I’m excited to formally introduce our newest staff member, Paris! She’s been cosplaying for a number of years, frequents the anime and comic conventions around Texas, and—this is cool and very related to what we do—is a seminary graduate! She’s also a good friend, and I’m excited to have her join our staff as our… Read More Cosplay Beats: Froppy (Gero Gero)!
For my second year in a row, I have made the Appalachian anime fanatic’s pilgrimage to Gatlinburg in the first week of December for Yamacon, in what has become a significant yearly attraction for the city. It again was a wonderful celebration of anime, games, and fellowship. I had a marvelous time exponentiated by the… Read More Return to Yamacon
We’re proud to bring you a piece today from Tyler Burnette, a great supporter of Beneath the Tangles. He recently attended Yama-Con, and his approach to the convention led some reflection on how we communicate at conventions—and with people around us in general. Enjoy! One of the hardest lessons we have to learn as humans… Read More Guest Post: Con-ventional Wisdom
As Instagram continues to grow in prominence, the platform provides individuals the opportunity grow their brands, stretch their creative muscles, and even earn a living. Many beautiful and talented individuals have built considerable followings (Jenners and Karshadians leading the pack, of course), earning a measure of celebrity while becoming influencers—those who have enough clout in… Read More Cosplay Conversations #3: Birth of an Instagram Influencer
Cosplay is a young person’s game—or so it seems. Just as with athletics, which takes advantage of the physical peak of a young person’s body, cosplay seems to be a fit with the energy, beauty, and concerns of teenagers and young adults. But that would be a misconception—there are many who cosplay regularly into their… Read More Cosplay Conversations #2: Once and Future Cosplayer
Anime conventions are a singularly unique type of event. At once a celebration, meet-up, training session, marketing tool, and pilgrimage, cons are perhaps the prime occasion through which this generation of anime fan expresses its fandom, with many choosing to do so through cosplay. I’ve never participated, but I feel an affinity toward cosplayers. We… Read More Cosplay Conversations #1: Knowing Your Character
There’s no one right way to cosplay. Want to design your own costume and make it from scratch? Awesome! Want to purchase your cosplay from a retailer? That’s legit, too. Not interested in going all out, but still want to join in on the fun by wearing a few accessories? Madarame would tell you that’s… Read More Building a Better Alphonse
“It’s just not safe for young girls to go into events, especially in costume. We’re vulnerable.” It’s been more than three years since “Cosplay is Not Consent” signs were erected throughout New York Comic Con. The movement, which seeks to educate about actions that should reflect common sense and decency, is now firmly set in… Read More Cosplay is Not Consent, but Danger Still Lingers
When I was first introduced to Genshiken, I was told that the series was really good, but that the content might not be for me. It was a good way to prep me for the series, which follows a group of otaku in the Genshiken club, a college organization in which the members revel in… Read More Surrendering is Day by Day — For Otaku AND Christians
There’s a growing interest in how to minister to otaku, both here and abroad. Often painted in a broad stroke with comical or pitying tones, anime fans are far more than their image conveys; they are a complex and diverse group of individuals. Jesus Otaku is a ministry birthed out of Saddleback Church that is… Read More Interview: Jesus Otaku and the As You Are Artbook