The Art of Paigey

Plugging Away...

2012-01-28T16:14:00.000-05:00

Hi everybody! Not too much to report. I've had 2 weeks in between finishing the lettering of Airgear #24 and starting Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex #3 to focus on some personal projects and long overdue commissions. Here's a couple peeks into what I've been up to:

Gotta love the roller derby commissions!

Inking a portrait for tattoo artist Cyn Rudzis,
who did my Wonder Woman tattoo.

My Christmas present from beloved husband Ballsy also came in- a new iMac since my old one of 6+ years was starting to choke up on me. So nowww I have BOTH of them hooked up and ready to go- and it's looking to be a pretty sweet little set-up. My old iMac (on the right, below) will be used for internets, music and movies; while my new silver iMac will do all of my graphics work, including Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. Beloved husband even got this cool app called Teleport, which allows you to control both computers with one mouse and keyboard. It even makes a cool 'fwoosh!' noise when you go in between screens.

Ground control to Major Pum...

I'm also getting heavily back into my merch and crafting game. Now living the freelance lifestyle my social calendar is at the mercy of an irregular ebb and flow of fundage so I am looking to make as much money as possible at the events I'm planning to attend this year. (Side note: I have now added a calendar of what events I'm actually attending this year to the side bar of the blog.) Plus I just *love* making things. It relaxes me and fills me with a sense of pride. ^__^ So yeah, the first event of the year I'll be selling at is the March 10th bout for Charm City Roller Girls at DuBurns Arena in Baltimore. I'm totally catering my merch to the audience and trying to come up with ideas for stuff that will tie in with the themes for the event. Yay sales. When it's stuff I actually CARE about and can stand behind, I love being a salesperson.

Making magnets of the CCRG 'mascots' Ballsy
designed for his bout poster a few years back

I've also been churning out hair flower designs for Little Asian Sweatshop so quickly that poor Fenny can barely keep up! Here's a few she cranked out this week!

Versatile red bandana flower!
Great for bikers, rockabillies or gangstas!
(See? VERSATILE!)

For all you Anglophiles out there:
The Union Jack flower!

And the 'crown jewel' of LAS-

(at least for now...)

Fenny and I have broken NEW GROUND in hair flower technology!
For all you Portal fans, the glowing
GLaDOS personality core flower!

Be sure to visit the Little Asian Sweatshop and check out all the cool stuff we've got on the way!

Hello 2012!

2012-01-08T00:21:00.000-05:00

Got a lot of stuff cookin' in 2012!

2011 is done! Holy crap, what a year! I frequently used the word 'tumultuous' to describe my goings-on. So many personal milestones and the stressed out times leading up to them- my wedding, a new job, a new lifestyle as a professional freelancer working from home to boot! The new vocation of freelance letterer for manga imprint Kodansha Comics is starting to hit it's stride, I already have my first published lettering work out- Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex book 2: Testation and I'm currently juggling Ghost in the Shell's third book as well as the 24th volume of Air Gear. So so beyond happy to be involved in comics as part of my now dayjob, and to spend all day with my beloved husband Ballsy who works freelance from home as well. And we don't even get on each other's nerves or anything, which is impressive when we sit back-to-back with each other in our home office for hours at a time. Nope, we just blast through season after season of tv shows on Netflix and listen to Bachelor Pad radio all day. We are truly living the dream.

Color sketch/progress shot of my new art book cover- 'Thanks For Your Support!'
Get it? Support? Yuckety yuck. ;D

2012 is laid out before me with more opportunities than ever to share my creations with you and I'm already setting up events well into the year alongside my BFF Fenny's company Little Asian Sweatshop, to deliver a one-two punch of awesome artwork, accesories and hopefully later in the year... *apparel*! Ooooohhh! So far on tap we are going to be vending the March 10th bout for the Charm City Roller girls at DuBurns Arena. I haven't been to a CCRG bout in a couple years so I'm super excited to attend. We also have solidified plans to have a *MASSIVE* corner booth at Heroes Con in Charlotte, North Carolina in late June that we will be sharing along with a few friends. We also plan on attending the NYC Psychobilly Luau again with a vengeance, hopefully this year it won't be during an awful heat wave. Then in September I'm hitting Baltimore with a double-whammy of a release party for my second artbook, titled 'Thanks For Your Support!' at The Ottobar and yet another booth this time at Baltimore Comic Con. I'll send out reminders as these events get closer. There will hopefully be plenty more events that I be involved in, we're always looking out for vending opportunities. Here's to an awesome 2012!

Loki sez 'Happy Mew Year!' >^_^<

Epic wedding video is epic.

2011-12-07T01:32:00.001-05:00

Ok, ok- one more wedding entry and I PROMISE I'll post more artwork!!

I just *have* to share the AMAZING movie GEBBS Wedding Films

shot of Phil and I's wedding day.

(be sure to FULL SCREEN this baby!)

Please check out more of GEBBS's films at his website! He is available for hire!!

Getting back in my groove!

2011-12-06T11:27:00.001-05:00

Now that all the wedding craziness is over I can get back to focusing on my artwork and working fulltime freelance from home! For practice I did two new pinups!

This cute lil' sailor girl, titled 'First Mate' I did as an exploration of different coloring techniques, including a limited palette (there's only 7 colors which is VERY limited for me!) and halftone shading. I might try and see about getting her printed as a tshirt somewhere, since now that I am liberated from my old dayjob of designing tshirts I can actually explore techniques I learned there at my own pace and on my own artwork.

This next piece I did is a portrait of one of my favorite characters from all time, Angel from Rock & Rule. This actually started out as a doodle in a sketchbook from about 2 years ago that I came across last week and decided to breathe new life into. For me coming up with the bare concept of a piece is the hardest part, which I why I so rarely just sketch. I have to have some sort of idea already in my head. But yeah, I lucked out with this little piece where I was able to fix it up and take it to finishes. Which is quite a feat for me with any Rock & Rule fanart as that movie's art style is what I ultimately want my own art to be like and the challenge was to draw the characters without the piece being derivative. I think I did pretty ok, it's like a weird marriage of both my and R&R's styles.

In non-drawing creativity I've been flexing my design muscles as the unofficial Art Director and VP of Marketing for my BFF's DIY company Little Asian Sweatshop, designing flowers and pimping her etsy store out to the masses. My husband Phil is also revamping her whole logo/branding scheme and it looks frigging adorable.

Some of the new hair flower designs I've made are ON SALE NOW!

Click the links to be taken to the etsy listing!

Black and White Chevron Geometric Pattern Mod Rose Hair Flower Fascinator

Black and White Mod Rose Hair Flower Fascinator

Burgundy Ombre Damask Pattern Rose Hair Flower Fascinator

And my personal favorite:

Baltimore Maryland Crab Mini Hair Flower Fascinator

(which is also available as a boutonnière!)

I have lots more flower designs in the works for Little Asian Sweatshop, some pretty high concept! Be sure to bookmark the store and check back on the regular!

Call me Mrs. Ballsy! ;D

2011-11-14T02:25:00.001-05:00

Woo! Holy cow!! What an amazing week in Las Vegas!!

In case you missed the big news- my boyfriend of 6 years and dearest friend and fellow Kubert School Alum for 12, Phil 'Ballsy' Balsman and I tied the knot on Dia de los Muertos- Wednesday Nov 2nd, 2011 at 4:30pm by Elvis at the Viva Las Vegas Chapel in Las Vegas, NV.

Check out the full ceremony!

We were joined by family and friends for an amazing week of merriment and debauchery, including my BFF Fenny (of Little Asian Sweatshop) as Matron of Honor and Phil's BFF Ben Dale (of Ben Dale Done That/Little Knight) as Best Man.

Our wedding was a mixture of everything we love: Rockabilly music, retro lounge culture, Dia de los Muertos imagery, fancy cocktails, Elvis, all under the lights and spectacle of Las Vegas. We had a total of 44 guests, which is a sizable crowd for a destination wedding who all dressed in the theme I had suggested of 'retro spooky cocktail' or 'what you'd wear to Vincent Price's funeral'. The ceremony (as you can see above) was quick, fun, sweet and never took itself too seriously. The Elvis was fantastic and everyone working at the chapel was so excited to see such a turnout. The ceremony was followed by a lovely reception dinner at Nob Hill Tavern at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. Everyone had a great time.

Phil's suit was pieced together with basic separates from JC Penneys, but then dressed up with a black skinny tie, black and white creepers from TUK Shoes and a vintage red brocade Palm Beach dinner jacket we borrowed from our friend Stacey of Atomic Cheesecake Studios, who also took our fantastic engagement photos. His boutonnière was made by Little Asian Sweatshop out of Red Dead Redemption playing cards.

My dress was the Ivory Duchess halter silk sundress purchased from Vivienne of Holloway, with a skeleton cameo corset in white by Louise Black, from Project Runway over top of the bodice. I added more black lace to the dress hem and neckline to give the illusion that it was all one unified piece and hand applied over 350 black diamond Swarovski rhinestone crystals to the dress and corset myself to give it extra dazzle. I also rhinestoned my Little Asian Sweatshop hairflower and bouquet, which like Phil's boutonnière was also made from Red Dead Redemption playing cards. I also wore black John Fluevog mini-heeled maryjanes with black fishnets, black lace gloves and a black chiffon petticoat.

Our cake topper was a set of Dia de los Muertos skeleton bride and groom figurines (from MexicanSugarSkull.com) I had given to my grandmother after we had gotten engaged. She let me borrow them and my mom painted them to resemble our wedding ensembles. The cake was vanilla ganache with chocolate cake inside. Super yum! Fenny and I had prepared the favors ourselves and my mom meticulously packaged them- for the female guests I had made resin brooches with skeleton artwork that I hand rhinestoned and Fenny had made her infamous poker card hair flowers, but with an added twist of them having skull beads in the middle to be on-theme. They were a definite hit. For the fellas we gave Elvis sunglasses and a Jose Pulido Elvis Calavera sticker.

Phil's big splurge for the wedding was the hiring of videographer Michael Gebben of Gebbs Wedding Films to film the whole day for us and edit it down into a 5-10 minute sweeping, hi-def, widescreen, emotionally manipulative movie. He basically ninja'd around us all day with his fancy camera and got lots of cool shots of us. The movie hasn't been finished yet- but from what little I saw of the shots it looks gorgeous. Here's a quickie behind-the-scenes shot of us after the reception at New York, New York.

Seriously can't wait to see it.
Our Best Man Ben was saying how after it's done
we should record a DVD commentary track for it.

Our biggest concerns with the wedding were mostly that we had to plan alot of things sight unseen, since we live in NYC and the wedding was in Vegas. Fortunately my brother had been married 3 years prior in Las Vegas at the same chapel by Elvis but on April Fools Day (yeah my family is awesome). I had gone to FIVE WEDDINGS that year and his was by far the most fun, also I cried like a baby. My mother had even pulled Phil and I aside after the ceremony and told us that if we wanted to have a wedding like that she was all about it. So we at least had SOME idea of what we were going to do for the wedding. Also from a logistical standpoint Vegas made the most sense. My family is from Maryland and Phil's family is from Missouri, yet we both live in New York City. Rather than have the organizational and financial nightmare of having family and friends come to NYC, we figured we'd make it fair to everyone and have our wedding in Las Vegas, therefore not giving any preferential treatment to anyone and it being a sort of vacation for everyone. One of the big things about Vegas however, is how much each casino does NOT want you to leave it's enclosed gambling geosphere. Which is crazy considering how frigging GORGEOUS it was out in the desert in early November (especially when NYC had seen the seasons first slush hit the day before we left). Something else that really drove me nuts in Vegas was the sheer lack of any sense of urgency the cab drivers had taking you from point A to point B. You could get a cab pretty easy in front of a hotel, but GOD HELP YOU if you were off-Strip and had to get a car called. You'd stand there waiting for about 30 minutes before one would roll up, which if you're a bride on a tight timetable made for a VERY STRESSFUL time. Especially being a New Yorker- is this what they mean when they say us East Coasters are all hi-strung? I also had an AMAZING itinerary of stuff planned that was also located off-Strip (or just further down Strip towards Fremont Street) which I never got to do, including eating at The Peppermill, drinking at Frankie's Tiki Room and going to the Atomic Testing Mueseum and Pinball Hall of Fame. Herding 40+ people in cabs to places I've never been and not entirely sure everyone would like would probably take 2 hours just to get everyone there, then to get back to the hotel room would probably take another 2 hours. I eventually realized into the 2nd day of being there that there were plenty of bars and gathering places within the confines of the MGM itself, and that truly important thing about the week wasn't where we were going to be (as long as it was comfy with a well-stocked bar) but that everyone was there having a good time and hanging out.

It may be a cop-out but my favorite moment of the wedding day started once the wedding party all got into the limo and headed to the chapel and lasted til the end of the night. It was the first time in a year I no longer had to worry about wedding preparation and finally just went with the moment. It was here and went off without a hitch. I even got genuinely choked up was when we rolled up to the chapel and I saw so many of my friends and family all hanging out front, dressed in their retro spooky cocktail best with giant smiles all waiting for Phil and I.

The funniest moment had to be during the ceremony while Phil and I were having our awkward slowdance. Elvis was singing 'Love Me Tender', Phil and I are remarking on how utterly awkward and queer it was to be slow dancing under hot spotlights (especially since we have never danced together, nor have I ever slow danced with anyone before) and over behind my shoulder in the first row of pews, my giant 6'3" 350 pound dad is visibly sobbing in his Elvis sunglasses. It was just such an amazing scene.

The only thing totally a mystery to us was how the Nob Hill Tavern was going to handle our reception. I knew the restaurant was still going to have other patrons in the dining room and I was so worried it would be a disaster. Which would be further from the truth, Nob Hill really went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed. Dinner was delicious, the staff was friendly and the space was much more intimate than I had imagined and there was plenty room for people to walk around and socialize with the other guests.

The most important lesson I learned from our wedding was that even if you have a 'low key' wedding, you'll still have alot of work to do to make it come together. If anything it being a low-key, DIY wedding means I had to take on alot of tasks myself. The way I am, I personally cannot let myself do something half-assed. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, and I accept that not everyone shares the ridiculously high standards I have for things and this tends to muddle my ability to delegate tasks. I've always felt that in the time it takes to explain how to do something to someone else, I could have just done it myself. I did accept help from my best friend Fenny and my mother, who are two people who know how particular I am with things and share my OCD-riddled worldview. Fortunately my ideas for the wedding were all realistic and not impossible to do, they just required time and creativity.

---Vendor links---

On Paigey:
Wedding dress: Vivienne of Holloway (dress), Louise Black (corset)
Hair: Sam at Shag Me Salon (style), Nicole at David Alexander (color/cut)
Accessories: John Fluevog (shoes), Little Asian Sweatshop (hair flower/bouquet)
On Ballsy:
Suit: JC Penneys (shirt/pants), SkinnyTies.com (tie), Palm Beach Vintage (jacket), TUK (shoes)
Ceremony:
Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel
Reception:
Nob Hill Tavern at The MGM Grand
Videographer:
GEBBS Wedding Films
Photographer:
Glitter Lens Photography at the Neon Boneyard Museum

Soundtrack:

More Pictures:

More pics to come soon!!

Wedd-ageddon Prep!

2011-10-25T23:14:00.000-04:00

In exactly one week I will be in Las Vegas celebrating my final night of being Miss Paigey and my reemergence as Mrs. Ballsy*!

This being a largely DIY wedding, I along with my BFF Fenny (of Little Asian Sweatshop) and the enlistment of friends and family including Ballsy and my mom, have been working around the clock these past few months making favors, giftbags, the invitations, my bouquet, custom alterations to my dress. Pretty much everything in preparation for the big day on Dia de los Muertos, Nov 2nd. We're already planning a giant blog entry to submit to Etsy/Offbeat Bride/whoever will take us that will be chock full of shameless self-promotion, hotlinks and PR for us and our friends. Phil (aka Ballsy, aka futurehusband) also went above and beyond the call of awesomeness with wedding contributions and surprised me with news that we'll be having our wedding day recorded by GEBBS Wedding Films who also did his sister Holly Moran's amazing wedding video last year! OMGOMGOMG! (You can see Holly's on the Gebbs website front page) We won't be doing a same day edit as our wedding isn't exactly structured in a way where it would be feasible but we should have an amazing video to watch and cherish forevs after the wedding and an amazing opportunity to share and relive our special day for the rest of our lives.

Somehow I'm imagining this:

This week in Vegas just keeps getting crazier and crazier!!

Phil designed the retro-inspired invitation postcard along with Atomic Cheesecake's photos of us.

The Louise Black ribcage corset I'm wearing overtop of my wedding dress. I'm adding black diamond rhinestones to the lace piping along the bones to get a little extra glimmer on me for the big day.

Fenny and my mom collaborated on the bouquet, Fenny created the form, made the poker card flowers out of Red Dead Redemption cards and braided the 'stems', while my mom filled out the rest with silk flowers, beads and dice. I added in rhinestones to the silk flowers for an extra bit of glimmer. My mom had so much fun helping with this she wants to join up with Fenny's Sweatshop and start making more bouquets.

Fenny also made a hairflower for me out of the Red Dead cards- the skeletal face cards work perfectly with the theme of the wedding. I added rhinestones for extra sparkle. I've been going a bit rhinestone crazy- it looks AWESOME in the sun. Like a disco ball!

I'm giving Fenny's poker card hairflowers away to the female attendees as favors. We had a super fun day putting them all together.

I'm also making skeletal resin brooches with rhinestones for all the ladies. I really like the way these turned out, I want to sell these in my own etsy store and at my vending tables at shows once I get back into my crafting groove.

I'm giving the male attendees Elvis sunglasses and these adorable calavera Elvis stickers by Jose Pulido from his Etsy store.

Also if you would like to see the wedding LIVE on webcam- the Viva Las Vegas chapel will have it streaming as it's going on. The wedding itself will be at 4:30pm on Nov 2nd Las Vegas time. East coast time will be 7:30pm. It's a quick ceremony- only 10 minutes long so don't be late! The link for it is here and it will be in the main chapel. Make sure to download the realplayer and familiarize yourself with the site. You can also view the main chapel on earthcam Las Vegas camera #2!

(*Not that I'm actually changing my name or anything about myself! While this is an important milestone in my life, it is not the end-all, be-all of my existence! If anything I'm looking forward to life post-wedding just so shit can get back to normal and I can get back to work without this giant looming party I'm planning stressing me the hell out.)

Engagement Photos with Atomic Cheesecake Studios!

2011-09-16T14:08:00.001-04:00

As you may or may not know, I am due to be getting hitched to my longtime boyfriend Phil 'Ballsy' Balsman in Las Vegas by an Elvis impersonator on Dia de los Muertos, which is November 2nd. Less than two months away. @__@;;

I've started calling it: WEDD-AGEDDON.

And as is tradition, the couple has to take some professionally shot engagement pictures together to use for the wedding announcements and the like and to give an idea of what kind of couple they are to the family and friends and shit. So Phil came up with the awesome idea of using my friend Stacey Barich, of Atomic Cheesecake Studios in my hometown of Baltimore, Md. I've done pinup shoots with Stacey before and it's always a treat to get shot by her. I've even brought groups of girlfriends from NYC down to get their cheeky shots taken and after seeing the amazing and hilarious engagement shoot she did for my friend Kevin and Ida Slaughter we *knew* Stacey was the perfect fit.

Once we knew we wanted Stacey to take our pictures, I figured out the what kinds of themes would best work with us as a couple. I knew I wanted 3 different shoots, one a bright and sunny picnic type scene that would be appropriate for the family and subsequent 'Thank You' cards after our engagement parties, one that was swank with Phil wearing a fez and incorporating Stacey's giant awesome pimp chair for the actual wedding invitation and the final being completely selfish and goofy of us as Frankenstein's monster and his Bride.

This shoot started out G-rated enough, as we were feeding each other hamburgers and hot dogs with intertwined arms, aka 'Long Island Wedding'-style.

But then it started slipping into the gutter as I started salaciously mustarding Phil's hotdog.

We couldn't help ourselves. We're just filthy-minded individuals.

Classy. We used this one for our actual wedding invitations.

I really like my smile in this one, it's super genuine. Also: Phil's EPIC FEZ!!!(Which is actually Stacey's awesome husband Frank's fez. As is the super cool cocktail jacket that we're actually gonna borrow for the wedding!)

I ADORE Phil's face here. You can really see the love and the 'OMG I'm actually marrying this crazy broad!'Or it might be him thinking 'Please don't break the nice lady's chair, honey.'

With the crazy makeup involved, we did these last. Frank did Phil's makeup and it looks AMAZING.

This was also the shoot Phil was the most into. He got to really cut loose and be himself.

My face in this pic is also one of my most favorite pictures of myself ever. I look like I drew me.

So yeah! If you're in the Maryland area and you wanna have an awesome time getting your pictures done, you should schedule an appointment with Stacey!!

GOOD NEWS EVERYONE!! :D

2011-09-05T20:19:00.004-04:00

First off let me just say:
WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! XD

SO IT'S OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL: As of Friday, September 2nd 2011- I have put my two weeks in at Freeze (aka the Tshirt Mines, aka Art Jail, aka my hellish tshirt design job I've been at for 4 1/2 years that was going nowhere), because I will be officially working for Kodansha manga as a freelance letterer! That's right, all- I can *finally* say it.
I *OFFICIALLY* work in comics! XD

This is a HUGE step in the right direction. It will also give me the opportunity to do more stuff for myself once my schedule regulates- more commissions, more projects. I'm hoping to actually start getting my comic together actually DOING the damn thing down the road. What's the old saying? Freelancers work 16 hours a day for themselves instead of 8 hours a day for someone else? But this is sooo much more satisfying of work. Plus I get to have my name on my work and I've got way more control over my incoming money. More work equals more pay! What a concept!
So EXCITED to no longer work in the fashion industry, even if I was in the lower rungs. The entire industry is rotten from the top and full of the worst people. No trends, no buyers, no style guides, no whims, no 'I don't liiiike purple!', no 'that isn't funny enough', no verbage, no Walmart, no cubicles, no snotty fashion bitches in the elevators, no $12 Midtown lunches....
It's just me and the letters.

'Like a fart in the wind.'

I'm not supposed to disclose exactly what I'm working on yet, but it's pretty high profile. My mom actually knows what it is, if that says anything. As of tonight I've finished 40 pages of a 276 paged book that's due at the end of September. Slowly building up my sound effect library. Only 1 approved sound effect font for this particular comic so I've gotta stretch and squash it a bajillion different ways. Once I'm done my final two weeks at Freeze and I'm free to work my full freelance schedule getting the pages done will be a snap. Plus I get to work alongside my most favorite person in the world, my future husband Ballsy. Speaking of which, these next two months leading up to the wedding are gonna be crazy!! And afterwards? Things are gonna be awesome. ^__^

Aftermath: Baltimore Comic Con 2011

2011-08-29T12:34:00.007-04:00

Zoinks! What a weekend!! Baltimore Comic Con 2011 marks my *4th* year of going 'pro-ish'. Having a table and hustling my wares at the Artist Alley as opposed to attending shows as a fan and schlepping my portfolio around to anyone who would give it a moments notice and an ounce of wisdom or advice. With a table you have a home base, a guaranteed chair, your work out on display and an opportunity to make money as opposed to spending it. Which once you start working a convention, it's really hard to go back. I sure as hell don't plan on it.

Baltimore Con this year was busier than I've ever seen it before. I'm sure Stan Lee being there was part of it. It also being a two-day convention, that starts at 10AM both days (ouch), so you either have to get there ass early in the morning or you get there after the doors open to set up. Which when a con opens on a Saturday, it's basically the convention equivalent of being air-dropped in the middle of Panang. Especially since my last convention was Heroes Con 2 months earlier, which was a 3 day convention, starting on a Friday, which eases you into it. But yeah, not this time at Baltimore, plus my table was in a much less desirable spot than it had been last year (smack in the middle of Artist Alley, in the tightest packed row because some jerks behind us decided it'd be cool to turn their 2 tables into a makeshift booth and eat up a ton of space behind the tables), and again, it was CRAZY. So set up was pretty hectic. Pretty sure I had at least 2 panic attacks. @__@;;

Fortunately I had my BFF Fenny there to help with table hosting duties in exchange for some table space to sell her Little Asian Sweatshop hair flowers that had been such a hit at Psychobilly Luau. Which is always awesome because Fenny has an amazing infallible energy and she can schmooze and hustle with the best of them. I also hosted some items from my NYC BFF Christy's etsy store, including her famous Cupcake Eating Batman/Batgirl jewelry. Over all the table was very successful! It's a pity that the signal for the wifi was so bad in the Baltimore Convention Center, because we could have made a *killing* if we were able to use our Square credit card reader. The table was a good success though. Fenny's flowers were a hit, and we became referred to as the 'Wives and Girlfriends Table', which is definitely a niche that few have been able to fill at comic cons. Fenny was able to sell to several unsuspecting fellas while playing the angle of how either they should bring something home from the con to their girl, or if they were actually at the show, they should get them a little somethin'-somethin' for being such a good sport.

The show as a whole was good, though the added crowds were stressful and Artist Alley seems to be getting tighter. Fenny and I were discussing next year possibly getting a full-sized booth to sell our stuff at, especially with the bigger projects and collaborations we're planning on doing next year. We've got a lot of ideas for the future of Paigey and Little Asian Sweatshop and to supplement the cost of the full-sized booth we'll probably 'rent' out space to a select few of our friends as well who would like the exposure.

Next weekend: Baltimore Comic Con!

2011-08-12T10:15:00.005-04:00

Baltimore Comic Con is August 20-21!
My fourth year in Artist Alley!!

Table 130 in Artist Alley!!
To celebrate my 4th year of going 'pro-ish' I'm having a SALE!
ALL WEEKEND! Buy 3 items get the FOURTH ITEM FREE * **!

(* free item will be the lowest priced item)
(**only Paigey items, I'll have friend's stuff for sale at my table that will not be included in the sale)

Convention memories!!
Here's me at my first table ever at Baltimore Comic Con 2008!

Aftermath: NYC Psychobilly Luau 2011

2011-07-26T18:04:00.009-04:00

Holeeeey crap. What a crazy, fun, unexpectedly successful weekend!!

I vended the 5th Annual Psychobilly Luau this past weekend, which is the largest psychobilly get-together on the east coast.

My illuminated table at Public Assembly on Friday!
With awesome giant banner action!

What is psychobilly, you ask? From Wikipedia:
"Psychobilly is a fusion genre of rock music that mixes elements of punk rock, rockabilly, and other genres. It is one of several subgenres of rockabilly which also include thrashabilly, trashabilly, punkabilly, surfabilly and gothabilly. Psychobilly is often characterized by lyrical references to science fiction, horror and exploitation films, violence, lurid sexuality, and other topics generally considered taboo, though often presented in a comedic or tongue-in-cheek fashion. It is often played with an upright double bass instead of the electric bass more common in modern rock music. Psychobilly gained underground popularity in Europe beginning in the early 1980s, but remained largely unknown in the United States until the late 1990s. Since then the advent of several notable psychobilly bands has led to its mainstream popularity and attracted international attention to the genre."

I attended both Friday July 22nd and Saturday July 23rd of the event, at Public Assembly and The Bell House, both in Brooklyn respectively. I never did an even like this, so I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. I had had a bad run of vending at street fairs and flea markets and really wanted to to expand my fan base but wasn't sure exactly what types of events would welcome work such as mine. Then my friend Laura Rebel-Angel get ahold of me about vending the Psychobilly Luau this year, which I had seen posters for in previous years but never had a chance to get out to. I'm always bad at going to shows like these just as a spectator. I don't get out much and when I do and it's a scene I admire but am greatly intimidated by and don't have much personal exposure to I often find myself awkwardly hanging out on the sidelines with friends who have no idea what's going on that I drag with me. So at least having a table set up people can come to me, see what I'm all about and I get this illusion of being involved even though I'm actually a dorky shut-in. Plus it gives me the opportunity to make a little extra scratch on the side. ;)

Meredith and I looove photobooths!!

So along with Meredith, my longtime pal from Maryland up for the weekend as my trusty helper I set up shop Friday evening at Public Assembly in Williamsburg to an overwhelmingly awesome crowd of folks who were super in to what I had to offer. My best friend Fenny even sent up some of the custom-made paper hair flowers she creates for her Little Asian Sweatshop store on etsy to sell for her. Her most popular being roses she crafts from playing cards, like the one pictured below, which were a HIT! Out of the 20 she sent me I have 2 left! Craziness! If you wanna get one for yourself head on over to her etsy store and check out all her goodies!

My BFF Fenny's Sweatshop Flowers-
check them out in her etsy store

I also had my iPhone Square card reader for the show, which I still had yet to properly use (as most convention centers are lacking in phone signals). I must say the ability to read credit cards really put my vending success at the Luau on par with some of my best comic convention table experiences! I really hope I'm able to get some wifi at Baltimore Comic Con coming up, because getting that extra business would be beyond awesome, as people are apt to spend more with a credit card as we've been somewhat conditioned to think of it as not 'real' money.

New *rhinestoned* Paigey jewelry
in the works!

I have been playing around with 'fancier' renditions of my jewelry, as I am fascinated with all things sparkly- especially rhinestones. I blame burlesque. So I got these super cute cameo frames that I put my artwork in, but I felt they needed a bit of extra oomph and working my dayjob in the Fashion District I'm constantly passing all these stores with excellent rhinestones and beadwork. So I eventually learned that one way to attach them to pieces is by these fun little things called headpins, and thus A NEW SUB-OBSESSION IS BORN. So now I'm concocting a separate 'line' of Paigey jewelry that's gonna be all fancy-schmancy with sparkles n' stuff. I'll be adding these new pieces to my etsy store in the coming month and you can also see them up close and personal once Baltimore Comic Con rolls around at my Artist Alley table .

Awesome setup at The Bell House on Saturday!
Now if they could only get that AC working...

*Giant* table spread at The Bell House on Saturday!

More rhinestone Paigey jewelry! Look for it at my table at Baltimore Comic Con
and to go up on my etsy store soon!!

Sasquatch and the Sick-A-Billies!!

I'm definitely going to be back next year to vend for the show, it was a whopping success and I'm already talking to Fenny about her coming up to vend as well with MORE hairflowers and even more goodies that's she and I will be creating between now and then.

Wanna see more pics of the event?
Papermag has a great photo essay right here and Sailor Jerry (one of the sponsors) has some great coverage of Saturday on their Facebook page!

Interview from MoCCA Fest '11!

2011-07-26T13:55:00.005-04:00

I just recently came across this very candid video interview I did at MoCCA Fest this year, by Alrick Collins, aka REDesign Qreative. I go on about Baltimore, Tex Avery, Ernesto Cabral and anatomy.

Which if you peep the viddy at :39, you can get a pretty good gander at some my own anatomy as well. ::hurr hurr hurr::

What I love is you can totally over-hear my table mate Jared telling his friend next to us about how a large percentage of people coming by to see my table are either bright-eyed girls or dirty old men.

You can see my full con report for MoCCA Fest 2011 here!

I'm in the Mega Man Tribute Artbook!!

2011-07-12T10:57:00.004-04:00

Yay! San Diego Comic Con is right around the corner! Not only will all my nerd blogs that I follow and social media outlets be exploding with news of upcoming pop cultural phenomena but I can also officially post my Tron Bonne a la Big Daddy Roth that will be in Udon's Mega man Tribute book that is being released as well!! Yay!!

Official info:

MEGA MAN TRIBUTE LIMITED EDITION HARDCOVER
-the book is premiering at the San Diego Comic-con at the UDON booth (#5037), July 20-24
-for fans not attending the show, you can preorder the book at UDONstore.com

MEGA MAN TRIBUTE SOFTCOVER
-The standard softcover edition is also available for preorder on amazon.com

Interview with Tameeka Time!!

2011-07-11T12:57:00.004-04:00

Back in May '10 I was interviewed over Memorial Day weekend by my good friend Tameeka Ballance, who is a videographer and runs a blog called Tameeka Time that features art videos (including graffiti by my former dayjob boss man Cortes) and Jersey Shore recaps (if you're into that sort of thing).

Give my girl some love and go on over to her site to check out more videos!

Check out the full Paigey coverage over at Tameeka Time here!!

Added some new stuff to my Etsy store!

2011-07-03T14:11:00.003-04:00

Been keeping myself busy crafting the night away and added some new stuff to my etsy store!

Including stuff like my 'Greatest Hits' bracelet, with 8 of my favorite pinup girls on it! It's like a wearable Paigey portfolio!

If you're a fan but live too far away to come see me at events like comic cons and burlesque shows my etsy store is the *perfect* place to pick up some awesome Paigey merch! I always throw in extra goodies like buttons and stickers with every order!

Aftermath: HeroesCon 2011

2011-06-21T10:45:00.015-04:00

Phil and I on Friday at my table at Heroes

Wow- so Heroes Con (June 3-5 in Charlotte, NC) was an absolute BLAST! I can see why it's one of the darlings of the comic convention circuit- super artist friendly, well managed, an amazing guest list with lots to do both outside and within the con. I'm definitely coming back next year and hope to be a Heroes regular! (Maybe even be cool enough to get on the guest list myself one day... ::siggghhhh::)

I also got to inflict my ridiculous outfits on a whole new part of the country! Yay!
There were a couple hiccups, but mostly because it being a unfamiliar con I didn't know exactly what to expect. First and foremost, next year we are SO flying. We took the bus from NYC to my parent's house in Maryland after work Wednesday night, which was running an hour late and is, of course the bus, which is never fun. Then Thursday morning we packed up my mom's VW Beetle and took the 7 hour drive from Maryland to NC. Which is WAY more fun at 21 with no responsibilities and you actually believe there's adventure (or drugs) around every corner, versus at 30 when you're pissed that it's taking so long and you're missing work and thusly losing money. Money which could have paid for the hour and a half flight from NYC to NC.

The Invisible Jet was in the shop. ::snort::

Being a tourist in Charlotte on Friday night after the con.
Side note: if you're in Charlotte check out Irish joint Ri Ra for dinner.
Potato cakes are off the HOOOOOK. ;d

Also, with Heroes Con being so artist friendly, sketches were a very big deal there. Which is something I've never been big on. I actually turned down requests which I felt kinda bad about. I just have this whole thing about focusing my attention on sales and customer service when I'm working my convention table. Standing and being able to present myself alongside my work and address potential customers in the eyes. While wearing a corset and feather headdress. And posing for pictures. It's very hard to split my attention between sales and producing artwork. I'm gonna try next year for Heroes tho, I've already been looking into standing-height roll around laptop desks so I can have my supplies set up to draw while talking and selling. That and I need to convince Fenny to come down with me next year and talk when I can't. Not getting dressed up for conventions however, is out of the question. That's just part of who I am. Plus shoot, it def helps out with getting folks attention, amirite? ;)

Drawing in this kinda sucks. But I'll make it work.
FOR YOU.

Also, with it being a 3 day convention that was away from my usual NYC/Baltimore territory Phil and I stayed at the Westin Charlotte, which is right across the street from the convention center. It is also the official hotel of the con, which forced me to have post-convention socialization for the first time in ohhh 7-8 years? And my first post convention socialization since I went 'pro'. Which was an equal mix of terrifying PTSD from when I used to socialize at conventions alongside mostly a rather unsavory crowd who would regularly embarrass me in front of my heroes/potential collaborators and exhilarating as people are starting to recognize me and my work and I'm starting to become welcomed as a peer into a profession that I've always wanted to to be a part of. Finding a place to hang out at the hotel bar however still has that 'new kid finding a seat in the cafeteria' feeling though. See usually I just go home, tear off whatever crazy getup I'm wearing, order Thai food and watch tv in my pj's. On a rare occasion I've gone out to dinner afterwards with friends, but for the most part I'm so exhausted from standing, talking, smiling, posing and selling I just wanna boogie on home and collapse. But fortunately I had friends at the convention, notably my "twin sister from another mister" Steph Buscema and her hubby Rob Harrigan, who are some of the awesomest, realest, most no bullshit people I know. And talented as hell to boot. Through them I also had the utmost pleasure of meeting kindred spirit and functioning psychopath Marsha Cooke, part of the team who's created/writing Teenage Satan, an insanely cool app/comic/game that Steph is doing the art for. It looks way cool and super fun. Can't wait to play with it!

Check out Teenage Satan's preview:

Something else I was concerned with that ended up working somewhat to my favor was my table placement. All the way in the back of aisle 100, facing the wall it wasn't the most ideal spot for customers and crowd flow. Buuut-- I was also directly across from the only men's room on the convention floor, so coming out of the bathroom the first thing you see is ME! ;D And everyone's gotta hit the can on a long show day eventually. Which resulted in some small talk with some of my fave creators, some I knew from online and other conventions, some I met fresh this weekend. Next year I'd ideally like a more centralized location, but I did make the best of an otherwise crappy spot. One of the folks I ran into was my online art buddy Jared Moriatis of Beast Wreck Studios, who makes crazy colorful, badass tshirts. His Grrrrilla shirt was actually was the one purchase I allowed myself all weekend, which I get always compliments on!

Showgirl on Saturday, I maybe got to sit down for 45 mins of the 8 hour day while wearing this.

Both Friday and Saturday had me a little worried money-wise, as the earnings from my table by Saturday night were disconcerting at best. Lots of talking but no one was really buying anything. People seemed more interested in superhero related merch and interpretations of already existing franchises versus original characters. Also I was outside of my NYC/MD 'territory', I've been working to get myself out there on a local level up north, but down here I'm an unknown. I heard about the Saturday night art auction before coming to the con, with it being a big deal and stuff goes for crazy amounts and it helps Heroes be the awesome convention it is, plus it's awesome PR and gets the people who run the show to notice your work. (And maybe invite you back as a guest. Nudge. Nudge.) So in a random fit of karmic desperation, I put my Kitty Pryde marker piece that I did like 7 years ago in the auction for a paltry $45. The same piece that has been in my print book on my table for the past two years that anyone could have bought at any time from me, but at the actual art auction, which I was too tired to make it to myself, ended up selling for over $200! Haha, alright! Can I get the rest of my stuff sold thru them and keep the money? Shoot. Wish I had made the auction, it sounded like a good time.

My Kitty Pryde piece for the Art Auction

Sunday I had my 'Sunday Sale-On Sailor! Sale', where I dressed like a sailor and all items at my table were buy one get one half off (of the lowest priced item). The interest generated in my work from the auction plus the return of people who spent most of Saturday just talking to me to my table on Sunday to buy made me earn back well over my table costs. Which was an awesomely pleasant surprise. We were also invited to the 'Dead Dog Party' after the show at Heroes Aren't Hard to Find, the comic shop that puts it all on. It's mostly for all the pros and people who work the show as a big 'thank you' and an opportunity to mix and mingle alongside fellow creators. And eat some awesome southern BBQ! After awhile we figured we'd head back to the hotel bar for a nightcap with a few friends and actually ended up closing down the bar with Marsha Cooke and her husband, legendary artist/creator Darwyn Cooke (pardon my fangirl moment: ::squeeeeeeeeeee!::) and new friends writer/artist/smartass Andy Belanger and awesome supercouple Jeni and Ben DeFeo. I even helped Marsha discover one of her new favorite drinks, Stoli Blueberry vodka and Sprite, which she has dubbed the Blueberry Pop. 'It's freakin' effervescent, man!' And yeah, totally delish. I get them all the time. ^_^ Try one for yourself next time you're at the bar!

Me at my table on Sunday, being a retail dork.

Overall, I can see why HeroesCon is so beloved by professionals and fans alike. I wish more conventions were like Heroes, with being so out for the fans and pros alike and all for the love of comics. No giant pavilions. No multi-media assaults to the senses. No giant movie props or platoons of booth babes. ::cough cough:: Like NYCC... ::cough cough::

***Thank you to Tony Hicks and Joe Hicks for the awesome pics from the show! You two are sweethearts!**

I'll be vending at the Psychobilly Luau! (7/22-23)

2011-06-11T13:47:00.009-04:00

I'll be a vendor at the 5th Annual Psychobilly Luau Weekender in NYC next month, July 22nd and 23rd!! I'm VERY excited about this! I've wanted to go for as long as I've been living in NYC but never got to for one reason or another, so going AND vending is like two awesomes in one! Yay!
I'm currently working on a few new show-specific type pieces that I'll have on merch by the time it rolls around. Nothing too crazy, just some cute little stand alone girlies that'll appeal to the psychobilly/hula crowd. I'm very excited about expanding my audience into the psychobilly crowd, I really want to start vending at other subcultural events besides comic conventions. I'm also looking into the Baltimore Tattoo Arts Convention as well!

One of the pieces I'm working on is a little luchadora girl with mask and cape. I think she'll make a sweet magnet/brooch and maybe some stickers.

I also just recently completed a sexy little nurse on a pill, titled '..For What Ails Ya!'

So far I have her on some pillboxes and as a magnet/brooch. She sure is a cutie! ^_^

I'll be at Heroes Con this weekend!

2011-05-31T10:50:00.004-04:00

Rolling out a new sticker/button design!

FYI! Beloved future husband Ballsy and I will be at Heroes Con this weekend at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte NC! Got a Small Press table, got a big rolling toolbox full of merch and a suitcase full of kooky outfits!
This being my first year attending Heroes I am SUPER excited! I've heard ALOT of great things and I'm looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones! And drinking.

Click here for more info about Heroes Con!
Hope to see you there!

My Dr. Sketchy's Baltimore Artstar Session!

2011-05-22T18:56:00.000-04:00

The recap blog of my Artstar session is up over at the Dr. Sketchy's Baltimore chapter's blog!

The Dr. Sketchy's Artstar session that I sold merch and modeled at was a great success! It was pretty tough modeling for 3 hours straight with 3 different costume changes, which I probably would have limited to maybe 2 costumes. Leave it to me to over-exert myself for my fans. ;P

I had done a shorter length Sketchy's session for King Con Brooklyn last year that was about half as long and that didn't really prepare me for how physically challenging it is to hold even the most basic poses for several minutes at a time. ESPECIALLY IN HEELS AND A REALLY TIGHT CORSET (My friend Meredith laces corsets almost TOO effectively). There was a moment during the first 20 minute pose where I thought I might pass out, which would have sucked. Fortunately I didn't, and the audience was cool with me sitting back for the last 5 mins of the pose. I've always had respect for life drawing models, but now especially I gotta give them ALOT of credit. It's frigging hard work.

Be sure to check out the blog for more pics from the night and some awesome sketches, including some done by my friend Jeff Lance whose artwork is way awesome!

Extra! Extra! I'm in the paper!!!

2011-05-14T17:26:00.000-04:00

While at MoCCA Fest last month I had the pleasure of meeting Holly Wilensky, aka The Dress Recycler who is a fashion blogger for The Queens Ledger up here in NYC, as well as The Brooklyn Star, Queens Examiner, LIC/Astoria Journal, Forest Hills Times and Greenpoint Gazette! She really dug my crazy 'convention drag' and my pinup art work so we got together on the phone after the dust of MoCCA Fest had settled and I told her what I was all about for the Local Designer Spotlight!

You can see the article in these following papers:

The Queens Ledger

The Brooklyn Downtown Star

Queens Examiner

Greenpoint Gazette

Long Island City/Astoria Journal

Forest Hills Times

"Paigey embodies fun, flirtatious and fabulous; a true live character who brings her designs to the public on a personal level, where people can really relate to what she is illustrating. “The lines tend to blur between my art and myself,” she said."

All the world is waiting for youuuuu

2011-05-11T18:03:00.001-04:00

So with the help of my pal Cyn Rudzis of British Ink in Washington DC I committed my love of Wonder Woman in one of the most permanent ways possible. You might remember Cyn from when I got my Kitty Pryde tattoo on my right arm last year. I absolutely adore her work and I always have so much fun getting zapped with hundreds of ink-filled needles by her that I decided it was time to make good on the trade her and I had talked about. (I *love* doing art for tattoos by artists I absolutely adore!!)

She really outdid herself! I love the red outline on the lasso and she worked in the Invisible Jet!! She even gave her the New Frontier-style boot guards and sword! BADASS!!!

In exchange I'm going to do a portrait of Cyn and her fellow British Inkers as a comic book cover. I'm leaning towards a Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD by Steranko type vibe with a little retro 007 movie poster thrown in. Once I start it of course, it's gestating at the moment. ;)

If you're in the Washington DC area and want to get a pinup tattoo (or really anything- check out her portfolio! The nature/animal/flower work she has is incredible as well) I can't recommend Cyn enough- her sense of composition, detail and color are sick, sick, SICK and her girls are some of the cutest around.

Next week! Dr Sketchy's Artstar session in Baltimore!

2011-05-02T22:29:00.004-04:00

Hey all! Just letting you know if you're in the Baltimore area- I'll be modeling for Dr Sketchy's Anti Art School on Monday May 9th! Starts at 7pm but you might wanna get there a little earlier to get a good seat! Gonna be wearing some of my con costumes and they will be merch for sale! Check out the flyer!

From the FB invite:

"Please join us at our next night of drawing, drinking, and dames at the Windup Space on May 9, when we'll have a special Art Star session featuring illustrator Paige Pumphrey, aka Paigey!

Baltimore-bred, Brooklyn-based Paigey is a rockabilly sweetheart who specializes in comic-inspired pinups. Her girls are cherubic and cheeky and every smile is packed with personality! Is it life imitating art or art imitating life?

As always, doors open at 6 and drawing starts at 7--and seriously, show up early to get a good seat. We'll have crazy drawing contests with prizes from Atomic Books, Artist & Craftsman Supply, and Baby Tattoo Books.

$8 at the door, and you must be 18+ to attend, and 21+ to drink. No photography or paints, please.

(Flyer by Paigey! Check out more of her work at http://theartofpaigey.blogspot.com/)

Full details and FAQs at http://drsketchysbaltimore.wordpress.com/"

Aftermath: MoCCA Fest 2011

2011-04-15T14:33:00.008-04:00

Yeah, I started wearing wigs again. God help us all.

This past weekend was MoCCA Fest 2011- the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art's annual fundraiser and my first con of the year. I shared a table with Jared Fletcher, my longtime pal from Kubert School! (He's got a crassly hilarious webcomic called Stranger Fictions that you should check out.) I actually wasn't going to do MoCCA this year until Jared asked if I'd wanna split a table this past fall. I'm actually really glad I did now, it was a good time and I got to hang out with friends I don't see as often and meet some supercool peeps. I even got to talk to some folks from Society of Illustrators who were interested in having my products in their gift shop! And it's there and you can purchase exclusive Paigey products there now! Icluding my lipstick cases with Bitchcraft Apparel! Society is supercool- they've had exhibitions of original pieces from JC Leyendecker and Robert Crumb, who are 2 of my favorite illustrators ever!

Before table set-up (and lipstick applied!)

Table's all set up!!

Wonder Woman on Saturday!
Photo by BAS Photography

Wonder Woman LOVES kimchi! ^_^

Ooh la la! New dress and new rhinestone word ballon fascinator!!

With Jared on Sunday

My fiancee Ballsy and I signing stuff for fan Eric Hayes

With R. Robert Pollak of Katy Keene fame

So yeah, still not sure if I'll do MoCCA again next year or not. As far as indy-style shows go it's pretty good. And it's local. But the tables are super expensive to non-MoCCA members. It was cool to test out all my new products on an audience as well. The new glass jewelry is doing well and the stash tins are def a hit. I also am going to get my Etsy store up and running after so many people got on my back about it. I have a tabletop photo studio on order and a weekend of freedom coming up to take product shots. So keep an eye on my Etsy store for a big update. ^_^

I've got a lot going on right now.

2011-03-29T15:03:00.007-04:00

The past few months have been somewhat tumultuous. 2011 is definitely gonna be a crazy hectic year already and for some reason I'm just *compelled* to throw in more shit to do and more things to pine over. Things like getting married, getting ready for conventions, day job disgruntlements, wanting to do more flea markets, attempts at weight loss, etc., etc. It all adds up. Oye.

So to help me deal with all this craziness, I have been CRAFTING and DRAWING like a BEAST. Idle hands are the devil's playground and all. Plus I really shine when I'M STRESSED AS ALL HELL. @__@

So what have I been doing?

As a reaction to something particularly fucked up that happened at my day job last week, I drew this little doodle of myself as Spartacus from the season finale of Spartacus: Blood and Sand (which is an awesome show that I highly recommend, especially if you like nudity, bloody battles and colorful language). Protip: Never piss of a cartoonist. Or do, if you want to see them draw crazy pictures as they deal with their internalized rage.

I'm also working on a super-deformed pic of Phil and I for our upcoming wedding celebrations that I plan on printing out as cupcake toppers and making into Shrinky Dink magnets for wedding guest favors.

I finally finished Lady Blacula, who along with Varla (the blonde vampire pinup I did last month) round out my first edition of Coffin Girls that I'm decoupaging on small craft coffins and selling as stash boxes.

They'll be $40 each. Look for them at my convention tables and on my etsy page! My original source no longer carries the craft coffins I was using, so these might be it for awhile, at least until Halloween when I'm hoping there will be more readily available.

Another sketch I was playing around with. I had an idea for a series of pics that are pinup girls with a tattoo flash vibe. Another one of those projects that I'm working on when I have a second.

Also with MoCCA coming up next weekend I'm cranking out con merch as fast as I can.

Lots of glass jewelry, including rings and necklaces; as well as lipstick cases.

Packs of temporary tattoos! 6 designs- $10 each!

Bracelets! Prolly won't have any in time for MoCCA, but def will have some in the future!

Bottlecap necklaces! Only $5 each!

Oh Internet Fame, you are a strange mistress indeed.

2011-03-10T21:45:00.009-05:00

I consider myself a pretty with-it chick. I'd even daresay Internet Savvy. But I just don't really get Tumblr. Or maybe I just have too much other shit going on. Either way, one of my friends told me I was on some rather popular Tumblr called "Look at This Frakking Geekster", which is a play off "Look at This Fucking Hipster", which living in the hipster stronghold of Williamsburg, Brooklyn I am ALL TOO familiar with. Anywho, so LaTFG had posted a picture of me in my Wonder Woman costume from Baltimore Comic Con last August. You can read my recap from the weekend here. It's been re-posted and noted and all sorts of stuff on various blogs, many in support of curvy chicks (yay!). I don't understand it, but it's neat to read all these nice things people have been saying about me and my outfit. Especially since in my humble opinion, it's not the best picture of me. But hey, whatevs.

Really my only gripe is that I can't really get in on some of that traffic. Or can I???

Click the pic to be taken to Look at This Frakking Geekster

In other news, my team-up with my friend Ida's company Bitchcraft Apparel has yielded some awesome results, including the first round of lipstick cases which are now available in Baltimore boutiques, including Novelty Haus and 9th Life!

Novelty Haus

9th Life

If you're in Baltimore area, pop on by these awesome stores and check out their wares!!

Things I Love Thursday (3/10/11)

2011-03-10T07:56:00.000-05:00

***Butthole Surfer's 'Who Was in My Room Last Night?' video***

You ever see something during your formative years that you forget about as you get older only to revisit it as an adult and find out it had a huge subconscious impact on you as a person? That's what I realized about this video. All the hot rod, low brow, kustom kulture stuff that I always had an interest in but only became a serious fan of in the past 3 years or so can probably be traced to me at 12 watching this video on Mtv and having my pasteurized suburban vanilla adolescent mind blown away. I had no idea what I was looking at but I wanted to. Unfortunately it being in the dark ages before the internet, I couldn't look up on Google who did the art for the video (which was Robert Williams, one of the founders of the low brow art movement) and me being a shy, nerdy 12 year old who was still holding on to her Ninja Turtle action figures, I was too intimidated by the 'cool' people in my neighborhood/school/limited social circles to ask about music or bands or anything. So it gestated for about 18 years til I randomly checked out the video on Youtube 18 years later. And all the pieces fell into place.

***Liquid Television's Dog Boy segment***

"Dooooog booooooy!!!! AWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOO------!!"

I've sang the praises of Mtv's Liquid Television before. Oh back when Mtv had smart, relevant programming and actually played videos. Sigh... what's truly upsetting is when you're an oldie like me you remember all this awesome stuff Mtv used to do, and then you see how far the network has fallen. I'm looking at you, Jersey Shore.

Anywho, Dog Boy is based off the work of cartoonist Charles Burns, famous for his run on Black Hole. I love the use of prosthetics, post-production shot framing that looks like a panel and crazy lighting and set design. Everything looks like a comic strip, and I can't get enough of that rubber hair.

***Java's Bachelor Pad Radio Podcast***

From the website:
"Every week, The Bachelor Pad Radio Show features music every swinging bachelor needs to have. Lounge, cocktail, exotica, private-eye jazz, and even a touch of retro-swing from the likes of Esquivel, Martin Denny, Yma Sumac, Julie London, Les Baxter, Frank Sinatra, and many others. Tune in and enjoy! "

Java's Bachelor Pad radio is one of the only podcasts I listen to on a regular basis and it is for me the perfect music to draw to. With every episode I find at least 2-3 songs I simply HAVE to have on my iPod right after listening to it. Also, the Podcast ties in with Bachelor Pad magazine, which is a quarterly publication in the style of mid-century men's magazines. I have even taken ads out in a few issues for my blog!

Her Royal Craftiness!!

2011-02-26T09:44:00.014-05:00

So with my self-imposed commission blackout on the horizon, I've started playing around with some of the stuff I want to experiment with. One of the things I wanna work on is alot of new merch ideas for my tables at comic conventions! My 'NYC BFF' Christy gave some awesome ideas and links to places for really cool jewelry supplies.

Here's some of the stuff I've been working on with that:

There's rings, necklaces, charms for earrings and zipper pulls, magnets, brooches and little tin stash boxes!

I'm still figuring out the process of making everything, but I'm super excited about the rings and stash boxes!! I hope to have a ton made for MoCCA and Heroes Con coming up!

I'm also working on another project where I'm taking these little wooden coffin boxes and I'm going to paint them black, decoupage some artwork on them, add embellishments like beadwork and glue in some red velvet on the inside.

I'm drawing some vampire girls special just for this project!

A mock-up to check the sizing- looking good so far! I'm also going to add artwork to the sides as well!

Finished art!!

Next one I'm doing is a Lady Blacula!

Not sure exactly how much I'm going to charge for these yet. I need to make the first one and judge on that how big of a pain in my ass they are to make and price them accordingly.

I will be at MoCCA Fest this year!

2011-02-17T10:36:00.002-05:00

Hey! Just wanted to drop a quick line that I'll be at MoCCA Festival, the annual comics convention put on by the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art in NYC this year sharing a table with my friend Jared Fletcher of Studio Fantabulous!

Check out his webcomic Stranger Fictions!

MoCCA Fest Info:
April 9-10, 2011
at the 69th Regiment Armory
68 Lexington Avenue New York City

I'll have some new merch available, including my lipstick cases, some nifty glass jewelry and new prints! Hope to see you there!

Things are getting done!

2011-02-14T09:44:00.009-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

As a present I finished TWO freelance projects! YAYZ!
1 more to finish and 2 more to start before my self imposed commission blackout takes effect and I can focus on some selfish art FOR ME!! Muahahaha! ::wrings hands menacingly::
Which mostly just means I'll have more time to work on cooler, more experimental stuff and really take my art to the next level. So it's really all for you lovely people, in the end.

Enz's postcard to be given out at the Magic Trade Show in Las Vegas:

Enz's is a really cool store in the East Village of NYC that sells LOTS of super cute dresses, purses and jewelry!

Also did a portrait of NYC burlesque troupe The Rhinestone Follies:

The Rhinestone Follies are a classical burlesque troupe based in NYC featuring (L to R) Hazel Honeysuckle, Beelzebabe Agogo and Kita St. Cyr! They perform regularly at the R Bar on Bowery- I highly suggest checking out one of their shows!

Sneaky Peekies!

2011-02-01T13:38:00.005-05:00

Been super busy with about 5 projects on the burner right now. All at varying levels of completion. Here's some peeks at what I've been working on!

My submission to Udon's Mega Man tribute book:

I'm actually not supposed to show this until the actual book comes out this summer. But I figure I can give you an itty bitty peek. My piece is of my fave Mega Man character, Tron Bonne on her Gustaff (robot) with some Servbots (those little Lego-man looking things) in a Big Daddy Roth-type style. Super hoping I get in the book. It's open to artists world wide, and to be included would be super awesome.

I'm also doing a promo piece for Enz's, a super neat rockabilly frock shop in the East Village. I love going there and the lady who runs it is frigging cool as hell. I've talked to her at a few different rockabilly and burlesque events and being a fan of my work, approached me for a new design for a postcard in my retro comic cover style to give out at the upcoming Magic convention in Las Vegas.

Also! Also! I will be featured at Baltimore's Chapter of Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School on Monday May 9th from 7-10pm at the Wind-Up Space for one of their first *ARTSTAR* sessions, where I will be selling my merch as well as modeling! VERY excited!! More info on this as we get closer to the actual date!

Things I love Thursdays 1/13/11

2011-01-13T12:06:00.002-05:00

My 5 favorite movies of all time:

#5:

Trainspotting

I saw Trainspotting in the theater my junior year of high school on a quasi-date with a classmate. It was my choice of activity, and also our only date. I think I scared him. Haha, oh well. The movie blew my 15 year old brain away. Marcus Renton is also who I would be if I was a dude.

#4:

Streets of Fire

The most recent addition to my top movie list, I finally saw Streets of Fire about 2 years ago via Netflix after being curious about the video cover when I worked at Tower Records back in 2001. I love how dramatic it is, especially with half the songs on the soundtrack written by the great Jim Steinman, who also wrote for Meatloaf and Bonnie Tyler. It also has an evilly hot young Willam DaFoe looking amazing with his quiff and vinyl butcher overalls. And also has Lee Ving, lead singer of the 80's hardcore band Fear and Mr. Boddy from the Clue movie.

#3:

True Romance

I didn't see True Romance until about 2006. I had no idea it was written by Quentin Tarantino, and is his more optimistic version of Natural Born Killers (which he wrote later out of frustration that no one was interested in True Romance). Once I finally saw it though I was in love. Clarence and Alabama are just the absolute ideal of two people completely in love with each other. I even plan on getting my own version of the True Romance cupid tattoo on my inner upper left arm with the words 'You're so cool' in the banner eventually.

#2:

Phantom of the Paradise

I saw Phantom of the Paradise in high school and immediately loved it upon first viewing. The music, the visuals, THAT HELMET. I still want to make a 'femme' Phantom costume and make my BFF Fenny be a lady version of Swan. I've already got the helmet, just need the cape, catsuit and voicebox.

#1:

Rock & Rule

What can I say about Rock & Rule that I haven't already said? Haha, well, I'm going to get Angel, the female lead tattooed on my left arm this spring in Sailor Jerry classic pinup style by Cyn Rudzis, one of my new favorite tattooist. And I really need to just get on making some 'I survived the Mok concert' buttons. If not just for myself.

Hey! It's 2011 and I'm doing stuff...

2011-01-07T15:42:00.009-05:00

Happy New Year, all!! I'm back from my week and a half in Maryland and Missouri to visit family for the holidays. Felt like I was gone 2 months. Time moves differently outside NYC. Fun to see everyone but I'm so glad to be in my own house among my stuff and my precious furbaby Loki.

Sooooo happy. She purred so loud when we got home we could hear her across the room.

So yeah, my New Year's resolution for 2011 is to take the same amount of energy I expended in 2010 on extroversion and focus on some introversion. While 2010 was a big art/business/public persona year, I think 2011 is going to be a very personal/ introspective year for me. More looking inward to myself, taking 'me' time, focusing on the creation and experimentation of art than just getting it out there. I definitely need to get back on track with some drawing for me. Been stretching myself too thin this 2nd half of the year with all the conventions and my dayjob and just crazy extra curricular projects. I need to get on some drawing for me time hardcore. I look at this blog and it's all pictures from cons and parties the past 6 months, no art! Same with my FB fan page, that poor, neglected thing! Who knows, maybe I'll even get to writing something this year. (Whoa now...)

To flex my creative muscles, I've been taking on a few new projects that are pretty much just for me to dick around with.

One, being The 365 Project, which is when you take and post 1 photo per day for an entire year.

The other being a collaboration with my friend Ida's company Bitchcraft Apparel, of hand decorated lipstick/stash cases featuring my artwork. Each black or brocade case will be unique with sequin trim around both the image on top and the mirror inside, they are big enough to hold 2 lipstick tubes- or something a little more illict maybe? ~__^ They will be available for $20 each at various locations, including my etsy store and convention tables, Girls Drawin Girls' etsy store and convention tables and 9th Life in Baltimore Maryland.

Other than that though I'm working on the last of my commissions before I take the year off and work on some more personal pieces, and I'm also working on a submission to Udon's Mega man tribute book that I'm not allowed to show. (Boo!) No telling if I'll actually make it into the book or not, but if I have a chance to I'm definitely taking it. My submission is going to be a Big Daddy Roth style Tron Bonne in her robot from Marvel Vs Capcom 2.

Sketches and Taking a break from commissions in 2011

2010-12-03T18:09:00.008-05:00

Hey all! Just wanna make an announcement that I'm not taking on any new commissions this coming year. I need to have some 'draw for me' time. I feel like I've been in the same level of competence for the past couple years and to get better I really need time to experiment. If I already talked to you about a commish then I'll still do that. But no new ones. I need to get back into sketching hardcore, and there's only so many hours in a day. Seeing as how my 2011 is already going to consist of my first out-of-state convention in 7 years, putting together a 2nd artbook, planning at least 2 engagement parties, getting married, a solo art show in Brooklyn and configuring some sort of career path, I'd say my plate's already a bit full to begin with. @__@;;

Some sketches:

Varla (Tura Satana) from Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!

I also did a sketch of my 'wedding ensemble' for my upcoming wedding to Phil Balsman on Dia de los Muertos next year in Las Vegas. (He proposed on my 30th birthday.)
The dress is going to be from Vivien of Holloway, corset from Louise Black and hair inspired by Patricia Day of the Horrorpops.

Dr. Sketchy's presents: The Factory!

2010-11-18T12:02:00.000-05:00

So on Saturday 11/13 Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School had a special blowout session at the Brooklyn speakeasy The Red Lotus Room that was themed after Andy Warhol's Factory.

My inspiration for the night

NYC BFF Christy and I, always eager to dress up cute, attended as Warhol print versions of Liz Taylor and Marilyn Monroe. My surrogate little brother and tattooist Paul even came up from Maryland with his girlfriend Chelsea just for the party. Good times were had by all!

Liz and Marilyn scoping out the scene

After a couple drinks channeling Norma Jean got a little too easy...

With my lil brudder Paul

With the rest of the Sketchy's crew

I'm on Funny or Die!!!!

2010-11-15T19:43:00.005-05:00

So yeah, remember when I got to meet and get my picture with Pee-Wee a month ago when he did that Foursquare promo?

Well, the VIDEO of his adventures around NYC is up on FunnyorDie.com and you can see a certain bespectacled punker girl reduced to utter speechlessness at 2:58! Like really, my hands were shaking and I thought I might burst into tears.

Pee-wee's Foursquare Day! from Pee-wee Herman

And just to show you how much I LOOOOOVE Pee-Wee, here's a couple pics from last year's Halloween when my fiance Phil and I dressed up as Miss Yvonne and Capn' Carl. BEFORE I EVEN KNEW HE WAS MAKING HIS BIG COMEBACK!

It's Cramp-us!!!

2010-11-15T17:07:00.005-05:00

Live in NYC? Like The Cramps? Down with Krampus? Dig the ta-ta's? Come out to Cramp-Us on Dec 5th!

Facebook event page here!!

Did up a quick flyer for my sword-swallowing friend The Lady Aye for a burlesque show she's producing called Cramp-Us, which is a glorious marrage of The Cramps, Krampus and burlesque. This is the 3rd installment of this show, I saw the first one last December at the old Slipper Room, then missed the 2nd one that also featured my art on the flyer due to it being all the way down in Coney on Thursday. But THIS time it's in Manhattan on a Sunday and I am SO not gonna miss it!! So excited to get to do another flyer, I really do love doing promo for shows I can really get behind.

Aftermath: KingCon Brooklyn 2010

2010-11-11T10:09:00.015-05:00

KingCon Brooklyn was this past weekend, and also marks the end of my big convention year for 2010!

Me at my table on Saturday- rocking my new Louise Black corset!

Another 2 day con (thank goodness- 3 day cons kill me...) I worked at my table and sold all day Saturday. Sunday I sold the first half of the day then took part modeling in a special mini Dr Sketchy's session and afterwards spoke in my first panel ever! Excitement!

I also met legendary X-Men write Chris Claremont! He created Kitty Pryde!! He was impressed by my tattoo! I was also super duper nervous to talk to him.

I was also part of a video made by The Brooklyn Cowboy who asked around the con What makes Brooklyn awesome?

Go ahead and pretend my feathers ain't luxurious...

Sunday afternoon I got to model for Dr. Sketchy's Anti Art School, a bi-monthly cabaret life drawing session and worldwide phenomenon I usually attend as a guest artist with my friend Christy. I've been attending Dr. Sketchy's for about 2 years now and have become friends with Sketchy's founder Molly Crabapple, who I practically squealed with glee at via email when she asked me if I would like to wear the showgirl outfit I wore to NYCC to the KingCon Sketchy's session as a model. I was ALL ABOUT IT! I even made a little playlist just for the occasion!

NYC BFF Christy got some great shots from the session (which you can see above on the flickr slideshow) and I had a GREAT TIME modeling! I even got to be in the Dr. Sketchy BLOG!!! XD I hope to have more opportunities to model for life drawing sessions (of the non-nude variety) as I have a TON of crazy outfits and costumes I could utilize. Just sayin'. ;)

After the Sketchy's session, I got to take part in my first ever panel discussion for 'Hips, Lips and Pencil Tips: Sexualization of Women in Comics from a Feminist Viewpoint'. Thought it'd be funny to keep my showgirl costume on, as it was a main part of my talking points regarding my own experiences in the comics medium.

L to R: Moderator Rachel Kramer Bussel, Jennifer Hayden, myself, Laura Lee Gulledge and Valerie D'Orazio

It was a really great panel, I almost wished it had been recorded. Everyone had really interesting perspectives and stories to share about how their sexuality has come into play as a comic book artist.

What I talked about:

~How when I was 12 I was looking for porn but found comics. My story of discovering my first comic while hunting for my dad's vintage Playboys/Penthouse Forums that my brother had gotten ahold of. While searching under my brother's bed I came across 2 comics: Uncanny X-Men #236 and #243, which started me on my lifetime obsession of comics, and Wolverine being naked.

Better than porn.

~Being my own 'booth babe'- Utilizing my past as a cosplay girl as well as my costume/dressup obsession as a tool to grab people's interest in my table/artwork at conventions with choice of dress (what I call my 'con drag'), using sales techniques from when I was a tv salesperson (yet another male-dominated industry I fell into) such as standing 90% of the time, eye contact with customers and starting up conversations with total strangers. Putting on the 'Paigey' persona at conventions which is basically just a friendlier, more outgoing and energetic version of myself than say, when I am at home in my sweatpants actually creating the artwork I hock at conventions.

~Alot of my pinup artwork has helped me embrace my own sexuality with more confidence, especially as I myself have become more 'womanly' in my proportions over the years. And since I've moved to NYC I've gained an exposure to and ultimately a fascination with burlesque and it's history, which has served as an amazing resource of inspiration not only for my artwork but to myself as well as that is a community which is accepting of women in so many shapes, sizes and colors.

I'm sure there was other stuff I went on about, as I tend to ramble when put on the spot, but I'm very excited to see what 2011 has in store for me convention-wise.

Gearing up for King Con Brooklyn!!!

2010-11-02T10:58:00.006-04:00

Check it out! MY NAME's on the poster!!! Sweeet!!!

So this upcoming weekend is my final convention appearance for the year- King Con Brooklyn on Saturday November 6th and Sunday November 7th at the Brooklyn Lyceum!

Saturday I will have my usual Paigey merch for sale at my table- including prints, artbooks, buttons, magnets, toys and jewelry.

Sunday however, is actually the first time I will have direct involvement in events for a convention-

3:30pm: DR. SKETCHY'S ANTI-ART SCHOOL KING CON EDITION (bring your own drawing supplies): Dr. Sketchy's is what happens when Cabaret meets Art School. Artists draw glamorous underground performers and compete for prizes. In our KingCon special edition, pinup artist Paige Pumphrey poses as a MiniComics Showgirl, with Syd Bernstein hosting.

VERY EXCITED! Been going to Dr. Sketchy's for about 2 years now and I am beyond honored that I get to be counted amongst the plethora of gorgeous women who've modeled for Dr. Sketchy's Anti Art School over the years! I've had a little experience as a life drawing model before and know it is VERY HARD WORK, so I hope to do it justice!

6:30pm: HIPS, LIPS, & PENCIL TIPS: The Sexual Female as Feminist Focal Point a conversation with female artists Paige Pumphrey, Laura Lee Gullidge, Jennifer Hayden; moderated by writer Rachel Kramer Bussel.

THIS SHOULD BE FUN!! I've never taken part in a panel and speaking in front of alot of people makes me nervous, and I have a sneaking suspicion I'll be playing the Devil's Advocate on the whole idea of the sexualization of women so if anything maybe I'll just keep my showgirl costume from Sketchy's on and fully embrace my role.

You can see the rest of the schedule here!

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

2010-10-31T11:58:00.005-04:00

So this Saturday was my big 30th birthday!

But also, my boyfriend of 5 1/2 years and love of my life- Phil Balsman aka 'Ballsy' PROPOSED TO ME!! XD

I had no idea what he was planning...

We had quite a weekend planned- Friday I had a small gathering of friends over at one of my new favorite mixology bars The Randolph at Broome on the Lower East Side for some happy hour madness. Lots of drinking! Lots of catching up with friends! I was two-fisting Texas Porch Sippers all night! What a great opener for an amazing weekend!

Then on Saturday my most bestest friend in the world Fenny and her husband J came up from Washington, DC to accompany us on my actual birthday to the Pee-Wee Show on Broadway!! I LOVE PEE-WEE!!! He's my childhood hero! He taught me that not only is it ok to be weird but to revel in my individuality. We had 2nd row center seats! When the curtain came up on the Playhouse I cried, like ALOT! It was amazing! I was THERE! Suddenly I was 7 years old again! I was bouncing up in down in my seat I was so excited!!! We were so close you could see the spittle come out of Pee-Wee's mouth! I didn't want it to end!

Post Pee-Wee glow

After we saw Pee-Wee we had dinner reservations at Havana Central, a Cuban restaurant with awesome drinks and awesomer steaks on 46th street in Times Square. I loooove me some Chimichurri sauce!!!

So slightly tipsy and carrying a 'steak baby', we walked down 46th on what was an unusually quiet strip of street for being Times Square on a Saturday night. Especially being the Saturday night before Halloween. ("Deviiiiil's Niiiight!") So in search of a cab, we head away from Times Square towards 7th Avenue when Phil gets an odd look and ushers me across the street to the arched door of an old school. Perplexed, I thought he was trying to get a little smootchy make-out session before Fenny and J caught up. But he gave them a nod and said to me very low 'I've got something I wanna ask you....' and I saw him dig a black ring box out of his jacket pocket... (queue video)

Which is when this happened.

As it turned out, Fenny had known for MONTHS about Phil's plans. Which is incredible, Fenny and I have no secrets between us. I'm impressed how well she kept it under wraps, as I had NO IDEA. My parents knew about it 3 days before he proposed, he called them to ask for their blessing and Fenny picked up the heirloom engagement ring my grandmother has held onto for me since I was a wee one to bring up to NYC. Phil called his parents to let them know what was up after the Pee-Wee show let out and he had 'popped out for a smoke' while I was at the merch booth. Completely clueless as to what was going on...

So yeah!!! At 11:45 on October 30th 2010- Phil Balsman asked Paige Pumphrey to marry him, and she said yes. ^_^

We're still planning everything, but we have set the date and we'll be getting married for sure on November 2nd of 2011 (on Dia de los Muertos) in Las Vegas by Elvis. So so soooo excited! XD

Aftermath: New York Comic Con 2010

2010-10-11T18:18:00.021-04:00

Holy crap what an INSANE weekend!! So insane that it took an extra week of me recovering before I could even think about updating my blog here with any sort of con report. Get ready for some TL;DR action!!!

So late, late Thursday night after the whole 'meeting my childhood hero Pee-Wee Herman'-thing happened, my BFF Fenny came up from Washington DC to join me in convention exploits for the weekend, resulting in about 4 1/2 hours sleep as we got up for the convention Friday morning at 7:30am to hopefully arrive at 9:30-10 for our set up/opening table shift for Girls Drawin Girls, which so did not happen (we got there more like 11-12). So Fenny and I after we got our insane pin-up girls costumes on trekked to the Javits Center with 2 stuffed suitcases of GDG merch and after looking for our table, found this:

So our space, which was supposed to be a 6x6 booth with a 6' table and 2 chairs looked more like where they put the trash cans. Like it was literally as big as a bathroom stall. And I being the first to arrive with Fenny, and either of us having no idea what the hell was going on, and I being convinced for sure NYCC REALLY hates me, resulted in me having a full tilt fit of crying. Thank god GDG founder/President Melody Severns was on her way, since I didn't have a clue as to who to talk to to alleviate our situation. It literally looked like we had been Punk'd.

Me, post fit of crying.

Fortunately Melody had the proper contact info and information and wasn't afraid to pull her bitch card to get shit done around the con. One of the options the floor managers had for us was moving the table altogether, but with a completely sold out convention plus having ordered a thousand postcards with our booth number on them, unless that spot was awesome we weren't gonna move. Especially since the only options it seemed right off the bat for moving to was the Anime Festival floor, which was in the basement. Which was not an option, we had a decent space and we weren't going to give it up for something even worse. So after realizing that the reason why the size of our booth had shrunk was because of the whiny, over-weight middle-aged men on either side of us who didn't seem to realize 6 foot wide booth plus 6 foot wide table equals no extra space for them to waddle in and out of, so that extra foot of they commandeered on either side of their tables to get in and out of is actually encroaching on our footage. And once we reclaimed that space you couldn't hear the END of their incessant whining about fire hazards and how they're supposed to get out. Ugh. So once we got the booth the correct size (with the help of some teamsters we batted our eyes at) and got ahold of our table and chairs over the span of 3 hours that morning, we were set up and I started my booth babely duties while Fenny got her cigarette tray on and walked the floor with promotional items.

So after we got everything set up and started getting into the groove of selling, one of the Reed Expo floor managers who was really going above and beyond helping us out came by to check up on us and told us that there was a 10x10 corner booth in the next aisle that was a last-minute cancellation and if we wanted to move there. And wow- before we can even give her an answer- dude next to us interjects with a condescending 'Well, if YOU GIRLS don't wanna move because of all those postcards- *I* can move there instead.' Like, yeah- really. To which Melody asks the floor manager- but you're offering the table to US, right? Floor manger nods. Melody- let's go. But yeah, really- how much of a gaggle of idiots do you think we are, dude? Ugh.
So we move to the new space, which is AWESOME and they even throw in another 6 foot table to cap off the L shape to the booth at no extra charge. It is glorious, the amount of cross traffic from the two aisles converging results in us being consistently busy all weekend. Even when we were still setting up we were swarmed.

So with the stressful morning behind us, and our relief shift of Daisy and her husband finishing pricing and setup, Fenny, Melody and I hit the super-nice, super not crowded at the time Lucky Strike bowling lanes up the street for a good solid 3 hours of drinking alcoholic Arnold Palmers and talking about boys.

Afterwards Fenny and I departed for dinner then headed home where we got to work on finishing up our costumes for Saturday.

Thankfully I had a closing shift at the table Saturday, so I could sleep in a bit and relax before the barrage of people that awaited me at the con. We didn't actually arrive til about 1 and took our costumes in trash bags so we could change in one of the bathrooms at the show. We got quite some interesting looks from the overcrowded ladies room as we attached feather bustles, applied flash tape to our boobs and laced ourselves in corsets.

The cigarette girl costumes were definitely a hit, alot of people stopped us to get pictures taken and get one of our postcards and buttons. I seriously can't wait til the next time I get to wear these costumes, they were so much fun to wear.

We actually got some inquiries from other companies on our cigarette girl promo idea who showed interest in hiring us to represent them at other conventions. Hopefully that'll pan out, cause that would be soooo sweet!

We were also interviewed by my friend Tameeka for her pop culture blog Tameeka Time- I was a bit overwhemed by the con and exhausted at the time so I don't have too much to say. Fenny however totally rocked it.

With my pal and fellow GDG member, Maria Danalakis- check out her work!

Even though Saturday is usually the 'big party night' at the con, the sheer exhaustion I felt from way too much interaction along with spending a little too much dinero at Lucky Strikes lanes on Friday had me wanting to head home after the show. Even Fenny went out to party, I just gave her my spare keys and let her have run of the city. From what I remember I changed into my pj's, ordered Thai food (Drunken Noodle- my fave!) and watched The Losers with my boyfriend.

Sunday morning Fenny actually left early, so I donned my Wonder Woman costume and went to the con with Phil later that afternoon. And how funny- one of the first pics taken as I came into the convention ends up being for UGO.com's NYCC 2010: Babes of Comic-Con photo spread.

From the rest of the day:

The Wonder Woman costume was extremely well-recieved! Alot of people even said it was the best WW costume they had seen all weekend and gave me praise for the old school sensibilities and how classy it was. It's really comfy and I love wearing it as well- it's got such a great amount of personalization to it since it's made from things I found in my closet. The only things I had to do were add the stars and get some yellow nylon rope from the hardware store.

So with NYCC over with for another year it looks like the only con standing between me and 2011 is King Con Brooklyn in about 3 weeks, which I will be a guest at and looks like I will be speaking at my first ever panel for, about the Sexualization of Women in Comics. Which for some reason I feel I'm going to be playing the Devil's Advocate for.

Also thanks to Champion Eye Media for usage of his con pics- be sure to check out his whole gallery on his website.

Today's secret word is: HOLY SHIT!

2010-10-07T13:55:00.003-04:00

AAAAAAHHHH!

Soooo... I follow Pee-Wee on Twitter and he said he was going to be at Katz delicatessen at noon, so I BOLTED down there from work (in Midtown) and actually got to meet him and give a fan testimonial! He was going around the city all day today for a promo thing with foursquare and his upcoming Broadway show, which I'm actually going to for my 30th birthday at the end of the month (2nd row center) as a birthday gift from my BFF Fenny.
Let me just say- this was a dream come true. My hands were shaking so bad when I met him. Pee-Wee is totally my childhood hero and one of the first people in life who taught me that it's totally awesome to be yourself, no matter how quirky that might be.

T-minus 4 days til NYCC

2010-10-03T23:25:00.008-04:00

First, a little mood music:

Soooooooooo..... New York Comic Con is THIS FRIDAY! Holy crap. This is the big one. Mentally preparing myself this week for 'being on' a full 3 days. Haven't worked a 3 day con in looong time. The costumes will help. Not that I don't love working comic book conventions, I fucking LOVE THEM butttt it can just get a bit exhausting on soooo many levels.

I've got my con outfits all picked out- doing a blonde Barbie/Betty Draper look on Friday. The much-hyped dual showgirl action of me and my best friend Fenny will happen on Saturday and my pinup girl Wonder Woman will be worn on Sunday. I'm kinda stupidly excited about busting out my blonde wig on Friday. I love how it fucks with people.

Fenny's been busting her ass on our showgirl costumes. In case you missed it- the plan is for us to dress up as red and blue showgirls with cigarette trays full of promotional material, namely postcards and buttons. This being a fun way to combine Fenny and I's checkered cosplay past into something productive and a little more respectable, as we'll be working while wearing ridiculous outfits. Plus they're entirely of our own creation.

I'll be wearing a red outfit and Fenny the blue.

Fenny got to work on the costume portion of the outfits, including customization of some excellent quality steel-boned corsets we bought online from http://www.corsets-uk.com/ with satin and sequins and our awesome starry bras.

While Fenny was constructing the costume portion, my job was to build the cigarette trays we'll be handing out cards from and work a deal with my friend and burlesque performer Kita St. Cyr of the Rhinestone Follies of an art trade for feather headdresses and bustles. In return for her craftsmanship I am doing a portrait of her burlesque troupe. Also can I say how much I looove being able to work out a barter of art for stuff? It's frigging awesome.

The cigarette trays I constructed from wooden 'breakfast in bed' trays that I bought at a craft store. Spray painted them black and added two boxes that will hold the postcards that are glue gunned to the bottom of the tray. I also added some black foamcore board to the edges to increase the depth of the tray. I still need to pick up some thick black ribbon for it to hang around our neck. Tested out how the trays look 'fully loaded' as well- postcards and buttons for the kiddies! Postcards will be handed out indiscriminately, buttons will be given to folks who actually come up and talk to us about Girls Drawin Girls. (While supplies last...)

We've got PLENTY of postcards for both Girls Drawin Girls and my own Paigey! cards that we'll be giving out.

I've also started to promo-bomb on subways and ATMs and bars and comic shops around NYC to get a little local interest going.

I'm hoping everything goes off without a hitch. Just thinking of next weekend is making me tired, but it's an awesome, exhilarating tired that I could never do without.

Girls Drawin Girls at New York Comic Con

2010-09-18T11:10:00.006-04:00

Just finished and ordered A THOUSAND postcards of the promo art I did for Girls Drawin Girls at New York Comic Con. My best friend Fenny and I will be walking the floors of NYCC/NYAF as showgirls/pinups handing out flyers and posing for pictures. Keep on the lookout!

Please stop by and check us out at Small Press Booth 2479- we'll have prints, books, toys, magnets, jewelry, buttons- ALL WITH HOT CHICKS ON IT!

Interview with John Wilcox

2010-09-17T13:55:00.003-04:00

I've got a really awesome, very extensive interview over at John Wilcox's website Progsheet that took a few months of emails back and forth to properly compile. If you ever wanted to read me ramble -ALOT- check it out.
I talk about my artistic processes, how my brain works, when I met Adam Warren, why I'll never play derby and my time at Kubert School.

A few words with... Paigey!

(Click the pic or link)

Some snippets to whet your curiosity:

"Hell, I used to write what would be today's equivalent of 'Mary Sue' fanfiction in my junior high school diary where a character who was pretty much an idealized version of myself joined the X-Men and Wolverine was basically my character's on again/off again boyfriend. Ha ha, yeah, those books have LONG since been destroyed."

"Kind a like a punk rock Judy Carne from Laugh In. Needless to say, I got his attention."

"I am way too impatient for that, I want it to look awesome right out of the gate."

"My tools need to be rigid, especially under my 'death grip', as I call it."
(Ha ha, that one sounds dirty.)

Aftermath: Baltimore Tattoo Convention/ Small Press Expo

2010-09-15T10:44:00.009-04:00

This past weekend (Sept 11-12) was SMALL PRESS EXPO down in Bethesda, Md! Yet another Maryland con where I can crash at my parents house or with Fenny my BFF (thus saving on expenses), SPXpo is an independent comic convention- no big 2 here! I had a 1/2 table where I set up a more pared down selection of my wares since I had sold through so much at Baltimore Comic Con 2 weeks previous.

I had fun, but I'm probably gonna hold off attending as an exhibitor next year. Between saving money for my big venture out to Heroes Con next year, it also wasn't as financially successful as my other tables in comparison, especially those at more mainstream cons. It's funny, I'm in a weird middle ground when it comes to my work. I'm seen as a kind of charming oddball novelty at the more classically defined comic conventions versus almost being daresay a sort of corporate shill lacking the indie cred at the independent shows. Dunno, I kinda got that vibe a bit. I was joking that if I came back next year I would make a Xeroxed comic called 'Monkey Poo Donkey Piss' that was created on a 2 day bender of 3 tabs of acid and Mountain Dew and watch the cash roll in. I did see a few people who recognized me from my work with Charm City Roller Girls which is always nice and from various mailers I send out containing promo postcards to comic shops in the area, which is nice because here I thought I was just shoving them out into a void.

And yes, if you've noticed my upper right arm is considerably more *COLORFUL*, it's because I had spent that Friday at the Baltimore Tattoo Convention getting my Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat tattoo zapped on me by the amazingly talented and inspiring Cyn Rudzis of British Ink in DC.

Laid down the transfer! We're going in!

Outlines! No turning back!!

This was my first ever tattoo convention! It had a pretty cool vibe- and didn't start til 2 and went til midnight! Tattoo folks know whats up!

I sat for 5 1/2 hours- longest tattoo yet! Cyn said I had awesome 'butter' skin that took the ink amazingly well. I also was called 'a rock', a goddess', 'the Baddest Bitch in Baltimore' and 'sat like a champion, not even showing signs of breaking til the last 5 minutes' by tattoo artist/British Ink owner Paul Roe, who is an awesome Teddy boy with the sweetest British accent. I could listen to him tell me great things about myself all day. ;D

Also couldn't get over how GORGEOUS Cyn is- loved her dress. So classy! So well put together! And even better- she was an ABSOLUTE BLAST to hang out with!

So now I guess I've got to beef up on my Kitty knowledge and prepare myself for when I inevitably get quizzed by other fans on her exploits.

Also, EXCITING: I'm going to do an art trade with Cyn/British ink for tattoos! So I can get ANOTHER pinup on my OTHER ARM!!! ::SQUEE!!:: I'm thinking it's probably going to be Angel from Rock & Rule in her street clothes, either with microphone or keytar, in the old school style like Kitty's in. The gears are turning!!!

After SPXpo on Saturday night Fenny and her husband J took me out to a Korean BBQ joint called 'Honey Pig' in Northern Virginia- THAT'S OPEN 24 HOURS! Whaaat??? I've been curious about KBBQ, I've had it a couple times and enjoyed it but I need someone to hold my hand when I dive into a new food culture.

OMG it was SOOOOO delish. We got a ton of food- ribs, pork and a scallion pancake. I also had several shots of rice wine, which knocked me a little on my ass.

Mmmmmmmeat.... ;d

Also! Also! My Maid of Honor present from Fenny finally came!! After several botched attempts at pre-ordering a few different statues, we finally werte able to locate the uber-sexy Rockin Jellybean (one of my fave artists) Invisible Woman statue. OMG soooo hot! She has PANTY LINES!

Fan art! SPXpo! Tattoos!

2010-09-06T17:46:00.006-04:00

OMG! An actual art post! Holy crap!
I managed to get in two pieces of fan art from my two favorite comics I'm currently reading, that I will also be selling as prints at my upcoming convention appearances.
Being...
Ramona Flowers from Scott Pilgrim

Michonne from The Walking Dead

Which ha, yeah, are basically on opposite ends of the spectrum for comics. Cuz that's how I roll.

In other news, I will be at the Small Press Expo in Bethesda this weekend (9/11-12) at table D2A! Come by if you're gonna be in the area, I'll have my usual wares for sale and am always up for some spirited conversation!

I will also be getting a MAJOR NEW TATTOO on Friday at the Baltimore Tattoo Convention! The super amazing Cyn Rudzis of British Ink in Washington DC will be inking my upper right arm with a Sailor Jerry inspired pinup of my most favorite of all comic book characters, Kitty Pryde! In her blue 80's swashbuckler costume, no less! Soooo excited!!!
I even snapped a picture of my arm and drew a rough sketch for Cyn of what I want it to look like (she's going to add her own pizazz of course!):

So definitely, if you see me at SPXpo, be sure to check out my newly-minted arm before it gets all scab-tastic, and buy something from my table to help me cover the costs! ;D

Aftermath: Baltimore Comic Con 2010

2010-08-31T09:52:00.010-04:00

The words 'holy shit' do not cover the enormity of awesomeness that was this weekend. Baltimore Comic Con kicked SO MUCH ASS this year that when all was said and done I was exhausted, had almost started crying like 3 times (for good reasons) and my face hurt from smiling so damn much. And I dressed up as Wonder Woman!

On a half-assed whim I had gathered a red top, yellow cinch belt and my electric blue Mode Merr skirt together and had decided it looked like a Wonder Woman costume if I had some way to get the stars on the skirt. 'What a simple, fun, easy costume this will be!', I thought, harkening back to my days as a cosplayer. After ruling out patches and iron-ons I decided that the best way to apply the stars was painting. Friday night before the con. At my parents house. After I got into Maryland from the bus which was an hour late. Simple, fun and easy right?? Ha! So after 5 hours of painting I finally finished at 1am.

It was totally worth the hard work though, it was very well received and my table/artwork got alot of extra attention from people coming by wanting to snap a pic of me. I was basically my own booth babe. Sometimes I do get the semi-patronizing 'you did these all by yourself?' from random passerby, but also I kinda take that as an off-handed compliment at the same time. I'm like one of those deep sea fish with the dangly light- I lure folks over to the table, then chomp on them with my art.

The *BIG* thing that happened this weekend was two of my artistic heroes, Eric Powell (The Goon, those awesome Nashville Rollergirls bout posters) and Dave Johnson (Drink & Draw Social Club founder, too much awesome shit to list) both came to my table to specifically say hello to me! Holy crap!! Like really, I almost cried I was so happy. I also went by the legendary Adam Hughes and his lovely wifey Allison Sohn's table to say hello, as I know Adam a bit from the convention scene for a few years and Allison and I go back to her being my life model at Kubert School.

With Adam Hughes

With Dave Johnson

Wish I had thought to have gotten a pic with Eric Powell and his uberhot roller derby girlfriend Rambo Sambo. :/ I was a bit star struck and wasn't thinking clearly as all of this was going on.

I was also interviewed by a pop culture blog called Jam Packed Productions that was going through artist alley on Sunday and talking to some of the artists. My segment begins at the 5:39 mark. My best friend/manager/sales associate/PR agent Fenny Lin also makes an onscreen appearance and yeah, wow, I knew my shirt was what I call one of my 'Boobie Shirts', but this may very well be the 'Boobiest of Boobie Shirts'. Cuz WOW. Thanks Pinup Girl Clothing!

I'm kind of starting to see myself as almost like the Christina Hendricks of the comic book industry.

Can't think of why exactly. 9_9

And I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone who came by and chatted, picked up a card to check me out later or even bought something, I super appreciate it! Next up for me will be Small Press Expo in Bethesda, Md on September 11th and 12th. I will also have a HUGE NEW TATTOO by then a well- of KITTY PRYDE. *Squee!* So excited!

Things I Love Thursday 8/26/10

2010-08-26T11:31:00.010-04:00

***The Kurgan from Highlander***

The Kurgan from the first Highlander movie has been one of my all time favorite movie villains since high school. Played by the amazing and versatile actor Clancy Brown, The Kurgan is so unapologetically vile, ruthless and brutal that he easily eclipses Christopher Lambert as the real star of the show. And he's just so... so... METAL! His leather jacket has ONE SLEEVE! And SAFETY PINS IN HIS NECK!!! ::swoon:: And he's got the sexiest evil voice ever. I dunno, I just love a villain who sounds like he swallowed a bag of gravel.

Fortunately someone on the internet made a music video of the best Kurgan scenes that properly displays that which makes him so awesome. TO MOTORHEAD. ::squeeeee::

I even started to draw The Kurgan for fun a few months back, but alas deadlines, commissions and other priorities got in the way and so my unfinished sketch sits on my cubicle wall at work, waiting for me to finish him. ::sigh::

***Strolling Tables***

Strolling tables are what looks to be a new thing to hit the party/entertaining scene where a costumed showgirl or drag queen is in the middle of a circular table with a hole cut in the center that is lavishly decorated and serves a double function of serving table and hostess.

Dude, so should've done this for my Artist Alley table at New York Comic Con- THAT would show them! Ah well, there's always next year when they inevitably reject me... again. /bitter
You can see more strolling tables at Screaming Queens- so frigging cool. Now I wanna make one myself, that looks like a giant polka dotted pinup girl dress.

***Simon's Cat***

I was recently shown the Simon's Cat cartoons through a friend who posted this one on her facebook. They are entirely too cute, and being a cat person I totally know exactly all of the scenarios all too well.

Be sure to check out the Simon's Cat channel on Youtube for more cartoons.

Influence Map Meme

2010-08-22T10:06:00.004-04:00

There's a meme on Deviantart called the Influence Map, where you fill in various sized squares on a gridded template with various things that influence you as an artist. These don't necessarily have to be other artists like I put, for me that just seemed the most obvious choice. It's a pretty fun exercise, I enjoyed seeing artists who I am fans of filling it out as well. Interesting to see where we as artists come from.
From the template itself:
"As an artist, you are influenced by things. The reason why you do what you do is the combined application of all the things that influence you. If you run into a major block and cannot create new work, chances are you are forgetting what inspires you and need a refresher. Fill in these squares with everything that influences and inspires you to fuel the art you love to create. Refer to it as a kind of "map" in the future in case you get lost.
You can literally put anything in these squares-- photos of locations or people, other artist's work, artists themselves, video games, TV shows, music, movies and books. You name it, you can put it in there. Fill the grid by placing more prominent influences as larger images. A 3x3 image being the biggest."

You can download your own template here.

Here's mine:

Aftermath: Paigey at Saint & Sinners

2010-08-20T10:05:00.006-04:00

So on Friday August 6th my 2nd ever solo show took place at Saints & Sinners Tattoo in Fells Point, Baltimore. What a crazy night! Getting down in the hometown! The show was primarily composed of framed digital prints of my work from the past 2 years, as well as a convention-style merch table where I was selling magnets, necklaces, prints, artbooks and Miss Mary Jane toys. There was also free wine, beer, cheese and crackers. My best friend Fenny even brought a tray of macarons- these delicious French cookies that one of new favorite things. Sooo many people showed up, including my parents, grandmother, brother and his wife and my aunt and cousins, all of whom never attended one of my events before- adding to the stomach-churning anxiety I had for weeks prior to the show. They all loved it and had a great time, it was so great to share this aspect of my life with them. Overall I'd say it was a smashing success and quite the place to be in Fells that night!

My work will be on display for the rest of August!

My mom did an awesome job of framing and matting everything for me- I owe her alot!

Lots of sexy ladies for Baltimore to enjoy!

The Pumphrey family in the house!

Merch! Buy it up!

Reuniting with old friends

Macarons!! Om nom nom!!! They were basically my dinner that night.

Me, struttin through the crowd. I was going for a spooky pirate brothel madame look.

Cowgirl Up

2010-08-03T11:36:00.003-04:00

Sexy Cowgirl's done!

That's about it. Started to get working on my Michonne (from The Walking Dead) pinup. All the while also getting ready for my art show this week down in Baltimore at Saints & Sinners, which looks to be a blast! Always enjoy these get-togethers. It's such a perfect opportunity to see all my friends from back home, catch up and they can see what I've been up to (at least art-wise, which is pretty much all I do anyways) since usually every other time I'm back in Maryland for a weekend it's for a specific event or I'm only there to see my family. I'm trying to make a solo art show in Maryland an annual thing.

Things I Love Thursday 7/29/10

2010-07-29T09:36:00.010-04:00

***The Walking Dead tv series***

Comic Con 2010 trailer for The Walking Dead AMC tv series

I am SO EXCITED for this show. Come October I am kissing my ability to sleep soundly goodbye, since I am utterly terrified of the idea of a zombie apocalypse. I would rather fight the Wolfman, Dracula and Frankenstein all at once than have to fight thru a zombie apocalypse. I'm a HUGE fan of the comic series, I will devour each graphic novel in a single night when it comes out- it is the most realistic, heart-wrenching, dark, addictive comic I've read since Preacher. SO AMAZING. What's truly amazing about this series, is that eventually it doesn't so much become about zombies being the scary big bad of the series as much as the possibility of other humans our band of protagonists run into in their journey and what their motivations could be. Because really the only people who would survive an apocalypse are those that would be capable of only the worst possible things. At least you know the zombie's motivations. The humans could sidle up all nice and then boom- death and dismemberment. And to those of you who say it looks like 28 Days Later, the beginning is the only similarity, believe me. It really delves into the human condition. It's known as 'the zombie movie that doesn't end'.

***Tura Satana***

OMG, Tura needs no explanation on why I love her. Just watch this little snippet of an interview, you'll see.

What's funny is I've been familiar with Tura quotes from Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! since high school thanks to samples used in White Zombie albums. I only in the past couple years have familiarized myself with her sheer awesomeness. I even got a shirt from Pinup Girl Clothing that resembles the one she wore in Pussycat. Pair that shit with some black pants and I can make believe I'm Varla, her bad-ass alter ego.
I know I definitely want to draw a picture of Varla one day. Oh yes...

***The music from Bonk's Adventure***

Bonk rules. Released in 1990, it was on the Turbo Grafix 16. My brother and I were lucky enough to get a system at launch cuz my dad won a sweepstakes at Toys R Us and even luckier we had an awesome Mom n' Pop video game rental place in the neighborhood. (Video Game Exchange! Hollah!) So that summer we were the coolest kids on the block. I was *obsessed* with Bonk when I was 9, it was one of t he few games I was actually kinda decent at. If I remember correctly it might've even been the first game I ever beat.

Mermaid and Works in Progress: Late July '10

2010-07-26T19:04:00.005-04:00

First off: Finished a cute little simple mermaid I plan on using on jewelry and magnets. A non-'boobies out' version will be available... eventually. Or maybe you should stop being such a prude. ;)

I also have two personal pieces I'm working on.

A pinup of Michonne from my favorite comic series right now, The Walking Dead. Weird trying to marry something so dark and serious with my chipper and cartoony style. Art rule I have: if you have a katana and are wearing sneakers, they will always be Onitsuka Tigers.

Also a 'Nancy from Sin City'-esque topless cowgirl in chaps. I might do 2 colorways on this, one that's Nancy-looking with blonde hair and black chaps and one that's more like Sluefoot Sue from the old Disney Pecos Bill cartoon. This one is actually taking a bit longer than expected because I'm trying to do the fringe super smooth in Illustrator with vector points. Which is kind of like creating art with math, not very fun but it makes it look very precise.

I think I posted it before, but in case I didn't or you missed it, I'm closing down shop for commissions until next year to focus on personal projects and a potentially huge project in 2011 that I hope to get off the ground over the holiday season. Unless I have already talked to you or you already gave me money, I am not taking fresh commissions until next year.

Things I Love Thursday 7/22/10

2010-07-22T14:25:00.000-04:00

So in pursuit of new blog content I am going to attempt to post 'Things I Love Thursdays', which are when every Thursday you post a small pictoral list of the things you are currently into. A few blogs I follow have been doing it and I think it's a neat idea.
Hopefully I can keep it up!

***Ddukbokki***

OM NOM NOM OM OMG! I have recently become obsessed with delicious, delectable ddukbokki since my friend took me to a Korean barbecue joint in K-town for my birthday last year. Apparently it's a popular street food in Korea. It reminds me almost of giant barbecue flavored Spagetti-O's that I get to eat with chopsticks.

***Blue Oyster Cult- Veteran of the Psychic Wars***

If I ever did burlesque, I'd so do a spacegirl number to Blue Oyster Cult's Veterans of the Psychic Wars. In a blue vinyl catsuit with silver gloves and boots. With a fog machine. And blue lights. And a bubble helmet. And it would be glorious.
And yeah, I know, I say 'if I ever did burlesque, I'd do a blah blah number to blah blah song' alot. ;P I CAN DREAM CAN'T I???
Believe me, if I didn't have 8 million pieces of artwork to do all the time I would sooo have jumped up on stage by now. Maybe one day when I go freelance and my side work becomes my work-work I can supplement my desire for extra-curriculars with rhinestones and pasties. In the meantime however, I'll just listen to this on my headphones on repeat every morning on the subway.

***Aeon Flux Liquid Television Shorts***

Aeon Flux - MTV Shows

Words cannot describe how influential this short was to me at 12 when they played it on Liquid Television on Mtv.

***Fenny and I's cigarette girl/showgirl costumes for NYCC***

Coming up with ideas for my BFF Fenny and I's cigarette showgirl costumes for New York Comic Con in October. I'll be red and she'll be blue. With lots of sparkly star appliqués and gold fringe. Also not pictured are our cigarette trays that we'll be handing flyers off of. I'm already glue gunning rhinestones and sequins in my head. OMG our costumes will be EPIC. And I actually get to walk around a convention for the first time in 3 years!

Aftermath: Girls Drawin' Girls 1st NYC Show

2010-07-14T10:08:00.012-04:00

Whew!! Oh what a night!!

So for one night only on Thursday July 18th from 9pm to 1am at Niagara Bar in the Lower East Side was Girls Drawin' Girls's first east coast group art show. Presented by the Antagonist Art Movement and curated by yours truly. And yes, this was my first time curating a group art show in New York. Definitely a learning experience.

Me at the merch table

Flyer inspired by Blondie's Parallel Lines album cover

The show featured work by GDG members, including myself, Maria Danalakis, Erica Hesse, Kaitlin Sullivan, Alice Meichi Li, Anne Walker, Joanna Barnum and Nicole Filiatrault. There was also a merchandise table that included Girls Drawin' Girls products like tshirts and art books as well as a selection of various Paigey products like jewelry, prints and magnets.

Yoshitomo Nara artwork was drawn all over Niagara's walls!

To see more pics from the show, check out Girls Drawin Girls's facebook album!
Join up with their Facebook fan page for up-to-the-minute news!

Over all the show was a success. It was part of Antagonist Art Movement's rotating Thursday night art show space at Niagara Bar, and the show was to be put up and come down all in the span of that single night. Setup was a challenge. I also worked that day, in Midtown Manhattan (where Times Square is) and everything from the art show was split between my apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and my office. So after an aggravating subway ride in the morning with my granny cart and a super nice and helpful taxi driver that evening after work, I along with help from the Antagonist liaisons put the show up, then after a verrrrrry looooong day the evening began and I got my second wind after I put my party dress on and started seeing friends come in. To which I want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH to all that came out so late on a 'school night'. I and the other members of Girls Drawin' Girls really appreciate the support, help and purchases that made it such a success! There was a definite drop-off of attendance after midnight, so we packed up a bit earlier than originally planned and got everything in the rented zipcar my boyfriend had the awesome insight to get ahold of for the ride home.

I'll take part and help organize another Girls Drawin Girls show in the future, but I'd really like to check out some other galleries where I can set up one day, have an opening the next and break it down like a week to a month afterwards. As fun as the Niagara show was, to do all of that in the span of 6 hours is exhausting especially with the added stress of handling other peoples artwork. If I do another show at Niagara, which I would like to do in the future, it'll definitely be a solo show. Or shared with like, 1 friend who is responsible for bringing their own work.

ALSO!!! I have some really awesome news!! Girls Drawin' Girls has a table at New York Comic Con!!! Which means there will be an actual table selling my merch at NYCC that you can go to instead of looking for me and my best friend Fenny as sparkly cigarette girls. Worry not though, because we'll still be making rounds around the Javits Center in our cigarette girl costumes, which are shaping up to be AMAAAZING. I commissioned a friend who's a burlesque performer to make us showgirl headdresses and featherbutts! And I'm already eyeing trims and rhinestones for our costume bodies. After all that drama about my Artist Alley table I'm sooooo glad to see things work out! We will however be acting more as crowd control, steering folks over to the GDG table instead of selling stuff off the trays. So YAY!!!!

Saints & Sinners Show in Baltimore on 8/6

2010-07-01T19:06:00.005-04:00

Hey Maryland/DC fans!! I'll be returning to my home state for a solo art show at Saints & Sinners Tattoo on Friday August 6th from 6-9, then probably getting drunk somewhere in Fells Point with a bunch of friends I don't see enough!

I will have original art for sale! I will also have prints, artbooks, jewelry, magnets, buttons and coveted MISS MARY JANE toys available for purchase! Please come out and buy them! ^__^

In other news, been VERY busy lately. Summer in NYC has hit full-tilt. Schedules are being booked. I got shit planned for the rest of the year. In the next 5 months I'll be doing 2 art shows (NYC and Baltimore) and 4 conventions (SPXpo, Baltimore Comic Con, New York Comic Con and King Con Brooklyn). Thusly, commissions are closed until at least the end of the year. (I'll be making a few small exceptions, but otherwise, sorry.) I'll be focusing on more 'personal' work, including stuff I will have available for purchase as prints later on. I really want to get into more fan art type stuff, especially with so many of my favorite comic book titles becoming movies and tv shows. I've also got an idea for a pretty involved project that I want to start at the end of the year that if I'm able to pull off will be really, REALLY cool, and will involve alot of other awesome artists as well.

VS Project Live: The Bracket's Pre-Game Artists Interviews

2010-06-10T09:36:00.007-04:00

Pre-game artists interviews for The VS Project Live: The Bracket art competition I took part in has just come out. Khary Randolph, Nikki Cook, Emilio Lopez and myself were interviewed outside Local 269 before the competition and asked a couple questions about ourselves n' stuff.

Like, wow. Like, I was so, like, nervous. OMG! Ha ha, yeah, I say 'like' entirely too much. My mom and grandma get on my case about it all the time. I'm much more eloquent typing than speaking.

But yeah, I'm actually just about wrapped filming on another video project with my pal Tameeka, who shoots and edits video. She came over the last 2 weekends to shoot me drawing her portrait and to interview me for a little mini-documentary on yours truly. Or as my boyfriend Phil has dubbed it: 'Ego Stroke: The Movie'. I don't know what he's talking about, these sort of things don't give me a swollen head or anything. ;D Heh....
But yeah, that'll be coming together soon. SUPER excited. You can check out Tameeka's other video projects on her bloggity right here.

I also put together the first of what I hope are many, many more *burlesque flyers*. The super-awesome, sword-swallowing, fire-breathing Lady Aye has put together a show called "Cramp-Us", that mixes The Cramps, Krampus and burlesque into one crazy, spanky, paganistic fest of sexiness and boobies and insanity. I actually went to the first installment of this show back in December and it was awesome, and now they're doing a 'sequel' show as part of Coney Island's Christmas in July.

I'm really, REALLY hoping to do more flyers for burlesque shows in the future. Much like roller derby, burlesque is a subculture I'd love to get into, but with how demanding my schedule already is producing art, and how if I'm gonna do something I'm gonna completely immerse myself in it and do it 200%, there isn't enough of me or time in the day to properly do either proper, so I'll try and be a part of the community in my own *special* way, by doing artwork and posters and flyers. I'd much rather my contribution to such a culture be something that I'll do well, like drawing, then something I'd probably do terribly, like dancing or competing. ;P Hell, I'm trying to get into something as simple as hula hooping and I barely have the time to devote to that.

Girls Drawin Girls 1st NYC Show!

2010-06-06T12:51:00.003-04:00

Just letting you know I'll be curating Girls Drawin Girl's first ever East Coast group art show which is is happening Thursday July 8th in NYC at Niagara Bar from 9pm to 1am in the East Village with help from the Antagonist Art Movement.

ONE NIGHT ONLY!

There will be merch for sale; including prints, tshirts, buttons, stickers, jewelry, artbooks, etc.

"Cute Girls with T & A"
(Talent & Ambition)

About Girls Drawin Girls: (copypasta'd from the GDG website)
Girls Drawin Girls was founded in 2006 by Simpsons veteran Melody Severns and storyboard artist Anne Walker as a way to showcase women artists working in the male-dominated industry of animation. Together, they felt it was time for these talented women to demonstrate their creative abilities and artistic interpretations of female sexuality by re-defining the art of the pin-up.

Since it’s conception, the group has published two volumes of pin-up art and grown to over 80 active members, who individually, have worked professionally in various entertainment industries, from production design, film and television animation, to comic and graphic design.

The group provides collaborative projects for its artists (such as book collections, group art shows, and opportunities to participate in charity art events such as the Pasadena Chalk Festival), in addition to promoting each member's individual artistic endeavors through cross-promotion and marketing prints, original artwork and other art-related merchandise.

I didn't make the team. :/

2010-06-02T22:30:00.006-04:00

Bad news, buckaroos. Looks like I won't be counted among New York Comic Con's Artist Alley this year. Finally after 6 months of waiting, delays and anticipation June 1st rolled around and I was told... NOTHING. Cuz no one from NYCC sent me anything. Meanwhile I'm reading tweets and status updates from friends and peers on their acceptance and rejection from Artist Alley. So finally after a day of watching my inbox in agony (and got help you if I got an email from you- I cursed out way too many random emails about sales and reminders) I finally emailed the NYCC folks to ask where my notification email was right before I went to bed. And the next morning after I got up and got to my desk at my day job, I finally had seen that it came through as a reply to my inquiry.... and it was the ever-so-awesome 'we regret to inform you...' So yeah. I had to EMAIL them to find out I was rejected. How shitty. So yeah, the rejection letter made mention of other options, including something about a small press area. I emailed to find out more about this, and recieved a price list. So yeah, the 'small press option' is a 6' by 8' square of unfurnished concrete on the con floor. No tables. No chairs. For NINE HUNDRED DOLLARS. Ugh, so yeah. That's not happening. Maybe if NYCC had gotten their shit together a little sooner and had told me I wouldn't have an Artist Alley table I could've maybe gotten some of my friends together, maybe even organized a big group table. But on top of everything else I've got going on between now and then I can't do something like that in such a small amount of time. So yeah. Oye. Apparently Reed Expo subscribes to the same silly school of thought many people uninvolved in comics seem to have- THAT WE MAKE ALOT OF MONEY. Unfortunately that's not the case, especially for people who could consider themselves 'small press'. Either way, I'm ok with this. Sure I was initially a bit miffed but I'll make it work. I kinda wish I knew exactly what kind of criteria it was that that didn't let me make the cut, whether it was that I still hve yet to be published-published or that my name happened to be on the wrong spot of the dartboard. I still think it's kind of suspicious that there seems to be alot of New York artists shut out of Artist Alley tho, could it be that they're favoring out of state people because they have deals with the hotels in the area? Hrm.
Anyways, I *will* be at New York Comic Con this October, but I'll be hoofing it. In a cigarette girl costume. With a tray of merch. Originally if everything had gone smoothly I would be at the table and my best friend Fenny would be wearing a cigarette girl costume and walking around the con for me handing out promo stuff. But now it looks like we both will. I'm still figuring out exactly what we'll be carrying and how we'll be selling larger items like my Miss Mary Jane toys. Which oh yeah- I finally got!!! (Yay!!) I still also have tables secured at Baltimore Comic Con, SPXpo and King Con Brooklyn.
But yeah- like I said, GOOD NEWS! Miss Mary Jane shipped last week and everyone got theirs!
Including me and my 10- one to keep and 9 to hock at conventions. I already sold 2, so if you see me with one at my table you sould snatch it up! I actually wish I had gotten more of them to sell for myself. I have a feeling these are gonna go rather quickly once my convention rounds start up in August.

Doesn't she look AWESOME? The skin turned out a little more neon than I had expected but overall I think she looks pretty great. I'm trying to rally to get her restocked, and if at all possible do another colorway. This also has worked up my appetite for MORE PAIGEY TOYS. If you get a chance PLEASE VOTE for my rollergirl Laika Phenomenon (you see what I did there?)

Click here to get taken to her voting page!

Laika Phenomenon is up for voting at PatchTogether.com!
Please click the pic to register and vote for her!

Also!! Be sure to check out my interview with Girls Drawin' Girls for their weekly Artist Spotlight!!

"It also helps me get in touch with my inner minx. "

Girls Drawin' Girls Volume 3: Sugar & Spice

2010-05-18T14:47:00.004-04:00

From the Girls Drawin Girls blog:

Have you been anxiously awaiting our third volume of pin-up art? Do you want to be one of the first on your block to own a copy, in addition to an EXCLUSIVE pre-sale only print?
PRE-ORDER your copy of Vol III now and pay only $20 (instead of $25), and receive a SPECIAL EDITION print featuring Chef Gigi by our own talented Anand Duncan! Print is only available to the first 100 pre-orders, and will all be individually numbered!
"Girls Drawin Girls Volume III: Sugar and Spice"Featuring our esteemed ladies with T&A (Talent & Ambition), as they return to satisfy your sweet tooth with a third volume of collected pin-up art. Come spoil your appetite with more than two dozen interpretations of your favorite desserts***!
$20 pre-order special! Free domestic shipping!(Prints and books will ship July 7, 2010)

Click here to be taken to the GDG store!!!

***Including my Tiramisu girl!!!

Aftermath: The VS Project

2010-05-10T10:45:00.009-04:00

So yeah, wow. I'm still in a bit of recovery from how crazy Saturday's VS Project: The Bracket went. It was kind of insane! Oh yeah and HOLY CRAP I WON!!

My piece: King Kong and Statue of Liberty

The contest went like this: 4 artists (me, Khary Randolph, Nikki Cook and Emilio Lopez- all heavy hitters) in 3 rounds comprising of 45 minutes to draw from scratch a picture that was NYC-inspired and contained at least 1 landmark.

You also had to allow space in your piece for a 'wild card' element that would be voted in by the audience out of 5 choices pertaining to the NYC theme. Photographic reference was allowed, but no previous drawing or 'sketch notes' allowed. 1st round was sketching everything out then a 20 minutes break for artists.

My friends brought a sign- they never cease to amaze me with their awesomeness.

At the beginning of the second round the wild card element was announced, being a NYC taxi cab (out of the possible choices of a pizza, subway token, subway car and taxi). The 2nd round you had to draw out the new element, all the while still working on the original concept as well.

It required an insane amount of time management. There wasn't alot of time to be wasted figuring stuff out, you just had to do it.

At the end of the second round came the first eliminations. Two artist would get booted and two would continue onto the final round. Nikki and I made it to the finals, where we finished out the final 45 minutes head to head.

Foxy Boxing for comic books

To deal with the insane amount of stress I *pounded* 6 beers and a vodka shot over the duration of the match, so yeah by the time I was announced as the winner, I was rather inebriated, which added to my shock and amazement. That and I've never won anything before, EVER.

Slideshow of pictures from the event:

For those who couldn't make it on Saturday to the VS Project, you can still vote on the NYC-themed piece you dig the most for a limited amount of time! Click here to be taken to the voting page!

Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who was involved in and who came out for the Vs Project, it was an amazing and exilarating day! Much love to Ukr8 for getting it all together, and to my fellow artists Khary, Emilio and Nikki! Much love and respect to all 3 of you- you guys kick so much ass and do beautiful work! To be included in a competition with such an amazing collection of talent is very awe-inspiring to me. Like I said at the beginning of the event, as an unpublished artist who has just started on her path to being a professional this has been an amazing experience. That a mere 5 years ago I was living in my folks basement and working a dead-end mall job, I wouldn't have ever dared to dream of taking part in something like this, let alone end up winning. Holy crap.

::Exasperated Sigh::

2010-05-07T10:34:00.009-04:00

So yeah. If I have my way, I am never doing what I've done to myself these past few weeks again. Double-stacking projects, weird experimental shit, insanely tight deadlines, my inability to tell people 'No.'. Yeah, hopefully. I mean sure, it's nice to be busy. But when I'm doing all that and have a full time day job it gets to be a bit too much at times. It can lead to be getting a little... TENSE.

Much like this:

LOL- I've always identified with that bit, even as a kid.

But anyways, enough whining! Onto the art n' stuff. :D

Finished the bout poster for Charm City Roller Girl's upcoming June bout, that's an homage to Savage She-Hulk #1's cover by John Buscema. Rather happy with how it turned out. It was fun to get back into doing comic covers, this time with added 'special effects' of pages to add to the validity of it being a comic cover.

Also some progress on the bodycast of Rachel Kramer Bussel for Fancy Sexy Me's launch party next week at Shag.

Almost done! Gotta do a couple more little filler tats, spray it down with a matte enamel and Gorilla glue the pasties on.

Then it gets to be presented at the Punk Rock Peepshow at Shag next Friday May 14th. I'll be coming out for it, maybe I'll see you there?

ALSO! TOMORROW! I'm doing this tomorrow!! I'm COMPETING!! HOLY CRAP I'M NERVOUS!

Check out all the info here!

Gehhhh....

2010-04-28T16:14:00.010-04:00

Holy cats there's so much going on in the next couple months I think I might have a brain aneurysm trying to do it all.

The Mode Merr Spring Spectacular went AWESOME! I had SO MUCH FUN and it was so EFFIN' COOL to hang out backstage with some modern burlesque legends, and I was beyond honored to be able to share the stage for even just a minute with them. Also grabbed some dresses on the cheap- word to the model discount. And bonus awesome-I got asked to draw the flyer for the next Mode Merr event! OMG!

My friend Maria got some real quick video of my modeling (careful it's WAY LOUD):

Also some pics from the event:

Me n' Ballsy in the photobooth at The Bellhouse

Me in the bathroom after getting my hair done

In other news, been working practically everyday on these 2 projects that are due next weekend. The bodycast for FancySexyMe's launch party is coming along. I need to pick up some printable decoupage paper and start laying the images on, hopefully this weekend when I put myself down on art-lock. The other piece of art I'm simultaneously working on is a new Charm City Roller Girls bout poster for when they go up against teams from Texas and Missouri in June.

This is a work in progress shot:

It's going to be an homage of the classic Savage She-Hulk #1 cover, which I've always thought was awesome.

So both of them are due next weekend, which is also when I'm doing the Vs Project 4 person art battle, which yeah I'm kinda terrified about cuz that competition is stiff, yo. I'm the only one of the 4 who isn't a published comic book artist or animator. I just design sub-par shirts for mass market consumption of the lowest common denominator during the day and boobies at night. But hey, it's cool. I'll be the underdog. I'm like Rudy! :D

Really, I'm just excited that there are people who actually think I can compete on a scale with these other 3 mad talented folks. Even if I totally crash and burn (which I'm fully expecting to), it's still awesome exposure for myself and my art.

The VS Project, or... Holy shit- what did I get myself into?

2010-04-28T14:27:00.005-04:00

So I'm taking part in a 4 person draw-off next weekend against 3 very crazy talented artists at Local 269, the Lower East Side bar that also hosts Drink & Draw. You should come and holler for your girl.

Hello All our Creatives, Friends & Fans!

Its that time again, The Ukre8 Community brings you the next installment of The VS Project LIVE!

Saturday May 8th 4pm-9pm
@ LOCAL 269
269 E houston St
New York, NY

In January we had 2 artists compete in a Japanese Art style.

This time we are mixing it up! We will have four artists in this creative challenge & We are using a bracket system to determine this events' champion! The audience will be more involved and help with deciding the direction of our theme.

Art, Friends, Fans & Creativity!

Even though we are featuring 4 artists, that doesn't mean you can't bring your sketch book and show off you skills too!

Please pass this info around. This event is open to everyone. Can't wait to see you there!

ukre8.theVSproject
a division of
The UKRE8 Community

You will be able to vote online if you can't make it to the event!

**** Update 4/28/10 ****
The 4 Artist for this LIVE event are:

Khary
http://www.kharupt.com/index2.html

Emilio
http://e-mann.deviantart.com/

Nikki
http://nikkicook.com/

Paigey
http://theartofpaigey.blogspot.com/

Navigating the shitstorm that is spring in NYC

2010-04-19T13:38:00.011-04:00

Oi! After having a nice, quiet weekend to myself after MoCCA's madness, I'm flung face first back into the craziness of art-making and hand-shaking.

Lots to tell you about- so let's get on it, shall we?

FINALLY finished my Misfits piece, which was a burr on my butt for the better part of a month n' a half. I did this specifically for The "B" in BK Doll Show, which I did the flyer for and will have a small table where I'll be selling prints and signing copies of the flyer. Should be interesting, as a doll show/expo I'd imagine to have a different sort of crowd from my usual comic cons. But yeah, if you're planning on attending the "B" in BK show, please note that THE DATE HAS CHANGED TO JUNE 12-13th! It is no longer in May, please mark your calendars accordingly! Since I've got a little extra time between now and then, I'm gonna try and do something else doll-related for the show if time allows.

Check out the show site here!

In other news, I've got a couple projects cooking away on the front burners that due in about month or so. One of them is a body (boobie) cast I get to decorate and embellish with the Paigeyness, for my jewelry-making pals over at Fancy Sexy Me's launch party next month.

The bodycast is of erotic writer Rachel Kramer Bussel. What I figured I would do, since I had to incorporate Rachel, Fancy Sexy Me and Shag (the venue) into the design, is I'd make them all old-school style tattoos. Then I can have several different subjects going on while working in the composition of the human body. Blah, blah, blah, art jargon, art jargon. I also love tattoos. Plus it's a total happy coincidence that Sailor Jerry Rum is a sponsor- really works with the motif. :)

So yeah, I kinda REALLY HATE PAINTING. To fix this problem, all the tattoos for the bodycast that I put on are going to be drawn out on paper and colored on photoshop and printed out and decoupaged onto the cast. So the entire body will be covered in Paigey artwork unique to only this project.

Here's the first tattoo I've drawn up- Rachel's that will go on the shoulder. Fancy Sexy Me's will be a chest piece and Shag's logo will go across the stomach. I'm gonna throw various other tattoos in there as well, including one of myself as a pinup that I'm thinking will go on the wrist.
This is a pretty fun project so far. I hope it works out, as I've never really decoupaged anything before, let alone something with as many slopes and curves and crannies as a human body. Finger crossed, guys.

Mode Merr Spring Spectacular is NEXT SUNDAY!

2010-04-18T09:40:00.005-04:00

Hey NYers! Next Sunday April 25th from 3-8pm is the Mode Merr Spring Spectacular at The Bell House!

AND I'M ONE OF THE MODELS!!! XD OMGWTFBBQ!!! SOOOO EXCITED!!
I get to be up onstage with some of my favorite burlesque performers and representing one of my all time favorite clothing labels!

An afternoon of shopping, burlesque, live music, hot rods & more!

FEATURING ANGIE PONTANI, DIRTY MARTINI, LITTLE BROOKLYN, HELEN PONTANI, MELODY SWEETS, PERLE NOIRE, JO BOOBS &

Hosted by THE WORLD FAMOUS *BOB*

WITH LIVE MUSIC FROM THE FISHERMAN XYLOPHONIC ORCHESTRA, ROYAL PINK & DJ MEL HUCKABEE

SHOP RACKS OF MODE MERR, MISS RUTH'S TIME BOMB VINTAGE, MINERVIA ACCESORIES & TEASE SALON GOODIES

PLUS PBR DRINK SPECIALS, RAFFLES TO BENEFIT KEEP-A-BREAST

THE BELL HOUSE - 149 7TH ST- BROOKLYN

3PM - 8PM, $10 ADV/$15 DOS TIX

*****GET THEM HERE!!!*****

Check out the video from last year:

Mode Merr - Fashion Show Spectacular - 2009 from Suzanne Hillinger on Vimeo.