The Power of Wonder Woman

  I had the opportunity to see the movie Wonder Woman this weekend, it was phenomenal and sorely needed right now. The movie seemed to work miracles that even that old curmudgeon Max would approve of.  The audience cried, felt empowered, & though we were told there was no clip at the end of the credits, the we remained in our seats and read them. Most of us wanted to know what actors portrayed the amazons, who the costumers and set designers were who meticulously helped tell this story.  People were that invested in this movie.

   As for the character herself, Wonder Woman, her greatest assets were emotional intelligence & compassion. She displayed bravery and a steadfast nature that was everything this fan could have hoped for, and more. This film did not shy away from the darker emotions of anger and grief. They were not only acknowledged but used to highlight both sides of human nature. Wonder Woman and her team embraced diversity and communicated the message that everyone can chose to do the right thing.

Thank you, Patty Jenkins & Gal Gadot, for persevering against formidable criticism and obstacles to make this film. You reminded everyone what it is to be a true Wonder Woman.

The Geek at Tea.

 This is such an exciting time to be a geek. From Arrow to Zelda, there is veritable treasure trove of merchandise, comics, shows and movies, a girl ( or guy )  barely has time for the mundane world. With a precarious balance maintained its completely okay to dive into all the fandoms you want! My original ones, X Men, Doctor Who, Star Trek & being a mermaid are all still very shiny to me. Now there is Green Arrow ( the show certainly helped, but I loved the comics for the Robin Hood nods), Fairy Tales, & h2g2 ,which is consuming my world right now.  I am running for Towel Day Ambassador. There will be a lovely post on Douglas Adams and the importance of having your towel coming up. For now here is my submission video;

 *42 cups of tea were in fact consumed in this production





    One of the things I got to do was have an outdoor tea party. It was kind of a blast and a fun thing to film. There are so many awesome themes to do, Alice in Wonderland, Sherlock, Doctor Who, Jane Austen, Super Heroes ( tehe we can mix in independent comic characters ) The list can go on and on. Its like a wine dinner but with a spot of tea instead. What fandoms do you want to see? I am always looking to talk about peoples passions and share our Geek experiences. Can you just picture the flash having tea with Quicksilver?

 Regardless how we express our love of our fandoms, through costumes, themed teas and parties, conventions, or collecting all the things, it really is an amazing time to be a geek. Hopefully you all celebrate your geek today and let your flag fly high

The Adventures of a Batwoman Costumer

  Hello! I've been off doing crazy amounts of projects. I was in a movie ( 22 Jump Street ) and on the SyFy channel as an extra in Snake Head Swamp. It was an exciting experience that I hope to continue when I can.   Coming up shortly is Dragon Con, where we all go to party in costume. My costume this year, besides my Star Trek TOS dress, is Bombshell Batwoman. From the first moment I saw this costume I fell in love with it, probably from watching A League of Their Own continuously as a kid, and a love of Batman. Here is a picture of my comic book to give you an idea what it will look like.

 The Kate Kane character is phenomenal. Most of you know that the character is a lesbian, but one thing bugs me, actually it pisses me off, why won't DC let Kate get married ? ( hopefully they have and I just haven't caught up yet )  So in order to express my love for this character and to give DC the bird. I will be wearing a white knot on my Batwoman costume to signify my support for marriage equality and full equal rights for everyone under the law. http://www.whiteknot.org/  While I know the charcter is not real it shows a closed mindedness on the part of DC I have no wish to support. The character on the other hand is truly amazing and hopefully one day can do what ever her writers envision for her, even if it is same sex marriage.

 I will post pics from Dragon Con of my costumes. I hope to see some of you there. Look for me, I'll be the Batwoman with the white knot.



Update: 8/18/2014
I heard from a reliable source ( Willie, who moonlights as Spiderman, and is major comic book aficionado ) That no DC character can be married. Which is pretty stupid. Regardless I feel DC copped out with this but I am not as angry. So there is a silver lining. Thank you Willie.

LARPers On The Big Screen

  Moggy & I are back after a bit of break. Yesterday was an exciting day in our household, Knights Of Badassdom came out on DVD!!! Moggy's dad is a LARPer. No LARPers are not a forgotten swamp tribe  ( though he happens to be a plant creature ), LARP means Live Action Role Play. Think of it as the next level of D&D.  Moggy occasionally wears armor to be supportive of his dad. If you would like to check out a LARP in the Gulf Coast area please visit Nexus Larp. The Storm Wardens are my personal favorite group but there are many to chose from.

  So here is a review on the movie from a LARPer's perspective. I will do my best not give away spoilers.  Starting off I liked the movie. It was cheesier than a large pizza but you kind of have to expect that because of the subject matter. Peter Dinklage played a ballsy character that made the viewer want to go along with what ever adventure he dreamed up. Summer Glau was feisty & believable as LARPer and not your typical hot girl in studded leather.  The story had a few interesting takes on this geek nightmare come true. It did not take itself too seriously & even poked fun at the vampire LARPs.  The rules of playing can vary in game but it was very relatable down to the costumes & combat.*Note to self build a cool paper mache prop. There is a noteworthy twist that I didn't see coming that ended up being very delightful. All & all I say watch it. If you just happen to want to give LARPing a try after, you will find it even more delightful.

The Whovian Who Waited

 As a costumer I am known as Shannon Song. The first costume I ever constructed was Amy Pond's Kissogram. It was clumsy & a bit over sized but I loved it. 

So massive is my love for Doctor Who, that it forced me to come out of a self made prison. Because of a British sci-fi tv show, I made my first costume, spoke on stage in a panel at a convention & modeled for a calendar. So understandably I have strong opinions about the show. 

  The Christmas special in a word, was mediocre. Moffat completely missed the mark on this one. The story relied on cheap attention grabbers such as Matt Smith nude & a crack in the universe from a few seasons ago. It tried so hard to be cheeky it was distasteful. The one shining moment was seeing the ever feisty Amy Pond's return to say goodbye to her "Raggedy Man". Matt Smith though he is not my favorite doctor, deserved better than this rubbish of a story line. With Tennant it was a heart wrenching good bye. All Matt got was thinly disguised pixie dust. Sadly not even the most powerful fairy ( oops I mean timelord  ) could have saved this farewell. I hope Capaldi and the writers breathe a new life into this series that so many have their hearts set on. Till then this Whovian will be waiting. 

X-Men my favorite Ex

  X-Men I just can't quit you. A long time ago ( the 90s ) I stopped reading X-Men, not from lack of interest, but because of a hectic teenage life. The comic taught me tolerance, strength and that a great spandex outfit can get you far. Now in my 30's I am back and in costume! Hellooooo Rogue.

The hair is the second step of my costume that will be ready for New Orleans Comic Con in February . It needs to be a bit whiter but that is not something that can be safely done all at once, at least not to my hair.  The first step to any costume is RESEARCH, or as I like to call it, an excuse to read tons of comics. I picked back up with Ultimate X-Men the Cry Wolf story arc. While the art was smashing & it was thrilling seeing all of the old characters I grew up with. I didn't connect with the story, it felt a bit junior high. A needy Storm, a catty Shadow Cat & the whole Rogue kidnapping made me wonder where my badass heroines went. I understand that the Ultimate X-Men series is worth another shot though. So back to the books to try again. However the first thing I'm checking out is X-Men #1. How exciting is this to have an all female line up?! So many great comics to read, this must be heaven. I'm off to "research".

A new comic crush

  Moggy & I love Zenescope's "Robyn Hood". I swoon over a strong female character with depth and he enjoys laying on my warm tablet while I read. Being a fan I mentally craft her costume. Nothing says character love like cosplay, but there comes a time in every fan girls life when she completes the whole set of comics. Experiencing a bit of stress, (and being over dramatic) I tweet my woes. Who should hear my social media cries? None other than Pat Shand !

So armed with more comics ( Realm Knights ) to fill the void that was left by Robyn Hood, Moggy & I bravely wait. I hope to do a review on all of them after holidays. In the mean time if you would like to check them out, there are three different ones: Robyn Hood, Robyn Hood Wanted & Grimm Fairy Tales Presents: Robyn Hood vs Red Riding Hood. This is a 17+ comic and it is in the typical comic drawing style ( ie the women's bodies are over exaggerated ) but that is not a bad thing.