Mora Precarious: Profiles from the Quiet-D Illustrations

Mora Precarious, 2012. By Travis Simpkins

     On Quiet Desperation, Mora Precarious is the resident drummer for a variety of bands. Whether smashing dishes (as cymbals) in Rob's kitchen, practicing at the jam space, unknowingly finding herself drafted into a Viking metal band, making amorous advances on Marnie Hall, or reluctantly going along to do role playing games in the woods, Mora is always open to new projects and adventures.

Mora plays drums in the kitchen- Quiet Desperation 16

North Shore NERO

Viking metal and romance

     In real life, Mora Precarious (Jessica Townsend) is an omnipresent force in the Boston music scene. She plays drums for Ketman, Trabants, and World/Inferno Friendship Society among other projects.
Check out the Ketman site here: http://www.ketman.net/

and the World/Inferno Friendship Society here: http://www.worldinferno.com/

Ketman

Life in Cheat Mode

 

 

Quiet Desperation #6, 2012. By Travis Simpkins

Killers from Space (1954): Classic B Movies

     Killers from Space (1954) has been slammed repeatedly by critics for the past 57 years. They say it sucks. I couldn't disagree more. It has A-Bombs, Aliens, giant bugs and Peter Graves (the narrator from A&E's Biography series) in the lead role. What's not to like?

     Graves plays a scientist who's plane crashes while investigating the radiation levels immediately following a bomb detonation. 

He miraculously shows up at the base unscathed, except for a strange surgical scar on his chest that was not there before.

      His odd behavior rouses the interest of the authorities and they give him a truth serum. Under the influence, he tells a bizarre tale... he died in the crash, but was healed by bug-eyed Aliens afterward to use him as an errand boy for their information needs.

 Their planet's sun is dying and they plan to invade earth and wipe out humanity using an army of giant mutated insects as soldiers... Again, what's not to like?

Killers from Space- movie trailer

Chris Fleming: Profiles from the Quiet-D Illustrations

Chris Fleming, 2011. By Travis Simpkins

     On Quiet Desperation, Chris Fleming plays a sound engineer who "acts as a third base coach" in the recording of Robby's album. His hand signs and gyrating dance moves in the kitchen set the rhythm for the sessions. Sadly for Rob, Chris' help on the album was short-lived, as he accepted a job offer in Los Angeles to record Death Cab For Cutie's new album instead.

Chris Fleming's first appearance in Quiet-D episode 16

In Episode 18, Chris announces he's leaving for L.A.

     In real life, Chris did indeed leave Boston for L.A., but it wasn't for a sound engineer job. He went off to further his career in stand-up comedy and acting, and is really shaking things up out there with his performance pieces. Read about Chris' journey here in this article: Some Funny Things Happened On the Way to LA

Chris Fleming- stand-up comedy

Quiet Desperation #3, 2011. By Travis Simpkins

Breathing New Life Into Old Photos Through Portraiture

Susan, Lou and Mario, 2011. By Travis Simpkins

     People often inquire about commissioning me to do portraits from old photos. Only in rare instances are the pictures so bad that I can't work from them (usually a harsh flash, the picture is out of focus, or dim lighting are the culprits). In some portraits, working from photos is the only option... like if the subject is deceased, or old photos of children for example.

     Such was the case last month, when I was commissioned to do a triple portrait of the client's aunt and two uncles as children, all of who had passed away some time ago.

     I started with the easiest one: the little girl... Here is the reference photo:

The photo was clear enough, but her eyes are looking off-camera. I thought it would be more inviting if I redirected her gaze at the viewer.

     Next up was the elder uncle. Here is the reference on the left:

     Again, the photo is not bad, but the eyes are gazing off and they lack that certain spark of life. So I made those modifications:

     The last one was the most problematic. I had to use a couple different photos and combine them together to form a composite:

     Here's how it came out:

Bigg Nez: Profiles from the Quiet-D Illustrations

Bigg Nez, 2012. By Travis Simpkins

     On Quiet Desperation, Nez plays one half of the rap group Tin Tin Buffet. The other half, Joe Wong, eventually left the group to join 2 Live Crew. Tin Tin Buffet's one sole song, "Revere Beach," didn't take off the way they had hoped, and in later episodes, Nez finds himself working in the warehouse with Robby to make ends meet.

Quiet D Episode 7- Tin Tin Buffet

"Revere Beach" Music Video

Nez working at the warehouse and taking part in role playing games

     In real life, Bigg Nez is a multi-talented, multi-media performer and is putting his personal stamp on the arts scene in Boston. He is a radio show host, a stand-up comedian, a singer/rapper and an actor. Nez can be heard on his radio show, "Rare and Well Done", Wednesday nights from 11pm - 1am on Unregular Radio here: Rare and Well Done Show on Unregular Radio

     Also, read more on his personal website: http://therealbiggnez.webs.com/

J Magas and Bigg Nez- "The Experiment" Music Video

Bigg Nez doing stand-up at The Comedy Studio

Nez on the Steve Katsos show

Quiet Desperation #6, 2012. By Travis Simpkins

Embryo (1976): Classic B Movies

     Perhaps the pinnacle of fetus experimenting films, Embryo (1976) touches on the subject of biological and genetic manipulation in an entertaining way.

     Rock Hudson plays a research doctor, specializing in experimenting with extracts from the placenta. He is still down in the dumps after the death of his wife. He has been so distraught, that he has not entered his laboratory since. 

     This changes when, while driving home, he hits a dog. He rushes the dog back to his lab to perform emergency care and discovers that the dog is pregnant. Upon realizing that the mother will die, he vows to save the puppy fetuses. He places them in containers and perform some intravenous work with a twist. To his amazement, it works on one of the puppies. The fetus rapidly grows to be a full size dog in a number of days. 

     Brimming with confidence after the success of his experiment, he decides to try the same on a human embryo (with the requirement being that the fetus be less than six months old).

      As with the dog, the human embryo grows quickly, and in a week or so is already a young girl.

     After another few weeks, the fetus has further developed to become a beautiful woman.

     With the rapid growth also comes rapid gains in knowledge, and the young woman, who he named Victoria (played by the stunning Barbara Carrera), is extremely inquisitive about the world. 

     She reads every book she can get her hands on, including one on Chess, which she utilizes to excel at the game upon her first try. 

     Her curiosity to learn is not limited to academics. As her mind and body develops, Victoria's sexual desires and inclinations are increased as well.

     With this great knowledge comes sorrow, when she discovers that without increased doses of the placental drug, she feels worse and worse.

     Melancholia is taking hold as she comes to terms with her existence.

     She is aging rapidly again, and finds out that the only true cure rests in extracting and injecting fluid from the pituitary gland of a fetus (age 5-7 months). The race is on. Victoria will do everything she can, including killing, to survive before she dies of old age...

Embryo- teaser trailer

Sugar Dish: Profiles from the Quiet-D Illustrations

Sugar Dish, 2012. By Travis Simpkins

     On Quiet Desperation, Sugar Dish is the sex buddy/girlfriend of Tom Dustin. Things started out just solely for fun (mostly on Tom's part), but a serious development occurred with Sugar Dish's pregnancy and the birth of their child. Now she's struggling two-fold in her new role... with the baby, and with getting Tom to be an attentive father.

     Episode 8 can't be shown here, but you can see it on youtube, if you sign in. Here are some stills:

Quiet Desperation Episode 4

Quiet D season two episode One

     In real life, Sugar Dish (Vanessa White) is quite the dynamo in the Boston dance entertainment industry. She is an entrepreneur, promoter, performer, choreographer, dancer and actress. She is the founder of the neo-Burlesque troupe, Babes in Boinkland, who deliver creative dance routines inspired by the golden age of Burlesque, but suited towards a modern audience. Vanessa is also the creator/organizer of the bawdy Holiday season ballet, The Slutcracker, which has received wide acclaim and attention over the past few years.

Visit the BiB website here: http://www.babesinboinkland.com/Babes_in_Boinkland.html

The Slutcracker

Babes in Boinkland

Quiet Desperation #6, 2012. By Travis Simpkins

The Wasp Woman (1959): Classic B Movies

     Like all his other films, Roger Corman directed The Wasp Woman (1959) on a shoestring budget and it shows. However, it is that fact that makes it good. The appeal of his films rests with the honest integrity of doing a lot with very little. The Wasp Woman is wonderfully ripe with Corman's signature style.

     The story focuses on Janice Starlin, owner of a cosmetics company. The problem is that her business is in peril because her looks are fading with the onset of age, and her face is used in advertisements for the company.

     She hires a weird scientist, who claims to have discovered a way to reverse aging by injecting a subject with jelly taken from queen wasps. He demonstrates proof on guinea pigs and cats.

    Ms. Starlin insists she become the first human subject.

     At first, the injections seem to be working, for within a short time she looks years younger. This gains the envy and admiration of her staff.

 But Janice Starlin soon discovers that there are side effects. The most important one being that during withdrawals she becomes a hideous, wasp-faced woman who kills and devours her victims...

The Wasp Woman (1959)- movie trailer