User:Frescadp/sandbox/Mildred R. Douglas
 | This is not a Wikipedia article: It is an individual user's work-in-progress page, and may be incomplete and/or unreliable. For guidance on developing this draft, see Wikipedia:So you made a userspace draft. Find sources: Google (books · news · scholar · free images · WP refs) · FENS · JSTOR · TWL |
Mildred R. Douglas (Morojo)
[edit]From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mildred R. Douglas (nickname Morojo, born Mildred....; 1904–1964[1]) was one of the first women publicly active in the early days of science fiction fandom. She is known as the Mother of Cosplay for designing and making the first costumes worn to the science fiction convention, in 1939.[1] She was also a fanzine editor and an early advocate of Esperanto in the science fiction community.
| Mildred R. Douglas | |
|---|---|
| place for photo | |
| Born | Mildred Rebecca Douglas
June 20, 1904 Phoenix, Arizona, United States[2] |
| Died | November 30, 1964 (aged 60)
Patton, California, United States |
| Known for | Science-fiction zine editor, cosplay, Esperanto |
Contents
[edit]- Cosplay and Zine Editing
- Notes
- References
- External links
Cosplay
[edit]Morojo designed and made the first costumes at a con for herself and her boyfriend Forrest J Ackerman to wear in 1939 to the 1st World Science Fiction Convention (later known as Worldcon). boyfriend Forrest J. Ackerman. She based these twenty-fifth century “futuristicostumes” on the movie Things to Come (1936).[1] Morojo’s long gown could be removed and converted into a cape, revealing satin shorts underneath. Ackerman wore a green satin cape over a shirt embroidered with his Esperanto nickname 4SJ.[3]
This led to more fans donning costumes at future sci-fi cons, and Worldcon began holding costume contests. These events, called masquerades, became a feature of cons. The practice of dressing in costumes that became known as cosplay in the 1980s.
Zine Editing
Robert Lichtman
She was an active member of the Los Angeles Science Fiction Society...
Morojo coedited with Forrest J Ackerman Voice of the Imagi-Nation (VoM) ––originally the lettercolumn of the Los Angeles Science Fiction Society official zine, IMAGINATION!–– throughout its fifty-issue run. Ackerman wrote in his memorial, "I Remember Morojo," that her devotion to stenciling and mimeographing each issue was crucial to its existence.[4]
Esperanto
Myrtle Douglas was an Esperanto enthusiast, known as the "world language", and met Forrest J Ackerman at one of the meetings for fellow Esperanto speakers.
In a memorial zine after Douglas's death, "I Remember Morojo,"[5] Forrest J Ackerman wrote, "I remember Morojo as the greatest female fanne who ever lived." (According to Fancyclopedia, "fanne" is an obsolete term for a female fan, from the early days of sci-fi fandom.[6]) He said she was responsible for the existence of 50 issues of Imagination
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Culp, Jennifer (2016-05-09). "Meet the Woman Who Invented Cosplay". Racked. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
- ^ Perdue, Elmer B. (520 07 0328) (February 11, 1965). "Myrtle Rebecca Douglas–An Appreciation" (PDF). eFanzines: Science Fiction Zines On-line. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "The First Lady of Cosplay". Stuff Mom Never Told You. 2014-08-27. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
- ^ "Robert Lichtman introduces Morojo". www.efanzines.com. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
- ^ Ackerman, Frederick J (February 11, 1965). ""I Remember Morojo"" (PDF). http://www.efanzines.com. Memorial Zine. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
{{cite web}}: External link in|website= - ^ "Fanne - Fancyclopedia 3". fancyclopedia.org. Retrieved 2016-12-03.
External links
[edit]- Myrtle Douglas, "Miss Morojo", on the cover of Le Zombie zine, January 1941,
- "Myrtle Douglas (Morojo)" at ZineWiki