YabYum Turns 3

6. What is your weapon of choice for the zombie apocalypse?

Carly: Sleeping pills? An instructional manual on how to survive alone in the woods? I’m not really a duke-it-out kind of girl.

Mark: An enclosed fork lift with lots of propane.

Mike: My wit. Sharp as a guillotine.

Jofrin: Well, that is a good question, and one that should be considered carefully. We’re gonna need more than just a weapon. We’re going to need Jeeps, a lotta gasoline, shelter in a secluded and remote area (no “we” in that one, I can’t do any of that hippie compound nonsense; I’ve got a family,) a shit load of ammo, lots of Pur water filters (I hate to be a brand whore there, but they offer the only consumer-based pitcher filtration system that takes out 99.9% of micro-bacteria, or something,) and about 5 Gloc 23s. This lightweight, .40 caliber, Hollywood and government loved handgun is the unsung hero of the zombie apocalypse. A machine gun or similar is too sloppy. You’re going to kill someone you love. I mean come on; the Gloc shoots underwater, this sweet thing is not going to jam on you, and even Jesus would want one under the circumstances. Have you ever been chased by a zombie while holding a shotgun? You’re gonna blow your own damn head off. You want a bat, a knife, a chainsaw, or something cute and clever? Fine, I’m gonna pop thirteen in the head and run while the other ten surround you as you’re swingin’… What a sad ending, not even Babe Ruth was that good with a bat son. It’s too messy anyway, you’re gonna get that Rage Virus on your skin and we’re going to have to, at very least, chop of your arm. Trust me, Glocs and ammo are the gold standard of the zombie apocalypse. Remember, when it happens, the first step is to fill up all of your sinks, bathtubs, and storage containers with water. And if applicable, take out the stairs. Start working out now, without some amount of physical fitness any weapon you choose is useless.

1.Who are you and what do you do?

Carly: I run this beast.

Mark: Some call me Mr. Mark Anderson. I do all the graphics and layout for YabYum. I write an article every now and then too.

Mike: My name's Mike. I read a lot and write a bit.

Jofrin: Hi. My name is Jofrin Pezzati. I am not good at “About Me” writing, but I was voted 2012’s “The Best YabYum Staff Writer."* I have not owned a car since 2009, so I do a lot of walking, bus riding, and biking.

2. How did you get your start?

Carly: I started YabYum back in 2009 but I’ve been doing the writing thing for quite some time now. Since I could write, I guess. I started in journalism as a teenager at the school paper and then I built a photo lab in my garage while in high school and started photographing local bands. I wrote articles about the bands I photographed and got them in a local zine. Been writing ever since for all sorts of different things.

Mark: Carly, quite accidently, walked into my house one evening and knew then there she had found her site designer. At least that's what she told me later. My walls were covered from floor to cieling in posters, fliers, ads, comics, maps, art, shirts, guitars, tote bags, tapestries and all sorts of other random objects. Thing is, they were all completely symetrical to each other. It was like looking at our site on a giant wall.

Mike: I wrote my first story in 1st grade. It was about a baby bird in a bicycle basket.

3. What inspires you?

Carly: Art, trees, people.

Mark: The vision of the future that I wish to see. I honestly believe, even in all these times of seperation, that we as humans are coming ever closer to that great horizon of deep understanding. Then we'll infect our galaxy and beyond.

Mike: I find the written word inspiring. Also Friday Night Lights and ice cream treats.

Jofrin: Everything already mentioned, my kids, my wife, my friends, film, music, art, writing, assholes, environmental preservation, hypocrisy (internal and external,) the patterns of the universe, injustice, this question, people I irritate and upset, MIDI keyboards, suffering, the sativa goddess, YabYum Music and Arts, Burning Empire Media, Like Lightning Sounds, 585 Fashion, horror movies, animism, Johnny Utah, money, sarcasm, composing music for films, Cormac McCarthy, Joe Rogan, changing the world vision of mankind, laughter… and I mean pretty much just life in general man.

4.What do you like about Arizona?

Carly: I love the desert. And I really, honestly believe AZ is changing for the better. We have enough creative people here to transform it into a vibrant, supportive, artistic community if we band together against those that hold us back, i.e. rednecks, racists, overly zealous capitalists.

Mark: I have a lot of family here. I've also made true friendships here.I think we have some truly unique music and art coming out of here as well. I also enjoy the geography of the state the further North you get and how your driver's license is good until your're 65.

Mike: I'm a big fan of the weather 75% of the year. The people I know here are great.

Jofrin: There’s actually quite a bit I like about Arizona. I was born here. It’s my home, and it always will be. Growing up I thought I hated Arizona and had to move to California, but as an adult that has changed somewhat. In my opinion, Arizona is the best damn state in the U.S. of A! Unfortunately, there are many people that make some aspects of our great state shity, but we just have to change that now, don’t we? Write your congressman.

5.What would you like to accomplish before you die?

Carly: Write a novel. Learn kung-fu. Pay back my student loans.

Mark: All of it.

Mike: I will write a sprawling science fiction epic before I die.

Jofrin: I would like to generate a financially comfortable (or more) income that can provide for my family (even after I die) by writing and making films and music. Generally speaking, I would like all of my goals to be realized with higher success than I ever imagined. There’s some other stuff too, but it’s too emotional and personal, so next question. Oh, and I want to learn how to surf.

I want to thank all the contributing writers and photographers who have worked with us over the years. I also wanted to take this opportunity to introduce our readers to the core staff that makes YabYum possible issue after issue. First and foremost, Mark Anderson is our tirelessly committed master designer who shares the burden of keeping this monster alive with me. Then we have Mike McQuillian who has been with YabYum since Day One often filling in as editor here and there when the need presents itself. Last, but certainly not least, we have our newest editorial staff member Jofrin Pezzati, a man given to words if ever there was one.

Long live the locals arts revolution.

Carly Schorman

Editor-in-Chief

_______

Alright I’ll be serious now (somewhat): I am a writer (of many different mediums), director, film and music producer, YabYum editor, audio engineer, poker player, guitarist, film/video editor, and dammit I don’t know... Burning Empire Media son! That’s what I do. I raise my kids, hang out with my wife, go to college online, kick it with my homeboys, and also help run an indie start-up recording studio called Like Lightning Sounds. Yep, as you can see, I also look for opportunities of shameless promotion whenever possible. I do a vast amount of blogging and household chores as well.

*There is no such award

Jofrin: Hmm... My mother thrust me out of her belly and onto this world. Eventually, I started playing piano which was traded for a saxophone. I hated carrying it around everywhere, and took up the snare drum in the school band. The band teacher was an asshole and I quit (age 10). At the tender age of 11 I started listening to Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. I have been playing guitar ever since.

I started taking acting lessons and performing on stage when I was seven years old. While I continued to act and perform, in high school I realized that I wanted to be on the other side of the camera and stage, and I began learning how to write, direct, produce, and edit films.

Throughout high school some random chick always told me that I was destined to be a writer. However, she came from a long line of crazy people and I don’t really know when I started writing. Since I was a very young lad, I’ve always loved writing weird short stories, screenplays, lame ass poetry, or just about anything.

I guess there’s probably more, but those are the primary bullet points of this interrogation.