The first session of 2011 with Nicolette Le Faye was packed! Everyone must have been getting the shakes after that grueling winter break. Telling you, Dr. Sketchy’s is like cigarettes: you might be fine for a little while, but eventually you’re going to be flipping the couch cushions and trashing the living room, except better, since Dr. Sketchy’s doesn’t cause lung cancer (or Tourette’s—don’t believe everything you read on the Internet) AND you get to draw beautiful, unique people.
In any case, that’s the most folks we’ve had yet. I bet it was because of the ever-popular Nicolette, who was one of our very first models, back in the days when we were camped in Dionysus’s upstairs lounge.
The night started off with the one- and two-minute poses to warm everyone up. Take a look.
Look at that crowd! Lordy, lordy. After a quick break we moved on to the 5-minute poses, which started off with the dreaded opposite hand contest where, if you’re right-handed, you draw with your left, and if you’re left-handed, you draw with you’re right, and if you’re ambidextrous, you draw with your center hand. As always, all contests are optional—if you see a good pose and say, “Nooo! I want to draw this one normal!” for God’s sake, draw it normal. Art comes first.
Unless you’re thinking, “My, those snazzy-looking shots Russell is making for the winners would make my tummy feel pretty shiny . . .”
Obligatory imbibing finished, we forged ahead into the remaining 5-minute poses.
Our second contest of the evening, keeping with a rising theme of decadence that would shortly be squashed by a soon-to-rise dark horse theme of pure dorkiness, was in honor of Caligula’s birthday, i.e., your best incorporation of Caligula for the first ten-minute pose. The prize? The recent Taboo issue of Retro Lovely featuring some gasp-inducing photos of the founder of Gilded Lily Burlesque, Maria Bella, along with many other retro-ed out pin-up models. Retro Lovely was donated to us by our generous sponsor, Atomic Books, which, regardless of whether they were our sponsor or not, is literally the coolest independent comic shop we’ve ever come across, and we’ve done enough traveling where that statement shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Adrenaline Junkie
The second ten-minute pose.
Craig Hankin
Adrenaline Junkie
After a break so everyone could refuel on liquid courage, it was time for the first twenty-minute pose and our third contest of Buffy Summers, who, if she were real (she’s real damn it, don’t make me cry!), would have been celebrating her 30th birthday. (Yes, we’re talking about the Slayer. If you don’t know who she is, minimize this web page, go watch all seven seasons, and come back.) The prize was a pair of bad-ass back-seamed stockings from our brand new sponsor, What Katie Did, whose unmentionables are what unmentionables were meant to be, versus the sad generic nonsense someone picked up from Target on your birthday.
Ladies, if you get hit by a Mac truck, this is the stuff you want to be wearing.
Well, sort of. Actually, that’s a little disturbing. Let’s just move on.
Craig Hankin
While everyone was drawing, we played “Walk through the Fire” from the Buffy musical—and I must say, watching the crowd recognize it, and then start to sing along, might end up being my favorite Dr. Sketchy’s moment of all time.
Yes, you may now make fun of me.
Actually, you might want to hold off for a second.
We took a break and then came back for the last twenty-minute pose and contest of the evening. The sheer dorkiness of the contest frightened Alexis, so I was forced to take one for the team and announce the contest. It went something like this:
[me, faintly tipsy:] “Hey folks, Alexis wants me to announce the last contest since 1) it’s pretty geeky and 2) she has no idea what it’s about.”
[astonished voice from the crowd:] “Wait, it can get geekier?”
[me:] “Oh, you have no idea. Well, tomorrow, they’re releasing an issue of Fantastic Four, sealed in a black-bag which no one has done since the Death of Superman a decade or two ago. Supposedly they’re going to kill a member of the Fantastic Four and—”
“Oh GOD . . .”
“Wait, stick with me—”
“Everyone run for your lives, it’s a dork-trap!”
“—and the contest is, ‘Incorporate your best rendition of the death of any comic character. It can be Popeye, Batman, someone from Tiny Toons, Little Abner, whatever . . .”
“Okay, that’s not toooo bad . . .”
The prize was a sketch pad from Artist & Craftsman Supply, which is pretty much across the street and down the block from Windup, right on the corner of North and Howard. They’re open late, so if you need art supplies right before one of our sessions (like next week!), grab ’em there. It’s about as convenient as you could possibly ask for.
Craig Hankin
And that was the end of our evening and the beginning of another long wait till the next Dr. Sketchy’s. We thought about doing one on Valentine’s Day, which is when our next session would have fallen, but in the end we decided not to risk it—if no one showed up, it would have sucked for the model, so it seemed best stay on the safe side.
So when is the next Dr. Sketchy’s? It’s February 28, mere days away, with Tony Apollo!
Photo by Tony Veloz
Holy shit, now that’s a photo! Personally, I’ve been fooling around of late with trying to create some “pulp artwork” that has the feel of old Doc Savage/John Carter covers. I might have to forgo my Dr. Sketchy’s tasks for a bit this session and sneak a few sketches in. 🙂
We’d like to thank Nicolette Le Faye for helping us start 2011 with 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 at the Windup Space for slinging music and booze; Jeff for the stunning photos you see above; everyone who sent in drawings for us to include here; and Alexis for being our gracious microphone wrangler.
So, we’ll be back this coming Monday, February 28, with Tony Apollo! Doors at 6, start at 7, and if you show up before 7 you get two tickets for a dollar off a drink AND you get the best seats! See you then!
Dr. Sketchy's Baltimore 
