Art You May Hate: Cosplay From A Sci-Fi Convention In 1980

Kathy Sanders @ Westercon

In my ongoing research of all-things-niche I've come to several conclusions. One undeniable truth is that the geeks, nerds and misfits of today are products of something and/or someone.

We grew up in the time of Lord Of The Rings, Transformers [unfortunately], Scott Pilgrim and if you're an old fogey like me ... Willow. But this all came from something. This all came from someone. Several someones.

As a new year starts, I thought it'd be most pertinant to look back to a group of people who grew up in the age of a Day Of The Triffids, The Outer Limits and the good Star Wars movies. More importantly, when our elders say "they don't get kids nowadays" (a phrase I'm finding creeping into my vernacular), we can dig into their shadowy past and say, "maybe you just didn't hang out with the right people?"

This post also functions as monument to me kinda-sorta coming around to cosplay as a culture. There are still aspects that I don't get, but I think me not getting something makes it all the more worth knowing about. You know, as opposed to giggling and pointing, whispering, "look at those weirdos." 

After the break are more amazing photos. They come courtesy of The Los Angeles Science Fiction Society [yes, that's a thing that exists]. More importantly, there was a photographer around this time that said, "you know what? This is worth documenting." His name is Dik Daniels. 

Enjoy!

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Commercial Break: Sonic The Hedgehog = Gateway To Furry-dom

I see why the aliens won't abduct us anymore. Hey, I know a lot of you out there support furries and truth-be-told, I kinda like the fact that there's a sect of people out there that kinda weirds me out. I see it as a benchmark for me when I think I've become too desensitized. Just yesterday I explained to one of my young dancing students what felching is.

But here we are headed into 2012 with possible damnation and post-apocalyptic events in tow. Yet there is a man, doing his friend group a service. Well sir, who am I to judge?

Seriously though, you're weirding me out with the "I'm going to judge sexiness of fictional female video game characters by the size and length of their pony tails."

We could have a possible Bronie on our hands. 

Happy Holidays From The Brog

Oh that Krampus always causing a ruckus

As I sit here wrapping the final gifts, infested with flu-like symptoms, imbibing both wine and Theraflu. I'm reminded of several things: 1) no matter how hard I try, my allergy to alcohol will continue being my Achilles' Heel to a life of drunkatude. 2) I've never felt luckier to have met and made connections to you great people on the internet. Your tweets and inboxed links haven't gone unnoticed. Sidenote: some of that s**t is straight-up weird and has resulted in a record number of blocks and reports. So, yeah, there's that.

What was I getting at with this? Oh yeah, 3) I'm not a rich guy, or even moderately "balling." I spent a fair amount [okay, all] of my spending money on my mom and little sister this holiday. At the same time, I'm not trying to go in debt or make a material statement as to my status in life. I got lucky with this friend group. They only expect me to be me. It was super-unfortunate I couldn't get everyone at least a joke/gag gift, but this post will have to suffice.

Below you'll find links to art, articles, and videos that I hold very dear. Some are to be taken in jest, others not-so-much. Thanks for the support.

And don't let Krampus poke you.

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Persona 4 - The Ultimate In Mayonaka Arena Combo Sampler

Many thanks to Jourdal's video coverage of a game most fighting game sites are keeping quiet about.

Though I have yet to finish a Persona game [even in game format, I hate doing homework], I don't think it will be a prerequisite to play the game. Looks fairly standard for an Arc System title. Can't wait to see what comes of this. 

[*crosses fingers hoping there is an animation of high school kids shooting themselves in the head]

Graphic Update: Asterios Polyp

I’m terrible at preparing for long distance travel. Choosing something to read on a flight gives me the sweats. In August I visited San Diego, I took Phonogram: Rue Brittania and Asterios Polyp. I’ll just say I’m glad I read “Phonogram” first. When you’re trapped on a plane with a crying baby and a man who smells like sour bratwurst, you’ll thank me for recommending this book.

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Commercial Break: Can You Remember The First Time You Saw Yourself?

I can't quite vocalize specifics of the tech being used here, so I'll let the engineers responsible do that for you here. However, I want to highlight a portion of their synopsis that struck a chord with me.

This quite simple experiment touches interesting psychological aspects of self-consciousness, whose complexity can be proved by the fact I already mentioned of the few species that can recognize themselves in front of the mirror.

I'm realizing my next batch of upcoming articles deal largely with how personally I process detail in art and/or the production of said art. When I saw Qbo, looking at himself ... itself, I first thought [skeptically] how much assistance is being used. I hear keyboard clatter, is this playing a role?

Then I let go. I looked at the robot's optical movements as if looking at a car being manufactured. Jigsaw puzzles being aligned but not wedged together. Then the instructor tells Qbo that the reflection is of him ... of it. 

I tried thinking long and hard about the first time I saw my reflection. It was so far back that my consciousness takes for granted how our brains adjusted and have been adjusted time and time again, in how we see ourselves, and how we see each other.

A very human side of me wondered if a 'second Qbo' was there looking at an adjacent mirror, would the litany of pre-programmed reactions have still been "Nice?" What if Qbo's reaction wasn't so cheerful?

I love that the next frontier of artificial intelligence is of aspects of the self-conscious. But I do find it funny that we must build something wholly new, to understand something about ourselves. Thoughts?

Commercial Break: Robot Starfish Isn't Lame

So the Harvard engineering research department has been up to no good. In by that I mean, they've possibly created several breakthroughs with just one robo-project. Here we see a video that has all the fireworks of paint drying, but what you don't see are the many uses that could come as a result.

By creating a "soft robot" we can come closer to understanding how inverterbrates function. Their muscle structure and movements could lead to several marine biological studies. Not only this, but there is a clear military use that will most-likely follow. And I'm all for more robots and less humans out on the battlefield [at least, when asked].

One result I hope comes from this is an advancement in prosthesis and amputee studies. We could finally be closer to giving those in need something past a mannequin limb.

Anyway, that's it from me. I'll get back to writing about games and stuff...

Commercial Break: Comedy Gold -- Schwarzenegger Commentates Total Recall

Right right, this is primarily a games site. I know. I've been playing more games [Demon's Souls namely]. However, let the soothing, nonsensical words of Arnold Schwarzenegger ease your fears. I'm still writing everyday. You'll see gaming related stuff eventually, but until then, enjoy.

Also realize that the American public, at one time, thought this man was suitible to be a govenor. Yeah. Chew on that one for a bit.

Audio Files: "The Vision" Beat Tape by DJ Manwell

From the basement of the Midwest, to the Bay Area. The Vision beat tape....produced and scratches by Dj Manwell by Dj Manwell

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Commercial Break: Naked People Humping

The Humping Pact, Zollverein Coalmine (excerpt) from Dmitry Paranyushkin on Vimeo.

So here we are. Getting ready to go stuff ourselves with large plates of food, while others who are less fortunate go [potentially] forgotten. But everyone hates seeing those Sally Struthers commercials right? No one wants to see a group of Natives on C-SPAN demanding that the actual holiday of Thanksgiving be abolished. No. We want sports, an Adam Sandler movie of questionable quality and Black Friday deals.

I can't compete against that. But before you cart yourself off to your incubated home of familial love. I want the first thing you think of, prior to shoving corn fed meats into your gullet, to be a group of naked dudes humping stuff.

Why? I mean, when you think about it, why not. There was someone out there that had the presence of mind to ask some models, "Hey, mind rubbing your pee-holes up against sharp, rusty metal and dried twigs?"

Now go on and have yourself a delicious dinner.