September's Peculiar Person of the Month: Writer and Musician Charles Soule



Photo by Seth Kushner

Many might be familiar with Charles Soule's name when browsing through the pages of one of his many comics or graphic novels, but there is a lot more to this Michigan born musician and writer. Growing up throughout Asia, he studied in Philadelphia and New York City before settling in Brooklyn in the mid- 90's. An avid lover of music and travel, perhaps one of his greatest journeys has been through written words and music notes. Charles Soule was kind enough to sit down with This Peculiar Life NYC to talk about putting the soul into his music, comics, and creating.

This Peculiar Life NYC: How long have you lived in New York?

Charles Soule: I've lived in the city since 1996, and I [feel like I] have a [been] here forever, at this point. Not that I mind.

T.P.L. NYC: How did you get into comics?

C.S.: I started reading comics when I was very young - it can be a hard habit to break. My dad gave me my first book. He needed my siblings and I to chill out while he ran an errand, so he zipped into a drugstore and picked us up a little stack of comics. Mine was an issue of Fantastic Four with Asgardians involved somehow. From then, my comics addiction went through a number of phases - sometimes it would go into remission. By '98/'99, though, I realized there was no point in fighting, and surrendered completely to the wonderful, crazy world of comics. I've been there ever since, first (and still) as a voracious reader, and now, amazingly, as a creator as well.

T.P.L. NYC: What was it about comics as opposed to other artistic platforms?

C.S.: Well, I didn't actually begin there - I've been writing for years. My first "book" was a children's story about a unicorn I did in fourth grade, with art by Brad and Greg Mohr. Unfortunately, the manuscript has since been lost. I've also been a musician since I was three, first on the violin and then on the guitar. My first big "try to go pro" writing efforts were novels, and comics writing just grew organically out of that, more or less. I've always loved comic stories, and it's no stretch at all to be making them.

T.P.L. NYC: How long have you been in comics?

C.S.: I started taking comics writing seriously around 2004-2005, by contributing short stories to several anthologies. That's always a good way to get your feet wet, I think - make sure you can handle a small, self-contained story before you aspire to anything longer-form. Long-form stories are in many ways just a bunch of short stories strung together in any case (it's just that in a novel they're called "scenes" or "chapters" as opposed to short stories. But I digress. I got my first publishing deal for a full-length comics story in late 2007. That first book, Strongman, appeared on shelves in spring 2009 from SLG, and I haven't looked back.

T.P.L. NYC: What is the difference between writing novels as opposed to writing comics?

C.S.: Well, novels are incredibly solitary and incredibly difficult. Not that comics aren't, but they're a different beast. I spent several years on each of the two novels I've written, and the best comparison I can come up with is the idea of taking a long drive across the entire country by yourself. You'll come across some amazing things, and you'll grow from the experience, but man, does it get lonely. With comics, you're constantly bouncing the story off your various collaborators - the artists, the letterer, etc. There are many more differences, but that's the one that sticks out the most to me.

T.P.L. NYC: You are into music also, what are some the instruments you play? Ever made an album or perform live somewhere? Tell me a bit about the process, like how do you write your music and songs?

C.S.: My main instrument is the guitar, and I'm a solid bassist. I also play violin, and I've got very basic competence on keys, drums and most instruments with strings. No horns, though. I've been playing live since I was 16, and I've done hundreds of shows at this point. Many recordings too, although that's not as hard anymore as it used to be since the home recording revolution (which I think is fantastic.) I studied music theory and composition in college, and I've written everything from classical to jazz to rock to musicals. I love music, and it's easily as much a part of my creative life as writing, if not more.

T.P.L. NYC: I have noticed that many musicians have been making comic versions of themselves such as K.I.S.S. and Coheed and Cambria. What do you feel the connection between comics and music is?

C.S.: Music is a freewheeling, anything goes discipline, and so is comics. There's a vibrant indie scene in both, and they both have that collaborative aspect, as I mentioned above. Going from working with musicians to working with artists is a natural. It's all about melding your respective talents to make something that's a shared effort, something bigger and better than any one of the group could have done on their own.

Photo by Sandy Pertuz

T.P.L. NYC: How does it feel being a working writer in comics and making a living at it? Do you feel that this is something that has become harder for hopefuls to achieve?

C.S.: I don't think it was ever easy. Making a living from creative efforts is near-impossible. There's tons of competition and very few slots. Making a living from creative efforts that aren't compromised in some way (by conforming your creations to the expectations of people who are funding them, for example) is even harder. There are only a handful of people who get that far. I think you have to create to create. Chasing dollars just leads to bad art and heartbreak, I think. Your goal should be to get good, and then get great. If you can manage that, money will come. Usually.

T.P.L. NYC: What do you feel you provide readers with the most when it comes to your projects? Is it style, your characters or the medium in which you tell your stories?

C.S.: I find it hard to evaluate my own stuff, but I think I'm good at high concepts and character work. There are plenty of areas in which I think I'm weak - not that I feel any burning need to share those today - but I do think the people I write seem like real people, and do things that real people would do. I'm pretty proud of that (assuming I'm not totally confused about what my writing's actually like.)

T.P.L. NYC: Do you ever feel that your ideas can be translated into different types of mediums? Like can a comic idea you have ever be a book? How do you go about deciding which idea is going into which medium?

C.S.: Great question. Over time, I've just sort of developed a feel for what will work where. There are certain stories that are very internalized - not particularly visual, or restrained to one location. Those don't make for great comics, usually (although even those can work, because as we know, comics can do anything!) You just have to feel it out. I've got a comics story that happens to have tons of water and detailed battle scenes in it - two things artists don't always love to draw. Still, when it eventually DOES get done, it'll be amazing simply because of those tough elements. It'll get there eventually.

T.P.L. NYC: For aspiring writers looking to break into comics, the challenge can be difficult. How were you able to pitch or get your work noticed by editors?

C.S.: Basically, you just have to sort of be around a lot. Go to cons, network, get your talent noticed by anyone who's a rung or two up the ladder from you. If you're cool, and you're good, maybe they'll help pull you up to their level with a well-placed kind word here or there to someone up the ladder from them. It's a long, iterative process that takes a lot of focused effort. No one breaks in overnight. The standard path is like five years from deciding to do comics professionally to actually doing them professionally - that's about how long it was for me.

T.P.L. NYC: Did you pitch things to different companies; are there comic book publishers that look at unsolicited material?

C.S.: Sure, I did, and still do. Every publisher has their own feel, and you want to research who will be the best fit for the story you're trying to tell. Lots of publishers look at unsolicited material: Image, Shadowline, SLG, Archaia and others will check your stuff out - but if it's not ready for prime time, you might be doing yourself a disservice by putting it in front of them before it's super solid.

T.P.L. NYC: What are the best ways you can think of to find resources to getting your project ideas out to people or what resources do you use?

C.S.: Well, the internet, obviously. Every creative field has a vibrant community of fans and content creators online these days, and you can find those people on Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, message boards and so on. Seek out people who know what you need to know and ask them for help. Sure, you'll get the brush-off every once in a while, but you'd be amazed at how often people are willing to help out.

T.P.L. NYC: You have mentioned that people can establish a following online now in addition to print. Is it a bit of the “chicken or the egg” paradox with starting things online? Do you feel you have to have a print following first in order to have success online?

C.S.: Nope, not at all. If you're good, you'll get noticed. You just need to be smart about promoting, and make yourself easy to find.

T.P.L. NYC: If so, what are some ways people can establish a following online? How did you do it?

C.S.: If you're doing something like a webcomic, or you've got songs or video clips, put them up everywhere. Use the many free tools available to promote yourself (mostly talking about social networking here). Be relentless - without becoming insufferable. Use every opportunity you can think of. It's hard to keep that balance sometimes, but it's possible.



Cover for Strange Attractors

T.P.L. NYC: You live in NYC and are writing a series about an older and younger man who use the butterfly effect on New York City. How did you come up with the idea for Strange Attractors?

C.S.: That's right - Strange Attractors is a beautiful graphic novel that's due to be published in the first quarter of 2013 by Archaia Entertainment. Archaia's a wonderful company - they do some amazing things with their books as far as presentation. They've actually won the Eisner (the comic book equivalent of an Oscar) for best graphic novel two years in a row, which is a stellar achievement. Anyway, I've lived in NYC for more than fifteen years, and I've always been fascinated by the city's thousands of systems big and small that all somehow manage to work together to keep the lights on, keep us safe, and so on. NYC is basically this massive organism designed to support millions of people, as well as generate money, entertainment, fashion and all sort of other things we export to the world. My preoccupation with the epic complexity of New York made me want to write a story that would do justice to the incredible, exotic environment in which I live. I decided that it would be interesting to write about characters who were sufficiently perceptive to be able to understand the NYC "machine" well enough to influence it via the butterfly effect way you mentioned. Basically, they turn the city into sort of an engine, and the story's about what happens when they turn the key.

T.P.L. NYC: With such a complex idea how much preparation did it take you to get the story ready? Did you find the research challenging?

C.S.: I did, but I like research as a rule. I spent a lot of time reading books on complexity theory and chaos theory and how they relate to one another. I'll confess that my mathematics background isn't really sufficient to do anything like what's depicted in the book - I can just barely understand the underlying theories (which are, understandably, pretty damn complicated). Still, as a dumb writer, I don't have to. I can use the work of my intellectual betters as the foundation for a fun story.

T.P.L. NYC: With an idea like this, I imagine that it would require a lot of thinking to stage out the “cause and effect” situation of the story, what are some of the exercises or techniques you use to get ideas to form and flow for you?

C.S.: Index cards and flowcharts. I don't always do that for stories - some I just let flow - but Strange Attractors needed to work in such a way that the entire book functions almost the same way as I described the city - it's an engine, with lots of interlocking parts. One thing affects another, and it all happens in unexpected and hopefully cool ways. It took a lot of planning, but I'm very happy with how it's all coming together.

 T.P.L. NYC: How many issues is it and is it available for purchase?

C.S.: Strange Attractors will be released as a full-color hardcover of about 150 pages. We're not putting it out as serialized single issues because it just seems like the sort of story that will work better as one volume - a feast as opposed to a number of little meals. You can see some art and learn a little more about the project here: http://charlessoule.wordpress.com/category/writing/strange-attractors/

 

T.P.L. NYC: Why did you choose NYC as the setting of the book? What is it about the city that inspires you?

C.S.: Well, it's hard not to be inspired by this place. It's physically spectacular, from the very nature of Manhattan as an island metropolis, to the architecture. It's also a place where the best of everything comes, at one point or another. Finally, it's a place filled with dreams - they're everywhere. New Yorkers are aspirants. I'm not saying it always works out for everyone - dreams don't always come true - but it's still quite a fertile environment. Inspiring.

T.P.L. NYC: You are also the writer of 27. This is a very fun idea that is very relevant in pop culture, how did you go about choosing to use this idea?

Cover for 27

C.S.: 27 is the series that broke me through as a comics writer - the first part of the story started to come out in the fall of 2010, and it got a lot of attention for an indie series from a writer few had ever heard of before. The premise of the series is built around the legend of the "27 Club," the list of famous musicians and artists who have died at twenty-seven years old. It's a pretty staggering group: Hendrix, Cobain, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, and most recently Amy Winehouse (among many others.) In the series, I set up the reason for these deaths as a sort of curse affecting brilliant twenty-seven year-olds, almost a magical thing. It's related to the spirits of creativity and decay, who appear as characters in the book. The main character is a famous rock star guitarist, Will Garland, who gets hit with the 27 Club curse and has to try to understand how it works and ultimately beat it so he can keep playing guitar and rocking out. The story is soaked in references to rock and roll trivia history and craziness. It's sort of a supernatural musical adventure, like the best concert you've ever been to, but it's a book. The series has been collected into two volumes so far, 27: First Set and 27: Second Set, published by Image/Shadowline. You can get them here, as well as a bunch of my other work: www.amazon.com/Charles-Soule/e/B003VNCONO/ in print versions, or here digitally: https://comics.imagecomics.com/#/series/5035 . The story is also being serialized online for free at Keenspot here: http://twenty-seven.keenspot.com. Check it out - it's a lot of fun.

T.P.L. NYC: You mentioned how you like to add many layers of complexity with each new project you take on. Since Strongman you have written about many different things. What new areas do you think you would like to explore in upcoming projects?

C.S.: I'd like to do something with really large-scale action. I have a script that's based around gigantic battles and swashbuckling adventure that I'd like to see come together. I'd also like to do a horror script. 27 has some horror elements, but they're more spooky or unsettling than outright terrifying. I think it would be an amazing challenge to really try to scare people. One day, hopefully! I have several series coming out over the next year that let me stretch some of those other muscles, though. The next big thing after Strange Attractors is a political/sci-fi thing, kind of like 24 meets 2001. After that, I've got a paranormal adventure story, like an X-Files episode in comic book form, and some other really fun things as well. Eventually, I'd like to try every genre at least once.

Cover for Strongman

T.P.L. NYC: With only so many pages in a comic, what is a good way to tell a story without it feeling rushed or having to cut out a lot of dialogue.

C.S.: This is really just a matter of practice. The more you do it, the better you get at fitting into that 22-page length. A single issue of a comic can't really sustain too many scenes, or it starts to feel cluttered and scattershot. I usually start with a beginning and end point (usually a cliffhanger) for an issue. I then think about the other things I want the issue to accomplish, and decide how many scenes and locations it will take to get there. Usually, I can figure out how to shift things around to make it work. It's really an experience thing, though, I think. The more you write the better you write.

T.P.L. NYC: Do you think you would like to return to novel writing, or do you still write prose and fiction?

C.S.: I would love to, but the comics thing is really taking up almost all of my writing time real estate right now. I've written a few screenplays for features and shorts here and there, and I'm slowly working on a big book of... fairy tales, basically, which will be prose, but it's hard. I'm getting to a point where I can't just take as long as I want on any given project. Once deadlines start to become a factor, it can be tough to find the time to work on huge side projects, especially something like a novel. I'd really like to get back to it, though. I'm sure I will, one of these days.

T.P.L. NYC: Is there an existing character or comic book that you would like to work on? Do you feel that you only want to do original material or would you like to adapt something already created?

C.S.: I would be thrilled to work on established characters at some point. I'm doing some of that now, although it's too early to talk about it in any detail. Most aspiring or established comics writers want to take their turn at the big superhero books, if nothing more to say they've done it, and I'm no exception. I'm very happy where I am in my writing career, but if someone handed me the keys to Batman (or Robin, for that matter), I'd go for it. I like street-level heroes. I think I could write a nice Green Arrow, or Hulk, or Nightwing/Robin, and I've always liked The Flash and Daredevil. It would be amazing to write a Star Wars story as well. But really, I'm pretty jazzed to be where I am.

T.P.L. NYC: Where do you see the state of comics in the next decade?

C.S.: Digital comics will reignite the newsstand mentality, allowing people to get new stories in a quick, almost disposable way, and then they'll purchase collected editions of the things they love. So, a kid might read six issues of Spider-Man for a buck apiece on his iPad, and then eventually he might get the collected graphic novel of those six issues to stick on his shelf. I see single-issue print books - what the average person thinks of as a comic book - becoming a specialty item printed and purchased for nostalgic reasons, almost like LPs now. Still, it's all good - as long as the readership grows, it'll work out. People will always love comics.

T.P.L. NYC: How do you go about getting your artists? Which ones do you like to work with?

C.S.: It started out that I would find folks online, via digital classified ad boards like digitalwebbing.com or deviantart.com. I got in touch with some amazing artists that way. These days, I'm fortunate to know tons of artists, just from being in the community. So, I can email or call someone I know and see if they're interested in working together. It's one of the most gratifying things about my time in the comics world - getting to know so many spectacularly talented writers and artists. Hanging out after hours at a comic con is like being dipped into a whirlpool of ability - it's a huge rush.

T.P.L. NYC: Of all the different comics you’ve written is there one that stands out as your favorite? Was there one that was the most challenging or that you were disappointed with the outcome?

C.S.: This is like asking a parent to select one of their children as their favorite. I love them all for different reasons, even the ones that had a little trouble in the execution. The ones I worry about the most are the stories that haven't made it into print yet. I have a pile of unproduced treatments, scripts and stories that I'd love to have see the light of day. Making that happen requires a lot of persistence and clever working of the system - not to mention they have to be half-decent enough for people to want to read them. But with a little luck, I'll get there, I hope.

T.P.L. NYC: What do you think readers would be surprised to learn about you?

C.S.: I appeared on Jeopardy! I was on in early 2010. I didn't win, but I did well nonetheless. It was a pretty amazing experience.

T.P.L. NYC: What is the most peculiar thing you’ve seen or been a part of while living in New York City?

C.S.: NYC is an endless fountain of peculiarity, but let's see... my band once played as the backing band for a lingerie fashion show down on the Lower East Side. Our "green room" was the ladies' dressing room. The models were all Eastern European and two feet taller than everyone in the band. They could have cared less whether we were there, too. Man, now I'm thinking through all the crazy things that have happened since I've lived here. You don't have to look far in New York City to come across something strange and wonderful.

Photo by Seth Kushner

T.P.L. NYC: What is the most peculiar thing that has ever happened to you?

C.S.: Unprintable- but it didn't happen in NYC. It happened in Singapore.

Read Charles Soule’s latest work in issue 18 of Images hilarious swords and sorcery series Skulllkickers, which will be available in print and digital on September 26^th. His story is called “The Corran’s Tale”  and feature many other talented writers such as Justin Jordan, Tradd Moore, Blair Butler, John Layman and Rob Guillory, and J. Torres.

To learn more about Charles Soule’s upcoming projects check him out on Twitter, which is @charlessoule, his blog : http://charlessoule.wordpress.com, and on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/charles.soule.58.


 

August Peculiar Person of the Month: Lab Technician and Baker Christine Alaimo




Christine Alaimo works on one of her cakes.

Christine Alaimo is one multi-faceted New Yorker. Having graduated with a Masters of Special Education in England this self-professed “lover of all things creative” is working on bridging the gap between special needs children and art. Christine started as a cake decorator to help pay for school, but soon found a new passion in it. Decorating up to 50 cakes a day gave her a lot of time to practice her love of baking and decorating. After graduating she was offered a position at the Cognitive Neurophysiology Lab (CNL) at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. It is a lab that focuses on research around multi sensory processing and integration in children with autism, which is a medical issue that is of special interest to Christine. It still wasn’t enough with a full time job, Christine started her own creative cakes and cupcakes business called Confectionery Therapy.

 
Although challenging at times, Christine admits that her commitment is untiring. After completing her masters, she has set a new goal to open a storefront bakery with a bit of a twist that combines her two passions- creative confections and working with children with autism. Christine bakes up a fresh batch of ideas as she was kind enough to take time out of her schedule to talk about her experience as a young business owner and spearhead in areas of autism research. She shows no signs of slowing down as she is getting ready to start baking classes for children with autism where life skills, social skills, and sensory stimulation are incorporated into a fun and creative environment.


This Peculiar Life NYC: Tell me a bit about you and what you are known for.
 

Christine Alaimo: Growing up, I always had a flair for all things creative or artistic. From a very young age I knew that I absolutely loved creating things- especially when I got to make them pretty! While most kids in high school were wracking their brains to figure out what school to go to and what to major in, my choice was clear; I was going to be an artist. I took every art class I could find, both in and out of school. Among my favorites was cake decorating. I received my B.F.A. from Purchase College, with a specialization in every medium I could get my hands on.  I loved manipulating materials in new ways, and experimenting with design, color, composition, and texture.  However, while I loved every minute of being immersed in a creative environment, I knew that something was missing from my time covered in dye, paint, clay, and glue.

While I was in high school, I had begun volunteering in a school for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. As someone that had always loved art, I migrated to the art room within minutes of my first day. By the end of that day, I was already in love. I continued to work at that school during any free time I had. While I was in college, I even scheduled my classes around days I worked there. Planning lessons for kids and seeing their progress was incredibly rewarding for me (especially when it involved being creative!). Occasionally our classes had access to a full kitchen, where our students would light up with the chance to crack an egg, measure sugar, or stir batter.  As staff, we wished that our students were able to spend more time in the kitchen, because they absolutely loved the experience.

 

After I graduated from Purchase with my B.F.A., I took a chance on applying to a Masters of Special Education program in England to help fill the ‘gap’ that I felt was missing from my life as an artist. To my astonishment, I was accepted and enrolled within a month of applying. In order to support myself while in school, I took on a full-time job of working as the cake decorator in a bakery/ ice cream shop. I quickly found that my place in the kitchen was one that I looked forward to every day.  I loved the challenge of being presented with new flavors to create, and novel designs to conquer.  Being self-taught, my skills were tested every day with the high volume of production required by me as the only baker.  The demand of the shop required me to decorate up to 50 cakes a day, which was quite a challenge for the perfectionist that I am! However, I quickly became very comfortable and confident in my skills, both as a baker and a decorator.

When I graduated with my MA in Special Education, I was offered a position at the Cognitive Neurophysiology Lab (CNL) at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. As the lab focused on research around multi sensory processing and integration in children with autism, I jumped at the chance to work in such an extraordinary environment. While I currently work full time in the CNL, I also now run my own creative cakes and cupcakes business called Confectionery Therapy.  It is an incredible challenge to run a business while working another full time job, but my commitment to it is untiring. Through completing orders after hours, I have gotten used to the fresh morning glow and bird’s chirp of pulling an all-nighter covered in frosting! My commitment is unwavering because of a goal that I set for myself while completing my master’s degree; to open a storefront bakery with a bit of a twist combining my two passions- creative confections and working with children with autism. Confectionery Therapy will hold baking classes for children with autism where life skills, social skills, and sensory stimulation are incorporated into a fun and creative environment.  Currently Confectionery Therapy donates 10% of profits from all orders to autism research, with the hope of opening a storefront within a few years.

 

 

T.P.L. NYC: Between working in a lab and running your own business, how do you find the time to do it all?

C.A.: It is very very hard. There are weeks that go by where I wake up, go to the lab, go home, bake until 3 or 4a.m., sleep, and do it all over again every day of the week. Friday is my busiest day. It is spent pulling all-nighters until at least 8 a.m. I usually get about two or three hours of sleep, and then I have to get up to deliver the cakes I just finished making!

T.P.L. NYC:  What do you think are the best components to making a cake? A special ingredient or perhaps do you listen to music while baking?

C.A.: I do have one special ingredient that I believe my cakes would not taste half as good without: salt. Personally I never liked the kind of cakes and frosting that make your teeth physically hurt because they are so sweet. It is truly amazing what a little pinch of salt added to batter and frosting can do! As for noise while I'm baking, I always have something playing in the background.

T.P.L. NYC: You have some amazing designs, how do you go about creating a ninja turtle or pool ball? Is there a special frosting you use to form the image or do you make your own molds?

C.A.: Having a background in art and design, sculpting edible art is something I love to do. There is no trick to it like making a mold. I bake cakes in regular old shapes like circles or rectangles, layer them and start carving. The frosting acts as a glue that holds everything together, and once I have the shape I desire, I 'dirty ice' it in frosting and let it set in the refrigerator. After that, I roll out fondant, cover the cake, and get down to the details. In my opinion, the execution of a cake is all really in the fine details...which also happens to be the most time consuming piece.

T.P.L. NYC: What is the strangest cake you have had to bake? Tell us how you went about making the concept and what you used to make it so far as ingredients, colors, and textures the actual process.

C.A.: The strangest (edible) thing that I have ever made was actually a design that I came up with for a cupcake competition. The competition required bakers to use a 12x12" space to execute a design with at least a dozen cupcakes. With zombies infiltrating every aspect of the world in games, TV shows, movies, mud-runs, and whatever else, I decided to make some amazingly horrific zombie cupcakes.

 



The Zombie Cake

For this piece, the process I used was very different than anything I had done in the realm of 'edible art' before. I used a low-temperature melting wax to make molds of my hands and fingers, filled the molds with melted chocolate, and let the chocolate harden in the freezer. After chiseling the fingers and hands free from the molds, I was left with casts so realistic, they had my finger prints on them. I chipped away at some of the chocolate and hand painted them with gel food colors to make them look like they were bloody, decaying, and severed. Then, I used crushed cookies and coco powder to cover all of the cupcakes, as well as cupcake stand to simulate dirt. Lastly, I made a deep-red sugar syrup to drizzle over the cupcakes, as well as around the fingers and hands. The result was an amazingly realistic, gruesome, gore, cringe-worthy, and very (delicious) unappetizing cupcake display....and in case you were wondering, I won the contest.

 

T.P.L. NYC: If customers have strange requests for cakes, what are you thinking when they order?

C.A.: I actually get excited when people have strange requests! I love challenging my creative abilities, and making things that I have never made before. The stranger, weirder and more peculiar, the more I love to make it!

T.P.L. NYC: Is there a cake that you enjoyed making the most? Any particular design you can say is your favorite?

C.A.: I'm not sure that there is one particular cake or display that I have enjoyed the most, but my favorites are the things I make that are supposed to look like other things. My personal favorites out of that category are the high heeled shoe cake, zombie cupcake display, and the very realistic cake of a particular male body part.

Yes, it is THAT body part.

T.P.L. NYC: Is there anything that you find hard to make into a cake? What has been the most challenging design you have tried to make?

C.A.: The most difficult things to make are the ones that are supposed to look exactly like something else. If it doesn't look like what it is supposed to, it doesn't look good. For example, the high heeled shoe cake that I made was supposed to be a particular high heeled shoe. It took me over 12 hours to make JUST the shoe, because I had to get it right.
 

 

T.P.L. NYC: Are there any obstacles in making your cakes?

C.A.: Other than figuring out which edible materials would be best in different situations, time is my only obstacle. Unlike other forms of art, you do not have weeks or days to get something right. You have hours, and those hours go by VERY fast when you have a deadline. I take a huge amount of pride in the taste of my cakes, and refuse to send customers anything other than a fresh cake. In order to do that, I have to bake it the day (or at most two days) before delivery. Because of that, I have actually worked on cakes for 25+ hours straight to get them done in time.

 





 

T.P.L. NYC: You are quite young; did you ever think that you would be a business owner?

C.A.: To be honest, no I didn't. It is a huge challenge and at times overwhelming, but the rewards that you see from it are direct. When I get praises from my customers, I know it was whole-hearted and meant for me because I did all of the work. I have been extremely proud of my accomplishments thus far, and I hope that my business just continues to grow.

T.P.L. NYC: You are auditioning to be on Cupcake Wars. What was that experience like? Were there any peculiar stories in making your audition video? How was it received?

C.A.: I first applied in January 2012, at which point I made it to the last stage of casting (there are 4 stages) which was very exciting. Then I never heard anything from them. I reapplied in April 2012, and once again made it to the last stage of casting. This time, however, I received an email saying I was in the final pool of potential participants for Season 7. However, yet again, I didn't hear anything after that stage. I love Cupcake Wars, and would love to be on the show so I'll probably apply again and see what happens. One of the best things that actually came out of applying was the publicity that my business got from casting. Everyone around me finally took my small at-home bakery seriously, and I had tons of customers pouring in!

 

 

T.P.L. NYC: How long does it take you to make your cakes?

C.A.: A very basic standard cake can take me as little as two hours to make. I can also make a standard dozen of cupcakes in about 45 minutes.  The most time consuming part of making a cake is the decoration. Some of my really detailed or larger cakes have taken over 25 hours to make.

 

T.P.L. NYC: Do you bake anything else besides cupcakes and cakes? Is there anything else you would like to learn how to make?

C.A.: I make cookies and cake pops as well, but cakes and cupcakes are my specialty. One thing that I want to get into is molecular gastronomy. I really want to make fruity caviar!

 

T.P.L. NYC: What are some ways you helped to grow your business and build a clientele? Do you have any good advice to people who want to build their own business?

C.A.: I use Google AdWords to advertise online, which is where most of my clientele have come from. I also use Facebook as a means of targeting people I know, and I leave business cards everywhere I go. One of the funniest ways that I have gained customers is through delivering cakes. On multiple occasions while I was making deliveries people have stopped me to ask where I got that 'beautiful cake' or 'adorable cupcakes'. One of my customers was sitting next to me on the bench at a subway station while I was in transit to my brother's house, cupcakes in hand. She asked me where I got the cupcakes, and after telling her about my business and a few minutes of talking, she got up to go home. She apparently had been on her way to a cake tasting at another bakery, and my cupcakes won her over!

 

T.P.L. NYC: What is your favorite kind of cake or cupcake? Any favorite flavors?

C.A.: Typically, I have always been a Vanilla fan. However, after creating over 30 flavors of cupcakes, I have definitely branched out! My two personal favorites are Very Berry (strawberry-raspberry cake, filled with a triple berry compote, covered in blueberry butter cream, and topped with fresh berries) and The Wake-Up Call (buttermilk cake, filled with maple syrup, brushed in maple syrup and rolled in crumbled bacon, covered in cinnamon cream cheese frosting, and finished off with sprinkles of bacon).

 

Capturing the mad science in the lab

T.P.L. NYC: You also work in a lab. Tell me what is the lab like that you work in? Does it have a “mad science” feeling to it or is it kind of like an office space?

C.A.: I do indeed work in a lab, and I would say it is somewhere between 'mad science lab' and office. Actually, it's maybe more like office in the front, mad science lab in the back. Literally.

T.P.L. NYC: How big is your lab? What does a modern day lab look like?

C.A.: I work in a neuroscience lab with about 35 people and a ton of computers for data analysis.

T.P.L. NYC: What are some of the things you work on in your lab?

C.A.: My lab studies multi sensory processing in children and adults with a range of intellectual and developmental disabilities. For example, we look at how the brain processes things like sound and visual stimuli simultaneously, in comparison to how they process them individually. Personally, I am responsible for a range of things including maintaining a database with over 1000 research participants, collecting genetic samples (including blood draws), performing manual DNA extraction, and the organization of study materials.

 T.P.L. NYC: Is there a piece of equipment or technology that most people might not know about that is really cool that you get to use in your lab?

C.A.: Yes! We just finished building a virtual reality room that tracks body movements. We have an experiment where subjects walk on a treadmill while watching photos projected onto the wall. They are prompted to click a button when particular pictures pop up, all while their brain waves are being recorded through Electroencephalography (EEG), and their body movements are being tracked with V.R. sensors.

 

T.P.L. NYC: You have researched autism and have even made charitable contributions to it. Why do you like to study autism opposed to other human conditions?

C.A.: I have worked with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders for over 11 years, and have a Master's degree in Special Needs and Inclusive Education. After working in schools for many years, I saw how children had huge inconsistencies in intervention methods, based on individuals biases. I strongly believe that research is key to understanding the basic brain processing of individuals with Autism, upon which evidence-based practice intervention methods should be built.

 

 

T.P.L. NYC: Is there anything other areas of the human condition that you would like to research?

C.A.: Autism Spectrum Disorder is my main area of interest, but I am very interested in research involving a range of intellectual and developmental disabilities.

 

T.P.L. NYC: Have you ever made any amazing discoveries in your lab?

C.A.: We have had many amazing research papers come out of my lab, and I personally have learned some amazing things while working there.

 

T.P.L. NYC: Any other interests or hobbies that you enjoy that are peculiar or that you would like to share?

C.A.: In general, I am a person that enjoys all things creative. In my spare time if I'm not making cakes or other edible artistic things, I'm making something else. Currently, I am in the process of writing a children's book.

 

T.P.L. NYC: What is the most peculiar thing you have seen under the microscope?

C.A.: Once while manually extracting DNA, I thought I came across an incredible double helix strand that was very visible to the naked eye. However, it turned out to just be fiber from clothing. It was very exciting and peculiar...for a few seconds at least.

T.P.L. NYC: What is the most peculiar thing that you have baked?

C.A.: For people that haven't tried it, my most peculiar flavor is definitely The Wake-Up Call. I have had many sceptics about trying a cupcake with bacon, but so far all that have tried it, love it.

Hard at work

T.P.L. NYC: What is the most peculiar thing you have seen while living in NYC?

C.A.: Everything in NYC is peculiar! I absolutely love NYC, and am a proud resident. Peculiar becomes a way of life here. So much so, that I can't even think of anything peculiar that I've seen recently!

 T.P.L. NYC: What is coming up for you that is new? How can people get in touch with you?
 

C.A.: Right now, I am preparing for another busy season as soon as the fall starts. I am looking to grow my business, and have high hopes of opening a store front before the beginning of 2014.

Watch my website and like my facebook page for news about Confectionery Therapy. We hold contests periodically to win free stuff...and who doesn't like free sweets??

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Confectionery-Therapy/214295845276644?ref=ts

http://www.confectionerytherapy.com/

 

Currently, Confectionery Therapy donates 10% of profits from all orders to autism research. They are hoping to opening a storefront within a few years.

 

 

Phrases to Pages

Phrases to Pages was Pronto Comics first foray into fundraising took place on Saturday July 28^th at Pearl Studios on 8^th Avenue here in Manhattan. The event brought together writers and artists from all over the city to compete for a chance to win prizes. The premise of the event was to get participants to draw and write one comic book page based on a pre-selected phrase. Participants had free range to draw whatever they liked. The quotes selected were from a wide range of people such as Winston Churchill, Dennis Miller, and Mae West.

“It’s really interesting to have writers and artists together for different rounds. It is a really interesting idea. I like seeing the different artwork on display,” said Jack Samson a participant in the contest.

 

Early Participants enter into Pearl Studios

Phrases to Pages also offered patrons a chance to party with food and an open bar sponsored by Brooklyn Brewery and Casa Herradura Tequila. It was a night of margaritas and magic as industry professionals provided additional entertainment. Sean Von Gorman an escape artist and comic book creator performed an escape routine where he freed himself from a straightjacket and handcuffs. Also, aspiring artists had a chance to showcase their work for portfolio reviews and network the room to find creative collaboration.  



Sean Von Gorman escapes from Simon Fraser at the after party at No Idea Bar

 

Teams form to collaborate on their page for the phrase given

Julianne Serrano who was attending the event had this to say: “I liked to see everyone mingle and merge their ideas together. I think it’s a good opportunity for artists and writers to…create something within their aspects of how they want to do things.”

The guest judges were comic book professionals working in different parts of the industry. Colorist and penciler Felix Serrano of Top Cow was the events surprise guest judge. Ken Knudtsen the creator of the independent title My Monkey’s Name is Jennifer and second judge was happy with the turnout.

“I thought it was great. I was amazed at some of the artwork that got turned around in a very quick amount of time. Just seeing the frantic artists, that were not me, turning out a page of comic art in a half an hour. It was amazing. I hope we see [Phrases to Pages] again soon,” said Knudtsen.





 Ken Knudtsen talks with Pronto Comics art director Ellen Stedfeld

Simon Fraser was the events third guest judge. Fraser is a veteran artist and writer for the British based anthology comic magazine 2000 A.D. His new title is The Adventures of Lilly MacKenzie for ActivateComix also thought the night brought together many creative people.

“I thought it was great and there was amazing energy. [One piece of artwork that stuck out to me was for the phrase] “Alcohol is happiness in a bottle”, but I can’t describe [the artwork] because it’s too filthy. We got to talk about comics and how to make them work better right now. So many people there were really passionate about it,” said Fraser.

Guest judges from left to right: Simon Fraser, Felix Serrano, and Ken Knudsten

Pronto Comics is a New York City based comic book publishing collective whose aim is to produce comic books as well as help foster talent and offer advice through social media, podcasts, workshops, and networking events to help aspiring creators break into the industry. To pitch or be a part of Pronto Comics you can visit their website Prontocomics.com. Monthly meetings are the first Thursday of every month at Pearl Studios at 500 8^th Avenue. Interested parties can check their Facebook page (facebook.com/prontocomics) for more information.



A full crowd at the event.