A small tribute to Carmen
20/12/2011
A few days ago, after I posted Drawing New Zealand cultural icons, my friend Drew suggested that I draw Carmen, the ‘Iconic New Zealand drag queen’ who died recently. So here she is. Not in her full technicolor splendour (come on, it’s the school holidays) but as good as I can draw in a few stolen hours.
In other news, Mike Peterson, who has the fabulous Comic Strip of the Day blog, has featured me today, along with his own story about people at parties giving him career advice.
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LET ME BE FRANK 
that’s a fabulous tribute. i remember making ‘special coffee’ when i worked as a waitress in an old wellington cafe in 1999. never met carmen though, sadly.
Whatever happened to special coffee? It used to be more fancy than the Evergreen coffee lounge stuff – it had whipped cream and nutmeg (hmm, maybe I should revive it as a christmas beverage…)
RIP Carmen. I remember those Evergreen special coffees – a great tradition.
We might have been there on the same night, Janis! If only I’d known.
Do you think Carmen’s serving up special coffee for Kim Jong Il and Vaklav Havel in the afterlife? I bet she’s already fast friends with Havel (dissident bonding) and doing her best to stop Kim from copping a feel.
Haha, I love it! That’s what’s happening for sure.
Sarah, this is very touching and apt. One of the nicest tributes I’ve seen.
Thank you!
You may like to read my tribute to Carmen:
http://aucklandartgallery.blogspot.com/2011/12/rest-in-peace-carmen-rupe.html
Thanks, Ron, that’s a great post.
I met Carmen one nioght travelling around with a friend who drove a taxi – on those days the only places you could go were Carmen’s and the Green Parrot (pre-Winston). A lovely tribute Sarah to a great Wellingtonian – and Person of the World
Thanks, Susan! It must have been a memorable encounter.