In a recent conversation with Steam Punk Lord, Disembodied Hand, he revealed to me his current plans for his stores, Steam Powered Industries and Defectiva. Dis plans on merging the two into a singular brand with the Defectiva name; rebuilding and retexturing older products during the process. Following the merger Hand is going to auction off franchises of the store to the highest bidders.

Dis is well-known for his insanely detailed Steam Punk products, like the Jump Boots that I had the opportunity to cover as a contributor to the Men’s Second Style fashion resource. His newer Defectiva label is a smörgåsbord of his style influences.

In the real world he is a hard-working Photography major with plans to transition into Video Game Design. Not surprising, having seen his work in SL®.

The news of his business strategy comes straight from the horses mouth:

Disembodied Hand: I’ll be holding a silent auction for 2-3 people to win rights to franchise my store. Which means, they would receive vendors with scripts in them and would be able to build what is basically a :Defectiva: main store with a few exceptions - splitting the profit off their store with me 50/50. So, it’s an opportunity for someone who wants to run a store and make some money to do so.
Y Me: Ok, so, whats motivated you to franchise your store?
DH: Well, honestly, it was a suggestion, but it was the perfect way to do what I was looking to do at the time: expand store name, increase store regular base, and make a little money to start saving for my sim - all while giving someone else the ability to run and operate a full-fledged store. It’s more fun to run a store than some would think
Y Me: whats the biggest pain in the ass about running a store, though?
DH: Well, for everyone its different. Some of my friends have trouble making ads, some have trouble keeping in touch with the regular customers. For me its marketing. I cant promote to save my life.
Y Me: When does all this go down - the big announcement, the auction and the implementation of the franchises?
DH: I suppose this interview is “the big announcement”, save for the few group notices I have to make. I have a scripter working on the system I want and after its completion and the stores are fully integrated ([S-P] and :Defectiva:) I’ll hold the silent auction for a few days so everyone has time to get their notecards filled out and sent in.
Y Me: Anything else you want the general public at large to know?
DH: That im going to be choosey with who wins this auction. The price that people bid is only partially important, Im not going to choose someone just looking to make a quick buck, or someone who doesn’t have the ability to fully represent me. That’s probably it.

Maligayang Araw ng Kalayaan / Happy Philippine Independence Day.

Members of the Casa del Shai update group will be treated to two Philippinocentric tees in celebration of the nation’s colonial independence from Spain. What better way to recognize the solemnity of the signing of the now 110-year-old treaty than with humorous graphic t-shirts?

In her campaign to turn the grid to the ways of adobo, Casa queen, Shai Delacroix, will be giving away a “Pinoy Power” as well as another unnamed tee slogan by way of her update and subscribe-o-matic groups.

The release marks a slew of graphic tees from the Casa del Shai store. Keep your eyes peeled.

I just wanted to take a moment to share an opportunity for funding through President’s Choice Children’s Charity to benefit children with a disability who are under 18 years of age and live in Canada.

“President’s Choice Children’s Charity is dedicated to helping children who are physically or developmentally challenged. Our aim is to remove some of the obstacles that make everyday living extremely difficult and make it a little easier for the child or family to cope with the disability. We provide direct financial assistance in the purchase of expensive mobility equipment, environmental modifications, and physical therapy and more.”

» How President’s Choice Helps
» How you can help
» How to apply

» Press release

DON’T

Whatever you do, DO NOT go towards the light!

The fourth installment of Homme Magazine is now on news stands at Depo 5 (220, 43, 22) and available for download at thehommemag.com.

Feature Article: Interview with Nyteshade Vesperia
“I treat monogamy and relationships in SL the same as I do outside of SL - monogamy works for some people and doesn’t work for others. If it works for you and you find that special someone you are ahead of the game and should treasure it.”

Animalistic Intent by Eyva Matova
“Now to turn it up a little in the romance stakes. You want to get past that friends stage pretty quick, before she’s snapped up by some put together Don Juan who happens to have Payment Info.”

Clubs: Northpoint by Takeshi Kiama
“With all the clubs in Second Life, I was delighted to find something a bit different. Vox Mullen’s @ Northpoint is the ultimate sports bar. While not the only one, it definitely has that real sports bar look to it..”

Fashion Police by TheDiva Rockin
“I beg you fellows to learn the difference between Dance Balls and Sex Balls! Just because you see a set of pink and blue balls doesn’t mean its appropriate to get nekkid and hop on!”

Must Haves by Ben Vanguard
“Sexiness for men is also a matter of confidence in every occasion, a way to embrace with joy and appetite every aspect of life, without being cocky or pretentious.”

Quintessential Essentials: Vasean Talamasca by Sylar Body
“There were only three people on the sim so I asked the “third-person”, a girl if she was the one taking snaps. Her reply was a non-chalant, “Why not? He’s fuckin hot?”. Right there and then, I knew I had picked the right guy for this issue’s Quintessential Essentials.”

If you are a designer or business owner that would like to place a magazine stand (C/T/NM) in or around your store please comment here or send Arj Friedkin or Davey Hullabaloo a note card/IM in-world. You can also send these two a little poke for advertising info.

The third installment of Homme Magazine is now on news stands at Depo 5 (220, 43, 22) and available for download at thehommemag.com.

Feature Article: Interview with Kriss Lehmann
“I made a tree to try and impress my partner. She liked it so much, I made another - in 4 varieties. After that, she urged me to open a store. I grew up around forests all my life, so the more trees I made, the more ideas that came to me. Things like the light beams, the fireflies.”

Clubs: Scoutlounge by Takeshi Kiama
“With the club as the heart, this sim has it all. Beautiful views, realistic design and slammin music with nightly live DJs. As people continue to tp in on my head, I put this club down as one to visit regularly.”

Fashion Police by TheDiva Rockin
“The streets of Second Life can be as rough as the jungle some days.
Pushers slangin’ Bling on nearly every corner and you never quite know who you’re gonna run into anymore…even in the ‘good’ neighborhoods.

Q&A with Miss Foxley: A Woman’s Perspective by Miabella Foxley
“Personally, a thong on a man does NOTHING for me. (Except trigger my gag reflex) …. from a straight girl’s perception, the thong has GOT to go. Can’t do much for the gay male opinion, though.”

Sports: Off the Beaten Path by Vox Mullen
“There are numerous opportunities to get fresh cyber air in your lungs and experience the great outdoor in SL. There are quite a few good sims devoted to your physical pleasure that don’t involve strippers.”

Travel by Eyva Matova
“This issue I’m taking you to try out some sports and see some of virtual nature at it’s best. The aim is to build you up a landmark list full of fun experiences and open-jawed wonder, and I’ll be gentle and start you off with two places that you may or may not have heard of, but are well worth getting to know.”

If you are a designer or business owner that would like to place a magazine stand (C/T/NM) in or around your store please comment here or send Arj Friedkin or Davey Hullabaloo a note card/IM in-world. You can also send these two a little poke for advertising info.

Not long ago there was a really great Second Life culture and lifestyle magazine called PWND. The publication was the brainchild of Haver Cole and Saeya Nyanda - both of whom have gone on to nuture very busy careers in other aspects of SL which signaled the extended hiatus of PWND. The great thing about the magazine was that each issue focused on a single topic/theme that contributors tackled from a variety of angles. The first issue examined alts in SL. The second was the then-semi-fresh Neko phenomenon. Issue number three never made it to news stands, however, the topic was slated as in-world architecture.

Looking back through my Google Docs, where I store some of my written content, I was reminded of the article I wrote for the unreleased issue. It’s been almost a year. I think I owe it to my interviewee, Grim Misfit, and the photographer I dragged around with me, Sofia Gray, to publish this somewhere.

The Grim Side of Architecture
April 2007

As the closing page of issue number two announced to the readership that next installment would be all up in architecture’s grill I must admit that I was lost. Not because I had never seen Haver’s naked ass before (most of her friends and acquaintances are overly familiar with this side of her), but because my head doesn’t wrap well around the dynamics of sculpting a large three-dimensional space. And, as such, you won’t find any deep philosophical content about design semantics here.

At the suggestion of a brilliant friend I decided to take a look inside the home of Grim Misfit of Urban Ruins prefabs and Grim Babies fame. Like something ripped from the pages of an Edward Gorey tale, Grim has been exploiting the fictional plights of orphaned and deformed prim babies. The spawn of his comically macabre imagination are unique and abusable limited edition collectible toys that come with their own tragic hard luck stories. In addition to his cavalcade of artfully misshapen wee’uns Grim is an accomplished builder and content creator. In collaboration with BoBo Boxer his portfolio ranges from from furniture to entire sims. The interview became more of a look inside Grim’s head space. His home in Sleepy Hollow is an imposing industrial complex. Its glowering framework was as metal-eroded on the inside as it was on the outside. Upon meeting our world’s very own dark Dr. Seuss the first thing I noticed about him was his feet. He had on a pair of truck-shaped plushie slippers that instantly caught my eye. While we stood and talked I stared at his shoes.

It was a bit like meeting Willy Wonka.

PWND: So, Grim the point of this is to kinda get a look behind the av. Lots of people know you for your Grim Babies fame/infamy. Do you mind if I ask you some questions?
Grim: Well, I’m in my sweats but peek away.

PWND: Since this is our architecture issue let me start off by asking how long you’ve been building in SL.
Grim: Sure, go for it. [Gesturing towards a gloomy construction trailer, overshadowed by his own looming abode] This trailer is where my scripter BoBo Boxer lives. I don’t pay him very well.
PWND: LOL!
Grim: I’ve been building since the day I was born. This factory I had finished on my 3rd day. I had a friend. She walked me through building a chair and the rest came easy.

PWND: I’m sure you’ve been asked this before, but what are your influences when it comes to content creation? Anything in general. Anything that makes you “vibe”.
Grim: Hmmm. You mean what designers influence me? You know … I dig stuff with a theme. If people message me for a custom mall I always turn it down. Now, if people message me for a mall that looks like a duck I’m all over that!!! And I will even take less money just to get to do it.
PWND: LOL! Why is that? Are you just an oddball at heart?
Grim: Well, a mall … that’s easy stuff. Walls and floor room for 75 shops. But a mall that looks like a duck? That takes some real work. And at the end I can puff my chest and say “Hey, I made that”, and then I’m surprised because it all started from a box. Most malls you can tell where they came from. I have an aversion to boxes. And the people that want duck malls, they are usually really a blast to work with.

PWND: How would you classify your style?
Grim: Haha! I don’t. I can build anything.
PWND: Any preference?
Grim: Theme stuff. I can go from space to a trailer. That’s whats great for me.
PWND: So, if I said I needed a lesbian tiny club themed like Hee Haw you would be all over it?
Grim: Dude, that would be the best club in SL.

PWND: What builds/projects have you been involved with - whether residential or commercial?
Grim: I have done a lot of customs. I built Deviant Kitties, the old Celestial City, [stuff for some] no name people.
PWND: ROFL! No name. Would you actually mind talking about a specific project? The old Celestial City, for example.
Grim: Not at all. Well, Canimal sucks to work for. She knows how I feel. I have said it 100 times and I will say it again: Canimal sucks to work for. She wants squares that are circles and circles that are squares. Impossible woman. When she hired me, she says, “Well, I want a circular building with no angled walls”.
PWND: WTF? I want a building with only perpendicular lines?
Grim: Hahaha! See? Then there was some toss-up. Starley wanted a nice Alice in Wonderland. Canimal wanted McGee’s Alice. I would have liked to have done a “Through the Looking Glass”-like split - a shop [divided by] two big fake mirrors [that] would show you the other side. So, one side Canimal, one side Starley. But I liked what we did. And it took less than a week, so, that was nice too. We always promise a sim in less then a week … and we mean it. I will contract more help if needed, but you shouldn’t have to wait months. Especially because building a sim costs so much money. I have Gurl6’s new build just below us and its been there for a month. But she doesn’t want it for 2 more months, so that’s good. You want to see it? No pictures, but you can talk about it.

[Grim whisks me away to the location within in the sim where he has been applying some serious elbow grease to Six Kennedy's new store. The multi-tiered pink-and-black structure is modeled after the cross-section of a Barbie playhouse.]
Grim: She said to use pink and when I got done using pink to use MORE PINK. She really likes pink. If you cam around it’s actually a giant Barbie house. She wanted a “Barbie goes to Hollywood” Gurlywood, so, I gave her a giant Barbie house with some Hollywood flair. Six is great, have you met her? She’s so nice. It’s like when you’re around her you want to be nicer. She’s even nice to noobies. She’s insane. She falls asleep a lot at her computer trying to help everyone.

PWND: So, what other fun and exciting architectural build projects are near and dear to your heart?
Grim: Well, of course I love all my babies. I really like that fact that one of my builds is being used on the Pontiac sim. It’s over here in the corner. Lets see if I have a landmark for theirs.
[We tp to Motorati (115, 205, 25) where Misfit's Urban Ruins "Aardvard" estate home has been turned into TUNE, a music center devoted to celebrating the union of music and driving. Misfit's original wood paneling has been recoloured red to fit the sim's colour scheme and his assigned garden patch has been modified into a reflective logo showcase. An orange pylon, rubber tire and electric guitar adorn the roof above the entrance.]
Grim: This I think is the best part of building. Seeing what people do with your stuff. This for sure makes me really proud. Spin Martin [the owner of the Motorati sim] has 100% of all my builds. He does the most amazing things with them.
PWND: Do you have an official development company in SL?
Grim: Nah, it’s just me and BoBo. They have asked for us to join them, but I enjoy the little people. I’d rather build for the duck mall than Sears
PWND: That is an awesome note to end the article on. The creepy guy who abuses dolls has a big heart.
Grim: Haha! Hey now. You will run my rep. LOL! Do I even have a rep?
PWND: No worries. No one reads me.

Since this interview:

• Pontiac and Campfire have donated the Motorati sims to the United Spinal Association. [More info]
• Gurl6 still has the same non-Barbie mansion build.
• The portfolio of Grim Babies and Urban ruins products continues to grow and evolve.
• Grim is sharing his building knowledge by holding regular instructional classes. Join the :Grim Babies: update group for info on classes and products (Search > Groups > :Grim Babies: > Join).

This past Saturday marked the grand opening of GLAM Magazine with a fashion show featuring some of Second Life’s notable fashion designers. Over 15 models took to the catwalk, serving as virtual coat hangers for designs from GHOST, artilleri, LeeZu Baxter Designs, Cubic Effect, Muism, Serene Sensation, Lookr, Designs by Nicky Ree, Paper Couture, Maitreya and “Cachet” by Minnu Model Skins. The event was DJ’d by duckyfresh Watanabe who remarked post-show, “It was really pretty. The Nicky Ree section was especially beautifully choreographed”.

The launch video can be seen on the Glam World Blog.

GLAM Mag - the vision of Minnu Palen and Thora Charron (Minnu Model Skins), Onyx Leshelle and Beauvoir Rousselot (Maitreya) and Miabella Foxley (Imagen Design Agency) - hopes to combine cutting edge fashion-photography and premier content with the ambition of setting new publication standards in SL. All parties have made their mark in the world of virtual fashion and photography.

The first issue, which highlights the work of the publishers themselves as well as that of Icemocolo Voom (MUISM), Saeya Nyanda (KΨoot Army), Triangle Caudron (GHOST), product trends and recent designer-driven charity work can be downloaded in PDF format or viewed as a Flash presentation on the GLAM Mag mini-site.

Following the delirium of late and lengthy practices, outfit coordination and fittings, showtime buzz and killer lag with the pressure off I got together with fellow show model and winner of this Month’s MMS poster contest, Steve Hansen, and took a few photos of the Muism and Lookr sets we walked in. These two labels in addition to artilleri provided the content for male fashion within the show.

LOOKR (L to R: Catero, Steve)	MUISM (L to R: Steve, Catero)

ARTILLERI Photo: Phoenix Chapman	MUISM Photo: Phoenix Chapman	MUISM Photo: Phoenix Chapman	MUISM Photo: Phoenix Chapman
MUISM Photo: Phoenix Chapman	LOOKR Photo: Phoenix Chapman	LOOKR Photo: Phoenix Chapman	LOOKR Photo: Phoenix Chapman
MUISM Photo: Phoenix Chapman		MUISM Photo: Phoenix Chapman

For those who enjoyed the first issue, the second installment of Homme Magazine is now on news stands at Depo 5 (220, 43, 22) and available for download at thehommemag.com.

Feature Article: Interview with Khai Sinister
“I’m a really private person. I think from birth all I’ve wanted to do is create art and sort of hide in my own world. Eventually I found SL. It was the greatest way to combine all my ideas and fantasies and sort of bring them to life in a way in which I was never able to before … and, to an extent, interact with my creations.”

Broaden your Horizons by Eyva Matova
“It’s time to open your eyes. Go and take a look around the virtual world you live in. This is a place defined by it’s residents and what people have chosen to do with a blank canvas is amazing to look at and inspiring to experience.”

Fashion Police by TheDiva Rockin
“Whoa…hey there big guy!! Congratulations on your recent upgrade! Now do us ladies a favor and tuck it in!! This is no pond and you certainly aren’t going to catch a decent honey with that rod … gutter hoes, STDs, and a swift kick to the crotch are ore like it.”

Quintessential Essentials: Lucas Lameth by Sylar Boyd
“I sat down on my desk thanking Jesus/Buddah/Yahweh/Allah for giving me such a sweet and gracious mother. (May the Gods bless her soul when she passes away.) So first things first, I had to come up with a subject. This is after all a men’s magazine so I was thinking someone along the lines of Steve McQueen or George Clooney.”

The Adventures of Catero Revolution by Catero Revolution
“She’d just landed on top of my head as I stood in the middle of nowhere. Just some random girl dressed like a young Eva Gabor who fell from the sky. What are the odds?”

If you are a designer or business owner that would like to place a magazine stand (C/T/NM) in or around your store please comment here or send Arj Friedkin or Davey Hullabaloo a note card/IM in-world. You can also send these two a little poke for advertising info.

This month’s favourites in bold.

asian haircuts for guys • armidi.com / armidi gift card • catero revolution • blog terms search stats • Claudius Fouroux • dpende control • exposed penis • faekee faulkner • females in assless chaps • girls giving guys blow jobs • “Greek men talking” • hard men exposed • hearts on their sleeves • homme magazine sl / homme mag search second life / homme sl / sl homme magazine • i have questionable morals • kaoz+minnu • “karate kid” / karate kid crane / karate kid “logo” • “Kindly State University” • leopard leggings • luthien moreau • maddox dupont • men and their penis • men’s skin second life • Monster energy drink sexy beer girls • overbearing female • pale boys fetish • paulie tamale • pxl ripped skin • python constricting • redgrave fashion • scorpio skins / Scorpio Skins <TheAbyss> • “Second Life” “Hip Width” • secondlife “mac ayres” • second life male skins / “second life” skins hairless male / sl men skin • secondlife skins tones + caramel + choco • sexy guys and their penis • the hoff • thora charron • “uchi ii” second life