Ballroom Rockstar: The Interview

I know you all are familiar with Ballroom Rockstar Magazine right? Of course you are! The magazine is intriguing and the photospreads are AMAZING. Oh...and in the last season of Noah's Arc you can see Ricky flipping through a copy. That's cute huh... Well, I have had the great opportunity to have a small Q&A with the Editor-In-Chief of Ballroom Rockstar, Elton Carpenter. Here it be:



How did the idea for Ballroom Rockstar Magazine come about?
Ballroom Rockstar Magazine is the brain child of creator and publisher Darryl Brown. The magazine was actually attributed to his friend and mentor, Eric Christian Bizarre.

What made you decide to become involved?
Darryl approached me three years ago; I remember his exact words, he said, "There is something I want to talk to you about but I will talk to you when the time is right!" I said, "OK, just let me know and let's do it!" It's been a historic journey every since.

What are some of the challenges you faced trying to start this magazine?
We faced several challenges, but the main challenge was trying to convince people within our community to open up and talk about themselves. People were a little apprehensive at first but the more we talked and explained the product to them the more willing they were to open up to us.

Ballroom culture is sometimes frowned upon in the LGBT community. Is the magazine trying to change that? How so?
The Ballroom Community is no different than any other culture of the gay or the heterosexual community for that matter, we represent diversity. There are positive and negative aspects of every community. Society as a whole seems to only focus on the negative aspects of a person and/or community. For example, a person can do five things correctly and then turnaround and do one thing incorrectly and we automatically discount the five things done corrected and solely focus on the one thing done incorrectly. Ballroom Rockstar Magazine will cover the positive aspects of our community.

What makes Ballroom Rockstar different from the other magazines targeted at the LGBT community?
Ballroom Rockstar Magazine is the first Urban-Gay Lifestyle Magazine! We were the pioneers for Urban Gay culture; our magazine caters to the entire Urban Gay Community. There is something for everyone, no one is or will be left out! Our magazine uses the same methods and techniques that any other mainstream magazine may use, but we pull them into our world. .

What has the response from the community been like so far?
The response has been great! I have received several emails and calls in reference to the magazine. Everyone wants to know how they can be in and on the cover of the magazine.

The previous cover designs are very eye catching. How do you come up with them?
Creativity is the key to each cover. Each cover has to be so appealing to the eye that it grabs your attention and forces the reader to want to see more. Our last three covers have done just that, so we are going to keep it up!

Who are three people you would love to have on the cover of the magazine?
Actually, I cannot say!

What can we expect from Ballroom Rockstar Magazine in the future?
We are constantly reinventing ourselves, because that's what our readers do. The biggest challenge in someone life is to become a better person than what they were yesterday, we become a better magazine every issue.


I thank Elton so much and also Dynelle for the opportunity.