Fantasies

and all the links I haven't had time to go through yet

It’s been a while since I participated that much on Carnaval activities here in São Paulo. Partly like everybody else, after the worse of this pandemic I was eager to see more people and celebrate that we made it, that we’re still alive. I’m also having a hard time sleeping in my own bed, so staying out late most nights was also a way to delay lying down to rest (and fail).

In the US, when you dress up you put on a costume. Here in Brazil, we say that we put on a fantasy. I like this fantasy idea that we dress up to enter our imaginary world, to be somebody else and to be able to do things out of the ordinary. Putting on a fantasy has a magical quality to it.

While putting on a costume sounds to me it’s very cold outside and you have to dress up warmer before you can leave to play with your friends, putting on a fantasy sounds like there are fairies sunbathing on the flowers that bloom outside your door at your front yard and that you are just in time to see something incredible if you dare to go outside and join the parade.

This year, I went outside and joined the parade quite a bunch.

I went with friends to a party my sister discovered years ago. A Carnaval Ball. I called my first costume “Gipsy Pirate”. Heavy black eyeliner under the eyes, a red heart on the cheek, a vest with no shirt under it and the necklace I got as a gift when I went to this convention in Peru more than 10 years ago. Gel to make my hair behave and glitter to make my skin shine. It felt good to become part of the zoo.

Almost by the end of that first party, I found an abandoned Captain’s cap at the dance floor and suddenly I was promoted Captain of my shirtless pirate body. I soon realized that the cap was a costume on itself, and it became the first step in many of the costumed activities I attended, especially the ones with my volleyball buddies. In at least three days we gathered to play during Carnaval, I went as the Captain. The cap went great with dark shorts and stripped t-shirts, or even just the shorts. Somebody wished I was in the next The White Lotus (which I tried to take as a compliment, since I haven’t yet seen this series).

I went to one party last Tuesday, at the height of Carnaval, and tried a variation on the Gipsy Pirate. As much as I wanted (and I didn’t wanted it all that much), I didn’t have the patience to keep the mustache for all those two weeks of Carnaval craziness, so after one week, the mustache was gone. The Captain of the ship was fine, but the Gipsy Pirate was less exotic without the mustache. I met with some friends at the house of one of them so we could go together and, as I drew my eyeliner, I decided to go a little Clockwork Orange. A bunch of glitter in my body and that was the Clockwork Gipsy Pirate ready for a long night of dancing.

I had another fantasy on my sleeve, which I tried out during a morning match of beach volleyball. I put one of the Luchador masks Bá and I bought when we went to Mexico as guests of La Mole Comic Con. It looked great with my sport shorts, but it was too warm and I just played one set with it, then went back to Captain.

Maybe some other time I’ll sketch that fantasy on my Moleskine. Maybe I’ll draw how I went out on the street block party parade. Maybe I’ll even draw how I fell ill after all those long endless nights of fun and discoveries, how the fever took control of me for one afternoon and made me remember to pay attention to myself.

Next week I’ll write again about commissions, about going to Galaxy Con in Richmond and about deciding to visit some friends while I’m in the States, which led me attending another convention in another city I’ve never been to.

all the links!

I want to close all the tabs on my browser, but can’t find the time to properly read or watch any of these links.

Diana Schutz talks about editing and translating Blacksad.

Shelly Bond reunites Matt Wagner and Steven T. Seagle to talk about their days writing Sandman Mystery Theatre at Vertigo.

Dan DiDio gave a long interview for the Comics Journal. I’m hoping it talks about the change from DC to joining forces with Frank Miller and creating this new publishing venture, Frank Miller Presents.

Comix Experience’s book of the month interview for January is with Zoe Thorogood to talk about her book It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Universe, how she started out and all that.

The Cartoonist Kayfabe channel goes through the entire Hard Boiled book with Geof Darrow along for the ride to comment on everything he could remember from making the book.

And, finally, some news that broke at the end of last week that have left us (and everybody else, I hope) really excited:

Be safe. Be kind. Be curious.
Pa-ZOW!

Fábio Moon
Moon Base, São Paulo
February 27th, 2023 (I know I sent it after midnight, but bare with me, friends)