95% Bliss: An Interview w/ Class Comics Owners (& Partners) Patrick Fillion and Robert Fraser

For those unfamiliar, Class Comics is the ultimate independent publisher of gay erotic comics. Their titles include Naked Justice, Manson, Beautiful Dead, Space Cadet, Ghostboy & Diablo, Machos, Tug Harder, Camili-Cat, Guardians of the Cube, Ani-Males, Deimos, Rapture, just to name a few. They work with a veritable who's who of erotic artists including frequent collaborator David Cantero, Jacob Mott, Benoît Prévot, Logan, Zan Christensen, Mark Brill, Max’, HvH, François Peneaud, Carlos García, Ismael Alvarez and Butch McLogic and a cadre of single name pseudonym illustrators like Rubo, Enzo, Max, and Alexander.

Class Comics never would have survived in the marketplace if the quality of the comics did not rival the best that Marvel and DC have to offer. Yes they are XXX in nature, but their comics focus on story, characters, cutting edge art and quality production. The adult nature of the comics allows them the freedom to give hilarious and unique takes on standard comic fare such as superheroes, demons, and zombies. Plus, having 100% gay protagonists doesn't hurt either.

Also impressive is Class Comics fan friendly business model. They are not trying to merely sap every last dollar out of their reader's pocket. Rather, they do tons of freebees like their monthly free gay erotic comic "Stripshow." Then there's the Fapperhood, an interactive, fan-centric section of the webiste full of Class Comics cos-play photos, fan art, dudes showing off their Class Comics tattoos, and "Challenges" where you can free comics and merch simply by showing Class Comics exactly how much you love them. Be warned...if you venture into this section, you might see a few things you can never un-see!

Class Comics is owned by artist/writer Patrick Fillion and writer Robert Fraser. Both contribute to the creative side of Class Comics. Robert Fraser seems to have a knack for the business side of things, and Fillion is more than happy to let him do it. The couple have managed to create a burgeoning publishing empire together while maintaining their relationship - a feat that is pretty hard to accomplish.

We caught up with Patrick and Robert via the interwebs and they kindly agreed to answer questions about their careers, personal lives, and  more. If you would like to explore more about Class Comics, we suggest their Website, Tumblr, Facebook, and Twitter!

Patrick and Robert

Q: First things first…Class Comics heroes are known for their prodigious manhood. How big is too big?

Patrick: You'd have to ask Bob that question. He's the ruler of Hell in the Class Comics Universe, and generally the one who makes Deimos' life a living... well... Hell. His appendage is the size of a Buick! That is definitely too big!

Fraser: Considering Bob and the Size King… then there is no too big! The best size is that which is most comfortable in your ass, hands and mouth! But in comics things just seem to fit in places that you wouldn’t think they would.

Q: Everybody’s favorite sexy, hulking Taro demon Deimos recently celebrated a 10th Anniversary. What was the very first erotic character you created and did you ever bring them into the Class family?

Patrick: I think Camili-Cat was probably the very first erotic character I created. He didn't start out “erotic”, but he got that way pretty fast. I was only 12 at the time, and I guess you could say that I “explored” my own sexuality through him. I grew up in a small, conservative community, so having an outlet for my sexual curiosity was crucial. In that sense, Cam saved me.

There might not be a Class Comics family without Cam. Because of the fun I had creating him, writing and drawing his exploits, I felt inspired to create even more hunky characters.
Fraser: As you know, I’m not an artist, but rather more the “business guy” for Class Comics and I didn’t write my first comic (The Initiation) until around five years after working with Patrick on Class Comics. So instead I’ll tell you about my first “CREATION” for Class Comics… the BIG LOAD! I got so tired of arduously picking through long orders of mixed up comics only to realize that the order was for everything that we had printed! So I made up a one click item for every printed comic that we had in stock. Who doesn’t love a face full of… comics?

Q: Are there any characters/books you started working on and then for one reason or another just decided to scrap?

Fraser: The truth is that I have a list of about six different comics that I have yet to write and find an artist for! Are they scrapped or just waiting to be born because an even better idea surfaces? I hope some day to unscrap them.

Patrick: There probably are a few over the years, but it's more that the work created for an “abandoned” project ends up being spun into something else. I don't like wasting good work, but sometimes it's important to step back and realize when something's not really working. Maybe you can salvage and use it elsewhere, or maybe it's destined for the art vault.

Some stories that have appeared in our “Rapture” anthology series are like that. In fact recently in Rapture #5, the Zahn story called “Blood Oath” was originally meant as part of the up-coming Zahn #3. But the more I tried, the less it fit into that issue. I liked the Blood Oath stuff enough to wrap it up into it's own short story though, and putting it in Rapture made perfect sense. I'm really glad I did that. It would have been really “out of place” in Zahn #3 and it would have hurt the overall narrative, but in Rapture, it works really well.

In the last couple of years, I've scrapped projects that I've written and other artists have started drawing... and the only real reason those projects got scrapped is because the artists were unable to conclude them. That can be really frustrating, but it's also understandable sometimes. Life if life and it sometimes gets in the way of the best intentions. But I always try to revive these projects if the opportunity presents itself. Sometimes that means finding a new artist to draw them, or being patient. Sometimes the original artist actually returns and completes the work.

Q:  How difficult is it for you and Fraz to separate the business side of Class Comics from your home life? Was there a learning curve?

Fraser: For some, working with a life partner is a disaster. For us, it’s BLISS ninety five percent of the time. We have our moments, but because what we each do overlaps so little, we don’t really butt heads very often. The learning curve was learning that we can’t have offices side by side, or only one floor apart. We need a good fifteen feet of vertical space between us.

Patrick: Sure, there was a learning curve, but we've been doing this together for more than 13 years now... we've learned a few tricks over the years. We work from home and we've learned that our respective offices/creative spaces can't be anywhere near each other. So Fraz is on the top floor and my studio is in the basement. We have very different ways of working, and we know that we work best in our separate spaces.

But we both love what we do very much, and we both compliment one another work-wise. Fraz is very creative, but also great at the business side of things. I can do business if I have to, but I hate it. I prefer to focus on the creative. We have a good system that hasn't failed us yet, and we both help each other out all the time. I'm proud to say that we have some of the best team-work I've ever seen.

Q: Erotic content aside, what is the strangest complaint you have received?
Fraser: Oh so many! Probably the funniest was when a package of comics was returned where a concerned Mother let us know that her son had ordered Neil Gaiman’s Sandman… not “these comics” that we sent him! RIGHT… I guess she got a surprise when she opened his mail.

Patrick: I got a lot – and I mean A LOT – of complaints and hate mail for circumcising Cam in Rapture
#4. Obviously at the time, readers couldn't have known that it was intended as a temporary thing that I fully planned to undo in the follow up Camili-Cat story “Love Lost”, but yeah people were SERIOUSLY PISSED. I think the fact that I was making an observation about circumcision in general was lost on some people, and they called me a lot of very bad names!

But you know what, I loved it! I love how passionate people can be about our comics. And I got a response out of people. As a writer or an artist, the worst thing is feeling like you're not reaching anybody with your work. And when you don't get any reaction to what you've created from the people who read it, that can leave you wondering. But when you do get responses to your work, even if those responses are negative, that's a great thing. I embrace and accept the criticism along with the compliments... you're sort of a hypocrite if you don't do both.

There have been other strange complaints over the years... stuff I'd never in a million years expect to receive. But the internet gives people the ability to voice their opinions, and you just sort of have to take some of that with a grain of salt. Not every opinion is valid and should have a significant impact.

Q: You do a great job of bringing freshness and originality into comic book art as well as gay erotica while throwing a loving wink and nod to the works that came before. How important is it to know the history of a particular genre?
Fraser: I’ll leave that question to Patrick, who is always schooling me on the things that I should know about.

Patrick: Thanks so much. For me, it's very important. I have a great respect for all the gay erotica that was created before I came around. It's important history to be cherished and respected. It's all part of this movement. It led us to where we are today, and for that I'm very grateful.

Likewise, I have a lot of respect for mainstream comics. I grew up reading comics. I'm Francophone and learned my English from reading Uncanny X-Men and other Marvel titles as a kid.

I think it's always good to know the history of the genre of art you're interested in, but you should never let it confine you. I love giving nods and winks, but at the end of the day, I do my best to put an original spin on the work.

Q: When is there going to be a Beautiful Dead #2!?

Patrick: That's a great question, and it's definitely a question for Fraz. I ask him that everyday!

Fraser: NEXT YEAR! And you probably won’t have to wait until Halloween!  We’re earmaking the other holiday featuring the dead rising... Easter. (Did I just say that?!?)

I am working on a new comic, since you asked! Two of them actually! The first is called "The Pack" and it’s an urban werewolf tale filled with naughty fun and plenty of inner angst, but no vamps! I’m working with a fabulous artist who is currently revising his pen name! The other is is called "The Bromance" and features the work of Patrick Fillion, Richie, Leon de Leon, HvH, Richie, Jacob Mott and one more creator who I have yet to find!

Q: What comics/graphic novels stick with you from when you were a teen?
Fraser: I wasn’t allowed to read any.

Patrick: I mentioned earlier that I learned to speak Englsih by reading Marvel Comics. The very first issue that I ever bought was Uncanny X-Men #160. I saw Storm and Nightcrawler on the cover for the first time and I HAD to know what they were saying! That was the beginning of my love for comics... It's been strong with me ever since.

But there are several comics that stick with me from my childhood, and I re-read them regularly... The Vision and the Scarlet Witch's second mini series; Alpha Flight #1 - #28 (the AWESOME John Byrne years); The Defenders, The Avengers, Legion of Super Heroes, and then in the 90's, titles like Alan Davis' Clandestine. I've always been a Marvel kid, with an appreciation for a few DC titles thrown in for good measure.

Q: What graphic novels or artists are you currently following?
Fraser: Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez's "Locke & Key," "Clone" by David Schulner, Aaron Ginsburg and Wade McIntyre, "Afterlife with Archie" by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla, "Artifice and The Young Protectors" by Alex Woolfson et al.

Patrick: Oh man, right now I'm totally loving Image Comics' “Revival” and “Saga”, DC's new 52 “Swamp Thing” and of course Marvel's new “Storm” solo series – may I say it's about freakin' time.

On the gay side of comics, I'm loving Jon Macy's “Fearful Hunter” and Sean Z's “Myth” series – I'm DYING to read issue #3. But there's so much really cool stuff coming out these days, I'm always keeping my eyes wide open. I don't wanna miss a thing! That goes for mainstream and gay comics alike.

Q: Would you indulge us and please draw Naked Justice with your eyes closed?

Fraser: Ok.

Patrick: And here you go! HA! HA! HA! Clearly Naked Justice looks better when my eyes are OPEN!  

 **Click any pic to enlarge!

Before Encore: An Interview With Artist John Lee Bird

For close to a decade, artist John Lee Bird has been documenting the underground scene in London via a series of pop art paintings compiled in an ongoing project he calls Before Encore. The subject matter of the paintings include musicians, artists, actors, poets, photographers, pole dancers, performance artists, burlesque strip acts, drag queens and club kids. Anyone that catches his eye and that he actually has a chance to meet in person.

Each painting is five and half  feet by three and a half feet. When he compiles thirty-six paintings, he has an art opening. And not just any art opening. He invites the subjects of his paintings to come and perform giving the audience half art show/half cabaret. Frankly, every art opening should be this way. So far, John Lee Bird has had five Before Encore art openings. That is 180 paintings. And, he is well on his way to his sixth!

Like most artists, John Lee Bird would prefer to let his art speak for him rather than write a bio. But, here is a pretty amusing one found online:

John Lee Bird lives in London. He once lived in Ipswich (in Suffolk) where he went to school, played with his cousins and liked to buy rabbits to afford him some time with his father whilst making the hutches. He studied art at Ipswich College, dropped out to work in a record shop and ended up as the Manager and stayed there 5 years before throwing his arms up in the air and returning to study art properly. He then had a little accident and forgot to eat anything, and was forced to work in a record shop again (after he’d gotten a little fatter) whilst he saved money to go to university the next year.
He studied fine art at London Guildhall University whilst working at theatres and nightclubs and finally graduated in 2000. Since then he has worked as a duty manager in theatres and as a primary school teacher and now he works as a full time artist; freelancing for different companies and most importantly to him, working on his own art.

What makes the prolific scope of the Before Encore series even more impressive, is that John Lee Bird does this as a labor of love. This is not his only art project. He is juggling numerous projects and freelance assignments at once but still finds the time and energy to continue painting the new friends and performers he meets. You can learn more about his work on his Website, Facebook, and Twitter!

Thankfully, John Lee Bird took some time out of his busy schedule to do an interview with us!

Q: You have been doing the Before Encore series for the better part of a decade. What was the eureka moment that inspired the project?
JLB: I was up in Edinburgh for the Fringe festival, me and my friends were doing a madcap cabaret sort of show together and I made friends with a load of other performers that were there; I'd met some of them on the scene beforehand and it just seemed the right thing to start documenting the people and friends I meet. It all spiralled from there, people suggest people I should meet and in true Edinburgh fashion there's always a few drinks to hand when I get around to doing the photoshoots. I like to work from photos, my photos obviously, the paintings take anything up to 2 weeks to complete and I'd lose the candid feel if people actually sat for me. I like these stolen moments that we have, pre-show or before encore where it's just a magical connection between me and them....which is how I hope the paintings come across to the viewer.

Q: I saw a video of your art opening for Before Encore 2 and it seemed liked the greatest party in the world! Do you have such extravaganzas at every opening?
JLB: Yeah, Before Encore 2 was pretty spectacular with Empress Stah hanging from the ceiling doing her aerial act and pulling a string of pearls out! I'll never forget that moment! Every Before Encore exhibition has to be an event; I wouldn't do it if there wasn't an opportunity for there to be a SHOW! I want these paintings to be brought to life by the people that are in the portraits. I want everyone to find out what these faces do. These are my friends and the people I love so I want everyone to share in that too. I see the series as one big family and it's Christmas, you're all invited to join the party!

Q: You don't have name names (unless you want to!), but has anyone ever been a dick about a portrait?
JLB: Hahaha, only one person, I'd love to tell, how much vodka can you supply?

Q: You have some painted some pretty big figures in the indie rock scene - Alec Empire, Jarvis Cocker, Jamie Stewart from Xiu Xiu. Do you have a bucket list of performers you would like to meet and one day paint?
JLB: I'm still blown away about meeting all 3 of them! I'm such a fan boy. Jamie Stewart was a long shot and all arranged on the spur of the moment, he's been really sweet and supportive and definitely the main reason I'm hoping to stage one of these events in L.A sometime over the next couple of years. To get Xiu Xiu and Hi Fashion and some other upcoming LA bands onboard would be great...and some funding! Otherwise I'll have to plan the next show around getting them over here again.

So, my bucket list; there's a few faces I'm dying to paint, I failed miserably when I met Patti Smith, I became a nervous wreck and mumbled and couldn't look at her - so I'd like to try that properly! So off the top of my head, Patti, Michael Stipe, Anthony Hegarty, Morrissey and Genesis Breyer P Orridge to name just a few. Just to drop into the mix with everyone else.

Q: Your portraits of The Mighty Boosh cast are pretty spot on. Do you have a favorite recurring sketch? Was The Legend of Old Gregg as popular in the UK as it was in the US?
JLB: The Boosh are amazing, and just as much fun in real life! Old Gregg is obviously the classic moment, I'm holding out for the Crack Fox to make a comeback.

Q: Is there a particular portrait you just couldn't bare to part with?
JLB: They're all quite difficult to part with, I think it's why I paint 36 portraits per series, that way I get to hang around with them a little longer...but then, I self fund everything and don't have an agent helping me (SADLY), I just can't be bothered with the endless nonsense of arts funding in the U.K - I need every waking hour to paint, and by the time I've paid for venue hire and sound systems and everything else I'm desperate to get the money back so I can start the next series so I'm quite happy to wave them on to new homes...but I do insist the buyers love them right!

Q: Off topic. Your Birds series of self portraits as medical school style anatomy charts is brilliant. Have you considered leaving your body to science when you die?
JLB: They're actually portraits of someone I was with, it turned out really intense and crazy and properly messed up so the series took a darker turn: what started off as looking at anatomy as a way of mapping love then became all about mapping what was wrong and trying desperately to find the roots of the problem. Thankfully (which seems odd to say now) a serious smash to my head made me see sense!
...But yeah, science can have my body, if it's any use. Anything is better than being left for the worms! I'm scared shitless by them, so I'm not a very keen gardener. ...and if science doesn't want me then please just make sure I'm burnt well!

Q: What artists do you currently follow?
JLB: I've never been good at following artists, music and these people from the paintings have always filled my head and heart, they're my artists. The biggest influence was (and is) Derek Jarman, he had it all!

Q: Drag Queens or Juggalos? Who would win in a fight?
JLB: Easy, DRAG QUEENS EVERY TIME!

Click any pic to enlarge!

**Photo of John Lee Bird is a collaboration with Jonathan Dredge. www.jonathandredge.com

Coming Soon: Killer Queen Comic Anthology + Win a Freddie Mercury On A Flying Tiger Print by Bridgit Connell!

We have been champing at the bit to bring you complete details on this for months. On October 8th, at the NY Comic Con, Red Stylo Media is debuting Killer Queen: A Comic Anthology - a collection of original comic art, inspired by the discography of the greatest band in Rock-n-Royalty, QUEEN! With story titles like "Som Bot-D To Love," “Captain Thunder and The Champions,” and “Fahrenheit Falling,”  we cannot wait to read what is in store. The comics are not a simple retelling of the story-lines in the individual songs, but rather a brand new companion creation that, according to their press materials, "takes us someplace completely cool and new."

But, you don't have to wait all the way until Oct. 8th!  Starting August 27th, and every two weeks after that, Red Stylo is going to start making select stories available for individual download over at their site RedStylo.com. Each story will include digital extras such as art, scripts, and notes from the artists, as well as a collection of vignettes and art from other creators around the world! For the complete roll out schedule, CLICK HERE.

Red Stylo Media editor-in-chief Enrica Jang was kind enough to patiently answer our fan boy questions about the project!

Q: This is a brilliant idea! What was the eureka moment that led

you to make it a reality?
Enrica: Brilliant? Thank you! Queen is brilliant, not me. The "eureka" was kind of fitting, actually. All of Red Stylo's anthologies to date have been literary in theme. And then there was a point we were mulling over doing more historical/literary themes because we felt we had to, rather than wanted to. I mean, I was a literature major in college, so the love is of course there, but after three years, it was time to... BREAK FREE! So the idea of completely switching gears and doing a rock antho was fun, exciting, different, and even a little risky because we are still building a brand as a company.

Ultimately, though, the core of all the collections we've done is that the stories and art are inspired by the source material, whatever it may be--we never do direct adaptations. As creators we look to music, literature, other art to push us and take us in new exciting directions. Rock is all about that. Queen is most definitely about that. It all just came together perfectly.

Q:  What is your personal favorite Queen song?
Enrica: Personal favorite is "I Want It All". Because I do.

Q: Have you heard from anyone at the Queen camp?
No, but I have care packages ready for some key people and we hope they accept our humble offering as tribute.

Q: Anyone surprise you with the song they selected for inspiration?
Enrica: I was surprised how many people went for "Hangman." I guess the imagery is strong there, and so many people pitched ideas for it. I was pleasantly surprised when someone chose "It's Late", and the story itself is very nostalgic and sweet.

Q: Was there a song that you thought for sure someone would jump on that was not chosen?
Enrica: I was braced for a flood of "Bohemian Rhapsody" and got...zero. I took to Twitter and started making chicken noises because no one sent a pitch without prompting. In the end we did get some good pitches, but the ideas for vignettes were much stronger and we went with those instead.

Q: Any ideas on what anthology to do next?
Enrica: Oh, I know exactly what we're doing next year! And it's gonna be gooood. Only thing I can say is it will be another Rock theme. We announce the anthology theme January 1 every year, along with open call for both artists and writers to pitch. Folks can sign up for our newsletter if they want an email reminder for when to pitch.

Scroll all the way down for details on the Freddie Mercury On A Flying Tiger print give-away!

Linework from artist Laura Guzzo for “Bicycle, Bicycle, Bicycle”

Page 1 from “Fahrenheit Falling”, story by Brockton McKinney, art by Bridgit Connell. Inspired by the life and times of Agent Freddie Mercury

Inked page from, “Lazy Sunday,” art by Cloidhna Ztoical, written by Josh Hechinger. inspired by “Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon."

Space whale design from “Princes of the Universe”, story by Jon James, art by Kelly Williams. Inspired by the song of the same name.

Color page from “Best Friends”, story by Kenneth Whitfield, art from David Ryan Lompe. Inspired by “Best Friend”

And as a special bonus, enter our give-away for a chance to win an 11x17 Freddie Mercury on a Flying Tiger print from Killer Queen Anthology contributor Bridgit Connell! 

ENTRIES OFFICIALLY CLOSED
Winner Announced 8/13/14

**Winner will be announced August 13th and contacted via email. We will not give your contact info out to anyone nor use it for anything other than the purposes of this contest. 

Exclusive Podcast: Treklenburg Episode #30

Hosts Michael Earle and Molly Jay hilariously talk all things Star Trek.
This week, it is Part 2 of the Star Trek: The Motion Picture Watch Along! Mike and Molly invite Julia Simon over to watch STTMP on Netflix and the three of them enjoy beverages and discuss the events taking place on screen! It's like watching a movie with your three best friends without having to clean up when they leave! So, when you are ready to go, resume your Netflix stream or STTMP DVD and join in the fun! Engage!

Part 1 can be found HERE.

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

Monday Morning Dance Party: Flux Pavilion & Dillon Francis "I'm The One"

Today we have what may well be the most WTF video ever made for the EDM realm! I am not even going to explain. Just watch. "I'm the One" is taken off Flux Pavillion's Freeway EP released earlier in 2014. You can find out more about Dillon Francis here.

AdamMaleBlog Exclusive: Googly Eyes on Gay Porn Box Covers #5!

Has it really been two months already?! A rainy, dreary Friday prompted us to dust off the googly eyes and commence with our favorite past time! Box #8, does leave us wondering who hires "Office Twinks" with neck tattoos. If you want to check out our other Googly installments, click these links: Googly Eyes #1. Googly Eyes #2. Googly Eyes #3. Googly Eyes #4.

Box covers provided by and for purchase at AdamMale.com. All images copyright their respective studios.