Teaming up with opening night of Anime Central for a cosplay-packed weekend, was Neverland Party JAPANIMATION. For those of you who don’t know, NVRLND is a Chicago-based costume party and 3-D light show, its house music core thumping since early 2012. The Anime-themed party was a colorful flush of flamboyance at downtown Chicago’s Sanctuary.

Naughty Pokemon character costumes seemed to be prominent in the collective unconscious that evening, along with an abundance of the classically characteristic gaping glossy anime eyes.  A parade of our favorite Queens were the icing on our kawaii cupcake, the lot of them decked out in their fiercest.

Rupaul’s Drag Race Season 3 winner Raja graced our presence to host the party, with fellow queens, our beloved Sissy Spastik, Kim Chi, and Eddie Couture. The lovely Sissy stayed true to her enrapturing elegance as an alluring geisha, with impeccable attention to makeup, costume and accessory details. Kim Chi captured our hearts with her stunning cosplay as Dizzy from Guilty Gear, complete with both Necro and Undine wings. Another eye-catching queen was Debbie Fox, with an adorable cream-colored dress and bow she completely constructed herself.

All in all, JAPANIMATION was a temporary fix to our Tokyo dreams and Harajuku love, the electronica, lights and dancing still pumping through our veins. Stay tuned for more info on the next month’s Neverland Party on June 28th, kicking off Chicago’s  gay pride weekend, hosted by the incredible Amanda Lepore! Who’s excited?!

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We’ve all been there with InuYasha, Rurouni Kenshin, and Yu Yu Hakushou, with Bleach, Gundam Wing, and Dragon Ball Z.  There’s just something about a good fight scene with emotionally sympathetic characters (here’s looking at you, Goku and Vegeta) that appeals to the masses.  Or maybe it’s the super human powers?  In any case, it’s safe to say that the shonen of the 90’s will live on in our hearts—and television screens—for years to come.  But what are we supposed to watch in between Samurai Champloo marathons?  And how are we supposed to find quality shonen in this sea of expanding YoutTube uploads?

Let’s talk about Psycho-Pass—the dystopic grandchild of Cowboy Bebop and Wolf’s Rain, featuring a cast of morally ambiguous and psychologically unstable protagonists.  Sound interesting?  Set in a world where a government-contrived system called “Sibyl” monitors the average citizen’s proclivity for crime, Psycho-Pass is positively Orwellian.

The series focuses on a team of government agents, who are responsible for bringing in the citizens Sibyl deems as particularly dangerous.  The team is divided into “inspectors” and “enforcers,” the former of which are respectably employed (albeit covert) members of society, and the latter of which are former criminals themselves, hired to provide a unique perspective to the investigation(s).

As readers might have predicted, tensions are high from the onset.  Inspector Akane Tsunemori is new on the job and immediately put to work.  Without giving away any first-episode spoilers, she manages to bumble her way through an especially brutal case with its fair share of unforseen developments.  If there was ever any doubt though—this is not a show you watch in the company of minors.  It deals in mature themes.  Ultimately, however, this allows it to meaningfully explore deeper concepts of government, freewill, utopia, and existence.  In a departure from classical shonen, Psycho-Pass is a brilliantly complex example of taking everyday concepts to their logical extremes.  Watch it, watch it now.

The post Psycho-Pass: Why You Need to Watch It Now appeared first on Sugar Gamers.

This year’s ACEN was one of the largest we’ve seen to date! It had all of the usual, awesomely predictable elements—hundreds of cosplay-clad anime lovers, shopping, raves and parties galore. One of our favorite parts of this convention, is all of the unique and obscure merchandise that you simply can’t find at most stores. Lucky enough to find our favorite weapons and goggles dealer, The Grand Illumination, we picked up a sword that you’ll get to catch a glimpse of in Nikki Lynette’s new music video.

Our adorable friends Lisha and Purin were awesome enough to help us cover the event from their own stylish perspectives. Have a look at what Lisha had to say about the candy-colored, fantasy-packed weekend HERE and Purin’s keen cuteness observations are HERE.

As if that wasn’t enough, we ran into our fellow Sugar Gamer Amira, who stopped traffic in her super sweet cosplay as Ursula of Disney’s The Little Mermaid.

To say the least, we had an absolute blast. During it’s 16^th year, despite the obligatory long lines and over flowing panels, Anime Central was hit. The cosplayers came in droves, outnumbering the street attire by far with Lolita costumes, corsets and multi-colored wigs in abundance. Pleasantly surprised, we’re looking forward to next year to say the least!

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It was Jason Mewes’s turn to wear the producer hat for this Jay and Silent Bob adventure with Kevin Smith merely serving as an employee.  ”Jay and Silent Bob’s Super Groovy Cartoon Movie” has been taken on the road as a screening event complete with live podcast with the bromantical duo afterwards.  I gotta say, from the very start of the evening, I experienced a slew of things, some fantastic and the others were just pure WTF moments.

The Venue

Ah yes, the Vic Theater, a Chicago treasure…ish.  Unfortunately Mr. Mewes and Mr. Smith have accumulated a fan base that is not decidedly petite or short.  So, tiny chairs crammed together combined with no elevation for back rows equals visual impairment combined with unforeseen intimacy.  To be honest the joint has become a little janky.  How do I know?

1. The ladies room possesses functional hand dryers and yet they were not operational, forcing me to acquire paper towels from the attendant for whom I did not have cash to tip.

2. The ladies room also possesses functional toilet paper dispensers, but why bother?  There’s a coat hook!

I am not shitting you, it was like this for every stall.

3. A dude sitting near me clearly couldn’t contain his excitement (or perhaps overdid it on the psychotropics) and proceeded to yack a  large amount of bodily substance onto the floor.  The yacker bailed, leaving us with a small pond of yuck and a foul odor.  Three employees walked over to look at it, got grossed out and walked away.  It would be about 15 minutes before one of them returned with a mop.  The incident was well covered on twitter, Kevin Smith was aware of it before the staff was.

The Groovy Cartoon Movie

It was everything hardcore fans of Jay and Silent Bob could want.  I will not be giving away massive amounts of plot, I will say it was mortifyingly hysterical.  Lots of pop/comic book culture mockery, Jay’s relentless fixation on sex of the back door variety, and loads of blunts in faces.  It was over the top and rife with voice actors we love like Neil Gaiman and Tara Strong.  It should come as no surprise that you MUST watch after the credits, they whip out some big guns.  I can promise any fan will feel right at home with the movie.

My favorite cast member without a doubt is Blunt Girl, a long overdue female addition to the dyanamic duo of Bluntman and Chronic voiced by Smith’s wife, Jennifer Schwalbach.  Again I won’t dish too much plot, but Blunt Girl gives Chronic the ride of his life, and that’s all I’m gonna say.

The Podcast

What we Learned from the live podcast:

1. That very evening, Kevin Smith’s daughter, Harley Quinn Smith, was going on her first date and Kevin utilized the internet to get the skinny on this kid.  He brought his wife out on stage to see if there were any updates, however she was feeling shy and just said a quick hello.  Apparently this punk likes movies and Batman, Jason believes that might a be a front.

2. Chicago is the city where Jason first attempted masturbation under water.

3. Clerks 3 is gonna be awesome.

Any questions?  Of course there were!  Do I care to repeat them?  Not really.  Speaking of which, I personally find people that ask two questions or two-part questions to be inconsiderate.  ESPECIALLY when it comes to Kevin Smith, his fans KNOW his answers run long and time is ALWAYS limited.  I get it, you love him, and so do all the people behind you, so mind your Q and A manners.

Anywho, see the movie, it’s funny, it’s what you want and when you do see it, Mr. Mewes has requested that you Facebook the shit out of it.

The post Jay and Silent Bob’s Super Groovy Cartoon Movie Came to Town appeared first on Sugar Gamers.

I believe we have discussed the jet riding, goggle wearing, monster Nazi killing Fearless Dawn before.  It’s a fabulous comic with Steve Mannion’s hands all over it from the art to the writing.  The action packed book is published by Frank Forte’s Asylum Press, and is now getting an animated upgrade.  Forte is an animation enthusiast and advocate currently working on “Bob’s Burgers” and even has his own indie animation YouTube channel “Goon Cartoons.”  The trend of animated comics is on the rise and there could not be a more knowledgeable publisher to take this trend to the next level than Asylum Press.

Asylum Press joined forces with Visionborne using Airmid Technology to create the eye popping movement.  There’s only so much I can convey in words, take a look at the preview trailer:

The Fearless Dawn animated comic app is available for download in the iTunes store for $.99 for iPad.  This is only the first of several titles from Asylum Press to get the animation makeover and we’ll be sure to keep you updated.

The post Fearless Dawn is on the Move! appeared first on Sugar Gamers.

“Get a frat boy to wear a Pokemon costume to class. #SLOWBRO”

This is item ten of the University of Chicago’s 2011 Scavenger Hunt. As it is known on campus, “Scav” is an annual tradition that spans four days and results in some of the wackiest, most bizarre, and most memorable experiences of students’ lives.

Legendary hunts of the past have required students to build a (working) nuclear reactor, while more recent Scav shenanigans have involved human-Tetris, Bedouin-style weddings, and a Game of Thrones interactive map.

While teams do not require student participation, the majority of students take it upon themselves to become actively involved. To many, it’s not just a game—it’s a lifestyle. Jordan Phillips, a University of Chicago alum who is flying back to be a part of the madness, describes Scav as a “pilgrimage into the absurd.”

For all its chaotic energy, Scav is actually a well-oiled machine. It takes an entire year to prepare the Scav list, and items are constantly reworked based on their feasibility, nerd-level and X-factor. Those responsible for creating the item list are known as the “Judges,” and they live, eat, and breathe Scav.  Participants (aka “Scavvies”) respond in kind. Each team has its own elaborate internal hierarchy to ensure that items are completed on time and that things run smoothly.

Ultimately though, Scav is a time to come together. Who knew your friend of three years is a black belt in karate? And wait, that kid in your bio class can juggle flaming batons? Scav creates a safe space where nerdery is celebrated and the fantastical is brought to life. After all, when’s the next time you get to build a Tardis with your besties?  (Extra points if it’s bigger on the inside.)

The post The Largest Scavenger Hunt In the World appeared first on Sugar Gamers.

It’s hard to find seriously cool musicians who let their nerd flags fly nowadays.  Sure, there are some sick DJs, (unfairly) talented rappers, and jaw-dropping vocalists to be found on the internetz, but very rarely does one run across that magical combination of nerdery and honest-to-god good music.

Enter Lindesy Stirling: violinist, dubstep master, and self-proclaimed nerd.

Lindsey stepped onto the YouTube scene in 2007 and has been consistently uploading mind-blowing music videos ever since.  Catapulted into internet fame after making it to the quarter finals in America’s Got Talent (season 5), Lindesy has continued to captivate audiences by incorporating hip-hop, rock, and dubstep elements into her music to produce a new and innovative sound.  Some of her more geektastic releases include “Skyrim” (featuring Peter Hollens), “Game of Thrones,” and “Mission Impossible.”  And did I mention she dances?  While preforming?  Because she does.  If that wasn’t enough of a sensory overload already, Lindsey is also known for her elaborate and theatrical costumes.  Check out her “Phantom of the Opera” remix for b-e-a-utiful dresses and her “Zelda Medley” for more copsplay awesomeness.

One of the great things about Lindsey is that she challenges classical genres of music in much the same way that she challenges the predominantly-male gaming scene to recognize truly talented female presence within geek culture.  It nice to see strong ladies doing their thing in productive and—let’s be real—epic ways.  So, major props in that regard.

For those of you who want to see Lindsey live, she just wrapped up her second tour in April…BUT, she has since announced that her official European tour will kick off in May—she’ll start in Mother Russia and end in Sweden.  Further details can be found here.

The post Lindesy Stirling “The Hip-Hop Violinist” appeared first on Sugar Gamers.

Comics and tee-shirts and whiskers on cos players.

Gaming and howling and celebs passing by.

I love the energy this comic con brings.

These are a few of my favorite things……

At C2E2 2013.

The Infamous Pink Booth

Granted I may be biased considering this princess dress clad lady works with me on Shero & Vex as the talented artist, but she rocked princess dresses all weekend, so Erika Swanson FTW!

Erika was surrounded by bubblegum pink, sparkles and her fabulous book Bellossoms.  The book features her one of kind art with a charming story.  Fans were dropping by snatching the book off of her table faster than she could wave her magic wand.  Erika was also doing some custom sketches which were just fabulous.

The Total Sellout

Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse was a hot item and writer Michael Mendheim ran into the delightful problem of running out of books.  And who can resist the twisted Simon Bisley art and fantastic collaboration story?  Let’s just say Michael and his book have friends in high places.

Booth #1550

Yes that is indeed the number of the Sugar Gamers booth.  Where to begin?  We had a celebrity in our midst, non other than miss Keisha “Sugar Momma” Howard signing shots from Robot Combat League.  We also had a vast selection of killer shirts, and don’t worry, if you missed us at C2E2 all the gear we were selling is now available online.

We had an exclusive printout of our web comic Shero & Vex and gorgeous jewelry designed by our fashion maven Jenn Nicole.  As is tradition at any SG booth, we had to get our game on and this year the obvious choice was Netherrealm Studio’s Injustice: Gods Among Us.  Naturally we had an obscene amount of fun with our Actionbooth setup, as did many others.

The Party

Sakura Karaoke Lounge was ground zero to an all out nerd-splosion.  Actionbooth closed up shop at our booth and headed down the street to our party to capture the mayHAM  that occured.

To see all the photos from our booth and party head over to http://actionbooth.com/ .

The post C2E2 2013: These are a few of my Favorite things. appeared first on Sugar Gamers.

Keisha: So who’s this sexy Elon Musk Guy and why do you like him so much?

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Meet Linda Ly from San Francisco! She is a writer for the new up and coming Comic Slycey which I’m already loving because of the cool looking Female protagonist!

Keisha: So Linda! We have to ask you about your nerd cred! What sorts of activities do you find yourself doing the most?

Linda: Depends on my mood because occasionally you’ll find me flying through the trees armed with Ninja stars waiting for my next target. Oh wait you’re not suppose to know that I’ll just have to cast a magical forgetful spell. Poof! Did it work? No? Okay I guess you’ve discovered one of my secret identities (and yes I said one because if you knew all my secrets I’d have to slice you…and I’m talking paper cut slice that hurts like hell). Okay but seriously I am Linda Ly the freelance comic book writer by day and ninja assassin by night. True story. If I’m not writing a story you’ll probably find me reading in my spare time and occasionally killing zombies, finding treasures and doing some major a** kicking on my PS3.

Keisha: When did you start getting into comic books, which characters do you draw the most inspiration from?

Linda: I got into comics at a pretty young age.  I would say the first few comics I picked up were Marvel’s Spider Man and a few DC comics such as Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman (I’m a big Justice League fan so pretty much all the JLA characters I’m a fan of, but Wonder Woman takes the cake on this one though).  In terms of character inspiration I’m tempted to say Wonder Woman but I think a lot of my inspiration comes from my Mother (who seriously should have her own comic, because Mama Thach does NOT mess around and she literally is quite the character).  All in all I definitely draw inspiration from most of the strong female comic Heroines.

Keisha: I’m so excited about Slycey! Could you tell us more about it?

Linda: Well Slycey is definitely my brainchild and it was something I wanted to start a long time ago. The Slycey brand itself will offer some free to low cost comic series online.  I will be writing the majority of the comics but eventually I’ll have new writers come on board.  As for the Slycey story itself it stems from my love of Swords and Swordsmanship. Eventually Slycey will be the story of a Sword that is passed on from generation to generation.  It is a story about the protection of an ultimately powerful sword that if in the hands of the wrong person it could do immense damage.  Myla the main character awakens among an array of dead bodies.  She doesn’t know how she got there and she doesn’t know why her hands are stained with blood.  The story will take you on a journey of finding out more about Myla and this mysterious sword.  So I would stay tuned if you want to know more.

Keisha: Are any elements of Slycey taken from situations you’ve had to deal with or overcome in your personal life?

Linda: Yes and no. A lot of the elements just come from the craziness that runs in my mind. In some cases the events touch upon some real life situations such as acceptance and trying to figure out who you are and where you want to be in life.

Keisha: There is a stigma that being female or being a minority makes breaking into this industry difficult. Have you found that your gender, race, orientation pose any challenges? What are some of the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

Linda: That is a tough one as I know everyone has a different perspective on this.  Personally for me I found that it was a little bit of both.  I can’t sit here and say it was easy and I can’t say it was hard.  I feel like I’m still learning the ropes and trying to figure out what my next move will be.  There is a lot of talent out there and I feel that if we stripped away the obvious the talent should ideally speak for itself.  My biggest challenge was and still is proving that I can tell a story and tell it well. I definitely want to take a humble approach to my craft and I know that yes sometimes I might come up against a wall but that doesn’t mean I can’t scale the darn thing (you know what I mean, hell if I need to use a mallet to break it down I will).

Keisha: What other project besides Slycey are you working on currently? What can we be looking forward to?

Linda: World domination? Just kidding.  Slycey Entertainment has a lot of things coming soon and actually we just finished our first comic short titled The Flowers which will be made available online.  We have a future comic project that I’m really excited about and I can’t give too much details at the moment but all I have to say is prepare yourself for The Daughters of Glory. Oh yeah it’s about to go down.  Also aside from comics Slycey will also have shirts and figurines available for sell in the near future so stay tuned!

Talk to Linda and her partner more at C2E2 this weekend at Sugar Gamers booth 1550.

You can find more information on her here http://slyceyent.wix.com/lindaly

And more about her company at www.slycey.com

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