Dragon*Con Week(s) 2012: 13 Questions With Third Half Studios

Today’s post is doing a little double-duty. Not only do I have a subject who has a project to promote, they will also be at Dragon*Con doing their thing. Actually, this is quadruple duty because I am talking to Lori and Sarah of Atlanta’s own Third Half Studios.

If you like comic books, zombies, Doctor Who, or stuff that’s really cute in a gruesome, slightly unsettling way then you will probably dig what Third Half has to offer. You can go check out their Etsy store right now and see what I’m talking about. Or you could go and buy the entire set of Cryptozoology plates RIGHT DAMN NOW BECAUSE THEY ARE SO AWESOME.

There is also a Kickstarter campaign that you can get in on. The ladies are looking to expand into the patch market. I can tell you from personal experience that patches are pricey, so Third Half is doing the Kickstarter thing to finance a run of their adorable designs. There are the usual donation levels, along with plenty of perks. Go and see what you think.

At the very least, though, you can stop by Third Half’s table (wherever) at Dragon*Con. The lovely ladies will be there all weekend long with plenty of stuff to sell.

1) Where were you born and what is one way that place has affected you as a person?

Lori - I was born here in Atlanta and raised in good ol’ Lawrenceville, GA. I make fun of it but really it was pretty awesome. Mom worked and Dad lived in another state so basically we ran wild like banshees. We built forts, burned the woods down, shoplifted and beat the crap out of each other. Looking back it also gives me an appreciation for country living, even though we weren’t full-on country.

Sarah - Portland OR, we left when I was too small to remember it, but having been back several times as an adult I will say you can take the girl out of Portland, but you can't take Portland out of the girl. If I could live there - I absolutely would.

2) What was your favorite toy when you were a kid?

Lori - I remember the Jaws game where you had to fish trash out of the shark's guts. if you got the wrong piece of trash it snapped shut. It was like Jenga but with less stacking.

Sarah - It was a metal arm that you clamped to a table. From the arm you suspended a weighted table from strings and then you put paper down on the table, and then you attached a marker onto a balanced pivoting arm. Then you shoved the table and the pen worked like a pendulum drawing as it went. I loved that thing so much that I decided I would rebuild it on a huge scale once I had enough space to do so.
I still own it by the way.

3) What is one album everybody should own?

Lori - Guns N’ Roses Appetite for Destruction. When it came out I was rocking out and my sister was like "what the hell is that NOISE?!" and then 2 months later she was calling me to make her a copy on my double cassette recorder with speed recording. Yeah, I showed her what's what.

Sarah - Yikes, that is a tough one. If everybody has to own it then I would have to say "At Folsom Prison."

4) What would be your ideal career?

Lori - Life coach. Well, if you went on skill. Or closet organizer. I really like looking through people's stuff but I have to hold back because it is usually not looked upon as polite. I could also be a professional crafter but only if there were no deadlines. I think i could just pet dogs all the time but it wouldn’t be fair because I would play favorites.

Sarah - An art career that paid the bills.

5) How and when did you realize that?

Lori - Realize what? Oh wait, i gave like 23 answers a minute ago. Let’s stick with life coach. I can look at a lot of problems people have and come up with clear concise solutions without judging them or calling them idiots to their face.

Sarah - when I was four, I announced dramatically during one of my parents wild drunken parties that I was going to be a famous artist, I was holding a giant glitter husky pencil and only wearing underpants.
Not much has changed really.

6) Who is your favorite wrestler and why?

Lori - I like that guy with the writing on his chest (“Human Hand Grenade” Dany Only) that you told me what it was and I totally can't remember what i thought it was (Hated Yet I Persevere). I also like the purple guns dudes (Washington Bullets). Oh wait- scratch all that. Kyle with the fancy booty (Kyle Matthews)!

Sarah - I am going to drive off a cultural cliff here and say all Bolivian Cholitas. If you can wrestle in a derby and petticoats - you can pretty much rule the world.

7) What are the best shoes you’ve ever owned?

Lori - My Fly Londons. Really that's a brand. They're like 200 bucks and worth every penny. Miz Mooz green mary janes come in a close second.

Sarah - Doc Martens, had the same pair since I was 17. They are taped together and have chunks of concrete and plaster stuck to them. I only wear them on special occasions that don't require the structural integrity of a sole.

8) How did you become involved with Dragon*Con?

Lori - My friend Sarah made me start a company with her and now we are taking over the world. She signed us up for Dragon*Con's artist alley and it worked! They liked us and let us in! Prior to that I was just a costume watcher.

Sarah - I have been going to Dragon Con since its inception and have always loved it. It was pure luck really that we got our foot in the door in Pop Artist alley and we owe a huge debt to Thom Trainor for giving us the opportunity.

9) Which actor do you feel like you could sit and watch for hours no matter what they were doing and why?

Lori - Ed Norton. As long as his shirt was off. Or that Ryan Reynolds dude. Those are just based on hotness.

Sarah - Matt Smith... if I could pay to make out with that man, I would never stop robbing banks.
10) What inspires you to do what you do?

Lori - glitter. It is my only inspiration. That and maybe a screw is loose.

Sarah - Everything, all of it, science and awkwardness and insanity and rollerskating and weird bugs and dumptrucks full of joy.

11) What are you doing at Dragon*Con this year?

Lori - Selling stuff. This is year 2 in artist alley. I'm kind of scared because i got craft depressed this summer and I am WAY behind making stuff. Then my sewing machine broke. But it's cool. I'm back in the groove and if someone would prescribe me some Aderol I could get it all done!

Sarah - Working my booth, drinking martinis and planning ways to accidentally run into Jonathan Coulton.

12) Is there a movie that should never be remade and if so which one?

Lori - No movie should ever be remade. Ever. They always let me down.

Sarah - The Third Man, Close Encounters, and Rear Window - anybody touches those I am cracking skulls!

13) Closer – can you sell me cold on Dragon*Con? Pretend I’ve never heard of it.

Lori - "Oh my god, there's all these chicks running around in underwear and you get to pose with them and people are taking pictures of everything and all the hotel rooms- every one of them- has a party and storm troopers keep order. plus you can go learn about shit like wizards and elf and cryptozoology things and not Twilight. Twilight got banned".

Sarah - Doctor Who, Indiana Jones and Glenda the Good witch walk into a bar. Chewbacca approaches them and says, I have dropped my Iphone into the toilet, can I use your magic wand to try and get it out?
There is no punchline - I actually saw this happen.

Wow. This one looks like Easter. Maybe I could have gone with some different color choices.

Anyway, you can go right now and take a look at the Third Half Studios website and their Kickstarter patch campaign. And if you’re going to be down at Dragon*Con (and I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t be), stop by Table BT11 in the Pop Culture Art (or whatever) place and buy some cool stuff.

Unless you’re Kyle Matthews. Then Lori will probably just hook you up.

-Phantom