So, what's the deal with this web-site?

This site started out as a public forum, and I asked friends and acquaintances to share their work with the world. Now, though, everyone already has a webpage or a livejournal, so I'll probably be removing a lot of that stuff, since it never became the co-op I was hoping it might. In other words, this is basically a collection of art, essays, comics and personal thoughts that are related to my life and my belief system. I suppose some people might find it offensive, and others might find it inspirational. So, to paraphrase Ani D., take what you need. top

What the hell do those scissors mean?

Okay, this is the most commonly asked question I get, so I will tell you a story.
Once upon a time, a certain someone that I know had an art assignment.
The assignment was to do a graffitti, or some kind of public art work.
So, late one night, a couple grrls broke into a school building and drew scissors all over the place, and posted a bunch of zero tolerance stuff up through the entire building.
Since that happened, scissors have had, for me, the same kind of political and immediate recognition that the coathanger has. Since, at heart, a lot of what i believe in has to do with defying the dominant cultural hierarchy, Ifind that the zero tolerance logo has more and more to do with my system of beliefs.
I don't want to convey the impression that I condone active and physical violence, because, really, I don't. However, civil disobedience and semiotic violence is something that I strongly encourage. Iin many ways, I compare this to the metaphorical "zero tolerance" idea of castrating those who inflict sexual violence. So much of society's doctrine has become ingrown with us, that I believe we're gonna have to do a lot of snipping to get to where we want to be. top

Could you help explain why you call this site "illegal pussycat"? I mean, it sounds kind of like a porn site, don't you think?

I am pretty certain I have explained this all before, but I still get asked this question a lot. Back when Cait lived in the Clit Cave, which was pretty much the second home to a myriad sundry group called "the swarm of dykes", she had a friend. Her friend's name was Jerrick. Jerrick had a cat that he asked Cait to take care of, but it was totally against her lease. So, in her eyes, it was an "illegal pussycat". The term was catchy, and it became a kind of metaphor for an entire group of marginalized kids....queer, punk, gender-fucking, whatever.
Later, Cait helped to start a production company that put out a bunch of zines full of witty and sarcastic humour, which was very much a trade mark of the swarm of dykes. Unfortunately, after awhile, no one published any more zines, and the name was forgotten. At least, it was forgotten until I co-opted it to start this site. I've begun to publish my own zines, with that mast-head, too (with Cait's blessing, of course). top

So, wait, you're gay, right?

Hah. you know, back when Ifirst started reading a lot of gender theory, and queer theory, I realised I was having a lot of trouble defining myself as a "woman". See, I don't feel any real affinity towards the "women's magazines" kind of women; the one's that tell you "10 Sneaky Ways to Catch Him!" and "Thirty Days to Thinner Thighs." Please. But if I am not a woman, then what am I? And if I am not a woman, how can I be a lesbian? And if I can't even tell if I am a woman, how in fuck's sake am I gonna tell if anyone else is a man, or a woman, or what?
So mostly, I just stopped trying to keep track, or care. top

Oh, I get it. So you're bi?

Honey, I wish things were that easy.
The truth of the matter is...I mean, we all know what "bi" is. It means two. And as much as I wish things were simple, they just aren't. Everything that helps define you personally as a woman or a man, might be something that someone else uses as proof that they aren't those things. Or that they aren't the way you first perceive them. Are you still with me?
All the indicators that we have, that we may be one thing, or the other, can be easily negated if we just use a different system of measurement. Someone that you might see as indusputibly a "man", might fail miserably when bumped up against what you think of as "masculine". And since those things are supposed to be an if =» then kind of equation, what does that leave as a label? All I am saying here, is that there is more than a 2 gender system at play within our identities.
I'm not trying to not answer the question, no matter how many e-mails I get accusing me of doing this. I'm just pointing out that maybe our lables aren't as useful as we think they are, nor as necessary. top

You don't really like answering questions, do you?

Well, I figure the answer is different for every person, but for sure, I do like asking them! top

What are your credentials? How come you think you know so much?

I've gotten a lot of questions from people who want to know why I do this. Or how I do it. Or why I think I have a right. Or whatever.
So, here's a brief synapsis of my story so far.

As far as the art is concerned, I've loved it since I was a kid. I've been drawing since I could, and writing since I could spell. I started making comics in 1997, and I published my first zine, Asking for It, in 1998. Since then I've been reading as many comics as I could, and working on my art, too. I went to an art high school half days, and then spent a year and a half in art college, before I realized it was kind of a waste of my time and money. After that I kept making art, started going to comic conventions, and spent a year in a multimedia class so I could learn graphics and html. Later, I went back to college, where I am currently studying sociology. Illegal Pussycat is the cumulative combined efforts of all of that.

As far as the politics are concerned, I started calling myself a feminist when I was 12. I read Gloria Steinem's Lady Love Your Cunt in a library and started thinking about my identity as a 'girl'. When I was 14 I came out to myself, and most of my friends, and when I was 15 I came out to most of my family. At that time I was identifying as a bisexual, and reading typical 70's 2nd wave feminism.
I didn't know anyone else who was gay until I was 16. By that time I identified as a lesbian, and I started volunteering for our local AIDS task force. I started hanging out with a somewhat closeted lesbian at my highschool. We went to book stores together in Gay-town and I started reading more queer literature; stuff about drag queens and transexual lesbians and butches.
I started having meetings with teachers about inherent homophobia and sexism, and even had meeting with the one out teacher at the school. It was like a tiny GSU. I think, since it was so conservative, a lot of people at the school felt that I was ruining their image. And it was hard, to be the only out kid, although my friend later came totally out, and even took a grrl as a date to prom, while wearing a tux.
When I went to college I immediately became involved with everything gay I could find on college campus. My decision to go to that school was largely based on Queer graffiti I saw on campus. There I started taking Women's studies classes, reading about gender issues, and just generally being a college queer activist. I tried to help mentor high school kids, despite the popular opinion that dealing with under-age kids was just asking for trouble.

Eventually, after I left school, my activity has become less directly involved with community. I had some bad experiences with bi-phobia and femme prejudice. By that point, I was identifying as queer; dating those people, gay straight or trans, who moved me in some way. It was not popular in my peer group, for a self identified lesbian to date a man.
Those experiences led me to try to sort out my identity issues on my own, without worrying about the judgement of a peer group. I read a lot, wrote a lot, and dated whoever I wanted to. People stopped trying to pigeon-hole me, and I was a lot happier.
I guess, again, Illegal Pussycat is the cumulative combined efforts of all of that. top

Are you interested in some work?

A couple people have approached me, asking if I would be interested in doing some illustrations for them. Then, when I ask them to give me a detailed proposal, they just disappear. So, if you're going to ask me something like that, give me the details up front and let's save ourselves some time. I'm always up for new projects, but I'm not interested in starting something that's only going to go half way. Time is precious, you know?
But if you've got an idea that you're really excited about, and you think I'd be great for it, then, by all means, e-mail me! top

Can we do a link exchange?

The short answer to this is no, probably not.
I'm picky about my link list. I put sites onto it that I think are really great sites; artists, creators, writers or entertainment that will actually help to make your day better, or more interesting. If a website is inspiring to me, or makes me laugh, I'll probably go ahead and link it. So, the longer answer is this: I don't need a link back if your site is good enough to link in the first place. That's not why I do the site, ya know? top