Shot by Rivera

                                    Pete Voakes in the Magic Tricks practice space, Gowanus, Brooklyn

Men's Little Games

Here is a rough first page for a new idea I have about two men who become enemies and rival clients at a very high-end BDSM dungeon led by Mistress Tanja. It might be very, very stupid. I also might not ever do more than this one page. Who knows?

Second Chances

I posted this a bit hastily last week, I had to change a few panels that looked like shit so here's the baby, folks.

Shot by Rivera: St. Boniface Church in Chicago


St. Bonaface was built between 1896 - 1904. It's been abandoned and responsibility tossed back and forth between the city and the Archdiocese for more than two decades now.. The community continually refuses to let the building be demolished. Currently it sits empty across the street from a park harboring both organized sports leagues and the occasional gangland-style shooting, most recently about one month ago (a man randomly shot in the groin around midnight on a warm Friday). Sometimes there are drunk crum-bum looking older guys sitting around out there but I think they're all pretty peaceable. As usual, it's the teenagers committing the most violent crimes. So, if in the area beware all teenagers of any and all background and race, if in groups of 3 or more. That's always the safest bet.

I was inspired by David Hanus' photo shoot in the church with a Chicago band. My shots didn't turn out as good as his (I think the settings were a little questionable on my ancient Canon A1). One morning I ducked under the fence of the church and conspicuously crossed the stoney lot to the back end, which looks like it's been blown out with dynamite, or at least a demolition crew or wrecking ball.

Most of the time I kept my cool inside, and explored pretty deep into the church, but at a certain point I heard some weird noises and saw shadows (turned out to be pigeons fluttering around through the broken out windows) nonetheless I was spooked.

I got out of there pretty quick after that. Last time I went by, they'd re-sealed the fence, and a middle schooler was inside, you could hear him destroying things, his little gang waiting outside for him, clutching their rubber masks. It was Halloween. I told them they should all go in the church but not to break anything or do that stupid-ass tagging. Then I saw a man get run over on his bike. I didn't get any pictures of that, though! Dummy!
The church will now apparently be turned into a senior living center early net year, a symbolic responsibility the building will hold in literally keeping alive Chicago's link to the past. Both architecturally and biologically.

Shot by Rivera

Peter, age 36     Northampton

Second Chances

Well here's some more for you trembling fans, hunched over your laptops, drooling, eyes like two little dried up raisins, checking and rechecking the Cologne Factory blog for new comics about adults, by adults, for adults. Yes, this one is for you. Probably I'll have even more up next week. The "x" key on my computer is completely broken, just that one fucking key, miraculously, and when I copy an "x" and paste it from somewhere else, it usually changes the font. I have tried to change it back but the computer won't let me. Computers have ruined everything.



Second Chances

Well, well. I still haven't found a new scanner, but I did decide to go down to the Kinko's this morning and use their grossly over-priced little PC computer lab. Things are coming to a head in the Second Chances alternate universe. Grevin Cole may or may not be getting dangerously close to a young woman's drug-world. Tony Renzetti has been getting sexually abused. Not sure why I decided to go there. Thanks to Wally Krinkle's storyline I get to draw a bunch of cars. This is a universe I participate in more than the actual universe. Although I did have a nice, long & indulgent Halloween weekend. Here in the actual universe of Chicago, Illinois. Here is a picture of myself as Crackula and Sean Whittaker as a costume contest-winning Wolfman peforming a Monster Mash/Crocodile Rock medley which promptly cleared out most of the room: