Q U E E R I C S

QUEERICS' GAY GIVEAWAY!
Last month I mused on the ol' Queerics blog that it would be fun to do something special in June, since that's Pride month in my neck of the woods. Shortly after that, Kara Elizabeth of Team Smile and Nod emailed me and suggested that we do a giveaway. Of course, I was ALL ABOUT that idea, because

1) I love you all and want to give you tons of cool stuff, and
2) Kara is extra awesome! She founded her own damn record label, you guys, and Team Smile and Nod's Look Both Ways Before You Die has been on heavy rotation in my car for months now. It's full of witty, thoughtful songs about such cheerful subjects as death, homophobia, and factory farming, with catchy tunes that are sure to please everyone from the twee-est of indie kids to the most cynical of hipsters.

But don't take my word for it--DOWNLOAD "Scrooge" by Team Smile and Nod!

Guess who else wants to play with us? The crazy-talented Elizabeth Gearhart, the genius behind Sconeborough and all-around fantastic, versatile artist. (Seriously, check out her art blog.) Some of her work was recently published in Side B: The Music Lover's Comic Anthology, so her involvement here seems pretty apropos!

These fabulous individuals and I have conspired to bring you tons of goodies:

THE PRIZES

One person will win a copy of Team Smile and Nod's debut CD, a t-shirt, button, and stickers from Thinkroot Records, and a set of four Queerics buttons!

Three people will win a copy of Team Smile and Nod's debut CD, stickers from Thinkroot Records, and a Queerics button of their choice!

Six people will win a button and stickers from Thinkroot Records, and a random Queerics button!

And one person will win a custom small watercolor painting by Elizabeth Gearhart! You tell her what to do, and (as long as it's not porn) she'll do it--anything from your beloved pet poodle to Morrissey covering Johnny Marr in butterfly kisses. You'll also get a set of four Queerics buttons, just to round things out.

So to recap, we've got four sweet CDs, a (glow in the dark!) t-shirt, a personalized work of art, and a bunch of buttons and stickers to give away. And with eleven winners, you've got a good shot at finding one of these in your mailbox soon!

HOW TO ENTER

1. Head on over to your blog, Livejournal, website, Myspace, Twitter, LastFM--anywhere where you're free to post your own content. If you don't have some space like that, I'm assuming you came here in a steam-powered time machine, which is pretty cool. In that case, email me and I'll post your entry.

2. Post a link to this page so people know what you're talking about. We do want to draw attention to awesome independent artists, right?

3. Answer one of these questions:

Which queer artist melts your heart, and why?
What band or musician do you most wish was queer?
If you were to create the ultimate queer 4-piece band, which musicians would you choose? Why?
Which queer artist have you been listening to for the longest? How'd you discover them?
What's the most awesome thing you've ever heard a musician say about his or her sexuality?
What would be on YOUR Pride month mixtape?

(You can answer more than one if you want, but don't feel obligated!)

4. Send a link to your entry to QUEERICS@GMAIL.COM, or leave it in a comment on the blog, if email frightens you.

And that's it! In honor of the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, you have until 11:59 pm PST on June 28 to enter. Winners will be chosen randomly the following day, and we hope to have all the winners contacted and be-prized by the end of July.

ELIGIBILITY

If you're reading this, you're eligible! (Though I guess if you've donated a prize, you might not want to sign up, because giving yourself some buttons would be sad.) And yes, we will ship to the ends of the earth for you at no cost, but if you live in war-torn Sudan or something, you may want to consider having your swag sent to a friend in a country with a more reliable postal service.

SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! Enter and win something cool!