Kingdomz X Queenz
Photograph by Azamat Zhanisov
Way back when I came up with the concept for this thing I would call “Kingdomz X”, people thought it was a great name, but had no clue what it meant, or why the ostensibly misplaced “z” (that’s a long story, and one you really don’t want me to delve into right now). What I will tell you is that it has nothing to do with any patriarchal ideology. In fact, when I first launched my Kingdomz X social network, I was slowly becoming aware of my skewed concept of masculinity, though it would take years for me to work through it. One day at work, a friend who had seen something I had posted on Facebook gave me a fist bump and called me a feminist as she walked by. So, I wanted my logo to reflect that; something subtle, but bold enough that it would be recognized as a symbol of feminine power.
Our symbol/trademark was inspired by arcane occult symbolism, which (despite being agnostic) I’ve always had a fascination for. The inverted triangle was first and part of an earlier logo, and went through color changes until I had settled on a pinkish hue (magenta, I think). Then one day I decided to do away with the color, and place a symbol of the sun at the center. What it symbolizes, I’ll let you decide, or figure out for yourself.
Now, if you’ve been following us since our beginning two years ago, then you might have noticed that the predominance of our subjects are women (well I guess you might notice that if you’re a new reader too). Despite my feminist leanings, this was not intentional, but the result of my subconscious mind’s desires, I believe (in fact, I didn’t realize it until recent months). With Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day approaching at the time, I thought of doing an all-women issue. But really, what would have been the point? The women we present here monthly do not serve as mere eye candy but are some of the most talented and brilliant businesswomen in the world, each in control of their own agency. Each of them has achieved various levels of success and recognition in their respective fields.
Yaz (l), and Naty
Sisters Naty and Yaz Ugalde of Costa Rica, the former publishers of the wildly popular Gorgeous Freaks Magazine (where this writer began his career), now own and operate their own clothing boutique. They started off as alt-models for a number of bands and brands, and still continue to occasionally model when time permits.
Miss Britney Rae
Britney Rae is a model who (by her own admission) doesn’t seem to “fit” anywhere on the modeling spectrum but has appeared in numerous publications. Not only is she known for her curvaceous good looks, but she’s also an accomplished photographer and digital artist, via her Phantasmagorical Arts Photography.
Anna Serova
If there’s anyone who has an eye for great art, it is Anna Serova. Originally from Russia, Anna resides alternately between New York City and Miami. She serves as an art consultant for Avant Gallery, models, and is currently in the process of developing her own brand of women’s wear.
Olivia Olson
Olivia Olson has come a long way in her career. Starting off as the precocious ten-year-old singer in the 2003 film Love Actually, she would eventually become the voice of Vanessa Doofenshmirtz in Phineas and Ferb, and Marceline the Vampire Queen in Adventure Time. She would then co-author Adventure Time's: The Enchiridion & Marcy's Super Secret Scrapbook, with her father Martin Olson. She’s also a talented songwriter and musician, recording The Father-Daughter Album of Unspeakable Beauty with her father. Solo, she’s released an EP (Beauty is Chaos), and a full-length album (Nowhere Land). Somewhere in between all this, she became the fourth Powerpuff Girl (Bliss), and she’s got her own Adventure Time comic book series.
Ami Carmine
She’s a DJ, singer, songwriter, producer, and model. Her name is Ami Carmine, and the woman is simply amazing. She impresses with every project she takes on. She doesn’t just do it all, she does it well. Currently, she’s a judge on BBC’s musical talent program All Together Now.
There are so many more wonderful women here, and the only reason I don’t mention all of them is simply that I would be here all night. But take a look around you while you’re here. You’ll see what I’m talking about and that I do not hyperbolize.
My intention was to publish this during the first week of March, then it got pushed back, and I had planned on publishing it on International Women’s Day. Unfortunately, personal issues (including a bizarre injury) prevented me from doing so. It is now the middle of April as I write this. But like I said, we don’t need a special day or month to celebrate awesome women. It’s kind of a thing here already (gentlemen and non-binary individuals need not fret, we see you too).
Wait until you see who we have coming your way next month.
