Psyche Chimère

According to Psyche Corporation vocalist and frontwoman Psyche Chimère; the band is a “dark, fairytale, steampunk, cyberpunk band” who “deal in alternative world music, both in the world music sense and in the alternative world sense.” They’re based out of New York City but again, according to her, they’re also “based off of a dream manufacture company far into the future, where brain implants allow you to download dreams from the Internet.”

The band’s music provides an often haunting sort of background to Miss Chimère’s flawless soprano and narrative lyrics. She’s also one of the few, very visible Asian ladies of the steampunk sub-genre. Above is the official music video for “Jewels,” off of their early 2013 album Crypts and Codes.

Brenda Song on Dads

Despite a seasoned cast that included 26 year-old Brenda Song, the FOX sitcom Dads, didn’t even make it one full season. Above is Brenda making her second screen appearance in the pilot episode, in which her employers talk her into dressing as a sexy Asian schoolgirl straight out of a hentai comic book in order to "impress" some Chinese investors being pitched a new video game entitled “Kill Hitler 2.″

The show was widely panned by critics and deemed “racially insensitive” by some Asian-American groups, who found certain jokes (some spoken by Brenda’s character) and referencing certain stereotypes (like the one above, I suppose) offensive. Even though we won’t be seeing Miss Song on Dads anymore, given her track record over the past 20 (yes, 20) years, I doubt she’ll be drawing unemployment for very long.

Rachael Robbins

Actress, model, and comedienne Rachael Robbins has ventured down several avenues of show biz throughout her career, so far. She started modeling for Playboy in 1997 and delved into acting a couple of years later with the 1999 comedy-horror film Terror Firmer. Also among the 40-plus acting credits she currently has, is her role in Ernest G. Sauer's 2001 gem Little Shop of Erotica, alongside two big names of the adult film industry. (It's one that she seems to want to forget, but I made sure to ask her about.)

No stranger to the stage, a few years back, Rachael starred in the all-female cast of Pieces (of Ass) throughout its off-Broadway run, as well as its stint in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Her most notable screenwriting credits to date, are for the 2013 Kenneth Del Vecchio horror films Captured Hearts and the soon-to-be-released (July 1st) Scavenger Killers, both of which she also has starring roles. The former, as one of the five lovely and lethal Van Houten sisters. Most recently, she's in the pre-production stage with Matt Zattell's The Advocate.

As a stand-up comedienne, Rachael has had to overcome the handicap of being outwardly sexy in a business where the objective is to get laughs, not leers. However, despite her looks, she's succeeded in the field and has regularly performed at such venues as New York's Gotham Comedy Club and Times Square Comedy Club.

Rachael is also directing the upcoming Marilyn and Friends, which will be showing at New York's Metropolitan Room, April 16th (next week, as this goes to press) and stars renowned Marilyn Monroe tribute performer, Erika Smith. (Info and tickets here) Above photo of Rachael and the Notorious P.I.G. courtesy of the lovely Miss Robbins, herself.

Mo Whelan

Maureen "Mo" Whelan is an actress, model, animator, graphic artist, writer, and (as she puts it), "duct tape film producer." She tells me she primarily considers herself a creative producer, and one who isn't afraid to handle legal matters that come with the territory. One of her latest projects, a horror she co-wrote entitled No Service, she'll be producing and directing with Miss Misery Reyna Young, and will feature Felissa Rose of Sleepaway Camp fame. Among her animation credits is 1999's South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut, where she spent hours animating Terence and Phillip's heads.

Before the glitz and glamor of show biz called, Mo managed a large auto parts franchise store, so she's a lady who knows her way around under the hood of a car. Also a lady with a big heart, Mo actively supports many charitable causes and is often seen at their events and fundraisers around the Los Angeles area. I was recently fortunate enough to get Mo to take some time out to answer some of the questions I had for her, which included her artwork (she also paints), her views on the future of the visual effects industry, and her thoughts on Eric Cartman. Above photo of Mo at last year's A Nightmare to Remember International Film Festival, courtesy of Oscar Benjamin.

What would have been Stella Chuu's interview

To be clear, when I contacted model, cosplayer, and burlesque performer Stella Chuu about being interviewed for a feature here, she didn't say yes or no, but rather said I could send her my questions though Facebook and "we'll see what we can do." So, I subsequently sent the questions, but she ended up deciding she wouldn't "feel comfortable" being featured here, for whatever reason a burlesque performer may have for not feeling "comfortable," and declined the offer.

Absolutely no problem with that and much more her loss than ours, but I don't like to waste my time researching someone, only to have the good and pertinent questions I came up with, go unanswered, nor let interviews that others would have surely appreciated, go unseen. So, even though my questions will go unanswered, I'm not going to let them go unseen. Here's my half of what would have been an interview with the aforementioned Stella Chuu. Of course, at left is where a photo of her would have gone and I would have given credit to the photographer here.

Lotta Losten in Lights Out

Have you ever been home alone and heard a noise after you turn the lights out? You turn the lights on and everything seems to be fine. Shut the lights out, and a minute later, there's that strange sound again. Is there something there in the darkness that isn't there in the light? Or someone? Of course not. You've just seen too many horror films and have an overactive imagination. Or it's just the wind ....or the house settling. However, if you actually see something in the dark that isn't there in the light ....

May Ling Su Revisited

It was hard for me to believe it had been so long, especially since she doesn't look a day older now than she did then, but the first time I wrote about May Ling Su was over seven years ago. That brief article I did on the lovely "Internet exhibitionist," was actually for another site and I shared it here.

Keeping in loose touch with May Ling through Facebook over the last several years, I knew she was somewhat of a nomad. She's lived on both coasts of the US as well as her native Philippines, since I first met her. Currently living in Maine, she still has several unique websites that she personally operates. Super Spy Chick and Strip Karaoke being two of the more humorous and milder examples.

In addition to her work in front of the camera, May Ling has recently lent her voice to the audio book version of Anthony Pacheco's Armageddon's Princess. Also making a name for herself as a photographer, she's had works displayed in galleries in the US and Europe. She tells me that her Maine location and the winter months have made it difficult for her to find models, but she plans on meeting with some this spring and for those interested, "fierce and fearless" is the type she says she's looking to shoot.