What's Better than Monster Hunter?

To contact us Click HERE
By ladyvader99 

I was 19 and I saw it from across the room. It took my breath away.

In this past six months, I have gotten a tattoo on my inner right forearm of a Monster Hunter “forbidden hunter” seal. In the manga, a monster hunter is given this mark to allow them to hunt the most dangerous and the rarest of beasts. Seeing as I have over 3000 hours logged into the Monster Hunter franchise, I deemed myself worthy. There are a total of 10 entries in the Monster Hunter series, spanning over a variety of platforms, with only 4 released here in the United States. The most current installment, Monster Hunter Portable 3, is currently Capcom’s fastest selling game ever.

I was 19 (maybe 20…the years blend!) when I came across Monster Hunter for PlayStation 2. The game play was simple; you are a wandering young person who undertakes the task of relieving a small village of the monsters that plague it in exchange for room and board. These range from small, docile herbivores to HUGE dragons. The game forces you to use every bit of cunning and strategy you possess and the sense of accomplishment when you take down that first Rathalos is immensely satisfying. Every creature you take down allows you to carve material off of it to make superior armor and weaponry, thereby making you stronger and able to withstand attacks from stronger, more hostile and intelligent creatures. There is no “end” to the game, so you can literally play forever.





I got the most fun out of Monster Hunter when my now husband, two best friends and I bought Monster Hunter Freedom for PSP. A Saturday did not pass where we four were not huddled around our PSPs for hours of marathon gaming, A/C adaptors plugged into the wall so our PSPs wouldn’t die mid-quest. Monsters are typically more intelligent and the quest objectives for each are harder when you play online with someone via ad hoc or alone so they represented a bigger challenge. I love the creature design, the landscapes are PHENOMENAL, and it’s truly incredible how they always keep you guessing, even after you think you’ve got a creature’s movement pattern down.

Because Monster Hunter is my favorite game of ALL TIME, whenever I attend a convention, I zoom around the dealer’s room, searching for a statuette, a key chain, or plush of SOMETHING. Japan gets amazing Monster Hunter merchandise and I long to own everything I can! So far, I’ve been able to accumulate a Felyne statue (a cat that assists you in quests and hunter “duties”), plush of a Gigi whelp (white tadpole looking thing with teeth…adorable!), some posters, and a tiny Felyne key chain.

Monster Hunter is definitely not a game for those who want to hack and slash their way through it. This kind of approach will frustrate you since you will die very quickly and quite a lot. Monster Hunter is like the girl you want to take home to your mom. Approach with love, trust and commitment because before you know it, you’ll be 10 hours in and that’s it. You’re in love.


Like what you just read? Let us know in the comments below and keep up to date by following us on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr!

2012: The Year of.....

To contact us Click HERE

Borrowed from cloudtimes.org

Another year at its end, 2012 brought us a lot of stuff that we celebrated or cried over as the year went on...Disney buying Star Wars, The Hobbit, Marvel Now, and another failed apocalypse. However, some of the best moments came from one persons mind. Yes, you have probably guessed who I am talking about.

Photoshop is my friend.

Why, you ask? Is it just because I am considered one of those rabid, crazy Whedon worshippers that other fans hate?  Well, I'm not.  I have proof!  In the form of facts.  That I typed out.

Let us start with the obvious thing: writing and directing the number one grossing movie of 2012. The Avengers was pretty epic culmination of great movies in the epic sense. It reached out past the geek sphere and drew in tons of diverse crowds.  Yeah, you know you saw it.

Borrowed from EW

He also had another movie (finally) released in 2012, the horror/suspense flick The Cabin in the Woods, which landed at 75 for top grossing domestic films in 2012.  And while it wasn't a high-grossing film, Whedon executive produced Comic-Con Episode IV came out this year too.

This year also marked 20th anniversary of Whedon's trademark series Buffy theVampire Slayer and the 10th anniversary of the cult favorite Firefly. Many shows are forgotten a year or two after they end but both of these live on in comics. Most creators don't have multiple reunions to mark the occasions but for a show of 13 episodes and one movie to pack the main hall at SDCC and have a feature on cable speaks to the lasting impression of Whedon's work.


For most people, that would be enough.  But not for Whedon.  He also laid the groundwork for a ton of stuff in 2013!  We can look forward to his film adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing, which no one has any idea how he had time to film this, plus his recently filmed script In Your Eyes.  His follow-ups to Avengers, including planning out the Marvel film verse and helming the Coulson-centered S.H.I.E.L.D. tv show with the Whedon clan at his side.  Hopefully working together means they have time to work on Dr. Horrible 2!

Now, I probably left out some things out that Whedon has been working on, like his constantly growing comic universe, which he oversees with Dark Horse editor-in-chief Scott Allie.  Also, he is constantly popping up on web series, or making his own video for fun and politics.  And he also spent 2012 promoting his favorite charity, Equality Now, for their 20th anniversary.

Best Tree Topper Ever.

So, that is my argument for calling 2012 the year of Joss Whedon.  Just writing this all down made me tired, can you imagine doing it all?!  With all of the great work he has been doing, it looks like 2013 is on track to be the year of Whedon too!

Like what you just read? Let us know in the comments below and keep up to date by following us on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr!

Shapes of Things to Come (If We're Lucky)

To contact us Click HERE

The Yardbirds—first stop for three of Rock and Roll’s greatest guitar heroes—mixed blues and psychedelia into a unique soup that produced such classics as “For Your Love” and “Heart Full of Soul.” While noted for launching the careers of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, it was Paul Samwell-Smith (bass), Keith Relf (singer/harmonica), Chris Dreja (rhythm guitar) and Jim McCarty (drums) who maintained the core. I plan to see Chris and Jim perform, along with new Yardbirds band members, on Wed., September 7, at BB Kings' in NY City (the Good Rats are opening). You can also catch the Yardbirds in a lot of other places through October.

Yesterday I caught up with Jim McCarty—far and away one of the most influential drummers of his time.

Meth: Is drumming work? It looks like work.

McCarty: (Laughs) I never really thought of it as work, Cliff. It’s not really hard work is it? The hard work is traveling around (laughs again). But I did once see an article about drummers having to be really fit. There was an experiment in England and they said Blondie’s drummer was as fit as a footballer. So I guess it’s work but being in a rhythm sorts of works itself.

Meth: You’ve been a Yardbird for what, 45 years? Did you think that was possible?

McCarty: I didn’t actually. At one point I worked for a stock broker in London and I was playing drums at night and on weekends. After a few weeks it was very tiring and I didn’t think it would last. I went to my boss and said, “I need to take a break. Can you keep the job open for me when the band folds up?” But it lasted a bit longer… I was going to become an actuary at the time. I was obviously destined not to do that but I always had a mathematical brain. It also helped with the songwriting, I think.

Meth: There was a bit of a break in there. How did you reform the group?

McCarty: We were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992 but we didn’t get it together again until ‘95. I was playing in a blues band and we sort of built a place up. Jeff [Beck] and Paul [Samwell-Smith] would come and see the band but they didn’t sit in. Then Chris and I were approached by an agent and there was interest in putting the band back together. Jeff hasn’t played with us, nor has Jimmy [Page], but they’ve shown up at shows and played air guitar.

Meth: Air guitar. That's not work.

McCarty: Yes. [Laughs]

Meth: While you played musical guitar heroes, the core of the Yardbirds seemed to stay close knit. Who were you closest with?

McCarty: I suppose Keith and I were very close back then. Me and Keith and Chris were the steady members. But there was tension because it was very hectic having to work the whole time. We weren’t making any money. Even when we were signed, the LPs weren’t selling well and royalties were poor—all the money was on the road so were relentlessly working and that created tension. It was clear that Eric and Jeff were destined to be their own bosses—they were people who found it difficult to be in a band.

Meth: But there was some sense of fraternity wasn’t there? You were too young not to have that idealized dynamic.

McCarty: Well, we would go to our manager and have meetings. I remember that Eric was very unhappy about the way the band was going and didn’t like the idea of doing “For Your Love,” which the rest of us wanted to do. He thought that was selling out. We loved it but he only wanted to do blues. We tried to do bluesly singles like “Good Morning Little School Girl” but they weren’t commercial enough to be big hits and to get anywhere you had to have a single. Now the music industry has gone full circle. The LP market is dead again and it’s all about being on the road, but back then it was all about singles.

Meth: You contributed to the writing on some of those singles.

McCarty: Yes, most of the songs were team efforts. “Shapes of Things to Come” came from Keith and Paul and myself.

Meth: Well, while we're on shapes of things to come, are you disappointed with where music has gone? The death of rock culture—and for that matter, the virtual death of everything else?

McCarty: I tend to think positively about where we’re going and I try to reflect that in my songwriting. There’s a change coming but the change is for the good.

Meth: What do you see in evidence of that?

McCarty: I guess ecological things, especially in Europe. People trying to get by without using un-renewable fuels… I sort of do see a better world coming, a growing awareness and growing consciousness of other people. I think it will be alright.

(c) 2011 Clifford Meth

DV8 artist 'Brings Magic Back'

To contact us Click HERE

Earning major points for her superlative work on WildStorm's in-progress DV8: Gods and Monsters miniseries with Brian Wood, Rebekeh Isaacs has already begun drawing her followup project that's similarly close to the artist's heart. Magus is a new five-issue series from 12-Gauge that deals with the return of full-on magic to our modern world, where everyone suddenly finds themselves a powerful sorcerer. Written by Jon Price & David Norton and featuring an inaugural cover by DVD's Fiona Staples, Magus is listed in this month's Diamond Previews catalogue for a December 12 release.

ComicsAlliance spoke briefly with the Magus creative team about the contemporary fantasy book, described as a grown-up cross between Harry Potter and Heroes (Season One!), and checked out some of Isaacs' great artwork from the miniseries.

MAGUS #1 (of 5)

Where were you when magic came back? After being sealed away for thousands of years by a group of powerful men and women, humankind's innate ability to use magic is accidentally released- leaving everyone on the planet able to perform magic! In suburban Massachusetts, Ben and Darius find themselves thrust into the middle of a changing, turbulent new world, and intricately linked to what's happening. Joined by a small group of new friends, these powerful young men must unravel the secret history of magic, while governments across the globe desperately fight to return things to the way they were before. Don't miss the first exciting installment of this epic adventure, featuring the stunning art of Rebekah Isaacs (Brian Wood's DV8)!

ComicsAlliance: Rebekah, you've earned loads of praise for your work on DV8. What informed your decision to make Magus the followup? What's your connection to the material?

REBEKAH ISAACS: Well, I was actually working on Magus little-by-little the whole time I was drawing DV8. I think we'd been working on the pitch before I got that gig and [Ms. Marvel: Dark Reign], but back then we were three people with very few comics credits between us, and me getting that first mainstream work definitely gave us the impetus to push it out there and get it seen. My connection to the project is about as personal as you can get -- Jon is my boyfriend, and, essentially, our creative collaborations from the moment we became friends are what brought us together. That being said, I don't go around committing myself to year-long side-projects just because someone makes me laugh and bakes amazing desserts. I loved this story and the characters since the moment I read the initial treatment and I knew we had to do whatever it took to get it made.

JON PRICE: I thought the idea up when I was living in the "magical" Orlando, Florida (please note the sarcasm). I actually mostly liked Orlando, but there's a strange mix of synthetic fantasy and stark reality because of the several theme parks and endless stream of tourists. So I started playing with the idea of fantasy-based magic existing in our world as it exists now and how that would work. Once I had a framework for the story I enlisted Dave to help flesh it out and create some killer villains - which he's done quite nicely, as you'll see throughout the series.

CA: Keven, you're putting this book out, please share some impressions about the work and tell us how it fits into the 12-Gauge legacy.

KEVEN GARDNER: 12-Gauge has always been known for crime and action, so when I heard they wanted to pitch me a book about magic I wasn't sure if it would fit. I had been talking with Rebekah about doing something together anyway (she's such a talented artist), so I was hoping it might work. Once I read the pitch I was hooked. It reminded me of all the things I loved about the first season of Heroes, but with a splash of Harry Potter, and all set in the real-world (no costumes, alternate realities, etc.). Had it been a typical magic/fantasy thing, I would probably have passed, but this felt fresh and grounded, and it was something 12-Gauge had to put its stamp on.

(* Hit the title link above for loads of new art and the rest of the interview)

'BOONDOCK SAINTS' GRAPHIC NOVEL NOW AVAIALABLE FOR PREORDER

To contact us Click HERE

LOS ANGELES, California---August 29, 2011

The BOONDOCK SAINTS' initial foray into comics is now available for pre-order in a collected edition chock-full of never before seen bonus material (on sale this November)!

TROY DUFFY’s original BOONDOCK SAINTS film is one of the most successful independent movies of all time, with a fiercely loyal and devoted fan base - including 4.5 million social media fans and counting. With the hit comic series "IN NOMINE PATRIS", creator/writer/director TROY DUFFY launched the first "Saints" story to take place outside the iconic films. Written by Duffy and comic scribe J.B. LOVE, the comic series is the perfect companion to the films.

The story masterfully interweaves the events of the BOONDOCK SAINTS II: ALL SAINTS DAY with brand new material to reveal the secret history of the original saint, NOAH MACMANUS (IL DUCE) as he wages a bloody war against 1960's New York's Underground Crime world. The storyline is intercut with brand new adventures of the BROTHERS MACMANUS (The Boondock Saints) doing what they do best; doling out their special brand of justice to those that deserve it. "In Nomine Patris" brings a new chapter of the Saints saga to life while revealing the family legacy that created this trio of "Shepherds".

Featuring a forward by Connor MacManus himself - actor, SEAN PATRICK FLANERY - Join Troy Duffy and his comics team in this thrilling new Saints Adventure by pre-ordering the collected edition. This special trade paperback collects all six comic issues, never before seen art, a cover gallery, behind the scenes sketches and more. This is the collection the fans have been waiting for!

INNFUSION and 12-GAUGE COMICS are proud to announce THE BOONDOCK SAINTS, VOL. 1 TP: “In Nomine Patris”; NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Hastings, and all quality book and comic book stores across North America.

For a comic shop in your area, please visit www.comicshoplocator.com

On the Crowds in Herald Square and Walking in the City

To contact us Click HERE

Photo by myself at 35th Street and Sixth Avenue, Herald Square.

The hoards of crowds swarming in the streets during the holidays can be a little overwhelming.

Especially when you're trying to head in the opposite direction.

--Over the years, I've developed a way of walking where I can zip through an area without stopping.

If you've ever read about the 'pulse' of a city, this is it - where your body is so minutely timed with the chaos that you can zip through intersections without so much as a hiccup.

I'm sure one day I will smash into someone. With my luck, that someone will be carrying a huge white cake, dozens of prickly roses or an armload of marbles.

Last week, the receptionist at our office was standing at a crosswalk in this area and a man punched her in the stomach (!). She was just standing there, waiting for the light to change, and someone just walked up and punched her for no good reason.

Fortunately, she was all right. She called the police, gave her description of the elderly man who had done this, and was told that she was not alone. There have been multiple reports recently of older people acting out on strangers for whatever reason (!).

So yes, DO expect crowds in this area if you ever find yourself here. And DO give older people their space.

Related posts: Fighting the Crowds, in Midtown, Crowd Crossing, at 34th Street, and Tuned Out, in Herald Square.

Graffiti, Williamsburg

To contact us Click HERE

Photo by myself on North 6th Street, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

A bit of mysterious graffiti, on this popular street in Williamsburg.

--There is graffiti in abundance in Williamsburg. Layers of it. Stickers lie on top of painted tags on top of paste-ups.

Mark, Rupert and I took a walk around the neighborhood, Sunday afternoon. It was a 'gridlock alert day', which meant warnings of high traffic in Manhattan. Drivers were encouraged not to venture into the city.

It was chilly out and overcast, with brisk winds.

Happy holidays everyone!!

Related posts: Random Graffiti, on Second Avenue, Graff Attack, in the Meatpacking District, and The Urban Art Form, Downtown.

Merry Xmas, from Park Slope, Brooklyn

To contact us Click HERE

Photo by myself in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Colored lights decorated a front lawn in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Santa seems to have left his boots.

Some of the front lawns in Brooklyn are very tiny or non-existant, with concrete slabs and little patches of grass. Occasionally, there is a tree.

Many brownstones don't have driveways or garages, so there isn't a place to keep garbage cans (!). A paved front yard means less upkeep and a place to keep trash cans off the sidewalk during the week.

--Merry Christmas, everyone! It was a sunny and chilly day here. Mark, Rupert and I are staying in town.

We drove into the city briefly to try out my xmas present, a new camera lens! Hip hip, hooray! It is a fantastic zoom lens that I have to get used to.

I wish everyone a safe and lovely holiday.

Related posts: Random Graffiti, on Second Avenue, Graff Attack, in the Meatpacking District, and The Urban Art Form, Downtown.

Street Crossing, on Fifth Avenue

To contact us Click HERE

Photo by myself, around Fifth Avenue and 50th Street, in Midtown.

We had a chilly day in the city, Christmas Day.

If there is ever a 'good' day to be in New York in terms of traffic, I would suggest Christmas Day. Not many people are driving about, and parking rules are suspended. So you can park just about anywhere.

I used my new Canon 75-300mm lens to take the above photo. It is taking some getting used to, since you can only take photos of things more than 5 feet away. Unfortunately if you see something very interesting nearby, you can't take a photo of it (!).

Related posts: Lost in a Crowd, in Midtown, Strolling Down Sixth Avenue, in the Sun, and Business as Usual, in Midtown.

A Glimpse of Houston Street

To contact us Click HERE

Photo by myself at Houston and Allen Streets.

Just a peek down Houston Street, a great divide in the city.

South of Houston is SoHo, the land of clothing boutiques and large furniture stores. North of Houston is NoHo and the sprawling NYU campus.

Houston Street is very wide, with traffic divided by a median strip. Along its length are older brick brownstones and many tall modern buildings.

This photo was taken from the passenger seat of our car (!). We'd had the car washed not long before, so you wouldn't even know there was a windshield there.

Related posts: Lost in a Crowd, in Midtown, Strolling Down Sixth Avenue, in the Sun, and Business as Usual, in Midtown.

The Knicks vs. the Suns, at Madison Square Garden

To contact us Click HERE

Photo by myself in Madison Square Garden, in Midtown.

Just before the New York Knicks game on Sunday, the lights dimmed at Madison Square Garden. Each player's photo flashed on the giant screens near the ceiling to loud, thumping music.

The Knicks played the Phoenix Suns and won, 106-99. It was a steady game as far as basketball goes. The Knicks played well, leading by 10 points or so for most of the game.

Mark and I attended the game with a friend. We had pretty good seats near the corner of the court. I'm not a basketball fan, but I found the experience thrilling. With the half-time show, flashing screens and announcements, it was non-stop action. And of course it was nice that the Knicks won.


I took this photo further down the aisle from our seats. As you can see, a good number of seats were on the floor of the court.


People milled about in front of the stadium before the game. A giant LED screen sits atop the front canopy to announce upcoming events.

Related posts: Before the Rangers Game, at Madison Square Garden, Neon Storefronts, Midtown, and From the Corner Deli, in Soho.

Morning Ride on the D Train

To contact us Click HERE

Photo by myself on the D train.

Oh, the morning commute is tough one at times.

Brooklynites caught some shut eye on the train ride into Manhattan, Wednesday morning. As usual, the default color for coats is black.

Tis the season for holiday parties and the mornings after.

Related posts: Lost in Thought, Outside Lord and Taylor in Midtown, Holiday Displays, on Fifth Avenue, and Christmas Windows to Warm the Heart.

Open Everything that's Closed, on Bowery Street

To contact us Click HERE

Photo by myself on Bowery Street, in the East Village.

A cryptic illuminated sign to the left reads 'Open Everything That's Closed'. Barely visible above it is another sign in red that reads 'Close Everything That's Open'. Hm.

As on any typical Sunday, all the stores on Bowery were shuttered closed. The street is known for its numerous stores for restaurant equipment and supplies. It's one of the few obviously un-gentrified streets left in Manhattan.

In the olden days, you'd hear people refer to this area as 'The Bowery', mainly derived from the Bowery Mission. It was a sketchy street littered with bums. Now, not so much, thank goodness.

We had a dreary rainy day, Sunday. I took this photo from the passenger seat.

Related posts: Outside Memphis, on Broadway, Atop the Canopy at Radio City Music Hall, and Get Your Tattoos, Downtown.

Outside Mascot Studio, in the East Village

To contact us Click HERE

Photo by myself on Ninth Street and Second Avenue.

Mascot Studio in the East Village frames fine art and sells decorative objects. I was drawn to the subtle colors of their storefront.

--As the rest of the country, the city has been devastated by the news from Connecticut. Newtown is only 90 minutes north of Manhattan.

Related posts: Outside Zucco, on the Lower East Side, Outside Three Lives, in the Village, and Peeking In, on St. Mark's Place.

In the Lobby of the Sherry-Netherland, on Fifth Avenue

To contact us Click HERE

Photo by myself at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street.

The lobby of the Sherry-Netherland Hotel, at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street, is all decked out for the holidays.

The front desk is to the left, out of view. Several doormen stood by, at the ready to help people with luggage.

This hotel is very fancy, with rooms starting at $500 per night, upward to over $1k per night. They also have several apartments for sale, some with kitchens, some without (!).

One apartment for sale takes up a whole floor of the building. Its monthly maintenance is over $30k per month. Hello??!! That is a thousand dollars per day! Some of the smaller apartments resemble hotel rooms, and all are beautifully decorated.

For the Sherry-Netherland website, which includes apartments for sale, click here.

Related posts: Waiting at the Grammercy Park Hotel, All Lit Up, Outside the Gershwin Hotel, and The Royalton, Renovated.

NYCC '12: Day Two Highlights

To contact us Click HERE
Day two kicked off with a little bit of stress and a whole lot of awesome. 

Wilderowens went to a crowdsourcing panel at Kickstarter HQ with Craig Engler of Syfy, and Brad "Cheeks" Bell and Jane Espenson of Husbands. After she came back to the Javits, she spent the day interviewing a whole slew of people: Mike Richardson, President of Dark Horse Comics, Liam Sharp of Madefire, Pierre Leroux, Producer of Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth, Warren Spector, Creative Director for Epic Mickey 2. She met with RedBubble PR, Matt Inman from the Oatmeal, got autographs from DC's Ricardo Sanchez, Dark Horse's Brian Wood and ate a pop tart. She and Getsuyobi also got interviewed by a French radio station about geek culture and comic con. 

After a rough start to the day, I spent the day mostly in panels. I missed out on the Christopher Lloyd Q & A, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Instead of leaving that panel to grab lunch and then fighting to get back into the room for Sean Astin, I grabbed some lunch went in to to MTV Geek panel. I didn't even know MTV had comics. It was a great panel and featured people suck as Joshua Hale, David Tischman, Sanford Greene, and Val Staples. 




Then the Sean Astin panel started, and it quickly became my favorite panel of the day, and possibly the entire con. He was funny, interesting, engaging, and extremely genuine. He was shocked at how full the room was. He was full of fantastic stories including one about his audition for Lord of the Rings. It turns out he had never even heard of The Hobbit and LoTR before he got the call for the audition. We were also treated to a surprise guest,  Terry Pratchett.

After that, I wandered the floor for a little bit, chatted with people, ran into a few friends, and finished the day by going to the Webcomics panel with Ryan Sohmer and Lar DeSouza. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but this turned out to be extremely informative. Sohmer and DeSouza did the panel Q & A style, and talked about what it takes to be a successful web creator, and it was also one of the filthiest panels I have ever been too. The dirty jokes came hard and fast. ;-) It was a great panel, and the perfect way to end the day.




I can't wait for day three! That's when the crazy really kicks in. 

Like what you just read? Let us know in the comments below and keep up to date by following us on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr!

NYCC '12 Day Three Highlights

To contact us Click HERE
Day three started in the best way possible - meeting with Bruce Timm and Andrea Romano for roundtable interviews about The Dark Knight Returns Part 2. From there I raced into the The Dark Knight panel and the audience was treated to a fantastic Q & A. We were shown clips from TDKR Pt. 2 and a new movie slated to come out next spring. I tried to go up to the floor, but could barely move around. The crowd was insane, so I said hi to a friend who was working at a booth and ran back downstairs. 

I jumped into the King of Nerds panel featuring the stars of Revenge of the Nerds franchise, Curtis Armstrong (Booger) and Robert Carradine (Lewis). There were nerd debates and jeopardy, and they gave away fun prizes. 


Next, came the Fables 10th Anniversary panel. What a treat! While we were waiting for it to begin, Bill Willingham was telling awful, corny jokes and keeping us entertained. Prizes were given, questions were answered, and laughs were had by all. 


After that, I wandered around for a bit, met up with some other friends, and finally started to explore Artist's Alley, where I got to talk to Sanford Greene. There I met up with Wilderowens, and we went to the Geek Girls Network Geek Out, where we hung out with old friends, met some new ones, and had a fantastic time.



Wilderowens finally had a mellow day, wandering the floor for a bit. She hung out with Cully Hamner and Josh Fialkov at the DC booth. While she didn't get her interview with Joel Hodgson of MST3K, (but will via email!!!) she did get to chat with Fred Chao, the creator of Johnny Hiro!!

NYCC '12: Day 4 Highlights

To contact us Click HERE
Well,  as soon as NY Comic Con starts, it ends.  I admit, part of me is glad because I am just so tired.  Still, I love all the time I spend hanging on the floor.  As usual, we all split up at the con, running off into different directions.

Wysefyre fought against the hoards of people to get into the Javits Center in time to catch the Sesame Street show on the Varient Stage featuring Elmo and Gordon (Roscoe Orman). There were more adults at the show than kids, and everyone had fun. Then she met up with a friend, and wandered the floor for a few hours. Wysefyre also spoke with Ryan Sohmer and Lar DeSouza, and the nice people over at the CBDLF. Also, she saw a guy dressed as Zangief from Street Fighter 4 give an exceptionally long hug to another person and ate some Hi-Chew and Nerds.

Today I jumped onto the floor first thing to go swag hunting.  I scored a lot of good items and can't wait to sort through it all.  After that, I got a chance to sit down with animation king Bill Plympton to discuss his new and upcoming projects.



Then I spent the afternoon celebrating Spider-Man's 50th Birthday at the Marvel booth!  Yeah, I know, who would have thunk it that Spidey is 50!  One way that Marvel was celebrating is by trying to set a new world record for the most greetings on a card.  I had a chance to chat with the Guinness World Record representative about the process to make a world record.  I am happy to say that Marvel made it!

Then I went over to Artist's Alley, met up with Wysefyre, listened to Dan Slott talk, then spoke with Peter David, David Marquez and Jamal Igle.  Wysefyre made her 7th or 8th trek across the Javitz, then we finally got some food.

We had a great time this year at NY Comic Con!!!  This was such a great time to see old friends and meet new people.  We are also so thankful for all the people that gave us some of their time.  For now, we will be working hard to share all the great details we gained over the past few days.  Make sure you stay tuned!  Until next year!

Like what you just read? Let us know in the comments below and keep up to date by following us on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr!

What's Better than Monster Hunter?

To contact us Click HERE
By ladyvader99 

I was 19 and I saw it from across the room. It took my breath away.

In this past six months, I have gotten a tattoo on my inner right forearm of a Monster Hunter “forbidden hunter” seal. In the manga, a monster hunter is given this mark to allow them to hunt the most dangerous and the rarest of beasts. Seeing as I have over 3000 hours logged into the Monster Hunter franchise, I deemed myself worthy. There are a total of 10 entries in the Monster Hunter series, spanning over a variety of platforms, with only 4 released here in the United States. The most current installment, Monster Hunter Portable 3, is currently Capcom’s fastest selling game ever.

I was 19 (maybe 20…the years blend!) when I came across Monster Hunter for PlayStation 2. The game play was simple; you are a wandering young person who undertakes the task of relieving a small village of the monsters that plague it in exchange for room and board. These range from small, docile herbivores to HUGE dragons. The game forces you to use every bit of cunning and strategy you possess and the sense of accomplishment when you take down that first Rathalos is immensely satisfying. Every creature you take down allows you to carve material off of it to make superior armor and weaponry, thereby making you stronger and able to withstand attacks from stronger, more hostile and intelligent creatures. There is no “end” to the game, so you can literally play forever.





I got the most fun out of Monster Hunter when my now husband, two best friends and I bought Monster Hunter Freedom for PSP. A Saturday did not pass where we four were not huddled around our PSPs for hours of marathon gaming, A/C adaptors plugged into the wall so our PSPs wouldn’t die mid-quest. Monsters are typically more intelligent and the quest objectives for each are harder when you play online with someone via ad hoc or alone so they represented a bigger challenge. I love the creature design, the landscapes are PHENOMENAL, and it’s truly incredible how they always keep you guessing, even after you think you’ve got a creature’s movement pattern down.

Because Monster Hunter is my favorite game of ALL TIME, whenever I attend a convention, I zoom around the dealer’s room, searching for a statuette, a key chain, or plush of SOMETHING. Japan gets amazing Monster Hunter merchandise and I long to own everything I can! So far, I’ve been able to accumulate a Felyne statue (a cat that assists you in quests and hunter “duties”), plush of a Gigi whelp (white tadpole looking thing with teeth…adorable!), some posters, and a tiny Felyne key chain.

Monster Hunter is definitely not a game for those who want to hack and slash their way through it. This kind of approach will frustrate you since you will die very quickly and quite a lot. Monster Hunter is like the girl you want to take home to your mom. Approach with love, trust and commitment because before you know it, you’ll be 10 hours in and that’s it. You’re in love.


Like what you just read? Let us know in the comments below and keep up to date by following us on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr!

KostumeGirl's 2011 Wrap Up

To contact us Click HERE
As I look back on my posts from 2011, I'd have to say this was my best year for costumes yet! Through practice and good old fashioned trial and error I've learned how to build costumes that are comfortable without losing any WOW factor. I've also learned what can be built and what you should just purchase ready made. If you will oblige me, I'd like to take a trip down memory road and recap my favorite costumes of 2011.

The year was off to a running start in February with a very daring and clever (at least I thought so) costume that I wore to Kostume Kult's 5th Annual Alt. Oscars, the wildest costume Oscar party out there. Attending this year were flocks of Black Swans, Tron, Pixar characters and myself as the 2010 epic film Piranha 3D. How this film, NAY this work of art, remains yet un-nominated for an Oscar is a great travesty. Briefly, the movie is about an underwater tremor that releases millions of prehistoric piranhas from their dormant state. This unfortunate event happens to coincide with Spring Break at Lake Victoria where hundreds of coeds are letting loose in the water as well. The two make for a deadly mixer. So basically I was dressed as a college spring breaker who met an unfortunate piranha feeding frenzy demise. To read my detailed recap click here. For more photos from this raucous event, check out this great album of photos of the event by my friend Loren Darklyng. It won't be long before this event comes around again and the Kostume Kult red carpet is rolled out so start thinking about your favorite movies from 2011 and which one would make a great costume. You could win yourself a coveted Atly!


April brought spring flowers and an AMAZING event called Horned Ball 7: Road to Valhalla. Kostume Kult hosted this event at Santo's Party House this year. The Party House was transformed back in time to a viking wonderland with a ship, ice, fire and animal hides. Really an unbelievable transformation and the set up crew deserves lots of props for a bang up job. Oh and if you do not know, Horned Ball is a spring event with a horned or mythical beast theme. For the past two Horned Balls, I have dressed as a unicorn. The first attempt was pretty amateur with a paper towel roll horn but in 2011 I got it right. I found a Christmas ornament for my inspiration that was a white and red spiral and happened to look a lot like a horn! I mounted it on a headband and set to work on a red and white spandex body suit. I'm very happy with the results. Read my previous post for full recap for more pictures.

In June the NYC weather finally warms up and the sea creatures get their chance to shine at the Coney Island Mermaid Day Parade. I must admit this is the event I tend to get the most attention at. There are a LOT of great photographers there and I love finding my photos online after the parade. The event organizers have got this parade down to a science now since it has been going on for more than 10 years and there is even a family friendly section of the parade where the nudity is less brazen and the mixed drinks don't fly quite as loosely. Anyway I went to the mermaid parade with my wonderful college friend and co-creator of the "More is More" mantra, Erin. Also attending were our friends Melissa and Natalie, both Mermaid Parade first timers. The weather was great and we had an absolute blast. Read about it in my previous post recapping Mermaid Day 2011. If you are looking for an event that celebrates costumes without the debauchery of SantaCon give the Mermaid Day Parade a try. Coney Island is a bit of a trip but I love to do it once a year.

In July I was "featured" in a photographic list of "48 Things You Will Only See in NYC" on Buzzfeed.com. The photo is actually from 2010 when I was riding the train home from the Mermaid Parade. As you can see I was resting between some of my neighbors on the 7 train. As usual I was not thinking anything odd about the way I was dressed as strangers stared at me and took pictures! Anyway I'm proud to be part of the NYC spectacle. Living here never gets old that's for sure.

July was also when I debuted my first makeup tutorial! I did face paint for my Cheshire Cat costume for the Massive Mad Hatter Tea Party in the West Village. As I was getting ready I made a little tutorial to help out people trying to recreate the look or get some inspiration. I hope to add many more tutorials on makeup, sewing and costume crafting.

Skipping to October, I attended NYC Comic Con for the first time. There are some very serious cosplay and costumers at ComicCon so I was ready to be out dressed for sure. I went as Minnie Mouse since I've been a fan since I was about 4. I sewed my costume the week before and got a great pair of tights from work.The ears I found in the costume dome out at Burning Man. Thank goodness I held on to them! We took some fun photos at Comic Con, walked around all day and bought some great original art! I think I am ready to upgrade to San Diego Comic Con!

Such a busy October! Only two days after ComicCon was ZombieCon. I found my inspiration for my outfit this year at Mood Fabrics. I was buying plain fabric for a sewing class when I spotted a beautiful black and white striped thick jersey. INSPIRED, I went home and started thinking about how to sew it into a horrifying zombie dress. Luckily I stumbled upon some help when I found a video on YouTube for How to Sew a Morticia Addams Dress. It was exactly the silhouette I was looking for. Then I bloodied it up with some fabric dye and paint. This picture is silly and I have no idea what I was doing, but I like it. For some reason I do not have a lot of photos from that event. I'm sad cause I don't think I got a good full length one of the dress. Oh well. Sometimes you just have to go out and have an experience and not worry about documenting every second of it.
I also did a Zombie makeup tutorial that got a lot of views on You Tube right before ZombieCon. This video was much more complete and polished. It even had the music from 28 Days behind it. Hopefully it helped some people achieve the sexy zombie look they were going for.

Then of course, the Grandaddy of them all Halloween. This year was a special circumstance however since I had been in California Halloween weekend for a wedding. My flight back to NYC landed at 3pm the day of Halloween so I had just enough time to go home, throw on something and head to the NYC Village Halloween Parade! It was worth it to walk along side the Kostume Kult parade float which looked insane and great with its Eye-Kandy theme and rocking sound system. Check out some of the video I took. Also a highlight my friend Erin @erinokeefe5 won the costume contest at the W hotel on Park Ave! She was a Sexy Porcupine. Spiky!

Rounding off the year was SantaCon. This event has grown to proportions that are simply epic. Telling someone you are going to SantaCon hardly requires any explanation anymore. I was a Sexy Candy Cane and I think it turned out great. The wig and headpiece required a great deal of work but the leggings thankfully I reused from my Horned Ball unicorn costume. I love the bold red and white stripes and the long length of my wig. Right as I arrived at the South Street Seaport one of the most exciting events in my creative career happened. Bill Cunningham took my photo! He is a NYC fashion and street photographer for The New York Times and was recently the subject of a documentary. He took some photos of me, I said Hi and gave him my card and prayed my photo would show up in the Times. Then low and behold a few days later, there I was in the Times Sunday Style section and even in a video of the photos he took called Reds. So very exciting! I will have to save a clipping and put it in my portfolio.

So there you have it. The many events and many costumes of 2011. As always I have ideas brewing for the coming year so check back for more updates. Happy New Year!

-KostumeGirl
Twitter @Kostumegirl

Looking Down 34th Street, in Midtown

To contact us Click HERE

Photo by myself on 34th Street in Midtown.

The view down 34th Street includes the Empire State Building, looming above.

Macy's has been decorated with a huge Christmas tree on the canopy and a giant sign with 'Believe' in script.

It's oddly balmy outside though, with temperatures hovering around 60F, or 15 Celcius. People are walking about with their jackets flapping open.

Related posts: Looking Up at Macy's in Midtown, All Decked out Below the Empire State, and Lost Near Macy's.

Jingling and Jogging, in Prospect Park

To contact us Click HERE

Photo by myself in Prospect Park, Brooklyn.

Thousands of runners ran the loop around Prospect Park, this morning, dressed in costume. Nearly 6,000 runners finished the race.

The 'Jingle Bell Jog' is a 6K run held every year by the New York Road Runners club. I happened to be in the park this morning with Rupert and had no idea the run was held today. But when I heard the distinctive jingling and loud whoops of joy, I knew we were in for a treat.

Rupert and I stood to the side while hundreds of runners dashed by us dressed in reindeer antlers, red noses, santa hats and santa tutus. Runners were given t-shirts and bells for the race.

There was even a guy wearing nothing but a santa hat and a red speedo! Eek! Fortunately for him, it wasn't too cold.


What seemed to be an endless stream of runners went by, as we waited on the curb to cross.


Above, one runner wore the tshirt for the run, along with his antlers.


The least dressed runner of the morning, to the right, in a hat and red speedo.

For more about the Jingle Bell Jog on the New York Road Runner's website, click here.

Apologies for the sporadic posts once again. It's been crazy, crazy busy at work!

Related posts: With Bells on, at the Jingle Bell Jog, in Prospect Park, Leaving the Santa Convention, in the East Village, and On Line Behind Santa, Underground.

Wrapped Around the Bulgari Store, on Fifth Avenue

To contact us Click HERE

Photo by myself around 56th Street and FIfth Avenue.

A giant two-headed snake encrusted with LED lights wound around the corner of the Bulgari store on Fifth Avenue.

The lights in the eyes of the snakes flicker on and off. The lights are very, very bright.

I'd see this thing whenever I passed by in a cab, so I went over Monday night to take a photo up close.

Related posts: The New York Public Library, Awash in Blue, Sparkly Lights, in Rockefeller Center, and Holiday Under the Stars, at Columbus Circle.