Costumes from Comic-Con

July 28, 2009 4:55 PM

600 Costumes from the 2009 Comic-Con
posted by ColdChef (150 comments total)

Comic book fandom has apparently come a long, long way since the '80s, when my wife would go into comic book stores and get stared at as though she were some species of exotic animal.
posted by Stonewall Jackson at 5:02 PM on July 28

Betting there would be Leia slave costumes; left satisfied.
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 5:05 PM on July 28 [2 favorites]

Too true. Now she can go to large conventions of her fellow fans and get stared at as though she were some species of exotic animal!
posted by chrominance at 5:06 PM on July 28 [11 favorites]

I don't know who half of these characters are meant to be, but they sure look great. Why can't people dress like this everyday? I want to live in a world where my lecturer dresses up as Batman, and my doctor as Superwoman, and I get to be a Stormtrooper. I'ld vote for that.
posted by Sova at 5:06 PM on July 28 [9 favorites]

sorry, can't resist a good opening
posted by chrominance at 5:06 PM on July 28

There is no combination of comedy, horn, cliche, and pure distilled genius quite like what you'll find among conventions for cosplayers.
posted by middleclasstool at 5:08 PM on July 28 [1 favorite]

> sorry, can't resist a good opening

Well played, my friend. These days she wouldn't be the *only* girl there, is what I meant.
posted by Stonewall Jackson at 5:11 PM on July 28

Oh man, that White Ranger is top notch. Not that I liked the Power Rangers.

It's morphin' time!
posted by Mister Cheese at 5:11 PM on July 28

Fun. Pretty sure I recognize a few of these people from my set from the NY Comic Con.
posted by muckster at 5:12 PM on July 28

I don't know what this costume represents.

But I think I like it.
posted by sonic meat machine at 5:12 PM on July 28

My old housemate showed up this year with a full-on portable rig for his DSLR, including a photo umbrella mounted about six feet over the top of his backpack and a PocketWizard to drive the flash wirelessly. If you wanted to get a pic of the entire thing, he'd pose in his best ready-for-action leg-extended Jack Kirby kind of pose.

Mayhem ensued, everywhere he went. Little old ladies were stopping him to politely inquire as to what show he was from, or what his costume was supposed to be. He finally started answering "Actually, I'm F-Stop, Master of Light."
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 5:13 PM on July 28 [12 favorites]

C is for cosplay, that's good enough for me,
C is for cosplay, that's good enough for me
C is for cosplay, that's good enough for me
Cosplay cosplay cosplay starts with C.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 5:13 PM on July 28 [3 favorites]

I recognized maybe 10% of the costumes.
As an old comic geek, this depresses me. But maybe now I get to console myself that I have a life, right?

Right?

*sobs*
posted by lekvar at 5:14 PM on July 28 [2 favorites]

I don't know what this costume represents.

But I think I like it.

I went by the booth for the comic that costume is based on (I think), and picked up a card so I could look it up later. It looked interesting. I'm not sure where that card went. If someone here knows they'd save me an Ask.
posted by Bookhouse at 5:17 PM on July 28

Two really awesome Baroness from GI Joe costumes on the first page. Other than that, I don't know who 90% of these characters are.
posted by DecemberBoy at 5:20 PM on July 28

At least half of these costumes are degrading to women.

(The other half are degrading to men. Which is pretty cool.)

Also, love the TF2 Scouts. Lazy and clever at the same time.
posted by rokusan at 5:20 PM on July 28

Could be Jonah Hex. Megan Fox wears a somewhat similar costume in the stills I've seen from the movie shoot.
posted by Justinian at 5:21 PM on July 28

At least half of these costumes are degrading to women.

Is any skimpy or tight costume automatically degrading to the sex of the person wearing it? That seems like a fairly weird way to view the world.
posted by Justinian at 5:23 PM on July 28 [6 favorites]

Truly best of the web
posted by Lacking Subtlety at 5:23 PM on July 28

It's so easy to want to be snarky about all of this and make not-very-nice comments about ill-fitting or inappropriate costumes, but you know what? I don't actually feel that way at all. I love these people. When I see them at cons, I know they're having fun and they're proud of their costumes (especially the ones that are obvious labors of love). And I'm not trying to be all lovey-dovey, but there's a point where everyone just begins to look awesome.

I'm actually a little jealous. In a (not-so-)different life, I'd be one of these people.

(When I was a senior in high school, we were allowed to dress up for Halloween. I told my mom I wanted to be Sailor Moon. My mom, bless her, went along with this and made me a really awesome costume. It probably wasn't the most authentic, but it got the job done. Nevermind no one knew who I was -- this was the days before Sailor Moon was on Cartoon Network -- but I had a ridiculous amount of fun wearing that costume at school.)
posted by darksong at 5:26 PM on July 28 [9 favorites]

This is so far from this that it's actually pretty super.
posted by paisley henosis at 5:27 PM on July 28

Where did all these hot chicks come from? And where will they show up next? Renaissance fairs? I wonder what my entomology 4-H club looks like now.
posted by snofoam at 5:27 PM on July 28 [2 favorites]

First he came for your children; now he comes for your childhood

Also, if this guy is valid, we definitely need a mefi rep up in thar
posted by shoebox at 5:27 PM on July 28 [1 favorite]

The Kid Flash on page 10 let my ex-housemate capture a slightly more candid moment.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 5:29 PM on July 28 [1 favorite]

"That ain't a costume, it's a cry for help!"
posted by wendell at 5:29 PM on July 28 [1 favorite]

Why can't people dress like this everyday?

A women dressed perfectly as Batgirl (in the '60s TV style) walked past me on 6th Avenue by the 3rd St basketball court last month, just as if she walks around like that all the time. There was no convention or anything around, and no other people in costume. I love NYC.
posted by nicwolff at 5:29 PM on July 28 [7 favorites]

I wish these had captions explaining who the characters are. Nothing detailed, just "so-and-so from such-and-such."

Awesome.
posted by jeoc at 5:35 PM on July 28

These Ninja Turtles are freakishly good.
posted by paisley henosis at 5:37 PM on July 28

When did Flo from the Progressive Insurance commercials become a comic book character?
posted by Saxon Kane at 5:43 PM on July 28

Sorry to be all boyzone, but I gotta say: there is something strangely hot about a woman in costume; not sure if it's the same for women looking at cosplay dudes. Maybe it's just the novelty. maybe I should start wearing a costume... :(
posted by hincandenza at 5:43 PM on July 28 [1 favorite]

I applaud this more realistic interpretation of Mario.

Their costumes are comparatively crude, but come on, you've got to love Spy vs. Spy costumes.

Finally, I guess these two were, I don't know, marooned members of a Star Trek TOS-era starship crew who then became space heroin addicts? Whatever it is, I approve.
posted by DecemberBoy at 5:47 PM on July 28 [4 favorites]

Obligatory Triumph the Insult Comic Dog at Comic-Con last year.
posted by starman at 5:49 PM on July 28

Upon review, the huge dark circles under the eyes of the "space heroin addicts" might be shadows. They still kinda look like space heroin addicts either way, though.
posted by DecemberBoy at 5:51 PM on July 28

I have a limited run of 200 t-shirt that I proudly don as a sign of my special snowflakeness.


At comic-con, I saw two people with the same shirt. Also, about half my wardrobe running around me.


So, it's nothing but plain white shirts and jeans from now on, is what I'm saying.
posted by The Whelk at 5:57 PM on July 28 [1 favorite]

Also, the people in street clothes save for a glowing Sim diamond above their head? Made. My. Decade.
posted by The Whelk at 5:58 PM on July 28 [6 favorites]

Truly epic costumes here:
http://io9.com/5324997/masquerade-winners-show-off-the-best-costumes-of-comic-con/gallery/

Samurai Jack and Aku are so fucking WIN I cried.
posted by butterstick at 6:00 PM on July 28

Nerd girls are so great!

I'm sure nerd guys are great, too, but I especially dig the girls.
posted by dammitjim at 6:04 PM on July 28

These are some fucking amazing costumes.
posted by spiderskull at 6:16 PM on July 28

They forgot this epic Venture Bros couple.
posted by spiderskull at 6:25 PM on July 28 [4 favorites]

They forgot this epic Venture Bros couple.

Oh man, that IS awesome. The guy even looks like how I'd imagine a real-life Monarch would look, with the long thin face. And the Dr. Mrs. The Monarch nailed it too, down to the hairdo.
posted by DecemberBoy at 6:30 PM on July 28

Those were so damn cool. I'm wearing my spider-man pajamas to bed tonight!
posted by orme at 6:43 PM on July 28

This Space Marine is bloody great.
posted by Mitheral at 6:43 PM on July 28

> My old housemate showed up this year with a full-on portable rig for his DSLR, including a photo umbrella mounted about six feet over the top of his backpack and a PocketWizard to drive the flash wirelessly.

I SAW THAT GUY. I think we were in line at Ballroom 20 and had no idea why someone would do that, but it still looked pretty impressive as he walked past us.
posted by saturnine at 7:01 PM on July 28 [3 favorites]

Damn, hit post too soon

I'm glad to see the ATST Scout Walker got a mention (photo #3) - I walked past it just before the Masquerade started, and I had to stare at it for a good long time to work out whether it was a robot or a human. I'm still not sure I really understand how it functions.

And my personal favorite costumed person was the full size Bender that I saw not once but twice, walking up 6th street (photo on my Flickr linked via my profile). Whoever was inside was getting stopped a fair few times for photos.
posted by saturnine at 7:09 PM on July 28

I gotta say, much respect for the six hot girls who decided that they could put some effort into their slutty costumes and instead of just doing some generic "oh look I'm a hot girl in a short skirt at a comic convention" they went full-out with their team costume of Slutty Versions of all the Disney Princesses. I mean, yeah, hot girls doing slutty costumes, but they look well-done and eerily accurate to the originals save for the, you know, sluttiness.

By contrast, is Lara Croft like, the official Sarah Palin costume of Comic-Con? By that I mean it's painfully easy and any decent-looking girl can pull it off because they can't think of anything else and have all the shit necessary lying around the house?
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 7:13 PM on July 28

Okay, I have to say this.

The word cosplay freaks me out. Comic-cons freak me out.

Did that feel better?

No, no it did not, sir.
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 7:16 PM on July 28 [1 favorite]

They forgot this epic Venture Bros couple.

There was a guy at Dragon*Con last year who went as Jonas Venture. Junior.

Nothing will top this for me. Nothing.
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 7:16 PM on July 28 [17 favorites]

The Cos Play winners were good, but Anime Expo circa 2001 had professional troupes from Japan that put these people to shame. Of course, being a professional group would kind of require that.

Dressing up in cos play is fun, even if it's just fake eyebrows (as seen on FLCL).
posted by filthy light thief at 7:18 PM on July 28 [1 favorite]

Why can't people dress like this everyday?

I have friends who started working on their costumes for Dragon*Con in March. It's held over Labor Day. That's pretty much why.
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 7:21 PM on July 28

This is why I don't go to comic book conventions, completely weirds me out. Why be someone you're not and can never be?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:24 PM on July 28

Can you guys wipe the slobber off your keyboards enough to start identifying some of these for me? I'm curious.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 7:29 PM on July 28

Also, if this guy is valid, we definitely need a mefi rep up in thar

I'm pretty sure he's Brett Ehrlich, one of the hosts of the Rotten Tomatoes show on Current TV.
posted by scalefree at 7:32 PM on July 28

There was a guy at Dragon*Con last year who went as Jonas Venture. Junior.

Nothing will top this for me. Nothing.

HOOOOOLLLYYY SHIIITTTT. I'm speechless.
posted by spiderskull at 7:34 PM on July 28

Ambrosia Voyeur: "Can you guys wipe the slobber off your keyboards enough to start identifying some of these for me? I'm curious."

This guy is pretending to be Indiana Jones. This guy is pretending to be Superman.
posted by Science! at 7:38 PM on July 28 [3 favorites]

There was a guy at Dragon*Con last year who went as Jonas Venture. Junior.

I want to buy that guy a beer so bad that it hurts me a little bit.
posted by middleclasstool at 7:40 PM on July 28 [2 favorites]

Some of these costumes are tough to identify and I don't claim to be the biggest comic book expert, but I'm pretty sure this one is from the Star Trek episode where they jumped through the donut and went back in time to let Joan Collins get hit by a car.
posted by digsrus at 7:43 PM on July 28 [1 favorite]

I love this one the most! Great blend of everyday and... not so everyday.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 7:49 PM on July 28 [1 favorite]

This is why I don't go to comic book conventions, completely weirds me out. Why be someone you're not and can never be?

You just answered your own question there.
posted by The Whelk at 8:00 PM on July 28 [1 favorite]

Well played, sir.
posted by hippugeek at 8:04 PM on July 28 [4 favorites]

Why can't people dress like this everyday?

I once worked at a Defense contractor with a guy who frequently came to work dressed in a ST:TNG uniform. While I was there he also underwent a sex change. I don't think she got a new outfit, or at least never wore it to work.
posted by scalefree at 8:12 PM on July 28

There's a lot of crap Jokers, but this guy did a fantastic job. The patterns on the tie and the shirt match, as close as I can tell, to the clothes in The Dark Knight. He got the hair very close, same with the makeup. Impressive.

Weird to see a couple of good Counselor Trois in there. A solid, old school Batman, and, bonus, not as puffy as Adam West. I'm kind of surprised that Supergirl gets any traction, but she does have sort of that fine-featured Helen Slater thing going on.

I'm not sure what this is, but I like it.

I wish some of these came with interviews, with such important questions like, "How the HELL did you find that shirt?"
posted by adipocere at 8:17 PM on July 28

Looks like a Donnie Darko thing, adipocere.
posted by hifiparasol at 8:25 PM on July 28

No, it's not Frank the Bunny. At first I thought of the rabbit in The Twilight Zone, but that's not it, either. It's something I haven't seen in a while, but it's a pretty awesome bunny.
posted by adipocere at 8:37 PM on July 28

That's what I was going to say, but perhaps from American McGee's Alice? It looks familiar...

Ambrosia Voyeur: Many of these are from video games. I can ID some, maybe even a majority. Any in particular you are curious about?
posted by Saxon Kane at 8:44 PM on July 28

Power Girl is going to haunt my dreams.

Whew.
posted by Scoo at 8:45 PM on July 28

No, it's not Frank the Bunny

There was a Frank walking around though, and as easy as the costume was, it was accurate.
posted by saturnine at 8:56 PM on July 28

is that the killer bunny from Monty python's the Holy Grail?
posted by HappyHippo at 9:03 PM on July 28

Weird. Compiling a list would be exhausting, yet I'm thinking about exactly how I'd wikify it.
posted by Pronoiac at 9:05 PM on July 28

I don't think this is actually a costume.
posted by scalefree at 9:09 PM on July 28

This picture made me the happiest.

Were there really no better Avatar costumes, or did they just not find them?
posted by jinjo at 9:17 PM on July 28 [2 favorites]

Hmm. Slightly fewer Jokers than NYCC.

I wonder if the Leia slave costume has now become it's own self perpetuting thing that exists independantly of Return of the Jedi.
posted by Artw at 9:20 PM on July 28

I'm not sure what this is, but I like it.

Twilight Zone, the Movie? That or generic evil bunny.
posted by Artw at 9:21 PM on July 28

Some of these costumes are tough to identify and I don't claim to be the biggest comic book expert, but I'm pretty sure this one is from the Star Trek episode where they jumped through the donut and went back in time to let Joan Collins get hit by a car.

Inbound legal writ from Harlan Ellison!
posted by Artw at 9:22 PM on July 28 [1 favorite]

I really liked this L4D (video game) group, and this witch and this Zoe from the same game were great - Zoe is pitch perfect. Also, rawr.
posted by gemmy at 9:22 PM on July 28

This is probably an old joke by now, but I love it. But not as much as I love this.
posted by hydrophonic at 9:25 PM on July 28 [2 favorites]

As an outsider, I'm amazed at how much confidence one must have to pull off wearing a costume like the slave Leia. That's fewer clothes than I'd ever feel comfortable wearing in public. Though I don't go swimming much.

Additionally, it must be comforting to be in a community where you know that this kind of stuff is totally accepted. I can imagine that, for some of these folks, it goes beyond, "wow, this is a fun way to dress up and spend a weekend," and moves well into "wow, these people are just like me! They really get me!" territory.

I'm really happy for those folks. They look so happy, even when they're being scary.
posted by elmer benson at 9:41 PM on July 28 [4 favorites]

I'm pretty sure this is Pikachu.........and if it is, I need to
to have a different talk with my son about his current Pokemon obsession.
posted by HappyHippo at 9:41 PM on July 28 [2 favorites]

Heath Ledger Joker costumes are lately what "The Crow" costumes were on Halloween after the movie came out. Every fucking dude in the universe dressed up like that. Every. Fucking. Dude.
posted by middleclasstool at 9:48 PM on July 28 [3 favorites]

Wait a sec- isn't this the same girl as this? And if so... don't multiple costumes violate some kind of cosplay etiquette? I wouldn't have noticed, but she's pretty luscious.

shoebox: Also, if this guy is valid, we definitely need a mefi rep up in thar

scalefree: I'm pretty sure he's Brett Ehrlich, one of the hosts of the Rotten Tomatoes show on Current TV.

Holy cow, that is Brett Ehrlich! I love his Current.TV skits, like VVFS et al, so I'm happy to hear he's got yet another gig...
posted by hincandenza at 9:58 PM on July 28

Leia-confidence be damned, it takes guts to wear this one.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 10:13 PM on July 28

Sova: "I don't know who half of these characters are meant to be, but they sure look great. Why can't people dress like this everyday?"

One of my friends went on an exchange trip to Japan after high school ended and she lived with host families for almost a year. Halloween came around, she dressed up as Sailor Moon. But the Japanese don't celebrate Halloween like we do in the states so when she came out, her host mother was like,

"Why are you wearing that?!"
"Halloween is today?!"
"Wait, so because it's Halloween, you put your hair up like Sailor Moon?"
"In America, people do cosplay on Halloween."
"Ohhhhhhhhh!"
posted by yaymukund at 10:23 PM on July 28 [7 favorites]

The Joker costume will be in for years to come.
posted by gettkcarter at 10:25 PM on July 28

Wiki page, for page 1. I can wikify the other pages quickly if that doesn't suck too much.
posted by Pronoiac at 10:36 PM on July 28 [4 favorites]

I saw the same exact Buddy Christ when I went in 2006! I wonder if he does that every year.
posted by Zaximus at 10:38 PM on July 28

I love these people.

Amen, sister. How can you not love this?

And, um, this. On the right. Yow.
posted by mediareport at 10:39 PM on July 28

This is why I don't go to comic book conventions, completely weirds me out. Why be someone you're not and can never be?

Halloween must have been a real joy around your place.

AB: If you want some IDd just post which, I'm sure somebody can help you out. I can probably ID something like half.
posted by Justinian at 10:43 PM on July 28

Do we need to put where the costume is from on the Wiki? I just labelled Master Sergeant but if you didn't know that costume is "Master Sergeant" then telling you that's what it is won't help you much.
posted by Justinian at 10:49 PM on July 28

Naming the figures is a good start, I think, though you could name the source material if you like.

So the format works?
posted by Pronoiac at 11:04 PM on July 28

Master Chief, right?
posted by nicwolff at 11:07 PM on July 28

Oops, yeah Master Chief. I suck.
posted by Justinian at 11:09 PM on July 28

Why can't people dress like this everyday?

This dude in Seattle has been dressing like Link every day for years. Seattle also used to have a Conan the Barbarian guy (long hair, lots of muscles) who used to ride around on a bike shirtless with a giant broadsword strapped to his back. Every day, year round, rain or shine.
posted by billyfleetwood at 11:11 PM on July 28

I've not seen him, but I know people who have, and apparently he smells really, really bad.
posted by Artw at 11:17 PM on July 28

Okay, I'm adding the other pages. I'm not sure how it deals with concurrent edits, though, so check for differences, or something. Work on a page at a time.

Hey, would a Google Doc be better for this?
posted by Pronoiac at 11:25 PM on July 28

The Batman of Zur-En-Arrh amuses me.
posted by Pronoiac at 11:37 PM on July 28

He smells awful, but it's sad. I feel bad for him, and for that kid who's crazy mom dresses in all green with purple makeup... the trauma of their childhoods, of god knows what happened or is still happening to them, and of parents that are killing their children before they have a chance to live.
posted by hincandenza at 11:38 PM on July 28

"I don't think this is actually a costume."

She's awfully dirty to not be in costume. Either she's just come from attending a multi vehicle accident on a muddy road or she is dressed up as something. Gun and pill bottles. Some kind of medical zombie apocalypse survivor?
posted by Mitheral at 12:33 AM on July 29 [1 favorite]

Some kind of medical zombie apocalypse survivor?

ding ding ding ding ding ding ding

It's Zoe from the game Left 4 Dead. Note the zombie-killing m16 assault rifle.
posted by Justinian at 12:55 AM on July 29

Oh that could be an anything-killing m16 assault rifle
posted by TwelveTwo at 1:17 AM on July 29 [3 favorites]

Well, I think that's most of them up on the wiki. I don't know if I just passed or just failed a nerd test.

Also, see how hot these pictures are? This is what happens when you set up a friendly space that people can feel safe in. This is not what you get in a boyzone.
posted by Pronoiac at 1:32 AM on July 29

True. I like how she appears to have mostly spray-painted black the day-glo orange cap on the end of the barrel. I'm guessing that's illegal but thats cool STICK IT TO THE MAN.

The best part of the wiki is the feeling of superiority one gets when one fixes other people's mistakes. Like my Master Sergeant / Master Chief mix up.

But, really, whoever... confusing Luke and Han? Really?
posted by Justinian at 1:34 AM on July 29

On the one hand, I admire people dressing up for fun.

On the other hand: Captain America is not tubby. Neither is Batman. A brawny middle-aged Superman I can buy, but tubby Captain America? C'mon.

(Also, I know Wonder Woman has boobs, but this is bit over the top.)

Power Girl was fantastic. Likewise the guys who did Arthur. Spy vs Spy was great, as were some of the Supermen.

And the woman who came as a Judge (Hershey, I assume)? You. Rule.
posted by rodgerd at 1:43 AM on July 29 [1 favorite]

What I really like about these sort of photos are they guys in the background...
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 1:44 AM on July 29 [2 favorites]

But, really, whoever... confusing Luke and Han? Really?

I went by his hair, oddly - I didn't look at him below his shoulders, because I was distracted.
posted by Pronoiac at 1:51 AM on July 29

I just don't get the slave!leia fetish. Carrie Fisher looked so uncomfortable in those scenes I just wanted to give her a blanket, a hug and a sandwich.
posted by Sparx at 1:54 AM on July 29

I went by his hair, oddly - I didn't look at him below his shoulders, because I was distracted.

I understand. Lando is quite sexy.
posted by Justinian at 1:56 AM on July 29

It might have been that it was on page 2, yet it was already at least the sixth Slave Leia.
posted by Pronoiac at 2:07 AM on July 29

"I just don't get the slave!leia fetish. Carrie Fisher looked so uncomfortable in those scenes I just wanted to give her a blanket, a hug and a sandwich."

I'm guessing you weren't 14 when you first saw the movie?
posted by Mitheral at 2:19 AM on July 29

It's... Captain Cameltoe!
posted by milnak at 3:05 AM on July 29

This I like. Not only for its construction (my GOD, the RUFFLES), but because it goes so deep into crossplay that it re-emerges as regular cosplay -- she's dressed as a boy character disguised as woman.

...Maybe this would be even more impressive if the series weren't an anime where all the male characters are already just as pretty as the female ones.
posted by vaghjar at 3:07 AM on July 29

Holy shit. I used to know that Counselor Troi.

And, uh...I'm going to stop right there.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 3:47 AM on July 29 [2 favorites]

I'm guessing you weren't 14 when you first saw the movie?

13, I think. Don't get me wrong - I appreciated every hard-obtained bit of surreptitious girlflesh viewage media I could get in those difficult, pre-internet 80s, but slave!leia just squicked me out for some reason. Maybe it was the whole Gorean S/M aspect of it, or maybe I was just bummed out that Leia was always getting captured and probed and chained up and imprisoned and thinking how that must really suck for her during those long stretches when she wasn't in the movie doing something feisty.
posted by Sparx at 4:00 AM on July 29

"I just don't get the slave!leia fetish. Carrie Fisher looked so uncomfortable in those scenes I just wanted to give her a blanket, a hug and a sandwich."

That and its been done to death. The 500th copy tends be boring.

This is probably an old joke by now, but I love it. But not as much as I love this.

Now THAT if fucking great. Don't just copy, step it up a notch.

'cept for you Power Girl, you're just about perfect the way you are.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:16 AM on July 29 [1 favorite]

Well I've already favorited like 3 comments so I guess I might as well favorite the whole thread.
posted by six-or-six-thirty at 5:31 AM on July 29

I seriously need to get my act together and make it to the next comic con. I am faaaar to geeky to never have gone.
posted by Mastercheddaar at 6:14 AM on July 29 [1 favorite]

Looking at these has kind of made me miss all of it. I've gone to about 3 anime conventions and the people are just generally awesome. It's fun to see how amazing these costumes can get.

The sorts of things that happen are just kind of otherworldly and fun. The last one I went to, after the masquerade (where the best-- usually-- cosplayers show off their costumes) one of the winners came out. I was behind a glass window in the snack bar and saw her and did kind of a 'on-guard' crouch complete with deer-in-headlights. And then she pounced on the window and I got chased around in a slow, creepy cat-and-mouse by the anti-form Sora. She even had the movements perfect. And it was awesome.
posted by six-or-six-thirty at 6:29 AM on July 29 [1 favorite]

So for people who have gone to a large comic-con type event with lots of cosplayers, can you just walk around in costume, check out the booths and mind your own business? Or if you're dressed as a Jedi are you expected to do a little play fighting with every storm trooper you bump into?
posted by Science! at 6:41 AM on July 29

"I just don't get the slave!leia fetish. Carrie Fisher looked so uncomfortable in those scenes I just wanted to give her a blanket, a hug and a sandwich."

Well, she was parked next to a great big angry space slug and his chittering sidekick. That'd cramp anyone's style. She was probably thinking 'Here I am, hotter than a thermal detonator and all everyone's looking at is Mr Fat Slimy Worm Guy. At least my hot brother will turn up soon and rescue me and maybe I'll get to kiss him for luck with tongues this time.'
posted by permafrost at 6:41 AM on July 29 [3 favorites]

Also, does anyone inspect the firearms and bladed weapons at the door? Some of the guns are clearly toys with orange safety caps, some are clearly nothing but cardboard and paint, but others (see the Zoey L4D M16) look damn real. Same goes for people carrying spears, katanas etc, even Scout with his bat could do a lot of damage if it was real.

How do security/cops react when attendees are carrying these realistic props from a parking garage to an event site?
posted by Science! at 6:45 AM on July 29 [1 favorite]

Also, does anyone inspect the firearms and bladed weapons at the door?

Peace bonding
posted by Tenuki at 6:53 AM on July 29 [1 favorite]

Cool, I can see some pink/purple bands on some of the more realistic firearm props. I guess they indicate that the prop has been checked.
posted by Science! at 7:05 AM on July 29

I, for one, was just delighted as fuck to see someone put this much effort into dressing as a hyperkinetic rabbity thing. (God, I loved that game so very much.)
posted by shiu mai baby at 7:16 AM on July 29

not sparkly enough.

Here's another good set. Heh.
posted by Tenuki at 7:39 AM on July 29

six-or-six-thirty: Liked the story and the link. Reminds me I haven't picked up KH2 since beating it over 3 years ago, and as I haven't yet beat Sephiroth, looks like I have a fine excuse...

So for people who have gone to a large comic-con type event with lots of cosplayers, can you just walk around in costume, check out the booths and mind your own business? Or if you're dressed as a Jedi are you expected to do a little play fighting with every storm trooper you bump into?

Most cosplayers go about their business, shop, go to panels, pose for pics, do some more shopping. I know one girl who used to change costumes almost every hour. As for staying in character, certainly there are some cosplayers who are more hardcore than others; with them, it's not always necessary that their play-acting partner be from the same fictional universe -- unless six-or-six-thirty neglected to mention being dressed as a Heartless or OrgXIII member.

From Penny Arcade: Relevant peacebonding strip. ...Did anyone happen to see any Medic cosplayers? Medic is totally my slave!Leia.
posted by vaghjar at 7:46 AM on July 29 [1 favorite]

Wait a sec- isn't this the same girl as this? And if so... don't multiple costumes violate some kind of cosplay etiquette?

Are you kidding? The most serious cosplayers pack a different costume for each day of a con. You can easily find the same person in three or four different costumes especially if they're not heavily accessory-related.
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 8:08 AM on July 29

Went looking through for photos from Comiccon on Flickr, found some that looked cool and here they are in no particular order and for no particular reason:

Unknown woman
funky glasses
Iron man
Lex Luthor power suit
Scary man
Leia and a hullahoop
Planet of the Apes
Deadly clown lady
Sally
Stylish robots
zombies
Luke Cage
Kiss me, I'm a Stormtrooper
Hagar the Horrible
Mr. Freeze
Random space dude
Black Widow and Stormtroopers
Unkown warrior with bruises
Best t-shirt ever
Power Girl and Predators
Pac-man!
Darth and Boba, chillin'
Lady Deadpool
Crimson Chin
Samuri Darth Vader
Darth Vader on vacation
Nick Fury gettin' down
Unknown foolishness
Retro Watchmen
Master Chef
Iron Man again
Capt. America
Jedi Elvis
Steampunk woman
Another Steampunk woman
Steampunk guy
Red headed steampunk woman
'nother steampunk woman
Steampunk diver
Baroness Von Dorkenstein
Steampunk women
Best slave leia ever
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:40 AM on July 29 [1 favorite]

I guess I miss the point of cosplay. Not that I dislike it or think anyone who dresses up as their favorite fictional character is a dork or anything, quite the opposite. I'd love to put together an elaborate costume to wear at one of these conventions. The point I'm missing, I guess, is the fantasy and the imaginative ideal of dressing up. When I think about who I'd dress up as, I get wrapped up in my physical attributes and use them to weed out favorite characters.

The Monarch? No, not rail thin. Clock King? Maybe the new one, but the Animated Series version would be better, but my face is not drawn enough.

So I miss the point, the point that whomever you aspire to be, you can be, and I'm left with the cosplay equivalent of a bedsheet ghost.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 9:17 AM on July 29

I went through them all, and named a bunch on the wiki. Apparently there's this steampunk vampire thing that I don't know anything about, but people like the costumes.
My favorites:
Nibbler!
I Dream of Jeannie!
posted by graventy at 9:35 AM on July 29

I am bummed that they missed me.

But I am comforted by the fact that they missed a number of other great costumes as well. What a great Con!
posted by feersum endjinn at 9:39 AM on July 29 [4 favorites]

Holy hell. /boyzone
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 9:43 AM on July 29

Mr. F and I were on the same trolley with you at one point, feersum endjinn. I don't remember what day-- I was either in an Atomic Robo shirt, a Star Sapphire Corps one, or a Stark Industries shirt, and a drover hat. (Mr. F was either rocking the Atomic Robo, the Stark, or a Hero Defined Kevin Matchstick shirt.)

Yes, I am that big of a dork-- I can go to my closet and debate amongst the comics and webcomics shirts before reluctantly picking three to take to SDCC with me.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 10:12 AM on July 29 [1 favorite]

fairytale, on the day I didn't dress up (Friday) I had a similar problem deciding which nerdy shirt was the very best for the con! Dressing up made the con so much more fun though.
posted by feersum endjinn at 10:44 AM on July 29

Well played, sir.

That was my favourite. There were probably a dozen Rorschachs there, but I bet he was the only Kovacs.
posted by CaseyB at 10:47 AM on July 29

My friend, Pete, is a research scientist at Genentech. He is also a massive geek who made his own Dr. Henry Killinger costume that Jackson Publick liked enough to include a picture of it in the photo-collage that accompanied his write-up of Comic-con.

This made Pete very happy, which is the point of playing dress-up.

I swing back and forth between admiring people's craftiness and wanting them to grow the hell up. This year, I'll stick with the admiration.
posted by RakDaddy at 10:54 AM on July 29 [1 favorite]

Also, the people in street clothes save for a glowing Sim diamond above their head? Made. My. Decade. Link? I didn't see those folks.

Also, I say NAY to all the slutty Disney princesses. NAY, I say!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 11:00 AM on July 29 [1 favorite]

If I ever go, I'm going as Cerebus. Vest and a sword, and nothing else. WHOOP!
posted by COBRA! at 11:24 AM on July 29

I've lost at least an hour updating character names on the wiki. It's interesting seeing the generation clash.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 11:48 AM on July 29

After robocop is bleeding's sweep & my addition of one that a friend caught, it's down to 268 lines with question marks.
posted by Pronoiac at 12:12 PM on July 29

(Also, I know Wonder Woman has boobs, but this is bit over the top.)

I'm thinking that's a booth babe rather than a cosplaying con attendee, but I could be wrong.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 12:24 PM on July 29

Gotta say, maybe it's my Batgirl encounter priming the, er, pump, but these two Batgirls: one, two are killing me with cuteness.
posted by nicwolff at 12:46 PM on July 29

but I bet he was the only Kovacs.

He has the same problem as most of the Rorsharchs though; he looks waaay to well scrubbed. I recognised him from the sign, but he's tall and clean and well put together, not grubby and messy.
posted by rodgerd at 3:29 PM on July 29

wait

wait

you do realize that a good 100% of the hot female "cosplayers" on display here are paid actresses/models, right?

or are y'all nerd-fapping while in suspended belief?
posted by mr.marx at 3:54 PM on July 29

Question: Are there any famous steampunk characters. All of the photos I looked through didn't have anyone recognizable.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 3:57 PM on July 29

you do realize that a good 100% of the hot female "cosplayers" on display here are paid actresses/models, right?

Unless you have an extraordinary narrow definition of "hot" this is absolutely not true and is more than a little insulting. Way to let your own prejudices shine through. Stay classy.
posted by Justinian at 4:43 PM on July 29 [1 favorite]

you do realize that a good 100% of the hot female "cosplayers" on display here are paid actresses/models, right?

Not so. One of them (I don't think she's pictured, but she is definitely hot and went as Sally Jupiter/Silk Spectre, with her boyfriend as The Comedian) is a colleague of mine, a PhD candidate in, basically, fandom studies. She's WAY into comics. Works under Henry Jenkins. I'm not all fappy over it, though.

The moral? Stay in school, horny little nerdlings.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 4:53 PM on July 29

Link? I didn't see those folks.

They exist only on my phone. I saw at least three of them tho.

Minor Letdown: During the zombie walk, one saw many zombies, but no zombie hunters. Surely some of the Zoes could have been on the sidelines, pointing menacingly.

Also, when I see the big muscle guy walking around in a superman outfit, my first microsecond gut reaction isn't "nice outfit!" or "Hot guy!" it's "SUPERMAN IS HERE!" cause my id is always in the backseat throwing gummi bears at my head.

Also, the fan costuming (I don't like the word cosplay, it just...puts a weird sticky layer on the whole thing) I really like are the super subtle ones. I had a friend who went to one con as a Battlestar Galatica pilot ...off duty. Grey short-sleeve shirt under a black muscle shirt, plain gray-olive cargo pants, and very subtle patches. He totally blended in in the non-geek bars and it was fun watching people slowly get the costume.

My covert con costume for years used to be ...red over-shirt, white t-shirt, jeans, sneakers, a soda can, and an astonished expression.
posted by The Whelk at 5:11 PM on July 29

Question: Are there any famous steampunk characters. All of the photos I looked through didn't have anyone recognizable.

Semi-famous, but Agatha Heterodyne from Girl Genius probably counts.

Also, my pal Slarti and I are going through the wiki list, and it took him under nine seconds to positively ID Ronan the Accuser. That is some serious Cosmic Marvel Universe know-how on display, kids.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 5:14 PM on July 29

Oh! And notice to the steampunk kids leaving the Hyatt in the blazing heat wearing layers upon layers of black leather, metal and latex. Suffering heatstroke for fashion gets you a point in my book.
posted by The Whelk at 5:17 PM on July 29

The Wiki is a great idea. I wish there was a reverse version that I could consult at Otakon. Something like enter hair color, costume color, weapon, weapon size, etc. and get a result with a reference photo.

"Oh, she's supposed to be a Pokemon critter."
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 5:29 PM on July 29

you do realize that a good 100% of the hot female "cosplayers" on display here are paid actresses/models, right? or are y'all nerd-fapping while in suspended belief?

It occurs to me, after my serious reply, that WHBT. HAND.
posted by Justinian at 5:53 PM on July 29

I'm going over the unknown ones a bit more closely. It's down to 218 ?s.

ThePinkSuperhero: Also, the people in street clothes save for a glowing Sim diamond above their head? Made. My. Decade.

Link? I didn't see those folks.

It looks like part of the background unless you look closely: See?
posted by Pronoiac at 3:10 PM on August 2