Por algun que otro problema tenemos que retrasar la salida de la revista hasta el 13 de Abril, sentimos las molestias!!
Kamis, 31 Maret 2011
Selasa, 29 Maret 2011
Cosmetics and the Con
I want to take a second to talk about make-up.
Now, those of you who wear make-up on a daily basis, don’t shake your heads and run off just yet, because this one’s for you, too. And to those who don’t wear a lot of make-up but plan to slap some on for con, well, this is really for you.
Because I’m, y’know, me, I’ve once again organized this post into a series of simple, crucial questions.
What kind of make-up does my character wear?
If the answer is “none”, then my work here is done. Seriously, if you’re going as, like, an SGA gate team (thanks to Sabine for the example) then dust on some powder and call it a day. If your character is a generally normal person in the “real” world, it’s probably best to just go with your regular look (plus special provisions for con). If, on the other hand, your character wears distinctive or complicated make-up, you’ll want to plan ahead.
Do I need to buy new stuff?
That depends largely on whether you’re a hardcore style nerd, like me, or a slightly more reasonable person. Regardless, there are a few things you definitely want to have.
-Good foundation. You want something with good coverage, because those flurescent lights are unforgiving, and something that’s going to stay on well throughout the day. Remember that you’ll be walking, sweating, and laughing til you cry, and you need a foundation that can keep up.
-Eye lid primer. What this does is: you apply a light coating on your eyelid, and it brightens the color of your eyeshadow and helps your eye make-up last longer. You should be able to find this at your local supermarket/pharmacy, as well as at a general cosmetics store. My roommate uses Maybelline Cooling Eyeshadow and Liner, I use e.l.f. Essentials Eyelid Primer, and I know N.Y.X also makes one. So you’re looking at $5 or less for this, and it’s worth having in your regular bag of tricks, anyway.
Now, those of you who wear make-up on a daily basis, don’t shake your heads and run off just yet, because this one’s for you, too. And to those who don’t wear a lot of make-up but plan to slap some on for con, well, this is really for you.
Because I’m, y’know, me, I’ve once again organized this post into a series of simple, crucial questions.
What kind of make-up does my character wear?
If the answer is “none”, then my work here is done. Seriously, if you’re going as, like, an SGA gate team (thanks to Sabine for the example) then dust on some powder and call it a day. If your character is a generally normal person in the “real” world, it’s probably best to just go with your regular look (plus special provisions for con). If, on the other hand, your character wears distinctive or complicated make-up, you’ll want to plan ahead.
Do I need to buy new stuff?
That depends largely on whether you’re a hardcore style nerd, like me, or a slightly more reasonable person. Regardless, there are a few things you definitely want to have.
-Good foundation. You want something with good coverage, because those flurescent lights are unforgiving, and something that’s going to stay on well throughout the day. Remember that you’ll be walking, sweating, and laughing til you cry, and you need a foundation that can keep up.
-Eye lid primer. What this does is: you apply a light coating on your eyelid, and it brightens the color of your eyeshadow and helps your eye make-up last longer. You should be able to find this at your local supermarket/pharmacy, as well as at a general cosmetics store. My roommate uses Maybelline Cooling Eyeshadow and Liner, I use e.l.f. Essentials Eyelid Primer, and I know N.Y.X also makes one. So you’re looking at $5 or less for this, and it’s worth having in your regular bag of tricks, anyway.
-Lipliner and lip brush. I realize this might seem a little obvious, but hear me out. If you apply your lipstick in a three-step process (lip liner. blot. apply lipstick with brush. blot. apply lipstick directly. blot.) it’ll last about five times longer than it would normally. And, for the love of Brian Molko, use chapstick and creme lip liner.
What if I need to do something complicated?
First of all, don’t get in over your head. Unless you or someone you know has professional or theatre make-up experience, it’s probably best to avoid things like full-body paint or prosthetics. If you do have access to those skills, then have it, and you can probably disregard this post entirely. Otherwise, it’s best to work with the skills you have. If you need to do complicated eye make-up and aren’t comfortable with (or have never used) liquid eyeliner, Palladio Eye Inks are felt-tip liner pens that are easy to use and great for precision work. I first used them when I cosplayed Death at SDCC, and it worked great. You should be able to find them at the supermarket, but Sally’s also carries them.
...Just a tiny bit smudged.
Should I practice my make-up before the con?
YES. You should always do at least one dry run of your costume before you leave for the con, including hair and make-up, just to iron out any unexpected kinks.
Should I carry some make-up with me at the con?
Definitely. Even the best make-up is going to wear a little as the day goes on, especially lipstick, so you definitely want to keep some things on hand for emergency touch-ups. Keep a tube of lipstick or lip gloss in your bag, and, if you’re worried about your eyeliner smudging or your foundation getting shiny, you’d be well advised to bring those, too. You don’t want to be toting around your entire make-up bag, though, so use your best judgment.
Obviously, these are just basic tips to help your con experience run a little more smoothly. Because when you run into Joe Flannigan on the floor and ask for a picture, you don’t want to be worrying about lipstick on your teeth.
As always, if you have any questions, email us at frenemycosplay@gmail.com, and we will happily share our wisdom.
-shadowen
Minggu, 27 Maret 2011
Costumes I Have Known: The Question
On this lazy Sunday afternoon, I thought I would regale you with a story of my greatest, easiest, most unexpected cosplay triumph: Renee Montoya as The Question (II).
The whole crux of this costume, for obvious reasons, is the mask. Now, there are lots of different ways to make the mask. One of the most successful techniques involves cheesecloth, as you can see here. The advantage of this technique is that it gives a really smooth look from far away, though the illusion breaks down as you get closer.
But, my children, living as I was in a tiny apartment in the woods on the edge of nowhere, I did not have the requisite supplies. I also wanted something that would look good from close up and from far away. What I found was bathing suit lining. It's available from any good fabric store, it's relatively cheap, it's super stretchy, it's breathable and translucent, all of which make it a perfect material for this kind of application.
But, my children, living as I was in a tiny apartment in the woods on the edge of nowhere, I did not have the requisite supplies. I also wanted something that would look good from close up and from far away. What I found was bathing suit lining. It's available from any good fabric store, it's relatively cheap, it's super stretchy, it's breathable and translucent, all of which make it a perfect material for this kind of application.
I tried a number of different techniques, including piecing the mask on, applying makeup over it, etc.
They all had one glaring design flaw: I couldn't eat while wearing them. And, my children, if you learn only one thing from me, learn that you cannot get through a whole day of con without eating unless you want to pass out.
So in the end, what I did was cut out a piece of fabric roughly the same size and shape as my face, with enough to go around to the back of my neck, like so.
As you can see, I attached it around my hairline and around my ears, but left the bottom hanging. Because I had long enough hair to cover it, I stretched the fabric to the back of my neck and fastened it with a hair tie. I used eyelash glue to attach it to my face; if I had it to do again, I'd do it with spirit gum, but, again, I was in the middle of nowhere, and there was none to be had (and no time to order it by the time I decided to make this costume).
Since I took this shot at the end of the day, you can also see in this picture where I got mustard on it while trying to eat a hot dog. Whoops.
This method was not without its problems. Since the tie holding the bottom of the mask had to be undone and redone every time I wanted to eat or drink anything, it led to some problems of gapping and stretching.
Fortunately these were easily fixed, and I learned quickly not to adjust my mask without looking in the mirror. The mask also became easier to wear throughout the day, as the material became stretchier and more transparent.
At the time, Renee had just become The Question, so there was nothing particularly iconic about the rest of her costume. Accordingly, I wore what I had at hand (including the tie from my work uniform). I actually screwed up and forgot gloves, but the Rorschach who was travelling with us saved me.
NB: I don't know who this dude was, but isn't his expression priceless?
So that's pretty much how I did it. I think I paid less than 20 USD for the entire costume, because most of it came straight from my closet.
It was, I discovered, an easy costume to mistake, apparently. During the course of the day, I was mistaken for both the Invisible Man (several times) and Anonymous. Also, I learned that when you wear a full face mask, people assume that you can't see them, and they will gawk at you openly. I did freak a person or two out by waving at them as they stared intently at my face.
Would I do it again? Probably not, especially not for Comic-Con. Was it totally badass? Yes, it was.
-Sabine
They all had one glaring design flaw: I couldn't eat while wearing them. And, my children, if you learn only one thing from me, learn that you cannot get through a whole day of con without eating unless you want to pass out.
So in the end, what I did was cut out a piece of fabric roughly the same size and shape as my face, with enough to go around to the back of my neck, like so.
As you can see, I attached it around my hairline and around my ears, but left the bottom hanging. Because I had long enough hair to cover it, I stretched the fabric to the back of my neck and fastened it with a hair tie. I used eyelash glue to attach it to my face; if I had it to do again, I'd do it with spirit gum, but, again, I was in the middle of nowhere, and there was none to be had (and no time to order it by the time I decided to make this costume).
Since I took this shot at the end of the day, you can also see in this picture where I got mustard on it while trying to eat a hot dog. Whoops.
This method was not without its problems. Since the tie holding the bottom of the mask had to be undone and redone every time I wanted to eat or drink anything, it led to some problems of gapping and stretching.
Fortunately these were easily fixed, and I learned quickly not to adjust my mask without looking in the mirror. The mask also became easier to wear throughout the day, as the material became stretchier and more transparent.
At the time, Renee had just become The Question, so there was nothing particularly iconic about the rest of her costume. Accordingly, I wore what I had at hand (including the tie from my work uniform). I actually screwed up and forgot gloves, but the Rorschach who was travelling with us saved me.
NB: I don't know who this dude was, but isn't his expression priceless?
So that's pretty much how I did it. I think I paid less than 20 USD for the entire costume, because most of it came straight from my closet.
It was, I discovered, an easy costume to mistake, apparently. During the course of the day, I was mistaken for both the Invisible Man (several times) and Anonymous. Also, I learned that when you wear a full face mask, people assume that you can't see them, and they will gawk at you openly. I did freak a person or two out by waving at them as they stared intently at my face.
Would I do it again? Probably not, especially not for Comic-Con. Was it totally badass? Yes, it was.
-Sabine
Jumat, 25 Maret 2011
Asociacion UZU
Hola a todos! Desde La vida en Cosplay queremos informaros de que nos hemos "hermandado" con la Asociacion Uzu, esta asociación es sin duda la que más se caracteriza con nosotros y hemos decidido colaborar junto en estos grandes proyectos!
La asociación Uzu, se caracteriza por promover la creatividad de todos sus asociados!
Ayúdanos a crecer y registrare en el Foro de la asociación allí pondremos noticias sobre la revista, eventos, cosplays y resolveremos dudas sobre este!!!
PROXIMOS EVENTOS MANGAS!
En el próximo mes y medio se celebran en España varios eventos relacionados con Japón en general y el mundo del manga y el anime en particular y quisiera hacerme eco de ellos.
I’m not Japanese... but I love manga!* Contenido: Conferencia a cargo de creadores españoles de cómic de estilo manga (E. Fernández, I. Roga, Studio Kôsen). * Cuándo: Jueves 7 de abril * Dónde: Auditorio Tagore, Casa Asia, Barcelona (Diagonal, 373) * Más información en este enlace.Semana de manga: dibujo, lengua y cultura* Contenido: Cursos y conferencias sobre dibujo manga, lengua y cultura japonesas * Cuándo: 13 a 15 de abril * Dónde: Fundación Japón, Madrid (Calle Almagro, 5) * Más información en este enlace. * Notas: Hay que apuntarse antes del 30 de marzo. / Participaré en este evento como intérprete de las conferencias y los cursos.29 Salón Internacional del Cómic de Barcelona* Contenido: El salón del cómic más importante del estado, con expositores, conferencias, exposiciones... * Cuándo: 14 a 17 de abril * Dónde: Palacio nº 8, Fira de Barcelona, Barcelona (Plaça Espanya) * Más información en este enlace. * Notas: Celebraré el 10º aniversario del libro Japonés en viñetas con Norma Editorial. / Realizaré una conferencia sobre el terremoto / tsunami / crisis nuclear de Japón enmarcada dentro de una serie de actos en homenaje a las víctimas del desastre y a Japón en general.XII Salón del Manga de Jerez* Contenido: Uno de los salones dedicados al manga con más solera y tradición. * Cuándo: 29 de abril a 1 de mayo * Dónde: IFECA (Palacio provincial de exposiciones y congresos Jerez), Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz) * Más información en este enlace. * Notas: Participaré como invitado oficial de la organización y pronunciaré una conferencia. / Se realizará una subasta benéfica para recaudar fondos para el desastre de Japón.
Expomanga 2011* Contenido: El evento más importante dedicado al manga en la capital española. * Cuándo: 6 a 8 de mayo * Dónde: Palacio de Cristal de la Casa de Campo, Madrid * Más información en este enlace.
Fuente: niponadas
Proximamente pondremos un calendario!
Rabu, 23 Maret 2011
Plushies: Ike and Bearbee
It's been a while since I posted some plushies. I'm mostly busy with school/thesis and started working on Claudia (that tunic will be the death of me I swear), but sometime after Katsucon and before Zenkaikon I got these done.
Bearbee is from Kyo Kara Moah, and was a present for a friend. He's not terribly big, maybe 5-6inches tops. I didn't have any yellow fleece so I ended up using a really basic cotton, but it looks fine really. Finally some detail shots after the quick photo I posted last time.
Ike is from South Park and was a commission. This is technically the first version, because I changed a few details per clients request after this. But I was pleased with the results and this is when I took all the nice photos.
Also finished Fastener from Panty & Stocking for a friend. I still need to take nice photos of him, I've just been really lazy about it. I'll get to it soon and post them later. For now he'll sit on my desk and watch me sew.
Bearbee is from Kyo Kara Moah, and was a present for a friend. He's not terribly big, maybe 5-6inches tops. I didn't have any yellow fleece so I ended up using a really basic cotton, but it looks fine really. Finally some detail shots after the quick photo I posted last time.
Ike is from South Park and was a commission. This is technically the first version, because I changed a few details per clients request after this. But I was pleased with the results and this is when I took all the nice photos.
Also finished Fastener from Panty & Stocking for a friend. I still need to take nice photos of him, I've just been really lazy about it. I'll get to it soon and post them later. For now he'll sit on my desk and watch me sew.
Senin, 21 Maret 2011
Otacon Tomares 2011 [RESEÑA]
Un año más este salón se ha celebrado y obviamente hemos ido, sólo decir que ha hecho un tiempo espléndido, y es salón ha estado muy muy bien, los talleres geniales y las carpas bien y ventiladas, un pedazo de detalles, sí señor.
Hemos visto un nivel cosplayer muy bajito eh, señores, hay que ponerse un pelín mas las pilas que seguro que podéis!! os animamos a seguir así e ir mejorando cada vez más!, hemos visto a muchos dar un cambio enorme y eso nos ha motivado mucho!!
Por otra parte, no nos ha gustado algo que ocurre todos los años, aquellos que van al Otacón o a cualquier evento y comen allí, dejan la porquería en medio, eso no es agradable, pensad en los colaboradores que se llevan todo el día currando, a veces es bueno ser un poco comprensivos y ahorrarles un poco el trabajo ya que sin ellos los salones no serían posibles.
Al final del Otacón fuimos a la entrega de premios, y vimos un emotivo homenaje a las víctimas de Japón, un minuto de silencio más las grullas (mil grullas un deseo).
Después se repartieron los premios y sin duda, nos quedamos con la boca abierta de la ganadora del karaoke (no pusimos el nombre de la ganadora en los creditos):
Luego tenemos a la ganadora del concurso de para para:
Las ganadoras de Cosplay:
Y AQUÍ TENÉIS EL VÍDEO DE LAS IMÁGENES DEL OTACÓN:
Minggu, 20 Maret 2011
Zenkaikon 2011 & Photos
Vally Forge Convention Center, King of Prussia, PA
March 18-20th
Website
Zenkaikon is a newer con, that's still slowly sort of growing. It seems to be one of those cons that do seem to get better with every year. They learn from their previous mistakes. I've attended for three years so far, and I've seen a lot of improvements from year to year.
First off the space. The space has been improved SO much. Last year they weren't in the Scanticon but the area next to it, the hotel area. It was so awfully cramped. There was no place to really stand around and hang out, or get photos if you needed to. But this year they got several floors of the Scanitcon center and it was a huge sigh of relief. There was several floors to walk around in, a nice big area for people to hang around in on the bottom floor, while all the panals were held at the top floor. There was a second floor between but I guess they weren't able to get that for the con, since it was blocked off the whole time. But it was a HUGE improvement over last year. There was a small place selling food (rather expensive food, but they did give you a lot of it, between $6-8) but it was convenient. I seriously can't tell you how happy I was about the space, because of how bad it was last year.
This con I'm never really focused on my own cosplay quite so much, I'll wear a costume but I don't care for the meetup quite so much so I got the chance to see a few panels. Now I can't really judge all of them, only the ones I went to. Also I was only there on Saturday so I can't speak for anything else that happened, only for what happened on Saturday. And it was a 50/50 experience. The first panel we went to was something on Lovecraft and it was...pretty terrible to be honest. The idea behind the panel and the information that could have been presented would have been great. An information panel on Lovecraft and his universe. What it ended up being was a slightly unorganized, book pimping panel. The author there seemed to know what he was talking about, but he spent the entire time talking about himself as an author and talking about all of his books (within ten mins of the panel he had all of his books on him and he pulled them out to show everyone). If you're running a panel, I don't have a problem with your pimping your merchandise. I have a problem with you doing it throughout the whole presentation. If you're going to do it, do it after the panel. As your ending it, make a mention of it and where they can buy it. It's annoying and rather eye rolling to watch you do it throughout the whole panel.
The panel I did really liked was the Square to Bioware panel, the one on American and Japanese RPGs. It started with a quick sort of information part, but included a huge audience participation and discussion. It partly plays into my interests, since I like discussion, but I think the guys did a good job putting it together and kept on topic, but still allowed people to talk and share their opinions. They were overall really enjoyable. The guys who ran it were g33kWatch so check out their website.
The last event I got to see was the masquerade. And this was a pretty vast improvement from last year. Last year was in a really small room, and there was only a few people really interested in it. This year they had a whole stage set up and two large screens. The way the seating was set up was around the stage, but for whatever reason the two large screens set up along the sides weren't playing the masquerade, they were just showing the logo. So the people who were sitting along the sides were pretty much missing out on about everything. Maybe the cameras weren’t working? But if you have an area set up that large then they really, really needed to get the screens working. But they seemed to be taking a step towards making the masquerade more legitimate with the stage and giving more people the chance to actually see it. Zenkaikon is the con that tends to give out a lot of awards, but with a con as small as it is, it’s not really surprising.
Another big change was the dealer’s room and artist alley. With the growing interest in the con I suppose they were able to get more dealers interested in selling. The dealer’s room was pretty big, with varied types of booths. The artist ally was mixed in there, which wasn’t unusual. But what was strange was that they had a different hallway for ore of the artist ally. There was an artist alley B section with like maybe 5-6 artists there. I have no idea why they did that. The B section was upstairs and far away from the main dealers room/artist alley. We found it by accident, maybe they ran out of room in the main area, but with how big it was, they probably could have easily fit them in.
I think that’s about all I can say for the con. I’m happy to see the con starting to grow and improve. I think there’s still little stuff they can improve on, but I’m glad to see them better and better with each year. I’ll be curious to see what they’re like next year.
Unlike most posts, I tend to make two separate ones for photos and con reports. But I really didn’t take that much photos, so I’m tacking them on at the end of this post. Enjoy!
