My last bit of modeling at least for a while

I worked with two photographers simultaneously at Pittsburgh Filmmakers. It was more along the lines of a glamour style shoot with some dramatic lighting and scenery at times and had nothing to do with comics or costuming. 


I believe they have a real vintage Playboy pin-up quality to them and considering my first interests in modeling came to me in the 1970s sneaking peeks at Dad’s old Playboys, I’m pretty pleased that I fulfilled a small fantasy. It should be obvious then why I played around with making some black and white or sepia.


I purposely selected some pictures that are more like “behind the scenes” shots where my hair wasn’t quite right or I was talking because I think it makes the sets more real. I could have 600 pictures snapped and use 50 and even with that, there are still digital touch ups required. I only retouched a selection of these to remove stretch marks and my incredibly blue veins but I left the majority of them untouched.

Firestar Galleries Uploaded

Photo by John Hudson

Over 100 new images of my FIRESTAR cosplay have been uploaded to AmberUnmasked.com! There are 3 separate galleries so that viewers can choose of their own volition which gallery they want to see (I'm not the internet police so if you like to look at boobs, well, I think it's your responsibility to monitor your internet activity): a full costume "G" rated gallery, a "PG-13" striptease gallery, and an "R" nudes gallery which is in the members only area.


One of the questions I am asked most frequently is,  "Who is your favorite character?" It's not a simple answer. Overall, I always say Batman. But when it comes to who did I like to play as a kid, well it was half Wonder Woman and half Firestar. I watched a lot of Superfriends and Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends. I "flew" around my cousin's backyard and leapt from the top of his swing set. I can't recall ever being Hawkgirl or Supergirl. I think we did our share of Wonder Twins but it was the norm for me to be Wonder Woman or Firestar and I rarely strayed. I didn't like change in my playing pretend rules.

Presenting The Nerdy Bird as Ravager

Although I have been terribly upset about missing Comic Con International in San Diego yet again, I have still managed to participate through my joint ventures with Jill the Nerdy Bird. Last year I helped her with creating the perfect Dexx Starr (Rage Kitty) which was brought up on stage by Dan DiDio. This year, Jill wanted to be Rose Wilson aka Ravager from the Titans. (I don't know who to credit for the photo but thank you person on twitter).

This suit was on par with the Big Barda as far as difficulty. It was also my first time working with sequins. Lesson learned: even though they are described as "stretch" sequins, they only stretch 2-way not 4-way like traditional spandex. Hence we had some fitting issues since Jill and I were over 6 hours apart when I had to construct it making it impossible to do a proper fitting; but as you know, she could wear a burlap sac and be smokin' hot so a little bit of improper fit isn't a devastating thing for someone like Jill. The part I designed and constructed is the bodysuit. Jill came up with the accessories and wig (which is so gorgeous!).

Jill did all the shopping for the fabric for which I am grateful. We couldn't find the properly spaced sequins in silver so here's where our experiment worked out. I know lots of people spray paint their utility belts and boots with Krylon Fusion so I suggested it to Jill. She painstakingly covered the beige sequins in an appropriate metallic silver. I said it wouldn't be necessary to have it perfectly coated because the original color would give the illusion of some battle wear and shading.

I also had to move back to New Jersey a week ago and my sewing equipment is in boxes. I hope that the rooms here can be set up soon so that I can get back to spandex. There is a certain character that I would like to create for NYCC in October but it would be challenging in different aspects and also cost quite a bit due to the amount of material and accessories. I'm not announcing it because I worry that I can't afford to do it.

Some work in progress images:

Seeing Red

Kerry Washington visits MTV's 'TRL' at MTV Studios Times Square October 23, 2007 in New York City

Jurnee Smollett attends Allure’s Face Cocktail Party last night in Beverly Hills, November 14, 2009

Dania Ramirez arrives at the Reopening of the Burberry Beverly Hills Store on October 20, 2008 in Beverly Hills, California

Laura Izibor attends Elle's Women In Music Issue Celebration, New York, June 9, 2010

The little black dress is so passé. Trust me. Color can be chic too. Red cocktail dresses were the weapon of choice for the four celebrities above. Pair with a classic black belt and neutral heels so your dress can do all the talking. See below for hints on how to incorporate the simple yet eye-catching look into your wardrobe.

My Picks!

Left to right: Warehouse Cutwork One Shoulder Dress, $100, www.asos.com; Signature Essentials Off Shoulder Cocktail Dress by Herve Leger, $1050, www.shopbop.com; Lauren by Ralph Lauren Dress Adara Ruched Jersey Dress, $124, www.bloomingdales.com; Merona Women's Twisted Neckline Dress in Deep Love, $39.99, www.target.com

Left to right: Kimchi Blue Bow Belt, $24, www.urbanoutfitters.com; Skinny Faux Leather Belt, $4.80, www.forever21.com; Logo-Buckle Belt, $160, www.bloomingdales.com; Stud Belt, $23.99, www.frenchconnections.com

The "New" Wonder Woman 600 video commentary