The Ellen Degeneres Show

A couple of years back, I got the chance to be on the Ellen Degeneres Show. It was seriously one of the best days of my life. Why? Because I love Ellen Degeneres. Truly and whole-heartedly, I believe her to be one of the greatest entertainers of our time. Her humor is good, clean fun and, after her own years of struggle, she celebrates her massive success over the past decade by giving back to others. She's an amazing person and if I were to have lunch with any celebrity, it would no doubt be her.

What a fun crowd.

Funny story, actually. Ellen's show once saved my life. I was living in Texas with my dad in early 2009 and was enjoying a day alone at the house. My dad had left a bag of cookies he got from work on the counter and being the snack fiend that I am, I decided to dive in. I have a deathly allergy to peanuts so I've got to be careful about what I eat, but all I could see on the surface was chocolate chips. I was happy to have a snack while I watched the show and quickly chomped down. Halfway through my first cookie, Ellen had said something hilarious and I just lost it. A few seconds into my laughter, though, I felt my throat closing up. I looked at the half eaten cookie in my hand and saw macadamia nuts, peanuts, and almonds sprinkled throughout the center. I could barely breathe as my throat had just a sliver of air piping through. My body went into defense mode and I ended up passing out from the lack of oxygen and woke up four hours later completely disoriented.

If Ellen hadn't made me laugh that day, I would have devoured that entire cookie and my throat would have swollen shut completely, leaving me unable to breathe at all. Ellen Degeneres saved my life!

THANKS ELLEN!

Punk Ass Trick Nasty Hoe

I mean, how can you not just nod your head at this shirt? I found it a while ago at a tiny little shop in Koreatown. I ended up not buying it because it wasn't my size, but I've regretted that decision ever since. I should have just bought it for its novelty value. It's hilarious!

Make the Yuletide Gay

Happy Holidays! I hope everyone is keeping warm as the temperatures drop. And what better way to celebrate the season than by kicking back and watching a movie?

One of my all-time favorites is a cute little film called Make the Yuletide Gay, by Guest House Films. It centers around a young man named Olaf who, having not yet come out to his parents, winds up having his boyfriend from college posing as a simple friend when he joins him at home for Christmas. The plot is of course simple enough, but what I love about this film is its humor and heart. It's a light-hearted film that exudes warmth and reaches out to hug its viewers. The cast is fantastic, and our two main actors (Keith Jordan and Adamo Ruggiero) portray one of the most adorable couples I have ever seen on film. You'll find a lot of cheese in this film, but not so much in the cliche department. Yes, the closeted plot may seem a bit played out, but it's more about the relationship between the two young men and the acceptance of their love. It's a joy to watch them fall deeper in love as they learn more about themselves as their situation progresses. I quickly stopped caring about the inevitable coming out, and more so longed for the proclamation of love that would take this blossoming relationship to the next level.

Aren't they so cute?!

If you'd like a feel good flick to watch during the holidays, let Make the Yuletide Gay keep you warm during the winter months. It's definitely worth the watch.

Legend of Korra Finale - Baby Steps

I may write a full review of The Legend of Korra's series finale later, but this moment shown above deserves its own mention. While I may not have been a huge fan of the way the scene was written (dialogue was a bit weak), I did enjoy the fact that the creators, as well as Nickelodeon, had no problem depicting a clear and obvious indication of a same-sex relationship. Korra and Asami have been growing closer to one another for some time now, and the series ended last week with the two of them headed off into a new life together. It was beautiful to see the development of their relationship lead into something non-platonic, but of course there were limits. A kiss would have probably been too much of a statement, but it was unnecessary regardless.

While many LGBT outlets take things like this and hold it to a much higher platform than it deserves, we should definitely celebrate any baby steps toward full representation in media. The Avatar universe is already one of diversity, balance, and acceptance. There's no statement being made here other than one of consistency. It is for that reason I write this post commending the show.

If you missed last week's finale of Legend of Korra, catch it on Nick.com or look for showings on your Nicktoon network.



Love yourself. Be true to who you are, and don't allow yourself to be defined by the desires of others. This world belongs to everyone and we should celebrate diversity, not reject it.

Kayaking...does the body good

Does this life-saving vest make me look fat?

 A few years back, I took a little vacation with a friend to her hometown in Vegas. While we did eat like fiends, the best part of the trip was kayaking down the Colorado River. It was a beautiful sight traveling silently down the water. With only ourselves to talk to, it was like being in our own little world. A zen-like, spiritually empowering experience.

I absolutely love this photo.

The Magic of the Theatre

If you've never been to a live theatre performance, I strongly suggest you do so. It will, in no small manner, improve the quality of your life. There's a certain magic within those walls that draws you in and triggers sensations you cannot discover anywhere else. It's a joy to behold, and a welcome relief from the crippling realm of the outside world.

Me dressing the part at a showing of Castle of Caligari.

Art Revisited

I have this drawing in my sketchbook from about 2 years ago, but never got around to doing anything with it. Call it procrastination if you will, but I finally decided to take it to digital and color it. I think it turned out great.

Original sketch. I think I gave up on the background haha

 I forgot where I originally got inspired for this, but there could be many sources. I love the Old West type characters and settings.

Colored Version. Gotta love that Photoshop.

I wonder what other treasures are waiting in the sketchbook vault. I should go through and check everything haha. This was way too fun. Away I go!

This bitch

After a rather ominous introduction at the end of last season, Legend of Korra's newest villain is (surprise!) Kuvira. Within a few minutes of watching the season 4 premiere, she's already been placed onto my "Needs an Ass Beating" list. Her occupation/conquering of the Earth Kingdom is clearly corrupt, and I cannot wait to see her throw down with Team Avatar.

Her tactics are much like another of my favorite villains; Najara from Xena: Warrior Princess. Both fight against bandits and give them a pretty far-fetched ultimatum; join them or be executed. If that's any sign of where this season of Korra is headed, Kuvira is gonna go batshit crazy before being taken down.

Najara, pre-psychotics. Xena: Warrior Princess

Can't wait!

Atkins Watch: Boulevard

R.I.P. Robin Williams, a comedy treasure whose brilliance will forever be cherished.

I had the deepest pleasure of catching a screening of this wonderful film at this year's Outfest in Los Angeles. It stars Robin Williams as Nolan Mack, an aged man reaching his limitations on sexual suppression. Although married, it is clear the circumstances of the betrothal are far from ordinary. On a seemingly typical night, our main character comes across a young hustler named Leo(Roberto Aguire), with whom he begins an intimate affair. The relationship allows for Nolan to come to terms with his sexuality and we follow him on his journey of self-acceptance.

We all know Robin Williams is no stranger to powerful drama. He does not disappoint as he delivers a beautiful and touching performance as this tragically damaged character. Often it is what he doesn't say that speaks loudest, as the body language and expression used gives hint to the turmoil within. We all remember the joy and laughter Robin has brought us throughout his lengthy career, but it is films such as Boulevard, in which he shows us the depth of skill and emotion he is able to muster as any character, that I will remember the most.

X-men: Days of Future Past

I love X-men. I love film. So naturally, an X-men film almost guarantees my attendance. The latest in the series was X-men: Days of Future Past. It was quite enjoyable, as I love the majority of the cast and there's nothing more satisfying to me than a good ol' mutant battle. There were just a few things bugging the hell out of me, this one point in particular:

I mean, I'm not looking for direct comic-to-movie adaptation. I love new interpretations of classic storylines and scenarios. The thing that bugs me, though, is when liberties are taken simply for the sake of telling the director's story. Creating this random power for the sake of time travel made absolutely no sense. When the hell did Kitty Pryde develop such a gift. In the original comic, Rachel Grey (a telepath) was the one who sent Kitty back in time. Now, I get that in the movie universe Kitty would have been way too young to go back. However, Professor X is still alive (unlike in the comic). All-powerful telepath sitting right there the whole time. There was no reason to go artificial. They could have just swapped out Rachel for Professor X. If someone could give me a logical reason why that didn't happen, I'd love to hear it.

Atkins out.

Atkins Review: The Legend of Korra Finale

I know I'm a bit late with this review (seeing as how the newest season has already kicked off), but wow! What a season that was for Legend of Korra! The finale did not disappoint as everything leading up to it came to a head. No punches were pulled during the final battle. Lives were lost and consequences were met. Our heroes lay witness to an enraged avatar state not seen in nearly a century, and struggled to find any way to help. It was a grand display worthy of the original series, and a true restoration of this new series' reputation.

Pride 2014 - A Day to Remember

This year has definitely been one for the record books. Having graduated from college late last year (thank you, but please hold your applause), I've opened up time slots previously unavailable in order to experience more of LA. I've been volunteering like a madman, learning more and more about the exciting events and fundraisers that surface each month. The highlight so far was attending Pride in West Hollywood with friends who had never experienced an LGBT gathering, let alone one on such a grand scale as the annual festival. It was a day of wonderful firsts, and having been trapped with our noses buried in books for the past year, they were all happily welcomed.

Atkins Watch: Legend of Korra (A Brief Review)

If you aren't currently watching Nickelodeon's Legend of Korra, you should be. Within its first few episodes, season three has already shown itself to be the best this show has offered up so far. Fans of the original series (myself included) have been rejoicing over the rejuvenated franchise, and there are no shortage of reasons why. Here are a few of my own, in no particular order.

A Little More About Me

In illustrated form!

Age: 25
Occupation: Full-time nerd
Hobbies: Video games, film, animation, tennis (although it's been a while)

I love self illustrations so I gave one a try. This is pretty much me on a normal basis. I'd wear the hell out of that shirt if I actually owned it, as Phoenix is my everything. I've grown up on all things Marvel, with X-men being my favorite, and she has always resonated with me. Her storyline and concept are amazingly synced to my own life. I'm only 25, but it's already been a long ride (multiple deaths included), but those are perhaps stories for another day.

And yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is a PS2 controller in my hand. I believe that system to be my favorite of all time and the majority of my gaming life has been with Sony. Final Fantasy, anyone?

Hello and Welcome

First of all, this is me:

My name is Christopher Atkins and as you can see, I am not the creator of the Atkins diet. Get that out of your system, like right now. Ok. Are we good? Cool.

I'm just a not so simple guy with a lot on his mind and figured why not let some of this madness inside my head spew onto a page. I love to draw. I love to write. I am a video game and film enthusiast. There will be a lot of review and chatter about these and all things LGBT, so if you've got an issue with that the exit is located at the top of your screen. Please feel free to delete your history so no one knows you were here. Thank you.

For everyone else, welcome and I hope you enjoy what's to come. May start off slow at first, but I'd like to build this blog up as a wonderful collection of thoughts and memories, while I still have them.