FOUR OUT OF FOUR
Remember that post, a couple of months ago...? Diet, Lucca Comics costume, Big Bang fic... ...dissertation? Well. Aiming for a Most Procrastinated (Due To Length And Laziness) Convention Post Award, here we go.
- Not-a-diet's on hold atm due to stress and frequent cases of “oh noes I'm not going to eat in this spiffy restaurant EVER AGAIN let's go there one last time” XD But it worked.
- The fic is purportedly scheduled for Very Soon (tm). 14k wasted words but, hey, 300 of those are about Braska, it's got to count for something, right? Right?
- I am reviewing my thesis for the very last time. Eeeeep! Scary thought. Dissertation's in a couple of weeks, with the worst possible commission I could've imagined. All of the bogeymen of my department and none of my darlings. Scarier still. I cannot believe that I'm virtually already out of here - and into the unknown. But that's another post for another day, one full of pictures and memories, some of which haven't happened yet.
- Which leaves Lucca. Oh, Lucca :D Seeing so many persons enjoying comics and games in so many different ways makes me so happy. Everyone is there and everyone lives the convention their own way, it's inspiring.
Cosplay-wise, this year's major Italian convention has been very low-key for me for obvious academic reasons, but I had my share of fun with the little I had and the company more than made up for the lack of shiny costumes.You rock, guys. Every single one of you. Thanks for being there. And a big hug to the new acquaintainces! Cheers!
The shopping round, on the other hand, was glorious this time. Nothing but comics (no OSTs, no merchandise, no tiny Balthier, which makes my Fran all grumpyface), BUT. The quality, the sheer beauty of it all! Between the stuff I bought at the convention itself and the titles I wrote down to pick up later at a comic store, highlights include:
precious pretty autographs on my Dinotopia books, all of them. I can die a happy fan. You'll see in the pictures that Gurney is not only one of the most talented fantasy illustrators out there as well as one of my personal inspirations, but also a super super kind person all around! <3
CASTLE WAITING VOL. 1 omg omg go buy it now (or wait for a longer rec next post)
Moomin collected strips #1 ^_^ So random and cute! *joins the legions of Snufkin fans*
Stephan Martiniere's illustration book (concept artist for Uru and Myst 5, ho ho ho) that I had been hunting since last year. Score! Even aside from the Uru stuff, the guy's good.
an used X360 :o Italian Renaissance, wait for meeeeee! (also Lost Odissey and, like, FFXIII. I had a MASTER PLAAAN regarding the latter but, alas, I had not taken into account Squenix's blasted short-sightedness when it comes to PAL territories) (edit: ...amazon.co.uk and its private sellers, on the other hand...)
Vanna Vinci's latest masterpiece Gatti neri cani bianchi #2, and I got to chat with her a little while she signed my copy! Such a nice lady, beside being a kickass comic artist.
Octave, which is a little like Ponyo, but French. So very adorable. Also a signed copy.
- Mono #9, signed by Andrea with a Yeesha drawing :]
Onto the pics!
"Last minute" deals for next year's convention? Sounds ridiculous (and Andrea moreso XD), but considering how booking for Lucca Comics goes these days, we... we can actually believe that.
Gurney's 'speed'painting and Dinotopia's exposition. I was so, so, SO happy with this year's choice of Guest of Honor and expositions in general <3
Taken in a pub nearby: "On holiday from THE DAY AFTER THE CONVENTION to a couple of weeks later". They... really can't stand us, can they? XD
*melts in a puddle of fangirlishness* I don't usually take pics of other cosplayers at conventions anymore, unless they are posing for a photoshoot on a nice background or something. I've got my memories of the nice people met at cons on the one hand, and gorgeous cosplay pics of the characters I love found online on the other. But! This guy! A Fourth Doctor! In Italy! With jelly babies! Such a charming person :3
AC: Brotherhood exposition, how cool is that? In the second pic, you can see Ezio leaving for a cup of coffee after telling the other 'sassins to pose and look fancy.
PINEAPPLE KILLER. YOU BASTARD.
Isaac doesn't look too happy for his game's release date... he's facepalming, look.
Skybax rider pics: yep, it's a crappy instant costume. But...
...THIS. This is the reason I rushed everything to be able to wear this costume on Friday. It's a memory I'll treasure dearly. And one day I'll have a complete costume, I swear.
The Waterfall City one is so-so, but Sauropolis' shot almost looks real! :D I wish we had gotten tha hang of this kind of photos for the Star Wars in Concert event last March already... still. This one turned out just fine AND I AM SO HAPPY.
fem!Richard A. Watson, of End of Ages' fame, pics:
O dear. So much fun with this one. In the first four Myst games, you self-insert yourself as a faceless, genderless Stranger who lived in the early 19th century, ok? That person's historical identity is probably known by some, but it's kept secret for the sake of my dear fandom's wish-fulfillment fantasies (which is awesome). Myst V pulled the same trick, but in modern times. Except the cat got out of the bag two years after the game's release and it turns out that this faceless, genderless hero of oppressed space ants is none other than our own dear Dr. Watson, former head of the Dni Restoration Council. SO. This is me, self-inserting as the game's protagonist. ...shut up, it's Myst fandom, we've already done much sillier worse than this XD It is meant as a homage to both End of Ages as a game, which I adore in its own strange, rushed-classy, spinoff-of-the-spinoff-ish ways (and which is sadly underrepresented in fandom), and to Dr. Watson himself who is my fifth favourite person ever in the recent history of D'ni (after Yeesha, Atrus, Catherine and Zandi jr. - and right before Anna). Cheers!
Generic poses:
Nobody ever knows who I go as and this costume will be no exception, but surely they'll get what series I'm from, right? Right? It's -literally- written on my forehead! (...wrong, so utterly wrong. "Yeah, I remember Myst, I hadn't realized you were talking about the game", really?)
2004: a change of heart *fangirls Descent's diary to death*
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeavy Slate (as Laki'ahn well shows)!
I R GENIUS: the cones will keep those Bahros away from the Slate while I explore the surroundings! You stay there, Slate, capiche?
Riiiiiiiight. XD
Coot coot coot, conelings...
A Slate pedestal!
"A dead end? This looks like a puzzle..." ...nope, the way was just hidden in a tunnel (appropriate Noloben Slate is appropriate btw). I'd like to point out that Bahros have better taste in graffitis than this.
Of all the cosplays one could hope to find at a convention... a fem!Holmes to my fem!Watson! :DDD *feels idiotically accomplished*
Andrea signing copies at Tunuè's stand and my shameless "Oi, could you draw me an Yeesha?" moment XD
Lunch break: do not disturb. And alas, nobody did. Cones, even toy cones, hold power *o* You should've seen people minding their steps while we were shooting the conelings pictures! It was priceless! XD
O wait. I see a resemblance here... (the other cosplayer is my friend Pepo as cone-headed Tingle from Majora's Mask)
...the cones are reproducing!
Young Phoenix Wright's pics:
With bff shari_rvek as an awesome young Miles. The recurring joke was me trampling on her srs bsns poses and acting silly XD
...what do you mean it's pouring.
"OBJECTION!" "O noes!"
An art student trying to act his role...
PS: alla fine l'ho tolto dai ringraziamenti che son già troppo lunghi ma... “grazie al fandom italiano che mi ha inquadrata a suon di wordcount alti, bassi e altre restrizioni creative, così che tenere una media di 5k parole a capitolo è sembrato più un “been there, written that” che altro.” =| Also this, così liscio in prima stesura XDDD
