Cosplay!

Orianna2000

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If I have enough fabric, I might play around with "painting" the dye on, instead of dipping it. We'll see. It's actually two separate pieces--the bodice has blue sleeves and blue around the neckline, then fades to pink down the torso. The skirt is pink at the top, then gradually fades to pale yellow at the hem.

Here's a picture of one version of the costume. Not the best photo, but you get the idea.
 

CoffeeBeans

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In somewhat unreal news, my father will be cosplaying with me this year.

I brought him with me to a con last year, because it was just easier than explaining they are both tradeshows and fan events. He thought it was a great time, and took most of the strangeness in stride (my father isn't even into SF/F, let alone anything particularly geeky).

He said he'd like to go back for a day with me this year, and he wouldn't be against dressing up, if that was what people did. I'm dusting off my Shadowcat costume, because he's totally going as Magneto.

I cannot be more excited about this.
 

Maggie Maxwell

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Oh, that's going to be awesome, CoffeeBeans! be sure to get pictures!

Mr. Maxwell's best friend and his girl brought up doing a joint cosplay for our annual con the last time we saw them. They want to be Coulson and one of the Agents of SHIELD ladies respectively. Mr. and I have toyed around with doing Bruce Banner and Jennifer Walters. All he'd need is a lab coat and purple pants. I'd love to go full Lawyer She-Hulk. Any advice on makeup to get the right shade of green?
 

Orianna2000

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Isn't it great when your family catches the insanity and decides to cosplay, too? For years, I was the only one interested in "playing dress-up." Then, my husband bought a lightsaber and suddenly he wants a Jedi costume! I told him he has to pay for the fabrics, though, and he hasn't done that, so it may not happen this year.
 

CoffeeBeans

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I'd love to go full Lawyer She-Hulk. Any advice on makeup to get the right shade of green?

Oh wow. That would rock, though I am so afraid of body/face paint. I'm one of those people who can barely wear makeup, because I've rubbed it everywhere in 10 minutes.

I've heard good things about the Ben Nye colors, if that's any help? Also, just from seeing others do it, if you're doing part bodysuit - matching your body suit skin tone to your paint skin tone matters way more than what shade.

Then, my husband bought a lightsaber and suddenly he wants a Jedi costume! I told him he has to pay for the fabrics, though, and he hasn't done that, so it may not happen this year.

I swear when people see people do it, and have lots of fun just being weird and surrounded by people who appreciate it, they begin to consider trying it.

My niece (18mo) and I did Elizabeth & Little Sister from Bioshock Infinite last year, and this year her parents are considering joining in as well. (still bummed I couldn't talk the three of them into doing Saga when she was still small enough)
 

Maggie Maxwell

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Oh wow. That would rock, though I am so afraid of body/face paint. I'm one of those people who can barely wear makeup, because I've rubbed it everywhere in 10 minutes.

I've heard good things about the Ben Nye colors, if that's any help? Also, just from seeing others do it, if you're doing part bodysuit - matching your body suit skin tone to your paint skin tone matters way more than what shade.

I swear when people see people do it, and have lots of fun just being weird and surrounded by people who appreciate it, they begin to consider trying it.

My niece (18mo) and I did Elizabeth & Little Sister from Bioshock Infinite last year, and this year her parents are considering joining in as well. (still bummed I couldn't talk the three of them into doing Saga when she was still small enough)


Nah, I'm looking at a costume like this, so all I'd need is legs, hands, and face. I found these directions for dyeing pantyhose that get a pretty good green color. Thanks for the tip. I'll look into those Ben Nyes.

A Saga cosplay with a baby would have been fantastic! Darn shame. It's true about people seeing cosplayers begin to consider it. The fun some cosplayers have is infectious. Especially Deadpools. You know, the ones who REALLY get into it.
 

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Considering my parents had a Star Trek wedding in Las Vegas (on the Starship Enterprise!), I come by my cosplay naturally. My parents have been to Dragoncon twice with me, and dad even brought his Klingon headpiece and uniform. He speaks fluent Klingon, by the way.

I'm a second generation GEEK :)
 

Maggie Maxwell

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Considering my parents had a Star Trek wedding in Las Vegas (on the Starship Enterprise!), I come by my cosplay naturally. My parents have been to Dragoncon twice with me, and dad even brought his Klingon headpiece and uniform. He speaks fluent Klingon, by the way.

I'm a second generation GEEK :)

Your parents are officially awesome.

My dad never did cosplay, or even any cons at all, but he got me into computer games (I remember being teeny and sitting behind him watching him play Dark Seed, the HR Giger game), Star Trek, and comic books (when I discovered his stash of Namor the Submariner comics). So whuttup from another 2nd gen geek. :)
 

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Whuttup, SGG! (Second Gen Geek)

It made me really miss the fact that I didn't grow up with my dad. I only found him when I was 30 (he didn't know I existed). Of course, I that means I got to match-make my own real parents, and be in attendance on their wedding :)

Mom hadn't even dated anyone since him. They were married 30 years after I was conceived.

Their story was what inspired me to start writing. I novelized their love story. (submitted to publisher).
 

greendragon

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Oh my gosh, okay, that is SO cool. I've seen you say you wrote their love story, but wow, that's one heck of a story. Good luck with the subs!

Thanks! It had been percolating in my brain since it happened (I found him 14 years ago, they've been married 10). I'd only written travelogues and a couple travel books before. Then I novelized their story and BOOM - I've now written four novels total. Novels - not even once! :)
 

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Orianna, RIT dyes are good practice/beginner dyes to make sure you even like to do it before taking the plunge and getting the fiber-specific dyes. They've even got a pretty nice mixing chart on their site to get all sorts of colors. They're very good at being a jack-of-all-trades (except polyester) dye, and friendly to tub dyeing.


As far as cosplay, I'm a second generation geek but my parents came at it oddly, so never really got into dressing up or learning the sci-fi languages. Dad was literary geek and mom was a late bloomer. As for me, I kept saying, "Cosplay is a level of nerd I don't think I'll get to..." and now look at me. Preparing competition pieces for my next con.

Well, planning competition pieces. I tend to do simple but well tailored, and this con judges a lot on flashy and rule of cool, so it's difficult to try to pick something that has a good chance of winning.
 

Orianna2000

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I've done lace dyeing, which is a lot of fun. For some reason RIT dyes intimidate me. I was planning to try Kool-Aid dyeing, although I don't know how easy it will be to mix the colors.

As far as costume competitions, I'm giving up on those. I always go into them thinking I have a good chance of placing high, because I'm a perfectionist, so I know my workmanship is superb. And yet, I never win, and I don't know why. Obviously, I'm missing some quality that they're looking for, but I have no idea what it could be.

Actually, I take that back. I won third place in a corset contest, several years ago. (I made a Victorian maternity/nursing corset.) But every other costume contest I've entered, I've done terribly. I always give it my best shot, but clearly, I don't know what they're looking for. It's really frustrating.
 

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We don't usually deal with costume contests, but we go for the WOW factor at cons. We like dressing up en masse and walking around for photos. Most Dragoncons we dress in Monty Python Holy Grail - complete with coconuts. There's usually about 15 of us. Several knights, a patsy or two, Zoot, Tim the Enchanter, a monk hitting his head with a bible, sometimes a blood-drenched bunny, a witch. I usually put on a corset and bridal veil and write 'Huge Tracts of Land' across my DD cleavage :)
 

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Most contests, sadly, look at "rule of cool" more than construction, even if they insist they look at construction most. I enjoy competing because it places me in a quiet place with some very skilled costumers that have taught me so very much about fabriccraft, but I know that my usual sort of costume won't win even if it's perfect. This time, I'm going for a costume that is fabric and leather heavy (I do leather tooling as well) that also fulfills "rule of cool," and I think that will allow me to stand an actual chance for the first time.
 

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I'm not a contest person. I don't really like the idea that cosplay can be competitive, and while I've watched some cosplay parades and showcases, I feel like the whole "judging" aspect is pretty suspect.

I've run the gamut from "good heavens, I hope this stays together" to pretty sound/professional looking. I'm just not so comfortable with the idea that someone else gets an official say on which ones get a stamp of approval.

Also, I wish we posted pics in this thread. I'm so curious what some of your cosplays look like!
 

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I actually spent the days since Sunday marathoning a pretty great (if I say so myself) jumpsuit for Chell from Portal, one made to work for both Portal 1 and Portal 2. I was super excited to wear it around PAX East, I go to PAX every year and I've wanted to cosplay Chell pretty much since the game came out, but I only got a portal gun last month.

My flight to Boston was cancelled due to weather. Then my replacement flight was cancelled. Then my last replacement flight was cancelled.

To make it all worse, a favorite author is there, practically unannounced!

I've been wearing my Chell all around the house anyway because I worked so hard on her.
 

CoffeeBeans

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I've been wearing my Chell all around the house anyway because I worked so hard on her.

I am so sorry to hear about all of this! I hope you dashed around your house looking awesome, and eating cake.
 

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What's a second generation geek? XD

So, one of my favorite things to do is dress up! It means I don't get to be myself for a day, or a couple!

On Halloween last year, my friends and I attempted to dress up as characters from the game we're developing. People kept asking us who we were supposed to be, so we ended up advertising the game to several people, directing them to our terrible Facebook page. That was amusing!

I want to do it again this year, for October (a con, AND Halloween), but I decided that I want to lose as much weight as possible before doing so. Although my boyfriend and I have been doing pretty darn well for hand-making costumes for cheap means, I don't look that good in them. XD

I'm the chick at cons that probably ruins your favorite character. :p

If I don't get at a certain point in weight be July-August, then I'll be cosplaying the next year...
 

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What's a second generation geek? XD

People who are geeks, whose parents were geeks before them. I am not second gen. My mom was into comic books, some video games, and the occasional sci-fi show, but not in any larger framework.

On Halloween last year, my friends and I attempted to dress up as characters from the game we're developing. People kept asking us who we were supposed to be, so we ended up advertising the game to several people, directing them to our terrible Facebook page. That was amusing!

A friend of mine makes this joke every con season, we should all wear outlandish [something] and swear we're from a thing other people have just never heard of.

I'm the chick at cons that probably ruins your favorite character. :p

I have never looked at anyone in any cosplay and felt like they were ruining a character. (even the "sexy" takes on non-sexy characters). I generally just assume everyone is expressing their enthusiasm in their own way.

In other news, I still have not convinced my giant brother to dress up as The Iron Bull for Comicon. Why does he lift all those weights if he doesn't want to walk around shirtless with funny stripey pants?
 

Maggie Maxwell

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I have never looked at anyone in any cosplay and felt like they were ruining a character. (even the "sexy" takes on non-sexy characters). I generally just assume everyone is expressing their enthusiasm in their own way.

This. It's not about the size, the shape, or even the sex of the character. It's about someone (the cosplayer) being passionate about something and expression that passion through costume. There are plus-sized Wonder Women and male Sailor Moons at every con, and they're just as welcome and appreciated as the picture perfect Poison Ivy or the hirsute Hercules. If my muscleless She-Hulk is going to ruin her for anyone, it's their problem. I'm gonna be too busy having fun posing with my Dr. Banner. :heart:
 

Orianna2000

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When everyone is dressed crazy, you can't judge anyone for their weight or even their gender. Everyone is there to have fun.

I swear, the funniest costume I ever saw was at DragonCon last summer. It was a dude dressed as Strawberry Shortcake. I just about died, it was so hilarious! All I could think is, man, that takes guts. But he looked like he was having a blast.