My FIRST Texas Convention - Anime Matsuri 2011!!!

In a sentence:
Do not stay at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Houston , Tx near Reliant Arena/Medical Center; but, attend Anime Matsuri 2012 (possibly, with a travel-size Lysol).

So, I'm sure plenty of you are wondering why I decided to go to Anime Matsuri in Houston, Texas rather than C2E2 in Chigago.  Well, I'll tell you - money.  The same reason I didn't/couldn't attend SXSW.  C2E2 was reasonably priced, but plane tickets are not.  However, SXSW - WTF?!?! Let's have a sidebar for a minute:

Dear Convention Organizers,

We are geeks, not nerds.  We have no technical genius to sell.  Sadly, selling a picture or a story does not have the same monetary value as fixing a computer.  We do not have the funds necessary to pay such exorbitant entry rates (see SXSW at $375 minimum), despite however much we wish reading comics and watching genre films was a sources of income.  How are we supposed to attend a Con to buy more stuff when we can't even afford to pay the entry fee?  Think, organizers! Think!  ::sigh::

But, enough of my lamenting.

Wonder? Woman

Here she is, David E. Kelley's Wonder Woman of the 21st century.  Judge for yourselves . . .



Adrianne Palicki, Kelley's Wonder Woman

The above photo was released in Entertainment Weekly; and, to allow a fair comparison, @rudechrub over at io9 was nice enough to provide this:

!!!MORTAAAAAALLLLL KOOOOOOMBAAATT!!!

You should've heard this when you read those words.

That's right, live-action MORTAL KOMBAT is back!

In June 2010, a short film titled Mortal Kombat: Rebirth (scroll down) was posted on YouTube.  Yes, it was awesome, but what the hell was it?  Turns out it was director Kevin Tancharoen's pitch to Warner Bros. to reboot the franchise, and a good one too.  Mortal Kombat: Rebirth will consist of 10 digital webisode that will be available for download (server not yet confirmed).  While the buzz over at Shock Till You Drop is that the 10 webisodes will culminate in a feature film, and Latino Review.com suggests the same.  I refuse to get too excited - the webisodes don't even have a release date, and they are already filming in Vancouver.  LOOK!

Black Man, Norse God

Yesterday morning, Perez Hilton posted the following blog:

                            ignore the apostrophe . . .

African-American Thor Actor Responds To Racial Casting Criticism Filed under: Film Flickers > Wacky, Tacky & True Gods don't see color

This is just absurd!

Marvel's upcoming film Thor has been getting criticism from fan boys
for the casting of African-American actor Idris Elba as the Nordic God
Heimdall.

You know, the big scary bad guy with scary eyes in the trailer?

Some idiots people believe it is wrong for a black man to play a white
Nordic god, but the actor in question is firing his own criticism back
at all the haters, saying:

   "It's so ridiculous. We have a man [Thor] who has a flying hammer
and wears horns on his head. And yet me being an actor of African
descent playing a Norse god is unbelievable? I mean, Cleopatra was
played by Elizabeth Taylor, and Gandhi was played by Ben Kingsley."

We couldn't agree more! The fact that his is even a DEBATE for some, is ridic!

C'mon people, open your minds and stop worrying about something as
superficial as skin color.

We personally can not wait to see Idris Elba's fierce performance as a
vengeful God and have a feeling the color of his skin will be the LAST
THING on our minds during the film.

Thoughts???

Sex(ism) and the Geek

 
Today I was surfing, trying to find some new, geek websites, and I came across "The Mary Sue" and their recent article, The Dark Side of Geekification.  I won't say much about the website in general, except it is a geek site for women with an appeal to a broader audience.  The article itself focuses on how as the previously marginalized, obscure geek culture is steadily becoming a larger part of pop culture, the expectations of geek women, in both competency and appearacne, are starting to reflect the popular standard of beauty.  In  other words, geekgirls now have to know everything about their respective verses/games while also looking like Olivia Munn.  But trust me when I say, that gaming, reading books, watching tv/movies, and blogging don't exactly challenge the physical prowess of the geek community - whatever sex you might be.

Cosplay for Everyone!!!

Friends, Romans, G.N.O.C.chis,
Today, I have found a well of imagination and escapism; and, I share it with you . . .
Aradani Studios!!!!

A minimum hassle cosplayer, I have always shied away from prosthetics.  Not because they did not interest me.  No!  Rather, because they either did not come in the right color, or because they were too expensive for me to test them out.  But, behold! Aradani Studios is said to be both cheap ad good quality. Amy Ratcliff over at Pink Raygun recently did a blog on "Dressing Up Elf", and reccomended this shop.

I'm so excited, I can't even explain - so keep reading so you'll understand!