Today we’d like to introduce you to Omar Quintanilla, Jr.
Hi Omar, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
For starters, I wake up from my 10 hours of sleep feeling restful and relaxed.
Naturally, I would turn the television on and see what’s on TV. Nothing much really, just those damn news channels stretching out the truth just to milk some ratings, the nerve of some folks. I change that shite to the Tubi, where I am watching The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 movie. My favorite. It’s not that in this film leather face is supposed to be scary but he also funny! Slapstick comedy/campy horror at its finest! I love it so much.
Afterwords, I would get out of bed and make myself some breakfast and chow down on some scrambled eggs and bowl of cereal, while reading a passage of my friend Christopher Zeischegg’s first edition of ‘The Magician’ book (originally published through Amphetamine Sulphate) what a violent book yet what a read as well. The dialogue is good too. I can totally see this book adapted as a television program for HBO or Netflix.
After breakfast, I would just go outside my backyard and walk in circles for hours and end, just getting my exercise and ruminating, contemplating, and etc. I think about what I am going to do for the rest of the day, shall I go to the dollar tree or take a trip to the South Bay galleria mall and visit my contemporaries? Hard to decide. I ended up going to the post office instead. Nice walk, good for exercising, and whatnot. When I’m at the post office, I just go there to buy some mailing stamps, I am running low, I need to restock my collection. I believe it’s 10 bucks a booklet. But it’s worth the money. When I’m done with my transaction, I usually go on my way home. But this time, I take detour the Saint Anthony’s church. I go inside and I see no one else there but me and perhaps some custodian. I sit in the back of the church and just sit there for hot minute. Just letting the silence settle. Funny, one can hear everything-every-single-thing when it is silent. Do I hear the voice of god? I like to think that he conversing with me. Some folks might find it bizarre or pleasant. As for me, I don’t know.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Struggle? Funny that you talk about struggle. I honestly don’t know what you want me to tell you? How I came about? How smooth has the road been? Are roads really that smooth? What struggle?! To be Frank, yeah I struggled, you struggled, we all struggled, of course. I really don’t want to make this tragic story or pity story. I am not a tragic person, I’m not the type. Yes, I have difficulties like anyone else, but that’s fine, I deal with it and move on. It is a place I don’t want to dwell into, you understand. But thank you so much for asking.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am no different than others, and they certainly no different than me. Physically of course we’re all different, but emotionally, we are all cut from
the same cloth. We express happiness, rage, anger, lust, and love, heartbreak, sadness, and perhaps insanity (if that is an emotion? We can all go crazy at sometimes. Breaking at some point). I like to express in my art, capture the emotion and just the graphic road map that is the facial structure. I’m just drawn to it. Something about lores me in and I feel I am locked in, just connecting with my fellow friend. It’s work for course, but work that i enjoy enormously.
How do you think about happiness?
Yeah, I am always happy. I can’t tell you why, I’m just happy for the heck of it. Anything makes me happy! And so what of it, huh?🤣👍
For example, last night, there was a reading at Stories books and cafe, over there in echo park. There was a book launch party/reading for my friend Christopher Zeischegg’s re-issued edition of ‘The Magician’ (published through apocalypse Party Press). He read a little bit of Creation, another book that wrote and got published a couple months back. So him and Jack Skelley, Gabe Hart, and a nice lady name Allyson, they all read their work. And it was interesting and funny hearing them say those vulgar and crass and laugh out loud funny things! I was just laughing my ass off!! I was having a good time and boy i wasn’t even drunk, can’t you believe that.
I was so happy to be there. I had a cherub smile and stimming on and off, looking into the abyss, smiling, while listening to them people read their stuff. That really made my evening. I enjoyed that very much. I’d love to go back to another reading again and catch up with my friends and acquaintances.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://welcometotheblackabyss.blogspot.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahsintheblacklodge/profilecard/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
- Twitter: @omarking0924
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@mr._omar_king?si=Bsrxz2wXz9fr17Pw
- Other: https://open.substack.com/pub/mromarking?r=2x55bq&utm_medium=ios
Image Credits
Two photos of me, posing next to the freeway was taken by my friend and editor/Publisher Matt Pegas (Author of Dragon Day and The Black Album). Photo of me with Matt and Chris was taken by Chandelier, a gal I ran into at the book and cafe joint. She sure is a pip.
