Characters take center stage as Eric Bedell appears at MobiCon 2016

Dalek Eric, The Petit Four, Adric, Syndrome…what do these characters have in common? 

The Petit Four and Dalek Eric

Cosplayer Eric Bedell plays them all, and more-a pretty big accomplishment for a dimpled twelve-year-old. With these scifi/comic/fantasy characters under his belt, Bedell has been named as a featured cosplay guest as the 2016 Mobicon under the title Aspie Spice Costuming.

Bedell began his cosplay adventures when he was only eight years old. His first big role came as a full-sized Dalek in a mobile suit built by his grandfather, Jimmy Scates. As Dalek Eric, he found himself liberated by the costume, hidden from the eyes of those who might think of him as different.

“When I got inside the Dalek, I could open up,” he says with a chuckle. Young Eric makes no secret of his autism, rather he celebrates the joy of life as a science fiction fan/cosplayer.

Although he can’t quite fit as comfortably in his mechanical alter ego anymore, he still participates in the world of science fiction/comic conventions. He’s shown up as the Petit Four, a pint-sized version of Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor Who, and as Adric, a companion who began his journey with Baker’s Doctor and continued with the Fifth Doctor, Peter Davison. In his Whovian costumes, Bedell appears on collector cards distributed by Krewe du Who.

His Jawa costume has been approved by the Galactic Academy, and he also plays Sokka from Airbender. As part of his appearance at Mobicon, he will introduce Syndrome from Disney/Pixar’s “The Incredibles.”

Bedell describes conventions as a place where he can be himself and he’s sharing the experience with others. Through an appearance at Geekonomicon in 2014, he met Dr. Mark Yeager of TEAAM, an autism awareness group in Mississippi. Since then, Bedell has been a part of the group, making appearances and letting people on the spectrum know they are welcome in the convention community. He also works with the Metro Whovians of Jackson, MS.

All this touring requires props as well as costumes. Scates built a second dalek, Dark Smalek, as an 80% scale, screen accurate remote-controlled version of a dalek.

“He’s 100% evil, 80% of the size,” laughs Bedell.

“And 20% less packaging,” adds Eric’s mother, Carleigh S. Bedell.

Bedell will appear at Mobicon during Memorial Day weekend, May 27-29, 2016.

Originally appeared 05/14/2016 at http://www.examiner.com/article/characters-take-center-stage-as-eric-bedell-appears-at-mobicon-2016

Lena Prima describes how to make jewelry with travel theme in new book

Lena Prima creates music for a living. She writes and performs it, part of her family legacy as the daughter of the late bandleader, Louis Prima. Music isn't her only creative outlet, however. She also creates beautiful handmade jewelry as part of her Pennies from Heaven company. Now Leisure Arts has published a book written by Prima on making jewelry as part of its reference line and she joins the ranks of authors who share their craft through do-it-yourself books.

In “Wanderlust,” Prima shares instructions for making jewelry pieces inspired by her own travels. Her love of fun jewelry carries over into her designs for bracelets, necklaces, charms and earrings. The jewelry making guide offers a series of travel-inspired pieces, with a background story, materials list and step-by-step instructions for each design.

With section titles such as “Seaside Memories,” “Music Festival,” “Road Trip” and “City Girl,” the wide range of flavors becomes apparent. There are two project themes under each section, and themes can include more than one piece of jewelry. For example, the Sparkling Sand project under “Seaside Memories” provides instructions for a necklace, bracelet and earrings.

Crafters of all skill levels will enjoy the volume. Prima’s designs allow novice jewelry makers to succeed because she uses readily available findings and the only tools required are two pair of chain-nosed pliers. The finished products look great, creating an environment of success to encourage the newbie.

More experienced crafters will find inspiration which they can easily adapt to more intricate projects, as well as thrifty designs which utilize every bit of the purchased pieces in interesting ways.

“Wanderlust” is available at Hobby Lobby and JoAnn stores and online at Amazon.com in both print and electronic formats.

Disclaimer: This review is based on a purchased copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

Originally appeared 5/14/2016 at http://www.examiner.com/review/lena-prima-describes-how-to-make-jewelry-with-travel-theme-new-book

Filmmaker Frank Ladner announces release of his latest feature, Max Peril

Tuesday, May 31, 2016 marks the long awaited release of Mississippi filmmaker Frank Ladner’s award winning feature Max Peril. The full length Southern comedy mockumentary has made the rounds of film festivals since its debut May 15 of last year and will finally be available for purchase.

Most recently, Max Peril served as the finale film for the 2016 Magnolia Independent Film Festival, where it won Best Homegrown. The Magnolia is Mississippi’s oldest film festival, founded in 1997 by the late filmmaker Ron Tibbett. It operates under the auspices of the Starkville Area Arts Council.

In October, 2015 the film won Best Feature at both the Sun and Sand Film Festival in Gulfport, MS and Rails to Reels in Meridian, MS. The film took Best Feature and Ladner won Best Actor at the 2015 (and inaugural) Festival South Film Expo in Hattiesburg, MS. Max Peril and his exploits earnedAudience Favorite honors at the Knoxville Film Festival, Knoxville, TN. Other awards include aDirector’s Award from North Carolina Film Award.

Other festivals which selected Max Peril to screen include Heart of the Pines, South Texas Underground Film, Lake Charles Film Festival, Big Muddy Film Festival, Y’Allywood Film Festival, Salt Lake International Film Festival, Virginia Film Festival, AMFM Fest and Boomtown Film and Music Festival. The film always ran as the finale breakout session for Southern GeekFest in April.

The release party takes place at Dimples Fried Chicken, 1113 S. Main St., Poplarville, MS, 5-8 p.m. The restaurant has a special connection for Ladner since it served as one of the locations for the film.

Following the release party, copies of the film may be ordered through Frank Ladner, as well as Amazon.com.

Originally appeared 05/12/2016 at http://www.examiner.com/article/filmmaker-frank-ladner-announces-release-of-his-latest-feature-max-peril

Eclectic artist creates eclectic body of wearable and decorative art

Artist Patricia Hart uses anything which comes to hand to create beautiful and useful art for more than just hanging on a wall. Her wearable and usable art celebrates natural elements from stone and clay to leather and metal.

Carved horn beads shaped as red beans adorn small purses made of leather. Labeled “Lucky Bean Bags,” the small purses honor the memory of a deceased New Orleans character, the Lucky Bean Lady who urged passersby to purchase her red beans as lucky beans She was also sometimes known as the Lucky Bead Lady as she sold individual beads cut from strands of Mardi Gras beads. Hart remembers encounters with the lady and named the bags to keep her memory alive. The attached tags tell the Bean Lady’s story.

Hart creates jewelry using many objects, including the carved horn beads and copper tubing, as well as a variety of stones. Her teabag holders and miniature vases are pottery projects. The elegant pysanky eggs which she creates involve wax and colors on hand-blown eggshells in a process similar to creating batik on cloth.

“I get inspiration from all kinds of things. Sometimes I see the material and that inspires me. Sometimes I’m sitting playing with my sketchbook and then I figure out ‘Now how can I make this? What can I make this out of?’ Because not every material does everything.”

Although retired for about two years, she’s still working—this time “to find my own creative voice” as she studies various disciplines. For example, she recently studied enameling, cloisonné and several other techniques at the William Holland School for Lapidary Arts in Young Harris, GA. She also teaches art workshops.

Her philosophy of giving back out of her knowledge and experience has served her well. After seventeen years of teaching gifted art students at the high school level, she now finds some of them coming back to share new things they have learned with their former teacher.

Hart’s works are available under her label HartWorks at Artists’ Galleries de Juneau in Olde Towne Slidell, LA.

Originally appeared 05/06/2016 at http://www.examiner.com/article/eclectic-artist-creates-eclectic-body-of-wearable-and-decorative-art

Artist, author Sara Bynum brings her story of children of war to film

Bynum on the film set

Film maker Saran LaJoie Bynum began life with everything stacked against her. Born of a wartime liaison between a Vietnamese mother and an African-American soldier, she was rescued from the street as an infant and taken to an orphanage. She came to the United States as part of Operation Babylift at the age of three. Once in the U.S., she began a new life with adoptive parents from New Orleans.

Although her situation improved, she still had difficulties. She encountered prejudice from many ethnic groups due to her biracial heritage. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed her home and she had to flee for a second time. Yet through everything, she maintains a positive attitude.

She has registered her information on sites dedicated to reconnecting service members and the children they conceived while on duty overseas. While she hasn’t found her birth father yet, her efforts led her to connect with the man she considered her Pretend Dad, Larry Taylor, a Vietnam veteran. He told her a great deal about what circumstances were like in those days. Taylor passed away in late 2015, but not before giving his blessing to her new project.

With her latest endeavor, she seeks to share the story of the children of war from their point of view. “Where I Stand,” a film based on a fictionalized version of Bynum’s life, begins filming in May 2016. In the script, an orphan of the war seeks her missing father and discovers he is suffering with cancer caused by the chemical warfare which took place in Viet Nam. The young woman seeks answers to his situation and runs into danger and intrigue as she investigates.

Bynum promises adventure and conspiracy in the independent film. As part of the process, she has started a crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe to raise the rest of the budget. To join her efforts, contribute here. Look for “Where I Stand” in the fall of 2016. A book version will release after the movie’s release.

Originally appeared 04/15/2016 at http://www.examiner.com/article/artist-author-saran-bynum-brings-story-of-children-of-war-to-film

Galaxy Zento spreads the word for author Dave Wilde

For Dave Wilde, life is a journey, so he named his book line for the Japanese word for journey: zento. From his Facebook page, viewers can join him in the journey through those books. As a writer, he uses Galaxy Zento to show superheroes who are more than they appear.

His guest bio for Southern GeekFest describes him as a disability activist hero, a title which he says humbles him. Wilde is an advocate for autism education and other forms of disability, especially those which aren’t visible to a casual observer. As a high functioning autistic with a son who has the same diagnosis, he has felt the sting of discrimination. 

Additionally, he has multiple sclerosis, which has left him homebound for the most part.

“It’s important to me to use everything I can to show my son what you can do if you don’t give up,” he notes. His goal is to provide a positive role model for a non-stereotypical life and to ensure that no child has to go through what he went through as a child. While he notes many changes which have occurred, he realizes there is still a long way to go.

He plans to go in several directions with the Galaxy Zento world, including board games and graphic novels. Wilde even hopes to go into computer apps eventually.

Check out Dave Wilde’s books and the early edition of the board game at Southern GeekFest in Hattiesburg, April 2-3, 2016.

Originally appeared 04/01/2016 at http://www.examiner.com/article/galaxy-zento-spreads-the-word-for-author-dave-wilde

2016 PRCC film expo delights attendees with myriad of subjects

On Saturday, April 23, PRCC’s Digital Media Coordinator/Museum Director and film production instructor Ronn Hague welcomed participants and guests to an evening of independent short films as he kicked off the first annual Pearl River Community College Independent Short Film Expo. The event, held at PRCC’s Ethel Holden Brownstone Center for the Arts, featured eight short films. Seven of those films had roots in the south Mississippi/Louisiana area.

Two of the films were led by female filmmakers. “Scylla,” a horror film by Irene Gracie of Teaghleagh Films, screened in the first half of the program. Jessy Hughes’ “Sam” aired in the second portion, with its supernatural suspense overtones.

Hague and the film production department headed two, both featuring children dealing with un-childlike problems. “The Hole” dealt with a turnabout situation between a bully and his victim and opened the first half. “Hard Choice” portrayed three young people discussing a difficult problem dealing with potential terrorism and the ramifications of various courses of action.

“Almost Mine” by PRCC alumnus and award-winning filmmaker Frank Ladner shared a post-apocalypse love story set in a hardscrabble world. The short aired third in the first half of the program.

Rounding out the first half, “Road to State” followed a Louisiana high school soccer team as they defended their state championship in 2015. Brooks McMahon created the sports documentary, which shared the story of the St. Paul’s High School Wolves in pursuit of a second title.

A half-hour break allowed guests to meet and talk with the people involved in the movies shown in the first half of the program.

The second half opened with Neil Brimelow’s “Mr. Dr. Pepper Sniffer,” a comedic look at a feisty young girl behind the counter of a small diner.

“Hard Choice” followed and Jessy Hughe’s “Sam” led to the biggest event of the evening.

For only the second cinematic airing in the United States, “Black Angel” by two-time Academy Award winner Roger Christian showed on the big screen of the Brownstone center. The movie opened for “Star Wars Episode Five: The Empire Strike Back” in Australia and Europe during the film’s initial release. Lost for decades, the negative was found and restored. Hague negotiated for the opportunity to screen the film as part of the Expo.

A second meet and greet capped the evening, as a community college and Hollywood South offered the world a sample of what a filmmaking class can spark.

Originally appeared 04/24/2016 at http://www.examiner.com/article/2016-prcc-film-expo-delights-attendees-with-myriad-of-subjects