Category: Geek

Cosplaying the Day Away

Convention, Cosplay, Crafting, Fandom, Geek, Learning, Sewing

Spent most of the day working on my husband’s cosplay cloak. It’s turning out pretty well, and I hope to have it finished by next weekend.

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Once I figured out the color blocking on a mockup, the rest came fairly easily. Hubby even helped me figure out how to transfer what I’d patterned out onto the fabric I planned to use in the finished product.

After this comes the belt with the “tails” and finishing his pants and my skirt. I need to make him a bag or pouch of some sort as well, but that can wait until the end.

Getting so excited! 

Doors Wide Open

Convention, Cosplay, Geek

It’s amazing what a little bit of ingenuity will get you.

Thanks to my job at Talk Nerdy With Us, I’ve had a lot of doors opened…various things that come along with working for a media website, along with things that I never expected.

One of the most recent opportunities that this job has brought to me is quite unexpected to say the least, but I am ecstatic for the chance to do something new. Can’t reveal what it is yet because it’s not a certain thing, but it’s exciting…and all thanks to my original idea for a weekly post.

That’s all the teaser I can give for now. More to come (possibly?) later!

Cosplay for all

Convention, Cosplay, Diversity, Fandom, Geek, Social Media

I’ve noticed a slight bad pattern to my cosplay interviews for Talk Nerdy With Us. They’ve almost all been women!

Men are cosplayers just as much as women are. My solution? To the Interwebs! (Or rather, to a Facebook page for male cosplayers.) So far I have three new interviews lined up that feature male cosplayers. I’m hoping that this leads to more diverse interviews and features.

I’ve had women of color and plus-size women (neither of which seem to be prominently featured in the media, though they absolutely should be), but not many men at all. I hope to remedy this in the future, as well as seek out cosplayers of all types. I don’t want only hot women for my interviews. Yeah, they may get more views for the site, but that’s not what these segments are about. They’re about featuring cosplayers who love what they do and helping new cosplayers learn a little something about what you might need to make your own cosplays.

It’s not about equal opportunity or token races/genders. It’s about showing the diversity that’s in the cosplay world. Diversity: it’s not just for the Oscars.

Fanfiction: Devotional or Uninspired?

Fandom, Geek, Movies, Novel, Sci-fi, Thoughts, Writing

Yesterday’s post had to do with the strange phenomenon of “shipping” when it comes to fictional characters and worlds. Today, I follow that up with a post about fanfiction, which is basically fans writing “episodes” of TV shows, movies, comics, etc.

My first question is this: Why fanfiction? Sure, some are just little short stories depicting something the fan wishes had happened on the show/in the comic/whatever. But some are epic, novel-length works about their favorite characters and worlds. It boggles my mind, because if you have enough imagination to write a novel, why not create your own world and characters? Why piggy back off of someone else’s characters? Is it really just to show your devotion to the show? Is it to make real the things you wish the show writers had put in there?

I admit, I’ve only written one novel, but I can say without a doubt that it’s my own novel. I didn’t base any of the characters or situations on something I had seen in someone else’s work. I took a character of my own making and created a cast that revolved around her.

Now, I’m not saying that I’m “better” than a fanfic author. That’s not what I’m saying at all. What I’m trying to say is, if you have that much creativity inside you, why not use it to create your own world? Maybe even write a novel that gets turned into one of your favorite TV shows or into a movie. You could have fanfic written about your original idea. Wouldn’t that be even more awesome? To be the origin of fanfic, not a perpetuator?

I don’t know. I could certainly write fanfic if I wanted to. I’m a terrible worldbuilder, so theoretically if I just snatch up someone else’s world and fiddle around with it it should be easier. Then again, I’m also selfish and narcissistic. I want something that I made. Something that I wrote from my imagination. I want to be able to say, “I did that. I created those characters. I wrote the plot. Me.”

Sure, my plots might not be the most original. How does the saying go? Something about how no idea is truly unique anymore. Every story has already been written, and it’s only a matter of the spin you put on it. In that case, isn’t every story fanfiction? Every vampire story a fanfic of Brahm Stoker’s Dracula? Every tragic love story a fanfic of Romeo and Juliet?

Who knows. What I do know is that fanfiction is yet another area of fandom that I don’t fully understand. Why ship things that don’t exist? Why write from other peoples’ ideas instead of creating your own?

I may never know.

Sailing Away

Celebrity, Fandom, Geek, Musings, Shipping, Social Media, Thoughts

Ships. They pull in and sail off, come and go.

And some of them make absolutely no sense.

I’m not talking about your average boat. I’m talking about relationships, specifically in books, TV shows, and movies. People see two characters who they feel should be together, and boom! A ship is born. It’s the biggest thing in fandoms lately, and it shows no sign of stopping.

The ships don’t even have to be characters that are in a scripted relationship. Sometimes they’re between characters that don’t have any romantic chemistry. Sometimes they’re even incestuous.

Why do we ship? Why do some fans rabidly defend their ships, often to the point of full-on fan wars? I mean slur-slinging, trash-talking, hate-mailing wars, all over fictional characters that may never have been in a relationship to begin with.

It’s a strange phenomenon, one that I don’t fully understand. At times I can see the chemistry that creates a fanborne ship, but for the most part it’s beyond my comprehension. Why invest so much energy in a fantasy world, especially one in which the thing you fantasize about doesn’t exist? Some fans even write fanfic (fan-authored fiction–a topic for another day, perhaps) or fanart (fanfic for the artist set) depicting their favorite ship.

I suppose I’m something of a purist. If the characters are written as being in a relationship, fine. If they’re written/played as having chemistry, okay. But non-canonical, non-romantic couplings that don’t make any sense? That just doesn’t jive with me. I don’t even like canon relationships without some sort of romantic vibe there to spark a ship.

The rabid nature of shipping also baffles me. You take a relationship that isn’t established and defend it to your dying breath. Friendships can be made or lost due to fandom ships. Is a fictional relationship really worth that kind of cost?

I, for one, don’t think so. I think shipping could theoretically be fun, if taken as the make believe that they are, but certainly not to the extent at which people are willing to go lately.

If your ship leaves the dock and sets sail, for the love of all that’s holy, just let it go. Don’t get in heated fights with someone you don’t even know over a fantasy. It’s not worth it.

The proof is in the pattern

Cosplay, Crafting, Drawing, Fandom, Geek, Learning, Sewing

Started sewing early (early) this morning, and I’m almost at the point where I need to partially draft the cloak.

It’s going to take a bit of Frankensteining to get it right. I don’t like the hood pattern that came with the cloak pattern, so I’m using the hood from my TARDIS pattern to make one for my husband’s Sith Time Lord, and the cloak he wants needs some color blocking done, so I’ll have to do that, too.

I’m not too worried about it, but I’ll admit that I am a little apprehensive. I’ll have to get the look right without having some pattern to use. It’s not like I’ve never worked without a pattern before, but there’s something about recreating a look that creates a new kind of challenge. Don’t get me wrong; I am loving the idea of the finished look. It’s just the process of getting there that will be rough.

I’m glad for Facebook groups and the opportunity they provide to let me reach out to other sewists/cosplayers and ask for advice. I’ve only gotten a little feedback so far, but it was encouraging. I can draw, but drawing a pattern is a whole different animal. It’s basically working in three dimensions on two dimensions of paper.

These costumes are going to be so great when they’re done. A Jedi TARDIS and Sith Time Lord–so cool!

Sew here I go again

Convention, Cosplay, Crafting, Fandom, Geek, Learning, Sewing

It’s that time again! Back to the cosplay sewing.

This morning I cut out the pieces for the tunic that my husband will wear. I’m hoping to be done with that this weekend so I can get started on drafting the pattern (aka making shit up) for the cloak. I have a pattern for the hood, but for the rest I’ll have to sketch most of it and come up with a way to put it together.

I may or may not have to line it, which will make it quite hot to wear, but I don’t know if I can pull off the bottom part with the contrast blocking without lining it. Maybe something lightweight? We’ll see.

I’m feeling much more confident in my sewing skills the further I go with this project. I don’t feel as skittish about following the patterns and I’m almost certain I can pull off the cloak.

This is going to be an amazing convention year for me and my husband. If I can finish these cosplays, I may try to convince him to have professional photos taken at one of the cons we go to.

Obi-wan Sith Lord

Convention, Cosplay, Crafting, Fandom, Geek, Sewing

Okay, sounds weird, I know, but hear me out: A Sith Time Lord.

As I’ve mentioned before, my husband has decided to be a Sith Time Lord to compliment my mashup cosplay of a Jedi TARDIS. This morning, I finished an obi for his costume, made out of a red fabric with a TARDIS/Dalek pattern on it. I’m really proud of how well I’m doing with the sewing stuff (considering I’ve only owned a sewing machine for 4 months and have next to no experience working with patterns before this).

There’s my hubby modeling the pants and obi for me, along with some images of the finished obi with the almost-finished pants laid out underneath it.

My sewing skills keep growing, and I’m excited to see if I’ll be able to recreate the cloak as my husband wants it. The hood will have the red fabric as the lining and the cloak itself will have the red Doctor Who pattern along the bottom as shown here:

Custom Sith Style Outfit Front and Back

It’s going to be exciting to walk around Phoenix Comicon and Dragon Con as a husband-and-wife cosplay couple. I hope in years to come we can devise even more unique cosplays to do together!

Spoil not, let ye be spoiled

Fandom, Geek

It’s the second biggest thing on the Internet right now: Don’t spoil Star Wars!!!

The biggest thing, of course, being Star Wars itself.

Basically, if you post spoilers about the movie, you’re a jerk. No ifs, ands, or buts. People don’t want to know all the details of a blockbuster movie before they see it, and if they do, they’ll ask.

I’ve seen it. But this blog will not be soiled by spoils. I’ll keep mum…for now……

A Stitch in Time Causes a Headache

Cosplay, Fandom, Geek, Sewing

I’ve started on my husband’s cosplay for next year’s Phoenix Comicon and Dragon Con.

Oh. My. Goddess.

We haven’t even finished the pants & already I’m frustrated. I don’t know if it’s the cold I’m trying to cut off at the pass or the frustration that’s causing the massive headache I have, but either way it’s put a damper on the project. I know my husband wants to be done as quickly as possible because he’s so excited, but I think he overestimates my abilities. I have to go slow because I’m still very much a beginner.

We’ve taken a break, but I’m wondering if we shouldn’t wait until another day to start back up. I just can’t right now. I’m feeling drained. This Sith Time Lord just might take longer than expected.