Wednesday Cosplay – And Now for Something Different…

The quality of photography can really make or break a cosplay. If you are spending hundreds of dollars into getting a “just right” outfit, why memorialize your achievement with an iPhone quick pic? No, no, no. You need to get a professional photographer on this one, because a costume could be stunning, but if the photos lack a sense of drama, motion and appropriate setting, the artform is lost.

One of the best cosplay photographers around  goes by the moniker Ashitaro. A member of the ever vibrant Russian cosplay community, she has a large photo gallery spanning all fandom genres and types.

One of Ashitaro’s finer skills is selecting fantastic locales and settings for her photo shoots. It is obvious she must travel quite a bit to do her work, since we see terrain ranging from icy mountains to lush forests. The players feel to be in mid-action, you can sense the energy channeled through the still photos. Ashitaro brings out details in the costumes as well as the face, no matter the angle of the shot.

Safe to say, I’ve extremely impressed.

- E.B.

T-shirt Tuesday – Man of Steel Pride

The Shirt: It’s a bird… it’s a plane… no! It’s Superman! This dramatic and edge silhouette shirt offers to boast your Man of Steel pride with a little bit of extra style. If anything, it’s better than wearing underwear outside of your spandex.

Payment: Sold via StylinOnline, who accepts Paypal and all major credit cards.

Styles: Available in Adult sizes S-XL.

- E.B.

The Appeal of Life Sim Gaming

With the wildly successful launch of Animal Crossing: New Leaf now a week behind us, it’s apparent that life simulator video games are still as popular as ever.

Tending to the flowers in Animal Crossing

In some ways, the popularity of these games is quite puzzling. Gaming is a form of escapism, and it’s hard to understand why someone would want to go fishing or pay back incredible loans (Tom Nook, I’m looking at you) when they could have opportunities to wield swords and fly. Why would people intentionally avoid chores in their real lives for virtual chores in a non-consequential world?

Since the release of the first Sims game in 2000, gamers have been vacuuming, washing dishes, sleeping, studying and working away their digital days, immersed in a simple life not their own. The appeal of these life simulator games is, I think, the ability to achieve something quantifiable in a lifestyle. If you play the game right, you get promotions, make money, have a family, all within a matter of hours. The thing about playing a game of life is that you can win it- you can succeed or “beat” life. In world where plans rarely work out as we expect, the methodical success of these games offers comfort.

If only college was actually this fun.

There is something almost zen like about managing your own household and allotting the time to study or work. It’s simple and the consequences are not permanent, meaning we can explore and experiment without fear.

It might not be the most exciting game format, but the life sim video game still offers escapism people need.

- E.B.

Featured Art(ist) – MaryIL

MaryIL is a Russian DevianArt member who’s been active for around five years. Her beautiful watercolor artworks have been featured by the site multiple times, and it’s easy to see why that’s the case. Her art has a smoothness and fluidity in both the colors and composition that is extremely appealing. For example, in the skyline above, I feel like the sky has a life and dynamic sense about it- as though the clouds are actually moving.

MaryIL is also a big fandom artist. The above portrait of Castiel from Supernatural, shows how traditional anime and manga art styles have influenced her work. Her paintings/drawings remind me of the work of Ai Yazawa, the woman responsible for the Paradise Kiss and Nana manga series.  Most of the fandoms MaryIL engages with are centered around anime/manga and television, but occasionally there’s a special internet treasure like this…

And with that, I must leave you with this.

- E.B.

Why I’m Buying a PS4

Going into this year’s E3, all eyes were focused on the giants of the gaming console war, Sony and Microsoft. With Nintendo increasingly irrelevant due to horrific WiiU sales, Sony and Microsoft bear the burden of ushering in the next generation of gaming.

We already knew that this year’s conference would focus on the previously announced Xbox One and Playstation 4 consoles. Microsoft started off the conference, laying a smack down of high concept dreams and promises for their new console. Sony’s conference followed, and Sony was swinging for Microsoft and proud about it. As the dust settled, we now have the facts about the next generation of gaming.

Who emerged from E3 victorious in the pre-release console promotion war? I’m with Team Sony on this one.

I am officially ordering my launch console of the PS4. I have always loved Sony products, but this last generation, the Xbox 360 was my primary console of choice. What changed my mind?

Five reasons:

  1. It can survive without internet connection every 24 hours. As a university student, I often have connectivity issues on my campus. Connecting my console to the internet is simply not an option some days, so the Xbox One would be a hassle to manage.
  2. Sony is leaving the used games debate up to the publishers.
  3.  It’s cheaper. Significantly cheaper. Even with a Playstation Plus subscription, will be $100 less than an Xbox One with XBLA.
  4. Superior design, in both hardware and interface. The specs on the PS4 and the leaked footage of the console interface are pretty much drool worthy.
  5.  Sony has the games. With an extensive collection of first party studios, plus allowing independent game studios to publish their own titles without Sony assistance, their game library has the potential to be immense.

It would be unfair to completely write off the Xbox One, but at this point, it looks like the console war is Sony’s to lose.

-E.B.

Wednesday Webcomic – Plume

This week’s featured webcomic is Plume by K. Lynn Smith.

What’s the Deal?: Plume is a story of the Old West, featuring a young girl named Vesper Grey and her supernatural, amulet bound companion, Corrick. Her father, an archeologist, leaves behind a legacy of powerful artifacts and mysterious enemies. Together, they strive to recover her father’s work in the wild and untamed West.

The Characters: Vesper and Corrick are a great duo. Even though the comic is fairly young in its plot, the author does an excellent job characterizing them and depicting their chemistry.

The Art: I am a HUGE fan of the visual art style in Plume. Smith has an masterful grasp of the power of subtle changes in posture and facial expression, as well as a dynamic sense of movement in comic frames. The overall color palette of the comic is fitting to the 1900′s-esqe Old West feel and the costume design is lovely.

Safe for Work?: Definitely.

Frequency of Updates: Every Monday.

- E.B.

T-Shirt Tuesday – Char Suit

The Shirt: The Tanooki suit is totally overrated. Even Mario could use some Pokéfashion in his life, and when you accessorize with fireballs, how could you not be the hottest plumber at the party?

Payment: Sold via RedBubble, who accepts Paypal and all major credit cards.

Styles: Available in Men’s and Women’s S-XL, in a variety of colors and styles.

- E.B.