Cosplayers Dallas ComicCon 2015

Yes yes  yes yes… I have a weakness for cosplayers.

Riddle

This last Dallas ComicCon had some of high caliber names.  All were nice and friendly.

Kristen

Of the three, Riddle is my favorite.  We talked San Diego ComicCon (yeah, what else do I talk about, huh?).  While I also saw her in San Diego a month ago, I didn’t get to say hi. She always had a crowd around her and she kept pretty busy.  That is the nice thing about having the cosplayers come locally, not as large of a crowd and you get a chance to talk.

Nicole

Kristen Hughey had some new photos and one was as Yeoman Rand from Star Trek.  Being a big Trekkie, it was very tempting to pick that up to. Since my wife and fellow hounds think I’m silly already getting cosplayer signatures, I just limited myself to the 1 I had planned on getting.

Lastly was Nicole Marie Jean.  While I have seen her a few times at other shows but this was the first time I got a photo signed.

AH

Tanya Tate #SDCC 2014

I know you won’t believe this. I’m already cringing from the expectant whack to the back of my head when the wife reads this. But really, I know Tanya Tate as a Cosplayer. As I plan for SDCC every year you see photos and Tweets from people as you follow hashtags.  Tanya Tate does a lot of cosplaying. She popped up often as I was researching events and signings and appearances.

Somewhere along the line, I discovered she did Adults films.  And no, I won’t answer how long that took.  That is not why she goes to SDCC. Like me and a bazillion other people, she goes for the ‘event’ that is ComicCon.

When I found out she was going to sign at a booth, I’ll admit I was excited. As you have read, I have been getting various cosplayers to sign. Tanya in my mind is a celebrity cosplayer. I wanted to add her to my collection.

She is friendly. She is beautiful. Even after being in costume all day, she seemed ready to meet people. And yes, the people that were in line knew her more for Adult films than her cosplay.  I was the anomaly.

Since I wasn’t the first in line, I got to see several people leer and drool on her. It’s never a pretty sight to see in the first place and worse when it’s ComicCon geeks doing the leering and drooling.

I was only going to get one photo but she was inexpensive and had a 3 photo package that I couldn’t turn down.  The photos I got signed are modest. She had a nice collection to choose from. Most of her photos were NOT modest.  I bring this up because of how she worked.

She was mindful that SDCC is considered a child friendly environment. SDCC claims to be child friendly but as you walk the expo floor you see art work that stretches most people’s concept of child friendly. And Cosplayers have their own war on modesty each convention.

Tanya kept all of her photos in a closed folder and away from young one’s eyes. When some photos were picked, she put them out of view of the public.  As she posed for photos, nothing was lewd. She was not there ot have a war with anyone’s sense of decency. She was there to enjoy San Diego, ComicCon, and sign some autographs.

While I really don’t know what she does in her movies, Tanya Tate as a SDCC fan and cosplayer was extremely nice and classy.

AH

Tera Patrick #SDCC 2014

Mom… Dad -put your fingers in your ears and start muttering nahnahnahnahnah for the next 15 minutes.

I walked down a random aisle of the SDCC expo floor on my way to somewhere. It’s far enough away from the corporate area that you can take real steps, not baby step or what I’m been calling the ‘ComicCon shuffle’, but real, let’s stretch the legs, steps. It’s nice. The din of the convention was low enough that you could actually hear other people’s conversations.  While the hum of the show isn’t gone it’s still relaxing. Through the relative quiet I hear the name: Tera Patrick.

I can honestly say I have never seen Tera Patrick in a movie.  While I know who she is, that is a testament of her fame and not my movie viewing habits. That is not a judgment on her, it’s just a statement.  As I was walking through this respite, the name rang a bell but since it was out of context, I wasn’t sure why I knew the name.

 I looked in the direction of the words and I saw a booth called Girls and Corpses. Huh, not my thing. I’m not sure whose thing this might be. And I doubt it’s a SDCC thing.

 I did notice a very pretty lady sitting at the booth and a few people crowded around her.  I will admit that a pretty lady will waylay me at times. Then the name struck home:  Porn star.

Mom and Dad – fingers still firmly planted in ears and still actively muttering nahnahnahnahnah?  Good.

With the recognition, I paused.  I figured what the hell.  My feet didn’t hurt too much and wherever I was going can wait a few minutes.

I got in the line. The booth was selling the issue of their magazine that Tera was in. She would sign it for $10.  BUT WAIT – There’s MORE!  For $10 more she also had some photos she would also sign.  I bought the magazine and a photo. I got one of her in a Punisher outfit but fully clothed.  I like cosplayers.  Yes, that is a rationalization.  She did have some more adult photos but I passed.

She was a sweetie. She thought I was ‘cute’ that I wanted the photo with her fully clothed. She offered to take a photo with me.  I begged off as I had been sweating like a pig all morning.  While I didn’t stink, my shirt was soaked.  She didn’t need that.  And we established, no one really wants to look at photos with me in them.

The magazine I passed off to a friend. While I’m sure he’s not into the magazine, he differently knows who Tear Patrick is.

MOM and Dad – the fingers can be removed and the muttering can stop. For now…

AH

YaYa Han #SDCC 2014 Preview Night

As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been on a Cosplayer kick lately.  Wednesday night at SDCC, was my chance to track down YaYa Han.  She was doing a signing at the Lionsforge booth on the expo floor.

The line was short but YaYa was talking with everyone and everyone wanted to speak with her. The booth had items for her to sign but I had brought my own photo.

On Preview night, she wasn’t really cosplaying. She was in fan-ish gear but not in one of her outfits.  She was in flats and not heels. Her makeup was enough to look presentable for photos but not embellished for cosplay. As she explained, for the rest of the con she would be in character but Preview Night was a chance for her to get out on the floor and see stuff.  I don’t blame her.  Wednesday is the best day to explore.  She is very popular with the fans and the outfits she wears does cause traffic jams as people rubber neck and take photos. Being a fan herself, she needs to take opportunities where she finds them.

The guy in front of me was older than me but gushing like a high school kid asking a girl out to prom. It was entertaining at first but after 5 minutes it was sort of creepy. She allowed him time to say his fill and then he walked off.

As I stepped up she noticed the photo. She looked at my name badge and signed it before I could ask her to omit my name. There were a few things I wanted to say: the TV show makes me appreciate the effort that is needed. It also makes think most cosplayers are their own worst enemies.  Since the last guy kind of drooled over her, I figured I’d play ‘nice nerd’ and say thank you and leave without talking her head off.

AH

Ani-Mia ComicPalooza 2014

 Ani-Mia, that’s one word not two – with a hyphen, is another cosplayer I’ve bumped into a few times. When you look at photos of her, you will see why she is memorable.

A little back story. I have seen her a few times at various conventions. Last year at SDCC, I passed her table and I noticed she had an autograph on one of her breasts.  Not that I’m trying to look there, being a gentleman and all that, but ‘they’ are hard to miss and a signature in black sharpie does stand out.

I paused for a second…literally stopped in my tracks...she smiled…I raised an eyebrow, showed a sheepish grin and moved on.

Later I found out that breast was proudly signed by John Barrowman. He posted on his twitter feed and I think Ani-Mia also posted.  You can surf and find it if you interested in what a Barrowman signature looks like.

When I saw Ani-Mia at Space City Con in Houston we chatted about that.  It’s a fun story and I’m sure she he tells it all of the time.  At the time, neither of us had an 8x10 so I didn’t get a photo signed.

When I saw at her ComicPalooza, I was prepared with a photo. I mentioned seeing her at the other show and asked if she had a chance to visit with Barrowman who was at this show.  She said yes and admitted she ‘fangirled’ out.  She told me she saw him at baggage claim at the airport. She rushed over to John Barrowman and excitedly told him who she was. She also quickly saw that he didn’t know what she was talking about.  She made an embarrassed quick exit.

Later, after the fog of jet lag faded, they 2 did meet and the story made more sense. All sense of embarrassment was gone.

When you walk around the expo floor, stop and say ‘hi’ and ask her about JB.

AH

Mariedoll ComicPalooza 2014

Mariedoll – that’s one word not two...is a cosplayer I’ve bumped into a few times.  She’s from Texas and goes to many of the Texas conventions. She is good about supporting the local shows and that is why I see her often.

While there is a plethora of cosplayers and more springing up all the time, Mariedoll stood out from the crowd because of her humor, some sense of decorum, and her love of tacos. I also think she does the best Velma around.

Since we both were going to ComicPalooza I printed off a Velma I found on Google. When I walked up to her table, she just finished posing with a young couple.  We chatted for a few moments and I handed over the photo.  Her face lit up with a big smile. I would say her eyes lit up but her eyes were covered with white contacts that showed nothing.  I found that very distracting.

She asked where I got the photo. Then she showed it to a friend who mentioned a convention and she asked if I went.  I told her I stole it from the internet.  I mentioned it was one of my favorite characters she does.

Then she turned serious (hard to do in costume and white eyes) and asked why I liked that outfit.  I truthfully said she did it well.  She said everyone tells her that.  She explained the costume isn’t challenging and not a representation of her skills. While she really likes wearing it, it’s a walk around the floor and goof off outfit.

I can understand her dilemma. You want to make the fans happy but you also want to grow as a cosplayer and show off the skills you work hard to learn.  And I have no solution for that.

I do recommend checking if she is at a show and chatting with her. 

AH

LeeAnna Vamp Dallas Comic & Pop Expo 2014

Lately, I’ve been into Cosplayers.  Well, let’s qualify that. I’ve been intrigued by female cosplayers. I follow a few on Facebook and Twitter. I’ve gotten one autograph and look forward to getting more.

I didn’t know LeeAnna Vamp. I didn’t follow her. When I saw that she was listed for the show, I looked her up and saw a lot of nice photos of her. She’s been to a lot of shows and I bet I’ve seen her but hadn’t noticed her.

I printed a photo in advance as it seems the cosplayers like to sell 11 x 17’s.  That’s way too big in my opinion.  8x10’s take up enough room in the house.

I walked over and asked if she sign my photo.  She did. And because I brought my own photo she didn’t charge me.  I didn’t expect that. I know the cosplayers use the money from autographs to attend other shows or pay for more photo shoots.  Even after I offered to pay, she refused. That was very nice of her.

And of course we talked ComicCon: SDCC.  Something I always enjoy doing.  Now that she is on the radar, I’m sure I’ll see her there.

AH

Sara Underwood #WizardWorld Austin 2013

First – as I sit in front of the key board I mystically wave my hands in front of the monitor and say: Mom…Dad… this is NOT the blog you’re looking for…

1200 miles away, Mom and Dad are reading this with a confused look on their faces.

I sense the disturbance in the internet...I then say: You can go about your business.  Move along…move along.

I pause and reach out, feeling the energy field that surrounds us and binds us…no luck. I know they are reading this. Ugh. 

Second – Your Honor, I plead guilty but with extenuating circumstances. I was led astray by associates of lesser character.  I deliver my 400 previous posts as evidence that I’m a ‘nice guy’ that you really can take home to mom. I’m not that guy that leers and drools over Playmates. The behavior recently displayed, while mild among the general public, was an aberration and I also find it embarrassing. 

Your Honor, I would like to further state, that the photo which is the center of this event is rated PG.  Not even PG 13. While Miss Underwood is clearly naked, she is also clearly covered.

So…After vising Ivy Doomkitty, Dee and Dee walked with me as we checked to see if Sara Jean Underwood was back at her table.

It was perfect timing. We saw Sara leading the way behind a rather large handler/bodyguard.  She walked past us. Trying not to stare, I noticed her abs.  Her shirt exposed about 3 inches of stomach.  She proudly showed the abs that most women find impossible to get. Somehow Sara balanced a low carb diet in a way that allowed the muscle to display but keep the softness and beauty in her face.

Ivy Doomkitty #WizardWorld 2013

Cosplay (Costume play) has been around forever.  After all, what is a masquerade party?  Halloween is another example.  It’s been with us for centuries.

I liked the little paw print she added over her 'i'.

Modern cosplay, dressing up in public when you aren’t expected to, probably started with Forry Ackerman at the first WorldCon in 1939. He dressed up in a futuristic outfit and people have been imitating him ever since.

And if you don’t know who Forry is, you’re not a nerd.  Look him up. Nerd-dom owes him a lot.

Cosplay has grown up around me and mutated in something semiprofessional and I hadn't noticed until recently.  It’s no longer the unfortunately shaped person spilling out of their spandex in inappropriate places.   There are ‘legends’ of cosplay and cosplayers are traveling from convention to convention to see fans and sell photos and calendars.

4th Dr cosplay #SDCC 2013

No autographs were harmed in the making of this vignette. Actually, no autographs were had in the making of this vignette.

I’m standing in the short line for Grant Imahara minding my own business.  As the norm, I’m people watching. I noticed a cosplayer.  Cosplay is big and mostly because of the buxom young women about to expose themselves on the SDCC expo floor.  But not all cosplay is from young females.

The real Tom Baker
never got a photo of the cosplayer

This cosplayer was mid thirty’s, tall, and slightly heavier than the character he portrayed.  The long scarf, frock coat, and floppy hat were instantly recognizable as Tom Baker’s Doctor. The cosplayer even had the curly locks and some of the mannerisms of this Doctor.

This cosplayer was representing My Doctor.   The Doctor I have watched for years and years.  The Doctor that had me carrying a yo-yo when I was 17 years old. The Doctor that had me whistling The Bridge of River Kwai tune.  The Doctor that taught me to ask: what’s the point of being an adult if you can’t act childish (much to the bane of my wife)?

One of the things about the Baker Doctor that amused me was the depthless pockets in his coat. He had anything and everything in there.  A favorite scene is Baker emptying his pockets in a weapons check. He pulled many items out including a partially eaten apple as he made a small pile on the table.

As this cosplayer passed, I was intrigued; as intrigued as I was with the real 4^th Doctor.  He chatted with people as he walked.  He tipped his hat.  He had that infectious Baker smile and made a somewhat googly-eyed face.  I said that he had a great outfit.  He nodded his thanks and continued on his way.  He was 2 or 3 steps away when I blurted out that all he needed was some jelly babies.

That stopped him.  He turned back and quietly told me I said the magic word.  He pulled out an iconic small brown paper bag from one of his depthless pockets. The top of the bag rolled down to allow easy access.  He offered it to me; much like The Doctor did in several episodes.

I glanced in. I saw some small bits of black licorice.  Normally, I would have refused.  A stranger with candy?  At ComicCon?  Who knows what germs were lurking in this innocent looking bag.  What better incubator than sugary candy?

But this was My Doctor. I trusted this Doctor with my life. I carefully reached in and extracted a piece without touching any of the others.

I asked if it was poisoned, another reference to Baker.  He smiled again. I played along well.

Continuing to take my cue from the Baker character, I fearlessly popped the candy into my mouth and bit down. He walked off.  I realized this wasn’t licorice or a gummy bear but a jelly baby.

In my surprise, I squeaked out: that was a REAL jelly baby!

He turned and with a flourish he removed his hat and bowed.  I heard him say:  But of course, what else would you expect?  Then he disappeared into the crowd.

AH