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| OmegaDog
123th Post
 
Regular Customer
   
|  "Re(1):NY Times Anime convention"
, posted Tue 3 Sep 22:09:
quote:
A note to cosplayers: When the mainstream press stops by odds are it's going to be you, and not the 95% of convention goers who are not in costume, who will be photographed. With that in mind please make sure you don't show up at the convention wearing a silly looking DBZ outfit.
Noted (-- I hope my costume doesn't come across as silly...). Although, at least from what I note of the small pic shown, those might not be regular fan cosplayers and costumes. (And please someone correct me if you've seen these costumes in detail...)
With the exception of what seems to be the method in which the hair was created, those costumes actually look quite professional, given way it looks like most of the parts of costumes are constructed (noting especially the hood on what seems to be a "headless" Goku [Edit: Or perhaps Krillin?]) plus there's another Piccolo head in the back waiting to be worn. All of those look to be created in about the same construction method, perhaps implying a commission. Plus, it looks like the people are getting ready in an uninhabited stockroom, as opposed to a hotel room. So, there's the possibility that these costumes might have actually been sent to the con to be worn by willing volunteers registered as convention staff. And, if the press has a backstage pass to the goings-on of the convention...
Of course, I could be completely wrong too. I know there are professional costume creators who create fan costumes (as is the case with Lance Ikegawa and his Jon Talbain / Gallon cosplay suit) -- or, there are also hobbyist costume creators that are just that good (not minding what may be thought of the characters themselves -- at least from this small picture, those costumes seem to be well done). And, that "uninhabited stockroom" could actually be either the cosplay lounge or the preparation lounge for the cosplay contest (although, I don't remember seeing DBZ cosplay costumes like those on A Fan's View). And again, the hair seems more created through a popular fans' method of creating big hair like that (take soft foam and carve it to the best of your abilities).
Still though, unless someone notes otherwise, there's quite the possibility that it's the former.
NEXT STAGE IS 4
[this message was edited by OmegaDog on Tue 3 Sep 22:17] |
| Ishmael
166th Post
Regular Customer
| "Re(2):NY Times Anime convention" , posted Wed 4 Sep 09:56
quote:
Link Here
Ishmael, if it's not too much trouble -- and if the article isn't too long -- would you mind cutting and pasting it here. I'm interested in reading it, but not so interested that I'd be willing to set up an account with the NY Times website, which it appears I'd have to do to access the article. Thanks in advance!
--Chris
Sure thing. Courtesy of NYTimes:
Anime Fans Gather, Loudly and Proudly Obsessed
By JESSE McKINLEY
Friday night's English-language world premiere of "Cowboy Bebop: The Movie" at the Virgin Megastore in Times Square had all the trappings of a big-time red-carpet event, including appearances by the film's director, screaming autograph seekers and desperate, ticketless fans like Sorin Schiopu, a Maryland teenager who had driven some 200 miles to try to sneak into the screening.
"When I arrived, they told me that they sold out last week," said Mr. Schiopu, who eventually bought a $10 ticket for four times that. "But I saw this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
He was not alone. Mr. Schiopu was just one of several thousand anime fans who showed up, dressed up and zoned out during the weekend's Big Apple Anime Fest 2002, an event that coincided with the city's first major anime convention, the Anime Expo New York, across the street at the Marriott Marquis. Together, the two events made for a near-perfect weekend for aficionados of anime, Japanese animation, and all the giant-eyed, large-breasted and gun-slinging cartoon creations that medium includes.
The three-day film festival, which ended on Sunday, featured 14 feature-length movies including "Cowboy Bebop," a noirish sci-fi thriller about a slacker bounty hunter and an evil plot to eliminate life on Mars, and "Millennium Actress," a love story about a disappeared Greta Garbo type. The expo offered even more screenings running 24 hours a day in six screening rooms, and dozens of exhibits ranging from primers on the Japanese language to karaoke contests.
"We're rabid and hyper-obsessed," said Hannah Finne, 16, of Jackson Heights, Queens, who went to the convention dressed as her favorite anime character, Nicholas D. Wolfwood, a crime fighter who carries a giant weapon-filled cross.
"Just look at me," Ms. Finne said. "I'm walking around with a 3-foot-by-5-foot cross."
She, too, was not alone. Role playing was a common sight at the convention, which also included a four-hour costume competition on Sunday night. Among the characters roaming the hotel were people dressed as bikini-clad cave girls, slick-haired samurais and numerous young women wearing kitten and bunny ears.
"A lot of this isn't necessarily about anime: it's about a community," said Mike Tatsugawa, the chief executive officer of the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation, which sponsored the convention. "These kids all know all the characters, so there's an instant connection between them."
Many of the anime fans on hand over the weekend were teenagers and younger children, some of whom dragged bewildered-looking parents — and their credit cards — to buy DVD's and comic books, or manga, as they are known in Japanese.
Long considered an underground phenomenon, anime has been moving into the mainstream in recent years with the help of video games and fads like Pokémon.
Ken Iyadomi, the executive vice president of Bandai Entertainment, a Japanese toy and anime company, estimated that it had released some 75 anime television shows and movies in American markets last year, a tenfold increase over a decade ago.
"In 1992 there were anime fan clubs in some colleges," Mr. Iyadomi said. "Now we find them in high schools and junior high schools."
Film festival organizers also point to its increasing presence at the multiplex with movies like Hayao Miyazaki's "Princess Mononoke," an enormous critical and box office hit in Japan, which was released in the United States by Miramax in 1999, and "Cowboy Bebop: The Movie," which will be released here next year by TriStar Pictures. (The television series that inspired the movie is a staple of the Cartoon Network.) Other recent anime-style features released in the United States include "Akira," "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within" and "Metropolis," though none have done particularly well at the box office.
Some of the DVD's on sale at the convention were also part of another popular genre in anime: pornography, or hentai, including films advertising graphic animated sex and abnormally large body parts.
For many at the screenings, however, the appeal of anime had more do with sophistication.
"Most American cartoons deal with simpler themes," said Michael Ryan, a 16-year-old from Manhattan. "These are more serious and complicated."
His friend Jamel Collins, 19, from Staten Island, said the animated shows had a simpler appeal. "I'm just in it for the blood and gore," he said with a laugh. "Anything with a robot shooting other robots, I'm there."
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| OmegaDog
125th Post
Regular Customer
| "Immunity to ridicule requires having fun!" , posted Wed 4 Sep 20:08:
quote:
My major problem with conventions is that they allow nerds to act out their desires with impunity. In a natural setting, any DBZ fan that dressed up like Super Sayen Vegeta would rightfully be pounded by his natural predators the jocks. However at a con, this element is removed and the nerd can flourish in the artificial environment. This brings us to my point: nerds NEED jocks to protect them from themselves.
For example, in nature if there are no mountain lions or other large carnivores, deer overpopulate. They then eat all of their food and the majority starves. Nerds need small amounts of ridicule or they begin to put together elaborate skits involving wood elves. Once this happens their dignity, like the deer, dies off.
Of course, it's quite possible to get an immunity to ridicule -- that's my case there. :) But, for it to work, it's important you don't take any taunts too seriously -- and more important, don't take even your own endeavors too seriously. That's how you enjoy things the most, since actually taking offense at a jock's actions or sayings really has no point. [Edit: In other words, roll with the punches, and play along with with the person's taunts by acknowledging them and responding (positively) in kind.] You're more likely to look better in the eyes of a jock if you show that you're having fun, that you're not taking things too seriously -- and that you're confident of yourself (again, you can't take taunts seriously).
Example: I was hired to play Tony the Tiger in a college dorm cafeteria, and a lot of college students actually loved it. "How the hell?" folks might ask, "Aren't they a little too old for that?" But, it involves interacting in a lively manner with those who are happy to see a costumed character, passing by those less interested (don't even ATTEMPT to involve them if it seems they won't enjoy it) -- and for those that taunted (I had one kid who gave me the finger from afar), I just did, in a playful manner, an "Oh no, not a troublemaker..." gesture (drooping the costume head, covering eyes with hands and shaking the costume head) or a "What?! Oh no!" taken-aback kinda gesture without actually seeming offended (and more important, without being offended), and where they once looked at a costume character with disdain, they now laughed and were actually entertained. (I'm no master at costume performing -- but I at least know to take a clue and act accordingly...)
But, I definitely agree with you, Radish, in those cases where folks take themselves too seriously or where their actions endanger the reputation of the fandom in general -- like that [BLEEP]ING small yet [BLEEP]ING loud and ****ING IDIOTIC minority in the furry fandom who get their jollies by seeking to negatively disturb, as opposed to positively amaze, the "mundanes" (or at least show no regard for the values of onlookers) -- and hence ruin it for the 99.9% who are in the fandom to legitimately enjoy artistic endeavors [or to amaze any external onlookers in a positive manner -- and will back off if the onlookers aren't enjoying it (consideration for others' values take priority over continuing to role play)].
*ahem* (Off my soapbox...)... but yeah -- don't take yourself or others too seriously when you're doing whatever action you're doing, have consideration for others' values, and you should be all right.
[ Although -- there is actually a serious element in costuming, besides acting professionally -- in the case of those who create cosplay costumes and other types of costumes, serious dedication is needed to be able to complete those costumes for a particular deadline. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm operating on 2 hours of sleep from the night before...]
NEXT STAGE IS 4
[this message was edited by OmegaDog on Wed 4 Sep 20:10] |
| Gen 614th Post
Red Carpet Regular Member
  
    
| "Re(3):NY Times Anime convention" , posted Sun 8 Sep 13:33:
"
Anime Fans Gather, Loudly and Proudly Obsessed
By JESSE McKINLEY"
Ah they call them "obsessed" right in the title of the article.
"He was not alone. Mr. Schiopu was just one of several thousand anime fans who showed up, dressed up and zoned out during the weekend's Big Apple Anime Fest 2002, an event that coincided with the city's first major anime convention, the Anime Expo New York, across the street at the Marriott Marquis. Together, the two events made for a near-perfect weekend for aficionados of anime, Japanese animation, and all the giant-eyed, large-breasted and gun-slinging cartoon creations that medium includes."
Anime Expo is New York's first major anime convention? That's hard to believe. Anime Expo might be one of the biggest when it's in southern California, but what do they consider major?
""We're rabid and hyper-obsessed," said Hannah Finne, 16, of Jackson Heights, Queens, who went to the convention dressed as her favorite anime character, Nicholas D. Wolfwood, a crime fighter who carries a giant weapon-filled cross. "
Oh great we get a 16 year old who's probably new speaking for us. This is like the earlier post about please don't dress up as a Dragon Ball character.
""Just look at me," Ms. Finne said. "I'm walking around with a 3-foot-by-5-foot cross.""
""A lot of this isn't necessarily about anime: it's about a community," said Mike Tatsugawa, the chief executive officer of the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation, which sponsored the convention. "These kids all know all the characters, so there's an instant connection between them.""
Mike Tatsugawa is an ass ass ass, Mike Tatsugawa is an ass.
"Many of the anime fans on hand over the weekend were teenagers and younger children, some of whom dragged bewildered-looking parents — and their credit cards — to buy DVD's and comic books, or manga, as they are known in Japanese.
Long considered an underground phenomenon, anime has been moving into the mainstream in recent years with the help of video games and fads like Pokémon."
"Other recent anime-style features released in the United States include "Akira," "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within" and "Metropolis," though none have done particularly well at the box office. "
Hm, FF is more CG than anime style in my opinion. Just that it's coppied from a Japanese video game, and had a few anime elements in it. Wasn't it made by Square Hawaii?
"Some of the DVD's on sale at the convention were also part of another popular genre in anime: pornography, or hentai, including films advertising graphic animated sex and abnormally large body parts. "
Yeah, it's part of the sceen.
"His friend Jamel Collins, 19, from Staten Island, said the animated shows had a simpler appeal. "I'm just in it for the blood and gore," he said with a laugh. "Anything with a robot shooting other robots, I'm there." "
Not necessarily anything wrong with that!
[this message was edited by Gen on Sun 8 Sep 13:35] |
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