 |
|
 |
|---|
Interview With Pamela Neko by Cary Cosplay Model and Burlesque Performer Pamela Neko aka Wham Bam Pam. How did you get interested in cosplay? I was dragged to my first anime convention in 2003 by an enthusiastic boyfriend. He explained that it was basically a weekend-long hotel party. I had just started getting into anime and video games, and I've always loved parties! When I got there and saw all the cosplayers, I was in awe. I have always adored playing dress up. I knew right away that I wanted to cosplay, too. My first costumes I made with a lot of help from my ex-bf's mother. I was disappointed when no one took my picture or recognized me when I dressed as Sawa from Kite. Of course, back then I didn't know how important a well-styled wig is! During the next couple years I continued to go to anime conventions to work for vendors. I didn't really fall hard for cosplay until Katuscon 2007. I wore my first commissioned costume, a very sexy vinyl jumpsuit made by Limebarb.com. I received an insane amount of attention! With the constant cameras, people calling out my name, and the blinding flashbulbs... I really felt like I was a celebrity walking a red carpet! And after that, I was hooked on cosplay.
Who is your favorite character to dress as? Hmmm… I enjoy almost all my costumes. :) I think I love Mikuru, b/c the costume really allows a lot of mobility, and it's so flashy. I also adore dressing up as Jessica Rabbit; she is such an iconic character, one I've loved since childhood. However, that dress is all sequins and it cuts up my arms & ankles, ouch!
You also do some pin up modeling, how do the two genres compare? Well, it should be a lot different usually, b/c while the characters/anime shows I choose are inherently sexy, they're distinctly different than the style of sexy that you find in pinup. Most of the anime characters are pretty badass, very active, and I've always struggled to capture that movement in posing during cosplay modeling. The fun thing about cosplay modeling is, you usually have a kickass prop to work with, like a gun or a sword! Also, I feel like a lot of anime characters are really young, and so to emulate the character you're faced w/ the challenge to look young and heroic at the same time. Pinup on the other hand, is classic & cute sexy. It's about looking pretty and emphasizing the feminine. In terms of straight modeling, there are a lot of standard pinup poses that you can use to hint at a pinup feel in any genre, even if you're not made up in the standard vintage look.
Do you find that these types of modeling cross over with the Fetish/BDSM scene? Pinup absolutely crosses over into the Fetish/BDSM scene. I mean, look at Bettie Page. She's one of pinup's greatest icons, and she also did a lot of Fetish modeling as well. The corsets & heels are frequently popular w/ both Pinup and BDSM fans. And I think that fetishizing the sexuality of a certain body part can certainly be rooted in many themes that you see in Pinup as well. As for cosplay cross over, I think the futuristic costuming can be seen a lot in the BDSM scene. Anime & other types of animation have always been a major outlet for bizarre fetishes, b/c you can draw pretty much anything you can imagine, right? And what you see allows a lot more room for the imagination to wander, as opposed to regular porn, which shows you true images that you're familiar with and have already defined in real life. I think a lot of cosplayers & anime fans neglect to come to terms with the fact that a lot of anime is really hyper-sexual. Just look at the character & costume designs. Not to mention that most female characters follow a formulaic stereotype that is easily fetishized. It makes perfect sense to me that cosplaying, bringing these characters to life, would be basically very sexual. But I don't think it has quite gotten there yet.
Do you enjoy fetishism/BDSM play in your personal life, and if so what are you into? I have been known to dabble :) Before you ask, nope, I've [not] brought the costumes into bed! This may come as a surprise, but I'm not really into roleplaying in bed. I'm just not that imaginative. I've enjoyed shibarI and other light bondage. Basic fetishes boil down to objectification, humiliation, loss of control/power, and violence. I'm an exhibitionist, so I've enjoyed putting on shows, but I found that it doesn't really turn me on. I'm currently in a phase of re-discovering simpler sex, so I'm not currently practicing any particular fetishes or scenarios.
Do you think pinup and fetish are becoming part of the mainstream culture? It seems to be so to me! But I'm not sure it's true. Pinup is pretty mainstream b/c it's always been non-threatening. It's just a style to most people. I think people are getting used to seeing images and hearing tales of strange fetishes and no longer being *scared*, which is good. But I think most people still have a long way to go when it comes to accepting and understanding our fetishes. And yeah, I mean being accepting of other people's fetishes… But more than that I think it's important for people to see and accept whatever fetishes we might have ourselves. I would love to see people exploring & embracing their sexuality in healthy ways, without feeling shame.
Are there any other creative mediums you work in? I am a burlesque dancer, and loving it! I've also been doing some figure modeling. I have a lot of work to do to improve my modeling, it's something I always feel I can do better.
What kind of music do you like? I really like all kinds of music. I try to seek out the really good, talented artists. I am a sucker for female vocalists. I don't care for contemporary pop. If I had to make a list it would go something like this: opera, jazz, rock, prog rock, math rock, rap, blues
What do you like to do for fun? I love to throw parties and organize events. I travel a lot. I also love to go out to fabulous restaurants and dive bars. I like to cook. I spend an extraordinary amount of time on the internet, but I don't watch much TV. I need to make more time to read comic books. :)
See more of Pamela Neko at: | See more of Pamela Neko at: http://www.myspace.com/pamelaneko
 
|
