la Vie Sirene volume 2 issue 5 - MASKS & PERSONAS

the magazine of the sirens • by the sirens • for the sirens

February 2015

Masks &

Personas Historical re-enactors, performers & alter egos Volume 2, issue V

Published by Siren School

Cosplay - a war cry from child’s play

Masquerading through life

Model, Costumer & Prop Designer: Kael Lampe of Gaelhunter Cosplay Photographer: Sarah Kluge of Circus Cat Design

FACTS 4! History of Masks 6! A bit about Mardi Gras 13! History of King Cake 14! Carnevale 20! Venice’s Dark Drama 32! Behind Masks FICTION 12! King Cake 34! Poetry, hooded & masked by Stephen Thompson 36! The Not-So-Comic Mask by Martin J. Manco 40! The Grand Valentine Mask, part 1,

by Lyle Dagnen (part 2 in our next issue) 71! The Blood-soaked Masquerade by Martin J. Manco FOOD 22! Antipasto Kebabs 35! Masquerade Pasta 38! Masquerade Cocktail 42! Avocado Mask 56! Drunken Shrimp & Melon Salad 78 ! Mask Cookie Pops

FOLKS 24! Interview with Cosplay designer Kael Lampe 41! Masks That I Wear by Bonnie Ramsburg 44! Interview with Cosplayer Maryna Matlock 52! The Trials and Tribulations of Baba Yaga by Martin J. Manco 57! The Life of an Unworn Hat by Bonnie Ramsburg 58! The Skydiving Mask by Martin J. Manco FUN 43! Egg White Yogurt Facial Mask from Genevieve Poston 60! Mythology of Masked Heroes -2-

Cupcake image via Cakes Haute Couture

mask mask/ noun

a covering for all or part of the face, worn as a disguise, or to amuse or terrify other people. synonyms: disguise, false face

per·so·na pəәrˈsōnəә/ noun 1. the aspect of someone's character that is presented to or perceived by others."her public persona" 2. a role or character adopted by an author or an actor. synonyms: image, face, public face, character, personality, identity, self; front, facade, guise, exterior, role, part

-3-

History of Masks from HistoryofMasks.net Masks are objects that cover the face for variety of reasons. They are used for protection, disguise, entertainment or ritual practices and are made from various materials, depending of use. Earliest use of masks was for rituals and ceremonies, and the oldest found mask is from 7000 BC. Art of making masks could be older but because of the materials used for making them (leather and wood), they did not survive to this day. Oldest masks were of ritual purpose and could be found in many places of the world. They are generally similar in their overall appearance, but very different in style and way they are made and used.

Inuit mask

-4-

In Africa, ritual masks are used in many different ways. In West Africa, they are used in ceremonies which purpose is to communicate with ancestral spirits. They are made out of wood, with great skill and such masks are used in ritual masquerades of Edo, Yoruba and Igbo cultures. Beside human faces, many African masks are made in the shapes of the animals. It is believed in some African tribes that they make possible to communicate with animals spirits of savannas and forests.

One of the more common masks is an antelope. It is believed that an antelope have thought people agriculture or that it symbolizes a farmer. Some tribes make mask as symbols of different attributes.

Ancient Use of Masks

Queen Mother Pendant Mask: Iyoba, 16th century. Nigeria; Edo peoples, court of Benin

Yoruba mask

Mask with closed eyes symbolize tranquility while bulging forehead symbolizes wisdom.

War masks are made to scare the enemy with big eyes, painted colors and anger of the carved face.

In Oceania, where the culture of the ancestral worship is very strong, masks are made to represent ancestors. Big masks, some six meter-high are used as a protection from evil spirits.

Inuit tribes of Northern America vary widely so their masks differ form each other in many ways. Pacific Northwest coastal groups have very skilled woodworkers that make complex masks made from wood, leather, bones and feathers, with movable parts and of great beauty. They are used in shamanic rituals that represent unity between men, their ancestors and animals that men hunt. They are also used in exorcising of evil spirits from the sick.

Ancient Aztecs, in Latin America, used masks to cover the faces of the dead. They made them from leather in the beginning, but later started making them from copper and gold. Except for ritual purposes, from the ancient times masks were used in theatre. Oldest theatre masks are from Ancient Greece and masks used in traditional Japanese Noh drama. In time, masks are used in medieval theatre in mystery and miracle plays, during Renaissance as well as today.

-5-

Oceanic mask

-6-

Masks are also used for protection - for example: welding masks that protect eyes and face of the welder form bright light and flying sparks; gas mask that protects from dangerous gases; shield masks on helmets, from gladiators to modern police.

There are also medical masks for oxygen supply, surgical masks that protect doctors and patients from infecting each other as well as many more.

Noh drama mask

Axtec Mask

Greek theater mask

Igbo maiden spirit mask from CultHeritage.com

-7-

MAR DI

from Mardi Gras New Orleans

The origins of Mardi Gras can be traced to medieval Europe, passing through Rome and Venice in the 17th and 18th centuries to the French House of the Bourbons. From here, the traditional revelry of "Boeuf Gras," or fatted calf, followed France to her colonies.

On March 2, 1699, French-Canadian explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville arrived at a plot of ground 60 miles directly south of New Orleans, and named it "Pointe du Mardi Gras" when his men realized it was the eve of the festive holiday. Bienville also established "Fort Louis de la Louisiane" (which is now Mobile) in 1702. In 1703, the tiny settlement of Fort Louis de la Mobile celebrated America's very first Mardi Gras.

-8-

S A GR

In 1704, Mobile established a secret society (Masque de la Mobile), similar to those that form our current Mardi Gras krewes. It lasted until 1709. In 1710, the "Boeuf Gras Society" was formed and paraded from 1711 through 1861. The procession was held with a huge bull's head pushed alone on wheels by 16 men. Later, Rex would parade with an actual bull, draped in white and signaling the coming Lenten meat fast. This occurred on Fat Tuesday.

New Orleans was established in 1718 by Bienville. By the 1730s, Mardi Gras was celebrated openly in New Orleans, but not with the parades we know today. In the early 1740s, Louisiana's governor, the Marquis de Vaudreuil, established elegant society balls, which became the model for the New Orleans Mardi Gras balls of today.

The earliest reference to Mardi Gras "Carnival" appears in a 1781 report to the Spanish colonial governing body. That year, the Perseverance Benevolent & Mutual Aid Association was the first of hundreds of clubs and carnival organizations formed in New Orleans.

By the late 1830s, New Orleans held street processions of maskers with carriages and horseback riders to celebrate Mardi Gras.

Dazzling gaslight torches, or "flambeaux," lit the way for the krewe's members and lent each event an exciting air of romance and festivity. In 1856, six young Mobile natives formed the Mistick Krewe of Comus, invoking John Milton's hero Comus to represent their organization.

Comus brought magic and mystery to New Orleans with dazzling floats (known as tableaux cars) and masked balls. Krewe members remained anonymous, and to this day, Comus still rides!

In 1870, Mardi Gras' second Krewe, the Twelfth Night Revelers, was formed. This is also the first recorded account of Mardi Gras "throws."

Newspapers began to announce Mardi Gras events in advance, and they even printed "Carnival Edition" lithographs of parades' fantastic float designs (after they rolled, of course - themes and floats were always carefully guarded before the procession). At first, these reproductions were small, and details could not be clearly seen. But beginning in 1886 with Proteus' parade "Visions of Other Worlds," these chromolithographs could be produced in full, saturated color, doing justice to the float and costume designs of Carlotta Bonnecase, Charles Briton and B.A. Wikstrom. Each of these designers' work was brought to life by talented Parisian paper-mache' artist Georges Soulie', who for 40 years was responsible for creating all of Carnival's floats and processional outfits.

1872 was the year that a group of businessmen invented a King of Carnival, Rex, to preside over the first daytime parade. To honor the visiting Russian Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff, the businessmen introduced Romanoff's family colors of purple, green and gold as Carnival's official colors. Purple stands for justice; gold for power; and green for faith.

This was also the Mardi Gras season that Carnival's improbable anthem, "If Ever I Cease to Love," was cemented, due in part to the Duke's fondness for the tune.

The following year, floats began to be constructed entirely in New Orleans instead of France, culminating with Comus' magnificent "The Missing Links to Darwin's Origin of Species," in which exotic papermache' animal costumes served as the basis for Comus to mock both Darwin's theory and local officials, including Governor Henry Warmoth. In 1875, Governor Warmoth signed the "Mardi Gras Act," making Fat Tuesday a legal holiday in Louisiana, which it still is.

Like Comus and the Twelfth Night Revelers, most Mardi Gras krewes today developed from private social clubs with restrictive membership policies. Since all of these parade organizations are completely funded by their members, New Orleanians call it the "Greatest Free Show on Earth!"

-9-

- 10 -

- 11 -

Let them eat King Cake from Taste of Home YIELD: 24 servings TOTAL TIME: Prep: 40 min. + rising Bake: 20 min. + cooling Nutritional Facts 1 serving (1 slice) equals 227 calories, 4 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 10 mg cholesterol, 123 mg sodium, 44 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein.

Ingredients • 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast • 1/2 cup warm water (110° to 115°) • 1/2 cup warm milk (110° to 115°) • 1/3 cup shortening • 1/3 cup sugar • 1 teaspoon salt • 1 egg • 4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour • 2 cans (12-1/2 ounces each) almond cake and pastry filling GLAZE:

• 3 cups confectioners' sugar • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract • 3 to 4 tablespoons water • Purple, green and gold colored sugar

- 12 -

Directions 1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, shortening, sugar, salt, egg and 2 cups flour. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).

2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

3. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll one portion into a 16in. x 10-in. rectangle. Spread almond filling to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal.

Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet; pinch ends together to form a ring. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

4. Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. For glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough water to achieve desired consistency. Spread over cooled cakes. Sprinkle with colored sugars.

Yield: 2 cakes (12 servings each).

History of King Cakes from Mardi Gras Day Epiphany, celebrated in European countries, marks the coming of the wise men who brought gifts to the Christ Child. Epiphany is also called Little Christmas on the Twelfth Night, and is celebrated twelve nights after Christmas. People from all of the world celebrate Epiphany by exchanging gifts and feasting. A very popular custom that is still celebrated is the making of the “King’s Cake” which represents the three kings who brought gifts. A plastic baby is baked inside the King Cake, and the tradition is whoever receives the baby in their piece of cake must buy the next King Cake or throw the next party. King Cakes are made of a cinnamon filled dough in the shape of a hollow circle. The cake is topped with a delicious glazed topping and then sprinkled with colored sugar. The three colors of the sugar are Purple (representing Justice), Green (representing Faith) and Gold (representing Power). Today the King Cakes are baked with a wide assortment of fillings inside the cake. King Cake is the preferred dessert and snack in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. Hundreds of thousands of King Cakes are eaten in New Orleans during the Carnival season.

Cakes is a tradition in New Orleans that begins on King’s Day, at the start of the Mardi Gras season. A tiny baby, just like the ones you see here, is baked into the cake. The person whose piece of cake contains the baby furnishes the King Cake for the next party (which are usually held once a week on Sundays until Fat Tuesday.) However, when celebrating Mardi Gras out of town, most people regard the person who ‘got the baby’ as the King or Queen of the party being held. Either way, it is a tasty way to spend an afternoon, and we promise you’ll love it, too! A new idea that has recently grown in popularity at children’s parties is to serve cupcakes decorated like regular kingcakes and put a baby in each one. That way, every child will experience the thrill of finding the baby!

Many are shipped throughout the U.S. for those displaced New Orleanians longing for a taste of Mardi Gras. In fact, a Mardi Gras party wouldn’t be a Mardi Gras party without a King Cake.

You might be wondering, “Why on earth would a plastic baby be inside of a cake?” Well, the baking of King image from bunkycooks

- 13 -

Carnevale A Short History of Venetian Carnival Masks

by Michel J. Tieuli from the Venetian Mask Shop Origin of Venetian Carnival The word carnival (Italian: carnevale) possibly c o m e s f r o m t he L a ti n carne m l evar e orcarnelevarium, which means to take away or remove meat!. A more probable etymology for the word carnevale may be derived from the Latin carne + vale, meaning "farewell to meat".

Developed around the Roman Catholic festival of Lent (Quaresima - derived from the Latin term Quadragesima, or "the forty days"), carnevale was associated with the pre-Lenten festivals practiced on and around Martedí Grasso (Shrove Tuesday) or Mardi Gras (trans.

Fat Tuesday).

that he pay an annual tribute to Venice in the form of 12 loaves of bread, 12 pigs and 1 bull.

During this period a tradition began of slaughtering a bull (representing Ulric) and 12 pigs in the Piazza di San Marco around Shrove Thursday (Veneziano: Zioba Grasso) to c o m m e m o r a t e t h e v i c t o r y. T h e f i r s t documented sources, mentioning the use of masks in Venice can be found as far back as the 13th centaury. The document describes the the practice of masked men throwing scented eggs at ladies and its prohibition by the council (Venetian Laws, 1268 May).

The Bauta (La Bauta) The etymology of Bauta is uncertain: Tramatar believed it may be derived from the German verb "behüten", that is to protect (the wearer).

Traditionally, the forty days in Lent would mark a season of sorrowful reflection, fasting and abstinence from fruit, eggs, meat and dairy products. Although carnevale is first mentioned in documented sources in 1092 during the Dogate of Vitale Falier, the history of Venetian carnival is thought to have originated from an annual celebration of Doge Vitale Michieli II's victory over Ulrich II of Treven, Patriarch of Aquileia in 1162. Ulrich II was taken prisoner together with 12 vassals who were allied to the feudal Friulians in a rebellion against the Republic's (Italian: Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia) control over the territory of Grado.

Ulric was eventually released on the condition Bauta ‘Macrame’ mask

- 14 -

Alternatively, Durante and Turato refer to the Veneto-Italian "bau-bao", which was a bogeyman like character used by adults as a method to scare children (Danilo Reato).

"Se non stai bravo viene il babau e ti porta via."

- (trans. "if you do not behave, the babau will come and take you away").

The original elements of the Bauta disguise comprises of the typically shining white faceshaped mask ("larva" or "volto"), a black cape or veil of silk, a cloak (tabarro) or mantle, and a three-cornered ("tricorne") hat. The Bauta was worn by both Venetian ladies and gentlemen alike.

The Moretta

By the 18th centaury the use of the Bauta and Moretta masks to conceal the identity of ladies and gentlemen in the gambling houses (Il Ridotti) of Venice had become commonplace.

Many paintings of the crowded parlours of the public ridotto and coffee houses of this period were depicted by the artists Pietro (Falca) Longhi and Giovanni Antonio "Gianantonio" Guardi.

Commedia Dell'arte Commedia Dell'arte (trans. "comedy of professional artists" or "comedy of humours"), also known as Extemporal Comedy, was a form of improvisational theatre which began in the 16th century and continued to be widely popular up until the 18th century.

The performances were improvised by each theatre company around a repertory of stock conventional situations, which tended to revolve around the topics of adultery, jealousy, love and old age. ◦

Abadea is the fool who laughed at nothing.

◦

Arlecchino (French: Arlequin, English: Harlequin) typically depicted in multicoloured costume comprised of diamond shaped patterns. Painted by Antoine Watteau,

Moretta mask

The Moretta or Servetta Muta (trans: dumb maid-servant) is a black velvet, oval shaped mask that was worn by Venetian ladies.

Covering all but the outer edge of the face, the Moretta was secured to the wearer by way of a small bit that was held in place by the teeth.

Harlequin / Columbina classic mask

- 15 -

◦

Brighella (French: Brighelle), a cunning and mischievous servant. He is associated with Bergamo.

◦

Colombina (French: Columbine), maidservant counterpart of Arlecchino (Harlequin).

◦

Il Capitano (the Captain), Cap. Bonbardon, Mala Gamba, Belavita & Zerbino are just some examples of the many forms of the character and Italian masks depicted in the series of 24 etchings, Balli di Sfessania (cerca. 1621) by Jaques Callot.

◦

Il Dottore (the Doctor, usually called Dottore Balanzone, Balordo or Graziano). He is associated with Bologna.

◦

Innamorata (the Lover) is the leading woman. She wore no mask (see innamorati).

◦

Innamorato (the Lover) is the leading man.

He wore no mask (see innamorati).

◦

Isabella (Lucinda, Cornelia, Silvia, Rosaura) is Pantalone's daughter.

◦

Mezzetino (equivilent of Mezzetin the French figure), painted by Antoine Watteau).

◦

Pagliaccio (the Clown).

◦

Pantalone or Pantalone dei Bisognosi, (French: Pantalon, English: Pantaloon). He is a Venetian Merchant

◦

Pedrolino (or Pierino, most commonly nowadays known as French: Pierrot)

◦

Pulcinella (related to the Italian: pulcino or chick) is a crooked-nosed hunchback. He was the model for Punch in the English puppet theatre Punch and Judy. He is associated with Naples.

◦

La Ruffiana (Old Woman) is usually a mother or gossipy townswoman who intrudes into the lives of the Lovers

◦

Scaramuccia (French: Scaramouche) a roguish adventurer and swordsman who replaced Il Capitano in later troupes.

◦

Zanni is a threadbare old servant from Bergamo. He is associated with Bergamo & Venice.

- 16 -

Zanni mask by Venetian Masks Shop

War of the Fists (Battagliole) & the Gangs of Venice In 1369 the Great Council encouraged the annual battagliola universale held on the first day of every new year (Museo Correr, Codici Cicogna 3161, 1670/36). However, the battagliole were outlawed by the Council of Ten in 1505, but pre-arranged fights continued to be organized to celebrate the arrival of foreign dignitaries and diplomatic missions to Venice throughout the sixteenth century. (Consiglio dei Dieci, proclami (CDP), filza 1, 12 Sept 1505) Documented sources in the Museo Correr describe staged fights over particular bridges (ponte di guerra) or other areas - guerre di cane (wars of the sticks) and guerre dei pugni (wars of the fists) between the two leading factions of Venice, the Castellani: sailors and ship builders of the Venetian Arsenal (arsenalotti), who were associated with the districts of the Sestiere di Castello, San Marco and Dorsoduro, and the Nicolotti, fishermen and residents of San Polo, Cannareggio and Santa Croce. By the mid-1600s, the captains (caparioni) of the factions had limited the battagliole by mutual arrangement to a small number of locations, the bridges at San Barnaba (Ponte dei Pugni), Santa Fosca, and San Marziale. (Museo Correr, Codici Cicogna)

Carnival Festivities & Games During the period of carnival and other civic festivities the gangs would challenge each other in games such as the Ballo della Moresca & The Forze d'Ercole. (Robert C. Davis, 1994, pp.vii + 232). These games commonly reflected various Venetian attributes and celebrated historical events. The theme of War Engines could be identified in the Macchina dei Fuochi (Machine of the flames), the Venetians' martial prowess in the storming of the walls at Aquileia by the Forze d'Ercole (strength of Hercules as Human Pyramids), battle in the Ballo della Moresca (Dance of the Moor), Law and justice in the Taglio della Testa del Toro (decapitating of the Bull) and peace in the form of the Volo dell'Angelo (Flight of the Angel or Turk).

Each stocking group had imaginative names which were inspired by and reflected particular virtues; Florid ones, United ones, and of the Concorde (Floridi, degli Uniti, e dei Concordi); Others, derived their names from contemporary works Ortolani, Zardinieri, Cortesi and the Sempiterni.

The aim of these groups was to create and prepare the entertainment and shows during the carnival. Between 1487 and 1565 there were 23 different groups throughout Venice.

The Forze d'Ercole consisted of two human pyramids, representing two popular factions of the town. These were the Castellani, (the inhabitants of districts of the Sestiere di Castello, San Marco and Dorsoduro who challenged the Nicolotti the inhabitants of Dorsoduro, near to the Church of San Nicolo dei Mendicoli, San Polo, Cannareggio and Santa Croce.

The Volo del Turco (the flight of the Turk), later called Il Volo dell'Angelo (the flight of the Angel) celebrates an exhibition that was originally given by an Turkish acrobat in the 16th centaury and later by volunteer Arsenalotti (from the Arsenale). From a barge docked by Saint Mark's, the Turk would climb a rope aided by a balancing rod to the top of the belfry of the belltower (Campanile) and then descend upside down along the Loggia Foscara of the Palazzo Ducale, giving flowers and reciting poems to the Doge.

Stocking Groups (Compagnie di Calze) From the middle of the 15th century to the end of the 16th century, the organization of the carnival festivities was delegated to the Compagnie di Calze. These associations of young Venetian nobles could be distinguished by their variously multicolored patterned hose.

Decline of Venetian Carnival By the eighteenth centaury the wearing of masks by Venetians continued for six months of the year as the original religious association and significance with carnevale diminished. On October 17th, 1797 (26 Vendémiaire, Year VI of the French Republic) Venice became part of the Austrian-held Kingdom of LombardyVenetia when Napoleon signed the Treaty of Campo Formio. The Austrians took control of the city on January 18, 1798 and it fell into a decline which also effectively brought carnival celebrations to a halt for many years.

- 17 -

Theatre) is considered as the the most spectacular and exclusive of all the Venetian masked balls.

Hollywood & Contemporary Culture

Volto ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ mask

Recent History: Rebirth of Venetian Carnival Banned by Mussolini's fascist party during the 1930's, carnevale was subsequently revived by a number of local artisans around 1979. Since then the annual "Carnival of Venice" has grown to become an internationally renowned event, celebrated by tourists and Venetians alike.

Of the many different types of events celebrated each year during the carnevale the Gran Ballo della Cavalchina at the Te a t r o L a F e n i c e (The Feniche - 18 -

More recently Venetian carnival masks have been introduced to popular culture in the form of director Stanley Kubrick's Hollywood blockbuster film of 1999, "Eyes Wide Shut" (Tom Cruise & Nicole Kidman).

Starring Tom Cruise, who plays the part of a New York City doctor. The plot revolves around the adventure of Cruise's character (Bill Harford) as he learns of and then infiltrates a sinister group of wealthy hedonists engaged in a bizarre bacchanalian masked ball.

Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut

Masks available at Venetian Masks Shop

- 19 -

The dark drama

by William Lee Adams, for CNN Every spring Halloween meets haute couture at the Carnival of Venice.

Culminating March 4 after nearly a month of masked frivolity, Italy's most popular festival draws up to three million visitors annually.

Wearing feathered headdresses, flowing capes and, most importantly, a bevy of bejeweled masks, they enjoy a giant masquerade party that spills onto the streets and into the canals.

The Piazza San Marco is the epicenter of the action, especially during preliminary rounds of the Maschera più bella contest for the best masked costume.

emanate through the costume and the person who wears it. There must be beauty, originality, an explosion of color."

Given the complexity of Nicolao's criteria, there is no formula for success.

Last year the Italian artist Anna Marconi won the contest on her 17th try. Dressed as a sumptuous doll, she offered a high-fashion take on the toy box.

Regardless of the outfit, Venetian masks—a symbol of the city and a focal point of the carnival—are essential to any winning ensemble.

The 2012 winners—a group of five men and women from Germany— wore billowing pink and purple dresses with matching masks. They appeared to be masquerading as Marie Antoinette's tea servants.

During the final, contestants pout and vogue in front of an international panel of costume, fashion and mask designers.

Read more: The world's most colorful carnival celebrations

Among them is Stefano Nicolao, one of Venice's most esteemed costume designers, who has dressed Hollywood stars for films including "Elizabeth" and "Pirates of the Caribbean."

A history of craftsmanship

Every day dozens of masked contestants stomp down the runway of the Gran Teatro, a temporary outdoor theater, hoping to make the grand final. Costumes skew toward the elaborate, with men and women dressed as brightly-colored court jesters, kabuki princesses, and glittering animals.

He does not approach his responsibilities as a juror lightly.

"The theme of the mask is absolutely essential to help your imagination arrive at what I call the dream," he says. "For me, emotion must - 20 -

The origins of the masked carnival remain a mystery, though it's often said the festival first appeared in the 12th century to celebrate a military victory. Today the city uses the carnival to showcase Venetian culture, which includes a long and proud history of mask masking.

Artisans have passed down mask making skills over successive generations.

of Venice Carnival As a child Maximiliano Gimenez learned the craft from his uncle. Today he runsBlue Moon Venice, an atelier and retailer. He and his 15 artisans produce roughly 15,000 Venetian masks per year and are currently training two young apprentices. Some of his staff have been making masks for more than twenty years.

The "Volto Piume" (Feather face), one of his most ornate masks, retails from €200.

Starting with a paper mache base, artisans apply a thin layer of paint that cracks to give the mask an antique look.

They then adorn it with lace sourced in Venice, and finish it with gold leaf and Swarovski crystals.

"At the end it is encircled with two layers of real cock feathers in different colors," Gimenez says.

"We only use natural colors, of course."

Read more: This is the eerie, beautiful world of aquascaping

Carla Almanza-de Quant, an artist and Venetian mask maker in California, has clients all over the world. They call on her to create gorgeous masks that will turn heads and break the ice.

"Once you put on a mask you're cheerful, you're playful, you're a more wonderful you," she says. "You become a fantasy character and you interact with others in a more outgoing way. The real mask is the one we put on every day because society tells you how to do this, and how to do that."

Read more: Life of a muse: What is it like to inspire art as a living?

Chinese rivals?

The global interest in masks isn't waning, and mass retailers are keen to tap into the market.

Target invites customers to "make a dramatic entrance to your next masquerade ball" with its $18.49 Venetian Mask with Headpiece in polyester. Walmart sells a $9.99 Venetian Raven Adult Halloween Mask in plastic with "a unique crackle finish."

The arrival of cheap, mass-produced masks from China has created new frustrations for Venice's mask makers.

Chinese manufacturers sometimes try to sell their products under the brand "Made in Italy", and attach labels that wrongly say they were made by hand in Venice.

The influx of low-quality masks, which retail for a few dollars, also distorts the expectations of consumers who begin to question why authentic Venetian masks can cost several hundred euros.

Unmasking the mind

Gimenez of Blue Moon Venice believes his masks carry the soul of the city with them.

The enduring popularity of masks doesn't stem merely from their beauty. It also stems from the freedom that comes with hiding who you are— or at least who people think you should be.

"Those who want to buy mass-produced plastic should not come to us," he says.

"Our customers receive something original and unique, created by artisans with passion and love."

- 21 -

Anti-Mess Antipasto Kebabs • • • •

• • • •

Eating while in full regalia can put your pristine costume creation in peril. This handy idea from The Hungry Housewife is perfect for a masked ball — even better, no utensils required.

- 22 -

INGREDIENTS 1 9 oz package of Three Cheese Tortellini, cooked 1 can Medium or Large pitted Black Olives 1 5.75 oz jar Green Olives 2 12 oz containers of marinated mozzarella balls (usually found near the speciality cheeses) 30 slices of Salami, cut in half 60 pieces of pepperoni 1 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing 60 Skewers

DIRECTIONS 1. Place the cooked tortellini in a bowl or large gallon freeze bag.

2. Pour the salad dressing over the top and marinade in the fridge for a few hours.

3. Drain the pasta.

4. Place one of each item onto the skewer using the pointy side.

5. Can be made a few hours in advance. Just cover tightly and place in the refrigerator.

Visit Siren School’s VENEZIA album for additional images & info - 23 -

Serious Play

inside the world of cosplay artist Kael Lampe - 14 -

Kael Lampe, a.k.a. Gael Hunter, does not just play dressup. She uses solid construction techniques, MacGyver problem-solving savvy, and a whole lotta talent to create masterful costumes and props. In her spare time she gave us a peek at what goes into bringing a character to life.

Image opposite ~ Ryder Hood:Werewolf Hunter Costume, prop and make-up design and construction by: Gaelhunter Cosplay

Enjoying fancy dress is one thing, constructing elaborate costumes is quite another. When did you first start making your own creations?

My very first creations were back in elementary school when I would design and make my own Halloween costumes. My grandmother had taught me to hand-sew and my mother taught me to crochet. I wasn't allowed to use the sewing machine back then, so everything was hodge-podged together with hand-stitching, Elmer's glue, tape and staples. Needless to say, none of my creations lasted very long.

In my first year of college, a friend’s wife was so lovely to teach me to use her sewing machine and within months, I dove right into the deep end of making costumes for attending the Renaissance Faire. I taught myself to read patterns and played with fabric manipulation.

Every chance I got, I made something new for every new Faire season.

It wasn't until I landed a job with a Mascot design company in the mid ‘90s where I really submerged myself with using many different materials and mediums in costume design. I started to incorporate that experience and knowledge and used it in my own prop and larger, more elaborate costume designs at home.

What was your first character cosplay and where did you display it?

The very first cosplay that I completely designed and constructed from head to toe, was my original character design "Ryder Hood."

She is a post-apocalyptic werewolf hunter that totes a cigar and hip-shooter Gatling gun complete with LED lighting in the chambers.

I made my one and only Ryder Hood public appearance last year when my entry was accepted into the 2014 Crown Championship of Cosplay at the C2E2 convention in Chicago, Ill. where my craftsmanship was judged by YaYa Han (Heroes of Cosplay), Austin Scarlett

Photo by: Winter Rose

- 25 -

(Project Runway) and fashion designer Nan Cibula-Jenkins.

Competition was beautifully fierce and it was such an incredible experience, I didn't mind at all that I didn't place among the winners.

Do you follow the convention circuit and/or do you have any favorite conventions?

I'd have to say my most, not so much difficult as it was time and mentally consuming, design so far has been my female version of Dovahkiin from the video game Skyrim. This was my first exploration in working with a thermal-plastic material called Worbla. It arrives in semi-flexible plastic sheets that you can cut, heat and mold into shapes and forms.

This was also my first big project using EVA foam for structural support. Lots of cuts, burns and lessons in patience (after a few rage quits). Though this costume has been in a costume competition, and I’ve made many appearances and photo shoots with it, it is still not complete. I have 3 or 4 more components I'd like to add to it.

I have also started the male version of the same ns. ircus Cat Desig C : by to ho P . costume for my Cosplay

by Gaelhunter y la sp co d ire fiance. Stay of Thrones insp Skyrim/Game tuned for finished photos!!

We manage to average 3 to 4 local conventions per season. With working two jobs along with family and crafting commitments, it can get tough to plan those weekends out of town. But we treat them like minivacations and keep it simple (if 2 - 3 days out of town with a SUV packed to the ceiling is simple).

It is incredibly hard to choose a favorite convention. They all offer so much, usually have a great variety and always provide a fantastic venue for vendors, cosplayers and costume designers.

C2E2 and ACEN in Chicago always has a great turnout. Last year, I attended the inaugural year for Lake Count.I.Con in Round Lake Beach, Ill (where I took part in my second competition and took First Place) and I can't wait to see how they expand and grow for the 2015 season!

What's the most difficult piece you've ever worked on?

- 26 -

How has your taste in costumes and characters evolved over the years?

BIGGER!! BETTER!! ADD LIGHTS AND FLASHY, SPARKLY THINGS!!

ALL THE THINGS!!! ...My taste is really leaning more towards larger, stronger characters.

I'm starting to drift away from designing original characters and going for a wide variety of video game and action characters that people recognize and enjoy more.

Always changing, always evolving. I seem to be a glutton for punishment as I am always ridiculously challenging myself. It's all in the details.

I'm stepping away from more simplified designs and pushing into the intricacies of my abilities.

Do you create your exquisite wares for your own enjoyment only? Or do you sell your items either as is or as commissioned work?

Since creating costumes and cosplay at home, I have only made custom work for myself with the exception of pieces for my family. I am approached regularly to commission work for others, but with the limitations of my current work space and availability around my day jobs, I just can't commit to the standards that I insist on delivering to others. I truly hope I can change this in the next year or so as much as I hope I will have more skills to offer those who are interested in owning my cosplay art.

both held very steadfast to that passion and taught me how cosplay reaches out to so many age groups and lifestyles.

I've learned through Winter and Ethan that this is a wonderful vehicle of expression for everyone whether it is sharing laughs, sharing common interests, or sharing talents and skills. My daughter, now Winter Rose Cosplay, has her own page on Facebook.

She and I have had cosplay photo shoots together and she has featured her original character, Fanel, in Lake Count.I.Con's cosplay competition in 2014.

Around 5 years ago, after a recommendation, a gentleman contacted me though Facebook to inquire about Anime cosplay commission work. I wasn't able to commit to the work at that time, but we stayed in touch sporadically. Three years later, we started dating and he is now my boyfriend, Kyle.

Kyle has been a cosplayer for 8 years and constructs a lot of Are any of your his own props. friends or family part We attend of your cosplay conventions and world? photo shoots together.

He had My daughter Winter entered our (19 years old) and my c ollaborated son Ethan (17 years design of Roronoa old) have been into Z oro from the Anime and cosplay anime One Piece s i n c e v e r y, v e r y a t Lake young ages. I feel Count.I.Con's terrible in hindsight, cosplay competition because I can recall in 2014. We when they first came collaborate on new to me with their designs and are interest in cosplay p lanning a few and the upcoming projects combination of my together.

The first ignorance on the Death Dealer (Und er W or ld) Gaelhunter Cosp big project is his topic then as well lay, Photo: Circus Cat Design male Dovahkiin to go as my assumptions with my female that it was "just a phase" led me to not Dovahkiin from the video game Skyrim take their young passions seriously. They've - 27 -

which will be featured in photo shoots together in March 2015.

A lot of my friends are, if not cosplayers, period re-enactors. They design, craft or wear some of the most exquisite Scottish Highland, Renaissance, Civil War, Templar, Viking and Warrior costumes. They have been so incredibly supportive and encouraging of this newer lifestyle of mine. Always nudging me to keep going when I've been absolutely fed up with those pieces that just aren't coming together. Or on those long nights after I've sat at the crafting table painting armor for 9 hours and everything jumbles together and I start to second guess myself, they are always there reminding me "You've got this!"

After a few seasons in the convention circuit, I have made so many new cosplay friends it is absolutely amazing!

Many of my friends indeed are a big part of my cosplay world. I feel so honored to keep company with so many talented, generous and down-to-earth people.

What's the most outrageous ensemble you've ever seen?

I have seen some incredible cosplays out there. The most breath-taking cosplay I have seen in person so far was during the Crown Championship of Cosplay 2014 competition at C2E2. It was the most realistic and insanely detailed version I have ever seen of the video game character Subject Delta from the Bioshock2 video game, complete with functioning parts.

I remember sitting in the Green Room between judging stages, staring in awe.

Before I introduced myself to him and - 28 -

his team of handlers, I'm sure they thought I was insane ... just sitting on the floor with my knees pulled up to my chin, clinging to my Gatling gun, staring ... (laughs) Subject Delta dominated the entire competition and took home the crown. I was so incredibly proud for him!.

What's your next project?

I've started the armor pieces for Skyrim's male Dovahkiin, which has a March deadline. I have already started parts for Astrid from How To Train Your Dragon 2 (complete with a baby Stormfly) and I've started blue prints and patterns for functioning wings for Maleficent. I am also working on the outline for a group cosplay featuring cast members from the video game Bioshock2. That's only the beginning of the list.

What's your dream cosplay?

This is an incredibly hard question for me to answer. I think to successfully create the cosplay I want to make the most, and if I pull it off as perfectly as I see it in my mind, it would indeed become my dream cosplay. In that case, my dream cosplay would easily be the Bioshock2 cast group featuring a Big Sister.

What do you enjoy most about cosplay?

I love the sense of community among many of the cosplayers out there. No matter our age, race, sex, crafting/sewing

skills. No matter if our costumes are handmade or store-bought ... it unites so many of us to others that are just like ourselves. In a lot of cases, just when we think we are alone or different.

materials to use, my painting technique and exactly how I wanted to assemble these beauties. My first set of eggs were triplets that are sitting in a nesting chest in a cosy, warm corner of our living room.

I really appreciate how the cosplay artists are especially supportive of each other. Assisting in ideas, resources, tutorials, material resources, etc....

I was so incredibly pleased with my new bebes and posted photos on my personal Facebook page as well as my cosplay page. Within a week, both inboxes were bombarded with requests to fill orders for birthdays and holiday gifts.

Since then, I fill all custom orders through my Gaelhunter Cosplay Facebook page.

But most of all I adore the creative freedom. To pick any character and persona, whether it be your own original design or your most favorite character of any genre and just ... be!!

How has cosplay changed/evolved since you first got involved?

I haven't been involved with cosplay very long by comparison to others. But I have definitely noticed an increase in interest as well as an increase in conventions. I've also noticed the intensity and detail of costumes and costume design is reaching incredible levels. I am amazed more and more by the skills and talents I am seeing out there every time I attend a convention.

This Midwinter and Spring marks my first appearances vending my dragon eggs at local conventions. I'm hoping it soars and allows me to commit to more conventions in the Summer and Autumn.

Last, rumor has it you are a dragon egg tender. What can you tell us about that?

My babies, yes!

I do create hand-cut and hand-painted Dragon Eggs. My boyfriend and I have an affinity for dragons. As I began to slowly incorporate replicas from our favorite television shows and video games into our home decor, I absolutely wanted to try to recreate eggs like those I have seen in many of my favorite fantasy movies and television series.

I took me a couple months of trial and error to get it exactly how I wanted it: to figure out the shape of the scales, what

Skyrim/Game of Thrones inspired cosplay by Gaelhunter Cosplay. Photo by: Circus Cat Designs.

- 29 -

- 30 -

Want to connect with Kael?

On my Pinterest page, people can follow 'work in progress' photos, many other photo shoot images as well as other folders I've created (Hobbitinspired recipes, Game of Thrones recipes, etc... Gaelhunter Cosplay (Kael Lampe) (kaellampe) I am also going to be launching a sister page to Gaelhunter Cosplay on Facebook in the Spring/Summer called Gaelhunter Hatchery, just for my dragon eggs. This will make it easier for people to place orders and keep up with vending events ;)

- 31 -

Behind Masks from HistoryOfMasks.net Masks are used for different reasons and can be divided into masks that are used for ritual reasons, for protection, disguise and entertainment.

Masks used for ritual reasons are probably the oldest. They appeared all over the world and, although they have similarities, they differ greatly.

African masks are carved of wood and decorated, and represent ancestors, animals (real and mythical) or people they are intended to honor. They are used in tribal dance rituals for connecting with spirits of ancestors or totem animals. In Oceania, they are used during activities of tribal secret societies while 6-meter high masks are used as a protection of evil spirits. In North America, Inuit groups and woodland tribes use so-called “False faces” for shamanic rituals of healing. In Ancient Egypt mask were used as death masks that depicted face of a deceased one so the soul could recognize the body and return to it.

Priests of Ancient Egypt also used masks that represented gods in rituals so they could embody their gods on Earth.

In China, shamanic masks were used to thank the gods and as a protection from evil spirits. They were also used in ceremonies of wedding, birth and death.

Masks for entertainment are used in theatre, opera and during carnivals and celebrations. Theatric masks were used in Ancient Greece. They were made out of organic materials: wood, leather or cork and had brass megaphone, where the mouth is, that would amplify voice of the actors so it could be heard. Chinese masks for - 32 -

opera were panted with specific color code that was in connection with the attributes of the character. In Indonesia, Topeng dancers wear masks while they interpret stories with their dance.

In Korea, masks were used in theatric plays that were sharp social commentary. Every year, Venice holds a Carnival that is characteristic by its m a s k s . Ve n i c e masks originate from the time in which, to have basic human freedoms, you had to wear a mask. Now masks are used for entertainment.

In some cases, it is difficult to draw a strict line between ritual use and use of masks in entertainment.

Some theatric uses have a ritual as well and vice versa.

Good examples of masks for disguise are masks in the time of Republic of Venice. In that time, Venice had very strict class hierarchy. People tried to avoid it by wearing stylish masks and with them hide, not so much their identity but their place in society and intermingle between classes.

Today masks for disguise, beside for carnivals and parties, are used by the army for camouflage, by criminals while perpetrating a crime, by protesters and other.

Protective masks are used to protect face from physical danger. They were used on helmets of knights in wars and on police helmets with riot gears. Gas masks are used as a protection from dangerous gases. In medicine oxygen masks are used to deliver oxygen to the patients and surgical masks to prevent exchange of infections between a doctor and a patient. Many sports use protective masks like hockey, paintball and fencing.

Heavy, metal masks were, in the older times, used as a method of punishment and shaming.

•

•

Ancient Greek’s masks that were used in theater had brass megaphones, where the mouth of mask is, to amplify what actors are talking.

Duk-duk and tubuan masks of New Guinea were used to intimidate other members of the tribe and enforce social codes.

•

“Moretta muta”, an oval mask that women wear for Carnival in Venice has no straps to be fastened to the head. Instead, it has a button on the inner side that is held in the mouth and with that mask is held to the face.

•

A star of Topeng dance from Indonesia can have 30 to 40 masks that are for his use only. No one else can use those masks because it is believed that it will offend spirits that reside in them. When Topang dancer dies, masks that he used are never moved from the place where they were at the moment of his death.

Famous “Medico della peste”, mask of Carnival in Venice is not a traditional mask used in carnival. It was introduced in the 20th century when the carnival was brought back after it was banned.

•

•

Ancient Egyptian death masks were made so the soul can recognize the body as well as help the deceased to be accepted by other divine immortals in the afterlife.

•

•

•

•

•

In Chinese opera all masks are color coded and every color describes personality of the character that mask represents. That way audience get better and faster picture about characters and their relationships.

In African tribes, mask wearing is reserved mostly for men. Even wearing of masks that represent female beauty.

Japanese theater Noh masks are made with such a skill that they can convey different emotions with expressions depending on angle in which mask is seen or on the light that falls on the mask -without moving parts.

After the end of Topeng dance, custom is that one of the jesters, that did storytelling, must rush into the crow, grab a child and take it behind the curtain.

There, a child would be given candies to share with his friends.

In Korea, mask dances were methods of entertainment but also an opportunity for satire and social commentary.

•

In wars and fights, masks were not only for protecting the face but also, if made for that purpose, methods of intimidating the enemy. That method is still used for some protective masks in some sports like hockey.

•

Masks were also used as methods of punishment or shaming as a punishment.

- 33 -

When the Moon grows large and it's rays turn to silver Young lovers are drawn by its call to the shimmering river.

There they embrace with their hearts aflutter.

Their eyes shiny portals to the depths of their souls.

There is nothing but their heartbeats, And then there is.

Standing in the mystic half light with his patched hooded cloak His gloves torn in some contest with unforgiving fate

Yet the starch in his grey waistcoat matches the sobriety of the white mask.

He entrap the lovers with a silken cord of voice, Weaves a tale of loss and sorrow like a cage around their forms And it's said that those with selfishness or no True Love in their hearts Are found in the cold morning in the river Floating lost down the stream.

- by Stephen Thompson Image: Call of Cthulhu from CardGameDB.com

- 34 -

Masquerade Pasta

INGREDIENTS • 1 lb. extra-lean ground beef • 3 cups water • 1 onion, finely chopped • 1 carrot, shredded • 1 zucchini, shredded • 1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce • 3 cups rotini pasta, uncooked • 1 cup KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided

DIRECTIONS 1.Brown meat in large skillet.

2.Stir in all remaining ingredients except cheese. Bring to boil; simmer on medium heat 20 min., stirring occasionally.

3.Stir in half the cheese; top with remaining cheese. time prep: 10 min total:45 min servings: 6 - 35 -

The Not-Soby Martin J. Manco The mask waits, empty eyes staring me down, from atop the folded costume and cape. The boots and gloves are crossed behind it, while the utility belt encircles them all, ready to be clasped on my hips.

My father wore it, and his father before him, when the first super powers emerged. Wars have been thwarted, countries redefined, and laws have been written, and faith has risen, thanks to this mask.

It has been burned, frozen, electrocuted, corroded, and shattered by countless battles.

It is, and has been, my burden, my identity, my trademark, my badge, my triumph.

With it, I can soar over the tallest building, outpace bullets, overpower locomotives, read the hidden thoughts of others, sense danger, master the martial arts, command the heavens, and play with fire.

- 36 -

Who am I without it? A billionaire playboy? A restless wanderer? A hated and feared mutant?

Who am I with it? A symbol? A clone? A legacy? A foe? A twodimensional 4-color caricature?

Some hate this mask, and want to see it destroyed… or worse, to see me in a black mask like theirs.

Some, reporters, pretty faces, and serial slash fic writers want to re-make me as their creature, keeping only the mask, with nothing behind it - none of my dreams, hopes, breath, and heartbeat.

Some, though well meaning, can’t seem to help themselves, forcing me to don the mask to save them from their own bad judgment… and all manner of thugs, ne’er-dowells, and supervillains.

Do I wear the mask, and obey the stories written for me by my ancestors, my love interests, my sidekicks, my enemies, the government, the press, and countless others I will never meet?

-Comic Mask Do I put it aside, and live my life as a reporter, photographer, scientist, billionaire, teenager?

Do I wear the mask, and lash out at expectations, act as brutal and dangerous as I need to, inciting fear, so that few can tell the difference between me and the real villains, except that I am only trying to make the world a better place… just like they are?

Do I put it aside, and let someone else, a sidekick, my child, my lover, or a complete stranger take up the heavy responsibility and perhaps give up everything I love about them?

Do I wear the mask, if only to be something more than the equally faceless people teaming down below in the busy streets? Do all people wear masks, and mine is only the most flamboyant?

Can I wear the mask and be all the things I am? Does the mask restrict me to one role… or allow me to take on many? Have I only been restricting myself, refusing to use the mask’s true power: its potential?

They say that heroes are the ones who make sacrifices, but do I truly need to sacrifice myself? Or do heroes really make choices, no matter how difficult, and still choose to do the right thing?

Is that what the mask really does, letting me be free to live my life, while still having the anonymity, the power, and the duty to save the day?

Can I return the favor, and give it life and personality and inspiration and mobility? Can I be a hero, not only to the innocents, victims, and fans, but to an otherwise inanimate costume?

There it is. The phone call. The spotlight signal. The computer alert. The world needs me… not just the mask, but the mutant, animal, alien, android, demigod or mere mortal behind it.

It’s time to decide.

I take a deep breath, pick up the mask, and put it on.

- 37 -

Masquerade Cocktail

from AustralianFood.com for Sanndi Thompson

Ingredients

Directions

• 45 ml citrus-infused vodka • 15 ml apple Schnapps

1. Half fill a cocktail shaker full of ice, add the vodka, schnapps & juices.

• 30 ml watermelon juice • 15 ml apple juice • 1 dash lime juice • ice - 38 -

2. Shake vigorously & strain into a chilled martini glass.

Servings: 1

Learn volumes about who you really are by immersing yourself in a siren archetype persona: Genie, Mermaid, Flapper, Faerie, Courtesan, Gypsy, Naiad, Dryad, Geisha, et cetera

MYTHIC ADVENTURES — take a vacation from the ordinary

F ANTASY F ITNESS

S IREN S OIREES

— work out like no one’s watching

— parties with purpose

SIREN SCHOOL — where education is an adventure in self-discovery - 39 -

The Grand Valentine Masque

by Lyle Dagnen The weak, wintry sun barely warmed the room as it shown through the windows of the setting room Grandmother was so very fond of using for afternoon tea. He waited by the fire, warming his hands and his backside at the same time. Had he been in his country home, he would have been wearing warmer clothes than the formal visiting clothes he wore when in town.

He wasn't fond of town. He preferred to be at his house in the country with his books, his horses, and his privacy. He knew why Grandmother had summoned him. The only reason he came in answer to her summons was that he loved her so dearly. She was kind to him, she understood, but she also insisted that he come out of his reclusive habits and do his duty—a duty he wasn't interested in doing. Not one wit.

He'd as soon wear a kilt in a blizzard as attend social functions and dance with the airheaded heiresses who were after his title and his money. Besides, he had found the one woman that he'd ever love. She had died doing her duty of giving him an heir, taking their tiny son with her when she left the earth.

He could not believe that the pain could still make his eyes smart so and his chest feel so damned heavy and painful. He straightened his shoulders and cleared his throat. The

rattle of a tea tray, accompanied by the chatter of Grandmother as she entered the room, gained his attention. She was in a talking mood.

‘Damn,’ he thought, and he sighed, ready to do battle again with the old woman who was so very dear to his heart.

The Grand Valentine Masque was at hand, it was her favorite of all the social functions of the year. She had met his grandfather there.

His mother and father had met at the ball; they had unfortunately died when their carriage slid from the icy road going home, drowning them both in the river. He considered the damn thing a portent of doom rather than luck and happiness.

He had met Julianna there and had fallen quite hopelessly in love with her the very first time he had seen her. It was a hallmark dance for the family; Grandmother declared there was magic in the air. It had been ten years since he attended the ball; ten years since Julianna died. Ten years since the child they had both longed for had been buried with his mother. Ten years since he had buried his heart with both of them. He was thirty years old and Grandmother had decided that he was to once again enter society, choose a bride and produce an heir. She had [continued on p. 55]

- 40 -

Masks That I Wear

by Bonnie Ramsburg I’d have to say that I started wearing masks in elementary school. That’s were I first learned to hide my feelings. Simply so the bullies didn’t know how much it really bothered me when they called me names, or picked on me for some other reason.

Watching “Bambi” during the ‘formative’ years resulted in the mask of silence. Little Thumper said it, and he was one of my favorites, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” I’m abrupt and brusque in my speaking when I’m upset. I know this about myself, so if you have done or said something that I think is stupid or shouldn’t have been said or done, and it requires my to answer to be polite or subtle, more than likely, I won’t speak at all. It keeps the peace and keeps me out of trouble for telling you just how dumb whatever was.

Having Bi-Polar hasn’t helped any with wearing masks either. The highs are high, the lows are low, and when I’m extremely low, it’s the worst. I’m either more easily angered or experiencing bouts of sadness, to the extent that if some one asks me what’s wrong, that’s when I use the mask of, “I’m just tired.”

Because there isn’t anything really wrong, even though I may feel like crying; but nothing’s right either. And really, nobody understands what you feel or what you try to say unless they’ve been there themselves.

Then there are the masks I wear at work. I work retail and have done so since I was eighteen years old, and I’ve been in my present job for sixteen and a half years. Due to different situations, I’ve been car-less more than I’ve had a car during this time. My transportation has usually been my family.

When they would pick me up from work, the first question out of their mouth would be, “Why do you look so angry?”

My answer has always varied. But the truth of the matter is, my funny, cheerful and nice side gets used up in dealing with the public on a daily basis. I hardly have any thing left over for myself, let alone my family (thankfully, there are no kids in the house).

My family sees the masks of anger, short temperedness, unpleasantness, meanness and the attitude. My customers see the masks of happiness, the patience of Job, pleasantness, silliness and fun loving. They don’t believe me when I tell them that I’m not always that way. Even my co-workers don’t believe me, until they see it of course.

Then I’m “mean and not nice,” but they’ve usually pushed my buttons to that point; and if I’ve been telling them the truth about it for a while, how come they’re all of a sudden surprised by my actions?

I continue to wear the masks of daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece and friend. Even these masks aren’t completely see-through.

And they never will be. That’s just how it is when you’ve worn a mask for so long. It becomes such a part of you, you don’t even recognize yourself if you ever remove it.

- 41 -

Avocado Mask Appetizer

from Hungry Happenings

Ingredients: • • • •

• • • •

2 - 8 ounce blocks cream cheese, softened 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 8 ounces Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded 1-2 tablespoons taco seasoning (season it to your taste) 1 fresh mozzarella cheese roll 1/2 cup guacamole or pureed avocado* 2 slices cucumber 1 roasted red pepper

*If you are using store bought or fresh guacamole, strain it through a fine mesh stainer to remove all of the chunky bits

Special Equipment Needed: • plastic female face mask • food handling gloves, optional

Instructions: 1. Wash the face mask with warm soapy water. Dry. Line it with a piece of plastic wrap.

2. In a bowl combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, Monterrey Jack cheese, and taco seasoning. Stir well to combine. I like to put on some food handling gloves and just mash it all together using my hands.

Press the cheese mixture into the face mask. Smooth out the top surface then fold the plastic wrap up over the cheese and smooth out even more. You can, if you want, refrigerate the cheese ball for up to a week. You want to decorate it close to the time you serve it.

3. If you want to decorate it now, just un-mold it and set it on a serving platter. The woman's skin will be very wrinkled. Use your finger to smooth away the wrinkles (wouldn't it be great if that worked in real life?)

4. Unroll the mozzarella cheese roll onto a cutting board. The two ends of the roll wont open up too flat, - 42 -

but you will easily be able to cut out a 10"-12" piece of flat cheese. Cut that piece in half lengthwise. The underside of the cheese, although wrinkled, is much more smooth than the top side. Flip both slices of cheese over and make sure the top side shows when placed on the face. It will really look like a towel.

5. Pick up one strip of cheese and set it at a diagonal across the left side of the face. Press the cheese up against the head. You want to form the cheese around the top and side of the head then cut off the excess cheese. Lay the second piece of cheese in the opposite diagonal direction across the right side of the face and repeat the process.

6. Spread guacamole or pureed avocado over the face.

I think I would have liked my face a little better had I left more of it exposed. Try to spread the guacamole in an oval over the face, leaving some of the pale orange cheese ball showing. Place cucumber slices over the eyes. Cut lips out of roasted red pepper and place on face.

7. Serve. If you wont serve right away, don't add the green guacamole face mask. If you need to have it ready early, see the pictures below for other green mask options that can be refrigerated.

8.

Egg White Yogurt Facial MasK mini spa treatment!

from Genevieve Poston

• 2 Egg whites • 2 Tablespoons of PLAIN greek yogurt 1. Mix well and apply.

2. Gently massage into face.

3. Wait 5-10 minutes (but no more then 15 or it might start to feel icky).

4. Rinse with warm water and then follow with a nice warm washcloth scented with a few drops of relaxing essential oil. (Leave on till it gets cold.)

5. OPTIONAL STEP: take an ice cube and run it over your face and pat dry.

This will snap pores nice and tightly closed.

6. Follow with a light layer of moisturizing coconut oil to lock in the moisture.

- 43 -

Character,, Transformation & Pageantry

‘Vasilisa the Beautiful’ cosplay image: Jamileh Miller, of Illusion Studioz Photography

- 44 -

Maryna Matlock spends her days propounding the joys of English literature and fairy tales to young students. Her after hours are another story — a story peopled with comic book heroes, crafty villains, and a troop of Disney personalities.

She took a break from grading papers and gluing sequins to whisk us behind the scenes in a world where two-dimensional characters come to walking, talking, flesh and bone life.

At what stage of life did you get into cosplay?

I’ve been involved with different aspects of fashion and costume design for what feels like my whole life—from pulling scraps of sequined fabric out of a dress-up trunk to hand-stitching my own wardrobe for a junior high drama project, from sketching out designs for my newest pageant gown to fixing crystals across the bodice of my competition dress for the next figure skating competition. Halloween in my family has never been merely a day—it’s a production. And my friends and I continue to structure birthdays, holidays, and sundry other wacky get-togethers in ways that allow us to continue “playing dress-up.” Probably, though, I first recognized a transition from costuming to cosplaying in my freshman year of college when I volunteered to work a local children’s event as Cinderella. My costume was cobbled together of various existing pieces from my closet that my mom and I reworked: the poufy sleeves from a shimmery top, a satin skirt from a piano recital of long ago, a bejeweled choker from a past figure skating routine. It was a blast to work creatively with my mom on this project, and she has remained involved in each of my subsequent creations—just as she always has been, since the very first Halloween costume. Sometimes, she even cosplays herself!

How would you define cosplay to someone who knows nothing about it?

If you show up for a party dressed like a character, but you’re still speaking and acting like yourself, then you’re just wearing a costume. When you become the costume, when you embody the character as you would were you playing a theatrical part, that’s when, to my mind at least, costume becomes cosplay.

- 45 -

How many characters do you currently play?

How do you choose a character to portray?

I play a different number of characters every year—it just depends what groups my friends and I decide to form and which conventions I end up attending. If an event lasts three days, I will play a minimum of three different characters over the course of that particular con. I consistently play one character at every convention, though, and that’s Ariel, from Disney’s The Little Mermaid. I’ve lost track of how many variations of Ariel costumes I’ve accumulated—nine? ten?—and I’m always thinking about the next one! For the “girl who has everything,” Ariel didn’t even have that many costume changes in the original movie!

But that’s precisely what’s so fun and endlessly inspiring about cosplay—being able to take something that already exists and put your own signature on it. Like Ariel’s, my collection is never quite complete!

As an ardent Disneyphile, playing a Disney character is a given for me. If I’m left to my own devices, I will always show up as some princess or villain from the Disney oeuvre. My friends and I have come to acquire our own cosplay group identity, as well, so we’ll often collaborate on certain sets—like characters from DC or Marvel Comics. Last year, we channeled a rather obscure trio of Victorian women from the NBC television series Dracula that nobody recognized—even though we had those telltale lightbulbs to illuminate the reference. (Groan. That was a pretty terrible pun.)

How would you describe the cosplay community?

Passionate, talented, vibrant, and encouraging are the words that immediately come to mind.

The spirit of a con buzzes with the enthusiasm of fans and cosplayers, all of whom are bound

image: Jamileh Miller, of Illusion Studioz Photography

- 46 -

What characters are you planning to inhabit next?

Before stumbling upon the wonderfully wacky world of cosplay, I circled in a different world altogether—pageantry.

I have dozens of gowns just lying about, growing velvety with dust. Right now, my project is to upcycle my closet—to give all those musty ghosts new lives as cosplay pieces.

Naturally, I’ve preserved a handful of gowns that have accumulated strong sentimental value from my former pageant life, but the rest will be playfully recommissioned. Some gowns have to be totally restructured: one icy blue dress, strewn with thirty pounds of crystals and beads, will be transformed with sheer sleeves and a glittering train to become Elsa’s iconic Frozen gown (after all, Queen Elsa certainly saunters like a pageant queen!).

Other gowns merely need a few tweaks to image: Jamileh Miller, of Illusion Studioz Photography Three distinct takes on The Little Mermaid

by their admiration for art— the art of comics or of film, of television or of animation, or simply of the creative enterprise itself. In addition to providing a venue for the celebration of art, of course, I think conventions also (and maybe even primarily) provide a forum to celebrate the fans and their expressive ingenuity. You know how, when you catch those red carpet award shows, the reporters are always asking the celebrity arrivals, “Who are you wearing?” The question at cons seems to be, “What are you wearing?

How did you make that?” Attendants are truly interested in one another, and genuinely fascinated by the process of creation. The air is electric, zipping with energy and crepitating with the power of imagination. There’s nothing else quite like it!

image: Jamileh Miller, of Illusion Studioz Photography

- 47 -

be effective: my cosplay of Anastasia’s sapphire opera gown from the 20th Century Fox animated film was complete simply with the addition of a shimmering Watteau train and a pair of long white gloves. In addition to Elsa’s dress, I’m also upcycling other gowns for Ariel and—you know what? It’s just occurred to me I have something that would make for an excellent Yzma! Thanks, La Vie Sirene!

What's the most amazing cosplay you've ever seen?

It’s impossible to choose—but I’m a sucker for spectacle, so the more outlandish the costumes, the better! At last year’s C2E2 in Chicago, I was blown away by a duo cosplaying as Alien and Predator. However, my favorite cosplay from that event was a different species of extraterrestrial altogether: Experiment 626. My brilliantly talented friend spent that Saturday sweltering inside her - 48 -

handmade Stitch costume (from Disney’s Lilo and Stitch).

She had to endure those galumphing booties, that stifling fur suit, and the ponderous papier-mâché head all afternoon as our group meandered around the convention floor, guiding our beloved Stitch by the glove and trying not to get ourselves (or others) impaled by the fluffy alien’s protruding ears. My friend’s design was technically aweinspiring, no doubt—but the adoration it inspired in the event attendees is the reason Stitch is the most amazing cosplay I’ve witnessed. I’ve never seen anything like the way everyone—kids and adults alike—went wild over Stitch. Everybody wanted a hug and a picture and another hug again, and our Stitch delighted each and every request. It must have been sweltering inside that giant blue suit, but Stitch never turned anyone away.

That’s what cosplay is all about—sharing what you love and sharing in smiles.

Has cosplay taught you anything about yourself? And if so, what?

It might seem paradoxical, but I firmly believe that “being someone else” through cosplay teaches you more about becoming your own truer self than it does anything else. As an English teacher, I’m often talking to my students about the power of story—about the resonance traditional tales (like myths and fairy tales) lend our lives. I’m not the most resolute of Joseph Campbell’s proselytes by any means, but I do believe the mythologist was right when he recognized that young people “just grab this stuff”—everybody does. We are all, always, hungry for story. In a sense—and to paraphrase Jeanette Winterson (who, I should clarify, was not talking about costumes!)

—imaginatively inserting ourselves into archetypal narrative structures helps us to fulfill certainly necessary roles in our own lives, to be our own heroes.

By donning a cosplay persona, you take charge of the representation, you take control of an identity—

not only the character’s, but your own. And as Winterson goes on to note, that mastery cultivates self-confidence, not only empowering but inspiring us to contribute meaningfully to the community.

I see this microcosmically every semester, when I encourage my students to DisneyBound in class. Bounding is a little like cosplay-lite: bounders do not don a costume but rather channel a character through their own casual, quotidian outfits that are somehow allusive (perhaps through cut or color) to the target character. We take our inspiration from the DisneyBound Tumblr blog, but we also open up the field to non-Disney characters, as well.

Amazingly, this activity has come to be one of the strongest tools in my pedagogical arsenal, as it allows students to express themselves while sharing what they love in a fun and welcoming environment—in short, a cosplay environment. The activity encourages students to bring their authentic selves to the classroom and to recognize the inherent value of

Follow Maryna’s cosplay troop Creeptopolis on Facebook - 49 -

everything they have to contribute—from their opinions to their intellectual passions.

After Bounding Day, the sense of community in our classroom positively blossoms. The experience is a revelation for all of us, and students continue to talk about the impact this experience has had on them long after they’ve finished the course.

Do you have favorite cosplayers?

Teachers are always saying that we don’t “play favorites” (even though some of us may secretly pick them!).

My classroom is a favorites-free zone, but I’ll readily admit to my own bias in the cosplay arena. Firstly, my friends—my buds, my cheerleaders and therapists, my wizards and geniuses, my Creeptopolites (you know who you are!).

Cosplay would feel so hollow if it weren’t filled with our friendship and wild antics—not to mention our resplendent sartorial successes and disastrous debacles!

And secondly, while I don’t follow any particular cosplayers outside of those in my own circle, I frequently turn to various fashion designers and costume artists for inspiration. Etsy is a fantastic forum to search for and follow some truly amazing designers—particularly when it comes to Disney-themed cosplay. But the biggest, loudest, and most obnoxious shoutout I can m u s t e r belongs to Cassie, my personal fairy godmother of Glimmerwood.

I want to wear everything she has ever dreamt up— every day, if possible. (No one will care if I show up to class looking like Tinker Bell, right?

T h e r e ’ s nothing in the dress code Lulu from the video game Final Fantasy X cosplay

- 50 -

about wings!) I’m thrilled to say that Cassie has leant her pixie dust and her exquisite touch to one of my own dream dresses, which I’ll be debuting later this year.

What's your dream cosplay character?

Ideally? My dream cosplay opportunity is to audition for the Walt Disney Company and be selected to, essentially, “cosplay full-time” as a face character at a Disney park. Every time I’m out in costume and can’t take a single step for the throng of children that seem to materialize right out of the air to cluster around my feet and to reach up for a hug, I’ve gotten a taste of what performing as a face character at the Disney parks must feel like—and I am thoroughly convinced it must be the best feeling in the world.

This year, I had the opportunity to visit Disneyland at Halloween— one of the few occasions on which adults may be admitted to the park in costume—and the experience was nothing short of breathtaking.

Standing spellbound in the enchanted glow of Sleeping Beauty’s castle and arrayed in the sumptuous velvets and twinkling crystals of Elsa’s coronation gown, I felt like I was part of something inexpressibly special—I felt like I was part of the magic.

I get chills just remembering it! The best part, of course, were the fluttering shrieks of little girls as they rocketed towards me—always preceded by a dazzling smile to light their way. I returned each of their overjoyed tears and eager little hugs that night with some of my own, and I still carry the precious thrill of those moments in my heart. Even out of costume, I am constantly approached by children who are convinced I’m Elsa and who follow me around the grocery store like my personal entourage of shadow ducklings! So, needless to say, auditioning has been on my mind more often than not these days, and the possibility of working for the Disney Company in this capacity would be a literal dream-come-true. In the meantime, I’ll continue doing the very next best thing. In the meantime, I’ll slip on an icy gown or nestle a dinglehopper into my bag. And I’ll keep on singing that song, the promise that’s taken up residence in my heart: “Watch and you’ll see / Someday I’ll be / Part of your world!”

‘Fitcher’s Bird’ fairy tale cosplay

image: Jamileh Miller, of Illusion Studioz Photography

- 51 -

MARTIN #2

The Trials and Tribulations

of Baba Yaga

image by Monkhooroi Solongo

by Martin J. Manco Each Halloween, I try and come up with a costume that is so incredible even people who don't know whom or what I'm supposed to be are impressed if only by the look and work. The problem with such high standards is that you often have to come up with something wildly different each time.

I was walking through a costume shop, looking for inspiration, when I saw some decorations around the house, like odd fences and tattered curtains. My mind flashed to the fence and hut of Baba Yaga, the witch who is practically everywhere in Russian fairytales, and her chicken-footed hut. I realized I had to do this, like a holy mission.

While I'd say the project over all was a success, I had a number of fails along the way to making my Baba Yaga costume. First, I - 52 -

decided to construct her hut (to be worn in a modified sandwich board manner) out of science fair project posterboard, but I despite my measurements, when I started cutting and assembling the hut, it immediately started to go wrong. I ended up with slanted walls, and the back wall attached more awkwardly to the ceiling than the front wall. "Ok," I thought, "... It is supposed to look ramshackle, so this is fine."

Then I started running out of the red trim for the roof and sides, and it was the last they'd had in stock and it was the day before the costume party. So I chose not to use it on the back of the hut.

Then, while I found some amazing bird feet shoe covers for the chicken feet, I couldn't find bird or reptile style pants anywhere closer than the U.K., so I ended up wearing slacks.

Then I spent all evening using glitter paints to decorate the sides of the hut with scenes, objects, and creatures from Russian fairytales, including the emerald heart of Katschei the Deathless inside the egg inside the goose inside the hare inside the box inside the tree, on an island; the three headed Gorynych dragon; the Firebird eating the golden fruit in a tree; and the Little Humpbacked son of the Mare of the North Wind, flying through the sky. Everything was going fine, until I was nearly finished, only to realize that the heart was supposed to be inside a needle inside the egg! I managed to barely squeeze a needle with a huge eye into my painting and, though it looked awkward, it would do.

The next morning, however, I checked it... and a lot of the paint hadn't dried! I ended up spreading it out, making any texture clumps become glittery hazes, and got ready to go to the party... ...only to find out that the hut was wider than my car doors! I managed to wiggle it inside with some agonizing squeals of the posterboard, and drove off to the party, where I had to take it out of the car without breaking it... I somehow managed that feat and made my way inside.

image from Mr. P’s Mythopedia

need to reconsider the distance and quality of Halloween parties if I'm going to go all out again (and knowing me, I likely will).

The party was packed, with no room for a witch to maneuver her house. With many, many "Excuse Mes" and apologies, I made it to the back porch where my host was amazed by the costume, much to my delight and relief.

Then, about five minutes after that, the straps holding the hut over my shoulders came loose from the glue, the extra layer of posterboard, and the staples I'd used to attach them, meaning I had to hold the house by the front gate as I looked out the window in my black and white wig, babushka, and apron.

Later, I had to squeeze the hut back into the car, and get it out again after driving home... only to have to do the same thing the next night at a (much less packed) bar party, where the drag queen hostess, after being told who I was supposed to be, announced over the microphone that I was Baba Yaga, a Russian fairytale character, and that the boy sitting at the bar whose "costume" was a red Soviet flag t-shirt, had, if representing the Soviet Union, had slaughtered my entire family.

Sigh.

I did get the very battered costume home that night, and I am proud of the work, but still, I think next year I - 53 -

Disney Showcase Couture De Force Masquerade series,

by Enesco

- 54 -

[continued from p. 40]

decided it was time. He wasn't so sure; he was sure he'd rather be in the country with his horses and his books. He could no longer use the excuse of being in mourning for his parents or Julianna. The Duchess had him and she knew it; so did he.

“Ian,” she greeted, turning her cheek up to be kissed. He did so out of love not a sense of duty.

“So good of you to come and join me at tea.”

The old lady was in her glory pouring tea. He'd much prefer a mug of it with a bit of scotch lacing the cream, but his grandmother handed out tiny cups and no hard spirits. She was prepared to pour his second cup by the time she had hers prepared.

“Now shall we talk?” she said as she passed a plate of cakes for him to select a morsel.

He wondered if ladies ever ate more than a tiny bite of anything. Rather than begin with a disparaging statement, he filled his mouth with butter cake and chewed while she continued with her statements. “I think it is long past the time for you to join us once again at the Valentine Masque.”

She took a sip of tea, he finished his second cup. She took his cup and poured another, passing him more cakes. “You might as well stop stuffing cakes into you mouth for I shall not take no as an answer this time.

You are the heir to all of this, and Grandfather is more than willing to pass on the title to you. He and I wish to retire and enjoy our old age. But you must marry and we do need an heir.”

How many times had he heard this. He had grown up knowing that he would marry and produce an heir. Grandfather retire? The old man could outrun him; no way he was going to settle into old age. But when Julianna had died and their child had followed so soon after his mother, he had been so devastated that he had

withdrawn from all of the social doings of his prominent family.

Grandmother had stood guard on his solitude for five years. Anyone who dared say a word to him about his duty had to face the old woman.

Then both of his parents had died, leaving the responsibility of inheriting the title and securing an heir to the title up to him. Members of the family, that ran high into girls, learned that they had rather keep their opinions to themselves.

Grandmother might be a tiny woman, but there had never been a warrior more fierce when it came to protecting her grandson. He was grateful for all she had done; he had to admit that he did owe her.

There had been Grandfather who had five sisters. Then Grandfather and Grandmother had his father and three sisters and his father who had him and his four sisters.

There were plenty of grandchildren, lots of family—just no heir. That singular effort was his job.

For her, he would attend the infernal Valentine Masque. He would dance with the giddy fluffs of feathers and flowers, then he would go home and forget about it until the next year. Could it be he was dooming the family to extinction? He hardly thought so; there were grandsons among the many children who would do nicely.

“Yes, Grandmother, I'll attend the masque.”

His quick acquiescence immediately raised her suspicions. But two could play this game and she had years more practice at the game than Ian had.

“Thank you, dear Ian,” she smiled pouring him another cup of tea. ‘Yes,’ she thought, ‘I have just the one for you.’ “Could you put some more wood in to build up the fire please?” [continued on p. 67

- 55 -

What happens at a masked ball stays at a masked ball Drunken Shrimp & Melon Salad from Culinary Connection

• •

Salt and pepper to taste lettuce or watercress

•

1 fresh lime, halved

Ingredients • 1/2 pound medium-size shrimp, shelled and cleaned • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice Dressing • 1 1/2 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar • 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion • 2 tablespoons chopped chives • 1 teaspoon minced Jalapeno chile pepper • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano • 3 tablespoons olive oil • 1 tablespoon tequila (optional) • 1/3 cup seeded, diced cucumber • 1/3 cup finely diced jicama • 1/3 cup diced red bell pepper • 2 cups canteloupe melon, cut into 1 inch cubes

- 56 -

Directions 1. Combine shrimp with lime juice.

Refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Combine all ingredients except oil.

3. Gradually add oil, whisking in until blended.

4. Just before serving, drain shrimp, then mix with cucumber, jicama, red pepper and canteloupe.

5. Add dressing and toss gently until combined.

6. Add salt and pepper to taste.

7. Line a bowl or platter with watercress.

8. Spoon shrimp mixture over the watercress and squeeze juice of lime halves over top.

9. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

The Life of an Unworn Hat

by Bonnie Ramsburg I was once nothing but a plain sun visor.

I wasn’t looking to become anything more than that plain sun visor. I was happy, waiting to be bought and worn when some lovely lady needed to protect her fair complexion from the sun’s rays during the summer.

But then She walked into my life. I didn’t know how She would change my life, but She bought several of my brethren and myself at the same time. She took us home and left us to languish in darkness for what seemed like an eternity.

Then there was light! I heard Her speaking about something called “Mardi Gras.” Of course I had no idea what it was all about, but it sounded like something amazing was afoot!

The next thing I know, I was placed on a table beside some odd looking items. I was handled most roughly as I was twisted and turned about and those odd items were held against me in one configuration or another. That was embarrassing enough, especially when I heard terms such as “hot glue, feathers, beads and roses.” Then the real torture began, as I soon found out what pain was. She used the most inhumane torture devices on my fabric, applying the hot glue in copious amounts and then sticking the feathers on in a premeditated

fashion. The roses were and beads were added, and then She said, “I think it’s done!”

She placed me on Her head and looked in the mirror. I didn’t recognize myself! I went from being a plain sun visor to an exciting party hat!

I couldn’t wait to see what happened at this “Mardi Gras” She was still talking about!

But alas, I was never worn again after the pictures were taken. I was returned to the darkness, where I have been for four years; my brethren have shunned me, as they still remain plain sun visors. I heard Her once mention that she had plans for some friends to use my brethren and make exciting party hats out of them too. I haven’t told them this news, I don’t wish to get their hopes up and then have even more animosity aimed in my direction because it doesn’t happen in a timely fashion.

I still hold out hope that one day I will see this “Mardi Gras” party that was mentioned. Will it be fun do you think? Will I enjoy myself? Will I even want to be there? The questions keep piling up and I have no answers!

But I do know one thing for sure.

I don’t know how much longer I can remain an Unworn Hat.

- 57 -

The Skydiving Mask

by Martin J. Manco It was my ex-boyfriend’s birthday, and we were going to meet at a bar for karaoke with other mutual friends.

The breakup had been long and complicated and I really, really don’t want to go into it right now, but it was mutual, and he at least claimed he wanted to go back to being friends.

So, I put on my best face, and began to make a gift for him: a mask.

After a couple trips to Venice, Italy, each of which culminated in the purchase of a beautiful Carnivale mask, I’d decided to try my hand at mask making. I’d found blank paper maché masks at the local craft store, gotten some acrylic paints, and ribbons to slide into the holes on either side of the mask, and gotten plenty of compliments on my work. But what, I wondered, would be an ideal mask for a guy who inspired such mixed feelings? What would show my willingness to be his friend, if he truly needed one, without being in poor taste or playing on memories of our relationship?

He ran throughout high school but hadn’t done so since then. He liked fantasy and comics and games like I did, but he was more popular and less interested in nerding out than I. He was handsome, but not vain about it, and his sense of humor was sharper and more cruel than I would have liked, but he himself was gentle. He hugged me (and still does) as if his world depended on it, but I knew he’d been with other guys since we’d broken up, and wasn’t interested in getting back together. He was out of the closet as well, but he’d never once taken me to visit his home, or introduced me to his family or friends, even after attending - 58 -

my birthday dinner. He was an active and competitive ballroom dancer, and taught lessons on weekends, when he wasn’t away at tournaments. He got very stressed, and tried to channel it towards work or other activities (like dancing competitions or karaoke singing), and he only had one method of releasing that stress… skydiving.

Something about leaping out of a plane and plummeting to the ground allowed him to relax and have fun the way nothing else did.

I sometimes wonder if the act was similar to the mindset of subspace. But there was a problem: with our Mid-Atlantic winters, there was almost half a year where the weather was too cold or stormy for skydiving planes to take off. His stress would build up and he’d wear himself out, and nothing seemed to help.

So I had my idea… I would make a skydiving mask for him. Not one that he could wear during skydiving (I imagine goggles of some sort would be better suited for that, after all, and there is no way I’d attempt to replace professional equipment with a decorative costume accessory), but a mask that showed his

skydiving identity when he wore it. I had the idea that I could paint both sides, with the face of the mask showing the sky and clouds, and the back of the mask, where his face would go, showing the ground he’d be falling towards. I got to work.

My first step was a trip to the craft store, where I selected a blank domino mask, some sky blue ribbon with glitter sewn into it, like the starry sky. Next, I selected the acrylic paints I’d need to decorate it: gray, black, light blue, various shades of green and tan. I couldn’t find any fake gems or feathers or ornaments that would suit his style, not even any tiny planes or parachutes, so I kept it simple.

Once back home at my “worktable,” with newspaper spread out, a selection of brushes, a cup of water to dip the brushes into for cleaning, and a pallet, I began to paint. I worked on the front first, mixing together various shades of blue to get a perfect sky color, and painting the mask’s surface, leaving fluffy spots of white for the clouds. I mixed several shades of white and gray and black and blue to make plane smoke trails, and liked them so much that I replaced the white clouds with gray ones on one half of the mask. In black, I painted planes flying across the left side of the mask, trailing smoke. On the forehead, I combined the alchemical symbols for air and earth (to represent falling from the sky to the ground), making a black diamond

split by three horizontal lines. That completed one side, and so I rinsed the brushes and changed the water while I waited for the front to dry.

Soon it was time to begin the back. Flipping the now-dry mask over, I pulled up google maps, looked up the address of the skydiving school my friend attended, and plugged the address into google. Once the map came up, I switched the viewing style over to “Earth” mode and got a view of the actual terrain. And from there, I started painting many shades of green into fields, with more barren swatches of land, stitched together by black roads.

Soon, the mask-map was fully painted, the front divided between pristine sky and smoke-trailing aerial acrobatics, while the back gleamed in shattered shades of green, roughly matching the same sight my friend would see as he looked down in his descent. I strung the starry ribbons through each side of the mask, and it was done…

It’s odd how making something for someone provides an almost meditative insight into their personality… and our own.

Something about each brushstroke and mingling of paint seemed to be washing away a bit more of my confusion and mixed feelings about him, replaced by gentle optimism and a sense of “it’s for the best.”

Many of us fall, whether in love or by mistakes (and so often, the two are the same), but the same balance allows us to fly.

As for the mask, I presented it to him, and he enjoyed it. I found out he wore it to a Halloween dance competition and he still keeps it, which makes my heart feel like it’s soaring… like I did something right, and it made a friend happy. And that power to make something from a relationship that crashed and burned is pretty magical, if you think about it.

- 59 -

Mythology of Masked Heroes

by Jencel Aprille Mythology is a significant aspect to explain the life of past times. Civilizations that historians still try to fully understand today are only analyzed through artifacts and records. The Ancient Greeks were one of the most influential civilizations in history, and historians find evidence of their lives through their monuments, the temples, the art, their religion.

Religion, foremost, reflect how ancient Greeks explained their surroundings, their unknown.

Stories of Prometheus, Zeus, Apollo, Medusa, Theseus are mythic stories that give explanation to how things were the way they were. Legends like the tale of King Midas was told to teach society moral lessons about greed and desire. All in all, myths were created to elaborate the human condition and to educate society of the right and wrong.

T o d a y , that matched mythological created to a n o t h e r

- 60 -

superheroes the power of gods were p r o v i d e

perspective of the human condition. Times have changed and technology is more advanced, yet there are still many concepts that is difficult to understand so we revert back to magic. Tales of a flying man in a cape, a man gaining powers through a radioactive spider, someone running faster than the speed of sound entertained the minds of many children and adults alike. But the idea of superheroes is more than just entertainment. The unrealistic universe that these extraordinary creatures were created came from a simpler origin: reality. They reflect historic events and also human elements that can be beneficial in understanding society. However, the superhero culture has been left more to entertain than to educate. Fewer and fewer people are reading comic books and superheroes are degraded into nothing but bodies in flashy costumes. If readers were to see that there are certain realistic human aspects that inspired authors to create superheroes and be seen as a respectable genre of literature and media then it would provide an effective and educational role model for society.

The creation of superheroes all started out with an author and a pen. Before the making of its graphic format, authors would write the plot, the storyline down on a paper and with for every author, there must be an inspiration.

Before their characters don a suit or a cape, before they could fly or turn invisible, they have to find their inspiration for their human

beginnings. Then, authors and artist will focus on that one certain human element and exaggerate it, emphasize it to the extraordinary levels. Human concepts and emotions are very complex and abstract concepts that only experts can fully explain and understand. But what these authors and artists are doing is to provide a tangible explanation for the unknown.

They take something that is so nonconcrete and raise it to a hyper-realistic world in hope that a reader can see at least an ounce of reality in it. Along with the vision of making it entertaining to readers, there is also the idea of explain and educate.

One of the most well-known superheroes in history is Marvel’s Captain America. The idea of the patriotic hero sparked during the 1940s, the World War II era. Captain America was first written for the political agenda, to provide propaganda against Nazi Germany and the War back in the home front. Creators Joe Simon and Jack Kirby felt it was necessary to make such a character in hope to defeat the rising power of the Nazis: “The opponents to the war were all quite well organized. We wanted to have our say too” (Wright 36). They created Steve Rogers, a man too weak and unhealthy to enlist in the army, to be chemically enhanced into a super soldier. He instilled great nationalism to the people in the universe and also the readers. He inspired children and adults to have a strong sense of right and wrong, and perseverance. The star-spangled hero also symbolized in a kind of leader that everyone looks up to. Moreover, Steve Rogers/ Captain America was a soldier who saw the depth of war and also saw that his own government had faults too. Beyond the nationalistic idealism he instilled, he realized that his own nation that gave him his powers was not an entity he should follow. In Captain America #323, his political views were questioned by the government (Captain America). Then in issue #332, the committee that oversaw his missions stated that they cannot give the name of Captain America to him unless he follows orders from them (Captain America #332, 9). At the same issue, page thirteen, Rogers defined himself as an independent that will only believe what is morally right and just:

Those men are not my country. They are only paid bureaucrats of the country’s current administration. They represent the political system—while I represent those intangibles upon which our nation was founded . . . liberty, justice, dignity, the pursuit of happiness . . . By going back to my wartime role as a glorified agent of America’s official policies, I’d be compromising my effectiveness as a symbol that transcends mere politics. (qtd in Dubose 930-931).

Steve Rogers demonstrates the importance of morality beyond the bounds of politics, a promising example to readers. Politic is a realistic entity. It exists here in the real world and an aspect people are inclined to move towards to and forget the fundamentals that make a nation better. Rogers emphasized that people should not stray away from the idea of moral justice and freedom, that protecting society is not just about politics but a reasonable and virtuous desire of a human for another.

- 61 -

Desire, greed, pain—these are considered faulty elements that humans possess. These elements were the basis of the creation of the dark hero, Batman. One of DC’s most iconic heroes is the avenging dark knight that people fear. In contrast to the favorable reception of the red, white and blue Captain America, this character is haunting. His tragic origin involves the death of the parents of the billionaire, Bruce Wayne. Traumatized as a child, his own heart was covered in the black mist of despair and tragedy. He epitomizes the depth of human pain and the distances an individual can tread because of absolute anguish. Pain is something all humans can relate to and Batman represents that out of all the trauma, good will come out of it as a symbol of hope. He battled the corrupt politicians and criminals that shared the same darkness as him, and shone a light amidst the night sky to show that justice and light will rise.

Furthermore, man among superheroes superhuman - 62 -

Batman represents that he is a the gods. He is one of few that did not transcend into capabilities and powers. In a

universe filled with beings from other worlds, with different powers, Batman showed that man can achieve the same powers of a god, which is a strength meaningful to people in the ordinary world. Trauma is a powerful weapon against the frail mentality of humans.

There are soldiers who suffered through PTSD, victims of crimes and war, and men, women and children that live in pain because of disease and death. The myth of Batman is a motivation to use that pain for something beneficial. It is an optimistic symbol that inspired many victims of abuse and pain. A digital comic was published in the beginning of 2014 by comic book artist, Dean Trippe, which explained how Batman changed his traumatic life as a sexually abused victim. He showed how, for many years, he kept a “phantom gun” pointed to his head in fear that he would grow up like someone who would abuse and traumatize children. Through Batman’s adventures and famous words, “No guns”, he realized that “[he] could wrap [the darkness he lived in] around [his] arms like a security blanket. Or a cape. The yellow on [his] chest was [his] light defended by a black creature more powerful than anything crime could throw at [him]” (Trippe 18). Terrible things to humans and superheroes like the Dark Knight himself can bring good and hope out of it.

Modern mythology also delved into the power stratum of women in society. The creation of Wonder Woman inspired a significant number of women. She is a super woman whose origin is myth itself, an Ancient Greek Amazon who was born out of clay molded by the queen of the Amazons, Hippolita (Emad 958).

Her most iconic stories emerged from a classical competition to choose who would be the warrior worthy enough to travel to “man’s world”, in order to stop the evil plots of the Greek god of war, Ares (Wonder Woman #1).

This connection to classical mythology is the basis of Wonder Woman’s every day adventures, battling foes from Greek mythology such as Hades, Circe and Medusa.

However, despite her mythic roots, the creation of this super woman saga is its own entity as modern myth.

Trevor, insisted the princess to marry him, as if her life would be complete if she married him which contradicted the purpose of her creation. But nevertheless, her strength over masculinity still remains “a relatively stable trope.” Marston’s greatest intention in creating this superhero was to teach girls that if they “feel [they] can do things, [they] can do them” and women are encouraged to “get strong and earn your own living” (Emad 959). Even to this day when women have acquired more rights as it was in the 1960s, Wonder Woman still inspires the importance of strength and womanhood.

One of the reasons that make Wonder Woman iconic is the situations that handle gender roles in society. Her origin alone, created by Harvard-trained psychologist and lawyer, William Moulton Marston, was intended to present “utopian ideals for social reform… [by setting it] “into motion with a gender-reversal image” (Emad 957-958).

Wonder Woman contradicts the trope in which the princess in distress is saved by the brave knight or warrior. She heralds inherent strength in everyone, simultaneously emphasizing that femininity is an empowering trait to rise above most. The idea of this powerful princess became an active role model for children and women, but there are times where writers would subtly submit the superwoman to conventional gender roles such as the need for marriage. The pilot that she rescued in Sensation Comics #1, Captain - 63 -

Strength within humans is, however, difficult to find in a world filled with diversity.

Throughout history, society has found to base its structure in hierarchy of the superior over the inferior. Differences in gender, race, views, and sexual orientation become the source of contempt and negativity in society.

Marvel uses this concept for the creation of the X-men. Despite the achievements of Captain America, Batman, Wonder Woman and other superheroes, characters that were born with startling superhuman capabilities were introduced as mutants, and these mutants are unexpectedly shunned by society. They are discriminated against by normal humans and also by government; more specifically, they are seen as a threat to all humans, which functioned as reflection of social issues such as racism: “The X-Men are hated, feared and despised collectively by humanity for no other reason than they are mutants,” Uncanny X-men writer Chris Claremont once said, So what we have here, intended or not, is a book that is about racism bigotry and prejudice.” (qtd in Dem) - 64 -

The mythology of the X-men focuses on the theme that prejudice is within society no matter what difference a person possesses.

In the human world, they are the abominations of nature that are dangerous and uncontrollable. In the perspective of other superheroes, there are some mutants who are considered outsiders because of their belligerent view of the world. Two types of mutants became a stable plot device throughout the X-men universe: “Some mutants tried to hide who they were in order to avoid conflict. Others became angry towards the rest of world” (Dalton 84). These different reactions is more commonly seen the fight between Professor X and Magneto.

Professor X shares the same compassion as civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr. (Dem), who sought the peaceful co-existence of minorities and other people, through peaceful tactics in politics. Magneto, however, a child who was traumatized during the Holocaust, believed that mutants are powerful enough to overcome social hierarchy and rise above the normal humans (Dalton 84). Readers may find sympathy for some mutants or find contempt in the villainous acts in some but the main point of the mutant characters is to reveal the effects of prejudice. Prejudice and racism is still a significant social issue in the modern era, despite the government’s judiciary decisions and the X-Men series should be used as an educational tool to help people understand the evil of it: Stan Lee, the writer of X-men, was quoted, “Bigotry… [is] among the deadliest social ills plaguing the world today. But unlike a team of costumed supervillains, they can’t be halted with a punch in snoot… The only way to destroy them is to expose them” (qtd. Dalton 84).

Society would move forward if it encourages confidence in self-identity.

There are more characters that can be discussed as respectable role models for society. More iconic superheroes such as Spider-Man and Superman teach responsibility and sacrifice. All of these mythic characters are created to provide a sense of moral understanding that can be

beneficial to children and adults. In a psychology study conducted by Justin F. Martin, he studied children’s moral attitudes to situations correlating their familiarity with superheroes. Through conducting a survey, he concluded that “student’s personal attitudes are positively related to their attitudes about superheroes” (Martin 249).

Also, he found out that most of children are not familiar with most superheroes listed above (results finding that the children were most familiar with Batman, and least with the X-men) (Martin 245). He believed that a child’s moral development can be fostered if teachers and parents find a superhero that the child can most identify with: “monitoring children’s exposure to superheroes and emphasizing superheroes’ prosocial behavior may help better prepare children to recognize the difference between positive and negative influences in other contexts” (Martin 249). Morality is a difficult concept to teach to children. It encompasses many human elements and behaviors that children would not comprehend instantly.

Martin proved that these modern mythic heroes can be a tool to educate them.

Although comic books today have a more specific readership, superhero movies are on the rise. Films such as The Amazing SpiderMan, The Dark Knight, Avengers, X-Men series, is growing in popularity and it seems that there will be more in the future. The only thing left to do is to determine what to take out of it. People grew up with these mythic heroes and they continue to be a part of future generations. Superheroes exist in their own complex, extraordinary worlds in which people find great amazement and entertainment. But beyond the skin-tight flashy costumes, they are characters infused with a humanity that seemed to reflect our own. People will get a certain thrill through all the explosions and the magic of superheroes and all they need is to realize that superheroes are just larger incarnations of very human shapes and elements—all they need is to understand and learn.

“When I was in the hospital being treated for Leukemia (age 8) on the nights when I couldn't sleep I would watch the Original Zoro Series on Disney Channel. It was on every night at Midnight. Followed right behind by the Mickey Mouse Club.

There were nights that I would watch Zoro and imagine myself on grand adventures. It helped make those sleepless nights a little bit better. I am a fan of the Masked Man. Always have been.” ~Genevieve Poston - 65 -

Disney Showcase Couture De Force Masquerade series,

by Enesco

- 66 -

[continued from p. 55]

She watched the handsome figure of her grandson build up the fire. Oh yes, she knew just who to match him with. The young lady considered her self most definitely on the shelf.

Grandmother knew better than that. Her mind began to devise a plan, a plan that should have a new couple in no time at all. *** He sat by the fire in his bedroom. This was the room he had moved to ten years ago. The deep reds seemed to soak up the light and change them to a cheery glow.

Julianna had chosen the color and he had never changed it.

Their room was down the hall, a master suite, the one they had shared. They both had a dressing room attached to the bedroom but neither had a separate bedroom. They had flaunted the tradition of not sleeping in the same bed and only visiting one another.

They had been so young, so in love, he would have lived in the boat house if it would have made her happy. To hear her laugh, to hear her chatter about her day, to have never lost her at all, would have answered his dream. He closed his eyes and leaned back into the chair by the fire sipping the brandy as his hands warmed the glass.

His bed, in this room, was not so large. It was long, the bed curtains could be drawn to create a warm cocoon. He missed the soft feel of Julianna curled against him as she slept. How his hands ached to feel her once more, pulled against him. He shook his head, finished the brandy, and turned to his lonely bed. He could

almost hear Julianna telling him to stop this foolish nonsense and find someone to share this place. Did he actually see the bed curtains move? He wasn't drunk. He'd get some rest tonight and go upstairs to the storage and find the masks and the costumes. *** The boxes were easily located, labeled in her delicate handwriting. His hands caressed the dress she had worn. She had been pregnant, she was showing, but they finagled a dress in the old French style so that if they were careful she could go and dance, enjoy the party without creating a scandal. How they had laughed. They had danced and made an early exit. It had all seemed so right on that February night. On the carriage ride home he had wrapped her in his cape, they had nestled their heads together holding to her stomach, feeling the baby inside her move. How could it have all gone so wrong in May? *** Moving the costume aside, he located his mask. A wonderful piece of work, with sequins, the feathers still sharp making him appear to be some exotic bird ready to pounce. His valet took the mask and some of the costumes to freshen them and see that something appropriate was created for him to wear.

At two o'clock that afternoon, it began. His grandmother arrived with three ladies in her coach. Two of the guests were the young women on the marriage mart; the third was their chaperone. The young ones were in the youthful fashion of the day; they were quite [continued on p. 75]

- 67 -

The Glamorous and Gruesome History of The Masquerade Ball from All That Is Interesting Every now again, it’s nice to swap the sweatpants and boxed wine for a bit of decadence and luxury. A quick–but not always economical–fix? Throwing a majestic and mysterious Masquerade Ball. Dating back to the 14th and 15th centuries, the Masquerade Ball began as part of Europe’s carnival season.

Less high society and more cirque du célébration, villagers would gather in masks and costumes to take part in elaborate pageants and glamorous processions.

Quickly spreading across France like wildfire, some of the most notorious balls of the day would be held to celebrate Royal Entries: the grand occasion of welcoming kings and queens into their cities. In fact, so audacious were the masked balls that in 1393, Charles VI of France held the first ever “Bal des Ardents”.

Translated as “Burning Men’s Ball”, the event transformed the more orthodoxly decadent costume ball into a night of intrigue and risk.

In celebration of the marriage of the queen’s lady in waiting, King Charles and five of his bravest courtiers dressed in masks and flax costumes and danced the night away as wildsmen of the woods. The only catch was that if your sashaying edged you too close to one of the many flaming torches that lined the dance floor, your look would be smoking–and not for the right reasons.

Contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t until much later in the 16th century Renaissance period that masquerade balls became associated with Italy, but that never deterred masked members of the Venetian aristocracy from taking full advantage of a scandalous night of anonymity - 68 -

as if it were their own creation. Tied with the Venetian Carnival celebrations, the balls were rife with decadence, gluttony and a large amount of lust. Sadly their reign was rather short-lived, and after the fall of the Venetian Republic in the 18th Century, the masquerade balls began to shrink from the ballrooms of Venice until they were nothing more than a sequined memory.

Thankfully, the fall of the Venetian Republic didn’t put the kibosh on masquerade balls for all of Europe and after some reworking by a Swiss Count, the masquerade ball transformed yet again into a fashion frenzy. The balls became popular in 18th Century England after John James Heidegger, the Count in question, brought costumes from Venetian balls to public dances in gardens across London.

Heidegger set about transforming the night of sin synonymous with unescorted ladies and drunkards into an occasion for “The Man of Taste”. And while some disputed the immorality and influence of the masquerade ball, particularly in colonial America, the pomp of the glamorous dances once again saw the masquerade ball grace some of the finest halls in the world.

While most of Europe waltzed their evenings away in bliss, some of the masked nights of mystery took on a much more sinister edge throughout the 18th Century and the glamorous balls transformed into gruesome affairs. Gustav III, Sweden’s King from 1771, was an outspoken opponent of his parliament’s reforms and after seizing power in a coup d’état, he set about restoring royal autocracy.

However, his methods gained him many powerful enemies and he danced his last dance at one of his own masquerade balls. A disgruntled nobleman used the masks to fatal effect after he snuck into the ball and do-si-doed close enough to assassinate the King. From this point, the simple masquerade ball was associated with an ultimate night of risk, inspiring operas and plays alike.

Unfortunately, in today’s modern age, the masquerade ball has slipped into something of a novelty. While you can still find masks lining the canals of Venice during the carnival and the occasional grand ball in the dance halls of France, the fall of the aristocracy hit the masquerade hard and night clubs gradually took the prized place of the costumed balls.

But who knows; maybe one day the masquerade ball will return and we’ll all be waiting to waltz again, mask in hand.

- 69 -

Masquerade

from The Phantom of the Opera

Masquerade!

Paper faces on parade Masquerade!

Hide your face, so the world will never find you!

Masquerade!

Every face a different shade Masquerade!

Look around there's another mask behind you!

Flash of mauve Splash of puce Fool and king Ghoul and goose Green and black Queen and priest Trace of rouge Face of beast Faces Take your turn, take a ride on the merry-go-round in an inhuman race Eye of gold Thigh of blue True is false Who is who?

Curl of lip Swirl of gown Ace of hearts - 70 -

Face of clown Faces Drink it in, drink it up, till you've drowned in the light in the sound Masquerade!

Grinning yellows, spinning reds Masquerade!

Take your fill let the spectacle astound you!

Masquerade!

Burning glances, turning heads Masquerade!

Stop and stare at the sea of smiles around you!

Masquerade!

Seething shadows breathing lies Masquerade!

You can fool any friend who ever knew you!

Masquerade!

Leering satyrs, peering eyes

Masquerade!

Run and hide but a face will still pursue you!

Masquerade!

Paper faces on parade Masquerade!

Hide your face, so the world will never find you!

Masquerade!

Every face a different shade Masquerade!

Look around, there's another mask behind you!

Masquerade!

Burning glances, turning heads Masquerade!

Stop and stare at the sea of smiles around you!

Masquerade!

Grinning yellows, Spinning reds Masquerade!

Take your fill, let the spectacle astound you!

The Blood-soaked Masquerade

by Martin J. Manco One night, when the moon was hidden behind dark clouds, the Defenders of the Dawn, a group of talented and successful vampire hunters, gathered outside the elaborate estate hosting the grand masquerade of a particularly wealthy Marquis. This mysterious figure, a long-lost heir to a nearly forgotten family, supposedly, was possessed of incredible wealth that had drawn many fallen nobles, pleasure-seekers, and avid merchants to his banner. It was rumored that even members of the royal families of the surrounding nations were in attendance this evening, mixed in the crowd of masked and costumed entertainers and other guests.

The Defenders had also received an invitation, which was suspicious, since they were not from particularly lofty heights of society, nor was their mission, to rid the world of the undead and their minions, widely known. They had just come back from investigating reports of lycanthropes in Southern Germany when the letter arrived. It was written in blood, and though dry, it seemed unnaturally gleaming and bright, almost as if it was impossibly fresh.

To my recent foes, Know that I bear you no particular ill will for our confrontation three years ago. In fact, it was your harsh actions that enabled me to gain my current position of influence. When you are finished dealing with those Bavarian mongrels (and I do hope you bathe thoroughly, afterwards), I would be delighted if you could attend the masquerade one of my minions has arranged. I promise you, however, that by my honor... and my loathing of you and all your simpleminded, simpering kind, that I shall be the only enemy you shall face there. If you can destroy me, then you will have thwarted centuries of my plans... and finished your own botched job last time. Should you fail to find me by the Witching Hour... well, then I shall have removed one less obstacle. See you soon, and remember... wear masks.

Sincerely, The Black Beast of Belgrade The Defenders of the Dawn were nervous. They had fought the Black Beast throughout the streets and surrounding countryside, and had lost several of their friends and allies to the creature's unspeakable thirst, tremendous strength, impossible speed, ability to shrug off common charms and banes as well as conventional damage, leathery wings, savage claws and fangs, and dominating gaze. The Defenders had only managed to defeat the creature with a tricky set up of mirrors as the Sun rose, blasting the vampire to ash that drifted away on the - 71 -

wind. If the creature had somehow survived that, then this might be their last chance to rid the world of its existence.

"Remember," said their leader, a black-haired, bearded man with tired bronze eyes, who, in order to keep his family safe, called himself, Metatron. "If the creature means to keep to the rules of its game, we have until the very end of Mid-night to find it and destroy it. Each of us has a potent relic, which should be enough to finally send the creature from this world.

Gabriel," he said, pointing to the red-haired young man with the bandage on his arm. "You were bitten by one of the wolf-men, but the weather has hidden the moon, keeping you from changing ... if need be, you must use your senses to track down the Beast, and you are armed with enough black powder to destroy this whole mansion ... use it if you feel the animal within trying to come out ... our sacrifice might be the only thing to destroy the creature once and for all. Michael ..." He turned to the shorter, blonde man with blue-green eyes, "Scout the grounds ... it might be outdoors.

Uriel ..." He now switched his attention to the man rescued from Darkest Africa, "... you must speak with the servants, and see if they are willing to give us any information on the Beast or its identity here. Raphael ..." His eyes now went to the blonde woman, "... we saved you from the river test because your charms might be useful to us ... use t h e m n o w, but be careful not to endanger us with your c o r r u p t power. And Azrael ..."

His attention now went to the last member of the party, a

slim woman from the far East. "Be ready with the horses. We might have to escape quickly if he turns his minions against us. I will explore the main rooms, the basement, and the upper floors for the creature's lair. Agreed?"

They all nodded, put on their masks (a lion for Metraton, a wolf for Gabriel, a shark for Michael, a jackal for Uriel, a cat for Raphael, and an owl for Azrael), and split up.

Upon entering at seven, Metatron was astonished to see many of the richly-garbed party guests bowing to him, seemingly seriously, though it was difficult to tell, with all the elaborate masks. He was frequently stopped, and greeted as "My lord," and was utterly bewildered and horrified to find a vast portrait above the double stairs, featuring him, dripping in finery to suit a prince! He turned to ask what was the meaning of this mockery, only to have the band begin a majestic waltz, and suddenly all of the guests were too busy whirling about the ballroom floor to answer his questions.

It was then that he glimpsed a beautiful young woman, dressed in scarlet, with a dark mask fashioned like a bat perched above a pert little nose, flashing him a beautiful, close-mouthed smile on crimson lips ... which he was suddenly certain hid fangs. He plunged into the crowd, but found himself dizzy and bewildered.

He soon lost sight of her, and escaped outside to catch his breath ... just in time to hear a scream from the stables!

D a s h i n g towards the w o o d e n [continued on p. 76

- 72 -

Rebecca Suerdieck,

lady of intriguing personas & exquisite time-honored talents I’d hoped to interview the busy re-enactor, historian, and artisan, but caught her just as she was embarking on a well-deserved vacation. Here are a few of the questions I wished to pose to her, specifically regarding her historical persona Marye Bucke and her budding Perrin Cottage Perfumery.

Visit her sites to find the answers on your own, and enjoy bringing the past to elegant life.

as Marye Bucke • • • •

• • • • • • • •

What exactly is a Living Historian How has your background in Archeology, Education and Rare Books Librarian sciences directed your interests and path?

Why Marye Bucke, specifically?

How did you go about emobodying Miss Bucke? Was it difficult to find historically accurate materials for your costume? Is there a certain style of speech or accent you adopt?

Where do you portray Marye?

Do you ever find you lose yourself in the role?

What is the general response from audiences -especially children?

What have you learned about yourself through portraying Marye?

What do you enjoy most about the experience?

Have you changed your presentation at all over the years? Has any new information about Marye or life in her time come to light?

Are there any other personas you'd like to adopt going forward?

Do you have any advice for people considering either becoming a Living Historian or re-enactor?

Perrin Cottage Perfumery • • • • • • • • • •

When did you notice you had a keen interest in perfume What have been your favorite perfumes throughout your life?

What was the first scent you created? And how successful was the finished product?

Can you tell us some of the steps involved in making perfume?

How have perfumes evolved over the centuries?

What distinguishing Perrin Cottage from other perfume companies?

What is the most enjoyable part of the process for you? (I have a feeling coming up with the names would be my favorite) What scents are you currently working on?

I notice you teach classes. What can participants expect at your events?

Any do's or dont's on applying and wearing perfume?

- 73 -

Disney Showcase Couture De Force Masquerade series, by Enesco - 74 -

[continued from p. 67]

lovely, their manners impeccable. It was the chaperone who caught his attention. She was wearing a deep garnet colored dress of a very smooth wool. Her hat perched maturely on her very serious chaperone hairdo.

She sat slightly to the back so that her two young charges could be shown off to the best of their abilities. She actually read a book, glasses perched on her nose—Plato by Socrates. Could she be a bluestocking, right here in his formal sitting room. The chattering young ladies indicated that they were in a group of six and that he would meet the rest of them in the next several days. They talked for a whole hour, but what they said simply did not lodge in his brain; he, instead, had watched the chaperone read her book.

He decided he should be an actor on the stage at that announcement of having more chattering visitors. He actually smiled, convincing them that he really cared about having his afternoon consumed by chattering females rather than to spend time reading in the library. His eyes moved to the chaperone. She would be back. For time with her, he would tolerate chattering ninnies. Her smile was slight, the humor of his response was locked in her eyes. She had the bluest eyes, ringed with sooty lashes and eyebrows that looked like a raven's wing. Her glasses did not hide her eyes—they seemed to make them larger. She broke the gaze by looking back to her charges.

His grandmother watched her grandson. He was taking the bait. She would bring the chaperone and her charges two at a time to meet her grandson. Grandmother didn't care about the flighty children. She was parading Lady Catherine Elaine before him. She had reached the morbidly ancient age of twenty six without receiving any offer of marriage.

Therefore, she was officially on the shelf and off the market for marriage.

Lady Elaine had always been too smart for her own good. She'd had a difficult time tolerating dandies and putting up with conversations with gentlemen who thought she could think no further than counting embroidery stitches.

Grandmother thought that idea was insane— that Lady Elaine was too old—but she would sure use it to get Ian's attention and make him think all of this was his idea.

All-in-all, he had met six debutantes and he was appalled that their parents would consider him a match for these infantile females that were on the marriage mart. When he was nineteen and had first laid eyes on Julianna, he wasn't at all upset. He was as much a child as she.

They were considered adults but now he knew just haw young they had really been.

Lady Elaine was entirely a different matter; when he spoke of books he was reading, he saw her eyes sparkle with interest. She would speak, instructionally, to one of her charges in hopes of helping her to understand what he was talking about. On her final visit with her young charges, he made a bold move. As the chattering pair was allowed to move to the carriage, he detained Lady Elaine.

“Would you return tomorrow for tea?” he asked. Her eyes grew quite large. “I will invite Grandmother if it makes you more comfortable,” he added. His face was so earnest. He had been so patient with the six debutantes. She smiled and nodded.

“I'd love to have tea with you tomorrow.” She turned, walking with a quiet elegance to the carriage. He closed the door, quite satisfied with himself that she had accepted. He planned to enjoy an afternoon of conversation about good books and whatever else he could think of to entertain the lady.... [to be continued in our next issue ... qu’elle suspense!]

- 75 -

[continued from p. 72

structure, he looked inside, only to find Azrael, crushed and trampled by the very horses she should've been readying! Her body was twisted and bludgeoned to death by the hooves of the panicking, screaming animals. Something ... perhaps a masked maiden in red ... had spooked them and led to the death of another member of his Defenders. Murmuring a quick prayer, Metatron swore he would make the vampire pay, and swiftly set off, now worried that their escape route had been compromised.

When the clock struck eight, Metatron had searched the entire first floor and moved to the second, ascending the steps and heading down candlelit corridors lined by doors behind which the party guests made sounds that hinted at their cavorting and illicit activities.

When he looked inside, searching for the woman, many of them even invited him to join them, as if he were an old friend, despite his sneers of disgust and hurried exits.

He found Raphael at the end of the hallway, whispering, "the spells indicate the Beast is behind this door ... should we try to take it together?"

Metatron nodded, saying "We have already lost Azrael. Perhaps together we can prevail."

They kicked in the door and stalked in, seeing the woman in the revealing red gown facing a window ... which showed no reflection in the rainspeckled glass as the storm raged outside.

"We have you, monster! Now you die for good," cried Azrael, as she readied a hex at the woman ... only to have it flicker and die in her hands.

"My dear," said the woman with a richly accented voice. "I am protected from your spells ... I wonder if you are so resistant to mine?"

With a wave of her hands the windows opened, and bolts of lightning blazed across the - 76 -

room, straight towards the two Defenders!

Metatron readied himself for burning death ... only to find that a blinding flash of light surrounded him ... ... and suddenly, he was in the dark! He stumbled around, eventually finding a torch and lighting it ... and saw that he was in the basement!

"Raphael ... she must have sent me to safety with her last breath ... I will avenge her, since such dark magic surely stained her soul as she died," he murmured, trudging through the dungeons and storage rooms below the manor.

Strangely, he found no coffins ... or rather, he found one, clearly unused, without the grave dirt inside that formed the resting place of so many vampires. How could this be?

Above, he heard the clock strike nine. He made his way into one of the storage rooms, and found a gilded sarcophagus, the lid slightly ajar. Pushing it back, he recoiled at the sight within ... for Uriel had been savagely treated, and lay, dead, with his lungs, stomach, liver, and intestines stuffed inside clay jars, his brain removed, and his body wrapped in bandages.

"Sacrilege!" howled Metatron, backing away from the corpse, and rushing towards the stairs. He had already lost half of his team, and he was no closer to defeating the Beast.

He began to search for others, but as the clock chimed ten he still was no closer to finding the remaining Defenders. He headed outside, seeking Michael, only to find his teammate laying facedown in the reflective lily pond.

He sorrowfully turned the body over, only to have something grab his wrist! He pulled back, seeing a tentacled creature tangled around Michael's corpse, and staggered away from the pond before he joined the younger man. He had to find Gabriel and hope that the explosives might be able to destroy the Beast and this entire, accursed land, no matter the loss of life that

would involve. The people inside were but unrepentant sinners, and their lives and souls were already doomed. They would be no great loss to the world.

He was searching the top floor around eleven when he heard scrambling on the roof. Hurrying to one of the opening windows, he climbed up, grappling with the siding and roof tiles, and finally pulling himself up, to see the red-draped woman, with bat wings flapping in the night air as she hovered, mockingly facing Gabriel. The Defender was armed to the teeth and ready to use flint to spark one of his more vicious weapons, when the lady spoke.

"Do you need a light? Allow me to provide it."

With a wave of her pallid, elbow-length gloved arm, the clouds rumbled and rolled back, shedding moonlight ... full moonlight ... down on the roof.

Metatron watched in horror as his former friend's face twisted into a slavering mask, body warping and hair spreading, nails and teeth growing long and sharp, and eyes turning a wild gold. Tossing aside the wolf mask that now mirrored his real face, the animal that had been Gabriel let out a soul-rending howl, and leapt to the ground, rushing off into the forest ... along with the remains of the black powder. Metatron whirled to try and attack the winged woman, but she was nowhere to be seen, having flown off while he'd watched his last c o m r a d e ' s transformation. Now he was alone ... and the duty of completing the mission fell on him. He would not let his comrades' spirits down.

Midnight came and passed as he searched the mansion for some sign of the masked woman. Often she would appear at the end of a hall, only to vanish behind a c o r n e r, o r t o s i f t through the crowd as if they weren't there.

Fortunately, more and more of the revelers retreated to their beds (or other people's beds), and the moving obstacles began to thin out. As darkness fell over the house, and the Witching Hour approached, even the servants disappeared, leaving Metatron alone, in the dark.

With ten minutes to spare before one, he paced in the ballroom, freezing when he sensed a presence behind him. He spun, seeing the batmasked woman step onto the marble floor ... and sprang at her, pressing the amulet holding the hand of St. Cyprian of Antioch, Patron Saint of Occultists, against her bare throat!

He'd expected sizzling flesh, melting hair, and hideous cries of agony as the holy relic touched her profane skin. He wasn't expecting her to laugh at him.

"My dear fellow, that simply will not work on me.

Quite frankly, this body is not sullied by the sins you so bemoan, and is quite immune to your little tricks. And you will curse yourself for a fool when you finally figure out why. But first, let me introduce you to your new friends."

She gestured a gloved arm, seemingly ignoring the fist wrapped around her throat, as she gestured several figures lurking in the shadows forward.

One was a loping beast, lupine jaws snarling at Metatron from on top of a naked, manlike body.

Another was a twitching creature, dripping water with limbs that contorted and flexed like the very sea beast that had killed its body and faint scales and fins emerging across its face. A third was a shambling, bandaged creature, draped in gold and gems, and smelling of brine. A fourth was very much alive, her blonde hair tangled and wild, her - 77 -

Baked Mystery Mask Cookie Pops from Everyday Dishes image from CookieCarrie.com

What You'll Need Cookies • 1 cup sugar • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened • 1 tsp vanilla • 1 egg • 2⅔ cups flour • ½ cup sour cream • 1 tsp baking powder • ½ tsp baking soda • ½ tsp salt • ¼ tsp nutmeg • Mardi Gras mask cookie cutter • gold disco dust (a.k.a. edible glitter) • gold and silver dragees (a.k.a. edible balls) Royal Icing • 1 large egg white • 1 tsp lemon juice • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted • purple, gold, green and black food coloring - 78 -

Let's Do It 1. Cream sugar, butter, vanilla and egg until light and fluffy. Stir in remaining ingredients until dough forms. Place dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper and roll out to ¼" thickness and refrigerate 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place dough on lightly floured surface and cut dough with mask cookie cutter.

Place on parchment lined cookie sheet.

3. Bake 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned and let cool.

4. To make the icing, beat egg whites and lemon with hand mixer. Reduce mixing speed to low and add powdered sugar until combined and smooth.

5. Separate into 4 bowls and color icing with purple, gold, green and black food coloring. Spread base coat of icing on cookie; use black icing to outline eyes and outside of the mask. Place dragees around mask and sprinkle with disco dust.

Let icing set then place on platter for sharing!

arms and face painted with mystic sigils that signaled her surrender to dark powers. And the fifth was nothing more than a shape of shadow, mist and moonlight, a ghostly woman astride a spectral steed.

"The only thing they need," the woman murmured, "is a leader. I intend for that to be you ... and me."

"Speak reason, Beast," Metatron growled.

"I think it would be easier to show you," she said. "You have me at your mercy, and the source of my power is the mask. Only someone wearing the mask can defeat me, or restore your companions from their current, freed and powerful selves to the miserable minions, crippled by prejudice, abuse, and selfloathing that you encouraged ... Jasper."

Startled that the Beast knew his true name, Metatron didn't pause to wonder at why she would tell him such a weakness when she clearly had the upper hand. He pulled the batlike mask from her face and held it over his own, intending to crush her windpipe ... only to see her slump over, unconscious. He held her in shock, but found he couldn't move ... and the Beast's voice, no longer female, but resembling his own ... spoke in his mind.

"When you tried to destroy me three years ago, your mirrors directed the sun to me, burning my body to ash ... but I was able to shift to mist at the right minute, and the heat fused me with a nearby tree when the burning steam sank into its trunk. I remained there, my consciousness preserved in the wood, until the tree was chopped d o w n , a n d enough of the w o o d was pulped, made into papier-mâché, and turned into the mask. It was easy to possess the person who wore it, and pass it onto another and another, arranging for this house and its traps, building my power and

seeking out a suitably innocent body to prove immune to your holy charms, while arranging for the servants and nobility to see a glamour of you as the newcomer Marquis, even posing for the great portrait downstairs. Now, you and your former allies will be reunited, free to explore your impulses, curiosities, whims, and romances for ages as you master your new powers. You see, I never had any intention of slaughtering or dominating the world, heralding an age of destruction. Instead, you all will spread the temptation of individual expression, sparking an enlightened age, an iron age, an age of electricity and of devastating power that breaks the elements to pieces, an age of words and images projected through the air and flying machines and rebellion and pursuit of your deepest desires, instead of the abusive and controlling paradigm that so tortured you all with guilt and sacrifice. I will use you to defy everything you built your life around, and offer the world true freedom ... and perhaps, someday, I will be considered the hero of this story. But let us fly ... we have one more errand to do tonight."

With that, the ribbons of the mask sealed onto Metatron's. .. no, Jasper's... neck, and from his shoulders erupted powerful wings. He picked up the woman in red, and flew out into the night.

The next morning, at the Convent of St. Monica, several miles away, Sister Gertrude knocked on the cell door of a still-sleeping young woman. Shaking her head and groaning, "Novices ..." under her breath, she moved to wake the sleeping woman.

"It's going to be time for Matins soon, Vanessa.

Time to wake up ...

Good heavens, girl! What happened to your throat? It looks like someone tried to strangle you!"

Vanessa awoke, rubbing her eyes, sleepily.

"Sister ... I ... I don't know. I had the strangest dream ..."

- 79 -

Siren Send-off This is our first issue following the post holiday ‘back to normal’ onslaught. Many of the members of our contributors found the subject matter compelling as they were asked to look within to consider the sorts of masks and personas they don in their day-to-day lives.

Do you wear certain masks with certain people? Do you always show exactly who you are? May this issue do more than entertain with original stories and facts on masked balls. May it inspire you to take off your own masks ... and enjoy the process. See you next month for a cup or two as we celebrate tea!

- 80 -