Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Gay Comic Geek Reviews: Poseidon-T Graphic Novel

Check out our favorite Gay Comic Geek reviewing Poseidon-T graphic novel by Franze. If you haven't checked out his YouTube channel, you probably should! Also, we have a great video of some of the artwork in Poseidon-T by Franze himself.

Here's the plot ...
Poseidon is the star of his rugby team, and the fans love him. Especially the young handsome Gonzales, dreaming of more than just a meeting with Poseidon. One day, while big game, his dream becomes a reality - but differently than expected - because aliens are attacking the world.

You may remember Franze from his work on graphic novel Black Wade. This time around, Franze tackles this story and illustrations without Black Wade writing partner Andärle. Refreshingly, Poseidon-T gives us much less sexual content and focuses much more on the wonderful story. It's rare to find a gay comic so well written.

The book is available through German publisher Bruno Gmunder. But, it might be cheaper and faster to get it through Amazon here in the US.


Click any picture to make it larger!




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Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Exclusive Podcast: Treklenburg Episode #17

Hosts Michael Earle and Molly Jay hilariously talk all things Star Trek.
This week, Mike and Molly debate fantasy bridge crews in hilariously contrived situations! You won't want to miss it. Also, the review of Enterprise episodes continues! Tune in now before Mike adds Dr. Pulaski to the bridge of every star ship in the fleet!

Original broadcasts of Treklenburg are Monday nights at 8pm EST on www.pmcradio.org.




How to Subscribe!
iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/trekl…ings/id797015608
RSS Feed: www.podcastrevolution.com/viewpodcast.php?pid=3578

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Monday, April 28, 2014

Wut #9 - An Original Webcomic Series

Installment #9 of Wut, our exclusive original webcomic series by creative genius MagicScienceland, proves that magic works in mysterious ways! This series makes so much more sense if you read all the panels, so see below this week's comic for links to the other episodes!


Wut #1  Wut #2  Wut #3  Wut #4  Wut #5  Wut #6  Wut #7  Wut #8

You can also read all of WUT on Comic Fury or Imgur!


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Monday Morning Dance Party: French Horn Rebellion ft. HAERTS "Swing Into It"

French Horn Rebellion and HAERTS team up with the Sacramento Ballet to bring you this great video for "Swing Into It." Look for French Horn Rebellion on tour with their pals Hey Champ in May and June!



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Friday, April 25, 2014

Watch: Thylacine (2013) Short Film

Written and Directed by film maker Alex Lampsos, Thylacine follows a young couple nearing their nine months anniversary. They hit a road block when one decides to have lunch with an admirer. The relationship is tested as they face their insecurities along the way. One of the few gay shorts made in the USA that takes a mature, intelligent approach to the subject matter. It's 10 minutes well spent!



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Wednesday, April 23, 2014

AdamMaleBlog Exclusive: Interview w/ Gaming In Color Director Philip Jones

Yesterday we posted the trailer to a wonderful new documentary Gaming In Color. You can revisit that article here. But, here's a quick recap. Gaming In Color is a pay what you want documentary that explores many facets of the queer side of gaming culture and the game industry's LGBTQ presence. And, it is brilliant.

The film was directed by first time documentary maker Philip Jones and produced/edited by Ryan Paul. They enlisted musician/producer/composer 2 Mello for the soundtrack. Together, they have created one of the most comprehensive, charming looks at the world of gay geek culture ever conceived. It's thought provoking and poignant without ever hinting at being emotionally manipulative. I consider that a total triumph in today's world where so many filmmakers go for flash over substance.

Here's Philip's hilarious bio:
As a queer youth and active gamer, Philip is one of many with an emotional stake in this project. Although he didn’t begin playing until the early 2000s, he has much experience with recent generations and the shift to online. Diversity and positive acceptance in games, both in development and community culture, he hopes is something that can be truly achieved. This is his first film. When not working on Gaming in Color, Philip studies and wears too much flannel at his home in Texas.
The film officially came out yesterday (April 22, 2014). Thankfully, despite the whirlwind of media attention, requests for public appearances, and also gearing up for the upcoming GaymerX2 convention, Philip Jones was kind enough to spend some time with us and answer our questions!



Q: I can’t even imagine how difficult making a feature length documentary must be. How did you make up your mind to actually commit to this adventure?
Philip: Well, the main motivation was that nobody was doing it! Queer gamers have always existed, as have groups of people who are really looking to reinvent games in a special way, but my experience is that it's only just recently that those kinds of people are being recognized for really making a mainstream impact. GaymerX was also a big inspiration, something that large really needed to be preserved.

Q: What did you learn that surprised you? Did anyone’s story or experience make you reevaluate the way that you see the gayming community?
Philip: Oh gosh, everything I know now I learned through working on this film. I mean, I grew up gay and playing games since I was 8, but it wasn't until recently that I was so invested in being a part of a gaymer community, or really seeking queer representation in the games I play. So I still had a white-male tailored experience that I think can be common for gaymers. Then I met people who were involved in creating GaymerX or the gaymer groups all over, and it opened my eyes to a new path that you can take. So picking one story or experience is very difficult as something that changed me, since almost everyone I've met through this has been highly influential. That said, I think our cast is made up of some of the best people doing game work with a queer perspective right now.

Q: What are your favorite games?
Philip: My favorite games are the SSX series, the snowboarding games, hands down. I've loved that franchise since I started gaming, and I really made a name for myself in the community there. I also played Left 4 Dead 2 competitively for a while, and still enjoy that. Other favorites are Pikmin, Smash Brothers, Little King's Story, Dangan Ronpa, Saints Row... So many more. Recently? The Last of Us blew my mind. I'm also super excited for Samantha Kalman's game Sentris to arrive later this year!

Q: Have you personally encountered any serious homophobic situations that made you feel uncomfortable while gaming?
Philip: Who hasn't, right? I mean in an online space, you're really kind of asking for trouble just by existing and having the potential to piss the wrong person off. If a person can prey on your sexuality or something about you that stands out to them as easily attacked, that's what they will go for. After being in the queer games space for so long, the existence of homophobia or transphobia or racism or misogyny online has become a 'duh' issue for lots of people, so those kinds of toxic behaviors from other players may not affect them as much externally, not on a deep level, but lots of people still are deeply troubled by that culture. For me, now that I'm learning to examine game design, the sorts of heteronormative and exclusionary mechanics or systems in a game are starting to bother me a lot more.

Q: The film spends a good deal of time discussing the difficulty of being a geek growing up and how that translates into later life. Do you think there is really still a stigma to admitting to being a geek in the workplace?
Philip: I'm sure it depends on the industry, but I have heard lots of stories from people who have felt socially ostracized by peers or co-workers from them bringing up the sorts of geeky things they do. Especially in communities built on mainstream gay culture, but geek culture is sort of integrating into and influencing pop culture overall. The 'nerd' trope has expanded a lot to include new technologies that most people will find interesting. So things are getting better, but maybe not so much specifically for video game creators and players. Also, I think it's a good thing that we examined the 'gamer' stereotype in the film so much, because that idea of who a gamer is, that persona is who the big developers market to. So expanding that vision of who is going to play this game will lead to a lot of care being put into making a game more accessible and interesting to different kinds of people.

Q: In your vast experience and research, do you think more gaymers gravitate towards solo player or MMO style games? 
Philip: One of the most important things we learn from the documentary is that even the word 'gaymer' isn't a narrow or specific description of any kind of person or game player, there are all different types of gaymers who take different approaches with games, with the way they view and play video games and digital interactive media. Determining trends in a large, varied community like that is difficult, and I think video games are special because the kinds of games we enjoy vary on an individual basis. I think MOST gaymers still play and enjoy the most mainstream, AAA titles on a large degree, whether they are singleplayer, multiplayer, MMO based doesn't tend to affect them as much if the game looks fun. For people looking to 'queer' game design and narrative, I still think it's a mixed bag. Overall, everyone wants to enjoy what they're playing in a comfortable space, with a game where they feel a sense of control over what's being presented and what they're experiencing, and I think it's important for developers to start listening to people who aren't getting full enjoyment out of mainstream titles anymore due to the issues we present.

Q: Have you heard from any video gaming companies in response to the documentary? Do you foresee them committing to making a larger effort to encompass the LGBTQ community?
Philip: Most large companies are still hesitant to include queer themes; most companies are hesitant still to even acknowledge the issue. I think the worst example in the history of games of awful queer portrayal that affected me personally was the issue of transphobia and horrid trans caricatures in Grand Theft Auto V. As if the misogynistic overtones weren't bad enough, the things that they did to trans people in that game were just unbelievably disgusting. I'd never witnessed such bold-faced hatred. And that was written off by the game's developers as 'satire'. In the same year, we saw also some of the best queer content that was really taken seriously by the developers, with Bill in The Last of Us, and Gone Home for example. I also know that State of Decay is supposed to have a gay character, maybe even the protagonist, but unfortunately I haven't made it that far in the game yet. So as it's happening, the more we move forward with exploring gay and queer narrative, the worse our bad examples are starting to get. There's gonna have to be an explosion, some kind of revolution is coming to hit the industry. We can't continue on the path we've been traveling.

Q: So, you have been invited to speak at MIT about Gaming In Color. How mind blowing is that?
Philip: Well, I made sure that the focus is more on screening the film than me coming to speak, but yes I am thrilled and very honored they reached out and wanted to feature Gaming In Color beyond the minimum. I didn't expect so many academic institutions to really enjoy the documentary so much, and want their students to see it, least of all for me to speak to their students! I'm still a beginner at this! MIT is a very inspiring place, as is the MIT Game Lab whose game A Closed World is featured in the film and trailer. I'm sure it's going to be a fun time!


Q: One of the many hats you wear is vendor relations for GaymerX! What new events can we look forward to at GaymerX2 this year?
Philip: Yes! GaymerX was fabulous, and we're only expecting bigger and better things for this year. GaymerX2 has a bigger venue, lots of amazing special guests (including Colleen Macklin from the film!), and it's wonderful to see so many gaymers excited about the safe space and gaming funtime that GaymerX is to return. I can't wait for the convention, and I hope that seeing so much of the first convention in the film will raise awareness and get people to buy a ticket to this year's con. All your friends are going, so don't miss out!

Visit Gaming in Color on Facebook!
Follow them on Twitter!


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Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Must Watch: Gaming In Color - Documentary Exploring the Queer Side of Gaming

GAMING IN COLOR exists for anyone who believes that the pixelated world can be a better place for everyone, no matter who they are. It is not too uncommon a tale where a bullied, abused youth seeks solace in a video game, only to find that their one hope of sanctuary, their escape into a virtual universe, is plagued with floods of more vitriol and hatred. This exists doubly so for anyone who is a minority, including people of color, women, and members of the LGBTQ community.

A lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or otherwise queer gamer has a higher chance of being mistreated in a social game. The power dynamic of a geek society tips against them. Diversive queer themes in storylines and characters are still mostly an anomaly in the mainstream video game industry. However, the gaming community is far more colorful than one may expect. Gaming In Color shows that there is a full spectrum of gamers picking up their controller to play.

This feature length documentary explores the queer side of gaming culture and the game industry's LGBTQ presence. The GaymerX convention that took place in 2013 was a huge step forward for the queer geek community being recognized on a worldwide industry scale. In the same year, more popular mainstream and indie games featured a greater amount of gay and lesbian characters than ever before, helping with visibility and acceptance. The video games universe will only continue to improve and diversify both in its community and industry if we elevate the conversation about inclusion and respecting one another - not in spite of our gay geekiness, but because of it!

The documentary was released today, April 22, 2014! It is available as a pay what you want stream or download! The minimum is just $1, but hopefully you will give them a bit more! Watch the trailer!



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Exclusive Podcast: Treklenburg Episode #16

Hosts Michael Earle and Molly Jay hilariously talk all things Star Trek.
This week, Mike and Molly discuss Voyager episode "Native Son," Molly sings us the lyrics she makes up to closing credit songs, and as always, we hear Molly recap three episodes of Enterprise!

Original broadcasts of Treklenburg are Monday nights at 8pm EST on www.pmcradio.org.



How to Subscribe!
iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/trekl…ings/id797015608
RSS Feed: www.podcastrevolution.com/viewpodcast.php?pid=3578

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Monday, April 21, 2014

Saturday, April 19, 2014

AdamMaleBlog Exclusive: An Interview w/ Buying Time Creator Casey J

I first discovered the wonderful animated webcomic Buying Time thanks to my pal Jack who lives down in Florida. He told me I needed to check it out. And, he was right. Buying Time is unlike any gay themed comic I have read before. First and foremost, it is partially animated in a format where the reader controls the pace at which the next panel appears. It's a pretty cool format that I wish more webcomics would adopt. The story follows the life of a charming welder with a not-so-secret creative side as he navigates his way through falling in love in an emotionally difficult, dystopian future where personal interaction comes at price.

Here's the official synopsis:
Buying Time is a sci-fi cyberpunk romance. Set in the future megalopolis of Hyperion City where all forms of entertainment, including our own personal social lives are regulated by a micro-transaction monetary system called Daily Leisure Credit. When Vinnie Smalls, a lonesome welder working for the Hyperion City Core finds he has a crush on a fellow co-worker, he finds he must break away from his usual loner lifestyle and dive headfirst into the inner workings of the Daily Leisure Credit system. Our story deals with the ups and downs of his relationship in the midst of system that makes staying in contact with someone a financial battle.
What is really amazing about Buying Time is that creator Casey J may actually have predicted our futures if the government and citizens continue allowing corporations more and more power. You will see in the interview section that Casey J came up with the Daily Leisure Credit system after being annoyed by video games that nickel and dime you for every extra feature or scenario you wish to have unlocked. But, this kind of mentality is spreading so far beyond video games. We are living in a world where places like Facebook beg you to befriend countless hordes of friends and then tries to charge you if you want more than a very tiny percentage to see your posts. It's really appalling. It's even more appalling that more people aren't raising a fuss over it. But, maybe that's how it all starts. Freedoms are whittled away a little at a time until every single thing in the world becomes a commodity which corporations will gladly exploit for profit. It's terrifying. Casey J's vision is just a little bit too prescient.

However, despite all this, the characters in Buying Time still have hope. Still believe in love. And still are willing to do whatever it takes to be with the person they desire. The human spirit prevails.



Q: How did you come up with the brilliantly terrifying idea of Daily Leisure Credit?
Casey: Videogame trends did much of the work for me! Daily Leisure Credit is my not-so-clever wordplay of Downloadable Content. I used to be a huge gamer, but lately have been a bit turned off by the rampant trends of downloadable content, microtransactions, pre-order exclusives and generally being nickel and dimed at every turn. It wasn't like this a decade ago, and I started to think about why we let it get to this point. Were the changes just small and gradual enough? Are we just complacent? I started to think about what it would be like if these trends affected other forms of entertainment as much as they have the videogame industry. Mainly, social entertainment. We go to someone's house for dinner because it's fun. We chat with someone because it's enjoyable. I imagined a future where instead of thinking "I want that extra mission in the game I'm playing, better shell out the cash." we'd be thinking "I want to hang out at my friend's house tonight, better shell out the cash." And the story started from there.

Q: So what happens when people get married? Does the DLC system apply to their interactions at home?
Casey: DLC applies to everyone! Married couples however, can apply for a license that gives them a discounted rate. Same kind of thing applies for common law partners and family members in general, think of it like all the numerous cellphone plans or Internet packages "that are perfect for your family". Likewise business owners can get a license that benefits their workplace as well, jobs that would require a lot of social interaction like a bartender for example.

Q: What is the penalty for overdrafting on DLC account?Casey: I often describe the penalties being similar to going a while without paying the fine for a traffic ticket. You'll get some "friendly reminders" at first. Eventually you'll start to get some threatening messages, and eventually get a warrant for your arrest.

Q: A good portion of the Buying Time plot involves music. Are you a musician yourself?
Casey: Can't say I am, I have next to no musical talent and am pretty tone deaf when it comes to singing. I learned to play the harmonica a number of years ago but quickly discovered I'd rather be using my creative energy to draw or animate instead. I have a great appreciation for musicians and their passion, and I think that is both why I tried to learn to play an instrument, and have such a focus on it in the comic.

Q: What do you envision Vinnie’s songs to sound like?
Casey: The past 2 years or so I've been on a huge 80's synth kick; both actual 80's stuff and the new-wave-retro stuff from artists like Perturbator, Tesla Boy, Lost Years, Lazerhawk, etc. I listen to that sort of stuff while drawing the comic, and it's exactly how I envision Vinnie's music to sound like.

Q: What does Galena Jules home life look like?
Casey: Galena lives with Papa Obari on Level 10, which basically means they are just barely a step above the slums of the "Sub-Levels". I'd love to be able to do a bit about their home life, and maybe will in future chapters, but I imagine they live in a cramped, messy apartment. They both share a penchant for fashion so I can see them watching Hyperion's Next Top Model together and bouncing idea's off of each other for a future fashion line.

Q: Your bio says you currently work for a company that develops apps for famous kids television franchises! What is your favorite app you have worked on?
Casey: I was most excited to work on Fraggle Rock, we were lucky enough to do 2 apps for. It was the first franchise I've worked on that was something I actually watched and loved as kid. I watched the original with puppets, the animated version and had some of the toys. So it was a real treat to one day be designing and creating character rigs for it. We go through a large number of franchises, but it's especially fun to work on ones that you are/were a big fan of.

Q: What other comic projects have you done in the past?
Casey: Buying Time is my first serious comic effort. I've done a number of short 3-5 pages stories for personal projects, stuff like doing a little origin story for a tabletop game played with friends or something like that. The bulk of creative efforts have been almost exclusively animation. It wasn't until Buying Time that I started to put serious thought into a comic book project for a wide audience.

Q: What comics/graphic novels have stuck with you from your childhood/teen years?
Casey: I was big into (and still am if it tickles me right) manga when I was younger. So I read a lot of work from Shirow like Ghost in the Shell and Appleseed. Battle Angel from Yukito Kishiro, the visuals blew my mind, and I still think his depictions of cyberpunk worlds go unmatched. As far as comics and graphic novels go I was always a big fan of Dale Keown's art, so Pitt and the Incredible Hulk. I also adored Sam Kieth so there was a lot of The Maxx as well. Simon Bisley so I read lots of Lobo. I'm a huge fan of Etrigan, so I collected and read anything he appeared in. Aside from that I generally enjoy all the common favorites like X-men and Justice League (though I admit, tend to focus and enjoy the animated shows and movies more).

Q: Unicorns…or narwhals? Who would win in a fight?
Casey: I'd like the say unicorns simply on the basis they are more fabulous. Though I think a lot of it would depend on the location, if they are fighting in water a narwhal would have a clear advantage, the opposite if they are on land.






*Start reading Buying Time now!
**You can view some of Casey J's earlier illustrations HERE.

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Thursday, April 17, 2014

5 Must Have Record Store Day Releases!

Record Store Day is this Saturday, April 19th! This year seems better than ever with a ridiculously long list of must have releases. Here's our five must have releases. However, since we don't expect everyone's music taste to mirror ours, so you can Click Here to see the full listing of everything available exclusively on RSD.

#1) Cut Copy "In the Arms of Love/Like Any Other Day" 10" Vinyl




#2) The Julie Ruin "Brightside/In the Picture" 7" Vinyl
The newish band from Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill and Le Tigre fame! Both songs, which are previously unreleased, were recorded at Oscilloscope Studios during the sessions that yielded the band's debut record, 'Run Fast', and were mixed by singer Kathleen Hanna. The single is limited to 2000 copies worldwide and released via The Julie Ruin Records. Sadly they made neither track available for preview.


#3) Xiu Xiu "Unclouded Sky" 12" Vinyl
Unclouded Sky, explores themes of death and faith over the course of nine songs originally composed between 1850 and 1920, which are interspersed with field recordings Stewart made in the jungle of Guyana.



#4) School of Seven Bells "Put Your Sad Down" 12" Vinyl
Five unreleased tracks, the last batch of music from School of Seven Bells. Sales will benefit the foundation of bandleader Benjamin Curtis, who died in 2013 of T-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma.



#5) BIS "Data Panik Etcetera"  12" Vinyl
The band's early releases were on Glasgow's Chemikal Underground label, run by The Delgados, before transferring to Wiiija where labelmates included Cornershop. In the United States, their records appeared on the underground label K Records, and on the Beastie Boys' Grand Royal label. They toured extensively both in the UK and abroad— their diverse influences reflected in the kind of acts they appeared with: Pavement, Garbage, Luscious Jackson, Foo Fighters and Gary Numan amongst them. The group became a favourite of the likes of Blur, John Peel and Green Day, despite a particularly hostile review by Steven Wells in the New Musical Express entitled "The Sinking of the Bis-Lark".



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