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Disillusioned with The Illusionist

Disillusioned with The Illusionist published on 3 Comments on Disillusioned with The Illusionist

Clearly it is a slow day at work.

I saw The Illusionist last night. It’s a pure love triangle story between aristocratic Sophie, who is intended to marry the tantrum-throwing Crown Prince of Austria. However, she actually loves the working-class illusionist Eisenheim. After a thwarted childhood elopement, the two reunite about 15 years later. The Crown Prince hires Inspector Uhl to find out Eisenheim’s motives and magic tricks and somehow neutralize him, but Eisenheim threatens to use his magic so that he and Sophie can give the Crown Prince the ultimate slip.

While I saw the movie’s core as the aforesaid love triangle, the actual film wandered in different directions, taking a while to get started. Beginning with Eisenheim’s arrest by Uhl, the movie focuses so closely on Uhl [played by a very likeable Paul Giamatti, atoning for the BOMB Lady in the Water] that I hoped it would be a character study of him, but no such luck. The film then drifted into an extensive overview of Eisenheim’s life, which looked wonderfully atmospheric and sepia-drenched, like an early photo, but did nothing to provide insight into either Eisenheim or Sophie. The bulk of the film concerns Uhl investigating a cagey Eisenheim, who pisses off the easily pissable Crown Prince [played buffoonishly by Rufus Sewell, who clearly has bits of the scenery between his gnashing teeth] by remaining impenetrable. Not until Sophie threatens another elopement with Eisenheim does the plot really kick into gear. But wait…then there’s a whole red herring concerning spiritualism, which is an interesting subject in and of itself. But we don’t spend too long on that because somebody is dead apparently. The Illusionist frustrated me most by giving itself the perfect opportunity for a tight little character study — the close focus of a love triangle — and then meandering and digressing so that I was only half engaged when the romance and mystery really buckled down.

Anyway, I did like The Illusionist for its twilight, sfumato atmosphere, not murky, but smudgy and mysterious. Also Paul Giamatti does a really good job, a serious, smart guy with dorky tendencies, basically kind but drawn against his knowledge into questionable circles through his association with the immature Crown Prince. His character tracked an interesting, rather subtle, development from slavish devotion to the Prince to independent intelligence and an appreciation of Eisenheim’s cleverness. In this way, The Illusionist is a portrayal of Uhl as the quintessential groupie: a man who admires the illusionist because the illusionist represents the best potential of himself, something that he himself wishes to attain.

“The other leads to certain death, oooooooh!”: death in the Labyrinth

“The other leads to certain death, oooooooh!”: death in the Labyrinth published on No Comments on “The other leads to certain death, oooooooh!”: death in the Labyrinth

I’ve got a new essay up on the Realm. Sparked by some comments made by Brian Froud in the afterword of the new edition of Goblins of Labyrinth, it talks about the very real threats of death lurking everywhere in this seemingly innocuous movie.

Sideshow Toy: disappointing collectors since forever

Sideshow Toy: disappointing collectors since forever published on No Comments on Sideshow Toy: disappointing collectors since forever

Why oh why don’t they make their 1:6 action figs look this good? WHY?! All the 1:6 versions of Spike look jowly and middle-aged. Finally, when there’s a likeness that’s accurate, it’s $250.00, premium format and not articulated worth squat. Here’s the 1:6 version:

Here’s the premium format version:

Here are all the Spike lovers who want a decent, affordable likeness: 

๐Ÿ™ ๐Ÿ™ ๐Ÿ™ ๐Ÿ™

The amazing transsexual stick, or, Snakes on a Cane

The amazing transsexual stick, or, Snakes on a Cane published on 2 Comments on The amazing transsexual stick, or, Snakes on a Cane

So I’m reading Ovid’s Metamorphoses [translated by Allen Mandelbaum] for the nth time, enjoying it immensely. Ovid is such an overwrought, yet mellifluous, writer with a constant sense of fun.

One of my favorite Ancient Greek/Roman myths concerns Tiresias, a seer. He was walking along when he saw two snakes mating. He struck the female snake with his staff and changed sex to be a woman. After being a woman for 7 years, Tiresias came upon mating snakes again. He struck the male snake with his staff and changed sex to be a man.

After that, the gods had a fight about who enjoyed sex more, men or women. Zeus said it was women. Hera said it was men. They asked Tiresias to decide, since he had been both. He said women enjoyed sex more. Hera got pissed and blinded him in vengeance.

Tiresias passed the Amazing Transsexual Stick on to Hermes, messenger god, whose symbol is a winged staff called a caduceus with two snakes wrapped around it. This is not the same snake on a cane as Aesclepius’ rod, a medical symbol which probably comes from the way that ancient doctors tried to get, say, tapeworms out of people: by wrapping one end of the worm around a stick and pulling. More than you ever wanted to know here.

Aesclepius’ rod most properly symbols the medical practice that performs transsexual operations. Hermes’ rod most properly symbolizes transgendered persons who have had sex-change operations!

See Snakes on a Cane [a caduceus] below…

 

Pay attention — now you can SEE Dom and Velvette!

Pay attention — now you can SEE Dom and Velvette! published on No Comments on Pay attention — now you can SEE Dom and Velvette!

Monday’s ep of Love Has Fangs, 8.4 “Plastic Girl,” was too murky in the original draft. My attempt to create a night filter by putting a blue layer over the scene did not work…instead the characters disappeared into shadows! Well, now the comic is bright — I dispensed with the night — and you can see Velvette in all her sexy sexy glory and Dom in all his mopey denseness. Go see!

Philosophy in the morning

Philosophy in the morning published on 1 Comment on Philosophy in the morning

If you really want to wake up when you just get into work, stream stuff from meaningoflife.tv, where notable philosophers and thinkers are interviewed by a guy who looks distractingly like James Marsters. Luminaries such as Daniel Dennett, Steven Pinker and Edwin Wilson [associated with Tufts, MIT and Harvard, respectively — I live in a hotbed of philosophy!!] discuss consciousness, free will, faith, the existence of God and death. Do not try to listen to eps [each about an hour] successfully, or your brain will be overloaded. The interviews so far have brought me favorable memories of my college philosophy classes. I can feel my brain working….

So far, I recommend the interviews with Daniel Dennett and Sharon Salzberg. Edwin Wilson mumbles, goddammit. I wish Antonio Damasio had been interviewed, but he practices outside of the hotbed [Iowa].

Movies I wanna see

Movies I wanna see published on 5 Comments on Movies I wanna see

The Illusionist… At first I thought this was a movie knock-off of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell [by Suzanna Schwartz], but it’s actually based on a short story. Reports say that the movie doesn’t play well as a mystery, but it has reasonably intriguing plot and character development, not to mention magic, so I’m piqued.

Wicker Man…A remake of the 1973 classic, but this time starring Barforama Nicolas Cage and changing the sex of the grand high pagan wawbab to a woman. This movie, about heathen fertility sacrifices persisting into modern times, has been on my must-see list for about a year. I think I’ll watch the remake, throw popcorn at the screen, then go back to the original.

La Science des Reves…A French film [super-chouette!] about a naive guy whose dreams spill into his waking life and how this affects his attempted romance with a neighbor girl. I enjoy movies that explore dream imagery, and the cinematography shown in the preview got me hooked.

Stranger Than Fiction…Character discovers he’s about to be killed off by author and tries to stop it. This oughta be an interesting comedy with Emma Thompson, Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Dustin Hoffmann!!

Deprived of BTVS fix due to MIA seller

Deprived of BTVS fix due to MIA seller published on 1 Comment on Deprived of BTVS fix due to MIA seller

I am very annoyed because I paid ~$146.00 back in mid-July to get seasons 1 through 7 of BTVS on DVD…and they never showed. I also never received any information from the seller, despite E-mailing three times [once through personal mail, twice through My Ebay]. Besides the fact that I’m out ~$146.00, I feel especially irritated because I was really looking forward to enjoying my favorite characters and eps in a huge splurge of indulgent gratification. [Hm, that sounded obscene.] 

Of course, I’ll get over it. It’s only some DVDs, and I have put in a claim to PayPal that will hopefully get most of my money back. I just feel cross because my indulgence was thwarted.

Oh yeah, stay away from seller mclarke6666.

An’ another new Web comic…

An’ another new Web comic… published on 4 Comments on An’ another new Web comic…

Girl Genius. The old cliched tale of the orphaned innocent coming into her powerful, mysterious destiny, enlivened by a rich and humorous steam punk background. Read it for the story! Thanks to the Loremistress for the rec. I mean thanks to Zeo! Sorry, Zeo…

The new media subsection: Web comics

The new media subsection: Web comics published on 2 Comments on The new media subsection: Web comics

As the author of an online serial story, I like to read as many Web comics as possible for ideas on story, pacing, posing, angles, composition, etc. I frequently discover new ones, so I will mention them here, along with a capsule review. Forthwith, some of my favorites:

Alien Loves Predator. Preston [the Predator] and Abe [the Alien] are two bachelors living in New York, as played by a Predator action fig and an Alien action fig respectively. I like this comic because it uses figs and also because the early strips contain hilarious jabs at city life [especially about riding the subway]. The strips have drifted away from NYC absurdity and toward slapstick stupidity, but it’s still one I read religiously.

The Order of the Stick.  My second favorite Web comic consists of a bunch of D&D characters having Epic Quests with plenty of humor and fourth-wall comments. I admire the control of the complex storylines, as well as the consistently upbeat and refreshing humor. This comic demonstrates that humor doesn’t need to be at someone else’s expense.

Action Figure Diary. 1:6 action figs talk to their human owners. It’s a cramped, four-panel format, but the writing is consistently good. Again, it’s more humor at no one’s expense.

Toyville.  Toys that know they’re toys fight evil toys and make wisecracks. Worth it for the constant self-deprecation and admittedly outrageous plots, this sporadically produced series also contains the largest collection of figs you’re likely to see in your life.

9th Elsewhere. I follow this one for the story, in which the depressed, introverted heroine gets stuck in her subconscious. With the help of her flighty muse, she must learn about her own strength so she can wake up and live a good life.  A firm grounding in psychology and a graceful following of small plot points make this one a gem.

And…finally…two new ones that I found recently:

Imaginary Friends. Widowed toy salesman struggles with older son who doesn’t speak and wants to draw monsters and loud younger son with many imaginary friends.  Written economically with great characterization, this comic is drawn with a very cinematic feel. Besides the subject matter, I also appreciate the author’s handling of the “camera.”

Dreamland Chronicles. In this bubble-gum-bright adventure, a college boy goes back to his dream world after 6 years to discover that his dream friends have grown up.  The gentle humor is perfect for all ages, and the CGI-generated characters look like cute 3-D models. You have to see the art in order to admire its rich, deep backgrounds and cartoony expressiveness.

Raw materials for the dark night of the soul

Raw materials for the dark night of the soul published on 2 Comments on Raw materials for the dark night of the soul

Three o’clock in the morning
It’s quiet and there’s no one around
Just the bang and the clatter
As an angel runs to ground

–Stay (Faraway, So Close), by U2

 

 

Well now, it’s three o’clock in the morning
And I can’t even close my eyes.
Three o’clock in the morning
And I can’t even close my eyes.
Can’t find my baby
And I can’t be satisfied.

 

–Three O’Clock Blues, BB King

 

The telephone is ringing I say, Hi, it’s me. Who is it there on the line
A voice says, Hi, hello, how are you
Well, I guess I’m doin’ fine
He says, It’s three a.m., there’s too much noise
Don’t you people ever wanna go to bed
Just ’cause you feel so good, do you have to drive me out of my head

–Get Off Of My Cloud, Rolling Stones

 

Well it’s three o’clock in the mornin’
Baby, I just can’t do right
Well, I hate to leave you, baby
I don’t mean maybe
Because I love you so

 

–Good Night Sweetheart, the Spaniels

 

Three o' clock in the morning 

You get a phone call from the queen 

With a horde of heads 

She says that they’re all dead

 

–Return to Oz, Scissor Sisters

 

It’s three o’clock in the morning, ship time,
Only five more hours to go.
How many miles will pass before us,
How many years will pass below?

–Starlight and Saxophone, Tom Smith

 

It’s 3:00 A.M.
I’m awake and my heart is still dreaming
It’s 3:00 A.M.
Outside I hear the souls still screaming
It’s been so long you know since my head’s been this clear
Just like a ship lost in the night
I just don’t know which way I should steer

 

–3:00 AM, Edwin McCain

 

she says baby
itโ€™s 3 am I must be lonely
when she says baby
well I canโ€™t help but be scared of it all sometimes
says the rainโ€™s gonna wash away I believe it

 

–3:00 AM, Matchbox 20

 

Two o’clock when I lay down,three o’clock when I rise

I can’t get no sleep with all these tears in my eyes

I walk around, baby, and I don’t talk too much

How am I supposed to operate with my heart on a crutch?

It ain’t easy when your lover leave you all alone

–Front Porch Blues, Tom Lloyd

 

It's three o'clock in the morning,
We've danced the whole night thru,
And daylight soon will be dawning,
Just one more waltz with you,

–Three O’Clock in the Morning, Dorothy Merriss

 

My life seems unreal,
My crime an illusion,
A scene badly written
In which I must play.
Yet I know as I gaze
At my young love beside me,
The morning is just a few hours away.

Wednesday Morning, 3 AM, Simon & Garfunkel

 

But it never seems to work that way 
It seems there's always so much more to say 
And it's always somewhere in between 
True or not it's a four o'clock stop 

–Four O’Clock Stop, Lowest of the Low

 

4 O’Clock in the morning
When the ambulance arrived
4 O’Clock in the morning
When the ambulance arrived
The blue lights were flashing
As they lay my baby down inside

–Four O’Clock in the Morning, the Pogues

 

Four in the morning and I’ve got that feeling
Clock’s ticking but my heart’s not beating
Eyes open and I’m staring at the ceiling
Tell me that you’re leaving; give me something to believe in

–Four in the Morning, Ivy Music

 

It's four in the morning
And once more the dawning
Just woke up the wanting in me
Wishing I'd never met her
Knowing if I'd forget her
How much better off she would be.

–Four in the Morning, Faron Young

 

Four in the morning, crapped out, yawning, longing my life away
I never worry, why should I, it’s all gonna fade
Now I sit by my window and I watch the cars
I fear I’ll do some damage one fine day
But I would not be convicted by a jury of my peers
Still crazy after all these years

–Still Crazy After All These Years, Simon & Garfunkel

Internet alternatives to 8 hours of NPR

Internet alternatives to 8 hours of NPR published on 2 Comments on Internet alternatives to 8 hours of NPR

Well, I’ve been listening to WBUR at work, which means about three hours of news reporting, then four hours of talk and analysis about the news. Thus I hear the news about seven times, one time each when it’s reported, then one time the talk show hosts and callers hash it out. Needless to say, all the violence in Israel, corruption in Iraq, stupidity in the White House, bitching about gas, bitching about hurricanes, bitching about heat and bitching about the budget really bores me after a while. I feel like I’m banging my head into a wall of information and becoming bludgeoned, rather than informed.

In lieu of news and the regurgitation thereof, I’ve discovered my home state’s NPR radio station, VPR. With three hours of news and four hours of classical music, VPR gives me a happier balance of information and entertainment. While my brain is resting to classical tunes, I can absorb the events of the day. Furthermore, VPR has extra folksy touches, like Garrison Keillor reading the Writer’s Almanac every morning…and the Eye on the Sky weather reports [from the Fairbanks Museum in St. Johnsbury — hooray for Mark Breen!] and Night Sky Updates, which make me feel like I’m back up north. 

But, for the past few days, I’ve been listening to something even better — Sound and Spirit, an hour-long radio show hosted by Ellen Kushner. After having caught it on a few Sunday evenings, I sought out its [primitive] home page and found that I can listen to streaming versions of previous shows! Each S&S focuses on a different theme [this morning I listened to (1) Break-ups, (2) Satan and (3) The Lord of the Rings], pulling together vocal and instrumental music from all ages, cultures and backgrounds. Bits of famous prose, poetry, plays and sacred texts often appear as well, along with author or scholar interviews. Each hour is like a Unitarian sermon, designed to open your mind, gladden your heart and kick you in the butt. You need to download Real Player to listen to each ep, but it’s free and worth it! ‘Scuse me…gonna go listen to the S&S ep on cities.

Die, vile protagonist: killing off the Mary Sue!

Die, vile protagonist: killing off the Mary Sue! published on 3 Comments on Die, vile protagonist: killing off the Mary Sue!

In a paper about “150 years of Mary Sues,” Pat Pflieger comments about the coup of killing off a Mary Sue — that is, the character that is the author’s shill. Why is a dramatic death the ultimate end?

1. Mary Sue is too good for you. Like the saintly, sickly paragons of Victorian novels [Helen in Jane Eyre, Little Nell in The Old Curiosity Shop], Mary Sues become too talented, too virtuous, too stupendously amazing, for this world. So there’s really nothing else to do except kill them off. In a fanfic that’s full of the highest highs, deepest lows, widest loves and most passionate hates, a Dramatic Death makes an orgasmic conclusion.

2. Hah, you really loved her, didn’tcha?!?!? Like the original rebellious female character who loved the evil man [Clarissa], Mary Sues die to afford the author and reader some perverse glee. Since everyone loves Clarissa [and the Mary Sues], everyone feels devastated when she dies. Thus, pre-death and even post-death, the author and reader can bask in the secondary characters’ grief because the grief proves how greatly the main character [Clarissa or Mary Sue] was loved.

3. You’ll remember her forever. Because they’re so damned good and because everyone loves ’em, it’s guaranteed that the characters will not forget the Mary Sue. Her virtues will shine as a noble beacon forever. Secondaries will idealize and idolize her. She will never leave their minds. More wish-fulfilling whack-off on the author’s part.

Hmmm, and I thought killing Anneka was just a good way to literalize a huge change in her life. Nope…it was the Orgasm of the Mary Sue!

Dear Loremistress  — If Mary Sues are so hated by other writers, why do you think LHF, which is so obviously teeming with Mary Sues, is well-liked?

Go read what the Loremistress muses about Mary Sues. She’s good. ๐Ÿ˜€

Blog of Eternal Stench reviews Return to Labyrinth

Blog of Eternal Stench reviews Return to Labyrinth published on 2 Comments on Blog of Eternal Stench reviews Return to Labyrinth

Return to Labyrinth, a Henson Company/Tokyopop manga, should be considered a companion, rather than a sequel, to the 1986 fantasy film Labyrinth, about 15-year-old Sarah’s coming-of-age journey to save her half-brother, Toby, from the Goblin King’s Muppet-laden Labyrinth. Continue reading Blog of Eternal Stench reviews Return to Labyrinth

“I thought Faeries did nice things!”

“I thought Faeries did nice things!” published on No Comments on “I thought Faeries did nice things!”

My favorite character from the Return… manga is Hana, the stabby, snotty, snarky Faery, who fulfills the Sir Didymus function when accompanying Toby through the Labyrinth.

Other than that, I find the story an interesting retread of Labyrinth [lots of in-jokes from the Labyrinth realm and even the Dark Crystal — even gratuitous potty humor >_<]. However, Toby doesn’t capture my interest; as vapid as Sarah and even less sympathetic [she had real problems; he’s just a whiny and spoiled kid], he doesn’t engage me at all. I also have serious questions about Jareth as the window-jumping guidance counselor and then the “retiring” [kings don’t “retire” — they ABDICATE] king. I also have questions about his sexual proclivities.

Later. I’ve got to get back to work.

P.S. Despite what you may have heard, this story is not total crap. It’s not a masterpiece either. Just remember that it neither caters to the J/S romantics or the kids who just want puppetainment. Explicitly labeled “Teen,” Return… aims at people between 12 and 16, meaning those who didn’t see the original in the theaters and then spent 20 years whacking off to it. While Return… recalls enough of the original to keep the older fans happy, the primary audience consists of kids who want a blend of action and magic — i.e., people who want what the original was trying to deliver. It succeeds modestly at its goal [action/magic/romance], but adds nothing interesting, glamorous or substantive to the Labyrinth story.

I’ll still be hacking it to pieces analyzing it, though. Heh heh heh…

Podcast of the Labyrinth/Dark Crystal panel at Comicon

Podcast of the Labyrinth/Dark Crystal panel at Comicon published on 4 Comments on Podcast of the Labyrinth/Dark Crystal panel at Comicon

Thanks to mangacast, there’s an audio recording of the San Diego Comicon panel where Tokyopop and Henson Co. reps talk about the Labyrinth and Dark Crystal manga adaptations. Excuse me while I go get Quicktime and listen to it….

EDIT: The audio quality really varies. The voices of the panelists fade out easily, but the cheering audience occasionally overwhelms the track. I can’t listen to this at work; it’s too distracting! I’ll be back later with a transcription. Amusing note: Someone [couldn’t catch who — maybe Michael Polis?] said that the germ of the Labyrinth manga came from looking at Jareth and realizing that he looked like a quintessential bishounen. HAHAHAHAHAHAH…

Labyrinth manga hits in early August…

Labyrinth manga hits in early August… published on 1 Comment on Labyrinth manga hits in early August…

Well, at least according to the Web site of the illustrator, Chris Lie: “The book will be in stores everywhere in the next 10 days.” [He said that in an update yesterday.]

Comicon.com Pulse summarizes some notes about the manga from the SDCC panel:

  • Notes for the Return to Labyrinth manga:
  • – Takes place after the movie, Toby (the baby the Goblins stole in the movie) is about 14 years old.
  • – The plot revolves around Toby exploring the world Sarah visited in the movie, but focuses mostly on the Goblins and Goblin politics.
  • – A new character created by writer Jake T. Forbes for the manga is the Goblin Mayor, who is bitter about playing second fiddle to Jareth (David Bowie’s character in the movie).
  • – The plot will also explore other kingdoms neighboring Jareth’s.
  • – TOKYOPOP has sold out of the first volume of the Labyrinth manga every day during the convention. They will have more for sale tomorrow (Sunday) the last day of the con.

Goblin Mayor? Competition for Jareth? I foresee utter crappiness…How can a goblin character be competition for a ball-twisting rock star? This manga is gonna hurt my brain and my fond memories of the movie…and yet I can’t stop myself from satiating my curiosity.

Labyrinth and MirrorMask merchandise

Labyrinth and MirrorMask merchandise published on No Comments on Labyrinth and MirrorMask merchandise

T-shirts, buttons and such at the Henson Company’s Cafepress store: http://www.cafepress.com/jimhensonco/  Warning: While the MM section contains buttons with all your favorite characters, all the Laby section has is shirts with the manga sequel cover on them. Yawn yawn yawn.

An African BJD!

An African BJD! published on 1 Comment on An African BJD!

Every so often, someone on DOA asks, “Hey, where are all the BJDs with darker skin: Indians, Hispanics, Arabs and Africans? Why the heck are they all so deathly pale?” While more dark dolls have appeared in the last year [see, for example, Luts “tanning” dolls], they have usually been darker versions of the original pale editions. In my mind, this is like making an African Barbie from the same mold as the Caucasian Barbie, changing only the color of the plastic. Skin color alone does not denote race. There are differences in facial features that most BJD companies have not reflected in their sculpts.

…Until Iplehouse Cocori, who boots SD16 Olivia’s bland lil ass out of the ballpark in terms of quality and quantity.

She just came out today and, according to her character description — she is already recognized as “a black pearl” — she was explicitly developed as a dark-skinned [African??] doll. She’s the first BJD I’ve seen who a) was planned and first issued as a dark-skinned character and who b) looks like an African character, as opposed to a very brown Caucasian character.

From the photos I’ve seen, I really like her. Her body seems to combine strength [especially the neck!] with elegant poseability. I even like her more than the Dollmore Model body because she has an under bust joint and a hip joint, making her more poseable. Her arms seem well-proportioned [as opposed to the DM Model’s scrawny arms] with functional, but well-hidden, double-ganged joints.

I think she’s another one of those dolls, like Elfdoll Nabee, that I would get if I had the money and the space. She’s just so beautiful!

EDIT: Buzz on DOA says that Cocori is not a strict LE, available only once, then never again. She will be released in small batches, produced sporadically but continuously. 

Job rejection notices and hideous neon “couture”

Job rejection notices and hideous neon “couture” published on No Comments on Job rejection notices and hideous neon “couture”

A server crash ate the last posted ep of Love Has Fangs and all the comments, so I reposted it, but it’s feeling lonely. Please go read Anneka’s E-mail in 7.8, “Job Hunt,” and tell her what you think of her job search. Or check out Anneka and Will’s eye-bleedingly bright outfits in 7.9, “Fiery…and Fired,” and give them some fashion advice.

Don’t forget…you too can subscribe to LHF’s syndication feed here: http://lovehasfangs.livejournal.com. All the cool people [19 of them] are doing it!!

Meryl Streep is great, or, Devil Wears Prada: better than the book!

Meryl Streep is great, or, Devil Wears Prada: better than the book! published on No Comments on Meryl Streep is great, or, Devil Wears Prada: better than the book!

I saw Devil Wears Prada on Sunday afternoon while waiting for the sun to reappear. While I found the book repetitive, grating, stupid, annoying, childish, clunky, lacking in plot, momentum, character development and reasons to continue reading, I really liked the movie.

The film adaptation changed Lauren Weisberger's debut "novel" from a whine a clef about how the protagonist suffered as an unlikeable assistant to an unlikeable fashion editor into a breezier chick-lit exploration of workaholism. Schlumpy naif Andie gets seduced by the prospect of making it big at her first post-college job, a slavish position at Runway magazine. While examples of glittering achievement — notably the regal, distant and impressive editor, her boss [played to perfection by Meryl Streep] — tempt her to become an overworked and underpaid peon, examples of frazzled persons with no social life also abound. After flirting with lifeless subsumption to a job, Andy learns her lesson and gets a life and a bit more balance. 

My friend who saw it with me commented that the movie tried to set up a false "ditzy fashion mag" vs. "serious meaty journalism" dichotomy, making the protagonist choose a "real, substantive job" [writing about janitors' unions] over the shallowness of the fashion mag life. But the cheap swipe at fashion mags doesn't really work because the movie regularly provides us glimpses of how hard these people work, how deeply they care about their work and how much they are invested. [I found the scenes where the editor meets with her staff, hashing out the editorial calendar, to be a spot-on combination of the real intuition, savvy, discernment and dedication that running a periodical takes.] Personal investment — that's the real theme. Will Andie live to work…or work to live? As the editor's brittle demeanor and poignant soliloquy demonstrate, the sacrifices that one makes to be a career success have a huge toll. In its attempts to explore this toll, Devil Wears Prada balances well between comedy and light drama, a feat made all the more impressive because it's wearing stiletto designer heels!

Rement coming to the States!

Rement coming to the States! published on 2 Comments on Rement coming to the States!

Rement, a popular source of detailed 1:6 food and household items, will be offering its eminently cool products in the U.S. later this year.

Here’s the E-mail sent to Rement collectors: http://www.re-ment.us/

Here’s the US site: http://www.re-ment.us/

I have no use for it, but I want the waffle iron.

Frank debuts at the doll club meeting at Ivy’s house!

Frank debuts at the doll club meeting at Ivy’s house! published on 2 Comments on Frank debuts at the doll club meeting at Ivy’s house!

Yesterday the Burlington Doll Club held its summer meeting at Ivy’s house. Amidst pizza, chips and salsa, we heated up her living room with insane giggles and clothing swaps, an excavation of the “free box” and, of course, general adulation of everyone’s dolls…particularly Frank.  Frank made his first major public appearance in his final form yesterday. As popular as he was in Ptown, Frank vamped for everyone’s cameras, enjoying the feeling of many hands across his body.  See beautiful dolls and silly comments below.
Continue reading Frank debuts at the doll club meeting at Ivy’s house!

20th anniversary edition of Goblins of Labyrinth out Sept. 1st!

20th anniversary edition of Goblins of Labyrinth out Sept. 1st! published on 2 Comments on 20th anniversary edition of Goblins of Labyrinth out Sept. 1st!

Yup, title says it all. There’s a re-issue of the art book Goblins of Labyrinth [Amazon info here], containing conceptual art by Brian Froud and a foreword by Terry Jones. But wait…that’s not all! This new edition includes a new afterword by Brian Froud and NEW ARTWORK!!! Check below the cut for a scan of the cover and an example of the new art. The picture across the top of the cover, showing Sarah with a mask, is an example of the new and unknown goodies that we will discover within the book’s covers.

Update on MM manga and Jim Henson DVD set w Laby, MM and DC

Update on MM manga and Jim Henson DVD set w Laby, MM and DC published on No Comments on Update on MM manga and Jim Henson DVD set w Laby, MM and DC

The Jim Henson Fantasy Film Collection, a trio of Labyrinth, Dark Crystal and MirrorMask, appears on September 5th. This is not actually news, just a bit of creative marketing, since the DVDs and all extras are just the same as previous releases. The only things that distinguish this collection from anything else are clips from the Return to Labyrinth manga and from the MirrorMask manga. Boring. You can go back to waiting for the Labyrinth sequel manga now.

More info here: http://www.dvdtown.com/announcement/jimhensonfantasyfilmcollection/3629

Apparently the MM manga isn’t coming out till early next year. >_<

Jareth, the ultimate bishounen — cover of Return to Labyrinth manga

Jareth, the ultimate bishounen — cover of Return to Labyrinth manga published on No Comments on Jareth, the ultimate bishounen — cover of Return to Labyrinth manga

Whoo hoo! Here’s some Laby news for y’all …The Labyrinth sequel manga, officially titled Return to Labyrinth [first volume of three], comes out on August 8th. Here’s the Amazon information. Here’s the back text, as taken from the Tokyopop Web site:

“The Goblin King has kept a watchful eye on Toby: His minions secretly guiding and protecting the child… Legions of goblins work behind the scenes to ensure that Toby has whatever his heart desires… Preparing him for the day when he will return to the Labyrinth and take his rightful place beside Jareth as the heir to the Goblin Kingdom…

“That day has come…

“But no one has told Toby.”

Here’s some information from the writer himself, Jake Forbes, as posted on the Tokyopop forums, in response to people who were disappointed that Toby, rather than Sarah, was the focus:

“I’m the writer of the upcoming manga. While I don’t want to give too much away too early, you can rest assured that there are several girls in the manga of various shapes and sizes–one of whom is a lead. Sarah, the main character from the movie, shows up too, but she’s not the lead this time. In any case, it’s not a boys-only adventure by any measure, even if Toby is our protagonist.”

Annnnnd…check out images of the cover below the cut. Manga Jareth! The first is a colored version and the second uncolored version shows you all the nifty detail.

Scraping the Web for Pan’s Labyrinth information

Scraping the Web for Pan’s Labyrinth information published on 1 Comment on Scraping the Web for Pan’s Labyrinth information

And MAN is it hard to find. And, if I do find it, it’s in languages other than English. Anyway, look below for more goodies besides the links posted yesterday:

Downloadable high-quality stills and sketches of sets from the official French site [watch out for the Pale Man]: http://www.lelabyrinthedepan.com/

Press book [en francais] from the official French site: http://www.lelabyrinthedepan.com/download_img/dp.pdf

Reports from del Toro’s panel at the San Diego ComicCon: http://www.movietack.net/id932.html and http://www.aintitcoolnews.com/display.cgi?id=23929

Rough cut of a new English-language trailer: http://www.deltorofilms.com/Features_PansLabyrinthTrailer.php

Translation for the new trailer: http://www.deltorofilms.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=257&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=90

Source for a bit of film dialog between Ofelia and Pan [official Doug Jones site]: http://www.thedougjonesexperience.com/pan.htm

Early creature designs by William Stout: http://www.thedougjonesexperience.com/pan%7Edesign.htm

Pan’s Labyrinth: a much darker dream quest than Labyrinth or MirrorMask

Pan’s Labyrinth: a much darker dream quest than Labyrinth or MirrorMask published on 3 Comments on Pan’s Labyrinth: a much darker dream quest than Labyrinth or MirrorMask

While looking at upcoming movies on IMDB, I came upon El Laberinto del Fauno, or, as it will be hereinafter referred to because I know no Spanish, Pan’s Labyrinth.

Set in northern rural Spain in 1944 during the country’s civil war, the film focuses on the young heroine Ofelia. While her new, sadistic stepfather tries to eradicate the guerilla fighters from the villages nearby, Ofelia escapes from the ugliness of the real world. She discovers an overgrown stone labyrinth by her new house. Its master, the great god of the wilds Pan, tells Ofelia that she is a princess in the labyrinth’s magical realm; to return to her rightful home, she must perform three difficult tasks. Ofelia does so, but the eldritch horrors of the labyrinth land increase — including a freaky pupa-like Pale Man whose eyes are in the center of his palms — as the fantasy world provides a rich metaphorical counterpoint to the strife of civil war and other internal conflicts.

I’m curious and excited about this film. First of all, the basic plot — young girl in dreamland — forms the backbone of my favoritest movies. Unlike Labyrinth and MirrorMask, though, Pan’s Labyrinth addresses the world outside the protagonist’s head and family. It demonstrates how national conflicts can reverberate on a familial scale and a personal scale. I’m thinking Labyrinth gone political!

Second of all, guess who’s behind this film? Guillermo del Toro! Best known to American audiences for Hellboy and Blade II, del Toro, from what I’ve seen, combines a joyful comic book stylization with an almost sensual interest in the squishy sensitivity of human parts. If his earlier work is any indication, Pan’s Labyrinth should feature innocence running up against some fascinatingly dank ickiness with nightmarish edges. 

Third of all, early buzz on the film praises the acting and the special effects. After suffering Jennifer Connelly’s stupefyingly underwhelming performance in Labyrinth and the beer-bottle-brown effects of MirrorMask, I’m eager to see if one of my girl-in-dreamland films can achieve solid acting and solid effects. I can’t tell anything about the acting from the clips I’ve seen, but the film certainly looks interesting. Del Toro plays with color and shadow, bringing out rich hues in the countryside [as opposed to Labyrinth, which is a severely brown movie all around]. The CGI appears to be a supplement to the human performances, integrated rather well [as opposed to MirrorMask, where the people were just a distraction for the nifty images]. Of course, I can’t really tell anything about the movie at this point, except that I will definitely be seeing it.

I’ll leave you with a few links. Here’s the official English site. Here’s a site where you can find a trailer and some clips.

See below for Pan (Doug Jones) confronting Ofelia (Ivana Baquero).

 

Hooray, BTVS fix soon satisfied!

Hooray, BTVS fix soon satisfied! published on 1 Comment on Hooray, BTVS fix soon satisfied!

I just got all 7 seasons of my favorite TV show [Buffy the Vampire Slayer] for $146.11 [each boxed separately], incl s/h. That’s $20.87 per season, way less expensive than the set that boxes all seasons together [~$340.00 list price]. I’m going to sell seasons 1 and 7 because I don’t like them. [In season 1, no one has really developed interestingly yet, and, in season 7, nothing happens and my favorite characters die.]

Hooray, that leaves me with seasons 2 through 6 to watch…particularly all those parts in season 6 where Buffy is trying to adjust to being alive…and any eps where James Marsters makes more faces than the bad-ass expression…and any eps with robots in them.

“It was incredible, officer. She just jumped over the shark and headed for the soap!”

“It was incredible, officer. She just jumped over the shark and headed for the soap!” published on No Comments on “It was incredible, officer. She just jumped over the shark and headed for the soap!”

I have watched about 13 eps of Veronica Mars season 1 so far. Continue reading “It was incredible, officer. She just jumped over the shark and headed for the soap!”

What sarong with you?!

What sarong with you?! published on No Comments on What sarong with you?!

While goofing off at the Doll Palace [http://www.thedollpalace.com], I discovered an avatar maker that does not crash my compooper [unlike Meez]. Naturally I made Anneka and Will. I particularly like the dollmaker dress-up feature on this site, which allows you to combine elements from different dollmakers into a customized panel. That’s how I got Will into the sarong. Continue reading What sarong with you?!

Little Will avatars and animations

Little Will avatars and animations published on 2 Comments on Little Will avatars and animations

So, thanks to SailorZeo, I found a free animated avatar program, Meez. Naturally I set to work recreating my current favorite characters, Will and Anneka. The browser crashed in the middle of Anneka’s pixelated construction, so you’ll just have to enjoy Will for now. Continue reading Little Will avatars and animations

Whooot, DVDs on the way!

Whooot, DVDs on the way! published on 1 Comment on Whooot, DVDs on the way!

I just ordered Veronica Mars season 1, Medium season 1, Tru Calling season 1 and Charmed season 4, all used, all for less than $100.00 total, incl s/h! I saw bits of Medium season 1, but everything else will be new and delicious research for Love Has Fangs. Well, okay, the first three are for serious research. Charmed is just for potato-chip value.

Frank visits the most fabulous city on the Eastern seaboard.

Frank visits the most fabulous city on the Eastern seaboard. published on 4 Comments on Frank visits the most fabulous city on the Eastern seaboard.

Frank took a day trip with me yesterday to Provincetown, a town at the end of Cape Cod. He got cruised so many times, attracting much more attention than me. See below for his escapades. Continue reading Frank visits the most fabulous city on the Eastern seaboard.

Next up: Sideshow messes up the Cordelia doll.

Next up: Sideshow messes up the Cordelia doll. published on 1 Comment on Next up: Sideshow messes up the Cordelia doll.

http://www.sideshowtoy.com/behindtheshow/?page_id=1639&source=wp_news

Next BTVS/Angel character to be released in 12″ is Cordelia. I smell doom, especially since the prototype looks reasonable accurate. The last time SST had an accurate prototype [regular Willow], the final draft just looked…warped. Please, Sideshow, just for once, could ya NOT mess something up?

SIWINPO

SIWINPO published on 1 Comment on SIWINPO

Romantic Uyoo Angel: $238.00

Veronica Mars, season 1: $60.00

Veronica Mars, season 2: $60.00

Supernatural, season 1: $60.00

Smallville, season 5: $60.00

Arthur Spiderwick’s Guide to the Fantastical World Around You: $24.95

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Chosen Collection (Seasons 1-7): $220.00

Twilight Zone Season 1: $96.00

Twilight Zone Season 2: $80.00

Twilight Zone Season 3: $90.00

Twilight Zone Season 4: $90.00

Twilight Zone Season 5: $80.00

Mirror Mask: $26.96

a flatscreen monitor from newegg.com

a laptop cooling board from newegg.com

a love seat

foamcore for mounting LHF backdrops

a bulletin board

Absinthe Lefebvre

Absinthe Lefebvre published on 1 Comment on Absinthe Lefebvre

Damn you, Soom! Why do you have to make Uyoo so adorable? I’m gonna get a Romantic one eventually…her eyes will be much more proportionate to her head. It’s such a young, attractive, expressive sculpt. With the slightly parted lips, she looks ready to speak. She’s one of my favorite dolls.

Coming eventually to Love Has Fangs, it’s Absinthe Lefebvre, ex-sadist and the vampire who made Will… She’s a Soom Romantic Uyoo head [paper white, of course] http://www.dollsoom.com/shop/step1.php?number=1396 with the default Angel Uyoo faceup on a Limwha ToYou body. Maybe she’ll fit into all those Gothy Bratz clothes that I keep pining after…? Continue reading Absinthe Lefebvre

Superman Returns to kick X3’s butt.

Superman Returns to kick X3’s butt. published on 1 Comment on Superman Returns to kick X3’s butt.

So I saw Superman Returns this afternoon. While Smallville leaches the superheroic magic and epic proportions out of the Man in Tightsโ€™ story, Superman Returns restores some of that power. Though the film felt overlong and populated by mostly forgettable characters as done by average actors, it did achieve a great sense of mood. All the dark, dank shots of Kryptonian crystal architecture โ€ฆthe drifting, serene isolation of outer spaceโ€ฆand, most of all, the shots of Superman suspended, listening, almost overwhelmed by his power and responsibilityโ€ฆthey really gave a wistful, melancholy key to the story. I didnโ€™t really care about Superman as a character [or anyone else, for that matter], but I felt what he felt.

While no one figures out that Clark Kent = Superman, I finally resolved this blind spot in a way that makes perfect psychological sense at least to me. Clark and Superman just two sides to the same person, but no one can tell that because the sides just behave so differently. Clark acts inept and awkward, unable to express his emotions, while Superman has physical power and seemingly no feelings at all. People around him donโ€™t expect Clark to be physically strong, just as they donโ€™t expect Superman to be emotionally expressive. So when he is muscular and powerful, he seems like a separate entity from the Clark selfโ€ฆand when he is more vulnerable, he seems like a separate entity from the Superman selfโ€ฆmostly because thatโ€™s how he feels. Emotional attachments really confuse this guy; they baffle him even more than kryptonite. He may be masterful in lifting cars and small islands, but saying โ€˜I love youโ€™ requires a different kind of strength, an inner strength that he’s unsure of. The bumbling human form is a physical reflection of his awkwardness. No wonder he goes out and saves the worldโ€ฆ Itโ€™s easier for him than untangling the human heart.

Coming up: Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and Devil Wears Prada!!!

Vampires + fireworks = fun

Vampires + fireworks = fun published on No Comments on Vampires + fireworks = fun

Vampires like the Fourth of July too! Check out the silly Independence Day episode of Love Has Fangs. Today marks the first appearance of one of the BJD characters, little Geordie, who is Dom’s niece. She’s an Elfdoll Jin dal Re, and she asks so many questions that they can’t fit in the frame! Check it out: http://www.oddpla.net/unreal/?p=82

The Ur-Fairy Tale, or, Putrid Sexual Politics

The Ur-Fairy Tale, or, Putrid Sexual Politics published on 2 Comments on The Ur-Fairy Tale, or, Putrid Sexual Politics

Where can you find a girl that nurses a unicorn, a dragon that speaks like a stereotyped Chinese and an evil guy named [just in case you missed that he was evil] Coeur de Noir or Blackheart? It's all in the early draft of Legend, that overstuffed 1984 fantasy train wreck in which Tim Curry is the best thing and, shuddersomely enough, Tom Cruise without pants is NOT the worst.

The Loremistress has so obligingly given me a link to my favorite draft script of all time, that of 1984's Legend. 

"Your wish is my command. ๐Ÿ˜‰ Behold the early script for Legend!

http://www.hundland.com/scripts/LegendOfDarkness.txt

Enjoy!
The Rampant Bicyclist"

I don't even know where to begin with this one. Besides being 400 hours long, it's also a slag heap of cliches that are so overworn that they turn into stereotypes. And the sexual politics are PUTRID. Lili, the princess, is seen as a good character only when she is a pure, innocent virgin. The appearance of her sexuality [in a fascinating transformation and rape scene with the Baron, a precursor to Darkness] coincides with her turn toward evil. The revulsion towards women as active, sexual, desiring individuals just emanates from the page.

Go read it!

Thoughts on the Labyrinth novelization

Thoughts on the Labyrinth novelization published on 4 Comments on Thoughts on the Labyrinth novelization

For Slate’s Summer Movie Week coverage, Grady Hendrix writes an interesting article about movie novelizations. You should read the whole article because it brings in novelizations, tie-in books [slightly different], fan fiction, fan message boards, why sci-fi and fantasy get novelized, but not other genres… It’s a pretty cool overview. The article observes that novelizations have the following characteristics:

An accelerated production schedule, often being written in a matter of months or even weeks.

Low quality of writing, since they’re churned out quickly.

Low quality of physical book, usually paperbacks on cheap paper, since the aim is to produce them fast and cheaply.

Limited selling window, since the salability depends on buzz about the movie just before and just at the beginning of its release, which leaves the novelizations on the shelf for about 3 months [at max].

Deviations from the finished movie, since the authors of novelizations frequently work from an earlier version of the script.

Meanwhile, I’m thinking again about the Labyrinth novelization. It’s no secret that I have long loathed the novelization for its painfully bad writing and inspid portrayal of Jareth. However, it’s always interested me because it seems halfway between the rough draft and the final movie. For example:

The novelization provides more background on Sarah’s mom and Sarah’s mom’s boyfriend, who actually has a name in the novelization [Jeremy].

Sarah grabs a broom to defend herself when the goblins enter the house.

Jareth bows when he enters. He also says his name.

Sarah goes the “wrong way” behind one of the knockers’ doors. She enters a crazy scene where the trees, the rocks and the ground are laughing crazily. She runs out of the scene.

The Fireys actually try to help Sarah find the castle, but they are easily distracted, and they don’t know what a castle is.

The ballroom scene actually has some conversation that makes it clear that Jareth is trying to tap into Sarah’s dreams or make her think the scene is a dream.

Again, more conversation in the Escher Maze establishes that both Jareth and Sarah are scared.

There’s also more conversation in the final showdown where he is clearly grasping at straws. He’s more desperate, screaming her name at the end.

Okay, now that I scan through the novelization, I find it interesting for its deviations from the movie. I think of the novelization as an uncut version of the final film. There are bits in the novelization [like Sarah’s broom, “Then…there is a place to look,” “I’ve been expecting you,” etc.] that I’m almost certain were in the movie, but were cut out. [My suppositions are based on a geeky close examination of the novelization, the photo album and the movie. ] Most are just lines of dialog, but I think they do add something to the movie. Characters’ reactions become more realistic; the point of certain scenes becomes more apparent. [Big example: In the final film, the Fireys don’t do anything except provide David Bowie another excuse to break into song. At least in the novelization they advance the plot by helping Sarah on her quest, even though they are inept.]

Hmmm, there’s definitely an essay here…

LHF is late today.

LHF is late today. published on 1 Comment on LHF is late today.

โ€ฆPrimarily because I havenโ€™t written it, photoed it or laid it out yet. I know all two of you were champing at the bit, but please be patient until later tonight or tomorrow. 

In other news, reviews are divided on Superman Returns. I just listened to David Edelson’s review of it on NPR, and he slammed it viciously. But even more damning than his commentary was a sound clip between Lois Lane [Kate Bosworth] and Superman [Brandon Routh], in which Lois explains why she wrote the Pulitzer-winning article Why The World Doesn’t Need Superman. The set-up allows the Lois character to bring out her true feelings. Is she bitter? Snarky? Sarcastic? Sobbing? Brittle? Tremblingly vulnerable? I have no idea how Lois feels about Clark’s disappearance and return because Bosworth just played it casually and deadpan, like she was talking about what video she wanted to see this weekend. Routh seemed a bit more expressive, but still, the music was more expressive than both of them. If that sample is any indication of the whole content, I feel skeptical about it. Bryan Singer, c’mon! You gave us such cool X movies — can’t ya make Superman soar?

…I do want to see Lex Luthor torture Superman, though.

Yippee, I finally watched some Smallville.

Yippee, I finally watched some Smallville. published on 1 Comment on Yippee, I finally watched some Smallville.

Like BTVS, only starring a guy and less compelling and individualized characters, Smallville follows a teen with superpowers and the archetypical struggle with adolescence, adulthood, identity and superpowers, all of which even out to be the same thing. Superpowers as metaphor for puberty is a concept that I find endlessly fascinating, probably because part of me still thinks I'm a cripplingly shy 15-year-old.

Though I like the superpowers=teenage life trope, Smallville doesn't instantly win me over. It has a hard act to follow, set up by BTVS [that's Buffy The Vampire Slayer]. See — BTVS was like Desperate Housewives in terms of unfortunate events combined with Gilmore Girls for witty dialog and construction and Dead Like Me for its thoughtful take on mortality. Then there was the whole tone-switching Romeo-and-Juliet angle. You know how Romeo and Juliet reads like a comedy until Mercutio gets killed? BTVS took that comedy/tragedy balance to an even more ambiguous level by killing off craploads of beloved characters, yet never sparing the humor. BTVS was a comedic melodrama with some actual emotional heft.

Plus it had VAMPIRES, which are another cool metaphor [or cluster of metaphors] unto themselves, but I could digress about them for a long time, so I won't.

Having established that BTVS is the critical asymptote of television greatness that all one-hour dramas yearn for but can never achieve, I now grant that Smallville is a solid and entertaining show. With a thoroughly standard formula as popularized by BTVS, Smallville must distinguish itself through characters and setting. As far as characters go, Tom Welling as Clark Kent has little emotional nuance; his inner turbulence comes across as model-boy poutiness, rather than Sturm und Drang. He spends most of his time looking and acting like a Straight Man, and I don't care. Fortunately, almost everybody else acts better than he does.

While I'm talking about characters, here's a special KRYPTONITE [or whatever will make her go away] section for Lana Lang. Does anyone else find her an irritant and drag on the entire series? I've only seen eps 1-4 of season 3, and I can't stand her. Every time she appears, the show turns into Angsty McAngst and the Angstballs. Clark may be a zero, but Lana just has negative value. What sort of intelligent person would pine after someone who kept hurting her [can you say "prep for a future abusive relationship"?]?? What sort of modern, even halfway enlightened teenage girl thinks it's her mission to "save" her bad boyfriend or "wait" for him until he's ready? What sort of moron keeps following Clark around even though it gets her tied up, injected, knocked out, etc. [and that's just in those 4 eps!]?  The point is that she's a brainless airhead with no sense of self-preservation, no emotional grounding and, worst of all, no freakin' backbone. You'd think someone who kept intercepting bad guys and kicking them in the nuts would be brave and interesting, but no. She's just like some walking, talking plot point with inconsistent psychology who exists only to motivate Clark into rescuing things.

Back on track, I really like the setting of Smallville. After I got used to the characters saying Smallville and Metropolis with straight faces, I thoroughly enjoyed the singular setting. See…Smallville is a pretty weird place for TV Land and not just because of the meteor rocks. There are an inordinate number of parental figures in Smallville that care about their children [no matter how messed up they may be]. In fact, Clark and his parents, stupendously enough, form an unbroken, happy, two-parent family, a source of strength and comfort to each other. The Kents represent the flip side of all the kookily dysfunctional families that populate most of TV Land: the Kents prove that families are good for something after all.

20th anniversary screening of Labyrinth, not coming soon anywhere near you

20th anniversary screening of Labyrinth, not coming soon anywhere near you published on 1 Comment on 20th anniversary screening of Labyrinth, not coming soon anywhere near you

In summary, on July 20th, there’s a special 20th anniversary screening of Labyrinth at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences [Beverly Hills, CA], followed by a live [as opposed to dead, I presume] conversation with Brian Henson, who voiced Hoggle. 

Also, to quote the release, “The Academyโ€™s current exhibition ‘Itโ€™s Alive!: Bringing Animatronic Characters to Life on Film,’ which contains original animatronic puppets from the film, will be open for viewing immediately following the screening.” Drat! Actual puppets used in Labyrinth, and I’m not anywhere near California. I’ll dig around for some more information on this exhibition and get back to you.

It’s not fair.

Here we go, latest press information from the Academy’s Web site http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2006/06.06.22.html .

Shelf dive

Shelf dive published on No Comments on Shelf dive

Will someone please explain to me why Jareth, who executed a great belly flop from the table to the floor this weekend, shows no damage whatsoever, while Frank, who has spent all this time standing around with a dirty little smirk on his face, has a chip in his lipstick? I have to reapply that fire-engine red some time this week. >_<

Also, can someone please explain why I bought a 1:3 chair expressly for Jareth and/or Frank to sit in, and Jennifer is the one who uses it all the time to do her sketching and journal writing in?

Volks SD16 girl slips in under the radar.

Volks SD16 girl slips in under the radar. published on 2 Comments on Volks SD16 girl slips in under the radar.

With all the hoopla about the Volks SD16 boy at the end of last year, I expected the Volks SD16 to come with a similar fanfare. Nope. Olivia Morgan just snuck in quietly as an LE 100 available only at some party and then through Fashion Doll Quarterly.

Buzz over on DOA is lukewarm. People like the more mature body, but the jointless ankles really turn them off. People also seem to like her more mature face, but everyone pretty much agrees she looks like a female form of Yukinojo. Both DOA speculation and the FDQ behind-the-scenes article conclude that Volks is chasing the American fashion doll market and therefore introducing a BJD with some of the same qualities [curvaceousness, blond hair, pointy feets] as Barbie.

I really like her. She has the type of body that Frank should have: tall, thick, strong and curvy. She also has a very sweet face that begs to be glammed up. She’s also much less expensive [as these things go] than Yukinojo. You can order her over at the FDQ site for $969 + $11 s/h in the USA. Not that I’m about to break my bank account for her. Frank could still kick her butt any day. :p Wanna see some pictures?

Continue reading Volks SD16 girl slips in under the radar.

Stuff I want in no particular order updated again

Stuff I want in no particular order updated again published on No Comments on Stuff I want in no particular order updated again

Basic Photography: CCAE course, $149.00 no 

Summer Light: CCAE course, $125.00 got it 

The Art of Reviewing: CCAE course, $125.00 no 

Pirates, Sailors and Pasta: A North End Walk: CCAE course, $37.00 no 

What Makes Harvard Square a Square?: CCAE course, $37.00 no 

Boston’s Historic South End: A Walking Tour: CCAE course, $20.00 no

Mastering the Art of Aloneness: CCAE course, $44.00 no 

Arthur Spiderwick’s Guide to the Fantastical World Around You: $24.95 

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Chosen Collection (Seasons 1-7): $220.00 

Twilight Zone Season 1: $96.00 

Twilight Zone Season 2: $80.00 

Twilight Zone Season 3: $90.00 

Twilight Zone Season 4: $90.00 

Twilight Zone Season 5: $80.00 

Mirror Mask: $26.96 

12″ Drusilla action figure: $45.00 no 

Elfdoll Tiny Adel: ~$300.00 got Jin 

Elfdoll Rainydoll Nabee: ~$750.00 no 

a haircut got it 

a new pair of shoes got it

the domain name for my Web comic got it

and a really good computer with a flatscreen monitor and a DVD player that doesn’t seize up in the middle of Minority Report!!! no

a flatscreen monitor from newegg.com

a laptop cooling board from newegg.com

a love seat

foamcore for mounting LHF backdrops

a bulletin board

 

The glory that is the Labyrinth comic adaptation

The glory that is the Labyrinth comic adaptation published on 6 Comments on The glory that is the Labyrinth comic adaptation

I just bought a three-comic adaptation of Labyrinth. Published in 1986, this Marvel adaptation came out in three separate issues, which were then collected in a super special. If you watch Ebay, you’ll see that the super special appears much more frequently. “What a pity,” though, because the individual issues contain exquisitely awful cover art somewhere not duplicated in the super special. 

Anyway, stay tuned to Jareth’s Realm because I will scan and upload each volume of the adaptation so that you, too, can see how amusing it is [for all the wrong reasons — not a funny story, but heinous art]. Until I get a new scanner, please content yourselves with a sample below, illustrating JARETH THE FEARSOME BOOGEYMAN WITH GLOWING CONTACT LENSES OR SOMETHING!

1:6 BJDs: Jennifer, Daisy and Geordie

1:6 BJDs: Jennifer, Daisy and Geordie published on 1 Comment on 1:6 BJDs: Jennifer, Daisy and Geordie

This is probably the only time you’ll ever see all my 1:6 BJDs together, since Jennifer belongs to the 1:3 universe with Jareth and Frank, and Daisy and Geordie belong to the Love Has Fangs universe. They are making cross-dimensional connections for the sake of your edification, though. ๐Ÿ˜€Continue reading 1:6 BJDs: Jennifer, Daisy and Geordie

Two new 1:6 BJDs for me!

Two new 1:6 BJDs for me! published on 1 Comment on Two new 1:6 BJDs for me!

On Monday, I got a Limhwa [I will never learn how to spell this correctly] ToYou without eyes or wig. Extremely pale and petulant, she is about 27 cm with a wiry, preteen body. Her foreshortened face with full cheeks offends my aesthetic sensibilities because I like my dolls with more standardized beauty or cuteness, but she fits the character well. Said character, Daisy, is a pouty, protected, precocious vampire killer! Watch out, Anneka!

Today, I got a secondhand Elfdoll tiny, Jin dal Re. Unlike most of the Elfdoll tinies, she has no curves, which makes her appropriate for Geordie, a 3-year-old [non-vamp] character. Unlike ToYou, Jin dal Re is immediately endearing with her minuscule size and child-like features in proportion to her body.

I don’t have any pictures now because I’m at work, but you can see the default ToYou here. Am I the only one in the BJD world who thinks she looks like a terminally annoyed and abused child? You can also see the default Jin dal Re here. In accordance with Geordie’s more energetic, carefree personality, the eyebrows will have to be repainted. I also need to give Geordie a gentle cleaning with a Q-tip and some soap. And maybe I’ll repaint her lips. Watch for pictures this weekend or sooner!

Long-awaited Triad prototypes photos!

Long-awaited Triad prototypes photos! published on 2 Comments on Long-awaited Triad prototypes photos!

Triad Toys has finally unveiled Eva [fem] and Evo [masc] 1.0.  As you can see in the photos, they have swappable heads, hands and feet; double-ganged elbows and knees;  and 40+ points of articulation. What you can’t see from the photos is just as impressive. Each fig comes with two chest options: unbound [for baring the breast] and bound [smaller, to go under clothes]. Furthermore, hair can either be swapped with molded hairpieces or size 4 mini wigs. And, if all that wasn’t enough, eyes [probably 4mm] can be swapped and positioned, just like in your average BJD! Much jubilation and speculation is now occurring over on MWD.

The bad news? Well, they’re not shipping nude bodies until November [why must they torment us so?!]. Additionally, the price will be $35-$40 for a nude without s/h. Oooh, my achin’ wallet… Triad clearly is not making cheap bash fodder like BBI’s Perfect Bodies. Triad is targeting the careful creator of high-quality customized figs. I remain disappointed that there are no cheap fems for bash fodder out there, ever since the PBs went out of production.

As for initial impressions, I appreciate Triad’s balance between aesthetics and poseability.  The standard masc and fem bodies look appropriately realistic, though I think that the lower abdomens are too long on each and the thighs too short for proper stylization.  Part of me wishes that the fems had bigger boobs and a more defined waist, but it’ll be nice to get someone who doesn’t stretch all tank tops beyond recognition [no thanks to Anneka certain people].

I see that I’ll have to stock up on a few just for bashing purposes, since I like the bulk and solidity of Cys, PBs, Triads and the like, as opposed to the slender, fashion-doll-like Obitsus. Cut for proto photo. Continue reading Long-awaited Triad prototypes photos!

Scratch that…what was Will’s is now Max’s body.

Scratch that…what was Will’s is now Max’s body. published on No Comments on Scratch that…what was Will’s is now Max’s body.

My attempt to Frankenstein the aforementioned skinny body for Will failed. The muscular arms looked out of proportion to the narrow torso. Also the torso was too short. I moved Will back to a body type much like his Dragon body [sigh]. None of these changes have shaken his attraction to his tragically pink and gold cowboy boots. ~_~

I did, however, save the disproportionate body. I decided that it would be perfect for a male character who uses a wheelchair. [Thus his arms would be bulked up from wheeling the chair, while his paralyzed legs would be slender.] Since I have a male character that I want to embody, Max, I decided that Anneka’s dad would get the body I Frankensteined two nights ago. Since I painted his face last night, I just need to give him hair before he can break his invisibility and appear on camera. [Hey Max…stop hiding in the bathroom and flushing your pills!!]

Oh yeah…and I need to get Max a wheelchair. Fortunately he’s narrow enough to fit in a Barbie wheelchair…

Pictures later.

Note to self: Make a banner for trade with Action Figure Diary. [If you haven’t seen it, go read it. It contains 1:6 action figures in silly escapades, along with their human owners. Gentle and witty, with great character development.]

Also sign up for ohnorobot.com, not only for publicity, but also for easy storage of transcriptions.

My mutant superpower: plot hole detection

My mutant superpower: plot hole detection published on 2 Comments on My mutant superpower: plot hole detection

Yippee, I watched X3 on Saturday night.

As a flashy summer movie, it satisfies with Dramatic Showdowns โ„ข, Impossible Odds โ„ข (did anyone else think that the 6 good X-Men “holding the line” on Alcatraz were just ridiculously outnumbered against the scores of Magneto’s bad guys on the bridge?), Wrenching Sacrifices โ„ข, et hoc genus omne.

New characters like Kitty Pryde (played cutely and capably by Ellen Page, who I kept mistaking for the castrating pervert she played in Hard Candy) and Beast (Kelsey Grammer, of all people, doing a good job!!) kept my interest. They kind of compensated for the fact that the script writers ruthlessly killed off or neutralized the kinkiest characters (R.I.P., Magneto and Mystique). Thus the movie was left to boring personages like Famke Janssen’s Phoenix, whose superpower is apparently standing around in a catatonic manner. With such a large cast, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, whose power is ass-kicking while wisecracking, and Halle Berry’s Storm, whose power is looking great in pleather, sorely lacked time to strut their stuff.

Overall, I thought X3 was a good movie, but not good enough to fully engage me. Like the subject line says, I couldn’t care less about the morality of a mutant cure. I was too busy identifying loose plot threads.

I’m waiting excitedly for Superman Returns (June 28), The Devil Wears Prada (June 30) and, most of all, Pirates of the Caribbean II (July 7)!! Oh yeahโ€ฆand whenever The Da Vinci Code comes to the cheap seats, I’m going to mock its pants off.

New improved Will: from brawny to scrawny

New improved Will: from brawny to scrawny published on No Comments on New improved Will: from brawny to scrawny

My concept of Will’s physique has always been closer to that of my 1:3 Jareth doll, rather than the ridiculously muscular soldier’s body he’s had for years. Unfortunately, the custom head that I use for Will won’t fit on any of the skinny male bodies…until now. Tonight, after a long silence, I broke out the Dremel and my drawer of bodies in an attempt to transfer the brawny neck assembly from a Dragon male body to the scrawny slender Obitsu male body.  In order to balance out the thicker neck, I imported Will’s original muscular arms [so he doesn’t have twig-like upper limbs]. I have yet to ream out the torso to allow for neck poseability, but you can see a mock-up of how I want Will to look below.

I’m swapping his body not just because I envision Will as skinny, almost to the point of weakness. I’m also narrowing his body because that way he can fit in all the cool clothes for female fashion dolls [his pants are My Scene] that he couldn’t before because he was too wide. Only clothes for fem figs come close to achieving the proper look for Will.

Frank’s first shoot

Frank’s first shoot published on 1 Comment on Frank’s first shoot

…Better late than never, right? Proudly presenting Frank, shot the day he arrived in the mail, acting sultry in a Dollmore warm-up set. Intended for 60 cm dolls, this outfit looks gut-bustingly sexy on the Model body. In case you haven’t paid attention to my ecstatic raving, Frank is a Volks Yukinojo head on a Dollmore Bella body with a neck modified by our very own Armeleia the stupendous. I painted his face. See him in his leisure suit below….

One doll hobby meets the other…

One doll hobby meets the other… published on No Comments on One doll hobby meets the other…

Back in the olden days when I purchased my first BJD [that’s spring, 2004], most BJDs for sale were 1:3.

The 60 cms represented teens, while the 45 cms represented toddlers. They were also really expensive [you couldn’t get one for under $400.00, really], all foreign-made and somewhat of a rarity. By contrast, my action figs/fashion dolls were 1:6, cheap [$100.00 is a high-end price for an articulated doll], plentiful both in the States and elsewhere. Since I was used to action figs/fashion dolls, the expansion into the world of BJDs represented a quantum leap away from the familiarity of vinyl.

Scant years later, action figs and BJDs are drawing closer together in ways that I never expected. Soom Uyoo both inaugurated and exemplified the new intertwining of BJDs and action figs/fashion dolls. Explicitly marketed as being the size of 11.5″ fashion dolls, Uyoo was positioned as a high-class resin sibling to Barbie, Jenny and Momoko, only better because you could change her hair and eyes as well as clothes. Furthermore, as a 1:6 and therefore much smaller doll than your usual 1:3 BJD, Uyoo also marked a drastic price drop in the average cost of a BJD, her price much more similar to that of a collector’s action fig/fashion doll than that of a 1:3 BJD. Just like a Barbie, Uyoo was portable, easily dressable and relatively affordable, so she was poised to enter the fashion doll/action figs market [and probably take over Barbie’s closet while she was at it].

Since Uyoo’s introduction, many other 1:6 BJDs have appeared on the market. They fall into two categories: teens [like Uyoo] and young children [like Orientdoll Ji]. I have no desire to populate a BJD universe with a bunch of teens and tinies, but I am always seeking diversity of ages in Love Has Fangs. So the greater availability of 1:6 articulated toddlers, pre-pubescents and young teens [no matter what their construction] excites me greatly. My 1:3 BJD universe has stabilized and completed at 3 inhabitants [Jareth, Frank and Jennifer], but my 1:6 universe has plenty of room for expansion….

…All of which is to say that I have another BJD en route to me. Limwha ToYou, a 27 cm pre-teen girl, will come unpainted and unwigged for about $255.00 [see what I mean about cheap?]. She looks like an abused, haunted, tired, petulant girl of about 12 or 13, which is exactly what she’ll be. All my blood-sucking characters had better watch out for <b>Daisy the vampire killer!!</b>

I’m also going back and forth about getting an Orientdoll So. I really can’t find an articulated plastic toddler. [The closest possibility, Mattel Tommy or Kelly, has no elbow or knee joints. Why not?!] And I really want one for Geordie, Dom’s niece. Plus Orientdoll sells So very cheaply [$109.00 w/o s/h] unpainted, so I may soon have a 3-year-old running around the LHF universe, heh heh heh.

Batwoman [?!?!?!] is a lesbian [?!?!?!?!?].

Batwoman [?!?!?!] is a lesbian [?!?!?!?!?]. published on 2 Comments on Batwoman [?!?!?!] is a lesbian [?!?!?!?!?].

Attention tout le monde! We are now inaugurating the new media tag, under which the Blog of Eternal Stench stinks up the atmosphere with commentary about the latest books, movies, TV and radio I’ve been consuming. Aren’t you excited? I knew you were [all 2 of you].

Unless you’ve been living in a closet during the past week, you know that DC Comics is resuscitating Batwoman [who???] as a lesbian. Check out the New York Times article for an interesting survey about the history of superheroes more accurately reflecting the ethnic and sexual diversity of the population at large. Supposedly Batwoman’s new sexual preference is a newsworthy advance in the name of peace, tolerance and the American way.

You know what would be really “groundbreaking?” If, instead of tacking on some homosexuality just to boost sales, the major comic publishers started by creating a queer character in the first place and then thought about how the sexuality would affect the character.

You could warp the stereotypes of superheroism [identity switching, flashy outfits, defending the oppressed, freakin’ outrageous sex appeal] to fit some of the experiences of gay people, such as coming out, getting ragged on, standing up for oneself. For example, maybe the character’s alter ego is straight and the super hero identity is gay! Maybe the character defends others against homophobic bullies…or has a murderous vendetta against homophobes [oooh, a tragic flaw]. Some of the most interesting superhero stories, like Spiderman, use the superpowers as an interesting metaphor [in Spiderman’s case, it’s superpowers as adolescence/growing up]. A similar thoughtful treatment of a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender superhero would be eminently interesting.

On a side note, I didn’t even know there was a Batwoman until all this buzz started occurring. Sheesh, if you’re add a twist to a character’s sexuality, why not do it to a character who could at least swing that way if she wanted to? For example, Catwoman seems to hang around women all the time, and Batman really pisses her off. Of course, just because she dislikes Batman doesn’t mean that she automatically must be attracted to women, but making Catwoman queer seems more psychologically plausible than pinning gayness as an afterthought to some non-entity named Batwoman.

T-shirts, T-shirts, T-shirts!!

T-shirts, T-shirts, T-shirts!! published on No Comments on T-shirts, T-shirts, T-shirts!!

Last night I developed two LHF T-shirts. My unofficial survey of two people reveals that they look pretty good! ๐Ÿ˜€

Design 1 just shows the comic’s URL.

Design 2, which I’m really proud of, says “Vampires do it in cold blood,” then the URL below.

If you spend over $20.00 [hint: black shirts are $21.00] in the next week, you can use the following coupon code for $5.00 off: MOTIFMETHOD. [Coupon code expires June 11.] So spread the LHF love…affordably!

Feed me, Seymour…feed me!

Feed me, Seymour…feed me! published on 1 Comment on Feed me, Seymour…feed me!

We now have our very own LJ feed for easy addition to your friends list. Go here and add meeeeee!

http://syndicated.livejournal.com/lovehasfangs/profile

Since I just created it, entries may take a while to appear. But there is a special bonus ep up, so you can always go to http://www.lovehasfangs.com and see it.

EDIT: As of 2:00 PM, 7 people have added the LHF feed to their friends lists. Be one of the cool crowd! Add it!

EDIT: As of 3:00 PM, it’s up to 12!

The dirty secrets of Love Has Fangs

The dirty secrets of Love Has Fangs published on No Comments on The dirty secrets of Love Has Fangs

Today marks the beginning of a new occasional supplement to LHF, When No Oneโ€™s Watching. The first installment concerns Maximilian, Anneka’s dad. With such a large cast of characters, only a few are ever in the spotlight at a time. The other ones are still living their lives, though, just undocumentedโ€ฆuntil now. Now you can find out the castโ€™s dark, dirty secrets.

I started this supplement because I really like my characters. They all have detailed back stories that extend across decades and even generations, but, usually, only a small portion of this character development shows up in the main arcs. With the supplement, I get an excuse to play with my people more.

I also want to show off my kitchen. Isnโ€™t it neat? I picked it up at Goodwill last night for $1.50. Iโ€™ve long coveted the Barbie kitchen as a backdrop, but it came with all sorts of plastic food and utensils that I already had. I finally just got the backdrop for a reasonable price.

Ohโ€ฆand a deep, dark secret of my ownโ€ฆ As you can probably tell, I donโ€™t actually have a Max doll [YET!]. Despite the fact that heโ€™s Annekaโ€™s dad, I just havenโ€™t given him a physical form yet. I need to find a Robert E. Lee dollโ€ฆ

Different degrees of death [Love Has Fangs]

Different degrees of death [Love Has Fangs] published on No Comments on Different degrees of death [Love Has Fangs]

Well, goodbye, Muriel. As of today’s ep, “6.2: Pomegranate Land,” Will’s ex no longer belongs to the cast of Love Has Fangs. I’ll tell you a secret, though. Despite the fact that she has disappeared from the story line, she still stands on the “active duty” shelves around my desk. I can’t bear to put her away. Maybe it’s the stark simplicity of the Destiny headsculpt and paint ops. Maybe it’s the dramatic Galadriel gown / nightgown she wears. Maybe I just like her passionate and pissed-off personality too much to let her out of my sight.

There are various levels of death in Love Has Fangs. One type of death is the end of the mortal life. For some characters, like Will’s parents, this death is the end of their existence. For other characters, like Anneka and Will, the end of mortal life involves a transformation and a rebirth as a supernatural. 

Another type of death is the end of the supernatural life. Caveat, Dom’s right-hand man, clearly suffered this kind of death unwillingly. In this ep, by contrast, Muriel seems to welcome the end of her supernatural life.

I’m really attached to Caveat and Muriel, so I often wonder if there’s another level of life and death in my story so I can bring them back…an endless resuscitation between sleeping and waking.

I really need to get either a feed for Love Has Fangs or a “bounce” LJ so that persons with LJs can subscribe and comment easily!

Oh yeah, and another juicy Realm tidbit….

Oh yeah, and another juicy Realm tidbit…. published on No Comments on Oh yeah, and another juicy Realm tidbit….

Toot toot toot! [That was supposed to be a fanfare.] Announcing the inauguration of the Scholarly Articles category at Jareth’s Realm, I present you with the first file in this section of your online Labyrinth library! Read an excerpt of the only scholarly treatment ever I’ve seen of Labyrinth: Elycia Arendt’s highfalutin article, The Feminine Spectatorship of Jim Henson’s Labyrinth.” You’ll need Adobe Acrobat Reader, but it’s worth it for her clueless take on Internet Laby fans and fan fiction.

Click here for my take on the article. My reactions are ranty and disorganized, but I’ll let you know when I marshal them into an essay.

“The lighthearted charm of the Muppets is further eroded by Labyrinth.”

“The lighthearted charm of the Muppets is further eroded by Labyrinth.” published on No Comments on “The lighthearted charm of the Muppets is further eroded by Labyrinth.”

So saith Cosmopolitan’s lackluster review of Labyrinth. You can see this review and other vintage memorabilia at the newly updated Jareth’s Realm.

If you dislike the hack job that Cosmo did on Labyrinth, you can cheer yourself up with some pretty pictures. I finally got the scans of the beautiful Japanese program moved over to the new location.

I also put up a new 4-page Spanish program. I haven’t translated it yet, but you can admire the scans.

Season 6 kicks off!

Season 6 kicks off! published on No Comments on Season 6 kicks off!

Yes, folks, Love Has Fangs is back with more 1:6 sarcasm in today’s ep, Vampirism Sucks. As you can tell by Anneka’s monochrome outfit, she’s feeling pretty bleak. As you can tell by Will’s paisley cummerbund and stacked heels, he’s feeling more and more daring. That’s one of the beauties of having a full dresser of doll clothes: the ability to change the characters’ outfits to reflect their current moods and personalities. I wish I could pierce Will’s ears, but I’m afraid of messing up the details on his resin head. Anyway, hop on over; see the strip; then leave me a comment. Thanks!

Finished Frank wears short shorts.

Finished Frank wears short shorts. published on 5 Comments on Finished Frank wears short shorts.

Armeleia finished Frank’s neck on Monday, balancing muscular tendons with a smooth, columnar look. Here he shows his temporary hair and some of the candy stripes that I bought him from Dollmore.

 

Armeleia’s mods sacrificed no mobility; Frank can turn his head and look up and down just as well as if he were on a Yukinojo body. I thought that he might have flexibility like he did on Jareth’s body [he could just swivel his head], but the results are more than I expected. In other words, now that he is truly at home on his fabulous figure, he can strike glamorous poses. I can’t wait until he’s lounging all over my furniture!

Houston to space vixens!

Houston to space vixens! published on No Comments on Houston to space vixens!

Product Enterpriseย  has some sexy femfigs coming up. Check out Felicity Bliss, the intergalatic pinup, due in September. [Please note fetishy red leather spacesuit and molded nipples on armor….] Or sneak a peek at Gay Ellis, the purple-haired sexpot, due out in June. Apparently they’re characters from TV shows? Who cares? They’re hot. Picture of Felicity Bliss’ headshot below.Continue reading Houston to space vixens!

Stuff I want in no particular order updated

Stuff I want in no particular order updated published on No Comments on Stuff I want in no particular order updated
  • Basic Photography: CCAE course, $149.00
  • Summer Light: CCAE course, $125.00
  • The Art of Reviewing: CCAE course, $125.00
  • Pirates, Sailors and Pasta: A North End Walk: CCAE course, $37.00
  • What Makes Harvard Square a Square?: CCAE course, $37.00
  • Boston’s Historic South End: A Walking Tour: CCAE course, $20.00
  • Mastering the Art of Aloneness: CCAE course, $44.00
  • Arthur Spiderwick’s Guide to the Fantastical World Around You: $24.95 
    Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Chosen Collection (Seasons 1-7): $220.00 
    Twilight Zone Season 1: $96.00
    Twilight Zone Season 2: $80.00
    Twilight Zone Season 3: $90.00
    Twilight Zone Season 4: $90.00
    Twilight Zone Season 5: $80.00
  • Mirror Mask: $26.96
  • 12″ Drusilla action figure: $45.00
  • Elfdoll Tiny Adel: ~$300.00
  • Elfdoll Rainydoll Nabee: ~$750.00
  • a haircut
  • a new pair of shoes
  • the domain name for my Web comic
  • and a really good computer with a flatscreen monitor and a DVD player that doesn’t seize up in the middle of Minority Report!!!
  • Love Has Fangs: Dom wins the angst contest.

    Love Has Fangs: Dom wins the angst contest. published on 1 Comment on Love Has Fangs: Dom wins the angst contest.

    Despite Anneka and Will’s competition in the previous vignette, today’s ep of Love Has Fangs proves that Dom wins the angst contest hands down…well, at least in his own mind. The mope meister is, of course, treating his depression with a cheery tune by Type O Negative: Everyone I Love Is Dead.

    Dom is one of my most enjoyable characters to write because he’s just so clueless. I don’t think it’s ever dawned on him that his life is so miserable because he spends most of his time whingeing and lashing out.  He’s not a bad kid, despite his murderous vendetta against Anneka. It’s just that he has very little empathy because he’s too wrapped up in his own pain and suffering, which is, of course, of epic proportions. Being an eternal teenager doesn’t help matters.

    Today’s angst-ridden word of the day is Weltschmerz. It comes from the German “Welt,” meaning “world,” and “Schmerz,” meaning “pain.” Like that other wonderful German compound Schadenfreude, [“Schaden” -> “damage” + “Freude” -> “happy” = “delight caused by the sufffering of others”], Weltschmerz describes a state of mind both dismal and enjoyable. Weltschmerz is defined as “sadness over the general state of the world.” Coined by Teutonic author Jean Paul, it refers to disappointment that one feels when one realizes that the physical world cannot satisfy one’s spiritual longings. This pessimistic yearning for transcendence shows up in a lot of Romantic poetry.

    To put it another way, Dom would like to think that he has Weltschmerz. But he probably just has Schadenfreude. 

    Bloodsuckers invade Boston!!

    Bloodsuckers invade Boston!! published on No Comments on Bloodsuckers invade Boston!!

    If you have no idea what Love Has Fangs is all about, bite off  what you can chew NOW with the post season 5 interlude, beginning today. Learn what all those dead people are up to and why you should care. [Note: it involves lesbians, pink hair and vampires…that’s why! :p Even pink-haired lesbian vampires!]

    Check out Vignette 1, in which our charming protagonists square off in a game of Who Has The Most Dysfunctional Life?

    Don’t forget to gimme some love and leave a comment [over on Love Has Fangs, not here].

    Oh yeah…and tell your friends. This comic has got something for everyone [well, mostly everyone]. If you’re a fantasy lover, it’s got vampires and ghosts. If you’re a sci-fi lover, it’s got mad scientists and cyborgs. If you’re a doll lover or action figure freak, you can watch me try to pose my characters realistically. If you’re a photographer, you can criticize my simple sets and painfully amateur photoing techniques.  If you’re a lover of drama, I’ve got more storylines going here than an average hour-long show on the WB. And if you’re a writer, hey…it’s not that badly written either.

    Note to all you BJD lovers: I’m gonna suck you in too…just you wait… Stay tuned for the drama with the creepy vampire-killing character… Heh heh heh! Then I can legitimately pimp out post about Love Has Fangs on DOA.

    P.S. Please leave a comment on the Love Has Fangs site!

    P.P.S. Watch for T-shirts.

    What makes you think I want one of these???

    What makes you think I want one of these??? published on No Comments on What makes you think I want one of these???

    Here’s a comparison of OrientDoll So pasted next to a line-up of [left to right] Dom, Anneka and Will. As you can see, So is perfect for a 1:6, well-articulated toddler to expand the Love Has Fangs cast. Continue reading What makes you think I want one of these???

    Jennifer meets other small BJDs in Burlington.

    Jennifer meets other small BJDs in Burlington. published on No Comments on Jennifer meets other small BJDs in Burlington.

    The usual band of geeks suspects took over the usual conference room at the Burlington Public Library this afternoon to swap doll parts, stories and photos. Jennifer started off grumpy because she was wearing the aforementioned frilly dress with cherries, but Ivy had a box o’ free shit from where she found a much more pleasing outfit, modeled below. Other loot I nabbed: a fuzzy pink sweater, a knitted shawl and a troll with pink hair to confiscate for Jennifer…not to mention the 1:3 bottle of Beck beer, this last from Barb!

    Jennifer hung out with Jamie’s OrientDoll Tae, Quaid, who is 40 cm to her 27. He’s very realistically proportioned, and I can’t wait to see his female counterpart! She also posed with Breck’s Souldoll Kimmy, Puck, who is shorter and slenderer than she is. I like the 1:6 Souldoll BJD bodies better than Soom’s; Souldoll’s features are meatier and more realistic.

    An informal survey on the way back to the T revealed that I’m not the only one who feels completely wiped out after meets. Steph, Jamie, Sam and Meg said that they all wanted to go to sleep afterward, despite the fact that we always part ways before dinner. Steph put it best when she said, “It’s like you’ve been mainlining fun for 4 hours. Then you go home and can’t stand any more fun!” Continue reading Jennifer meets other small BJDs in Burlington.

    It’s a sleepy Jennifer?!! …and other small dollses

    It’s a sleepy Jennifer?!! …and other small dollses published on 2 Comments on It’s a sleepy Jennifer?!! …and other small dollses

    I didn’t notice, but apparently Soom came out with a sleepy Uyoo head called Romantic Uyoo. While I titled the post “Sleepy Jennifer,” it doesn’t really look like Jennifer at all… She is lovely, though, and I want her head, even though I have no use for it. She has an Anneka Elizabeth look to her… I’m E-mailing Soom now and asking if it’s possible to get the Romantic head sold separately with faceup. It would be cheap too, $80.00, which is how much I paid for Velvette’s head. [Actually, Velvette was one of those super limited edition Mbili Barbies that I bought for $100.00, and I ended up giving away most of the designer costume, tossing the body, taking down her hair and transplanting her onto a poorly painted CG body. She’s one of my favorite and most beautiful dolls and absolutely worth what I paid.]

    While I’m linking to things, I should note that Orient Doll has an affordable 1:6 toddler BJD at 4.65″. At $109.00 excluding s/h, an unpainted So is about half the price of Jennifer! I have plans for a toddler in the future of Love Has Fangs, but I’m not sure if I’m ready to invest that type of money in a tertiary character. He’d have to be a central character for at least a season [or he’d have to have a recurring secondary role like Velvette the hot and expensive!] to justify that expense.

    Frank’s luscious neck [as of Monday]

    Frank’s luscious neck [as of Monday] published on 3 Comments on Frank’s luscious neck [as of Monday]

    Armeleia reduced a bit of Frank’s neck in length and added definition in the form of tendons. Given his hermaphroditic form, I didn’t want her to sculpt an Adam’s apple, so she has been sanding down the rough sculpture. After an application of the final, finer grit [and a drill through the ear lobes], he should be done. Continue reading Frank’s luscious neck [as of Monday]

    Jennifer and pink do not get along.

    Jennifer and pink do not get along. published on 5 Comments on Jennifer and pink do not get along.

    Wrote this last night, but didn’t have a chance to put it up. Andrea the fabulous sent me a birthday gift of funky 1:6 clothing for Jennifer. I personally like the juxtaposition of patterns and prints. Jennifer, however, has other opinions. Continue reading Jennifer and pink do not get along.

    Love bites…and sucks. In short, Love Has Fangs!

    Love bites…and sucks. In short, Love Has Fangs! published on 1 Comment on Love bites…and sucks. In short, Love Has Fangs!

    (un)real life is back, but with a twist! It went on hiatus toward the end of April. It is now resurrected in a sexy new undead format with a sexy new name, Love Has Fangs, and a sexy new domain name: http://www.lovehasfangs.com .

    Everything’s the same except the name…which is better. And I’m working on T-shirts.

    Stay tuned for more 1:6 Sturm und Drang…coming next week to a Web site near you. Tell your friends! :p

    Jareth doll #14 (?) in progress

    Jareth doll #14 (?) in progress published on 3 Comments on Jareth doll #14 (?) in progress

    If you know me, you know my enduring interest in capturing Jareth’s likeness in doll form. I think I’ve done satisfactorily in the 1:3 department, but the 1:6 version has always eluded me. I’m getting closer to a great 1:6 interpretation of Jareth. He’s a repainted head from a Toy Biz Galadriel doll on an Obitsu slim male body, modified to accept Cy Girl bootfeet. He’s wearing a blouse from a Dreams & Legends Miss Fear doll and pants from a Blue Box Cy Girl Jet, along with a pendant that I made. He may or may not be done. Not sure… Continue reading Jareth doll #14 (?) in progress

    On the bleeding edge between classy and trashy…

    On the bleeding edge between classy and trashy… published on No Comments on On the bleeding edge between classy and trashy…

    …please see Dollmore’s recent additions to the clothing line for their 70 cm Model Doll [Frank’s body].

    It’s summer time, and you know what that means?! It’s the season of sexual provocation, during which you reduce admirers to quivering lumps of admiration with your blatantly tantalizing and perfectly tailored wardrobe.

    Catch everyone’s eyes with the Purity Dress set [$109.00], which looks all nice and innocent… Then people come closer and realize that the asymmetrical hemline allows them to look quite close to your underwear and the included jacket has a hot, corset-like style. Why settle for just one aspect of ye olde Victorianne Madonna/whore dichotomy when, with this outfit, you can embody both at the same time?!

    While we’re on the subject of making people’s brains explode, don’t forget another bewitching number, the White Lily set [$66.00]. Like the Purity Dress set, it appears to be all about virginal innocence, but it’s really all about SEX!! Really, now…what else do you have on your mind with nearly-transparent white layers and knee-high fishnets? [If you get a bit cold in all that white chiffon, put our white balloon sleeve T [$15.00] on backwards. You’ll keep your arms warm, and the keyhole design will show off your boobs.]

    And, if you really want to mess with people’s heads, try the genteel gender-bending number, Woman in Black [$109.00]. Directly inspired by all those hot suits you see these days on the androgynous guys, Woman in Black is specifically tailored for your model-like form. So you can have all the power and dominance that come from the severity of a cool black suit, along with the fun that comes along from monkeying with people’s gender stereotypes. To add to the ambiguity, cut off the flower and ditch the pearls; substitute a tie instead, and let the fun begin.

    When the sun sets, that’s when things just start to heat up. And that’s when you need some leather against your skin. Try our leather hot pants [$18.00] or our leather mini [$18.00]. You’ll look smoking, perfect for clubbing or streetwalking!

    And don’t forget shoes. Basic black pumps [$38.00] project that perfect polished corporate image in the boardroom and go well with everything. By night, though, you want to achieve a more…ahem…intimidating look. So strap on the high style boots [$59.00] and kindle instant shoe fetishes in otherwise non-kinky people. Cat-o’-nine-tails and haughty look not included, but not that hard to achieve when you’re wearing shoes like this….

    If I had to judiciously choose just a few pieces from the fabulous new line-up for Frank, I would select…

    1. Woman in Black [$109.00] for mix-‘n’-match purposes, not to mention genderfuck
    2. the bustier [$17.00] because it is all about the boobs!!!
    3. Long Cut boots [$55.00], not mentioned in the copy above, but more versatile than the aforementioned boots that go up to your doll’s crotch

    Jareth is my portrait doll. Jennifer is my portable doll. Frank is clearly my clotheshorse doll. :p

    Medford Burying Ground: not half bad with color either

    Medford Burying Ground: not half bad with color either published on No Comments on Medford Burying Ground: not half bad with color either

    Confidential to the people who are encouraging me to get Elfdoll Tiny Adel: You’re not helping my resolve! :p

    In other news, I get pickier and pickier over my photos. Yesterday I happened to be waiting for the bus in Medford Square, right next to ye olde cemeterie of Medford, also known as Medford Burying Ground. Since the sun was setting, I hopped across the road to capture the bright light and long shadows. Continue reading Medford Burying Ground: not half bad with color either

    Boston Dollpa #1

    Boston Dollpa #1 published on 2 Comments on Boston Dollpa #1

    Mara [rdwayneright] hosted a BJD meet at her swank Brockton pad this afternoon. We took over the meeting room at her condo with our dolls [about 11 owners, 2 or 3 dolls a piece and a few SOs = a lot of fun] and our potluck luncheon. Then we sat around for five hours to make pornographic jokes while swapping doll clothes and wigs and posing them in [compromising] situations. After that, we were all exhausted because playing with dolls sucks up your energy, but in that good way. :p Continue reading Boston Dollpa #1

    The most beautiful skull in King’s Chapel

    The most beautiful skull in King’s Chapel published on 1 Comment on The most beautiful skull in King’s Chapel

    Sorry… You aren’t going to see it. Ever since I’ve been amassing a portfolio for my gallery show, I’ve been feeling awfully proprietary of my cemetery photos. I really doubt people would plagiarize them, but you never can be sure…which is why I keep the best ones on my hard drive.

    Anyway, I took advantage of an incredibly sunny day yesterday to shoot some photos in King’s Chapel around noon. Though younger than the Granary across the way, King’s Chapel seems much less tended. Perhaps that’s because it’s on a downhill slope that makes the lowest part of the cemetery just a big leach field. Perhaps it’s because more of the stones were made of sandstone, which erodes easily. I think fewer people go to King’s Chapel, even though it, like the Granary, is on the heavily trafficked Freedom Trail, so people spend less time keeping it up.

    They do have the best stone, though, right by the entrance. It’s an intricate carving in which a skeleton holds a spear and a candle snuffer, ready to extinguish the candle of life, which is sitting upon a globe. Behind the skeleton stands Father Time, an old bearded man, with his scythe. Unfortunately, you’re not going to see that either, at least not until I figure out how to manipulate the image so you can see all the detail in the carving. I promise I’ll show it to you, though. It’s impressive!

    What you are going to see is a macro of a much longer epitaph on a woman’s grave, entitled Somebody Loved Her. I don’t think I need to explain the title. Continue reading The most beautiful skull in King’s Chapel

    Stuff I want in no particular order

    Stuff I want in no particular order published on No Comments on Stuff I want in no particular order

    The triumphant ending of (un)real life, season 5…

    The triumphant ending of (un)real life, season 5… published on 1 Comment on The triumphant ending of (un)real life, season 5…

    …can be seen here. I enjoyed shooting this ep. Since it’s basically just a series of close-ups of dolls that, of course, don’t change expression, all the emotion is transmitted through the poses and the angles…and some minimal addition of closed eyelids [my one concession]. My favorite is the second picture of them lying together. They look so happy…but only for a moment. Stupid drama. :p

    If any of you actually read this stuff, watch for cool changes on the (un)real life front. In an effort to extend the readership and general popularity, I’m changing the name, revamping [haw haw] the site, designing T-shirts [“This old thing? Oh, it’s for my Web comic…”] and trying to figure out how to promote it. I’m so excited about the new name. It sounds juicy and vampiric and kinky and looks good on T-shirts. It’s much more attention-getting than (un)real life, which is boring. I just have to figure out how to add another domain name onto my current package and re-route it to my actual site’s location.

    In conclusion, the comic will go on hiatus while I work on overhauling it. We’ll pick back up in a few weeks. I’ll keep you updated, assuming I’m not just talking into a black hole…

    Thoughts on aforementioned critical analysis of Labyrinth

    Thoughts on aforementioned critical analysis of Labyrinth published on 4 Comments on Thoughts on aforementioned critical analysis of Labyrinth

    I just got a chance to read the whole chapter, thanks to some creative messing around with Amazon’s “Search Inside the Book!” feature. See below for a summary. Continue reading Thoughts on aforementioned critical analysis of Labyrinth

    The Holy Grail for Laby nerds: PUBLISHED CRITICAL ANALYSIS!

    The Holy Grail for Laby nerds: PUBLISHED CRITICAL ANALYSIS! published on 2 Comments on The Holy Grail for Laby nerds: PUBLISHED CRITICAL ANALYSIS!

    Louisa Hammond, who I shall be forever grateful to because of this, mentioned that the book Braveheart and Broomsticks: Essays on Movies, Myths and Magic by Elycia Arendt, has a chapter all about Labyrinth!!

    The chapter is called “The Feminine Spectatorship of Labyrinth on the Internet” and, according to my sources, deals with the sloploads of ooey-gooey “Jareth + Sarah = true lerve 4-ever” fan fiction. Apparently the author argues that these fan fiction rewrites foreclose on the feminist possibilities inherent in Labyrinth.

    What a gas. Again Louisa makes my day. I simply must order a copy of this book when I have a spare moment.

    Note to self: Look for other similar books mentioning L!!!

    Happy spring from the angstbusters!

    Happy spring from the angstbusters! published on 2 Comments on Happy spring from the angstbusters!

    It’s been so brilliant and beautiful around here recently, with the sun and the forsythias shining yellowly. Tulips are pushing through the earth, purple and white, while yellow daffodils looks like little frilly teacups and saucers on green stems. Meanwhile, I realized that Jareth was still wearing a monochrome ensemble, so I decided to have Jennifer bug him about it. Continue reading Happy spring from the angstbusters!

    Labyrinth fans make my day! :D :D

    Labyrinth fans make my day! :D :D published on No Comments on Labyrinth fans make my day! :D :D

    The thoughtful and analytical Louisa Hammond just sent me 8 pages of her thoughts on Labyrinth. Thank you! I’m not going to quote her extensively because I don’t know if I have her permission, but I’d just like to paraphrase some of her ideas on certain topics because I think they are thought-provoking… Continue reading Labyrinth fans make my day! ๐Ÿ˜€ ๐Ÿ˜€

    Jennifer finds mermaids, bare boobs and mandalas in the Granary.

    Jennifer finds mermaids, bare boobs and mandalas in the Granary. published on 6 Comments on Jennifer finds mermaids, bare boobs and mandalas in the Granary.

    Jennifer ran on ahead of me today and got lost in the Granary Burying Ground. When I found her, she dragged me on her own little tour. Continue reading Jennifer finds mermaids, bare boobs and mandalas in the Granary.

    Inverted light in First Parish Cemetery

    Inverted light in First Parish Cemetery published on 2 Comments on Inverted light in First Parish Cemetery

    Cemeteries have a certain quiet power to them that I enjoy, especially the old ones like First Parish Cemetery in Cambridge, MA, where the earliest stones date from the 1680s. It looks like a lawn full of old grey rocks or a garden growing stone. It’s a perfect place to wander and muse in.

    Bending a little closer to look at the tombstones, though, I’ll find messages from the past. Memento mori. Be mindful of death. Memento te esse mortalem. Remember that you are mortal.

    Then it strikes me that I’m walking on history. The city I live in was built upon the bones of people who died generations ago. All that’s left of them now are the stories on their stones and the ground they have fertilized. Hundreds of years separate them and me, but I’m really not so far of them. Here there’s just six feet of earth between them and me.

    I stand in the present, but, in the cemetery, I’m so close to the past. I can see its quiet shift and rot and spring in the sink of the muddy ground and the surge of the buds of the trees. I can read it in the faded Latin of the epitaphs. I can even touch it in the rough, rounded, worn edges of the tombstones. I feel more a part of history, more a part of time, here in the cemetery.

    This is why I find cemeteries so beautiful: the close, poignant juxtaposition of life and death. First Parish may look like just a place full of old carvings, but it’s holy ground. Photos in regular light don’t bring out the striking power of the place. But draining the photos of color or inverting them does evoke a haunting starkness. And then you realize that the cemetery is indeed another world, at once foreign and familiar. Continue reading Inverted light in First Parish Cemetery

    Updates on Realm and official Jareth doll

    Updates on Realm and official Jareth doll published on 1 Comment on Updates on Realm and official Jareth doll

    As you know if you follow this blog, Palisades Toys was planning to release a 12″ Jareth doll this month. But, as Raving Toy Maniac reports, Palisades Toys has been bought by Limited by CAS earlier this year. The status of unproduced stock, including the Jareth doll, is now uncertain. There is no news right now about whether the Jareth doll will be cancelled or produced. In any case, most Web shops have stopped pre-orders for this figure. I do hope that the Jareth doll is produced, even if it’s several months late. Anyway, watch this blog for news.

    In other Realm news, I put up some more fan art by Melissa Findley, Joanna Oliver and me. My 2-D artistic skills really pale next to theirs.

    Gallery and picture updates at the Realm

    Gallery and picture updates at the Realm published on 1 Comment on Gallery and picture updates at the Realm

    I finished transferring the dolls gallery at Jareth’s Realm. I also started adding illustrations [screen caps with snarky comments] to essays in the Jareth category. Gawd DAYUM…I must have a book’s worth of material up on that site, accumulated over 10 years of ranting.

    Wigs for Jennifer / Elfdoll infestation

    Wigs for Jennifer / Elfdoll infestation published on 2 Comments on Wigs for Jennifer / Elfdoll infestation

    At today’s Burlington doll club, I brought a sampling of my 1:6 smorgasbord and held a picnic for Jennifer and Rosa’s Elfdolls. [Of course, none of the cute picnic ended up in my final selection of photos, since I’m very picky about which ones I post.] The Elfdoll with the larger eyes is Dodo. The one with the red hair is Adel. I don’t know what Rosa named them, but I got some size comparison shots of them with Jennifer and with Jareth. I also tried on at least 10 wigs on Jennifer. Which ones do you think flatter her? Continue reading Wigs for Jennifer / Elfdoll infestation

    Pomegranates, porn and a pain in the ass

    Pomegranates, porn and a pain in the ass published on 1 Comment on Pomegranates, porn and a pain in the ass

    (un)real life 5.6, “Exhortation,” is up. You get to see a bit more of what Will does as the high and mighty Webmaster of lesbovamps.com. Disappointingly enough, his activities don’t differ that much from those of your average editor, despite the unusual contents of the site. His fights with freelancers are just an exaggerated version of stories that I’ve heard circulate in my years in the publishing industry. It’s pretty mundane, actually, much to Will’s disappointment [he was hoping for more hot undead girl-on-girl action].

    Today’s word of the day is for Ashbet, who likes pomegranates. The word “pomegranate” comes from Continue reading Pomegranates, porn and a pain in the ass

    Best fan art I have ever seen

    Best fan art I have ever seen published on 3 Comments on Best fan art I have ever seen

    EDIT: Link to Louisa’s picture fixed. More fan art, a quick Jareth sketch by Jamie Mckiernan and some detailed Photoshop pictures by Louisa Gallie, up in the gallery. Louisa’s painting, Jareth and Sarah, is the best piece of fan art I have ever seen. She captures accurate likenesses of both characters with smooth, fine strokes, puts them in dynamic and expressive positions and suffuses the whole picture with a combination of romance and realism. I want to frame it! Go see it…NOW!

    Fast and functional wig making

    Fast and functional wig making published on No Comments on Fast and functional wig making

    Ever since I mentioned making a wig for Jennifer out of plastic wrap, yarn and glue, some people have wondered exactly how I did it. Here are step by step instructions to making a fast and functional yarn wig for your doll. No pictures yet, but maybe soon. Please note that the finished product is neither neat nor professional, so feel free to modify the sucker if you want to improve it. Continue reading Fast and functional wig making

    New fan art + old fan doll gallery up at the Realm

    New fan art + old fan doll gallery up at the Realm published on No Comments on New fan art + old fan doll gallery up at the Realm

    Brittany Henry’s dramatic sketches, as well as an imaginative and striking black-and-white print of Jareth, Sarah and Toby, are the latest additions to the fan art gallery.

    Also I started putting up the gallery of Labyrinthian dolls, starting with a Jareth doll that I customized about five years ago. Holy cannoli, what an atrocious paint job! Happily, my skills have marginally improved with time.

    In 1:6 news, I have a Kisaragi Honey on the way and a hurtin’ wallet.

    In 1:6 news, I have a Kisaragi Honey on the way and a hurtin’ wallet. published on No Comments on In 1:6 news, I have a Kisaragi Honey on the way and a hurtin’ wallet.

    I mentioned a few months ago that I would probably be buying Takara’s Best of CG Cutey Honey Kisaragi Variant. Continue reading In 1:6 news, I have a Kisaragi Honey on the way and a hurtin’ wallet.

    Asphyxiophilia

    Asphyxiophilia published on 2 Comments on Asphyxiophilia

    (un)real life 5.5, “Elucidation,” is up. I’m particularly proud of this ep because of the photo montages and manipulation involved. The pomegranate superimposed on the fire isn’t that technically advanced, but the “snow” filter on Muriel with the ice sheet in the background looks cool.

    I also really like Muriel. She comes across as bossy, pissy and snappy, but I think of her more sympathetically as Anneka’s counterpart 100 years earlier. She’s so sharp and frustrated because she had very little place to develop herself when she was alive, and, now that she’s dead, all she does is hang around. For a smart, adventurous, kinky person like Muriel, watching life, rather than participating in it, constitutes the worst sort of hell. Too bad she’s dead dead dead [as opposed to Anneka and Will, who are just dead dead]. I sort of want to bring her back and let her cross blades paths with Anneka and Will s’more.

    P.S. The word of the day is asphyxiophilia, which means the sexual practice of inducing arousal through partial, threatened or full asphyxiation, either by one’s own hand [bonus phrase: autoerotic asphyxia] or by another’s.

    P.P.S. Though we usually think of asphyxiation as stopping someone’s breath, the origin of the word actually means “stopping the pulse.” Check this out. “Asphyxia” comes from the Greek prefix “a-,” meaning “without,” and the Greek noun “sphuxis,” meaning “heartbeat.” Literally, it is “the state of being without a heartbeat.”

    P.P.P.S. Do you think the word “asphyxiation” is onomatopoetic?

    Galleries slowly return to the Realm.

    Galleries slowly return to the Realm. published on No Comments on Galleries slowly return to the Realm.

    EDIT: Fan drawings gallery done! I discovered the joys of Coppermine. Now I’m adding all the galleries to Jareth’s Realm at its new location [a Coppermine photo gallery], fan drawings first. Check back frequently, as I’m breaking this tedious task into chunks over the next few weeks.

    Cemeteries + dolls

    Cemeteries + dolls published on No Comments on Cemeteries + dolls

    Granary Burial Ground: Find stone with mermen and frogs. Take good pictures.

    King’s Chapel Cemetery: Take good photos of the Death / Father Time stones with globe and candle.

    Mount Auburn Cemetery: Go with Steph!

    The only one in Somerville: Show people peeking through the bars [even if we can’t get in].

    Forest Hills: Probably with Jennifer, since the high surveillance gets suspicious about people carrying around big dolls and cameras.

    That one in Arlington on Broadway: Walk there some sunny weekend.

    Ones in Salem: Find stones associated with witchcraft trials.

    Mountain View: Find dolphins, elephants and other unusual animals. Do an “animal tour?”

    Essex Common: Hands, wrought-iron fences. Continue reading Cemeteries + dolls

    Frank’s body arrived at Armeleia’s!

    Frank’s body arrived at Armeleia’s! published on 2 Comments on Frank’s body arrived at Armeleia’s!

    Like the subject line says, the Doll More Bella Auden body hit the States yesterday. Armeleia took several photos, notable for the alarming skinniness of the Bella neck, especially in comparison with the extremely broad Yukinojo head. Pre-op photos [appropriate for April Fool’s] below. Continue reading Frank’s body arrived at Armeleia’s!

    Jennifer hat sitting

    Jennifer hat sitting published on 1 Comment on Jennifer hat sitting

    You’d never know it, but Jareth, Frank [not here right now] and Jennifer act out some of the heaviest dramas when they’re in my head [running around in my thoughts, as opposed to doll form]. When they get out into the resin, though, they show their playful sides…like tonight. I really like the first shot for its forced perspective. Continue reading Jennifer hat sitting

    Jennifer up a tree

    Jennifer up a tree published on 2 Comments on Jennifer up a tree

    Jareth and Jennifer have been hanging out ever since Jennifer’s arrival, but this is their first photostory together. You get to learn more about Jennifer’s personality. Jareth tried to keep her from messing up the nice frilly outfit I put her in, but she went ahead and climbed trees anyway. Sheesh! Shots of unreasonably stubborn and athletic characters follow. Continue reading Jennifer up a tree

    Jareth and Frank’s fan art, part II

    Jareth and Frank’s fan art, part II published on 2 Comments on Jareth and Frank’s fan art, part II

    Each of my dolls is a character that I have fully imagined and formed in my head. When I transmit them into doll form, I want to give them a physical form appropriate to their personality and appearance as I imagine it. Though Iโ€™m a great control freak about my dolls [hence the Frankensteining to get just the right shape and size], I also like seeing how other people play with my ideas. This is why I like pictures of my dolls. I get to see how other people interpret my characters. Two pictures below the cut. Continue reading Jareth and Frank’s fan art, part II

    Sleepy Jennifer in a teddy

    Sleepy Jennifer in a teddy published on 1 Comment on Sleepy Jennifer in a teddy

    I’ve never done a photostory before where nothing happens. Well, there’s a first time for everything, and Jennifer, here in her PJs with her ubiquitous memorandum book, proves it. It’s not really a photostory so much as a photomood, all about those comfy, lazy times when your sweet fatigue overwhelms your big plans. Continue reading Sleepy Jennifer in a teddy

    Why’s there a Valentine doll in Mirror Mask?

    Why’s there a Valentine doll in Mirror Mask? published on No Comments on Why’s there a Valentine doll in Mirror Mask?

    Over here in the LJ MM community, sleepall_day took a screencap that shows a Valentine doll in Helena’s room [when she’s playing with the sock puppets].

    I didn’t even notice that doll! In fact, I left him out of my essay about sex and dolls in L and MM, where I mainly focused on the sexualizing music box dolls that attack Helena in the Dark Queen’s castle.

    Currently tossing around the notion that Valentine’s appearance as a doll relates to the movie’s exploration of Helena’s sexuality. Dolls are vehicles for sexual expression, as I demo in the aforementioned essay. So perhaps the Valentine doll represents Helena’s wish for a boyfriend who’s a magical hero and a charmer [as opposed to the punky smoker guy who’s Anti-Helena’s make-out partner]. Somehow this ties in to Valentine’s status as imaginary figure inside Helena’s dream and real guy [in the Future Fruit vision of him as a waiter, also at the end of the movie]. Could he be one of the most balanced and desireable characters of the movie [mischievous yet responsible, fantastical yet real]? Definitely need to chew on this some more…

    Categories for everything!

    Categories for everything! published on No Comments on Categories for everything!

    Jill alerted me to the coolest Web site, TV Tropes. It’s the encyclopedia of plot devices, stock characters, cliches and genre fixtures for TV, movies and even novels. I was making smaller lists of such “archetypes” at the age of 14, and now, 14 years later, there’s a whole online encyclopedia of them!

    (un)real life is a dramedy because it combines drama and humor, but it’s also a soap opera in the sense that the characters always experience life-changing events [never a dull moment]. Perhaps it could be best characterized as a supernatural soap opera, which gets in the constant plot twists, the high tension and the magic.

    Anneka, as a hero, is probably an Extraordinarily Powered Girl, given the fact that she has vampiric powers. She also has strong Mary Sue traits, mostly because she’s semi-autobiographical and physically idealized. Because she resents her special status and just wants a normal life, she’s also a Part-Time Hero. Given her tendency to depression, suicidal thoughts and holding grudges, she may also have some anti-hero in her.

    Will, as a hero, is most obviously an anti-hero. Specifically, his cynicism and cock-sureness make him an Ineffectual Loner. He makes sarcastic remarks about almost everyone, ensuring him the role of Deadpan Snarker.

    Both Anneka and Will have a strong Beauty and the Beast aspect to their relationship. Anneka seems to be bringing out something good in Will [hmmm, maybe he’ll stop killing people], and he seems to be bringing out something good in her [though we’re not clear what it is]. As well, there is some Star-Crossed Lovers drama, but they keep crossing the stars by themselves. Fate has nothing to do with it.

    Do not harass the characters.

    Do not harass the characters. published on No Comments on Do not harass the characters.

    Those of you who follow (un)real life know that Will used to be a dandy when he was alive [about 100 years ago]. Though no longer a slave to fashion, he still cares about style in some idiosyncratic way, which is why this situation would severely bother him. Continue reading Do not harass the characters.

    Jennifer in Central Burying Ground and the grave of an (un)real character

    Jennifer in Central Burying Ground and the grave of an (un)real character published on 2 Comments on Jennifer in Central Burying Ground and the grave of an (un)real character

    Once upon a time, I fell in love with Boston’s Chinatown. Devoted to its yummy, cheap restaurants and fascinating import shops, I decided to learn more about one of the city’s most distinctive neighborhoods. I began to search the library and the Web for information on the history of Chinese immigrants in Boston and unearthed a much cooler story than I ever could have hoped. Continue reading Jennifer in Central Burying Ground and the grave of an (un)real character

    Realm updates: new location, look, humor and essays!

    Realm updates: new location, look, humor and essays! published on 2 Comments on Realm updates: new location, look, humor and essays!

    Update your links and bookmarks, loyal fans. Today inaugurates the new location, look and architecture of Jareth’s Realm. Now found at http://www.oddpla.net/realm/ — this version of the Realm will be the most user-friendly version yet. I am now using a light, eminently extensible framework for the site, a PHP-based blog program called WordPress, so I can automate cross-references and category management. In other words, the site will be easier for you to browse and easier for me to maintain. Furthermore, since the software is Web-based, I can modify the Realm from any terminal, which means no waiting until I get a chunk of time to bang away on my laptop. That means more timely updates for you and more Labyrinthian fun for all of us. Hooray! I’m quite excited!

    I’ve worked on and off for about three months on this upgrade, and, as you can tell, it’s not completely finished. For example, where the hell did all the fan art, essay pictures, wardrobe shots and “bad pix” go? Well, I haven’t figured out the best way to incorporate all my pictures into the Realm, so hang in there.

    I wanted to roll out this new version of the Realm, though, because there’s a lot of cool new stuff that I’ve only hinted at in my blog. Look back over the last 20 years in a comprehensive history of Labyrinth and its fandom. Speculate on the possibility that Jareth = father figure [?!?!?!?!?]. Check out Nick Berquist’s two-part list for signs that you may be a male Laby fan. Part I. Part II. Scan the updated site history and credits.

    Do you believe in life after love?

    Do you believe in life after love? published on 2 Comments on Do you believe in life after love?

    Or, more accurately, do you believe in love after life? Will does. To find out what I’m talking about, see the pilot of season 5 over here.

    In other (un)real news, Anneka, Will and their friends and enemies are now officially ensconced at their own Web space. Free from the blinking ads of Keenspace and open to comments by all, (un)real life now exists on my own server, easily updateable and controllable.

    Everyone go over there and make comments now!! Or add a comment here so I can count you among my fans. I’d like to see how many readers I have. I’m making a list of fans below for my own reference. Don’t you want to be popular and join the list? :p Continue reading Do you believe in life after love?

    Jennifer: sweet and…sexy!

    Jennifer: sweet and…sexy! published on No Comments on Jennifer: sweet and…sexy!

    Jennifer has always been a quiet, unobtrusive, meditative, anal-retentive, even repressed character. In contrast to Frank, her polymorphously perverse master, and Jareth, her theatrically melancholy friend, she has always been…well, normal, very down-to-earth and shy. Inexperienced in the ways of intimacy, she does indeed have a sex drive, but its very existence still perturbs her, despite the fact that she’s in her early 20s.

    I chose Soom Uyoo for my Jennifer doll because I wanted a sculpt that looked at once mature and innocent. Now that I actually have the doll in my hands, though, I realize how sexy she can be. I think Jennifer is realizing this too. As you can see from tonight’s series of photos, she looks hot in a low-cut, sheet outfit, proving that someone can be sweet and sexy at the same time. Continue reading Jennifer: sweet and…sexy!

    Jennifer’s artistic expedition

    Jennifer’s artistic expedition published on 8 Comments on Jennifer’s artistic expedition

    Jennifer and I hopped on the T this morning. I had my camera in my jacket, and she carried her sketchbook and pencil in her duffel bag. We rode on the T to the Central Burying Ground in Boston Common… Continue reading Jennifer’s artistic expedition

    Jareth the Goblin Queen

    Jareth the Goblin Queen published on 2 Comments on Jareth the Goblin Queen

    In the last entry, I just called Jareth queer. Yes, folks, heโ€™s the Goblin Queen, and itโ€™s screamingly obvious.

    Jareth is certainly queer in his self-presentation. David Bowie plays him as a tongue-in-cheek drag queen. Like a drag queen, the Goblin King favors highly choreographed and dramatic entrances. Like a drag queen, he simpers and struts with a sly wink to the audience. Like a drag queen, he sings, dances and flaunts his assets. Like a drag queen, he never looks the same way for long; heโ€™s always wearing yet another sparkly, elaborate outfit. Like a drag queen, he uses heavy eye make-up to stylize his striking eyes and pale complexion so that he has a mask-like, obviously artificial look. Like a drag queen, he has unnatural hair that defies gravity and changes color when necessary. Like a drag queen, he turns himself into a very sexy work of art. Like a drag queen, he reminds you that all the worldโ€™s a stage, and heโ€™s the star of the show. His very physical presentation, full of beauty and artifice, embodies the phrase โ€œthings arenโ€™t always what they seem.โ€

    Why villains are cool and gay villains even cooler

    Why villains are cool and gay villains even cooler published on No Comments on Why villains are cool and gay villains even cooler

    Iโ€™ve been chatting with Vermont author Alex Potter, a writer of sci fi and fantasy short stories, for my upcoming article in Out in the Mountains. He really likes villainous characters, especially queer villainous characters, so naturally we had to go off on a tangent involving Jareth, Frank and other gay characters we love to hate. Conversation went something like this: Continue reading Why villains are cool and gay villains even cooler

    Jennifer: on her way here? AKA UPS annoys me.

    Jennifer: on her way here? AKA UPS annoys me. published on 1 Comment on Jennifer: on her way here? AKA UPS annoys me.

    EDIT: Elle m’attend chez moi! Tracking says it was signed for by me despite the fact that I was at work downtown when the delivery occurred. I guess my signed note worked this time!

    According to UPS tracking, Jennifer is “out for delivery” as of 4:15 AM. However, I do not know if I will get her today. Continue reading Jennifer: on her way here? AKA UPS annoys me.

    “Hi, my name’s MW, and I killed my main character.”

    “Hi, my name’s MW, and I killed my main character.” published on 5 Comments on “Hi, my name’s MW, and I killed my main character.”

    Sounds like an intro at a meeting of SAA [Sadistic Authors Anonymous], huh? Well, it’s true. The main character of (un)real life, Anneka Elizabeth, died dramatically today in [where else?] the arms of her devoted [and dead] boyfriend, Will. Continue reading “Hi, my name’s MW, and I killed my main character.”

    Anneka Elizabeth is a Mary Sue. So is the Goblin King.

    Anneka Elizabeth is a Mary Sue. So is the Goblin King. published on 6 Comments on Anneka Elizabeth is a Mary Sue. So is the Goblin King.

    According to this amusing quiz, Anneka Elizabeth is a stinkin’ rotten Mary Sue. Well, of course she is. She developed out of a doll called AE for Alter Ego. She’s supposed to be semi-autobiographical.

    I ran Jareth the Goblin King [movie version] through the quiz too. Guess what? He came up as an “Uber-Sue.” I think it’s because he has many traits [weird eyes, weird hair, weird clothes, weird name, magic powers, sexiness] romanticized by writers of fanfic. There’s probably an essay for the Realm in here somewhere….

    Finally, the BJD collection I want

    Finally, the BJD collection I want published on 5 Comments on Finally, the BJD collection I want

    As all three of you who follow this blog know, Iโ€™ve spent beaucoup dโ€™argent sur les poupees since December. I estimate close to $3,000. @_@

    I think my dollies have been so expensive because, last time I had BJDs [Zephque and Sardonix], I settled for ones that looked nice, but not exactly how I wanted. Now, determined to have BJDs exactly to my specifications, Iโ€™m willing to fork over serious dough to accomplish that goal.

    My interest in 1:6 kitbashing also influences my BJD purchases. As far as Iโ€™m concerned, 1:6 figs are made to be stripped down, parted out and recombined to create the fig you really want. While BJDs are designed for customization, parting out and recombining [kitbashing] is not as prevalent. But, coming from the 1:6 land, I see BJDs as more expensive action figs, therefore made of swappable parts. Thus I may pay higher prices for BJD parts [like Frankโ€™s head], but then I get to reconstitute the doll that I want.

    Despite what people at the Burlington Doll Club tell me, Iโ€™m now done with my BJD shopping. Jareth, Frank and Jennifer form my entire collection. If I was to get another BJD, someone would have to go. Given Jarethโ€™s extensive customization and resemblance to Cher, I really doubt that he would sell. Given Frankโ€™s constitution [defaced male Volks LE head on DM fem body with super boobs], I doubt he would sell either. As an unmodded Soom Uyoo, Jennifer might sell, but I have no desire to replace her [although I would like the Soul Doll Metel body with its hefty curves!]. Since Iโ€™m stuck with my current dolls [woe is me!], I see no other BJDs in my future.

    In conclusion, Iโ€™ve laid out an exorbitant amount in a short time. However, I have exactly the dolls that I want now, and I foresee them entertaining me for quite a while. I think that they will earn their keep. If they donโ€™t, Iโ€™ll start forcing them to do dishes and laundry.

    Frank and his wardrobe are coming!

    Frank and his wardrobe are coming! published on No Comments on Frank and his wardrobe are coming!

    I’ve successfully paid for an unpainted Bella Auden, to be shipped to Armeleia, and a selection of the fabulous DM clothes: the rose-colored velour warm-up set, a pink-and-white-striped long-sleeved T and matching shorts, “slash jeans” for Haund, black lace underwear, black leather masc shoes and black leather fem shoes. Soon [relatively speaking] my BJD collection will be complete!

    Frank and Jennifer in transit

    Frank and Jennifer in transit published on 3 Comments on Frank and Jennifer in transit

    Note to self: Frank’s head headed to Armeleia as of Saturday, 3/11. Now to order his body.

    Jennifer is in the mail from Lia as of today! With UPS 3-day, she should be arriving later this week. Then she and Jareth can have a mortifying confrontation in which she is naked and both of them attempt to suppress their attraction. Luckily for them, the discrepancy in their scales prevents them acting on their attraction outside of my head. They’ll have to go back inside my head to do anything about it.

    No dolls were harmed in the making of this photograph.

    No dolls were harmed in the making of this photograph. published on 1 Comment on No dolls were harmed in the making of this photograph.

    At yesterday's Burlington doll meet, Jareth proudly showed off his snazzy cape. Jamie [DrNero] saw how voluminous it was and wondered how many other dolls you could hide under here. This silly photo was the result. No dolls were corrupted in the shooting of this photo, although everyone seemed a bit traumatized afterward by the…wrongness of it. We've got two Dollmore 40cms under there ["His hand is bigger than my head" = Ujee, "I'm closing my eyes" = unknown], a Volks Toppi ["Mister…"] and a CP unknown ["I'm calling"]. :pContinue reading No dolls were harmed in the making of this photograph.

    Jennifer [Soom Uyoo] is coming!

    Jennifer [Soom Uyoo] is coming! published on No Comments on Jennifer [Soom Uyoo] is coming!

    I’m making a deal with Lia on DOA to get my third and final BJD, a Soom Uyoo. She comes with the soft, natural Soom default faceup, blue eyes and a completely blushed body. I’ve never had a fully blushed doll before; from the pictures, the light blushing gives her an added delicacy. See my Uyoo, pre-Jennifer, below. Continue reading Jennifer [Soom Uyoo] is coming!

    Latest idea for Frank’s body + clothes

    Latest idea for Frank’s body + clothes published on 1 Comment on Latest idea for Frank’s body + clothes

    So I’m thinking that the DM Bella would be the best for Frank. Armeleia would mod the neck to make it fit his head. Then I’d sell the default head and buy a Uyoo.

    While I’m lusting over DM merchandise, I would like to point out that they have a huge selection of afforadable and versatile clothes. I want a bunch of pieces for Jareth and Frank:

    1. Pleated skirt, $16.00: http://www.dollmore.net/shop/step1.php?number=1381
    2. Checkered shirt and one-strap tank, $38.00: http://www.dollmore.net/shop/step1.php?number=1151
    3. Velour exercise set [a truly rockin’ outfit], $38.00: http://www.dollmore.net/shop/step1.php?number=925
    4. Jogging bra and short shorts, $10.00: http://www.dollmore.net/shop/step1.php?number=566
    5. Pleated denim skirt, $18.50: http://www.dollmore.net/shop/step1.php?number=633
    6. Underwear [always a good idea], $5.40: http://www.dollmore.net/shop/step1.php?number=866
    7. Boot cut jeans, $28.00: http://www.dollmore.net/shop/step1.php?number=1337
    8. Slashed jeans, $28.00: http://www.dollmore.net/shop/step1.php?number=751
    9. Black heels, $15.00: http://www.dollmore.net/shop/step1.php?number=1351
    10. Black leather unisex flats, $15.00: http://www.dollmore.net/shop/step1.php?number=1349

    Annie’s Too leggings and tops for Jareth

    Annie’s Too leggings and tops for Jareth published on 2 Comments on Annie’s Too leggings and tops for Jareth

    Since most BJD clothes are di$gus$tingly expen$ive, those of us who don’t sew search for well-tailored, affordable clothes. If you’re looking for simple casual wear or mix-‘n’-match separates/coordinates, I recommend Lynn at Annie’s Too. She offers long- and short-sleeved T-shirts, leggings, tights and leg warmers for all sizes of BJDs.

    I commissioned some leggings and a long-sleeved T for Jareth, and I’m very satisfied. Waists are on the high side and legs on the long side, which is fine with me, since there’s nothing that I dislike more than clothes that are too short! There is a little extra room built into each pattern to allow for easy dressing and undressing, but the bit of roominess does not detract from the form-fitting look. All seams are sewn; the overall construction is very durable, which is great, as I manhandle my dolls a lot.

    NB: The thickness of tops and leggings depends on what material you choose. The shirt shown here is made of 1:1 T-shirt material, while the leopard print is more translucent and more in scale for 1:3 legging material. Other leggings I received from Lynn have more bulk because they are 1:1 T-shirt material. If you are concerned about bulk, you can chat with Lynn about which fabrics would be most in scale.

    Lynn charges very reasonable prices and offers exemplary customer service. She communicated with me frequently about my order and answered all my questions, no matter how small they were. She’ll work with you to make sure you are satisfied with your order. I’m definitely ordering from her again when Frank gets his own body.

    I tried to take some illustrative pictures of Jareth in his Annie’s Too gear, but my creative tendencies kept making the pictures more artsy-fartsy. Continue reading Annie’s Too leggings and tops for Jareth

    Frank popped my cherry.

    Frank popped my cherry. published on 1 Comment on Frank popped my cherry.

    Last night I met up with some Boston metro BJD fans {Steph, Mara, Lauren [CurlyKitty on DOA], Kira [Sniffles], Jamie [DrNero]} at New Ginza, a Japanese restaurant in Watertown. A small army of dolls came along too, of course, fascinating the wait staff [“Is that a hobby? Do you make that?”]. We filled the small restaurant with sarcasm, silly jokes and squeals of delight — in short, what you’d usually expect from a doll meet. Frank, my BJD emissary this time [borrowing Jareth’s body], contributed his own share of humor, at the expense of my yummy fried ice cream. See below. Continue reading Frank popped my cherry.

    Dollmore’s new 70 cm girl, Bella

    Dollmore’s new 70 cm girl, Bella published on No Comments on Dollmore’s new 70 cm girl, Bella

    Following the popularity of the ~70 cm Dollshe boys, Dollmore jumps on the trend of 65+ cm dolls with Bella Auden, a 70 cm BJD:

    http://www.dollmore.net/shop/step1.php?number=1630

    On the plus side… From what I can tell, Bella’s proportions weigh out much better than those of the other tall girl currently available, the etoliated Dollshe Afghan. Furthermore, Bella has much more defined hips and an actual waist, as opposed to Afghan, who looks basically like a 60 cm girl’s head on a Haund body. Additionally, since Bella has ankles [which Dollshe hates to include on its dolls], she fits much better into extant shoes for 60 cm girls. Finally, Bella has a much more attractive head than Afghan, but that’s immaterial for me since I wouldn’t be getting her for the head, just for her carcass.

    On the negative side… Bella boasts double-jointed elbows [yay!], but only single-jointed knees [booo!]. She’s like a 1:6 CG 2.0 that way, with highly functional and poseable arms, but legs designed more for form than function. I also think her boobs should be bigger, but that’s not a design flaw, just a personal preference.

    Bella represents a great improvement over Anorexic Afghan. She also gives me hope that other companies besides Dollshe and Volks will develop 65+ cms, and I’ll eventually be able to find a tall, meaty, curvy, hyper-articulated body for Frank. I just need to have patience, which is not my strong suit.

    Make a little leather-bound book!

    Make a little leather-bound book! published on No Comments on Make a little leather-bound book!

    I’ve made 1:6, 1:3 and 1:1 books, both readable books and “dummy” books [to fill the shelves], mostly by studying the construction of my own books and working outwards and backwards to create my own from scratch. For an impatient person with no training in booksmithery, I’ve done pretty well.

    I should now graduate to leather-bound books, with endpapers and spine ridges and all! I should also take pictures of my readable 1:6 and 1:3 books. Heck, I should even start making 1:1 books, especially since I go through them so quickly.

    Repent of the purple shadows! [aka hair and eyes for Frank]

    Repent of the purple shadows! [aka hair and eyes for Frank] published on 1 Comment on Repent of the purple shadows! [aka hair and eyes for Frank]

    EDIT: Picture now visible. Global Dolls “Candy” wig, dark brown, WRONG STYLE [= horrid ringlets], size 9-10: $8.65. Global Dolls “Carolina” wig, dark brown, RIGHT STYLE [= mohair curls], size 9-10: $25.90 [!! — blame it on the mohair]. Kemper glass eyes, brown, Karl brand, 16mm: $14.18. Finally giving Frank his eyes and hair: priceless. There are things money can’t buy. If it’s purchasable and doll-related, though, go to Audrey’s Dolls for a wide variety of supplies at deep discount.

    Frank borrowed Jareth’s body for some quick photos this evening. Continue reading Repent of the purple shadows! [aka hair and eyes for Frank]

    Frank’s face-up progress

    Frank’s face-up progress published on 1 Comment on Frank’s face-up progress

    In yet another stage of Frank’s face-up, I painted over his eyebrows with black acrylic paint. I also tipped his eyelashes with the same color to make them more visible. [Thank you for the tip, Armeleia!] Finally, I shaved the pointy tip off Frank’s nose with my Xacto knife. See the strip of progress photos below the cut. Continue reading Frank’s face-up progress

    Jareth’s fan art, part I

    Jareth’s fan art, part I published on 3 Comments on Jareth’s fan art, part I

    As I know from my overflowing collection of Laby fan art, people enjoy drawing pictures of Jareth. Over the years, I've collected many beautiful likenesses of Jareth from the movie, and, now that I have a Jareth doll of my own, people have been drawing him.Continue reading Jareth’s fan art, part I

    Spiky hair for Jareth / the magic of photo editing

    Spiky hair for Jareth / the magic of photo editing published on 2 Comments on Spiky hair for Jareth / the magic of photo editing

    Jareth now has a spiky blond wig in an attempt to replicate the Goblin King’s tacky freak-out hair in the movie. He shows it off, teaching everyone a lesson about photo editing in the process. Continue reading Spiky hair for Jareth / the magic of photo editing

    BJD en francais, n’est-ce pas??

    BJD en francais, n’est-ce pas?? published on 2 Comments on BJD en francais, n’est-ce pas??

    Check it out: Materiel Celeste. It’s a forum for French-speaking BJD lovers and collectors of other imported dolls [like Pinky St., Pullip and Blythe]. It’s like DOA, but plus petit, plus lent et plus intime…et plus poli…ils n’ont pas rit a mon francais abominable!

    Jareth in a labyrinth

    Jareth in a labyrinth published on 1 Comment on Jareth in a labyrinth

    Last Saturday [2/18], I went down the street to an informal little synagogue called Havurat Shalom. It has a great playground out in back, as well as a circular labyrinth, laid out in bricks like a patio. Jareth stood in the center [because that’s where he belongs] and tried to look imposing in a very Goblin-King-like outfit made by Gayle on DOA. Thanks, Gayle. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that he was looking introspective and knock-kneed, rather than imposing. Continue reading Jareth in a labyrinth

    Fight against the grape Popsicle!

    Fight against the grape Popsicle! published on 3 Comments on Fight against the grape Popsicle!

    I removed much of the grape Popsicle shading around Frank’s nose and mouth. I still like the purple between his eyes, so I left that for now. Also I’ve applied the blush much more evenly than before. Picture below. Continue reading Fight against the grape Popsicle!

    Words that should exist

    Words that should exist published on No Comments on Words that should exist

    Subscendent: Of or pertaining to a state that’s shallower, less insightful and less alert than usual. The opposite of transcendent. Its appropriateness is best illustrated by the Calvin & Hobbes cartoon where Calvin describes the brain death that comes when he watches TV for too long. The punchline: “Yeah, I achieve a lower consciousness.” Exactly — it’s a subscendent experience.

    Transcension: The act of transcending. Needed because transcendence refers to a static state rather than the struggle to achieve that elusive state. That struggle is transcension.

    I’m also thinking that this language needs subscend and superscend, but I’m still working out what they mean. Stay tuned for more sub-, super- and trans- words!

    Frank’s final eyes and lips

    Frank’s final eyes and lips published on 6 Comments on Frank’s final eyes and lips

    Lips glossed with satin gloss, eye make-up with matte gloss. Human eyelashes [Manic Panic, Purple Rain Dance] cut down to size and added. I’m really proud of my work. The finished product looks much smirkier and more animated than my mask-like conceptual drawing. I attribute this less to any talent that I may have and more to the high-quality canvas [Volks resin] and tools [Prismacolors] at my disposal. Pic below. Continue reading Frank’s final eyes and lips

    Eye-shadow attack!!

    Eye-shadow attack!! published on No Comments on Eye-shadow attack!!

    On Frank’s eyelids: Prismacolor Violet [PC932] on Frank’s eyelids, blended with Prismacolor Mulberry [PC995]. Above the lids: a stripe of Mulberry above the lids, with a layer of Violet above it. Between the eyes and the brows: a light layer of Violet, partly stripped with decapant universel, blended with Mulberry. Picture below. Continue reading Eye-shadow attack!!

    Frank on Jareth’s body!

    Frank on Jareth’s body! published on 5 Comments on Frank on Jareth’s body!

    Since I’m undecided about what type of body to get for Frank, I decided to stick him on Jareth’s body, even though it’s the wrong sex, just to see how the fit was. With the addition of a rather flattened old wig of Zephque’s and a top hat, he actually looked pretty groovy. I wanted to invite him up to the lab to see what was on the slab.

    The head fits on the body, though Yukinojo’s broad features were clearly built for a wider neck. Haund’s neck seems very slender by comparison. Furthermore, the Yukinojo resin has more undertones of orange and brown than the normal Haund body, which is very, very, very pale. Additionally, since Yukinojo’s neck socket is very deep, the poseability of the head on the Haund body is limited. It turns from side to side, but cannot look up and down much.

    I’m not sure whether to go with an Iplehouse Soo Ri body for Frank, which would be appropriately meaty, but not tall enough, or another Haund body, which would be appropriately flexible, but not meaty enough… Anyway, see Frank voguing below. Continue reading Frank on Jareth’s body!

    De/Refacing a Volks LE

    De/Refacing a Volks LE published on 4 Comments on De/Refacing a Volks LE

    I worked on Frank last night. For those of you curious about my creative process, I’m afraid it’s much more haphazard and much less visionary than you would hope. Motivated by a combination of extreme impatience and only slightly-above-average artistic talent, I cannot precisely replicate the exciting ideas teeming in my brain. Therefore I strive to reproduce the spirit of a likeness, the essence of the character because all its particular details cannot fully translate between my synapses and my hands.

    In practice, this means I was drawing last night directly on the resin without having treated it first. The scribbling above represents Prismacolor Dark Brown Fonce [PC947] for eye-liner and eyebrows, Tuscan Red [PC 937] for the lip liner and some red chalk pastel to fill in the lips. You can’t see it, but I used a little red pastel on the insides of the eyes and a mixture of brown and black pastel in the creases of the mouth. Read the rest of the story below. Continue reading De/Refacing a Volks LE

    Frank without paint and my plans for him

    Frank without paint and my plans for him published on 2 Comments on Frank without paint and my plans for him

    Yukinojo looks so much better without that smeary, hazy default faceup. After removing the paint, I admired the sculpt for some time. For my earlier griping about the unexciting nature of Volks sculpts, I must say that Yukinojo has won me over. The glowy quality and smoothness of Volks resin appeals to me in general, and the sheer amount of detail in Yukinojo’s sculpt pleases me. He strikes a balance between realism and stylization that I haven’t seen in other BJD sculpts.

    Naturally I will DESTROY the delicate craftsmanship of the hallowed Volks LE by giving it a faceup with Prismacolor and pastels in a style worthy of circus make-up, bwah hah hah! See below the cut for more paintless pictures of Yukinojo, as well as a mock-up of Frank’s faceup. Continue reading Frank without paint and my plans for him

    Plan B Toys unveils resin Labyrinth statues at Toy Fair.

    Plan B Toys unveils resin Labyrinth statues at Toy Fair. published on 9 Comments on Plan B Toys unveils resin Labyrinth statues at Toy Fair.

    Look at what I just dug up on figures.com! Plan B Toys [Web site here, but has nothing to do with their Laby line] is showing off its upcoming Laby collectibles at this year’s Toy Fair in New York City. Continue reading Plan B Toys unveils resin Labyrinth statues at Toy Fair.

    Ranting about themes in Labyrinth

    Ranting about themes in Labyrinth published on 1 Comment on Ranting about themes in Labyrinth

    Jill and I spent over two hours on the phone on Saturday discussing Labyrinth. We noticed the following:

    1. There’s a lot of water in the film. Jill pointed out that Sarah runs across a bridge over a stream when she is first seen in the park. Then she gets all wet as the rainstorm chases her home. Water appears again in the Bog of Eternal Stench [and another bridge as well]. Jill even argued that the ballroom bubble is made out of water, but I think that’s pushing it. We didn’t reach any conclusions about the significance of water, but Jill definitely thinks that the bridge in the park prefigures the bridge over the Bog of Stench, in another example of the real world affecting Sarah’s dream world. See below the cut for a laundry list of interesting themes and Jill’s and my speculation thereon. Continue reading Ranting about themes in Labyrinth

    Jareth’s new corset

    Jareth’s new corset published on 4 Comments on Jareth’s new corset

    So Moggie’s Toyshop made a custom corset for Jareth. The lacing solved the problem of his stupid hip joint popping out; it also took about 15 minutes to do up, so, whether he likes it or not, he’s staying in the corset. Fortunately, though, as you can see, he’s pretty comfortable. I think he was even falling asleep toward the end of the shoot. See below the cut for more. Continue reading Jareth’s new corset

    Working on Frank…

    Working on Frank… published on 9 Comments on Working on Frank…

    Because Frank’s head [SD 16 Yukinojo] came on Saturday, I’ve been thinking about him recently. I wiped his paint last night [hideous under-the-lip blushing!] and drafted a face-up on a print-out of the unpainted head. Then I harvested bits and pieces from various photos to create a mock-up of Frank on an Afghan body.

    Boy…did he look pathetic. Afghan’s body has the right height and flexibility, but she’s so scrawny. She looks like a 12-year-old girl that hit her growth spurt before puberty. She’s painfully thin. As I looked at the mock-up, I realized that I couldn’t use her as a base.

    My latest idea for Frank’s body is the Iplehouse long-legged masc body, shown here in tan skin. Great things about the Iplehouse body include: a) idealized, muscular physique; b) double-jointed elbows and knees; c) neat handsculpts; d) cheaper compared to getting a whole Afghan; e) no microcephalic Afghan head to get rid of!

    The only cons are a) it’s a masc body and b) it’s shorter than Haund. Some creative shirt-stuffing should take care of a), and platform boots should take care of b). I should make Frank wear all the platforms and Jareth wear all the flats.

    I wish that the new Dollfie Dream body with the porn star hooters was scaled up to Afghan’s height. No, better yet, I wish one of the doll companies would make a body like that of a female comic-book character: tall, muscular and well-endowed, with exaggerated curves. But Haund will never have a sex change and lift weights, so…sigh…

    Oh yeah…and if anyone wonders what kind of doll I’m trying to make here with all this different parts, I refer you to the concept of the [anatomically impossible and endlessly fascinating] mythological hermaphrodite.

    Jareth confronts the cuteness at the Burlington doll club meeting.

    Jareth confronts the cuteness at the Burlington doll club meeting. published on 8 Comments on Jareth confronts the cuteness at the Burlington doll club meeting.

    Fun at yesterdayโ€™s Burlington doll club meeting, in which my little Goblin King proves his complete lack of social graces and Marcus [Doll More Ujee, owned by Jamie, aka DrNero on DOA] proves his utter cuteness and artistic talents. Check it out below the cut. Continue reading Jareth confronts the cuteness at the Burlington doll club meeting.

    Jareth is bossing me around…

    Jareth is bossing me around… published on 7 Comments on Jareth is bossing me around…

    Today he tried to get me to fear him, love him, etc. Jareth is, first and foremost, a character in my head inspired by Jareth the Goblin King from Labyrinth. He comes out of my head in doll form to make smart remarks, steal my books, visit cemeteries and libraries and parks and other cool places with me, etc. Of course, he does the same things when heโ€™s inside my head, but, when heโ€™s in doll form, I get to take pictures of him doing it. Watch Jareth attempt to intimidate me, despite the fact that he’s two feet high. Continue reading Jareth is bossing me around…

    Jareth and his balls

    Jareth and his balls published on 9 Comments on Jareth and his balls

    Finally, about two and a half months since ordering, Jareth arrived at my house. Thanks to the following for their help with the Jareth Project: Dollshe for the body sculpt, Luts for the procuring and shipping, Armeleia for facial mods, faceup and endless IM chats, MissMerrythe3rd for an affordable and sexy handmade outfit for Jareth, Batchix for the gloves, Posh Dolls for the current pair of boots and Ajumapama for the imminent pair, Daniel Maher Stained Glass for the dichroic glass earrings, all you Laby and BJD freaks for following the saga and, of course, David Bowie and Labyrinth for starting this whole thing in the first place. I’m ecstatic to finally have a BJD to photo again; plus I’m so pleased with the results of my long-distance collaborations with everyone. See Jareth and his balls [well, more like his singular ball] below the cut. Continue reading Jareth and his balls

    My favorite cemeteries have been transcribed.

    My favorite cemeteries have been transcribed. published on No Comments on My favorite cemeteries have been transcribed.

    Ever since I read Doing Cemetery Research, I’ve been digging a little more into the subject of graves. On a whim, I decided to look up information about three of my favorite cemeteries: Essex Common Burial Ground and Mountain View Cemetery, both in Essex, VT, and Addoms Hagar Burial Ground, in Plattsburgh, NY. Surprisingly enough, all three of them have been transcribed, the Essex ones by James Cutler, a local genealogist, the Plattsburgh one by the Church of Latter-Day Saints [huh?!]. Continue reading My favorite cemeteries have been transcribed.

    Notes to self re customizing Jareth

    Notes to self re customizing Jareth published on No Comments on Notes to self re customizing Jareth

    Heat first finger[s] of left hand with hair dryer??? Then bend???

    For red flush on hands, either dilute reddish acrylic or shave red pastel and apply in cracks. Cover with matte varnish. Okay if it globs or drips, since it’s supposed to be sweat.

    For fingernails, sand them down extremely short. Create hollows at tops of nails. Either paint red [he was biting them and drew blood] or darker color for shadow created by any existing nail. English Lace acrylic for cuticles [if any]? Hit nails with glossy varnish.

    Buy lots of small-link chains from the hardware store. Attach to corset a la skirt???

    Sueding may not necessarily involve disassembly!!

    Jareth as the alternative parent

    Jareth as the alternative parent published on 2 Comments on Jareth as the alternative parent

    Ever since I spent about six hours on screencaps last weekend, I’ve been ruminating about L. Like Mirror Mask, its framing story involves an unhappy family. I asked myself how Sarah’s unhappy family affects her journey through the Labyrinth. Possible answer: It makes Jareth a parental substitute.

    Note: Poor Jareth is doing double, triple, even quadruple duty in this movie. Rock star, fashion icon, pin-up boy, Byronic hero, antagonist, DAD?!!?! L is a freakin’ thematic goulash. Hmmmm, you could probably make an argument for Jareth as floating signifier, but that might mess up the entire pretense of the Realm… Anyway, click below for more. Continue reading Jareth as the alternative parent

    Jareth comes out: final photos!

    Jareth comes out: final photos! published on 6 Comments on Jareth comes out: final photos!

    Looky looky — final photos! I’ll just quote my drooling to Armeleia: “I’m very pleased with the way that he turned out. You executed the James Marsters cheekbones perfectly, as well as the David Bowie nose. I think the mouth resembles Bowie’s as well, especially in profile. He also seems to balance between stereotypically masculine and stereotypically feminine pretty well.

    “I especially like the rough, blurry nature of the pastels; they make his eyes seem even more shadowed. He looks tired, vulnerable and thoughtful. He looks like a vampire that’s been punched in both eyes. He looks like a skeleton with skin. He looks pale and smirky and bony and, in short, very much like Jareth.”

    Pictures below the cut! Continue reading Jareth comes out: final photos!

    Telecustomizing: how Jareth was done

    Telecustomizing: how Jareth was done published on 1 Comment on Telecustomizing: how Jareth was done

    Armeleia and I have created a new way of collaborating: telecustomizing! From 9:30 PM on February 5th to 1:30 AM on February 6th, we logged into Yahoo chat to do Jarethโ€™s faceup together. Every 15 to 30 minutes, Armeleia pinged me to update me. [Yahoo chat has a BUZZ!!! feature that sounds like a doorbell and makes the whole window jounce.] I got pictures after his base coat, his eyelashes/liner, his eyebrows, his lips and the shading. [Pics at various stages below the cut now.] Continue reading Telecustomizing: how Jareth was done

    Labyrinth: two movies for the price of one

    Labyrinth: two movies for the price of one published on No Comments on Labyrinth: two movies for the price of one

    I spent about six hours last night and this morning taking screencaps from every part of Labyrinth. Along the way, I noticed something very irritating: Labyrinth repeats itself constantly. This isn’t about thematic consistency. No, this is more mundane. The film recycles on a simple level [e.g., with repetition of dialog] and on a greater, structural level. It’s like getting two movies for the price of one, only they’re the same movie. Continue reading Labyrinth: two movies for the price of one

    Jareth’s improved profile

    Jareth’s improved profile published on 4 Comments on Jareth’s improved profile

    Thanks to Armeleia’s hack ‘n’ slash last night, Jareth’s nose is now much more proportional to his face. It also has more of a Bowie-like profile to it. I was looking for something straighter, but she gave him a bit of the bow shape that David Bowie has. Good thing I don’t mind. He still looks serenely devious.

    I see you shiver with antici…

    I see you shiver with antici… published on No Comments on I see you shiver with antici…

    PATION!!!

    La tete de la poupee de Frank arrived at Rinkya today, so I requested EMS shipment. It should go out next Thursday. Curses. I will have no BJD or BJD parts to show off at the Burlington doll meet on February 11th. My first [and last — canceling Rinkya account after Frank arrives safely] experience with a deputy auction service has been fast, smooth and painless so far, but apparently not fast enough for the deepest part of myself that craves instant gratification.

    I can’t wait for Jareth to arrive. No, seriously, I have great trouble waiting. My internal monolog runs around in my head, going, “IwantmydollIwantmydollIwantmydoll…” Though I go to work, do my other hobbies [yes, I do have those], prepare for said doll’s arrival and otherwise try to alleviate my obsessive impatience, it will not go away. It’s not that I’m particularly worried about the doll’s mods or that it’s taking too long; it’s just that I don’t have it yet and I want it.

    More details on official Jareth doll

    More details on official Jareth doll published on 5 Comments on More details on official Jareth doll

    According to additional press information that I dug up today, the 12″ Palisades Toys Jareth action figure will be released on April 26th. Accessories include three crystal balls, a riding crop and his pendant. Also [direct quote here], “one figure per case will also sport Jareth’s purple leather coat.” I have no idea what they’re referring to because Jareth doesn’t have a purple leather coat. I’ll have to buy one to make fun of it.

    “It’s my dream”: whose dream is Helena caught in?

    “It’s my dream”: whose dream is Helena caught in? published on 7 Comments on “It’s my dream”: whose dream is Helena caught in?

    A few months back, my friend Katrine and her friend got into a big discussion about MM which gets at its central theme of dreams and responsibility. When Helena objects to performing yet again, her mom, Joanne, tries to coerce her into participating by saying, “You know your father keeps this circus running on peanuts. It’s his dream.” Later, in the Light Lands, when speaking to the Prime Minister, Helena states, “It’s my dream. I’ll find the Mirror Mask.” [Or something to that effect.] Further on in the movie, Helena talks to Joanne, who sees Valentine in the background and says, “Hullo, did I dream you a boyfriend?” So we have three dreams competing for supremacy here: Morris’, Joanne’s and Helena’s. Whose dream is MM? Thanks to mysterious LJ user lupa for the thoughts about Helena as child laborer. Continue reading “It’s my dream”: whose dream is Helena caught in?

    Salacious tales of graveyards

    Salacious tales of graveyards published on No Comments on Salacious tales of graveyards

    I checked out a bunch of books about death and cemeteries last night and read through one of them, Cemetery Stories, by Katherine Ramsland, quickly. Riding the mainstreaming of Goth lite, Ramsland skims over the death trade [coroners, embalmers, morticians, gravediggers, etc.], ghost stories and sick stuff people do with dead bodies. Rant below about the supposed connections between people who take pictures of gravestones and people who screw corpses. Continue reading Salacious tales of graveyards

    Jareth’s updated profile

    Jareth’s updated profile published on 1 Comment on Jareth’s updated profile

    Armeleia has finished blocking on the cheekbone seen in this photo. The other looks much rougher, so we’ll just focus on this side as a promise of things to come. I really like how these cheekbones are coming. They seem to emphasize the smirk of the Haund headsculpt, as well as the downward glance of the eyes. The photo also reminds me how ridiculously huge Haund’s nose is. I like the shape, but it’s too large. It looks like a ski jump. See for yourselves below. Continue reading Jareth’s updated profile

    Bring me the head of Yukinojo! [pictures]

    Bring me the head of Yukinojo! [pictures] published on No Comments on Bring me the head of Yukinojo! [pictures]

    I figured out how to pull pictures from completed YJ auctions, so I proudly present two photos of what should be coming in the mail to me. Can’t wait to get out my trowel and apply something on Frank reminiscent of Tim Curry’s in Rocky Horror, only with slightly less foundation and eye-shadow. Continue reading Bring me the head of Yukinojo! [pictures]

    Holy fork, I won a Yukinojo head on YJ!

    Holy fork, I won a Yukinojo head on YJ! published on 4 Comments on Holy fork, I won a Yukinojo head on YJ!

    I never fathomed impulse BJD purchases, primarily because of the large sums involved. Now, after having successfully bid a disgusting amount for an eyeless SD 16 Yukinojo Sawaragi head on Yahoo Japan, I still don’t fathom them. Nope, sorry…no pictures. I forgot to pull them before the auction ended. If anyone can help me there, I’d be grateful. Exultation and musing over BJD likenesses follows. Continue reading Holy fork, I won a Yukinojo head on YJ!

    Brandeis visits sarcophagi in First Parish Cemetery.

    Brandeis visits sarcophagi in First Parish Cemetery. published on 6 Comments on Brandeis visits sarcophagi in First Parish Cemetery.

    Brandeis visited the First Parish Cemetery in Cambridge today. Founded in 1636, the First Parish Church has an adjoining cemetery thatโ€™s crammed with the coolest variety of sarcophagi and headstone iconography in the metro area. Today she and I are just focusing on a part of it: the different types of sarcophagus. Continue reading Brandeis visits sarcophagi in First Parish Cemetery.

    Dolls with disabilities

    Dolls with disabilities published on No Comments on Dolls with disabilities

    There’s a running thread on DOA about dolls with disabilities. Since he’s based off me, Jareth has dysthymia and hyperhidrosis. I plan to blush his hands really red because that’s a prime effect of hyperhidrosis, and I might use some glossy varnish to simulate sweat drips on his fingers. I’m also going to make it look like he has bitten nails. Jareth will be the first doll with an anti-manicure.

    Hyperhidrosis is a condition characterized by extremely overactive sweat glands. Continue reading Dolls with disabilities

    A variant worth shelling out for

    A variant worth shelling out for published on No Comments on A variant worth shelling out for

    Best of CG Cutey Honey Kisaragi Variant. The CH sculpt always charms me with the truly epicanthic eyes and slightly parted mouth, as if she will speak up. Despite my tergiversation about Kisaragi vs. Triadโ€™s upcoming bodies, I guess I will be purchasing Kisaragi after all.

    Dominatrix Jun, or Takara cheaps out.

    Dominatrix Jun, or Takara cheaps out. published on 1 Comment on Dominatrix Jun, or Takara cheaps out.

    Due out in March of this year, Best of Cool Girl Gatchaman G3 Jun in CG Dark Version can be yours for a measly $85.00 from HLJ, not including shipping.

    Takara’s Best of… line pisses me off. Continue reading Dominatrix Jun, or Takara cheaps out.

    Ah hah…the ultimate extensible Web architecture.

    Ah hah…the ultimate extensible Web architecture. published on No Comments on Ah hah…the ultimate extensible Web architecture.

    The Realm is busting out of its current organizational system. It really looks ugly and user-hostile [that’s the opposite of user-friendly].

    And lo, the realization descended upon me in a flash: Jareth’s Realm needs to run like a blog with easy updating, tags, cleanly designed tables and such.

    Off to look at the blogging options available on my magnifico Web server, Drak.net.

    Doll plans change; Jareth gets a wardrobe.

    Doll plans change; Jareth gets a wardrobe. published on No Comments on Doll plans change; Jareth gets a wardrobe.

    I bought Jareth some spectacular duds [better than MINE]: a custom set of gloves from batchix, a pair of CheeryDoll mixed black shitkickers and a custom corset from Moggie’s Toyshop, where the fetish gear is so realistic that people think it’s for 1:1 people, not 1:3 dollies! [I despair of ever owning corsetry this cool.] If you care why Jareth just got a vast closet expansion, see below the cut. Continue reading Doll plans change; Jareth gets a wardrobe.

    You could hurt yourself on those cheekbones.

    You could hurt yourself on those cheekbones. published on 1 Comment on You could hurt yourself on those cheekbones.

    …Which is exactly the effect I’m looking for. Armeleia has been sanding industriously away at Jareth’s left cheekbone [it’s on the right-hand side in the photos below]. She acknowledges that his right cheekbone [on the left side of the photo] is too large, but progress takes time. “He’s going to be perfect and symmetrical if it kills me!” she declares. Knowing her tendency for perfectionism, I think she might die before she smooths out his roughness. I jest. ๐Ÿ˜‰ I think that, even now, the results are very promising. See for yourself below the cut. Continue reading You could hurt yourself on those cheekbones.

    Geekity geekity: at the Burlington doll club meeting

    Geekity geekity: at the Burlington doll club meeting published on 1 Comment on Geekity geekity: at the Burlington doll club meeting

    Well, I took Lilith to the Burlington doll club meeting yesterday, where she felt out of place among 1:4 fashion dolls and a slew of BJDs. However, I felt right at home, admiring and joking about everyone’s dolls and ogling the first Haund I’ve ever seen. You can see him below [his name is Grimm], owned by Steph on DOA. Lishe, who is owned by Ivy [Ivy4Mdvanii on DOA], parked herself in his lap, incidentally showing off where Sardonix’ boots went to. [Lishe’s T-shirt, hilariously enough, says I’M NOT A F***ING BARBIE!] The chair is from Doll Market, where I am going to get me some cheap doll furniture one of these days.

    See MW geek out below the cut. Continue reading Geekity geekity: at the Burlington doll club meeting

    Taking pictures of 1:6 dolls again

    Taking pictures of 1:6 dolls again published on 1 Comment on Taking pictures of 1:6 dolls again

    On my way to a doll club meeting at the Burlington [Massachusetts, not Vermont, unfortunately] doll club meeting yesterday, I took along 1:6er Lilith. While I waited in the rainy train station at Alewife for the 350 bus, she enjoyed lounging around and showing off her bust. More below the cut.

    Continue reading Taking pictures of 1:6 dolls again

    Helena’s Room updated: bio of the star added, etc.

    Helena’s Room updated: bio of the star added, etc. published on 1 Comment on Helena’s Room updated: bio of the star added, etc.

    I worked on Helena’s Room a bit last night, adding a biography of Stephanie Leonidas, who plays Helena. Since the bio is rather lacking in info, I also send fan mail today to Stephanie and to her agent. Hopefully I will get a response with more details on this talented and sexy actor! [Hopefully she’s not overwhelmed with fan mail, so I might even get a reply soon.]

    Speaking of the pathetic bio, you won’t believe how hard I scoured the Net, seeking information about Stephanie. Despite consistent stage and screen credits since 2001, the girl remains elusive. What I did find, though, really impressed me. Look below the cut for fan blather. Continue reading Helena’s Room updated: bio of the star added, etc.

    Jareth concept update: “Old Man of the Mountains”

    Jareth concept update: “Old Man of the Mountains” published on No Comments on Jareth concept update: “Old Man of the Mountains”

    Armeleia showed me a photo of her intended Milliput additions to Jareth’s face. Let’s see how he’ll look in future, shall we? Continue reading Jareth concept update: “Old Man of the Mountains”

    Mirror Mask DVD out February 14th.

    Mirror Mask DVD out February 14th. published on 1 Comment on Mirror Mask DVD out February 14th.

    Besides the film, added features include: Day 16: A Time-Lapse Video of One Day On-Set, Neil Talks: A Conversation with Neil Gaiman, ComicCon 2003: A Q&A session, Behind The Scenes with Dave McKean, Flight of the Monkeybirds Featurette, Off-Set Making-of Featurette. MSRP: $27.00. I can’t wait!

    I also ordered a copy of The Alchemy of Mirror Mask today, so watch for my review.

    Massive Helena’s Room updates, small Realm update.

    Massive Helena’s Room updates, small Realm update. published on 3 Comments on Massive Helena’s Room updates, small Realm update.

    New essays up at Helena’s Room: Is Mirror Mask a rip-off of Labyrinth? What are dolls and sex doing in MM and L? [Lots of pretty pictures in this essay.] Also in Helena’s Room, I kicked off the Merchandise section with a review of the MM novella. I linked to the Labyrinth/MM section from the Realm’s analysis page too. Continue reading Massive Helena’s Room updates, small Realm update.

    New Laby humor and cartoons up!

    New Laby humor and cartoons up! published on 1 Comment on New Laby humor and cartoons up!

    Anna W. has some cute manga-style cartoons at the Realm now. I can’t believe she was 11 when she did them. [Maybe I just feel old.] Also you can now read Nick Berquist’s full list for signs of Laby obsession in guys. He impersonates Jareth on a regular basis, and he’s proud of it. Now that’s my kind of man. ๐Ÿ˜€

    Humor for Jareth-obsessed GUYS!

    Humor for Jareth-obsessed GUYS! published on 7 Comments on Humor for Jareth-obsessed GUYS!

    The stereotypical Laby fan is a lustfully hormonal teenaged girl [or a woman with the hormones of a lustful teenaged girl] who wishes she had a personal Jareth to do naughty activities with. MALE Jareth/Laby fans do exist, however. But they are just overwhelmed by the squealing of the aforementioned girls.

    I have proof that guy fans exist because one of them wrote to me: a hilarious document entitled “50 Signs That You Are Obsessed With Labyrinth: Humor for GUYS.” I’ll post the whole list eventually, but here’s my favorite item:

    21. Your answering machine message is Laby related. (Mine: โ€œHello, youโ€™ve reached the Goblin King. Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and leave a message after the beep.โ€) Continue reading Humor for Jareth-obsessed GUYS!

    DEDF and misc.

    DEDF and misc. published on No Comments on DEDF and misc.

    DEDF now boasts $248.64, just enough for a Uyoo! Must…resist…urge…to buy…Jennifer… I realize that, with Sardonix’ departure, I have no one to photograph in the cemeteries, and, given Jennifer’s current interest in graveyards, she’d be perfect. But what’s a Jennifer doll without a Frank doll first?

    In future doll news, Kallisti has pics of the new Unoas up on Blastmilk http://www.livejournal.com/users/blastmilk/239890.html . Nope, no Unoa for me, but I think Frank’s breasts should be similar, only scaled up in proportion to the Afghan base body. [Heck, I think Afghan should have had a rack like that originally, possibly even bigger. Then again, my preferences for dolls’ chests are heavily influenced by top-heavy CGs.]

    DEDF update; Jareth progress pix

    DEDF update; Jareth progress pix published on No Comments on DEDF update; Jareth progress pix

    Sardonix sold for $160.00, her boots for $45.00. All money to Frank fund!

    Armeleia sent photos this morning showing rough mods to Jareth’s head. Basically I commissioned mods on the cheeks [a la James Marsters because I don’t have a thing for BTVS’ Spike, no, not at all] and chin [a la David Bowie circa 1975 because I don’t have a thing for the Man Who Sold the World, no, not at all]. Let’s see how she’s doing, shall we? Continue reading DEDF update; Jareth progress pix

    The new Cutey Honey in CG or Triad Toys’ long-awaited bodies?

    The new Cutey Honey in CG or Triad Toys’ long-awaited bodies? published on No Comments on The new Cutey Honey in CG or Triad Toys’ long-awaited bodies?

    Takara disappoints me these days [yeah, old news, right]. I haven’t bought a new CG since I think the original release of Blue Lightning [when she was AFFORDABLE] State-side. Now that new CGs appear only in Japan in limited quantities, I don’t buy them at all, even if they DO come with small chests, a la Protect Gear Midori. [Yeah, I still want one for variety in cup sizes.] Then the upcoming release of Cutey Honey as Kisaragi appeared. Continue reading The new Cutey Honey in CG or Triad Toys’ long-awaited bodies?

    Sardonix liquidated into the DEDF

    Sardonix liquidated into the DEDF published on No Comments on Sardonix liquidated into the DEDF

    Sardonix’ body went into the DEDF. I thought I wouldn’t give up her head, but then decided that, however devilishly charming she is, she is not the doll[s] that I want. I want my Jareth and Frank dolls. Bye, Sardonix. Nice knowin’ ya. I doubt that Sardonix will truly disappear. Zephque will probably hang around too. After falling back into the great melting pot of aborted characters, their traits shall surely resurface in future creations.

    I still want a Uyoo. She’s so innocent and cheerful-looking, which would make her a good representation of Jennifer.

    Jareth’s clothes: lookin’ good!

    Jareth’s clothes: lookin’ good! published on 3 Comments on Jareth’s clothes: lookin’ good!

    Jen [merryallthemoreso] finally finished the wardrobe I commissioned for my upcoming Jareth doll. Everything’s exactly to specifications, and I’m quite pleased. Her Haund, Damien, looks less amused, however, to be modeling clothes that just aren’t his style, honey! Pics below. Continue reading Jareth’s clothes: lookin’ good!

    DEDF grows…

    DEDF grows… published on No Comments on DEDF grows…

    Thanks to some Xmas money, the DEDF now has ~$138 in it. Woo hoo! My goal is $718. That is the cost of a full Afghan and a regular Haund head from Tensiya. I wish I could just get the Afghan body and the Haund head, but noooo, Afghan comes with a head. I have someone who wants the head, though, so it seems that constructing la poupee de Frank is mostly a matter of money…and modification. That $718 doesn’t cover facial and boobtacular mods needed for a true likeness. I’m so impatient, been waiting to have 3-D forms of these characters for DECADES… Part of me wants to drop the $$$ RIGHT NOW. Grargh.

    Labyrinth timeline, part III: 2000-2006

    Labyrinth timeline, part III: 2000-2006 published on 1 Comment on Labyrinth timeline, part III: 2000-2006

    The Web boosted Labyrinth to true cult status during the early part of its second decade, but it wasn’t until the new millennium that the establishment registered just how much we loved the movie. And I was there [still…]. Continue reading Labyrinth timeline, part III: 2000-2006

    Labyrinth timeline, part II: 1996-1999

    Labyrinth timeline, part II: 1996-1999 published on No Comments on Labyrinth timeline, part II: 1996-1999

    The way I see it, very little happened in Labyrinth’s first decade. But, with the advent of its second decade and the help of the burgeoning Internet, Labyrinth hit cult status. And I was there! Continue reading Labyrinth timeline, part II: 1996-1999

    Labyrinth timeline, part I: 1986-1996

    Labyrinth timeline, part I: 1986-1996 published on No Comments on Labyrinth timeline, part I: 1986-1996

    In 2006, Labyrinth turns 20, while the Realm turns 10. Jesus, I can’t believe it’s been that long. As I reflected back over the past two decades, I started making a timeline of Labyrinth and its fandom. Continue reading Labyrinth timeline, part I: 1986-1996

    If I had unlimited funds…

    If I had unlimited funds… published on No Comments on If I had unlimited funds…

    I would have a modded SA Haund for Jareth, like I already do [only he’s not in my possessive little mitts yet]. Frank would be a modded regular Haund head on an Afghan body with severe breast augmentation. And Jennifer would be a Uyoo. Then I could have the whole Stichomythy in manipulable format! *…pauses to wander among thoughts…* Wow, I hope the D.E.D.F. (Disgustingly Expensive Doll Fund) receives an infusion this Xmas.

    Paperweight eyes = lack of catchlights.

    Paperweight eyes = lack of catchlights. published on No Comments on Paperweight eyes = lack of catchlights.

    I used to think that I took poor photographs because I could never get Zephque’s or Sardonix’ eyes to catch light. Then I learned about doll eyeballs just now and discovered that it was the fault of their eye shapes, not me. Continue reading Paperweight eyes = lack of catchlights.

    Anneka Elizabeth in 1:3

    Anneka Elizabeth in 1:3 published on No Comments on Anneka Elizabeth in 1:3

    Pix from DollMore:

    http://www.dollmore.net/shop/step1.php?number=1263

    I was really hoping for a tall, sexy fem. But noooo…we get an anorexic with a face that’s 10 years too young for her body. And NO BOOBIES! She is clearly not the 1:3 Cy Girl I seek. No matter…Continue reading Anneka Elizabeth in 1:3

    Bawk bawk: Jill says Jareth is a chicken.

    Bawk bawk: Jill says Jareth is a chicken. published on No Comments on Bawk bawk: Jill says Jareth is a chicken.

    Jill thinks Jareth wants Toby because Jareth thinks it would be less intimidating to interact with a kid than a babelicious girl. Then he realizes that Sarah is an immature dolt like him, and sparks fly. Full theory, quoting Jill, below. Continue reading Bawk bawk: Jill says Jareth is a chicken.

    Jareth arrives at Armeleia’s — Morraine deboxes!

    Jareth arrives at Armeleia’s — Morraine deboxes! published on No Comments on Jareth arrives at Armeleia’s — Morraine deboxes!

    Last night he arrived! I asked Armeleia to take pix on Jareth’s arrival. I also asked her modded Haund, Beau Morraine, to help with the box opening. He did, though Armeleia says he was very weirded out by the whole thing. Pics below. Continue reading Jareth arrives at Armeleia’s — Morraine deboxes!

    1:6 BJD wears Babs clothes…and is hot to boot!

    1:6 BJD wears Babs clothes…and is hot to boot! published on No Comments on 1:6 BJD wears Babs clothes…and is hot to boot!

    http://www.dollsoom.co.kr/front/php/product.php?product_no=778&main_cate_no=1&display_group=2

    I really like the Soom Mini Gem. Sweet face, realistic boobs, great posability and CHEAP CLOTHING OPTIONS! However, I’d just use her the same way I’d use much cheaper dolls, so I’m not sure the investment would be worth it.

    OFFICIAL Jareth doll

    OFFICIAL Jareth doll published on No Comments on OFFICIAL Jareth doll

    http://toychest.diamondcomics.com/toys/11_05/14_labyrinth.htm

    Looks promising. I hope the proto is equal to the final. Those pants, however, have GOT to go. He doesn’t wear anything so tacky in the film. He’s more…campy.

    [First in a series, eh? I’m waiting for Drag Queen Jareth and Superwhiny Sarah!!]

    Mirror Mask: the hidden sequel to Labyrinth

    Mirror Mask: the hidden sequel to Labyrinth published on No Comments on Mirror Mask: the hidden sequel to Labyrinth

    The 2005 fantasy film MirrorMask is billed as being โ€œin the tradition of Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.โ€ Well, itโ€™s more than that. MirrorMask is less of a tribute and more of a rewrite of Labyrinth [which is itself a rip-off of many classics]. I wrote an essay about Labyrinth’s influence on Mirror Mask, but I have yet to get it uploaded. See tantalizing sample below… Continue reading Mirror Mask: the hidden sequel to Labyrinth

    Helena’s Room: my new Mirror Mask site

    Helena’s Room: my new Mirror Mask site published on No Comments on Helena’s Room: my new Mirror Mask site

    All you Laby freaks should go check out Helena’s Room, my site about the upcoming fantasy flick MirrorMask. It’s the same sort of twisted dream adventure as Labyrinth was, this time fueled by the imaginative power of Neil Gaiman, Steve McKean and the Henson Company. Helena’s Room contains analysis, photos, fan art and blather, just like Jareth’s Realm!

    Labyrinth and Mirror Mask appearing as manga

    Labyrinth and Mirror Mask appearing as manga published on No Comments on Labyrinth and Mirror Mask appearing as manga

    The Jim Henson Co., Tokyopop and Neil Gaiman collaborate to <strike>bastardize</strike> adapt Labyrinth and Mirror Mask into manga. That includes the prequel to Mirror Mask, which explains how the Dark Princess got the Mask in the first place, and the SEQUEL to Labyrinth, in which Toby, 13, revisits the maze to claim Jareth’s throne. Didn’t know there was a sequel? Me neither. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry, but I will certainly buy. Full details below: Continue reading Labyrinth and Mirror Mask appearing as manga

    Another theory on Laby potty humor: it was just messing with her head.

    Another theory on Laby potty humor: it was just messing with her head. published on No Comments on Another theory on Laby potty humor: it was just messing with her head.

    Courtesy of Jen Gagne again: I read your point about how the Labyrinth’s ‘gradeschool boy humor’ seemed like the product of the real life men involved in the production, rather than being in-character for a fantasy of Sarah’s. But I think it actually made sense that way considering the whole thing was set up to turn her expectations on end and be less temptingly wonderful than she might’ve originally expected.

    The sequel to Labyrinth that never was

    The sequel to Labyrinth that never was published on No Comments on The sequel to Labyrinth that never was

    On September 30, MirrorMask, the latest film by the Jim Henson Company, is coming out. It’s the story of a 15-year-old girl who makes a stupid wish that jeopardizes a family member. In order to rescue her family member, she must journey to a confusing and dream-like alternate world populated by odd creatures. Hmmmm, why is this sounding familiar? I’ve ordered the book of the screenplay. Watch this space for a discussion about Labyrinth and MirrorMask. In the mean time, go to IMDB to find out more about the film: MirrorMask on IMDB.

    Interview with Michael Polis about Mirror Mask’s origins

    Interview with Michael Polis about Mirror Mask’s origins published on No Comments on Interview with Michael Polis about Mirror Mask’s origins

    Basically he says that Labyrinth did very well in the after market, so the Henson Co. decided to rip it off and cash in…which just goes to show that Hollywood was recycling long before you were separating your paper from your plastic.

    Alternative theory for Jareth / Sarah’s boyfriend

    Alternative theory for Jareth / Sarah’s boyfriend published on No Comments on Alternative theory for Jareth / Sarah’s boyfriend

    “Jareth definitely appears to be a symbolic incarnation of Sarah’s mother’s boyfriend. I believe he represents what the boyfriend did to her family, rather than a specific act against Sarah personally.” So saith Jen Gagne, a devoted fan. Her thoughts follow…Continue reading Alternative theory for Jareth / Sarah’s boyfriend

    Jan Mclean’s Satine: better than Lollipop Girls

    Jan Mclean’s Satine: better than Lollipop Girls published on No Comments on Jan Mclean’s Satine: better than Lollipop Girls

    Jan Mclean’s Lollipop Girls just…bother me, but here the full chin and pouty mouth work to this doll’s advantage, making her look like a pretentious modern Goth girl or a child prostitute.

    http://www.janmcleandolls.com/dsp_doll.cfm?id=48 Continue reading Jan Mclean’s Satine: better than Lollipop Girls

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