RKYV ONLINE # 24

8/8/2019 RKYV ONLINE # 24

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Table of Contents

RKYV # 24 {May 2009}

RKYV ONLINE LOGO - David Marshall {current}RKYV ONLINE LOGO – R.J. Paré {modified}RKYV COMICS LOGO – Roy G. James {original}

Virtual Cover # 24- Art by Matt Kish- Layout by David Marshall

Interior Art- By Jonathan Biermann, Stan Nelson,Roger Formidable, Drew Bird, Sam van der

Wouden, Stephen White, Matt Kish

Editorial Column - “At the Outset:A Few Thoughts from the Editor”- By RJ Paré

Sports Column - “Rossini’s Ramblings”- By Tom Rossini

Featured Artist Review – Matt Kish

- By R.J. Paré

Writer’s Column- “Creation in Our World”- By Larissa Gula

Short Fiction- “Woke Up”- By Patrick J Nestor, Jr.

Poetry- By Stephen Campbell, R.J. Paré, Frances Nichols Vargas.

Music- By R.J. Paré

Pop Culture- “Milk Contest”- By R.J. Paré

- “Raised on Saturday Morning Cartoons”- By Pauline Paré

Untitled

- by Sam van der Wouden

PAPAPAPAGEGEGEGE 1111



At The Outset

A few thoughts from the editor- by R.J. Pare’

Come listen, my friends

While I tell you again

Of RKYV’s extraordinary content

So that you may know And tell others as you go

Of RKYV’s wonderful talent

With apologies to Mr. Carroll, I welcome each and every one of you to the 2nd Anniversary issue of RKYV ONLINE. What you have before you, in a very real sense, isthe result of your continued participation.

RKYV ONLINE exists in order to provide a stage for talented creators to strut their stuff upon. In this endeavour it has been my distinct pleasure each month to prepare this publication based on the exciting and varied content submitted.

That means you, all of you. In the creative arts both the performer and the audience are

important parts of the presentation. As RKYV’s audience continues to grow those whostep onto this stage as contributors are challenging themselves to impress this readershipwith their creations. I can honestly say that feedback has been wonderful. The manyartists that participate in bringing this mag to the world each month have succeeded, notonly in increasing their own exposure, but in attracting a larger audience for RKYV withevery well received issue.

RKYV ONLINE’s plan – is to continue to expand and impress as we begin our 3rd year of distribution.

This month, regular contributors Tom Rossini, Larissa Gula and Pauline Paré return withtheir respective columns on Sports, Writing and Pop Culture. These are always a pleasureto read and I hope you enjoy them as well. I would also like to take a moment to thank Stephen White, Roger Formidable, Stan Nelson, Jon Biermann, Drew Bird and Sam vander Wouden for all of the wonderful eye candy they have contributed to this issue.

Patrick J Nestor has also chipped in with a ‘FAB’-ulous short story – check it out! It iswell worth the read.

PAGEPAGEPAGEPAGE 2222



Also, careful reader, you may notice a few contributions from yours, truly, [wink] hereand there throughout the issue – That’s right I am not just the president – I’m also aclient!! [Self Note: I learned all my communication skills from late night commercials]

Of course I would be remiss if I neglected to mention the “crown jewel” of each issue;

the main course; the pièce de resistance; the star attraction; the brother from another mother… I – I really lost track of where I was going with this metaphor. Anyhow it iswith great pleasure that I present Matt Kish as our Featured Artist of the Month. I metMatt recently at the Small Press Alternative Comics Expo and was impressed with hiswork – I think you will be to.

So enough of my blathering, you came here to be entertained by the eclectic Art – Lit mixthat only RKYV ONLINE can deliver.

Until next month, I remain

R.J. ParéEIC - RKYV ONLINE

Mindscapes – by Sam van der Wouden




Golden Age Superman [© DC Comics] – by Jon Biermann PAGEPAGEPAGEPAGE 4444



Sports

Rossini’s Ramblings – By Tom Rossini

[Editor’s Note: After levelingthe Chicago Blackhawks,Tom’s beloved Wings havemarched one step closer to back to back Stanley Cupvictories, which would solidifythem as a modern day dynasty]

Detroit Red Wings

vs

Pitsburgh Penguins

Stanley Cup 2009

As predicted in my last article I informed everyone that the Detroit Red Wings would winthe Stanley Cup. But the gloating for now will be on hold as my Editor wanted mycolumn yesterday… “Patience my young apprentice”…

The first 4 games of the Stanley Cup Finals have been played and as predicted it is a very

tight series… and yes I am worried and concerned. While the Red Wings have the Talentand Skill and Finesse, The Penguins have the youth, drive and the taste to drink from thecup. While I knew that the Red Wings would in fact win their Conference, I did notknow who would win the other. I also would not have imagined at the start of the playoffs that the Penguins, rated 4th in their conference would win and end up in theFinals. Maybe this thought or possibility was hidden deep within my psyche… for deepdown I had concerns about this repeat playoff. PAGEPAGEPAGEPAGE 5555



[Editor’s Note: this year’s Stanley Cup Finals is a rematch between the same two teamsas last year!]

The Penguins want revenge, while Hossa wants the cup.

I am not sure what station people are watching the games on, but here in Detroit – Games1 and 2 have been covered by NBC while Games 3 and 4 have been covered by VS andthe CBC. I think this is the first time I have ever seen any final games being hosted bymultiple networks and its amazing how varied the coverage is and the respect.

[Editor’s Note: For your amusement Tom has included some photos of him, and his co-workers, enjoying a Red Wings celebratory moment. In the tradition of ‘Where’sWaldo?” see if you can locate Tom.]

Yes respect. The CBC and Don Cherry have a lot of positives to say about both teamsand I would expect that, as no Canadian Team is currently playing in the Stanley Cup.While VS, on the other hand, gives a more biased version favoring the Redwings.Meanwhile NBC is blatantly routing for the Penguins, especially that idiot between the benches. Hell he just needs to wear a Penguin Jersey while doing his verbal garbage.




But I digress… The Stanley Cup

is going to be a 7 game seriesthat should end up in favor of theRed Wings. As of now bothteams have won their first 2games at home and the series istied up at 2 games a piece. Satnight is Game 5 in Detroit andshould be a Victory for theWings.

[Editor’s Note: After this writing, The Detroit Red Wings demolished The PittsburghPenguins 5 – 0 in Game 5 and are now one victory away from the Cup!]

If the game is not a Detroit victory then I could only predict that in Game 6 the Penguinswill or at least should win at home. Since the beginning of the series, players, coaches,fans and announcers have all said that whoever loses the first game at home will lose theseries and the cup. With Detroit having 2 more games at home and the Penguins only 1,the Cup should land in the lap of the Red Wings.

Next month… theconclusion and can youfind me in the pictures???




Hot For Teacher – by Roger Formidable PAGEPAGEPAGEPAGE 8888



Featured Artist Review

Matt Kish – by R.J. PARE’

R.J. Paré: 40 year old Matt Kish [hurts a littlewhen I say it like that, eh? I can get away withit because my own 40th is still some monthsaway - LOL] is a talented illustrator and photographer. His surreal art blends imageryand styles from diverse inspirations. I had theopportunity, recently, to conduct an interviewwith Matt for this feature.

1. RJP: Have you always known that you wanted to be or, rather, were an artist?

Matt Kish: I'm not certain I would call myself an artist, actually. Not out of any disdainfor that title, but more out of a sense of humility. Since I was very young, probably 4 or 5years old, I have been fascinated by art and that fascination continues even today.However, since those early years, I have always had grave doubts about my own abilityto produce those same kinds of marvelous and fantastic drawings and paintings. Thatnever stopped me from trying, and I have been drawing since early childhood, but Ideveloped the unfortunate habit of comparing my own drawings to those of others andthen doubting my own work. I think that is what ultimately stopped me from pursuing

any kind of further education or training in art after I graduated from high school. I amfortunate to have quite a few friends who are really incredible artists, and nearly all of them earned BFAs or MFAs from great schools. They seem more like "artists" to me because, whether or not art school matters in terms of skill and vision, art school doesconvey a kind of credibility in the eyes of galleries, museums, buyers, and so on… a kindof credibility that someone lacking a BFA or MFA can almost never attain. Additionally,I feel like these friends of mine, at least, have paid greater dues than I have. They've beenthrough brutal critiques with their peers, exhibited in galleries, sold pieces, and beenhired and paid real to create commercial art and illustration as well as a graphic novelhere and there. I'm not sure why I have this weird issue with the label "artist" and how

that intersects with notions of commerce and capitalism, but it's been something that has been very difficult for me to shake or to really make sense of. The weird thing is that I'venever been particularly concerned with exhibiting my own work in a gallery or selling it.That really doesn't matter too much to me. So maybe a shorter answer would be that Idon't know if I would consider myself an artist, but it doesn't really matter because Iknow I love to draw and so I always will.




ARTIST: Matt KishTITLE: Metatron - 'I AmHe'MEDIA: colored pencil onBristol boardSIZE: 11" wide by 11" tallDATE: 1998

RJP: Jewish mystical tradition places Metatron at the apex of the angelic order. Acelestial scribe and powerful guardian named after Yahweh himself. In the originalancient Hebrew the spelling of Metatron was a variation of the spelling used for Yahweh

– this tradition is furthered by quotes, attributed to God, that “My name is in him” - andallowed for Metatron to sit at Yahweh’s side in heaven.

This representation, of Metatron, by Mr. Kish seems to draw from a variety of influencesfrom the North American First Nations to the ancient Aztec & Incan adding in theKabbalist designs of angelic script present in the hands and feet. These elements arecombined in an engagingly surreal finished piece.

2. RJP: Did you study or major in art while in school?

MK: No, not at all. My last art class was as a freshman in community college in 1987, so

beyond that I am entirely self-taught. Which I think shows in my work, sometimes ingood ways, sometimes in embarrassing ways. In spite of the lack of artistic education or training, I have a voracious eye and have been devouring visual influences for decades,whether they are art books, comics, art museums, or something more esoteric like vintagetoys or children's scribblings. I suppose that kind of thing constitutes my artisticeducation more than anything else.




3. RJP: Who was you biggest influence or source of encouragement, as a child, in

pursuing art?

MK: That's a challenging question since my childhood was marked by a remarkable and profound sense of solitude and self-sufficiency. My parents were as supportive as any

parents would be, but they were also very busy with their jobs and perhaps not asartistically inclined as I was so they kind of left me alone most of the time. Later in life, Igot the feeling that they hung my elementary school drawings of spaceships and aliens onthe refrigerator because that's what every parent did. I would have to say that the biggestsource of encouragement for me as a child, and even in many ways as an adult, is myown inner sense of somehow wanting to almost force these images of a fantastic inner world into some kind of reality. To give them life beyond the existence they have in myown mind. There's that cliched question "Would you keep drawing even if you were allalone on a desert island and no one would ever see it?" and for me the answer is and hasalways been yes. I do it, and I encourage myself to do it, simply because I want to and Ilike it. I like seeing the image of something I've imagined. That's really all.

ARTIST: Matt KishTITLE: A Power Of The Air MEDIA: colored pencil on Bristol boardSIZE: 11" wide by 11" tall

DATE: 1998

RJP: Matt continues to explore adesign sense that seems a hybrid of North and South Americanaboriginal traditions melded withKabbalist mysticism. In this piecethe feeling of an ancient imagery isturned on its head with a sci-fi twistas organic textures are replaced withmetallic ones and angelic script is

transformed into circuitry.

The celestial is re-interpreted as a rocket ship, perhaps a nod to the various occult beliefsin ancient alien visitation? What really ‘does it’ for me though is the striking use of colour in this piece. The rich palette of blues not only works on an emotional level butmanages to bring the different design elements into a coherent, vibrant whole that is, infact, greater than the sum of its parts. PAGEPAGEPAGEPAGE 11111111



ARTIST: Matt KishTITLE: The WatchersMEDIA: colored pencil on Bristol boardSIZE: 11" wide by 11" tall

DATE: 1999

RJP: New age meets ancienttradition. Clearly now we see thefaces of aboriginals reflected inorbs that, though they may beinspired from native designs [ie:dream catchers, Incan & Aztecrepresentations of sun, moon and planets] they are re-interpretedthrough the fertile imagination of

Matt Kish. For some reason I amreminded of the retro-futuristdesigns of 1960’s paperback science fiction collections. Whyisn’t there a gallery showing of thiswork?

4. RJP: What is your favorite media to work with?

MK: That has changed so drastically, yet with such glacial slowness, over the

years. When I started drawing in earnest about 11 years ago I worked exclusively withBerol Prismacolor colored pencils. They were wonderfully smooth and waxy with such beautiful colors. However they were also around $1.00 per pencil and since I would laydown 3 or even 4 layers of color per drawing and end up using dozens and dozens of pencils it became expensive. Plus I burned through them very quickly since I wasconstantly sharpening them to a very fine point. I made a slow transition from thosecolored pencils to different kinds of pens and ink. I used Micron pens exclusively(although I am welcome and open to any suggestions for black ink pens with similar linequalities), and added colored ink washes from either Winsor & Newton inks or Higginsinks, both of which were very inexpensive. Slowly I moved away from color intoworking completely black and white simply because by this time I was more involved in

making comics and little Xeroxed art books and wanted to create art that I couldreproduce easily and inexpensively. I guess this is a good time to say that I am fiercelyand hopelessly analog when it comes to art. I believe very strongly that any reproductionof a piece of art that I have created should look exactly like the original, with no digitalenhancement or tweaking at all. I know a lot of artists use PhotoShop to brighten colors,add textures, and so on and while I don't have an issue with that, it's just something Icould never do. PAGEPAGEPAGEPAGE 12121212



I like art that shows the hand of the maker, and I find that by keeping my originals assimilar as possible to their reproductions, this is maintained. But back to the question.Lately I have been experimenting a bit with mixing media, using acrylic paints, pens,inks, and even crayons and colored pencils on found paper. It has been fantastic andreally loosened up my art a lot. I'm quite pleased with the variety of colors, textures, and

shades and fortunately the paint and the inks are still cheap so I can afford to mess up alot. Ultimately though, I think that the long term picture for me will always involvesimple pen and ink work with occasional color ink washes.

5. RJP: Do you use any special tools and techniques to create your art?

MK: Nothing really special at all. In fact, just about everything I use to make art can beeasily and inexpensively purchased in any decent art supply or craft store. Micron pensare around $2.00 each, the bottled inks I use for color washes are available in cheap setsor for a few bucks a bottle. I've been using the same few brushes for years now. It's all a pretty low-key affair, and very portable. I like to be able to pack up a sketchbook or a

bundle of drawings and work on them in some bookstore of park when I can. That's hardto do with colored pencils and even harder to do if you have to set up an easel and some paints. But with a few ink pens and some paper, it's easy. Very flexible and adaptable.

In terms of technique, I don't know if this part is lazy or special or a little bit of both, but Ido almost no pre-sketching or planning for my drawings. At the most, I will scrawl out atiny one inch by one inch brutally rough thumbnail depicting just a few shapes. Almostall of the work for any image is done in my head, and once I have those proportionsscrawled out I'll start in on the drawing. Almost every drawing I have ever created has anelaborate border around it, and for me that's a crucial part of the process. Drawing that

border helps me create the art in many ways. First, it allows me to ease into the physical process of drawing in a low pressure way because creating those borders is fairlymechanical. While I'm working on the border, I continue thinking about and pre-visualizing the actual drawing, which for me is part of the strange process of summoningit and willing it into existence. Creating that border, I guess, is almost like a sorcerer creating a pentagram or a sigil. It provides a strong and stable frame suitable for the beingI am about to draw, and later provides an appropriately respectful window through whichother viewers can see what I've depicted.

6. RJP: What inspires you to create art?

MK: This is actually quite simple. I've always had a ridiculously overactive imagination,and I am the product of a 1970s childhood steeped in prog rock, Tolkien, dinosaurs,Silver Age comic books, cartoons and fantasy. Every one of these things made a mark onme, and in a strange way became a part of my own personal mythology. I mentionedabove that my childhood was marked by solitude and self-sufficiency and I believe thatsince there were so few adult voices explaining the world to me, I used these fantasticelements to help my young mind make sense of things. PAGEPAGEPAGEPAGE 13131313



It's difficult to explain, and probably too personal for an interview, but everything I drawor paint is nothing more than an attempt to illustrate and give life to the personalmythology I've been inhabiting and exploring and developing since I was 4 or 5 yearsold. Everything I see in what I guess one would term the "real world" becomes, in asyncretic way, an element in this inner narrative, but ultimately the art that results is

unique to my own inner world. At times it can become difficult to distinguish betweenthat reality and this, but not in such a way that I mean I am hearing voices and seeingvisions in the sky. It's something more like these drawings, these beings, these places andthese things have more of an impact and an importance to me than the mundane "realworld" so I find myself feeling at times like I am hovering between the two worlds, never fully in one or the other but able to see and interact with both.

ARTIST: Matt KishTITLE: SpringMEDIA: pen and ink on watercolor paper SIZE: 8" wide by 10" tallDATE: 2002

RJP: The ancients worshipped the Sun as thesource of all life. From a purely scientificPOV they weren’t far off, without the sun nolife on earth could exist. In aboriginal artistictradition the sunflower is a powerful motif as aliving symbol of the Sun’s power. Matt

combines this symbol with his trademark celestial being in a palette of seasonal huesthat effectively communicate the spiritualistnotions of spring – birth – re-birth – life itself as a gift from the heavens.

7. RJP: How would you categorize your artistic style?

MK: While the term "outsider art" would seem to be a close fit, it's probably not entirelyaccurate. I think my art is perhaps a bit stylistically simple, even crude. It is definitelynaive. Since I have very poor drawing skills, everything is based on shapes, colors,textures, and an incredible flatness and lack of depth or weight. I have heard some callmy art cosmic, which is definitely an aspect of it and not something I would disagreewith at all. Other words friends have used have been bio-organic, which I can see, andalso mythological and primitive. PAGEPAGEPAGEPAGE 14141414



Some have said that they see a strong Central American or Aztec style, especially in myearliest colored pencil drawings. I'm not sure that was a conscious choice, but I haveincredibly vivid memories of seeing some small color reproductions of Aztec godsfrom a Mesoamerican Codex in a National Geographic magazine when I was young sothat certainly influenced me somehow. Also, since many of those early colored pencil

drawings were directly inspired by Jack Kirby's work in Marvel Comics, specifically TheCelestials in The Mighty Thor and the series The Eternals (both of which were based onsome of Erich Von Daniken's bizarre ancient astronauts writings) I can see the ancientmythological angle as well. Honestly, it's difficult for me to categorize since so much of what I do artistically is very intuitive and internal, and there is always some doubt in mymind as to whether I am creating these images from my own mind or whether I am asimple laborer transcribing images from another reality because these have beencommunicated to me by other beings.

8. RJP: Would you say that there is a "message" or "unifying theme" in your work?

MK: Certainly not a message, and I am generally fairly suspicious of art that has a strongmessage whether it is political, personal, or something else. A unifying theme would bethat of wonder and of the unseen or the unknown. It has always been fascinating to me tosee how different viewers respond to my drawings and to listen to their comments aboutthem. As I mentioned above, some have seen Aztec gods, some have seen Hawkwindalbum covers, some have seen their own personal symbolism depicted, but their visionshave always paradoxically differed from and synced up with my own. It's very strange.Ultimately though, many people have claimed to feel a sense of peace, of awe, of wonder and of positivity from many of my drawings and that for me is wonderful. I guess I didn'tarticulate that very well, so I'll try and sum it up by saying that I feel the unifying theme

of my work would be a sense of wonder at the unseen things in the universe.

9. RJP: Which famous artists or styles have influenced you? Why?

MK: The artists who have influenced most directly and overtly are comic book artistsJack Kirby and Walt Simonson, outsider artist Adolf Wolfli, and fantasy illustrators IanMiller and Roger Dean. I am conscious of borrowing most heavily from Kirby,Simonson, Wolfli and Miller but there are strong elements of all of those authors in mywork. Less direct but still very important visual influences would be Mesoamerican andJapanese art, outsider art in general, and oddly enough videogames. Videogames, fromthe earliest 8-bit Nintendo games to today's ultra-slick technologically brilliant CGI

masterpieces, are unique for me in that they present a stunning visual world that I can,in a way, participate in. Because of this element of immersion, some of the bestvideogames nurture an emotional involvement that becomes a part of the creative processfor me. This is more evident in my comic "Spudd 64" but there are strong elements of these videogame themes and representations in my drawings as well. The GreatDeku Tree from the "Legend of Zelda" games inspired my own world tree Zurn.




The Robot Masters of the "Mega Man" series of games have been reinterpreted by me inmy own series of Robot Master drawings. There are more similarities, but those are probably the most overt. Finally, while I am not really a religious person now, I wasraised Catholic and did go to church a fair amount as a child. To me though, all of thosesaints and angels and archangels seemed very much like mythological figures, or

superheroes, or both. I'm sure that had a huge influence on me artistically, and the prevalence of angelic imagery or even little-known figures from the Old Testamentcropping up in my work is explained by that.

ARTIST: Matt KishTITLE: Flying-Not-Swimming, TheEffervescent SatelliteMEDIA: pen and ink onwatercolor paper SIZE: 10" wide by 8" tallDATE: 2005

RJP: Eschewing the use of colour may, in itself, be a powerful part of this piece. Thecomposition seems to reflect the environmentalist’s perspective that industrial /technological advancements come with a price. From the chimney spewing exhaust to thetrailing detritus [toxic waste?] a bold statement seems at work here. The engineeringmarvel of the construct hurtling through the skies seems tempered by the death’s heads

draping the forged girder-like claws. The inherent question seems to be “We may beflying but will that mean no more swimming?” By rendering this piece in black and whiteMatt delivers a stark look at the consequences of industrialized advancement if it is not balanced with a respect for nature.




10. RJP: If you could meet any living or dead artist, who would it be?

MK: This is a funny question because I've been lucky enough to meet quite a few livingartists and eventually forged friendships with a few. Every time I meet an artist Igenuinely like and respect, I am always star struck at first and generally at a loss for

words. I guess a lot of this comes from the sense of humility I always feel regarding myown work. So I think even if I were able to meet someone living or dead, I would probably just stammer out a bunch of things like "Your work is so amazing and has beenso inspirational!" and that'd be it. If I had to pick someone, it would be a tie between Jack Kirby, who has passed away, and Walt Simonson who is still alive.

11. RJP: What is the one question that you would ask him/her?

MK: If, and that is a big "if," I was able to get beyond the initial shyness, then thegushing compliments, and finally the profuse "Thank yous," I think I would probably bevery curious about how their own personal mythologies informed their work. Kirby, I

know, was Jewish and you can see strong elements of that in his work, yet he alsointroduced all these amazing cosmic elements into his comics. Series like "The Eternals"and "The New Gods" delved so deeply into these almost modern cosmic mythologies thatI would be very curious to learn where some of that came from and what it really meantto a career artist like Kirby. Simonson mined some of the same sources that Kirby did,working with mythology and folklore, but also introduced a deep vein of cosmic wildnessand I'd like to know how that came about. Is this the accrual of years of reading andimagining, were these characters and beings he conceived of as a child, or is it somethingelse entirely? For me, it's never been about technique questions or talking shop, it'salways been about the internal reality that informs the imaginative creation.

12. RJP: What do you think of the term "starving artist"?

MK: I guess I think it has a lot to do with what one's goals as an artist are. I have a friend who isa phenomenal cook. The few times he's made a dinner and a dessert for my wife and I, the cuisinehas been mind-blowingly good. He says he's adored cooking ever since he was young and heexperiments regularly in the kitchen. Many years ago, after our first meal with him, we askedwhy he had not pursued a career as a chef. He stated very simply that to do it for money wouldkill the joy for him. I think about that example a lot when I think about art. I know it doesn't work for everyone, and I know a lot of people are deliriously happy with successful careers as artists or illustrators or designers. For me, I have consciously steered my efforts away from that perilous

intersection of art and commerce primarily out of a concern that to attempt to navigate that pathwould destroy any joy I might take from making art. I have sold comics and zines, and I havesold art, but that has never been the primary focus of my creativity. I'm really not sure what tothink of artists who really want to make art, and then really want to sell art to make a lot of money. I know my point of view is probably woefully naive, and may even be seen by some asrather arch and pretentious, and I mean no offense. It's just the path I choose for myself.




ARTIST: Matt KishTITLE: H'Xoi, Emperor Of TheCelestial PondsMEDIA: pen and ink on watercolor paper

SIZE: 8" wide by 10" tallDATE: 2006

RJP: The piece I chose for the cover to thisissue [and wonderfully adapted by DavidMarshall in his layout] is another fineexample of Matt’s ability to inventspectacular dreamscapes of retro-futuristscience fiction. This really ought to be onthe cover of an Asimov collection of shortsor perhaps as album art for a retro-digital-

techno group like The Orb. It shows off Matt’s splendid, imaginative design sense inaddition to the appealing use of colour.

13. RJP: Do you feel more a sense of

community with other artists or a

sense of competition?

MK: Neither, really, because I don't work within the bounds of a community of artists or a

particular scene or anything like that. I do have quite a few friends who are artists, but nearly allof them were friends of mine before they became artists, or friends of mine before I knew theywere artists. And even with them, the work they are doing and their reasons for doing it are sovastly different than my own that it would be impossible to develop any points of comparison for either community or competition. That sense of self-sufficiency and solitude the originated in mychildhood and nurtured through most of my life endures even now, as an adult making art.

14. RJP: How do you market yourself?

MK: Ha ha! I probably do a terrible job of it, but it has never mattered much to me. It took meabout seven years to develop enough confidence in my own art that I felt comfortable sharing it

even with good friends. That led to the creation of a web site, and very soon to making comicsand zines and selling them at a local small press show. But since my reasons for making art havealways been internal and deeply personal, the sharing and the marketing and the advertising havealways been distant afterthoughts. I have been tremendously thankful for all the incredibly positive feedback I've received from friends and even strangers who have seen my work, either atsmall press shows or online, but I worry that if I were to depend too heavily on that it would

change the focus of my work too much and the drawings would suffer. PAGEPAGEPAGEPAGE 18181818



The best compromise I have been able to make has been to maintain a web sitecontaining nearly all of my work, and I do love to share it that way. I love knowing that people far and wide are able to come to the site and look at all of my drawings and paintings, and if they so choose they can read the blog and even email me that way.That's a very happy medium I think because for me I am far more excited by the idea of

simply sharing my art with people and letting them enjoy it on their own terms than I amwith marketing and selling it.

15. RJP: Do you find it difficult to stay motivated / inspired?

MK: It's never difficult to stay inspired because I love looking at things, and at art, somuch. If I am ever feeling a little uninspired, all I have to do is look at some art - whether it's my own or someone else's in a book or online - and I feel an instant rush of motivation. The hard part, though, is simply finding the time to create art.

ARTIST: Matt KishTITLE: Aalthrid The Nimbus-BorneMEDIA: pen and ink on watercolor paper SIZE: 8" wide by 10" tallDATE: 2006

RJP: This finely detailed pen and ink offering by Matt Kish requires a fewextra moments to absorb. It rewards theviewer with contrasting, layered designelements guaranteed to challenge your imagination. Fans of surrealism bringyour decoder rings as retro-futuristtubes/rods feed into an Eastern inspiredroiling cauldron of waves which in turngives birth to the imagery of Matt’s

trademark celestial beings.

This time he doesn’t draw the beings, themselves, but a pseudo-symbolic representationof them similar to Incan/Aztec temple carvings. Wow, as much as I love the use of colour in some of Matt’s work I can see how colour might hide some of the finer line details andthis piece definitely deserves to show off its line work. PAGEPAGEPAGEPAGE 19191919



16. RJP: Do you create your art full time or part time?

MK: Very, very part time! I have a full time career with a great schedule, but still a fulltime work week. I am married to an incredible woman and we love spending timetogether traveling, exploring new restaurants, visiting museums, seeing movies and on

and on. Additionally, we live about an hour's drive from all of our friends so anysocializing takes up whatever free time remains in an evening. It can be really hard tosqueeze in even a few hours of time for art in a week because all of these things I listedabove are very important. Indeed, love, friendship, marriage, family and career are thefoundation for most of what's good in life and I do my best to be heedful of notneglecting those things. My dirty little secret is that, as an artist, I am monstrouslyslow. If you were to watch me draw, you would be stunned at how slowly the pen movesacross the page. Also, the level of detail in my drawings means hours of making tiny littlemarks with tiny little pens. A single drawing can take me most of a month to finish witheverything else. In the last 11 years I've completed about 70 drawings that I am proud of,so that's an average of about 1 drawing every 60 days. That seems about right!

17. RJP: What other interests do you have, besides art?

MK: Wow, this one is surprisingly hard to answer since so much of what I am interestedin is related in some way to art. I suppose my chief interests all revolve around theimagination, so I enjoy reading novels and comics and I love film. The novels of MervynPeake, Gene Wolfe, Jack Vance and Michael Moorcock are favorites I return to again andagain. With film, I am always far more interested in seeing something on screen that Imight never see in "real life," so films like "Pan's Labyrinth" or "The Fountain" or "TheHoly Mountain" will always draw me in far more than something like "Kramer Vs.

Kramer" or "Pretty Woman." I love traveling whenever I can, although the expense issometimes a barrier. There is no place I wouldn't go though, and the feeling of walking ina city utterly new to me is something I love. My wife is the most adventurous diner Ihave ever met, so through her I have learned a new appreciation for the culinary artsand have been able to see how food is an art unto itself. Beyond those, I think the thing Ilove to do the most is to venture into the woods on hot summer days and just look at thegreen, feel the warm summer breeze, and listen to the rustling of leaves and the sounds of the insects. In a way that might be hard to understand, that reverence for the power of nature is the core of everything I have ever done artistically.

18. RJP: What advice would you have for a young artist starting out today?

MK: I am hardly one to give advice, but I have learned from experience and I would urgethem to think things through and have a realistic, focused plan for what they want out of life and art. Whether they want to illustrate children's picture books, design CD coversfor a record label, create paintings that will hang in fine art galleries and sell for hundredsof thousands of dollars, work through their childhood pain and their issues with gender and identity, make graphic novels and comics...whatever. PAGEPAGEPAGEPAGE 20202020



Figure it out, zero in on it, plan your life around that goal, and never give up. It took mealmost a decade to figure out what art meant to me and how it fit in my life, and there arelots of times I wish I could have figured this out long ago.

ARTIST: Matt KishTITLE: The Dirac Sea SatelliteMEDIA: pen and ink on Bristol boardSIZE: 8" wide by 10" tallDATE: 2007

Okay, stylized sunbursts/sunflowers

sprouting from a giant metallic ball of yarn, riding upon a crystalline comet, powered by Matt’s retro-futuristtubes… I think my head just exploded.I would love to see this piece coloured,the design & composition are splendidhowever. The piece is all aboutcontrast – seemingly opposingelements – the organic burstingthrough the inorganic – the mineral

fused with the technological. Matt’sstrengths as a surreal design artist arequite evident in this piece.

19. RJP: Do you have any big plans or shows coming up in 2009?

MK: I generally only go to one small press show in Columbus, the Small Press andAlternative Comics Expo, or S.P.A.C.E. so that's probably it for this year. My stuff seemsto fit into the small press world pretty comfortably so future plans will almost alwaysinvolve shows like S.P.A.C.E. or SPX in Maryland or maybe even MoCCA in New York City, but I don't have anything else planned for 2009 beyond drawing a lot and showing

the work on my web site. I would really love to have the experience of a gallery showsome day, but I am clueless as to how to go about that and not sure if any of my work would be a good fit for a gallery so that might not happen for a while. Hopefully someday though.




ARTIST: Matt KishTITLE: The Robot Masters: Bolt ManMEDIA: acrylic, ink and colored pencilon found paper SIZE: 8" wide by 11" tallDATE: 2008

I imagine this entity as existing in thesame dreamscape as H'Xoi, Emperor of the Celestial Ponds. This reality, perhaps, exists as some virtuallandscape in a Matrix-like environ.Could H’Xoi and Bolt Man becompeting bits of software working toshape the underlying circuitry of this

plane’s existence?

There is a story here, I am sure of it. I must imagine that Matt read a lot of sci-fi growingup and this influenced his art. I am sure I find echoes of Robert Heinlein and IsaacAsimov, adding in some of the whimsy of Phillip José Farmer [or at least their cover artists].

20. RJP: How would you like your art, and by extension yourself, to be

remembered?

MK: I would like it to be remembered as something that brought people some joy andsome sense of wonder. That it showed them something they had never seen, and maybenever even imagined, but could walk away from feeling better, happier, like they lived ina universe that was even bigger, stranger and more fantastic than they ever realized. Evenif some of my drawings only do that in a little tiny way… that would be something Iwould be endlessly thankful for. PAGEPAGEPAGEPAGE 22222222



ARTIST: Matt KishTITLE: Solar Brother #07MEDIA: pen and ink on bristol boardSIZE: 7" wide by 11" tallDATE: 2009

RJP: Is Solar Brother #07 someone for us to visit, someone who has visited us or simplysomeone who is watching? The New Age-y vibe is back in this pen and ink illustration byMatt Kish. His recurring image of retro-futurist designed tubes repurposed here asimaginative rockets powering us from our earth bound perspective up to a higher, thirdlevel, where an all seeing eye surveys us from a lofty vantage point. The language of the

surrealist allows for a variety of content and impressions to be expressed simultaneouslyand Matt Kish has become quite fluent in its use.

I invite those who are interested in following more of Matt Kish and his creative works totry his website: www.spudd64.com




AD for the MILK graphic novel – by Stephen WhitePAGEPAGEPAGEPAGE 24242424



Writer’s Column

Creation In Our

World – by Larissa Gula

Keeping It Alive

Hello all e-zine readers! Miss me? It’s certainlynice to be back. It’s been a little while. I had totake a breather recently – because life has its priorities, and for a college student the biggest priority is…

No, not drinking! Not for me, anyway.

My biggest priority was to make it through onevery difficult second semester with a GPA above3.4 – otherwise I would lose my honor societystatus – and then to help run the grand eventknown as The Rescue; you may remember mydiscussing its approach two months ago.

But good news, all – my GPA remains exactly 3.5, what I left first semester with. Theevent was an incredible worldwide success that ended in front of Oprah’s studio live onher show, and after a bit of rest and recovery I have returned.

I wish I could say that for all of my projects. Following The Rescue I began the seconddraft of my memoir, a recollection of my teen activism during the last two years from oneevent to the next. Though I have hopes for its future, and want to see how far I can takeit, keeping this story alive is difficult. Constantly doing my best to flesh out the details, before even getting to work on the prose, has been an annoyance.

The hardest aspect is probably balancing out my time with friends and house cleaningwith my projects.

So I did some research and I have a few ideas on “How to Keep Those Projects Alive” to share with you as I keep myself plowing forward.


Untitled - installation piece by Sam van der Wouden



1. “Put your character in an unfamiliar situation.”

• I guess this works the best for prose – if you have a highly developed character,you can experiment with how they would react somewhere new anduncomfortable – somewhere they dislike, or somewhere they love with someone

they dislike, or any other new variable. This can probably work for poetry as well.And for other art forms, well, I can’t speak for them – but maybe you guys canexperiment with this idea and see where it goes!

2. “Change your routine.”

• Try a new environment, try a new time, and see what comes to your mind andfingertips! Even try something miniscule – change the paper color or canvasmaterial. Use a new pen or brush. Go from a lonely setting to a group setting.Basically, if it’s different, who knows? Try it!

3. “Start with a line of poetry.”

• I like this idea for everything. Use a favorite, very outstanding line of poetry(from a book or a song; because the Lord knows, and this is a separate rantentirely, that good music might as well be poetry), and let it inspire an entire work of art. But inspire doesn’t mean stick to it. It means begin and expand!

4. “Take breaks.”

• Maybe. If it’s all day project, yes, then do take breaks. Go for a walk, eat a littlesnack, drink something, sit back, and relax – and then get back to work before you

lose the creative feeling. If this will be the only time you get to work on it, work until you can’t!

5. “Have a Comfortable Work Area.”

• I have nothing else to say!

6. “Take Time Off.”

• This statement is the only one that keeps me from feeling lazy, but breaks do helprejuvenate the mind and the thought process, so enjoy them. Do new things and

bring those experiences back to your artwork.

Those are the top six things I found; and now, I must retire and return to a world of writing for work and for myself.

(Research mostly on www.how-to.com and www.resourcesforwriters.com. These ideasare not presented as my own, merely ideas found and shared.)




P.S. I read a fantastic book recently that comes highly recommended. To read more, visitmy blog: http://trolleygirl13.blogspot.com/2009/03/honk-holler-opening-soon.html

And if you’re not watching it, please add it to a watch-list of yours. Please.

Untitled – by Sam van der Wouden PAGEPAGEPAGEPAGE 27272727



Cigar Girl – by Roger Formidable PAGEPAGEPAGEPAGE 28282828





“Good morn Paul.” the man said cheerfully. “Glad to see you awake so early!Another big day here in mer…”

The man broke off, seeing the look on Billy’s face.

“Who are you?” Billy demanded. “Where am I? Who is Paul?”The man’s demeanor changed and a careful and concerned look came over his face.

“YOU are Paul.” the man replied. “Just relax Paul. It’s ok.”

“I’m NOT Paul!” Billy screamed, inching backwards. He reached out towards a lamp.“I don’t know where I am or why I’m here!”

“It’s ok.” the man said again. “You just need to calm down. I have some medicinethat will make you feel better, then we can call Brian and he’ll come see you.”

Billy recognized the tone in the man’s voice. It was the same one that his mother usedto use on his senile old grandfather in the poor man’s last days. Billy didn’t know anyonenamed Brian and he certainly wasn’t about to sit around to meet him.

“I’m leaving.” Billy said flatly. “No!” The man exclaimed as he crept a little closer.He dropped the papers he was holding and reached out towards Billy. “Just hold on. I justwant to… UGH!” Billy didn’t get to hear what the man wanted, because he grabbed holdof the lamp and swung it at the man, connecting with the side of his head. He thendropped the lamp and ran for the front door. At the front door another man was comingin. He was dressed very similar to the first.

“Hey Alfred, I heard a shout!’ the 2nd man was saying as he came in. “Is everythingalr… oh! Paul! What happened?”

Billy froze. Another person calling him by a name he knew was not his. What waswrong with these people? Like the first man, this one was well built. He decided to tryand bluff his way out.

“Um, hi.” Billy said, trying to sound normal. “Um... he... um... Alfred. Fell and hurthimself. I was coming... to get you to help.”

“Dammit. Ok Paul, I’ll take care of it.” the man said, moving towards the bedroom.Billy watched the man walk past him and into the bedroom. As he crossed the doorway,Billy bolted out the front door and slammed it shut. He ran full speed down the hall andto a stairway door. He flung it open and rushed down the stairs. He could hear a shout behind him, but he wasn’t about to stop to hear what it was.




Billy ran as fast as he could down the stairs and came to a halt at a floor about fiveflights down. He slipped onto the floor and quickly walked to the elevator. A couple wasexiting the elevator as he got into it and jabbed at the lobby button with his thumb. They barely glanced at him but as the door began to close, the woman looked up and gasped.

“Oh My God!!” she screamed and pointed at him. “It’s…”The doors snapped closed, cutting off her shout. The lift dropped. Billy ran his hand

through his hair. He was terrified. He had to get away from this place, try and findsomeone he recognized. The doors opened and he tentatively glanced out. He could seethe front desk and a desk clerk picking up a phone. He spoke into it. Billy tried to walk slowly and look natural as he left the elevator. As he walked towards the revolving door at the entrance of the hotel, a shout behind him caused him to turn. The couple from theabove floor came barreling out of the stairway. The girl was in the lead and pointed.

“There he is!!” she screamed. “Stop! STOP!”

The desk clerk looked up, still on the phone and saw Billy. “I see him!” the clerk saidto whoever was on the other line.

Billy didn’t hesitate any longer. He rushed out the revolving door and as he camearound to the outside, he saw a small potted tree and jammed it into the door, keeping itfrom turning. The doorman looked at Billy surprisingly. He was helping an elderlywoman from a taxi right in front of him. Billy pushed past them both and leapt into thetaxi.

“Go!” Billy screamed. “MOVE! DRIVE!”

The driver looked up at him in the rear-view mirror and nodded. The taxi roared awayas Billy slammed the door shut. He looked out the rear window and saw both the girl whohad screamed at him and both men from the hotel room going into the street. The cabrushed down the road.

“Turn here!” Billy shouted. “Now turn there!” The taxi made a sharp right and then aquick left.

“That looked close.” The driver said with a smile.

Billy looked up and could see the man staring back in the rear-view mirror.Something about the man’s look made him nervous.

“It’s ok. I know how bad you wanted to get away from there.” the driver continued. “Iwas glad to help.”

“Do… do you know me?” Billy asked.PAGEPAGEPAGEPAGE 31313131



“Of course.” The driver said. “Paul.”

The taxi came to a halt at a red light. Billy didn’t wait, he threw open the door to thetaxi and burst out. He ran across the street, down a few buildings and cut down analleyway. He could hear the driver shouting at him but Billy didn’t look back.

The alley was a dead end. There was no where to go but back. Billy cursed andturned. At the entrance of the alley he hesitated and looked out. He could see the taxidriver talking to one of the large, well-built men from the hotel. Billy couldn’t go outwithout risking being seen, but he couldn’t stay there.

“Psst.” a voice whispered.

Billy looked up. In the doorway of the building next to the alley was a man wholooked familiar. Billy took a step back and prepared himself to make a break for it.Before he could however, the man called softly to him.

“William!” the new man called in a hushed tone. “Quick, this way!”

Relief flooded Billy. Someone who actually knew his name.

“Quick!” the man hissed. Billy rushed towards the doorway and through. The manclosed the door and locked it.

“Oh God, thank you!” Billy exclaimed.

The man looked at the door for a moment and then at Billy. “That was a close one,‘eh? So, how’re we doing William?”

“You know me!” Billy sighed. “I’m so glad SOMEONE knows me! You… look familiar… I know I know you… but… but I can’t remember your name…”

The man looked at Billy and grinned. “I’m John, mate.” he replied. Billy returned thesmile, because he remembered just as the man said it.

“Yes! John!” Billy laughed. “Thank the Lord it’s you mate!”John nodded. “Let’s walk.” he said. The two of them went through the back of the building and out the other side. John led the way. He glanced around the slide of the building, as if to check to make sure the coast was clear. He looked back and nodded toBilly and they continued on.

“John, what’s going on here?” Billy asked him as they went. “I woke up in…”“..in a hotel room that you didn’t recognize, with clothes that weren’t yours with

people who were calling you by a different name.” John finished.

“Yes!’ Billy replied. “What the HELL is happening?” PAGEPAGEPAGEPAGE 32323232



“It’s a long story mate.” John said. “But for now you’re going to have to trust me.”

Billy felt comfortable with John, and nodded. “I trust you John.”

They walked a little and came to a small park. “We’re in New York. In the states.

Aren’t we?” Billy asked John suddenly. “I’ve never been here before but I’ve seen pictures.”

“Yes. Yes we are.” John answered. “What DO you remember?”“Not much.” Billy replied. “Little small things. Nothing on how I got here, or why I

look different.”

The came to a bench and John sat down. Billy did the same. “John.” Billy said,looking nervous. “I’m fucking terrified here. I don’t know what’s happening.”

John nodded. “It’s a long story Mate.” he said. “It might be easier to show you than to

try and explain it.”Billy leaned forward and put his face in his hands. “I can barely remember anything

here. It’s like I’m a blank state. I know my name, and remnant of my past. But... but…wait… what’s the date?”

John told him. Billy’s face turned white. “Oh my God.” Billy cried. “That’s almost afucking year later than I thought it was!” He collapsed back into the bench and put hishead back. “What happened to my life?”

John looked grim and put a hand on Billy’s shoulder. “It’s not quite as bad as you’rethinking right now mate.”

Billy let out a snort. “Oh sure. Not as bad. Someone has stolen my life. No problem.”

“That’s not what I meant.” John replied.

“John, it’s like… like I’m dead.” Billy shot back. “I have no fucking memory of thelast year. I don’t know why people are calling me ‘Paul’...”

“It’s NOT like you’re dead!” John snapped. “Dead is DEAD. You’re alive!”

Billy recoiled, surprised at the outburst.

John immediately looked sorry. “Dammit mate, I apologize. I know this whole thingis disorientating. Listen, come with me, let me show you what’s going on.”

Billy sighed. He didn’t have much choice. “Alright. Let’s go.” They two got up andwalked out of the park, They got to the street and John raised his hand for a taxi. One pulled up and they got in. PAGEPAGEPAGEPAGE 33333333



A song was on the radio… a catchy one. Billy didn’t think he recognized it, but after a few moments found himself humming along. He glanced up at John who was grinning back at him.

“Good song?” John asked.

“Yeah!” Billy grinned back. “I guess I’ve heard it somewhere cause I kind of know it.Is it and old one?”

“Pretty brand new actually.” John replied. The driver in the front seemed to stifle alaugh. Billy didn’t notice John glance up, annoyed. A minute went by before Billyrealized where they seemed to be headed. It was then that he realized that John had never given the driver an address.

“John!” Billy exclaimed. “We’re going to…”“… the hotel you woke up in. I know.” John replied. “I’m going to show you

everything. Just… you have to trust me. You trust me, right William?”Billy stared at John for a minute. There was no hardness in John’s face… no evil

intent. He genuinely seemed concerned. Billy took a deep breath and nodded.

“Yes John.” He said. “Yes, I trust you.”

The taxi pulled up to the hotel. The front was cleared. No doorman or people millingabout. They got out of the taxi. John nodded to the driver who just nodded back and pulled way. John put his hand on Billy’s shoulder and they both entered the hotel.

The lobby was also clear. No one but them was there. As the approached the elevatorsthough one of the men from earlier came into view.

“John!” Billy exclaimed.

John stepped forward and grabbed the man and roughly shoved him into the stairwaydoor. Before Billy could react John and the man disappeared into the stairway hall. Billyheard a bang and heard John say something… then heard another bang.

A moment later John came out and closed the door. As he did, Billy could see thelegs of the man. He seemed to be on the ground. “Don’t worry about him.” John said.“Come on.”

The two got into the elevator and rode it up to the penthouse. The doors opened andthey walked down the small hallway to the door to the room Billy had escaped fromearlier. With John leading the way, they went to the open door and went through. In thesitting area, drinking from a tall glass was a short, stout man with dark hair dressed in anice business suit. He opened his mouth to say something but John cut him off.




“William here would like some answers.” he said. The man nodded and got up…

“Billy?” the man said. “I need a refresher. Can I make you one?” He went over to the bar and started making a drink. Billy looked at John, who nodded. “Yeah, ok.” Billyreplied.

The dark haired man looked back at them. “John?”

“I’m good.” John answered. The man tinkered with the drinks and came over andhanded one to Billy and sat down. “So.” he said. “What do you want to know?”

“What the hell is going on?” Billy demanded. “Why is everyone calling me Paul?What happened to me?”

The dark-haired man seemed to contemplate the question, then he crossed his legsand sat back. “About a year ago… we lost a very close friend. One who was…

instrumental to a …um… project we’ve been working on.” he explained. “He was in ahorrible car accident.”

“And? What does this have to do with me?” Billy asked.

“It was imperative that we find a suitable… replacement for him with as little…fanfare as possible.” the man continued. “His place in our… organization was important.So… so important.”

Billy began feeling a little dizzy. He wasn’t sure what any of this meant. He looked atJohn, but John had gotten up and was looking at one of the paintings on the wall. Helooked back at the dark-haired man, confused.

“Did… did I replace him?” Billy asked. It was becoming harder and harder to think.

“Yes.” the man nodded. “Perfectly.”

Billy wanted to ask what it was he was doing, but could not keep his eyes open, asmuch as he tried.

“It’s remarkable actually.” the man continued. “Overall, it’s been almost flawless. We just have these little occasional moments when your past life pops back into place. It’s ok though Billy… it’s ok. We’ll have you right as rain and ready for tonight in just a coupleof hours.”

Billy wanted to ask what was happening that night, but he had no control of his body.

“Is this really necessary?” John suddenly demanded.

The man looked up at John. “You know it is John.” he replied. The two of themlooked at Billy and saw he was unconscious. PAGEPAGEPAGEPAGE 35353535



“Dammit Brian, he didn’t sign up for this you know.” John said.

“I know John.” the man, Brian, answered. “But there was no other way to pull it off.You did a good job getting him back here.”

“It was lucky I was out for a morning stroll and saw him bolt out of the hotel.” Johnsaid wistfully.

“You’re right.” Brian agreed. He got up and smoothed out his pants. “I have thedoctors on their way. Tell George and Ringo that Billy… er… PAUL will be ready for the recording session tonight.” John nodded wistfully and headed for the door. Brianlooked up as if he had just remembered something.

“Oh, and John…” Brian said. John stopped and looked up, seeming to have expectedmore. “Please, enough with the little riddles and ‘clues’ in the songs and on the covers?It’s hard enough keeping this whole damn thing s secret without you lot mucking around.

John smiled. “Or what Brian? Gonna replace me? I doubt there’s another BillyCambell Shears out there.”

With that he walked out the door.

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – by Drew BirdPAGEPAGEPAGEPAGE 36363636



The Strict Vegetarian – by Roger Formidable




Poetry

Wiping the Slate Clean – by Frances Nichols Vargas

Just step forward No more excusesWalk towardthe goals set

Shift the gearsDon't look back

Wipe away the tearsdo not rehash the past

and all the mistakes and fearsJust step forward

Look toward the future

My Son – by Frances Nichols Vargas

Since the moment of the newsI was shocked and amazedHow life would changeThe flood of feelings and emotionsa mother- to- be knowsAs my belly grew

All the routine of my innocent and carefree daysFaded away Now reflecting on time as it has flown byBrings great joyAs memories of all your firstsFlash before my eyesLooking toward the futureBeaming with prideOf all the world welcomingMy son with arms open wide

Untitled – by Sam van der Wouden




MMVII – by Stephen Campbell

Watching men and women eat, sleep, weep.Its boredom to watch but every night we keepWatching. And waiting. Hoping and caring.

Watching men and women baring, sharing,Scaring the mind of caring for one another,Yearning nightly for the care of Big Brother

One Man Show [concept art] – by Dave Michaels

Unemployment – by Stephen Campbell

Stephen and James, young martyrs are we.We toil for our master who we don’t see,We give up our lives to make men rich,We do so others may thrive. We pitch

To poor souls who drink and lie drowning,Drowning in holes – whilst society sits frowning. PAGEPAGEPAGEPAGE 39393939



Clover, ThroughThe Haze – by R.J. Paré


Dublin – by Stephen Campbell

Walking through Dublin’s fair city streetsWe greeted the wonders that there we did meet.Joyce in his rough hat did not pass us by,Wilde in his loincloth did give me the eye,O’Connell looked down upon us and bade us beware

Of Synge’s fiery breath and his Abbey affairs.

We could not understand Beckett’s short French tongueOr bother Lady Gregory as she mourned for her young,

Shaw and lady passed along as Stoker scared our witsWhilst swift as a ship old John told us young quipsOf a tale he had sermoned in the old church commons,And I grew weary, for I had seen nothingThat captured my heart,

But by Gonne, what is that man?Abroad on his own with a quill in his hand?His youthful heart cries of renewable strength,

And at my stolen heart his piping verse did wrench.

He bid me to journey far to Byzantium,From that crossways in Dublin I chose to follow him.



The Cup – by R.J. Paré

Early winter mornings, before the sun would rise,Your skates, bag, stick and out the door.

Faster than the coffee clears parent’s blood-shot eyes,The hour of practice is over.

A scene oft repeated from youth until today,The only path for PRO entrance.

Loss of sleep, muscles sore, the price you had to pay,To reach this height and have this chance.

Many play their whole careers without this reward, Nary a taste of vict’ry sup.

Now stand, rejoice and share in the crowd’s thunderous roar,And raise, for them, the Stanley Cup!

The Stanley Cup – by R.J. ParéPAGEPAGEPAGEPAGE 41414141



Dwelling Inside Myself [Mindscapes] – by Same van der Wouden




Music

Just a quick note to all you RKYVers out there we are looking for Indie Bands to featureif you or someone you know has a band that could use FREE exposure / hype – then dropme a line: [email protected]

In the meantime I thought I’d share my all time FAV album list. I posted this awhile back online but have never shared it with the RKYV audience. This a completely subjectiveexercise in personal taste and probably bears no resemblance to your own personal list of FAV albums. So without further ado, my Top 15 Albums that I can listen to over andover...

15. The Who - Tommy (1969)

This Album created a new art-form:The Rock Opera

The first Album I literally lost myself in. Wearing old-school large stereo headphones I could lie on my bedand wallow in teen angst while exploring the tale of this 'Rock Opera'

"Overture" – 5:21"It's a Boy" – 0:38"1921" – 2:49"Amazing Journey" – 3:25"Sparks" – 3:46"Eyesight to the Blind (The Hawker)"(Williamson) – 2:13

"Christmas" – 4:34"Cousin Kevin" (Entwistle) – 4:07

"The Acid Queen" – 3:34"Underture" – 10:09

"Do You Think It's Alright?" – 0:24"Fiddle About" (Entwistle) – 1:29

"Pinball Wizard" – 3:01"There's a Doctor" – 0:23"Go to the Mirror!" – 3:49"Tommy, Can You Hear Me?" – 1:36"Smash the Mirror" – 1:35"Sensation" – 2:27

"Miracle Cure" – 0:12"Sally Simpson" – 4:12"I'm Free" – 2:40

"Welcome" – 4:34"Tommy's Holiday Camp" (Moon) – 0:57"We're Not Gonna Take It" / "See Me, FeelMe" – 7:08




14. The Eagles - Their Greatest Hits (1976)

My introduction to Southern Rock. A genre that bridges the musical gap between fans of Rock and fans

of Country - probably why the debate still lingers as towhich category to place The Eagles in. Ultimately, whocares about labels - great music is great music.

"Take It Easy" (Browne, Frey) – 3:32"Witchy Woman" (Henley, Leadon) – 4:11"Lyin' Eyes" (Henley, Frey) – 6:22"Already Gone" (Tempchin, R. Strandlund) – 4:13

"Desperado" (Henley, Frey) – 3:33"One of These Nights" (Henley, Frey) – 4:51"Tequila Sunrise" (Henley, Frey) – 2:52"Take It to the Limit" (Meisner, Henley, Frey) – 4:48"Peaceful Easy Feeling" (Tempchin) – 4:18"Best of My Love" (Henley, Frey, Souther) – 4:35

13. The Band - The Band (1969)

Simply the finest example of unique and original NorthAmerican music-making. The Band's sound defiedclassification. It blends elements of Rock, Folk, Country,Blue Grass... and probably other stuff I'm not qualified torecognize - LOL

"Across the Great Divide" (Robertson) – 2:53"Rag Mama Rag" (Robertson) – 3:04"The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" (Robertson) – 3:33"When You Awake" (Manuel, Robertson) – 3:13"Up on Cripple Creek" (Robertson) – 4:34"Whispering Pines" (Manuel, Robertson) – 3:58"Jemima Surrender" (Helm, Robertson) – 3:31"Rockin' Chair" (Robertson) – 3:43"Look Out Cleveland" (Robertson) – 3:09"Jawbone" (Manuel, Robertson) – 4:20"The Unfaithful Servant" (Robertson) – 4:17"King Harvest (Has Surely Come)" (Robertson) – 3:39




12. Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run (1975)

Out of the streets of Jersey a Rock Poet emerged to speak to another generation in the tradition of Bob Dylan.

As opposed to Bob's finger pointing, Bruce speaks up for each of us. His songs say dammit, we know things may befucked up, but we're trying our best.

Bruce hits us with his growling vocals and we feel, at leastfor a moment, that he's got our back. While we're stillyoung we don't want the world to beat us down - we wereBorn to Run.

"Thunder Road" – 4:49"Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" – 3:11

"Night" – 3:00"Backstreets" – 6:30

"Born to Run" – 4:31"She's the One" – 4:30

"Meeting Across the River" – 3:18"Jungleland" – 9:36

11. Billy Joel - An Innocent Man (1983)

For a kid who grew up on 50's and 60's Rock N' Roll thisalbum defied the status quo of the early 80's. There was no big hair and men with makeup wearing spandex. Therewere no tongues licking the MTV cameras.

This nostalgia trip was honest to goodness solid classicstyle Rock N' Roll. It reminded us the Sax, as aninstrument, belongs in rock.

"Easy Money" – 4:04 -- an homage to JamesBrown; featured in the movie of the same name"An Innocent Man" – 5:17 -- an homage to BenE. King and The Drifters

"The Longest Time" – 3:42 -- an homage todoo-wop. This song required 14 backgroundvocal tracks, each of which was done by Joeland pieced together in production."This Night" – 4:19 -- Uses Beethoven'sPathetique Sonata as the basis for the chorus

"Tell Her About It" – 3:52 -- an homage toMotown"Uptown Girl" – 3:17 -- an homage to FrankieValli and The Four Seasons

"Careless Talk" – 3:48"Christie Lee" – 3:31 -- an homage to Jerry LeeLewis"Leave a Tender Moment Alone" – 3:56"Keeping the Faith" – 4:41




10. Counting Crows - August and Everything After

(1993)

While I was in university this Album defined the early90's with the type of chart domination by reflective and

introspective ballads not seen since Carol King's"Tapestry" and much like that album most every track would go on to appear in the Top 40.

"Round Here" (Duritz, Dave Janusko, Dan Jewett, ChrisRoldan, David Bryson) – 5:32"Omaha" – 3:40"Mr. Jones" (Duritz, Bryson) – 4:33"Perfect Blue Buildings" – 5:01"Anna Begins" (Duritz, Bryson, Marty Jones, TobyHawkins, Lydia Holly) – 4:32

"Time and Time Again" (Duritz, Bryson, Charlie

Gillingham, Steve Bowman, Don Dixon) – 5:13"Rain King" (Duritz, Bryson) – 4:16"Sullivan Street" (Duritz, Bryson) – 4:29"Ghost Train" – 4:01"Raining in Baltimore" – 4:41"A Murder of One" (Duritz, Bryson, Matt Malley) – 5:44

9. The Eagles - Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 (1982)

If the first collection of the Eagles introduced me toSouthern Rock, this second collection made me a bonafideFan.

This is a collection of The eagles at the top of their game. Itrocks on the hard songs and blends amazing harmonies onthe ballads. Was one of my favourite party albums to let play all the way through.

"Hotel California" (Don Felder, Don Henley,Glenn Frey) – 6:30"Heartache Tonight" (Henley, Frey, Bob Seger,

J.D. Souther) – 4:25"Seven Bridges Road" (Steve Young) – 2:58"Victim of Love" (Felder, Souther, Henley,Frey) – 4:11"The Sad Café" (Henley, Frey, Joe Walsh,Souther) – 5:32

"Life in the Fast Lane" (Walsh, Henley, Frey) – 4:45"I Can't Tell You Why" (Timothy B. Schmit,

Henley, Frey) – 4:54"New Kid in Town" (Souther, Henley, Frey) – 5:04"The Long Run" (Henley, Frey) – 3:42"After the Thrill is Gone" (Henley, Frey) – 4:41




8. Billy Joel - Glass Houses (1980)

The first Album I can recall buying with my own money.My paper route paid for this gem and I played it until I woreit out.

So many critics have tried to relegate Billy as "middle of theroad" - it is an unfair criticism... his music is an honestreflection of his personal tastes and experience growing upin Long Island, NY in the era he did.

This album shows critics don't know what the fuck they aretalking about anyway. The first two tracks hit you like a punch to the gut and start the Rock energy flowing. Whilenear the end of the album Billy experiments with an almost pre-rap style vocal delivery on "Close to the Borderline" thatwas way ahead of its time in terms of pop music.

"You May Be Right" – 4:15"Sometimes a Fantasy" – 3:40"Don't Ask Me Why" – 2:59"It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" – 2:57"All for Leyna" – 4:15

"I Don't Want to Be Alone" – 3:57"Sleeping With the Television On" – 3:02"C'Était Toi (You Were the One)" – 3:25"Close to the Borderline" – 3:47"Through the Long Night" – 2:43

7. Supertramp - Double Album Crime of the Century & Breakfast in America

(1980)

The double LP cassette was in ghetto-blasters atmy school throughout grade 10 & 11 and

soundtracked many an outdoor lunch period.

The Brits are back and unlike much of theforgettable 'New Wave" - Supertramp's blend of progressive Rock instrumentation with oft-times bluesy style rock lyrics made them a charttopping success for a decade.

"School" – 5:34"Bloody Well Right" – 4:31"Hide In Your Shell" – 6:48"Asylum" – 6:43"Dreamer" – 3:31"Rudy" – 7:19"If Everyone Was Listening" – 4:04"Crime of the Century" – 5:36

"Dreamer" – 3:31"Rudy" – 7:19"If Everyone Was Listening" – 4:04"Crime of the Century" – 5:36"Take the Long Way Home" – 5:08"Lord Is It Mine" – 4:09"Just Another Nervous Wreck" – 4:26"Casual Conversations" – 2:58"Child of Vision" – 7:25




6. Beach Boys - Endless Summer (1974)

I cannot recall how many summer afternoons were spentlistening to each and every track on this LP. The Beach Boysare truly an iconic American Band responsible, in large part,for the public's introduction to sophisticated recordingtechniques and, of course, the realization that Rock Music didnot necessarily have to be shouting vocals with bare bonesinstrumental back up - but could include rich and layeredharmonies. This collection of their 60's hits - released in the70's was a commercial success due to its ability to evoke thoseever elusive and quite fictional "better times"

"Surfin' Safari" – 2:05"Surfer Girl" (Brian Wilson) – 2:26"Catch a Wave" – 2:07"The Warmth of the Sun" – 2:51"Surfin' USA" (Chuck Berry/Brian Wilson) –

2:27"Be True to Your School" (Album Version) – 2:07"Little Deuce Coupe" (Brian Wilson/Roger Christian) – 1:38"In My Room" (Brian Wilson/Gary Usher) – 2:11

"Shut Down" (Brian Wilson/Roger Christian) – 1:49"Fun, Fun, Fun" – 2:16"I Get Around" – 2:12"Girls on the Beach" – 2:24

"Wendy" – 2:16"Let Him Run Wild" – 2:20"Don't Worry Baby" (Brian Wilson/Roger Christian) – 2:47"California Girls" – 2:38"Girl Don't Tell Me" – 2:19"Help Me, Ronda" – 3:08"You're So Good to Me" – 2:14"All Summer Long" – 2:06

5. Cat Stevens - Greatest Hits (1975)

For my money, the greatest vocalist in the history of Rock/Popmusic.

As a musician, a songwriter and a vocalist cat Stevens impresseswith each and every track. I still listen to these tracks in my car every chance I get, often getting funny looks from other driversas I sing along.

"Wild World" – 3:22"Oh Very Young" – 2:34"Can't Keep It In" – 2:59"Hard Headed Woman" – 3:49"Moonshadow" – 2:49"Two Fine People" – 3:33

"Peace Train" – 4:13"Ready" – 3:16"Father & Son" – 3:41"Sitting" – 3:13"Morning Has Broken" – 3:18"Another Saturday Night" – 2:29




4. Billy Joel - Piano Man (1973)

The album that made Billy a house hold name with its #1 single of the same title. This LP is unexpected in thatit doesn't seek to run on an established groove. If you

think you are in for 10 tracks that all sorta sound likePiano Man - you are in for a surprise. Billy plays withdifferent stylings all through the album... it is not somuch a "studio album" as it is a compilation of songsBilly wrote that he thought were cool. Ranging from thewistful to the rollicking evoking everything from Urbanthemes to Country memories. This Album announced tothe World that Billy was done with playing back up in band ensembles and was ready to be taken seriously asa solo artist.

"Travelin' Prayer" – 4:10"Piano Man" – 5:37"Ain't No Crime" – 3:20"You're My Home" – 3:14"The Ballad of Billy the Kid" – 5:35"Worse Comes to Worst" – 3:28

"Stop in Nevada" – 3:40"If I Only Had the Words (To Tell You)" – 3:35"Somewhere Along the Line" – 3:17"Captain Jack" – 7:15

3. Bobby Goldsboro - Greatest Hits (1978)

This crossover artist, from Country to the Pop charts wrotesongs from the heart. His beautiful ballads of loss and regrettranscend genre and should be at the top of anyone's list of breakup music.

'Autumn of my Life', 'See the Funny Little Clown' and 'WithPen in Hand' are guaranteed doses of cathartic release.

HoneyThe Straight LifeGlad She's A WomanI'm A Drifter See The Funny Little Crown

It's Too Late/With Pen In HandMuddy Mississippi LineAutumn Of My LifeCan You Feel ItBlue Autumn




2. Carole King - Tapestry (1971)

The phenomenal success of this album can sometimesmake us forget its artistry.

It is true that at some point in the 70's damn near everyhome in North America had a copy of this LP on theshelves. But this is no recording industry - factory made - pop creation. Not in the least.

Carole's poetic ballads have become standards re-recorded by numerous artists over the years. Her strengths as a songwriter and a vocalist are displayed attheir peak in these virtuoso performances.

Don't take my word for it.Tapestry was ranked US number 1 for 15 weeks and remained on the charts for over sixyears. The album also garnered four Grammy Awards including Album of the Year, BestPop Vocal Performance, Female, Record of the Year ("It's Too Late"); and Song of theYear ("You've Got a Friend").

All this, despite the fact that the album features MINIMAL production - Carole relies onno studio tricks and polish to win her audience over - what you hear is all her even theimperfections [of which there are few].

Buy this album, download, listen to it - I simply cannot stress enough the profoundimpact of this albums artistry.

"I Feel the Earth Move" – 2:58"So Far Away" – 3:55

"It's Too Late" (lyrics by Toni Stern) – 3:53"Home Again" – 2:29

"Beautiful" – 3:08"Way Over Yonder" – 4:44

"You've Got a Friend" – 5:09"Where You Lead" (lyrics by Stern) – 3:20

"Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" (Gerry Goffin, King) – 4:12"Smackwater Jack" (Goffin, King) – 3:41

"Tapestry" – 3:13"(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (Goffin, King, Jerry Wexler) – 3:49




1. Jim Croce - Photographs and Memories (1974)

Jim Croce was taken from us far too soon. Hishumour, his voice, his talent left an indelible mark

on popular music. Jim died in a plane crash at theage of 30 - just as his music was starting to flourishon the charts.

In his short career he recorded numerous singlesthat would stand the test of time. I defy you to go toan 'open mic night' and not find some amateur troubadour covering one of his songs.

Most jukeboxes [where you can find them] will stillhave his songs on the playlist.

Every Karaoke night I have ever been to has been laced with folks singing his songs inunison.

This collection puts all of his best work together and can be listened to and enjoyedregardless of your age and usual musical preference.

It is full of joy and whimsy and wonderful urban reflections by an accoustic poet.

At the same time these tracks evoke a melancholy as you realize what else might have been.

"Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" - 3:02"Operator (That's Not The Way It Feels)" - 3:45

"Photographs and Memories" - 2:03"Rapid Roy (The Stock Car Boy)" - 2:40

"Time In A Bottle" - 2:24"New York's Not My Home" - 3:05

"Workin' At The Car Wash Blues" - 2:29

"I Got A Name" - 3:09"I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song" - 2:28

"You Don't Mess Around With Jim" - 3:00"Lover's Cross" - 3:02

"One Less Set Of Footsteps" - 2:46"These Dreams" - 3:12

"Roller Derby Queen" - 3:28




AD for the MILK graphic novel – by Stephen WhitePAGEPAGEPAGEPAGE 52525252



Pop Culture

Comic Book Review – by R.J. Pare’

Thought I’d pop in with an update on the brilliant graphic novel – “MILK” – by StephenWhite due for release this August from Insomnia Publications. I’ve been very intrigued by the powerful and richly detailed images previewed for this graphic novel.

From images that hearken back to the old the retro-futurism of "Things to Come"; tosurprising twists on "newstrip style" cartoon illustrations; to Noir aspects that bow at the"altar of Eisner".... it has a little something different, for different tastes. PAGEPAGEPAGEPAGE 53535353



In order to promote ‘MILK’ Stephen is offering a draw prize of ORIGINAL SIGNEDARTWORK for those who participate in the MILK COMPETITION

Rules and clues are posted on the FaceBook Group Page ‘MILK by Stref’

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=22420456975&ref=ts

I look forward to the opportunity to drink deep!

MILK – by Stephen WhitePAGEPAGEPAGEPAGE 54545454





RAISED ON SATURDAY MORNING

CARTOONS – by Pauline Pare’

Spring is in the air and for this month’s article I have decided to try my hand at poetry.In particular, an homage to something I love dearly. For this endeavour, I have enlisted

the help of my best friend, my wonderful husband, my fellow couch potato and mydemanding editor, all who, coincidentally, share the same name: Randy Paré.

Classic TV – by R.J. ParéPAGEPAGEPAGEPAGE 56565656

For you, darling TV set I am ableTo pay an exorbitant cost for cable

Through you, many finer skills I have enriched,

Like my Bewitchy nose and Vulcan nerve pinch.

I found that I could end environmental woes,With a Flintsone car that’s powered by our toes

A woman can be sexy and still fight crime with a gun.Who says that the boys, get all of the fun?

But worry not, I do keep “Friends.”With syndication, that show never ends.

Without you how could I determine the fate,Of my dear “lost” friends, Hurley, Sawyer and Kate?

Through final frontiers of adventures we’d soar,The Stars we’ve Trekked – Where No One Has Gone Before

Oh my sweet grey Sanyo, I vow to love you eternally,Or at least until I can afford a plasma with HD

ODE TO MY TELEVISION SET By Pauline & R.J. Paré



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