Month: July 2014

Slamming Across The Threshold

Posted in Story
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As part of every Drunken Telegraph show, after the featured storytellers, audience members are invited to take the stage and share their own five-minute story on the theme. Five minutes isn’t a long time, and sometimes people go a wee bit over. (If Megan Sukys, the timekeeper, is caught up in the story, she might forget the clock.)
 
Following our Crossing The Threshold show, we heard six totally different reactions to the six mainstage storytellers. Remember, most people are telling a story straight from their heart, with no practice or prep time.

 

Brook West ASL Interpreter Jane Brazell

Brook West &
ASL Interpreter Jane Brazell

Brook West, Working Title

With a little help from paper plate notes, Brook West shared a beautifully crafted story about her path her from secret doodles of Special Agent Dana Scully to a public declaration of love to her partner.

 

Michael Smith

Michael Smith

 Michael Smith, Mormon Mission

The Mt. Rainier backdrop reminded Michael Smith of a similar mountain in South America, a place where he came to grips with what he could change about his life – and what he couldn’t.

 

Pat "A" + B. Gallagher

Pat “A” + B. Gallagher

Pat “A” + B. Gallagher, Embracing the Second Rainbow

Our Mt. Rainier set also brought back memories for Pat, who started off by leading the crowd in an old Rainier Beer tag line. Then, Pat shared insight from living in-between the extremes of pink and blue, and thriving in the vast middle ground of purple.

 

Jarette Bowen

Jarrette Bowen

Jarrette Bowen, How Many Times Does It Take To Come Out?

Jarrette’s story echoed a recurring theme from Crossing The Threshold, trying to reconcile his identity with his family’s religious beliefs.

 

Sandy King

Sandy King

Sandy King, Ask The Questions

A big rule for Drunken Telegraph is “No Notes”, but the audience response/story slam is a “No Rules” kind of time. Sandy King prepared a provocative, fast-paced account of coming to understand and empathize with a new transgender neighbor.

 

Sega Kaposi ASL Interpreter Lori Moriarity

Sega Kaposi &
ASL Interpreter Lori Moriarity

Sega Kaposi, The Incredible Life

Our youngest storyteller, Sega was moved to share how she came to understand her younger brother, who is transgender and currently transitioning to become Sega’s younger sister. It’s hard to translate intense emotion to words, and Sega showed bravery to publicly open up about her struggle and love.

PHOTOS: Scott Haydon

A Show Of Hands: Crossing The Threshold Of A Drunken Telegraph Video

Posted in Behind the Scenes
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This is a re-post from “The Wonderful World of Britton”…

For this edition of Drunken Telegraph, we decided to use illustrations of 'hands'.

 

For this edition of Drunken Telegraph, we decided to use illustrations of ‘hands’. This defied our unspoken “no-figure” rule, but Megan relented. Concepts > Rules!

 

Every successful drawing begins with a "thumbnail sketch". This is where I work out the basic forms, values and composition. I ended up flipping the orientation.

Every successful drawing begins with a “thumbnail sketch“. This is where I work out the basic forms, values and composition. I ended up flipping the orientation.

This hand is in a pencil rough. I then trace over the image with ink refining it as I go. ink.

This hand is in a pencil rough. I then trace over the image with ink, refinement!

In looking back over my old hand drawings for this post, I realized that prior to 2003, my hands were hidden or clenched in a fist. This was the level of hand construction typical of the way I drew hands "pre-Whaletown".

In looking back over my old hand drawings for this post, I realized that prior to 2003, my hands were hidden or clenched in a fist. This was the level of hand construction typical of the way I drew hands “Pre-Whaletown”.

I began work on a still-as-yet-unfinished graphic novel called "Whaletown " in 2003. This forced me to face my inadequacies of my hand-drawings. I bought a book called "Hogarth's Dynamic Hands". http://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Dynamic-Hands-Burne-Hogarth/dp/0823013677

I began work on a still-as-yet-unfinished graphic novel called “Whaletown” in 2003. This forced me to face my inadequacies of my hand-drawings. I bought a fantastic book, “Hogarth’s Dynamic Hands”.

I began to use a rough sketch to capture the gesture and energy.

I began to use a rough sketch to capture the gesture and energy.

I use the rough sketch to refine the forms...

I use the rough sketch to refine the forms…

Then I build the hand using simple shapes to construct the hand.

Then I build the hand using simple shapes to construct the hand.

This technique can be applied to any hand position. This was for a poster I was working on.

This technique can be applied to any hand position. This was for a poster I was working on.

Here is a hand I drew for a medical diagram we use in our Vascular surgery department.

Here is a hand I drew for a medical diagram we use in our Vascular surgery department.

http://brittonsukys.com/2014/06/28/earthling-1-chapter-1-8-2012/

This is a hand I was proud of. This is the ink work for a Earthling comic panel. I often use my own hands as models, because, well, they are always around!

http://brittonsukys.com/2014/06/28/earthling-1-chapter-1-8-2012/#jp-carousel-156

Here is the Earthling panel fully colored and illustrated.

Here's my sketchbook page of all my work-ups for the Drunken Telegraph teaser video.

Here’s my sketchbook page of all my work-ups for the Drunken Telegraph teaser video.

I found a neat monotone under color while scanning the drawings that really helped unify this set of images. I offset that color layer a bit, creating a print-like process.

I found a neat monotone under color while scanning the drawings that really helped unify this set of images. I offset that color layer a bit, creating a print-like process. Embrace those happy accidents!

I inked this series primarily with a brush. I like the moody contrasts that technique creates.

I inked this series primarily with a brush. I like the moody contrasts that technique creates.

I shave almost every day, so I figured I could draw this, but I still ended up using my wife's hand for the model!

I shave almost every day, so I figured I could draw this, but I still ended up using my wife’s hand for the model!

I couldn't get this pose right, so I let Megan show me. She grew up with a swimming pool in her back yard. But I used my memories of youth for the feeling and tone of the skinny-dipping!

I couldn’t get this pose right, so I let Megan show me. She grew up with a swimming pool in her back yard. But I used my memories of youth for the feeling and tone of the skinny-dipping!

This is a very rough thumbnail. Megan wanted the car in the background, so that also took some figuring-out.

This is a very rough thumbnail. Megan wanted the car in the background, so that also took some figuring-out.

The pencil rough for the purse image. I used my own hand awkwardly clutching a backpack for the model. Megan shopped for the right purse to copy.

The pencil rough for the purse image. I used my own hand awkwardly clutching a backpack for the model. Megan shopped for the right purse to copy.

My favorite drawing of the set. I love the lines on the car and the nearly op-art way the eyes want to make it 3-D. Pink and Green is a great combo, by the way.

My favorite drawing of the set. I love the lines on the car and the nearly op-art way the eyes want to make it 3-D. Pink and Green is a great combo, by the way.

For the background music, I recorded a bunch of lonesome guitar tracks, but Megan didn’t think any of them fit well, so she asked for something more “Spacey”. This is a track I recorded in 2011, I thought this tune had a “spaghetti-western spaced-out folk” sound, so I suggested it. She loved it. I guess it pays to keep that old experimental stuff sometimes! (Britton: Guitar and Harmonica).

 

Hear all of the amazing and powerful full-length “Crossing The Threshold” stories at Drunken Telegraph.

 

H M Z, Migration Is The Essence Of Islam

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After arriving from Pakistan in December 2000, H.M. learned he had many, many Threshold to Cross in America

After arriving from Pakistan in December 2000, H.M. learned he had many, many Thresholds to Cross in America

PHOTO: Scott Haydon

H.M. Z.’s grandfather told him that migration is the essence of Islam. That advice was comfort as H.M. Crossed the Threshold, leaving his home country for the United States. But, fourteen years after arriving, H.M. now knows migration requires transformation, everything from rainbow bracelets and hard ‘r’s to skinny jeans and road rage.

 

 ART: Britton Sukys

Dana Coggon, Love Is My Religion

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Dana Crossed the Threshold on a mountaintop and found God in the back of a pickup

Dana Crossed the Threshold on a mountaintop and found God in the back of a pickup

PHOTO: Scott Haydon

Dana is the daughter of a minister and a wife-of-a-minister (which Dana says is an even stricter position). It wasn’t until college that she was finally able to Cross the Threshold and find a relationship with the Divine where she could be true to herself.

 

ART: Britton Sukys