Scott Sosebee

For Scott Sosebee, who will be celebrating the release of his new graphic novel, Annabelle Flake Gets Rich, Part One: Mister Mahooney’s Miserable Morning, at This N’ That this Tuesday, it was a seminal ‘90s boy band that made him realize who he is.

“I grew up as a punk rock kid. I had green hair and painted my fingernails and listened to the Misfits. So naturally I rebelled against anything and everything mainstream or pop culture. I especially despised pop music that didn’t have instruments—performers like Milli Vanilli, Paula Abdul and even Madonna. But I had a special hatred for the New Kids on the Block. Once, when I was at a house party in eighth grade, I saw a girl I thought was cute. She was wearing a leather motorcycle jacket and really awesome black-and-white striped tights. We made eyes, and shortly after I followed her into one of the upstairs bedrooms. It was clearly someone’s little sister’s room. Everything was pink and there were unicorn toys on the dresser. But the one thing I remember most was a giant New Kids on the Block poster hanging above the bed where we were sitting. As the girl talked to me, she moved closer, but I just kept staring at that NKOTB poster. Specifically, Joey McIntyre. He was leaning on some stairs and his shirt was hiked up just enough to see about an inch of his belly. A small happy trail escaped from underneath his shirt and then disappeared down into his baggy jeans. I wanted to disappear into those baggy jeans too. But my trance was broken by the girl saying, ‘Hello? Are you even listening to me? I asked you if you liked my tights?’ And before I could even process the fact that I had just been dreaming about Joey McIntyre’s happy trail, I thought, ‘Yeah I love those tights! I wish I were skinny enough to wear them!’”

Drink N’ Draw presents Annabelle Flake Gets Rich, Part One: Mister Mahooney’s Miserable Morning Release Party at This N’ That, 108 N Sixth St (btwn Berry St /Wythe Ave), Feb 25 from 6:30pm­–8:30pm; free. Visit annabelleflake.com for more info.