Costuming--It's Not Just for Halloween Anymore

Costuming--It's Not Just For Halloween Anymore

It's October, and I know a lot of folks are getting their Halloween costumes together either for themselves (to attend a masquerade) or for their little ones to go trick-or-treating, but did you know there are many folks who consider costuming their hobby, even their calling?

 Some call it "cosplay." (I think of that as acting out a particular anime or fictional character.)  But many others think of themselves as simply "costumers" who enjoy creating their own unique characters and bringing them to life.

One of the best places to witness the wonders of costuming is at a science fiction convention such as Archon, but not all the characters you'll see there come to life are necessarily sci-fi or fantasy related. The one thread that holds all costumers together is their sense of wonder and sense of fun. I mean, what could be more fun than pretending to be a fantastical creature or zany character you've imagined and realized with your own talents at the sewing machine or table saw? 

Enjoy the photos and feel inspired. Have a safe and Happy Halloween, too.

From Star Trek to Doctor Who... It's always great to see the classics of science fiction at Archon!

Archon Rocks!

Archon Rocks!

I’m back from the exhausting (yet exhilarating) weekend that is the annual Archon SF convention… Yet another fix of super sci-fi fandom successfully obtained.

I spoke on a few panels, handsome hubby sold quite a few Doctor Who inspired artworks, we passed out some promo items and took a lot of photos of some very interesting characters. You may even glimpse one or two in an upcoming Brandi Whyne adventure. You never know where inspiration may hit!

The best thing about Archon are the people (both in and out of costume). Many of the guests graciously give you freebies, too—and anime guest of honor Sonny Strait was one of these wonderful givers. Sonny is an anime actor, writer and director who does the voice of Krillin on Dragonball Z as well as a Manga artist and musician. Quite the Renaissance man! He gave out free CD’s of rock music recorded by his band Chin's Mojo. Imagine my delight at the title of one song, Makin’ Love to Celine. (Okay, I believe the song is about making out while Celine Dion music blares in the background, but hey! I like my own interpretation of the title better. Great tune, by the way.)

Check out Chin's Mojo at their web site or Facebook and see if you don’t agree that anime artists don’t make great rockers. And to all my friends and family at Archon—rock on!

Cannibal Feast!!

What were you expecting on the week of Halloween? A cheery little blog about a quaint little garden party complete with tea and crumpets and scones with lemon curd?


This past week we were invited to a cannibal feast… And yes, a dead corpse was there along with pate of gray matter and other yummy bits like eyeballs, fingers and worms in dirt. After all, once you dismember the corpse and roast its innards, the worms get to have their feast on the leftovers.



One can’t arrive at a cannibal feast in just any ol’ regalia. Oh, no, no, no. One must arrive in the manner one has been invited, which means simply you can’t come dressed up as Dora the Explorer or Tinkerbelle (unless she’s a Goth Tinkerbelle with fangs—that would do nicely). So, my better half and I came as a gun-shot victim and a vampire victim from the 18th century. Our re-enactment clothing has really come in handy this year, as you can tell.



This fall has been cold and dark and damp here in the middle of the country, and what with the lackluster economy, things have seemed a bit bleak lately. It’s good to see that many can put these none-to-happy thoughts behind them and get into the Halloween ghoulish spirit. There’s nothing better to take your mind off your troubles like a good party and dress-up occasion. I recommend it highly. Plus, you could always pretend it’s your boss or co-workers who are being barbecued and presented for your consumption…



Bon appetite! (Burp!)

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If you enjoy vampire stories minus the cannibal feasts, check out my Liquid Silver Book titles HELP! I’M FALLING FOR THE VAMPIRE NEXT DOOR and my novella “Blood Betrayal” in OF FLESH AND BLOOD. Excerpts available at LSB and at my web site: http://www.celinechatillon.com