WMF Photo Contest Part VIII: Costumes (Warning – Artistic Boobs)

Before we jump into the newest installment of the photo contest, I’d just like to take a moment and reflect on the subtitle of the above blog.

You see, a while back, I wrote a blog where I showed off pictures people had sent me of the tattoos people have gotten based on my books.

There’s a fair amount of skin in that blog, as you might expect, because, y’know… tattoos. I didn’t think much of it, because it wasn’t like you could see anything that would even rate a PG in a modern movie.

But afterwards someone sent me a message along the lines of “You need to warn us when you post up a blog with pictures of half-naked people in it. I was reading your blog at work and it almost got me fired.”

My first thought was, “Half naked… Hmm…. Would that include pretty much anyone in shorts and a t-shirt? That’s pretty much half of your body right there….

The second thought was, “If you’re reading my blog while you’re at work, it’s really not my fault if you get in trouble.”

Then my third thought was, “Unless your job is to read blogs, but you’re employed by, like, a catholic nun who is going to beat the hell out of you with a ruler if she sees a woman’s midriff on your computer screen.”

My fourth thought was, “I don’t think there are many jobs like that.”

Quibbling aside, I’m aware that there’s a certain narrow slice of the population that is absolutely terrified that they might see a naked breast. They fear the boob as if they were some deadly mythological beast that will destroy them should they accidentally gaze upon it.

Hence my warning.

Personally, I’m pro-breast. Back between the ages of 13 and 25, I used to think that boobs were the best. Now that I’m 40, I *know* they’re the best.

I know this because I have two little kids. And let me tell you, the white-hot intensity of my teenage self’s pre-internet boob desire is a pale candle compared to how much my little boys adore boobs.

Anyway, yeah. There are a few boobs later on in this post. If seeing them is going to wreck your day, don’t scroll down through the rest of the blog…

*     *     *

Today we’re going to be looking at costumes.

A lot of people dressed up for the contest: and many of those pictures have already been featured in other blogs, or we’ll be showing them off in the future…

Like the adorable Adem from the Babies and Knives Blog.

Not all of the costumes from my books. Some of them were just good costumes.

Like this dedicated fan trying read wearing 45 pounds of plate armor.

Some of the costumes were *on* my books….

If I’d been smart, I would have put this blog up on May the 4th…

We had a fair number of hooded figures show up.

Which is a little surprising, considering how dangerous we all know that can be….

We even saw some rare behind-the scenes footage of the Chandrian chatting.

There were more than a few Felurians, too.

Though I can hear you say, “Oh come now. Dressing up as Felurian is kinda the opposite of a costume, isn’t it?”

You have a point. But my readers are clever and subtle.

And, surprisingly, they are not the source of the boobs in today’s blog. Alas.

Interesting Fact: The book was her 21st birthday present from her boyfriend. Don’t ask me what age that would make her now. Doing the math just piles guilt onto me…

Here we have some Mistborn crossover….

Some of the pictures (Not shown here, in the photostream) were taken on a rooftop. That said, these fans live in row houses in Philadelphia and it is quite safe to be on the roof. They even promised that they stayed away from the edge.

(Dr. Livingston, I presume?)

But by far, the most popular costume choice was Kvothe.

Quite frequently, he was accompanied by Denna.

Careful observes will note that this Adem baby Kvothe is wearing a sword. So before you get your knickers in a twist:

1. We were assured that no babies were harmed in the making of these picture.

2. We’re aware that while Kvothe studied with the Adem, he never actually wore the mercenary reds.

What really makes this one for me is the fact that there’s a tiny lute in a tiny case next to the Kvothe-book….

All in all, Costumes might be my favorite category. People went crazy with it, and I love their enthusiasm.

So let’s name some winners here:

• Best Meta.

This one is all kinds of delightful Meta: It’s the story of a fictional character reading my book and then having a fantasy about role-playing with her crush.

It might not be possible to be more meta than that.

• Amanda’s Choice:

For those of you who don’t already know, Amanda is one of my assistants, and without her these photo blogs (among many other things) would never get done. She’s been helpingme sift and organize the pictures and get them up into the blogs so I can finally share them with you.

She picked this one, saying “This is the first cosplay of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle I’ve seen, and it’s FANTASTIC.”

I agree.

• Most Striking.

One of my favorite Felurian images to date.

• Most Dedicated Kvothe.
  

(Click to Embiggen)

This committed fan made the cloak and shirt himself, And there are a *bunch* more pictures in the photostream.

• Most Artistic.
  

I’m going to be honest. This is one of my favorite pictures that anyone has sent in. And no, not just because it has boobs in it.

I love this picture because it’s an homage to Gabrielle d’Estrées et une de ses sœurs (Gabrielle d’Estrées with her Sister). The artist is unknown, but Gabrielle was Henry the IV’s mistress, adviser, and baby-momma. To say nothing of the fact that she acted as a diplomat on his behalf and sat on his council.

There’s a lot of speculation about this particular painting. Some people claim that her sister pinching her nipple signifies that she’s pregnant with Henry’s child. (Which is understandable, as Gabrielle is holding his ring in her other hand.)

But there’s a lot of folks who view this picture as historically significant lesbian erotica. Which also seems reasonable to me, because… well… for kinda obvious reasons that I’m pretty sure I don’t have to point out.

I love this picture because it’s always struck me as incredibly funny. Delightful and whimsical. Keep in mind that this was a long time before cameras. Their expressions are so serious, just like a formal portrait. But… tweak

I think I’m not alone in this feeling, which is one of the reasons this painting is constantly referenced and parodied. (I’ll let you google around and find those pictures yourselves.)

So yeah. This is awesome. Thanks for making my life a little brighter.

Here’s the winners with their pipes:

Costumes was one of our biggest categories, so if you want to see the rest of the pictures (that aren’t in other categories) check out the photo stream over here.

If you’d like to see the other parts, they’re here:

Later all,

pat