Issue 9 - Yipe!

CLetterfrom theOtherEditorSend all complaints to:Kevin@yipezine.comWe’ve wanted to do an animethemedissue of Yipe! for months,and I’m very pleased we can offer thisperhaps somewhat hefty tome to youin September. After whining at naggingsuggesting numerous times to some highlyqualified acquaintances that they mightcontribute an article about their experienceswith anime/Japanimation/videogamingcostume/cosplay/emodrama, I’m thrilledit all came to fruition with such anassortment of viewpoints. Realizing that Ihad some experience to bring to bear didn’thurt, either, even if it was as Ye Olde Fartewho watched early Japanese animation inblack and white.As the contributions started to arrive, Ibegan to suspect this issue might be as bigas our Steampunk issue, and joked to oureditorial staff that perhaps it would be aMegaMechaManga issue. I then realizedthat sounded like a character in its ownright, and Maureen Starkey graciouslyoffered up her sketch of that valiantdefender of otaku everywhere. (I made myown feeble attempt at a sketch, but hersblows mine out of the water, so you won’tbe subjected to it).September is my birthday month (I turnthe big five-o on the 15 th , the day beforewe leave for FenCon in Dallas), so I’mespecially glad we could produce a moresubstantial issue of Yipe! this month. I’msure that Jason, once he recovers from theenormous task of pulling all this togetherinto a coherent and cohesive layout,would agree. Who knows? Now that thefloodgates have opened, we might manage arecurrent if regularly scheduled anime issue.The cosplayers are certainly active enough.Regular contributor Mette Hedin also wentto the Bay Area Gay Rodeo last month,and we met some very interesting peoplewe hope to bring to the pages of Yipe! inthe near future. We also have some articlesin the pipe on several historical costumeevents.Aussiecon IV will be over by the time thisis published, which means Renovation(http://www.renovationsf.org) is now theseated WorldCon. Andy and I are directingthe Renovation masquerade, so you canexpect regular updates from me about that.I’ll try not to be boring. I may be in the airen route to Dallas even as you read this, soyou can also look for my con report fromFenCon as Fan GOH in the near future.Next month Yipe! turns one… The editorialAdmittedly, replacing the batterycosts so much, you might as welljust build a new one.staff, of course, is deep into its evil plans tocelebrate. If you want to help, SEND USSTUFF! Photos, articles (short or long,about conventions or balls or dinners orpicnics or newt-wrestling or how-to’s orfashion research or …), art, poetry, it’s allgood. The more we have, the more we canshare with our readers, and the less likelyJason is to chain me to a workstation untilI cough up 5700 words on specializedEtruscan weaving techniques and how bestto simulate them on a needle felter in timeto wear a tebenna to the Black&WhiteBall. Drop a note to editors@yipezine.comif you have something to share. We use aweb-based drop box (at box.net) for largearticles and photos, so don’t worry abouthaving to get them past a spam filter,just drop us a note about what you’dlike to share. We’ll take it from there.Now get out there, put on somethingfabulous, and then tell us about it!Kevin(it’s still all my fault)Kudos and brickbats to Kevin@yipezine.com