On the Subject of my Crazy Life: Furries, Furries Everywhere!

My friend and I at the convention!  Isn't he cute?

So where were you all weekend?
As I let you all know in my last post, I had been gone all last weekend at a convention.  Specifically, I was at Megaplex, a furry convention in Orlando, FL.  It's a rather small convention, but it was still awesome!  I went there mainly to sell my soul art, but I wasn't expecting to sell very much so I guess the convention was mainly an excuse to go on vacation for the weekend.  I was pleasantly surprised though when people seemed incredibly interested in commissioning me for on-the-spot badges or take-home art.  I was pretty excited to have gotten enough commissions to pay for my entire trip and then some, so I actually came out ahead for this vacation!  The convention was "retro arcade" theme, so they had pinball machines and other "retro" arcade games throughout the halls for people to play for free!  I didn't get a chance to play one unfortunately, but watching a bunch of people in furry costumes play pinball is a sight!  I spent most of my time in  the Artist Alley, which at this con was basically a hallway with tables set up along one side.  Unfortunately the con staff thought it was a good idea to use round tables for the artist alley, so it was a bit unorganized for us artists, but luckily I only had my art portfolio and sketchbook, so I managed to snag a decent spot every day.

Badges? Fursonas? What is this madness?

For those of you who are a bit confused with my terminology, basically people will commission someone to draw their character (sometimes known as a "fursona," or a person's furry persona, although I don't personally like the term) as a small laminated piece of art that they can wear around.  In the furry online community, people are mostly known as their character, so a badge helps people recognize each other in real life when they only know each other from an online community.  I personally like to buy badges of my character because it is art that is specifically of my character, and is usually a reasonable price and size.  Most badges are between three to six inches and laminated so they are easy to wear and protected from the hazards of a convention.

So tell me about the fandom?

Well, in case you hadn't noticed, I really like the furry fandom.  People in it are super nice and open minded, which is refreshing concept after attending anime conventions.  Unlike previous conventions I've been to, people at furry conventions don't really close off into little cliques.  I met probably a dozen or so people that I could hang out with without feeling like I am forcing myself into their friend group.  I feel like I actually made real friends at the convention, despite only meeting these people for the first time at the convention.  It's one of those things where everyone knows they share the same interest in anthropomorphic characters and fantasy-type settings, so everyone has at least one thing to talk about.  Most people there are huge nerds, so video games, books, and general geekery are all topics most furries enjoy talking about.  I honestly could have gone up to anyone, started up a conversation with them, and come out of it with a pretty good friend.  Unlike was a lot of social media says, furries are a pretty normal group, even if some of them do wear animal costumes. But hey, I've always loved costuming, so who says animal costumes are any weirder than any other costume I've worn!

But isn't furry about-?

Guess who else showed up? That's right! 

No, no, just no.  I don't even want to go into it here because it is such a stupid idea to begin with.  The furry fandom is a collection of people who appreciate art and costuming within a fantasy setting.  Just like Star Trek or anime, only with anthropomorphic characters.

Also, My Little Pony is there.







All in all the convention was awesome, and did a lot to re-spark my desire to become a professional artist!

Oh so professional!

On the Subject of my Crazy Life: Convention Time!

I'll be going out of town this weekend to try to sell my soul art to a bunch of furries.  Yes, furries.  What?  They're nice people.  Anyway, I'm super excited because it's my first time going to this convention.  Apparently it is rather small, but that should be good for a budding artist like myself.  I'll have a full write up and pictures of my adventures when I get back!  For now, have some of my art.

pencil and ink!  Art and Character are mine

Markers and Ink.  Still a work in progress.
Art and Character are mine.

Digital art on plastic.  Some mistakes in this one,
 but  I've since ironed out my necklace-making process.
Art is mine.  Character is my roommate's.

Marker, ink, and scrapbook paper.
This is a badge trade I did with a girl on an art site a few months ago..
Art is mine.  Character is her's.

The Battle of the Black Eyeliner: E.L.F. Eyeliner

The Epic Battle:
It's probably no surprise that I love black eyeliner.  What "alternative" girl doesn't?  So I have started on a quest to find the best black eyeliner for the price.  I want something long lasting, inexpensive, and easy to find in the local store (as much as I support independent makeup companies, I like to be able to easily pick up the basics when I run out).

The Contestant:
E.L.F. Liquid Eyeliner

The Review:
So you all know how much I like this brand’s eyeshadow, especially for the price.  So I decided I had to try the eyeliner to see how it stands up against the other black eyeliners I have reviewed in the epic battle.

Is it long lasting?
Not really.  I was rather disappointed in its wearablity.  However, I did realize, after looking on their website, that they make a regular liquid eyeliner and a waterproof liquid eyeliner.  I bought the regular one, but the waterproof one might be better.  The ironic part is that when I used my makeup remover to take it off, it smudged around my eyes and wouldn't come off.  It got all in my pores and wouldn’t come out even after I washed my face.  Finally after a shower I got it all off (I hope!)  I’ve never had eyeliner do something like this before.

How does it feel?
This is where the eyeliner really falls short.  I put it on, and while it goes on nicely, it feels sticky for a long time.  Today it rained and the humidity alone made the eyeliner sticky again.  Have you ever felt your eyelids stick to themselves when you blink?  That is how the eyeliner felt in the humidity.

How about the price and where to buy?
Well, I picked this eyeliner up at the local Target, but I’ve also seen the brand at the local outlet store, and of course online.  It was only a dollar, but I would rather spend more money on an eyeliner that doesn’t make my eyelids feel like I poured sticky candy on them.

Would you buy again?
Definitely not.  I don’t even think I want to try the waterproof eyeliner that the company makes.  I’ll just stick to their eyeshadow.

Movie Reviews for the Bad Movie Lover: Rubber

The Contestant:
Rubber (2010)

The Review:
Well, I was hanging out with a friend this past week and he wanted to watch this movie he just discovered.  All he knew about it was what he told me before we watched it: “It’s about a sentient tire that goes on a killing spree!”

OMG!  That’s a real movie?  I thought it was only a joke movie trailer someone made!
Ever since I have mentioned I saw Rubber to a few people, I have been hearing this exclamation.  I didn’t even realize there was a big to do about it until my boyfriend said he had seen the trailer on some joke website.  I can assure you it is a real movie, or at least real enough to be an hour and a half long and have an IMDb entry.  And here is the official movie site.  There is the trailer for the film on that website.

How is the overall quality?
Honestly, I was surprised.  When my friend told me the basic description, I thought for sure that the movie was going to be terrible B-movie quality.  It wasn’t at all.  The movie is extremely good quality for not being a mainstream movie.  It has the feel of an independent art film rather than a B-horror movie.  It actually might be an art film, but I’m not sure.  The concept behind the movie is interesting, once you figure out what is going on.  There is a lot more to this movie than the description my friend gave me, although I found it to be a bit confusing when I tried to pin down exactly what the deeper concepts were.  I think that might have been the point though.  If you’ve seen this movie, tell me what you think!

How are the plot and the characters?

Meet Robert.  Yes, the tire has a name!
It's in the credits and everything!

Well the basic plot, the sentient tire on a killing spree, is silly and pointless, but rather good for laughs.  There is a lot more to this movie though, as I said above.  I’m not sure what to make of the juxtaposition of the killer tire and the deeper plot though.  The whole movie caught me off guard, especially because I was expecting a bad “horror” movie.  Most of the characters are flat and rather unlikable, but a few of them are interesting for really no reason at all.  They are funny in an intentionally non-intentional way, or at least I think so.  I know this review seems a bit uncertain, and that probably comes from my uncertainty about the movie.  I’m really not sure what to make of it.  I want to pull in a deeper plot, which would make the characters more interesting, but I don’t know if there is one.

Is it so bad it’s good?
I don’t know if I would classify Rubber as a bad movie to begin with actually.  It feels like an art film, maybe one of those movies you would see on the independent movie chanel.  So because of that, I don’t really think it really fits into the category.  It’s certainly not a piece of high quality cinema though.  It isn’t too bad either, so if you have an hour and a half to spare to watch a tire roll around and kill people, I think it is worth the time.  I honestly enjoyed it, some for the ridiculousness of it, and some for the concept behind it.

So would you watch it again?
Probably not.  It’s worth the watch once, with a group of friends to make fun of some aspects of it, but certainly not multiple times!  Although I think my friends really liked it and want to watch it again to better understand the “deep meaning,”  but I don’t think it needs another watch.

Drinks for the Drinking Nonthusiast: Hornsby's Hard Cider and "Beertickers" Mini Review

The Contestant:
Hornsby's Hard Cider: Amber Draft

The Review:
This is the "beer" that I wrongly bought for my roommate a few weeks ago.  All I knew was Hornsby's, and I didn't know they made two kinds of hard cider.  Apparently she only likes the other kind!  Oh well, I like this kind better, so more for me!

What are you're initial thoughts?
Compared to the other kind of cider made by Hornsby's (Crisp Apple), the Amber Draft is a whole lot less sweet.  Both have a strong apple juice flavor, but the Amber Draft is less intense.  It is still rather sweet though, and not something I would pick out if I didn't want something refreshingly sweet.  The apple flavor is more crisp than sugary though, which is nice.

How's the price?
Good question!  I don't really remember.  It's been a few weeks since I bought it and started writing up this review, but I know it wasn't too terribly expensive.  Although it wasn't cheap either.  I'm fairly certain it was between $8 and $10 for a six-pack at the local liquor store.

Would you ever buy this again?
Most definitely.  I really enjoyed the refreshing sweet taste for the summertime.  It makes a nice change from the more bitter beer I usually drink.  I also really appreciate the low-ish ABV (alcohol by volume) as compared to most hard liquors that could be made into other sweet summertime drinks.  I don't aim to get drunk when I buy alcohol anymore (as I might have a few years ago, in a less civilized time), so that is an added bonus to me!  As always, there are plenty of other good, bad, and mediocre beers out there for me to sample!

Things I learned:
Picking up the wrong kind of drink for my roommate is beneficial to me!  Well, only if she has decent tastes to begin with and doesn't like what I "accidentally" buy.

Bonus Documentary Mini Review!
I'm an unabashed documentary-holic.  I love putting on documentaries when I am doing crafts or chatting with my friends online because unlike a regular movie, I don't have to pay close attention to a plot or characters.  And I get the occasional fun and useless trivia!  I found this interesting documentary about these British guys who are "beertickers."  Essentially they drink a half-pint of some kind of ale that they haven't had before and they "tick" it in a book.  Some of the people interviewed had sampled over 20,000 (or even 30,000!) different kinds of local ale over the years!  They certainly are dedicated to their hobby; I don't think I could ever do something like that!  The film was interesting, especially to open my eyes to the insane number of different kinds of beer throughout the world.  I really need to do some research into local breweries!  Anyways, I thought the film was a good watch, so here are some links if you are interested in it!
Here's the documentary's website: Beertickers Documentary
Here's where I watched it: The documentary on Hulu

Also, are you guys interested in seeing full documentary reviews?  They would mostly be various documentaries on subcultures (next on my list is a film on pinball enthusiasts!), nerds hobbies, and the nature of human existence.

Things that I Love: Happy Things

I keep a collection of images and other things that just make me smile, no matter what.  On those days that I feel down, I need the smile that these bring to my face.  I don’t have many images right now, but I am always keeping my eyes out for more!  Here are a couple of my favorites:

Source: tumblr somewhere

I just love pictures of young punks being friendly and sweet to kids or elderly ladies.  The juxtaposition from what people think and the genuinely sweet personality of a lot of punks comes out in pictures like this one, and I just love it.

Click image to read larger

I think this is pretty self explanatory.  I should really look into reading this webcomic to support the artist that makes me smile.

Taking the Plunge: "Extreme" Hairstyles and Razor Shaving My Head

Look Ma!  No hair! (In all honesty,
it's actually really stubbly because I'm
awful at shaving my head!)

Ever since I decided I was going to have a mohawk someday (very early Freshman year of high school), I knew I had to razor shave the sides at least once.  I mean, if my hair was already going to be so short on the sides, what time would be better?  So both getting a mohawk and razor shaving the sides went on my list of things to do in my life.  Now fast forward to today.  Or last Sunday night rather.  I finally decided it was time to take the plunge.  Getting my mohawk, and then razor shaving the sides weren't simple decisions for me, so I want to talk about the thoughts and emotions that surround "taking the plunge" on extreme hairstyles.

Bold Hair and the Long-Term Commitment:

The first time I tried to put my hair up.
I still didn't want to take the plunge.
This is January 2009

Deciding to chop off all of your long hair (coming from where I was when I first got my mohawk), is no easy decision.  Although hair does grow back, making an extreme haircut an easier and more reversible way of expressing your “alternative” style than tattoos or piercings, it is still a commitment.  If you decide to shave your head into a mohawk, and you don’t like it, you have to live with the short hair until you hair grows back.  I’m very fortunate in that aspect.  My hair grows extremely fast (I bleached it out at the beginning of June and I have over an inch of my roots now).  Some people however, don’t have hair that grows so fast.  Even if your hair grows fast, you will still have years of shorter hair before you will have your old hair back.  My hair was shoulder length when I cut it off, and after six months of not cutting my mohawk, my hair was only a cute pixie cut length.  If I wanted my long hair back, I would have to be patient for years and years.  I did discover though, that I look adorable in a pixie cut, so if I had to cut off my mohawk again, a pixie cut would still be a cute short alternative.

Bold Hair and Reactions from "Normal" People:
I've heard horror stories about how people react to extreme hairstyles, but honestly, I have never really gotten any horribly negative reactions (at least to my face!).  My friends are a very joking kind of group, so they made fun of me, but I know them well and know that they were only joking around with me.  They are altogether very accepting, so suddenly having a mohawk didn't faze them at all.  (I think they may have expected it from me in the first place!)  My classmates and teachers all thought it was totally awesome, so I got lucky there as well.  I've never been obnoxious about my hair in class though, and I always try be respectful by sitting either on the sides of the room or in the back so I don't block other students' views.  What about people on the street, you might ask?  Most of the time they don't say anything.  Occasionally someone says they love it but would never be able to do it themselves, it's interesting, or that I am very brave for having it.  Sometimes people ask to touch my hair, which I generally allow, even if it is a bit weird to me.  I mean, it's just hair with a bunch of hairspray in it, but if I make their day more interesting, that's cool to me too.  I get asked a lot how long it took to put up; to which I surprise them and say 15 to 20 minutes depending on how long my mohawk is at the time.  I think I spend less time on my hair than a normal girl with long hair!  Most of the people that ask me questions or comment on my hair are elderly ladies, college-age "alternative"-looking guys, or African American women.  Little kids are the cutest because they stop and stare or point me out to their parents (who try to hush them up quickly)!  Once I had a little girl point me out to her father, who then told me he loved my hair and asked his daughter if she wanted to have hair like mine someday.  She nodded and he said something along the lines of "good girl!"  However there are some annoying people out there.  The most annoying/rude people are the ones who try to take stealth pictures of my hair.  I mean, if they would just ask, I would allow them with no problem, but they don't even say anything to me.  It's obvious they are taking a picture on their phones, so I don't understand why they don't just ask!  I haven't confronted any of these stealth photographers about it yet, but I might if it starts offending me enough. Do any of you have any experience with these kinds of people?

Bold Hair and Inner Emotions:

My mohawk right after I first got it.  My mom thought it was
so cool, haha!   This is February 2009, about a month after
I first tried to put my hair up!

Emotionally, deciding on a big change like this is a draining experience.  You have all of the long term commitment things to thing about, you’re worried about how you will look, and how people will react, among other things.  But when you actually make the final decision and either go somewhere to have you hair cut, or do it yourself, the adrenaline kicks in and it becoming the most exhilarating experience ever.  When I first cut off my hair, it felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off of me, and I was a new person.  I was still scared about how people would react, but I knew I could handle it.  I’ve always been a shy person, but chopping off my long locks that I used to hide behind forced me to come out of my shell in a way I never could have expected.  Not only could I not hide behind my hair anymore, both literally and figuratively, I just didn’t want to.  I strove to be more outgoing in all aspects; I knew I had to be a lot more outgoing if I wanted people to look past the extreme hair and see me.  I cut my mohawk off once and let my hair grow out a bit, but even the short hair (especially when I dyed it brown for a church trip that I had to look normal for) made me close back up and feel more shy than ever before.  I'm not going to say that I don't ever miss my long hair, because I do all the time, especially after going through all my old photos to find these pictures, but I wouldn't give up my mohawk for anything.  Cutting off my long hair was possibly the best decision I have ever made for me personally.  At the time I got my mohawk, I needed the big change to distance myself from the emotional situation I was in and who I once was, but now I love it for reminding me everyday to be a strong and outgoing person.  As I am always careful to say though, making a decision like this isn't for everyone, and I strongly encourage people to think about it carefully before taking the plunge!  But if you do decide to, I love to hear the stories and see the pictures!

Bonus Picture!
Some people have been asking me what my "natural" hair looks like.  Honestly, before I started coloring it with bright colors, I was putting blonde highlights in it all throughout high school, but this picture is about as close as it gets!  This is in my second year of college, when I didn't get highlights put in, so the light streaks are mostly from the sun.  Hooray for embarrassing awkward photos!

Yay Renn Faires!  This is sometime in mid 2008.
(Good gawd, don't look at my eyebrows!)