KYLE’S B&B: Latest News & Random Thoughts

“What do you mean you’re in Blue?”, I can hear you asking. Well, what I meant was, Blue magazine, that gorgeously produced gay men’s quality “coffeetable” type magazine that features photos of beautiful men, (mostly nude), along with interviews and commentary on art, music, and culture. The magazine is always very supportive in showcasing various gay male artists, and in this current issue, (#64), they featured a nice page of several of my male nude figure drawings. I wasn’t able to get a scanned copy of the current issue’s cover, but here are samples of 2 previous issues:

For more info on Blue magazine, here is their website address:www.studiomagazines.com And remember, my work is in the current issue, # 64! Of course, you can always see my figure drawing work at my figure drawing website, too…. www.gregfox.net
In any case….enjoy!

Wow, I have received quite a bit of e-mail over the latest episode, (# 188). Thank you for all of the kind words! Seems that whenever the guys at the B&B start discussing comic books, I get a lot of nice comments. This time, though, I’ve been asked a lot about Chemical King; specifically, why on earth is he Breyer’s favorite superhero? Well, if you know Breyer, he tends to be…into unusual things. Chemical King was always one of the more obscure & unusual of the Legionnaires. Even his super-powers themselves were a bit difficult to explain; supposedly, he had a “chemical reaction power”, which allowed him to control chemical reactions, (useful in knocking people unconscious by slowing down their metabolism, or deteriorating batteries in laser pistols). His powers were often confused with Element Lad’s, who had the power to transmute elements, (like, turning a stone wall into oxygen….or a cannon into nitrogen). One of my favorite stories featuring Chemical King was in Superboy & the Legion of Superheroes # 211, drawn by Mike Grell, one of the most homoerotic, (unintentionally, most likely), mainstream comic book artists of all time. I was able to find a few panels, pasted below…the story actually highlights both Chemical King and Element Lad, (both of whom have had gay rumors swirling around them for years). Chemical King is in the green & black costume with dark hair; Element Lad is in the green & dark blue costume with blond hair.

This may not explain why Chemical King is Breyer’s favorite superhero, but maybe it sheds some light on just who Chemical King is. I always felt he kinda’ got the shaft when he was killed off a few years after this story appeared. I think he could’ve made for a fascinating character with the right writer. Oh, well…perhaps we’ll find out someday….as we all know, comic book superheroes have a strong tendency to come back from the dead, (especially at DC the past few years!). If you happen to have any thoughts or comments about Chemical King, the Legion, or anything else Kyle’s B&B-related, be sure to click on the “comments” link below and let your voice be heard!

The annual tradition continues, as the Cow Harbor Race happened today here in Northport! (What is “Cow Harbor“, you ask? Well, that’s what Northport used to be called; this was actually a cow town, back in the 1700s & 1800s. How fitting that I’m into cowboys! The name was changed to Northport around 1901). Anyway, every year for I-don’t-know-how-long, the Cow Harbor Race has been run in mid-September. It’s a winding, 10k run that is quite challenging, and goes all through Northport village. Every year I stumble out of bed to watch and cheer on the runners, (I figure it’s the least I can do, right?). Most years the weather is gorgeous, some years it’s a little on the chilly side, and once in a while it’s dreadful, torrential rain, (they still run it, rain or shine). Luckily, this year, even though it was forecast rain, it was a lovely, sunny morning in the 60s. Who could ask for more?

One of the highlights for me the past few years is seeing a certain guy run by…a very creative individual, who is always wearing something wildly inappropriate for running, usually a business suit, (one year he was dressed as Indiana Jones, complete with hat, leather jacket, and bullwhip!). This year he did not disappoint, showing up in full business attire, waving & smiling to me as he ran by, (see the pic below). Ah, the joys of running!

Well, I suppose we are at the peak of the “sunflower season” here in Northport, that unofficial 5th season of the year that occurs somewhere between mid-to-late August and the beginnning of Fall in late September. The weather’s lovely, not too hot and cool overnights. And of course, sunflowers in gorgeous blossom all over the place! Above and below are several pics I took of some sunflowers today right here in Northport. I’m not really one to go crazy over flowers or gardening or all of that stuff, (despite the stereotype of gay men being potential florists, or whatever. Where’d that come from?). But if there’s one flower that really captures my attention, it’s these magnificent glowing sunflowers. I’m sure part of this is also the fact that the sunflower season heralds the coming of Fall, my favorite season of the year. I suppose if I ever get married, (that is, if the nation ever comes to its senses and gay marriage becomes legal…and , if I meet a man that doesn’t scare the hell out of me to think of spending the rest of my life with, …and he feels likewise, [lotta’ “ifs” there])…then I suppose I shall have to have sunflowers at my wedding. In the meantime, here’s a few more for you to enjoy, straight outta’ Northport!