Did someone say black, queer, magical girls? Did someone say Kickstarter exclusive prints of black, queer, magical girls?
The revolution will be magical. October 3rd.
magnifiqueNOIR Kickstarter Launch Page
Many thanks to MuseTap Studios for providing the chibi art for these exclusive prints :)
Seriously, if you want to cosplay, do it. I know some people worry about what others will think of their cosplay, and I understand that feeling, especially after getting my share of negative comments. Don’t let those comments get you down. I know it’s hard, because it’s really easy to focus on the negative, on the “what if someone makes fun of me.” And, honestly, I do it too. I have that doubtful voice in my head. But then I remember all the fun I have and how amazing I feel when I’m walking around as these characters. That’s what you should focus on, and that’s what you should think about. Instead of wondering, “Will someone make fun of me,” think about all the fun you’ll have. Think in positive what if scenarios. What if everyone loves your cosplay? What if you meet some amazing people? Don’t let the negative, or the potential of something negative, stop you. Cosplay is something you do for yourself; it’s something you do because you want to have fun, because you like to be creative, and you love a certain character or series. Keep those things in mind.
I got to do an interview for Women Write About Comics and I kinda love that they used this snippet of the interview in the preview pic <3 <3 <3 This incident happened nearly 2 years ago but it’s still my favorite response every to being bullied.
If someone tells me that I’m not worthy of something enough times, I’ll start to believe it. I have believed it. I’ve believed that I wasn’t worth it because of my race. I’ve believed that I was ugly. I’ve been told to “stop acting white” because I like anime, video games, and cosplay. And I know a lot of others have felt the same way because of the color of their skin. Those people need to be shown that they are beautiful, that they’re worth it, that they’re equal. It’s great to think we all should be equal but there are plenty of black people out there who think that they shouldn’t be because of the crap that gets flung at them; who think that they CAN’T be. Equality is great, but you have to WANT it, and if you feel like you’re beneath everyone around you, you’re going to think you don’t deserve it. That’s what #28DaysOfBlackCosplay is about, and it’s so wonderful to see so many people taking part in it. This encouragement is just a start to what we hope to accomplish within the cosplay community, so that everyone can feel comfortable with who they are and truly enjoy cosplay.
My write up for the Twin Cities Geek about the importance of #28DaysOfBlackCosplay :)
There’s this idea that there’s a certain way to be black, and growing up as a geek, I was, somehow, being black in the wrong way. Black girls didn’t watch anime. Black girls didn’t play video games. I was told to “stop acting white,” and this wasn’t just in high school, this continued into my adult life, too.
There’s this idea that there’s a certain way to be black, but with cosplay and the geek community in general, I learned about the importance of being yourself, of not listening to what others think you should be. This goes for race, body image, sexuality, all things that I’ve been told at one point in time I was wrong in since I’m black, fat, and lesbian. But with cosplay, I met such a diverse group of people, people who are all about diversity and people who love the differences among us. I also met people who felt the same way I did at one point in time, who felt that they were, somehow, not “acting right” because of the things they were into, all because their skin color was different.
Together, we’re proving that that’s not true at all, and the more of us that show that you can be comfortable in your own skin, the more people around us gain the confidence to realize how amazing they are. Geekery and cosplay are not exclusive to one race, one gender, one body type, it’s open to everyone. And even if, at times, we all don’t agree, the general message is loud and clear: cosplay is for everyone.
If you ever wonder how I can stay positive when I get hate just look at the fact that so many of you spoke up. Seriously, as much hate that exists there is just as much, if not more, love. Don’t let one person stop you, not a single one. If you need some positivity just look around you, it’s there, don’t let the hate cover the truth: this can be an encouraging, wonderful place.
Thanks, everyone :)
…it’s just a tiny, tiny window into the danger level that lgbtq people are always facing.
Walking down the street just being a human being, never knowing which person they meet is an unbalanced violent homophobe or transphobe.
I don’t know how they find the strength. It’s awful to contemplate.
Representation matters, decency matters, tolerance matters. I don’t know what else we can do to try to make things better aside from listen and speak up to the best of our ability.
I remember my father saying something similar when I was talking to him about my partner, he said something like, “You must really be in love if you’re willing to walk down the street with this person because of the idiots out there.” And that’s when I kind of realized that all those years ago when I came out to him, and he got upset, that maybe he was more concerned then angry. Maybe he was concerned because of the world we live in. On top of both of us being women, I’m black and she’s white, so maybe he was just worried because he knows of the stupidity out there.
But honestly I think we get strength from each other. I feel like someone will always have issue with me over something, whether it’s race, or my gender, or my size, or my sexuality, so I might as well be happy in this life I’m living instead of being concerned over what might happen out there. We’ve been together for 13 years and are having a blast, that’s what I’ll focus on :)
So I don’t think I’ve posted about this on my Tumblr yet, but a few weeks ago I was told that my cosplay presentation idea for the “Body Love Conference” made it through round one! Round two was to make a video that pretty much goes into what your presentation is, why its important, and things like that. If the video makes it through, then I get to go to the conference :)
I decided that on top of telling, I would show why it would be important. So my partner and I made this shirt, which is just a handful of comments I’ve gotten this year alone about my cosplay. This isn’t everything, because everything wouldn’t fit on the front of the shirt. How sad is that? Cosplay is supposed to be fun, right? We’re dressing up as fictional characters, who are these people who have time to say such harsh things to someone they don’t even know?
But I’m not the only one this happens to. I’m sure everyone has a story where someone said something out of line to them, whether they were cosplaying or not. And, oddly enough, that creates an understanding, a bond, between us. And through the negativity it shows why positivity is so important. It shows why your happiness and your opinion of yourself is what matters. You can’t go off of someone else’s blind judgment. You can’t let these words keep you down, I say “keep” because, honestly, they will hurt and I will never deny that part, because it’s important to be honest with your feelings. Being called these names does hurt and they will make you pause in your steps. They made me pause, but they didn’t make me completely stop. They never will. Why should they?
I know the truth about myself. I’m a writer. I’m a cosplayer. I’m an artist. I have a loving partner, great friends and family. Why is one “fat slob” comment going to stop me from living the life I want to live?
It’s not, and it shouldn’t stop you, either.
I think plus size women (and men) need to see positive, beautiful representation of people who are their size. I also think they need to see plus size people being happy with who they are. The stereotype of the unhappy, fat loaf who sits on the couch being lazy is such a lie, and it kills me that that’s what some people expect when they think of a chubby person. I hate that it’s such a surprise to some people to see a plus size person wearing nice clothes and looking good, so I’m really glad to see positive representation out there.
Honestly, I think it’s just a great thing for everyone to see, not just plus size individuals. Society has such a skewed view on beauty. It’s always changing and the things we see aren’t always truthful (Photoshop, etc.) I get support from all sorts of people, not just plus size. There are plenty of people who are smaller than me who feel encouraged to love themselves when they see me. I feel like body positivity is something that’s beneficial to everyone. I feel like everyone has their insecurities, so seeing people embrace who they are is such a huge confidence booster.
My interview with The Curvy Fashionista went up today and I haven’t stopped smiling since :)
I swear everything I do is going to equal fat to some people.
Have a college degree in English and Women’s Studies? That’s glorifying obesity.
Get an award from my Women’s Studies Department? That’s glorifying obesity.
Get a book published? That’s glorifying obesity.
Get another book published? Double the fat.
A third? Triple cheeseburger!
Two short stories? Super-size me.
Edit books? With a side of fries!
Snuggle with my cats? That’s glorifying obesity.
Plan my wedding? Obesity.
Cosplay? Obesity.
Woodburn? OBESITY!
All these things are bringing me closer to death because everything I do is glorifying obesity and obesity kills and people are just concerned for my well being so obesity obesity OBESITY! No matter what I do there’s always going to be those people who only see the chunkiness of my size instead of my accomplishments, which is why I always say do the things that make you happy, don’t worry about these people. You could invent a way to breathe in space without a helmet and be a godsend to NASA, but these people will still tell you that you’re showing fat people how to be lazy because now they don’t have to put any effort into lifting their arms up to put on the helmet.
Just keep doing you, o.k.?
These quotes are all things that have been said to me in regards to my body and my race. It’s not everything that’s ever been said to me, oh no, not even close, but they’ve been said as recently as last month.
Don’t let the negatives take over, don’t let them weigh you down and dictate who you are. Don’t let them cover up the things that make you, you.
