Cornelius Washington

Some artists use time-honored fine art techniques to sell commercial products. However, illustrator par excellence Mel Odom used his formidable painstaking talents to introduce to the world the emerging gay culture of the 1970s. His seminal work with Blueboy magazine led him to become the darling of the publishing industry, and magazines (Omni, Viva, Time, Vogue Japan and, ironically, Playboy) quickly booked him. He was also commissioned by diverse entities like Mrs. Diana Vreeland and Tori Amos.

One of the primary prerequisites of being a true star is that the general public never grows tired of seeing or hearing you. Boy George's "Karma: My Autobiography" (Blink Publishing) proves to be the standard by being sterling. As the front man of the New Romantics group Culture Club, his pen, voice, and beautifully surreal appearance were instrumental in selling millions of records worldwide. As a solo artist, he has released nine studio albums, five compilation albums and dozens of singles.

The last fifteen years has seen astonishing advancements for the transgender and gender-fluid communities, particularly in art and entertainment, where elements of performance such as style, vocal intonation, lyrics, cosmetics, hair and staging have all been par for the course. Audiences pay great sums of money to be entertained by glamorous beings who serve an ambisexual allure and an androgenous presentation.