AFTER NEGLECTING MY JOURNAL FOR LIKE EVER
I RETURN.
AND I MIGHT ACTUALLY USE THIS NOW, AT LEAST SOMEWHAT. I might also actually be really cool and upload some userpics, too.
Honestly, I feel kind of like the Least Interesting Man in the World in that one xkcd strip. ): (Four blog posts that are all apologies for not posting more, "Sorry, I'm trying to think of things to write in here..." ...yeah. That's me. :( )
I actually kind of have some sewing to do. Youmacon is coming up this month/next month (and what better time of the year to walk around wearing, uh... shorts, a short wig, and no shirt? I sure can't think of any.). Besides the fact that it will have that excellent con atmosphere, of course, Kyle Hebert will be there. For those unfamiliar with this man among men, he has given life to, among others... Teen Gohan and the 2nd Narrator (I need to rewatch Dragonball Z, on a related note -- I loved it when I was ten or so), Kiba on Naruto (not that I didn't, uh... kind of stop watching it a long time ago), Aizen on Bleach... and, of course, Kamina on Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann. He also plays Wario in There Will Be Brawl, which is...I don't know, that's just awe-inspiring. He reportedly needs no planes, trains or buses to travel from con to con; he simply converts his massive levels of testosterone into pure energy and shoots it from the soles of his feet to propel himself through the skies.
It is also rumoured that with a mere glance, he can cause fertile females to become pregnant, like the legendary Basilisk, but with unplanned parenthood.
Unfortunately I doubt I'm going to be able to bust out Kamina then, mostly due to the fact that I am... mildly broke? Not entirely, but enough so to kind of make ordering a wig for him sort of inconvenient. ): Speaking of that, there's the problem of achieving that hairline of his -- it's not like it wouldn't be obviously a wig no matter -what- I did, but actually going for its looking "realistic" would probably call for, uh... knotting some of the wig fibers into some wig lace (tulle technically works but is too flimsy, I've heard) to sort of make a, well, lace front... then applying a bald cap, then applying the wig with lace front overtop of that.
The problem there is... actually there are a few problems.
But, okay, the main problem is it'd all be really fun, but really impractical, as in, I see myself waking up at about four in the morning to try to do all of that in time for the con and have it look decent. I actually am kind of a 'morning person', and often wake up at eight in the morning without an alarm, but... that's a difference of four hours, and I get the feeling I'd eventually pass out in the middle of the event.
The other major thing is, I... have a great combination of a kind of big head and insanely thick hair. It's one thing to be able to just pin up your hair, pull on a wig cap and then pull the wig right onto your head, because even long, thick hair can be hidden under there. And... honestly, I should just do that, but astute readers may have picked up by now that I'm practically allergic to doing anything in a simple way. :( It's like I can be practical in every other province in life, but then when it comes to the serious business that is portraying Japanese cartoon characters, I somehow basically turn into an idiot. It's weird.
The uh, other other thing is that I'm 5'5" with shoes. Yeah, I know that height doesn't really matter all that much as long as you get the proportions right. :( And the fact is, it's not like I am or am even -close- to 4'0" or so either, which is apparently most people's best guess at pre-timeskip Simon's height. But relatively short works for that costume, and I'm pretty sure most nineteen-year-old males (...most fourteen-year-old males, too, really) have grown up to or past the five-foot mark. However, relatively short while cosplaying as someone who's supposed to be... what's the phrase? Not -imposing-, maybe, but... 'impressive', I guess... ...it might look silly.
...After all, I'm going to be wearing ... a spiky blue wig, orange sunglasses, a red cape, painted-on tattoos, and carrying a sword. 'Looking silly' is clearly not an option.
I guess the reason I am speculating about all these things is... ...I mean, I don't know, I kind of doubt I'd actually become what you might call a 'professional cosplayer' (yeah, I laugh when I read those words too :( ) -- in other words, actually making all this into a career; I feel like that'd take the fun out of it because it'd more or less become something that I'd have to do. That 'something else' I -could- do as a legitimate career path, I'm not really sure of at all, not even after taking a year and a few months (so far -- hopefully not much longer) off of school to think about it. But... I do think, "What would it really look like if this character came to life? Would a professional actor be embarrassed to wear this on stage, or would it add to a convincing portrayal of this fictional person?" That kind of thing. I don't look down on other people if they don't think that same way, because, well, see above -- I know it's for fun and it's silly and weird and it's nothing that's life-or-death by any stretch. If someone's content to glue together some scraps of broadcloth and wear that, it's not my business or concern or... anything. :( Admittedly, when someone makes a game attempt, actually tries to make something look really good, and then misses out elementary things like ironing their costume, pressing seams after they've been sewn, or, on a similar note, finishing seams and neatening raw edges... I might quickly think, "That could have been amazing, but damn, how do you neglect those things..." -- but that's it, and if that person enters the Masquerade, the -judges- can... judge. Since that's their job and not mine. ...Yeah.
Anyway, yeah, what I need to do is get into college and get something in order -- of course I'm still going to be traveling and attending conventions and making silly costumes and that kind of thing, and I'm probably still going to be working at Fabricland for a while yet... but on its own, that's not any kind of 'life', and I don't want it to be, nor do I want to be useless. I'm hoping that some more reading and research on my own time will result in some kind of insight or another as to something I can actually do with myself and feel good about doing with myself -- of course I have ideas, a lot of ideas, but sometimes that's exactly the problem.
That was a lot more writing than I thought I'd end up... writing. I should probably get back to all that reading I was supposed to be doing. And it's not as if anyone follows this journal so far, unless I actually have some creepy stalker somewhere in Arkansas or something. ): I don't really know why I would, but one never knows.
But then I will swiftly gain worldwide renown through this very journal, am I right?!
(I am not right.)
AND I MIGHT ACTUALLY USE THIS NOW, AT LEAST SOMEWHAT. I might also actually be really cool and upload some userpics, too.
Honestly, I feel kind of like the Least Interesting Man in the World in that one xkcd strip. ): (Four blog posts that are all apologies for not posting more, "Sorry, I'm trying to think of things to write in here..." ...yeah. That's me. :( )
I actually kind of have some sewing to do. Youmacon is coming up this month/next month (and what better time of the year to walk around wearing, uh... shorts, a short wig, and no shirt? I sure can't think of any.). Besides the fact that it will have that excellent con atmosphere, of course, Kyle Hebert will be there. For those unfamiliar with this man among men, he has given life to, among others... Teen Gohan and the 2nd Narrator (I need to rewatch Dragonball Z, on a related note -- I loved it when I was ten or so), Kiba on Naruto (not that I didn't, uh... kind of stop watching it a long time ago), Aizen on Bleach... and, of course, Kamina on Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann. He also plays Wario in There Will Be Brawl, which is...I don't know, that's just awe-inspiring. He reportedly needs no planes, trains or buses to travel from con to con; he simply converts his massive levels of testosterone into pure energy and shoots it from the soles of his feet to propel himself through the skies.
It is also rumoured that with a mere glance, he can cause fertile females to become pregnant, like the legendary Basilisk, but with unplanned parenthood.
Unfortunately I doubt I'm going to be able to bust out Kamina then, mostly due to the fact that I am... mildly broke? Not entirely, but enough so to kind of make ordering a wig for him sort of inconvenient. ): Speaking of that, there's the problem of achieving that hairline of his -- it's not like it wouldn't be obviously a wig no matter -what- I did, but actually going for its looking "realistic" would probably call for, uh... knotting some of the wig fibers into some wig lace (tulle technically works but is too flimsy, I've heard) to sort of make a, well, lace front... then applying a bald cap, then applying the wig with lace front overtop of that.
The problem there is... actually there are a few problems.
But, okay, the main problem is it'd all be really fun, but really impractical, as in, I see myself waking up at about four in the morning to try to do all of that in time for the con and have it look decent. I actually am kind of a 'morning person', and often wake up at eight in the morning without an alarm, but... that's a difference of four hours, and I get the feeling I'd eventually pass out in the middle of the event.
The other major thing is, I... have a great combination of a kind of big head and insanely thick hair. It's one thing to be able to just pin up your hair, pull on a wig cap and then pull the wig right onto your head, because even long, thick hair can be hidden under there. And... honestly, I should just do that, but astute readers may have picked up by now that I'm practically allergic to doing anything in a simple way. :( It's like I can be practical in every other province in life, but then when it comes to the serious business that is portraying Japanese cartoon characters, I somehow basically turn into an idiot. It's weird.
The uh, other other thing is that I'm 5'5" with shoes. Yeah, I know that height doesn't really matter all that much as long as you get the proportions right. :( And the fact is, it's not like I am or am even -close- to 4'0" or so either, which is apparently most people's best guess at pre-timeskip Simon's height. But relatively short works for that costume, and I'm pretty sure most nineteen-year-old males (...most fourteen-year-old males, too, really) have grown up to or past the five-foot mark. However, relatively short while cosplaying as someone who's supposed to be... what's the phrase? Not -imposing-, maybe, but... 'impressive', I guess... ...it might look silly.
...After all, I'm going to be wearing ... a spiky blue wig, orange sunglasses, a red cape, painted-on tattoos, and carrying a sword. 'Looking silly' is clearly not an option.
I guess the reason I am speculating about all these things is... ...I mean, I don't know, I kind of doubt I'd actually become what you might call a 'professional cosplayer' (yeah, I laugh when I read those words too :( ) -- in other words, actually making all this into a career; I feel like that'd take the fun out of it because it'd more or less become something that I'd have to do. That 'something else' I -could- do as a legitimate career path, I'm not really sure of at all, not even after taking a year and a few months (so far -- hopefully not much longer) off of school to think about it. But... I do think, "What would it really look like if this character came to life? Would a professional actor be embarrassed to wear this on stage, or would it add to a convincing portrayal of this fictional person?" That kind of thing. I don't look down on other people if they don't think that same way, because, well, see above -- I know it's for fun and it's silly and weird and it's nothing that's life-or-death by any stretch. If someone's content to glue together some scraps of broadcloth and wear that, it's not my business or concern or... anything. :( Admittedly, when someone makes a game attempt, actually tries to make something look really good, and then misses out elementary things like ironing their costume, pressing seams after they've been sewn, or, on a similar note, finishing seams and neatening raw edges... I might quickly think, "That could have been amazing, but damn, how do you neglect those things..." -- but that's it, and if that person enters the Masquerade, the -judges- can... judge. Since that's their job and not mine. ...Yeah.
Anyway, yeah, what I need to do is get into college and get something in order -- of course I'm still going to be traveling and attending conventions and making silly costumes and that kind of thing, and I'm probably still going to be working at Fabricland for a while yet... but on its own, that's not any kind of 'life', and I don't want it to be, nor do I want to be useless. I'm hoping that some more reading and research on my own time will result in some kind of insight or another as to something I can actually do with myself and feel good about doing with myself -- of course I have ideas, a lot of ideas, but sometimes that's exactly the problem.
That was a lot more writing than I thought I'd end up... writing. I should probably get back to all that reading I was supposed to be doing. And it's not as if anyone follows this journal so far, unless I actually have some creepy stalker somewhere in Arkansas or something. ): I don't really know why I would, but one never knows.
But then I will swiftly gain worldwide renown through this very journal, am I right?!
(I am not right.)