Lyda Morehouse's Blog, page 49

Time-travelling Hair

As per the agreement with my partner, now that Detour is over, I have gone back to my "normal" haircut. This, according to her, will reestablish equilibrium in our relationship, as it is now clearer which of us is the butch.



And, yes, I'm stuck with the fuschia/cherry red "highlights." I'm telling myself that my hair is time-travelling back to the era when it was cool to have two tone hair. 1984, pehaps? All I know is that I didn't have it. Story of my life! When it was cool, I didn't have multicolored hair or eyebrow piercings or safety pins stuck in my nose or on my clothes. No, nearly thirty years later, I'm finally doing it. Now, when no one else is.

*sigh*

I think I'm going to miss my long hair. It was an adventure, if nothing else. And I learned some things I can use in fiction.

Detour Deconstructed

This year I brought along Eleanor Arnason to part of Anime Detour. When she left, she looked a lot like I did that first year--like I wondered what strange alternate universe I'd fallen into.

Detour throws us old-timer SF fans because it's held at the Radishtree, our old haunt, and, because, you know, it's a CON--we feel like we OUGHT TO UNDERSTAND IT, but, in fact, it's totally foregin... and not just because it's based on Japanese Anime. It's just a very different kind of con experience.

I think, thanks to my interpreters and the fact that I cosplayed this year, I finally get Detour... or, at least, I get how *I* can appreicate it and enjoy myself. Cosplaying is actually very central to a large part of this con. I posted pictures of this, but the garden courtyard is entirely devoted to professional stage set ups where you can pose for pictures of the amazing work you put into your costume. Because, damn, people put in serious work on some of these costumes. I didn't even try to take pictures of all the things, but I saw people in full Iron Man armor, and stuff I didn't even know WTF it was, but it looked like a whole LOT of work just to walk around in.

People who aren't in costume actually stand out. That's how many participants are cosplaying. In fact, at one point, I was crowd-watching and I saw a guy in a tee-shirt and jeans and I was like, "Huh, I wonder what show that's from...?" for a good three minutes until I realized HE WAS JUST A GUY IN A TEE-SHIRT.

Panels exist, but not like they do at other cons. The program guide has participants listed by who they're cosplaying so you know, you go to a panel on BBC's Sherlock and the panelists include Sherlock, Watson and Maycroft and they tend to talk about the show as though it was their real lives. At least, that was true on the panel I was supposed to be on last year about Full Metal Alchemist. There are other panels, like the two I participated in this year (fandom on the internet and what you need to know about writing), which were much more like a typical convention panel, but those are pretty rare. I will say that once again (like I did last year) I attended a panel about Bleach and wanted to rip my hair out or possibly pull Zabimaru out of my soul and MURDER THE PANELISTS.

Why?

Because the panel was supposed to be about the big three: Bleach, Naruto, and One Piece and about how they were ending soon and what Jump might replace them with. Last year, like this year, it became clear they were all One Piece and Naruto fans and their idea of talking about Bleach was to put up an annoying Manga panel where Renji is being particularly stupid and then making some dissing remarks about how dumb the filler arcs and then go back to talking about Naruto. They used a panel still last year. The big difference this year is that they let us watch the Anime clip of the same GODDAMN MOMENT. And you know what? None of that was EVEN new this year! It was from the middle of the Arrancar arc. There was only cursory talk about some of the events happening right now, and then on to One Piece or back to Naruto. Me and Ichigo (the other obvious Bleach fan there) were really ticked. Even the guy next to me who loved Naruto and was ticked at how dismissive the panelist were about his Manga as well as ours. The panelists seemed to be the type of young men/boys who thought that to be "intellectual" about an Anime or Manga, meant being rude about it.

And they didn't even seem to be reading JUMP. I actually *subscribe* and could have talked moderately well about the things JUMP seems to be testing out to replace Bleach. A LaCrosse themed Manga? Barrage. And the new one with the Neighbor aliens whose name escapes me. (Truthfully, I'm unhappy with a lot of it and so I skim the stories, but I at least know the sorts of things they've been running recently.) Ironically, the panelists were saying they'd need some new blood to do this panel next year, and I had to wonder how a person got that gig. I may actually have to volunteer.

/rant

I wasn't intending to go on about that as long as I did. Especially since the point really was that Detour isn't about the panels anyway. It's about costuming and previewing new Anime and the dealer's room and all the fan created stuff.

I also lucked out because I happened to know Anton, which means that at Gaylaxicon I got to know J. Michael Tatum there where he's just this guy, you know, and a F*CKING ROCKSTAR at Detour. Thus, as it happens I got to rub shoulders with a GoH, have dinner with him and late night fun at the bar (and, oddly, the furry party, and now I have an inappropriate picture of Michael at the furry party doing rude things with a tanuki that I'm not sure what to do with... I'd use it for blackmail, but since his boyfriend took a picture too, I'm not sure it's worth much.)

So, I mean, I had a blast because OMG Michael is awesome and every time I hang out with him I fall in love just a little bit more.

But, yeah, no. Eleanor bounced right off Detour.

Last of the Photos

I'd planned to post the last couple photos from Detour tomorrow, but I think I'll put them up today with the thought that tomorrow, I will attempt to deconstruct my con experience. Probably the funniest thing that happened today was when I was blearily standing in line for coffee in full Renji/shinigami regalia, I got a: "Finally, a Renji cosplayer!" and a high-five.

Here's me an a Ichigo (in bankai, obviously):




A very perfect little Toshiro (with a grumpy expression even, whom I ran after yelling, "Taicho! Taicho!")"


I also had a person stop and ask for a picture of ME, which FLOORED me. I think the lesson here is, the costume makes the man (not the tattoos.) My only other final thought is that I think I may start recommending to my fellow fic writers that they consider cosplaying in their universe at least one time. I learned a lot about walking in tabi and sandals as well as the excitement that is stairs and hakama (and mine were fake!) and ZOMG WTF escelators and hakama....

Interestingly, as I was telling empty_mirrors on email, I'd seen a guy at the Obon festival who was demonstrating an Aikido sword form who did this THING with his hakama, where he'd take a fist full of the material near his thigh and jerk it aside before going into seiza or shifting into stance, and I thought, that's odd. Is that part of the form? Now I think it must be. I found I natrually did a very similar thing when faced with shifting in hakama. This gave me a wierd sort of insight into daily life/walking around. Also, wearing my hair up with the headband/bandana, which is very much a Renji THING was interesting, physically, too. When I was feeling kind of wiped (not hungover because I very, very rarely drink at cons), it felt really comforting. Like a brain hug. I wonder if that (and concealing the balding/tattoos) is another reason why the character might consider wearing it, you know?

Interesting stuff all around. Will talk about panels and people interactions tomorrow.

Now... a nap.

Detour: ALL THE BLEACH!

Perhaps some of you may remember that last year, I found the experience of interacting with cosplayers really... baffling. I didn't know if people wanted me to talk to them in character or...? I didn't even know how to really appreciate what they were doing without just being aggressively dorky (at least in my own mind.) I complained that I needed "interpreters." This year, I had two: Teri and Lisa. I started whining about how to interact again, and they patiently explained to this old lady two things: 1) you can always ASK to take a picture and 2) you're simply ALLOWED to talk to anyone in your fandom (if you are also attempting/doing cosplay.)

So, I decided to make this fun for myself and I gave myself a mission: collect ALL the Bleach cosplayers. I have a zillion picutres and I know I missed a Ukitake cosplayer (for a sick guy, he sure disappeared into the crowd fast. Shunpou?)

Okay, I'm not sure how many LJ (or my computer of Little Brain) will let me post, and I will attempt to say something to organize the jumble of awesome that is Detour.

First, given who I was cosplaying, I set out to collect all the Byakuyas (and the one other Renji-grrl):







Then, there were the people whose costumes were just AMAZING. I found the Espada guys particularly frightening because they traveled in a pack :-) :

A fantastic Hollow Ichigo:


Ulquiorra and Yammy:


Yammy and Zommari:


There were also people who not only did their costumes well, but also physically resembled the characters to the point I was like, dang, that's ISSHIN (from across the room) and then, I was like, "Why is he talking to Soi Fon???":


And THIS IS HISAGI, I SWEAR TO GOD:


In fact, he needs another pic:


A Urahara who was selling stuff in the dealer's room and very cagily would NOT tell me if there was any Soul Candy:


And, then, a couple of shots just to give you a sense of the scale of this thing:


Also, cosplay is so much a part of this con that there's a place in the garden plaza/atrium JUST FOR GETTING YOUR PICTURE TAKEN (I did not do this for obvious reasons):

Garments of the Dead

I woke up this morning to discover that, DESPITE ADVERTISEMENT TO THE CONTRARY, the tattoos had almost completely rubbed off in places! The irony? I HAVEN'T BEEN TO DETOUR YET! I know, right? The good news? I wasn't planning on heading over there until after noon (when we drop Mason off for a sleepover), and the dojon (where I left the paints last night, of course,) opens by 11:00 am for classes. So, I'm going scoot over there and pick up the paints in a little bit. Shawn agreed to touch them up for me. All should be well.

BUT, this got me to thinking that I probably need an alternative plan for what to wear on Sunday. Luckily, my friend and fellow writer Anna Waltz loaned me her shihakushô, which she sewed herself. The only thing I didn't have were sandals, but this morning, when I rushed off to Walgreen's to get some coffee and cat food they had flip-flops on sale.

The funny part? I think that the tattoos, even faded, are in fact MAGIC. Because the lady who checked me out, whom I'd been talking to, called me "sir." I haven't been called sir for about twenty years. I thought to myself, "Ha! She sees my inner Renji" (or, more likely? She was _so_ not going to look at anyone who had painted weird crap on their face. I had a a hat on, but she could probably sense I was not someone you wanted to actually engage because I was clearly insane. *snort*)

Anyway, here's what I'd look like if I went in costume (though I'd probably put more effort into the hair since I'd want it to stick straight out more in back.)

Tattoos!

Thanks to the tireless efforts of Nicki KSN, I now have tattoos!

First the front, in which I am clearly saying, "I don't think Renji has quite so many boobs."


Because, yeah, he'd wear Hello Kitty, you know he would:


A sultry look over my shoulder to show off the back:


I tell you, I'd feel a lot sexier if I was a lot more ripped. Getting these done at the dojon made me very aware that I should spend a lot more time jumping around....

Because the Answer is 42 or... Chickens

I was given a single question interview by Kenneth W. Cain: http://kennethwcain.wordpress.com/2013/04/14/single-question-interview-lyda-morehouse/.

My answer? Chickens.

My internet was down this morning or I would have posted copious number of pictures of SNOW. What I love/hate about Minnesota? School was not closed or even delayed. We got at least four inches, if not more. The plows have plowed most of the major streets, but the residental and side streets are a sloppy, dangerous mess. The sun is trying to shine today, but the National Weather Service tells us to expect more of the same: rain, rain turning to snow, snow.... I think for the forseeable future, I'm not sure.

Pictures may come, though likely the next ones will be of the grand tattooing paint project that my friend Nicki will be helping me with tonight.

Shit. I still have to decide what I'm wearing. I do have sunglasses at least. And some sexy jeans.

We Who Are About to Dye, Salute You!

Perhaps you've heard that I'm planning on cospalying at Anime Detour? I might have mentioned it once or twice. Detour is finally upon us. I have a date tomorrow to paint on my tattoos. Today, I dyed my hair.



I bought this lovely kit at Walgreen's. They didn't have a lot of choices for red. The guy I'm trying to cross-play has fire-engine red hair. Crimson. Scarlet. Ruby red. This package says, "raspberry." I thought the color looked vibrant enough, at least. Regardless, it was the best I could do.

Yes, it includes bleach. I kind of like the irony/appropriateness of having to bleach my hair to cosplay a Bleach character.

Here's me with bleach in my hair and a plastic bag on my head. I think I look startlingly like my grandmother Mouse in this picture.



Because Mason wanted to see how "white" my hair would be bleached, I took this picture of the top of my head:



And, then I applied the red. Below is a series of pictures for you get a sense of the color. I think it looks... fuschia or possibly a hot magenta. Not exactly the color I was going for. Though, at one point during the process, I was pretty sure it was going to end up hot pink, so, as you'll see, it's not quite THAT.

The whole process took me a couple of hours. I spent much of the day reading the proofs for Fallen Host, which arrived some time ago, but which I finally had a large chunk of time to read. What a great book! Apparently, I needed to wait a decade to appreciate my own writing. What's startling to me is that a lot of the story takes place in Japan, in Tokyo, and it still reads pretty well considering how much MORE I know about Japanese culture now.

Okay, the final product looked like (drum roll, please)....





On Saturday, I'll attempt to use product to get it to stick out of my top knot in stiff spikes. Between that and the painted on tattoos, it'll be clear who I'm TRYING to be, even if I don't pull it off... which is likely, given how little I look like this:

Anime Detour Schedule

Saturday, April 20
9:00pm
Fandom on the Internets (Panelists: Lyda)
Hey guys, I hear there are fandoms on the internet. Come find out if someone on the internet is wrong.

Sunday, April 21
11:30am
What You Need to Know About Writing (Panelists: Lyda)
So you think you want to be a writer? Writers from many backgrounds will give you some tips and reality checks.

And, of course, I'll be in full cosplay as Renji. I have a date for painting on tattoos and "rocket red" hair dye ready to roll. Oddly, what I don't have is a costume per se. A friend of mine loaned me an approximation of a shihakushô. But, given that I don't really have a decent katana or Zabimaru stand-in, I'm not sure how much it matters. I have a Hello Kitty muscle tee which I could wear if I feel like pushing the gender queerness of it all (since it is HOT pink, not really Renji's color, I don't think), while showing off the tattoos.

It should be... IN-teresting. I'm probably insane. But I've decided that cosplay is like karoke. I'm going to go up there and BELT IT OUT and my friends will probably cringe, but I'll have a good time.

Because Minnesota, That's Why

A large number of Scandinavians live in Minnesota. I think the reason is that only someone whose anscestors once worshipped Thor (or who perhaps still do) can mentally cope with the fact that this morning there was SLEET, ICE, SNOW AND *THUNDER AND LIGHTNING*

As one of Shawn's friends posted on her Facebook status today: Clearly, Thor is fighting the Ice Giants today. Today is a day for the business of Gods. This is not a day for mere mortals to brave.

And yet we did.

Here's Mason helping scrap the thick layer of ice and snow off our car:


And, Mason, who LOVES winter, shows off his "Tard," the Grumpy Cat, face at this unseasonable April weather:


And... somehow, I got Shawn and Mason off to work and school only a few minutes late.

Now my big plan is to hunker down, plant my butt on the radiator, and write for a while until the snow slows down. Then I'll shovel the walk and the unbury the car and get a few groceries. Because... it's supposed to continue to do this ALL WEEKEND.