The Afua Richardson Blog

February News

2012-02-07T23:44:00.000-05:00

THURSDAY Feb 9th
Tune in to Black Tribbles. Philly. Geek Radio. Podcast. 9-11pm EST
I'll be on around 9:45 talking about Classic Comics,
Women in comics and women IN comics.
http://www.gtownradio.com/

SATURDAY Feb 11th
Come out to Atlanta's Black Comic Book day.
http://www.onyxcon.com/2011/11/black-comic-book-days-ii-atlanta-hosted.html
I'll be selling prints & Selling copies of Classic Comics,
& the Sustah Girl work out book as well as prints & postcards.

FRIDAY March 2nd
Afua & Alexa open for Jayda B At the Apache Cafe.
more info to come.

Black History: 25 graphic Novels.

2012-02-01T13:25:00.000-05:00

Stories Beyond Black and White: 25 Graphic Novels for African American History Month

January 30, 2012 By Martha Cornog 1 Comment

While an increasing number of kids’ comics have been featuring ethnically diverse characters in stories set in the recent past, we note on this year’s list of forthcoming, recent, and backlist titles in celebration of African American History Month (February) several significant academic works that ground black comics in history and culture. READ MORE>>

Cover By Afua Richardson.

01272k12 - jog hog

2012-01-28T01:25:00.005-05:00

doodles. better than talkin about my day.

2012-01-25T18:01:00.002-05:00

Classic Tales: The Story Behind African-American Classics

Co-editors Tom Pomplun and Lance Tooks discuss the work behind their new book, African-American Classics, which features the works of Afua Richardson, Trevor von Eeden, Jeremy Love, Christopher Priest, and many others.

Read Full Article Here

Cover by Afua Richardson

Dr.Foo Flashback: KRS1

2012-01-21T01:55:00.001-05:00

I couldn't tell you what time of year it was.
Only that i was still in high school, hop hop still breathed , and I was in the thick of it. Puff Daddy had just opened a restaurant up the block.
A member of my all female hip hop crew, the Anomolies, had just won an MC competition with the skills of the razor tongued Mistress of Ceremony : Pri, the honey dark.

We poured out into the Night air , buzzing with pride. Swarming around The pillar of a man we know as KRS-1. As always, whenever wordsmiths swing their swords, the others want to battle number one. We took our places in the circle and bopped our heads like waves against the peir. You could smell the Hudson. Around 6th ave there was a straight away to the River. The Ozone made the night crisp. I walked up to front to get in on the next round.

" Let her take the mic let her take the mic" voices around shouted out."

[ The Anomolies. Dr. Foo top right]

" Naw, ".. i said " I'm gonna drop the beat.

Kris swung around. " You're a Female BEAT BOX??" his voice was so similar to how he rhymed i almost thought he was breaking into verse. It was like a slightly muted lion. Booming i'm sure from the years of battling and performing.

I licked my lips " yeah"

i started up like a turntablist starts a record. then dropped a bass line thick and heavy. snares hi hats from my teeth. mumbling a melody through pursed lips.

He started rhyming. It was like listening in on a live recording. Heads bopped harder. I thought they'd break something. For a moment i was so proud to be exactly where i was. All nationalities, all backgrounds, united, rolling back n forth like monks on DMT. Hands waving as if to keep the cipher cupped in a perfect bowl. Lyricist carving the air with metaphors.

It was perfect.

Dr. Foo-- out.

2012 Bass Resolutions

2011-12-26T16:38:00.002-05:00

NEWS:

Stranger comics is giving away my somber version of winter wonderland as a gift to you. Just enter FOUNDRY in checkout- should be a freebee. Celebrating their union with Lloyd Levin- producer of such films as Watchmen & Boogie nights, Diehard 2, Field of Dreams. They've gone voltron & formed FOUNDRY COMICS.its a celebration.[yay]

WINTER WONDERLAND by drfoo

DOWNLOAD PAGE

THOUGHTS:

Hope your holiday was great. If not great then at least not stressful.

I remember some time in the late 90's, my sitting on the steps of my brownstone apartment in bedford Stuyvesant in Brooklyn. I'd often hear the muffled lyrics of Biggie smalls and thunderous bass-lines, boom its way from from home rigged stereo system.
Why i bring it up is the the use of bass. The rhythm. The heartbeat of the music. It makes me think of the way people move to beats and what it invokes like some sort of spell or incantation to turn their lower mechanisms in to spinning galaxy's of stimulus. A feel good whirlpool.

Bass have longer waves. They permeate things. Glass, skin, bones, your neighbor's floor downstairs, your heart. What it must be like for a constantly moving thing to encounter another syncopated tom-tom.

I'm getting spacey.

So here we are, standing at the precipice of the new year. A year that creeps in with lots of questions. Are these sudden uprisings in the public psyche , indicators of some sort of change in consciousness? Or is this just for foreshadowing of a new kind of internet like what was described in Indigenous American Prophecies ? Will Aliens come and suck us up in the spaceship?

My thoughts? - Aliens? - not really. I'm sure the Mayans like many ancient civilizations held importance to the phase of the sun and stars. Something that think is lost on this generation[ save for the Masons and a few esoteric romantics]. Maybe it will mean a new phase in our Sun's energy output. Doomsday 2012 dec whatever it is? naw. Its about as scary as the energy built up becasue of 1999 - 2000 computer failure ( that didn't happen)

I think a few things will come to light. People will realize what sort of spell media has cast on its people. You could feel it couldn't you? This holiday Season , people couldn't drown out their instincts and natural inclinations in a consumer holiday nursery rhyme. Can't turn off the world for a day. I know i never really can. But what i can do is change myself. But more than that. There was something Like a cloud over the whole day. Not sad , just sorta low on energy. Maybe i'm projecting. It was a cloudy Christmas. Undertones of gray. In the sky and in people.My mother being particularly nerve strumming didn't help. But she can't help it...i have to remember that.

I want a life squeegee.

So-- I've decided to blog more. Play more. Dance more. write more. Call more. Draw more... er.. faster if i can. Starting today I'll be taking Bass lessons with John, an AMAZING bass player From the Band , 'Consider the source'. Look out Flea, You've got a lil competition. He's sick with it!

For the 1st time in a while, i bounced around my house like a kid at Christmas waiting for the hour to arrive where I'd be take on the tutelage from a string plucking master.

feels good to feel good.

AT THIS VERY MOMENT

I've got drawing to do so...I'll get to it. :]. I miss my friends' voices. I miss their laughs. I miss them in person. I dream about them. sittin in a pizzaria or coffe shop - nt saying much. Just sharing air. One day when i've told bettre stories and written better songs and people care enough to want it i'll be able to get those past due gifts i'd been meaning to get. But until then, i'm drawing and strumming my guitar. focused. but not forgetting.
----and laying fb games so my eyes dont get sick of seeing my own drawing.

Dr. Foo ~~ Exit.~~

The Innards of America

2011-12-04T12:36:00.001-05:00

I took a walk this morning around my neighborhood. It was about a 2mile trek in gray sneakers with no socks, someone else's pajama pants and a dirty timbaland pullover hoodie. A paper back copy of Fragile things and two $5 bills i rolled between my finger and thumb in my pocket.

I was styling.... ;\

The sun felt filtered, like thru the lens of some poorly filmed indi flick. It made everything look like the pale blue of a police precinct lobby. I felt the flexibility returning to my hips, which have been hurting me lately. It felt like oil slithering its way thru the gears of a rusty machine.

" i'm entirely too young to feel like this"

Residue of blood in my mouth that lingered from a bum tooth, made my mouth taste like a wet coin jar, and i hoped the December air would dry it out. But as i turned each corner i was met with odd smells. Each one wreaked more than the varied flavors of urine that drench the New York City subway stations. It offered no salve. I'd only smelled a skunk a few times in my life, Its unmistakable. But I think the local factories were venting out their rubber production exhaust on the apathetic lower class in Alabama's west end.

I walked a ways, passing dilapidated house after house. Remains of houses that fell to the tornado like the bones and dried limbs of some giant wooden beast. Occasionally an over kept garden on an over decorated house would offer a few feet of sidewalk. But for the most part, i'd walk in the streets. I'd see a cluster of luxury cars , rims and tinted, windows and knew a church was somewhere near. I wondered how a book could be accurate about a man's teachings 100 years after he died. But i'm not a person who pretends to have things figured out .

I pass a few teenagers on their porch and pretend not to hear thair cat calls.

" Don't you see i'm pretending to be a boy right now? You're ruining my make believe..." I say to them in my head.

I use to pride myself on being able to hide, and remain unnoticed. But i guess that was easy when you're a kid. You can disapear. But being almost 6 ft tall and having dreds kinda makes you stand out.

Obviously.

I found an oddly shaped playground littered with thousands of orange leaves. They rolled in my direction like a classroom of children welcoming their favorite teacher. Their rustling offered giant muffled applause.

"This place is as good as any. "

I found a bench and read a chapter in the book i'd been holding. I read about the seasons sitting around telling stories, October told one about a boy who ran away and found a ghost as company. But he wanted to stay with his new companion. The ghost boy wasn't willing to make him a ghost but he pointed at a ominous farmhouse with other things that lived there that would be able to. The story ended with the imagination left wriggling around like boiled spaghetti in a cup with a hole at the bottom. I wondered what woud happen to him. I wondered what would happen to me.

Congress has declared our country a battlefield. Its a war against the US citizens or anyone " inconvenient" to the US military. Meaning as a person who opposes the war you can be a detained as an Al Queda suspect. Sometimes i feel like running away to some other place, but where is there to go? I don't speak any other languages. The only thing i know how to d is draw. How is that practical in a wartime scenario.

I can't help but feel this sense of pending doom. Like what lived in the house that the boy walked into.

will we make it out alive?

Halloween Afua as Mother Nature

2011-11-01T20:25:00.000-04:00

I'll be the 1st to admit that i'm a giant kid. Every year for Halloween something in my being is unsettled unless i get in costume. I was a little disappointed by the lack of spirit folks displayed around here. Like the celebration had been sapped out of them. Kids came up Halloween night with out costume or a bought over the counter mask if that at all. Next year - if i'm still around here i would offer to do face pant to folks just to get their spirits up. The Kids especially. When i went outside in my mother nature costume, the lil kids across the street were sooooo excited - it made the whole things worth it. They asked if i did magic and if i knew how to fly. They also asked if i wanted to play. Which reminds me of what happens to adults. We don't " PLAY anymore. at least once a day Camron and i have agreed to do a stupid dance to get our bodies movin and just to have fun.

we're not of the dead. No reason to act like it !!

If You are to , Check out more pics in the gallery HERE.

LaterVaters

Afua

Foo's Brain. The Occupation

2011-10-09T15:43:00.001-04:00

I'd been rather silent during this time of seeming revolution throughout the united states. As these large masses of people venture out with homemade signs and sharpie statement filled cardboard yelling out various statements about their disdain for the government and corporations and calling for an end to capitalism and corporate greed, I've been observing and trying to interact online to see what their objectives are only to find out they have none per say. They are just tired of the way things are and want a change. They are inspired by Egypt calling for solidarity. Not knowing that without picking a leader to be put in place, Egypt is now under military occupation and more of the same with the major change being protest are now illegal. I'm sure our government would LOVE for the protest to get violent, if it came to a battle of arms, we'd lose. We'd been giving our tax dollars and allowing fear to let it be allocated to the department of defense. So now we have planes that can obliterate Iraqi cities and almost certainly a crew of peaceful protesters. Sure their buildings would be destroyed but it would be covered by insurance and rebuilt in no time. We can't regrow ourselves and we have no drones or semi automatic assault weapons...The difference between 1776 and now is the playing field weapon of choice was a musket. We are not a credible threat yelling on the streets. But changing your BANK is. hit em in the wallet folks. I've been at a credit Union for 2 years and i couldn't be happier. Its no different than a regular bank function wise. Its just none of the crap service you're use to.

If you haven't noticed by now, I'm an activist. Its not something i ever call myself when people ask about the things i do. Not because i hope to maintain some secret identity , but more so because its not a fad or a passing trend for me. I was there when it was VERY unpopular. I've been yelled at, screamed at, scoffed and cussed at had my sanity questioned by friends. The majority of people out on the streets are sort of going along for the get along. I think Mark Twain said it best : In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man, and brave,and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, forthen it costs nothing to be a patriot.- Notebook, 1904

Its interesting that i of all people had been called to do this comic about a 17 year old girl united gangs in Los Angeles to start a war against crooked LAPD. In some ways, i've become the character i'd been asked to create and illustrate. Rallying people together arming them ( with information of course) and telling them to get off their ass and fight for your right to live if you think living is worth it. I'm not sure however, what the objectives of the Occupy wall street movement are. Sometimes i wonder if its a ploy to generate Obama supporters since they seem to be so anti republican. They won't even consider someone like Ron Paul even tho he's winning straw polls EVERYWHERE. And no, just because i'm black does NOT mean i'm an Obama supporter.

I'm not condemning the Occupy Wall Street movement. In a way I'm really excited to see people being accountable for their own path. At the same time there are only a select few who really get it. You'll see wedged between the corporation hate signs a sparking Audit the Fed sign or an Investigate 9/11 sign or a blue banner talking about the 1,500 professional architects and engineers who think the official story is trying to rewrite the laws of physics. In my honest opinion, the corporations are not to blame. People will; in the name of capital gains will go through extreme tactics to eliminate competition by controlling the opposition. Buy up the lil companies that get too big. They pay off politicians to make changes in law to give them tax breaks, and even worse , create situations where the people NEED their products. Keep people sick, and you need their medicine. Keep people afraid and you need their guns to protect them. Make up a virus, and you have the only cure at the ready. Its a classic wizard of oz tactic as i like to call it. He is the great and powerful wizard of oz simply because there is a need for him. Long Story short, our government , is really to blame. If they were doing their job, they would be changing policy to benefit the people, not the folks that pad their pockets.

For example, JP Morgan Chase. Why are they soooo powerful? Well in wall street's creation in 1914, it was not called the House of Morgan for nothing. Wall street takes the taxes of the people, reinvests them in hypothetical growth, make money from that, and don't share it with the people they actually took the money from. Our government allows that to happen as most politicians are share holders and are involved in insider trading. That is to say if there is an event like a 9/11 they know is coming they will instruct their share holders to sell, as they know some event will cause people to not purchase from the company. Just check out how many people sold airline stock RIGHT before the event happened. Oh wait -- you can't. All that evidence was in WTC 7 the skyscraper NOT hit by a plane but feel at freefall accelerations. Not a coincidence. People go to jail for that. JP Morgan also was responsible in the creation of the Federal Government as outlined in the lecture/book by respected Journalist G. Edward Griffin; The Creature from Jekyll island. And if that's not enough. JP Morgan right as these protest started donated about 4 million dollars to the NYPD...and we wonder why the police are so hostile towards peaceful protesters. Macing cooperating citizens. Who exactly did they sign that constitutional oath to? Certainly not JP Morgan...

Our government also allows banks to take money they don't have and loan it to people with interest. Its sort of like having a bag of rice and giving it out. Holding on to other people's rice and then loaning it to other people. it gets smaller and smaller in value and fills you up less. and they can loan say 900 to whatever 100 they actually have because its backed by our government who doesn't have the money in the 1st place. So prices are not going up. Our money can only buy us less and less. Giving out loans to people and sometimes causing things to default by clearing checks late to increase interest rates and collect Insufficient funds charges which compiles a considerable amount of their actual profit.

In September i was in New York for the 10th anniversary of 9/11. For some its just some obscure day. I was supposed to be there, but like most days i was late to my appointment. Some say, " well that was the past, we shouldn't dwell on it". I'm sure the people on death row would love to hear that. Sure - i know you killed 300 people. Men women and children in cold blood and ate their entrails over rice but we can't bring them back and we should focus on the now. Those 3,000 people.. MY people were murdered in cold blood. Families have no answers. Americans, however labeled terrorist were executed with no trail. And apparently the Bin laden boogie man who was on dialysis , unarmed and a some how a threat to armed marines was shot & killed on camera & they threw his body out at sea so no one could see it...Theeen several of those marines who were on that mission die in a helicopter accident. Justice?? Even the Nazi's stood trail. No one tells the Jewish people to get over the holocaust.

All this to say, No one should be held above the laws that are written in the constitution. Ending Capitalism will only mean more government control. If there were no crony capitalism and people held accountable for their actions then corporations like HalliBurton who need war contracts to thrive , would not create war to keep business. ( re: vietnam & the gulf of tonkin event) I'm all for a free market. It keeps all the cool gadgets i use to make art innovative and re inventive. It keeps fashion designers one uping each other every season. It keeps food production coming up with new healthy methods and ways to grow organic GMO free stuffs and makes it more affordable. But we've let the virus of greed run loose . People are calling for cures and don't want to point to the root of the illness, just the symptoms. Wall street is just the sniffles. America has walking Pneumonia.

Time for a real cure.Laboriously,Dr. Foo

Foo works: African American Classic Comics

2011-08-08T00:01:00.000-04:00

Dr. Foo publishingssss : African American Classic Comics Cover by yours truly ^___^. With awesome contributing artist like Kyle Baker & John Jennings and writings of the likes of W.E.B. Dubois & Langston Huges. So honored to have been a contributor. In stores now!. You can check you previews on the facebook page HERE.or visit: http://www.graphicclassics.com/

^___^!

Afua&Alexa on the Radio!

2011-08-05T17:23:00.002-04:00

This week Afua& Alexa have been getting radio love on Tuscaloosa's midnight radioshow on WTUG 92.9FM. Big thanks to D.J. Terre Red for playing "Starchild" on heavy rotation! The single is off the up and coming EP "a.squared" being released this fall.

"Its our 1st radio play! We're stoked!" exclaims Piano player Alexa Edmonds Lima of the duo.

Video of Live show coming soon.
<p>&amp;lt;a href="http://afuaalexa.bandcamp.com/track/starchild"&amp;gt;Starchild by Afua &amp;amp;amp; Alexa&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;</p>

The terrible fate of Tuxedo Tabby

2011-07-10T12:32:00.001-04:00

I woke up early this morning.

I cleaned the bathroom, Put on my sunhat. took out the trash & Fed the cat.
It was about 7:30am I had an hour or so before the sun was intolerably scorching.

I wanted to get fancy, and cut an edge into the grass along the sidewalk leading to the house.
Sara Baralies fades out, and the intro to Give it away by Red hot Chili peppers crescendos in on my ipod. I hear an unfamiliar bit of percussion as i open the door to the shed. I pull out the gas powered trimmer. ::KAF KAF KAF::

Its a small sound. Like falling sticks. It could have been a passing car going over loose metal plates somewhere in the distance. So i ignore it.

Then again ::KAF KAF KAF:: a little closer now. It is coughing? Sobbing? Or the clap of Koto drumsticks. Tuscaloosa is a bit far from japan, so i'm certain this is not the case.

I search around. Camron says i have eagle eyes the way i look around and spot things sometimes. Maybe an archer in another time. Something moved in the garden. A Rabbit perhaps? It would be cool to see a rabbit. Lets hope its not a raccoon. (They are nastier than you think. )

A little foot pitter patters back n forth. The way dogs and cats do when they are dreaming. I recognize the fur.

" Ooooh , its the little Tuxedo cat that lives in the abandoned house a few doors down." I look down at my cat , Meanie. He looks up at me sheepishly. " Its your girlfriend..." I say with a smile. " ...The one you save food for. I think she's dreaming"

I take the tray for catching ashes under the BBQ Grill, and drop some Tuna in there for her. If she doesn't run from the sound of me she might from the sight. She's not a tamed cat but she'll eat what i bring her from time to time. Then watch me leave from a distance.

I'm stepping carefully so as not to wake her. She doesn't seem to be bothered by my stepping in the garden. I thought perhaps she's just grown accustomed to me.

Something was wrong.

I come around to the front of her. She's laying on her side. her feet frantic. She resembles a wind up toy that had fallen, and now runs on its sides until the gears slow down. She's paniced now. Seeing me close to her and with her shakey paws tries to push away. Her golden eyes dialted and her teeth are bared. the Cat is Foaming at the mouth and my heart drops into my stomach. People, car accidents, injuries i can handle. But injured animals - i freeze. I don't speak cat. I don't know where it hurts.

I stumble backwards a bit almost demolishing the tomatoes in the garden,

" Oh no -- what if its an illness. What if MEANIE gets it too??" I go inside take off my sunhat and gloves. I walk into Camron's room. He's still sleeping. I explain the situation. "

"You'll have to call pest control."

' PEST control? " i say to myself. She's not a pest.. she's just ... injured. Or maybe sick.

311 is useless. The Tornado sucked up all the availible reps.

I google animal control. A man picks up quickly. I give him my address , name and number. Then i sit on the ground and call over my cat, Meanie. He walks over slowly. Mewing as he circles around and climbs up tto my lap to make himself comfortable.

I start to rock him a lil " If you stay here with me Meanie, maybe you won't get sick to" I felt like a child. And i didn't know what to do. There was a Tuxedo tabby in trauma under the tomato & Okra plants. Would i have to dig them up now?? Meanie didn't seem too concerned. "18 shots for rabbies is not ideal... so i'll not try to be a super hero today. "
A thought popped into my head. I should go around to the front of the house. I think they are here.
I didnt hear anything. I just thought it made sense. I walk around thru the black berry pass and they happen to be passing the house just as i came around front.

Good gut instinct i guess.

The ordeal was faster than i thought. A man came with a lil truck and one black glove. An Older man; Glasses, Swept over hair that was a modest Grey pulled up along side the house.

He grabbed her by the skin of the scruff, and carried her away. She let out a pitiful Mew, shaking still. She looked at me. Terrified. I'm not sure what she was looking at really. But i thought it was me. I felt guilty.

" Thank you for calling ma'am." He looked at her" her eyes are completely dilated. Maybe she was injured and came over here as a safe place to die. "

He closed the cage in the back of the truck. But not before one more mew came out of her tiny mouth. Death was coming soon for her. I never did finish trimming the grass. I just hung up my gloves, placed my hat on the table and came inside to write this. typing on my phone was a task so i'm not even certain how long this is. But i DO feel better.

I know. This is a bit much for a stray cat. But it was a rather rattling way to start your day. A shaking , whimpering , cat foaming at the mouth is something a little unnerving. Especially if it frequents your garden.

I don't know what i heard to make me turn my head to the garden. Or why this situation makes me a little sad. Or even why i cared to blog about it. I couldn't even get close to her to take a picture. I'd feel like i were mocking her.

I just hoped i ended her suffering. On on upnote. Meanie the Cat is getting fat and happy.

Dr.Foo Live 7.7.11

2011-06-22T16:36:00.001-04:00

Dr. Foo LIVE

Thursday July 7th at Smith's Olde Bar in Atlanta GA [Google Map]

Afua performs with Alexa Edmonds. Opening for The Industry

[ Hear Afua& Alexa perform a song from their upcoming EP 'Starchild' Click here ]

tix are 8 bux in advance. 10 at door.

show starts AT 9pm

Afua & Alexa's on at 9pm

modern paranoia at 10pm

and The Industry at 11pm

ART-Top Cow 's 'Genius' Chavonne

2011-06-20T16:25:00.000-04:00

Quick updates.

Dr. Foo's Whereabouts

Dr Foo is in Alabama with Camron. ( this is the 1st time i've brought someone home.) My folks love em. And he them. That is somehow a lot more comforting that i imagined it would be. I never thought i'd ever really enjoy acceptance of some kind from my family because i always expected some sort of dissonance. I never thought they'd be happy with any decision i made so i stopped looking for it a long time ago. But its really awesome to walk away from my dad and boy friend having a conversation about politics physics and religion to repot the flower bed with confidence that it will be just as awesome when i get back.

Dr. Foo's latest Experiments

Art: Working on Arts and unpacking. - Genius still underway. A few other things in the pot. I was turning in some pages last week and i just wasnt happy with the colors on a few panels so i'm redoing them. An example below..

Music & Shows: Working on MUUUUSic with Alexa Edmonds - more on that soon. I've got a show in Atlanta July 7th At Smith's ole bar so ive got to make a flyer for that soon.

Media: New site still in progress. I ordered from a place that does Giclee prints and they've taken FOREVER. I placed an order weeks ago and i'm asking for a refund. Its kinda ridiculous. I was hoping they'd be delivered before i moved but no dice. Then when i asked them to hold the order and reroute it to bama the said i had to reorder it altogether. And the worst part is. Its NOT for Meeee. People ordered these. So i look like a jerk. So i'm waiting on the money back so i can go to a local printer i found here. and just Mount it myself.

A lil work in progress. -- lader vaders

To Build a Mermaid.

2011-05-16T12:35:00.000-04:00

a few folks have been asking how i do my work. and i say "in pieces!"

If you can imagine a digital collage program where every line stroke and mass of color has its own layer that must be arranged and programed.

Here is a step by step ( photos) of how i've done my Koimaid Queen piece. I plan to do a series once i'm done with Top Cow's Genius Book^___^

I normally start with a sketch and just trace my own artwork with digital brushes in illustrator. The shapes are tapered to mimic traditional hand gestures.

then i'll lay down block of color. figure out my light source & start to blend from the main color to the high light then add a shadow.

undertones are important too. apples dont always have to be red only no?

i want to make sure i render the fish properties of the koi accurately. I'll be referencing a Gin Rin hi Utsuri. which is a metallic scaled black carp fish with either red or gold spots.

then the fun part... the HAAAAIR

i thought it would be fun to add a rusted crown ( since she's underwater) and some seaweed and urchins to decorate

then figuring out the structure of the tail....

giving her fins a lil transparency

tyah daaah finished!

If you'd like to purchase this finalized print check out HERE:

Free Comic Book Day & Genius Signing

2011-05-05T14:07:00.000-04:00

Hey All! For free comic book day,

I'll be signing copies of Top Cow's "Genius" this Saturday May 7th @

Criminal Records

1154 Euclid Ave NE

Atlanta, GA 30307 [Google Map]

FCBD event on facebook

I'll have a few Prints for sale, selling Sketches and taking a few print orders if anyone cares to get things on canvas ^___^!

Order Your own Foo Prints HERE

Get Foo Art Today!

2011-05-04T20:33:00.007-04:00

Help Dr.Foo Open her New Laboratory!

The †AfuaTron's birthday has just passed, Under rigorous inspection, it was discovered that all her nuts and bolts are rusted thru and are in dire need of repair.

So Dr. Foo is setting out to build a brand new laboratory where she can sell her creations and experiments. Soon there will be shirts, tshirts, bags , toys and prints and eventually a pin up book for sale. But she needs your help to get started so she can save her beloved bucket of bolts.

Donate on the Chip in! located on the side of this blog. Don't worry. Im not asking for something for nothing. I come baring gifts!

Find out the art stuffs you can collect. See your choices Below. ChipIn box is on the right. Thanks so much!

xo~ The Nefarious Dr. Foo
(p.s. Prices include shipping in the US. For orders outside of the United States, please email LSIOUX@gmail.com To estimate shipping cost.
When you Chip in you'll get an order form via email and you can claim your thank you gift!

YOUR CHOICE OF:

Moon Goddess

Sustah gurl!

Koimaid

Koimaid QUEEN!

I've decided to add a 5th option because more folks where threatening my loving demise:

"GENIUS"

QUESTIONS? Email Lsioux@gmail.com

Engineering Change

2011-04-26T21:23:00.001-04:00

Check it out. Activist Fooooooo Activate!

You know, If you read my blog often enough , you might have heard me speak about the official story of September 11th being doubted by 70 million americans including 6 of the 10 commissioners themselves. Or talk about building 7 That according the the National Instutite of Standards & technoledgy supposedly fell from fire when tey used no steel from the WTC7 site. A 47 story tall steel structure not hit by a plane collapsing at freefall accelerations into its own footprint only time in history on 9/11. But i can imagine what some of ya might be thinking. Oh she's just a comic artist. What does SHE know about the melting point of steel. I say don't take my word for it. Take the word of a professional ^__^.

Richard Gage AIA, The founder of Architects and Engineers for 911 truth will be here on May 21 st
as well as congresswoman Cynthia McKinney and Luke Rudkowski journalist, film maker and founder of We Are Change. I'l be singing along with my homegirl on the Keys = Alexa and MLK's church The Ebenezer baptist church radical praise choir will be performing. There will be video for those who couldn't make it or out of towners.

10 donation but its an open event pay what you can. we just want folks to get the info. we're not paddin our pockets ere. We're just covering the cost of the event. Flying folks out. shiny flyers etc. its gonna be rad me thinks. you know - one of those things ya look back on when you're old n grey n say when i was a young whipper snapper , i was a friendly peace loving activist. :p

Wataaaah!

425th post. My birthday 4/25

2011-04-26T17:25:00.001-04:00

Today i think back on my years as a human on this crazy spinning rock we're on that's spinning around another rock that's on fire.

I dunno - I'm a lil tired but i'm feeling pretty good today. Getting organized. Thinking of my options. Trying to be honest with myself about myself. A very introspective time. Thinking about friends who would take advantage of my not being very self assertive with my opinions to feel better about their not really living theirs because of my wavering finances as an artist coming up.

Well she's living her dream and she's broke. I've taken a safe route and i'm happy. But for some reason they always want to do what i'm doing. Even tho they looked down on me for not having a crap ton of money. The dollar is devaluing anyway. 1000 will equal 100. and savings will diminish. In the end i hope i know how to grow my own food and have art as currency. :p - well no - i don't want to have to resort to that but i'd like to grow my own food anyway.

I thought it would be fitting to have artwork from some of the folks i know from forums and art communities who did some portraits of the birthday girl.

Some honorable mentions:

Jedi Afua By Neil Ford

Foo Crew By Paul Sizer

Dr Foo Flier by fred greiner

Afua by Kirb Brimstone

And last but never least Mshindo Kumbia

Mucha Nothing

2011-04-17T10:38:00.001-04:00

I've been organizing and trying to get my health back on the up and up.
I just haven't felt like anything i've done lately that is very interesting.

Even though i've been conversing with Evolutionaries ( revolution just brings you back to the same place that you started no?) ,Pentagon Survivors... Architects...
Engineers... congress folks...

I dunno, it just doesn't feel like i'm doing much.

Although i do feel like my Character, Destiny more and more each day.
I nearly lost a gasket when i had a conversation with an associate of Camron's who insisted that the Japanese Tsunami was Karmicly induced by fishing whales as a food source and that the ocean some how punished them with an unearthly fist of vengeance.

I'm just amazed at the things that privileged, esoteric sniffing , hedonistic people will rationalize themselves as not being absolutely insane. How can any person of conscious look at the tragedy they face and say they deserve it? Needless to say i concluded that he was probably tripping balls and talking with him was much like rationalizing with a drunk. I shouldn't waste my energy. But you'd be surprised as the cognitive dissonance that people sit in . Oh i've got life figured out and i'm a supreme being of love. Oh those japanese people are wicked people.

seriously?

Needless to say, I'm certainly not having much fun these days. All i do is work.

Well that's not true i did join a choir.

I know, with all the things i do you'd think i'd not pile yet another thing on top of what i do.
But its only one day a week for two hours. I get to get out of the house for one day a week and meet really nice people.

I guess that's worth it no?

I feel restless. Maybe its the full moon. Maybe its Solar activity. Maybe i'm just a weirdo.

Well, anywho - i hope things are good on your side of the rock.

The mermaid Queen

2011-04-17T10:31:00.000-04:00

I'll be launching a new store soon and this is one of the many prints and design on apparel i'll have available for sale. I'll try my best to keep it affordable.. you know with the war machine bleeding folks dry you have to get a break somewhere eh?. hope you likes

Foo

the final ^___^

In the dark of the mountains

2011-04-06T14:07:00.001-04:00

Dr Foo was sick.

I'm still sick actually. Just getting better slowly.
I have what's blanketly called costrocondritis. An inflammation of the cartilage that connects the ribs to the lungs. It feels like a donkey has kicked you in the chest now every time i breath i feel the crack of that hoof pressing against my ribcage in sharp electric pangs as synapses go off reminding me

"Hey-- stop jogging when its cold out"

But since i was too ill to be alone & the trip was already planned to go to ashville for the weekend i took in some mountain air instead of chalkin up city fumes to get better in. i'd not been paid in 6 weeks so going to a clinic was out and so was home remedies. So i had to rely on the kindles of friends and loved ones.

One evening my bf Camron felt ansty. he wanted to Hike up the mountain in the dark of midnight.

I described my fear of the dark to a friend via email this morning. I like the way it sounded so i thought I'd share it.:

I have had wonderful experiences on mountains. I'd love to have more too :]

its that almost pitch black that scares me. on roads i can't see, jutting branches and sudden slopes;

i just had to step lively. I didnt have the moon to guide me either. It was misty there that night. Camron insisted on hiking in the middle of the night. He needed it . He needed to have conversations with himself but that usually ends up being with me or someone who is awake lol. The mist moved around the trees like a searching fog ; A river of white snake ghost looking for mice in the air. It was beautiful and terrifying. I was sitting on an outcropping of an erratic bolder. There was nothing under my feet. i couldn't see more than 10 ft in front of me . and the rain sounded like tiny feet on marble stairs. The farm cat followed me up so i heard him creeping on dead branches. every once in a while the flash of his eyes come up. At least i hope it was him. But i breathed as deep as my chest would allow and let the maroon light of the moon trying to make its way thru the cloud pal calm me down. then a branch would break and my imagination filled it with bears and monsters. but i was feverish with a cold. and running was not an option in the dark. so i just sat there listening to Camron's revelations & my eyes darted around like a lazer pointer , tricked by the night lights and breezes. But i'll paint it one day - i hope i dont forget it.

DIGITAL ART: Bhutan

2011-02-17T12:41:00.000-05:00

I'm working on a flier for a gallery show and naturally they gave me no photos even tho its a PHOTO gallery exhibit ::shrugs::

BHUTAN: sadly i admit my ignorance of this beautiful country situated between India & China near Nepal. They have amazing masks and cultural art. Interestingly enough, lots of penis art decks their walls to ward off evil spirits. Its reminds me that the stringent fear of genitalia in the united states is probably the reason for so many sexual related crimes. Where as if the parts are accepted as part of the body and about as common as hands or feet then no one would care really. I'm sure your perspective on life changes when you're painting penises on a wall as something of culture and not a rude and crude act.

Photos: Black comic day Atlanta

2011-02-17T12:27:00.000-05:00

Last week's Barnes n noble signing went off with out a hitch. The powerhouse team Brian & Dawud of big city entertainment Joseph Wheeler III, Mase & Myself turned out for the artist roster. We had a great turn out, tons of positive feedback and a rather informative panel. ( usually panels can be dry and boring ) but people had really great questions, inquiring about how to get started, how to get their kids started and what are some tips to get into the industry.

We warmed them up with introductions and i did a few tunes. I should grab the video from Camron's computer, but i just wanted to post these pictures up before i forgot.

Foo Events: Book Signing @ Barnes & Nobles ATL

2011-02-09T19:11:00.000-05:00

This Saturday I'll be attending a Book signing for

'Black Comix'

African American Independent Comics Art and Culture

Special Event
Please join us as we welcome some of the incredibly talented artists who contributed to this beautiful book. Appreciate and embrace the diversity that this book brings to the comic and book community.

Saturday February 12, 2011 6:00 PM

Camp Creek ParkwayCamp Creek Market Place, 3685 Market Place Blvd, East Point, GA 30344, 404-349-0359

Its free and open to the public.
I'll be jammin out to a few songs. we should have some great presenters as well.

Google Directions Place Page HERE

Music: Song writing tips

2011-02-09T19:04:00.002-05:00

photo by bradford tolleson

I know i've been talking about it for a while But i promised i'd write my process for song writing.

perhaps i'm giving up ancient secrets but i'd rather share than horde except when it comes to goldfish crackers and boxes of stovetop stuffing ( to my dismay, has monosodium glutamate, and sadly, i've had to retire it from my grocery list.)

I'm certainly no expert, but once i'd had a few songs under my belt, it didnt seem so impossible to write a n entire song. i for a time had a really hard time making my chorus not so wordy. it can't be. People have to remember it. keep it short folks.

Any who, so you want to write a song.

There are a number of ways i start.

Music 1st. - If you've got music already - sweet. start thinking about what it feels like and start writing down topics. this can be anything. Shoes, a feeling, birds . or a metaphor like comparing falling in love like being in water and start thinking of ways to illustrate that . if you have an accompanying instrument then it can be a little easier to think of where you want to go musically by playing the root of the chord you are playin underneath you if you can.

Music Idea: No music produced but you have an idea of what it sounds like? Act as if your song is already written and you're humming your intro. the way chord progressions work , they make you feel inclined for a melody to start. If you approach it that way and you anticipate how your song starts you can then conjure up either your chorus ( the main concise idea) or your verses ( the explanation)

Melody and lyrics 1st - if you've got a lil tune in your head and you're fumbling with words as i often do brain storm. Ask yourself what your song reminds you of. What sort of feeling do you have when you hum it. what sort of images come to mind. remember that your song is an explanation of some aspect of life.

LYRICS

Lyric direction. A lot of people sing about people. Some more profoundly sing about life. Others about an instance or the mundane things. whatever your deciding to write about focus on your idea and then brainstorm about it. i wrote a song recently and i'll write how i thought it through.

But the questions you indirectly ask yourself are :

are you singing to someone?

about someone?

about something TO someone?

about yourself?

about yourself inrelation to someone else?

about someone else's experience

Its storytelling - so approach it much like you tell a linear. the difficulty comes in stating an idea rather plainly. If you listen or read the words to great songs the lyrics are rather simple. because honestly its not like poetry where you fence and dagger through your vernacular to show prowess and witt. You're melodically taking a particular instance and making it universal. Or like twitter, you only have a small amount of characters within the parameters of your melody to fit words and ideas in there. Make it good. make it potent

PARTS OF THE SONG

CHORUS

Its the meat and potatoes of your song. sometimes i write this AFTER the verse because i find it to be easier. but i'll just mention it now and get into WHY i do that later. Its your point. Its basically that phrase that suns up your idea. you'll say them all the time. You ever have a conversation and feel really good about the way you've just explained something? jot it down. it will probably use it for a chorus.

i.e. " I've tried all these ways to explain it to him. sometimes, simple is the way"

I've taken that and turned it into a song where i'll have a bunch of examples as to how ive tried to paint pictures, have done romantic gestures, wear pretty clothing when i should have simply told him how i felt. but it can apply to so many other things. simple pleasures. simple seasoning. simple decoration. you get the idea.

but i'll explain a song i've written recently. note there are a number of ways to format a song we'll start with a : verse chorus verse chorus Bridge Chorus , repeat chorus fin.

format

some others are:

Chorus verse Chorus verse Chorus Bridge Chorus
verse b section chorus verse B section chorus bridge b section chorus

etc etc.

VERSE

Your verses set up the idea especially the 1st verse:

i wrote this recently

"You never thought you would be where you are

You turn around -- look behind you---you never thought you'd come so far"

I placed those -- breaks in between words to remember my phrasing. i find that when i get to the bottom of a song that i've just written its easy to forget the melody. anything you can do to remember at least the intonation can help prevent that. the rest of the verse is:

" You look at the road up ahead and you know

Although you have come so far you still have a long long way to go"

i find in terms of rhyming an AA BB or ABAB helps but its not always necessary.

B SECTION

If you're thinking about music in terms of arrangement, just think of that section that happens right before the grand chorus come in that is different that the verse but its not your main point. I dont have a b section for this song but this is where it would go.

CHORUS

If you believe that these things are possible

then you're gonna go so far

You you believe that these things are probable then you've done the hardest part

Oh if you believe that these things are possible then you're gonna reach that Star---

but you gotta believe.

Its basically giving a point to my verse. The person came a really long way. but they had to have an idea in mind in order to reach that goal. its a lot like jumping across a gap. if you honestly don't think you can do it you will not only NOT try but you can;t even visualize it. But your chances of pulling a parquor or training to jump long distances with the belief that you'll eventually be able to do it will enable you do eventually. OR it might not be as hard as you thought. but the chorus breaks all that down in a few sentences.

3nd Verse

Your 2nd verse you exlpain a little more about what you're saying. If you're song is pertaining to a problem more than likely the actualization or realization happens in the 2nd and sometimes 3rd verse

Bridge

" You gotta believe in in order to be it

in order to see it you gotta believe

you gotta believe it then you can reach it

you gotta believe it you gotta believe"

that's usually the dayus ex machina or the dom dom dom of the song. the twist in the movie where Luke find out Vader is his father. Or it can be a complete turn around for the dilemma. Or in some cases. its just a break down. This is rather anticlimactic for a bridge i'll admit. it feels more like the adlibs on the last chorus. but its what i've got for now.

BRAINSTORMINg

You probably want to think about things like format last. The most important thing is to get the ideas out. I recommend typing unless you type slowly. whatever medium you can quickly get things out. some people feel more comfortable writing on paper.

Get some space. Song writing really takes some time to listen to your inner thoughts. if you can help it be alone when you write. When i'd write with Shanelle while in Scarletblue wwe'd sit and listen tothe music we were writing to and i'd get up and leave the room and then come back with the line we were looking for

And lastly -- in my creation process i'll write down everything that comes to mind when i'm thinkin on a subject. Say

my subject is water.

fluid , flowing thru my hands, clear clean , floating along , dip my toes in

Descriptions, metaphors actions, common phrases. unique phrases.

Say the subject is heartache.

broken, shattered into pieces, aching at the sides, hollow place where i my heart use to be.

You get the idea. -- well -- good luck!!!

Dr Foo ~ out

Post script. ( hope this helps sis)

Hip Hop Lives

2011-02-04T17:29:00.001-05:00

Okay guys, we know what hip hop is REALLY about. Voices of the people on a platform, artistically speaking out about social-economic injustice, crimes against humanity, politics, or simply just a window into the reality of people who are systematically kept behind the starting line.

It was powerful. it was highjacked. It was murdered. and now from its ashes and life support systems like Immortal technique and KRS1 has been sprouting up new branches and regaining its prestige.

Preach , Lupe Fiasco.

THIS was a video taken in front of our Pink Elephant 911 truth Mural in lil 5 points

Looking Back.

2011-01-21T00:10:00.001-05:00

I've taken a moment to look back at some of my old blogs. And for anyone who has been reading a while i certainly have to apologize. I mean you must really care about me to have even endured all the 1/2 witted unfinished sentences i spewed out of my conscious mind in streams and rants and grammatical massacres.

so to you i thank you for being so patient with my unorganized thought. Clearly, the people who read this must know me in some way, to know that i'm ( hopefully) more coherent than my previous blather indicated. I just thought (think) in such tangental spurts that i couldn't recognize i was not writing but thinking out type. Where if we think about it, our brain's internal monolog ( or dialog for those a little more turbulently domed) is just a stream of partial sentences supplied with images from the pineal gland allowing us to think in symbol and hyphenation.

In other words - thanks for reading even tho the reading's been sucky sometimes.

Looking back. Photograph taken by Bradford Tolleson. Click--> here to see his other work or visit Bradford Tolleson.com

Incredible video

2011-01-13T18:03:00.000-05:00

sorry i'm in the middle of finding my head. found this video in the meantime

Under Byen - Unoder from Daniel de Vue on Vimeo.

The American Dream

2011-01-10T16:01:00.001-05:00

This is awesome. Great lil cartoon explaining how the federal Reserve works and why we need to audit and end it.

Xmas: Ruined. New Year: Rock on.

2011-01-04T18:10:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone!

Hope your festivities and New Year celebrations and in some cases long awaited vacations and time off was great.

Xmas... Ruined:

Check out the VIDEO: having trouble seeing it? Click: Watch the Video HERE

A few of Santa's elves took a lil vacation to Golden Apple Comics in Los Angeles California. Where They promoted Stranger comic's 'Ruining Christmas'. Here's a lil video with some music I produced. For all comedic purposes i pulled a Tracy Ulman where i wrote the music, haphazardly produced it and did my best impression of not one but TWO southern reindeers rappers. Arguably one of the most ridiculous pieces of music i've ever had the courage to put my name on. I warn you tho. The elves are pretty rude. Lying to customers. Cussin out folks.( earmuff the kids) Harassing them. Hustling them. The holidays for the folks there were officially drained of any christmas cheer. But all for our entertainment. Song is available for a listen and download Here =>. Hear Afua as Lil Rudolph & the South Pole Gangstas performin NAUGHTY TIME.

Strange how a day will kick start new ambitions and promices we hope we keep.
Perhaps its a reminder of our mortality as we continue spinning around our ever aging sun as it spins around its celesital equator that spins around something else to make us feel infinitesimally small. So we , in turn find ways to make ourselves feel self important. Getting in shape, picking up that thing we always wanted to. Finishing that project that's been collecting dust.

For ME, i've decided to stop griping ( so much). Lets face it, i have to be unhappy with something to change it. So i'm not going to rule out the power of discomfort for the effort of change but I don't just want to be comfortable. I want to be happy. Folks can easily be complacent in mediocrity

What would make me happy? More Art done - more music, working out again and maybe a few other things i keep on my secret list ( aka a dry erase board hiding behind my bass guitar. )

So for starts, i'm going to do more music. I started already. Not all of it is going to be good but its okay. That's the point. Get all the ideas out . good and bad. in my

i'm going to create more youtube videos too. - no really this time. I'm also going to make better use of my time. if i write down what i do i'll be more productive. because it shouldn't take me a few hours to do anything really. Anywho - enough talking and more arting. Sorry no art for this post. I'm working on a few things.

next post: i'll list how i write a song. A few good friends of mine have asked how i come up with songs and my song writnig process so i'll do a little walk through. Everyone has different methods. This one helps me. Til then...

Cheers

GET FOO MUSIC: Winter Wonderland

2010-12-14T10:46:00.000-05:00

Howdy all!

I'm happy to say that i've got some music available for sale. A fun lil minor rendition of Winter Wonderland for Stranger comic's Ruining Christmas. I've got the pleasure of being their saucy elf Candie Canes.

Check it out HERE

More to come. Goodies. Videos. More music. fun times.

Dream Journal:

Strange dreams last night. I dreamt i lived in a place with a huge window the length of the wall. Meteors came and destroyed a forest and we watched it like it was entertaining. Not considering one of those might hurdle into our home dissolving it into dust and flame.
Thanks giving and christmas were merged into some unknown thing but a mix match of family showed up. My brother who i miss and am rather bitter about the wedge my mother created between us was there. He was just as unenthusiastic to see me as i'd imagined. I grit my teeth even in the dreamstate about it.

From there i hop on a train back to New York city. I reach Union Square in manhattan on the 4,5,6 train line and a friend of mine who is a fire fighter was on the platform. He stood in the doorway, freezing cold. Shirtless and shivering in a blue sweat. Steam coming off off his skin and he pressed his frozen forehead against mine. It stung, sending a lighting frost into my sinus cavity, and as soon as it had happened it was over. He was clothed suddenly and the doors were closed and the train continued on its way. I took the train downtown to Houston st but it resembled Harlem more than anything. I was suddenly accompanied by someone i know named Patrick. I would not call us friends. But for some reason we celebrated seeing cam's name in graffiti all over the city walls and murals on abandoned buildings in a ghost town of lower manhattan. As we reached a construction site of some new soulless condo to replace some NY landmark a truck backed up in our direction. I start to step backward but the building itself was moving forward. A few other tractor trailers rev up. Patrick seem unaware. I raise my arm up in warning,but it was too late. We were in the middle of the street with no time to react. I stood there as his skull was crushed under a flatbed of steel and concrete; a permanent scream on his face made cartoonish and exaggerated as his head splattering in slow motion. I realized if i were dead i couldn't be watching this so i ran . My forehead burning cold watching these red metal goliaths close in. Everything in the same slow motion my firefighter friend engaged me in a frozen headtap.

The man operating the machines picks up a knife in panic, warning me not to say anything. In fear and shock i text someone his license plate and he drives off in a powder blue cadilac.

I suppose no matter how far i move away from it, New York and the people in it will always be my home.But at the moment, i'm not sure anyplace really feels like it. What is home anyway...

I've got to stop eating before bed...

The Dr. is achy.

What's going on with DR Foo

2010-12-04T11:08:00.001-05:00

Today i wish happy birthday to the man who helped me get into comics.
Who gave me his job and his apartment when I had none. Making art for a living only.
Probably the scariest thing i've ever had to do as a young adult transitioning.
he draws a lot of cute girls. Which in turn made me feel okay about drawing cute girls.
perhaps we need the psychological permission to do what it is we want.

I've been in the cave. Planning. Plotting. reorganizing. building.
Thinking about a new site. starting an online store. Thinking about commissions,
pin up books and the like. Drawing more. Thinking of how to draw smarter.

People often ask how i got my start in comics. People from other industries look down on comics as having a clubhouse mentality. Its one of the rare industries that still requires the content of the art and the writing to determine its success. Of course there is the tag along of major labels artist and writers. But it requires paying dues and going thru proper channels. Just like any thing. There are geniuses who pave their own way and the proper channel for them is doing what is true to themselves. Which the lack there of i feel is the very reason the music industry collapsed. They thought they were the only ones who could dictate what people wanted based on sales. Not on people's actual interest organically. I've sat in on the conversation of an A&R saying an artist who sounded like prince , the US isn't ready for. Who are they to say? When they turned an eye to the possibility of people having access to only what it is they like via internet they crumbled under the fast moving wave of technology and the artist pick up the scraps by doing their own personal marketing campaigns.

Anyway. I'll be posting more videos, art, music, products , and news soon. I'm just finding a way to organize it. how i want to package it. how i want people to get involved. news letters? fb pages? website? telegram or carrier pigeon? A lil something with Warren Ellis is in the works. Its a fun lil side ditty. Oh-- might be working on my PHD too. Its complicated. but yeah. I'll be a real Dr.

Dr foo is going to the HIGH museum to get inspired by DALI

I'll share more soon.

happy birthday ( it was yesterday) Brandon Graham

Old hallows eve

2010-11-05T12:57:00.000-04:00

Any one ever notice almost every culture has a day of the dead around the same time?

a few of my costumes. Raven. Pirate. maybe next year i'll be an egyptian god that isnt done to death. like Bast. get the nose and really do it up ^__^

fun! I also painting my 1st body paint ( used the wrong kind of paint but its okay) I painted my friend Elan as a Snake goddess I've never used acrylic before. i've got to paint more often.

Black Age Comic Con & Egypt sailing

2010-11-05T12:14:00.000-04:00

I had a great time in NY. But i've never had an experience like the Black Age comic convention in Chicago that Turtel Onli put together. Nsteven Harris, Eric Battle. Arie Monroe. Ashely Wood. Leslie Banks - writer of Vampire Huntress - it was like we snuck out of school and went to the arcade - only the arcade was chicago.

Day 1 After flying in Turtel and I had an awesome conversation about --- you know. I'll just say it was like plucking ancient DNA and making music with it. It just resonated on so many levels. He might help me take on of my projects and turn them into a PHD project. I'll be a REAL dr foo ^__^!

Day 2 - Signing at graham cracker comic shop in downtown chicago. The guys over there are super cool - thanks for having us! Then we swing over to the " so good its worst than crack cocaine" of Chicago's very own Garret's popcorn . okay - i know. Its only popcorn right? I was hesitant. I was. the idea of cheese popcorn and caramel sounds a bit revolting. But after i ate some...well... I'm just glad no one took a picture of me stuffing my damn face. I looked online and you can order the chicago mix for 30 - 129 dollars. Obama got Biden some as a birthday present. Just letting you know its official to be a corporate gift that someone actually wants.

Day3 Convention

It was so cool to just talk to kids and students and people interested in art. Its inspired me to start an online store to sell products prints and posters and possibly original art. We'll see - i'm very attached to my paintings tho i probably shouldnt be. I should just make some more and take pictures so i can have prints.

Day 4 Signing at the La Sable Museum for the black comix book and the Oriental Museum.
Guys. I've never been so WOWed in my life. To be in the presence of such amazing African scupture. ( as people seem to want to separate egypt from Africa :/) I'll just say if kids in the hood knew they came from kings - they'd be a lil different maybe.

Me & Arie~!

Turtel ONli

I didnt even KNOW there was a female shpinx

we have the same nose!

the snakes would remain but not the noses?? mmhm. we know what this was about.

just maybe. gotta do something about that.

Its a project. we'll see.

Can't wait for next year.

love love love

Afua

NYCC review

2010-11-05T11:32:00.000-04:00

I've been jet setting - just getting back on the horse but i thought i'd share my travels before too much time had passed.

I was back home in New York, for the New York Comic convention. A whizzing bustling crash of the anime convention and the comic book world at the Jacob Javitz center in midtown manhattan. Costumes, Comrades and cool folks abound. I barely got to see any of my family. But my little sister Emily and her son, Mikey came down to the con and got to see it colorful mayhem of my professional world.

I bunked with The awesome folks at top cow at the ritzy Paramount hotel ( right near the church of scientology in times square)

Then got to catch up with old friends:

My homeboy Chuck Collins ( Triboro tales& DSX) Elena Salcedo , Ross Cambell ( water baby & wet moon), Andy McDonald & Ivan Brandon (NYCmech, Viking, Crimeland) David Atchison ( writer OCT) and my long time friend and fellow top cow Artist Nelson Blake II( Magdalena, Witchblade) ; Who i've described as not just apart of my heart but apart of my anatomy. I was recharged seeing good friends and making new ones. Like the guys at Arcaia and the Aspen Table.

I dressed up as Top Cow's Aphrodite X11

I miss the street Art of my dirty pretty ( or pretty dirty) city.

It was nice to be home. See my lil sister. Remind myself that i AM an artist. Being in this lil cave drawing all day seems to kinda dampen my spirits. It was a nice recharge. I had to get over an lil post con nerd flu. so now i'm getting things together. ^___^ cheers!

insidiously chilly -- Dr. Foo

New York New York

2010-10-05T10:29:00.000-04:00

I'm goin home!! I get to roll around in my yucky glittery city for a week.

DR FOO's CALENDAAAAR:

Thursday OCT 7th

St. Nick's Pub -

773 Saint Nicholas Ave # 1, New York, NY 10031-3925(212) 283-9728 ‎

Google map:

I'm performing as a marvellette with the Denzel rollins project.

St Nick's pub site Its in harlem 149 & St Nick. A train to 145th. its where i grew up. weird. I'd never been there before.

the site is kinda not up to date but we go on at like 10 - ish. 2 sets. not sure of the cover - - sorry for lack of info. Should be glittery

FRIDAY Oct 8th

NYCC @

Jacob Javits Center

655 West 34th Street

New York, NY

GOOGLE MAP

NEW YORK COMIC CONVENTION ( yay) I'll be set up at the top cow booth - signing copies and doing sketches for the book GENIUS in top cow's 1st look.

COMIC BOOK RESOURCES PREVIEW!

here's an article on CBR with a sneak peek at the 1st 5 pages.

AFTER THE CON: THE SHOWPAPER 42ND ST GALLERY
217 East 42nd St, Manhattan, NY fb event page

Saturday and Sunday I'll be at the convention - monday and tuesday i'll be soaking up the city. if you have my number and you're in town too hit me up.

I'll be heading to the Chicago black age con like perhaps a day after i get back zoom. as Turtel Onli says.
I'll get back and update that then. But for now - i'll pack .

Lader vaders

Dr Foo - out

Convention FEVER!

2010-09-22T23:07:00.006-04:00

Alrighty, I know i spoke about this amazing weekend at dragon con and didn't write about it after saying i would so please forgive me. I'd come down with a hellish con-flu or nerd flu. The sweat and perspiration of my fellow geeks and nerds at the convention served as courier of disease and live in your basement parasites.

worth it tho
FOO SIGHTINGS:

http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/
NY COMIC CON!! i'll be attending the NYCC in October the 8-10th at the Jacob javits center in NY city -- i get to go home!!! I'd not been back since that gig with Har Mar Superstar on Jimmy Fallon.

BLACK AGE COMIC CONVENTION!

Black Age Blog
Oct. 16th , 2010 atKenwood Academy HS, in the Art Building, 5015 South Blackstone, Chicago IL.

Foo COMICS:

the release of GENIUS by Mark Bernardin and Adam Freeman will be in topcow's awesome 6 stories for 6 bux graphic novel called " FIRST LOOKS" and yours truely is is artist on Genius.

FOO TUBE VIDEOS coming up:
Currently working on my better quality version of the Bed intruder video remix
and an original Just noise.

DAY ONE DragonCon ,Entangled Aliens, Ayahuasca Pirates, & Graham Hancock

2010-09-09T01:28:00.000-04:00

I am content. I am also terribly exhausted. What a wonderful turn of events this weekend at the Atlanta Dragon Convention festival. So much has happened i will break it into days:

Day ONE Pirates and Gypsies.

Afua red robbing hood left. Zefferine of arabia right

Dressed as a pirate with my neighbor's daughter, Zefferine and I yo ho hoed thru the largest and most devout costume convention in the world. Args and Ahoyeed between giggles and awe , seeing dedicated cosplayers and steam punks display their hand made and well thought out costumes. I actually had fun being a blonde for a day... perish the thought. No offense to blondes but my hair being bleached blond would strip it of all its life. but wigs are a fun out of persona experience. ^___^ I was happy to serve as the tour guide even tho it was my 2nd Dragon con. I almost dont want to be in the convention itself as its much more fun to dress up and parade around and people watch...

Kickin it with Less Grossman

It was awesome to see a chick

dressed as the character from assasins's creed

I'll slice cartman's cockles with my long n shiny blade....

You can never go wrong with Kratos...*__*

Zeff found a Vincent to swoon over.

a lil super man 3 villainy

this had to have been my favorite. Iron man.. well like literally. His back said Starch Industries... so awesome.

well its my bed time kiddies. I'll mention more about the amazing weekend tomorrow in Dragon Con Day two.

for now -- Your Good Dr retires

~Dr. Foo is out.~

I'm a video gal

2010-08-02T01:30:00.000-04:00

not really - i dont have the abs ( yet)

but i made some vids.

Original song: i wrote this when i was seeing my friend go thru marriage woes. I hope they make it. It made me think about that tail end before a relationship is about to evaporate. sometimes you with you could start over. make it sweet again. i was there. happy to report i'm actually doing well in the love department ^___^. my man is awesome.

on a FUN note: The Bed intruder song is effing hilarious so i covered it:

the original

Good Cop Bad Cop

2010-07-26T11:49:00.000-04:00

People often Demonize the police. They don't mention much , the times they save us. protect us -- find things we've been robbed of. No one is really saying all police are evil - that's absurd. As a matter a fact their power to solve real crimes are often inhibited by some stupid agenda to make some politician's numbers look good as if they've really improved the city, juking the stats, and give them directions to focus on false things instead of really making where you live a better place. Profiling , Brutality, Writing false warrants to make each districts crack down look better. I thought i'd put up a few articles and links and videos of citizens who did nothing and were struck down. Not a mistake. Not a oops we got the wrong house. It was a " We need numbers so we're gonna make them" or we're now going to infringe on your rights because folks with more money than you pay my salary. How dare you question us, talk back or -- gasp-- have an opinion. Especially when it comes to the law their supposed to be upholding.

People don't get it -- we're numb , apathetic so anyone who cares to do what our forefather's did just a generation ago is seen as extremist. John Lenon wrote a song that was sung on the white house lawn and it was the scariest thing for the US president. We were at war just like this. And protesting is what charged the issue. Now they are saying you have to get a permit to protest. Since when do you need a permit to say hey my boss is not listening to us -- no basic labor rights here - no one is listening boycott this chain? cardboard signs and a few folks walking warrants this:

they weren't moving to the sidewalk fast enough so they tackled a girl and when she put up her hands to maybe not have her face hit the pavement they took is as aggression and broke her leg then cuff her. THEN they mase her friend with a camera when she was trying to see if her friend was okay. They were kneeing the girl on the ground after her leg was broken and she was already cuffed..yup...

A few examples of police institutionally out of hand:

G20 summit:
girl arrested for blowing bubbles.

people sitting down with signs were charged on like they were lighting cars on fire.

A gent had his back to the cops walking home from work with his hands in his pocket and he was struck from behind by an officer and pushed to the ground falling head 1st. He later stumbles away and suffers a heart attack and the police inhibit the medics from helping. Ian Tomilson later dies. No charges facing officers for conduct. Nothing.

The folks at the G20 summit protest that THEIR budget is spent on police. a million dollars of their own tax payer money is spent on that one day. They denied people permits and pushed protesters and crushed them together. Picking off reporters and independent journalist even tho hey had press badges because they asked cops difficult questions at previous events. Pushing one man into the ground head 1st kicking and kneeing him and telling him to stop resisting when he wasn't.

Woman being arrested on the street being shoved to the ground and knocked unconscious for resisting. You say - she should have resisted - well she had her baby with her and they were dragging her away from her child. They were gonna make her leave the baby on the street. I'd resist too. not a kid- not a teenager an infant in a stroller. You hear him crying in the BG. She yells out FUCK YOU you want me to leave my BABY IN THE STREET? - well done San Fran police:

Invading a family's home in the middle of the night for a " narcotic's search warrant" and killing the family's caged dog & the other that barked on their forced entry. This is actually common practice. Both writing up false warrants and shooting dog detail.

Courtesy All WOW videos

Don't you get it folks? We ignore this? And guess what - you go 5 miles over the speed limit and you can be subject to getting tazered on the highway. the police don't care. All of them ? no- enough of them to turn this into police state?

well.. check out this newsweek cover:

Well you think -- well just stop protesting ( imagine if MLK said that) - You think well what can i do? The power of people is amazing. Here are people in route to the summit and the police gather to deter them off the street and scare them the people don't DO anything to the cops just walk in their direction saying them all sorts of thing -- they got scared -- started firing at them and the crowd....boos. they back up -- a lot. they eventually leave them to walk and boke on the steet. See folks? we DO have power. we just have to get together and exercise it.Granted - my drawing a comic about a group taking over the corrupt LAPD and soon i'll be doing an even more firey comic about politics once this is over ( possibly) I'll probably be attacked. They'll call me deranged for drawing erotica....or mentally ill for my breakdown 2 years ago... or say i'm a conspiracy theorist because i'm associated with the architects and engineers who demand a new investigation for the collapse and pulverized building that was once the WTC 1 2 and 7.

well all i can say is--- folks -- welcome to what black folks have gone thru for hundreds of years. thank god for cameras and portable video devices...Folks will say what. Well they are criminals they deserve it. Dont break a law and you won't have your rights infringed upon. aah haa there is the error - that's assuming you're breaking a law. If your due punishment is serving time and not having the benefits of a citizen then that is your sentence - not humiliation- beating- and all sorts of other crimes against humanity. Its like the pharm. companies - no money in a cure - cops get paid off of crime.not keeping the peace.

other things to youtube:

G20 pitsburg campus ( they just attack students intheir dorms on campus- scare them into not potesting)
G20 police Cnn reporter gets tear gassed
G20 tackle protesters.
G20 - police crush people to death

peace yall -- be safe out there.

Zombie dreams again

2010-07-25T22:31:00.000-04:00

Well i've got a lil garden. startin on an upnote before my nightmare. I've got basil, squash, thyme, cilantro, parsley. mint, collards, watermelon, cucumbers oregano and sunflowers. I'm so content to see my lil ft tall shrubbery grow i drew an image of a lil forest spirit making things grow from multch-- lame yes but - i have to look forward to SOMEthing in the morning you know? my 1st marker drawin in about 9 years maybe - i dunno maybe 6years like 2004 sometime even maybe longer - can't remember. fun tho.

Zombie Dream 2010

I seem to dream about zombies once a year. Something terrible usually happens then...

It was evening and they brought night with them. I was walking in front of my elementary school in NY on 19th street. From what i remember to be 2nd avenue running to 1st were these "men". running. Screaming. Beating .maiming, eating people. Lunging at by standers in the dark. I ran up the street but somehow i was at a walking pace. I hitched a ride with a family but got out once i saw the father's hand with several fingers missing behind loosely bound bloody bandages . I head uptown.

I ran. Fearful.

I felt adrenaline. It doens't happen often in my dreams. I was frantic. Where Stuyvasant town was , stood a hotel. One of those ritzy black sleek buildings with names consisting of a single letter letter kind of a hotel. There was a new years party - Even tho i wore no coat. Mild winter for NY for me not to be bound to the teeth around december. I walk in - wearing a black dress that made me appear to be apart of the lobby new year's party. The security guard started to suspect me when i wasn't sure what floor to go to. For some reason there were only 2 floors , even tho there were many stories to the building.

" haha happy new year sorry! i'm a lil tipsy" i say - and it waves the furrowed brow off the armed man.

I find the shopping level and walk briskly thru a giftshop. KNives - blankets - metal things - buckets - clothes- banadges - dry food. i leave though the back way gathering my story for the shop worker : oh i'm in 7f just put it on my room bill. but no one was there after a time. I knew they were getting closer. It was as if i brought them with me and i was just running from them just out of reach. But plagues followed. Or the epidemic was spreading. maddening getting faster in my dreamstate. NO more spicy food before bed.

I get to the top floor and there are guards almost like canadian or british national guard standing on the roof top with riffles. they watch me as i walk up the slanted tile to the penthouse. people are camped out, recovering - hiding - shivering ,and i find a spot to make camp on the short brown carpet. I head to the bathroom - look around at the refugees. they seemed to know what was going on. I'm not sure how the party on the lobby didn't.

i suppose to the Elite, bad things happen over there and their reality is created by their credit line.

I'm in the bathroom with my friends Myqui & Cathy. One's hurt. Not from a bite just an injury. falling i think. Then i hear it. The screams and ripping of human parts. They've gotten in here. I look thru a peek hole( not sure why a bathroom needed one but the view wasn't anybetter) people running putting their hands up in defense only to have them bitten off. There was a single window that had a ledge too small to consider climbing and several feet between a grabable extention.

i was trapped.

I knew then, when i saw it was day time that i was dreaming. That much time couldnt have passed. I knew it was just the sun coming into my bedroom window. not the penthouse of a zombie infested New York Hotel shaped like the millennium by ground zero.

i woke up more tired than i was before i went to sleep.

Full moons are something eh?

Afua in Book BLACK COMIX interview on GQ

2010-07-01T17:55:00.000-04:00

I submitted a few pieces for The Black Comic creator feature book BLACK COMIX. Check the interview yall..

The Q The Q: GQ.com

Turtel Onli asks " Why isn't your comic book collection as black as your music collection...."

That's a good question. Perhaps there aren't many comics that have black folks in scenes other than on the streets an in dated Afros and so on. They're comin up tho. Slowly. Maybe in that day asians wont be lumped sum into knowing karate and middle easterners won't be all tech guys and every soldier won't have the " all american" look. Ironically - you don't see any native americans in that spot. No Native american president. which is kinda crazy. Imagine if black folks took over japan and 200 years go down the line and no legislation of japan is actually japanese. And the look of a native japanese person is totally brown. Its kinda backwards eh? It doesnt work any place else but here .

Ohh America.

lates gatas

CONTROLLED BURNING

2010-06-25T15:04:00.000-04:00

::Dr. Foo frowns disapprovingly::

THE CONTROLLED BURNING. BP is not allowing workers to continue efforts to rescue endangered animals ( Such as the kemp’s ridleys sea turtle) from controlled burning sites. In my personal opinion, This Gulf Spill was orchestrated to push Cap n trade. Cover ups, media black out, the selling of 44% of their stock PRE-oil spill, making a killing in insurance, Haler Burton’s involvment…too convenient.

~The Dr is rather vexed.

OIly Turtle Grave by the †AfuaTron

In Repair

2010-06-25T15:02:00.000-04:00

The Dr. Foo

2010-06-12T09:52:00.000-04:00

Dr. Foo has a blog. I'll feed the RSS here somehow. She's rather... stringent i guess.
But a good read if i d say so myself.

THE EEEVIL DR.FOO BLOG

Dr.Foo Speaks: †AfuaTron Death

2010-06-10T10:07:00.002-04:00

I suppose before i bring †AfuaTron and Dr Foo To life i should start with the death. :

Anxiety fires magma hot androgen bombs from adrenals that sit on the mech’s once bullet riddled kidneys. †Afuatron, out of Calamity’s lament, grabs her teflon sides, wincing at her helplessness to aid her friend. But once those words met her copper ears(that her friend neither wanted resolve, or cared for the metal thing) The †Afuatron, with massively articulated steel fingers,plunged her hand into her very own chest. Wrenching out the chord that connected them, she splattered bits of steel and aluminum things. Engine fluid bubbled while she sobbed gobs of petroleum, losing gallons of the stuff as she went. - ” It is the way Robots have a falling out it seems” ~ Dr Foo on when to say goodbye

The Stone People's Lodge

2010-06-08T13:48:00.001-04:00

Howdy Fam,

If you've never been to a sweat lodge, may i suggest you run if not sprint to find one. Look out, there have been a few folks about who have; of course with anything good, tried to capitalize on such a healing, rejuvenating and bare bones honest church with no preacher but yourselves and a leader to keep you focused on the task at hand...

...Sweating.

Now think about it. how often to we as humans try to avoid breaking a sweat? Usually at all cost. But when you get into a circle of people sweating and yelling ( sometimes just meditating) focusing on who you are and what you do and why you do , you don't care about a lil thing like Body Oder or weather your shirt's armpits are wet. as a matter a fact - if they're not - there's something wrong.

The 1st time i went into a sweat lodge, it was almost like a starter kit. It was more like a sauna with a few folks with towels and bathing suits. You go in the lil wooden door and find a space on the mini bleacher style benches. Seats no more than 15. After a certain size, the keeper of the sweat can't monitor the well being of people. Some lodges, depending on the size can house 25- 35 people uncomfortably. but its not really about comfort when you're sweating is it?

You become family with Strangers. It becomes an Island and you're all trying to survive. You're not in any danger of anything other than being faced with yourself. Something about being in ceremony that makes all the grim come to the surface. Like you're boiling a lake of doubts and cover ups and it all comes to the surface - you look at it , examine it and choose weather or not to deal with it or see it. But the opportunity to have nothing else to distract you from being totally honest with yourself ( which is hard to do ) is a rare and valuable thing. We'll be doomed to make the same mistakes. Find no peace unless we shake free that need to be RIGHT. We wont be whole unless we allow ourselves to be broken. Let go of all those limiting beliefs the ones that will make our legs contract when we jump so we'd NOT make it over the crevice .

One thing that keeps cracking loose and bubbling its way to the surface is my realization that i complain a lot. Who knows if its old bones of my mother rattling in my head and ancient programming to be ungrateful. I focus a lot of what i don't have and not enough thanks on the things i do. If i don't take care of what i have why would anything want to make its way into my path?

Anyway - these days i've been rather-- i dunno the problems are the same but the worries are not. Cuz i'll create anxiety . Anxiety creates more androgens - androgens more emotionalism via chemical malfunction. Its like acting out of fear rather than reason. and i Solve them faster - cuz im not letting my emotions rule me.

Feels good.

Tom Bluewolf holds lodges all over the world. He is a healer, a veteran, and a great storyteller among other things. Check em out. He's made sure to put sweats in major penitentiaries in the US. and lodges the world over. Assisting in the great healing. Because when you heal you don't have to tend old wounds while fending off new battles.

I found this quote. Tim Wise said it in a lecture of his. Be well fam

The man who cannot suffer can never grow up - can never know who they are that man who is forced to snatch his Humanity from the fires of Human Cruelty - that rage to destroy it - learns something about himself , if he survives his ordeal, and even if he doesnt, that no school on earth and indeed no church can teach - he gains a sense of his own authority and THAT is unshakeable. for in order to Survive he must learn to hear the meaning behind the words to see beneath appearances , to take NOTHING for granted. Because when one is constantly surviving the worst that life has to bring - one eventually ceases to be controlled by the fear of what life can bring...

~ James Baldwin

Dr Foo Posessed by the ghost of Michael Jackson

2010-05-21T20:07:00.000-04:00

The Action Room spoke of Michael Jackson in their last podcast.

You may encounter it HERE

MJ he-he -heed from the great beyond to leave this message.

CLICK HERE FOR THE GHOST OF JACKO VS THE ACTION ROOM

Laboriously~

Dr Foo

Been sleeping on the floor. Its been saving my aching hips back into a salvagable place. I will be ready for arm bars and drop kicks soon... soooon.

The Foo Flavor Reboot

2010-05-16T15:47:00.001-04:00

CLICK HERE FOR THE REVAMPED FOO FLAVOR PAGE!

I know my tumblr page was suppose to consolidate all of my work and be a great way for someone to be able to look thru my work and find it find my music and all that while i get ready to launch a website and gather content and all that. But i looked at it in the context of someone looking thru my work who didnt know me and i saw it was an absolute mess.

So i've been organizing. Changed my tumblr site to a cool finds arena and made another one just or art like i'd originally promised for those who dont care about all the things i'm blathering about and just want art stuffs .

So here's what it looks like:

I've renamed certain things so you know where to find my art - my skecthes - tweets videos and blogs instead of guessing where i've put what. I didnt see it until i was in a meeting and someone was trying to find some recent work and someone just asked me in an email for a site and i was like oh -- this is rather annoying isnt it?

Dr. Says

yes.

So tell me what you think of the new page - where i can improve. I need your eyeballs.

thank you

Getting settled in

2010-05-12T13:40:00.001-04:00

I've got a new apartment hence the lack of pictures and post. But i'm slowly making it home.
I wake up at 8am and work on it till11 and then start on my art or music.
There's something gratifying about taking out your own trash. No one else's junk is in there but the scrapings of welcome guest. You let go of whatever you want to let go of and you carry it out and come back to a clean home.

For the majority of my adulthood i'd lived with a roomate, surprisingly only once i'd ever lived with another woman. And I, for the most part was the only woman , those men sans their mother had ever lived with. Its not quite how you think. Guys are more communal. We shared food and stories about movies and love advice. Where as the woman i lived with a barely saw and we rarely ever spoke.

Anyway the highlight of my week is my new art table. And antique awesome find on Craigs list Camron got for me as a late birthday present. It is, ( embarrassing to admit with almost a decade under the belt as a professional artist) my 1st drafter's table. A beautiful Cherry Oak Finish with an deceivingly lightweight iron base. I'd show you a picture but there is tons of paper on it only after being in my home a few days.

Went to see Kick Ass, Losers and Iron man. Surprisingly a lot of movies this month.
Iron man - visual candy. I enjoyed it a lot for the mech stuffs. fight scenes : explosive. Just what i wanted.
Kick Ass : Surprisingly Violent. Fight scenes were well choreographed. It almost made fun of itself. I can appreciate that. Nic Cage Delivered a surprisingly awesome Adam West- like superhero with a cruel streak for vengeance .
Losers - not so much. I dunno i was a lil disapointed even tho i went in not expecting anything. And found myself laughing at a lot of the serious scenes. It was fun but not as bad ass as the comic. Ah well.

Later that night we went a star gazing. Cardboard towns can be fun sometimes.

International Fooie Day

2010-04-27T10:16:00.005-04:00

30 years ago, in the exotic island of Manhattan, Afua Njoki Richardson was born.

Flash forward to the present Afua ( Friday) Njoki ( Reincarnated) was just that , Burned up and made anew in the country side of the smokey mountains. I, along with Camron and a few members of Randall Carlson's Sacred Geometry class , went on a fantastic retreat on a farm near Ashville North Carolina. I don't do well on long windy road trips with out drinking enough water. So the first night we sleep in the barn she'd converted to a lil loft space i sweated thru. Feeling like i had been pressed in the kidneys and Wrung dry.

I woke up sinfully early just as the run rose up over the hills and walked thru the doorway that lead to the small pasture and stable. The sheep noticed me right away and scurried on.

The Chickens,curious, but the rooster let me know quickly that i was trespassing.The donkey named lil jon and a small two toned two eye colored pony named cotton got cozy after i fed them my apples. ( so adorable)

Randal did an amazing presentation on the stories of the holy grail and how it has manifested in many different cultures , structures and even supplying the scientific evidence of his hypothesized translation which i won't give away, i'll just say its really amazing stuff. I was very inspired.

After which we had a fantastic potluck dinner. My lasagna ninja vanished after one go round. Pretty good if i do say so myself.

The next day we hiked up their mountain to look out over the Appalachian trail towards viking mountain. and a breathtaking view over the hills. Breakfast with farm grown foods and natural spring water , i felt so unmucked by my slightly less city , City of atlanta.

Then after saying our goodbyes we dipped our toes in the ( what i think was the) Chattahoochee river. Got back on the road and made our way back to Atlanta with a new skin, new head and new heart room for the country.

You know, some people may have this sad , sort of disillusioned idea of farmers and people out on the country side as ignorant hicks or folks who just don't understand how the world works and its REALLY not true. Not that i ever thought that as i've known ignorant boobs in the cities of the states. Although i'd never meet anyone who just lived off the land besides my father who was a physics teacher, the folks out here were kind, open minded and progressive. And just have a really beautiful life. I know i would need a few more people and a town a lil closer to me. But i can see how someone could shed that city skin and roll on the hills. Its not exactly a simple life when you think about it. Takng care of animals and growing a lot of what you want as its simpler to not care about where your food comes from and just buy it at the store. Imagine a farm in the middle of your city. How that would change how you saw your environment as you ate your pollutants in a withered tomato.

::breathes in... then out:: happy birthday to me - it was a fantastic weekend - now back to work.

the gift of being

2010-04-22T18:10:00.000-04:00

Forgive my absence , my head has been a lil scattered. Around this time last year was a hard time for me and...without getting into it i'm happy to be standing ( sitting at the moment) here. Alive. Which around this time i was just getting out of the hospital for almost NOT being. I'm going to be better to me. Better to my body. Better to my work. Just Better. Another year older come Sunday and i've never been more happy to be alive. I wonder sometimes where my life might have gone had i taken different choices. But even tho there are people i thought i loved me who are not in my life now, i know those people are not there for a reason. A good one. Some used me to make them feel better about their unwillingness to act by looking as my hardships as validation. Some punished me for dreaming because their's were long and buried, and they couldn't buy them back with all the money in their world. Some simply did me no service in just companionship. While others piggy backed on my endurance. But if not for all of them, good and bad i'd not be here. I'd not learn the lesson. I'd not see the signs. I'd not be doing the great things i'm doing. I'd not have a healthy relationship, fantastic team of managers, best friends and community support. I'd not be Afua. ( i never call myself by my name... its odd really)

Long story cut short. To stand ( sit ) here today, is a fantastic birthday present.
everyday i'm alive is a chance.

Okay Mushy stuff aside i went rockin out at karaoke last night and now i can't speak. Thanks absence of cigarette laws. But it rocked. My roomie Tarkan & his coworkers from Tyler Perry Studios come tear down the house. Awesome guys. Good times. I move into my new place in 8 days and i can say i'm a little sad. It was kind of cramped here but i'm really going to miss it here. : moment of frownage:

::pop::

I'm going camping this weekend. ( 1st time!) Heaven help the city girl in the woods. I thought THIS was the country. I'm a little nervous to see what the folks in the country call the country. citronella and portable jacuzzi~ check.

Am i southern yet? My prognosis says " its in your bones..... just not in your drawl"

Doc Foo ~ out

@

The great Bank Heist

2010-04-14T10:35:00.001-04:00

MSNBC Exposes the Details of the Banking Housing and economic Collapse, the Federal Government's roll in it and how they've been taking our money for years and we didn't even know it in a way that we all can digest. By comparing the fed to the godfather & wall street to con men.

Cheers

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Naked Body Scanners coming to an Airport near you

2010-04-09T10:50:00.001-04:00

Myself and the folks at We are change atlanta put together a video entry for a video protest against the naked body scanners being implemented conveniently the day after the underwear bomber at Christmas.

Downsides:
- An image of you will be uploaded Nude to a government database with your genitalia VERY visible.
- Radiation
- It puts you and even employees of the TSA at risk of a violation of basic rights.

One woman already complained when she accidently walked thru the scanner and her coworker took a photo telling her he loves looking at her big tits. So that will be for you , your daughter your sister your wife your girlfriend to have perverts and not even so much just a crew of men and women looking at your genitals every time you fly.

Pink ELEPHANT COLLECTIVE

2010-03-19T14:49:00.002-04:00

A lil vid coverage of the wall

If that doesnt play for you you can find it on youtube HERE

Show support for the Pink Elephant Collective by

adding us on ,facebook following us on cargo, emailing

your friends and informing yourself about

The 1,000 + Architects and Engineers for 9/11 truth.

ARTICLE:

Pink Elephant Collective on Reality Sandwich

Architects and Engineers for 911 truth website

If you have the time Please watch this crucial film presenting the evidence of explosives in the dust of World Trade Center 1, 2, and 7

Five Oh

2010-03-17T14:54:00.001-04:00

You know - I realize with the comic that i'm doing that one might think that i or the Genius team are anti police or law enforcement. Its not that at all. There are so many Officers, soldiers, volunteers who risk their lives to put on a uniform. Its a BIG sacrifice to be honest. A lot of times Officers are dehumanized. Placed above people because behind their gun or baton or cuffs is the assumption that they have put themselves aside and are holding to their word as truth. But what it also does is place them in a position of service . And we see the worst of people sometimes when others have to work FOR them. We expect them to Do something , save us. find it, FIX it, remove it, protect us. Its what their job is sure. But they are people under there. And like everyone there are people who make mistakes and people who abuse their power.

Also with recruiting , its a lil underhanded how they will say anything to get them to sign up. usually go for high school students who are mortified by college and military recruiters let them know they can be under the safety of some kind of family that pays for their education and gives you security. :/ but at what cost?

Sometimes officers are implementing the will of their superiors who are hounded by officials for results for arrests for augmenting the stats so their term looks better and they will be considered for a promotion.

Funding gets cut. people care less. And others fall thru the cracks till their all just clawing to get by at any cost.

I mean who do you know who runs towards a burning building? a shoot out? that's not instinctual. that's Brave.

I got on this tangent because i was happy to see the local Law enforcement supporting Camron's Pink Elephant campaign that i contributed to this weekend. It was really encouraging. to bad the car was EMPTY ::shrugs:: can't win em all i guess.

My father mother and older sister are in the military or work for a government agency and they've done a lot of good. I'd never make light of their sacrifice by saying all soldiers are blood thirsty meatheads. A few people make it hard for others . Just a reminder not all politicians are crooks. not all bankers are greedy. Not all cops are crooked. not all gents who listen to hip hop are gang bangers.

same principle.

Don't Fall Apart

2010-03-17T13:16:00.000-04:00

Had my bag with my house and mailbox keys, wallet with all ID and credit cards, phone, ipods, camera , charger and favorite pair of fabric boots in there. :; talks to self:: don't lose your head Afua. There's nothng you can do more than you've already done

Jet Fuel & the pink elephant campaign

2010-03-15T16:00:00.001-04:00

This weekend was pretty busy. This last month or so was. I've been trying to straighten me out. Get work done. Fix my kidneys. plan ahead. get ready for a move ( again) in the atlanta area this time.

But Sunday in midtown atlanta's make shift east village called little 5 points, i, along with several others, painted a Mural about the attacks on the united states on September 11th.

Now i know. i KNOW just the term 9/11 has been driven into the ground and you almost don't want to hear about it anymore. But what if i told you the science that supports all three ( yes three) buildings falling is bunk?

Lets talk about JET FUEL: Just science folks.

The maximum flame temperature increase for burning hydrocarbons (jet fuel) in air is about 1000°C—hardly sufficient to melt steel at 1500°C. when temperatures as high as 4000 degrees were found on site as molten steel poured from girders.

9/11 commison report denies that the photo you're looking at even exists. I see it. There's even Video.
And if you don't beleive me how about the firefighters and police who saw it.

The 1st responders and firefighters and Governor Pataki was present in witnessing the fires for WTC 1&2 were burning 3 months after sept 11th. 3 months. That the bodies were pulverized. only 300 complete body parts were found. Out of THOUSANDS of people. no desk. No keyboards. nothing really over the size of a sheet of paper and partially melted girders. I know it was a tall building but every floor wasn't on fire & hit by a place was it? There was DUST. we remember it. those who were there. that dust that had people sick a while. What if i told you that DUST contained explosive materials. That molten steel was found in the footprint of the towers and nano-thermite, a compound used in underwater demolition which has its own oxygen supply ( which means it can melt steel into butter AND keep burning even under water) that according to several thousand architects and engineers demanding a new investigation, there has been no building in history to fall from fire. when buildings with LESS structural support burned for 18 hours with out falling to the ground at free fall speed into its own footprint like a controlled demolition.

I'm not saying the government is evil and trying to kill us all. NO. That's ridiculous to start and I don't have proof of that. but if this were in fact the act of explosives WHY is it left out of the official report? If so many military specialist former CIA FBI agents have left their jobs because of what's happened or even just the denial of these materials that there are video photographs and eyewitness testimony to report... why hasn't the government responded to it? Why cover it up? If alkeda were responsible for demolishing 3 buildings one of which investegations for Enron and several other large corporations were being investigated under ( building 7.. not even next to WTC 1&2) don't you think it would have been vital to let people know that people are capable of placing explosives in high security buildings?

oh yeah - why are we in IRAQ again? just slipped right by us huh.

What's a lil disheartening is that people don't think, if elements of the US government were capable of going to war unjustly by sacrificing its own citizens or even just ignore them in time of crisis ( Katrina) then how expendable are the rest of us? We can choose to ignore it until its your home or your family or loved one that is hurt by it. We can turn off out televisions until its your husband who is layed off because all of your tax dollars are going to haler burton to make planes and bombs and no one can afford to keep their home so banks lose money and get bailed out with your pensions , and savings.

We ignore something like this and we doom ourselves. I'm not asking you to storm the white house. That's stupid. I'm not about violence. I'm about asking questions and having whomever responsible held accountable cuz its obvious men with butcher knives cannot possibly lace a building with high power explosives that the US military uses for demolition. the US has been wrong before. Reagan apologized for japanese detainee camps. Vietnam was ::shakes head:: ridiculous. pearl harbor, was proven to have been possibly avoided. and was allowed to happen. What else are people willing to sacrifice for a reason to waltz into other countries with human life as the currency?

So i painted a wall to get people to start asking questions. What hurts in asking? The reasons to ask are as obvious as a pink elephant in your room. Its kinda ridiculous NOT to see it.

Just saying...

You don't have to take my word. take the word of an architect. No conspiracy theory. Just science. Hardfacts. Eyewitness testimony from fire fighters and police. why would they lie about something like THIS?Architects and Engineers for 9/11 truth website

ART: Genius BOYS ARE MEAN

2010-03-04T18:47:00.002-05:00

Sure they are, But chicks can be cruel. Spiteful and really nasty when they want to be. So lets rephrase People people are mean. or at least they CAN be. They can be many things. But we as people limit ourselves by what we say we can't do. We have all these perimeters of moral and right and wrong and impossible and fate. I can do ANYTHING i want to. Will the outcome be as i anticipate?

not always.

But in the meantime, there is life. Life lead by the reigns of dreams. Are you Driving?

Eve Ensler: Embrace your inner girl | Video on TED.com

2010-02-26T19:58:00.002-05:00

Eve Ensler: Embrace your inner girl | Video on TED.com

For those of you who just WAnt ART CLICK HERE

2010-02-25T21:18:00.003-05:00

Okay - i know i run at the fingers a lot. And sometimes- you just want art. No talks of men with small dongs and weird request who I leave standing with their fedoras in hand or ramblings of how i go to sleep angry planning to protect my kidneys in a fist fight with an insecure 12 year old girl in a grown woman's body. Or even That my best friend hates me or do you care for what song i'm listening to today on the rare chance that i'm not complaining.

Sometimes, You just want art.

And dammit - i intend on giving you that. I present to you

My TUMBLR PAGE

http://afuarichardson.tumblr.com/

I know what you're thinking. Afua- what's with all these pages?? well they've actually already exhisted. i
A- dedicate more time to this cuz i've had it longer and
B- just.. i'm just scatter brained

I am Solar powered

2010-02-25T16:29:00.005-05:00

I"VE STARTED A FLAVOR.ME PAGE! this way you ( and by you i mean ME) can keep track of my twitter, blog, facebook, tumblr, flicker blah blah blah ER or whatever else here's the link: Http://flavors.me/afua it will be Afua Richardson.com Soon.

yay - Thank you to Tim Eneam . My favorite German . yes - more then Beethoven .

You know i'd hate to think that my emotions are swayed with something as simple as sunlight I NEED THE SUN TO LIIIIIIIIIVE . i know i know we all do but i do especially - at least to live happily.

- But i swear i'm 10 times more chummy and positive when the sun's out. My sorrys to all the folks dealing with Snow up north. but i came to the sunny south for a reason ^___^ And well -- sorry London. You get the crap end of the weather stick. You need more native americans. ^___* :: sun dance::

I feel like a plant. I'm vibrant and springy when the sun is shining. God help me when it rains and i turn into a French Noir writer sans the cigarettes and coffee crouched over a grand piano ( my lil keyboard is grand dammit) or bellowing blues over the guitar that i'm not so great at playing. I'm not bad . I'm not good yet tho. One Day i will be Bootsy Collins. maybe with no silver platforms and LSD but i thinki can rock some star glasses and glitter pants.

yes indeed.

I feel like i miss something then i don't catch the sunlight. Not counting a trip to Trader Joes and perhaps checking the mail i'd not been out since....Sunday? Saturday maybe. maybe longer. I'm not too sure anymore . When you don't have a day job days blob together like symbiotic jello wanting to grow and multiply until holidays have passed and you wonder why you're greying.

Jeez - Steven you're right . I Am a bummer hahahah.

Here is a photo from the DaVinci exhibit. when i see classic artist like this i think of my friend Nelson Blake who is at topcow as well. I think if he were alive in those days and race where not so terminal an affair he'd have been a great like Leonardo.
I'll post more when i can change them - gotta get back to work ^___^.

French Frittes

2010-02-24T18:14:00.002-05:00

I thought this was adorable.

The genius Count down

2010-02-22T22:00:00.003-05:00

its comin down to the last few pages -- this last 2 years has been the most insane of my life i think. thank you top cow for being so Patient.

More art

Talk less

Black History Month is the Coldest Coolest Month

2010-02-18T20:05:00.002-05:00

The Art and Artists of AfriCOBRA: An Introduction from AFRICOBRA on Vimeo.

I've noticed that this history of the United states is Betty Crockered. You wont hear about how George Washington Carver was one of the 1st black professors, but also what that MEANS exactly. That his work was so important to the survival of the united states farming industry yet he discredited and his pattens not passed on to his family. Imagine owning the patten to Peanut Butter. I mean really? What that would have done. That would have created an empire of wealth and preservation of history and culture for an African Am family. Instead we have this estranged picture of yesa mastas and jive turkeys and maids and jazz players in small pubs. Its not the only thing we are. As those things were a product of our history too. So groups like this need to be honored. Remembered and seen.

why don't we have August or maybe September as black history month. its Warmer then...no parades...no celebrations.. its too cold.- Maybe i'll start one one day.

I was a lil down for the count with this recovery of my kidney infection. I'm a kerchuggin along. ^__^

I'm not grumpy. Tho my blog sounds incredibly down trodden. I went to the DaVinci Exhibit at the High Museum this weekend.

Art: Genius Sketch: girl Dream Journal: Bees

2010-01-25T12:35:00.007-05:00

Genius art fart:

DREAM JOURNAL: Bees

I dreamt last night that i sat at the edge of a river. Grassy , sunny , billowed with wild flowers. My little sister ,who is much older than the girl i saw in this dream,was across the seemingly shallow river kicking up dadnilions. She blew on them like confetti accross the river where my brother and i sat.

The wind picked up, and it became difficult to see. It was as if her breath and the feather like umbrella shaped seeds of the wild flower came fluttering in our faces like drizzle. I started pulling the seeds from my hair and face. They were a lot bigger than i thought they were. Apparently this was a public park because i ran into the open brick laid bathroom that was several paces away.

My brother and I washed them from our faces and they fell in large clumps and globs.

Bees?

None of them stung us. But i grew frantic. i HATE insects. especially ones crawling on me. They were all over. Some living. Some dead. but all over.

The dream was interrupted ( thankfully) by my boyfriend saying goodnight.

Needless to say i cleaned my room this morning. Not that its incredibly dirty. But you know.. just in case.

Napoleon had bees embroidered on this clothing. The moon is cavernous like a hive in its interior. And is often associated with immortality and resurrection.

For those who don't know , AFUA means friday. or is for a girl born on Friday. ( Kofi is for a boy on Friday and Kwame saturday etc) Njoki ( knee YO key) is my middle name. So it means to do again or to be born again. Kenyan in origin ( afua being Ghanaian) It basically means to be resurrected on a friday or Born on a Friday again.

Just a lil fun fact i guess. its cool having a name with meaning when you're older. as a kid you're kinda stuck with people turning their head sideways or saying things like " that's a funny name" . Anyway it inspired this drawing so

there it be.

Doc Foo - ignition. over n out

Art:Genius 008 meditate Me:centered

2010-01-22T00:48:00.003-05:00

Sometime you've got to re-calibrate. if you only speak negatively you'll only live in the negative. that doesn't mean ignore what's important and hippy love float through life. sure there are things that are going on in the world to get mad and move to france over ( new zealand probably) But a lot of times we'll be mad at things happening to us and we'll be even devastated when we hear the news to know that our problems, however hard are menial in comparison to the tragedy the world is currently facing.

I'm going to be working on a piece to donate to an auction for Haiti. I'l post it when i'm done.

I just know sometimes we get people in our lives to show us ourselves if we're meant to overcome something. When you realize that you'll recenter and look at ourselves ( hopefully). I've got a problem with someone right now. I've got to look at myself and understand that the issue is MINE as well and not just theirs. Because its not just about something they did outright. its THEM. so in cases like that i'd encourage anyone to stop. Take a moment and really think about why they're upset. write it down. and then try and examine if you've A- not put yourself there B- have not been the conjurer of your own ill fate or C - are not staying where you are cuz all you're doing is not hoping. Its like driving a car but not looking at the road or a destination. if you're looking down you should really only crash every few feet. every step of the way. Yes there will be road blocks and traffic. But have a destination in mind and find another route. Don't just be afraid that you'll never get there and not turn that ignition

or be happy with your current location.

then say forget about what you don't want. think about the universe as a giant computer. and the things you say and think manifest like a command on a CPU. You type " I don't want a significant other who is broke and mean" the CPU has to create what you want with Significant other, Mean, and broke. instead maybe ask " Hey universe i want to find someone who i can be happy and healthy and prosperous with"

or " I'm tired of living in a nasty apartment" what DO you want? instead " Hey magic 8 ball of the fates ( or god alias of choice even if you dont belive in god per say you hope dont you?) you got an affordable apartment with new appliances that's cheap and near cool stuff that will be available for rent around the time i'm ready to move?"

get me?

the music you listen to is important too. Its like a mantra. Ironically when i moved here i'd sing " find me a man.. with sensitive eyes, one who understands love is stronger than pride" its the chorus from Toni Braxton's find me a man. something about the instrumentation that reminds me of the morning so i'd play it when i wanted to wake up happy not that i was really lookin I just broke up with someone but. poof - found someone in 2 months.

you see it as real you make it so.

this year is about being better to yourself. You never know if you'll have next time.

Dr.Foo

ghost

Art: Pencil & Ink Sketch Me: Anger Management

2010-01-19T11:12:00.007-05:00

Someone commented on my last post about my anger. You know, I've lived a life where i've taken all my emotions and put them aside for the sake of someone else. When they are usually not as considerate or reserved. More often than not to my detriment. I'd keep it in - let it eat me up from the inside. When anger is sometimes the appropriate responce. what you DO with that anger is important. If you let it RULE you then sure. You're kinda doomed to a life of broken pencils and busted relationships.

But i don't. And in those rare moments where i allow myself the luxury of emotionalism externally i get accused of being" so angry". when actually. I'm kinda happy to alive most of the time. But sometimes - people gotta get yelled at.

" when words don't seem to do the trick. Make sure you hit em 1st and end it quick".. Tom Chacon - folk singer.

Okay -- just a warning -- this is just a rant from here on out -- i dont blame you if you don't read any further than... now
When i get into a heated argument i'll find that i get so kurt and to the bone that someone is often moved to violence. not that i ENCOURAGE them to or taunt them. I just have a razor tongue when I'm pissed. its not a nice thing. but it beats punching someone in the face- tho - that can be the appropriate responce too. rare rare moments tho. If you're in danger by all means pick up that trash can and make your street corner an MMA cage. Defend yourself! don't let some punk a$$ get in your face and push you into a wall. do some push ups on your knuckles and get it done

YEAH __ GIT SOME!

okay okay all 1/2 jokes aside I have a pet peeve. a few to be honest. the obvious ones like Racism and bigotry, ignorance that fuels stereotypes.

But for me personally
A- hypocrites
B- Getting blamed for something that isn't true or i didn't do
C-douchebags who think they can get over just because i'm nice.
D- Posers & Fakers who dislike me for the simple fact that they're insecure
and
E- displacement. getting the back lash of someone else's BS.

It takes a lot to move me to anger to even yelling. But just a healthy dose of what i mentioned above - i'm not fuggin standing for it.

ever.

I usually turn the cheek. be the better person. But that results in getting either hit in that cheek or kick in the back when you walk away. Its not worth the energy 1/2 the time. But some jerk offs think that because you don't show any anger that they can do it again and you're supposed to forgive them.

I do forgive. I just dont forget. I just don't put myself in the situation again. Or in my neighbor's case when they yelled thru the wall for me to shut the fugg-up when they are MEGA inconsiderate at 4 5 and 6am and we haven't called the cops so we can sleep on a weeknight - they got screamed on. Or some jackass calling me with a death threat at 4am because he thinks i'm supposed to love him when he was really shitty to me and i had to call up some military special ops in Missouri --- anyway.
you get my point

I'm actually a person who hid from their anger and didn't allow themselves to get upset by things because i saw how ugly irrational behavior was. NOW - i'm like fuck it - i have a right to be mad - i'm not hurting anyone. And i have a right to speak my mind and not be walked over. Cuz if my point is valid i don't have to yell for someone to know i'm serious. I get kurt and razor sharp. much better than blunt force in my opinion. But when they don't listen and they keep bugging me - guess what.

You're gettin screamed at. cuz nice runs out when you're disrespectful.

With a book like this i have to conjure anger. Its hard for me to relate to her constant rage. But i could when i was younger. I could when i was her age. Old ghost. Rape - abuse - homelessness - a mentally ill mother. low self esteem - low self worth.
Its a lot to be a teenager as it is. hormones surging thru your body. But in a system where we kinda started behind the starting line where 200 years ago we weren't allowed to own our names and were comparable to cattle or furniture and people had equity and property just by being born in a different skin, we're not seeing the aftermath where once "freed" in a system where you were not givin the equal ops and even just on a social level education is not encouraged but by the few who've managed to shift free of the mental sandbags of staying in the ghetto. I mean when you think about it. kids who want to be rappers and basketball players WANT to get out of there. But the only face they see like theirs making it anywhere is decked out with chains and a million dollar contract. plus how can you think about doing anything when everything sucks around you.
We're built on a pyramid of things.

At the bottom Physiological needs air water shelter food etc.

seriously - growing up in harlem most kids favorite food was french fries and they only knew apples were red from pictures and thought green ones were bad. I mean its like liquor store bodega liquor store bar bodega - fruit markets were rare. one could argue its the neighborhood. but all that could be resolved honestly. anyway i dunno about you - but if i eat the wrong things i think the wrong things i have no energy and i crash from sugar rushes. so fruits for me and not like salads everyday but i just explore things. with kids having kids and in all honesty most adults i know don't know hot to cook, we;re so far removed from our food people don't even know where to start.

i could go on but i won't

Next is safety and security. in this comic for this character - right out the window. Any child in the foster system are worse in the system sometimes than the situation they were in. and more often than not have this kill or be killed mentality cuz its a rat race in there. The kids feel unwanted and even if they get foster parents that aren't using them for the money - its hard to just call someone new mom or dad. and more often than not they never do. but some don't get placed. they are just in mental cages like dogs at the pet store and can never feel safe enough to let anyone love them. No outlets for creativity. No one taking any personal interest. Think about what we as people need on a day to day,

Next is love and belongingness

then self esteem

then finally self actualization

if any of those are out of place something above it will slide to fill in that gap. and when you're down and you can't get a way out you're angry.

all the time.

But thankfully. I'm not. I'm grateful to be an artist for a living. Grateful to be given this opportunity.

and grateful i'm learning when not to let people walk all over me.

and shout thru a damn wall when necessary.

Doc out.

Art:Genius 007 GOTCHa

2010-01-16T15:30:00.004-05:00

drawing this book has affected my agression. My neighbors are loud and the walls are cheap and old. 4am parties 12 noon children - top 40's and lame karaoke. screaming sexing and obnoxious voices. So at 3pm on a sunday i'm playing the bass and practicing a few songs and i hear

" that's loud "
(other voice)" That IS loud isn't it"
(Shouting)" SHUT THE F*@k UP" haha
" yeah shuttup"

so i reply

" Bitch i know you aint saying anything to me right now -- you bitches stay partying until 4am ( stomps the floor -- they live next door)- its 3pm in the afternoon and if i wanna play my muther fuggin bass guess what imma do? SAY another fucking word i DARE you say it. FUGGIN say it. I don't wannt hear S#*t from you."

and all was silent. Thank you top cow for sifting out my inner aggression for appropo times.

I've been exhausted this week. i'm not better yet i found out. tried working out and i think i might have really hurt myself. not seriously - i'm just not quite as strong as i thought. need mo vitamins

stat

Dr Foo

outs

Art:Genius 006

2010-01-15T12:02:00.004-05:00

Since i didn't post yesterday -i'll post two today.

I think people assume that I'm working in vectors that I'm just sitting around tracing photos.

not true.. i trace MY drawings and use photo reference for color reference or accuracy --- cuz i'm really going to know what a berretta Px4 storm looks like off hand.... seriously?

Art:Genius 005

2010-01-15T12:00:00.002-05:00

Ghat that fool.

I wonder if i'll get in trouble for sneaking Suge knight in a page... maybe if i don't say anything .. DOH!

Art:Genius

2010-01-13T15:45:00.002-05:00

I promised I'd post more art on my blog so here it is -- there will be fewer and fewer long winded rants about my personal life -- not that they won't exist but i'd rather blog consistently with art rather than spiritually with life. since my life is consumed with art these days. Here it is.

Art:Genius Web:Brush Freebies Music:lil Dragon

2010-01-12T14:54:00.004-05:00

ART:

There is a character from the 1st episode - working backward in this flashback he comes up to Destiny saying something a lil fowl. I wanna make sure he has the most obnoxious kinda colored shirt on as possible - i want it to beharassing. Looking back - i wish i could redraw the 1st issue -- ce lavie...

FREEBIES
Found a cool site that has some illustrator and photoshop brushes -- hey -- i've got no shame -- drawing in illustrator is hard enough to not enjoy the fruits of someone else's vector labor. I make sure they are free for commercial use when i use em on a book. Fun for textures and things so as not to have a mega flat BG.

http://colorburned.com/

Currently Listening to:
Little Dragon AFTER THE RAIN -- i've put it in my lil MP3 player if you feel like buying it.

ART: Genius sketches

2010-01-09T20:35:00.002-05:00

I don't post pencils often. Trying not to be a bum. My thumnails and layouts and pencils might as well be the same thing. I'm pretty messy::shrugs:: maybe its because i dont have an art table to draw on...

Art:Genius/Crafts:holidays/Music:Gadgets/Me:ER

2010-01-08T20:48:00.000-05:00

I'm really happy with the work I've been doing on the book. I'm soon approaching my FAVORITE page in the book. which i'll probably show the least of -- well no i mean if i like it i'll show it... just a piece at a time.

The Holidays went by - costly and jovial. I cooked a crap-ton of food. I went out, armed with garden sheers and a wholefoods bad into the streets, in the middle of wrapping lil gifts. I didn't want to have some gankey lil ribbon to decorate my gifts so i went went ninja into the night, snipping berries - and evergreens. ivy and oldy shaped leaves binging them together in gold and spraypainting them ... screw you hallmark ribbon! i paid 99 cents for the green string and spent a 1/2 hour twing hunting -- pooof -- awesome trimmings.

felt good about it, Made a few cards - didnt send them ontime so i emailed ^__^

New years I went to a wedding. Never dressed up in a ballgown for the new year before but it was a lot more fun than i thought ^__^.

Got a new interface if you don't know what that is... don't worry about it. It just means i'll be posting music soon...yesss.

Had a kidney infection that sent me to the ER in Atlanta. sadly the 17 degree weather sent the city's population of homeless to the county hospital feigning illness so they could have a warm bed. i sat and cried for 18 hours waiting to see a dr for him to tell me what i'd told them when i arrived at 2pm. they were surprised at my education on the matter. that it was sever cystitis. Doing bloodwork they discovered that if a high level of active white blood cells going ape $#*t on the bacteria my levels were at 257 -- i was dying. painfully - like a mule kicking me in my sides. how did it get so bad? well it was me moon time when i thought it had gotten bad and i thought i'd wait til after it passed to see a doc. most places wont see you when you're hemorrhaging naturally . Anyway i passed off dying pains for regular ones until i was doubled over and praying to the cosmos.

But i'm healing up and gettin better.

One day at a Time

The Dr is... ILL.... out too.

neil gaimen. love and stalkers.

2009-12-15T22:17:00.009-05:00

i have to say Chavonne is my favorite character to draw -- i think it shows

"wanna rumble with the B huh? throw a hex on your whole family..."

Went to a book signing Neil Gaiman had in Decatur Georgia.

AWESOME!
NOT AWESOME - the chick didn't wait until he looked in the camera and he kissed me on my cheek ::shrugs:: whatseva

I don't geek out over many people but Neil...::shakes head:: he inspired me as a creator to actually write about the things i'm interested in. Not to cater to an industry but make it. If i want to have stories about the occult then WRITE them. stories about science and religion - write them.

I'm in love -- not with Neil Gaiman.

and love is good when you talk. And communicate. I love my sis sokunthry. to whom i've not spoken to sin a while which has made me incredibly sad but i think all friendships come to these points.

that is all.

THIS IS NOT LOVE: an image from my stalker's blog. a blog entitled FOR FOO

I'm not a big deal. Not like Neil Gaiman but apparently it doesn't make me immune to being stalked. I was a e-quantence with a guy out in St Louis. he said a few fucked up things i told him i never wanted to speak to him again. Perhaps this is what Tim Wise talks about when he means that a system of privilege makes for a dangerous sociopath. A person not use to being rejected, dumped, fired, have no coping mechanisms and blame other people for their own faults. Some are injured or in this gentleman's case, handicapped and made to feel less than a man was then resurrected by his refound ego- cocksure he could save me from my terrible fate by being a lil less fucked than i was when i was in a crappy relationship( the ONE thing my ex was right about-- too much info online leaves you open).. But he read about me from my detail extensive blog which i inda figured i could just share because well we all go thru things. But people still somehow feel alone. So now he's following my friends on twitter and i'm not sure where else. Made a blog and continues to write to me. Not like i ever really go. i just looked a few times to see if he planned to kill me. He called me ( before i changed all my numbers) told me if i didn't call him he'd kill me. Apparently that's not enough for Missouri or Atlanta State police to act. Actually i would have had to have dished out a few hundred bucks for a restraining order.

So i'm going to other suits. no-- not what you think. I'm not calling up Tyrone and Shareef to go and visit him at well 1713 pineberry-mmm well-- you send me a comment that you want his address and i'll email it to you - and i can give you his cell phone number too if you want it. But I'm not encouraging you to. because i'm going to a higher authority than state troopers and cops on a beat who could care less about my being - E-harassed. I'm not even sure what this asshole wants me to do. Talk to a person i don't like? I don't think people think these things thru. they just talk at someone like i'm gonna confess my love to you. a selfish ignorant sublimated love that i don't care if you love me back. I want you to TALK to me even though i know you don't want to. I want you to LOVE me

I'm going to ...well. that would not make it affective will it.

we'll wait and see what they have planned.

if you check the comments in my last post he sent me an i love you -- how funny. I'm not making this up. i dont have the creative spare tire.

Pin Up Books

2009-12-11T13:21:00.003-05:00

ARTSY FARTSY PEEKS @ Genius:

PROJECT PLANS:

I'm contemplating putting out some pin up books prints and posters. I've got a few series in the works after i'm done with Genius.

A few themes I've got in mind are:

Demons & Dieties and illustrated encyclopedia of the gods and their aliases.

Koimaids - Koi fish mermaid pin ups ( should be fun)

Flavors ( i know i know i've started and stoped and started)

Industrious ( robot gals)

I'm kinda putting it out there so i can be held accountable if i don't get started on at least ONE. maybe the Koimaids 1st since the research for the demon book will take some time. Flavors i'm still trying to name 54 flippin fruits and spices n S#*t.

Robot gals i think i actually have the most of. I just have to be a lil more diciplined. i'm not consistent at many things.
But i'm diligent which makes no sense.

NEW BLOG FEATURES:
people ask me all the time what i want for christmas and i never know off hand. So i created a widget with amazon that has all the things i know i'd buy for myself but never ask anyone to get me. so the widget on the side has housewares electronics and music i'd think was rad.

There's a lil ipod overthere too you can kinda browse what i'm into these days. I'll try and put a new one everytime i blog. all kinds of music really.

LISTENIN TO:

Amos Lee " Sweet Pea " & - jack johnsony - cute lil song.
Yesterday's mew Quintet " Sun Godess" - vibey cover . good drawing music.

Koimaid

2009-11-23T13:36:00.003-05:00

I Don't know if i ever mentioned it. But My koimaid made it to japan before i did. The Kyoto gallery show in japan featured giant sized versions of my artwork last year and its in a few magazines around like Discounder world and another i'm a bum and can't remember. but i dont think i ever post this anywhere so here ya go. i dont have favorites of my work. but i think if i did - this would be it -- when i get off my art bum and get things done i'll do a series of these.

Pandemic

2009-11-13T12:27:00.005-05:00

Without warning the world has been faced with a pandemic flu. A flu that we've seen before. tho I'm curious as to why its not been given a different name. But that's neither here nor there.

Stats
- 22 million confirmed cases in the US

- there are approximately over 6000 world wide cases of death associated with having the H1N1 virus.
3900 cases here in the united states.
540 of them children.

What is scary about this is that its affecting a different demographic. people ages 25 and under.

on average 35,000 (approx) people die from the flu every year. Most of those people are elderly or infants. This is a little different. but as with anything there are 2 sides of flu and 2 sides of this vaccine.

they report 3900 deaths from the H1N1 flu - how much of that is averaged into their normal count of death from the flu in general? Why is this vaccine being pushed so quickly into the market with out proper testing?

IS IT SAFE?

As with every vaccine, there are possible side effects. Those with sensitivity to eggs should consult their doctor about the Risk. but there ARE risk. some individuals don't respond well to the vaccine. I'd imagine someone would use common sense when considering the vaccine. Not getting it just to get it. If you're sick or your child is sick or in an area where someone is sick then yes - i can understand you feel the need to go and protect yourself and your family. But know what you're getting might not be for YOU. The small side effects are numbness in your arm. headaches. fever. but some are more sever and if you're willing to roll the dice on eithe decision you choose it should be your choice.

The FDA & the CDC are backing the vaccine but not really mentioning the possibilities of death, heart attack and Guillain-Barre syndrome . A debilitating side effect that people aren't being made aware of. Now - granted, if treated soon, then there is a possibility of full recovery. But in some cases people will be crippled and suffer neurological damage for life. If you feel, that the risk is worth it to you then fine. You do what you will. But also the other components are potentially hazardous as well.

I think what isn't happening is people taking things into consideration. If you are sick - then go to a doctor. Understand that this flu isn't like the normal strand of flu. Some people can recover with out a vaccine and some people DIE. so remove your children from infecting other kids and take them to a Doctor. Or go to a Dr if you think you have the flu. People are over exerting themselves and think - well i'll get over it. The 13 year old canadian child who died from the H1N1 was Evan Frustaglio . Who collapsed while playing Hockey. he was playing Hockey with the flu. In the face of a pandemic. now i know - what does one do? Not go to work take their kid out of school pay for a baby sitter take an unpaid sick day? YES. this is your life at risk. If you notice the televised cases of those who died where those who were sick and exerting themselves. The soldier tho collapsed in Fort Dix in 1976 being the 1st confirmed death of the H1N1 in the united states was in bed and told to go on a MANDATORY MARCH. he over exerted himself and it wasn't treated like a serious virus and he died.

read the article here about Evan here:
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2174408

WHY ISN't IT Totally safe??

Me personally, I don't TRUST it. The makers of the vaccine won't take it. there is an ingredient that the FDA is even saying that Thimerosol, the mercury containing organic compound used since the 1930's in vaccines drug products as a preservative.is raising concern about the neurological damage that it may cause in some users. Especially infants who in the 1st 3 years of development are especially susceptible to damage from mercury exposure. There are talks of Autism and brain damage but none of those are confirmed. Though if you researched the causes of autism - it has a lot to do with Genetics. and a large combination of things but exposure to mercury and other potentially altering and debilitating compounds are present in these vaccines . And if they weren't a concern then the FDA would not being trying to remove it. Google it -- they are. They don't want to be held accountable.

But in 1976 there was a Swine Flu "outbreak" with no confirmed world cases. and 5 cases of US soldiers and one death. Granted, one death is too many. Especially when its your child. This video has an interview with the head of the CDC at the time. Where he says he didn't know if the X53 vaccine was tested.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33845867/ns/health-cold_and_flu/

Web MD says:
... flu vaccines cause mild but common reactions. About one in three people get a sore arm from the shot, some with a little redness or even swelling. Some 10% to 15% of people feel tired or get a headache; some may even run a low fever.

And vaccines can trigger rare but serious reactions, even among people with no apparent allergies or sensitivities.

Granted - 1 out of every 100,000 people will have adverse reactions to this vaccine. I'm just not willing to be that ONE.

On political end - i feel like its just really convenient. We're in a war we can't afford. And the share holders of the pharmaceutical companies stand to benefit. every pandemic scare generates millions of dollars in revenue. Its just reeeeeally timed you know?

I'm just sayin -- I'm not gonna just roll over and accept what any ONE thing says. My sister took the H1N1 vaccine at the suggestion of her GN. Her co-worker's daughter had H1N1. I don't condemn her for it. She's just fine. And hopefully so is her soon to be born baby. but some people aren't fine. And we just need to be made aware. I usually don't speak about the things that i believe in i was tellin Sok. What i believe may not be what someone else feels is right. But i won't be told i'm misinformed because i'm not just agreeing with what a government agency says. And they're saying its totally safe and its not true. Or they play down the risks which is just as bad as misinforming someone. When its clear that there is more to it than just some conspiracy theory scare. I dont wanna die from the flu - -no one does. but i dont wanna be forced to take a vaccine and with these scare tactics and making stats a lot more scary than they really are then what will happen is that they will pass legislation that will allow a mandatory vaccine. A woman at Emory College was told if she didn't take the H1N1 vaccine she'd be fired. Motions are being made in Massachusetts and Georgia while we sleep to make this NOt our choice. Its hard to talk about choice when you affect other people. Which is why this is so complicated.

this country is capable of amazing and terrible things. And it takes a while but sometimes legislation can say " we were wrong"

like for example:

Al Franken, newly appointed State Senator's 1st act of business was to pass a bill that says the US will NOT do business with private contractors that have "rape clauses" in their employee contracts. HallerBurton/KBG was one of them. and a few years ago a woman was raped by men while workin on contract in Iraq. and HB employee assaulted by HB employees. her case was thrown out. Her medical records gone. No justice to her. none. a 19 year old woman. - fired.

ABC reports:
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=3977702&page=1

In 1942 during WW2 animosity with the japanese had become so sever that approximately 120,00 AMERICANS in the pasific west coast with japanese decent ( 62% citizens) were relocated to what was called Interment camps. they were forced to stay there.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_American_internment

Ronald Regan when in office made a formal apology for the actions of the US government on its citizens.

sometimes the US messes up. Sometimes it hypes up things and they don't know the whole story. This war. This pandemic.
But i'm making an informed decision. last point. Take birth control pills. with most forms of Contraceptives you run the risk of blood clots heart attack or stroke. i know those risk going into my decision to take them. But at least i know them.

I'm just making my decision. You make yours.

My 1st DC comics gig

2009-11-10T14:45:00.006-05:00

ARTSY FARTSY SNEAK PEAKS:

this has to be my favorite panel on the page ^__^

DC COMICS- yaaaaaay. got an email from a DC editor i met at a NY convention through Comic book artist extraordinaire Chris Cross and writer David Atchison last year. Since i was busy with Genius I couldn't do more than a quick strip and did a page with writer Steve Horton for this year's Holiday Special Edition Book DC outs out annually i presume. In Stores December 9th. I'm on page 49-- yay!

LIFE FLUFF:
I've got a schedule! Imagine that? Making myself accountable for my time.
Last week's time was distributed between trying to get heat & hot water in my apartment while shivering over my wacom tablet and massacring pages for Genius. Needless to say i didn't turn any in last week. My irretainment for week was on repeat as it lasted for 7 days of no Internet 5 days of no heat and hot water. For a black person that's murderous conditions. But i made do.

I went to Maryland to my big sis's baby shower and left the camera battery at her house.::smh:: I'm so bad when some one's yelling over my shoulder " we have to go we have to go" i never remember what was looking for . Ah well. I got a great pick of my nephew. I'll upload later

You know - A person spends a lot of time thinking about the things they THINK they should be doing. Or Sweating the small stuff. ( ha thanks for that book sis) Or even sweating stuff in general. I mean the solutions are there. Do we find comfort in the drama? Or giving us a reason to complain as to why we cant do something and make it a valid excuse not to live. It creates a whirlwind of negative. Which we're all guilty of being swept up in. But we complain about ti and not look for a solution.

" Say what you want. not what you don't what - you know that already " - Nelson blake

People confuse me sometimes. Take this fool out in -- -well where ever he's from. He didn't know me. Met me online. Was really nice - but a lil too forward. but really just a prick enough to negate anything he'd done that WAS nice. Calling me a freak or a bitch when i didnt want to tell him my personal business. As if i was supposed to just becasue i have a public blog. - jerk.

He Was really just mentally ILL and i didnt see it. We're all a lil strung in one way or another. I know i'm not perfect picture of stability but i recognize where i have to improve and not shift blame of other people for my past - my mistakes and i'm trying to OWN UP. I don't know - perhaps it was being in a not so nice relationship for so long i didn't recognize another abuser when they came along throwing fist from the mouth. I didn't want to be his verbal poo bag anymore so i tell him to bugger off and now he's sending messages on my blog adding my friends on facebook to follow me n sh*t. But the worse part is - he's making it sound like something is wrong with ME. He thinks he's sending me these messages and it makes me angry. I don't care. I just delete them once i see who its from reading a few lines in. Like meh -- go find someone else to blame your sorrows on.

What makes me angry (sorta - cuz i've got important things and people to care for) is that he's saying things like i forgive you. As if I'VE done something wrong. I don't understand it. perhaps its my fault. Its a lot like children i suppose. When you allow someone to do something - you set the standard. and then you reprimand them for it later when they didn't listen the 1st 20 times. they get confused. Spank the hand when they do it the time after they didn't listen and you won't have to repeat yourself. If he posts anything else i'll publish it. Just so you see how insane it looks. sad really - grown ass man following someone around he doesn't even know. Get a hobby.

simple as that.

You only get treated how you ALLOW yourself to be treated. certainly there are accidents abusers and so on. But i decided you know what - life is hard. I don't have to make it harder by ALLOWING people who just do a disservice ( i use that word a lot these days) to my well being. I'm about getting better. Not wallowing in a sea of Woe is mees. Seriously? I can't swim. So i'm building a raft and taking lessons. But i'm not throwing myself in the water to play drown victim. And i'm certainly not tolerating people who have proven themselves to be harmful. I don't give a shit about where they're from or what happened to them. Sh*t happened to me and you know what??? Its no body else's fault.... is it? :: does face that you'd expect from a blackgirl"

Some people don't know when to let go and live already. can't walk down a street backward eh?

Got things to Draw

lates

GEEK FEED

anime: Trava Fist planet. seriously awesome ridiculously exaggerated. heavy blacks look incredible. eye candy for sure. i know -- i'm a big kid

Watch Afua on Jimmy Fallon w/ Har Mar Superstar(video)

2009-10-29T08:38:00.006-04:00

I know a lot of people can't stay up that late - i know i sure couldn't. But check it out. I had a wonderful time with Har Mar Superstar. he's brilliant, infectiously funny and a phenominal performer. he's been writing pop hits foreva. And i hope to get the chance to rock a stage with him again one day soon.

Apparently, Har Mar Superstar's performance was lighting up google searches Tuesday night as the most googly searched hot topic.... rad.

The Studio:

The band Room:

MAKE UP ( thx Kim)

The Crew:

I also rocked it out @ the Williamsburg Music Hall and the Mercury lounge. I mean , i'm in NY, they paid my way here- they're super fun the band is comprised of sweethearts ( Dever on Bass, Jeff (catfish) on guitar Will on Drums Adam Green on BG - sang on adam's album a few years ago) who's personalities fit in storybook slots of awesome and awesomER.) It was a pleasure for me to work and chat and perform in my city with them. Even George and their label guys was kick ass. how great must it be to have people around you that not only have you best interest in mind but also ones you can f*ck around with. laugh it up. do business and tink glasses with.

choice!

Before the show i hung out at Pala- this AWESOME italian eatery on Allen ( 1st ave) and Houston right near the rockwood music hall. I hung with my good buddy and former co-host of The actionroom Tony Wolf - who's booming voice i'm planning on using for my upcoming cartoon series ( shh) Along with the show's producer Mike Turney. My Soul cousins: Clarence Anthony Morris , Baldwin from Mada Design, Jonatan Lulov, and Demetrius Felder, ( who later came to the show and the label guys were like - Afua - your friends added so much energy! Its like you PAID those guys to be there) who i thank for sharing pizza and good times with. Love you guys. Great to see you as always.

It was great to be home. I'll say, it was strange to come back to the city. It felt like it was Odd to see the dynamic. The south where everyone says hello but will hang out together in common shades. But NY no one cares but they sit next to one another in the same place but wont say a word to one another nor do they care what color you are just as long as you're not in their way or tryin to sham em.

I got the gig thru Adam Green's manager, who asked if i was available and i was trying to pass it off to other people since i wasn't in the city. But I missed Sok terribly the day before i decided to go. she had mailed me my jacket i'd left at her house and perhaps i hugged the packed hard enough for the twitterverse to hear me but i made coming to NY happen. And it was just what i needed.
To know home is not that far away. To know if i plan ahead Ican make a trip home. And that I've got a lot of work to do. Superexcited. We'll -- off to work!

xo

Dr Foo out.

the show is funny, gotta check it out. William Dafoe ,Tim Gunn( Who said i looked fabulous) were delightlful. Har Mar's performance is the last chapter of the vid if you dont have time to watch the whole show and you just wanna check out my gold shiny tights. Yes-- i styled myself (hahaha)

Thanks Tim Enaem for this Pic ^__^:

VID VID:

Har Mar Superstar Performs "Tall Boy" on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" - 10/26/2009 from Patrick Tillmann on Vimeo.

Afua on Jimmy Fallon Monday nite w/ Har Mar SuperStar

2009-10-25T03:49:00.007-04:00

As if i didnt have enough to do lol. (but i did it to myself cuz this is kinda cool)

I've got my 1st gig with DC ( one page -- promise) - a trip to LA in limbo - The book I'm doing with Top Cow. deciding weather to stay in Atlanta or not and now.....drum roll.

AFUA IS BACKING UP HAR MAR SUPERSTAR ON JIMMY FALLON MONDAY NITE! tune in and watch.

Har Mar is awesome.. like seriously. hey i'm a lil home sick its nice to go back to the apple even for a few days. see my sis. and plus -- yeah -- Har Mar kicks butt for real and for play . fun stuff . watch:

But hey. I've got a great op and a great week ahead and a really awesome BF i'll be winking at. he's out Rollarskating while i stay home and pack. wah. I'm missing a Roller Rave. boo hoo hoo :( i miss rollar skates... reminds me of my dad. who i recently found out use to dance on roller skates...rad... but it would have been fun to hang with Camron tonite. a lil bummed about not being there but well -- i've got a few things to do. to say the least. I fly out tomorrow and its 4am-- guess i gets no sleep. I'm a wuss. I miss em already and i'm not even gone yet....

I'm glad i came to atlanta for many reasons but i hate being broke. And i have to be gentle with myself. Kinda wen thru a big ordeal and i kinda forced myself to pretend everything was okay. Took on other people's issues. So i just need to think about me and say look. im not responsible for ANYONE but me. i don't owe anyone anything cuz they thing about them and i think about them - no one thinks about me. Even when they say they do -- they just want me to join in their misery or make them feel needed by taking theirs well sans my dad and my sisters and my bf cam - sure but you know what i mean. i just - i've gotta speak my mind. not take no shit.

That Joy Jones song i posted yesterday makes me happy. it reminds me when hip hop was new and conscious. But feels like telepomusik. even tho its sad. i dunno - i just like it.

gotta make some hard decisions regarding music. Ones i really don't want to make. But i gotta make em. no matter how hard this is. Cuz shit is kinda ridiculous. I'm here for no reason feels like and i gotta just make a few simple decisions and fix it.

end of story.

but nothing is ever simple...

gonna head out a few days. i'l try n blog from the road but worse case i'll just take pics and hit yall up when i get back. hense the photo bombard.

went to see Nine -- loved the arcade prebuzz. i game serious. sorry for the grimace. s#*t is real. lol

WHAT I"M LISTENING TO:

myself actually. sorry i can't share yet... yes i suck. for not sharing that is. ha <-- pretentious.

FOTO FOTO:
Atlanta's fall brings about a bi polar rain muggy season. not NY muggy -- just cloudy. And with that.. Mushrooms. saw these on the road near someone's yard. Insane.

one -

Over

2009-10-24T00:38:00.002-04:00

Iman Williams sent this to me -- love it love it. a lil tribe called quest electric relaxation interpalation. i totally miscalled the sample. but its ok

i'm running on fumes

so tired. was up akll night till the witchin hours writing for a commercial spot...so....tired.. i bed now -- yes bed a verb -- i fold up my legs and cover myself in sheets and pillows

call me Serta

the Dr is out ----of commision

WHAT I'm LISTENING TO

Zombie West

2009-10-21T09:30:00.007-04:00

the Dr is in.. and KANYE IS NOT DEAD but a mic eating zombie...

ART JUNKS:
i finished up that figure i did yesterday -- i was so heated when illustrator ATE my page -- I've GOT to invest in a external so when then comp crashes for whatever reason the actual file is saved somewhere else. -- next paycheck TERABYTE. The blending tool in illustrator is a dream, not just for allocating even spaced symbols but are actual bending - better than gradients. i'll do a tutorial one day

LIFE FLUFF:
I'm trading a logo design for a massage session for a month starting Saturday and 4 Saturdays to follow with a young lady ironically named Ekua. As if the universe was telling to me heal myself in signs and like names ( new age mania!)
My hips have been giving me problems and perhaps i am in need of a new mattress. In time in time.

I'm setting up a progress chart in google docs so i can keep better track of my work and my time in a day. I'm in need of a new Dry erase board so i can look up and make myself accountable. But what the boards and charts serve is a lil window into what i do on a day to day. I'll use ical to keep track too. so if ever i need to look back at when i did what i can do that. perhaps Ill get the dry erase board and just load up ical the next morning so I'm not spending brain functioning hours on data entry.

I'm in need of separation. My work space is a few ft from my bed. With the return of my laptop it makes me able to do research or fill in said chart in the living room instead of huddled at a tiny blue desk and sit on my bed as a "change of scenery".

I'm also working on manifestation. I'm asking for the things i WANT. As my good friend Nelson Blake said once, Don't tell me what's wrong with you - tell me what's right with you. Don't tell me what you don't want - you know that already. Say what you want. and focus on that. The head is the leader of the body. you look in a direction your body will follow. So I'm looking at what I want. And trying not to B*tc# about what i don't.

i want a pony

lies

I want speakers..... studio monitors to be exact.

lets see::rubs magic genie hands together. Off to live.
later gaters

ooh Post Script -- being lazy and not wanting to Delete. I'm writing new songs. Ill post video soon. I'm making playlist to learn new songs on bass and maybe just acapella (sp?) vids too. I've just been so busy with you knnow -- attempts to scrounge money to EAT that song writing has become a luxury i can't afford. But things are looking up as i'm catching up on work.

I have to be Gentle to myself. I went thru a great ordeal earlier this year. I can't expect myself to just be on point- but i DO have to be accountable. Finishing things really helps the ol ego ( and the wallet)

okay

bye this time for real

WHAT I"M LISTENING TO:

damn you kings of leon -- your song was dope and is now played out...... but Still Dope. unless you're living in a box you've heard this song..

::WISH LIST!::
CREATIVE RECREATION HAS BEEN KILLING ME wil their hightops. i know its a lil retro 90's but these are super cool.

I think i'll draw these sneakers on the girl with the yellow shirt i did yesterday

Things will look up when i decide they will

2009-10-19T22:25:00.012-04:00

Just a few Peeks at "Genius" - stuff I'm doing for Top cow -- I've got to invest in an external Drive -- If my comp crashes ( with power surges and used computers it always does) it reverts an image back to the previously opened version -- before you restrted your computer -- so i lost a page --- a WHOLE page -- but its totally coming out waaaay better than the last one... thank goodness:

I've been spending time with some kids at a shelter and hope center ( i just called it that just now) named City of Refuge. These are bright - energetic - brilliant - talented kids. Just hard times have them there. so i met with them to talk to them about what inspires them to figure out what to put on a wall they can participate in. they were shy at 1st. but we got em out of their shell.

But besides the possibility of a gig -- i mean i don't even care about the money -- i just really connected with those girls -- like my little sisters! just to share with them like "hey -- it doesn't matter WHERE you're from - its where you see yourself going" i wanna try to see if i can come by at least once a week with camron. ^__^
i'm gonna hang with them at the museum this thursday and i can't wait.

i've been a lil down -- it comes and goes -- times are just in transition -- but my sis said something to me " Afua - you're life is always like that .." and then i was like -- yeah -- you know what -- you're right -- cuz its all i talk about -- i need to talk about what i WANT and not what i dont want.

and it will turn around.

The Birds the Bees and the Mosquitoes

2009-10-12T19:18:00.005-04:00

got bit up like a buffet this weekend by mosquitoes - i think i have a rare blood type NYer positive haha-- not funny

I readjusted the Feng shui in my room according to a Bagua chart. just maximize my space and the energy in my room to help it be a better work space. I've found myself being bogged down with what to do thoughts and just not getting as much done as i should. Thinking instead of doing.

i miss my friends. i mean i make friends easy -- but i miss my sis and i'm a lil home sick. i miss my god daughter and skinny white brother. my burley friends. my apple. ooof. i'm tired these days. I think i'm gonna reconsider partnerships and things that dont do me any -- well no - i should say things that dont make me happy.

yeah.

grumble grumble -- i need to go n get my sweaters - its getting cold.

Listening to:

THE BIRD AND THE BEE:

Cool tutorial : blend tool Adobe illustrator

2009-10-08T10:22:00.000-04:00