Posted on October 31, 2013 Posted by John Scalzi 35 Comments
The costume is derived from this manga/anime character. I think Athena pulls it off pretty well; she’s got the brooding thing down. Also, this looks like the cover to a steampunk fantasy novel, if you ask me.
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Athena Scalzi, contributor – AMS
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And now I just want to write a steampunk pirate novel where the crew is all teens and younger but still with tats, missing eyes, and a generally cutthroat bastard type of attitude. Thanks, Scalzi, like I needed more projects! :P
(So mad ups on the evocative costume, Athena!)
Great costume; simple and easy to make look good. And after all, any teenager ought to be able to do brooding; what’s the point in being a teenager otherwise?
Though I do wonder about book cover/comic book land. So many missing eyes, so few missing noses …
For a second there, I thought she was going as the lead singer from Dead or Alive.
Oddly enough, the Black Butler (the anime & manga that character is from) is something of a steampunk (or at least gaslight) fantasy.
Take it from one who had four daughters and survived their teen years – don’t encourage the brooding. :^)
I need to get my Klingon warrior costume done by the end of the day. Looks like I’ll have to use quickly cut-and-painted plastic instead of forging my own bat’leth.
She looks great!
Is this post 1 of 3? We will get to see your costume and Krissy’s….right?
Great costume! Love the attention to detail with Ciel’s very significant blue ring!
I thought that was a Ciel costume! Nice coat and attention to detail!
Are you a fan of the anime/manga as well?
Well, there you are!
If you ever write a steampunk/fantasy novel. you have your cover all ready.
Excellent costume.
Not too much of a stretch for her to be Hana from Jay Kristoff’s Kinslayer, which is Japanese (steam/diesel)punk.
The Airship Captain’s Daughter’s Regret
Ha! Good one. My daughter is pulling off a pretty good witch this year, but at 4, it’s difficult to get her to stay still long enough to get a non-blurred pic.
Cool, I like it. Sounds like a novel waiting to be written. What’s the story about? Athena know? Have you asked?
You.. don’t have a butler, right? Right. You’re safe then. That’s when things will start getting weird
Nicely done. I keep meaning to watch Black Butler but then more new anime keeps being released…
First thought, before reading anything, was that the pic would make a great steampunk novel cover.
Very nice. My own 14-year old daughter identified the character immediately and was duly impressed (she’s Vriska from Homestuck this year)
Respect! She looks really good.
Q’apla, Floored! Hopefully you will be of the DS9/NextGen allied Klingons; I would hate to have you encounter our Starfleet senior officers on an away mission, and have a ‘dispute’ erupt. The restaurant has only just gotten used to the idea that we show up in force every Halloween, and having a bar fight scene (Tribbles not included) would be bad for business.
Excellent costume! And yeah, that would make a great steampunk cover (the pose, I mean; the photo would need to be arranged a little differently to leave room for the title).
So, John…your next book after the current one? Captain Nobeard and the High School Bullies?
My son (just about Athena’s age) did a major doubletake when that picture came up, as his Halloween costume last year was Ciel. I think the brooding part comes naturally to teenagers, because he did it pretty well too.
Being acquainted with only a thin smattering of anime, my mind saw the eyepatch and immediately made a different connecftion:
“Coming soon to a theater near you! Kurt Russell returns as Snake Plissen! There are places so deadly, even Snake can’t escape without help! Introducing Athena Scalzi as Snake’s daughter, Muffy Plissen! ESCAPE FROM OHIO, coming soon!”
Oh, and brooding teenagers are fine. (It’s that Byronic thing.) It’s the sullen that drives parents up the wall.
@ TheMadLIbrarian: Worf is my idol. So…yeah.
Angelina from Sky Captain is what popped into my head on first glance. Eyepatch is what tripped that, I think. Great Costume!
My 12 year old daughter knew who she was. She’s going to be Eyeless Jack from Creepypasta
Lovely, lovely.
What’s with Black Butler and eyepatches? My daughter is going as Cielle (splng?) and that outfit required the monocular fashion accessory…
Or perhaps Honor Harrington. There are no lack of ladies wearing eyepatches who should not be disparaged, lest they engage in some ass-kicking.
i am reminded of a post from YEARS ago, wherein you were extolling the virtues of some doll or another that would help Athena on her road to Essential Gothiness :D
George: Eyepatches have been a thing in anime for a while now (I’m not sure why), although there is a plot reason for it in the case of Black Butler (things most people shouldn’t be seeing…)
Nice job, Athena! And great photo by your dad!
Of course she has the brooding thing down well – she is a teen-ager! :-)
Speaking from experience, about a daughter I loved even when she was a teen-ager, and still love as an adult. (I will admit to a little satisfaction that she now has two teen-age daughters herself.)
– Tom –
Shows how out of touch I am: at first I thought she was going for Harlock without the cape, but then I realized a) no scar, b) no gloves, c) no skull and crossbones, d) not broody enough. (For those not in the know, Captain Harlock makes Batman look like Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm on uppers.)