Dr. Sketchy’s is back tomorrow night! (That’s Monday, September 13th.) If you miss out on Marla Meringue it’s your own damn fault. Unless you’re in the hospital. Or jail. Still, you’ll beat yourself up when you the photos two weeks later.
Roma Mafia!
August 9th with Roma Mafia was our last session of the summer before our traditional (well, now it is anyway) annual August break. Roma was amazing note to go out on before we all took a breather to regroup, contemplate what we’ve done with our lives, and dive head-first into a month long bender of birthday party bacchanals, kicking chickens around in Key West (that’s not a euphemism), and conducting secret rendezvous in parking garages to arrange the model line-up for the Fall.
Alexis and I had previously caught a few of Roma Mafia’s performances in Paco’s Viva la Decadence! (She’s now part of Sticky Buns Burlesque, btw, as is our next model.)
Anyway, on to the one & two minute poses . . .
Brian Dugan
Brian Dugan
After a short pause so everyone could powder their noses and livers, we jumped into the 5 minute poses, starting off as always with the dreaded Opposite Hand Contest. If you’re new to Dr. Sketchy’s, the Opposite Hand Contest (which isn’t mandatory, none of the contests are) means if you’re right-handed, draw with your left, if you’re left-handed you draw with your right, and if you’re ambidextrous I’d like your help in moving a couch next week.
The two winners, who are obviously far too sober for our own good, get a mystery drink from Russell at the bar, which, to date, seems fairly safe.
Samantha Cimino
Samantha Cimino
Next up were ye ol’ ten minute poses.
Brian Dugan
Ben Carnow
Samantha Cimino
Mike Hasson
The second ten minute pose was also the second contest of the evening and was the Random Noun contest where the audience shouts out random nouns until we capriciously decide we’ve heard one we think is amusing. This time around the noun was “bouncy castle” – basically those big inflated things you see at festivals where you drop your kid off while you go drink. For their crafty display of their drawing skills, the two winners won (with the top winner choosing first) either the new issue of Hi-Fructose or the new issue of Coilhouse from Atomic Books.
Brian Dugan
Liz Beetem
Ben Carnow
John Brewer
Since Otakon had recently made its annual invasion of downtown Baltimore, the first 20 minute contest was the best incorporation of “cosplay,” with the prize being a package of fancy drawing pens from Artist & Craftsman Supply which is on the corner of North and Howard. They close at 8, so if you get to Dr. Sketchy’s and realize you left some art supplies at home, for God’s sake run over there.
Brian Dugan
Liz Beetem
Ben Carnow
Samantha Cimino
Matt Craft
Last contest of the evening was the best incorporation of Richard Nixon, since it was the anniversary of his resignation, with the prize being Unkle Pigor’s Cryptic Art by Eric Pigors from Baby Tattoo Books. If you didn’t know, Bob Self of Baby Tattoo Books actually runs the Dr. Sketchy’s in LA, so check them out if you get a chance (both the books and the branch).
Ben Carnow
Matt Craft
Brian Dugan
Samantha Cimino
We’d like to give a big ol’ thanks to Roma Mafia our wonderful muse for the evening; we hope the aching muscles the next day were worth it! We’d also like to thank our generous sponsors, Atomic Books, Artist & Craftsman Supply, and Baby Tattoo Books for providing the lovely prizes for our contests. Many thanks as well go to Russell of the Windup Space for doling out drinks and songs, Bill for filming for the documentary and helping out at the door, Jeff for the lovely photos you see above, and Alexis for hosting this train wreck of artists, models, and booze.
Our next Dr. Sketchy’s is Monday, September 13 with burlesque uber-cutie, Marla Meringue!
(Pssst. Just between you and me, this blog post was finished up from a deck chair beside a pool in Key West. That’s why it took forever to go up. Well, that, and John Brewer took FOREVER to send in his sketch. Come to think of it, Key West has, ummm, nothing to do with it—it’s all John’s fault 🙂
Dahlia Derriere Does Dead Dames
There isn’t much point in getting all loquacious about it, the pictures pretty much do the talking. Clearly, Dahlia Derriere was pure win. Our usual photographer Jeff wasn’t able to make it (he was at Comic-con punching out storm troopers or something) so Jen Swanson lent us a hand—and wow, did she.
Dahlia’s first dead dame was Cleopatra . . .
Jeff Lance
Our first contest of the evening was the opposite hand drawing contest, where if you’re right-handed, you draw with your left, and if you’re left-handed, you draw with your right, and if you’re front-handed you’re going to meet my back-hand.
The two winners got mystery drinks from Russell at the bar.
Ben Carnow
Jeff Lance
Ben Carnow
Liz Beetem
Look at that pose—she held that for FIVE minutes. Wow. And then she did it again, this time for a TEN minute pose.
The second contest was the best interpretation of an encounter between Juanita Cruz (Dahlia’s second historical heroine) and a bull, with extra points if you work in an homage to a famous Spanish painter. There were two winners with each receiving a sketchbook from Artist & Craftsman Supply, which is just down the street from the Windup Space, at the corner of North and Howard.
Liz Beetem
Jeff Lance
Liz Beetem
Ben Carnow
The third contest was the random noun contest in which we ask the crowd to suggest a random person, place, or thing. This time around, the random noun chosen was “Amsterdam”, and the prize was Gris Grimly’s Little Jordan Ray’s Muddy Spud from Baby Tattoo Books.
John Brewer
Ben Carnow
Liz Beetem
Fred Zeleny
Our last contest of the evening was “zombie Amelia Earhart” with the prize being a $15 gift card to Atomic Books in Hampden at the corner of the Avenue and Falls Rd.
Ben Carnow
Liz Beetem
Mike Hasson
Fred Zeleny
Many thanks to Dahlia Derriere who did a smash-up job, and to Jen Swanson for taking the beautiful photos you see above. Special thanks as well to our sponsors Atomic Books, Artist & Craftsman Supply, and Baby Tattoo Books. Thanks also to Russell for DJ’ing/bartending, to Bill for manning the door, and to Alexis for hosting and general rabble-rousing.
Our next session is tomorrow, Monday, August 9th with Roma Mafia at the Windup Space! Doors at 6, start at 7 – this is the ONLY session we’ll have in August, so if you miss it, you’ll be Sketchy-starved for over a month! (Don’t worry though, come September we’ll start up our usual scheduling.)
Dr. Sketchy's Baltimore 
