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Blender Intro

"Blender's" origins are tied to Danny Bender's origin. Back about 1980 I ran a friend's character through a low-level AD&D game. He'd chosen to play a female thief. The thing is, he played her appallingly badly, both as a thief and as a woman, repeatedly putting "her"self in obvious danger, trusting life, limb, and "virtue" to thieves and assassins. She ended badly. That started me thinking about the assumptions and expectations we pick up as we grow and how much of it is culture or instinct- the old "Nature vs. Nurture" question.

Then, that summer, a friend narrated to me in harrowing detail the story of her rape some years' earlier, and insisted it was simply impossible for a man to understand or to believably write a female character.

A few years later another friend was playing in another AD&D game and found a way to disrespect- and really piss off- a goddess, who responded by turning him into a part-time woman (check each morning). Yet again, the player treated it as merely a difference of character stats and an opportunity for cheap humor. His character was named Daniel. I whipped out a sketch of "Daniel" as "Danielle" and "Danny Bender" was born.

Lastly, in 1989, a local SF/F convention sponsored a short-story writing competition. I decided to write "Blender" as my submission. When I passed 15,000 words with nary an end in sight it occurred to me maybe I might have something here.

Thus a character, a setup, a bunch of fantasizing and two challenges came together. There is humor here, and drama, sex, politics, and philosophizing, and whether it all works is up to you, dear reader. I hope so, as it's been a great learning experience and a real rush.

So… what was the delay? Between making a living and some pretty pathetic self-discipline problems, well, I'm just happy to put it out now, despite that some of what was pioneering twenty years ago isn't as fresh today. I console myself that at least it's much better now than I could have made it then- the past couple decades haven't been entirely wasted! Years have passed, me picking it up from time to time, trying to get it to some elusive (illusive) standard of perfection, but finally I've had to recognize that 'potential' is an endless tease, a cruel joke; 'product' is all that matters. So, here's the product. This baby's had a helluva gestation. Hallelujah for Webomics! Enjoy!

Larry Lewis, 2010

 

Cast

All Short Bios reflect the Characters at the start of the story.

  • Daniel Alan "Danny" Bender
  • Height: 5'10"
  • Weight: 185#
  • Birthday: June 4, 1989
  • Job: Working 'temp', wants to write
  • Hobbies: Writing his novel (not very far along)
  • Short Bio: Youngest of three competitive brothers, and seemingly a constant disappointment to his conservative and increasingly authoritarian father, he is a knee-jerk homophobe, but isn't really sure they're as bad as all that... maybe. Danny has just moved into his own apartment, though only because his Dad is helping pay for it. There are strings.
  • Appearance: Ashton Kutcher, Keanu Reeves (ca 'Bill & Ted'), and Matt Dillon
  • Character: Me in junior high and high school, but much less outgoing or effectual- more beaten down. Intelligent and has a conscience when he thinks things through, but passive and easily led.
  • "Danielle" "Dani" "Diana" Bender
  • Height: 5'6"
  • Weight: 130#
  • Birthday: November 16, 2008 (The day Danny woke up female)
  • Job: None
  • Hobbies: Figuring out what a girl is...
  • Short Bio: Danny has always liked girls, but now he's a girl... so lusting after Linda makes him... her... uh-ohhh. Utterly confused. Dani gets to confront a head full of stereotypes and garbage about women and all the sexual minorities, since of course she's now all-of-the-above.
  • Appearance: Cross Jane Mansfield with Jane Russell, but variable in physique.
  • Character: Me in junior high and high school, but utterly messed up. Traumatized by Change.
  • Mark Andrew Bender
  • (Danny's Dad)
  • Height: 5'10"
  • Weight: 290#
  • Birthday: 1959
  • Job: High-end computer programmer, mostly for retail applications, with 28 years' experience
  • Hobbies: Rabid football fan (Seahawks, UCSD)
  • Short Bio: Twenty-five years ago he and Jillian were the wildest of partiers, but Mark got a bit of parentally applied old-time religion. He's gotten more rigid by the year, and Danny is about to pay for it.
  • Appearance: Matt Dillon, but heavier.
  • Character: Smart, but not confident, so doesn't abide any challenge to his... anything. Authoritarianism fits him way too well.
  • Jillian Trask Bender
  • (Danny's Mom)
  • Height: 5'5"
  • Weight: 136#
  • Birthday: 1963
  • Job: Real estate agent
  • Hobbies:
  • Short Bio: Former party-girl turned good, right-wing wife. Submissive by nature, it wasn't that hard for her to follow Mark when he declared they were being sinful and had to get married and live a traditional life.
  • Appearance: Cross Jane Russell with Jane Mansfield, though slightly less top-heavy.
  • Character: Much like my Mom, but her conventionality is much more studied and forced.
  • Brian James Bender
  • (Danny's Eldest Brother)
  • Height: 5'9"
  • Weight: 190#
  • Birthday:
  • Job: WA State Corrections Officer
  • Hobbies:
  • Children: Son, Aiden, 4, and daughter, Maeve, 2
  • Short Bio: Danny's chief tormenter growing up, they've made an uneasy peace in the last few years. Lives in Olympia, WA.
  • Appearance: More like Dad
  • Character: Me, mostly, without the huge creative streak.
  • Misty Bender
  • (Brian's Wife)
  • Height: 5'4"
  • Weight: 160#
  • Birthday:
  • Job: Buyer for a clothing store.
  • Hobbies: Scrapbooking
  • Children: Son, Aiden, 4, and daughter, Maeve, 2
  • Short Bio: A good, traditional Mom, but not conservative, she chooses not to talk politics or religion with the in-laws.
  • Appearance:
  • Character:
  • Kevin Timothy Bender
  • (Danny's Elder Brother)
  • Height: 5'11"
  • Weight: 140#
  • Birthday:
  • Job: Retail Manager in a mall store.
  • Hobbies:
  • Children: One on the way.
  • Short Bio: Has taken over from Brian as main pain in Danny's ass. Wants to be just like Dad. Lives in Seattle.
  • Appearance: Matt Dillon, but black hair and 'softer'
  • Character: Tea Partier, right-winger, nonintellectual, conspiracy theorist. Will never admit he thinks he’s not as smart as Brian or Dad, and takes it out on Danny.
  • Leanne Bender
  • (Kevin's Wife)
  • Height: 5'11"
  • Weight: 140#
  • Birthday:
  • Job: Retail Manager in a mall.
  • Hobbies: Helps with Youth Program at church.
  • Children: One on the way, five months along.
  • Short Bio: Even more gung-ho than Kevin. Will be home-schooling their child because of the 'secular brainwashing' in the public schools. Real busybody who tries to run Danny's life as much as she can. Keeps trying to fix him up with good girls from church.
  • Appearance:
  • Character: Two girls I once roomed with in a cluster apartment near the UW. Simultaneously holier than thou and ethically challenged!
  • Elizabeth "Betsy" Trask, "Gram"
  • (Danny's Maternal Grandmother)
  • Height: 5'3"
  • Weight: 135#
  • Birthday: 1942
  • Job: Retired Civil Engineer.
  • Hobbies:
  • Short Bio: Mother of Jillian, Amanda, and Gerald. Wife of James, retired aeronautical engineer.
  • Appearance: Like my maternal grandmother, "Giegum"
  • Character: "Giegum" crossed with Laura Lewis (my stepmother)- solid, steady, not too excitable.
  • Pamela Bender, "Mama Pam"
  • (Danny's Paternal Grandmother)
  • Height: 5'4"
  • Weight: 147#
  • Birthday: 1938
  • Job:
  • Hobbies: Knitting, making hats and blankets for charitable groups.
  • Short Bio: Mother of Mark and Luke. Very proud that Mark has so completely turned around into such a good Christian father. Widow of Randall, a big-time timber exec.
  • Appearance and Character: Much like my Mom, but pettier and more self-righteous.
  • Linda Belle Grant
  • Height: 5'1"
  • Weight: 119#
  • Birthday: May 2, 1989
  • Job: Combo-building maintenance temping, modeling, stripping, thinking about teaching Tae Kwon Do.
  • Hobbies: Fimo sculpting (faerie figures)
  • Short Bio: Born San Diego, California, moved to Seattle in time for fourth grade. Came out not-quite-intentionally just over two years ago, and things got ugly at home. Moved out on her own as soon as possible. Real Harry Potter fan- Sorcerer’s Stone came out when she was 9 (had to hide them from Mom, who would have thrown them out).
  • Appearance: Kerry Follis (former wife), Barbie, a woman I used to work out with at Lee’s Martial Arts.
  • Character: Cross Lauri Miller (QAHS unrequited crush), Kerry Follis, Lisa Peppan (former girlfriend), and Marie Beltran (current wife), plus a few aspects of my own character I like, hence: brilliant, highly social, creative, intuitive, self-confident, strongly motivated, energetic, up-front, but terrible temper when pushed.
  • David Paul Grant
  • (Linda's Dad)
  • Height: 5'9"
  • Weight: 210#
  • Birthday: 1960
  • Job: General Contractor
  • Hobbies:
  • Short Bio: A knee-jerk conservative who has tried his best to raise straight children, but hasn't. He's not very happy. Cameron is militantly straight, but a mean underachiever, and Linda is an out lesbian who excels at everything she does, and it makes him nuts.
  • Appearance: Brian Dennehy plus Clint Eastwood
  • Character: Somewhat like an uncle of mine who ran his house like a Navy barracks, crossed with an extreme version of my brother-in-law, Gerald.
  • Carol Grant
  • (Linda's Mom)
  • Height: 5'3"
  • Weight: 120#
  • Birthday: 1962
  • Job: Housewife
  • Hobbies:
  • Short Bio: Grew up very traditional, and wants nothing more than to be the perfect, old-fashioned wife. Might be happy, but her son is sullen and cruel and her daughter is gay, and she considers both her fault.
  • Appearance: Slight, dainty, and pretty, but kinda washed out, mostly because she pays little attention to herself.
  • Character: My friend Jim Burleigh's Mom, but much nicer. Seriously.
  • Cameron Grant
  • Height: 5'6"
  • Weight: 150#
  • Birthday: December 5, 1986
  • Job: Night desk at a video arcade
  • Hobbies: Voracious reader
  • Short Bio: Caught at 7 wearing Linda's dress while they played together, he was forced to be a 100% Male, and is now completely intolerant of any variation from conventional sexuality.
  • Appearance: Smaller Axl Rose, Clint Eastwood
  • Character: A more violent, brittle version of Brian X, a proud, forceful, racist, homophobic right-winger I once knew at the UW.
  • Edwin "Eddie" Niven
  • Height: 6'0"
  • Weight: 165#
  • Birthday: September 20, 1989
  • Job: Working temp, with ambition to break into standup comedy.
  • Hobbies:Writing. May want to do it for a living.
  • Short Bio: Danny's best friend since Kindergarten, Eddie keeps Danny from falling into a permanent rut.
  • Appearance: Cross '60s Bob Dylan with Jeff Goldblum with early Barry Manilow with Tim Salmon (a former coworker)
  • Character: Tim Salmon, plus aspects of Ben Miller and Chris Long (old friends), so a smart, glib wisecracker with a comeback for every occasion.
  • Alexander Gilbert "Alex" Niven
  • (Eddie's Dad)
  • Height: 6'2"
  • Weight: 175#
  • Birthday: November 8, 1961
  • Job: Chief of the Harborview Hospital Emergency Room
  • Hobbies: Running, Woodcarving
  • Short Bio: Of English background with some French. MD, UCLA, Inernist. Met Genia, Mark Bender, and Jillian Trask around 1980. They partied hard, then Mark and Jill married and moved to Bellevue, WA. Once Alex was finished with school, he and Genia married (mostly for tax benefits and “conventional” camouflage) and moved to Bellevue. They hoped to reestablish and maintain their relationships with Mark and Jill and got a house only a few doors down. It was never quite the same, though their sons, Eddie and Danny were best friends from the moment they met at age 5. They now live in Seattle in the South Lake Union neighborhood.
  • Appearance: Cross Jeremy Brett (Masterpiece Theater’s Sherlock Holmes) with Rowan Atkinson (Blackadder, Mr. Bean).
  • Character: Like a doctor I once knew: Highly competent and competitive, but able to compartmentalize. Could 'turn it off' and pay quality attention to wife and son.
  • Genia "Ginnie" Nguyen Patterson
  • (Eddie's Mom)
  • Height: 5'11"
  • Weight: 130#
  • Birthday: April 21, 1960
  • Job: Immigration Lawyer
  • Hobbies: Collects 'Oriental' exotica and erotica.
  • Short Bio: Quarter English/ quarter African-American/ half Vietnamese. Born in Saigon, raised in Seattle. Moved to California and met Alex. JD USC, 1987. Eventually married and moved back to Seattle.
  • Appearance: Sigourney Weaver crossed with Josephine Baker
  • Character: Mostly invented, but similar in overall attitude to Tracy Larson, a former boss of mine. Loves her husband and son deeply. Very open with Eddie, but highly protective as well. Perceptive and efficient at work. Wild lover.
  • Matt Reynolds
  • Height: 5'6"
  • Weight: 225#
  • Birthday: October 16, 1989
  • Job: Temp, but wants to be a mechanic.
  • Hobbies: Cars, cars, cars- especially his 1997 Saleen S281 Ford Mustang, "Little Sally".
  • Short Bio: His Dad died when he was 2, and his three uncles stepped in to raise him with his Mom. Grew up in Seattle's Central District, but went to school with Danny and Eddie because his Mom works in Bellevue and got special permission.
  • Appearance: A bouncer I once saw, plus my Grandpop
  • Character: My Grandpop- not dumb, but taciturn. Doesn't think deeply about many issues. Knee-jerk conservative about sexual minorities. Focused on mechanics, and strong enough to lift an engine by himself.
  • Elizabeth Hiller
  • Height: 5'6"
  • Weight: 125#
  • Birthday: August 1, 1984
  • Job: Branch manager for TemPeople agency
  • Hobbies: Watching old TV episodes from strange 60s shows like "It’s About Time" or "Gilligan’s Island".
  • Short Bio: Moved to Seattle from Indiana a few years ago. Gray days make her irritable, but the city makes up for it.
  • Appearance and Character: Rebecka Miller (former coworker). Smart, sassy, professional, sexually open, very organized.
  • Jane Kroll
  • Height: 5'9"
  • Weight: 140#
  • Birthday: 1976
  • Job:
  • Hobbies: Reading. Lots and lots of reading.
  • Short Bio: Boston-born militant lesbian female-supremecist activist
  • Appearance: Mindy Sherwood Lewis (sister-in-law) with a wild-ass Mohawk
  • Character: Invented, but broadly based on a bunch of feminist theorists I've read.
  • Anne Barriss
  • Height: 5'6"
  • Weight: 145#
  • Birthday:
  • Job: Defense lawyer
  • Hobbies:
  • Short Bio:
  • Appearance:
  • Character: Derived from Cynde Becker, a friend from long ago. Highly competent, but not so confident- needs a partner.
  • Garson Maddox
  • Height: 5'10"
  • Weight: 190#
  • Birthday:
  • Job: CEO, GeneDelta Corp.
  • Hobbies:
  • Short Bio:
  • Appearance: George Kennedy crossed with Gerald Ford
  • Character: Dr. David Dale (UW) in general voice and approach- cool, unexcitable, calculating, except that Maddox is 'ethically challenged'.
  • Nathan Kendall
  • Height: 5'9"
  • Weight: 175#
  • Birthday:
  • Job: Security Chief, GeneDelta Corp., plus...
  • Hobbies:
  • Short Bio:
  • Appearance: Think Danny Kaye crossed with Peter Cushing and Rene Auberjonois.
  • Character: adapted from former SecDef Donald Rumsfeld. Can act friendly and folksy when it's advantageous, but he's a sociopath - entirely sure of his own intellectual and moral superiority, always out for his own aims.
  • Kendall's Operatives: Peter Chiang (L surv, arrest b&e), Ray (D surv, lost 2 teeth to L), Greg Hall (HQ sec, quar sec)
  • Rhiannon
  • (Q Patrol)
  • Height: 5'1"
  • Weight: 155#
  • Birthday: 1981
  • Job:
  • Hobbies:
  • Short Bio:
  • Appearance: A female version of Brian X, a mouthy, unrepentant racist and homophobe (in 1984, anyway). How's that for irony?
  • Character:A socially active dyke I met once in the early '90s.
  • May
  • Height: 5'9"
  • Weight: 160#
  • Birthday:
  • Job:
  • Hobbies:
  • Short Bio: Devoted acolyte of the ASAEan Temple, works at a local restaurant.
  • Appearance: Based partly on a real tranny I once met, but modified. Brown/brown, 'Mannish' post-op mtf. Wouldn't mind having more surgeries to enhance feminine appearance, but can't afford any.
  • Character: Warm, friendly, helpful, but wary of opening up. It's been painful before.
  • Brigita Kucinska
  • Height:5'5" (5'7") before accident
  • Weight: 125#
  • Birthday:
  • Job:
  • Hobbies:
  • Short Bio: Punk bassist. Motorcycle crash left her with C5 fracture, no control below nipples (upper arms yes, hands no)
  • Appearance: A woman I used to work with. Short, multicolored hair (varies)
  • Character: Similar to Don DeHart, a former boss, but more talkative. Brash, practical, irreverent, highly involved in her care, as independent as possible.
  • Lauren Yancey
  • Height: 5'9"
  • Weight: 155#
  • Birthday: 1974
  • Job: Freelance writer on sex/gender/psychosocial and political issues
  • Hobbies:
  • Short Bio: Born George Yancey, mtf transition 12 years ago. Married to Jason. Thinking of adopting.
  • Appearance: Lauren Tozer (old friend)
  • Character: Lauren Tozer plus aspects of a couple con-runners I know. She's a well-connected, calm, motherly sort who takes tranny noobs under her wing to ease their transformations and reintegration into society.
  • Alvin Greengold
  • Height: 5'9"
  • Weight: 265#
  • Birthday: 1973
  • Job: Senior Researcher at GeneDelta
  • Hobbies:
  • Short Bio: Full-on science nerd delighted to be making a living trying to understand life. He's striving to help humanity through his work. He's a devoted husband and father of three.
  • Appearance: Similar to Mike Stahl, a friend from long ago.
  • Character:
  • Eva Bahaghari
  • Height: 4'10"
  • Weight: 79#
  • Birthday:
  • Job: Retail - clothing at Bon Marche
  • Hobbies:
  • Short Bio: Linda's former girlfriend: 100% Catholic, 100% lesbian, 100% traditional Filipino first-born daughter, 100% conflicted, made Linda 100% nuts in short order. Not over Linda.
  • Appearance: Similar to my wife's aunts (tiny, slightly built)
  • Character: Similar to my wife's aunts, plus a former quasi-girlfriend of mine. Name means "rainbow".
  • Trent Millies
  • Height:
  • Weight:
  • Birthday:
  • Job: Fixer. Knows most people in the 'grey economy', esp. spies, surveillance, dark-ops types.
  • Hobbies:
  • Short Bio:
  • Appearance:
  • Character:
  • Peter Chiang
  • Height: 6'1"
  • Weight: 193#
  • Birthday: 1970
  • Job: Itinerant PI, surveillance
  • Hobbies:
  • Short Bio: Old-school punk who fits uncomfortably into grown-up responsibilities, but loves his 14-y.o. daughter intensely and will do about anything for her.
  • Appearance: Black/brown Chinese ancestry. Not too fat, but not too fit.
  • Character: Kind of like Tommy Chong's public character, but with more rough edges.
  • BB McGuinn
  • Height: 4'10"
  • Weight: 135#
  • Birthday:
  • Job: Head Cook at a restaurant
  • Hobbies:
  • Short Bio: Excellent cook.
  • Appearance: Face sketched from a woman passing by a coffeehouse I was at.
  • Character: Lisa Peppan (former girlfriend), but more bitter. She's naturally social, but certain she's unattractive, and has a defensive, in-your-face, arm's-length attitude.

 

Artist Bio

Larry Lewis has been drawing since before he can remember, and can remember being two! Despite many roadblocks and sidetracks he’s always known he was meant to be an artist. His works include many minicomics, Pax Draconis RPG illustrations, and lots of other stuff.

Among his geekdoms are paleontology/zoology/evolution, sci-fi, architecture (his degree), urban planning, sexual politics, and history, especially counterfactuals.

He was born near Philadelphia the day before Thanksgiving, 1958. To this day the nation celebrates his birth with great feasts of turkey, et al. In 1970 his family moved to Seattle, and he knew immediately he was home. Wife Marie and son Alex (“My Little Anime Character”) keep him occupied these days.

Contact Larry at: artist@dannyblender.com