Interview With Tuna Oddfellow

By Deaflegacy Resident

"Welcome to my space." said Tuna Oddfellow.  "Welcome to Oddfellow Studios. It may not seem like much but in first life I am a magician.  Everything in Second Life, is an illusion but my job is deliver a grand illusion to the world here."  Tuna's space is amazing.  He had shown me several different colours though out the time I was with Tuna. 

Tuna Oddfellow began on Second Life on August 15, 2005.  Tuna had something to say about his stay on Second Life.  "If you have been here for close to a dozen years you do a few things... well I perform a psychedelic graphic are show that takes up the length of a sim." said Tuna.

I asked Tuna if I could take some pictures and he said, "Please do.  This is my big passion in this world.  To push the boundaries of what is possible here." 

As I took some pictures around his place, Tuna said, "What you are witnessing is the culmination of thousands of hours of my life." His talk then turned somewhat personal, "And like you. I have a disability that I need to fight through."

Tuna suffers from chronic pain which is gastro-intestinal in nature.  Tuna has anxiety and was born with hydrocephalus. Even so, he has lived a typical life.  All of that is of being an entertainer and artist.

"Well, for many years my partner in Second Life and in real-life was Shava Sunztu in real-life Shava Nerad. I am known as Fish Fishman in first life. We are still best friends and were partners for over a decade. But she is dealing with her own disability, and can not even come in world to see my show because the effects over stimulate her and make her ill." said Tuna when he was asked about his partner.  "It's tragic real like Beethoven losing the ability to hear his art. Sorry if the analogy hits close to home (a reference to my deafness). I have always designed the art, but she did the research on the science of what we do.  She is my muse and my wordsmith."

Tuna had been performing stage magic for many years.  He spent time as a street performer doing magic in Harvard Square, New York, Salem Massachusetts , New Orleans, and where ever he went.

"It's my chronic pain that makes it very hard for me to keep up the pace of doing shows in first life but I do shows in real-life when I can." said Tuna.

Tuna does encourage people to follow his group, the Tunaverse, on Second Life.

As Tuna was away with a broken PC for six months and stayed in the world, using a mobile phone, but he is back and plans to do shows at least once or twice per week.  Tuna caters to EU and US time zones for his public shows and do private shows, too.  Tuna is available to perform wedding and commitment ceremonies and the party to do with them as a service.  The shows would be at Lagrange Point Spaceport , Lagrange Point (134, 136, 451).

"I love to create this art and there is nothing like in SL or anywhere else." said Tuna.  "There is a science behind what I do and had Shava and I not gotten out health more compromised over the time we were together we would be sharing this tech with people as a tool to help with issues like PTSD post traumatic stress disorder. Many regular viewers find my work to be therapeutic."

Tuna's group for his fans is called The Tunaverse and has open enrollment. He also has a outdated website, http://www.oddfellowstudios.com.  It had not been updated in a few years but it will explain a bit of the tech.

I asked Tuna when his shows would be. "I generally find it best to see how I am feeling but I try to do an evening show and a day time show. I would be guessing if I told you my regular time." said Tuna.  "I just got my PC fixed the other day and need to look at things."

"A big part of my Second Life was my chance to be virtually famous. My avatar won a million linden dollars and appeared on America's got talent in front of an audience of 20,000,000 viewers back in the summer of 2007." said Tuna. 

When Tuna was asked about the sign behind him, "Odd Ball Horror Pixel Show", he said he had designed that for special Halloween performances that he had done.  Tuna is a fan of Rocky Horror.  "So yes, I designed the sign after the Rocky Horror Picture show as a tribute." said Tuna.

"I love this world and the people in it and I like to push it's limits as I do push my own." said Tuna.

When he was asked if he thinks he'd still be doing magic a few years from now, he said, "I feel after nearly a dozen years, I an sure there is another dozen years to explore, both here and in future virtual world space. I am especially interested in playing in environments that encompass virtual reality for a full three dimensional experience."

"I like playing with other artists and finding ways to collaborate too. I have for example been doing shows with an amazingly talented musician. JaNaMooN in several incarnations since 2010 I believe. We will be doing shows together really soon. So stay tuned." said Tuna.  "The capitalization is part of her branding not a typo."

Tuna Oddfellow Is planning to auction off the real-life life Top hat he has been wearing in real life as a performer for over a decade.  "It is an extra large black leather top hat that is very well worn. In the that virtually speaking will be ten of the outfits from my virtual store." said Tuna.

Tuna is also one of the cohosts and collaborators for Pillow Talk.  It is a chat group and community which explores issues of sexuality and lifestyles.  They are meeting two times per month at Commune Utopia.  Tuna went on to say, "Second Life is a space where we can express ourselves in ways people may not be able to in the real world or as I prefer to call it first life.  What we do in Second Life is very real.  Who we connect with here can make all the difference in the world."

Real Life was calling me, making me have to cut the remarkable interview short.  But he does have something to say as I say bye.  "Ta-ta for now, until next time, dream in color." said Tuna.

Tuna is a remarkable person, who has to cope with his chronic pain and anxiety.  As I have had an interview with him, I learned a lot.  How can someone learn in a short time?  Even so, Tuna is a famous magician.  As I left his place, I left with a smile on my face.  

Deaflegacy

Interview with Tuna the Oddfellow of Second Life

By Grease Coakes

A little known secret of Second Life is a magician who has his very own Tunaverse. Tuna Oddfellow, who has been a long time resident of SL since August 15 2005, is a magician in real life. In Tuna's own words, using Houdini as an example, he enjoys pushing boundaries and seeing how far he can get.


Tuna does an incredible job of pushing boundaries as he puts on an amazing light show, the Odd Ball, for your computer screen that you might see at a dance club. In fact he won a contest held by NBC 4 the TV station as the most talented avatar in Second Life in 2007. His color and lights show wowed the judges, earning him the prize. His prize was 1 million Linden which translates to roughly $4,000 in US Dollars.

His light show at his small land will blow you away. Every Monday at 6pm SL and every Sunday at 12 Noon SL, Tuna meets with Jana Kyomoon, a real life ambient musician who created a music album you can get here. http://www.last.fm/music/Jan+Pulsford/Ambient+Reflections+of+Jana+Kyomoon.


Of Jana, Tuna had this to say, “For Jan and me, entertainment duo is more correct than business partners. Though I would love to work with Jana professionally.”

Her album is called “Ambient Reflections of Jana Kyomoon.” I’ve heard Jana’s live music at Tuna’s odd ball and it was very relaxing along with the mind blowing effects that Tuna offers. I had joked that her music is very mellow that it could be romantic. Tuna said that would be too odd though (ha ha!).

In his Tunaverse group he always asks what time is it when his oddball is about to start? His answer every time is:

“Time to get odd odd odd!”

In fact Tuna claims his real life is stranger still.

Tuna Oddfellow, "Well my Second Life is like my first life, both are stranger than fiction. In first life, I spent years as a magician. You know, finger flinging, sleight of hand, reading minds, escaping from chains the works. For many years I had performed magic at private parties, restaurants, as a street magician and as a master of ceremonies."

Looking up Tuna on the web I saw that He has been a real life magician in real life for 26 years along with his job in Second Life as a cofounder of odd studios.

Despite some physical pain Tuna still gets out to perform in real life as he still pushes the boundaries of life,  "I aim to push my own boundaries too."

Grease Coakes, "Oh sure everyone should push their own boundaries to see what he or she can achieve."

Words are hard to express the light and color show that Tuna puts on twice a week so it’s best that you experience it yourself. I remember seeing the lights and colors actually move and not stand still like a normal background. Not so fast that it makes you dizzy more like a slow turn with many colors that your avatar gets drowned in. It’s easy to lose track of other avatars and your own in the colorful world that Tuna creates for you along with Jana’s ambient electronic music.

Pictures say a thousand words sure, but you have to see his Oddball to have any idea what I am talking.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Dragonhenge/134/123/652

Grease Coakes

Editor's note: Tuna has certainly been making shows for quite a long time. Good to see he's still at it.