October's Peculiar Person of the Month: Writer and Editor Jorel Lonesome

 Jorel Lonesome is an American comic book writer and editor best known for his independent comic anthology series, Blackout 1 & 2 for Pronto Comics. In addition, he has featured stories in other Pronto Comics anthologies such as For a Price, Kicked and Pronto Goes to War. Born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx, he is the second of two children of a middle school teaching mother and a computer-engineering father. A student and scholar at Borough of Manhattan Community College working on his associate’s degree in English, Jorel is working on becoming a better writer. He first found his love of comics by drawing his own using familiar characters such as Spider-Man, Spawn, and Blade. His appreciation for writing developed by keeping a journal, where he would add physical objects, mementos, newspaper and magazine article photos, relating to most of his journal entries. A fan of everything from hard rock bands, WWE wrestlers, and spoken word poetry, helped to influence his writing. At 16, Jorel performed his spoken word poetry at numerous venues such as Deborah Gray throughout New York City. He had a signature piece, Town Crier, a poem that depicts the social issues of his community, which was well received by audiences. From 2004 to 2010, he was an MC known as Silent Thoughts, where he featured rap cyphers called, "Spit-N-Pass" before deciding to take a break from spoken word poetry to focus on comics. Jorel was kind enough to sit down it This Peculiar Life NYC to tell us all about how he got started and his creative process.

This Peculiar Life NYC: You are involved in comics; tell me how did you become a part of Pronto Comics?

Jorel Lonesome: It all started when I enrolled in Andy Schmidt's Comics Experience courses instructed by Mike Siglain, an editor at DC comics at the time. It was a hand’s on intensive 6-week program, learning how to create effective visual storytelling. It was quite a challenge, but it is one of the best courses to take if you want to learn how to draw and/or write comics.  When classes were over, I stuck around quick enough to keep in touch with colleagues. There I was introduced to the students who took the writing courses. Achilles Yeldell, a student from the comics experience writing course and the founder of Pronto Comics, had us all join him in what he called "The Breaking In Network,"  to discuss what comic book stories we can create as a group. The writers and artists, me included, networked together and decided to create a comic book anthology about bounty hunters. We scheduled monthly meetings at a pizza shop downtown near Times Square. The meeting consisted of finding out what stories that beginning writers want to tell, pitching their stories to artists and working together to develop a five- page comic for the anthology. So we collaborated and eventually released our first book titled For a Price: Bounty Hunters And Other Scum. It features ten stories from various writers and artists in addition to other talents that were not in the comics experience courses, but joined to show their magic on a page. More comfortable taking the position as writer, I wrote a short story that is featured called "Club Banger". It was about a hard-nosed, veteran bounty hunter named Conrad Buchanan. He must capture a shape shifting bail jumper, formally created by a secret US government experiment. After the anthology was released, everyone suggested we'd make up a name for ourselves as a collective?  We called ourselves Pronto Comics. I’ve been with the group three years now.

 T.P.L. NYC: What were you doing before Pronto?

J.L.: I was reciting poems and spoken word at little cozy cafe's, bars and clubs throughout New York City.

T.P.L. NYC: You are a writer for comics. How has your experience as a writer shaped your view of comics?

J.L.: I remember seeing my first comic in print. It was interesting to go back to memory lane and realize how it began and what it takes to make a decent story for readers. I remember having to edit my script 4-5 times to get it right within a 5-page limit. It was not easy work, but when you have a passion for writing comics and enjoy the process, there is no stopping you. Seeing my story told from script form to a visual narrative blew me away. Over the years, thus far, I continue learning more about how comics should be done for the sake of our audience.  I can look through a comic book and find the fundamental development that lies within each completed page, how it relates to my process of making a comic and comparing their work to mine, whether it’s good or bad. I take into consideration of how important it is to tell a visual story and the contents that need to be there for readers. The goal of making a comic book is to keep your audience turning from page to page using dynamic visuals and compelling storytelling. Whenever I make a comic, I make it my goal to meet the standards. It is also a great accomplishment to exceed our audience’s expectations.

T.P.L. NYC: Blackout is your signature book. Tell me what it is about?

Blackout 1

J.L.: Mischievous brothers, Chester and Preston Pemberton, arrive at a mysterious tree house in the outskirts of Vineville Town. Suddenly, the brothers are welcoming guests by the lonely being as it brings them inside of its realm for a treat. Hesitant to enter it, Chester and Preston peek through a room filled with art utensils, painting canvases and magical paraphernalia as if it were occupied by a wizard of some kind. They’re captivated by it and play as long as they please, until Chester mistakenly hits Preston with a magic wand, causing Preston to spill magic ink onto a mapped painting of Vineville. As the ink trickles down, the light bulb flickers in the room. Once the black ink covers the whole painting, the entire town is out of electrical power as all sources of light become scarce. A series of mishaps occur in the town, which most of our Vineville residents concurrently experience during the first night of this particular blackout.


 

T.P.L. NYC: How did you come up with the concept for it?

J.L.: It was a hot day in the summer of 2010.  In my neighborhood, everyone had their air conditioning on, in their homes and led to me thinking, what if all the power eventually goes out? Later that night, I said it too soon. I was packing up to go out of the country for vacation. During my destination from New York to the Caribbean Islands, I began to believe that it might be interesting to have a blackout themed comic book. I pitched it to the Pronto guys and they liked the idea, so we went with it.

 T.P.L. NYC: How many issues is it?

J.L.: There is issue one and two issue three will be released in the near future.

T.P.L. NYC: When can we see the new issue?

J.L.: Issue 2 will be ready October 2012. Blackout 3 is slated for release in 2013.

T.P.L. NYC: The format has changed from an anthology to a series of one-shots. Why the change?

J.L.: Pronto is heading towards a new direction, which is writing one-shots, so after Blackout issues #2 and #3, it will then become a series. We also want to focus on the town itself and get more in depth with our characters.

 T.P.L. NYC: What is the new one- shot about?

J.L.: Despite the continuation of the Blackout series still in development process, we know that it continues where the anthologies left off. Blackout will pay more attention to the town and its cryptic past, which the founders and authority of the town try burying to maintain control. We experience how this mysterious blackout begins to wear on the residents and how Vineville's scarcity of light effects their living standards. The characters will lead our way to getting deeper into the town’s origin and the cost for doing so.

Cover for Blackout 2

 

T.P.L. NYC: Aside from being a writer you are also an editor, how do you feel the two jobs are different from each other?

J.L.: As an editor, you have to build a creative bond with the writers and artists. Staying on the same page is very important. You have to make sure the people involved in the project are on tabs with their work and doing it properly for the story to be told as well. You have responsibility over the progress of each story for the sake of the comic book. You also need to look at a page and find out what works and what doesn't. You need to find what needs to be added, taken out or changed. You should also ask yourself, “What would make this page better? Does the art flow well with the story through the panels?  Are the characters engaging? Will the reader be entertained throughout the book? What enlightenment or feelings, emotions can we get out of the reader? What relationship does the characters and audience share? I look for character development in the story so we can put ourselves in the characters shoes and immerse ourselves in the story as we find ways we can interpret it from our viewpoint. As a beginning editor, I look out for these things.  I try to avoid dissatisfying the reader or audience. Comic book editors are like the producer or director of a film, managing the project creatively with guidance, support and appreciation for the people involved in the process. A comic book writer must make sure the story is clear, properly structured and entertaining. The writer’s should also be on the same page with their artists. These are some of the things to look out for. Through experience, another difference between writer and editor is that for writers, you are given deadlines and guidelines you must follow. There’s less responsibility or tasks given compared to an editor.

T.P.L. NYC: Is there one that you enjoy doing more?

J.L.: Both duties are essential to your practice of understanding the way comics are made. I learn something new from it after each story I finish thanks to the other people involved in the project.

T.P.L. NYC: What do you feel makes a good script and story from your point of view?

J.L.: A good story must have its beginning, middle and end. It must connect with audiences on an emotional level as well as riveting. The characters must be engaging and make us feel whether we dislike him/her or not. I like to feel enlightened by stories and before I forget, a good theme for the story is very important. I like stories that provide a message and give lessons that I can incorporate in everyday life. I also like to experience the worldview of characters that I have never tapped into. When I close a story at its ending, I want to get some sort of emotion and satisfaction from the journey I take with the character(s). I believe it is better to have an interesting character working a boring job, than an interesting job being performed by a boring character.

T.P.L. NYC: How long does it take you to put a book together?

J.L.: For an anthology? It usually takes me 4 to 5 months because some collaborators fail to meet deadlines…It happens and it sucks.

For A Price

 

T.P.L. NYC: What are some challenges you have experienced as an independent creator? Do you have any advice on how to get through the challenges as an independent creator?

J.L.: Learn everything it takes to produce a self- published work. Create a goal and strategy before you even start working on the book. You'll have to network like there's no other day and be professional. Get hands on in the field that you're creatively involved with. As an independent creator, procrastination and writers block are my enemies. To break out of writers block, keep yourself busy doing something productive. Take a jog, exercise, watch a film, play music, clean or just hang out with someone. Two things that loosened me up from writer's block was exploring new places and keeping myself busy for inspiration. As for procrastination, you need to tell yourself that the more you hold something off the more it will bite you in the arse. Plan accordingly. Set dates and times when it should get done, even if you didn't get everything you wanted out of it, at least you tried to find your desire or need. It takes a dedicated disciplinary time and persistence to focus on that story or project you’re trying to get out.

T.P.L. NYC: How did you find your artists/ creative teams? What are some of the steps you take to find people to work with?

J.L.: Nonstop networking and building relationships. You have to be believable, professional and good to get along with. You might have to jump out of your shell and make friends to make connections and make connections to develop your product, unless you are a one man army.

T.P.L. NYC: You have another story in the works called Nunchuck Nancy. It is a cool title. What is it about and when will the book come out? 

J.L.: I'd rather not spoil anyone yet, but I plan on releasing it by 2014.

T.P.L. NYC: How did you come up with the idea for this book?

J.L.: Random thoughts and having a love for women that kick butt!

Splash Page Pronto Goes to War featuring Jorel Lonesome

 

T.P.L. NYC: Will you be using a lot of the same artists on it?

J.L.: If I can, I’ll stick with one artist. However working with more than one is a treat as well.

T.P.L. NYC: What are some of your other interests or hobbies?

J.L.: Writing, jump rope, jogging, exercise, Videogames, reading, and collecting comics in addition to  reading books.

 T.P.L. NYC: What do you feel readers get from your work?

J.L.: As of now, I’d say a creator who has the potential to make good comics.

T.P.L. NYC: What are some of your influences when it comes to other creators?

J.L.: In the comic book medium, I am a big fan of Frank Miller’s earlier works. Alan Moore always entertains me. I’m enjoying just about everything that Geoff Johns and Scott Snyder brings to the table in comics.  Stan “The Man,” Lee is another unforgettable storyteller. I enjoy Peter David’s work, especially his run on the Incredible Hulk. Anything Neil Gaiman is great. I always like the edginess and dark gritty crime stories from Chuck Dixon. There are many other writers/authors that I enjoy reading as well.

T.P.L. NYC: What is your creative process like? How do you best like to write and work?

J.L.: I start off with” what if’s?” I brainstorm and start with a character. Then, I set a world around them, come up with a problem they have with other characters and what characters support them. I write as much as I can to select what would work well for my interests and the reader’s interests simultaneously. I like to write and work when the other responsibilities are done and when an idea catches me during the night or day. I like to incorporate bits and pieces of what I learn in everyday life into my writing process as well.

 T.P.L. NYC: What kind of genre do you like to write the most?

J.L.: I'll go for science fiction, fantasy and horror. As of late I’ve been trying out different genres. I like all genres of film and comics. It's good to look for the best work in each genre.

T.P.L. NYC: This blog is about peculiar things. What is the most peculiar thing you’ve experienced in New York City?

J.L.: A gang of vampires in the subway station at about 3a.m. in the morning. It was the strangest, but coolest experience ever. It wasn't around Halloween either! It took place in the summer when my sister and I, along with her friends went to the movies. One leader of the whole pack was some short frail 20-24 year old with pale makeup, jumping from top of the subway steps to the bottom, showing his fangs. His friends, that were all vamps too were showing their teeth and moving around the station like actual vampires. It was the strangest thing and I feared it at first, but it just seemed like a way of life for them. In New York City, you'll see just about anything weird at night.
Check out a copy of the Blackout #2, available now from Pronto Comics at Collector’s Kingdom,and will be available online soon. His future projects include, Blackout#3 in 2013, his first graphic novel, Nunchuck Nancy , and a script that he will be producing for his first short film "The Great Soup," with director Charlton Ruddock.

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.