Category Archives: TEXTUALS WITH VISUALS

text and art

the ELECTORAL CHRONICLES of [ YOU ]

 

******* UPDATED JULY 7TH *******

YOU11 updated

 

 

Thanks to everyone who voted! ^_^

[n]

 

NATNOTE: Sorry if this update was late, I was also working on other projects…

[ LEFTvsRIGHT ]

 

 

 

SCREEN-FREE WEEK 2.0

 

9 screens on OFF

SCREEN-FREE WEEK is from may 5th to the 11th this year, and I intend to take another stab at it. Media addiction is real, and in some extreme cases, it can ruin careers, relationship and even families. I’m not advocating for people to go out and smash their TV’s to bits in their driveways. But what I’d like to do, is have a dialogue on the subject.

It’s a good idea to be aware of how much time per week, that we’re spending just sitting there being idle, just absorbing screen-fed, infotainment  content, like some digital baby being fed virtual nourishment.

Over-consumption of media is like a run-on sentence. Something that starts off feeling good, but drags on for so long that it might end up making you feel nauseous. Throughout my life, I have binged on media. Whether it was watching 8-9 hours of tv a day, everyday, as a kid. Or playing some 10-12 hours of video games in a row, during the weekend as an adult. Great storytelling has a tendency to grab me and not let go. And I’m not the only one out there. Left and right, I’m hearing stories of people doing some time travel after getting Netflix, or some other streaming service. It’s  early afternoon, they start off watching an episode of a tv series that ends up being better than anticipated, and next thing you know, it’s now late at night. Time-travel in action.

I’m not going to go entirely offline and screen-free during that week, because realistically, I have no control over what content I’m shown at class. What I am planning to do, is to seriously reduce the amount of digital media I devour. I’m not going to play video games, or watch movies or tv shows, or surf the web for a week. But also have to be realistic, I am going to answer my cell if it rings, and I am going to check my emails quickly everyday, since I am job-hunting.

To me, SCREEN-FREE WEEK isn’t about being media-abstinent as a show of willpower. It’s about meditating on how much of our personal time we’re willing to give to absorbing other people’s stories, and how much we’re willing to invest in living out own lives, and in the process, living out our own stories.

[n]

 

-UPDATED May 13th :

I may have fumbled a few times ( I played some ps3 ), but I consider my SCREEN-FREE WEEK as at least, a moderate success. It was hard not to watch any tv shows & movies. Not being able to surf the web and check facebook made me feel disconnected at first. But then it felt great to have all that extra time to work on my projects, and to go outside. ^_^

 

the-on-off-pill

 

 

the DISTRACTED CHRONICLES of [ YOU ]

*******UPDATED APRIL 20TH********

you-10 final

 

Once again,a suggestion that didn’t come from me ended up winning the poll, which I think is totally awesome! Also, a big thank you to everyone who participated, as well as to anyone who just came to check it out! ^_^

[n]

NATNOTE: This comic-strip was inspired by a real-life occurrence.

[ 3 PANELS ]

HETEROSEXUALIZATION WATCH 1.0

Princess Ozma, LGBT heroine

Princess Ozma, LGBT heroine

At some point in 2015, NBC plans to launch a re-imagined version of Wizard of Oz. They need to be careful, because in my opinion, the 15 or so Wizard of Oz books that have been written by L.Frank Baum, the creator of that magical land, are THE most transgender positive, mainstream story books out there. Starting from the 2nd book, It’s all about a little boy who didn’t know he’s actually supposed to be a princess. Those books have a really positive message about women’s rights, and about the fluidity of gender. Having the Tin man say that it’s ok to be a girl, and that some of his best friends are girls, really had a positive effect on me as a gender-confused, genetic little boy. I just wanted to be accepted, like Princess Ozma who used to be  male, was accepted. But unfortunately, I have a feeling they’re going to heterosexualize the crap out of that story, like Disney recently did with their hetero-centric, re-imagining of the land of Oz.

Because according to an article I recently read in Advocate magazine, the producers of the new NBC series are planning to turn it into a “grim and gritty”  adult retelling of  the L. Frank Baum’s original story. So what’s the message here, NBC and Disney? That over the top violence is ok, but that positive stories about gender equality and transgenderism, are not?

I agree I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, or in this case, a TV series by its promotional slogans, at least not until I have seen it. But if it turns out to be a massive whitewashed debacle that erases all the setup about Princess Ozma’s origin, like the recent Disney movie did, I’m not sure I have the stomach to see it. I mean, come on Hollywood producers, why do you have to go slander what is to a lot of people, the only trans-friendly classic fairy tale story out there? You should be careful about messing with our LGBT heroes. Also, why does it always have to be re-imagined without the positive female role models? In the classic L.Frank Baum books, it’s the girls that totally kick ass. The supporting male characters like the Tin man, the Scarecrow, and the Lion, are at best C-3POesque in their bumbling abilities. Why can’t girls kick some ass, for once?

So what am I going to do about it? I’m going put NBC on notice, and follow-up on that story. And if they end up taking out all the Feminist and LGBT-friendly elements out of those wonderful stories, you can be sure I’ll be writing some more to complain about it.

NBC on notice

NATNOTE: For a look at a tv show that didn’t completely dishonor the original Oz source material, be sure to check out the Excellent “Wizard of Oz” tv series by CINAR animation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMbawTVJAoo

[n]

LGBT

the EARLY BIRD CHRONICLES of [ YOU ]

the CHRONICLES of [ YOU ] 9

Once again there was two winning entries, and I have to say that I really struggled to find a resolution that included them both, but I think I came up with a good compromise.

 

Also, a huge thank you to everyone who voted, talked about it, or just came to check it out. ^_^

[n]

NATNOTE: This morning’s sunrise was a half-sunrise, so [ YOU ]’re in the clear. It’s only when it’s a full-sunrise that [ YOU ] turn  into a were-rooster.

[ MULTI PANELS ]

The Hobo Code is a precursor to the “like” button

[ HOBO CODE LIKE ]

We all do it, clicking away as a sign of approval for whatever we may like. But, that’s not completely a new way of doing things. We don’t need to look back that far to find similar behavior. For example, the Hobo Code, also known as the Hobo Alphabet, could be considered a precursor to the facebook “like” button.

hobo-railroad-signs-symbols

Hobos used to carve such symbols into fences, walls, and posts, as a way to inform, or warn, other fellow traveling vagabonds. I call it Hobo-networking.  It started with the Gypsy Alphabet in Europe, which got updated when it became the Norwegian, and  later the British Hobo Code.  And, sure they had a lot more options then we do. But I think that symbols such as  “Good place for a handout”, “Good place to catch a train” or “Alcohol in this town”, would definitely qualify as a 1930’s version of a facebook “Like”. And since the life of 1930’s tramp was a lot more perilous than whether the latest cute kitten pic was worth “liking” or not, they also had the equivalent of a “dislike” button. Symbols such “Man with gun lives here”, and “Be ready to defend yourself”, would definitely qualify as a bad review. Worthy of a “dislike” button, I would say.

So, in conclusion, even when the stakes aren’t that high, humans have a need to share what they like. Whether it’s letting each other know that we can get drunk here without being shot, or whether it’s letting each other know that some pic, or some article is worthy of our time, adding our approval on things, is just something we’ve always done.

[ clickANDlike ]

[ n ]

NATNOTE: Personally, I see them new fangled “google-glasses” as the next step in our ever-evolving quest of tagging what we like.

[ like]

Continue reading

the SUB-CONSCIOUS CHRONICLES of [ YOU ]

******* UPDATED NOVEMBER 3RD *******

Wow! First time I get results that are tied. Luckily, I managed to include both winning entries. Also, I don’t know who wrote the suggestion that the mental representation of your boss deserved “excessive violence”. Unfortunately, it didn’t win the vote, but it definitely made me smile.    :)

 

 

the CHRONICLES of YOU 8 final

The need for a Queer Salute

flagge-regenbogen

So, it looks like we won’t be boycotting the upcoming 2014 Sochi Olympics. Bummer. But, why would we? With all that gender-segregated, celebration of the  different aspects of the human body, the Olympics are already very, very, gay.

So I’ve been thinking, we need to come up with a universally recognized gesture that symbolizes support for LGBT people, in Russia, and around the world. Something that athletes can do at the games if they want to show support for us in a non-verbal way. A “Queer Salute” if you will. Something  we can also use once the games are over too.

So, I`m holding a poll on the subject.  And, in no particular order, here are some potential choices:

OPTION-A ” LIMP-WRISTED ”

model AA new spin on established queer body language. That bent wrist says: “I’m Queer and I’m proud”, the left hand on your chest says that you’re saying it from the heart.

OPTION-B, ” I heart PINK TRIANGLE ”

model BModern, and self-explanatory. A little less outlandish, but also more likely to appeal to our straight allies.

OPTION-C  Sign Language for the “G”

sign language G

A write-in suggestions with a certain flair.

OPTION-D   The Japanese gesture

Another stylish write-in option.

OPTION-E  The Write-in. You send your sketch or pic, with the title of your pose to: queersalute@gmail.com

YOUR MATERIAL

So yeah, here’s the poll: ^_^

 

AH! So the option for the “I heart pink triangle” won the vote, and it’s now the official T4D queer salute for the Sochi Olympics! Which is very cool!  A lot people suggested doing it with a downward pointing triangle instead, so here is the final updated version of “I heart PINK TRIANGLE”:

I heart PINK TRIANGLE updated

[n]

NATNOTE: The models were rendered as art-store mannequins in a vague effort to keep it gender-neutral.    :)

LGBT