UPDATE: What's The Hold Up?!

Hey Everyone,

I've been having some computer problems. I think the worst has been resolved and I will resume regular posting shortly.


-Jezza

Supporting Our Cheerleader, The Dinosaur Prince

   

  A little over two years ago when my dad died, you guys sent messages and emails full of love and support. I can not and will never be able to express how much that helped me through one of the most painful times of my life. 
Yesterday The Dinosaur Prince unexpectedly lost his father. The Dinosaur Prince has been a huge support to erotic artist through patronage and promotion. I am posting this today in hope that you will rally around him and support him with the same love that you showed me when I went through such a devastating time. 
In times like these, it's not easy to know what to say. When I went through it, I did not know what I wanted to hear, but anything positive was helpful to get through each day of pain.
Please take a minute to contact The Dinosaur Prince and give him any words of support or wisdom that you can offer. You can email him here.

       Because I don't want this post to get overlooked, I will postpone my scheduled postings for today till tomorrow. 

Boy Meets Hero - 20 years of Love and Art

In 4 years of JezzLoads, you've never seen a Valentine's Day post. I personally feel Valentine's Day has to be the most redundant of holidays. People who are in love know they're in love and don't need a holiday to remind them. And if they did, they have birthdays, anniversaries, Thanksgiving, Christmas - come to think of it; most holidays are designated as a time to remind loved ones you love them. Valentine's Day appears to be a big commerical ploy to get everyone to spend money and is used too often as a means to make single people feel bad about being single. 

That said and out of my system, this Valentine's Day serves as the perfect occasion to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the boys behind Boy Meets Hero. 

The creators of Boy Meets Hero, Chayne Avery and Russell Garcia, both recently celebrated their 40th birthdays and next month will be celebrating their 20th Anniversary.

I have to say, I have a hard time imagining being with anyone for 20 years, but seeing these two guys interact with each other certainly inspires me to try. 
I have the privilege of hanging out with these guys regularly. They are a team; both romantically and professionally. They're not one of those annoying TV couples that finish each other's sentences or always bicker. Instead, they interact like best friends - an interaction that is more romantic than any of the hollywood interpretations I've ever seen. 
I had to know, how do they make it work?! Here's what the two had to say when I questioned them separately...

A JezzLoads Valentine Bonus: Interviews with 3 Creative Couples Who Make Love Last Easily

I was so amped up from the Boy Meets Hero interview that I sent a few of the same questions  to some other Creative couples that have been together 10 years or more.

Artist, Choklit Daddy (right), and his husband,Greg, met at a Glee Club audition at UCLA in 1975. They have been together almost 37 years and are legally married.

Will O. Tyler of Carabosse Comics (right) and his partner, David, met on the Metro in Washington, D.C. and have been together 12 years as registered domestic partners.

Everyone should have someone they can be silly with.

Patrick Fillion (left) and Robert Fraser of Class Comics were introduced through a straight friend of Fraser's. Last year they celebrated their 10th anniversary by getting married.

Here's how they separately answered some of the questions I asked them...

Black History Month Spotlight: Dr. Ravi Prince and Paris Prince

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Valentine's Day is tomorrow. So I'm spotlighting the couple, Dr. Ravi Perry and Paris Prince, who were part of history last year when JET Magazine profiled their wedding in their popular "Weddings" section.

When it comes to the topic of gay marriage, the African American community has been slower than the rest of America to change their attitude about the issue. According to a Pew Research Poll from October 2011, 62% of black protestants oppose same-sex marriage. 
Isn't that crazy?! Blacks more than anyone in this country should be more empathetic to the concept of equal rights for all. 

I'm not gonna dwell, though. We are progressing. With the President's supportive stance on same-sex marriage,  Black organizations like the NAACP have progressed to a more supportive role in favor of gay marriage while more current surveys are showing an increase in the number of blacks in support of gay marriage.

So, back to Dr. Ravi Perry and Paris Prince. As JET Magazine's first gay male couple to be celebrated, they've give a face to homosexuality in the black community. By doing so, they've inspired other black gay couples to stand openly and proud while dispelling or at least putting in perspective the destructive stereotypes of black men on the DL.

JezzLoads Q&A with LUCKY SANFORD

Valentine's day is approaching and this month's featured Creative is single. So, you'll excuse his Grindr-esque profile card. :P 
Seriously though, I learned of Lucky Sanford when we were both featured in Class Comic's Halloween special, Meaty #3. His work reveals a style that includes all of my favorite elements - cartoony, sexy, and colorful. 
Here's what I learned when I got to know him better...

Black History Month Spotlight: Ru Paul

Some of the greatest achievements in progression for any oppressed group have come from the powerful influences of music, humor, and art. Entertainers have a way of challenging their audience's perspectives and presenting relatable situations. Ru Paul is one such entertainer.

RU PAUL:

Ru Paul has earned a great deal of respect from me. There are more than enough challenges in America for black gays. To embrace femininity in such an extreme way while attacking those same challenges takes balls! 

Prior to Ru Paul's Drag Race, I didn't understand drag and often dismissed it as silly or unnecessary. Don't get me wrong, I would watch a drag show and be grateful for the entertainment, but I shared the same appreciation for clowns at the circus.

During the first season of his show, I found myself in awe and inspired by the artistry involved with doing drag. Around this same time, a few friends of mine "came out" to me as drag queens. I was initially shocked and a little disappointed that they felt like that was something they couldn't share with me. As often as I used to preach about how hateful and segregating the gay community can be, I learned I was displaying some of those same traits when ever I changed the subject or dismissed anything to do with drag queens. 

Through his music, Ru Paul promotes positive and encouraging messages about empowerment and unity. With every season of Ru Paul's Drag Race, Ru introduces to the world to a crew of gays that don't always fit into the "comfortable" categories of gays that the world or even fellow gays are used to. Ru Paul has been a major player in giving gays a common place in any community.