October 22nd 2009 - New to Comics?

A lot of people write to me and ask my advice on how to get started in the vast world of comic books. Given the seemingly endless amount of titles, graphic novels, and on-going series that cover the shelves, it is no wonder many newbies find themselves overwhelmed.

Rather than just grabbing piles of choices based on what your friends like, what is most popular, or what has the prettiest cover art...slow down and take some time to approach comic collecting with a clear head and a little bit of know-how.

Here is my advice:

First - figure out what you like - Do you like characters who are basically good people? Or do you like a superhero who has a questionable past and may not always do the right thing? Do you like stories set in cities, small western towns, space, etc?? Do you like the whole Superhero get-up and crazy powers...or do you prefer your Superheroes to be more like normal people?? Do you like classic comic book writing or do you like to see elements of Science Fiction, horror, or Manga in your titles??
Figure out which heroes/series best match your answers and continue from there.

Second - Find maybe three characters or titles who most interest you- Three at the most! Seriously, if you really want to get into comics, start small and branch out as you go. Find two or three titles/characters that possess the qualities that interest you and get to know them really well. Read up on them, find important back issues (www.mycomicshop.com is awesome for back issues!), buy their trades, heck...even check out their online fansites.

Third - Get a pull- Go to your local comic shop and let them know that you are serious about getting into comics and that you would like to start a "pull list". Most shops require so many books on your list before they start pulling titles for you. Just let them know that you are starting out small as you learn the characters but plan to add on very soon. Most stores will let that fly in hopes of getting a good regular customer. Oh! And if you have a favorite character...make a note of it on your pull list. Big Deadpool fan? Well, the man shows up in more than just his own comics and you may not want to miss out on it. If you make a note of it, your shop may catch issues that he appears in that you didn't know about.

Forth - Find a Buddy- Now that you know what you want to read and you are getting regular titles....try to find someone who has been reading that series for awhile. Perhaps a friend of a friend, or someone who works at your comic shop, or an online community friend. Cause as you read, you may find that you don't understand a reference the character makes or know who some of the less important heroes and villains are who make brief appearances.
Now you could keep Wikipedia open as you read in case you stumble into the unknown. But honestly, it is much more fun to talk with someone on a personal level about it and they can give you more insight on the relationships between characters and the importance of events in that series. Plus, debating is fun and is a staple in the comic book reading world!

Fifth - Branch out slowly - Don't be in a rush to learn every character from every series. Comic book collecting is expensive nowadays and with crossover events being thrown at us every few months...it can get pretty confusing! Stick with what you know and when you feel like you have a pretty good understanding of those characters (and a little extra money to spend on Wednesdays), then maybe find another title or two to start collecting.

One more thing to consider: Many of the big comic book publishers keep continuity throughout many of their large titles, this is called a Multiverse. In the Marvel Universe, for example, most of their superhero titles take place on Earth-616. This means that Spiderman, Wolverine, and Captain America can all bump into each other on occasion. The characters are all written to exist on the same planet at the same time period.
I am telling you this because if you are considering reading books that are part of a Multiverse, it might be best to just stick with one company at a time. Trying to start out by reading DC's JLA and Marvel's Avengers at the same time may prove to be quite overwhelming. These large companies are quite fond of Crossover events (arcs that span over several titles) and will hit you with a barrage of new characters.
You may find it easier to just stick with one company's books in the beginning. Learn about the Avengers and all the heroes they frequently deal with before trying to take on a completely new universe.


Does all this seem like a lot of work? Don't worry, it is more fun than it sounds!
Take your time, do your homework, and pretty soon you'll find yourself able to converse with even the most knowledgeable comic book connoisseurs.

September 28th 2009 - Zombie Prom

Last night was Zombie Prom down at the Troc in Philadelphia. This is its third year and I am pleased to say, it is still a blast. It was a bit more crowded this year than the ones before but we managed to squeeze through masses of our fellow undead and have a good time.

Getting ready to leave for the prom...





At the Prom...















Check out the Philly Zombie Crawl Website for more of their events and information!

Sept 16th 2009 - Fun with Rats!

After we did tutorials a few days ago, my friends and I decided to play with my pet rats. We waited until almost everyone left and blocked off all the rooms upstairs so the ratties could run around the hallway.

So what happened?

Crazy fun happened, that's what!!

Rats pounce Jay:


Cely likes Penelope....awwww...:


Trying to get my attention:


Want one?


Vanessa gives the rat a kiss:


Vanessa eats the rat...Wha???


Party in the pants:

September 14th 2009 - Tutorial Day!

Yesterday we hosted a Tutorial Day party at my house for the website. Basically, we hung out, had yummy food, and shot a lot of tutorials for the next site update.
We had Make-up Artist Anna DeMeo there doing some looks for the tutorials. My lovely assistant and friend, Vanessa also did some as well.
Our hope is that the next site update will have a variety of new tutorials with different models and make-up artists. (Cause, I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired of looking at my face everywhere on this site.)

We have another Tutorial Day planned at the end of the month. Contact us at Info at Squeakmachine.com if you are a model or MUA interested in participating!

For now, here are some images and previews from that day:

Anna's work-space...


Me...striking a pose with model April


Anna working on a model


Preview of one of the new tutorials


Preview of Vanessa's work on April


Vanessa working on Jay


Yes! We are finally doing make-up tutorials for boys!!


Anna working on her model, Cely (aka Redz)


Preview of one of Anna's tutorials


Me working on a eyebrow shaping tutorial


Anna posing with her model


Two very silly MUAs...



More Tutorial Day previews to come! And soon....a big update for the site!! Yay!

September 1st 2009 - It's Britney, bitch

Just saw Britney Spears in concert this weekend with two of my favorite girlie friends, Kassie and Autumn.
Britney was amazing! I know it seems odd to blog about this on an alternative fashion site but trust me, Britney is as eccentric as they come and I think she fits in here better than most people would think. ;)
Her show is worth every penny. So if she comes to your hometown, crack that piggy bank open and buy a ticket if you can! Check out the images below and you'll see what I mean:

August 30th 2009 - Beauty tips on Twitter

I have decided to start posting daily beauty tips on Twitter.

Make-up, hair, nails, fashion....it will all be covered. Some of it is on the Squeakmachine site, a lot of it isn't. So while you wait for the next update to the site, you can get useful tidbits of beauty information every day on Twitter.
Check it out each day for a different tip!




http://twitter.com/Squeakmachine

August 23rd 2009 - Moo Moo Massacre

I went down into the city to visit my close friends, George and Andrew. Upon arriving at Andrew's house I expressed my interest in getting a cheeseburger. When he asked me whether I would rather have Wendy's, McDonalds, or Burger King I was faced with a problem. All three of those restaurants have burgers that are uniquely delicious. I could not choose.It was at that moment that I decided that we must conduct a scientific experiment. And thus, the Moo Moo Massacre was born!
Below is a brief rundown of the research methodology that led to the invention of Bovinious Maximus Triumvirate; affectionately referred to as a "Moo Moo Massacre":


Question: Can a perfect burger be created if one takes the best aspects of a Wendys, Burger King, and McDonalds burger and merges them into one specimen?

First, we had to gather our tools for this experiment. A quick run through the Wendy's and Burger King drive-thru provided us with a sampling from each establishment.


Then we were off to McDonalds to purchase the final ingredients needed and to find a quiet, isolated area to conduct the experiment.



Our hypothesis was that by dismantling each of the three burgers and re-assembling them in a way that was both structurally sound and absolutely delicious, we would invent the perfect fast food burger. One that would satisfy even the most fervid of appetites, as well as appease a craving for all three of the mega-franchises.


We began by deciding which of the buns was going to hold this enormous creation. After some quick deliberation it was unanimously decided that the Wendy's bun was the most structurally sound bun and could withstand the weight and greasiness of the other ingredients. After that it was a simple matter of removing the buns from the other two burgers and stacking the rest of their components on top of the Wendy's burger.


The result-


Finally, the taste test!
(cheers!)


Initial tasting revealed that the Burger King hamburger meat easily overpowered the seasoning of the other two. We made note of this and hope to come up with a solution to this problem during the retesting period. Our theory is that stacking the meats differently might better distribute the flavors. I shall publish that data when it becomes available. Another issue is the size. This was not a problem for those of us with larger stomachs or high metabolisms, however, the Moo Moo Massacre proved too much for some researchers:


Overall, I would call the experiment a success!

Despite the small issue with Burger King's overpowering taste, the burger was indeed satisfying and delicious. I felt that it truly did satiate my craving for all three restaurants' burgers. We are all looking forward to retesting this experiment in the near future and encourage other researchers to do the same.