With a Silver Bow

As usual, one of the things that comes to mind after a convention is future cosplays. It's also been a while since I last posted my 'to cosplay' list - I can't even find the last one through my tags - so here it is. Some of these costumes will probably never be done, and some have been on my list for years, but as long as a few are completed (like, say, three in the next six years) I'm happy. Also, not all the reference images are the greatest; I usually use my trades/DVDs/games for references instead of my digital images and don't have all the relevant things scanned/screencapped.

( Fairly image-heavy. )

I hope everyone had a good Halloween!

We had many more trick-or-treaters this year than last, at least 40 or 50. Official trick-or-treating hours are 4-8 PM in our area; last year we hardly got anyone after 6:30, but this year people came right up to the end. However, it seemed like not as many houses were decorated.

There didn't seem to be any common outfit theme. I saw two Batmans, an Iron Man, cowgirls, pirates, policemen, zombies, and a number of costumes I didn't recognise. Some of the older teens didn't even bother to dress up, but most did; some of the teen boys used the opportunity to crossdress. The only parent I saw dressed up was Cleopatra. Almost all of the trick-or-treaters were in large groups.

My outfit this year was inspired by artist Sylvia Ji (link to her official website; NSFW due to artistic female nudity), specifically her unnamed 2007 piece (image below cut). The facepaint took me roughly two and a half hours. Drawing curves and making things perfectly symmetrical are not my best skills and I didn't detail the forehead and chin as much as the original art, but I was much more satisfied with it than last Halloween's facepaint. Another half-hour to find the accessories and do my hair.

I think the art style is 'beautiful scary', but my mom found it more scary and thought I might frighten some of the younger trick-or-treaters. A few were scared and/or nervous, but most seemed to think it was cool/unusual and I got quite a few compliments from both kids and parents. The very last trick-or-treater (dressed as the grim reaper) described it as 'sweet but scary'. My mom urged me to find a name for the outfit that wasn't as obscure as 'it's inspired by art by Sylvia Ji (whom none of you likely know)', so, somewhat influenced by Emilie Autumn, I settled with 'Victorian skeleton'. (Perhaps I should have gone with 'a Catrina' instead.)

( Photos. )

We had roughly ten trick-or-treaters just after 4 PM, but it's raining now and the streets are empty.

For the first time in at least five years - possibly ten - I carved a pumpkin. My first idea was Apollo (from The Authority); he's solar-powered and has a corona around his head, which I thought would look cool with a candle behind it, but then I remembered that I'm not the best at drawing full body anatomy. Next on my list was Scarecrow (the Batman villain), but none of the sketches worked out, so I settled on a Dave McKean-style (Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth) Batman in silhouette. As it happened, the pumpkin was rather cut up on one side when it was bought and the more I looked at the slash marks, the more I thought of Owlman (Batman's evil counterpart on several alternate Earths). And so the final product features a looming Batman on one of the pumpkin's clean sides and his villainous counterpart directly opposite him on the deteriorated side.

It's very geeky.

[More trick-or-treaters just stopped by: a big bad wolf, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, Iron Man, and a Harley Davidson biker (who was an adorable little boy for such a 'tough guy' costume).]

Once the pumpkin dried out, the Batman side appeared even more stylized, but Owlman didn't work out so well; he has a less identifiable outline to begin with and the details began to warp after a few days.

[And more: another big bad wolf and a witch.]

I decided on The Authority's Jenny Quantum for my costume (who I wrote more about here), mainly using this sketch by Dustin Nguyen. All the materials I used I already had, some of the clothing obviously being a bit too big despite being size small; I did, however, put the triangle on the t-shirt with a stencil and a fabric marker and make some extremely fake cigarettes for props. With some adjustments, I might bring her to PortCon.

[And more, but I didn't recognize any of their characters.]

[Oooh! A Superman!]

( Photos of the pumpkin and Jenny Q. )

[We just got a whole slew of trick-or-treaters that included a Batman and Batgirl candy-gathering together. ^^]

[Wonder Woman!]

Written at last. Since there's roughly a month to cover, it's not as detailed as it might otherwise have been and there's not much emotion or reflection in this write-up since I primarily wanted to document the happenings. For PortCon and New Hampshire, I've based my descriptions on a combination of my memory and a set of quick notes I kept in a notepad for the purpose of remembering what happened on what day.

Everything is under cuts based on location and further sub-divided by date. Photo links are within the text.

( PortConMaine 2008 [3 - 6 July]. )

( New Hampshire [7 July - 28 July]. )

( Sarah's visit [28 July - 6 August]. )

After lunch today, my mum and I drove to town so she could go grocery shopping and I could get my hair cut. I've been growing out my hair since January for Ritsuka and printed out two of the best visual references I could find of Ritsuka's hair before leaving the house.

Going to get my hair cut almost always makes me at least a little nervous. In general, unless I want it styled a certain way, I'll just trim it at home even though it doesn't always come out even. With professional cuts, there's the personal interaction and the explaining of what anime is and why I chose to style my hair after my particular character. It can be fun and it's usually worth it in the long run, but it depends a lot on who the stylist is.

Fortunately, I happened to be paired with very enthusiastic stylist who was easy to talk to and had cut my hair once before. She also graduated from my high school a year after I did, but I honestly don't remember seeing her at all during school.

When I showed her my pictures of Ritsuka, she was excited to be doing something unusual and different. She also called Ritsuka 'she', but what do you expect from young male anime characters? 'This is fun! It's more like art with hair, which is what I originally wanted to do [as opposed to generic haircuts and trims].' My bangs and sides weren't quite long enough yet, but she worked with it and styled it so that it would look right when it grew out in a few months. I let her do whatever she thought best, only offering suggestions when she asked me; after all, I don't know very much about hair styling and she was happy to have a chance to experiment a little.

My stylist was very happy with the back, but neither of us were quite sure how best to style the front. Another hair stylist who had just finished with her customer and was drifting close to us came to offer her advice. Both of them got really into it and were excited about making sure the cut came out well. 'It's so fun!' was said repeatedly and my stylist let her perfectionist side peek through. Eventually, it was decided to part my hair over to the left instead of parting it down the centre like Ritsuka's since the former is how my hair parts naturally and my bangs are still short compared to Ritsuka's.

I was quite happy with the way it came out and was surprised at how little trimming and layering had to be done. Since my hair's thin, she used both volumizing shampoo and another foam hair thickener at my roots in addition to layering my back and sides a bit. However, she actually thinned my ends to make them more wispy. Other than that, the majority of it was done with styling products -- a hair paste for the sharp angles and general style and dry wax spray to keep it (mostly) in place.

Apparently, my stylist had so much fun that she gave me a card with her name on it and said she hoped I came back before PortCon for a follow-up trim. She also suggested I come to model for her at a hair styling competition they have every April. o_o By the time I left (it took about an hour), I think I had all of the stylists watching me.

. . . I suppose by now you'll be wanting photos, right?

I aim to please.

( Before and after. (These aren't the Ritsuka cosplay photos; those will come next. Unfortunately, my hair did get mussed up a little before I could take photos as we stopped at Salvation Army on the way to pick up a Ritsuka top.) )

It all started when I was re-uploading the rest of my photos from PortConMaine 2005 and ran across this Gaara picture. My hair desperately needed cutting and I really liked this Gaara coplayer's haircut, so I kept this image in mind when I went to get my hair cut last Friday.

Dying it was almost an afterthought. I hadn't realized until I talked to my Aunt Kate before PortCon how long it had been since I last dyed my hair. (PortCon 2005, I think?) But again, I liked this Gaara cosplayer's haircut and seeing Kelsey with her dyed hair also inspired me, so I bought a box of red dye.

One thing led to another and I figured that, if I had Gaara's hair, I might as well try his eyes and scar (the kanji for love ['ai'] that's above his left eye), too. I also wanted to try creating Hiei's Kokuryuuha, or Dragon of the Darkness Flame, after discussing potential Yuu Yuu Hakusho cosplays with Kun, and since I'd need the same black paint for both Gaara and Hiei . . .

Photos are here. Gaara and Hiei photos are on the first page, while photos of me directly after the haircut are on the second. This is the reference image I used for Hiei's Kokuryuuha and this is the reference image I used for Gaara.

Things to remember for the next Kokuryuuha painting: (1) Seal the areas around the elbow and the armpit as soon and they're painted; otherwise, they'll smear. (2) The most important thing is to keep the width consistent; make sure the coils, especially the fourth one, don't get too thick. (3) A mirror is required to paint the coils past the elbow. (4) The sealer might require a second layer of paint for optimum appearance; either that, or try using the spray sealer instead of the powder.

For anyone interested (or only for my own future reference), the material I used were: Ben Nye Professional Clown Series black creme makeup, Ben Nye Neutral Set Colorless Face Power, four brushes (three Mehron Stageline brushes [numbers 310, 312, 314] plus one eyeliner brush of an unknown brand), and d:fi Pliable Molding Creme for the hair. I also used a 'love'/'ai' kanji temporary tattoo for Gaara and cleaned up with cold cream (to remove the make-up) and rubbing alcohol (to remove the excess oils).


Finally, I finished backing up all of my Yahoo photos and transferred all of the ones I wanted onto LiveJournal. New galleries include PortConMaine 2004, Halloween 2005 (Killua), Killua Skateboard, Pre-AnimeBoston 2006 New Hampshire Photos, Room, and New Hampshire 2005. Updated galleries include Ocean, L, Halloween 2006 (Yuugiou), Yami no Matsuei 2004, Nature, PortConMaine 2005, and AnimeBoston 2006.


Next: Two final New Hampshire-ish posts (one about the series I read and saw while there, the other about cosplay for next year), then I finally get to reading comments and everyone else's journals.

While cleaning my room, I discovered a photo I didn't even realize I had. It was taken on Halloween of 11th grade (2003) and documents the first time I ever cosplayed Kurosaki Hisoka. The photo isn't the best, but it's there and you can also get a rough idea of what part of our village looks like in Fall from the background.

I also found a photo of the first person to ever cosplay Tsuzuki with me, also from Halloween 2003; this is Sarah, who was one of my closest friends in High School. (Hopefully she doesn't mind me posting this.) The bag she's holding is for trick-or-treating and was made by me; I also made a Hisoka one, which I still have, but it's seen better days.

( Photos. )

It's been almost five years since then, but even though I haven't watched or read Yami no Matsuei in a while, it's left an undeniable impact on my life. Through it, I've met some of my closest friends and had some of my most treasured experiences. Even now, YnM remains one of my favourite anime/manga series, second only to Hunter x Hunter.

( The succession of Tsuzukis. )

( Other Hisokas. )

( Precious Tsusoka moments. )

who are you?




( I will definitely catch you, for I am Justice. )

I decided to group the photos by category rather than chronologically, but if you'd rather see them in the order I took them, you can look at my [dead link] Yahoo photo album.

hitokiri_quatre's photos are [dead link] here and there are better photos of the Egyptian Arc Yuugiou group here.

Edit: Someone put up a video clip of the Prince of Tennis Masquerade skit on YouTube; you can watch it here. Sadly, I can't find any clips of the Yuugiou skit.

( convention x photos x memories )

The last of the varnish is drying on the skateboard right now. I only did one coat on each side due to time limitations, but it should be good enough. Also sanded the black paint off the top of the bolts and painted them with the correct colours. Will post photos after we put the wheels back on tomorrow.

The yellow did spread past the tape a little even though there were no noticible air bubbles. Fortunately, we were able to take most of the excess off with paint thinner. The lines aren't perfectly straight, but you probably wouldn't notice unless you're standing very close to it.

Finished making a Killua ID tag today. Kind of cheated because I ended up using a photo from Greed Island on the front even though I'm going as Killua from the Hunter Exam, but he's wearing the same top and the image amused me. Killua x Gon love is on the back. Another thing I should post pictures of tomorrow.

Got two sets of nails filed into points. I'm only planning on wearing the long nails for disqualified!Killua day, so I figure I'll have one set to wear in the morning and another as backup in case the nails don't stay on. And if I have to, I can file more at Kun's.

Still need to trim Killua's wig. Also need to wash and iron clothes. And pack. Packing is important.

With all the work I've done for Killua over the past week or so, I did think about just cosplaying Killua all three days of AnimeBoston. I could go as Hunter Exam!Killua one day, disqualified!Killua the next, and kitty!Killua the last. My mum managed to dig up a cat tail and ears from the pile of stuff in the attic and they might work, even though they're grey, not white.

However, since we now have a group of people for Yami no Matsuei on Sunday, I think I'll just stick to my original plan. Now I just have to decide if I want to go as Tsuzuki or Hisoka . . . We have two other Tsuzukis, which means I can either give them another character to play off of or join them. We could be like the three musketeers! And that idea does amuse me muchly. XD

In the end, it'll probably come down to which one's easier to pack. Or I could wear one of the YnM cosplays on the bus and just have two outfits to pack.

Speaking of YnM, I've been so wrapped up in getting Killua perfect that I completely forgot to look for my 'fuda. -_-

(This is really just a sidenote, but I am bringing my leash and collar with me. Not for any particular cosplay, but I'll probably use it on YnM day.)

I've had a small cold for about a week now - mainly just a slight sore throat and an occasionally runny nose - and while I usually just let these things run their course, I've been taking Dayquil for a couple of days to hopefully get over it before AnimeBoston. Seems to be working pretty well.

My shoulder, however, remains a mystery. I don't know what the hell I did to it today, but there's this spot between my right shoulder and my upper back that's been aching constantly for the past few hours. Hopefully just one of those times where it feels good as new after sleeping.

Edit: Forgot to mention that due to time constraints, I will not be doing a pre-con Tsuzuki photoshoot or making a Mike plushie.


Things I've Learned From Working On My Skateboard
-The higher the number, the finer the sandpaper.
-Mineral spirits are incredibly useful.
-Paint out of a spraycan does not have the same consistency as liquid paint.
-Never underestimate how much time something will take.
-The tasks that seem easiest are usually the most difficult.
-Warning labels are often more dramatic than the reality of short-term exposure.
-The Dad has power.
-When in doubt, trial and error usually works.
-The gap between watching someone else do something and doing it yourself seems much wider than it actually is.
-There is a certain point where preparation must end and action must begin.
-Sometimes you just have to trust yourself; try and see what happens.


And 'cause this is apparently a post where I try to cram in as many different things as possible, here's a rough timetable for this weekend.


Wednesday - Finish all cosplay preparations and pack.

Thursday - Wake up by 7:30 AM. Bus leaves at 8:40 AM. Arrives Manchester 4:15 PM. Kuuuuuuuuuun~!

Friday - Kun and Tomo in morning? First day of Anime Boston in afternoon!

Saturday - Second day of AB. HxH cosplay day! Try to find as many HxH fans as possible.

Sunday - Last day of AB. Sadness. YnM cosplay day, making this the third con I've ended with YnM!

Monday - Get Kun to kick me out of bed so we can make it to the 6:40AM bus at Nashua. Arrive home around 11:30AM. Promptly pass out on couch only to wake up hours later feeling very alone and guilty for taking so long to post pictures.


And so not to end on that depressing note, lady_noremon posted the drabble I requested! [The request was Hunter x Hunter, Gon x Killua, topic = honey. Topic selection was not me with a dirty mind, but a line of Gon's from the end of Celestial Tower.]