Even Tammy had to get her start somewhere.

Sometimes it doesn't matter how you break into a trade, just that you took the initiative to do it. Maxima Visions Productions would like to save souls via feature films; the Christian movie company is seeking talent, and well, they don't look all that picky.

Since Maxima Visions is relatively unknown to any distributor that doesn't use Jesus in its logo, they don't require too much time for polishing up a finished product. In fact, the company is slated to release two films a year for the next five years. Theoretically if cast, you could play 10 of 12 apostles. (If you're able to be picky in your Chosen Role, just go for whichever one has a book named after him.) Don't worry ladies, there are parts for you too.

Currently in the works is a film called Sister Surrendered, and in it two twins who leave the military try to reestablish their place in the world. Only problem? One develops a terrifying pain killer addiction. Here's a thought: sell yourself big time. Tell them you can be both parts, rather than forcing Maxima's casting department to find a couple gals who look kind of alike. Double pay. Double fame. And maybe a shot at recreating that scene from the Helen Hunt PSA where she blasts out the window, high on angel dust.

Headshots are encouraged. If you have one, bring it. If you don't, that's okay too. There will be a photographer on hand snapping pics of potential stars. Also requested: a page telling them a little about yourself. (Translation: that's where you talk about God.) Auditions are held on Thursday, May 31 and Friday, June 1 at the Texas Opry Theatre in Weatherford Texas, 319 York Avenue 3 blocks off the square.

All photos by Kevin Todora

Batkid.

It's so hard to choose. What displays better showmanship: zombie Spider-Man or Phone Call Juggalo? This is one of the many questions that persisted following Dallas' fantastic Comic Con, which is presented by the legendary Stan Lee. The Great Lee was on hand along with Summer Glau (from Serenity), the elusive-from-our cameras Patrick Stewart, and Adam West.

Contributing photographer Kevin Todora spent his time, however, focusing his keen eye on the great fans and their applause-worthy costumes. Oh, zombie Mario, we kneel before you. Our top ten: below.

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I tend to be an open book, but like almost any woman, I've got a few secrets. Hell, no one looks this good on an average of four hours of sleep and 500 milligrams of caffeine without a trick or two. Among my favorites:

• A little silver liner in the corner the eyes (detracts from the bloodshot)
  
• Always carry a clean pair of skivvies
  
• Anything can be dressed up by rocking a pair of hawt heels
  

target.com

You may see a discount shoe. Guarantee, your boyfriend doesn't.

But, thoughtless consumerism be damned; it's about getting more bang for your buck - and, yes, I already regret phrasing it that way. When I comes to staying stocked with stilettos, I'm all for cleaning out a local Target store.

Well, Target has made it even easier for independent ladies (and art lovers of all stripes) to have a great, fiscally responsible time this weekend. Hey, man. That's just more dough we can drop on local artists.

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CentralTrak keeps doing its damndest to educate you chillun, and tonight is the fifth of six Thursday night Texas film screenings in "the Cage" at 800 Exposition Ave. They're offering popcorn, cult celluloid and some serious nerdery -- in addition to a Q&A with John Slate, who portrayed a Kennedy assassination conspiracy theorist in Slacker, only to eventually move to Dallas ... to work as the city's archivist, handling the Kennedy files in real life. That's weirdly interesting enough on its own -- check out the two films that make this a date in indie heaven.

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The High Line, in all its revegetated glory.

Now one of the country's most unique parks, I first learned about the High Line as a dopey out-of-towner, visiting New York's MOMA on Free Day. They had an installation piece, a model of the project and short video work detailing how the city would reclaim the abandoned train tracks, and coax their revegetation until they served a new purpose as city hiking trails. Even the model was beautiful. Now that the park is in use, it leads us to wonder what other ways we could re-shape our deadzones and polish up our communities while still honoring our past. There are few things lovelier than trees and wildflowers reaching through train tracks.

If you're interested in exploring our community's options, there are two tickets that you need to pick up today; one is free, the other will cost you. The pricier option is for tomorrow night's speaking engagement with New York's Uran Planner Amanda Burden at the Nasher. She was one of the big brains/hearts/mouths behind the High Line project -- you could say transformation is sort of her thing. She was also active in giving design aid to the Midtown Community Court project. She turned bars into clear, calming doors so that prisoners would feel more tranquil and appear less frazzled when they approached judgement. She gave the building a visible sense of pride, one that was felt by all who entered it. She also brought the prisoners into the community for their civic duty. Pruning trees, painting fences -- these things became the new normal and citizens soon took note by speaking to the prisoners and thanking them for their efforts. End result? She helped give them back a bit of humanity.

Amanda Burden gets stuff done and she does it with a strong focus on design. She'll speak at 8 p.m. as part of the NasherSalon series in the museum's auditorium. Tickets range $50 to $65.

The other not-to-be-missed event is scheduled for June 6 and is completely Dallas-centric. This year's Design Week was unfortunately planned for the same week as the Dallas Art Fair and the Dallas International Film Festival, so we didn't hear much about it. What did grow from the the Think Tank fest was a group sponsored by Good Magazine, called Good Designs for Cities. Our local problem solvers have spent the last five weeks identifying urban problems that could be remedied through re-design. This same project has happened in other cities, ending in things as simple as improving the fonts and brands of signage in troubled parts of town, or more labor-demanding ideas like installing bicycle lanes and trails.

Our crew's presentation is still a surprise, but it will present its hard work at Lakewood Theater on June 6th to local city officials and you, the public. Tickets are free. See what problems have been identified and then get involved from the ground floor when the Good Ideas for Cities team makes its pitch. Be there at 6 p.m. for meet and greet, 7 p.m. for refreshments. Get free tickets right here.

talarts.org

So, you're a necktie-noosed corporate hound eating takeout at your desk over a pile of TPS reports. What happened to you, man? You were a Creative Writing major, or a budding studio artist. Or, maybe you banged Steinways in the basement while your roommates shotgunned Natty Lights back in the dorm, every day creeping closer to that glorious moment when you could proudly proclaim ... by writing it out on your tax returns ... that you, friend, are an artist.

You didn't see yourself here, did you Sport? Wearing shirts with collars. Unjamming copy machines. If you'd had a five year plan back then - which you didn't, because you were a freewheeling art student - this would not have been in it.

What you're going through is a rite of passage for most anyone who has ever "made it," and one day you'll too take the plunge in quitting your day job and redoubling your efforts in the art world. When you do, you might consider packing a 'chute. Golden or not.

CentralTrak hears you, and tonight they're bringing you a panel in conjunction with TALA - Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts, which unexpectedly exists, first of all. Learn how to carpe diem after the jump.

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Catherine Downes

Hundreds of pooches dragged their owners out to Fair Park on Sunday afternoon for the annual Dog Bowl, an event that converts the historic Cotton Bowl into a giant dog park for one afternoon. Here's a look at some of our favorite pups from the event, stay tuned for a slideshow to come.

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Flex them lip whiskers at LaGrange.

Cinco de Mayo falls on a Saturday this year! That means you can loosely plan your adventures today, tackle all of the best places tomorrow and recover on Sunday. Ain't life grand? We hit the streets and took a "taco census" to find you the best parties, drink specials and events, so click the titles for more information and share this list with your friends.

There's a parade, a roof top movie, a mustache competition, derby parties, competitive taco and queso eating and a mechanical bull. Go on, make us proud. Then prove it by posting your best Cinco de Mayo photos on our Flickr page. We'll show off our favorites next week.

Cinco de Mustache at LaGrange
Do you look like a villain from a telenovela? You could win some mustache wax money at LaGrange; the owner of the finest lip whiskers goes home with $100. There's also four bands (Dead Twins, The Phuss, Ten Can Riot, and Broadcast Sea), midnight raffle prizes, including a couple bar tabs (really run yours up, you'll probably win), and other oddball happenings. It's $10 to $15 at the door.

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Willie Baronet

Things get rowdy when Silk Stockings shows up.

It's adrenaline at first. And then the serotonin.The feeling of flight and shallow breath. Dry throat, spinning room. It's frantic, it's chemicals. Then the euphoria, ohgod the euphoria. The snap-solid moment when everything stops and all that exists is you.

A Shakespearean staple, la petite mort is the Renaissance concept that the expenditure of life-force during orgasm is a "little death," life affirming in its transcendence but terrifying in its spiritual dissolution. It's performance, it's sex, it's creative destruction. And it's at CentralTrak every Saturday for the next five weeks. We love it when they go dark on us, blood-in-vials kind of love from the kids at 800 Exposition.

Which is why you're not to miss a single moment of HARAKIRI: To Die For Performances, a series of collaborative performance art pieces curated and produced by Ph.D. candidate in residence Danielle Georgiou, and largely inspired by seppuku, the Japanese concept of ritualized suicide reserved for samurai warriors in instances of dishonor, captivity and capital punishment. It gets a little gruesome after the jump.

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Optimus Prime will reportedly take the Calatrava into the city

For a few days at the end of April, the Hyatt Regency will temporarily become Cybertron.

This fan convention, which is known throughout the known human multi-verse as BotCon 2012, serves as one big ol' Transformers gush-a-thon. This year, Hasbro (the awesome toy company that makes awesome Transformers), is also holding a Hall of Fame ceremony. According to the release, this year's recipients of the THOFFA -- Transformers Hall of Fucking Fame Award* (*not its real name) -- are writer Simon Furman and Chris Latta. Latta, who voiced 'Starscream,' is getting the award posthumously.

Either way, they'll be some serious toys to make sticky with your drool. Also, there will be "fan-created dioramas." Awesome. The who / where / when's right here, clearly, at BotCon.com. Tickets are $20 (children ages 6-12 can get in for $10), and even tinier folk can get in for free.