Jackson Free Press stories: Arthttps://jacksonfreepress.com/news/art/Jackson Free Press stories: Arten-usTue, 18 Jan 2022 12:21:22 -0600‘We Back Laughing’: RaDeazy Herrin Drive Brings Comedy to Picayunehttps://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2022/jan/18/we-back-laughing-radeazy-herrin-drive-brings-comed/

Editor's Note: This story has been edited to account for events that have occurred since this article's original publication at the Mississippi Free Press.

Radale Brumfield, better known to most by his stage name RaDeazy Herrin Drive, steps through the back door of the auditorium. The lights dim as he begins dancing down the aisle, pausing to hug a fan and to high-five another. As he reaches the stage, he performs a few steps of the electric slide before turning to the band and cuing them to cut the music.

It’s showtime.

Moments later, the hip-hop artist introduces himself, the show and the opening performer—all while using his role as host to keep the audience engaged, which he describes as key for any show.

“I bring the energy,” Brumfield said. “When I come in, I make sure that even if you don’t want to stand up. You are going to stand up. It’s funny, and it’s all fun.”

“RaDeazy” brought laughter to the stage again on Saturday, Jan. 15, with the “We Back Laughing New Year’s Comedy Show” at The Grand Theatre (217 S. Curran Ave.) in Picayune. The show was the first that Brumfield’s company, Herrin Drive Entertainment, has put on since October 2021, when the artist and promoter opted to take some time off from organizing events to strategize and leave his fans wanting more.

“I called it the ‘We Back Laughing New Year’s Comedy Show’ because it’s been (since) Oct. 16 (that) we had one,” he said in an interview prior to the event. “I think the timing is perfect because New Year’s opened with a lot of drastic things that happened, and people are going to be looking for this laugh. People are going to need this laugh.”

Featured comedians included Whodi, Tekesha “TK” Fairley, Bumpy G and Spunky Robinson. Hip-hop artist MTB Kwik Cutta provided musical entertainment.

“These particular comedians on this roster are ones that have performed in my other shows over the six years,” Brumfield said. “I went back and selected ones that I knew were going to open the new year right.”

Robinson, the show’s headliner, has been a full-time comedian for nine years. Saturday was his third show with HDE. He says he returns each time because of the professionalism that both the show and its organizer exhibit.

“RaDeazy puts on a great comedy show,” Robinson said. “The crowd is great, and they receive me well. I have fun every time.”

The Miami native’s set focuses on real-life scenarios that borrow from romantic and familial relationships.

“You are going to have an exciting time,” he said. “I don’t just tell jokes. I am an entertainer, and I make sure everyone in the room has a great time with me. I’m going to bring you into my world for 45 minutes to an hour and make you see some things that you haven’t thought about.”

Picayune, the New Hollywood

Brumfield first came up with the idea of hosting comedy shows himself after another organizer invited him to host one in Jackson, Miss., in 2015. The recording artist had never attended a comedy show beforehand, but as he sang from his musical catalog, he realized that the atmosphere felt quite different from the concerts that he had been presenting.

“The guests were sitting down actually watching. When you perform at a club, everyone is walking around, talking, going to the bar, or on the phone,” he recalls. “At the comedy show the love was different. Everyone had a chance to sit down, and they just listened.”

Inspired, Brumfield spent the next year traveling to comedy shows, listening to different artists and recruiting a roster of talent, culminating in his first show, “The Experience,” in June 2016.

“That one performance was a life-changer for me. My dream always was to bring the lights to Picayune,” he says. “It was just about trying something, and ‘The Experience’ led to 40 more shows.”

In the nearly six years since “The Experience,” HDE’s shows have increased in popularity, with artists and comedians approaching the company rather than the other way around, which has opened the doors for bigger and more impressive events in areas like Hattiesburg, Miss.; Slidell, La.; Jackson, Miss.; and along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

However, HDE continues to host the majority of its shows in Brumfield’s hometown of Picayune, bringing artists from Texas, Alabama, South Carolina and California to the small Mississippi town.

“I want to make Picayune the new Hollywood,” he says. “I don’t have to go anywhere else to make a name for myself. I’m going to have great shows right here (at home). I’m going to stay consistent and stay in Picayune.”

“We Back Laughing,” which marks HDE’s 42nd show, also took place in Picayune, adding to Brumfield’s goal of making Picayune a more prevalent location for talent to perform.

Brumfield grew up on Picayune’s Herrin Drive, a name he incorporated into his public persona as RaDeazy and into his entertainment company. His grandmother founded a gospel-music group with her 11 children called the Brumfield Gospel Singers. The group traveled across Mississippi to sing in churches and gospel programs, and they often held practices at Brumfield’s home, which he shared with his mother, father and four sisters.

“Growing up with a spiritual background is what makes me humble today,” he said. “The Lord has been blessing me through the journey to just meet people through laughter. I’ve met thousands of people.”

These years both introduced Brumfield to the music scene and taught him that entertainment carries power and can be a necessity.

“I feel like laughter can save lives,” he said. “I meet people after the comedy show who say, ‘Aww man. I was going through something, and I needed this laugh.’ Those comments right there are why I’m still doing it.”

To find more information on Herrin Drive Entertainment and upcoming shows, visit HDE.life. Videos of past shows can be found on RaDeazy Herrin Drive’s YouTube channel. Follow RaDeazy to keep up with his musical career or HDE’s upcoming shows on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

This story originally appeared in the Mississippi Free Press. The Mississippi Free Press is a statewide nonprofit news outlet that provides most of its stories free to other media outlets to republish. Write shaye@mississippifreepress.org for information.

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Torsheta Jackson, Mississippi Free PressTue, 18 Jan 2022 12:21:22 -0600https://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2022/jan/18/we-back-laughing-radeazy-herrin-drive-brings-comed/
Galey’s Pictures Prompt ‘Adventures in the Imagination’ at The MAXhttps://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2021/dec/09/galeys-pictures-prompt-adventures-imagination-max/

Even the standalone illustrations from Chuck Galey spark stories, igniting the imagination with a crackling warmth of character, narrative and action.

“Adventures in the Imagination: Chuck Galey,” a new exhibition available at The Music + Arts Experience (The MAX) in Meridian through March 12, puts a retrospective of the Jackson illustrator’s artwork on display. Its start, in particular, suits a storybook season often focused on children.

In the building Galey describes as a “cathedral to Mississippi talent,” Galey’s art injects a winsome note, as illustrations from children’s books “Jazz Cats” and “Rock ’n’ Roll Dogs” (Pelican Publishing, 2001 and 2006, respectively, author David Davis) dance across a rotunda wall with imaginary musical abandon.

“They’re not like your pets at home. They dress nicely, these cats,” Galey quips.

Galey’s “Kenzi at Christmas” embraces the holiday as tightly as little Kenzi hugs her big gift with a smile so contented, it must be the perfect present for a loved one. Sprung from his sketchbook, Kenzi has evolved over the past two years, and may not be done yet. “It surprises me how much people love Kenzi,” her creator says of the little girl in holly leggings and a big red beret. “She’s going to be in a story, I’ve got a feeling.”

In a different illustration, a pup gaily pulls another little girl past a door by its leash. The next depicts a slouching, soda-slurping boy keeping pace with his own pooch, and heading toward mischief by the look of it.

“I think it’s fun,” MAX curator Stacey Peralta says of the show. “It’s an opportunity to spend time with a child in a setting you don’t automatically think of.” It’s an invitation, too, for viewers to bring their own experiences and imaginations into play, fleshing out plots for the pictures at hand.

For Galey, a career illustrator, working more kids into his drawings is a new direction that’s evoking more responses and helping connect his art with friends and viewers, as well as an art director in a portfolio review. “I’m beginning to do more and more of those,” Galey says.

His other artworks elicit smiles, too, such as the whale with a tiny top hat and a big bouquet, which Galey created after visiting Saltillo Elementary School and seeing a student’s sketch; a rat tricked out in buccaneer’s gear and charmingly titled “Cheesebeard the Pirate”; and “Gerboa, the Australian Mouse,” whose guitar-in-hand, hoedown stance practically sings a bluegrass song on the spot.

The exhibition’s illustrations include acrylic, watercolor/pen and ink, and digital works. “I’ve moved back toward traditional watercolor, because … clearly, they have more appeal; they have more spontaneity,” Galey says. “They have more light to them, more energy to them.

“The authenticity of the art and the connectivity need to exude off that page,” he says. His characters on the pages on display at The MAX—even those loose from their published tales—carry that intended appeal and energy with them.

At 67, with 37 years of freelance illustrating experience under his belt, Galey is now at work crafting his own manuscripts to submit. “I began to edit another person’s manuscript while laying out a book, because the pacing wasn’t right,” he says, chuckling. His next thought: “I can do this.” While learning to write has been a challenging journey for the trained artist, his goal is clear—he wants to be “a complete package.”

“The breakout book has not come along, yet,” he notes. But he’s staying on the path, writing and sending manuscripts off, getting “really good (constructive) rejections,” and learning more with each. “So, it’s all worthwhile,” he surmises. His Kenzi illustration took on a life of her own, he says, gathering plenty of unsolicited compliments. “There may be something there,” he has heard.

Born in Greenwood, Galey gamely credits the flat landscape of the Delta as a canvas that begged for additional visual interest. Long-winded Sunday sermons from his Baptist preacher, too, provided room for ideas to blossom onto the church bulletin his dad handed him, along with a pencil, to keep him quiet in church.

He graduated from Mississippi State University in 1978 and worked as an art director at ad agencies and a state agency before venturing out on his own as a freelance illustrator in 1985.

Children’s books, devoured along with his son, Sean (now grown), captivated him. “I remember when Sean was 4, reading bedtime stories, and he looked up at me and said, ‘Will I know words when I grow up?’” Galey heard something profound in that sweet sentiment. He’d tired of advertising and the short shelf life of his creations in that field.

“I guess I wanted to do something a little more worthwhile,” he says. “What could be better than to illustrate and write for children? To encourage them to enjoy reading, which would mean, hopefully, that they would become lifelong readers—which, in my opinion, make them better citizens.”

He’s illustrated more than 50 books for educational publishers around the country and created covers for Beverly Cleary’s “Ribsy” and “Henry Huggins” books, as well as R.L. Stine’s “Fear Street” series for Recorded Books Inc. Illustrating picture books remains his favorite project. Among his books is “A Special Visitor Comes to Possum Ridge” (Mississippi Department of Archives & History), in which he adapted and illustrated an original story that Elizabeth Coleman wrote. Galey is also on the Mississippi Arts Commission’s artist and teaching artist rosters.

Galey traces a line of influences that travels from England’s Edward Lear and Beatrix Potter, through Meridian-born Edgar Parker, who moved to New York to study, taught at the School of Visual Arts there, and created detailed, whimsical graphite illustrations as a writer and illustrator of children’s literature that also engaged adults.

Connect the dots to the anthropomorphic fun in a Galey character such as that jamboree-juiced gerboa. “You can see this connection between whimsy and humor and just the imagination that you pump into these characters,” he says.

At the exhibition opening at The MAX on Nov. 23, dozens gathered in support and appreciation of the illustrator. The Coleman Warner family sponsored the exhibition “In trying to support the cause of children’s literature, it excited me that the museum could connect with this artist and that field,” Warner, development director at The MAX, says.

Galey’s Greenwood roots and his links with Pelican Publishing of New Orleans and children’s literature resonated with Warner. His wife, Cindy, is a retired public-school teacher. They spent most of their careers in New Orleans and are new grandparents. Their granddaughter Savannah, who lives in New Orleans, is the special “jazz cat” referenced in the exhibition intro on The MAX’s website.

“I’m so glad they did this,” Ellen Ruffin says. Curator of the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection at the University of Southern Mississippi and “a Chuck fan and friend,” Ruffin admires Galey’s changing color palettes, the characters and the “dreamy” quality in illustrations such as his “Wynken, Blynken & Nod,” based on a favorite nursery rhyme.

“What I love is that Chuck continues to grow,” Ruffin says. She stops at the city dog walk illustration, in which a little girl holds onto her small, excitable puppy’s leash, as the dog pulls her along as they move toward adventures yet to be detailed. “This tells a story,” she says. “He needs to develop that into a picture book.”

As part of the exhibition, Galey will lead a Book Illustration Workshop on Saturday, Dec. 4, at The MAX. Capacity is limited, and registration is required.

“Adventures in the Imagination” is available at the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience (2155 Front St., Meridian), also known as the Max, until March 12, 2022. The Max is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Tuesday through Saturday and is closed on Sundays and Mondays. General admission is $14; discount rates apply. For more information about tickets, visit msarts.org. To learn more about Chuck Galey and his illustrations, visit chuckgaley.com.

This story originally appeared in the Mississippi Free Press. The Mississippi Free Press is a statewide nonprofit news outlet that provides most of its stories free to other media outlets to republish. Write shaye@mississippifreepress.org for information.

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Sherry Lucas, Mississippi Free PressThu, 09 Dec 2021 10:50:31 -0600https://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2021/dec/09/galeys-pictures-prompt-adventures-imagination-max/
CAPE Publications, Meals That Heal and The Village at Livingstonhttps://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2021/oct/25/cape-publications-meals-heal-and-village-livingsto/

The Center for Art & Public Exchange at the Mississippi Museum of Art recently announced the release of two new publications made through support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The publications are titled "CAPE Toolkit" and "Compassion, Art, People and Equity: The Story of the Center for Art and Public Exchange at the Mississippi Museum of Art."

CAPE Managing Director Monique Davis created CAPE Toolkit, which is a digital publication that offers a model intended to guide institutional transformation by investigating equity, transparency and truth in a community, a release from CAPE says. CAPE Toolkit is available on the Museum’s website.

Art critic and writer Seph Rodney wrote "Compassion, Art, People, and Equity: The Story of the Center for Art and Public Exchange at the Mississippi Museum of Art," which describes CAPE’s establishment, its partners and participants and its signature programs. The 21-page softcover book is available on the Museum’s website (https://www.msmuseumart.org/cape-resources/).

Meals That Heal, Plant-based Menu

Meals That Heal (612 N. Farish St.), a restaurant with an entirely plant-based menu, opened for business in Jackson on Aug. 29. Husband and wife Yasmin Gabriel and Eric Collins opened the restaurant together with their friend Detrice Roberts and chose Aug. 29 as the opening day because it coincides with the Haitian Revolution, a successful insurrection by self-liberated slaves against French colonial rule in what is now Haiti.

"My husband and I are of Haitian descent and were even married there," Gabriel says. "The Hatian Revolution represents the first successful Black revolution and place of freedom in the Western Hemisphere, and we wanted to open our restaurant on a day that signified Black freedom."

Gabriel and her husband also own Herbal Blessings (614 N. Farish St.), an herb shop located right next door to their new restaurant. The spark to open a restaurant came when Roberts, who suffers from asthma, decided to switch to a plant-based diet.

"A plant-based diet is good for your health, but there aren't many options for that in Jackson," Gabriel says. "Some restaurants have a few vegan or vegetarian options, but they're often processed foods. Our goal is to bring fresh and healthy food to Jackson that tastes just as good as what people are used to."

The menu at Meals That Heal includes vegan tacos and burritos, beet burgers, black bean burgers, pecan meat spaghetti, plant-based gumbo, kale wraps, baked cauliflower wings, Creole greens, butternut squash macaroni and cheese, Berber cabbage, spring rolls and more. Meals that Heal does not use any white sugars, butter or heavily processed items in any of its dishes.

Meals That Heal is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch and 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. for dinner. For more information call 662-314-7739 or visit mealsthatheal601.com.

The Village at Livingston Under Construction in Jackson

Developers and City of Jackson officials held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new project called “The Village at Livingston” on Thursday, Oct. 21. Retail Specialists is overseeing the development, which is slated to bring 195 to 200 new homes to Jackson along with commercial and retail space for hotel and grocery users.

The Village at Livingston will feature traditional-styled homes and a common area greenspace within the neighborhood for resident’s use. The development, located off Livingston Road and Woodrow Wilson Avenue, is a redevelopment of the former Hood Furniture Manufacturing facility.

Retail Specialists is developing The Village at Livingston together with Prominence Homes, which is constructing the new homes. Benchmark Engineering is serving as the project engineer for the development, and Construction Services, LLC, will perform the site work for the project.

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Dustin CardonMon, 25 Oct 2021 13:22:40 -0500https://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2021/oct/25/cape-publications-meals-heal-and-village-livingsto/
‘The Ripper Gene,’ a Serial Comic about Serial Killers in Mississippihttps://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2021/sep/01/ripper-gene-serial-comic-about-serial-killers-miss/

Jason Turner has long made a name for himself in Jackson and the southeast region as a music artist who performs in venues all over with the Jason Turner Band. This year, the music artist has tapped into his passion for visual art to collaborate with Michael “Ted” Burczynski, pen name Michael Ransom, to create a serialized comic of the latter’s debut novel, “The Ripper Gene.”

In the medical thriller, Burczynski uses his knowledge of cutting-edge genomics techniques to relay the story of Dr. Lucas Madden, a neurogeneticist-turned-FBI agent from Mississippi who applies a controversial genetic approach to behavioral profiling as he pursues the Snow White Killer in the Mississippi Delta following the disappearance of his former fiancée, which leads him to uncover a possible connection to the unsolved murder of the investigator’s own mother during his youth.

Over the summer, the pair produced an 11-page, black-and-white issue #0, which covers the prologue portion of the novel, with canonical bonus scenes to highlight events previously not depicted in the original story.

Turner grew up in Jackson, Miss., graduating from Forest Hill High School and enrolled in Hinds Community College in Raymond, first to study music before changing his major to graphic design. He lived in Nashville for a few years before returning to Mississippi around 10 years ago.

A native of Corinth, Miss., Bercynzski graduated from Corinth High School and then went on to Mississippi College in Clinton, where he studied chemistry. His educational pursuits led him to later study English literature at University College London, creative writing at the University of Idaho, and finally the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, from which he graduated with his doctorate in pharmacology and toxicology.

Both creatives, who each had shelvesstacked with statues of comic-book superheroes and other characters, behind them during the joint Zoom call, spoke with the Jackson Free Press about “The Ripper Gene” and their collaboration.

JFP (to Turner): Can you give more on your artistic background?

Turner: My dad, he was a comic collector. At 3 years old, he handed me Spider-Man and Batman (comics), and I was mainly hooked. I have artwork from when I was 4 or 5 drawing Spider-Man and Batman. My mom kept it. When I was in sixth or seventh grade, a kid from my class handed me Todd McFarlane’s “Spider-Man” and stuff from Jim Lee and Rob Liefield, who started Image Comics in the ’90s.

From there, I became obsessed with drawing. It’s something I’ve wanted to do my whole life. For a while I compared myself to those (comic-art) greats, but then I finally realized many artists, particularly indie artists, are doing their own thing and not even worrying about these guys. I was like, “Okay, I have my own thing.” So, about 10 years ago, I started promoting and putting my art out, and I’ve had a really good response.

JFP (to Burczynski): Can you tell me a bit about why you chose to set ‘The Ripper Gene’ in Mississippi, specifically?

Burczynski: For one thing, it’s what I know, where I grew up. But the germ of the novel—which is also in (issue #0), and Jason has done a beautiful job capturing it—is the prologue showing the background of the childhood of the main character.

A similar incident without a fatal outcome happened to me as a kid one Halloween night in northern Mississippi. So I knew that was where the backstory took place. I knew that I knew Mississippi and New Orleans pretty well, so I decided to set the story there and be familiar and comfortable describing the setting down there.

JFP: What intellectual ideas or themes do you present in the novel for your readers to ponder and think about?

Burczynski: I think the theme throughout the book is really the origin of good and evil. Are serial killers made, or are they born? I was really intrigued by the idea that if somebody is born with alterations in their DNA that predispose them to violence or flights of behavior, then they are kinda at a disadvantage from birth when it comes to choosing good or evil.

JFP: This book is set in Mississippi, which is a largely religious area. How much does religion play into that question of good and evil, nature versus nurture?

Burczynski: I am a pastor’s son, and in the novel you could argue that the protagonist is modeled after what I know. The protagonist, while an atheist at the onset of the novel, his father is a pastor, and they have a series of interactions and conversations comparing and contrasting a religious view of good and evil versus (Lucas’) more scientific view of good and evil.

JFP: Can you elaborate on which aspects of the novel were inspired by experiences from your own life?

Burczynski: I kind of stole my own thunder, but I’ll tell you a little bit of a funny story. In the prologue, there are some trick-or-treaters going down a country road who come across some scary-looking fellows. Up to that point, that’s exactly what happened to me and a bunch of kids that were trick or treating with my mother and another lady in the car. My mother, however, is a no-nonsense lady. She stepped on the gas. The prologue plays into what could have happened if the lady stepped out. The rest is all very much fiction.

JFP (to both): Can you tell me a bit about how you two became acquainted and how the idea of retelling “The Ripper Gene” as a serialized comic came about?

Turner: Ted’s brother and me were best friends for 25 or so years. He was the first bass player I had. It was actually his idea to start the Jason Turner Band. He recently passed away in January.

Ted knew I did comic-book art, so he reached out to me and said we should do this comic. For the lead character (Dr. Lucas Madden), I modeled the adult version after my friend Andy (Burczynski), Ted’s brother, and my brother, too, you know, the big brother I never had. So it is a special thing we are working on here creating this comic.

Burczynski: To add to that, after Andy passed away, I’d realized in the back of my mind that I always hoped Andy and I would collaborate on something like this. That wasn’t available anymore, but I thought to myself, “Jason is a talented artist.” I didn’t know if he was already pulled into a project, but I told him about “The Ripper Gene,” and he was interested, and I’m thrilled that he is the illustrator for this now.

JFP: The comic says that it is from Snakefarm Comics. Is Snakefarm something that you two created?

Turner: Andy’s (nick)name is Snakefarm. … (We knew) we needed to put out this prologue soon. I was working on the cover and just put Snakefarm Comics up there and asked Ted, “What do you think?”

Burczynski: I loved it. To keep him part of this project, that’s the name for the company we’re coming up with here. It’ll be founded on the “Ripper Gene” serialization, but hopefully there will be other comics to come.

One thing that’s really cool is that Jason and I are adding scenes that you don’t see in the novel but are canon. The novel is in first-person from the main characters’ perspective.

Jason is already illustrating a scene (in issue #0) that isn’t shown in the novel because the young detective could not have seen this scene happen off-screen. It’s hard to predict how many issues it’ll take to cover all the events of “The Ripper Gene” because there’s a lot we’re going to put into the comic that wasn’t on-screen in the novel.

I’ve always heard that everybody who reads (“The Ripper Gene” novel) thinks it’s very cinematic, so I think with Jason’s illustrations, letting people see events unfold in a storyboard fashion is only going to help.

Turner: To lead it back to Andy, we put this comic out ourselves, and my immediate thought at first was, “Oh man, we should send this to all these comic companies.”

But I remembered that Andy was always into the idea of DIY, even with music when he used to tell me, “Man, you should just put out music yourself. You’ve got the internet now; you don’t need companies.”

One day it just hit me in the car, and I texted Ted, “You know what, Andy always said ‘Do it yourself.’” So that’s where we went with this.

JFP: Is there anything else that either of you want to put out there before we close?

Burczynski: It’s been really amazing for me as a writer to have written the novel and know what’s in my head about that night (the scene depicted in the prologue issue) and then to see how Jason portrays it, and he’s done so well. His artistic illustrations really match the tone and theme in my writing, so I think it’s a nice match between him and me.

Turner: Andy had told me for years that his brother was a scientist and that he had written a novel, but I never had a copy. So in getting it (in preparation of illustrating the comic) and reading just the prologue, I didn’t even get beyond that before I was like, “This is so cool.”

Growing up and playing music in Mississippi, I have driven down nearly every Delta backroad in this state, so I could just see this scene of trees and bushes and these three kids in the middle of the road with blood on them. Now, drawing pages where this character resembles my friend and Ted’s brother, it just has a cool, thriller vibe, and it’s exciting to bring those things to life on the page.

The first full-length, fully colored issue of “The Ripper Gene” (comic) releases Oct. 31, 2021. Copies will be available for purchase online at either jasonturnerband.com or michaelransombooks.com, and in-person at Van’s Comics, Cards & Games (731 S. Pear Orchard Road, Ridgeland). Issue #0 is available at Van’s and through contacting either creator on social media. The novelization is available through Ransom’s website or other online retailers. For updates on the comic, which the pair estimate may publish for up to 12 issues, find The Ripper Gene Comic on Facebook.

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Nate SchumannWed, 01 Sep 2021 13:42:03 -0500https://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2021/sep/01/ripper-gene-serial-comic-about-serial-killers-miss/
Greater Jackson Public Art Tourhttps://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2021/aug/04/greater-jackson-public-art-tour/

Whether you’re new to the metro or are looking for something to do, the Jackson area features a number of vibrant public artworks you can soak in at your leisure.

View the full gallery here.

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Acacia ClarkWed, 04 Aug 2021 12:25:01 -0500https://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2021/aug/04/greater-jackson-public-art-tour/
The Beacon Spotlights Local Art and Vendor Creations, Supports Communityhttps://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2021/mar/03/beacon-spotlights-local-art-and-vendor-creations-s/

Nicole Wyatt Jenkins distinctly remembers the night that she met her husband. She was on a date with the manager of a local Mexican restaurant. Jason Jenkins was completing a live painting beside a band on the patio. During an intermission, he noticed her at the bar and struck up the nerve to introduce himself.

"I ended up talking to him all night," Nicole says. "He called me the next day, we went on a date, and we have literally spent every day together since."

The pair found that they had quite a bit in common. With no siblings, each of them had grown up in homes where they used their creativity to entertain themselves, as both of their mothers had molded their respective natural artistic abilities at an early age.

Jason, a Jackson native, holds a bachelor's degree in graphic design from the University of Southern Mississippi. His mother, Martha Ann Knight, was also a local artist who did traditional hand drawings and paintings. She passed all of her knowledge down to Jason.

As Nicole speaks, she fondly fingers a charm bracelet Jason gave to her. It was a prize that his mother won after placing second in a local art contest.

"It was one of the first gifts he gave me after we were together," Nicole says. "It was so meaningful."

Nicole grew up on a sheep farm in Bunker Hill, 
W. Va., where she learned the art of weaving from her mother, a fiber artist. Nicole helped her mother shear the sheep, clean it, spin it into yarn and use it for knitting. At age 9, Nicole and her family moved to the Jackson area. She went on to earn a bachelor's degree in public relations from Mississippi State University.

Jason is well known for his live paintings, but he is also a muralist. He produced all of the murals at Martin's Downtown and the traffic box on the corner of Gallatin Street and Highway 80. In addition to his love of starscapes, he creates comic books and adult graphic novels. His art was recently featured at Designer Con in Los Angeles.

Nicole works in macrame and weaving, as well as hand lettering and calligraphy. She often creates videos for Instagram lettering her favorite sayings and quotes. Nearly four years ago, the couple decided to make their passions their career.

In 2017, the "couplerenuer" opened The Beacon. They secured the State Street space after noticing the 
Fondren Art Gallery vacating the building. The duo then spent time reinventing the space to fit their unique vision. Customers entering the Fondren building walk on the surface of the moon while surrounded by stars in the galaxy. Vintage bicycles hang from the ceiling.

"Jason covered the entire inside of the store with 
murals so you can come in and see all of his artwork and it be an immersive experience," Nicole says. "You can come in and share that kind of out-of-this-world experience that he created."

They call the business a "consciously curated general store for the modern creative." Visitors can browse ethically produced sustainable goods that are either fair trade, locally created or American-made. The couple is meticulous about ensuring that all the products offered in their store are either made sustainably or are offset. They even use post-consumer recycled shopping bags, ship using reused materials and plant-based home-compostable mailers, and recycle religiously.

The Beacon features basic art supplies in addition to an eclectic mix of unique merchandise, like handmade watercolors created by an indigenous maker in Canada who hand-harvests and grinds the stones before mixing them with local honey and water to create a vibrant paint. Nicole creates custom incense scents, while Jason's love of servicing and repairing typewriters and fountain pens helped birth the store's vintage section. His prints and illustrations are also available for purchase, as are signature enamel pins and stickers. Candles, jewelry, crystals, spices, skincare products and myriad other gifts fill the store.

Social responsibility and community service are important to the Jenkins duo, as they partner with One Tree Planted to ensure that a tree is planted in southern forests for each paper or pencil product sold. The business also donates full class packs of Crayola supplies to the Murrah and Forest Hill high schools, as well as Power APAC. Additionally, The Beacon donates 5% of all CBD sales to the Last Prisoner Project and The Equity Organization. Recently, the pair donated funds to Shower Power to help provide hygiene services for unhoused citizens, and they make regular donations to The Good Samaritan Center.

"When Jason and I established The Beacon, we wanted it to be a place that also gave back, not just to take and to sell. We make it a point to donate funds and products to organizations in need," Nicole says.

Like many local small businesses, the onset of the pandemic has strongly affected The Beacon. In January 2020, the couple finalized plans to convert a portion of their store into an art gallery. They planned to use the space to showcase Jason's artwork and to expand into more art ventures. The two had plans to curate gallery art shows and create more collaborative art projects as a couple. However, the plans had to be put on hold.

Because Nicole and Jason are immunocompromised, The Beacon's storefront remains shuttered, but the business is still meeting the needs of local creatives. Nicole has created a shoppable Instagram page and website, and they offer no-contact pickup, free same-day delivery in the local area, and shipping across the United States and Canada.

Feeling that it is more important now than ever to support local businesses, the couple features a "Mississippi Made" section on the shop's website, showcasing products from local vendors. The store's "Consciously Curated" Beacon Boxes contain a number of locally made goods, to offer another means of supporting local creators.

"All local businesses are really struggling, and we all need the support," Jason says. "If you wait until that business has to say we really need your support, it may be too late." Nicole adds: "It is very important to seek out local (businesses) first. Local businesses are members of your community. These people are your neighbors."

The Beacon's physical address (3030 N. State St.) is temporarily closed due to the pandemic. Patrons can shop online at thebeaconsupply.com or on Instagram at @beaconsupply.

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Torsheta JacksonWed, 03 Mar 2021 12:33:09 -0600https://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2021/mar/03/beacon-spotlights-local-art-and-vendor-creations-s/
Connecting Local Knitters through Common Threadhttps://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/dec/22/connecting-local-knitters-through-common-thread/

Judy McNeil, the owner and manager of The Knit Studio, has recently entered her 13th year in service to local creatives. Setting up shop in Jackson was an easy choice for McNeil, who notes that the Jackson area already housed an established community of knitters and crocheters when her storefront opened in 2007.

"It was a shoo-in," McNeil says.

This sentiment particularly rang true given her long personal history in the profession. "I'm self-taught, but for me, it was more than a hobby—it was a passion," she says.

Operating The Knit Studio has allowed McNeil to tap into that passion by making beautiful things from unfinished fabrics, and it has also allowed her to help her customers pursue their own creative projects.

Some of these customers are novices, just beginning their foray into the crafting world, while others are more seasoned artisans, with distinct ideas about patterns and materials. Regardless of their preference, McNeil seeks to keep something in-store to help them along their journey, noting that the shop "carries everything from the most basic yarn for beginners all the way to hand-dyed yarn for those who have graduated into using more exquisite yarn."

Among these finer offerings are cashmere, silk and mohair, which all come in handy for customers aiming to make something special.

Valuing her experience and know-how, Knitters and crocheters across the spectrum come to McNeil for help with particularly tricky projects. "I never coveted my knowledge. If I could help, I would—but I'm the first to admit when I don't know," she quips.

The shop owner enjoys her work, even the more challenging projects. "It keeps me on my toes," McNeil remarks. "Reading patterns is almost like a second language. You always have it with you; you don't have to open a book every time someone has a problem."

Issues sometimes seemingly resolve themselves, though, once customers enter the shop, housed in Canton Mart Square in north Jackson.

"They'd think they had a problem with their knitting, but when they sat in the store, it was all right," McNeil recalls. The atmosphere fosters this sense of resolution and release that McNeil strives to create in her store. "Before COVID, we had a lot more socializing happening. We had several days that were known as 'social knitting days.'"

These "social knitting days" allowed customers to bring their knitting and their woes into The Knit Studio. "Everyone's story is interesting," McNeil says of the practice. "Many of the stories they told were absorbed by the fabric, which may sound silly, but it gives life to the yarn. It's like having friends come to your house—people tend to be a little more themselves."

For McNeil, this is an aspect of the business that she never expected but treasures all the same. "For me, success isn't in the projects. It's in how many people were initially customers but became friends. Those are the things that resonate, and that's in life, not just in business. It's the thing that makes it all worthwhile," she says.

To learn more about The Knit Studio or to make an online order, visit theknitstudio.com.

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Taylor McKay HathornTue, 22 Dec 2020 17:34:54 -0600https://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/dec/22/connecting-local-knitters-through-common-thread/
Burrow Yourself in ‘The Fox Cave Chronicles’https://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/dec/22/burrow-yourself-fox-cave-chronicles/

Felicia Hobson fixes herself a drink at the bar and takes a seat at a red table in the middle of the room. A candle burns, and '90s hits play softly in the background. A few friends gather on the couch to debate the best artists from their teenage years. Minutes later, Hobson picks up a microphone and introduces an upcoming local artist. Another episode of "The Fox Cave Chronicles" podcast has begun.

When the pandemic shut down businesses and offices in March, Hobson was in the middle of changing jobs. She found herself out of work and searching for something to do. One evening as she and a family member were sitting in her den listening to old music, Hobson realized that many of the songs they were enjoying were no longer in rotation.

"A lot of the music that I listen to is no longer around," Hobson says. "It's like the music is dying from the era that I love so much, which was the '90s."

The Jackson native decided to change that. "Foxy," as her friends call her, set up some recording equipment in her "woman cave" and started producing her podcast. Initially, Hobson used the show to catch up with older, popular musicians in the metro area.

"I didn't want the OGs to die out or become irrelevant, so the show was mainly about making Mississippi rappers relevant again," she says. "You know, the ones we don't hear about anymore."

The first show featured 
Bigelow and aired via Facebook Live on July 20. When she saw that the episode was viewed more than 800 times, Hobson realized that she would need to expand the platform. She extended invitations to both older and up-and-coming Mississippi artists of all genres—as well as entrepreneurs, community members and Black business owners—to give them a chance to introduce themselves to the area.

"There are so many artists here (who have) so much talent here that we don't know about," Hobson says. "A lot of times they get overlooked because people are so prone to shine the spotlight on the ones that are already popular. That is why my platform is here."

The show gained so much interest that Hobson expanded from recording once a week to twice a week, then three times a week. Soon, she found herself recording nearly every day of the week.

Additionally, the podcast's popularity combined with safety concerns caused her to move the recordings from her home to a local nightclub with more open space.

In the future, Hobson imagines the podcast broadening its scope even further to include artists from other states. She also hopes to attract the attention of television networks and higher-profile celebrities.

The second season of "The Fox Cave Chronicles" will begin airing in February on the podcast's business page on Facebook. To view past episodes, join the podcast's public Facebook group. Follow the podcast on Instagram at @thefoxcavechronicles.

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Torsheta JacksonTue, 22 Dec 2020 17:31:52 -0600https://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/dec/22/burrow-yourself-fox-cave-chronicles/
Prissy Paintbrush Studios Presents Paint 2 Gohttps://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/dec/09/prissy-paintbrush-studios-presents-paint-2-go/

With the number of positive COVID-19 cases rising in Mississippi, finding ways to safely entertain yourself and others at home has become even more crucial. Prissy Paintbrush Studios, a Ridgeland-based business that Hope "Prissy" Mallard opened in 2013, offers the increasingly popular Paint 2 Go kits that allow customers to unleash their inner artist within the safety of their homes.

Kits contain pre-drawn canvases featuring Mallard's own designs along with the paint and paintbrushes needed to complete the artworks. Mallard finds inspiration for her canvas drawings in all sorts of experiences, be it something she hears on the radio or sees day-to-day, and she notes that she enjoys drawing things she finds "bubbly and fun."

Customers can browse Prissy Paintbrush's website for art outlines they would like to fill in. After placing an order, patrons retrieve the Paint 2 Go kits via curbside pickup the following Saturday.

Before opening her business, Mallard worked as a dental assistant. All the while, however, art beckoned. When people started asking her to host paint parties, she realized an opportunity had presented itself, and she decided to start her own Paint and Sip studio, where people could enter, drink wine and paint.

During non-pandemic times, the studio's typical services and goods include Paint and Sip events, paint parties for kids, face painting and murals, along with custom canvases and door hangers. Shortly before the coronavirus landed in Mississippi, Mallard began selling party boxes, which evolved into the current Paint 2 Go program.

Like many businesses did during the mandatory quarantine period, Prissy Paintbrush closed its physical storefront, instead promoting the Paint 2 Go kits.

"I just recently opened back up a month ago, letting people come in and do socially distanced paint parties, and I can count on one hand how many parties I've actually had come into the studio, whereas the Paint 2 Go (service) is so popular," Mallard says. "That's what everybody wants to do. They want to paint from the comfort of their own home and get together with family."

With the current COVID-19 statistics, though, Mallard has once again temporarily closed the business' in-house studio, planning to reopen once cases decline. Until then, Prissy Paintbrush continues to sell a steady supply of Paint 2 Go kits.

"I have the same customers coming back to purchase kits," Mallard says. "They like to do it themselves—they have more time, and they don't feel rushed. They're in the luxury of their own home. It's been pretty awesome."

One of her most recent canvas drawings featured a nurse wearing a crown, which she created in honor of the health-care professionals serving on the frontline during this pandemic.

Other favorites include any of the pre-drawn canvas designed for kids, as well as her couples "Love" canvas, which features a simple and abstract outline.

To learn more or to purchase a Paint 2 Go kit, visit prissypaintbrushstudios.com.

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Jenna GibsonWed, 09 Dec 2020 11:49:45 -0600https://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/dec/09/prissy-paintbrush-studios-presents-paint-2-go/
Azha Tattoos: Helping Others Tell Their Stories Through Body Arthttps://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/nov/25/azha-tattoos-helping-others-tell-their-stories-thr/

You have decided to add a little art to your bodily canvas. You have researched and chosen a tattoo shop and artist, and you've decided on a design, style and placement. Once the paperwork is complete, you relax in an often dentist-style chair, and the artist sanitizes the area and transfers the stencil.

Tattoo machine in hand, the focused artist traces the design and fine-tunes the linework before adding shading and maybe a splash or two of color. A protective layer of ointment is applied to the completed tattoo to avoid bacterial infection, and a transparent bandage seals the area from the open air. Once the tattoo has healed, you're ready to show off the artist's hard work.

Azha Sanders has worked as a licensed tattoo artist for 11 years and currently works at Forged True Tattoo in Brookhaven. The Kosciusko, Miss., native moved to Jackson when she was 13 years old, and she has held a passion for art her whole life.

"I've been doing art for as long as I can remember," Sanders says. "It's always been my number-one hobby. It's my safe place. Fortunately, my family encouraged creating art. I just always loved to draw and paint on things, and when I started tattooing, it was really a lightning-bolt kind of moment."

At the onset of COVID-19 in Mississippi, Forged True Tattoo had to shut down, but it has since opened its doors, maintaining health-safety guidelines.

Beyond tattooing, Sanders creates murals, portraits and paintings, and she often enjoys using watercolor and markers.

Some of Sanders' more notable works include 7-foot-tall panels of Oprah Winfrey and Elvis Presley in the Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport; two portraits for the characters Grizabella and Mungo Jerrie from "Cats the Musical, which were auctioned off at Thalia Mara Hall to benefit the Mississippi Spay and Neuter Clinic; a mural at Kirksey Middle School; and a mural for the recent "#ArtofVoting" series that Eli Childers organized.

"Art is a way for me to be able to speak my truth and to speak my language. I can show what I care about and put it out in the world and inspire someone," Sanders says. "And through tattooing, I get to help another person do that. I get to collaborate with someone else and tell their story. To me, that's so incredible. Being able to establish that connection is priceless."

Sanders manages an online store where patrons can purchase prints, stickers, magnets, clothes or accessories featuring her artwork, depicting both original and existing fictional characters.

The 32-year-old artist spends the bulk of her spare time with her husband, Josh, and their two cats, although she also enjoys going outdoors and patroning her local gym.

For more information or to view her artwork, visit azhatattoos.com, find her on Facebook, or follow her on Instagram at @azha.

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Jenna GibsonWed, 25 Nov 2020 12:34:53 -0600https://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/nov/25/azha-tattoos-helping-others-tell-their-stories-thr/
“We Shall…” Encourages Mississippians to Unify at the Pollshttps://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/nov/11/we-shall-encourages-mississippians-unify-polls/

Artist Sabrina Howard stands proudly by a brightly painted mural. Her thoughts turn to her father who often told her stories of how he faced numerous practices and tests designed to keep him from registering to vote.

"His fight continued, and once registered, he never missed an election or voting opportunity," she says. "My father has always made voting a priority and stressed the importance of it."

Her latest mural "We Shall..." honors Howard's father and the many others whose determination helped change the voting landscape.

The piece features seven men and women of color with the interlocked arms commonly seen during the Civil Rights Movement.

Their mouths are open in song, and the words "We shall VOTE" appear against the bright yellow background. The spiritual song "We Shall Overcome," often sung during civil-rights protests in Mississippi and other southern states, inspired both the text and imagery displayed in the artwork.

"I replaced the word 'overcome' with 'vote' because in a way, as is happening now, because of people voting there are situations and elections that are going to be overcome by an overwhelming voice," Howard says.

The figures each wear a shirt representing a historically Black college or university including Tougaloo College, Jackson State University, Alcorn State University, Rust College, Mississippi Valley State University, and Grambling State University across the state.

"During the Civil Rights Movement, there were a lot of young college students that were heading up the marches and participating," Howard says. "(The mural) shows the youth of those historically black colleges coming together and lifting their voices to stand for voting rights."

A joint venture between the Greater Jackson Arts Council, Visit Jackson and the Human Rights Campaign commissioned the artwork from six local artists. The series, titled "#ArtofVoting," features six murals which—as described on organizer Eli Childers' Instagram page—are designed to "encourage, remind, and celebrate the act of making your voice heard at the ballot box."

Howard believes that the piece speaks to college-age voters on a deeper level.

"I hope that this piece reaches the students to show that it's not about where you are or what college you attend. It's not a competitive thing," she says. "Voting is a unifier. We have the opportunity to lift our voices through those ballots."

Howard's mural was installed at Alcorn State University just days before the November 2020 election. The other five murals are installed at 
Tougaloo College, Jackson State University, the Jackson Medical Mall, Methodist Rehabilitation Center and the Mississippi Arts Center. In January, the six murals will be installed in a group display in the metro before being placed in their respective permanent locations.

Learn more about Howard's art at sabrinahoward.com.

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Torsheta JacksonWed, 11 Nov 2020 12:59:13 -0600https://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/nov/11/we-shall-encourages-mississippians-unify-polls/
Actor’s Journey: Jake Milton Starring as Himselfhttps://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/oct/28/actors-journey-jake-milton-starring-himself/

Jake Milton's first taste of acting came when he reenacted scenes from "The Father of the Bride" after his mother showed the 1991 film to him and his siblings. "'Father of the Bride' I and II were staples at my house, and they still don't get old for me," Milton recalls. But his true awakening came a little later when he watched "Titanic" for the first time.

"I remember feeling emotional at the end (of the movie), and I love being able to bring that to people. Film gives you the freedom to be emotional when in life, we pull back," Milton tells the Jackson Free Press.

Although Milton acknowledges that many actors "cut their teeth" by performing in plays and that he got his start on the stage, he always knew that his goal was screen acting. "I did 'MASH' (onstage), and someone asked if I wanted to audition for an independent film. I hoped it wasn't a serial killer," Milton quips.

That first opportunity thrust Milton into the spotlight, as he received the leading role in "Captive," which, just as he had hoped, was not a horror movie. It was instead the story of a thief who had expected to burglarize an empty home but found himself trapped with the lady of the house.

Milton's early success allowed him to network with other actors and directors. "Some people say that if you don't have an agent, you don't have a career. There's some truth to that, but it's still possible to get out there," he says.

Milton's own career arc proves his theory, as he completed his first role in a feature film earlier this year. "A Stranger Among the Living," which local filmmaker Chris Wesley Moore directed, relates the story of a teacher wrestling with guilt after surviving a school shooting.

Prior to accepting the role, Milton had done short-film and web-series work. His favorite, "Grief Monster," was inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic. "I loved it because of what it was birthed out of," Milton says. "There's not much growing in the world; people feel halted and stunted. (This movie) was about getting to be resilient in that way."

Resilience is nothing new to Milton, who spent the last three years caring for a dying relative. "They were a huge supporter of me and always helped me, and this was a time when they needed someone to help them, and I did that," he says.

Milton plans to carry these lessons of resilience into his future career.

"I look forward to continuing to work, and I hope to get substantial work—work that means something to me," he says. "I hope that leads towards working with people that I've looked up to and respect, whether it's someone who's known or someone who comes along and isn't."

Follow Milton on Instagram @the_only_jakemilton.

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Taylor McKay HathornWed, 28 Oct 2020 10:49:56 -0500https://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/oct/28/actors-journey-jake-milton-starring-himself/
‘Killers in Disguise’: A Tale of Adolescent Assassins and Rebellionhttps://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/oct/14/killers-disguise-tale-adolescent-assassins-and-reb/

For decades now, the world has witnessed a gradual oversaturation of superheroes within various forms of media, well before the unforeseen success of the billion-dollar Marvel Cinematic Universe. This new wave of popularity within comics and general geek culture, however, has occasionally produced gems in the form of smaller, independent artists who draw upon their own culture, heritage and interests to produce remarkable narratives. These more dynamic, inclusive stories bent on championing relevant, valuable themes comprise the culmination of Jackson native Christopher Windfield's anime-inspired comic series, "Killers in Disguise."

The first volume showcases many familiar elements within its immaculately illustrated pages. Children with superpowers uncover a sinister plot that lies just the thinly veiled surface of the assassination corporation for whom they work. The types of powers depicted range from abilities fairly standard within the superhero genre to ones that still somewhat baffle me, as I attempt to understand the full scope of these adolescent assassins' capabilities. The main character attempts to escape the organization, suffering heavy losses along the way.

It's a classic tale of discrimination, bondage and rebellion that sounds fun in practice but suffers a bit in its execution. While reading, I stumbled upon many moments in the narrative that I wish Windfield had spent a little longer unraveling to strengthen the immersiveness of the world he created, as in certain places the graphic novel feels like a gore-fest. Nevertheless, Windfield's impeccable art compelled me to consume page after page.

Clearly a veteran artist with a scathing drafting habit, Windfield boasts an incredible skill for detailed panels that place characters in the foreground and draw less attention to the lack of background or environmental shots. Action scenes are bombastic and sometimes downright chilling, although the increased movement of the combatants sometimes leave the character models looking less refined than they do in more static scenes.

In any event, Windfield's art remains the book's greatest strength, making it easy to understand why several comic-book fans believed in the project enough to back it with their own wallets during the crowd-funding phase.

The effective plot also won me over, if only for how recognizable I found it, although the storyline often fell into tropes that felt a smidgeon too comfortable and well-trodden. The initial five pages immediately engrossed me, establishing an ambiguous thriller setup as our nameless protagonist executes his mission to assassinate the governor's son under the governor's own command.

As the reader is pulled deeper into the roots of the mysterious False Flag Agency organization, Windfield introduces interesting characters who play as foils to the lead character and his handler. The protagonist's fellow child assassins brag about their kill counts and bicker over records and rankings, which is telling of the types of people these youngsters were groomed to be.

Unfortunately, these details are as deep as the well of intrigue goes, as the volume does not explore the politics or daily happenings within this organization further before the protagonist makes his explosive exit. Had the FFA been delved into a little more thoroughly upfront, I would have felt more connected to the comic's world and have been affected more strongly by the lead's departure from the group.

The most prevalent issue I found with "KIDs" is the breakneck pace of its narrative, as the story progresses as a series of bloody plot points that leave less room for development than I would have preferred. Events occur, characters react, and then the scene moves on without any time for the characters to digest the information or explore how the happenings may affect them. As a result, the reader finds themselves not as invested in the emotional stakes that could have otherwise been more gripping.

Because the characters' thoughts are largely invisible, some plot points feel inexplicable. Only after his 60th murder does the protagonist begin to wonder why he's killing. After years of working with FFA, his handler, without much explanation, becomes suspicious of the organization. I feel that these character progressions would have been more effective if the development could have occurred across a grander stretch of content.

That said, Windfield's characters—while occasionally stifled by somewhat unconvincing dialogue that's often either stilted or riddled with out-of-touch vernacular— absolutely scream of detail and intrigue. It's plain to see the amount of time and care that went into this ensemble of uniquely designed supers—with the cast including one anger-prone boy who molts into a fiery blaze and destroys a commercial aircraft, as well as disturbing twins who skip rope with their victim's entrails. The personality and years of abuse and neglect etched into these Black faces are remarkable and, at times, haunting.

Because I found myself so drawn to these characters, I do believe that "KIDs" would be heightened by presenting a closer look at what makes each character unique on a personal level. Upon finishing the first volume, I found myself as confused about FFA's purpose and the goals of their experiments as when I was first introduced to this world. I imagine, though, that Windfield has a long game in mind and that many of my unanswered questions will be resolved in later installments of the series.

While imperfect, "Killers in Disguise" offers an interesting premise and exquisite art, and I can definitely foresee this series developing a cult following deserving of its own local comic-con booth. I look forward to future volumes to see how Windfield polishes and expands on the elements introduced in this first volume.

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Carlton McGroneWed, 14 Oct 2020 10:57:13 -0500https://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/oct/14/killers-disguise-tale-adolescent-assassins-and-reb/
Designs by Dij, Custom Cards & Morehttps://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/sep/15/designs-dij-custom-cards-more/

Khadijah Muhammad had always loved to sing, but bad news silenced the songbird inside the Detroit, Mich., native when a doctor put her on complete vocal rest.

"That's when I got a chance to nurture another art form," she says.

Muhammad had always loved "anything creative," so when she was stripped of her primary medium, she turned a watchful eye to the artistic needs of others.

"I'd go to the store and see people in greeting-card aisles, agonizing over what cards to buy their loved ones, but the cards didn't say what people wanted them to say," Muhammad recalls.

Recognizing a gap in the market, she started creating her own line of three-dimensional greeting cards, which has now expanded to include pop-up cards, box cards and explosion cards. Muhammad creates each one by hand, noting that her line allows a sender to "say exactly what they want to convey to their loved ones."

The importance of her business, which she dubbed "Designs by Dij," has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I promote my business to let customers know that greeting cards are necessary. Even if you can't be physically present with someone, you can still send them a greeting card of love to let them know that we are all in this together," Muhammad says.

The Vicksburg resident's message of solidarity has now grown to include other products, such as pillows, umbrellas and tote bags focused on self-love, natural-hair love and Black love. Her work in uplifting her community led the Black Women's Business Expo in Pearl, Miss., to recognize her as one of the top 50 Black women in business in Mississippi.

She is not satisfied by the accolade alone, however, noting that in her Muslim community, "We have a saying that 'Perfect practice makes perfect.'" Muhammad strives toward that perfection by making sure each item she sells is customized and handmade to suit the customer's tastes.

"They're literal, structural works of art," she says of her unique offerings, adding that her goal for each order is to create something that can be displayed as art in the home of the buyer or the recipient.

Muhammad says her clients appreciate her effort, giving her a substantial amount of positive feedback on the intricacy of her work. Some of her buyers place orders by messaging the artist on Instagram or Facebook, but many of her purchases come through her website, which has a special section devoted to helping customers design custom orders.

"I work to make their vision come alive," Muhammad says of her relationship with her clients.

Because each custom order is unique to the customer, Muhammad says that it often takes her around a week to complete an order. "There's really a lot that goes into it," she says. "I put my heart into it."

Muhammad's heart, too, is deeply rooted in her community. Raised in southwestern Mississippi, she attended Muhammad's University of the New Islam in Lorman from kindergarten until college.

Her rootedness in her community has contributed to her dreams for Designs by Dij, and she is currently decorating her new studio-office space to do even more work.

"I'll be able to handle bigger projects with a bigger workspace," Muhammad says of her transition, hoping that it will enable to better serve her customers.

Her dreams stretch beyond the limits of a building, though, as she hopes to continue improving her craft itself.

"Most of my growth has come from researching and trying new techniques and not being afraid to fail. I built my business from the ground up, and I hope to continue doing that by learning what's needed and hearing what the public wants" she says.

To order a one-of-a-kind Designs by Dij product, reach out to the artist on Instagram at designsbydij, on Facebook at Designs by Dij, or on her website, designsbydij.com.

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Taylor McKay HathornTue, 15 Sep 2020 17:45:30 -0500https://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/sep/15/designs-dij-custom-cards-more/
Silent, Yet Constant: Love, Togetherness and Unityhttps://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/sep/02/silent-yet-constant-love-togetherness-and-unity/

Soon after the death of George Floyd, Eli Childers felt moved to make a statement. Viewing the incident on national television and watching the country's divided reaction to it both awed and disturbed him. He felt a burning need to creatively display his feelings about the grief and emotions that people were experiencing since Floyd was killed.

"For me, I hate to see people hurting," he said. "I felt like God put it on my heart to do this visual art."

As protests erupted around the country, the self-taught artist and sculptor envisioned an art exhibit that highlighted truths about love, togetherness and unity. His vision was a demonstration that would continue the movement once the streets had emptied.

He titled it "Constant."

"We are constant in how we feel. Even though these figures may be temporary, all things in life are temporary," Childers said. "Our feelings about these social injustices do not change. These are constant things."

The exhibit includes 18 life-sized wood "protesters" Childers created in collaboration with other creatives including Shon Perryman, Azha Sanders, Anna Wolfe, Olivia McDonald, Chris Mitchell, Esther Smith Newell, Sabrina Howard, Will Brooks, Nicole Williams, Tawny Johnson Minton, Emily Shirley, Tony Davenport and Casimino Newton. Each piece represents the individual artist's visual depiction of their thoughts and feelings on civil and human rights.

A brass plaque attached to the forehead of one of the silhouettes that Childers created describes the work as "a Mississippi collaborative visual art peaceful protest created by local artists to speak out against all forms of racism, violence, abuse and oppression suffered by people of color in America. An installation of hope and a call for change."

The messages are clear and powerful. Chris Mitchell's figure depicts a person whose camouflage clothing is littered with Skittles, cigarettes, cell phones, licenses to carry weapons, DVDs and more—all items that led to the death of Black people. The message states, "None of these are reasons to be killed." Another by Shon Perryman features a collection of abstract faces. Across the front in large script are the words "Be the Change." Azha Sanders's piece is an all-black silhouette with the message "Love is an antidote to Fear."

After the Mississippi Museum of Art declined to provide an exhibit space, Childers sought to find a place where the demonstration could have the most impact. After a few phone calls and visits, he chose to display the exhibition at locations central to the state's highest leadership.

The "protest" was installed on Aug. 17 at the Mississippi State Capitol and again on Aug. 18 at the Governor's Mansion. Artists then dismantled the display and placed the pieces individually on street corners throughout downtown Jackson. Photographs of the work is available on Facebook at Art by Eli.

"We (put) them all over the city so that as many people as possible could see them," Childers said.

The Greater Jackson Arts Council provided a grant for the exhibit, which drew a series of donors like Beth Herzig, the owner of Discount Trophy who 
created and donated the brass plaques on the figures.

Local photographers Samantha Shea Yancey, Blake Wing and Sharon Coker photographed the installations. Childers' social-media platforms show an outpouring of appreciation and support from the artists involved. "This is our voice as local artists to say we believe and have hope for a better future,'' Childers notes on his Facebook page. "That we stand and love together. That we stand against everything wrong in our path."

Childers sees the work as an important message to and from those in the Jackson area and hopes that the work 
inspires awareness and change in the hearts of those who see them.

For more on Eli Childers, visit eli-childers.format.com or find the artist on Facebook or Instagram.

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Torsheta JacksonWed, 02 Sep 2020 10:45:17 -0500https://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/sep/02/silent-yet-constant-love-togetherness-and-unity/
A Castle of Characters, Enchanting Memorieshttps://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/aug/05/castle-characters-enchanting-memories/

In 2015, Taylor Bridges found herself wearing glittery blue heels and a crystal-blue gown with powder blue sleeves, a semitransparent cape and white gloves as she stepped through King's Daughters Hospital in her hometown of Yazoo City, Miss. She had volunteered to portray the character Elsa from Disney's "Frozen" at a Christmas-themed "Princesses and Pancakes" event.

As she greeted guests, Bridges realized that she enjoyed dressing up and soon discovered the world of cosplay, which led her to attend Mississippi Anime Fest 2018 a few years later after moving to the Jackson area to work at Van's CCG.

"I kinda went to Anime Fest to check out the vibe, see what it was about, meet people within the community. And I was like, 'Okay, this is something I want to do,'" she reflects.

Thus, Bridges activated an Instagram account under her new handle, Taycosplayy. For her first year as a cosplayer, she largely purchased costumes before learning to construct them herself out of materials such as fabrics, foams and more.

Cosplayers like Taycosplayy often have what is referred to as "cosplans," which are lists of characters for whom they would like to create costumes, also known as "builds." Bridges says she often chooses characters on a whim and subsequently conducts extensive research into the characters—watching anime, reading manga or otherwise engaging in media featuring the character.

For Taycosplayy, costume-creation can range from 18 to nearly 150 hours, depending on the complexity of the characters' designs.

Her most popular characters tend to be ones from recognizable anime, such as "My Hero Academia," although the build that she holds the most pride in is of Chandra from "Magic the Gathering."

Bridges cites the friendships formed through meeting people at conventions as a prominent motivator for her continuing her cosplay career.

"The majority of the cosplay community is super positive," the 22-year-old says. "I've made life-long friendships and made memories through cosplay and attending events and fan-group meetups."

In October 2019, Bridges decided to bring her costuming skills to the next level and started her own business, Enchanting Memories Entertainment, which aims to bring fairytale and other fictional characters to life through costumes, which cast members wear to birthdays, fundraisers, corporate events, charity events and other occasions.

For EME's first gig, Bridges adopted the role of Anna from "Frozen," and she invited friend and fellow local cosplayer Christy Holt, who goes by Little MS Cosplay, to be the first actress in her company and attend as Elsa. In the few months following the event's success, EME grew from two actresses and two characters to 12 cast members and 25 characters in its "castle."

While COVID-19 may have slowed down business, the pandemic has not stalled Bridges' drive.

"I looked at the shutdown as an opportunity to build my castle of characters that we offer for parties. That was a good opportunity, to take advantage of the time and not let it discourage us as a business," she says.

EME has recently reopened but is implementing social-distancing and other safety precautions while working.

In the meantime, Bridges stays connected to friends and others in the cosplay community through social media.

For more information on Enchanting Memories Entertainment, find the business on Facebook. To follow Bridges' cosplay work, find her on Instagram @Taycosplayy.

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Nate SchumannWed, 05 Aug 2020 11:10:18 -0500https://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/aug/05/castle-characters-enchanting-memories/
Certifiable Studios: A Photo Galleryhttps://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/jul/15/certifiable-studios/

Certifiable Studios, a gaming and creative studio founded five years ago by Jesse Labbé and Rick Moore, has produced a number of board games that have been purchased from fans from across the globe. Peruse the gallery below for an inside look of the studio’s Ridgeland headquarters and artwork from its properties. Read more about Certifiable Studios here.

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Nate SchumannWed, 15 Jul 2020 11:34:59 -0500https://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/jul/15/certifiable-studios/
Dice Rolls and Tokens and Cards, Oh My!https://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/jul/08/dice-rolls-and-tokens-and-cards-oh-my/

Whether your idea of a fun Saturday night entails braving an expedition through Antarctic tundra or gallivanting through a land of fantastical beasts to collect bounties with your adventuring party, Certifiable Studios, a board-game-centric art studio in the Jackson area, has you covered.

Co-owners Jesse Labbé and Rick Moore founded Certifiable Studios about five years ago after the former had developed a board game that he wanted to bring to the next level and presented it to Moore, who suggested they start a gaming studio themselves.

"I've been into games forever, and I've been an illustrator for longer," Labbé says. "I think I picked up on games because it was a way to interact with my illustrations. Most of the time, you draw something, and you're just stuck looking at it. This was a way to take the characters I was drawing to another setting where I can now control them in a gaming environment."

Marketing expert Opie Cooper joined Labbé and Moore, who also serves as the CEO of advertising agency Mad Genius, and the trio set off to work. Shortly afterward, Certifiable launched its first game, "Endangered Orphans of Condyle Cove," a whimsical survival game where players avoid being captured by the Boogeyman, and the game received more than $300,000 in backing through Kickstarter.

"('Endangered Orphans') just blew everybody away and developed the community that we have since become known for," says Brent Hearn, the company's wordsmith. "A lot of companies create great products and do a good job with their campaigns, but they don't necessarily engage to the level that we showed was possible with that campaign. And that community has just grown since then."

During the game's launch, Labbé invited Anthony Coffey, whom he had met while attending art school in Dallas, to join Certifiable Studios. The two had previously worked together on a graphic novel series titled, "Berona's War," and Coffey accepted the position and moved to the Jackson area in early 2017.

A jack-of-all-trades, Coffey serves as an illustrator, designer and sculptor. Among many other creative responsibilities, he uses the 3D printer in his office to fine-tune game-piece prototypes based on printouts from China before they are sent to the factory. Coffey and Labbé illustrate the majority of characters within Certifiable's properties.

The initial ideas for Certifiable's published games thus far have come from Labbé, who records them in his notebook and then translates them onto concept paper so that he and Coffey can world-build and develop the game's mechanics and "turn it into something much bigger and better," Labbé says.

"At the end of the day, it's a very fluid process, at least here," Coffey says. "When you are one of the few people actually coming up with the idea, illustrating the idea, designing the idea, I don't have to go to another department and ask, 'How big should these minis be?' It's literally, 'How big do you want them to be?' because you are the one creating it. So there's a little more freedom that adds a little more flexibility in the design process."

Certifiable Studios' team also includes "half-man, half-internet" communications manager Cory Drake, residential videography wiz Nate Hamblin, visual master Dante Johnson and do-all-know-all intern Charles Woods, as well as "the officially most annoying member of the staff," Myles "Key" Keyston III, a puppet mascot who appears in many of the studio's promotional videos.

Since "Endangered Orphans of Condyle Cove," Certifiable Studios has successfully produced four more games: "Who Goes There?," "Stuffed," "D6" and "Who Goes There? 2.0." The games use combinations of dice, tokens, cards, miniatures, character sheets and other game pieces and mechanics, and people from every continent save Antarctica have purchased copies of the studio's various works.

"Who Goes There?" and "2.0" are based on John W. Campbell's novella of the same name. The science-fiction games follow the premises of the original work's plot, wherein researchers travel to Antarctica and discover an alien entity that attempts to infect the players. Players select a character and work collaboratively to escape both the frozen terrain and The Thing.

"Stuffed" is a multiplayer game featuring anthropomorphized animals that involves rolling dice to earn coins and recruit new teammates to accomplish the main mission: saving the players' souls from a wall of thorny vines.

In "Dungeons, Dudes, Dames, Danger, Dice and Dragons!," better known as "D6," participants role-play as characters who are themselves playing a fantasy role-playing game. The adventuring party works together to fight monsters and collect bounties. With 100 optional campaign scenarios listed in the rulebook, the game is designed for replayability.

Certifiable Studios' loyal following has formed both a strong online and local community. Backers created a Discord server where fans discuss the games or help budding fans learn more about the studio's products.

Pre-COVID, Certifiable would host open game nights on the first Friday of every month at their Ridgeland headquarters, which would typically pull in 40 to 50 people who gather to play games and mingle.

Labbé praised the local community, many of whom would voluntarily bring in snacks like baked goods or pizza for everyone else or welcome new participants.

"We had one girl come in by herself like, 'Is this the game night thing?' And then everybody (begins enthusiastically saying), 'We have room over here. Come over here,'" Labbé says. "Everybody just opened their arms up, and she picked a table, and that's just the kind of community we have here. Everybody is very, 'Come on, we have room for you.'"

First Friday game nights have been postponed for the time being because of the pandemic, but Certifiable looks forward to being able to host again in the future.

The studio also connects with fans through Twitch videos, wherein staff members play-test various board games, and through its YouTube channel, although video frequency has decreased due to COVID-19.

Presently, Certifiable Studios is working on "Endangered Orphans in the House of Rath," a second edition of the original game that started it all. Announced in March, "House of Rath" is the first game that Certifiable is publishing that was originally submitted as a completed game by someone outside of the studio.

"This guy brought us a packaged, boxed game. It wasn't this produced thing. He did it all by himself, but it was done. He presented it to us, we checked it out, and we moved on with it," Labbé says.

"We have people who give us ideas, but if it's too much work on our end, we don't have time for that. But if they bring it, and it's something they're proud of—they've had their friends test it and really like it—there's no reason if we like it that we're not going to do it."

Click here to view the JFP's photo gallery for Certifiable Studios.

To learn more about Certifiable Studios, visit certifiablestudios.com or find them on Facebook and Twitter.

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Nate SchumannWed, 08 Jul 2020 10:41:17 -0500https://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/jul/08/dice-rolls-and-tokens-and-cards-oh-my/
Soap-Maker Cleans Up with Nerd Appealhttps://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/jun/24/soap-maker-cleans-nerd-appeal/

Memories of her grandmother, Maxine Towner, first nudged Anisa "Max" Martin into soap-making. But, a question from her daughter set the hobby in a playful direction that dabbles into nerd culture.

Lady Helen's Soaps is Martin's home-based sideline. The name is a nod to her first high-school email address and "the dainty, crafty person inside of my head," she says, picturing a 1950s-era housewife. "It's weird, I know."

Her glycerin-based soaps hold tiny toys and salute sci-fi films, comic books, video games and more.

Martin, who was Born in Indiana, has lived in Jackson since middle school, when her family moved to Mississippi. She started the soap-making hobby in 2015, focusing on fragrant, dainty soaps at first—the kind her grandmother collected on her travels.

"They'd always smell so pretty, and as a small child, that kind of connected me to her," she says.

Then came her daughter Allie's query: "Can you take (characters from) 'My Little Pony' and put them in soap for birthday parties?" Martin's comeback: "Of course I can?" She gave it a try.

Toy soaps proved more popular, and Martin, wrapping her mother and her daughter into the production, started selling them as a vendor at the annual Mississippi Comic Con and Mississippi Anime Festival events. "It's like the Happy Meal of cleanliness. ... Kids have to get clean to get the prize in the middle," she says.

Toys such as "My Little Pony" and LEGO Minifigures sit in full-size, brightly hued, glycerin-based soaps that range from $1 to $7.

Martin also does "geeky molds," such as "Star Wars"' Han Solo in carbonite, a Dalek from "Doctor Who," and miniature Stormtrooper and Darth Vader helmets inside the soaps.

"I'm big into the cosplay/nerd scene," says Martin, whose purple hair and rainbow glasses convey a flair for color. "I can make some for myself and my daughter and sell them to other nerds who want them as well."

"We try to get a lot of the different fandoms out there," she says, including "Star Trek," "Star Wars," "Spaced Invaders," Pac-Man, LEGO Minifigures, "Pokemon," "My Little Pony" and anime characters. "So, if someone goes, 'I want 17 'Minecraft soaps' for my son's birthday party,' I can probably do that."

Martin keeps her eye on directions in pop culture, too, timing soaps with Marvel Comics, DC Comics and "Pokemon" movie releases. Her favorite to date was a glow-in-the-dark dice soap that was a hit with gamers and the Dungeons & Dragons sect.

Daughter Allie, now 14, remains "my creative guru," Martin says.

Martin sells Lady Helen's Soaps through her Etsy shop and at conventions and can take requests through her Facebook page. By day, Martin works as a paralegal. She's also the executive director of the women's charity, Jackson Homeless Women's Outreach Project.

To place an order, call 601-201-4024 or find Lady Helen's Soaps on Facebook or Etsy.

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Sherry LucasWed, 24 Jun 2020 11:20:48 -0500https://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/jun/24/soap-maker-cleans-nerd-appeal/
Home is Where the Robot Is: Kaz-Magic Studioshttps://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/jun/10/home-where-robot-kaz-magic-studios/

For Ridgeland resident Frederick Roseman, a freelance artist and local comic creator who uses the name Kaz-Magic Studios, the concept of family has been a driving force in both his personal life and in his artistic works.

Roseman says he felt like an outcast within his own family while growing up, only reconnecting with some family members once he had already come of age. Losing his mother to breast cancer when he was 13 years old amplified these emotions.

The Belzoni, Miss., native moved to the Jackson area in 2002 to attend Hinds Community College, where he studied graphic design. At Hinds, Roseman 
befriended Jesse Sweat, whose mother 
Robin Juve' welcomed the budding artist into their family.

"She really became a mom to me. As time has gone on, I have had other people who have made me a part of their family (as well)," he says. To this day, Robin still calls Roseman "Son," and he calls her "Mum."

This trend of finding surrogate families with whom he could be himself and feel loved and accepted continued as he furthered his education at the International Academy of Design and Technology in Tampa, Fla., before settling into Ridgeland and building Kaz-Magic Studios. Roseman now claims six separate families as his own, although he is currently building relationships within his immediate family.

"It doesn't matter where you came from, what you are or what you have done in your past. You can have people who accept you as family," he says.

These themes of family and finding acceptance in those who may not be one's blood relations are found within one of Roseman's current comic books, 
"Unit C7." In this comic title, a robot designed as an instrument of war for the fictional world's government crash-lands in front of two young girls, 16-year-old tech genius Collete and 6-year-old Sophie.

For some reason, this robot, Unit C7, rebels against his programming and decides to rescue the girls from an attack by another robot. As a result, he is forced to live as a fugitive while serving as the girls' protector, and he begins to learn the values of humanity and the merits of human life.

"When I was growing up, I wanted to be accepted for who I am. That was a big deal to me. That's why the whole word of family comes to play in 'Unit C7,'" he says. "Unit C7 may be a robot. He may be animatronic. He may not have human emotions. But they learn to accept him, and that's why, to them, he is a beautiful creature on the inside."

Roseman, 35, formulated the concept of Unit C7 himself and published a prologue on Webtoons that focuses on one of the main characters, Colette, prior to the events of the first full-length issue. He now is working with a team to publish the comic title through 123 GO Publications, through which Roseman recently published his first comic for print, "Gunmetal Black Ops," which stars two female assassins.

Webtoons also hosts the first webcomic that Roseman created, "Hybrid Children," which features children who have had their genes spliced to give them extraordinary abilities. He hopes to publish the title as a three-book series with 123 in the future.

In addition to creating comics, Roseman connects with fans of Kaz-Magic Studios by hosting live-streaming events through Twitch, YouTube, Facebook and Picardo TV. During the streams, the artist gives his thoughts on his hobbies, his craft and other topics, occasionally while bringing in guest artists or while starting and finishing a drawing from scratch.

“My whole purpose of live-streaming … (is) to inspire as many as people as possible, give them the courage to put themselves out there to accomplish whatever goals they have in mind,” he says.

While he had taken a break from live-streaming for a short while, he is preparing to resume them in full stride, with a new series called “Creative Underground.”

To interact with people in person, Roseman often attends Jackson-based conventions like Anime Fest and Mississippi Comic Con as a vendor, where he sells art prints, T-shirts and copies of his comic books. Working in the service industry as his day job has sharpened his interpersonal skills, he says, allowing him to engage with all visitors, even when his booth is surrounded by about a dozen people at once.

As a freelance art business, Kaz-Magic Studios offers services such as graphic arts, tattoo design, comic art, pixel art, photographer, photo editing, digital illustration and logo design.

Outside of art, Roseman practices martial arts and has learned four styles: Shotokan Karate, Muay Thai Kickboxing, Wing Chun and Capoeira.

To learn more about Kaz-Magic Studios, visit kazmagicarts.wixsite.com/kazmarts or follow him on its multiple social media platforms. Copies of "Gunmetal Black Ops" can be found on indyplanet.com, while pages from "Unit C7" and "Hybrid Children" can be found on Webtoons. To learn more about 123 GO Publications, find the independent comic publisher on Facebook.

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Nate SchumannWed, 10 Jun 2020 12:12:59 -0500https://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2020/jun/10/home-where-robot-kaz-magic-studios/