Anime Masquerade

The Anime Masquerade was held at Taste to help raise funds for Japanese relief. At the bar people gathered in costumes to drink. Apparently there is a new phenomenon in which people dress as their favorite video game or anime character and then go places where others do the same. In the back room Anime themed paintings lined the walls. This was a difficult event to sketch since the people in costumes were constantly on the move, voguing for one camera and then another. I sat on the steps to the stage. On the table in front of me, a man and woman in kimonos, named Hai and Nhi, were displaying art work. A sketch that reminded me of self portraits by Egon Schiele was lying on the table along with a tip jar. A woman dressed like Speed Racer wandered the room.

A woman climbed past me to get on stage. She announced a burlesque show. Behind her a blue satin bolt of fabric hung from the ceiling. Honey Malone took to the stage and wrapped herself in the fabric. What followed was an aerial act and burlesque that had me mesmerized. I stopped sketching and just watched. She held herself suspended by just wrapping her legs in the fabric.

The woman dressed as Speed Racer also did a burlesque. She began in a car seat acting like she was driving. She got up took off the helmet and let her long blonde hair flow free. It wasn’t long before her blue costume was lying on the stage and she danced with tasseled pasties decoratively spinning on her chest. My reflexes weren’t quick enough to catch the action. Actually as I think back, I wasn’t paying much attention, since I was engrossed in finishing another sketch. Yes… That’s right, I didn’t see a thing.