Costumes: Emerald City Comicon Favorites

 There's still lots more to write about from Emerald City Comicon, but I've been sitting on this stack of cosplay long enough.  I admit there may have been some research involved, as well as texting of friends to figure out just who everyone was. Anyway, here's a look at our favorites from Seattle, including my personal Top 5.

Black and white

 

Beetlejuice.  Better than Robin Thicke any day.  And way less creepy.

Black Cat.  Under-represented in Spidey movies.
Someone should remedy this.

I never want to like Zatanna, but she's just
so damned likable!

Bright, Bold and Awesome

Just when I am totally sick of Poison Ivy ...
someone changes it up.

Oh Speed, I have made you look quite derpy. 
But that scarf is effing sweet!

Tank Girl being Tank Girl

This is more or less exactly how I pictured Oracle-era
Barbara Gordon

Livewire braves a fear a water to visit Seattle

'Evil-Lyn? I just thought your name was Evelyn."
Oh Robot Chicken quotes.
Also, this woman is awesome.

Where does he keep his Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator?
 Scared to ask, huh?

Cosplaying Aquaman requires bravery
(That's a lot of orange)
Carrying a trident around all day requires commitment!

Mutants

A quite detailed Pixie. 

A fantastic Jubilee, complete with ... whatever her power is.
ECCC was definitely the convention for me to love cosplay of characters
that I previously despised. 

A bespectacled Magik and a Thousand-yard-stare Psylocke

Can you ever have too much Psylocke?

The ultimate crossover. 
Batman is gonna be piiiiissed!

X-23, ready to eviscerate purse snatchers.

A ferocious Wolfsbane and a very serious M.

Pairs, Groups and Face-offs

What?!  No Jager?! Come on guys, do it right!

Witchblade, Phoenix and ... umm... I am not sure.
#fakegeekguy!

 As with Psylocke, Spidey and the 47 different kinds of Wolverine and Catwoman, it's always interesting to see which version of a character one choses to cosplay.

Before: Ms. Marvel

After: Captain Marvel

 Raven and Robin.  Please notice the device I will
be bringing to next year's Con, a big flag
to wave in the air, so we all stop losing each
other on the floor.

Also Raven. 
Up to no good, based on her expression.

 ... meet actual Loki ...

Actual Thor ...

Storm Shadow and a very committed Destro.  Not just to getting the face right,
but to giving us maximum pimp chest.

 

Miyazaki

There were several great Miyazaki-based characters.  I only managed to capture two.

A quite friendly looking Princess Mononoke

An adventurous Nausicaa.

My Top 5 Favorite Costumes of ECCC14

#5 This Pam Poovey was not an elaborate
costume.  But it is damn perfect.
Dicknuts!

#4 More hardcore than balancing a book for posture,
the Eye of Sauron!

#3 Steampunk Mario Brothers
Not only is every detail - from mustaches to hats, to weapons - a cleverly
re-imagined reference, I really wish this was an actual video game.

#2 That guy sitting in the corner doesn't seem ready for the sheer baddassery
happening right in front of him.  Clearly, Hawkman did not take a Mini to get to the Con.

All the cute!  Ever!  This little Diva from The Fifth Element is so perfect, she
made me forget all the overexposed Leeloos running around (and sadly no Ruby Rods!)
Book your Fhloston Paradise concert now!

Wonder Woman of the Week and other flashbacks

My third trip to Emerald City Comicon was the best one yet.  In addition to bringing a few more friends along, I always look forward to seeing artists and cosplayers I have become familiar with and who have become favorites.  These three creative minds have already been featured here, but are too  great not to revisit. 
Liana Hee
This week's WWoW comes from one of my absolute favorite artists, Liana Hee.  I believe I have described her in the past as supremely talented, and I stand by that statement.
She is currently a designer for Nickelodeon Animation Studio! She was also recently featured at the Disney WonderGround Gallery as the Artist in Residence doing live paintings for what I must assume was an adoring audience.  Because I have commissioned her twice in the past, I was looking forward to a second in my Wonder Woman series.  Thankfully, she was on board; and I now have a Can-Can Wonder Woman to accompany my Flapper Wonder Woman from 2013. 
(Also, it was fitting, since our group caught a show at the Can-Can Cabaret at Pike's Place Market in Seattle.  I highly recommend that any trip to Seattle should include a show there.)
As always, the amount of detail in Liana's work is amazing and her work has so much life and energy. 

No one make any sudden noises ...

 

Catch our original post here.  And check out her blog and (for you superfans) her 365 day photo project.

Livio Ramondelli
If you're a fan of Transformers, you'll love Livio Ramondelli.  If you're a fan of Star Wars, you'll love Livio Ramondelli.  If you're a fan of laser guns, explosions and probably robots, you'll love IDW artist Livio Ramondelli.

Almost makes you wanna root for the villain!

If his work looks familiar, it may be because he has drawn for such comic titles as Transformers, G.I. Joe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Battlestar Galactica and Star Wars.  He has provided art and Design for Google, Hasbro and Upper Deck as well.   I made sure to find time to hit his table alongside, my buddy Scott - the perpetual kid who never grew up.  His transformers collection fills a pretty massive assortment of shelves and closets in his house.  I saved the trip to Livio's table as a day three reveal at ECCC.  He did not disappoint.  What I have come to love most about his art is that he captures an entire story in one moment.   I assure you, that's no exaggeration. 

Check our first spotlight here.  And have a look at Livio's homepage and deviantart page. 

Ani-Mia
 Ani-Mia was one of the first well-known cosplayers we featured on the blog. (here) She makes made it quite easy, actually.  She is genuinely funny and approachable and there's a cheeky, very unapologetic sexiness to her cosplay.

I hate lanyards!

Really hate lanyards.

She has been featured in every cosplay and geek culture website and magazine we can think of.  She is always full of love and fan service on her Facebook page, and even with all the travel, she still finds time to fit charity work in with her cosplay with groups such as Comic Book Characters for Causes.  She is also a lovely model of non-geeky things too.

She'll be at Awesomecon next, (mark your calendars!) right in my own backyard. Woohoo! No jet lag necessary.  Check her tumblr for more of her thoughts and deviantart for more images.
Aaaand gratuitous Princess Leia in ...

5...

4...

3...

2...

1...

Back to the blog.

Costumes: Switching it up

S'now way this princess doesn't hit the gym.  haha!  (sorry)

One of the great things about cosplay I have witnessed in the past few years is that the small-but-unfortunately-loud group of people in the geek community judging and hating on other people's cosplay choices is being pushed aside and left behind.  The notion that one should only cosplay as characters that match one's gender, race or body type is finding fewer and fewer outlets and being taken less and less seriously.  In the meantime, I have personally seen a growth of creativity on the floors of pop-culture conventions like Comicon.  This seems especially true in the case of a character's gender.  At  ECCC there were male Captain Marvels, female Captain Tightpants, Lokis of indeterminate gender.  (so many Lokis...)

Some do so to be subversive and make a statement, others do so to be silly or to make others smile, some simply identify with a certain character and will be damned if they can't cosplay who they want.  But for just about everyone, it seems clear that the intent is also to have fun.  That's what I got out of it anyway.  Here's a small collection of the characters who made me smile. 



You do you, Leeloo



Maybe it's the facial hair, but this Jubilee seems
less annoying than usual.

Thor wishes he had that hair!

Their costumes were shiny enough
to be visible from space.

These two wonder boys were a riot.



Franky, this Han Solo was the most accurate costume at the convention.
Leia ... well ... what else can you say.  It's just staring right back at ya.
All that majesty.

Yeah, well ... how good is her Cajun accent?!

I see the appeal of the Mal/Jayne power couple
There were several couples there.
She gets to be in charge.  He gets the cool hat!

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