Big Top Magazine's topics - tribe.net

The July issue of Big Top wants YOU to SUBMIT!

ksea — Wed, 14 May 2008 06:42:00 GMT

The next issue is planned to be done and out by July 1st, and so far it's got a beautifully interesting lineup, including interviews with:

fou fou HA! www.foufouha.com/

Amanda of The Dresden Dolls www.dresdendolls.com

Keri of Lapsus www.myspace.com/lapsusdance

and quite possibly articles on
A womans' journey across India - on stilts!
and...
what's going on with the Circus Scene in New Orleans, written by a person who founded the Circus School of New Orleans, and has also worked with Bindelstiff & many other circus's's's...

and EVEN MORE that I'm working on securing...

But... this issue needs More! Better! Bigger! Brighter! Oodles of this, and tent-fulls of that!

So what ya got for this loverly new magazine? Please let me know ASAP!

Check out bigtopmagazine.com/Submit/submit.html and get back to me at bigtopmag@gmail.com, as fast as your thoughts and fingers can carry you! The absolute deadline for submissions is June 23rd, but before that would be even better to avoid the madness behind the scenes.

Thank you so very, very much, and I can't wait to hear from you!

~ kSea

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Big Top Site - what would you change?

ksea — Wed, 14 May 2008 06:39:49 GMT

what would you change in the Big Top Magazine website?

www.bigtopmagazine.com

C'mon, give it to me. I can take it, and... I need it.
If you would change something, why?

This isn't a personal website, so I need it to be as welcoming and engaging as possible, as well as easy to navigate - so what would *you* do? (keeping in mind that I am a complete beginner as far as this website thing goes - can't get *too* fancy...)

Thank you in advance!

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A Little creative, constructive criticism?

ksea — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 20:31:43 GMT

The site is coming along, and gawd damn it, WILL be up and as complete as I can get it on April 1st. Still waiting for a couple email interviews, working with a graphic designer to create the perfect logo and other happy spots throughout the site, and still need to transcribe, edit, and make into something readable what will soon be about four hours of audio interviews. (That's the part that I'm having the largest challenge in tackling- play-stop-write-play-stop-write-play-rewind-play for hours, then making it all into a good piece to read. Whew!)

Anyway, there have been a few changes and additions to the visible site as I'm letting it be seen now, but unfortunately with countless hours spent looking at it, I can't see it anymore. I have no judgment, and all I'm getting is a dull buzzing hum in my brain when I try to figure out what it needs, or doesn't. Some things are obvious, such as trying to line up the images on the front page (which is an absolute bitch in itself). but other things I need you for.

I would really appreciate some external input on the site, some constructive criticism. What would make it more interesting, draw you further in? What DO you like and why, and what would you change or add, and why?

Mind you, it is still itsy-bitsy compared to what I intend it to be by the launch date, and that will be obvious - but what would make it more fun, more interesting to navigate around? I'm toying with the idea of random 'easter eggs' (random rollover links to find that takes you to a hidden fun link) placed strategically on it, and probably will do that - but I can't get to crazy with it.

So - what do *you* think? The more I look at it the more I think it looks like crap, so I need some outside opinions before my brain goes fizzlepop. Please let me know, in a kind, soothing way.

bigtopmagazine.com

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Coming Soon!

ksea — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 01:27:47 GMT

Within a couple of weeks, likely.

About damned time, you say? Well... I emphatically agree.

Got the front page done (except for the changes that will inevitably be made because I'm like that) and currently working on the content for the rest.

In the premier issue of Big Top Magazine, We'll have a bunch of stuff. Really - bunches. More than my fingers can actually bear. Three have fallen off already. I could say a bunch about it right now but I need to get back to work on the site. I'm writing this with my toes right now.

www.bigtopmagazine.com

and look! There's even a little red & black star by the page title name!

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mask magic

Leah — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 20:28:51 GMT

changing faces, painted faces, masks and the magic of performing, wearing, being around masks, please feel invited to visit, join, and share on mask magic tribe, thanks everyone for being the wonderful circus people that you are!
Leah

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Inspiring story about a 98 year old trapeze artist who died this month

Rachel — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 05:25:16 GMT

This is sooo inspiring...I've often told my students and friends that I hope to be doing aerial arts through my 80s, now I have a new goal!...there is a video embedded in this article of Konrad Thurano performing at 98!...

http://www.pkblogs.com/arbroath/2007/11/konrad-thurano-worlds-oldest-trapeze.html

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Dresden Dolls interview - help and suggestions?

ksea — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 06:44:23 GMT

Interviewing people is not one of my strong points, as well as I know so far. Putting this rag together is pretty consuming, but I'm having a blast getting wrapped up in it, making sure that it happens and dreaming of where it can go, what it can change.

I think, as soon as I find other people who are much more talented on writing articles and interviewing people that I will be, for the most part, in the background - but not for this one. Not the Dresden Dolls. It's far too intimate to hand off.

I need help though. Consider all of yourselves editors. Take a look at what I have written, give me your opinions on it - if I should change anything -- and please suggest questions to ask them. Interesting, original, odd, in-depth, anything, I'll choose the ones I think fit the best.

Thanks!

~ kSea

Amanda Palmer article/interview

There were about seven of us, all packed in to a tiny room attached to Café du Nord in San Francisco, putting on makeup, costumes, making sure we had what we needed for our particular offering to the show…
A good friend, Whitney, had earlier put a call out for “performers and freaks” to come and be part of an “interactive kind of rock show”. “Hells”, I says to meself, “why not? Sounds like fun.”

It was August 4th, 2004, and we were all getting ready to do whatever we were going to do for some band that I had only recently gotten turned on to called “The Dresden Dolls”. I had heard a bit of their music, liked it, and was pretty excited to actually be a part of the show. I especially liked what they were attempting to do, bringing in outside performers to interact with the people on the floor, giving it a circus/cabaret feel, that everyone could be a part of. Pretty damn unique. Brilliant. This was something new. This could change things…

It was that evening that I met Amanda Palmer, who, with Brian Viglione, put on one of the most incredible shows I had seen in a long, long time. Just two people in a tiny little club, Amanda singing and varying between caressing and beating the hell out of her electric piano, while Brian’s drumming exquisitely completed the sonic orgasm that I experienced that night. Those two people created something that I will never forget, and I instantly fell head over heels in love with. I was absolutely astounded, infatuated – and that evening , thanks to Whitney, Amanda & Brian – the direction of my life changed. I remembered my dreams.

It was just a very brief meeting of both of them, but I will never fail to remember how kind and sincere they were – and always have been since.

Over the years I have come to know them both a good deal better, and have even had the lovely pleasure of working with them for a number of months in the past - and through that I got to become good friends with some incredibly beautiful, talented and driven people - Amanda Palmer & Brian Viglione.

Admittedly, interviewing people is definitely not one of my strong points. This is my first, and possibly my last, but seeing as I feel that, in a way, that show, that night, helped to wake me up – well, I feel that this magazine would not exist without all the crazy turns my life as taken as a direct or indirect result of them, and the way that evening was the beginning of quite an insane adventure. Here we go…

(Interview here)

posted in Big Top Magazine - 10 replies

Circus teacher for tomorrow?

dangerangel — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 06:49:26 GMT

I need someone who has taught circus to kids for a 4pm class tomorrow. $30 - three kids.

posted in Big Top Magazine - 1 reply

We Need Staff & helpers!

ksea — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 17:41:31 GMT

Okay, The online version of this magazine that we're creating (which will do nothing less than completely change the world as we know it - in a good way) is going to be up and running soon. I've set a deadline of July 31st for it to be launched out into the world - but we're definitely going to need some help to accomplish this.

What I need pretty much instantly are:

INTERVIEWERS/JOURNALISTS
Talented, mature, professional, preferably with experience. Ask fun, interesting questions, but also important basic stuff - what drives the person you're interviewing? Possibly writing a more descriptive piece as well, instead of the "I said, they said" typical interview format.

WEB DESIGN GURU
To help design our web page, keep it updated, and make an original yet very comprehensive site for Big Top Magazine. We've secured the domain, just need to fatten it up with an amazing site.

CONTRIBUTIONS!
Personal stories, art, humor, Photos, opinions, events, schedules, tours, inspiration, tips on saving the planet, tips on performance - anything you think would be appropriate!

And needed soon:

Advertising Executives with a knowledge of internet advertising

All of these initially unpaid, just an effort of love for the premier issue of the most original and important magazine to come out in centuries.

Or at least, close to it.

More, need much more - but I gots to run now and get the stuff that pays done...

PLEASE SEND ALL CONTRIBUTIONS to:

BigTopMag (at) gmail.com

Thank you!

~ kSea flux, Boe the Klown & krew

posted in Big Top Magazine - 2 replies

My original post to friends on 6/26

ksea — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 17:37:33 GMT

A number of months ago I was looking through a bookstore, in the magazine section. Not finding what I wanted, I searched online.
Nothing, except a horribly outdated production that certainly didn't fill my wants or needs.

This has been brewing in my mind for months - and I feel that now is the time to act. I've decided to create a Circus magazine, focusing on:

Cirkus
Dance (related)
Burlesque
Sideshow Freaks
Street Performance
Cabaret
Style
Related Bands/Music
Fire Performance
Tips - rigging, sets,
...pretty much everythig involved. The Big Top has a wide umbrella.

Interviews, with people all around the world - what drives them, what do they want to achieve? What are they doing to accopmplish this? If they ended up in jail with Paris Hilton, what would they do? Shit like that. Fun stuff on an exposing note. I - perhaps we all - know so many extroardinary people that we regularly perform with or see - but do we really know them? Do they know us? No. We're part of the same "movement" - but hardly know each other. TIme to give the artists a human aspect - know their dreams, what drives them, why they are who they are. Peel them raw, with their consent. I've already got three amazing people lined up, just need to ask the others.

It will have a section that has the scheduled performances of all of our worldwide friends, happenings and events, an editorial page, a section where people can tell their personal stories of how they got involved - how they manifested their dreams and made them come true.
An opinion page, just because we all have one - and some are interesting.
Personal stories - things that have happened to you while performing, preferably somewhat humorous, preferably something that you have learned from.

The Honored - A section that gets to the nitty-gritty of the ideas behind the creators of such events as Lightning in a Bottle, which strives to be as green as possible - and does a wonderful job. A learning experience. We need to learn.

Inspiration - stories of/from people who have chased their dreams, why, and what they have gone through to achive them.

A green, spirituality based focus, along the lines of energy, quantum physics, manifesting - without being too hippy. It's all energy, yo.

The main goal of this is not only bringing us all together in a comprehensible forum, but more importantly (for me, at least) offering a very substantial cloud for people to hop on and ride to their dreams - realize that they ARE possible, and because of that - we can change the world. We Will, and I, for one, will die trying in the only ways I know how. Beauty. Love. Making dreams real - and, quite literally, fucking with peoples' reality - letting them know that there is so much more out there, and reminding them to see through the eyes of a child.
Focusing on the sub-culture - of us, the magazine will center on working to recreate this planet with love, beauty, and sustainability, through and with exquisite art and performance. Making available to the masses something that could have a serious impact if I am able to pull it off the way I envision it - and I'm able to.
Letting our presence be known, connecting, getting work, changing conciousness, opening people's minds.

It is a wonderous world that we live in - but so few people see it. We're the fortunate ones, and we need to let everyone know who we are, what we are doing - and what they can do do join us. Really, it's simple - just be concious. We can make this work.

I want to have the premier issue in print and ready by late September, hopefully coinciding with the one year anniversary of Bohemian Carnival on September 22nd.

I'm not fucking around. This is what I want to have happen - but I will need help.

If you like this idea, let me know, and help if you can. This will be full color glossy, high quality.

This is what I need to make this happen, and keep it rolling:

~ Website and web designer, able to frequently update.
~ CONTRIBUTIONS! Photos, words, interviews, performance centered stories, tips on being greener, ways to change the world, reasons to follow your dreams - be a part of the premier issue!
~ Advertising revenue to produce this. SInce the magazine is not established yet, it will be very cut-rate - probably no more than $50 for 1/8 page, perhaps less. Anyone who wants to advertise their troupe or wares, let me know. This WILL happen.
~ Marketing gurus
~ Emotional support. I have no idea what I'm getting into, but it needs to happen and I will make sure it does. There's something to be said for passion. I've got a feeling that I'm going to be somewhat consumed by this, but I'll love every second of it.

Thank you all, so much - I really want to make this happen. Boe (GOOFERMAN) is rocking it with me, offering support, encouragement - and everything else I can suck out of him. In a purely platonic way, of course.

***At this time, all submissions of photos and words are, unfortunately, unpaid. I would be a fool to promise anything right now - but hell, who knows? The revenue from the advertisers will come in, the magazine will be produced - and after costs to produce it, whatever is left over will be spread around - and keep spreading as the rag gets bigger.

Thank you...

~ kSea flux

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