Astoria Characters: The Creator of Clayful Characters

It all occurred during Covid cocooning. Kaitlin Kemp found that she had a lot of time on her hands, so she put them to work, doing what she always does, creating. Kaitlin is from Virginia. Because she and her then-boyfriend couldn’t go out on a date, they spent the evening crafting with clay, an activity that he had done years ago. “I started making mini-foods,” Kaitlin says. “And then I saw an article in BuzzFeed about someone who makes earrings out of clay, so I made a pair…

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Astoria Characters: The Sit-It-Out Comic

It’s the left eyebrow that gives Mike Rockwitz away. It arches, mischievously. Check out Mike’s eyebrow. Mike’s eyes, celestial blue marbles, take the cue, bugging out as his mouth settles into a colossal clown-like grin. It’s a wickedly funny look, and Mike, a big guy with a Santa snow-white goatee and tons of tatts, plays it for all it’s worth. He loves getting laughs, but you’ll never catch him on a stage in front of an audience. This aversion to stand-up comedy…

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Astoria Characters: The Goth Gal

Raven-haired Christina Loza, black bustier showcasing her silver chain mail necklace and winged chest tattoo, sits on a bench under a leafy maple tree and removes her large horn-rim glasses. Christina works as a nanny. Her look – you can call it Alt or Goth, she doesn’t really care – attracts a lot of attention. That necklace has a tiny silver sword. When a big guy stops to stare, Christina, who is 5-foot-3, gives it right back to him, searing him with her blue-grey neon eyes. After…

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