Thanks to the generosity of BenDeLaCreme, Adore Delano, Milk, and Kelly Mantle, I'm now able to sell my first SEASON SIX prints! As more queens give me their blessing, I'll be posting their illustrations, too!
11" x 14" digital prints are now available, but I hope to add some glossy postcards soon! Orders within the US can be made here, and orders that require credit card payments or international shipping can be placed on my Etsy store!
Thanks so much!
Okay, folks, SHUT YOUR PIE HOLES and listen to what I've got to say! Or, at least look at the art. Quietly. Momma Ru needs her rest.
So, I guess I'm okay with the whole "split premiere" for this season, though I wish they had aired both episodes in one glorious evening--the second installment was a vast improvement over the first one, and it's super-charged my excitement for Season 6!
Of the seven queens in this second episode, there are several superstars--Courtney Act, Bianca Del Rio, Darienne Lake. And although they were all fabulous, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the less seasoned queens made for good TV, too. "Black horse" Joslyn Fox is a cheery goofball, bringing a charming levity to the competition.
Trinity K. Bonet, who had seemed so quiet and restrained in the promo videos, turns out to be a serious contender--although she's softspoken, she's fiercely ambitious and serves it up throughout the episode. Both her looks were on point, her photo shoot was a stunner, and her low-key commentary during the cutaway interviews provided a welcome respite to the fast-paced drama. A lot of commenters have been comparing her to Tyra Sanchez, but I think she's far more engaged and likable.
I can't resist drawing a dramatic look like this one. And even though the judges dismissed the flimsy collar, I love its geometric intensity. However, I'm a little disappointed that Gia wasn't present to see Trinity's kabuki-style makeup--given that Gia has actually performed in traditional kabuki theatre, I'd love to hear her take on it! Even if it was mostly bleeped out.
Courtney and Darienne are both incredibly congenial queens, and I'm dying to see them prevail over countless challenges this season. I wasn't gagging over their runway looks this week, but I did love Darienne's lip sync. I saw her perform live last week, and she brings such a passion and sense of fun to the stage! Love her.
Bianca is one to beat. She officially wins the MVP award for this episode--she provided brilliant, blistering jokes, served up the winning runway look, and even provided the most insightful commentary in Untucked during Magnolia's hypnotic unraveling. That was especially encouraging--hearing her set up a clear distinction between her "cold bitch" character and normal self, giving some hope that we'll see real growth and character from her over the season. And seriously, I expect her to make it 'til the end!
I like both Milk and Magnolia, but they obviously approached the show very, very differently. They're both queens with an interest in playing an offbeat character, eager to thwart expectations and defy easy categorization.
I get Magnolia's quirky humor, and I enjoy her absurd Youtube videos, but she obviously didn't bring the right attitude to this show. She met every challenge and criticism with a combative sense of indignation, leading to one of the most memorable Untucked meltdowns in Drag Race herstory.
But Milk, she brings an unswerving confidence and charisma to the competition, as well as some truly divine style. There are some rough edges, sure, but Milk is the queen who's got me most excited to draw the shit out of Season 6. The over-sized, over-the-top outrageousness is what I live to illustrate. It's what got me started drawing the Drag Race in the first place, back in Season 3--Raja was my first muse, and I see a lot of her in Milk.
So you'll have to forgive me, but I had to draw both Milk's looks this week. In fact, I was so taken with Milk's matador outfit that I started drawing it as soon as I saw it in the previews! Thirsty for another tall glass of Milk?
I'm thrilled to see what sparks will fly when all twelve queens are brought together, but I'm also dreading it--how will I pick which ones to draw??
Oh, also! I'll be making my first Season 6 prints available for sale soon! I seek out each queen's blessing before selling the work, but I hope to have most of the queens on board soon!
Thanks for reading! See ya next week!
Wow, so that was interesting, huh? Opinions seem split on the decision to, well, split the premiere in two parts. In theory, it sounded great--more screen time for all these fierce queens! And what a twist! Can you imagine what will happen when the two groups finally meet?
But ultimately, I think it shrunk the scale of the episode's drama. Or maybe it's because I watched most of the episode on my tiny iPhone screen when the preview showed up on the Logo TV app!
Even with just seven queens, it was really Adore and Gia's show, wasn't it? Their constant commentary ran throughout the episode, much more than any other queen. The only cutaway to Ben I can remember is "Barf."
I'm not complaining, though--both Gia and Adore are welcome surprises to an already stellar cast! Gia is a Chicago queen, and I've seen her steal the spotlight at several shows in town. But we haven't met, and I wasn't sure how she'd fare on the show. But I do love her style, and I think she's bringing just the right amount of cattiness for some good drag drama, without resorting to the shrill, screaming attacks we've seen in previous seasons. We'll have to wait and see whether she'll retain the role of "top bitch" when Bianca enters the picture.
I knew Adore would be gorgeous and funny on the show, but I didn't expect her to be so, well, adorable. In her "Meet the Queens" video, she leaned heavily on her eccentric mermaid character, which I like a lot, but seems to grate on some fans. But she came across as one of the most genuine, playful, and enthusiastic queens of the cast, a really wide-eyed ingenue. I see a lot of Shangela and Dida Ritz in her--tons of talent, not a lot of experience (or gowns), but a really strong contender. Oh, and she has fabulous shirts for sale, so go get some!
Laganja is the only queen who's even more divisive this season. No one doubts her jaw-dropping moves, over-sized personality, or her eccentric style, but there are a lot of questions about her authenticity. I think she'll be a central character of Season 6, and we'll see her struggle with a number of things: her over-the-top mannerisms, her relationship to her drag mother, and her strained relationship with her real mother. She's got an insane amount of talent, and the crucial question will be how she utilizes it, what kind of queen does she really want to be? And will she figure that out on the show?
I couldn't decide between the closer cropped image above or the fuller one before--I can't resist a poofy skirt!
Bendelacreme is a queen I wholeheartedly love, but she's going to be dealing with character issues, too. I've watched enough of her ingenious YouTube videos to appreciate the many facets of her work: the saccharine sweetness, the burlesque teasing, and the incredible inventiveness!
Michelle voiced her concern that Ben's character could get old fast--but the more we see of Dela, the more we'll love her. We barely saw his boy persona onscreen this episode, so I think most fans will be pleasantly surprised by the juxtaposition between the man and the queen. And there's so much more yet to come!
For better or worse, Vivacious had one of the most memorable entrances in Drag Race herstory. Ornacia! That zipper!
I love Vi's personality, her energy, and her imagination! She comes up with exquisite concepts for her costumes, but I sometimes worry about their execution. I'm thrilled she's on the show, but I don't think her interests totally align with its emphasis on polish and glamour.
Oh, Kelly. I love this queen. Such a fierce actress, comedian, and singer. I really, really hoped she'd get a chance to show off more of her talents. This is probably the most brutal first cut of any season, but I hope Kelly bounces back and makes the most of her elevated visibility.
I drew this illustration of her, based on her first look, for her official tank tops! Though I'm kind of dying to add a strip of bacon in her hand. Still, it looks pretty good, right?
This is going to be a crazy season. I can't even wait for the second batch of queens, and I'm especially interested to see new dynamics develop when the two groups combine!
Given the enormous wealth of talent in this cast, I'm going to try really hard not to draw the same queens week to week. Because of the preview released last week, I was able to get a head start on this first episode's art, but I'll usually be posting my thoughts and illustrations each Wednesday, following the episodes.
Thanks, everyone!
This is it, folks! The final installment of my WEEK OF RU! I hope you had fun along the way--it was incredible seeing such enthusiastic responses to my first work for Season 6. I feel like I've grown a lot as an artist with these new portraits, and I'm so excited to draw these queens once Season 6 starts.
...and I kind of want to have more silly voting contests every day. Speaking of, congratulations Nick V. on Facebook for winning today's guessing game!
As pretty much everyone knows, the "mystery queen" from a past season was Yara Sofia with her epic "helicopter hair" from All Stars. Ah, Yara. All Stars was definitely a mixed bag, but one of the highlights was seeing both Yara and Alexis get another chance to shine.
Alright, let's get on with the show! First...
TRINITY K. BONET
This Southern, softspoken beauty may not seem like competition, but we might have another Tyra up in here. Trinity is quiet, but she's fierce.Check out some of the incredible looks she has in the new trailer! In fact, she even reminds me of Mariah with the edgy elegance of those outfits.
Trinity comes onto the show without as clearly defined a character as the other queens. But my question is if she gets a chance to define herself, what kind of queen will she be?
GIA GUNN
When I moved to Chicago last summer, all the queens I met were talking about Gia, because the rumor was that she was off filming Season 6 of the Drag Race. So when I finally saw her perform live, I had high expectations.
It's a good thing she's so fierce! Gia is at her best with high-energy numbers and elaborate costumes. She's gorgeous, can dance like hell, and she's a diva. She's going to bring eleganza and drama this season.
And I'm already thinking about which Chicago queen I want on the show next year...
Okay, so was that 14 queens? I think I got them all during the WEEK OF RU. Thanks so much for coming along for the ride! To finish off the week, I'm having a Reddit AMA over at the phenomenal RuPaul's Drag Race subreddit from 7:30-9:30 pm ET tonight! So come and share the T!
By the way, here's the full cast portrait that I've been teasing on social media all week! I actually made last-minute changes to some of these queens after creating this image, but before posting their individual "Week of Ru" illustrations, so the eagle-eyed among you can try to spot those discrepancies!
Hey everyone! Thanks for participating in today's little guessing game! As almost all of you guessed, the "mystery queen" was, of course, Manila in her fabulous first look from All Stars. I thought it would be one of the most easily recognizable silhouettes in Drag Race history, but I might make things a liiiittle harder tomorrow.
Oh! And the winner of today's contest is Sergio N. on Facebook! Congratulations!
Okay! On to the Season 6 queens!
APRIL CARRION
With so many comedy queens on the cast this season, I expect April to stand apart by delivering some of the most jaw-dropping runway looks of the season.
I see as a mix of Ivy Winters and Yara Sofia. Like Ivy, she's gorgeous and sweet, though a little quiet. And they both favor theatrical outfits with flair.
I don't think April is as eccentric as Yara, but I expect that she'll deliver some avant garde, over-the-top extravaganza like her predecessor.
VIVACIOUS
Wow, so, Vivacious. I think it's clear that she'll set herself apart as an unforgettable Drag Race queen, regardless of how long she stays in the competition. One of the biggest surprises when the cast was announced, Vivacious has already been embraced for her outrageous looks and for representing an important component of drag history.
Plus, I am dying to draw some of the outfits of hers I've seen. Seriously, they're just screaming to me.
Vivacious definitely loves some shock value, as you can see in her "double-headed" look from the new Season 6 trailer. I have no idea how long she'll last, but I'm sure she'll leave quite a mark.
Tomorrow will be the final day of THE WEEK OF RU--I'm so grateful to everyone for participating! After the final Season 6 art is revealed on Wednesday, I plan to have a Reddit AMA on the Rupaul's Drag Race subreddit, so find me there if you have any questions!
Thanks for participating in my little guessing game for the WEEK OF RU: Day 5! I wanted to mix things up, and I didn't want any queen to get picked last, so I came up with this way to wrap things up. And congrats to David B. (aka Kim M.) on Facebook for winning $20 towards my prints and books!
So, who were the 2 queens I hinted at? (As if any of you had a hard time guessing...)
JOSLYN FOX
Joslyn is a fox, no doubt about it. In a cast of seasoned comedy queens, Joslyn stands out to me as the fishiest queen of them all. She seems really sweet and charming, though she may be too unassuming to stand out as a character among the other queens this season. But best of luck, my dear!
MAGNOLIA CRAWFORD
Magnolia is a true dark horse of the season, and so far, she's flying under most people's radar. But I'm intrigued by her quirky Youtube videos, which showcase an offbeat sense of humor and a consistently funny character. There have been a lot of comments on her contouring and lips, but I've grown to really like her mug--it suits her sensibilities perfectly.
I don't know how Magnolia will fare in the main challenges or on the runway, but I hope the Drag Race gives her a chance to show off her strengths. And if not, she'd better keep turning it out on Youtube!
Follow me on Facebook or Twitter to join in another round of the guessing game tomorrow!
Thanks, everyone, for participating in the final day of voting for the WEEK OF RU! I'll be changing the format for the final 3 days, so be sure to check in on Facebook and Twitter tomorrow morning! So! Who took the top 2 spots today?
Well, first up is ADORE DELANO!
I think Adore is going to keep things really interesting. She’s got a Willam kind of thing going on, throwing out one-liners and projecting an off-kilter cockiness. Her character will be polarizing among fans, as will her edgy sense of style. But behind the bravado, this queen is funny, and she's gorgeous. She'll probably have some rough edges, some stumbles, but she's one to watch.
In a cast with so many more experienced queens, I see Adore and Laganja as two fierce upstarts in the season. Adore will bring comedy, style, and her vocal talents, whereas Laganja contributes her fierce personality, over-the-top fashion, and dance moves.
(Oh, and I should say that I designed a T shirt for Adore, and we should hopefully be seeing that soon! It's pretty badass, so watch for it!)
And finally, Ms. Kelly Mantle!
I've been a huge fan of Kelly ever since I first started hearing about her last summer--yes, I might have stumbled across some rumors that she was in Season 6. As soon as I saw this fabulous video of hers, I was hooked.
Kelly has a really unusual temperament for a drag queen--she comes across as laid back, unshakable. Like, the Drag Race is just another gig--no big deal. I don't expect a lot of drama from Kelly, but I do expect her to bring a ton of talent to the stage. She's a comedian, an actress, a singer. She might not often steal the spotlight, but she's going to be a serious contender.
And any queen who can trade Ani Difranco lyrics with me on Twitter has the official Chad Sell seal of approval!
Wowza! What a day! As I started to tally up today's votes, I really had no idea who'd be in the top 2. And it was a close one! The top 4 queens were all within 20 points of each other, after hundreds of fans participated! So, yeah! Thanks for another fabulous day!
I'm especially excited to announce that Miss Darienne Lake came out on top! I think Darienne is an absolute delight--gorgeous, hilarious, and sweet as hell. The drag mama of Pandora Boxx, Darienne has been in the drag world for, well, a long time, and she's sure to be a fan favorite during Season 6. How could you watch her "Meet the Queens" video and not fall in love?
I'm hoping for great, great things from Miss Darienne Lake.
Tonight's second spot could have gone either way (I'm sorry, Ben and Adore! You were soooo close!), but Courtney Act won out!
Of all the Season 6 queens, I actually had the hardest time capturing the likeness of "the most beautiful man in the world," because, well, he's so pretty! It was hard to pick out any one distinguishing feature amid the glorious radiance of Courtney.
I'm curious, in fact, whether the high, polished shine she brings to the competition will help or hinder her. She's already garnered a huge fanbase around the world, and for good reasons--besides her beauty, she's talented and funny as hell! But despite the recent seasons' embrace of the underdog drag queens, I wouldn't be surprised if Courtney takes the crown.
Voting for the WEEK OF RU will continue Saturday morning! There are still so many queen portraits I'm dying to share! So, I mean, I hope you're not entirely sick of this already! Thanks, everyone! Mwah!
Wow! The WEEK OF RU got off to such a great start today! Thanks so, so much to all the queens and to all of you fabulous fans for participating! It’s so nice to see that you’re all as thrilled about these queen as I am, and it’s really amazing to share in the excitement with my Drag Race illustrations!
I’ll be the first to admit that the voting process on Twitter and Facebook was far from scientific, but I did my best to tally things up. And it was close!
Milk came out with the most votes, and here’s my take on that: There are a lot of incredible queens in the Season 6 cast, and many of them are well known in the drag community. For months, there had been rumors about the more established queens who had made it onto the show, but despite all the gossip, no one was ready for MILK!
Milk’s irreverent humor and delightful genderfuckery were an immediate hit with the fans, and the fact that no one knows anything about her just adds to the appeal--she’s a total wildcard, a queen of unlimited possibilities!
And she’s really, really fun to draw!
Laganja has a lot of buzz surrounding her, and it’s clear she’s learned a lot from her superstar drag mama Alyssa Edwards. In a cast filled to the brim with comedy queens, Laganja is pure performance--I suspect her killer dance moves will send a whole lotta queens home this season.
I’ll admit that this portrait is probably too reserved and unassuming for Laganja--it’ll take a lot more art to capture her over-sized character throughout the season! I think she’ll be a livewire, dramatic and divine. She has a huge fanbase already, and like Milk, she appeals to fans of a looser, more irreverent take on drag. But despite her stoner sense of humor, I think she’s focused, fierce, and ferocious.
The WEEK OF RU continues tomorrow morning! Thanks again, everyone!
I'm pretty far along with my first art of the Season 6 Drag Race queens, but I haven't set a date to reveal them all!
Also, I've been preparing a lot of my favorite RPDR art for a giant print run of postcards which has been fun. I love looking back on my first art of Raja, Manila, and Delta from Season 3, though this mega-portrait I did of Ru will probably be the best thing I ever do.
Check out the non-animated version below!
2013 was a big year for me! Not to make too big a deal of it, but I turned 30 in May. More importantly, it was my first full year supporting myself with freelance work. And it kind of makes sense that those two milestones coincided with one another. It can take a long time to build confidence and skills as an artist. And it's an even greater struggle to make any money as one. So I'm glad to have gotten through the tumultuous years of my twenties with only a few scars, bruises, and moderate psychological trauma.
I'm also overwhelmed with gratitude to all of you for your support over the years--even when I've doubted myself, there's always been such a persistent positivity from you to bolster my spirits. Plus, it's through all your online purchases on my website, Etsy, and FAB.com that I first started making any money through my work! And seriously, I was staggered by how many holiday orders I got this year during my print sale. It's a lot of work to print and package each order myself, but it's so, so satisfying to have such a direct connection with my fans.
Drawing the Drag Race started out as such a simple little project, so it's particularly mind-blowing that it's led me in so many different directions. Besides drawing Season 5 of Rupaul's Drag Race early in the year, I returned to the "lost" first season and drew those incredible queens, too. I also did most of the art and animation for DRAGOPOLIS, a game for iOS and Android devices, illustrated some outrageous queens for the party game DRAG BALL, and even contributed a tiny bit of animation to Alaska's debut music video Ru Girl.
So, yeah, I've drawn a lot of drag queens this year. Which is amazing and totally ridiculous. But besides all the reality TV drama that's popularized queens in pop culture, it's been fabulous to meet and befriend some of the best drag queens in Chicago since moving here in June--seeing how they work, perform, and grow gives me a much more grounded and humane look at these artists beyond the scope of reality television.
Despite all the fun of drawing the drag world, I'll always love/hate/struggle the most with drawing my personal comics projects. My comics are what send me to my most inspired, excited places, and then they lead to the deepest, darkest existential despair when they don't live up to my expectations.
This year, I experimented with shorter stories to work on my writing skills, hone my process, and narrow down my technique. My two favorite comics of the year are MANTA-DAD and this crazy, animated story starring Sachiko, the PART-TIME NINJA!
I'm planning a lot more of these experimental short comics for 2014, though I'd also like to develop some longer work, too. But it's hard to say. I've got a very complicated relationship with my comics--sometimes we get along so well, and sometimes we fight. But I always come crawling back for more.
Regardless, you'll be able to see all my new comics this spring at a bunch of comics shows! So far, I'm already lined up for TCAF in Toronto and C2E2 right here in Chicago! So exciting.
Also, there's SEASON 6 of Rupaul's Drag Race, which is a big thing. Despite all my crazy comics ambitions, you can expect to see a lot of drag queens from me in 2014, because seriously.
Thanks again for all your support in 2013! Happy New Year, and Don't F*ck It Up.
What a reunion! Remember the good ol' days, when we got some real drama and closure at the end of each Drag Race season? Well, actually, I hadn't remembered how good they were, so watching this week's was a very pleasant surprise.
Tammie is a legend, and I'm so glad she was on this first season... even if she isn't. She admitted that she was relieved to go home so early in the season, and I don't blame her. The crazy interchange she had with Ru at the end of the reunion got clouded by weird metaphors and tangents, but I think she was basically saying: Why does there have to be judging, why do we have to compete?
You get a bunch of talented queens together, they get to know each other, and then you pit them against each other for a moderate amount of money and fame. It can be brutal, which wasn't for Tammie. And I've sometimes felt the same way--particularly during the toxic drama of Season 5. I'd much prefer to see the queens hanging out and getting along.
But that doesn't make for compelling TV. There's just something so tantalizing about the classic reality show competition format. Despite how arbitrary, maddening, and convoluted the structure of the show, it hooks you.
Ru's rant in response was also a little hard to follow. I think the gist of it was something to the effect of: You've gotta be tough and strong, bitches, 'cause the world's a rough place for all of us. And something about Dorothy and The Wizard of Oz.
In any case, it was fabulous to visit with each of the season's queens. All of them looked good, too. Ongina's headpiece was pretty terrifying (was that alligator head real??) but her attitude was sunny as ever.
Nina's sleek hair and spooky eyes accented one of her more distinctive looks, and they inspired my favorite portrait of her!
Throughout the season, Bebe has inspired some of the most detailed, elaborate, and realistic Drag Race portraits I've ever done, but for my final piece, I tried to scale it back a bit, sticking with a simpler style. And I'm glad I did! When people talk about my "Drag Race style," they're usually thinking about the more minimal, "flat" look that they see more often in my earlier work. ...But it's nice to trot it back out every once in a while!
Thanks so much for checking out my weekly updates for Season 1! I plan to collect the work into another art book, so keep an eye out for updates!
I'm relieved that Season 6 of the Drag Race won't start up until February--I need a break! But until then, follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or gossip with me in the RuPaul's Drag Race Reddit!
I've recently learned how to make silkscreen prints, and I've had a ton of fun! I've posted a lot of my prints in my Etsy store, though I'll be posting the occasional screenprinted T shirts here. Printing by hand on shirts is hard, and I'm not terribly good at it. I think these shirts look really great, and I'm proud to sell them, but please be forgiving of some minor printing mistakes and quirks if you purchase any of them!
I had the best luck with this crazy design, based on a Japanese demon, or Oni. I have a few shirts available in small, medium, and large sizes. I think it's a really fun, striking design, though some of the printing came out a little crooked.
The design was printed on pretty basic Gildan cotton shirts. They were all washed after printing to test for fading, and they came out well!
Shipping is $5 for all these shirts, and I will only be shipping them within the US.
[add_to_cart item="500" quantity="user:1" ]
I really love the design of this Pretty Purple Lady, but it was one of my attempts at printing on shirts, so I only had a few good ones turn out!
In any case, these are also printed on Gildan cotton shirts and have been pre-washed to test for fading.
[add_to_cart item="501" quantity="user:1" ]
Okay, some quick thoughts on the "finale" episode of this first season: Cazwell was hilarious. His reactions to the queens' rapping were flawless. His utter disdain for Rebecca? Jaw-dropping.
Wait, rapping queens? Sure, okay.
Lunch with Ru: Bebe and Nina both had lovely Tic Tac lunches with Ru, opening up about all sorts of emotional stuff. Ru was clearly grateful to both of them for giving her crazy new TV show a try. Throughout her stagnant, limp lunch with Rebecca, Ru's internal monologue went something like, "HOLY GOD SERIOUSLY WHAT WAS I THINKING" and "Can we edit Shannel back into this show?"
Crowning a winner in reality TV is always tricky. For RPDR Seasons 1-3, they featured the winner being crowned, collapsing in a fit of joy and bewilderment, but then there's not much else. Roll credits! You want some sort of pay-off, some grander celebration. Like, maybe Ru and the winner run off and become best friends. And maybe they rob some banks, I dunno.
For Seasons 4 and 5, the show went to extreme lengths to prevent spoilers, filming sequences in which all three final queens are crowned. And then they only really find out who won during a live event in NYC that coincides with the airing of the show. So unless you're there in New York, you can't see the queen's actual reaction to her win. So, for everyone at home, it feels like you didn't see the "real" finale to the show.
Why not broadcast the NYC crowning live? It would be messy, loud, and chaotic, but that would give a much better sense of what a real drag show is like. Queens might have to deal with wardrobe malfunctions, broken heels, or snatched wigs, but all the better! It would be utterly riveting. And don't you think those queens would really work their asses off performing in front of those live cameras? It would separate the girls from the queens.
Anyway, I know it will never happen. I'm sure broadcasting live television is a total nightmare. For Season 6, I'm just praying for a more satisfying conclusion than the limp "reunion" episodes we've gotten the past two years.
Oh, right! Back to the beginning: Season 1.
Nina and Bebe are both great, agreed.
Nina stole our hearts in the workroom with her infectious energy and optimism...
...but Bebe really ruled the runway. She's arguably the most elegant and regal queen this show has ever seen.
So... LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!
The clip show! Traditionally, on the week of each season's clip show, I like to go back and draw any queens or outfits I missed the first time through. The one queen I regretted not drawing earlier is Jade! I really enjoyed Jade's contribution to the show, and she's gorgeous as hell! So I tried to capture her most elegant runway outfit:
I also wanted to go back and draw the gorgeous gown and headdress Bebe wore for the MAC challenge--especially because I've been thinking of using the illustration for the cover of this season's book collection! What do you think?
I don't know whether the book collection should be called The Lost Season or The Lost Queens. Would the latter sound too... grim?
For the sixth season of the Drag Race next year, can they just repeat all the first season's challenges? Like, everything? I want to see another vogue-off, please, please. Do another Oprah challenge--maybe this time you can get the Queen of All Media herself to show up. Hose off some of the queens on the hood of a fancy car. Seriously, this season has had a lot of magnificent, funny, crazy challenges. More voguing. What is a drag show without voguing? (And yes, that's how you spell it. Wikipedia says so.) Even this Absolut challenge was pretty good. I always love this point in the season--The "Ball" episodes serve up a ton of gorgeous runway looks. The Absolut theme gave each queen a distinct color palette, which was surely a huge challenge for some of them, but I was impressed with the vivid looks they came up with. (Which made it hard choosing which ones to draw!)
Also, I want to see more random celebrity appearances in the workroom. Did they even explain why Charo showed up? She was magnificent. It was fun. More of that!
I took this episode as an opportunity to finally draw Rebecca, because she was pretty stunning. Maybe some of the detailing of the dress was overdone and a little corn-y, but I can conveniently leave those elements out of my illustration! Art is magic.
There's been a lot of orange this season. When I think Lost Season, I think orange. But Shannel pulled off the color smashingly--I especially loved her Executive Realness and Swimwear looks. They had a youthfulness and lightness that sometimes gets lost in Shannel's more theatrical, overwrought outfits. The long, dark hair and whimsical headdress/hat/hair poof she sported for the swimwear ensemble were just too striking to ignore, so I had to draw 'em.
I'll reiterate that Shannel is the greatest character of Season 1--everything you'd want in a reality TV star. Ego, looks, talent, and a flair for the theatrical.
In re-watching this episode, I was blindsided by Shannel's choice to kick herself off--a twist I had totally forgotten from my first viewing years ago. She seemed to have a change of heart and gave a good lip sync, but I can't help but dwell on the fact that two of the nine contestants this season, Tammie and Shannel, burned out and expressed interest in leaving the competition.
Maybe it's nothing, but I'd speculate that they just didn't really know what they were getting themselves into. It was the first season of this crazy show, so it was an unknown quantity. Each queen has their own scene, their own clubs, their own audience. Most of them had been doing their own thing for years prior to the show, and so they were most likely shocked at how unfamiliar the Drag Race set was, how different it was from their past experiences. I can only imagine that the shooting process of this show was grueling and surreal, with an unclear pay-off. Who knew if anyone would ever watch or care about this show?
Obviously, after running for so many seasons, I like to think that queens know what they're getting themselves into when applying for the show. But... I'm not so sure.
In any case, I should get around to my final piece for this episode: Bebe!
I was just struck speechless by Bebe's raspberry-themed looks. The sleek, simple dress with that severe, Japanese-inspired hair. She had, by far, the most imposing challenge with those fickle little raspberries, but her use of them was smart and elegant.
This queen is good.
Just... gagging.
Can we talk about Shannel for a bit? This cast has a lot of lovable queens and a ton of talent, but there's no character quite like Shannel. She's the one who reliably makes the best reality TV--the drama, the exhibitionism, the style, the ego! Whether it's calculated or just her typical charisma and competitive nature, she brings a hunger and driving force to the show that the other queens don't. Nina and Ongina are energetic and radiant, but they're too nice to bring the drama. Bebe tends to be too withdrawn in the workroom, and Rebecca is... well, she's Rebecca.
You might roll your eyes at some of her theatrics or her jaw-dropping costumes, but her contribution to the show is undeniable.
Plus, she looked damn good in this episode. And her partner Sweepea was just the best.
This show has had a lot of really spectacular makeover challenges over its five seasons, but I think this one still stands above the rest. There's something just so fascinating and totally endearing about a bunch of butch ladies getting made over by flamboyant men. It captures the vast spectrum of gender expression in such a crystal clear way, entire college seminars should unpack everything going on here. In subsequent seasons, when the queens are paired with various men to transform into queens, there just isn't the same juxtaposition. (Yes, those episodes are often highlights of each season, but in different ways.)
If only Drag U had captured the same energy, right?
Anyway, Shannel and Sweepee should have won. Yes, Rebecca forced her partner Tempele into a fairly good likeness of herself, but only after grinding away any last vestige of goodwill we might have felt for her.
I had to draw Nina as an evil Disney stepmother, because clearly. Also, her partner really reminded me of Cece's roommate from New Girl. Or am I just crazy?
Okay, and... Ongina.
Obviously, she's great. Ongina brought so much energy, positivity, and humor to the show that it's hard to imagine the season going on without her.
I wanted to try something a little different in this week's illustration of her--with my previous drawings of Ongina, I felt like my digital style wasn't capturing some of the softness of her face, so I tried doing a more traditional drawing on paper with pencil and charcoal, then adding some color digitally.
It was great to see Ru give Ongina such a heartfelt goodbye. Seeing that crack in his composure added to the weight of the moment and the sincerity of his praise. I wish we'd see more of those rough edges in subsequent seasons. (Let it allll out, girl!)
Once again, while re-watching this first season, I'm struck by how much the producers got right in this short little "lost" stretch of episodes. The lead-up to the mini-challenge, where the queens give feedback on their peers, was surprisingly candid and interesting without resorting to (too much) cattiness. And having the queens make each other over was brilliant! Not to mention the intriguing results, seeing their faces painted in dramatically different styles. Nina looked soft and understated, Ongina looked fresh-faced and lovely, and Bebe gave Rebecca a smoldering, smoky eye.
I always feel bad for the shy queens on this show. We get some screen time with this season's two quieter queens, Jade and Rebecca, but they express dramatically different attitudes. Rebecca, irritated that the other girls don't "get" her, says fuck 'em. Jade realizes that her introverted personality isn't anyone else's fault, and she needs to step up her game.
The Viva Glam challenge was an especially complicated one--how do you balance a socially conscious message of HIV prevention and research while also projecting an image of yourself as glamorous and fun? Nearly all the queens stumbled, in variously hilarious ways. The way they edited Shannel's wandering monologue was laugh-out-loud funny, resulting from yet another misunderstanding of the challenge's criteria. (Do you think in subsequent seasons they've been extra careful about meticulously spelling out the requirements for each challenge to avoid these blatant screw-ups?)
Rebecca's breakdown was a face-palm moment, Nina's language problems continued to plague her, and Jade just plain missed the mark, despite bringing more energy and confidence than I had expected. Bebe, however, brought a sincerity and seriousness to her commercial shoot, as well as a stunning outfit. But Ongina was the clear winner. Oh, Ongina! Just the best.
It's interesting to look at the first season's (mostly) awkward MAC commercials compared to some of the stand-out film shoots of Season Five. For their perfume commercial, we got funny, smart performances from Alaska, Jinkx, and Detox. (Some painful ones from the other queens, but still.) Nowadays, it seems like the queens are generally much more media savvy, experienced in promoting themselves, shooting crazy YouTube videos, pandering to legions of Twitter fans. The queens from that first season seemed much more awkward in front of the camera, not sure of how to present themselves, how to act on a film set.
This week's runway looks were mostly underwhelming. Rebecca's outfit was a trainwreck. And that makeup? Yeesh. A lot of the queens wore dark, understated dresses that were hard to see through the greased up camera lens. I did love Nina's feathery flourish, though, and her tall column of hair.
And Bebe served up a dynamite look. Sure, there are a lot of mixed opinions out there about her, but week to week, I find myself saying, "Ooh, I want to draw her in that! And that! And that!" There's something so engaging and unique about her style that keeps me coming back for more.
Was anyone else surprised that Jade was selected to sashay away? She definitely had better moves and more stage presence than Ms. Glasscock, but maybe she still came across as too tightly wound, too choreographed? Or maybe, with Rebecca's simmering attitude and conflict with the other queens, she was kept on purely for the sake of drama.
It's a shame! I had really been hoping to draw Jade this season, but none of her runway looks really jumped out at me. Maybe I need to go see her perform live here in Chicago and ask for a personal modeling session?
Lordy, what a legendary episode! Seriously, this should be considered one of the all-time classics of Drag Race herstory. It started off slow, with Ru's weird trivia introduction to the week's challenge. And then... Oprah? A bunch of activities based around Oprah?
But man, the funny/strange/sweet/insane moments started piling up, one after another, culminating in one of the most memorable lip syncs ever on the show.
First, Shannel's over-the-top excitement and certainty that, at any moment, she is absolutely definitely going to meet Oprah. Every time Ru shows up, surely it must be to drag Oprah from behind a curtain and meet her biggest fan. Seeing Shannel so giddy and joyful revealed a sunnier side to the shadiest queen of the season. And girl, I wish you had gotten to meet Oprah.
And then Jade, sweet and sultry Jade, begging Bebe for some dark foundation to serve up some blackface realness. Oooooh my. What a trainwreck that could have been. Kudos to the other queens for stepping in and offering some sanity. Wowza.
Despite Nina's worries about the challenge, she overcame her language problems through sheer pluck and personality by laughing at herself and rolling with the punches. Seriously, signing off from her newscast with "This is your name, good night," was just the absolute best.
I loved the interview sections, too. Seeing the queens shoot the shit with a couple random celebrities made for some great TV. And my favorite part was Ru bringing Tori and Dean to the workroom afterward and hanging out with the girls. So fun and light-hearted, a great way to break the tension after the queens ran themselves ragged throughout the challenge.
It's strange that it took three episodes to offer the contestants a chance to wear their own clothes on the runway. Nina's wig and make-up were divine, and I loved the color palette of her look. Her styling lends itself well to a more angular, geometric illustration approach, which I love love love playing with.
Ongina's look was gorgeous--so sleek and sexy, accented with her whimsical doll headpiece. Even though she didn't get a ton of screen time during the main challenge, it was great to see her shine on the runway.
Shannel had a lot of missteps this episode, with the crazy red dress she wore during the challenge, and her overeager interview, but her Medusa look was certainly a stunner. I drew this super cartoony take on it last year in preparation for All-Stars. (A sidenote: It's interesting to see how much Shannel changed between the first season and All-Stars. In the later season, she seemed much goofier, light-hearted, and humbled, as opposed to the I've-already-won attitude she wields throughout the first.)
In any case, Shannel brought it for her lip sync. Did those snakes fly off by accident, or not? If it was intentional, it was a superbly calculated move on her part. I tend to think it was just a serendipitous slip, but who knows?
Speaking of missteps, we can't forget Akashia. Man! Tripping on the runway! A disaster, but one she handled admirably.
This week's runway also offered up Bebe's most memorable and magnificent outfit. And that wig! Everything about Bebe's walk down the runway just screamed sex, elegance, and power. That combined with her strong, centered performance in the main challenge finally showed her as a real competitor for this season.
Did anyone else start feeling claustrophobic this week, scratching at the walls as things heated up in this pressure cooker of an episode? The intense scenes of the groups working and arguing with each other felt really different than what we’ve gotten used to in subsequent seasons.
The bulk of the main challenge was shot really intimately, with lots of close-ups, and you couldn't look away from all the conflicts brewing among the queens. It was smart to give each queen a different responsibility for her group, to see how they could contribute and convince the other queens of their ideas. It came together for Ongina’s team (go, girl!) but for Akashia’s, well… all I can say is: Poor Tammie!
Miss Tammie Brown gave it her all in this challenge, gamely going along with a group that didn't want her. Sure, most of her ideas didn’t fit the fishy fashion the others wanted, but they could have at least considered those capes!
The other girls just didn't get Tammie, and my guess is that most viewers didn't either when this season first aired. But it also became increasingly clear that Tammie didn't get this show, either. She didn't anticipate the intensity of the competition, and after being steamrolled by Akashia throughout the whole challenge, she wasn’t willing to fight for her spot during the final lip sync.
It was a shame, because I would have absolutely loved to see more of her-- and I’m not talking about her nip slip during the girl group performance!
Overall, I thought this first group challenge was fabulous--intense, fun, and it separated the queens from the girls. However, since we didn't get a proper runway show, I wasn't left with especially memorable outfits to illustrate.
Ongina’s team “Serving Fish” lived up to their name, except for that crazy, cartoonish hair! Those giant, poofy wigs? I just… I couldn't. The standout performance was from Ongina--although half the height of the other queens, she had double the energy and attitude.
I actually loved the fashion and attitude of Akashia’s team “3D” despite Tammie and Akashia’s sloppy dancing. Bebe really stood out--I live for the fierce intensity she brought to the lip sync. Those facial expressions! Good lord. But she really faded into the background during the workroom scenes. I’m interested to see her trajectory over the course of the season, whether she emerges more as a personality among the cast, or whether she only shines onstage.
