I apologize for the lack of updates. Besides being unemployed and fighting to find a job and get my unemployment, my 100-year-old great aunt passed away last week and I’m currently fighting a nasty cold. I will be having some more stuff up soon, promise.
Tomorrow, I will be addressing an issue that happened over Aki-con. It’s… special.
This is a simple elastic waistband tutorial created by Koumori-no-hime. š
Elastic Waistband Tutorial by Koumori-no-hime
Click to enlarge! š Hope it helps!
I recently read an article here, written by Abby Dark-Star, that I saved and decided to respond to.
The article discusses, obviously, the judgements that fall upon us in the cosplay commmunity, not only from outside resources, but inside ones as well. Abby discusses how there are no standards of geekiness (which I completely agree with), so everyone needs to stop waving their “geekdom” around.
She then covers what people can costume as, and basically states it’s whatever you feel comfortable wearing. I agree to a point on this. If you’re attending a family-friendly convention, skimpy costumes are usually not allowed. Remember the rules of the convention itself as well. Also, if the character itself wouldn’t wear whatever you’re claiming they would, then you may wanna keep that mind. Stormtroopers in lingerie? No. That’s just an excuse to wear a helmet and underwear as far as I’m concerned.
Finally, there’s the mockery of the cosplay scene on its own, from in and out of the community. She says what I would perfectly, so here’s the quote itself for you all to read:
“Finally, I have to address the mockery of the cosplay scene, both by those in and out of the costuming hobby. The truth is, people are going to judge. The costuming hobby can get called tons of names on a blog by a person who makes fun of us for dressing up, but then goes to scream at a bunch of men in tight pants throwing a ball around. (See what I did there?) The point is, everything we do, in this hobby or not, might be judged.
So each cosplayer has to remember their goals. Why are they in this hobby? Why do they do it? Is that dedication and passion enough to encourage them when people are being hateful? Cruel remarks may hide behind free speech or āthis is my opinion,ā but letās call it like what it is: meanness. Meanness can be hurtful and shouldnāt be expected, but it can be handled with reasoning and discussion.
We are not all going to get along all the time. Instead of tearing a person down, why not try the old adage, āif you canāt say something nice, donāt say anything at all.ā Sure we all compare, and we all to some degree judge. But thereās no good reason to be mean to another human being?
Those of us who are passionate about the community, who enjoy it, should work to make it a positive place to be the geeks that we are. Weāre all here to enjoy the hobby and what we love in it, all for different reasons. Letās celebrate the awesome costume that someone wears, and if weāre jealous about something ask ourselves why and fix it. If someone is acting snooty, maybe they are just having a bad day. Once a cosplayer I knew was short with me at a con, then a week later sent me a message and apologized; her grandmother had been diagnosed with cancer, and she was having a hard time keeping it together. Letās be nice, polite, and kind to one another. Talk to one another, not about. Remember that no one is perfect. Sometimes we use bad judgment and make mistakes. Apologies can go a long way in helping to have a positive community environment, and so does forgiveness. Now letās join hands and sing kumbayah ā I mean, have a drink at Dragon*Con.”
This tutorial was created by Calgarycosplay and teaches you how to make your own bunnysuit!
Bunny Girl Bodysuit Tutorial and Pattern by Calgarycosplay
Click to enlarge and hope this helps! š
Any cosplayer that has been around for awhile remembers Kevin Lillard who ran the site A Fan’s View. Well, he has fallen on very hard times, as proven from this post on his Facebook:
“When you live in your car in an abandoned parking lot along a major interstate highway, you see interesting traffic from time to time. Around 8 a.m., eastbound sirens announced the approach of police traffic,led by a plain white box van with a large door on the left side, followed closely by an armed personnel carrier. It took a moment before I recognized the two vehicles, which I had seen on the streets during my now-ended career a s a reporter for the Indianapolis Star. I saw those same two vehicles downtown a couple of years ago when covering a so-called bomb threat involving a man who had left a backpack next to what was then the police department’s downtown district headquarters. The white box van carries the police department’s tactical robot so the small convoy must have been headed to a SWAT call out.
I’m in the same position of life as the street person whose backpack led to that fuss of years ago. Out of work and out of money, I’ve been living in my car for the last month, spending days at a nearby library, sending out mostly ignored online job applications. Already there’s no money to buy food and the last things to eat were some peanuts from a vending machine at the Anderson newspaper where I had my last job interview. I spent my last change to make a 50-cent call at a pay phone hoping to speak to a recruiter and reached only voice mail. The car where I’ve been living started running out of fuel on the way to the library and I barely got there. With no money there will be no fuel and no way to go from place to place. Even if there is another job offer there will be no way to get there,with no money and no fuel. Unless there’s some sort of miracle,this is the end of any hopes I had. All of the prayers have been answered with messages of failure. This is where we have learned what God really wants.”
The cosplay community has come together and is trying to help him out. I personally am unemployed right now, so I can’t help contribute, but I can do a signal boost.
If you can spare anything to send his way, he is accepting gift donations to his Paypal:
“Thank for the wonderful offers of help. Any financial assistance can be sent through Pay Pal using the E-mail address of khl@indy.net.”
Thanks everyone and let’s do what we can to help Kevin out!
I have a bunch of article ideas going through my head again, but I definitely need to sit down and write out my editorials. I’ve saved several articles to respond to, whether agreeing with them or not, but I don’t want to just type them up without REALLY thinking about what I have to say about them.
Believe me, though, I have a lot to respond to. They range from “sexy cosplay”, competitiveness in cosplay, and cosplay bullying. I have another article I’m still trying to decide if I even want to spend the time to respond to, as it’s so darned silly, I can’t decide if it’s “worthy”, lol!
Next week, cosplayers, look for some real articles to appear again.
Ayden
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OscarC Photography
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Cosplay Blog... with a Brain! 