ALL STARS: Episode 6

November 28, 2012 by Chad Sell in Blogging the Drag Race, The Sellout

Well, my dears, it's over! It's hard to believe that all this insanity took place over just 6 episodes, right? But with this group of girls, are you really surprised? The most interesting aspect of All Stars was revisiting some of these queens with fresh perspective. Tammie Brown really shined in the early episodes, and for me, Yara Sofia proved herself to be positively radiant with her energy and outrageous costumes. But really, no queen surprised me quite like Shannel. Her outsized personality and costumes can be polarizing, but she came across as so much more energetic, enthused, and gracious than I remember from her time in the first season of the Drag Race.

And yes, a lot of her costumes are crazy, but they're really fun to draw.

I think Jujubee was a favorite for a lot of fans, and justifiably so. That girl's just got it-- the right mix of sweet and sour, where you don't know if she's going to hug you or take you to the library and read you, hunty!

Plus, she's an amazing performer, and I'm dying to see her lip sync in person! (Next time I'm in Boston, sweetie!)

It was fabulous to rediscover Team Rujubee--seriously, it feels like Season Two was so, so long ago. Don't you want to just lounge around with them on some Form Decor couches and drink a couple million Absolut cocktails with them from here to eternity?

When it all came down to Raven and Chad, I was torn, though I would have been happy if either had won. I've been gagging over Raven's fashion this season, and she absolutely killed her comedy routine, but Chad Michaels is able to bring an amazing, fierce energy to every challenge he's given, even when totally out of his comfort zone.

So, congratulations, Chad! You're talented, gorgeous, and absolutely captivating. As Ru says, "Keep your face fierce, and your tuck tight!"

If you've been digging my Drag Race art, check out my online store which features 11" x 14" prints and collections of my work!

You can also pre-order my ALL STARS book collection right now for just $10! (This should be ready in a few weeks, in time for Christmas!)

ALL-STARS: Episode 5

November 20, 2012 by Chad Sell in Blogging the Drag Race, The Sellout

Okay, sorry, you've got to forgive me, but I'm still in a lovey-dovey daze from this episode. Seriously, it was just too much. Comics, drama, costumes--what else could a boy want? Though honestly, the episode's beginning was a little rough--playing F-I-S-H on the basketball court? Ugh, seriously, drudging up all sorts of childhood trauma for this nelly-boy artist. For an episode based entirely around comic books, focusing on basketball for the mini-challenge felt pretty random. Why not have a fun comic challenge to start things off? Like, maybe have a comic book artist show up who is also totally into drag queens and drawing them and he'd just hang out with the girls and feel special and loved and he'd be on TV finally, FINALLY on the Drag Race, andhe'ddrawthemall and itwouldbesomagical andthen......

Whoops, sorry. Totally should have been on this episode. Just saying. And why didn't we get a few shots (or ten) of the Pit Crew shooting some hoops? Come on, Drag Race producers! GET YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT!

In any case, the comic theme was lots of fun. (I should point out that my buddy Justin Hall wrote a whole graphic novel starring a drag superheroine, Glamazonia: The Uncanny Super-Tranny, and it's great!) It was also great to see the queens puzzle through their various origin stories, despite their difficulties with the challenge. Seriously, girls, you ever need help writing up some comic stories? I'm your man. Call me. Please.

Favorite line of that segment? Shannel: "He's the Disney bitch. And... I'm just an evil c*nt."

Favorite observation of that segment? Raven's mom is a fox! Must run in the family...

ANYWAY! I loved all the runway looks. The queens are sickening, and it's great to see them having fun with their giant-sized superhero personas. And Ru was looking her absolute best--I nearly drew her, but I already had four outfits to illustrate, so we'll just have to make do without. Also, it was a thrill to see Wendy and Elvira get so into the judging process. Right?

The lip sync between Raven and Jujubee was, of course, intense and wonderful. Some folks seem to think that the queens essentially broke down on stage and failed to perform. But the way I saw it, both of them, wracked with emotion, performed the song the only way they could: as a wrenching tribute to each other.

Chad brings up the Hunger Games a lot, and Rujubee essentially pulled off Katniss' trick at the end of the first book--manipulating the judges to let them both live.

And for that, I'm grateful.

As Chad said in Untucked: "Each of you bitches is on point."

--Prints of this week's queens are available right here in my online store!

ALL-STARS: Episode 4

November 15, 2012 by Chad Sell in Blogging the Drag Race, The Sellout

Okay, I'll say it: I liked Team Yarlexis. They kicked ass at the cheer-reading challenge, sported colorful, fun outfits for the "girl group" performance, and worked best as a team among all the All Stars. But, yes, they were highly polarizing among viewers, and the whole "she-mergency" debacle totally derailed things. In any case, one last portrait of Alexis and Yara, because I love them, no matter what you say.

Also, I was privileged to join in on a Drag Race discussion at SLATE withBryan Lowder, soclick here for some especially catty commentary on this week's show.

I thought the overall "girl-group" challenge was pretty great, and although I prefer the focus to remain on the queens, their "celebrity" guests did allow for some good drama, as well as an outsider's perspective on our All-Stars. (Obviously, the candor with which Chad and Shannel discussed their tumultuous relationship was particularly moving.)

It was fabulous to see the queens perform for live audiences, because these girls know how to work a crowd! I thought all the teams did well--the editing made it hard to really evaluate each queen's performance. But for me, the standout was Jujubee, who does, indeed, "give good mouth."

As we saw last week, this competition is brutal and unforgiving (still can't believe Latrice and Manila are gone!) and this episode's lip sync was especially rough--we've been dying to see someone push the "she-mergency" button all season, but its debut was a dud. Ah, well! At least we got to see a whole lotta Raven!

As always, I have a million prints of my Drag Race work available here! You can also buy print collections of the third and fourth seasons of RPDR right here!

ALL-STARS: Episode 3

November 07, 2012 by Chad Sell in Blogging the Drag Race, The Sellout

Well! That was an episode.

Did the queens deserve better than a challenge that left them pleading with passersby on the street? Yes, of course.

But it was interesting to see which queens had that mysterious ability to charm strangers--a skill I certainly don't have. My favorite was Chad--how fun was it to see her dancing on the street, trying to lure people in?

I really dug the girls' runway looks this week. Chad looked like a punky old GI Joe villain, right? In the best kind of way.

And I was SO glad to finally see Raven's full geisha outfit after getting glimpses of it from the show's teasers.

SO. FIERCE.

I think both teams Rujubee and Shad have been really good at matching their outfits for effect. However, I think the only team that's really been working to mix things up and become better than the sum of its parts is Yarlexis. It was obvious with the show's first photo challenge ("Opposites Attract") that they were swapping styles and accessories--or in that case, switching identities.

We saw that culminate with this week's runway looks, with Yara prodding Alexis into edgier territory--to glorious effect! And I think Alexis' matching outfit helps give some grounding and context to Yara's even more outrageous wardrobe.

So, despite my utter astonishment that Latrice and Manila were kicked off the show, I wanted to give Yarlexis some love!

I fully expected Latrila to make it to the final episode, especially after Latrice's luminous lip sync last week. But they're both superstars, and they'll be fine. In fact, they've already come out with a collaborative music video this week: The Chop! (Seriously, check it out--they sport some sickening looks!)

And also check out my store, where you can find prints of my Drag Race work--now featuring both Raven and Jujubee!

ALL-STARS: Episode 2

October 31, 2012 by Chad Sell in Blogging the Drag Race, The Sellout

Okay, folks, I've got some new All-Stars art to share, and I want to do this fast. Honestly, this episode's mini-game tickled me endlessly--how fun was it to watch the teams play InDaButtRu? Besides Latrice and Manila, everyone seemed to know each other on a shockingly intimate level, leading to oodles of enjoyment. I LOVE how well Jujubee and Raven know each other. And that Raven doesn't wear underwear. Also, that Yara prefers panties.

My life is better because of that.

Was the subsequent sketch comedy challenge kind of painful and awkward? Eh, sure. I was delighted to see Yara shine in her role--both she and Tammie have really benefited from having the spotlight once again. And I was surprised at how great a Madonna Manila proved to be.

In any case, the runway looks were lovely and light and campy and wonderful.

I KNEW that my biggest problem this season would be picking just a few queens to draw each week, even though I seriously love them all.

Manila has proven to be even more polished and sickening than in Season 3, though she also seems more emotive and likeable. She may be the queen to beat this time around! I loved her sunny 60's look! Rock those blond wigs, girl!

I thought Nina and Tammie looked really great this week, too, and I came veeeery close to drawing Nina's albino glamour realness. But instead, I had to capture the captivating likeness of Ms. Tammie Brown--love her or hate her, she's got something going on!

Plus, I mean, check out those eyebrows.

(I've hidden two goofy little animations in this week's work--can you spot 'em all?)

I do have to wonder about the tactics these queens have been taking with their lip sync performances. Last week, I was astonished that Pandora let Mimi perform for the both of them, as I was this week with Team Brown Flowers.

Tammie did pretty well, really. But, I mean, she was up against Latrice. LATRICE ROYALE, hunty!

Ain't no one who can throw down like Latrice. And the way she leapt across the stage!

Girl, she rocked my world. And she also inspired what may be my favorite Drag Race portrait ever.

(And just FYI: My prints of Manila, Latrice, and all the other fiercest queens are available to buy right here. Just sayin!)

ALL-STARS: Episode 1

October 29, 2012 by Chad Sell in Blogging the Drag Race, The Sellout

Hey girls! You miss me? Yes, I'm back to illustrate the ALL-STARS, and it's gonna be SICKENING. I would have loved to pose these new pieces sooner after the first episode aired, but I was a little busy finishing up work on a fabulous new iPhone game calledDRAGOPOLIS. Sorry 'bout it! I also did an official All Stars comic for Logo, so this boy has been busy!

Anyhoo! On to the main attraction: the ALL-STARS! Was anyone as thrilled as I was to see these girls gathered together? They were all sporting luscious-lady-looks, but I was dying to draw Manila in her smokin' outfit. (Seriously, best headpiece in Drag Race herstory!)

For me, a lot of the fun was seeing what dynamics emerged between all these fan-favorites, guessing at the crazy, interweaving histories they all had. And having the girls pick teams certainly revealed some interesting tidbits: Who expected Tammie and Nina to pick each other in the first round? Alexis wanted Shannel as her top choice? Latrice wanted Nina? Sheer insanity!

But still, compelling TV, amirite? Pandora's pairing with Mimi was rough, providing ample tension and drama for everyone. I felt bad for Pandora, who saw her hopes for the competition dashed, but I also felt a lot of sympathy for Mimi, who was earnestly trying to make the best of things.

(For anyone who wants more Boxx in their life, check out DRAGOPOLIS, in which Pandora Boxx wields a giant sword to take out her fiendish drag opponents. Seriously. COMING SOON! Also starring in Dragopolis? YARA SOFIA!)

The first episode's main "challenge" was a pair of photoshoots, but it ultimately felt like an afterthought--clearly, the focus was on the girls and their drama, as it should have been. But unfortunately, that deflated some of the stakes during the runway evaluations--it seemed pretty arbitrary which teams were in the top or bottom, but maybe that's just me. I'm sure, however, that we can all agree that the queens were SERVING IT on the runway, especially Team Ruji!

Ugh! GAGGING!

Honestly, I was hoping Pandora and Mimi would prove to be a scrappy underdog team who would prove everyone wrong about their chances. Sadly, Mimi was matched against Chad Michaels. And hunty, if you're lip synching for your life against Chad, you're gonna end up dead.

Be sure to check out my Print Shop to see which of these and other Drag Race images I offer as 11" x 14" art prints!