Heroes of Cosplay ~ Part 2: A True Hero Emerges

With the anticipation broken, the expectations dropped, and the excitement of seeing familiar faces depleted, we headed into week two with a whole new outlook on the show. It was now a test to see if it could A) redeem itself for its horrible premiere, or B) continue running itself into the ground with its key demographic (I.E. geeks, nerds, and cosplayers).

Honestly, though we were disheartened by the first episode—what with the lack of interviews and competition focus and excess of scripted drama, catty characters, and dishonest editing—we still had hope that there would be some sort of redemption in either characters or the general theme. Obviously the show was way past the point of changing, but perhaps there was still hope for the cosplay community being shown in a favorable light.

Would the second episode start the path toward redemption, or into a shallow grave? Well...

Heroes of Cosplay ~ Part 1: Heroes of Broken Dreams

Tuesday ended the first (and hopefully only) season of the SyFy Channel show, Heroes of Cosplay. After slogging through six weeks of disappointment after disappointment, I felt I had to share a little bit of the heartbreak, rage, and hope here where it could do some good, rather than fume on it over and over again until my brain starts to crisp.

But first, a little background for those who have no clue what I'm talking about. If you've never heard of cosplay at all, you might want to check out the Wiki article on it for a good rundown of the bigger points. Some of the information definitely varies by area, but it's a good starting place for those not in the know.

Cosplay, or costume-play is essentially people wearing costumes and accessories to represent a character from a work of fiction. Characters from manga, anime, comic books, video games, TV-shows, movies, literature — you name it, someone has dressed up as it. But don't think characters are all you'll see in a convention, even inanimate objects are sometimes anthropomorphized. Crossplays (girls dressing as males and visa versa) and genderbents (creating a female version of a male character, or visa versa) are also fairly common, expanding the waters and confusing passersby everywhere.

While larger cities may have random get-togethers or photoshoots throughout the year, you'll mainly find cosplayers at conventions. Many video game, comic book, and general fandom conventions these days include a costume contest of some sort. Even LeakyCon had one, albeit a fairly low-key one with no (or very small) prizes. But in the spirit of competition, some cosplay contests have become the battlefield where professionals, hobbyists and anyone in-between strut their stuff on stage for prizes and notoriety. Cosplay has become a bit of a business lately, with individuals now being commissioned for props, pictures, and even jobs on commercials and TV/movie sets for skilled craftsmen.

Comfortable In Her Own Invisible Skin

~Transparent~
Transparent
Book 1
By Natalie Whipple
Amazon ~ Powell's

Plenty of teenagers feel invisible. Fiona McClean actually is.

An invisible girl is a priceless weapon. Fiona’s own father has been forcing her to do his dirty work for years—everything from spying on people to stealing cars to breaking into bank vaults.

After sixteen years, Fiona’s had enough. She and her mother flee to a small town, and for the first time in her life, Fiona feels like a normal life is within reach. But Fiona’s father isn’t giving up that easily.

Of course, he should know better than anyone: never underestimate an invisible girl.

I picked this up on recommendation from the blog of Kiersten White, one of the author's writing buddies and critique partner, and decided to tackle it the last night before it had to go back to the library. So basically I had a book I knew next to nothing about with only a few hours to experience it. Frankly, I'm a still a little stumped about what to think about it.

Inferno Smoulders Beneath The Waters

~Inferno~
Robert Langdon
Book 4
By Dan Brown
Amazon ~ Powell's

"The darkest places in Hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis."

Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon awakens in a hospital in the middle of the night. Disoriented and suffering from a head would, he recalls nothing of the last thirty-six hours, including how he got there... or the origin of the macabre object that his doctors discover hidden in his belongings.

Langdon's world soon erupts into chaos, and he finds himself on the run in Florence with a stoic young woman, Sienna Brooks, whose clever maneuvering saves his life. Langdon quickly realizes that he is in possession of a series of disturbing codes created by a brilliant scientist—a genius whose obsession with the end of the world is matched only by his passion for one of the most influential masterpieces ever written—Dante Alighieri's dark epic poem The Inferno.

Racing through such timeless locations as the Palazzo Vecchio, the Boboli Gardens, and the Duomo, Langdon and Brooks discover a network of hidden passageways and ancient secrets, as well as a terrifying new scientific paradigm that will be used either to vastly improve the quality of life on earth... or to devastate it.

In his most compelling and thought-provoking novel to date, Dan Brown has raised the bar yet again. Inferno is a sumptuously entertaining read—a novel that will captivate readers with the beauty of classical Italian art, history, and literature...while also posing provocative questions about the role of cutting-edge science in our future.


The latest installment in the Robert Langdon series may not talk about the secret life of Jesus, plots of Popes, or hidden rituals of the Freemasons, but don't let that lull you into thinking it has nothing provocative within. Rather than chasing questions about the hidden past, this book looks toward the future of humanity, posing questions about morality and the greater good, all while following the clues of a mad scientist who threatens the world from beyond the grave. With the clock ever ticking, Langdon may have finally met his intellectual match.

Fulfill Your Promise and Restore the World to Harmony

Avatar: The Last Airbender
The Promise
By Gene Luen Yang & Gurihiru
in collaboration with Bryan Konietzko & Michael Dante DiMartino
Amazon ~ Powell's

Aang and friends band together for an exciting new adventure, beginning with a face-off against the Fire Nation!

A plan to force Fire Nation colonists from their homes in the Earth Kingdom has brought Fire Lord Zuko and Earth King Kuei to the verge of war. While Aang and Katara work tirelessly for peace between the two nations, Sokka helps Toph prepare her metalbending school to defend themselves against a rival class of firebenders! Will Aang be able to bring peace in time, or will his friendship with Zuko be destroyed and the world plunged back into war?

Think of it as Book (season) Four of Avatar! Written by Eisner winner and National Book Award nominee Gene Luen Yang (American Born Chinese), in collaboration with Avatar creators Bryan Konietzko & Michael Dante DiMartino, and drawn by art team Gurihiru (Captain America: Fighting Avenger), this is the Avatar's greatest adventure yet! This deluxe hardcover collects the New York Times best-selling The Promise Parts 1 through 3, with new annotations from Yang and Gurihiru, as well as an exclusive sketchbook of never-before-seen art! This is the story that Avatar lovers have been clamoring for, as well as a perfect jumping-on point for new fans! *


Why couldn't they just have green-lit a fourth season? It says it right in the description there, "Think of it as Book (season) Four of Avatar!" Because in all intents and purposes, it is a fourth season of the show.