I have to be honest: I dislike Lara Croft. I don't have an articulate reason for it; there's something about her I don't like. I know fan service has existed in video games prior to this, there's a reason Chun Li's skirt flips up when she's doing her Spinning Bird Kick and I doubt that it's for realism. Likewise I should appreciate having a female protagonist that doesn't have to hide the fact that she's a woman in a bulky powered suit. But something about her rubs me the wrong way. If you want to accuse me of jealousy of a two dimensional video game character, then so be it. All I know is that the only times I ever played Tomb Raider, I would throw Lara off a cliff to hear her scream.

That being said, you'd be surprised how quickly artistic integrity can fly out the window when the right incentive is offered. Heidi and I had been tossing photoshoot ideas back and forth for over two years at this point, and in June of 2011 she asked me if I had access to a Lara Croft costume, as she was planning on shooting a commercial for a local video game store. Apparently I am willing to buy a Lara Croft costume in order to be in an internet-only commercial. You truly do continue learning about yourself every year of your life.