Journals146
Newest
Creating Mecha Girl figures
1 min read
For the past months Ive been practicing creating Mecha Girls by purchasing second hand figures and combining them with model kits. Its my newest hobby for now so expect more soon.
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Lost Pages
1 min read
If you are wondering why I had a sudden influx of artwork submitted, its because I found my lost sketchbook. Its been lost for almost 10 years, hidden away and forgotten. Seeing it again I decided to scan them and post it so that if it gets "lost" again, I still have shared it to all who would appreciate it.
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Domo Arigato
1 min read
Mister Roboto.
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Cosplay Mania: Five and still Fighting
5 min read
Cosplay Mania: Five and still Fighting
Let me start with an excerpt from a wikipedia entry of the song "Superman" by the singer "Five for Fighting":
The narrator portrays himself as misunderstood and unsure rather than the god-like figure others see; he does not feel as powerful and perfect as people see him, and at the same time believes he is more than simply that heroic, unreal figure. Instead, he describes himself experiencing an ordinary man's struggles to understand himself, to live up to expectations, and fulfill his responsibilities, even while he is aware of how much greater his responsibilities are.<-i>
For the last 5 years I've been with these extraordinary group of people who had nothing on their minds but service for others, even when the subject in question is cosplay, a subject people can easily take for granted.
After all this time, I can easily say that Cosplay Mania, the event, can be compared to Superman of this particular song. It started out small, delicate yet firm in its belief that it could do much good to cosplay enthusiasts. It came out of the blue, out of the sky, falling in a capsule of ideas that could have exploded on impact or never made it to its destination due to a wayward thought or dismissal of pessimism. It was unreal, alien, a hobby which came from a different culture (Japan) yet we adopted it and molded it as our own. The whole Cosplay Mania team, the people behind it, the organizers, marshals and volunteers, were like the Jonathan and Martha Kent of Superman's world - people who believed in old-school values while embracing the new with parental understanding.
But like the song, Cosplay Mania has its own share of insecurities and weaknesses. But despite all that, the driving force behind it still believed that it was worth all the wisdom it can gather and learn from, and from there, fly off to become an inspiration to others.
I've observed that some people see Cosplay Mania and the people behind it as supermen/women themselves: untouchable, invulnerable, and laden with enough superpowers to decimate any imagined opposition. They were either admired (and sometimes *shudder* worshipped) like saints or demi-gods, or despised because of it, making their own assumptions to justify their dislike towards the event and the people behind them. Sometimes decisions are made that aren't very popular, and would endure the storm fed by fear, ignorance or malice. Thus is the tragedy of being in the spotlight, but like always, we make it a point to simply hold our heads high and aim for something much higher, because we know our actions, and the result of that, will speak for itself.
On a personal level, it has been a struggle to define myself as either the Clark Kent or Kal-El when it comes to helping out Cosplay Mania. Its a double life I live in, juggling personal and professional obligations while helping out my own responsibilities for the event. I never intentionally kept my other life secret, its just that I never really talk about it. Its easier for me to deal with it without the annoying questions that came with the discovery. But its already general knowledge here in the office when it comes with my hobby, except when you're newly hired. But apparently I had reached my limits when what I dreaded finally happened: when your job and personal obligations intersect with the event itself.
I've seen it coming actually, three years ago in fact, and that I have been grooming my friend Zaerone to lead the Costume Building Contest, an activity close to my heart. This was his very first year without me, and I'm glad he was capable of leading on his own, but I really wished he should start finding an assistant soon before all of his hairs turn grey with stress.
Since February I've been helping out Cosplay Mania through graphics productions, although the poster designs for Cosplay Mania and TORCH, I give all the credits to artists Wilson Tortosa and Ruben Devela for the designs. I simply did the layouts and everything else (well except the huge tarps and souvenirs, where Elben helped me with). The only thing I wasn't sure of was who made the giant tarp of the TORCH finalists draped over the second floor near the escalators. But even the demands of the event can make a man weary, especially if I have to satisfy equally the demands of other things like work and home. These are the times I'm very grateful to friends who are more than willing to lend a helping hand in those times of weakness.
With all these Superman references, the obvious question is what would be Cosplay Mania's kryptonite? Will it be in a form of a hypothetical Lex Luthor, Brainiac or Darkseid? No, it's kryptonite would be this picture below.
Click to see picture: 1.bp.blogspot.com/-dyLWMqA5UeY…
Without these people (the organizers, marshals, volunteers, sponsors, guests, congoers and cosplayers) Cosplay Mania would be nothing, a dry husk without meaning. A kryptonite that instead of your usual lethal green kind, its the blue one that heals. We were all blue kryptonites, caring and healing and helping it grow (unless you're the Smallville version, we're screwed, so lets pretend to be the Super Friends version, shall we?).
We all look forward for the next year and what our humble event can do, to provide a venue for creativity for all cosplayers out there, and yet still dependent on all the Jimmy Olsens, Lois Lanes, Perry Whites, Jonathan and Martha Kents and a huge plathora of supporters and super heroes. A huge thank you and we promise keep on fighting for a better Cosplay Mania for all you blue kryptonites out there.
So unless we turn into some sort of Bizzarro, our quest for flying ever higher will never fade. So here's to a sixth and beyond!
Let me start with an excerpt from a wikipedia entry of the song "Superman" by the singer "Five for Fighting":
The narrator portrays himself as misunderstood and unsure rather than the god-like figure others see; he does not feel as powerful and perfect as people see him, and at the same time believes he is more than simply that heroic, unreal figure. Instead, he describes himself experiencing an ordinary man's struggles to understand himself, to live up to expectations, and fulfill his responsibilities, even while he is aware of how much greater his responsibilities are.<-i>
For the last 5 years I've been with these extraordinary group of people who had nothing on their minds but service for others, even when the subject in question is cosplay, a subject people can easily take for granted.
After all this time, I can easily say that Cosplay Mania, the event, can be compared to Superman of this particular song. It started out small, delicate yet firm in its belief that it could do much good to cosplay enthusiasts. It came out of the blue, out of the sky, falling in a capsule of ideas that could have exploded on impact or never made it to its destination due to a wayward thought or dismissal of pessimism. It was unreal, alien, a hobby which came from a different culture (Japan) yet we adopted it and molded it as our own. The whole Cosplay Mania team, the people behind it, the organizers, marshals and volunteers, were like the Jonathan and Martha Kent of Superman's world - people who believed in old-school values while embracing the new with parental understanding.
But like the song, Cosplay Mania has its own share of insecurities and weaknesses. But despite all that, the driving force behind it still believed that it was worth all the wisdom it can gather and learn from, and from there, fly off to become an inspiration to others.
I've observed that some people see Cosplay Mania and the people behind it as supermen/women themselves: untouchable, invulnerable, and laden with enough superpowers to decimate any imagined opposition. They were either admired (and sometimes *shudder* worshipped) like saints or demi-gods, or despised because of it, making their own assumptions to justify their dislike towards the event and the people behind them. Sometimes decisions are made that aren't very popular, and would endure the storm fed by fear, ignorance or malice. Thus is the tragedy of being in the spotlight, but like always, we make it a point to simply hold our heads high and aim for something much higher, because we know our actions, and the result of that, will speak for itself.
On a personal level, it has been a struggle to define myself as either the Clark Kent or Kal-El when it comes to helping out Cosplay Mania. Its a double life I live in, juggling personal and professional obligations while helping out my own responsibilities for the event. I never intentionally kept my other life secret, its just that I never really talk about it. Its easier for me to deal with it without the annoying questions that came with the discovery. But its already general knowledge here in the office when it comes with my hobby, except when you're newly hired. But apparently I had reached my limits when what I dreaded finally happened: when your job and personal obligations intersect with the event itself.
I've seen it coming actually, three years ago in fact, and that I have been grooming my friend Zaerone to lead the Costume Building Contest, an activity close to my heart. This was his very first year without me, and I'm glad he was capable of leading on his own, but I really wished he should start finding an assistant soon before all of his hairs turn grey with stress.
Since February I've been helping out Cosplay Mania through graphics productions, although the poster designs for Cosplay Mania and TORCH, I give all the credits to artists Wilson Tortosa and Ruben Devela for the designs. I simply did the layouts and everything else (well except the huge tarps and souvenirs, where Elben helped me with). The only thing I wasn't sure of was who made the giant tarp of the TORCH finalists draped over the second floor near the escalators. But even the demands of the event can make a man weary, especially if I have to satisfy equally the demands of other things like work and home. These are the times I'm very grateful to friends who are more than willing to lend a helping hand in those times of weakness.
With all these Superman references, the obvious question is what would be Cosplay Mania's kryptonite? Will it be in a form of a hypothetical Lex Luthor, Brainiac or Darkseid? No, it's kryptonite would be this picture below.
Click to see picture: 1.bp.blogspot.com/-dyLWMqA5UeY…
Without these people (the organizers, marshals, volunteers, sponsors, guests, congoers and cosplayers) Cosplay Mania would be nothing, a dry husk without meaning. A kryptonite that instead of your usual lethal green kind, its the blue one that heals. We were all blue kryptonites, caring and healing and helping it grow (unless you're the Smallville version, we're screwed, so lets pretend to be the Super Friends version, shall we?).
We all look forward for the next year and what our humble event can do, to provide a venue for creativity for all cosplayers out there, and yet still dependent on all the Jimmy Olsens, Lois Lanes, Perry Whites, Jonathan and Martha Kents and a huge plathora of supporters and super heroes. A huge thank you and we promise keep on fighting for a better Cosplay Mania for all you blue kryptonites out there.
So unless we turn into some sort of Bizzarro, our quest for flying ever higher will never fade. So here's to a sixth and beyond!
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Grinding
3 min read
Its been hell of an effort to juggle my time between two "jobs". The reason for the quotation is that one is a job, the other I really dont see it as a job, rather as something I like doing. Except, well, its just as stressful with deadlines. And my wrist is beginning to hurt.
Every year we organize this cosplay-centric event called Cosplay Mania, and every year it gets bigger and better (this year, one of the newest addition to the event is the much awaited visit of Japan's premier cosplayers Kaname and Reika, as well as returning Singaporean guest Jesuke).
For the past year I've been assigned to help promote the Costume Building Contest. This year I left it and instead took the full time assignment as Graphics. Its pretty much more stressful then I initially thought, and many times ive considered if I took the wrong decision in leaving the comforts of CBC. Plus the requirements of my other steady job is also taking its toll, and its been one hellweek after the other. For the past month I work the regular hours, only to be greeted back home with another set of work. Yeah, the one thing I always treated as a past time, im now viewing it as work. I swear not an after work hour nor a weekend has passed that's not cosplaymania related. That's the beauty of being a graphic artist: you only work as fast as your PC. There are times one project can last a whole day. Getting concepts right is beginning to be less and less easier because most of the time, I come home tired, and then sleep late, then off to work early, come home tired then sleep late again. Over a month. I swear its not healthy anymore. I feel I could just drop dead anytime.
Am I getting paid for the second set. Yes and No. Yes there are perks that go with it but its mostly non-financial. No, because well, Im not getting a salary. Just the upcoming satisfaction of a job well done, and hopefully being appreciated for it. Dont worry, I am being appreciated every year. Its that this year its just extremely stressful. I noticed my mouse wrist hurts when im under stress. I may end up getting Carpal Tunnel like my left hand had years ago (its ok now, no surgery needed).
Just hang in there, I guess. A month before Cosplay Mania. The best perk I can look forward to, is that when its the actual day, I have no actual duties to do since being graphic artist meant Im done before the event starts. Wish I have time to finish my planned cosplay costume too.
In the meantime, I'll probably need some sort of hand rest to prevent further damage. If only the office allows novelty mousepads like these. XD cl.jroo.me/z3/y/m/j/d/a.aaa.jp…
Oh well, back to the grind then.
Every year we organize this cosplay-centric event called Cosplay Mania, and every year it gets bigger and better (this year, one of the newest addition to the event is the much awaited visit of Japan's premier cosplayers Kaname and Reika, as well as returning Singaporean guest Jesuke).
For the past year I've been assigned to help promote the Costume Building Contest. This year I left it and instead took the full time assignment as Graphics. Its pretty much more stressful then I initially thought, and many times ive considered if I took the wrong decision in leaving the comforts of CBC. Plus the requirements of my other steady job is also taking its toll, and its been one hellweek after the other. For the past month I work the regular hours, only to be greeted back home with another set of work. Yeah, the one thing I always treated as a past time, im now viewing it as work. I swear not an after work hour nor a weekend has passed that's not cosplaymania related. That's the beauty of being a graphic artist: you only work as fast as your PC. There are times one project can last a whole day. Getting concepts right is beginning to be less and less easier because most of the time, I come home tired, and then sleep late, then off to work early, come home tired then sleep late again. Over a month. I swear its not healthy anymore. I feel I could just drop dead anytime.
Am I getting paid for the second set. Yes and No. Yes there are perks that go with it but its mostly non-financial. No, because well, Im not getting a salary. Just the upcoming satisfaction of a job well done, and hopefully being appreciated for it. Dont worry, I am being appreciated every year. Its that this year its just extremely stressful. I noticed my mouse wrist hurts when im under stress. I may end up getting Carpal Tunnel like my left hand had years ago (its ok now, no surgery needed).
Just hang in there, I guess. A month before Cosplay Mania. The best perk I can look forward to, is that when its the actual day, I have no actual duties to do since being graphic artist meant Im done before the event starts. Wish I have time to finish my planned cosplay costume too.
In the meantime, I'll probably need some sort of hand rest to prevent further damage. If only the office allows novelty mousepads like these. XD cl.jroo.me/z3/y/m/j/d/a.aaa.jp…
Oh well, back to the grind then.
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