Do the Hustle!

Dance is part of rehabilitation at Philippine prison
--International Herald Tribune

In 2004, as a security consultant to the provincial government (his older sister, Gwendolyn Garcia, is governor), he was brought in to address problems at the prison after a series of riots. He recommended that the almost 2,000 prisoners be moved from an ancient stockade, which had been built with a 200-prisoner capacity in mind by the Spanish, whose colonial rule ended in 1898. The prisoners were transferred to a new, larger facility.

Garcia also fired dozens of jail guards for corruption, installed an enhanced security system, broke up gangs, banned guns and the use of cash (opening bank accounts for inmates) and enforced an exercise regime that in the past year evolved into dance classes.

Garcia said that what had been weekly outbreaks of violence have subsided, inmates' health has improved and recidivism rates are down dramatically.

Dance "gives the inmates something to do, something they can be proud they're part of," Diokno said. "It lets them know that they can be productive, that they aren't useless scum of society. This is rehabilitation already."

Young Folks

You guys know SuperForest, right? Well, it's only about my favorite blog! The members, based all over the world, post daily items as a catalogue of sustainable achievements, not just in the jaw-dropping arena of science and forward-thinking philosophies, but in the everyday human feats of goofiness and joy.

A couple weeks ago, founding SuperForester Jackson had posted a bunch of youtube clips of his favorite whistling tunes. Feeling inspired by it, and the amazing and thought-provoking dinner I had with him on Tuesday, I've ganked his post to share here for Dance Party Friday-- SUPERFOREST: Whistling Songs!

As well as two additional variations on the song Young Folks. A collaboration and a remix. Because, that's what I feel when I am within SuperForest, an incredible creative hive of collab/remix of diverse ideas based in honesty, peace, and sustainable behavior. That is cool! And sexy! And fun! How lucky are we to have SuperForest? So very.



Peter Bjorn & John


Peter Bjorn & John & Kanye


Peter Bjorn & John & Mike D & MCA & King Ad-Rock

Picnic in the Summertime

We're trippin' on the 90s here at Casa Spookoo... could be my cold/flu in the summertime or the fact that Cat and I went to the Angelika last week and caught The Wackness. A coming-of-age film set against the backdrop of 1994 New York (though the film-makers really only make that awkwardly apparent in the first thirty minutes) about a boy, the hot girl he digs, the hot girl's stepfather who buys weed from the dope-dealing boy, and his mixtapes.

The soundtrack kicked in a kind of rewind of the mind and I was recalling 1994 St. Louis, my apartment behind The Hi-Pointe and Theatre, and my black Honda Civic Hatchback (SI engine) constantly playing Deee-Lite's Dewdrops in the Garden. Having hit my twenties, I no longer belonged to any single scene or clique, I floated along with them all. An afternoon with the punkabillies at Hullabaloo, then up to Chicago with the ravers, or at home chilling with my mutton-chopped hip-hop-centric boyfriend.

I'm still a social floater and I love it. Getting to meet and know all kinds of different folk, getting the opportunity to do diverse things! Me and you! Do something new! Let the silly nostalgic clips inspire and have a great weekend!


Can I kick it? (Yes, you can!)

D.A.N.C.E.

Brilliant video, brilliant week here in New York City! The sun has been out in full force and I've got tan lines all ready to show for it. I'd spent a sunny Sunday in Staten Island's Snug Harbor gardens, a Monday sidewalk cafe lunch on Houston Street with my sister, then the rest of the week is a bit of a blur, I'm sure due to being drunk on sunshine.

I'd started my comic pencils, I think the first time in a year that I'm working in full 11x17. It started off slowly, but I'm getting the knack again and am full speed ahead. One of my most favorite things in drawing stories is getting to choose what the characters are going to wear. Unlike the hipsters in today's video, I've opted to place our heroes in chic lodge-wear. Our superstar is wearing a John Varvatos-inspired coat and, I've got the sidekick in high-heeled boots!

(The girl on the left is wearing snowboots inspired by Puma's El Roo and Texture boot, the chick on the right has on my leather vintage boots I got from Flying A last fall.)

One, I know I feel pretty powerful when wearing kickass heels, and honestly, the argument that it's 'not realistic' just goes out the window when you're talking action/adventure fiction. Plus, if you're a super-heroine that can't manage heels, maybe it's time to hang up the cape. Wouldn't wearing a stacked wedge or stilettos be one of those Danger Room trials? Spikes on shoes can be a real weapon! For fighting villains and romancin' dudes...

Anyway, happy Dance Party Friday and happier weekend filled with golden rays!

Heartbreaker

Mimi is a must in my mix. I think a thousand horrified comic fans are surely going to speed by this post, but hold up! It's an amazing dance track to get your Friday going and surely you can't say no to concession staff doing flips, an animated Mariah, catfight in the ladies' room, and dudes getting their comeuppance?

If only I could get the Office 54 gents to back me in the video's opening dance routine for our MoCCA table, but with only two weeks to pack and move our studio to Office 34, work on my special mini-comic, getting merchandise organized as I listen to Mariah's new album, I sadly doubt it's going to happen. Next year!

This week, I got glowing approval on my current comic project's thumbnails and have moved onto penciling the pages. We'd also delivered another job's project work-list, mock-ups, and storyboard, and I'm in chat with an editor to read a graphic novel script that sounds extremely promising. Cross your fingers for me!

With so much accomplished, the sister and I went out to Sandbox Studios/SBX Creative's ICF benefit party. In addition to supporting their efforts to provide education in photography to kids, we heartily enjoyed looking at art and catching up with the ladies. As the DJ turned out 80's tracks on the turntable (I never in a million years thought I'd hear Fleetwood Mac's "Everywhere" pump out of massive speakers), I thought to myself, "Oh, this must be nostalgia night for the 30-somethings..." Then Bobby Brown's "My Prerogative" came on and all the 20-somethings went nuts dancing. "It's not nostalgia, it's retro-hip!"

I have been aware that the 80's style had been the thing for awhile, but this was something else. I saw the chic move into early 90's with guys actually sporting the Kid 'n' Play gumby hair wearing Afrika medallions earnestly doing the 'running man'!! What a night to forget my camera, I've no evidence to show you the amazing thing that is the 90's except for a bonus Mariah video featuring ODB...

Rock Steady, Baby

What it is, what it is!

Wish that video were full-sized, but you get the idea. It's Friday! Yet, I feel the week is somehow beginning instead of coming to a close. Maybe it's because I've finished up twenty-two pages of thumbnails for a crazy fun story I'm working on and am terribly excited to get to next phase, had lovely meals with long-time friends... or, it could be I'm still pretty silly from the champagne and courvoisier I had at the LRG/Courvoisier event last night. If you're down and around the Lower East Side, you can see my CV art hanging on the wall at Reed Space. As well as a LRG designed Wii and a CV Napoleon military jacket. Yes.

I'll be in Brooklyn tomorrow for a knight-themed birthday party, but YOU should go to The Dance Parade!

Let's DANCE!

Even though I work most everyday, weekends too, the end of the week still feels so good. And it's been a long one with organizing and retrenching the ol' website, planning out summer to winter schedule, and mucho sketchin' and illustratin' goin' on. Not to mention it was my little bee's birthday and we seriously got our party on downtown and in Brooklyn. I was sore the next day!

Anyway, it's Dance Party Friday, and tho I may be wearing my wellies I will pretend I have my red shoes on.

Bodega boogie

Saw this little clip via SWISSMISS and it made me happy. I hope it makes you happy too! I think everywhere across the world, everyone should regard Friday as Dance Party Friday.

Even if, like me, you are a lump of exhaustion lazily posted at the coffeemaker watching the brew drip ever so slowly into the pot. And, you're thinking about your crazy deadlines, and still need to prepare for speaking engagements, NY Comic Con, and super-hero comic you're illustrating. Plus, you haven't been to the salon in ages so you look like a wreck, paperwork and voicemails and emails are stacking up, and the dishes can't seem to get done.

Forget all that, go put on your fave dance tracks today!

xo.