Costumes, Comics, & Cake

twcflorkin asked: just to clarify for the anon, there's a game coming out called dragon's crown that's receiving a bunch of flack for the highly unrealistic, and by some accounts, hypersexualized character models. (the sorceress being extremely top heavy, and the amazoness/warrior wearing very little clothing and having a massive butt and thighs.) it's raised a lot of conversation about sexism and sexualization of women in games.

Thanks for the clarification! I was being lazy, though I just Google’d it. I really don’t have my ear to the ground regarding video games.

First reaction upon seeing the art: I think it’s gorgeous. Then I saw them move and, I kid you not, I was crying with laughter. Those breasts need to calm down.

I think the video game community needs to get laid, honestly. Maybe then people wouldn’t flip their lid over some breasts and thighs. I understand the sensitivities regarding sexism, but it feels like most people are just looking for the next thing to raise their pitchforks at. It was only two months ago that Tomb Raider came out, where Lara got a makeover and completely fell away from the oversexualized heroine she once was. On top of that, the game was great. And it was totally under-celebrated for those achievements.

People don’t want to celebrate, they want to complain. Maybe gaming companies like everyone complaining. Afterall, I now know about a video game I hadn’t heard of before due to controversy alone.

Yet, you never hear complaints when a male is sexualized in video games, do you? But it happens.

The whole ordeal all seems very one-sided.

(This is all coming from someone who has dressed up as one of the most hyper-sexualized video game characters there is, and cracks up when watching Queen’s Blade, so take it with a grain of salt)

EDIT: Also, I am extremely top-heavy and also have a massive butt and thighs. Does that intrinsically make me hyper-sexualized? Or highly unrealistic?

ask-kenobi90 asked: I have a small question, though I'm not sure if you would be able to answer, but, do you have any tips on what material to use on some kind of costume that requires metal-like platings, like an armor? Metal itself would probably be out of the question cause price, or sometimes weight, so.

I sure do have an answer.

The original post is by RuffleButt Cosplay and can be seen here.

I use pretty much the same method, covering things in metallic spandex. I’ve used craft foam and Wonderflex, and instead of rubber cement, I use spray adhesive. Whichever works easier for you! But this is the method I’ve used for both Ivy Valentine gauntlets/armor and Red Sonja’s pauldrons, and people have mistook them for metal before. Lightweight, cheap, and convincing!

jonahkue asked: Have you ever been in film, television, or video? If not, is it something you'd consider?

I have not been in any of those particular mediums, but I do work in theatre. Live audiences terrify me a great deal more than a soulless camera, so…yeah, I’d consider it.

ALSO, MARVEL, LET ME BE YOUR CAROL DANVERS PLZ

Anonymous asked: How do you feel about the recent controversy concerning the breast size of the Dragon's Crown Sorceress?

I have no idea what you’re talking about.

Anonymous asked: do you have a wishlist or somewhere for people to buy your cosplay stuff?

I don’t do the ‘wishlist’ thing. I don’t have a PO box. Getting gifts from strangers weirds me out a little. And I’d prefer if you donated to a charity.

But, if you really want to, you can visit my site www.bellechere.net where you can buy prints or donate to my costuming endeavors.

vickitron asked: I have a question! I am currently making a red sonja costume and I was wondering about the fur cloak you have in your picture! How did you make it?

Oh, it was stupid easy. Lemme take a pic for you.

Please excuse ugly kitchen floor tiling. It was just the fake fur you can buy at JoAnns. Maybe a yard of it. I cut it down the fold, stitched it back together with leather string, and then I hacked away at it. Real animal pelts have sections where their limbs were, and I started to mimic that…and then got carried away. Maybe Sonja isn’t so swell at skinning animals. But it winds up looking pretty dynamic and, to be honest, few people are looking at the cloak.

Hope this helps! Good luck with your costume!

Anonymous asked: Do you think girls who pose nude for CosplayDeviants and the like give cosplayers a bad name?

They do a lot worse than just softcore cosplay stripteases over in east Asia, and most of their cosplay is revered like crazy. So…chill out? If someone loves their body and likes the voyeur thing, then let them do their thing.

Anonymous asked: I've always been split on this, and I think that someone such as yourself can answer this for me so I never make this mistake. Would calling someone's cosplay "sexy" (in a non-flirtatious tone) be considered inappropriate?

There are two things, here. Firstly, calling someone ‘sexy’, no matter the tone, is flirtatious. You are, by nature of the word, openly expressing that you find them sexually attractive. If that’s not flirting, I don’t know what is.

Secondly, the inappropriateness of the word ‘sexy’ is largely based off of personal preference. If you want to call me sexy? Hey, thanks for the compliment. I think it’s nice to feel desired, and my husband is proud of me for that and grateful that I’m loyally, unequivocally his. But some people don’t want to be thought of sexually. Some people find it degrading or objectifying, and they’re entitled to that opinion. What makes me facepalm is when the complimenter becomes belligerent when the receiver finds the intended compliment offensive. Don’t argue, don’t try to force the other person to accept the remark, just try to understand the other person’s perspective and apologize or let it go.

It’s hard to determine who will be receptive to ‘sexy’ and who won’t be. So! Since you’re not looking to be flirty to begin with, I suggest picking up a thesaurus and looking up the word ‘beautiful’. There are so many lovely, complimentary words that are woefully underutilized. I guarantee you will never be seen as inappropriate if you call someone ‘stunning’, ‘gorgeous’, or ‘radiant’.

Anonymous asked: Although I know you're married, but I can't help but imagine that guys still come over to you at conventions and come on to you or use pick up lines on you. My question is what's the best and worse pick up line you've even heard at a convention.

Y’know, I don’t get many pick up lines. Most guys actually assume I’m not single. At C2E2 a guy took my picture, politely complimented me (I was dressed as Captain Marvel) and then said “There’s no way that a woman as cool as you are is single, are you?” I said I wasn’t, and he threw up his arms and said something like “All the good ones are taken!” Even at DragonCon, where you’d think some great one liners would come from, guys have either just flat-out asked if I’m single, or assumed I’m not. So, boring answer. I do appreciate a funny pick-up line, too! We created some great ones at C2E2 based off of a friend’s Black Milk galaxy leggings. ‘Boldly go’ and ‘deep space’, etc.

Oh wait! Here’s a line I recently got: “Can I bite you to see if you’re real?” I really didn’t know how to react, other than a resounding ‘NO’. I should have said that I bite back.

Anonymous asked: How do you feel about people cosplaying to their body type? On the one hand, you encourage overweight girls to cosplay whatever they like, but on the other, YOU wont cosplay certain characters if you feel you aren't in shape/are the wrong race for.

I feel like it’s personal preference, and I’m not going to push the opinions I have of my own body on other people. Just because I don’t feel comfortable or confident portraying a character with a different body type than mine doesn’t mean I need to impose that view on other cosplayers. If someone feels comfortable with themselves, especially after already recognizing that their body type is different from the character’s, and still wishes to go through all the trouble of devoting time and money to dress as that character? Damn right they should be encouraged. That’s bravery and confidence that I don’t have.

Race shouldn’t have been included in your question, Anon. Weight can be changed - race cannot.