WeHo Celebrates Landmark Victory for Marriage Equality

In celebration of today's Supreme Court ruling, the Los Angeles LGBT Center hosted a rally in West Hollywood Park on San Vicente Blvd. The crowd quickly gathered in cheer and celebration as members of local organizations took to the stage to share their insight on this important day in history. The Center's CEO, Lorri L. Jean spoke first, reminding us that while we need the stop and appreciate all that today means to us, we cannot lose sight of all we still have left to do. We need to take the momentum of this victory and continue the fight for true equality; a fight that will not end until all humans are treated equal. The fight isn't over, but today love won.

While we still have a long way to go, let us not get distracted by negativity. I have seen too many posts criticizing today's celebrations in favor of issues still at hand. The fight is made pointless if we do not stop and celebrate all our victories, big and small. Allow love into your heart today, and use its strength to continue fighting tomorrow.

What a great turnout!

Victory for Marriage Equality

The internet is ablaze today in what can only be described as a momentous victory in the fight for equality. The Supreme Court has ruled marriage bans unconstitutional in all 50 states and US territories. Can I get a woot woot?!

All across social media, people are expressing their joy and excitement for what this means to the LGBT community. Victories like this remind us all that we're in this fight for a reason, and all our efforts are worth it. Progress is made every day and everything up until now has led to this very moment. Now, the fight may be far from over, but it's definitely important to take a second to stop, look back, and take it all in. Pray for those we've lost and remember that no death is meaningless. Many tragedies we've suffered have sparked greater involvement from the community and inspired others to carry on even stronger. Never forget those who have come before us, and never lose sight of the path they've set us on. The road is long, but together, as time goes by, we take greater steps in much shorter amounts of time. Equality is the future. Let us take today to enjoy victory as the present.



On a less serious note, I can already hear my mother asking me four years from now why someone my age hasn't found a husband yet. Le sigh.

My Art Style

It's so hard to define one's artistic motif, but it's one of the most important parts of an artist's career. Or any career, for that matter. With the popularity of the big companies such as Disney, Cartoon Network, and Dreamworks, it becomes a common thing for artists to cater their design skills to that one big dream job. They often let go of what makes them special in favor of flocking together with the familiar. I, too, found myself falling into this pattern. During my years in art school, I tried so hard to tweak my art so that it would match the big name companies that all our teachers kept babbling on about, claiming them as the goals we should all be reaching for. I saw so many of my peers stressing themselves out because their work, although fantastic in its own right, looked nothing to the level of the animated films they ached to have been a part of. It was a very uncomfortable environment. I had always loved my drawings, but it seemed as if they would never be good enough unless they looked so much like all the things that had already been done. As if being in the business of animation was limited to five measly locations in California. The end result of this type of environment was, however, not having produced Disney quality students ready for their dream job. It instead weakened the hearts and confidence of many fantastic artists who seemed unable to view themselves as good enough for the industry, and I have had enough of that.

My art style is in no way Disney-esque or Cartoon Network quality. My work is that of Christopher Atkins and none other. If I were to give it a title, it would be 'comicky.' I am a cartoonist who absolutely loves and grew up on comic books, and my art exists in an interesting middle-ground between the two. It took me way too long to be proud and acknowledge this, but today I look at all my work with a great, big smile. My drawings make me happy. My unique style is inspired by things I personally connect with, rather than emulative of what too much of our society deems 'successful' animation. I do still have moments of doubt, though, due to experiences like the one mentioned earlier. The drawing above took me some time to accept, but I wouldn't change it for the world. I could add more details or introduce more shading, but the cartoonist in me loves a level of simplicity in each of my drawings. I love the way it turned out and am more than happy to post it here.

Be proud of your artwork. Accept who you are. If we were all meant to be the same, the world would be a very different place.

Mad Max: Fury Road

Have you not seen this movie? No? Well, you need to close your browser right now and head to your local theatre. I'm serious. Go. Right now.

For the rest of you, it's already clear. This movie is freakin' amazing! Visually, it's one of the most stunning films I've ever watched, but overall it was hands down an incredible experience from start to finish.

Tom Hardy kills it as Max, a lone traveler fighting to survive on his own in a post-apocalyptic world where most of the population has, of course, gone savage. He is captured and taken to a fortress called The Citadel, wherein he is thrown into the beginning of the story's major plot. I'm not here to give spoilers; just to give praise to this amazing film. The characters are exquisite. The design of their costumes as well as the unique vehicles they command is top notch and incredibly detailed. The action scenes are breath-taking. I literally had to gasp and take in a deep breath after the first twenty minutes. There was so much going on that all my energy went into keeping up with my eyes. The cinematography and choreography kept me glued to the screen for the film's entire duration. I was in a state of pure enjoyment.

Furiosa (Charlize Theron) takes on Max (Tom Hardy) in my favorite fight scene of the film. The choreography here incorporated six other characters in their duel and it was both exciting and amusing to watch.

There's so much more to say about this film, but I'll leave it at action-packed powerhouse. Before the film was even halfway over, I had already added it to my top ten greatest action movies of all time. Congrats to all involved.