ame and Player's own Michael Belanger and Shannon Hommerbocker, camera and business cards in tow, went looking for cosplay while spreading our magazine's good word at the fourth annual MechaCon in Lafayette, Louisiana. Gathering enthusiasts of anime, Japanese culture and the universal language of transforming robots, MechaCon is celebrated as a unique convention for trans-Pacific curiosities. It's also a feast for the eyes. Michael photographed a couple dozen walking, talking archetypes of fantasy and fiction. This is stuff for the experts — a few, beyond the unmistakable, we recognize.
Otherwise we're best served leaning back and advancing through the gallery to appreciate Shannon and Michael's combination journalism-marketing, soft lumens of the Hilton Lafayette, and the peculiar beauty of theatrical, artisan youth.
