Category: roller derby

Brian Dugan

We took a quick break for a cocktail (in some people’s cases, their first, since Baltimore traffic sucked a little more than average that afternoon—apparently Mathew McConaughey and a film crew were gallivanting around downtown mucking up rush hour) and then it was time for the 5-minute poses, the first of which was the good ol’ opposite-hand contest, our thinly-veiled attempt to get rudely talented folks snockered so the rest of us don’t look bad. If you don’t know what the opposite-hand contest is, well, if you’re right-handed you draw with . . . actually, I have faith in you. You already know what it is, don’t you? See, you and me, we’re like THIS [points at his eyes then yours]. We don’t even need to talk about the opposite-hand contest. If you DON’T know the rules, well, all you need to know is there was some drankin’ when all was said and done.

Three more 5-minute poses.

Brian Dugan

Next up were the ten-minute poses, after everyone had a break to peruse Paigey’s merch table manned by the very amusing Fenny & Meredith while Paigey changed costumes. The first was another contest, ye ol’ random noun contest, which somehow ended up being “submarine” after the crowd steadfastly (and thankfully) rejected Justin Bieber for at least the second time in three months. There always seems to be one fan of the Beeb in the crowd—but just one. The two winners each received two packs of Fabriano Tiziano gold color paper and their choice of either a box of Holbein soft pastels or a box of Fimo modeling clay from Artist & Craftsman Supply, the art supply shop luring just down the street at the corner of North and Howard. If you need a pad for Sketchy’s, for God’s sake, go in there, they’re pretty damn neat.

Brian Dugan

Brian Dugan

After a break it was 20-minute pose time. Paigey was getting a brand new tattoo the next day, so tattoo suggestions became the theme with the winner getting their pick of either an issue of Retro Lovely or Bachelor Pad magazine (with the runner-up receiving the other) from Atomic Books on the corner of the Avenue & Falls Road in Hampden—if you like books or comics, and have lived in Baltimore more than six months, you lose ten points if you haven’t been there yet.

Craig Hankin

Brian Dugan

The last pose of the evening was another 20-minute with the contest being “Paigey vs. the Utz Girl” (suggested enthusiastically by Fenny at the merch table, making me choke on my beer) with the winner carting off Miss Mindy’s Sassy Paper Doll Bonanza by Miss Mindy from Baby Tattoo Books who also runs the LA branch of Dr. Sketchy’s. Check ’em out when you get that movie deal and move west.

April 10, 2011April 10, 2011

Craig Hankin

Brian Dugan

Many thanks to Paige Pumphrey for coming down from Brooklyn to model for us; thanks as well to her two friends Fenny and Meredith for keeping me amused while they ran Paigey’s merch table next to my lonely door post; thank you to our sponsors Atomic Books, Artist & Craftsman Supply, and Baby Tattoo Books; thanks to Russell for slinging drinks and letting Dr. Sketchy’s use his amazing space; thanks to Jeff Schock for the cool pictures you see above; and thanks to Alexis for being our MC.

Our next session is Monday, May 23rd at the Windup Space with Roma Mafia of Sticky Buns Burlesque!

Doors at 6, start at 7! Drinks are a dollar off before 7 o’clock! You can double-fist ’em folks, that’s what God gave you two kidneys for. We won’t judge.

May 6, 2011May 6, 2011

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.

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

Doris Day of Reckoning

Chris Reuther

Trixy Le Doom

Chris Reuther

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

The remaining 5-minute poses.

Quickshot Kitty

Trixy Le Doom

Smearin’ Off Ice & Adrenaline Junkie

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

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

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

Lois Borgenicht

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