Bizarro - Issue 2, Covergirl - Cassie Young
Page 43 - 44
What was it like when you first discovered the awesome power youve got?
Well, a big [censored] shock at first. Me and the band, we were playing this small gig over in Kings. Id just started on the first few lines of Micro Morals, one of the fan faves, when the whole front row, most of the second row and the band all fell straight to the damn floor. Id always wanted girls falling at my feet
but not like that!
And then you ended up being drafted into a G.I.F.T program?
Yeah. They heard the news through some sources, it got round pretty quick
support for us kinda dwindled for a while now there was a mutant fronting the band. So I took a break, tried getting my head round it all, and they came to me and offered to help me with what Id unleashed, in return for a fully-fledged Hero License. And bam, 6 months later, here I am!
Now known as Melphon in the Heroic Circles, right? Whats it mean?
Well, Mel and Phon are two scales of pitch and loudness. The scientists and researchers said that, with my voice, I could hit certain parts of these scales that made the human body react in these weird ways, so the name kinda stuck. Its not been a name Im fond of, Ill admit
but its growing on me!
Back to the band then: Whats the next step?
Well, were currently recording our first proper label album. Not decided on the name yet
it was originally gonna be called So? because Cassie took over as singer for a while. Name was a reaction to the fans and critics we had for the change. But now Im back, were taking those songs and recording some more
its a total new direction for us, but I reckon the fans are gonna love it.
What about the bands name: The Pipedream. How did that come about?
Oh thats way old now
way back when we first met. I met out drummer, Andre, when I first came to Paragon a few years back. We hit it off and managed to scramble some people together for a jam, but it was terrible. It was then, after wed gone that we sat talking about pipe dreams and [censored] while getting very drunk. And that stuck with us ever since
How are the band with your new power? Are there any side effects?
Well, occasionally Ill hit a note or something that can leave them feeling a bit fazed or groggy
still getting used to it and stuff. Thanks to the dudes though, its much easier to control. Comes in handy if I ever get mugged too!
And life as a hero. Hows that working out for you? Hoping the band get more recognition?
No. Not at all. I mean, if we do, thats great
but its not a publicity stunt or anything. I love the band, I love music and I want to keep doing it, as well as using this to be a hero whenever I can. Though, Id never refer to myself as a Hero anyway
Im no flying, cape wearing super powered guy taking on world-domination. I can handle street punks and the like, but Im not a real hero.
Thanks a lot Joey. Just so we know, for all the female fans out there, are you still single?
*Laughs* Not any more no. Im quite happily in a relationship. And Im not gonna say any more, because shell hit me.
With Joey Stahl as front man and Cassie Young as front woman, we see The Pipedream going from strength to strength! Hopefully enough to encourage Cassie to pose again!
(( Interview by @Crius ))
Bizarro - Issue 3, Covergirl - Dee Dee Diablo
Page 11 - 12
ALT HERO
JUST WHAT IS IT ABOUT DEE DEE DIABLO THAT HAS THE MORAL MAJORITY'S PANTIES IN A BUNCH?
As a fast living, hard drinking, straight talking punk with a catalogue of tattoos and a same sex relationship with a robot, its no wonder Dee Dee Diablo is the bane of those who cast judgement on the world from behind their ivory towers.
But its even more of a certainty that we here at Bizarro would do anything to get the purple-haired flamestress to grace our pages. Today we became devil worshippers and once youve pealed your eyes away from these pages you will be too.
And whats more we have sighed Dee up to be a Bizarro columnist. We cant wait to hear first hand about her misadventures and her own unique take on the alt hero lifestyle. But first, its Bizarros turn to ask the questions:
So, Dee, readers will know you from fronting punk outfit The Last Word as well as reading about your heroing exploits with Silent Tempest. So are you a singer or a hero first?
Im just Dee. For along time I was all about the music. It was kind of cathartic, like working out the bad [censored] from my past. The albums out there now and Im as proud as hell. Music is still my first love but Ive found that becoming someone deserving of the word hero has become the next step for me. Its like Im on a path and each day I have to take a step to becoming a better person.
So are we going to see a mellower Dee Dee Diablo?
Hell no. I mean Im the type of person who speaks her mind and it seems whats on my mind can antagonize people. But my philosophy is simple [censored] them. I know in my heart Im doing whats right and as long as those close to me can see it too thats fine by me.
On the subject of those close to you, your relationship with Nene McAllister has courted controversy too. That and the song Mrs. Loverboy generated a lesbian following but there has been a recent backlash due to your refusal to come out.
I havent refused [censored]. Since when did being in an exclusive relationship with another girl make you a lesbian? I must have missed that memo. Nene and I are both girls, sure, but it we were both guys or mix n match wed still feel the same. I really believe that. I hope the lesbian community can understand and be sensitive to the way we feel. Besides I like [censored] too much to be a [censored].
Magazines like our have been celebrating a lifestyle we call alt hero. How does it feel to be its postergirl?
I dont want to be a postergirl for anything. Im not a rolemodel, trust me on that. Ive learnt from my mistakes but I damn sure wouldnt recommend other people repeat them. But if means girls who want to be heroes can be themselves and not feel they have to look like a Playboy Bunny in their spandex underwear, its all good.
Bizarro also loves tattoos and your ink is stunning. Can you tell us a bit about it?
My tattoos are very special to me and I live with them in my head for a long time before I put them on my body. The bleeding barbed wire on my arms were my first tattoos. They were kind of a physical symbol of how I was feeling inside as I tried to reconcile things in my past and start to forge out a new life. The devil horns on my pelvis were in hindsight a mistake from my brief flirtation with the Hellions. Still they look pretty cool.
The IX in the small of my back, thats pretty obvious, thats showing my feelings for Nene. Sickening, huh?
The burning, chained angel on my back is kind of a strange one. That image just kept coming to me again and again. Now, its a symbol of the strength inside me and my potential to break free of my own chains. I also like to think it represents the people who watch over me like Nene and my sisters Diana and Annabel.
You have sisters? Would they be up for a pictorial in Bizarro?
No. No they wouldnt.
Can we settle a few of the myths surrounding you, Dee? Are you the devils daughter? Did you sell your soul in exchange for your musical ability? Did you really get caught having sex on a national monument?
I dont talk about my mom and dad on account of them both being [censored]. No, I didnt sell my soul for musical ability I sold it for Pez. The monument thing is a matter of public record. It was when I was with Ethan Ink (Ed. lead singer of Dead Birthday Clown) and we did a lot of dumb [censored] back then.
So whats next for you Dee?
The Last Word is sorting out the last few details for the Next Stop Hell tour to promote the Greetings from the Gutter album. Were going to be supported by Nene and The Nines and Suzi White so its going to be hot. The hero things also on the up and up. Tempest have made me field commander so Im doing all I can to live up to their faith in me. And Ive got this kind of mentor thing going with Crimson Archer so Im learning a lot. Some of it about being a hero!
Check out Dees Devils Advocate column in future issues of Bizarro!
(( Interview by @Romanov ))
(( Doublepost bug. 
))
(( Still taking requests though! ))
Bizarro - Issue 4, Covergirl - Khalia Leveroux
Page 4 (Contains strong language & sexual themes)
Page 30 - 31
Tagline: Yeah, I've got claws, I've got teeth, and I bite. That's not a problem, is it?
At first when walking into the door of the Fourth Wall, we thought we'd got the wrong address; nit was so posh we immediately felt our alt-hackles rise. The whole club is very trendy with a Japanese-fusion flavour and expensive leather sofas. However looks can be deceiving. Not the limp-wristed queer we thought he'd be with a name like that, Jean-Luc was all man shirtless under his biker leathers (his Triumph Tiger is parked outside), his inter-racial heritage is obvious; cafe-au-lait skin, high cheekbones, and full lips. Yet his golden eyes, silver-white hair and fangs gave the impression he was about to go for the throat.
An amazing host, he spared no details, refusing to interview until everyone in the crew was stuffed to the gills on jambalya and ice cream. Only once we rolled our contented bellies out into the main club would he consent to talking, though no amount of wheedling could get him to pick up the Fender Stratocaster which was resting in the corner of the club's stage. Reluctantly at first, once Jean-Luc eventually got talking and once we managed to decipher his rather thick Kreyol accent we understood why Holly had raved about the manager of the Fourth Wall; he's made good and with the calm dignity of someone with nothing to prove imparts good food and advice whenever needed. At the same time, he doesn't pull a punch either physically or verbally, and is brutally honest.
As far as his own abilities go, Jean-Luc is a lycanthrope though he can change at will. He gave us a rather dramatic, bone-crunching demonstration, turning from a man about 6 and a bit feet tall to an massive white wolf-man easily eight feet high. We would have run screaming more than likely, but the eyes remained the same; calm, golden, and perhaps a little embarrassed. Still, it's just one of those things Jean-Luc seems more than capable of dealing with.
So, what can you tell us about your powers and abilities? Not a whole lot, really. It just sort of happens, more like an adrenaline rush. I can control it to an extent, but it gets harder when I'm in a corner. My whole metabolism is sort of whacked; I can only eat raw meat for example, though I can drink alcohol. On the whole, it breaks down like this: yeah, I've got claws, I've got teeth, and I bite. That's not a problem is it?
That sounds rather juicy, but we'll get to that later when did you start up with the heroes of Paragon? That's actually a lot longer a story than I can manage in this interview. I used to be a cage-fighter, and I made a promise to someone dear to me to try and find a better way to live, so I left that life and came up here.
I imagine that must be a huge adjustment to make. Well, it's more a mental thing. Whether I'm a werewolf or a wolf in a man's body, I don't know, but I think a bit differently. When I was working in the hero business, I sort of tended to see criminals as prey and the city as my place to hunt and track them down. That sounds really like I'm little more than an animal, and that's where the frustration tended to come into it for me. Heroes must be noble and compassionate and hug babies and pet kittens and all that, and my attitude was more like Right, this guy just broke into some elderly woman's house and put her in the hospital just to steal fifty bucks off her. When I catch him, he's going to eat a few teeth.
So you found hero work pretty difficult mentally, if not physically. Definitely. It's really hard to get it through people's heads just how difficult it is for me. It's like trying to tell a wolf to sit up and roll over. It's not a damn pet, it's a wolf. I didn't understand why if some guy has stolen a purse for the dozenth time that week he deserved a break. If a member of a wolf pack displays behaviour that isn't normal, the pack kills them for their own safety. It's not pretty, but that's what they do. What was needed for me was someone to break it down as to what it was done the way it was, in something that was other than the bullsh*t answer Well, because. I'm a hunter, not a sadist or homicidal.
And now you run the Fourth Wall. There's rumours the handover was a bit strange. Oh man, it was more than strange! All I remember is the former manager, Stratocaster, and and I getting drunk one night in here, and lo and behold he announced he were going to go on tour. Somehow, they handed the keys and contract over to me, and the next morning I woke up with a smashing headache and the responsibility of the Fourth Wall! I'd never run a club before, but I managed to find some backers, and I put in the Zydeco, our own private restaurant.
It's a pretty flashy club don't you find it appeals to the more jet-set people? I suppose it could do when you first walk in, but most people by now know it's run by a grouchy Creole who will happily bust a snob in the chops if necessary. The main thing here is people can be themselves, and that's encouraged. I don't care what the hell they look like. Actually if I found out people thought of this as a high brow place where you have to dress in a suit and tie before we let you in, I'd be p*ssed.
Now let's get to the juicy bit. (Jean-Luc groans). Don't b*tch, bare it all! Who have you got in your life? Mon Dieu...lots of people, but that's not what you're asking. Well, fine, since you're looking for edgy and I know I'm pretty tame. Not that it's grand, apparently being bendy is trendy. Let's just say the closet to the door is open, but I haven't exactly taken the bold step out yet. I'm just sort of watching in the doorway I think that's the first time I've even said that out loud.
So you're [censored]? Big deal, man. Well it's a big deal to me, anyway. I had enough problems in the ring as it was, I didn't need any more with them knowing sexual preference.
That's a no, no one around then? Big N.O., my friend. I'm officially in the All men are [censored] stage of my life right now.
Since you're retired, what's your plans for the Fourth Wall? Stratocaster always wanted this place to be rather Gig-friendly, so I do try and get new talent in as far as performers. Currently, I'm working on having the band Pipe Dream come in and do some sets. There's also this Creole songstress who comes in regularly. But for the most part my plans are to cook, to drink, and to relax. I'll leave the hardass hero work to the kids these days, but if they get stuck in a bind, they know where I am.
Thanks Jean-Luc, or perhaps we should say Mesi Bien. We hope to see more of the Fourth Wall in the future, the posh club open to those of us in the alt scene.
(( Dee's side of the problem page done by @Romanov, article on Jean-Luc done by @Loup Garou ))
(Wow, seriously, you did a great job with the layout on this, it really does look like a magazine. Thanks again for giving me the shot to get in there.
Cheers!))
(( They seemed to be a gap in Paragons media, unless i'm mistaken, no kind of alternative explicit mags. Bored one day armed with photoshop i conjured up Bizarro for something todo. It's really fun to create and i thought i'd share it. Basic overview is;
Paragons version of an alternative magazine. Sometimes smutty, sometimes funny, sometimes decent, sometimes shocking but pretty much always explicit. The style is a cross between Bizarre, Kerrang and Nuts all rolled into one. The magazine is new and barly established, only a small team work on it currently. Bizarro costs around five Dollars, and is out randomly, sometimes once a week sometimes less, until established properly proper release dates and deadlines wont be set.
Already got a que of people wanting their characters in it, and ive done two issues so far, the Magazine is open to Heroes and Villians alike, so send me a PM if your intrested in having your character in it. The Magazine can be bought from any newstand, or newsagent and even from the magazines website. Anyway heres Issue one. ))
Bizarro - Issue 1, Covergirl - Holly Steel
Page 21 - 22
Interview with Holly Steel
So Holly, hows things? Been a while since ive seen you.
Things are good, lifes starting to get alot better, made new friends and escaped what was a [censored] life in New York.
Hows the Hero scene treating you?
Really good! I dont view myself as a Hero though, but supposidly ive done some good deeds, a big change from what i was, currently with a small gang of amped people from the Militia some tasks require more than a couple of people, like Terra Volta last week, i went along with the Hyperion Watchmen, by the end of the day we had prevented a meltdown!
Damn that place is always on alert! How about your new partner Sean?
Sean? I'm madly in love with him, we've got so much in common, and thats a helluva foundation, we've been seeing each other for nearly 2 months. I think he might scream at me when he sees this kinky photoshoot!
He's a lucky, lucky! B***ard. What made you leave the Big Apple then?
Getting sacked because of a disability really f**ked me off, although i'm glad i'm out of that business it wasnt glamerous, the main reason i moved away was to aim high, try to get a license in the City of Heroes as they put it. I was never good with my head, so something practical like what i do now is ideal for me.
Gotcha, What was the porn business like?
Oh cmon, use your head, i got f**ked by strangers day in, day out.
Good way to put it! Anything planned for the future?
Still turning my life around right now, ive kicked all my bad habits and i'm on a good road, thanks to Seans help. I'm hoping to start drug counsilling, help people that have been in my situation, because i know it's damn hard, all i ever wanted back then was to talk to someone who had something in common. Not some [censored] in a suit who hadnt a clue what it felt like, but talked like she did.
And the Hero work, anything on that front?
Working full-time on it now, alot of it is volentery. Hero Corps have had me in Sirens Call, extra risk money, but you got to have a keen eye and move fast Sean worrys, and well so do i. On Monday nights i, and Sean team up with the Militia to get some of the bigger stuff dealt with.
Great! Ever thought of getting back into the modelling, porn business?
Not porn, never again, i done that stuff because i was useless at everything else, dropout at High School and pretty much blonde in all aspects of the word, i needed to get by somehow. Modelling, maybe, i quite enjoyed the photoshoots today, makes me feel really good actually, considering my legs are ugly mechanical constructs!
Your legs seem damn fine to me! That must of been a heavy impact on your life? I heard of the hit and run you were involved in.
That was a few years ago now, i still get the feeling that hit 'n run "accident" was intentional. Ive moved on though, revenge never done nothing for noone except get them locked up in jail.
Willing to come back for more photoshoots for Bizarro in the future then?
Hell, i dont see why not! I had great fun! I think i'll have to talk to Sean this time, he's gonna get a suprise when he reads this!
Well thanks for the talk Holly! I hope things continue on the up for you!
Thanks for having me! I mean.. interviewing me!
(( Interview by @Elky ))