart out, here is heavy
duty mod to your super-suit that
you’ve [so far] not had the
pleasure of test driving…☺

r.j.p.: What inspires you to

create art?

V.L.C.: At this point my

inspiration is coming from a
drive to find a place among the
top pencilers in the industry.

After I reach that point I am not sure what will inspire me, it might be a drive
to create a new idea or remake a past idea with a new look.

r.j.p.: Which famous artists / creators or styles have influenced you? Why?

V.L.C.: Whew, top of the list has to be John Byrne, Walt Simonson, John
Romita Jr., David Finch, Todd McFarlane, and Michael Turner. Primarily
because I grew up reading their books and absorbing their lines and if you
look closely you can see the mix of their influence on me.
r.j.p.: Would you rather have an engaged & loyal but, ultimately, small Indie
readership or work on the latest Spidey, Wolverine or X - book? [the old Art vs
Commerce question]

V.L.C.: I think at this point I would like to work with latest titles, I feel
building credibility by working with mainstream titles can lead towards a
strong independent following later on in my career as opposed to being vice
versa.

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 paper & pulp doomed to the realm of
fading memories?

V.L.C.: I don’t think so, I am one of

those old school pencil artists that will
hand the board over to the inker and
wait for the magic. There is a touch
that can’t really be compared to with a
computer. Don’t get me wrong they are
doing some amazing things with this
technology but I am going to stay with
paper for a while.

Artist’s Name: Victor L. Castro Jr.

Title: Alpha Flight [© Marvel Comics]
Media Used: pencil on EON board
Size: 11 x 17”

r.j.p.: The classic line up for Marvel’s

much maligned heroic Canucks. I can
see a lot of Byrne-influence in the
composition and I really enjoy Victor’s
command of perspective & anatomy.
r.j.p.: What do you think of the term "starving artist"?

V.L.C.: I think the term is relevant to your personal decisions; it is fine to

have a passion but when your personal decisions have an impact on the lives
of your family and friends you might have to re-evaluate your priorities. I
work full time for the Department of Defense and only do comic art part time.

r.j.p.: Do you feel more a sense of community with other artists or a sense of
competition?

V.L.C.: A little bit of both, some of that competition leads towards

inspiration and then happy fans.

Artist’s Name: Victor L. Castro Jr.

Title: DC Study pencil [all
characters © DC Comics]
Media Used: pencil on Blue Line
pro comic board
Size: 11 x 17”

r.j.p.: Interesting study as Victor

practices filling the page with
detailed renderings of DC heroes in
full “JLA vs” mode. I love how
Plastic Man is drawn stretching
from background to foreground
and right off the page!
 Artist’s Name: Victor L. Castro Jr.
Title: Marvel vs Superman
[all characters © Marvel Comics & DC Comics respectively]
Media Used: pencil on Blue Line pro comic board
Size: two-page spread, both 11 x 17”

r.j.p.: Ah… for the heady days of nostalgia and the fan-ticipated company
cross-over. Two behemoths engaged in years of battle have kept scenes like
this from your local comic shops. No, I’m not talking about Thor throwing
down with Superman [alas!] but rather DC & Marvel not wanting to work on
any [for the time being] of these types of collaborations. Get your act together
BIG TWO and bring back events like these. Oh, and it wouldn’t hurt to have
Victor pencil them… ☺

r.j.p.: How do you market yourself?

V.L.C.: The Army taught me to be a professional, so I market myself that

way. If I say I am a penciller than I have to be one and understand what it
takes. If I am representing a company like DC or Marvel you have to act
accordingly and present yourself in a professional manner.
 r.j.p.: While traditional publishing and distribution has become a difficult
goal to achieve for the modern Indie comic creator, what do you think of the
impact that social networks and POD services have had as an alternate means
of connecting you, your work and your audience?

V.L.C.: I have had a good amount of success in the social networking boom
and it is a great platform for interacting with all echelons of the comic
industry. I have friends from top CEOs, VP of content development, editors,
inkers, colorists and other artists right in one place. I like the fact that anyone
can contact me at anytime for comic related stuff.

r.j.p.: I understand you are working on a graphic novel "Scionic" for Arcana
Studios, can you tell us a little bit about the project?

V.L.C.: Sure, this is the synopsis written by Philip Daay

"In the year 2074, a long and devastating global war called the Geno-Purge explodes between
two factions, ordinary humans and those who have enhanced themselves with technology. Two
new races of humanity rise from the ashes. Those with genetic manipulations are named the
Homo Geneticus. Those with cybernetic enhancements are known as the Homo Roboticus.
Now decades later, another wave of technology threatens the world balance of power. A secret
government program breeds innocent children to serve as living weapons of mass destruction…
and a lone, disillusioned general named Theophilus is determined to rescue them."
It is a great story and will be very entertaining; you won’t be able to put it
down.

r.j.p.: Are you inking your own pencils on "Scionic"; who else is part of the
creative team?

V.L.C.: No inks, the publisher is comfortable with my pencils going directly

to color and within the last couple of weeks we just added the colorist.

r.j.p.: When should fans expect to see this book in their local comic shops?

V.L.C.: We are trying to make NY Comic Convention in October 2010 as a

release date or at least have some copies at the show, after that it shouldn’t be
much longer before it is in a shop near you.
 Artist’s Name: Victor L. Castro Jr.
Title: Super Kids
Media Used: pencil on Blue Line pro
comic board
Size: 11 x 17”
Date Created: Mar 2010

r.j.p: Kal & Kara taking Krypto for a walk, err…

fly. LOL – One thing I really like about this pencil
sketch is Victor avoids the temptation to “buff up”
Superboy. When drawing Kal-El, at any age really
– but more so when he is young – there is no need
to go all “steroid” on his anatomy. It is his alien
physiology that grants him strength and not
rippling muscles. Just a quick note to DC artists –
when drawing batman and Superman together
Bats should always be drawn as the more
muscular of the two [as he is the product of
intense physical training] .

r.j.p.: What other interests do you have,

besides art?

V.L.C.: I enjoy spending time with my

family a lot; I am manager of my son’s
little league baseball team as well. Other
than that it is work, family and then art.

r.j.p.: You are a Combat Simulations Specialist for the United States Army, can you
tell us a little about that? Do you feel your military experience has influenced your
artistic style in some fashion?

V.L.C.: I work for the Department of Military Instruction (DMI) at West Point’s
Warfighting Simulation Center (WARCEN). We specialize in combat simulations
using gaming and tactical simulations to teach cadets in the Military Science
curriculum the in and outs of combat and leadership. Without a doubt my experience
in the military has given me focus and a drive that is unique to Soldiers and will play
a big part in my career in comics. Artistically, having firsthand experience in combat
gives me a unique perspective on what war really looks like and will play a big role
in certain parts of my pencils; but not all of it.
r.j.p.: You are also a member of a cooperative creators studio, Speakeasy
Primates, what can you tell us about that?

V.L.C.: I first came on board with Speakeasy as they began developing a

good portion of their titles; I spent some time helping them with initial
designs and concepts and with one title in particular called “When Heroes
Were.” I have yet to complete the pencils for WHW but when things start
slowing down in the future I would like to get back to that book.

r.j.p.: Do you have any big plans, shows or Cons coming up?

V.L.C.: I will be at New York Comic Con in October promoting Scionic, if

all goes well I should also be in Artist Alley if anyone wants to stop by and
say hello.

r.j.p.: How would you like your art, and by extension yourself, to be
remembered?

V.L.C.: As one of my mentors says:

“I am just another guy doing comics”
– Walt Simonson.

For more on Victor L. Castro Jr. please visit:

www.facebook.com/victoroil
www.victorlcastro.wordpress.com
www.victoroil.deviantart.com

r.j.p.: On the page following is the striking

pencil drawing of General Theophilus from Artist’s Name: Victor L. Castro Jr.
Victor’s break-thru graphic novel Scionic Title: General Theophilus [©
[Arcana Studios]. It was an easy and fitting Arcana Studios]
choice for Dave Marshall [Associate Editor] to Media Used: pencil on Blue Line
choose it as the cover art for this issue and pro comic board
while Dave’s cover re-touch is cool I’d like to Size: 11 x 17”
thank Victor for sharing the original [in all its Date Created: Feb 2010
unvarnished glory] as well as for participating
in this Featured Artist Review for RKYV.
 Sports

Rossini’s Rambling’s
by Tom Rossini

...this one is a hard one to swallow

Three… Two… One… The Habs

have defeated the Washington Capitols with
a final score of 2-1 and win game 7, and the
series 4 games to 3, in a showdown that had
very few believers ( our editor was one of
them). As Halak’s teammates piled on him
with the sounding of the final horn Ovechkin
skated all alone … his stick resting on his
knees and his head slumped over in disbelief.
The home crowd was quiet and many stood
there with their mouths wide open
wondering:
“How, could we lose game 7 – when we were up 3 games to 1?”
 Fine examples of the solid & sometimes
spine twisting saves that Jaroslav Halak
performed in helping Monteal oust the
heavily favoured Capitals. – The Editor

Jaroslav Halak was nothing less then spectacular guarding the net
causing the Washington Capitals, the President’s Trophy Winners, the NHL’s
best regular-season team to be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
The last 5 minutes of the game were spectacular and one of the best games in
history in my opinion. The Score was 1-0 and both teams were fighting for
every inch of ice and with 3 ½ minutes left in the game Dominic Moore made
it 2-0 for the Habs and effectively silenced the home crowd.
 The Capitals did not give though and the final 3 ½ minutes were
definitely a white knuckle affair. With only 2:16 seconds left in the final
period Ovechkin scored for the Capitals. Then with 1:44 to go in the game,
Ryan O’Byrne [of Monteal] was called for a high-sticking penalty. The
Capitals were relentless but their efforts were not enough.

After the game, Bruce Boudreau coach of the Washington Capitals

stated “I would have bet my house that they wouldn’t have beaten us 3 games
in a row and that we would have only scored 3 times in almost 140 shots.” (
Halak stopped 131/134 shots in the last 3 games according to the AP). Most
sports fans would have to agree with Boudreau’s statement since they had the
best home record in the NHL.

Montreal will now be heading to Pittsburgh

to play Cindy (Sidney) Crosby ( Detroiter’s call
Sidney Crosby Cindy as we feel he is a cry baby ),
in the second round starting Friday. Even though
this writer has voiced his dislike for the Habs on
several occasions to our dear Editor-In-Chief… I
must say that I hate the Pittsburgh Penguins and
Cindy Crosby even more.

GO GET EM HABS !!!!

Lake Ontario Ice Volcanoes – by L A Raven
 Short Fiction
RKYV ONLINE e-Zine is, once again, pleased to present a selection of
short prose pieces by the talented Marie Lecrivain.

Questions I wanted to ask Jesus

after Leanne & I spotted
spotted him at
the corner of La Cienega/Third
Cienega/Third
St. in Beverly Hills, but never
got the chance…
• Am I to assume by your corporeality that the
Rapture started already, and if so, why in
Beverly Hills as opposed to Little Rock,
Arkansas, or Bremerton, Washington?
Barista Jesus – by r. j. paré
• As a healer, where do you stand on healthcare reform?

• This country is being taxed to death. Would you consider a repeat

performance on some of our state budget-handlers like you did back in
the day with the moneychangers?

• That’s a nice looking robe. Did you get that at Bloomingdale's, or at

H & M?

• I see you are carrying a Starbucks coffee cup. Is it true that their coffee,
as opposed to Pete’s or Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, can actually cure
stigmata?

• What are your thoughts on never being, even posthumously, nominated

for a Nobel Peace Prize?

• What was it like hanging with lepers back in your day; I mean “real”
lepers, as opposed to social ones?
 • Which hurts more; crucifixion, or
resurrection?

• I know this is kind of personal, but

inquiring minds want to know: were
you crucified in the buff?

• If there was one thing you could change about this world, barring
anything that would infringe on another’s freedom, civil liberties, or
right to download Internet porn (adult only), what would that be?

• Are you really Jesus, or a psyche patient released on his own

recognizance from Cedar Sinai Hospital Psyche Ward?

• Were all the rumors about you and Ms. Magdalene true, or were you
“just friends?”

• Do I really have to love my neighbor? He’s kind of

old and smelly.

• Is it true that Oprah is bigger than you are, or is it

because she has better PR people?

• Can I have your autograph?

copyright 2009 marie lecrivain

additional graphics by r. j. paré

Note: The following 3 pieces are a part of a series Marie wrote while trapped
in a call center in 2008 / 2009.
Micro Darwinisms
#3

This morning, the McStarbucks barista noted my confusion as I almost abandoned

my breakfast. He then gifted me with an extra shot of espresso – gratis – to help wash
away the tiredness. While I am grateful, I wonder when/how did a cup of kindness
get downsized to a thimbleful, and why has compassion become a victim of the
recession? In turn, must I then downsize my hopes and expectations to succeed to the
lowest form of gratitude for subsistence? I guess this is the new American way – no,
not really, it is the re-emergence of social Darwinism at work – the deliberate
reprogramming of the definition of gratitude; to force myself and others to be grateful
for their poverty, to be happy with a pittance of mercy. There is an equal and opposite
force at work; the rising tide of anger as those things we become familiar disappear,
down to the very air we breathe. One day, a Girl Scout will come to my door to sell
me a box of Thin Mints and she will be greeted with a 120 decibel stream of ultra-
violet invective and a volley of rusted thimbles aimed squarely at her head.

copyright
2009 m.
lecrivain

Mark Ruffalo Bill – by Mykl G Sivak

# 77

In a Democratic administration, the new Savior of the Middle Class has

boosted taxes at both ends of the financial spectrum. I am , at the next to
lowest tax bracket, paying the same or damned near the same percentage in
taxes as those who are making over $250,000 a year. This IS the revenge of
the bourgeois; a financial fall of the guillotine. I wonder if our new savior has
read Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities, and especially that line… you know, the
one that says, it is a far, far better thing to widen the gap between the rich and
the poor, it is a far better thing to protect a middle class that no longer exists…

copyright 2009 m. lecrivain

Swimmie The Salmon – by Mykl G Sivak

 #9,345
ASK LEVELS
“On a sliding scale, here is what bio: Marie Lecrivain is the
I can offer you. For $50, you purchase 25% of executive editor and publisher of
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copyright 2009 m. lecrivain

"Act passionately; think rationally; be Thyself." – Liber Librae

"What you risk reveals what you value" – Jeanette Winterson

< Untitled
– by
Nadide
Paker
Gurcuoglu
 World

The Last Footsteps to 2012

by CS Cartier

Part One

The bible talks a great deal about Eschatology (any system of doctrines
concerning last, or final, matters, as death, the Judgment, the future state, etc.)
and so do many other religious texts and scrolls. Prediction and soothsayers
have always barked the coming of the ‘End of Days’, sighting stones, tea
leaves, the stars and planetary positions, etc. etc. It is very easy to say
something terrible is going to happen to you… eventually. It does not matter
who you are or where you are, this prediction is not really a prediction but a
numerical fact. The vagueness of this prediction allows for anything to fill the
prescription.

So, what happens when we make it more specific? Let us say, a year.
Something terrible is going to happen to you, I don’t know let’s say in 2012.
Well, now, I am going to be held to that prediction. Either something bad does
indeed happen or not. That is the magic of predictions. Mass hysteria clouds
common sense in this regard as the last of the great predictions draws ever
closer. First, nowhere does any prediction indicate the world is going to end.
Second, all fears are based on hearsay and ignorance.
My big question is why everyone so hung on one specific date? Many, many
end of times predications have come and gone. If you do not believe me listen
to Coast to Coast and you will hear dozens. Obviously, no one has been
correct or this is one freak’n dream.

2012 – Let us get back to the article. Not my

prediction, but a people in the south. The kicker
is it all is around this, a piece of rock carved
long ago; the Mesoamerican Long Count
calendar which was used by pre-Columbian
Maya civilization. The date in question notably
completes a "great cycle" of thirteen b'ak'tuns
(periods of 144,000 days each). Does this signify
anything more than the end of space on a piece
of stone? The answer is connected and lost to an
Ancient People, ’The Maya’.

The 2012 phenomenon is a period of time in which many speculate change,

both negative and/or positive from countless societies, religions and cultures.
If you take the calendar literally it is the end of time. I remember the same
talk at the end of the last century. My personal believe aside we have to
wonder if something incredibly dreadful was coming could we count on the
government to keep us informed. We all know the answer to that question so
we are left to speculate and forced to analyze the facts. The prophecies of
Nostradamus in the 16th century to numerous ancient societies’ predictions
seem to signify 2012 be a date of great importance both then and now. Let us
take a step back, and again we will analyze the facts. Would the government
tell us what they know if they know? Well I do know this, they are preparing
for something.

Hidden away on a remote island in the Arctic Ocean is the “Doomsday”

Vault. It has the capacity to store 4.5 million seed samples from all regions of
the planet. Its purpose is to safeguard the world’s agriculture from future
catastrophes, such as nuclear war, asteroid impact, climate change, natural
disasters, poor agricultural management and disease etc.
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is located on the Norwegian Island of
Spitsbergen which forms part of the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Ocean.
It is approximately 1120km (700 miles) from the North Pole.

Anyone can take isolated incidents which may just be circumspect, great
climate change, migration patterns altered and clump them together and say
darn is something really going on here. The Blue Whale ‘Guardians of our
Earth’ now sings the “Song of Death” as an ‘announcement’ to all human
beings to prepare for the ending of all things. So says the Yupik shaman
council (I don’t speak whale). This among many things have the scientific
community fascinated as it is now being reported that these largest animals
our World has ever known have indeed begun to mysteriously change their
‘songs’, all over our Planet for the first time in recorded history.

The conclusions of my Footsteps I will be entertaining the different 2012

doomsday theories and ideas. As there are literally dozens upon dozens, I will
focus on the most interesting and popular.
Closer – by CS Cartier
 poetry
Selected Poem
by Frances Nichols Vargas

Granted A Suprise

It is funny how life can pass by so fast A smile

So fast in fact
Twenty years go by as fast as the ocean tide
One day, granted a surprise
Turn around and caught my eye
A smile
A wink
Chase takes place
Another year soon passes
And a phone call tantalizes
Yet more time flies by
Granted another surprise
A wink
A date to contemplate
Laughter gives way to feelings of comfort
And familiarity
It is the feeling of knowing
There is a thread that binds
Understanding all too well where each one has been
A desire to know where each one is heading
A smile
A wink
And a drink

Some funny stories and promises take place

A wink, a smile and a hug goodbye
Looking forward to the next time
Some more time flies by
Another surprise
Another date to contemplate
A wink
A smile
An all too familiar hug
Time slows down
Only to be granted another...

Exclamation – by De Tourist
Paré’s Poetic Perspectives
by r. j. paré

How s[l]ick…

a spill spells ill

the ichor slick ratings soared.

are there no longer enough

starving sibs in Somalia?
I guess not.

they say Rome wasn’t built in a day…

… But I doubt it took long to burn.

socialites sip mint juleps

chatting of disaster
with nods, insincere

what will I tell my child

when she can no longer swim?

“we made a mess of things,

but understand how great
we imagined ourselves.”

drill baby drill

how s[l]ick. delta sludge – by r. j. paré

Untitled – by Engin Korkmaz
 pop culture
Comic Book Review
by Brad Bellmore
Green Hornet

Thumb solidly down.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been this

disappointed in a comic. I don’t know if it is
because my expectations were too high or
that this title from Dynamite just failed to
deliver.

In an attempt to own up to the possibility of

my expectations being too high, I bought
this book with a bit of eagerness. When I
was a kid, Green Hornet was still on TV. It
wasn’t the greatest show, but it was fun.
Sometimes it was flat out cool. When I look
back on it, I think that it might have been
great if handled better. The fact that this
comic was written by Kevin Smith
immediately made me think that would
happen here. I love Kevin Smith. I think he
is an amazing writer. His dialogue carries
everything he touches. His storytelling is
ok, but his dialogue… I crave his dialogue.
So what more could a cool/campy action
story need than clever dialogue.

Apparently a lot.
 The book compares Green Hornet then (old school) and Green Hornet now
(hip and brash and high tech). I didn’t immediately get the comparison since I
missed the “now” caption that told me the story had changed gears. And I’m
not sure if there is a connection between old and new other than to let us know
that this isn’t our parent’s (or grandparent’s) Green Hornet. I think the idea is
that there is a new guy caring on the office and, well , as succeeding
generations tend to do (at least in entertainment), he feels a need to break from
the old an d create his own brand of Green Hornet. This one moons the
paparazzi outside his home.

Jonathan Lau drew a decent book here. I like the art that has something of a
classic style in the beginning and a modern edge in the now. The pictures did
a better job of communicating this than the story. That said, the action seemed
quite wooden. Somehow Lau missed the ability to make movement look like
movement that most other comics accomplish. Even though the drawing is
good, the panels all seem to be the simplest way to accomplish the writer’s
needs not the best way to tell the story or to move it from frame to frame. And
this book desperately needs that help.

Even though I didn’t like the art overall, I blame the problems with this book
on the writing. It is a poorly told story. I expected more than that from Kevin
Smith. And I never got the dialogue that I hoped for. Try to avoid this one
when you next go to the comic store.

The Guild
Dark Horse released anew title, “The Guild” written
by Felicia Day and illustrated by Jim Rugg. For those
of you who don’t know, Felicia Day is an actress who
has done a variety of work but one of her most
memorable is her role as Penny in “Dr. Horrible’s
Sing Along Blog.”
Thumb all the way up.

That factors in here because this comic is also a web show. The web show is about a young
woman’s video blog that her therapists suggested she keep. Felicia day plays Cyd, the main
character both online and on the page. The art by Jim Rugg works well for this story. It’s not
great detail work and even feels a little rough at times. It however tells the story well, carrying
the mood and main thread throughout each page. Cyd looks like Felicia Day and is easily
recognizable.
There is a fun transition between the look of reality and the look of the fantasy
world where Cyd spends a significant part of her time.

The Guild is a look at the life of

Cyd, a young lady with a job she is
unhappy with and a boyfriend who
she is happy to be with even though
he’s a jerk. Her life is a
disappointment that she’s trying to
improve. Escape seems to be a
better option which she finds
through an MMORPG where she
can be anyone she wants. She
becomes a revamped version of
herself, using the name Codex.
Online, in the fantasy world, she is
powerful, sexy, confident,
everything she wishes she was but
can’t believe she could possibly be.
Soon she finds that she would
rather be online and has developed
friends there – her guild.

The highlight of this comic is the

writing. The story is fascinating and
the dialogue clever, with lines like
“dying sucks!”. There are moments
when laughter erupts in response to
the bizarre circumstances of online
role playing.

Other times pierce your heart with the poignancy of feeling alone or powerless
or worthless. This is a uniquely honest look into a character’s soul sharing all
the tears and giggles that can only be found in a deeply intimate place.

This is worth the money. Grab it the next time you go to the comic store. The
only not to would be to wait for trade paperbacks to come out and get the story
in big chunks.
 Learning from those that do
by CS Cartier

Geekdom – Geekville USA. How many of the

world’s nerdiest nerds can be gathered together? Answer
is the question; how big is the room?

Young – and old – from the infant to some of the original fans of Sci-Fi from
way back in its infancy were all collating, conversing, communicating and
attempting to find commerce for their one of a kind original idea, brand,
theme and even dream. These are the ones that had enough drive to ‘just do
it’. That is the true secret to finding it big. Getting off your butt, ironically
sitting down and put your talent where your month and pen are. The Big Bang
nerd show came to life during the weekend of April 24-25th @ S.P.A.C.E.
[small-press-alternative-comics-expo] in Columbus Ohio.

Many ideas; one theme.

Many dreams; one goal.
To be the next ‘Harry Potter’,
the next ‘X-men’, or even ‘Twilight saga’.
It matters not guy, girl, Klingon, or “want-a-be Mystic Sheep”. The drive is
the same, in each face you can see the wheels of creativity turning and in each,
the passion was obvious. They do not have the airs of artist, they are just as
creative if, it may seem weird or warp. Strange and bizarre most definitely
had a place on the weekend of the Con. The laughter was real, not forced. An
odd snort was most definitely not out of place which makes all around smile.
The wine was cola or coffee, our cheese replaced with sugary goodness.
Artists, you bet. Yes, Geekdom, pure innocent fun with the heart and soul
in the hours and years it takes to accomplish their dreams. I do not want to get
into the who’s, what’s and where’s of CON, I simply want to relay that if you
to have a dream…
…get it done.

I was so pumped seeing what everyone

accomplished. They were proud of that, and
rightfully so. I’d be lying if I said I was a fan of all
the work and projects displayed. They did
something I have yet to do, and that is to own their
dream and stopped the excuses and actually
produced. My hat went off to each of them. To
make it big, no one wants to hear an idea.

The idea speaks for itself. Fans are made by

producing something that they find so good that they are willing to spend
their hard earned money to purchase. They tell a friend and so on and so on.
The con made me refocus my energies, and next con I will be doing more than
walking around with my fellow geeks. I will have something to show them.
That is my goal. Goals are the beginning, only the beginning. A car can only
get you to where you want to go with a map, and fuel. Is your desire fuel
enough to get the job done?

I hope mine is.

If you ever have a chance to go to a similar con, I recommend it. It is pure

harmless fun. And just maybe, you will discover the geek in yourself.
Get your geek on!

Cliff S Cariter, son of Clifford, son of Doreen, father of three, dreamer.

Raised on Saturday Morning Cartoons
by Pauline Paré

Spring is in the air where television is concerned. Lois and Clark of

“Smallville” are finally together and theirs is a romance written in the stars (or
at least written in the pages of DC for many decades) There are a large number
of romances blossoming, at least in several of my favourite shows. Many series
have been created with the express purpose of telling the story of a romance.
We currently have Vampire Diaries and Castle but I am sure many TV fans
have noticed the similarity between Castle and Moonlighting. The “will they
won’t they” questions along with a heaping helping of sexual tension keep
these shows fresh. The trick in these series is to keep the show interesting and
to allow obstacles to the romance or at least hold it off as long as possible.

There hasn’t even been a hint of a date between Rick Castle and Kate Beckett
but the sexual tension is present in every episode. When David Addison and
Maddy Hayes finally ended their long flirtation and took the plunge,
Moonlighting’s ratings dropped dramatically. If the romance begins at the
beginning of the series, we need other interesting plot devices to keep the
show fresh such as in Pushing Daisies where the two lovers could never
actually touch or Vampire Diaries and true Blood which have…well…
vampires. In these series, we always know that the main characters are
destined to be together but they can still intrigue us with the intricacies of the
complicated courtship.
Shows that keep us wondering for seasons on end
can be extremely exciting. No one was really sure if
Rachel and Ross of “Friends” would get together
but their touching reunion in the series finale was
the hot topic of discussion around many water
coolers.

It was even touch and go with Jim and Pam from

“The Office” for a while although I have never
rooted harder for two fictional characters to be
together. Every landmark in their relationship was
fun and fresh. No one knew who Carrie would end
up with on “Sex and the City” and everyone was
surprised when Sam and Dianne went their
separate ways on “Cheers”.

Even Chuck and Sarah seemed doomed to fall for other people in the
beginning of this season of “Chuck” I, for one, was cheering when their
romance finally came together recently. And “Gilmore Girls” had me wanting
to slap Lorelei for not realizing that Luke was and always had been the one for
her.
I think that my favourite romances have to be the unexpected fan favourites.
By this I mean the romances that occur between supporting characters that
begin to steal the show. This year, Angela and Hodgins from “Bones” are still
apart but seem to be coming back together slowly. These characters couldn’t
be more different, Angela is such a free spirit and Hodgins is a geeky scientist
from a wealthy family. Yet they are still able to make it work. I am still a little
sore at the series writers for breaking them up but a good reunion could make
me forgive them.

I will never forget when Xander declared his love for the former demon Anya
on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and changed our entire idea of where that
romance was heading. Daphne and Niles eventually became the heart of
“Fraser” when for several seasons; Niles was hopelessly infatuated with her
without even a hint of encouragement.

The love triangle can always be a steamy and intriguing concept, dividing fans
like two sides on a battlefield. Who can ever forget the Joey/Pacey/Dawson
controversy?

This love triangle was the fuel for many a heated internet debate about whom
Joey should give her heart. I, personally, was rooting for the winning side in
the end.
An even hotter triangle was from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy had a long
relationship with Angel but then eventually fell into the arms of a former
enemy, Spike. Regardless of the motives behind the forbidden romance, the
result certainly heated up the screen, especially when Angel became aware of
the relationship.

A more comedic predecessor to these triangles was the Diane/Sam/Fraser

triangle on the long running “Cheers”. Although Fraser was always a more
stable choice, it is hard not to root for the bad boy. It turned out in the end the
Dianne was the unstable one and both Sam and Fraser were better off for
having her out of their lives but it was great fun while it lasted.

Why this obsession with romance. Why even ask! If we aren’t in a romance, we
are recovering from one or searching for romance. Love makes the world go
‘round and it also makes for good television.

(While I was finishing this article, Hodgins and Angela of “Bones” not only
declared their undying love for each other but married in a jail cell by
cornering a judge the same day they reconciled. All is well in the world!)