Arts
Home is Where the Robot Is: Kaz-Magic Studios by Nate Schumann furthered his education at the International Academy of Design and Technology in Tampa, Fla., before settling into Ridgeland and building Kaz-Magic Studios. Roseman now claims six separate families as his own, although he is currently building relationships within his immediate family. “It doesn’t matter where you came from, what you are or what you have done in your past. You can have people who accept you as family,” he says. These themes of family and finding acceptance in those who may not be one’s blood relations are found within one of Roseman’s current comic books, “Unit C7.” In this comic title, a robot designed as an instrument of war for the fictional world’s government crash-lands in front of two young girls, 16-year-old tech genius Collete and 6-year-old Sophie. For some reason, this robot, Unit C7, rebels against his programming and decides to rescue the girls from an attack by another robot. As a result, he is forced to live as a fugitive while serving as the girls’ protector, and he begins to learn the values of humanity and the merits of human life.
courtesy Frederick Roseman
F
or Ridgeland resident Frederick Roseman, a freelance artist and local comic creator who uses the name Kaz-Magic Studios, the concept of family has been a driving force in both his personal life and in his artistic works. Roseman says he felt like an outcast within his own family while growing up, only reconnecting with some family members once he had already come of age. Losing his mother to breast cancer when he was 13 years old amplified these emotions. The Belzoni, Miss., native moved to the Jackson area in 2002 to attend Hinds Community College, where he studied graphic design. At Hinds, Roseman befriended Jesse Sweat, whose mother Robin Juve’ welcomed the budding artist into their family. “She really became a mom to me. As time has gone on, I have had other people who have made me a part of their family (as well),” he says. To this day, Robin still calls Roseman “Son,” and he calls her “Mum.” This trend of finding surrogate families with whom he could be himself and feel loved and accepted continued as he
Frederick Roseman of Kaz-Magic Studios sells his art and other items as a vendor at a local convention.
“When I was growing up, I wanted to be accepted for who I am. That was a big deal to me. That’s why the whole word of family comes to play in ‘Unit C7,’” he says. “Unit C7 may be a robot. He may be animatronic. He may not have human emotions. But they learn to accept him, and that’s why, to them, he is a beautiful
creature on the inside.” Roseman, 35, formulated the concept of Unit C7 himself and published a prologue on Webtoons that focuses on one of the main characters, Colette, prior to the events of the first full-length issue. He now is working with a team to publish the comic title through 123 GO Publications, through which Roseman recently published his first comic for print, “Gunmetal Black Ops,” which stars two female assassins. Webtoons also hosts the first webcomic that Roseman created, “Hybrid Children,” which features children who have had their genes spliced to give them extraordinary abilities. He hopes to publish the title as a three-book series with 123 in the future. To learn more about Kaz-Magic Studios, visit kazmagicarts.wixsite.com/kazmarts or follow him on its multiple social media platforms. Copies of “Gunmetal Black Ops” can be found on indyplanet.com, while pages from “Unit C7” and “Hybrid Children” can be found on Webtoons. To learn more about 123 GO Publications, find the independent comic publisher on Facebook.
jfp SPOTLIGHT
5 Things to Know about Ken Steere Lead Driver
June 10 - 23, 2020 • jfp.ms
courtesy Ken Steere
20
1
I grew up in Fairfax County, Va., which is a suburb of Washington, D.C. I enlisted in the U.S. Army for four years. My unit— the 3rd U.S. Infantry, also known as The Old Guard—includes the sentinels that guard the Tomb of the Unknowns, the Caisson Platoon and the Salute Guns used for special ceremonies. We performed funerals in Arlington Cemetery and other military cemeteries in the D.C. area. I moved to Jackson for work in 1997.
2
I was part of the committee helping run 1 Million Cups in Jackson with Todd Stauffer. He was having trouble getting there on time due to having to do the paper’s distribution. This was also around the time that Donna Ladd was dealing with her cancer. I told him I could help him out as a driver, as it was more important for him to be the leader at 1MC and also spend more time supporting Donna.
3
For the JFP, I manage the lists of where we distribute the papers and the routes they are assigned to. There are 10 routes divided up among four drivers. The big-
gest challenge is figuring out how to optimize the distribution counts so that when we take out a new edition, there are very few if any of the previous editions left. It is always a social-science experiment as the cover art or pictures seem to drive the consumption based on the demographics of the locations.
4
In addition to competing in cornhole and trivia competitions, I have really enjoyed distance running since I started almost nine years ago. I am hoping races this fall will still happen, as I have signed up for the Marine Corps Marathon 50K and also the Chicago Marathon, both tentatively set for October. I also volunteer in a number of places, including The Pink House, the Good Samaritan Center and the AARP Foundation.
5
I have three great and successful children. The youngest just graduated college. Because my work environment has been so flexible, I was able to be involved in everything my kids did. These days, most of my home interactions are with my two dogs. Maggie, a yellow labrador, and Curly, an Australian shepherd.
