Artstar session with Paigey!

I think the first time I really became aware of the Charm City Roller Girls was when I spotted this poster in the window of some bar or another I was irresponsibly drinking in.  Tell me that isn’t some of the best poster/flyer work you’ve ever seen in your life.  I seem to recall saying something like, “One, what’s roller derby?  That looks bad-ass . . . and two, wow, who the hell drew that?  I think my inner artist just got struck sober.”

Well, the Baltimore-bred, Brooklyn-based illustrator Paige Pumphrey, a.k.a. Paigey, drew that. I’m pretty sure Alexis responded, “You don’t know who Paigey is, and you don’t know what roller derby is?  My God, I’m dating and running Dr. Sketchy’s with an idiot.”

After a brief jager-fueled period of crying and a lot of  “No, honey, you’re not really an idiot” and “Yes, honey, I know your childhood dog died when you were five but I don’t understand what that has to do with anything right now”, I . . . well, I probably passed out.  It’s a little blurry.

That was a few years ago.  Since then, we met Paigey at the Baltimore Comic Con,  where we bought a print of that poster to hang in our apartment and found out that she’s a regular at the Dr. Sketchy’s in NYC. Then a year later, at her art opening at Saints and Sinners here in Baltimore, we talked to her about having an Art Star session of Dr. Sketchy’s featuring her work.

And now, we’re finally having that session! Paigey will be modeling for you, her fellow artists, this Monday night at the Windup Space. As always, doors open at 6 and drawing starts at 7—and seriously, show up early to get a good seat. We’ll have crazy drawing contests with prizes from Atomic Books, Artist & Craftsman Supply, and Baby Tattoo Books.

$8 at the door, and you must be 18+ to attend, and 21+ to drink. No photography or paints, please. Visit the official Facebook event page to let us know you’re joining us, and you can use it to invite your friends, too.

So, check out her art blog and an interview with Girls Drawing Girls here for inspiration, and join us at the Windup Space on Monday.

Let’s round this out with one more amazing piece by Paigey.

Dr. Sketchy’s Baltimore tonight with Ivory Twinkler!

Photo by Cheryl Fair

I can’t tell you how long Alexis and I have been look forward to this session!  You’ve not had a chance to draw Ivory Twinkler yet, and hell, many of you may not have even seen her perform since she only joined Gilded Lily Burlesque in the last year – but this is going to be a treat.  Trust us.  She’s smart as hell, got serious music chops, and can pretty much out-geek anyone.  Oh, and she’s hot.

Honestly, we don’t know anyone who doesn’t have a crush on her.

It’s going to be pretty damn neat.

Doors at 6, start at 7, drink tickets for a $1 off if you get in the door before 7.  $8 dollar cover, yadda yadda, you know the drill.

I’m telling you folks, she’s going to be your new favorite.

Until next session anyway.

Seriously though, I’m not kidding.

Pretty in Pink

Well, according to comments made during and after our session with the Junkyard Dolls roller derby team, it was the best session we’ve ever done.  I’m not saying it WAS, mind you—all I need is every past Dr. Sketchy’s Baltimore model showing up at our apartment with a brickbat—I’m just saying SOME people are SAYING that. Everybody has their favorite sessions, whether it’s the zombie session, Tony Apollo’s, that session where we just had a very angry hedgehog taped to a barstool for three hours—let’s face it, there’ve been some really great moments.

This, THIS, was one of them.

Alexis and I are always a little nervous when new folks pose, but this time?  Not so much.  They had plans—I mean, like, intricate, coordinated-posing plans. It was almost as if they had trained to act as a team in stressful situations.

Let’s get crackin’ with the one- and two-minutes poses.

Adrenaline Junkie

Brian Dugan

Doris Day of Reckoning

Brian Dugan

Chris Reuther

Trixy Le Doom

Brian Dugan

Stewart White

Chris Reuther

Brian Dugan

Stewart White

We took a short break so everyone could restock on liquid courage and dived straight into the five-minute poses, the first of which was the opposite hand contest where if you draw normally with your right hand, you draw with your left, and if you normally draw with your left, you draw with your right, and if you’re ambidextrous–OH MY GOD WRITING THIS SENTENCE TWICE A MONTH FOR 3 YEARS STRAIGHT IS DRIVING ME TO A PSYCHOTIC BREAK.  THIS IS THE SHIT THAT LEADS TO HEDGEHOGS TAPED TO BARSTOOLS, FOLKS.

I think . . . I think we’re going to call the contest “Best Non-Dominant Appendage Drawing” for here on out.

I am not saying that on stage.  For now on it’s, “Oh just fucking switch hands already!  Jesus-fucking-Christ!” contest.  –Alexis

The two winners received a mystery concoction from our friendly neighborhood bartender, Russell.

Smearin’ Off Ice

Stewart White

Monica Gallagher

The remaining 5-minute poses.

Quickshot Kitty

Monica Gallagher

Trixy Le Doom

Monica Gallagher

Brian Dugan

Smearin’ Off Ice & Adrenaline Junkie

Monica Gallagher

Brian Dugan

Another break, another drink, and it was 10-minute pose time.  Since the day before had been Quentin Tarantino’s birthday, we asked folks to draw a tribute, with the two winners receiving either an issue of Retro Lovely and an issue of the roller-derby zine Booty by Anne Thalheimer from Atomic Books in Hampden, or a package of Prismacolor color pencils from Artist & Craftsman Supply just down the street.

Quickshot Kitty & Doris Day of Reckoning

Brian Dugan

Monica Gallagher

Kelly O’ShankU, Quickshot Kitty, Adrenaline Junkie, Smearin’ Off Ice, & Trixy Le Doom

Monica Gallagher

Stewart White

BTW, Adrenaline Junkie was inspecting the massive bruise Smearin’ Off Ice got just days earlier at the Dolls’ last bout. Next up were the 20-minute poses which, well, the Junkyard Dolls just plain ol’ blew out of the water.  Since we thought that last massive group pose looked like a great set-up for a Baroque-style painting, the contest was “best homage to the Old Masters” with the prize being two tickets to see the Junkyard Dolls’ next bout.

Adrenaline Junkie & Smearin’ Off Ice

Chris Reuther

Stewart White

Lois Borgenicht

Monica Gallagher

Monica Gallagher

Oh, what was that?  You want to know when the Junkyard Dolls play next?  That’s what I thought I heard you say.  You know, through my computer screen.  My, umm, time-traveling computer screen that will, uh, communicate your desires when you read this post three days after I’ve written it.

Their next bout is June 18.

Also, did you notice Smearin’ Off Ice’s awesome monster bra? Check out She’s So Pretty! if you want one of your own.

The last 20-minute pose of the evening’s contest was the best incorporation of an actual junkyard with the winner receiving either a pair of tights from What Katie Did or Ragnar’s Izzy’s Very Important Job from Baby Tattoo Books.

Trixy Le Doom, Kelly O’ShankU, Doris Day of Reckoning, & Quickshot Kitty

Chris Reuther

Lois Borgenicht

Stewart White

Yowsa, what a night.

I’d like to thank the Junkyard Dolls roller-derby team for one of the best sessions we’ve ever had; our generous sponsors Atomic Books, Artist & Craftsman Supply, Baby Tattoo Books, and What Katie Did; Russell of the Windup Space for the fantastic venue and for slinging booze and music; Jeff for rocking the photos; and Alexis for MC-ing the whole shebang.

Next Dr. Sketchy’s is Monday, April 11, with Team Atomic to benefit Moveable Feast!  All cover and tips go to charity!  You get to do a good deed AND draw AND have a beer.  Life doesn’t get much better than that.