A few days ago I managed to meet with Miss Ma. She is a tailor who makes costumes for the costume players who live around Communication University of Beijing. We were hoarded into a dark alley by one of her young mates and customers, named Woody. The smell upon entering the cabinet was fantastic [...]
I continue my search for people’s virtual characters and end up following cosplay photographer Francesca. We meet at the old communist factory-turned-art-district “798″ where they have also preserved one of the old Chinese coal trains. Francesca uses this setting to take photos of her good friend Phoenix. Phoenix here is doing the girl character of the virtual singers from the voice [...]
Nee, Nonkel Jos–Nobody around here knows how to brew your coffee. This strange faux antique ’Belgian New World Coffee’ machine keeps popping up in restaurants near Renmin University. It is bogus and pricey and takes one hour to brew. It makes a small quantity of coffee but will give you a good laugh for sure (which is what Belgians [...]
I just arrived in Beijing at Renmin University where I will give a talk about animation fans and how they use alter egos and virtual siblings, or even entire imagined clans and families. I want to find out how and why they fantasize about alternative families and how they deal with pressures of the bio-family. But what are the first impressions [...]
http://www.siuding.com/2010/05/milk.html Photo by Andrew Guthrie. More writing and processing to follow.
Fantasy Families:::: Of Gothic Lolitas, Costume Players, doll players, and their virtual clans. And where I am located this time ? Look carefully on the lower left side of the family pic. Woofie!
Clay Shirky once wrote a long time ago that reading blogs is like wandering around at a cocktail party and eavesdropping on various conversations. Some scenes from the may 8 party. My students were in a state of happy inebriation and wanted to act like my children. It was midnight and turning into Mothers Day. And here below my [...]
Excerpt about love from my previous interview with Beijing costume player Francesa. Francesa’s photographs can be found at hybridre.deviantart.com/gallery F=Francesca, or Hybridre, Cosplayer and Photographer K=Katrien, Interviewer C=Carol, Translator/Interviewer C: Can I ask a question? Assuming that you and your lover are both cosplayers, when you cosplay two characters in love with each other, would [...]
