1. You do this for fun. When it stops being fun, find out what changed and go back to it.

2. Be gracious. Everything you say and do is being watched…. And a lot of times, emulated.

3. You cannot control who takes pictures of you, but if you make friends with photographers, they will most likely accommodate what you want and do not want.

4. Don’t ruin your health. Stay hydrated. Don’t starve yourself. A lot of costumers suffer for their art, but it does no good passing out.

5. If you are sick stay home. No one wants to costume with Patient Zero. There will be other times.

6. Get a handler. They can hold items, protect you, watch your costume and how others are around you. Be that for them when there is an opportunity.

7. Be aware of your environment. Don’t wear an inappropriate costume to the wrong place.

8. When the con starts, it is pencils down. No more working on costumes until after the con. You are there to socialize.

9. You have no idea of the power of a kind word. Give them freely.

10. You have no idea of the implications of a harsh word. Hold them back and only mention them in private trusted company.

11. If you wish you were costuming every day of your life, consider a career in costume design/acting/modeling. Otherwise remember there is life outside of costuming.

12. Don’t change who you are. You will want to fit in with some people. You’ll find people that will appreciate you for who you are and you them. Be patient.

- Originally posted on Facebook by Robert Gregg Barker, an awesome Imperial guy and veteran costumer.

The Movement #1

Writer – Gail Simone

Artist – Freddie Williams II

With yet more cancellations in the New 52 line up there are new series popping up to keep the number the same.  One such new title tries to do something different than the usual hero books.  The concept behind The Movement is that a group of super powered characters in the bad part of town take care of their own since the police do nothing.  However, the story follows some cops as they investigate strange murders.  This leads them into a fight with a killer that has strange powers.  Various other powered people show up and the comic concludes with a set up for the next issue.

After the reboot, Gail Simone has not been on her A-game.  Batgirl has some problems and this series has more.  This new group of heroes seems very generic and as the story is told from the perspective of the police (for the most part) we really know nothing about these characters at the end of this issue.  Worse yet, the dialogue feels right out of an early 90s comic.  It is very cheesy and tries to sound hip, but fails.  It really feels like this issue was not planned out well and that does not build confidence over how this series will progress.

That’s the final design, seriously?

Sadly the artwork is also flawed.  The character designs are a joke with silly looking outfits and strange facial expressions.  The backgrounds are barely passable and the color palate is terrible.  The design has a similar incomplete feeling as the writing does and it takes away from the enjoyment of this book.  The artwork looks laughably dated and it does not have a “throwback” or “stylistic” design to balance this old look.  It just looks very sloppy and poorly handled. 

Really? Really?

While I do enjoy the idea of original concepts especially from Marvel and DC as they tend to go back to their old ideas over and over this was a disappointment.  I came into the book with an open mind, but after five pages I couldn’t help but riff the book as I read.  The breaking moment for me was the appearance of the “heroes” of this book that look so stupid I burst out laughing.  This book feels like it is a lost title from the early 90s and not in a fun nostalgic way.  This book is terrible and there is no reason to recommend The Movement..

Final Verdict:

1 out of 5 – The art barely keeps this above 0

That’s so fetch

Preface: This is not a critique on cosplayers that dress up as sexy and scantily clad outfits, but the culture wherein cosplayers that gain fame because they’re known for dressing sexy.

This has been going back and forth in my mind on whether or not I should write this editorial. Everytime I see a new post about fake geek girls, slut shaming, harrassment, etc directed towards “sexy cosplayers,” discussion always erupts into madness. There’s been a lot of talk about the Vampy’s, the J.Nig’s, the Tanya Tate’s, the Ivy Doom Kitty’s, etc. My feelings were always towards, “If it makes you happy and it’s not harming anyone, cosplay as you please.” When Man Faye got popular, I was still apathetic towards the his hairy butt. Anything that builds unnecessary hype, I tend to ignore and do my own thing. However, issues regarding “sexy cosplayers” are often hard to ignore. Remember the episode of South Park where everyone was focused on what Britney Spears is doing next? The past few days the cosplay community was on Jessica Nigri Watch after a recent incident involving copyrighted material and a photographer. It’s a lot like that; lots of gossip, assumptions, rumors, etc that I just do not want an earful of. At the end of the day, I just want to cosplay as my favorite characters.

However, there is no denying this has changed cosplay culture. While you do have your echelon of queen bees, you also have the wannabes – the girls that want to rise to the same type of fame and then you have the wallflowers – the types that don’t want to give a hoot, but can’t ignore it because we’ve created our own TMZ out of it. In a way, it feels like high school – you have the super pretty and popular girls that every hetero guy wants to party with. Then you have the wallflowers who just want to do their own thing. There’s been certain signs and symptoms to this shift in culture. I’ve been active in the cosplay community since 2000 and well, what can I say…it’s different.

1. Queen Bees: Sex Sells

A marketing tactic as old as time. In the USA, a grown adult dressing up in a costume is often associated with sex appeal. Look at most Halloween store websites and you’ll find sexy versions of Big Bird, Ninja Turtles, Michael Jackson, etc. It’s no surprise that these cosplayers get the popularity they get because well, they do have the body types that would suit professional modeling and costume choices are on the skimpy side. Even when making girl versions of a male character, the alternative points to sex appeal.

I’ve seen people make the argument that it would not be so bad if the cosplay repitoire was not cluttered with just skimpy cosplay. This is not a slight on cosplayers who do skimpy clothing – it takes patience doing a zig zag stitch on lyrca when you’re serger-less. However, I do question when photos of empowering female characters are taken in a way that is to titillate than to reproduce a shot. I’m cool with Cammy victory poses, but when the photo is composed to look more like a FHM or Maxim shoot, that’s when I start to question. Who is it for? How does this show empowerment for the character? How is showing off one’s bare ass or a close up of the breasts showing off craft?

More importantly, it’s also the reception that it is getting from the targeted male audience. When J.Nig posted that she was doing a breast cancer fundraiser, comments were focused on her body than the actual cause itself. Male followers are just as to blame for this new cosplay culture. Frankly, I get that males will like anything that’s shiny and has boobs. Yet, I’ve just seen the worst come out of guys regarding comments towards sexy cosplay photos. When guys are proud they think of a sexy cosplayer during intimacy with their spouse or girlfriend, it gets really disgusting.

2. The Wannabes: Remnants of an Instagram Culture

When there are queen bees, there are the wannabes. Rosalind Wiseman covered this well in her best selling book, “Queen Bees and Wannabes.” There’s always going to be the wannabes. These are the people who want just as much fame, but are very desperate in doing so. I’ve encountered Freshmen cosplay girls – girls who are new to the hobby – who cite J.Nig as their role model. While I did admire Yaya Han in her early days, it was more for her craft than her looks and popularity. I wanted to make something amazing as her Hinoto. However, I’ve seen a crop of Instragm-esque shots of girls in the most overdone makeup and low cut tops posing sexy with controllers pop up. They want to replicate sexy gamer girl poses done by models. Even with that, I was never a fan of the trend. It does not reflect who I am as a gamer and neither does it reflect my lady friends who enjoy gaming.  So, when I see a model wearing nothing but a power glove and covering her breasts with said power glove, “No, that’s not a reflection of all girls who enjoy video gaming. It’s a hyper sexualized and unrealistic standard done by a marketing company to titillate adolescent boys.”

Yaya as Hinoto – Otaku Unite (2004)

If it’s not reshares of sexy-geek-girl-with-controller, it’s this race to get the most likes on Facebook. When J.Nig’s numbers were above 100,000, that’s when I started seeing more Facebook pages for cosplay pop up. I have no problem with cosplayers having “like pages.” I do have a problem when it becomes a numbers game. What’s the point of getting to X amount of likes on a Facebook page. Takopop wrote a very interesting article about this trend. Is it really worth it to gain so many likes? I thought cosplay was a craft – how you present yourself and how you level up your sewing abilities, not a popularity contest.

One of colleagues mentioned he had a friend who worked in a North Carolina Walmart. The retail employee, a cosplayer on the weekends, found a couple of otaku wandering around Walmart to find cosplay supplies. The conversation went something like this.

“Hey! You seem cool! Do you have a Facebook page so we can keep in contact?”

“No, I  just have a private profile.”

“Whatever, only REAL cosplayers have Facebook pages!”

Facebook like page numbers do not validate self esteem or worth as a cosplayer. This new culture has set unrealistic expectations that numbers of likes could mean popularity and perhaps a shot at being at guest at an anime or comic book convention. Instead of progress photos, it’s instagram photos that’s close ups of body parts being passed off as progress rather than the project itself. It’s sad that girls are falling into this wannabe culture. I’m fine with people wanting to be fitter (as opposed to obsessing over thinness), but when it is about pleasing others than yourself, it’s a sad way to live.

“The more you change yourself to fit an elusive, ever-changing standard, the more insecure you feel. The more vulnerable you are to self-doubt, narcissism, and confusion—because you aren’t getting the kind of attention and acceptance you sacrificed so much for.” – Rosalind Wiseman

I have also seen this rush to monetize the hobby, not by commissions, but by selling autographed photos. I was talking to a longtime colleague that has been competing in masquerade for as long as I have, she tells me that it never crossed our minds to sell autographed photos of ourselves. I started to see this pop up on my news feed that people were selling autographed prints and it was from average hobbyist cosplayers. If every cosplayer suddenly goes into selling autographed prints, then what’s the point? Cosplay is no longer an art or a craft when it reaches this point. Focusing on monetizing the hobby is really sad; why charge for autographs – it’s just a hobby.

3. Cosplay is the New Black

The last editorial I posted was interpreted as a “should cosplayers be guests at cons?” type of discussion. While readers will interpret how they wish, I will pose the discussion more in depth here. I have no problems with cosplayers as guests so as long as they have something interesting to contribute that’s more than just being a cosplayer. What do they give back to the community? How can they inspire a someone in fandom to be a better fan? For example, there are cosplayers that have gone on to take their hobby as a career. Jezeroth designs  for various Las Vegas shows, Miko works for RuPaul, and even some have gone onto professional voice acting for anime and video games. They are guests not because they cosplay, but they have something interesting to tell. I’m also cool with cosplay musical guests like Mikarin and performing groups like Angel Hearts.

What I’m not cool is when conventions assume that the queen bees should be guests because “they are industry.” Cosplay is meant to be a hobby, ideally, a fun hobby. When conventions start validating that it’s okay to have sexy cosplayers as guests, it inspires desperation in the wannabe scene. I’ve seen more wannabes become vigorous on getting X number of likes to have this opportunity to get convention appearances as a career. Sorry to burst your bubble, but convention appearances and tours is no way to make a living. I even tell this to aspiring and amateur voice actors who assume that anime voice acting is a stable career move when it’s really not. Instead of campaigning for popularity, there’s always volunteering and organizing panels at conventions. You get your name out there by working for it, not by expecting people to “like” you.

Another point to bring up is one of the reasons why queen bees are validated as guests at anime conventions is because a lot of cosplayers happen to show up a cons. A colleague who works for Anime Conji has mentioned this to me in a Facebook discussion. Cosplayers don’t really want to see other cosplayers. Cosplayers want to meet and greet the people that made the shows they’re cosplaying from. With that said, because there’s so many people cosplaying from Sailor Moon characters this year, it’s more of a sign to get Sailor Moon related guests rather than asking for a Sailor Jamboree reunion.

How many people does it take to produce an Alodia shoot? And do they get paid in lumpia or pesos?

 4. Unrealistic Standards of Beauty Set a Record Low

As a Communications major, at one point, a girl has to write about “body image, self esteem, and the media.” I can go on for hours and discuss about unrealistic standards that the media produces. What I’m concerned about is how this culture – by conventions validating it, fanboys liking it – affects the typical fans who just want to cosplay. We like nerdy things like anime because it’s so different from the norm. At one point another we have always felt left out for being nerdy. Why do unrealistic standards of beauty have to follow us in cosplay? When did cosplay become a beauty pageant?

Bodyshaming has always been around cosplay. Yet, it has gone uglier with social media and public forums that hold no accountability. There’s this unrealistic expectation that you need to look as built as a comic heroine or a demure large breasted anime girl. This is not to body shame fit people who can pull off the look, but the expectations that are perpetuated by /cgl, facebook comments, etc. Would articles that defend the “cosplay babes” also defend the Tardis Princess? Would they defend my friend John who cosplays as the Asian kid from Up?

Body Policing – tale as old as middle school

“For the vast majority of kids, you feel like you never measure up, and it’s so easy to get to a place of “I’m worthless unless I fit this impossible ideal in my head.” As soon as that happens you’re on a path to low self-esteem. But the reason I say that there really are no winners in this “competition” is that everybody looks at certain people and thinks that because he/she is so beautiful they must never struggle with these issues or they must not be insecure. The reality is, in my experience, even those girls and boys feel like they’re never good enough, or they feel like they would be nothing if that façade were taken away.” – Rosalind Wisemen

Most of all, I have had friends who feel nervous about cosplaying as characters because they feel that because So and So did it, they do not want to deal being compared to. So what? Cosplay what you want, who cares what fanboys think? If your heart is into the character, that’s what matters. If you’re happy with what you’ve made, at the end of the day, it does not matter what some looser on 4chan thinks.

 5. A Competition Where Nobody Wins

It’s unfortunate that I have been running into friends who have been cosplaying for some time just feel like dropping out of the hobby. They’ll go to conventions, but to them the hobby is no longer about the love, it’s about how hot you look. When you see top ten lists from so-called comic con coverage on who’s the best cosplayers at the con, there’s a trend they took the sexiest costumes rather than the crafty costumes. In a recent podcast with Nerd Caliber, the hosts talked about press staging interviews with famous cosplayers. They tried to pass off the cosplayer’s friends and their loyal fans who follow them around at the con. As a media outlet, this is an insult to journalism. This is fabricating convention coverage and using a press badge to enhance a cosplayer’s status than focusing on convention coverage itself.

Once upon a time, a veteran friend asked me to be a part of masquerade staff for a local con. I was thrilled to be a part of it. Said friend is a veteran of the masquerade stage and has won awards  However, her position for masquerade was axed in favor for a much more popular cosplayer – a cosplayer who has not won awards or has participated in numerous masquerade competiotns. I can’t blame my friend for feeling jipped. When people with actual credentials in competition and organizing convention events get replaced by people with lack of experience only because they are popular and have celebrity status, it takes away from masquerade. Masquerade is often seen as a highlight of anime conventions because that’s where the best of the best go to compete.

I also feel that veteran cosplayers are getitng the short end of the stick. I talked to a vice president of International Costumers Guild at Arisia 2013. While she does feel jealously, she wants the opportunity to teach others about the craft. There are veterans with plenty of costuming experience between masquerade, hall cosplay, and cosplays from many different mediums that would love to have the opportunity and the same kind of following to teach others the craft. Hence, I wonder if famous cosplayers who are invited to be guests on what kind of panels and Q&A is done because I don’t think I could learn from someone who has a six figure like following when they have been around the community for less than a few years.

 6. White Knights and Tumblr Feminists – Who Asked You?

Unfortunately, what we have been seeing and hearing in current events about rape culture sucks. Rape culture is a serious issue. However, this is the part of the whole discussion about fake geek girls, cosplay is not consent, etc that irritates me the most – the misappropriation of “slut shame” and “rape culture.” I will applaud cosplayers like Sonified and Gina B for knowing what they’re getting into when they cosplay in skimpy outfits and knowing how to prevent and respond to these situations. Having control and knowing how to prevent damage is empowerment than enslavement. Expecting men to “not rape” is impossible; it’s an ideal, but not how the world works unfortunately.

I have colleagues that are afraid to say why famous cosplayers make them feel the way they do because they’re afraid to be labeled as “slut shamers” when we’re really not questioning their personal lives. We’re not questioning or criticizing how many sexual partners they have. In truth, we want not to care, but we’re starting to give up. We’re tired of being accused of being in a category where clothing choices justify rape, it’s unfair to accuse people of slut shaming when it has nothing to do with the person’s personal life. None of us deserve to be assaulted, touched, groped, cornered, etc. Even when I have friends who are survivors and they are accused to slut shaming, it angers me even more because the person’s anger fails to see that they could be talking down to someone who actually could have experienced slut shaming.

The white knights have a field day with all of this. They love to randomly pick fights with people they assume slut shame. Back in the early 2000s, the Bay Area community was familiar with Crinkle Mai. According to a friend’s observations, it was not so much the poorly done costume, but it was more about the way she was acting and presenting herself in such a trashy light. It’s really about how you carry yourself. Beyonce said it best when she said that Destiny’s Child loves to dress sexy, but they keep an air of class.

Conclusion

Once upon a time at a con, I had a 2AM conversation with a fellow academic. He asked what cosplayers I followed. I was puzzled by the question. I much prefer to have cosplay friends than cosplayers I follow. It’s not until now I realize that it’s not that I don’t like these girls personally, it’s the culture that it has created that does. I’ve run into photographers that are biased against certain body types and won’t shoot you if you’re male or above a size zero. I’ve run into fanboys who white knight because they do not have any free time on their hands. I’ve run into veteran otaku who feel this is the final nail in the coffin to leave the hobby. I’ve run into convention organizers that justify cosplayers are industry guests despite the little to no contribution to the production and creation of anime. I’ve run into tumblr feminists who have lost sight of what real female empowerment truly is. I’ve run into girls who feel intimidated by the queen bees. I’ve run into the wannabes that want to be the next big thing on the Internet. I’ve run into countless articles and vlogs about consent, slut shaming, fake geek girls, etc.

This is not a slight on the sexy cosplayers, but the effects it has had up to this point. There is no denying that the community is far different than it was years ago. In the end, it is what it is. Yet, everyone plays a part in this culture. It’s up to you how you want to live in it and what you put back into it.

I’m not proud of the coast that I was born, raised, and was schooled for two degrees in. As a new transfer to the east side, I’ve heard stories about how much people envy what the west coast has. People dream of making it to Anime Expo at least once in their lifetime. It breaks me when I have to say, it was great…ten years ago. I begin to regret not attending some of the amazing opportunities that Anime Expo had – Maaya Sakamoto’s concert, meeting and greeting the creative team of Read or Die, a Q&A with Chiho Saitou and Yuu Watase, etc. I took this all for granted in my younger years. Now that I’m much older, there are much more things I can appreciate about Utena, Evangelion, and some of the mind-bending anime titles. What a thrill it would be to pick the brains of the creative teams – writers, directors, actors, designers, producers – of the anime that we know and love.

In 2013, something funky was in the air. I’m not talking about eau de fanboy. When the SPJA (known best for managing Anime Expo) bought out the fledgling Anime Conji, we had high hopes that Conji would have better quality guests. Conji did have guests. Yet, it felt it was more around cosplay guests than actual people affiliated in the production and creation of anime. With all due respect to TakoPop, I fail to see how they can be guests. While I do not know Vampy well enough to know what makes her stand out (other than this clip from a Filipino variety show), cosplay is a fan oriented medium. So, when Conji made the excuse that “cosplayers are industry guests,” this 10+ year convention veteran was appalled. Have we really gone this low?

It’s not just the guests at Conji, but rather also organization that has been run to the ground.  I was talking with a colleague about what’s going on with Fanime Con. It is becoming more evident that Fanime Con is investing more into their sibling steampunk con, it makes the paying veteran attendee concerned. Even the usual guests – Ric Myers, Hiroyuki Yamagawa – have not been announced for Fanime Con 2013. It’s not just the guests, but my colleague also informed me that registration for main events and finding information about how to participate in main events (masquerade, anime music videos, etc) is that you have to go through the Fanime Con forums rather than the website. Registration for swap meet and new rules for the artist alley have also been pretty funny. Artist Alley merchants have to prepare their stock months before the con. It’s only now the rules state that Artist Alley cannot sell images with copyrighted material.

Of course, there’s Anime Los Angeles which hardly tries to make the event worth the rising badge price. I blame it more on the attendees who think it’s an excuse to have the frat party they never had, yet even the con chair admits he does not want to do anything about it. When I presented  Arisia’s guidelines on how to party responsibly, the con chair dismissed this. When your own staff admits that there’s pot smoke on the fourteenth floor and in the live programming rooms, you have a problem you need to deal with. When 20-something kids think conventions exist for their red cup beer pong dorm parties, it really cheapens the image of the convention. This is not to slam on parties at conventions – by all means, party responsibly. This is more on how entitlement culture in otakudom is killing fandom and industry.

Of course, you’ll have the people who will say, “So what? I’mma cosplay and party and get my photos taken! I don’t need no stinkin’ badge.” We take these conventions for granted. Would you still have your shoot at the LAX Marriott poolside during any other time of the year? I’m cool when people want to do photoshoots and cosplay at conventions, but when the quality of conventions are declining, you gotta decide if it’s worth your time on attending. Not paying for a badge is just as bad because it further perpetuates entitlement.

However, there is some silver lining. Neither Anime Expo or Fanime have happened yet. It’s all waiting game from here. Additionally, the Bay Area’s Japan Expo announced Noriyuki Idaware and that’s been gaining much more buzz on the newsfeeds than Anime Expo’s Alodia announcement. Many convention veterans have cited that Japan Expo is looking better than Anime Expo or Fanime. Sakura Con also manages to get relevant industry guests like the creative team behind Sword Art Online. Sac Anime, a convention that I critiqued for not going anywhere back in the mid-2000′s, has acquired A-list guests in the anime and video game industry. Charles Martinet, the voice of Mario from the Super Mario series, will be a guest.

Even still, conventions on the other coast have stepped up their game. Animazement 2013 has Han Keiko, Yuka Minaguchi, Koichi Tsunod, and a ton more veterans that 80s and 90s otaku that know and appreciate. I would wait in line for Han Keiko’s autograph. I’ll wait all day for her to do a Luna voice. Anime Boston has Origa, best known for her musical work with Ghost and Shell and has collaborated with anime legend Yoko Kanno. Otakon has TM Revolution. For the first time in a while, states outside of California have been getting quality guests and the organization has been fairly consistent.While not every con is perfect, the con should deliver something that all fans can enjoy to make the experience worth it. Even something as bare bones to have registration for masquerade, hotels, amv contest, etc on the website in a timely manner.

Perhaps this is a message to the west coast organizers to step up their game, particularly the long time running conventions that we have attended for so long. We expect more for the price of the badge.

EDIT: Now that this editorial has gone viral, I’d like to clarify that this is more towards convention organization from the top down. Guests have been a recent topic of debate. I’m writing from the perspective of someone who has been a veteran of Fanime and Anime Expo and is just now learning about conventions on the east coast. I’m simply comparing long time running east coast conventions to the decline of quality – guests, programming, etc – at the larger California conventions. If you’re unfamiliar with the issues Fanime Con has been having, I would encourage you to explore the forums and read for yourself.

Green Arrow #17

Writer- Jeff Lemire

Artist- Andrea Sorrentino

Of the phrases that comic book fans fear most few hold the status of reboot.  However, the second most feared phrase is “creative team change”.  However, with Green Arrow it is a welcome change.  While the first six issues were good they did not sell well, then we got ten issues of Ann Nocenti, who did an abysmal job of expanding the story.  Finally, we get a new staff on the book in order to do justice to this less popular hero.  The story is told in two sections.  The first features Oliver lost in the desert dying and regretting how he has lost everything.  The majority of the book focuses on a flashback explaining how Oliver ended up in the desert.  It ends with the introduction of Komodo and showing how over his head Oliver actually is.

The story takes cues from older runs of Green Arrow and a little inspiration from the Arrow TV series.  We get a younger Oliver than in the previous issues and this series plays more like a prequel or reboot than a continuation of the previous run of the comic.  The dialogue is great and it builds an aura of mystery in the book.  There is some great pacing in this book and it really seems to be building toward a really interesting arc that will expand on the history of the Queen family.  This shift in the quality of writing is a welcome change to this series and hopefully it will remain this way for this arc and all others forthcoming.

The artwork has a grittier feel than the usual Green Arrow faire and it suits this darker, more mysterious story.  The design for Oliver looks younger than he did in the previous issues and Justice League of America.  The costume design looks almost identical to the costume from Arrow which also ties into the younger design.  This could be seen as a prequel, except that when the story continues they make reference to the JLA.  Overall, the art is great and has a unique art style.  The battles look brutal and they add to the hopeless situation Oliver is facing.  The new artistic redesign will likely draw in new readers who are fans of the TV series.

I did enjoy the first arc of the New 52 version of Green Arrow, but when Ann Nocenti took over I dropped this series because of her intolerable writing.  I recently learned that Jeff Lemire took over the series, which inspired this review.  I came in with mixed expectations, but I really enjoyed this new take on the character.  If you have been watching the TV series you can easily jump into this comic without reading the previous issues.  Also, if you want a super hero book with more depth this will also fit that need as well.  If you prefer more light hearted comics or if over the top archery is not your bag then you may want to skip this book.  Let’s hope that more of the weaker DC series can get a redesign like Green Arrow, it might make DC fun to read again.

Final Verdict:

5 out of 5 – Way better than a Green Arrow book should be

By Jared, Snorlax Phd

Sandwiches are one of the best food combinations ever conceived.  They often contain everything you need: bread, meat, cheese, and veggies.  One of the oldest and best sandwich shops in LA is Philippe the Original (called Philippe’s by the locals).  Established in 1908 the shop features French dipped sandwiches in a variety of meats.  What sets their sandwiches apart is that the meat is pre dipped an au jus variation made from different meat drippings.  There is also a good variety of sides that can be chosen to complete the meal.

The restaurant has a very historical feel to the layout.  One of the unique aspects of the shop is that there is no assigned seating.  Most of the tables are long benches and you sit where you want much like a cafeteria.  There is also a second floor with more tables for the busy days.  The counter looks like a deli counter and service is pretty quick.  One of the major parts of the restaurant that stands out is the odd choice of adding sawdust to the floor, but it is likely to absorb any dripping that fall from your plate.  In addition to food you can also grab some merchandise at the shop and this is one of those few spots where there is some great people watching to be had.

On my most recent trip I chose the original dip sandwich in pork with Swiss.  I was told that pork was their best, though I almost went with lamb.  I also got coleslaw and pickled eggs for side dishes.  The sandwich was great and not nearly as messy as a regular dip sandwich.  The French roll absorbed some of the sauce which went well with the tender pork and melted cheese.  The sandwich is big enough to make a full meal and you should eat it when it is warm and fresh.  While pickled eggs may not seem all that appealing they are really well done here.  They are hard boiled eggs cut in half and pickled to add a different layer of flavor.  While you can taste the egg it is the pickling juice that really gives this side dish the flavor.  Finally, the coleslaw was also really good, but a bit messy.  It is made a little wet, but it has a nice sweet flavor that complements the sandwiches and it is one of the more popular sides.

I recommend the original dip sandwich to anyone who likes a good meaty sandwich, I enjoyed the pork, but you should try which ever meat you prefer most.  The pickled eggs should only be tried by the curious or those who like eggs.  If you are not fond of eggs or pickled foods you should obviously avoid the pickled eggs.  The coleslaw is really good, but a bit messier than I was expecting.  Thankfully I did not mess up my suit, but if you are dressed in business wear or clothing you would not like to get messy you may want to skip on the coleslaw.  Otherwise it is some of the best sweet slaw I have had in awhile.

Nestled in downtown LA Philippe’s is an easy place to hit when you are stuck in LA for an event or a fabric run.  Right down on the corner where Alameda, Main, and Ord meet it is very hard to miss the big sign.  This is one of those little shops that the locals know and often hit for lunch or before a Dodger game so be aware that it can get busy.  However, for a very reasonable price you can fill your stomach up at an easy to get to location.  Also, getting a seat is not too difficult to do if you have a small group.  It is also a good idea to have one person order for the group and let the other people find seating for everyone.

Final Verdict:

5 out of 5 – Stuffed, happy, and napping outside a cave

Writer – Kathryn Immonen

Artist – Amilcar Pinna

Thus far the Age of Ultron event has not been very impressive.  One thing I do like about the event is that the tie-in stories do not interrupt the books they come from.  Instead there are specifically made Age of Ultron tie-in books are made based around the most popular series.  However, one of these books is not based on any ongoing series.  Ultron #1AU follows Victor Mancha a character from The Runaways that is the actual son of Ultron.  The story follows Victor as he tries to save civilians in the Los Angeles area during the conquest of Ultron.  It is tragic to see how hard things have gotten for The Runaways and the ending builds upon the despair that seems to flow in all of the Age of Ultron material.

This issue is written by Kathryn Immonen, who has worked with The Runaways in the past.  This familiarity does help keep Victor’s behavior consistent with how it is usually presented.  While like many tie-in books this does little to explain how our characters got into this mess, it does show how he is coping with the war.  There is a good amount of tension in the book and the personalities of the rescued civilians do not help keep things calm.  Sadly, there is no character development or any real impact on the main plot of the event, thus this is just an almost pointless side story.  However, the ending is very exciting and it will make you want to know what becomes of Victor in this new dark world.  If we are lucky there will be some resolution to these events.

Overall the artwork is mixed.  The ruins of LA look pretty good, but when the story moves to the hideout the detail suffers a little.  The characters generally look good, but there is something about the facial design that seems off.  Despite that, all returning characters look correct and the Ultron drones look threatening.  The battle scenes look intense, but there is not much action in this book.  The art captures the gloom and hopelessness of the main story which helps this tale fit into the saga.

It is difficult to score this book as it does have some things working against this side story.  First is that the event is a little lackluster thus it is difficult to recommend reading a tie-in to an event that is not up to the usual Marvel standard.  Second, rating the art is difficult as I do not like the facial designs, but they may not bother everyone.  Finally, this is the first Kathryn Immonen book I have enjoyed, all of her work I have read thus far I tend to give up on due to her sloppy style.  Thus I suggest that if you are reading the main event then give this book a try, of all the tie-ins (thus far) it is one of two that I have enjoyed (the other being Fantastic Four).  If you are a fan of The Runaways this title may interest you, but it does not add much to their story.  Overall, it is a good book stuck in an event that leaves me unimpressed.

Bottom Line:

3 out of 5 – Minor flaws but an enjoyable read

Newbury Street Stroll Lolita Meet Up. Photo by Harmony Cloud

It was a late August evening when everything changed. My eyes were still feeling groggy on the six hour flight. As the Jet Blue flight was taxing to the gate, I caught glimpse of the Boston skyline for the first time in years. It was a sight for sore eyes. The city was lit up. I’ve been to New York and lived in LA and San Francisco, nothing lights up like the Boston downtown skyline. It was my “welcome home.”

It was not until recently I’ve fully accepted Boston as my home. I moved to Boston from a declining California economy to start up a new life for myself. Not only I found success in my career, but I’ve found new friends that I am forever grateful for. If you have experienced moving from one town to another, you know the value of finding an emotionally supportive network. It was not until the day before the Boston marathon, I felt at home in New England. After months of finding a niche – a quixotic community of frilly lolis and whimsical cosplayers – I finally found home. Home is not just the building you live in or the roof over your head; home is where you have support from people who care about you.

On April 14th, a handful of New England based Lolitas just wanted to have fun and do some shopping. There was no drama leading up or even after the event. People were generally nice and we even had a gal who was attending her first Lolita event. We shopped along Newbury Street, a brownstone lined shopping area. We had sushi and had hot chocolate. We took photos by an old Baptist church from the 1600s. No drama, just girls (and guys) just having a sweet time in fluffy dresses. We would not have imagined that tragedy would strike just a block away.

On Monday April 15th, when the news broke out at my workplace, I couldn’t help but think how one place where memories were made and friendships were started could turn into utter chaos. “I pass by that (Boylston) street all the time,” I thought to myself. Places that are so mundane, you never think that tragedy will strike. When the photos started to slowly come out, I just could not look anymore. Though I’m desensitized to violence on Filipino news (they have no sense of ethics), this is a thoroughfare I’m all too familiar with. Seeing the images – the blood, the carnage – you would think it’s from a movie set, but it’s not. It’s hard to believe that this could happen on a street you walk by almost every weekend.

Reflecting on this, life is too short for drama. In our dress-up hobbies, we become so caught up with how we’re going to look like and how people are going to judge us. We get so worked up on such mundane issues. The incident has inspired conversations of how anime conventions can be safe from terror attacks, instead I pose another question, “With all the tragedy and uproar in the world today, is our petty differences worth it?” Why should we worry if someone else is cosplaying as the same character, whether or not we’re going to be 110% accurate to a character, or even in this s0-called race to cosplay e-fame…in the end, it’s just us wearing funky outfits.

It’s all right to feel sentimental and look fondly on memories of the good times. Who knows how long they’ll last? It’s important to live in the moment and cherish the times we have together as friends. I intend to hit up Boston Comic Con this weekend because well, I love comics and I won’t let the attackers take away my sense of security and right to go out and have fun.

I’ve also been asked how I feel about memes that poke fun at the tragedy. I was originally going to post a separate editorial on comments made about an infamous photo of Rainbow Dash being responsible for the fall of the World Trade Center, but I guess I’ll say it here. While I understand that humor takes us away from the reality and darkness from a situation, there is such thing as bad taste. People are still mourning and making light of the events. However, what is more important is how you react to these situations. Are you laughing because it’s Rainbow Dash, or are you laughing at the victims? Are you responding in a way that trivializes and dehumanizes the events? It’s not so much the meme that offends me, but when younger generations say, “I don’t understand why people are so upset by 9/11. Whatever!” it makes you want to pull these teens by the scuff and give them a lecture about decency and history. To put things further, here’s an excerpt from the Anime Expo 2009 final thoughts:

“ The biggest offender was “LT & AX” where both reporters failed to mention the significance of the Onizuka memorial, yet the Challenger memorial (“blasting off”) was used as punch line material. Have we forgotten our history? Considering this is significant to Japanese American culture, I would have assumed that Anime Expo would have been sensitive about this topic.“

It’s really important that we don’t forget that these events effect people. People with families. People with friends. It’s important that we, as nerds, need to educate ourselves on history and it’s meaning and significance. When we live in times of tragedy, it’s important we pass this onto the next generation or it will be forever lost.

However, there are charitable ways that we all can help. It’s our time to be the helpers that Mr. Rogers is talking about. For those of you who feel like you want to do something kind, here are some organizations that you can donate money to: (thanks Jessi L!)

Limbs for Life

One Fund Boston

Boston Firefighters Credit Union

Any donation, no matter how large or small your offer is, will go a long way. Sometimes, we can’t help but feel overwhelmed by emotions and feelings in wake of a tragedy. While we do not know the cause or the motivation (yet), it is important to know that there are kind people in this world that will always outnumber the evildoers.

All in for Boston

- Scarlet

Scarlet is the Editor in Chief of Scarlet Rhapsody. She can be reached at v @ scarlet-rhapsody.com

Coord Info: A while back, Li Mei and I did a group order at Innocent World. They had their usual sale. I’ve always wanted a brown coord to go with a brown fedora. The necklace is from a mori lolita booth at Katsucon 2013 Artist Alley. The wig is from Goth Lolita wigs. I just found it amusing that Lei Mei wore the same color and Ashley had the same style, but in a different color (sans the pig tails). The socks are from the Another Anime Con 2012 swap meet from Metamorphose. The blouse is from Innocent World’s boutique set up from PMX 2010. I picked up the hat on the day of of the event at H&M.

Location: Ashley and I were co-hosting this event. At first, we were thinking about having a Lolita meet up at Taza Chocolate and do the tour. Unfortunately, they did not do tours. Instead, we came up with a Plan B. Since spring was in the air, we thought it would be nice to have a nice lunch at Snappy Sushi followed by chocolate at LA Burdick’s. Because Newbury Street is a poppin’ location for shopping (especially for loli-ables), we thought about making it a window shopping day. We had some out of towners (Rhode Island and Western Mass.) attend, so this was a treat for them too; an excuse to hit up downtown Boston. As recent Boston transfers (both of us moved to the Commonwealth in late August/ early September), we were not anticipating so many people showing up on the day before the Boston marathon – there were plenty of tourists, but they complimented and loved our outfits.

Food: First, we had a group of seven at Snappy Sushi. Snappy Sushi is comparable to any budget. I’ve ate here a few times and always loved the service. We were given the first floor table. It seats up to 10 people; good for large parties. The nice part is that they take reservations. Overall, the food was great as the company we were with. Following Snappy Sushi, we went to LA Burdick which was the next place down. LA Burdick is more a cafe, it’s hard to find seats that accommodate for larger groups. It was pretty chilly and windy outside, so we all grabbed hot chocolate and delectable confections. The hot chocolate can be best described as drinking a very rich chocolate bar; super strong!

Extras: Newbury Street has a ton of stores to look at. Ashe pointed out that Newbury Street is going to get a new make up store soon (Benefits). All of us rushed to Lush to grab some scented sundries here and there. After spending sometime at Lush, we all smelled like bath salts. We essentially went up Newbury Street to find goods and Loliables (or accessories that would work for Lolita). It was nice that much of the Lolitas were also into cosplay, and we were also looking for accessories that would work for future cosplay plans.

Overall: This was my first time (co)-hosting a meet up. While I was disappointed that Taza Chocolate does not do private group tours on weekends, this was a fun get together. I was really happy that people were flexible for a plan B change up. No one complained or started drama over it. I think everyone was just looking for an excuse to hang out and be frilly before finals start up. As a career lady, it’s nice to just be around people that enjoy the same things you do. I felt I really needed the good company to be around. I was happy to meet new people and I’m glad everyone had a nice time! Thank you everyone for showing up and thanks to our lovely photographers too!

Photos: All Here