Leah Feiger: Zoë, I am obsessed with this story. Before you continue, I think that it’s really important to say that Caroline, the lovely reporter of this story on your business desk, obtained 1,665 pages of documents about the dispute about Zuckerberg’s house. This story is canon now.
Zoë Schiffer: Caroline Haskins is a complete star. Our fact-checking team literally cried when I asked them. They were like, “Wait, sorry, how many documents are we looking through?” I was like, “Yes.”
Leah Feiger: Shout out to the WIRED research team.
Zoë Schiffer: Absolutely. The school, I think we just have to say, is named after one of the Zuckerberg family chickens. It’s called the Bicken Ben School.
Leah Feiger: I mean, hearing you say this, it’s, I know you’re being serious, but again.
Zoë Schiffer: So, the Crescent City neighborhood in Palo Alto, where the Zuckerbergs live, as you can imagine, is some of the best real estate in the entire country. It’s filled with these gorgeous homes, a ton of greenery. Mark Zuckerberg has been expanding his presence throughout the years in this ultra fancy neighborhood. The plot of land that the Zuckerbergs live on has expanded to include 11 previously separate properties. This is so funny and just such a nightmare. If you’re living on the street, you paid whatever, $5 million for your house, and suddenly all of your neighbors are Mark Zuckerberg.
Leah Feiger: Important to note that not all of them are connecting either. I don’t totally understand what that means. Do they walk through a neighbor’s porch to get to their horse’s pool? What does this entail?
Zoë Schiffer: We have more questions. We have to Google Earth this. I think there’s some holes in this story that we need to fill in. The expansion first became a concern for Mark Zuckerberg’s neighbors, back in 2016, due to fears that his purchases were driving up the market pretty dramatically. But then, about five years later, neighbors started noticing that a school appeared to be operating out of the Zuckerberg compound. So, this is illegal to do without a permit, at least under the area’s residential zoning code. And so, naturally, the neighbors started to alert the city. Caroline Haskins, the reporter on the story, obtained over a thousand documents, like you said, outlining the resulting fight between the neighbors and the city authorities, basically arguing that, it felt to them like the Zuckerbergs were getting special treatment.
Initially, Silksong was planned as downloadable content for the original game, before its creators expanded it into a full-fledged sequel. In August, when developers surprise-announced that the game would launch in just two weeks, at least half a dozen other indie developers immediately delayed their own games to clear the way. “Dropping the GTA of indie games with 2 weeks notice makes everyone freak out,” wrote Demonschool developer Necrosoft on Bluesky on its delay.
Despite a seven-year development cycle, excitement for the game never died down. Reddit user The_Real_Kingsmould tells WIRED the community has “largely kept itself afloat with its insanity and the occasional crumb of news.” The posts, the jokes—it’s all “that feeling of being a part of something,” he says.
“When [there’s no news], everyone’s sad, and then everyone goes insane and starts spouting misinformation without batting an eye,” he says. “When there’s news it’s the happiest day of your life. There’s hype posts EVERYWHERE. All your hope in Team Cherry is restored.”
Over the years, the community has passed the time by role-playing with the game’s lore. There was the sacrifice era, where a handful of prominent users were chosen as “dreamers,” a nod to characters in Hollow Knight who traded the waking world for eternal sleep, and a Hollow Knight. These community members were then “sealed away”—banned from the subreddit, as it were—and are only allowed to return after the game launches.
Other memorable moments in the subreddit include a play on shapeshifter Nosk, one of the original game’s hidden bosses. Fans began pretending they’d encountered fake copies of Silksong around the world, granted to them by “Snosk,” a version of the bug with a copy of Silksong for a head. “Pretty fast there were a lot of PSA’s going around: Do not approach or attempt to pick up any copy of Silksong outdoors, or one that isn’t yours,” The_Real_Kingsmould tells WIRED of the in-joke. “But there were also users trying to deny the existence of Snosks (having been “overtaken”), claiming the copies are safe and all you have to do is go outside.”
This particular campaign came to a head after moderators called for anti-Snosk fan art to “banish the Snosks for good,” he says. People began pumping out art of the subreddit specifically, not the game, he says, until it was enough: “After a short while the Snosks were gone.”
The subreddit has built its own lore over the years. Even today, users in the subreddit have flair that gives them faction labels like doubter, denier, or “beleiver,” which is purposefully misspelled because “”there is no lie in be[lie]ving.”
Stark says Silksong is fertile ground for role-playing fans because the game’s lore is so deep. “Hollow Knight on the surface kind of reads like a [Dark Souls] game, because the lore is a bit inscrutable until you get really deep into it,” she says. “It sometimes talks in riddles. It takes a long time to get to all of the pieces, and sometimes the pieces really rely on the player’s interpretation.”
The fan communities are no different. “Subreddit users together have created their own interpretations from these pieces of lore that are strange and playing in layers,” Stark says.
With Silksong’s global release imminent across Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, PS4/PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, the communities will soon shift their attention from waiting to playing.
If the game is as dense as Hollow Knight, there will be months, if not years, of discoveries and theories for fans to tear through on Reddit. Others will enter new chapters of their own lives.
Araraura’s time tracking Silksong news with YouTube updates is coming to an end. He’ll shut down the YouTube channel: “nothing to look forward to anymore, so no new videos,” he says. He feels wistful at times about that, after getting so used to uploading videos to the channel, but he’s ready. “I think I’ve finally made peace with that,” he says. “Now I’m just really, really excited for Silksong.”
London, 2023. Leslye Headland stepped onto the Star Wars Celebration stage to talk about her new show, The Acolyte. The excitement in the room grew as she explained her vision and showed a sneak peek. However, I found it most endearing when she mentioned she used to write fan fiction.
That was the moment I knew I was going to fall in love with The Acolyte. That was the moment I knew that Star Wars was finally making something with fans like me in mind. They brought out the cast, and it was immediately clear that so many people who have historically been left out of the narrative would see themselves reflected in this story.
The characters in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba distinguish themselves through their extraordinary bravery. Tanjiro Kamado, for example, consistently pushes himself to the brink of death just so that he can save the people around him. Then there’s Murata.
The first time the show introduces him, Murata runs away from the battle only to get caught by a demon. This side character is so forgettable he doesn’t get fun-colored hair or even a second name. He has no special powers, and his superiors chastise him often. He’s just your run-of-the-mill guy who happens to be caught up in the ruckus of several major battles.
But none of that matters, because fans of the Demon Slayer anime have unofficially anointed Murata as the series’ favorite and unofficial strongest character.
Let’s be clear: Murata is not all that powerful in the world of Demon Slayer. He is a standard grunt in the Demon Slayer corps and doesn’t practice any special breathing techniques. But that hasn’t hindered his reputation.
If anything, the idea that he’s the only regular dude among loads of seasoned fighters helps bring out the inherent irony of the bit.
In one video, which has more than 1.9 million views on TikTok, the creator layers text over a clip where Murata falls into the Infinity Castle — a vast domain and home to the most powerful demon, Muzan. The text says, “muzan’s worst mistake was putting murata within the same radius as him.” In the comments, people voice support for the joke and a person replies, “Muzan only goes outside at night because Murata is sleeping.” It’s been liked more than 22,000 times.
TikTok is filled with videos making jokes more or less like the one above, but the gag has only snowballed. Another video, which has more than 3.6 million views, makes a crack about how the entire fandom agrees that Murata is the strongest.
Now, fans are building on the original joke, inventing a fake but super-powerful fighting technique that only Murata knows, called “galaxy breathing.” The idea has become so popular that it’s a suggested search term in the comments.
Iman Vellani is the kind of movie star whose enthusiasm, humor, and openness radiates off the screen and feels positively incandescent in person. The 21-year-old actress, best known for her role as Kamala Khan in 2022’s Ms. Marvel and 2023’s The Marvels,is unabashedly open in sharing her love of all things MCU-related, from playfully debating the finer points of canonical continuity with Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige to co-writing a Ms. Marvellimited series with Sabir Pirzada.
But Vellani has other passions beyond Marvel — her most recent being anime. Earlier this year at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards, Vellani shared with Polygon what convinced her to finally take the plunge into exploring Japanese animation.
“I was very intimidated by anime until very recently,” Vellani said. “I started watching anime about a year ago, so this is a new obsession for me, but I’m totally into it now. There’s just so much content, I didn’t know where to start. I mean, I can barely keep up with all the Marvel content that’s out there.”
Image: Wit Studio/Crunchyroll
Vellani attributes her nascent love of anime to Attack on Titan, which she was introduced to via family and friends and proudly names as her current favorite anime. “They just talk about it all the time,” Vellani said, “and Attack on Titan kept coming back up whenever they would talk about anime. I started watching it and was like, This is a story that seems like it’s about humanity. I think I can get into it.”
Of the entire ensemble of characters that appear in Attack on Titan, Vellani pointed out one in particular whose story resonated the most with her. “I love Mikasa Ackerman,” Vellani said. “The way that she kept Eren’s scarf at the end of the show, even though Eren told her to give it up and forget about him. Her being the only one who was able to kill Eren at the end to stop the Rumbling. That is a woman who — I don’t think I’ve seen many other female characters like her who have that authority, willpower, and determination to actually act on it. I recently cut my hair, and when I looked in the mirror, I was like, I know what my next cosplay is.”
Image: Wit Studio/Crunchyroll
Aside from Mikasa, Vellani also named one of the series’ other leading characters as one she especially enjoyed, going so far as to praise the voice actor responsible for their performance in Attack on Titan’s finale. “I like Armin because I always like to root for the nerdy characters,” Vellani said. “I watched the final half of the show with the English dub and, I don’t know who the actor who plays Armin is, but they deserve a raise because their performance in the final episode blew me away. He made me cry, his wailing and that flashback scene between him and Eren, it just hit me in all the right ways.”
After resisting anime for a while, Attack on Titan quickly became a show that stuck with her. “The ending was such a gut punch. It left me feeling so awful at the end, but it’s like one of those Succession-type endings where it’s not the ending you want, but it made sense. The ending made sense for the story, it made sense for the characters.
“I think they tied the knot so perfectly, and I can’t think of anything else I’ve watched recently that’s impacted me as much as that. I was crying in my bed watching it. My mom walked in on me and she was like, ‘It’s just an animation show!’ and I was like, ‘No, this is real!’”
Image: MAPPA/Crunchyroll
Shortly after finishing Attack on Titan, she dove into exploring other popular series suggested by her friends. “I finally started Jujutsu Kaisen and One Piece,” Vellani said. “One Piece was one that I did not want to get into initially because it’s like, what, a thousand episodes now, and that felt like too much. Grey’s Anatomy was more than enough for me, and I stopped at, like, season 10. But after the Netflix show came out I was so drawn to the characters, and after the heartbreak of Attack on Titan, I needed something lighter and funnier and that made me feel good. The characters are likable and I want to root for them all, so that’s a show I really like.”
And Vellani’s love for anime doesn’t stop at TV. “I watched Suzume just before coming to Japan and I loved it,” Vellani said. “That blew my mind. Truly a masterpiece. I also recently watched The Boy and the Heron and, as a 21-year-old, it really spoke to me and it reassured me that my inner child still exists.”
Image: Studio Ghibli via GKIDS/YouTube
When asked why she felt that her generation has embraced anime, and what it was about the medium that specifically spoke to her, Vellani cited the empowering roles and depictions of women and children, as well as the craftsmanship of studios like Studio Ghibli, as some of the reasons why anime is so popular among Gen Z audiences. “I just feel like anime feels so progressive with the way they depict women and children, especially in Studio Ghibli movies. All those movies are so good at showcasing youth and childhood and imagination in a way that’s encouraging children to keep that mindset.
“I feel like a lot of American cinema right now is just so depressing. It just wants to show the gritty real life of the world. I want to live in a world that makes me excited for the future, and I think anime does such a wonderful job in showcasing all the beauties of life. We went to the Ghibli Museum this morning and saw how they draw every single detail of the houses — the bricks, the walls, the windows — and you just realize how much people paid attention to these details when they drew it. Like, this is how they see the world, and that’s how I want to see the world, as something that’s full of life and joy.”
Orlando Brick Convention is back for a big weekend
For those who love to brick, this Lego event is for you.
One of the biggest fan-run Lego conventions returns to Central Florida this weekend.
Orlando Brick Convention takes over Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee Saturday and Sunday, March 16-17, bringing professional and local Lego artists, build-zones and galleries of Lego sets on display.
“I have organized dozens of Lego fan events in the past 10 years and I can confidently say that the Orlando Brick Convention next week will be the most exciting, fun-filled Lego event I have ever witnessed,” says Greyson Riley, the founder of Brick Convention.
Last year’s inaugural event sold out, so 2024’s edition will be expanded to include even more Lego attractions and artists from around the world. This year’s Lego celebrities on the guest list include Patrick Durham and Mel Brown from the Lego Masters television series on Fox.
“Over two dozen local Lego creators will be participating in the event showing anything and everything Lego. Star Wars creations, Lego displays that teach history, art, Lego cities with moving trains and lights,” Riley says. “There will truly be something for everyone at the event. We will have creators young and old, from the youngest builder who is 12 years old in middle school to even a few grandparents.”
Other attractions include brick pits and building zones with thousands of Legos to build with, exhibits with Lego builds from local fans, life-size Lego models, displays of Lego botanicals and architecture, an exhibit just for Star Wars builds, and a shop for merchandise and rare Lego sets.
The Orlando Brick Convention supports Creations for Charity by giving a portion of the proceeds to the nonprofit organization that puts Lego sets into the hands of children in need. The 2023 event raised over $15,000 for charity.
“What is so appealing and what brings everyone together are the endless possibilities. There is nothing that can be done with Lego, the only limit is one’s imagination. Building with Lego gets people off the screens and into a world of creativity,” Riley says.
Tickets for the convention are $14, and it’s highly recommended you buy them ahead of time as this year’s event is expected to sell out as well.
In honor of Black History Month, the Midnight Boys present the third (and final) “Black Heroes of Fandom” draft (08:12). Bringing the best of Black heroes across fandom and their hearts along with an honorary category to honor the passing of Carl Weathers.
Hosts: Charles Holmes, Van Lathan, Jomi Adeniran, and Steve Ahlman Senior Producer: Steve Ahlman Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal Social: Jomi Adeniran
It used to seem so glamorous to be an “entertainer.” Yet even that word has connotations of being like a monkey with cymbals, “programmed” to perform no matter what the conditions or state of will and desire. In the latest instance of pelting something at musicians onstage (following the illustrious Bebe Rexha incident), Cardi B has proven herself to be a rare (but expected) rejector of “taking shit.” Or rather, “taking drink.” One that was splashed in her general direction as she was in the middle of partially lip-syncing “Bodak Yellow” at Drai’s Beachclub in Las Vegas. A town not exactly known for harboring people with the best etiquette (as Adele tried to anticipate). After all, it’s still considered America’s playground. Except that Cardi B wasn’t playing when she reacted to a large splash of someone’s drink getting deliberately thrown in her general direction by tossing a microphone back at that person. Though “tossing” is too soft a word for the pelting wrath she exhibited.
To add to the surreal, ironic quality of it all, the lyrics playing as Cardi launched the mic at the woman (yes, it was a woman) who sloshed her drink were, “If I see you and I don’t speak, that means I don’t fuck with you/I’m a boss, you a worker bitch/I make bloody moves.” How eerily apropos. Not just because things got violent, but because of how the fan/entertainer dynamic has been inverted of late. Where once famous people were endlessly confident about their role as the “superior” party, things have shifted to a point where fans feel entitled to demand more from the people they “admire” as they realize that, “technically,” they’re the ones who employ the celebrity. Keep expensive shelter over their head, posh food on their table and designer clothes on their back.
So just as fans giveth, so can they taketh away. A reality Doja Cat was faced with recently when she went off on fans giving her grief for dating J.Cyrus, an “entertainer” himself, one supposes. His history of sexual misconduct (in addition to some unearthed racist tweets for good measure) have drawn ire from those who wanted Doja Cat to explain herself. In response, she said, “I don’t give a fuck what you think about my personal life, I never have and never will give a fuck what you think about me and my personal life. Goodbye and good riddance miserable hoes haha!” She then went on to degrade her fans by giving such “fiery” “advice” as, “If you call yourself a ‘kitten’ or fucking ‘kittenz’ that means you need to get off your phone and get a job and help your parents with the house.”
Ah, the old jobist insult. But what sat even less well with her “Kittenz” was the fact that when a fan wrote in the comments section that they just wanted to hear her say she loved them, Doja spat back, “I don’t though cuz I don’t even know yall.” Where’s the lie? And yet, it’s the closest any celebrity has come to outright admitting how pathetic they think their fans are, and really, just need them for the cash. Except that Doja has also insisted she doesn’t actually need them anymore. Not just because she’s already rich now, but because she wants to emphasize that it was she who did the work to get where she is today. And yet, the complicated reality is that, without those legions of fans who paid attention to her from the beginning, she wouldn’t have those mountains of cash to fall back on after speaking her blunt, Liar Liar-level truth to them.
This serves as the crux of the issue at hand of late for why fans feel an entitlement to celebrities as their “property” (much the same way employers do with their employees, ergo treating them with similar acts of abusive behavior that an employer themselves would never suffer). In a manner that society has never really seen before. And yes, the evolution of the internet commingling with fame and how it interacts with fans is a key part of that.
Taylor Swift, who has become a master in the art of cultivating parasocial relationships with her fans, knows something about that, too. And she wants “Swifties” to believe the contrary of what Doja has been touting. That she really cares about them and their well-being. Sure, maybe she does (at least enough to break up with Matty Healy due to the backlash against him). That is, as much as one can care about an endless sea of amorphous faces flashing the cash, so to speak, from the crowd. Her far more amenable attitude has translated into astronomical profits as she continues to parade her Eras Tour. Which, like Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour, has created entire micro-economies in every town it stops in. Funnily enough, it was a Swiftie who waded into the comments section of Doja’s “I don’t even know yall” moment to explain the fan perspective on things: “And we don’t know you. But we supported you through thick and thin. Mind you you’d be nothing without us. You’d be working at a grocery store making songs on garageband miss high school dropout.” Maybe a bit harsh, but, to be fair, Doja’s willful lack of education shines through on songs like “Get Into It (Yuh).”
Cardi B, who is also rarely known for censoring herself or her emotions, seems to be better adept at showcasing the idea that, ultimately, her fans are just consumers (and there’s really nothing too personal about that). Hence, her innumerable product deals ranging from Pepsi to Reebok to…Whip Shots. Thus, it’s harder to mistake that “Cardi” is a brand she wants to sell for the benefit of Belcalis…and her family with Offset. The subject of which has provided narrative fodder for her latest collaboration with him, “Jealousy.” It is in said video that, incidentally, Cardi launches a shoe at Offset as he leaves their apartment in a huff. Don’t say she didn’t warn anyone who trifled with her that she has a knack for aiming unexpected objects when vexed. In fact, before she threw the microphone at her “fan,” she had already gotten into another altercation at Drai’s Beachclub with the DJ who cut her song off early. So admittedly, Cardi can be a little too quick to react with her microphone sometimes. And in the now viral video, you can see how it takes her only a split second to counterattack with that launch of a much more damaging object than liquid.
While the likes of Bebe Rexha and Ava Max were too stunned to instantaneously retaliate for the far more damaging abuse they got onstage, Cardi seems to have patently decided: enough. Almost like the barrage of employees during the Great Resignation who were struck with the overdue epiphany that they “didn’t have to take it anymore,” Cardi seems to have come to the same conclusion by actually fighting back against the “boss” who forgot that “workers” hold all the power. Until they need more money…
When it comes to incredible cosplay, San Diego Comic-Con always delivers, and this year was no exception. The event, which ran from July 20 to July 23 and took place at the famed San Diego Convention Center, brought fun panels, cool interactive experiences, and almost provided us with an unofficial GTA: San Andreas restaurant before Rockstar’s lawyers shut it down. But what about the cosplay?
The video and photos brought to you today were all provided, as usual, by Minerablu (you can check out way more of his stuff on his Instagram page or on his YouTube channel). Click through to see The Fifth Element cosplays, The Last of Us looks, and much, much more.
From Comic-Con to C2E2, the vast majority of cosplay coverage you see on this website comes from American conventions. Which is fine! This is an American website, many of the world’s biggest shows are in the US and our intrepid cosplay photographer Mineralblu is also American.
But sometimes it’s nice to break that up a little, no? Spread our wings, fly overseas, check out a cosplay show on some other shores. So it’s wonderful tonight to get the chance to share this video and gallery of cosplayers from Dreamhack Melbourne, a show that took place earlier this year and is the first time in a long time we’ve been able to feature a show post made up mostly of Aussie cosplayers.
In this slideshow you’ll find a video of the show below, then images of some of our favourite cosplay, with a cosplayer’s credits, social media info and character details watermarked on each.
As usual—so yeah, he went some distance for this one!—all video and photos are by Mineralblu, and you can check out more of his work at his Facebook page.
Our favourite cosplay from Dreamhack Melbourne 2023
Maul is one of the best and most famous cosplayers on the planet, a man whose work we’ve featured here for everything from God of War to Assassin’s Creed to, repeatedly, The Witcher. His latest shoot, however, might well be his best yet.
The Year’s Funniest Anime Is Lycoris Recoil Crossed With Yakuza
To commemorate the anniversary of Superman’s comics debut back in 1938, Maul took to the skies above Cologne/Köln (home of GamesCom!) to pay tribute to a character who “is my absolute hero”. With a crane, some cables, harnesses and no small amount of bravery, Maul and Emilija Wellrock—playing Lois Lane—were hoisted above the city to hold up a van, a helicopter and each other.
Photo: Maul Cosplay | Jun Kim | eosAndy
To pull it off of course required a whole team of folks working behind the scenes. Firstly, it should be noted, Maul—who has stuntman training—didn’t just wake up one day and bankroll this whole thing from his billionaire cosplay holdings; the shoot was sponsored by Pringles, as many big-budget cosplay features are these days.
All that organisation and work was more than worth it, though, when you see the results. Maul and Wellrock ended up getting hoisted 70 metres (230 feet) into the air above the city for most of the shots:
Photo: Maul Cosplay | Jun Kim | eosAndy
With the exception being this one taken on the ground, with Maul (and a crane) holding up a van:
Photo: Maul Cosplay | Jun Kim | eosAndy
And yes, OK, there had to be a little bit of editing required to get rid of the wires, but that doesn’t count.
You can see the full gallery of shots at Maul’s Facebook page, and below is the first of two short videos showing some of the preparation work that went into it all:
And here’s a clip uploaded by Wellrock showing the pair taking off:
Holiday Matsuri is one of the coolest cosplay shows on the North American calendar. Taking place in Florida in December, the location means that instead of shivering inside a convention centre somewhere freezing their asses off, attendees are instead free to hit the pool, and the timing means we get to see a bunch of neat holiday-themed takes on costumes.
The 2019 edition (which we covered in early 2020) was one of the last before the pandemic hit, and while the event returned in 2021 it wasn’t until the most recent show that things really got back in their stride.
In this gallery you’ll find both a music video and collection of photos of the 2022 event, all taken by Mineralblu. Each cosplayer’s social media, character and series details are watermarked on the image.
THIS IS SWIMSUIT COMIC CON HOLIDAY MATSURI 2022 HOLMAT COSPLAY MUSIC VIDEO VLOG ANIME EXPO FLORIDA
The 2022 edition of the LACC went down at the Los Angeles Convention Center between December 2-4. Why are we only posting it now? I’ve been on vacation, give me a break!
It’s comfortably one of the biggest nerd shows on the calendar; last year’s event drew over 126,000 people through the gates over those three days, and because a huge number of them were cosplayers, the video and pics you’re about to see are of the highest order.
As usual everything was shot by our friend Mineralblu, and as usual you’ll find each cosplayer’s character, series and social media details watermarked on the image. You can see some video highlights below, or click through for a gallery of some of our favourite photos.
THIS IS LOS ANGELES COMIC CON LACC 2022 MASHUP BEST COSPLAY MUSIC VIDEO BEST COSTUMES ANIME EXPO CMV
The Internet has been going wild over Martin Scorsese’s famous “lost film,” Goncharov. Even Scorsese himself has commented on the renewed interest in his work. Some accuse Goncharov of being “overrated,” or even “not a real film.” But if that were true, how would you explain the massive fandom that’s sprung up around it?
But some are baffled by the celebration of the homoerotic gangster film. Why celebrate a film with “queer subtext” when there are many other films that are actually about the queer experience?
Ultimately, I think this opens up an interesting argument about queer subtext vs. queer text.
A brief history of queer subtext
We’ve written at length about the dangers of queerbaiting and fake representation. But it’s important to remember that, for much of cinema’s history, being queer on screen was practically illegal. The Hayes Code prevented queer characters from having happy endings, assuming they were allowed to exist in the first place. As such, queer subtext in cinema was text for decades.
Films like Tea and Sympathy and Rebecca (1940) were made pre-Stonewall riots, when homosexuality and crossdressing were criminalized. So, much like in real life, queer characters had to exist in a space that assumed straightness and punished queerness.
Now that queerness is becoming more accepted, people are looking back at these works and seeing not just subtext, but a history of queerness in film.
Goncharov‘s emerging fandom
The fact that Goncharov is a movie in which both the leading ladies have agency and survive also lends itself to fandom, especially in a male-dominated genre like the gangster movie. If anything, the lack of pre-existing fandom also helps because there are no fans to try and take it away from us.
Many movies like Top Gun have queer subtext, but also have male-dominant fandoms that refuse to open up that conversation. In a smaller fandom, every reading is just as legitimate as another, and we don’t have to worry about bros on YouTube calling us delusional.
All of that can lead to a liberating experience for queer readers. We don’t have to put labels on Katya and Sofia, arguing about whether they’re lesbians or bisexual—we can just enjoy their relationship and create a world where they can run the mafia together.
What do you think of Goncharov and people re-evaluating the queer subtext of older films?
New York was able to hold its biggest Comic-Con since 2019 last month, and fans certainly turned up for it; around 200,000 people went through the turnstiles between October 6-9 at the Javits Center, many of them cosplayers.
In this gallery you’ll find a collection of some of our favourite cosplay from the event, with highlights ranging from people wearing costumes to people wearing enormous costumes.
First, though, this video recap of the event by Mineralblu! And after that, clicking through the slideshow will be a collection of photos (also taken by Mineralblu), in which you’ll find each cosplayer’s character, series and social media information watermarked on each image.
THIS IS NEW YORK COMIC CON 2022 NYCC BEST COSPLAY MUSIC VIDEO BEST COSTUMES ANIME CMV NYC MANHATTAN
We post galleries from major cosplay shows all the time, and they’re always excellent, but for the recent New York Comic-Con one photographer wanted to do things a little differently.
Wanting to try something beyond just taking nice photos, veteran photographer Andrew Boyle (disclaimer: I wrote the foreword for his book) thought that for this year’s show he’d try and make the cosplayer “the sole focus” of his work.
“After my cosplay photo book ‘Heroes & Villains’ came out in 2017, I thought I’d relax it up a bit with the subject matter, but it kept pulling me back; the effort, the enthusiasm and the sense of community amongst the costumed fans”, Boyle tells Kotaku. “I shoot in a uniform style inspired by the portraits of Richard Avedon, so that the sole focus is the subject without background distraction.”
“I also work in collage pieces and motion I wanted to integrate a unique hand made feel for each selected subject. For some, I used cut out pieces that referred to the character, others were repetition of shapes, or color blocking with paper and textures. It was a way to differentiate from other cosplay photography, all of which has it’s own approach, and take a different feel to celebrate all the effort and energy the NYCC crowd brings. Plus I love reading the reactions people have to seeing themselves portrayed in such a way.”
The result is this heavily-stylised gallery which, by removing the usual convention background, really lets each cosplayer, their outfit and their performance shine.
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