Friday, July 15, 2011

LARP Grimoire

"NeesdanAneschmar" crafted this leather bound grimoire for a fantasy LARP. I'm always amazed at the props and costumes of Euro-LARPs compared to American efforts. Here the really high-end production quality is found in historical re-enacting, where people will spend thousands of dollars putting together costumes and accessories. A friend has a theory that the Protestant work ethic makes recreating American military history and the Old West a respectable pastime, while goofing off slaying dragons is self-indulgent. It sounds wacky, but if you've spent any time with re-enactors you know they're LARPers in all but name.

2 comments:

RahneFan said...

Well said - a good observation.

CoastConFan said...

EuroLARPers have a several advantages over Americans. For example, Europe has lots of excellent craftspersons with good apprentice programs and have a long history of supporting their crafters. They also have a great attention to detail and many extensive museums covering all periods. They have state funded recreations and pageants and a great reverence and study of history. Yes, I agree that Europeans have wonderful props; I lived there both as a child and as an adult. I loved the museums, the craft fairs, and the flea markets. Europeans also have a strong work ethic and pride in the things they make.