Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "cosplay"

Science fiction gets steamy

2011-07-04T03:00:09Z

What happens when you mix the aesthetic appeal of 1800s Victorian England, scientifically advanced, steam- and gear-powered inventions and the type of alternate historical realities explored in popular culture through movies like “Wild Wild West”?

You get steampunk: an inventive, rule-bending subgenre of science fiction that has found a growing niche in Sacramento.

The term steampunk stemmed from literature like H.G. Well’s “The Time Machine,” published in 1895, and Jules Verne’s 1870 novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, according to members of the Sacramento Steampunk Society.These early steampunk works, which feature elements of time travel, whimsically inventive, steam-powered inventions and Victorian-inspired costuming a la Captain Nemo, explore the limits of human potential while offering alternatives to the documented course of history.

Steampunks engage in “cosplay,” or costume play, and often craft their own handmade, theoretically steam-powered gadgets.

The fashion for this genre includes floor-length bell-shaped skirts, petticoats and bodices for women, and calf-length coats, vests, low-collared linen shirts, trousers and top hats for men.

Both sexes sport pilot goggles, steam-powered guns and hand-soldered jewelry crafted from clock gears, watch parts and vintage hardware.

Denise Farinsky recently attended a Second Saturday steampunk event at the Brick Alley Gallery dressed as a “steampunk fairy,” complete with movable wings made from coat hangers and nylon, a revolver laser gun, goggles and a precariously perched black ostrich-plume hat.

Farinsky constructed her outfit from things she found in her closet, accessories from Evangeline’s in Old Sacramento and steampunk jewelry purchased from artists on Etsy. She received a handmade “mechanical steam spider” from another artist at the event, which completed her ensemble.

Farinsky said she has always been intrigued by steampunk elements in fiction by Jules Verne and movies like “Hellboy,” “Back to the Future Part III” and “The Young Sherlock Holmes” but never know that there was a name for it until her cousin clued her in to the genre of steampunk.

Aside from dressing the part, Farinsky participates in the movement through her original, steampunk-themed watercolor paintings, the most recent of which, titled “Night Vision,” depicts a Victorian woman with cascading ringlet curls, sporting a wristwatch-adorned top hat and an elaborately embroidered gear-themed eye patch.

Steampunk for Farinsky is a way of re-imagining present-day technology through a Victorian lens.

“I try to imagine what it would have been like for a Victorian to invent the computer, laser gun, iPhone, etc. using steam technology,” she said.Society member Andy Pischalnikoff, a state worker who also teaches classes in new media, said the all-ages Sacramento steampunk group meets about once a month to show off their costuming, share knowledge, craft steampunk props and socialize.

Pischalnikoff cited the work of horror writer H.P. Lovecraft as a popular theme of costume groups, noting that Lovecraft’s monsters in particular serve as wells of inspiration for the steampunk crowd.

Drawn to the artistic side of steampunk, Pischalnikoff has been photographing Steampunk-popular events like Burning Man, a seven-day festival in the Nevada desert, for six years.

He said he heard about Steampunk through social networking, but that he and his wife, who is a professional costumer, had been dressing for the Dickens Fair, a Victorian costume party held in the Bay Area, for years, making the jump to steampunk fashion an easy one.

Pischalnikoff said the current recession has brought the Sacramento Steampunk Society closer, as hard times make it more important than ever to be industrious and resourceful.Recently, the League of Copper Villains, a Sacramento group with interest in several genres of cosplay, including steampunk, held an event where participants had the opportunity to apply the steampunk aesthetic to old Nerf and squirt guns, first priming them black and then “weathering” them with paint in steampunk-appropriate colors like brass, copper and gold.

Pischalnikoff said a “trademark” of the group is that all of its scheduled events are either free or very affordable, ensuring that cost is never a deterrent.

Sacramento artist and society member Jacob Jerde has applied steampunk ideals to the art of model-building, inventing and sketching steam-powered vehicles and then hand-crafting their miniature replicas.

Jerde, who has been working with models since he was 8 years old, said that each vehicle he creates has a story behind it, like the steam-powered motorbike he dreamt up, which is able to traverse land, sea and air and is the primary mode of transportation for a bounty hunter on a mission to subvert evil forces.Aside from designing steam-powered transportation, Jerde also participates in steampunk cosplay, which, for him, is a chance to tap into his imagination in a limitless way.

“It is basically a civilized way of being a kid again,” he said.

Jerde said the “punk” in steampunk comes from the type of do-it-yourself, no-rules attitude that punks of the 1970s championed. He said creating an alternate reality, where things like a steam-powered motorcycle are possible, is an effort in “rebelling from the norm.”

“I want to have my own identity, to wear what I want, when I want,” Jerde said.

Jerde’s mission is to bring steampunk model-building, an art that he says only a few in the area practice, to the gallery sphere, a move he thinks would be well received.

“People gravitate toward the romance of steampunk,” he said.

Anime convention celebrates fans

2009-08-31T00:58:02Z

Last Saturday, the SacAnime Convention kicked off with the highest number of attendees in its five-year existence.

Anime, the pop culture term for animation that is distinctly Japanese, was celebrated by fans from all over northern California at the Radisson Hotel. Security official Peter Kraus said that in his four years working the convention, he has never seen a crowd this large.

"Last year we were at the Scottish Rite Center, and it moved to this location, which is significantly bigger. It's pretty incredible, the way it's grown each year," Kraus said. "I just asked the folks up front what the official number was. They said they are low-balling it at three and a half to four thousand."

Attendees, many of them decked out in full costume, walked shoulder-to-shoulder through the hallways to get to areas such as the main banquet room, where vendors and their tables were packed in selling items like original art, costumes, wigs and books on how to draw Manga.

Event-goers could access a video room through a black-curtained doorway in the vending room. A giant screen played anime films in a theater-like setting.

The outdoor pavilion featured live music from bands like Tanuki Suit Riot, which as part of its set covered popular video game tunes. Despite the 100 degree weather, fans peppered the area in front of the stage, waving their weapons the air, moving to the music.

The smaller banquet room featured a stage and seating that hosted a variety of panels as well as the cosplay masquerade, a choreographed spectacle that featured dance performances from anime fans dressed in detailed costume.

In the celebrity panel, voice actors Paul Mercier, Liam O'Brien, Roger Craig Smith and Alyson Court fielded questions about anime and manga, their favorite anime couples and how to break into the industry. More than 200 fans piled into the room to hear the established voice actors speak.

The vibe was interactive, and the actors teased and bantered with audience members. Fans with questions held everything from costume weaponry to stuffed animals to notepads up high in order to attract the panel's attention.

"No one's overcompensating for anything, are they?" asked Smith as he fielded a question from a young man waving a giant sword.

When asked if the panel members had crushes on any anime character, O'Brien started describing a certain female character, but he could not immediately recall her name. The audience was quick to help him out and reminded him almost unanimously that the animated girl in question was Rukia Kuchiki from the anime and manga series Bleach.

"That's it, Rukia," O'Brien sad. "She's a classic, girl's got spunk. Maybe a little young for me though."

The panel's anime and manga favorites were not the only subjects touched upon. Mercier spoke on the process of becoming a voice actor. He told the crowd how he got his beginnings in the theater and on shows ike Beverley Hills, 90210 and Melrose Place. Learning how to act, Mercier said, was the way to enter the voice industry.

The convention offered a slew of other activities such as console gaming featuring the latest games from different consoles as well as all-time favorites such as Guitar Hero and Halo 3. There was also a collectible card game tournament, and later in the evening, attendees could play anime bingo.

However, the most popular activity for those in attendance--being able to interact with other fans in costume--was not on the schedule. Hundreds of different characters gathered in small huddles to socialize, meet, take pictures and admire each other's getups.

One foursome, dressed as Decus, Wonderchef, Genis and Zelos from the video game Tales of Symphonia drove 45 minutes from Galt with a life-size, hand-crafted coffin prop in the back of a jeep. The cost of constructing the coffin alone was close to $300, said Derek England, dressed as Decus.

"It was about eight weeks of frustration and a definite group effort. This is our first time at one of these things, so we're starting off with a bang," England said.

England and his friends have been anime fans since childhood, he said. They respond to the fact that in terms of story-lines, anime doesn't have the same constraints as other entertainment industries.

"There's not the restriction of having to produce something that will make money," England said. "In anime, you can make a movie for the story's sake, and it's really imaginative and unique."

First-time convention goers Carlie and Kayla Guadagnolos said their time at the Radisson was one of the highlights of their year.

"We got stopped all the time! So many hugs from different people, everybody recognized us and wanted hugs," said younger sister Kayla.

"We've never been to anything like this before, like we watch this stuff on YouTube," said Carlie. "Best day of my life."

Photo Credit: anthonybento.com

SacAnime Convention

2009-08-26T21:52:17Z

This weekend Sacramento fans can get their fill of everything anime during the 5th annual SacAnime Convention at the Radisson Hotel.

The event has increased in popularity since its inception in 2004. In an e-mail interview director of console gaming and press liaison Jason Dube said last year's event was attended by several thousand people. This year the numbers are expected to be even bigger.

According to SacAnime's website the convention began as an extension of the Sac Con show, an event geared more toward comic books, toys and collectibles. In 2004, the manager of Waldenbooks at the Sunrise Mall store approached founder and convention organizer Dan Houck and his Sac Anime volunteer staff with the idea of holding an anime convention at Sunrise Mall. The team took him up on his offer and SacAnime held its first convention that July.

Since then, the number of bodies attending has increased so much, said Dube, that the convention moved to the Scottish Rite Center in 2007 and finally to this year's largest location, the Radisson.

The event will feature a plethora of different activities throughout the two days and take place throughout the entire hotel, said Dube. Vendors will show their merchandise in the main banquet hall and art from contests such as Manga and Amateur Art will be displayed in the Small Press Zone, which will run along the hallway. Live music from artists Tanuki Suit Riots, Buranden, and akai SKY will entertain attendees in the outside pavilion.

Saturday will have events such as the "Free Hugs: A Guide to Conventions" discussion panel to educate and answer questions of first time attendees. Storyboard artist Brandon McKinney will be leading the "Storyboarding for Animation" panel, which will review the process of creating storyboards for animated television shows and movies.

There will also be special appearances by accomplished voice actors, writers, artists, and directors such as Alyson Court, voice of Lydia Deetz (originally played by Winona Ryder) in the animated adaptation of the 1988 film Beetlejuice and Claire Redfield in the video game Resident Evil 2, Liam O'Brien, Paul Mercier, andRoger Craig Smith, who will be available for discussion in panels such as the "Resident Evil Panel."

An aspect of SacAnime that is particularly well-received is "cosplay," or costumed role play, said Dube. The event will feature two cosplay displays, a masquerade on Saturday and fashion show on Sunday.

Cosplay is not just for performers, according Dube many of the convention's attendees engage in cosplay.

"It’s a remarkable spectacle to see. The most amazing part is it doesn’t have to even be something in anime," Dube said. "I've seen people in costume from Batman, Dr. Who, and Johnny Depp’s character from his 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.' The only thing that seems to be an unspoken rule is to be in costume."

The popularity of cosplay not only contributes to the colorful atmosphere of the convention, but also facilitates a celebratory and social vibe, Dube said.

"People love to interact with each other in costume," Dube said. "I've seen the attendees get very excited to jump into spontaneous dance circles or line dancing."

The Sacramento anime scene itself is an exciting thing to be around, Dube said. The fans' energy and passion is representative of why SacAnime has had such growth over the past five years.

"I would characterize the scene as being on fire, wild and growing every year. The Sacramento anime fans have a spirited passion for the genre; the likes [of which] I have never seen before," Dube said.

And what of those who are new to anime? Is there room for them at SacAnime?

"The community is the most friendly and welcoming," Dube said. "As long as you are there to have fun and make new friends, you're going to have a blast."

For more info, visit SacAnime's website

WHAT: SacAnime Convention
WHERE: Radisson Hotel. 500 Leisure Lane
WHO: all ages

SAT ONLY: $25
SUN ONLY: $15
BOTH DAYS: $30

SHOW HOURS:

SATURDAY:
10 a.m. - 2 a.m. Sunday morning
Vendors Room:10 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Registration opens at 9 a.m.
Anime Viewing Room: TBA
Console Gaming Room: 10 a.m. - 12 a.m.
Cosplay Masquerade: 6 p.m.
3pm Concert with: Buranden, Tanuki Suite Riot and akai SKY
Sac Club Rave w/the Random Dj's: 10 p.m. - 2 a.m.

SUNDAY:
10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Vendors Room: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Registration opens at 10 a.m.
Anime Viewing Room:10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Console Gaming Room: 10 a.m - 5 p.m.

Photo Credit to Jason Dube