I got a little derailed there from finishing up my MegaCon Tampa coverage, but I'm back with the second half of my favorite cosplay! (Did you miss Part 1?)
Let's start with some breaking news.
That's right, you heard it here first, guys and geeks:
Kylo Ren is a Hufflepuff.
So maybe there's hope for him yet?
Although I'm not sure Han would agree...
WHAT.
(He's only sleeping, I promise!)
A lovely Hawkgirl:
And Doctor Sonic!
Not gonna lie; I love that security had to inspect the screwdriver. (That's what the green bands are for.)
I chatted with the mom of these two for a bit:
She made everything herself for her kids to wear, including this rockin' Zelda armor for her daughter:
John and I did our best to convince the mom SHE should dress up, too, but she said she just loves making the costumes, not wearing them. I can respect that. So hey, hats off to all the crafty geek moms out there!
Again, this was a few weeks ago, so there was a little more political cosplay than usual:
If you're a Jeff Dunham fan, you'll recognize Achmed dressed as Darth Vader - and holding a sign saying "Walter for President."
These are all tongue-in-cheek, of course, and all the political cosplays I saw (there were a few more) seemed to be about making us laugh, not starting a fight. Just one more thing to like about geeks.
Speaking of things to like, the little girls of MegaCon Tampa brought their A game, y'all:
Mortal Kombat *and* Pinkie Pie? That girl's my hero. And gotta love little Gene Simmons!
Check out these darling Daleks - I can't decide if I like the solo-cup headband better or the little lights in the other girl's hair buns. Hee!
As a general rule I steer clear of roving bands of Deadpools at cons, but these guys were pretty fun:
The sign says, "Free Hugs If You Dance."
Since John's a big, approachable guy, he sometimes gets, shall we say, lovingly picked on at cons. So the 'pools danced around him with that sign, and he obliged by doing the world's WORST version of what I think was the Cabbage Patch? (LOVE YOU BABE.)
Then they hugged it out, yo:
In the background you might notice - though I didn't 'til later - a truly epic pair of breasts. Can I say that? Is that bad? I only mention it because I want to know what magical spell or contraption she's using for support. I mean, I've got a tenth of her acreage at a substantially lower altitude, if you catch my drift.
I... I just made it awkward, didn't I? Sorry. Let's move on.
My friends Dana and Alexie stepped out as Jareth and Sarah again - nice to have some decent lighting on them this time!
Also? Alexie is the QUEEN OF TWIRLING, y'all.
Also? Alexie is the QUEEN OF TWIRLING, y'all.
Mesmerizing, right? I can't stop watching this.
You see a lot of droids at cons - even the occasional Dalek - but almost never the one, the only:
Wall-E! Squee!
This was on Halloween weekend, so the Psycho in this Borderlands group wore a fun Jack-O-Lantern head:
Pretty sure that head style IS available in the game, too. But best of all? Scooter sounded exactly like Scooter, drawlin' out a "Hail yeah!" when I asked for a group photo. LOVE IT.
Another seasonally appropriate cosplay: Autumn Poison Ivy!
She's posing for a sketch here; an artist was offering free two minute drawings. Pretty cool!
More Halloween classics: Oogie Boogie and Frankenstein's Bride:
Gorgeous gender-swapped Kylo:
That raggedy flame effect on her saber is pretty nifty in person.
I debated mentioning the Wallace Shawn panel, but since it was easily the most... strange? illuminating? depressing? ... panel I've ever been to, let me do a quick recap. (Feel free to skip.)
Shawn's answer, though, knocked the wind out of us, and set the tone for the next 40 minutes. In short, he explained that being reduced to a catchphrase is "dehumanizing" and "hurts me," so he refuses to say it on principle. This is totally valid and illuminating, and I could go on about some of the other fascinating things he said, but lets be honest: it was a HUGE downer, and his speaking style was so halting and rather gloomy ("people used to like my acting, I guess") that there was a mass exodus from the audience over the next half hour, with less than half remaining 'til the end.
I like Wallace Shawn a lot, and as one of those that stayed I can tell you he's an interesting individual - but if you're looking for fun and laughs at a convention, definitely stick to other panels. (Like anything with Brent Spiner; his panel with Levar Burton had us laughing 'til it hurt. Love those guys!)
Now back to cosplay, with more incredible Borderlands:
Moxxi & Mordecai!
The cutest little Rose with the War Doctor & TARDIS:
Plus a child-sized Cyberman and Vincent:
A stunning gender-swapped Sherlock:
And the tallest Thor I've ever seen:
Fabulous, Harry, I love the feathers.
Suicide Squad Joker & Harley:
And the hugging Deadpools at work again:
They got the princesses to dance! Joker and Belle were rocking that waltz, too. Afterward they all curtseyed/bowed to each other, and it was just the best.
Belle and Cindy also did a spin for me; you can see the slo-mo twirly goodness over on Instagram.
Book of Life was one of those movies that snuck in under my radar and blew me away, so I'm happy seeing it get some cosplay love:
Book of Life was one of those movies that snuck in under my radar and blew me away, so I'm happy seeing it get some cosplay love:
And how epic are these two?
ENHANCE!
ENHANCE!
I can barely get my eyeliner straight, you guys. I'm just saying.
Oh, and how long did it take you to spot Xibalba's eye? (The green guy.) That's some incredible construction skill; I'm so impressed when cosplayers play with scale and trick the eye like that.
And last but never least, let's GO BACK!
Back to this glorious Delorean transformer!
I've featured this cosplayer here before, but that was using a friend's photo, so I was over the moon to catch her in person this time. She has the OUTTATIME license plate on back, LED strip lighting, and so many perfect details - like the date panel in her forearm!
I've featured this cosplayer here before, but that was using a friend's photo, so I was over the moon to catch her in person this time. She has the OUTTATIME license plate on back, LED strip lighting, and so many perfect details - like the date panel in her forearm!
Of course I do have more photos - lots more - so as always, head over to my Flickr gallery to check out the rest.
Hope you guys enjoyed! (And happy Thanksgiving, fellow Americans!)
Hope you guys enjoyed! (And happy Thanksgiving, fellow Americans!)
Awesome pics and costumes as always! Responding to the Wallace Shawn bit however, once upon a time I was backstage crew for a Mandy Patinkin fundraiser/benefit/thing show and he dealt with his catch phrase right up front, saying something like "I know you're all desperate to hear me say it, but that takes away from all the songs I'm going to sing you and the stories and jokes I'm going to share. I will say it, but not until the end." He did it at one of the encores IIRC.
ReplyDeleteBummer that Shawn was kind of douchey about it.
Nah, I wouldn't call it douchey, though I know some folks took it more that way. Sounds like he handled it much better for your show, though! I did wonder at this one if he just hadn't had his coffee yet; we all have off days.
DeleteI had a similar thing at a convention here in Australia with Benedict Cumberbatch, when someone asked him to say something - I don't even remember what it was! Maybe a Sherlock thing, maybe a Smaug thing? But either way, he refused, saying that he wouldn't perform on command. I think the person who asked him would have been pretty crushed, to be honest, but when I sat back and thought about it, it made so much sense to me.
DeleteHe did do the Smaug voice later, in answer to another question, but he did it himself, off his own bat.
That insight has certainly made me think a lot more before asking questions at conventions, but I do think it's a really tricky area, and very difficult for the actors to navigate gracefully, and for the fans to navigate gracefully.
There is an old Robin Williams special (I am reaching to try and remember which one, but it was probably not long after Mork and Mindy), where the audience asks him to say Nanu Nanu and makes his refusal to do it into a short bit about not performing on cue. Williams was so funny that of course even his refusal is funny and charming, but I imagine every actor with a catchphrase suffers this. [I recall Dave Chappelle making a plea that people stop shouting some of his profane Rick James impression catch phrases at him when he is out walking with his little kids...] Wallace Shawn is known so primarily for the Princess Bride, and has been for such a long time, and it is not representative of his own work (thinking of My Dinner with Andre or any of this plays - many of which are FAR from family friendly), I imagine that he's just worn out after decades of requests for the same line over and over and over again.
DeleteYou were very respectful of Mr Shawn. I read that section to my husband and he said "By Grabthor's hammer!..that's a good sale" Maybe they need to make a Galaxy Quest type movie for The Princess Bride. ;) Happy Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteI went to a downer panel like that once, too. Sean Astin did not have a good experience making Lord of the Rings. :P
ReplyDeleteLovely cosplay pictures. Mr. Shawn was in Clueless and a couple of other things; too bad he's let being memorable get him down. Happy Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteI totally remember him from Clueless, and I'm sad to see that he feels reduced to the "Inconceivable" line from Princess Bride. Mr. Hall was one of my favorite reasons to watch (and re-watch) Clueless through the years.
DeleteWow! It's about time I saw a Delorean transformer cosplay! I have an "Optimus Time" t-shirt and thought I'd want to do a cosplay of that one day as I have already done Optimus Prime - though my wife and I haven't been to any cons yet, we mostly do Halloween costumes. Anywho, Happy Thanksgiving to all you American types!
ReplyDeleteOoooh, twirling and shiny all in one place. Nice!
ReplyDeleteDon't worry Jen, I was thinking the same thing about that girl's boobs. A true feat of engineering!
ReplyDeleteSo for someone who has yet to go to a con, why avoid Deadpool groups? (Deadpool is probably who I would cosplay as if I went, so I'm extra curious.)
ReplyDeleteObviously, I'm not Jen, so I'm not speaking for her! But speaking for myself, some people take the cosplay really seriously, and really start behaving like their character - and if you think about Deadpool, that can be really inappropriate, or really uncomfortable for people, and kind of unpleasant to be around. I'm talking about the constant running monologue when you're sitting in a panel, or really inappropriate comments on people's physical appearance in the convention hall.
DeleteObviously, not all Deadpools, and not only Deadpools!
I did wonder that too; I don't know anything about Deadpool.
DeleteMy thoughts - if it was just one guy being sensible and approachable while he LARPed as the role, it wouldn't be a problem. Instead you get what amount to roving gangs of socially inappropriate teen boys who, quite often, will do anything for a laugh - and what makes teen boys laugh more than physical assault and sexual innuendo? It can be quite off-putting, even though many of them are fine, so it's wise to avoid them in general when they're "on".
DeletePlus the fact that they're so common now, it can feel quite overwhelming to meet your tenth "loud, quirky, thinks-he's-hilarious" coplayer of the day.
I honestly think the woman's boobs might be fake - some sort of prosthetic. The skin tone of the boobs does not quite match the rest of her body. But if they are real - How does she do it?!?!?
ReplyDeleteI know mine don't match the rest of my skin, as they're not usually out on display like that except when I wear my Klingon cosplay, so I can see how they may be more pale. When I do my cosplay, there's a lot of built in support in the corset, raising "the girls" much higher than they normally are.
DeleteI was thinking they were probably fake too.
DeleteFake boobs of that size usually don't weigh as much as real boobs of larger sizes, since they're not bags of fat like real ones are. ;) Also, real ones tend not to be super round on top at that size. Pretty sure those are fake since they look like beach balls under skin. (I speak as someone who wears a natural J cup.)
DeleteNo offense to the lady if I'm wrong! Also, some people really like that look. Not my cup of tea though.
I will admit my eyes went back there too (Sorry, John!). They look a little too "anime" to be real IMHO. I believe the cape is masking the top of the prosthetic to create this fantastic gravity defying effect.
DeleteShe does look beautiful and amazing in her cosplay though! (Please read that in the "She's Awesome,go body positivity!" way and not a creepy perv way!)
-Ed
These photos are fabulous! I especially love the Delorean transformer and I squeed all over Wall-E too.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I think that those are "anti-gravity boobs." (I'll show myself out now.)
-Zippy
I see Asriel Dreemurr in the background of Doctor Sonic.
ReplyDeleteWith regard to Mr. Shawn: I equate it to a comedian being asked to 'say something funny'. I guess it might feel like being a trained monkey.
ReplyDeleteThat's part of the reason I feel awkward approaching famous people (which includes you and John, my dear). My husband and I saw Patrick Renna (the Great Hambino of The Sandlot movie)at Disneyland. I wanted to just let him enjoy himself and not say anything. We 'happened' to line up behind Mr. Renna at a food stall, and my husband shook his hand and told him we were big fans. I stood behind, smiling like a loon and being awkward. He was really gracious, but I can't help but think, because my husband said THE line, that Mr. Renna might have seen his whole career boiled down to one line, that he didn't even write. Of course, I was completely useless in coming up with anything more meaningful to say. I just stood their, feeling awkward for both of us. And smiling. Gah!
I need to write myself a form letter in case I see someone to fangirl over. Something that says, "While I loved THE movie/play/book/thing that you are well known for, I really just enjoy your work. You are emotive, engaging, believable, and fun to love/hate/fear. I also saw you in/read the other movies/plays/books/things and really enjoyed them. That scene that was scary/funny/heartwrenching was done so perfectly that I watched/read it over and over and was scared/laughed/cried every time. Just thought you should know...". Then I'll pull a Quirrell and faint dead away, right there at their feet.
-Just Andrea
I love that! Respectful and polite without coming off as stilted or weird. Nice.
DeleteI like your phrasing!
DeleteAt the first of my (few) conventions, I accidentally blurted something that has now turned into my go-to line for these encounters- "You made some of my favorite things happen!" Of course, it was true so that helped... but it's also easy for my overwhelmed fangirl brain to remember when I need to say something to someone who has me starstruck!
Whoa the Wallace Shawn panel sounds so fascinating! I was looking for longer recaps online but wasn't coming up with much. Does anyone know of places to find transcript or reflections?
ReplyDeleteJen, I just have to say that my respect for you and your particular gift for turns of phrase just increased 100-fold. Acreage and altitude, indeed! I can't breathe ...
ReplyDeleteJen, you have become such an outstanding photographer. As someone who loves the cos plays but has not had the guts to go in person, I really appreciate your bringing it to us. LOVED the War Doctor and little pink Rose.
ReplyDeleteI also noticed the woman with the enormous appendages right away, but concluded that they are accoutremonts, rather than actual fem-flesh. I don't think one could keep them suspended as such if they were attached in the usual way. (Said as a person with substantial assets and some experience carrying them around). BTW, Jen, your lady lumps are quite impressive; don't sell yourself short.
ReplyDeleteHey, I think I saw the "Free hugs if you dance" Deadpool at the Pinellascon a few months back. Great guy!
ReplyDeleteYou quoted an obscure "Aladdin" quote. You're my hero. :)
ReplyDeleteI was wondering about those lady bits too. They're pretty epic, and I wish mine defied gravity as they did (though reading everyone's posts it seems like they may be fake. Though good on her! She looks great :) )
ReplyDeleteSad to hear about Mr. Wallace, but hearing that Brent Spiner is awesome makes me wish I'd seen him at a panel when he was here for RICC (I was battling some kind of virus and spent 5 hours in line to get autographs/pics with Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Talk about a man that does NOT stop smiling and looked like he was just having a great time... And instead of talking to him, I step on his foot and freak out... But at least he laughed)
My favorite guy at a panel was, actually, Michael Rooker. He stormed the Walking Dead panel, grabbed a mic, and started walking around the audience and talking to people. He's so funny.
I too was suitably impressed with the lady's accouterments. I was slightly tickled to see the green ribbon hanging across/between them and was wondering if they too had to pass through security scans as a potential "weapon" like Dr. Sonic's Screwdriver did.
ReplyDeleteThe rest of the book of life crew were there, Maria, Joaquin and monolo. They all came in a group actually, the three " main" characters were actually triplet siblings and la muerte is their older sister with her boyfriend playing xibalba.
ReplyDelete