Herbert, Dagwood and Blondie

The parody ― National Lampoon Sunday Newspaper Parody, July 1978:

The real thing ― Blondie, #131, November 1959:

And Blondie, October 13, 2013: 

Source: Intermix

Arthur Lake as Dagwood Bumstead femulating in the 1941 film Blondie Goes Latin.

On Sale Wherever Gaffs Are Sold...

Wearing Ted Baker London.

Audrius Janonis appears on Lithuanian television's Muzikinė Kaukė.

A Day at Comicscon

By Michelle Nelson

This was my first ever comicscon, first Silicon Valley Comic Con in San Jose, California. I have been to numerous Star Trek cons and I'm not that hugely into just comics and their art, but since it was local and I had been wanting to experience a comicscon, it was perfect.

I knew it would be big, but I was still amazed by the size of it, overwhelmed actually. The San Jose Convention Center is immense with three huge halls that were opened up to make one vast space. And every square inch of it was filled with something ! Not to mention the many halls and auditoriums where the talks and seminars were held.

And the crowds... I'm pretty sure this was the largest group of people I've ever been with in my life. I thought I'd be clever and get there early and did, but still had a hard time finding parking, and then ending up in a long, long snaking line just to get in. Guess everybody else had the same idea!

There were also three fascinating mini-museums, "Rancho Obi-Wan," a large private collection of everything Star Wars; the "Cartoon Art Museum" with original stills and cells and probably the best, the "Stan Lee Museum." So neat to see things drawn by his own hand. I didn't catch his seminar, but apparently he's still going strong at 92 ― good for him!

I actually went to only one seminar. I hated to take time away from other things waiting to get into them, but it was an incredible mix of science fiction and real science. For some of them, you waited in large holding areas to get in, but I was told by others that this was good because they were clearing the rooms after each talk, so people couldn't just squat and stay the whole day, as at other cons.

The vendors area made me think of a big box store with rows and rows and aisles and aisles, closely packed. At times, it truly was hard to even get through them ― you just sort of went along with the flow. I hate to keep repeating it, but I was again blown away with everything that was there ― so different from other cons I've seen.

I did make one big purchase, a replica of Gort, the robot from the The Day the Earth Stood Still (the 1951 original, not the grossly disappointing remake!) More than I should of spent I suppose, but what can you do, I had been wanting a larger one for along time. Also bought two poster prints.

The other great thing was seeing all the cosplayers, something I was looking forward to. Many I didn't recognize, but so much work went into them, it's hard to believe they are homemade in most cases. Large numbers of super heroes of course, and also something I'd heard of but hadn't seen before ― gender/swapped heroes and villains. Lady Lokis, Thors, Capt. Americas, like that. It actually seemed like there were more of those than the originals! And Victorian-themed superheros ―  they were quite fun too.

I knew I'd be going to this as Michelle, but then thought I too might fully experience the con by going Time Tunnel television series. How they always dressed really nicely ― dresses, heels, jewelry and then labcoats! It seemed funny to me even back when it was on.

in costume, which wasn't really too hard to come up with. I had gotten something together for Halloween and thought it would fit in just fine here. I was playing one of the lady scientists or engineers (forgive me, Lee Meriwether) from the old

There was also a large display by what looked to be almost professional cosplayers showing how they make various parts of their outfits. One of the people there complemented me on my crossplaying.

I got only one other comment along this line. Right at the start I was at a parking kiosk, chatting with a lady ahead of me on how we were already in a line before even getting in! She was wearing a dalek dress and her son, about ten, was dressed as the David Tennant version of Doctor Who. And he really looked like him with a blue suit, tie and hair brushed up. So the kid comes right out and asks me, "Are you in drag?"

Wow, busted. I said I was and he said he didn't know until I spoke. His mom said she didn't know either and we continued our chatting! I saw them a few times in passing throughout the day and they always waived.

There were many kids and whole family groups dressed, too, and themed couples and groups. I can only once again respect the work people put into this. Mine was about as simple as you can get, but even it got many compliments and photo requests ― amazing. I guess if you put even a little effort into something, people appreciate it.

I don't know how much going in costume increased my enjoyment of the con, but it was fun. Talking to other cosplayers about, who and what we were, taking photos together and I might add here, everyone was polite about taking photos, always asking first. I did feel a connection I don't think I would have otherwise.

One funny thing, Woz was said to be walking around the show, just like anyone else, possibly in costume. I didn't see him, although for all I know he could have been right next to me in costume and I would have missed him!

I thoroughly enjoyed the con. The only drawback was the crowds and the long lines for just about everything. But that's hardly the con's fault ― genre stuff is just so popular. It was actually handled quite well, considering. There were many entry/exit gates, where you checked in and out each time. The badges were wristbands each with a chip in it; what do you expect in Silicon Valley, I guess. Security people were present, but unobtrusive.

My only real complaint was that there was only one food concession on the whole floor. I had lunch early, but the line for it was reaching grotesque lengths as the day wore on. But my complaints are all related to just the number of attendees,and you can't blame people for going.

The only other thing I suppose was that the area for the celebrity photo ops was completely curtained off; you couldn't even get a glimpse of them. I did get one photo op though and a free one at that! One area had a green screen and after you were in front of it you would be placed in a still from one of the Hunger Games. You even got a 4x6 print of it. It was of course a promotion for the latest movie, but still, mighty nice. And it was in one of the very few uncrowded areas, too.

I suppose the thing to do would be to go both days, spend one at the seminars and one shopping and viewing or mix and match. And get your pass early online. They send it right to your home, so aside from just being sure of getting one, you bypass all the pre-check-in, let alone trying to get in at the time. Whenever I happened to pass by the entry area, it was filled with people trying to get passes!

I'd say it was no question about it being a rousing success, so I'm sure it will be back next year. My recommendations for this or any con really, would be to get your pass online, go early, do both days and have an early lunch!

Wearing Blank Itinerary.

Richard Schaefer, crossplayer

On Sale At Your Corner Drag Store...

I'm Batgirl

My favorite comic book superhero was Batman. Whereas the other superheroes had all the super powers, Batman had all the cool gadgets, a cool costume, headquartered in a cave and used the bat for his symbol ― can't get much cooler than that!

Pop worked in the comic book factory that printed the Marvel line of comic books, but he had to have a kid who preferred a character from a competing line of comic books. I appreciated the Marvel superheroes and read many of their books religiously, but Batman was always Number 1.

Fast-forward to Halloween 1995 and in honor of my favorite superhero, I attended my support group's Halloween party dressed as my version of Batgirl. I recently unearthed and scanned photos from that Halloween and here they are ― most of them seeing the light of the Internet for the first time.

Wearing Brahmin.

Robin as a voluptuous Marie Antoinette in a 1946
installment of the Batman And Robin daily comic strip.

Boys don’t make passes at “girls” who wear glasses

 

 

 

Wearing DressBarn.

 

 

 

Male crossplayer femulating as Bridget from Guilty Gear (video game).

Rejected

 

 

 

 

 

 

Professional femulator Donna Sachet and friend.

my en femme encounters with Bond, James Bond

Seems like James Bond is everywhere these days. A new Bond film came out recently, there are Bond movie marathons on the tube, and the new issue of Mad Classics has a retrospective of Mad magazine parodies of the old Bond flicks.

The Mad retrospective caused me to recall some things trans-related to James Bond that influenced me when I was a newbie femulator.

I can never forget the opening sequence of Thunderball, which had the bad guy disguised as his wife purportedly attending his own funeral.

The femulation was in two consecutive scenes. In the first scene, I am sure that the bad guy en femme was actually played by a woman because you can catch a glimpse of an attractive blonde under the thin veil covering her face, but in the second scene, the veil has suddenly became thicker and you cannot see the features of the grieving "widow" as she fights Bond and is revealed as male. Despite the obvious (to me), I always fantasized that the leggy blonde in the first scene was the bad guy en femme.

[Update: According to IMDB, an actress named Rose Alba is playing the role initially and a stuntman named Bob Simmons plays the "widow" during the fight.]

Another trans-related Bond memory actually appeared in a Mad musical parody of the Sean Connery Bond films (Mad #94, April 1965).

In the beginning of the parody (click on image above to magnify it), a bevy of scantily clad female admirers surround Bond, while another female stands to the side admiring Bond's revolver. Bond asks why the she is admiring his revolver and not him.

The female reveals that "she" is actually agent 008 in training and that his girdle is killing him. The secret agent in training was not very attractive, but he was wearing a wig, dress, and a girdle and that definitely was of interest to me.

Finally, I recall another comic book parody loosely based on the Bond films. The spy in this parody was gay and named Jamie. He goes to a hair salon for some work unaware that the salon is run by the enemy.

While under the hair dryer, the hair stylist puts him under a spell that reveals his sub-conscious feelings that he really wants to be a woman. He then undergoes a makeover and soon appears seated in the hair salon chair dressed as a pretty leggy blonde in a short dress and high heels with the other hair stylists gushing over him about how fabulous "she" looks.

When Jamie returns to spy headquarters en femme, his superior is aghast, but he has a cure, i.e., a sexual encounter with a female. Sure enough, the cure works and soon the now macho Jamie confronts the brains behind the enemy operation that transformed him into a woman: his mother.

As you can imagine, I read that comic book over and over again and wished I could be so lucky as to walk into the enemy's hair salon.

By the way, this story appeared in a one-shot comic book in the mid- to late-1960s. I lost the book in a purge a long time ago. I have no idea who published it or what was the name of the comic book, but I do recall that the book contained two stories and they appeared throughout the book with one story appearing on the top half of each page, while the other story appeared on the bottom half of each page.

If anyone can provide any other information about this comic book I would greatly appreciate it, so that I can track down a copy to add to my collection.)

 

 

 

Kuranosuke cosplay by Feeracie.

 

 

 

Wearing DailyLook.

Sunday On My Mind

I got a late start today.

I watched most of Saturday Night Live last night, so I did not get to sleep until 1 AM.

I was up at 6 AM to feed the cats and back in bed at 6:05.

I slept until 8 AM. Shaved, showered, moisturized, fetched the paper, walked the dog, made breakfast, ate breakfast, cleaned the litter boxes, did the laundry and before I knew it, the clock struck 12!

An e-mail yesterday got me thinking about the Sundays when I was a young girly boy dressing in my Sunday best to go to Mass and wishing that I was wearing my sister's Sunday best and not mine.

On the way home from Mass, Dad would stop at the newsstand to buy the New York papers and comic books for my sister and I. Typically, I would pick out some costumed DC superhero offering and my sister would pick out something from the Harvey line - Little Audrey, Dot and Lotta - something girly that I would eventually read, too.

Tammy e-mailed me a link to an article on The Huffington Post about the upcoming gender swap issue of Archie Comics. The article includes links to other articles on the topic of gender diversity in the comic book world.

It was interesting. I don't buy comic books anymore, but I may buy Archie next month.

Also, I don't go to church. Kneeling bags my nylons.

Crossdressing Comic Book Story, Circa 1970

I am trying to track down a comic book that contained a story with a crossdressing theme.

The copy I had did not have a cover, so I don't know its title. It was published in the late 1960s or early 1970s. My copy was lost in the great purge of 1983. I'd like to find a copy, but without a title, the search is difficult; if you can help me out, I'd appreciate it.

The comic book had two stories. Unlike most comic books in which one story follows another consecutively, this book had two stories printed throughout the book concurrently with one story printed on the top half of the page and the second story printed on the bottom half of the page (the story I am interested in was the story on the top half of the page.)

This comic book included sex and nudity, so it was not likely found on the newsstand next to Archie, Superman and Little Audrey. I assume it was sold in porn shops.

The plot of the story (as I remember it) involves a gay spy named Jamie. Out and about one day, Jamie goes to a hair salon for a wash and set. While he is under the hair dryer, the salon proprietor begins feminization hypnosis.

After undergoing hypnosis, Jamie admits to being "a perfect size 12." Next scene, finds him dressed as a female with all the female salon operators gushing over "her." Jamie exclaims that he feels "fabulous!"

When Jamie returns to spy headquarters decked out in a short red dress, high heels, and full make-up, his superiors are not amused. But they have a solution: let some females have their way with him and that will switch him from a gay crossdresser to a heterosexual non-crossdresser.

Their plan works and the hetero Jamie seeks out whoever was responsible for feminizing him. Turns out his mother, who heads up another group of spies, was behind his feminization.

Sound familiar? Let me know.

crossplay

While digging the Internet yesterday, I viewed some photos of the costumed attendees at this past weekend's San Diego Comic Con. As an old comic book and science fiction fan, as well as a costume maker and wearer, I find the work that some of the attendees put into their costumes amazing.

Looking at the hundreds of photos online, my T-Dar kicked in and I believe I spotted a few males in female cosplay costume.

I have seen males in female cosplay costumes on a handful of occasions in the past, but it seemed to be more prevalent at the Comic-Con. This piqued my interest, so I decided to investigate and it did not take long to find out about the phenomena called "crossplay."

According to Wikipedia, "crossplay is cosplay in which the person dresses up as a character of the opposite gender." It is more popular with female cosplayers, but it is has picked up momentum among male cosplayers, too.

I poked around the Internet to find out more and a simple search of flickr on the word "crossplay" turned up 1200 photos like the one of Steve (above) dressed as a maid (note the convincing cleavage).

I also found a forum on Cosplay.com that reminds me of the forums I've seen on crossdressing Web sites covering such topics as how to tuck (for guys) and how to bind (for gals), how to add curves (for guys) and how to hide curves (for gals), and for guys and gals both, which bathroom to use?

Sometimes, it seems like I live in a cave and have to get out more. I knew nothing about crossplay until yesterday and now I am fascinated by the subject.

Although teenagers and young adults seem to represent the majority of cosplayers/crossplayers, older adults are participating, too. So, my age would not prevent me from crossplaying and the best part is that I would not have to dress my age!

cross gender superheroes

Imagine if some of your favorite superheroes were women.

Gunaxin has collected the works of various artists, who depicted male superheroes in female form.

As a femulator and an old comic book fan, I found the images very interesting!

my en femme encounters with Bond, James Bond

Seems like James Bond is everywhere these days. A new Bond film came out recently, there are Bond movie marathons on the tube, and the new issue of Mad Classics has a retrospective of Mad magazine parodies of the old Bond flicks.

The Mad retrospective caused me to recall some things trans-related to James Bond that influenced me when I was a newbie femulator.

I can never forget the opening sequence of Thunderball, which had the bad guy disguised as his wife purportedly attending his own funeral.

The femulation was in two consecutive scenes. In the first scene, I am sure that the bad guy en femme was actually played by a woman because you can catch a glimpse of an attractive blonde under the thin veil covering her face, but in the second scene, the veil has suddenly became thicker and you cannot see the features of the grieving "widow" as she fights Bond and is revealed as male. Despite the obvious (to me), I always fantasized that the leggy blonde in the first scene was the bad guy en femme.

Another trans-related Bond memory actually appeared in a Mad musical parody of the Sean Connery Bond films (Mad #94, April 1965).

In the beginning of the parody (click on image above to magnify it), a bevy of scantily clad female admirers surround Bond, while another female stands to the side admiring Bond's revolver. Bond asks why the she is admiring his revolver and not him.

The female reveals that "she" is actually agent 008 in training and that his girdle is killing him. The secret agent in training was not very attractive, but he was wearing a wig, dress, and a girdle and that definitely was of interest to me.

Finally, I recall another comic book parody loosely based on the Bond films. The spy in this parody was gay and named Jamie. He goes to a hair salon for some work unaware that the salon is run by the enemy. While under the hair dryer, the hair stylist puts him under a spell that reveals his sub-conscious feelings that he really wants to be a woman. He then undergoes a makeover and soon appears seated in the hair salon chair dressed as a pretty leggy blonde in a short dress and high heels with the other hair stylists gushing over him about how fabulous "she" looks.

When Jamie returns to spy headquarters en femme, his superior is aghast, but he has a cure, i.e., a sexual encounter with a female. Sure enough, the cure works and soon the now macho Jamie confronts the brains behind the enemy operation that transformed him into a woman: his mother.

As you can imagine, I read that comic book over and over again and wished I could be so lucky as to walk into the enemy's hair salon.

By the way, this story appeared in a one-shot comic book in the mid- to late-1960s. I lost the book in a purge a long time ago. I have no idea who published it or what was the name of the comic book, but I do recall that the book contained two stories and they appeared throughout the book with one story appearing on the top half of each page, while the other story appeared on the bottom half of each page. If anyone can provide any other information about this comic book I would greatly appreciate it, so that I can track down a copy to add to my collection.)

humor in an en femme vein

If you have been reading this blog long enough, you may have noticed that I enjoy celebrating the lighter side of being en femme. For example, see my blog post from earlier today.

One of my all time favorite Web sites for humor in an en femme vein is Transgender Graphics and Fiction Archive. Problem is that the site's last update was in March 2002, so I am always on the lookout for something more current.

A few days ago, I discovered "something more current," i.e., the TG Comics (and Stories) Web site. I have been perusing the site off and on since discovering it and I have had a few laughs (the toon accompanying this post came from that site; click on the image to enlarge it).

If you enjoy the lighter side of being en femme, I recommend that you visit TG Comics (and Stories) Web site.

vintage crossdressing (circa 1952)