Familiar Stomping Grounds: All-con and the Tarantino Show

"Audiences know what to expect, and that is all they are prepared to believe in." - Player King, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard

As you've noticed, I have been quiet lately, both here and on the stage.  I really burned myself out in March but couldn't stop going until the end of April.  Add in some changes to my health, and I've had to readjust my overall lifestyle.  It's a work in progress.  Oh and my photo editing program died on me (which is pertinent as you will find out later).

Inspired by one of my favorite BMX riders Scotty Cranmer, I attempted to start making video for Youtube.  However, my daily life isn't that exciting, and both lab and backstage have aspects that are off limits.  So it's back to writing, which better fits my skill set and technological resources.

By Neither Noir
www.neithernoir.com

I did seven panels at All-con this year.  Although I enjoy talking about all of the topics, that's a lot to handle.  Thankfully, and unfortunately, Vylette La'Pairadoux and I decided to put Ladies of Power on indefinite hiatus.  There are other cosplay charity groups and panels about social issues, and both of us are more focused on burlesque anyway.  I do have a new panel idea that I would like to submit next year, but I have to make sure I don't overdue.

Despite my exhaustion, I had a great time.  Ben Dover joined Black Mariah and me for the nerdlesque panel; it was cool getting a drag perspective.  As you may have seen with an earlier post, I got lots of wonderful photos by Neither Noir, including some of my new Flannery cosplay with The Companion as Flareon (both from Pokemon).  I even got to talk skateboarding with the guys!  Unfortunately I forgot to lint roll my shirt so I have to do some editing to get rid of Flareon's tail fluff. 

Shortly after All-con was the third Quentin Tarantino tribute: Burlesque Is a Basterd.  I debuted my O-Ren Ishii act at the last tribute so I was excited to show off the revamped version.  However, I initially did not feel as well-rehearsed, but I hustled during the days leading up to the show and focused on the areas that needed work.  Then my sword broke the night before the show.  The Companion was kind enough to make a late night run for glue and my dad has since then helped me reinforce the blade, but I'm thinking I need to scrap a particular move that I don't always execute successfully anyway.

By Firebird Images
www.firebirdimages.com

Regardless of that and my panic about being late as a result of my late work schedule (I should take show days off but it disrupts the lab a lot), this was probably my best performance as O-Ren.  I may not have gotten all the moves, but I really felt in character.  Practicing only the facial expressions has helped a lot.  I also added fishnets to the costume and realized how much they flatter my butt.  It makes a huge difference when you don't have much junk in the trunk!

By Firebird Images
www.firebirdimages.com

The cast and crew consisted of people I'd met from different shows, which was cool.  The crowd was awesome; one guy even recognized me from All-con!  I've been thinking about what I would do if I decided to bring a new routine to the next Tarantino tribute.  Honestly I haven't seen too many his films so I don't know.  I know Gogo Yubari is the obvious answer, but I'd have to learn how to spin poi (and make a less spiky weapon) to do her properly.  It's too early, and I'm only just feeling good about O-Ren.  Perhaps it's better to focus on continuing to improve the act.  It's sort of like my History of Burlesque panel at All-con.  Every year it's always popular (okay, not so much this year due to the timing and location), and it's got good content so I keep doing it.  Old and familiar isn't necessarily bad because they might not be so for others.

Upcoming shows and AnimeFest photos

As I mentioned in my previous post, Tony Fo-Hawk is making his debut at this week's Tuesday Tease.  I'll also be performing a new act so come on down to Sue Ellen's with your dollars.  Doors are at 8 PM.

You'll also want to arrive at 8 PM on Saturday for the Texas Burlesque Peepshow's Villains and Villainesses show, featuring the Evil Queen of Burlesque competition.  I won't be performing this year, but I will be selling Ladies of Power mini-prints.  In the spirit of the show, there will be a 50% off discount on villains prints.  Click here for tickets.

I've realized that I never got around to sharing pictures of my fem!Naked Snake cosplay at AnimeFest.  Here's one from my solo shoot with Axela Media.  He did an amazing and you can see all the cool photos on my Facebook page.



I also joined my fellow Metal Gear Solid cosplayers for a group photoshoot.  Yohan Ko took a picture of us for Central Track (the first time I've been featured in a publication for cosplay), and Michael Nguyen got this fun shot:



Although cosplay is not my primary focus at all, I do enjoy fun opportunities like these.  I also want to thank everyone who attended the Ladies of Power and Nerdlesque panels. Your attendance means a lot to me and my fellow panelists.  The con season is basically over for me, but you'll see me again in the spring.

Letdowns and Ladies of Power

Upon returning from BHoF, I had zero time to recover.  As I mentioned in my previous post, an audition deadline wound up being a month earlier than expected, and while I didn't have to have a completed routine, I had to get my point across.  I could have waited for another audition, but video game-themed shows don't crop up very often and I had an idea for a Metal Gear Solid act brewing in my head for a year.

The other surprisingly difficult part was finding a box
that I could fit under. 
Sorry, you only get a peek of the costume.

Prior to leaving for Las Vegas, I ordered my main costume pieces.  When they arrived, I realized my error: I was thinking more like a cosplayer rather than a burlesquer.  Authentic BDUs make very awful tear-away pants due to all the layers and the cargo pockets.  Fortunately, my friends Radha and Ramon offered their sewing expertise and equipment to come up with something that could work.

I stressed like crazy for about two weeks, and when I filmed the routine, I felt like a badass.  Thus I couldn't help but be extremely bummed to find out that I didn't get in the show.  I tried to remind myself that competition was tough and that I still had made it into the San Antonio Burlesque Festival.  After a week of moping, I started to see where I could improve.  Just like the routine I submitted for the Moulin Rouge show, I rushed into this.  Even though the idea may have been in my head for a while, I needed to take time to let it develop.  Rejection is tough, but I have to move forward... and quit jeopardizing my day job to meet a deadline.

If the stress of putting together a new routine wasn't enough, I also signed onto do a photoshoot for Ladies of Power.  The wonderful Callie Calypso decided to create a cosplay calendar to benefit a local women's shelter while simultaneously promoting feminism in all its different forms.  To learn more about the project and help us meet printing costs, please visit our Indiegogo.  Fundraising ends in a couple of weeks!

If I hadn't made it clear in my previous posts, I hate sewing.  I wound up putting the task of finishing my Wonder Girl cosplay off until the night before, which led to panic and my poor partner having to save my butt.  The Companion had already spent his precious time working on my Snake costume for the aforementioned act, and now he was drawing out the "W" for me.  It hit me that I don't actually enjoy making costumes, making me question my involvement with cosplay.  That night, I decided that with the exception of a couple of dream costumes, I was going to stop all my future cosplay plans.  I'd still do cons in my complete outfits (because I do like wearing cosplay), but I was going to spend the time and money elsewhere (i.e. burlesque).

By HendrixHunter Photography
(www.hendrixhunter.com)
Make-up by Meghan Palla

In spite of that revelation and the additional horrible time I had trying to get a specific haircut for the shoot, I had a blast at the Ladies of Power shoot.  I had brought together different friends, and it felt good to be a part of something that was going to help others.  My fellow Ladies of Power started talking about group cosplays, and I desperately wanted to join.  However, I reminded myself about how unfairly I had been treating The Companion in making him be my tailor for both burlesque outfits and cosplays.  I needed to reprioritize and refrain from rushing into new cosplays (are you sensing a theme too?).

Ironically I've decided to work on one of the exceptions to my "No New Cosplays" rule because my hair is the perfect length after having had most of it chopped off to fix the botched cut.  I will also be performing in the Latin Burlesque Festival with Fuego de Samba (more on that in a future post) and at a Quentin Tarantino-themed show.  The later has me working on a new act.  You can bet that I'll be taking my time on this.

You can also catch me stage kittening at Nerdvana, a celebration of Taffeta Darling's birthday and the anniversary of Fangirls: Dames of the Round Table.

By the way, if you like my seeing my cosplays, check out my posts to Tumblr.  I've shared my favorite costumes of all time: #1-5 and #6-10.