Pfangirl Through the Looking Glass

I vowed to get better at recapping here, particularly for people who haven't followed my Facebook page , which is my other collection of content updates. Here though is everything I wrote and produced during the first never-ending month of 2018. Opinion Tomb Raider and the suppression of heroine agency [Critical Hit] Annual birthday blog post: 2018 thoughts edition [This blog] Reviews The Emoji Movie (DVD) - Technically not terrible, but soulless and lazy [Critical Hit] Bright, and the Critic vs. Home Viewer opinion wars [YouTube video] News The second Tomb Raider trailer ups the island action  [Critical Hit] January DVDs - Starting the year with a bargain bin selection [Critical Hit] Features Look Forward - Ten movie must-sees for 2018 [Gamecca Magazine]

Apologies for this blog looking so deserted. Just a friendly reminder that I do a lot of my pop culture commentary and reviews for Critical Hit these days, in addition to the movie feature every month in Gamecca Magazine . Occasionally, I also contribute to IGN Africa. That said, I promise to become better about linking to my work here (expect a huge catch-up post soon), but don’t forget I highlight my latest work almost daily on my Facebook page , which I recommend you Like. You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel , which I’ve committed to updating more frequently this year. Speaking of 2018, here we are a week and a bit into January. I always struggle mood-wise this time of year. Having a birthday in early January makes you extra contemplative about yourself, your achievements and your place in the world. So, to look back… 2017 highlights I managed to attend all the major geeky cons and expos in South Africa (Cape Town’s FanCon , Durban's  ICON by the Sea , and...

Last week was a birthday milestone for me. Not one of the big decade markers, but a 5-year point that still makes you more prone to self-reflection. I don’t really do personal blogging anymore, so I'm very out of practice, but here goes. First things first, they're not exactly New Year’s resolutions but I did set some basic aspirations for 2017, as I do function better with goals: Read more, because that definitely makes you a better, more motivated writer. Limit my starch carb intake, or, at the bare minimum, don’t combine starches in one meal. Don’t over-commit to writing freebies. Unpaid is the default state when it comes to entertainment and geek lifestyle writing in South Africa. However, I can’t afford to divert too much energy and time from my own creative projects. On that note, finish my novel, and push further with other WIP across the media spectrum. Find paying employment. Number 5 is the biggie on the list, and it's going to take up the major...

It's hard to believe that we are just days from the end of 2015. This year seemed to fly by with disturbing speed; more so than any other for me at least. Personally, it's been a year of ups and downs. However, let's concentrate on the positives. 1) I got to explore more of Japan this year - from far-flung Okinawa (very different to mainland Japan, for the record) to World Heritage Sites in Kyoto and Nara; and even the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Osaka's Universal Studios Japan. 2) After years of putting it on my Resolutions List, I finally ticked off Open Water scuba certification as an acquired adventuring skill. In turn, I drew on the underwater experience to write this standalone Tomb Raider fic . 3) A huge one: I wrote a novel - well, a novel-length piece of Tomb Raider fan fiction. 4) On that Lara Croft note, 2015 saw the release of a highly acclaimed new Tomb Raider game ... that like 50 people have played due to timed Xbox exclusivity. But ...

I know I've been a terrible blogger, with updates intermittent at best. And I know I owe you some catch-up movie reviews at least. I promise these are coming; even if they're likely only in November, once my back-to-teaching schedule stabilises and the first snow falls here - essentially trapping me inside for the next 4-5 months. Bah. Anyway, to keep you occupied in the meanwhile, here are a few things I have been up to recently in the Pop Culture vein: Read my opinion of smash hit mobile game Lara Croft GO , over at to-the-point review site Pennyworth Reviews.com . Read my latest Tomb Raider fanfic in full. Alternative Medicine is a four-part tale that bridges the 2013 game and the Dark Horse comic series that followed. If the title doesn't give it away, the story explores the rather unusual coping strategies Lara and Sam employ to handle their paralysing post-traumatic stress. Spoiler: it's a little kinky. Check out my cosplays, past and present...

So it turns out that two days short of my "one year living in Japan" anniversary is another milestone: the ten year anniversary of this blog. This Sunday, 26 July, Pfangirl Through the Looking Glass will be a decade old. Granted in recent years I haven't been updating as frequently as I once did. However, I hope I make up for it by providing meaningful content when I do find the time to post. Thank you to everyone who has visited and read my ramblings over the years. I hope you've enjoyed my writing - and other creative output that has popped up here - and will continue to get something out of the experience. Now, if you don't mind, it's time to celebrate... Why, thank you, Lara. I certainly won't say no to a slice.   Source: Irishhips

This is the day, ladies and gentlemen. Today I set out to make my mark; to find adventure... I leave home for Pretoria today, and tomorrow I fly out of South Africa for at least a year to teach English in Japan. I intend to keep this entertainment and geek culture-focused blog going during this period. However, updates are likely to be fewer - especially to begin with. On that note, the latest Girlz 'N' Games comic (Part 1 of 3) is now up. I had a grand plan of having all 6-7 panels completed before I departed. Unfortunately, wrapping-up-life admin got in the way during my final few weeks in South Africa. Here is the concluding panel image as a bonus image though, until I can update again. I do especially like it given its personal significance and inspirational message.   As for my travels and overseas experiences, if you're curious you can follow my wanderings in the Land of Himiko over at my new personal blog: The Happiness Ronin .

For the past few weeks, Kelly at The Archaeology of Tomb Raider  ( Twitter account  here) has been running interviews with Lara Croft fans around the globe . It's a nifty series that highlights the unifying and motivational power of fictional characters in the real world. Anyway, this last Friday was my turn to be interviewed, and you can read my In the Spotlight Q&A session here .

Here you go! Have a piece of this chocolatey goodness on me today... for semi obvious celebratory reasons. Source: Tomb Raider superfan Rodrigo Martin Santos

It's that time of year again - time for a much needed vacation before I completely burn out. And I've been at that point for a while now - my concentration shattered; my enthusiasm gone. Basically there will be a blogging break in transmission for a week while I head off the grid, disconnect and lie mildly intoxicated (probably in cosplay) on a beach in Mozambique. See you on the flip side. Adieu.

Following on from last week's cosplay post , here's a video of some of the most memorable efforts from the 2013  San Diego Comic-Con : While you're at it, check out this series of pics of Meagan Marie 's "more authentic" Ancient world warrior take on Wonder Woman . It's quite superb. While we're on the topic of cosplay, I just realised that I had never posted the following pics of me putting another spin on my Tomb Raider cosplay (earlier pics here and here ). Presenting Lara Croft: Retired Tomb Raider... For the record, this was done for my brother-in-law's "Over the Hill" themed dress-up birthday party. Perhaps I'm in the minority thinking this, but wouldn't it be great to play a series of games where we follow the character over the course of their career from young unseasoned novice to established pro, to aged, cynical veteran? They seem to be doing that with the Batman: Arkham games , and we've seen ...

Just a quick post in commemoration of the fact that today this blog turns 8 years old. How's that for a long-term commitment? This is one relationship in my life that actually has lasted... So when you have your tea today, make sure to have a cupcake or two on me in celebration of this achievement. Cheers, Through the Looking Glass!

I was away in the mountains this past long weekend, which kind of threw out my blogging schedule for the week. Fortunately, things will be back on track from Monday... but in the meantime, here's some pics of me chopping wood. Just pretend it's a Paul Bunyan cosplay shoot or Miss June in the 2013 Women Working Outdoors calendar. Photo credits: Pics 3 & 4 shot by Shirley Berko of CuiZine.co.za.

Despite the fact that this blog is pretty much my opinion on assorted forms of pop culture, I don't often post about myself personally (that's what social media is for, ha!). However, I thought I might take this opportunity to share an achievement that crept up on me two weeks ago. After five and a half years of training in the grappling art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu - seven if you don't count an 18 month sabbatical  when I was unemployed, short on cash and just generally making excuses - I finally received my purple belt. For the record, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, unlike some other martial arts, only has 5 belts for adults : white, blue, purple, brown and black (ignoring the red belts etc. for grand masters in the sport). Although there are sadly some BJJ academies where you can fast-track and essentially buy your belt, traditionally it should take you around two years of regular, at least twice-a-week training to progress to the next grade. In other words, unless you...

Right, this isn't exactly new, but it does a pretty good job of summing up my life at the moment... I'm behind on my blogging, I've stressed myself sick for the second time in a month and I seem to playing (and failing) an endless game of catch-up in related to my to-do list. So yeah, if you're at all in a similar situation to me, here's a little something fun to hopefully take your mind off things... Anyway, meanwhile this past Saturday I put a new spin on my previous Tomb Raider cosplay ( here and here ), by going as veteran adventurer Lara Croft to an Over the Hill themed 30th birthday party. How awesome would it be to have the new game series cover Lara's entire career - from its start on her twenties all the way through into retirement? That would be ground-breaking for a female video game character.

Although I have appeared in a TV commercial , I've never really experimented with video as a communication medium. Before now. Above you can see my first attempt at a vlog! I've been meaning to do this for a while - and it took losing a bet to trigger my making the effort, finally - but basically I'm looking at the vlog becoming a companion piece to this blog. Basically every so often, instead of writing on a subject, I'll mix things up and make a more off-the-cuff video on the same topic. I don't foresee future efforts being as long as this first attempt (sorry about that) but if you have the willpower to stick with my snarky discussion of the Fifty Shades novel trilogy until the end of this video, there's the chance for you to win a DVD. Please leave your comments about what you'd like to see me discuss and/or do in future vlogs. Cheers.

I was inspired to write this after reading Meagan Marie's post on an incident at this year's PAX regarding the disrespectful treatment of cosplayers . It's not a pleasant read, mostly because it's a reminder of the many times I've just smiled weakly when I really should have said something and stood up for myself. Some of us are just naturally fearful, shying away from confrontation. Some of us. But ALL of us have personal stories, and this is mine... First things first: I don’t presume to speak for every cosplaying woman out there. I’m not going to make generalisations. This is my specific story; why I enjoy dressing up – or stripping off, as required – to appear in public as my favourite pop culture characters. Other cosplayers are sure to have their own motivations. You’ve only to watch the cosplay segment of Morgan Spurlock ’s documentary, Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope to get a sense of the different reasons for cosplay. Surprise, surprise, it...