Tag Archives: Bishop Black

My perfect IRL drawing comeback show: The Sinner’s Saloon from Felicity Felicis!

Felicity Felicis at The Sinners Saloon at Crack Bellmer Berlin by Suzanne Forbes May 15 2023 webSince my self-prescribed and Berlin-drag-performer-delivered MECFS antiviral meds are working so well, I went back out to work!

I was very much helped by the fact that I could travel with our dear friend Daniel Paikov, a fellow documentary artist who records Queer Berlin in photographs.

And I was welcomed and supported by The Sinner’s Saloon producer Felicity Felicis, above! Felicity is one of Berlin’s great cabaret performers; she’s also the magic behind productions like TSS and The Theatre of Leeds. Her website is here!

I love to draw her IRL and also jumped in online when she was modeling for Sketcherei not long ago.

Misty Lotus performs at The Sinners Saloon at Crack Bellmer Berlin by Suzanne Forbes April 19 2023 web editWhen I saw the performer list for this show, I HAD TO BE THERE.

Misty Lotus is one of my very favorite burlesque stars. Misty is based in Switzerland, and is a producer, performer, fire-eater and doyenne of the Swiss Burlesque Academy.

Misty Lotus performs at The Sinners Saloon at Crack Bellmer Berlin by Suzanne Forbes May 25 2023Misty did two acts; her Ursula is incredible!

I first drew Misty at the incredible 2019 Berlin Burlesque Week, a wonderfully rich series of shows that also included a powerful social justice education panel.

Bishop Black at the Sinners Saloon by Suzanne Forbes Bishop Black is another absolute Berlin legend I love to draw.

I’ve drawn them modeling for Dr. Sketchy’s Berlin several times and workshop-modeling for Shine Louise Houston, but this was the first time I drew them dancing! This performance involved kinetic movement, self-tying and insertion with a rubber tape.

Bishop Black at the Sinners Saloon Suzanne Forbes April 27 2023Bishop did two acts, and the second one involved a staple gun!

They stapled paper hearts all over themselves! I am not a great piercing or sideshow audience as I tend to flinch, but the effect was lovely.

Marta Karta performs at The Sinners Saloon at Crack Bellmer Berlin by Suzanne Forbes April 21 2023It was the first time I’d seen hostess Marta Karta perform: what a dark cabaret legend!

She hosted, and sang, and danced! See her insta here and upcoming shows here.

People with great hair!

Redhead from Finland Armi Von Vep, who also did a spin onstage, and in the background DJ Don Rogall.

Martini Cherryfurter and Enjo Flint perform at The Sinners Saloon at Crack Bellmer Berlin by Suzanne Forbes May 15 2023There was another wonderful surprise – Martini Cherryfurter is back in Berlin!

Such a joy to see and hug her after so long. She was called onto the stage to do an impromptu act with Enjo Flint. Enjo smashed a bunch of glass on the floor and Martini stood on his head!

Gracefully, of course, as she does everything. Photo of the actual moment by Daniel Paikov here! I of course was flinching 🙂

Constance Peach performs at The Sinners Saloon at Crack Bellmer Berlin by Suzanne Forbes April 19 2023 It was also my first time seeing/drawing Constance Peach!

She brought glamorous and wicked Marie Antoinette vibes. Her insta is here and site here.

The Next Sinners Saloon is June 4th; I won’t be there cause I will be wiped out from Hurentag the day before, but tickets are here!

All in all, I couldn’t have asked for more for my return to drawing in a club after over three years.

Crack Bellmer has a ventilation system (although I had to ask them to turn it on) and Felicity made sure I had exactly the seating setup I needed. Having a buddy system with Daniel helped so much.

I felt a little weird going out in my prescription swim goggles and 3M Aura FFP3 mask, but my self-consciousness melted away when everyone was so kind to me.

Misty Lotus said, “Ah, it’s Berlin! It’s fine!”

As always, I am so grateful to my Patreon Patrons, whose monthly financial support makes it possible for me to continue documenting Berlin performers as a vulnerable disabled person. For as little as a dollar/euro per month, you can help!

Drawing Shine Louise Houston in Berlin!

Shine Louise Houston teaching film at Altes Finanzamt Oct 26 2019 by Suzanne ForbesA great regret from the Bay Area era of my documentary work was that I never got to draw film-maker Shine Louise Houston.

She is the powerhouse creative force behind revolutionary queer studios CrashPad Series and PinkLabelTV, and an amazing QPOC artist.

Shine Louise Houston teaching camera technique at Altes Finanzamt Oct 26 2019 by Suzanne ForbesYesterday I got to meet and draw Shine, and what a thrill!

Shine Louise Houston‘s camera work and film workshops are incredibly popular and sell out like lightning, but I was able to get in as a documentary artist and record her teaching the class.

Shine Louise Houston and students at Altes Finanzamt Oct 26 2019 by Suzanne ForbesShine started out with some gems about filming adult media that I never would have thought of!

I was absolutely fascinated to hear her talk about the secrets of a happy set and how to troubleshoot when things go sideways. Shine on IMDB here! You would not believe how much creative work she has done as a producer and director of sexy erotic cinema.

“There is power in creating images, and for a woman of color and a queer to take that power… I don’t find it exploitative; I think it’s necessary.” – Shine Louise Houston

Shine Louise Houston and Jiz Lee at Altes Finanzamt Oct 26 2019 by Suzanne ForbesHere’s Shine with Jiz Lee, demonstrating the concept of the 180-degree Line.

Although all I know about film-making is what I’ve seen on queer porn sets, I know this concept from my career as a comic-book penciller! I drew Jiz Lee often in the Oughts in the Bay, because we both donated lots of time to benefits for local sex-positive institutions like The Center for Sex and Culture. I keep up with them daily on twitter and Instagram, because Jiz is always on top of news and opportunities for sex-positive activism and education.

Jiz Lee at Altes Finanzamt Oct 26 2019 by Suzanne ForbesSeriously, if you want to be learning and growing about how to support trans and nonbinary folx and QPOC erotic cinema, Jiz Lee is your first stop.

They were the first out nonbinary person I knew IRL, and their clear voice is always educating me on how to be of use and of help. Step one: PAY FOR YOUR PORN!!!

Suzanne Forbes photographed by Jiz Lee at Shine Camera Work class Oct 26 2019

Jiz Lee took this cool over-the-shoulder shot of me drawing!

Shine Louise Houston teaching camera work at Altes Finanzamt Oct 26 2019 by Suzanne ForbesIt was a total treat that one of the demo models for Shine’s class was Bishop Black!

Always a pleasure to see that gentleman creative, who is one of the hardest working artists in Berlin’s incredibly rich queer life.

Shine Louise Houston teaching at Altes Finanzamt Oct 26 2019 by Suzanne ForbesPeople I know have been shooting with Shine Louise Houston forever!

Sadly my health got worse and worse in my last years in the Bay, and I never managed to be somewhere Shine was working. It was an honor to at last document her historic and powerful artistic presence. I loved hearing her talk about intuitive and spiritual approaches to cinema; even if you’re not a film-maker the class is so interesting and I highly recommend it!

These drawings are licensed Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

That means they’re 100% FREE for all to share and enjoy! In addition, I release the copyright on each drawing to the performer shown and they may use the drawings for their own profit and pleeeasssure in any way they choose.

As a fat, queer, disabled artist, crowdfunded support is the only way I can make this work and release it for free. 

You can join my Patreon Patrons, for as little as a dollar/euro a month, to keep me making my documentary art of Queer Berlin as Free Art.