BATMAN: The Illustrated Adventures!

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A lot of you have pointed out that I've been experimenting with a new style that uses painterly shading techniques. While I've been working with it, I've had Bruce Timm's gorgeous work from Batman: The Animated Series on my mind. He brings a minimal elegance to his work, with sleek simple colors and just little touches of shading. I've tried to put my own spin on that with this new series of pin-ups based on his classic character designs from the cartoon. As always, you can find all my latest work on my Etsy store!

Catwoman copy

"Selina's Scratching Post."

Batman and Joker copy

"Best Buddies."

Nightwing copy

"Dick Checks it Out."

Robin

"A Big Batsuit to Fill."

Poison Ivy and Harley copy

"Pam & Harley."

RuPaul's Drag Race, Season 7: Episode 1

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So, it's been a long, long wait for Season 7. Will we ever hear an explanation for why we had to wait until March? I doubt it. My best guess is that Logo wanted to pair the Drag Race debut alongside some of its new shows. But regardless, the wait is over, thank the glamour gods. It was rough for me, because this is the first season where I knew two of the girls before they made it onto the show: Trixie Mattel and Pearl! And I was dying to see how they did when thrust in front of a camera and told to be clever or whatever. Now, I love Trixie, and I was hoping Drag Race fans would dig her, too, but I didn't expect her to be the breakout star of the pre-season. Back in January, during my "Week of Ru" voting contest, Trixie won by a landslide. She's travelling all over, booking international gigs, and reddit is abuzz about her.

And boy, are you going to be disappointed.

Trixie_1st_ep
Trixie_1st_ep

No, I'm kidding. Although her aesthetic screams "character queen," she's actually really grounded, resilient, and funny. (And a Wisconsin boy, like me!) I thought she handled the "nude illusion" challenge particularly well this week with her "Barbie doll" realness. In fact, I think she really lucked out, because her runway look establishes what she's going for, that slightly deranged take on drag. I'm disappointed that her look was "safe," though, since I would have loved to hear the judges' comments.

By the way, the "nude illusion" challenge was pretty weird, right? Given the ridiculous censoring, it was hard to tell what the queens were actually showing, what was tucked or not, what was scandalous or simply... cheeky. Most of the tearaway outfits were pretty forgettable, and most of the reveals weren't even worth it. The worst were the queens who just stripped down to a badly painted bodysuit. It just wasn't funny, or scandalous, or glamorous, or even very sexy. Really, I think Kennedy had the best approach with her gorgeous, revealing outfit. It showed just enough to be sexy, but it had style, and she worked it. I totally would have drawn it, except that I would have been way too embarrassed to bring it down to my local print shop. (Also, that sheer, shiny fabric is hell to draw. Seriously.)

Pearl_1st_ep
Pearl_1st_ep

Pearl did well, too, with her high-waisted panties and angular golden chains. What I love about Pearl is that she's able to paint for the gods and bring this stunning beauty to life, but then she really likes to fuck with it. She's got an arty, subversive edge to her looks and to her character. Which could be good or bad for reality television--she can come across as aloof or just over it, but she can also be really frank and funny. So however that ends up, I'm dying to draw whatever she brings down the runway.

Speaking of the runway, what about the mini-challenge? Again, I thought it was weird. The whole episode was kind of weird. I loved seeing so many stunning looks so soon, but I would have rather seen the girls in an unconventional photo shoot, where we see a bit more of their character, how they reacted to whatever ridiculous scenario the producers had cooked up this time.

I was at the Chicago Premiere Party with my boyfriend during the screening of this episode, and during the mini-challenge, you couldn't hear much of the commentary. It just felt like an endless runway sequence, and my boyfriend--new to the Drag Race--asked me, "Is this the whole show? Just wearing different outfits?"

Violet_Tartan
Violet_Tartan

Luckily, Violet saved the show with her sick, ridiculous look. The flip from the black dress to the tartan pattern was so slick and fast, so unexpected, it was perfect. I'm not sure about the matching cap, but still. So far, Violet's among the top runway queens for me. And right now, I'm digging her cockiness and swagger, but we'll see how that goes.

I had to draw one of Jaidynn's looks, too--I just can't resist a sexy sci-fi superhero. And really, I've been down to draw Jaidynn since she was first announced. She's got so much character and confidence without much of a filter, which makes for great reality television, right? I feel like she could be this season's Alyssa Edwards.

Jaidynn_1st_ep
Jaidynn_1st_ep

I guess I'm working backwards through the episode, since I'm getting to the first workroom looks now. Sure, whatever, okay.

So, I'm not afraid to say it, but Katya's one of my favorites so far. I knew nothing about her before the "Meet the Queens" videos, but frankly, she stole the show with hers. Like, the absolute funniest, wittiest bitch on the block. Read her tumblr for proof. It's a gold mine. Full of gold teeth. (It'll make sense later.)

Katya's humor can get incredibly dark and twisted, but she brings a perfect playfulness to balance it out. She's the George Saunders of drag.

Katya_1st_ep
Katya_1st_ep

Yeah, I should have made her look goofier and more sparkly in this, but I wanted it to feel like a Soviet poster or something. Rest assured that any other drawing I do of Katya will be silly and likely obscene.

And finally: Fame. Yes, she comes into the competition with an ego and a reputation. Yes, she will probably be the Courtney Act of this season, struggling to exceed the expectations and assumptions we've already placed upon her. But there's no doubt that she's a stunning beauty, and that she embraces a variety of interesting styles. Both her mini-challenge outfits were jaw-droppingly gorgeous. Her first workroom look didn't feel quite as polished or elegant, but did you really think I could resist drawing shiny purple horn-tentacles? Don't you know me at all?

Fame_Beyond
Fame_Beyond

I wanted a chance to blather by myself about some of my favorite new queens this week, but I'm planning to bring back my "drag dialogue" format with some special guests next time!

You can find most of this week's art on my Etsy store, where you'll also find all my prints, posters, and postcards from previous seasons. You can also check out all my other work on tumblr, and you can read my comics right here.

Since Logo made this first episode available early, I was able to spend more time on this week's portraits. I'm aiming to finish 3 or 4 pieces for each future episode and to post them by Wednesday.

So... see you back here next week? Wednesday, around noon? Yeah?

Everyday X-Men

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I've been having lots and lots of fun working on my "Everyday X-Men" series! With my "Meet the Queens" artwork of RPDR Season 7, I started experimenting with some new tools and methods with my work, and I was eager to keep developing a new style with these superhero pin-ups. Over the course of doing these, I've been able to settle into a more consistent process, and I've been excited by the results. Oh, and you can buy prints right here.   Beast copy 2Jubilee

Nightcrawler copy Colossus copy Rogue Wolverine copy

Diva's Day Off

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Mystique I've been getting the itch to draw more superhero stuff lately, and I've always loved loved loved the X-Men. So many amazing, iconic women, right? I've been experimenting with a painterly style, and I wanted to approximate retro pin-up illustrations, but without the ridiculous posing and objectification in a lot of comics. So I drew some X-Men doing stupid things.

Storm Jean Emma Psylocke

I'll definitely pursue more of this style, and I'm open to experimenting with other geeky subject matter. What do you want to see next?

VREELAND

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vreeland-promo-1I’ve just posted the first installment in a massive new autobiographical comic that’s been years in the making. It’s called VREELAND, and you can read it here. You may ask: “VREELAND? Is that even a word? Why would you call your book that?”

My grandparents lived on Vreeland Road in Ann Arbor, Michigan for many, many years. Whenever the family was referring to things out there, we’d just talk about stuff “at Vreeland” -- the word was synonymous with the life my grandparents had created out there on their rugged five-acre parcel of land.

They spent fifty or sixty years together on Vreeland Road. I spent four.

I had just graduated from college, and I was a mess. I was convinced that if I could just make good art, everything in life would magically open up for me. I was wrong. It took several long, hard months back home with my parents in Wisconsin to realize that.

chad-excerptIt was around that time, late in 2005, that we visited Vreeland for the holidays. My grandparents were in sad shape, their house a mess. Although they had someone coming out twice a week to help out, it was clear that they needed a lot more support to stay at Vreeland.

It was my parents’ idea: I would move to Michigan, head out to Vreeland each afternoon, make some dinner, then have the rest of the day to work on my art. My parents would chip in, along with other family members, to help support me.

It seemed like a good match -- I needed something worthwhile to do with myself, and helping my grandparents was a noble cause.

But even years later, I still don’t know how to think of the fours years I spent at Vreeland. I got to know and care for my grandparents on a level I never could have imagined. There were profound moments, funny ones, and there were ordeals I barely pulled through.

grandma-1I hope to capture that complexity in my comics about that time, to share and make sense of it.

I’ll be posting Chapter 1 of VREELAND in four installments over the next two weeks, one each Tuesday and Saturday.

I’m drawing Chapter 2 right now, and Chapters 3 and 4 are still just rough drafts. So it might take a while. I hope you get something from these stories, that you share them, and that you enjoy your time at Vreeland.

vreeland-excerpt-1

WEEK OF RU, Season 2: Day 6

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One of the most enduring questions of RuPaul's Drag Race, Season 2 is: Why didn't Raven win?

Raven - black
Raven - black

It's fair to say that Raven is one of the most iconic beauties from the show, right? And that she has a mouth to match it.

But it's fascinating to look back at her in Season 2, then in All Stars, and now inthe Fashion Photo RuView. In the second season, she served up pure pin-up realness, unclockable bombshell beauty. In All Stars, she brought a much more exaggerated mug and outrageous outfits, aiming to be more of an avant garde spectacle. And in the more casual videos she does for WOW Presents, she takes a much more laid back approach, serving up impeccable face with occasionally ridiculous and subversive outfits. (Remember those crazy airbrushed T shirts?)

Raven - Country
Raven - Country

Her attitude has evolved, too. Raven came into Season 2 as one of the older, more accomplished queens. She acted entitled to the crown, fiercely judgmental toward the younger, less experienced queens, especially Tatianna. And she wasn't as eager to make a spectacle of herself, to play along with the more ridiculous challenges of that season. (Remember that chicken outfit from the "Country Queens" episode?)

Raven - flamenco
Raven - flamenco

Although she could be funny and cutting in her commentary, she was fairly reserved in the challenges and on the runway. Her friendship with Morgan in the early part of the season gave her a "Mean Girls" vibe, and it wasn't until Drag U and All Stars that we saw her warm up, play along, and have more fun with the other queens.

All of this is to say that in Season 2, Raven had that dreaded "vulnerability" problem. She was too poised, too perfect. She didn't have a storyline of struggle or hardship, whereas Ru frequently acknowledged Tyra's struggles, her son, how much of a difference that prize money could make.

It's just too bad that having a story doesn't mean you have a personality, too.

Raven - diva
Raven - diva

--------------------------------------

Many thanks to all of you for joining in on my WEEK OF RU, Season 2! I'm so glad to have finally illustrated all the seasons of this crazy, crazy show!

20 QUEENS small
20 QUEENS small

You can find prints of my best Season 2 artwork on my Etsy store,as well as my book collection of the entire season,  20 QUEENS!

Share your thoughts on Season 2 in a comment here or find me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook! 

Raven - wings
Raven - wings

WEEK OF RU, Season 2: Day 4

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Okay. Let's talk Tyra. In a lot of ways, Season 2 set the stage for every Drag Race season since. So much of the season's foundational structure and most beloved traditions (Snatch Game, The Reading mini-challenge) started there. Season 2 was so good, was filled with such amazing personalities and performances, that it should be held up as the gold standard of competitive drag queen reality programming.

Tyra - hair
Tyra - hair

Except that Tyra won. Or, at least, that's the complaint you'll hear from many, many Drag Race fans.

The first three seasons of the Drag Race were filmed in their entirety long before they started airing. The winner had been chosen and crowned, regardless what fans thought about it. The winners of Seasons 4 through 6 were only chosen after most of their episodes had already aired, and those selections certainly seem to have been based on which queen had the most vocal fans.

So the most recent season winners haven't necessarily been the best queens, but rather the best reality TV characters. They've been the queens whose talent, personality, and style appealed to the most fans. Which isn't meant to dismiss Sharon, Jinkx, or Bianca -- I was rooted for all three!

What I'm saying is: Tyra would never, ever have won on the Drag Race based on fan reactions. Obviously. But that's not what her season was about.

Ru picked her Season 2 winner based on her performance record in the challenges and on the runway. Tyra was alright in the performance challenges, but she was superb in that season's frequent fashion challenges. She reliably brought dramatic, versatile looks to the runway, often with clever little costume changes.

I think Ru picked Tyra based on her mastery of the craft, the art of drag performance. Ru and the other judges did express skepticism about whether Tyra had star quality, but they had similar concerns about Raven, who often brought a chilly demeanor to the runway.

Tyra - Reunion
Tyra - Reunion

What do so many people have against Tyra? It all comes down to one unforgettable episode, "Here Comes the Bride," wherein Tyra bizarrely sings and dances around the workroom until the other queens snap. Later, on the runway, several other contestants call her out on such frequently boorish behavior, and it's a whole thing. In terms of televised drag queen drama, it is... everything.

But honestly, after things settled down, it seemed like Tyra toned down her behavior. I don't remember anything objectionable that she did for the latter half of the season. She stepped up her game, approaching the challenges with a fierce competitiveness that won her the crown,... but not a whole lot of fans.

Tyra - Finale
Tyra - Finale

What do you think about Tyra? Share your thoughts on Season 2 in a comment here or find me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook! 

WEEK OF RU, Season 2: Day 2

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Tatianna was the most fascinating queen to watch when I was revisiting Season 2 of the Drag Race. She was such a complicated character -- young, but thoughtful. Inexperienced, but versatile and adaptable. The drama between her and Raven was one of the predominant storylines of the second season, and it was so gripping because it was so relatable. Tatianna was a fresh, young queen bursting with talent and surprising us at all the right moments. Raven was a seasoned, accomplished queen who felt like Tati hadn't earned her place in the cast. I could see both sides of the rivalry -- neither queen was the villain.

Tatianna very graciously answered some questions about her time on Season 2, and she proved to be even more reflective and thoughtful than I expected!

Tatiana - White
Tatiana - White

CHAD: There was a lot of discussion during the season about your experience as a drag queen. On one hand, you had been dressing in drag since you were a teenager, but on the other, you had only performed seven times prior to Season 2. What was it like to be on the Drag Race so early in your career as a performing queen?

TATIANNA: It was a little intimidating, especially because I embellished how much I had actually performed. It was actually like 3 times. After seeing all the girls on the first day, I assumed I wasn't going to last very long!

CHAD: Looking back on it, are you glad you were on the show so early, or do you wish you had been on a later season?

TATIANNA: I'm happy I got on, period! The only reason I have grown and progressed the way I have is because I was just kind of thrown into this business following the show, so I'm definitely happy I was on so early. Who knows what kind of queen I would be, or if I would even be performing now, without having my experience on the show?

CHAD: During Season 2, no one questioned your impeccable beauty, but some of the queens claimed you weren't taking your drag far enough. How has your approach to drag evolved in the years since Season 2?

TATIANNA: I've definitely come full circle. There was a moment where I was really piling on the make up and trying to be as costume-y as possible in an effort to be more "drag". Now I try to stay true to the realistic look I'm known for but also mix in different characters and looks to keep it interesting and fresh.

CHAD: Something that's always interested me about the Drag Race is that the best queens don't necessarily make the best reality TV stars. How do you think your personality played on TV? Would you have done anything differently after seeing the season aired?

TATIANNA: Well, for me, I feel a lot of the reason I lasted as long as I did in the competition was my personality and the drama I was a part of. If I could change anything, I would probably try not to care so much about having the other girls like me. To me, I came off a little whiny. But to my own defense, I was 21 years old lol... being almost 27 now, there are a lot of things I would do differently.

CHAD: You really, really nailed the Snatch Game. Like, it was perfection. Did you know what you were in for with that challenge? Had you ever done celebrity impersonations before?

Tatianna - Britney
Tatianna - Britney

TATIANNA: I honestly walked into that challenge really scared. I had never done anything like that, and I had never actually done an impersonation of anyone before. I didn't even really get a feel [that] I was doing so well until everyone laughed at the "I got lost" joke.

CHAD: Season 2 seemed to really put you through the wringer, highlighting a lot of drama between you and some of the other queens. Are there any favorite friendships or memories that we didn't see on screen?

TATIANNA: During my time on the show I got really close to Pandora, Juju, Jessica, and Sahara. I wish some of the times I spent with Sahara got highlighted a little more. She was hilarious and had my back a lot of the time.

Tatianna - Purple
Tatianna - Purple

[Chad’s note: I made some very minor edits for punctuation, spelling, and grammar. No content of Tatianna's responses was altered or omitted.]

Thanks so much for reading! Tomorrow morning, I'll share my new portraits of Pandora Boxx alongside my interview questions with her!

Share your thoughts on Season 2 in a comment here or find me on Twitter and Facebook! 

WEEK OF RU, Season 2: Day 1

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Okay, over the last few years, I've drawn a lot of drag queens. They keep making more seasons of that damn Drag Race, I keep meeting amazing queens in Chicago, I keep working on drag queen board games and video games and comics.... But I've never drawn Season 2 of RuPaul's Drag Race. I get asked about it all the time, because so many of those queens are still beloved and still doing amazing stuff. Here's the T: I started drawing the Drag Race queens in Season 3--it's all Raja's fault. I've been all over the show ever since then. When they re-aired the first season in 2013, I took the opportunity to draw "The Lost Season". But when would I get the chance to draw Season 2?

Well, I found myself with a little bit of time this fall and an itch to draw some queens. So I decided to re-watch the second season for the first time in five years and relive all that glorious drama.

And I loved it.

Here’s what’s great about Season 2:

  • It’s not about the clash of different “types” of drag. For the most part, they’re all going for the same thing, even the “funny” queen (Pandora) and the “fishy” queen (Tatianna). It doesn't make the competition any less interesting--it makes it all the more competitive and compelling.
  • UNTUCKED is superb. No heart-wrenching videos to induce breakdowns or audience sympathy. Just drammmma! And drinking. Lots of that, too.
  • No good guys, no bad guys. Just girls who don't get along, and girls who do.

Over the next week, I’m going to focus on a different queen each day: Tatianna, Pandora, Tyra, Jujubee, and Raven (in that order)

But today I want to share individual portraits of some of the other fabulous queens from Season 2:

Mystique
Mystique

MYSTIQUE

Okay, I couldn't not draw this moment. Come on. I live in Chicago.

And this was in the very first episode of Untucked. See? I told you Untucked was amazing in Season 2. So iconic, so classic. But I feel bad because I do like Mystique a lot, and it sucks that she'll forever be associated with that moment. Especially because that whole argument seemed to stem from Morgan's poking and prodding.

Morgan
Morgan

MORGAN McMICHAELS

Morgan came on the show with a ton of confidence. She was on home turf, an LA queen, and she was tight with Raven. But that confidence, combined with her outspoken tendencies, came across as cockiness. Like, it was important to express her opinion at all times, despite the (sometimes explosive) results.

Still, she's a fierce queen, and she can lip sync for the gods.

JESSICA WILD

Jessica brought some seriously stunning looks to the runway, she’s a high-energy performer, and she’s a total sweetheart.

Jessica Wild
Jessica Wild

SAHARA DAVENPORT

Sahara
Sahara

What can I say about Sahara? She possessed an astonishing grace and elegance that I haven't seen in any other queen. Throughout the season, she struggled to let loose, to drop her guard. And she succeeded in some truly legendary, epic lip sync performances. She was a great beauty and an incredible queen.

Thanks so much for joining me in DAY 1 of my WEEK OF RU! Early tomorrow morning, I'll share my portraits of Tatianna alongside some exclusive interview questions with the queen herself!

Share your thoughts on Season 2 in a comment here or find me on Twitter and Facebook! 

Demons and daydreaming

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Centipede When each season of the Drag Race ends, I'm stuck with the question of "well, now what?"

It always takes me a while to find my footing and my focus, but I've spent the last few months working intensively on my comics. Through all of August, I've declined most commercial jobs for the sake of my long-term comic projects, drawing all day, feverishly trying to keep up my pace of finishing self-imposed deadlines.

It's been great. But comics are hard--it's astonishing how much work you can sink into just a few panels of story. And as I devote more and more time in a project, I lose all perspective of it, all the certainty that it's actually worth finishing. I fall into an artistic rut, drawing the same characters in subtly different poses from page to page. And since I'm doing somewhat static, autobiographical stories, I find myself itching to draw something fun.

So over the last few weeks, I've been taking short breaks from my comics to draw out my demons. Or rather, to draw some demons. I'm not exactly sure why I'm inclined toward the demonic--I guess the extravagant horns, fangs, and face paint aren't far off from the appeal of drag queens.

I don't know when I'll be able to share my latest comics. I don't know whether a publisher will be interested in them or if I'll get mired for months in revision and self-doubt. But as I toil away on them, it's nice to daydream.

Beardy tusks painted face Liara HornsHunky demon Hair Gold