The Drink Tank 150 (2007).pdf

The Drink Tank

Issue 150

The Contents

Cover- Dita Von Teese

Page one- Table of Contents with art from Brianna Walker Flynt

Page 2- Chris Garcia talks about Corsets (Photos by Kiely Lynn)

Page 2-Page 7 -Jean Martin with Photos from Alex ‘Obi-Juan’ Diaz, Venus Man-Trap (on

DeviantArt.com), John Mitchell (http://fairebarbell.deviantart.com/) and Jean Martin

Page 8- Two My Little Ponies (Photographer unknown)

Page 9- 12 To The Extreme by Chris Garcia (Art from Brad W. Foster and photos from

Spook, Cathy Jung and Corsetworld.com, and The Guinness Book of World Records)

Page 13-15 Bound to Fandom by James Bacon (Photos from John O at tyedye.org, Carrie

Long and Julian Forth)

Page 15- On Corsets and Body Image by M Lloyd

Page 16- Abra Sands and Linsey Cassel

Page 17-20 The Chick by SaBean MoreL, Art from Espana Sheriff

(espanasheriff.com), Erick Roll (erickroll.com), Riikka Sormunen ( http:

//riikkas.com ), Brianna Walker Flynt, and Marcus Gunnarsson

(www.marcusgun.com)

Page 21- Fannish Memory Syndrome by/with photos from Steve Green!

Page 22- Chris Garcia Says Goodnight for Now with art from Amber

Elstad (http://www.intergate.com/~scelesta/index.htm) and a

photo of Courteney Cruz by Michael Helms (Mlhphoto.com).

garcia@computerhistory.org

This is the issue where I admit

that I love corsets. Y’all knew that,

didn’t you? Here’s the thing, I’ve often

thought about doing an issue about

corsets, but I’ve never gotten the feel-

ing that I was ready to do justice to

the image I had. I didn’t have the art, I

didn’t have the layout down enough, I

just didn’t have what it took to get the

damn thing done.

I think I kinda do here. I’ll admit,

I’ve stolen a bit from Jack Avery for

some of this stuff, and the rest is stuff

that I’ve tried over the last couple of

years once or twice and I think I’ve got

a handle on it. In other words, this is-

sue isn’t your normal slap-dash Chris

Garcia creation.

OK, it’s still kinda a slap-dash

Chris Garcia creation, but I’m hoping

that the Stuff I do with this issue will

make me seem like I half-way know

what I’m doing.

If not, at least there are pictures

of lovely ladies in these pages.

You may also want to know what

it is about Corsets that makes me such

a fan. It’s not an easy thing to explain.

SaBean MoreL and M Lloyd are both

tackling that very question in their

pieces, and Jean Martin talks about

it too. For me, it’s something about

the swell, the sinewave function that

a properly laid corset on a woman. Or

maybe it’s the fact that in my mind,

Corsets are underwear and what male

of straight persuasion doesn’t want to

see a woman in her underwear? OK,

maybe that’s not completely accurate,

but you get the idea.

I mean this issue as a celebra-

tion of the Corset and those who prac-

tice corsetry, though a couple of pieces

would make you wonder if that’s 100%

true. There’s a lot to think about when

you think about what Corsets mean.

Ultimately, even with some controver-

sy, I still think they’re the best.

So, sit back and relax and read

and stare at the pieces I’m very proud

to send your way. This might become

my favourite issue, or at least the one I

want to look at the most!

My Love/Hate Relationship with Corsets

By Jean Martin

I love historical movies and especially love the costumes in

them. I enjoy watching damsels in distress being rescued by knights

in shining armor. Then come the love scenes where they show the

women in various states of dishabille. That’s where corsets make an

appearance. Movies, and romance novels, where scenes like these

abound are appropriately called bodice rippers. In a way, being

so covered up in lots of dificult to remove undergarments make

things more exciting. It’s like women are presents that need to be

unwrapped and discarding corsets increase the sense of breaking

through taboos and inhibitions.

Corsets also show up in scenes in period movies and TV

shows where women are getting dressed by their servants, if they

are wealthy, or by female relations, if they are not. That’s what

really drives home the point to me that corsets are quite a nuisance

because women then couldn’t get ready by themselves. They’re also

shown to be quite restricting. I still wonder why women in the past

allowed themselves to be restrained so for the sake of

fashion and beauty. Watching these movies and

shows when I was growing up, I always

felt a sense of relief that women

in the modern world are not

expected to wear these

anymore.

First

of all,

I have a bit of a feminist streak,

not quite into burning bras, but

close. Theoretically, I still think bras

and other contraptions should be

optional and that it should be socially

acceptable for women to not wear any.

Personally, I ind them uncomfortable

and don’t really need them. But

some women, I understand, need the

support. Still, I wouldn’t be caught

dead outside my home without one.

I do have a bit of a prudish streak as

well. I have my Catholic school training

to thank, or blame, for that.

Back to corsets, my main

objection to them is that they

physically contort a woman’s body

to conform to conservative and old-

fashioned values and ideals of beauty.

Breathing is somewhat dificult in one

and you can’t really be too active in

them. It makes women more passive

because it restricts one’s movements.

I read somewhere too that corsets are

part of the reason why women used to

faint more often in the good old days.

I’ve read that some women’s ribs were

crushed as well.

So I am quite astounded that I’ve

gotten into wearing corsets and have

quite a collection of them. Needless

to say, I have mixed feelings about

corsets and both love and hate them.

My irst introduction to corsets

in the real world was at BayCon in

May of 2005. Where pretty much my

fandom life exploded in all directions

and in so many exciting avenues. But

that’s another story. One that I’ve

actually recounted several times in

Science Fiction/San Francisco, the

ezine I co-edit with Chris Garcia.

Anyway, I saw several women,

of all shapes, sizes and ages, wearing

corsets. Some of them had lowing

skirts matched with them and some

actually paired them with jeans. And

they all looked fantastic. So I decided

to try one on. I also couldn’t resist Jim

from Timeless Trends asking me if

he could tie me up. Jim was so great;

he wasn’t pushy and patiently let me

try several. I chose his booth because

he had the loveliest array of corsets

in different colors and materials.

They were all Victorian underbust

style ones, which I discovered look

the best on me. This particular style

accentuates my hourglass shape

and enhances my deicient bosoms.

The overbust ones that other dealers

carried didn’t work for me as well.

So I bought a couple from Jim, one

in black and red loral fabric, and

one in black leather. They were quite

expensive but I could tell that they

were good quality and worth the price.

Jim tied the ribbons really well on the

black and red one so I kept it on. I

could actually breathe and I felt that

it improved my posture. But that was

before I had lunch and dinner. After

I ate just a little bit, it felt tight and I

had to take it off in the early evening

hours. I suppose corsets could make a

comeback as a weight loss device.

I’ve never considered myself

thin as I grew up slightly overweight.

I also gained a lot of weight, 30 lbs.,

when I moved to the U.S. 20 years

ago as food here is abundant and not

exactly healthy. I’ve lost most of that

weight since I turned almost-vegan

in 2002. Still, I was surprised when

Jim said that I was a size 20, which is

his smallest size. I remember when I

saw Gone with the Wind when I was a

child, I marveled at how Scarlet O’Hara

had a 22-inch waist when her nanny

tightened up her corset. So I didn’t

believe him, but sure enough, the 20-

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