cosplay in america

2/9 Taking a Break after AX 2012

2012-02-09T09:26:00.000-08:00

Hey folks,

Just an announcement that I'm taking a break from cons after Anime Expo 2012 so no Otakon, no DragonCon, no Anime Weekend Atlanta, no San Diego Comic Con, no New York Comic Con, no Youmacon, nothing. After running around to 30 cons in the last 2 years, I'm ready to take a break :) I won't be visiting any cons until 2013.

So last chance to get a copy of the book from me will be :

Katsucon (Washington DC) - I'll be in Dealer Hall with Epic Cosplay wigs

Comcom (Mexico) - I'll be a booth in the dealer hall

Anime Boston (Boston, MA) - I'll be in artist alley

Animazement (Raleigh, NC) - I'll be in Dealer Hall w/Mage Creations

Anime Expo (Los Angeles, CA) - I'll be in artist alley

1/21 The 2012 Tour Schedule

2012-01-21T17:36:00.000-08:00

Hey folks,

So this year is gonna be a bit different. Every time you saw me in 2010 and 2011 I was either at artist alley or with Epic Cosplay wigs in the dealer hall with copies of my book. This year, just because you see I'm at a specific con doesn't mean I am selling books myself personally.

Over the next few months comic book stores and other shops will start carrying my book. There's already a few dealers carrying my book - probably the biggest one will be Comic Cellar since they hit most if not all the major anime and comic book conventions in the country. ~~At the end of Jan 2012, I'll be shutting down my online store and I'm doing $5 off the book and free shipping within the US until the end of the month saving you about $10.~~

* No longer selling book online from my own site.

The following is a list of cons I'll be at for the next few months as well as what I'll be doing at each. Some I'll have the book with me, others not.

OHAYOCON (Columbus, OH)

I have no artist alley table nor dealer space so don't look for me there. Instead I'm gonna set-up my backdrop somewhere at the con and just take photos. I'm not charging anymore and I'll photograph anyone. The only thing you should know is I won't be sending you photos. Reason ? I'm hoping to do another book down the line in a few years so I'm holding on to the photos.

I'll have a display copy of my book if you wanna look through it and if you DO want the book, just buy it from my site and when you get to the spot where you can add comment, just say "Ohayocon" and I'll bring a copy with me so I can sign it in person and hand it over to you. How's that for customer service ? lol !

KATSUCON (Washington DC)

Okay, this is gonna be a bit crazy. I'm bringing a whole different set-up specifically for the World Cosplay Summit US preliminaries . Find me at the Epic Cosplay Wigs booth.

Katsucon is really gonna be a see-what-happens con for me. I'm not sure how it'll work out but you can follow me on twitter or Facebook for up-to-date info.

WONDERCON (Anaheim, CA)

Yes, WonderCon will be held in Southern California this year and I plan to be there. I have no artist alley table, no dealer space. Instead, I'll be somewhere set-up just taking photos. Again, not charging anyone (I usually charge if I'm in the dealer hall since well, y'know I have to pay to be in that room). Will photograph anyone. Comic Cellar and a few other vendor will have copies of my book here. I'll have a display copy on me if you see me and just wanna look through the book.

COMCOM (Mexico)

I've been invited as a guest at this Mexican con so I'll have a table as well as my set-up and will be giving a little talk about my adventure with the book. Pretty excited about this one since I get to go out of the country to photograph and talk to cosplayers. This con is a few miles from the border so those in SoCal can easily check it out if they wanna.

ANIME BOSTON (Boston, MA)

I've been confirmed to have an artist alley table here and the AA hours are crazy ! 10 am to 10:30 pm Fri & Sat with 10 am to 3 pm on Sun. That's 12 hours a day ! I will not have my set-up with me at all and plan to be at my table pretty much all the time. If I do take a break, I'll have a sign up that will tell you what time I'll be back.

ANIMAZEMENT (Raleigh, NC)

I'll be in the dealer hall with Mage Creations. The gals were nice enough to allow me to have a bit of space at their booth so find me there for all three days.

ANIME EXPO (Los Angeles, CA)

I'll be in artist alley for all four days for Anime Expo. Anime Expo will be my last con for the year. I'm taking a break, semi-retirement if you wanna call it that so I won't be at Otakon, SDCC, NYCC, DragonCon, AWA, Youmacon and any other cons outside of CA. Been hitting the con circuit for 2 years now and just need a break.

12/4 "Cosplay in America" hits Bookstores in 2012

2011-11-29T11:27:00.001-08:00

My book at Kinokuniya Bookstore in San Francisco

Okay, y'all, some great news ! Starting in Feb 2012, my book will be available nationwide in bookstores and comic book stores ! World domination ! ... okay, make it national domination. *sigh*

But wait ? Isn't your book already available at stores ?

Yup, it is but it isn't as far reaching as it will be in 2012. Right now only a handful of stores around the country carries it. Starting in Feb, my book will be able to be ordered from *any* bookstore and comic book store in the country.

And here's where I need your help.

Look, I'm not a well-known author. It's not like I'm J. K. Rowling and bookstores orders hundreds of copies. I haven't been on Oprah or have a name Kardashian so honestly, I don't expect the person who orders books for bookstores may know what cosplay is plus I'm sure they are swamped with new titles every week. Chances are, they probably won't order copies of the book unless say...... a customer wants it ? ^^

If you like your local bookstore / comic book store to carry it, please ask them to carry it. If you need the ISBN number, it is 978-0615349060. What would even be *better* is that if you want to buy a copy of my book, please order through them. Support your local bookstore / comic book store !

So starting in December, my book will be available for bookstores/comic book stores to order. How it works is this : bookstores order the books, my distributor tells me in Jan how many books they need. I ship it out to them, they ship it out to the bookstores and Feb. rolls around and volia !

That's all I ask :) Please help me spread the word :)

In the meantime, I'll be shutting down my online store at the end of December. I figured if it goes nationwide in Feb, and it is already available on J-List and Amazon, then do I need to maintain my own store ?

So for the month of December, I am offering the book at $5 off as well as free shipping (it'll save you all together about $10 bucks) plus I will sign the book as well as include free stickers and postcards. This offer unfortunately is only available here in the US (sorry Canada, Mexico, and the rest of the world). Remember, it takes 7-10 days to get to your location so if you want to get it for someone for X-mas, order early ! After this, only way to get signed copies is to find me at a con.

That said, it has been an *incredible* experience for me for the past three years. When I started taking cosplay photos at AX 2008, I had no idea that 4 years later I would have a book available in stores across America. I spent the past 20 months at 29 cons talking to cosplayers from coast to coast. I can honestly say the thing I take away from my whole adventure was the opportunity to just talk to people all over the country and realized how cosplay has really inspired their lives. And really, that in turn, inspires me. I've always rooted for creativity and despite the negative aspects of cosplay (i.e costs, dramas), I believe it is a very positive aspect in one's lives.

I'm not sure what 2012 will bring but I can tell you one thing - I won't be hitting that many cons next year. It'll be much, much less and I hope to get into cons I've never had a chance to attend - such as Anime Boston, Animazement, Youmacon. Please follow my Facebook and Twitter and I'll keep you up to date on what's gonna happen.

You can also relive my 2012 by visiting my YouTube channel - most of the cons I attended, I made a video for and you can also check out on Flickr where I posted from cons I've attended in the past few years.

Hope y'all have a wonderful Christmas holiday !

cheers :)

ejen

10/4 Save the date ! "Cosplay in America" Exhibition (10/28)

2011-10-04T16:15:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendar folks !

Halloween weekend here in Los Angeles and I'll be having a two part exhibition event coming up Friday October 28, 2011. The night kicks off at ICON Projects for the opening reception of "Cosplay in America" exhibition. Come by and check out a gallery of images from both the book as well as my 2011 tour throughout the United States. Reception is 7-9 pm and open for all ages.

As you know I traveled America in 2009 to 6 cons photographing over 1,600 cosplayers. Since I released the book in May 2010, I've been on tour promoting the book to 25 cons from San Diego Comic Con to Anime Expo to DragonCon. In many of my stops, I bought along my photo booth. What you see in this exhibition will be between 2009 and 2011 with DragonCon as the most recent.

First 300 people will get a wristband allowing them complimentary entrance to the second part of exhibition taking place at Boulevard 3 night club on Hollywood Blvd. Here will be the multimedia exhibition of my images as well as afterparty. Images from the book and my 2011 tour will be projected on two screens at the main dance floor as well as on closed-circuit television running throughout the complex. Outside my images will be projected in the outdoor area. At midnight there'll be a special performance on stage (shhhh !)

Since this is Halloween, come in costume and get 50% off entrance fee (regular price $20) or come to my opening reception @ The ICON for a wristband that allows free admission to the club. RSVP at cosplay@boulevard3.com.

Man, it's gonna be an epic night !

Press release here
Facebook event page

7 - 9 pm
The Icon
5450 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036
All Ages

10 pm - 2 am
Boulevard 3
6523 Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028

21+

9/12 AFEST "I'll Make a Man Out of You"

2011-09-12T22:18:00.001-07:00

Awesome video done by T-Dragon at AnimeFest 2011 @ Dallas, TX.

9/7 I Survived DragonCon 2011 !

2011-09-07T12:44:00.000-07:00

To put it in a few words : Mardi Gras for Geeks

Back in 2009 when I travel the six cons to photograph cosplayers, someone would always ask the same question : Did you go to DragonCon ? Well, 2 years later I found myself smack in geek central ( or is it party central ?) in downtown Atlanta.

Five hotels, 40,000+ folks and basically a 24 hour party that thumps on for 4 days straight. Yes, I'm surprised I even made it on the plane alright !

First things, first, let's talk about cosplay and costuming. There's an enormous amount of people here dressed up but not everything is cosplay. You'll see Victorian fashion, steampunk, and just weird things made of cardboard and pipes. Yes there's anime cosplay but I saw far less than I imagined. Only once did I see a Yoko when I usually see five or more. And as for the ever popular Panty & Stocking ? Only saw one. Didn't even see Hetalia but I bet there were a few there.

Other things I noticed : the con didn't seem to really start kicking until 5 or so at night. At a normal con (i.e anime or comic book), the busiest times would be the early afternoon but here looks like folks slept in and didn't get out till night falls. I admit, I only went into the dealer room briefly but I get a feeling that unlike say, San Diego Comic Con were folks go to check out the latest in the vendor hall, the attendees here are more here to hang out and party.

Photo : iM Photography

For photographers, there's a wide choice of locations available at the multiple hotels. Check out this forum post along with sample photos to give you the wealth of backgrounds available. I plan on returning and based on what I gather from the cosplay meetup list, I'll more than likely split my time between Marriott 10th floor and Hilton Back Stairs. The best spot would be on the lower level of the Marriott but believe me, those floors are completely packed. There's no way I could pull of what I wanted to do.

So my advice for first-timers.

+ Get your hotel early - best to get any of the host hotels if possible.

+ Drink lots of water - Atlanta is hot and drinking alcohol will tired you out faster

+ Check the schedule ahead of time and plan your day. Luckily for the most part, the lines aren't as long as San Diego Comic Con.

+ Get there a day early and figure out the whole layout. It took me a day or so to figure out where everything is. The first night I got lost and wander the streets at 2 am looking for my hotel.

+ Always have a camera - there's costumes everywhere and you wanna capture that moment.

Anna Fischer, Me, Judith Stephens, Benny Lee

I hung out with local SoCal Nerd Reactor whom I've met previously when I first started the book project back in 2009 plus I definitely had a chance to hang out with a lot of cosplayers as well as cosplay photographers from around the country. I definitely will be back next year and I'm putting DragonCon down as my vacation con.

8/21 ADDITION TO THE TOUR : J-POP SUMMIT FESTIVAL 2011

2011-08-21T20:31:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all - announcing a late addition to the tour - next weekend's J-Pop Summit Festival 2011 in San Francisco !

Yup, August 27th and 28th, 30,000 people will flood Japantown in San Francisco for this street fair of everything Japanese. Besides Japanese and Bay Area bands performing throughout the day, there's also the SOU・SOU Fashion Show, BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT Fashion Contest, h.NAOTO Fashion Show, Ikura and Kozue of Danceroid will be performing, Vocaloid Dance Contest hosted by AOD , K-ON! mini-concert, screenings of Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal, GANTZ II: Perfect Answer, AKB48 "to be continued" as well as The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya. Check this link for complete program.

There's no costs for the street fair but some of the workshops and film screenings as well as the VIP party costs $$$. The festival runs Sat and Sun 11 am to 6 pm.

I'll be with Epic Cosplay wigs in Anime Lane, kinda like a Dealer's Room/Artist Alley, all under one giant tent so come find me there - I'll have copies of my book "Cosplay in America" :) See y'all there ! Bay Area, back again !

Photo Credit : New People Flickr

8/11 Back from San Japan !

2011-08-11T01:42:00.000-07:00

*whew* Made it back to Los Angeles in one piece ! San Japan ends my back to back travel to Otakon (largest anime con on the East Coast) in Baltimore and San Diego Comic Con. I managed to edit together half the video on the plane ride back to LA before my laptop battery died *grrrrr*

If y'all don't know, I travel with my trusty G10 Canon camera and just interview random folks about cons and cosplay, then dump it into iMovie and slap something together :) I can't bring everyone with me on my travels but I can at least show y'all something !

Texas was hot ! I should know better - I spent a lot of my childhood there but living in Los Angeles now, I've forgotten how hot it was. I landed pluck right in the middle of a 20 day heatwave of 100+ degree scorcher. I arrived in Austin, rented some grip equipment from GEAR Rentals, and headed down to San Antonio with my sister and her hubby.

(My "office")

Now this time, I was invited by San Japan so I was given a room that I shared with cosplay show sign-up. This allowed me a chance to set-up a 9 ft. backdrop. See, most of the time, I travel with a 4 ft. backdrop since it has to be small and fit on the plane. This is probably the only con on my tour that I could pull this off. The folks at San Japan were so accommodating. They're good peeps. I talk to many folks and asked how they felt about the con. The only real complaint is the lines, rooms filled up fast and the heat. Luckily, two of the problem will be solved next year when they moved to the convention center across the street. As for the heat....uh, well, Texas is just hot.

(Thanks Crystal !)

Met folks from Texas, from out of state and even from out of the country with a few folks from Canada, Japan and Australia. Crystal bought me a little gift (yay !) and Rhapsody Angel dropped by with Skittles (love, love, love !). A few cosplayers have mention that one of the reasons they love cosplaying was meeting people and I have to agree. For me, the best part of what I do is just meeting and chatting with people from all over. I'm still surprised people want to meet me - honestly, I feel very humbled by all this since to me, I'm just a guy that runs around and makes random videos and takes photos. Speaking of photos, I've posted up cosplay photos from my HTC phone on my Flickr acct where you can also see pictures from past cons. Older con videos also found on my YouTube too.

I even had a panel to do which was fun but frightening at the same time as I'm not used to speaking in front of a group of people. I probably stumbled my way around but luckily my sister was there to give support ! I think I did alright :) I didn't get a chance to run around the con as much since I was working so I didn't get to see the Cosplay Show nor Nabeshin either. I guess this is a drawback of working cons. :( but hey, lucky for me there's YOUTUBE !

(Chicken Fried Steak @ Lulu's. Yum !)

So thank you to everyone who stopped by to chat with me at San Japan ! Y'all know I couldn't have gotten so far with all of y'all out there. I'll be at DragonCon in about 3 weeks. I won't have a table or a booth at all so I'm just going as an attendee to check it out - every con I visited back in 2009, someone would always asked "Have you gone to DragonCon ?". I believe it is time I make that trek ! (By the way, the PBS documentary "Four Days at DragonCon" can be stream here)

I will be back in Atlanta at the next con, Anime Weekend Atlanta where I'll be with Epic Cosplay wigs in the dealer hall with books and photo booth. Check my tour list to see where I am. Hope to see y'all around !

8/2 San Japan

2011-08-02T16:50:00.000-07:00

(2010 San Japan)

I'm writing this the day before I leave for Texas for San Japan. It's a balmy California day here and in my apartment with the windows open and in midst of scattered chaos on my floor, couch, table I sit hunch over my computer picking these words.

I think I've finally become comfortable with the travel and what my life has turned into from the past year. I used to stress continuously - juggling multiple balls in the air - did I book that airfare ? Are the books already shipped to their destination ? Did I get the new promo cards in from the printer ? Do I need to head out to the post office to ship more books ? Did I update my Facebook page ? I admit, I'm not the most organized person in the world and juggling cons that might be back to back to back can be nerve-racking. Witness how last year at Otakon 2010, I forgot my video camera or at Katsucon this year I forgot to pack Pocket Wizards (triggering device for camera equipment) and had to pay $80 to Fedex overnight from LA to DC. I'm definitely handing it better now but there's always that thought "Did I turn off the stove ?" in the back of my head.

In a few short days I'll be at San Japan, a pretty young con (born in 2008) with about 5,000+ attendance currently hosted on the San Antonio Riverwalk at the Marriott. I've heard San Japan is definitely one of the cons to cosplay at from just talking to cosplayers so I'm eagar to head over and check it out.

I actually have a room - a photography room that I share with the Cosplay Sign-up table. Conference Room 7 to be exact. I'll have a larger set-up than my usual one - with the amount of space, I can now do full length photos. And of course, I'll have copies of my book "Cosplay in America" available for purchase. I'll be doing photo shoots for $10 which gets you 15-40 or so shots - depending on how many people, etc, etc. I'll be emailing those out on Monday night.

The hours of the room are :

Friday 11:00 am to 6:30 pm

Saturday 10:00 am to 6:30 pm

Sunday 10:30 am to 2:00 pm

On Sunday from 3 to 4 pm in Panel 2 I'll be talking about my experiences in how I managed to pull this book together throughout the craziness as well as show some never before seen images and my hope for the future volume so come by and check it out.

There's a host of cosplay panels such as Cosplay Wig, Crossplay, Cosplay Photography Workshop (I'm not involved with that one), Cosplay Makeup and more ! See the list of events here.

And I should mention the cosplay guests for this year are Airship Isabella , TWABI productions and We *Heart* Card Games so please check them out as well while you are here.

So I'm gonna go back to packing and catching up on work before my flight tomorrow. If you see my apartment, there's things everywhere. I never seem to have a chance to clean-up since I'm always on the go or working on the computer. So I'll try to tidy up a bit, repack my bags and I hope to see y'all all at San Japan this weekend :)

7/27 "Four Days at DragonCon" available to Stream

2011-07-27T08:47:00.000-07:00

Watch the full episode. See more Dragon Con.

Every Labor Day weekend, tens of thousands descend upon Atlanta for the largest convention of pop-culture fandom in the Southeast. From science fiction celebrities and their obsessive fans to colorfully costumed characters engaged in mock combat, FOUR DAYS AT DRAGON*CON explores the "Woodstock for nerds" known as Dragon*Con. What draws these 35,000 people together? Dragon*Con's inclusive multi-genre, multi-platform approach — combining science fiction, fantasy literature, role-playing, science, history, video games and more — gives attendees the opportunity to meet like-minded individuals. Others, especially the costume designers and creators, seem to gravitate most to the element of escapism. Featuring interviews with fans, staff, performers, artists, stars and would-be superheroes, the documentary examines the sense of community and acceptance that forms among this often ridiculed and marginalized subculture. FOUR DAYS AT DRAGON*CON captures the heart and soul of this quirky and fascinating annual event with footage of the Dragon*Con parade and a stirring climax centered around an ambitious attempt to break the world record for dancing to Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

Four Days at DragonCon recently won a SE Regional Emmy Winner for best Arts/Entertainment program and is currently airing on select PBS stations across America. Last year I interview one of the directors Jack Walsh. Link to interview here.

Gordon Ray and Jack Walsh

7/25 SDCC Down, Otakon Next !

2011-07-22T23:38:00.000-07:00

SDCC is such a massive convention that it can be hard to describe. Imagine your senses overwhelm on overload and coming at you from all directions. It can almost be like E3 on crack. After four days in the exhibit hall and talking to many folks, I've decided to condense what I learn into a simple "survival guide for SDCC". Granted I was in the hall for 4 days and did not attend panels, screenings nor masquerade, here's my humble guide.

# 1 Know what you want to see beforehand. Luckily SDCC posts the schedule ahead of time so you can get your pencils out and mark on your computer screen what panels/autograph/event you wanted to see. Remember the lines are gonna be long and you can wait up to 3 hours with no guarantee you will get in.

#2 Bring a backpack and have water bottle and snacks/food. There's water fountains so you can fill up. Prices are expensive for food so consider bringing snacks or food. I, of course suggests Clif Bars !

#3 Be prepare to walk. One gal who a pedometers and calculated she walked 10 miles in a day. Bring comfortable shoes.

#4 Expect to spend two days to really cover the convention floor. Mark down the booth # of those you are interested in - this way, at the end, you can figure out what you really wanna spend your money on. Don't blow your wad in the first 2 hours ! There's many vendors so you could find a better deal and remember Sunday to bargain.

#5 Expect lines everywhere. Lines to get in, lines to get swag, lines, lines, lines. It is Line-Con. A lot of people I talked to mention that the wait time has grown since last year.

#6 For cosplayers - avoid large props - it can be hassle to get through on the show floor. Wear comfortable shoes if you can.

#7 Parking is expensive. Saw one lot advertising for $25. Use the trolley - it works great. It is $5 for all day pass (or get the 4 day pass and save some money). The Qualcomm Stadium has free parking. Some of the other stops have paid parking. I noticed the one lot we used is now $15 to park while last year it was $5 so they jacked up the price. If you're a cosplayer - I advise just getting a hotel in the area so you can change easier.

Now about cosplay. I realized I'm at a comic book convention so the ratio of cosplayers to attendees are lower than at an anime con but I didn't see as many cosplayers walk by where I was with at Epic Cosplay wigs. I've talked to several folks about this and here's what I think. 1) Since the hall is so packed, cosplayers may be in regular clothes 2) As Comic Con gets bigger, the amount of cosplayers probably is relatively the same so they would be harder to find 3)I was in aisle 200 and perhaps not many walked that far down. I know there were many cosplayers there since Comic Vine posted up a gallery of over 1,000 images. So I just didn't get out enough was my problem. As this is my first year at SDCC I can't compare it to other years but again, talking to a lot of people, I get a general feeling there's not as much cosplay as before.

Next year should be interesting as they raised the ticket prices to $150 (not including preview night) up from $105 thus so people won't be able to attend due to price. We shall see. I'm on the fence for 2012. I can register for a small press table (provided they accept me - they screen) or I can just come to shoot photos. I got a few months before the deadline. Artist Alley tables are available right now until Sept 23 but I hear it is really difficult to get in. Best thing might be to show up on Day 1 and see if there's any openings. Competition is fierce.

I admit it, SDCC kicked my butt. I've been to so many cons and I figured I could handle SDCC - nope. Walking the long exhibit hall to find friends wore me out. On Preview Night, SDCC was open for 3 hours. My feet were tired at the end of those three hours and I didn't even see half the hall !

Now that SDCC is behind me, I'm preparing for Otakon in Baltimore, MD. Hopefully there won't be fire alarms like last year ^^. Otakon is the largest anime convention on the East Coast and I've always enjoyed the con. This year I'll be in the dealer hall with Crunchyroll. No photo booth again - I'm finding this to be difficult to pull off in super large cons - instead, I'll be shooting for Crunchyroll for their own photo set-up which will end up on their Flickr stream.

So thank you San Diego and hello East Coast !

7/18 Cosplay Fever: Raise Your Glass

2011-07-18T20:59:00.000-07:00

The guys behind UK's Cosplay Fever ! book were at the London Film and Comic Con (July 15-17, 2011) made a music video with cosplayers there.

7/16 San Diego Comic Con 2011 !

2011-07-16T11:45:00.000-07:00

Okay folks, San Diego Comic Con is just days away and I'll be heading down Wednesday night to set-up just in time for Preview Night. As with most other cons on my tour, I am traveling with Epic Cosplay wigs and our booth is #233 (see map on bottom) which is a blessing and a curse as we are in aisle 200 way on the right hand side of the map. Curse since I hear it isn't as crowded as the main section of the vendor hall and blessing because....well, it isn't as crowded as the main section of the vendor hall !

So am I excited ? You betcha ! I've actually never attended SDCC before so I'm making my jump into the deep end with this one. 130,000 people. The largest convention I have been was New York Anime Fest/Comic Con which top out at 100,000. I have my bottles of water and Clif bars at hand ready for the onslaught ! (Yes, since it is hard for me to leave my booth, I tend to eat Clif Bars during the con and have a dinner out. Just for the record, I usually go through 20 Clif Bars a weekend on average)

Now, I usually do carry my photo booth with me but I've realized with the larger cons, it makes more difficult so I won't have the photo booth with me this time around. Sorry folks :(

As always, I will be updating ya'll with cosplay photos taken with my trusty HTC phone on my Facebook and Twitter .

See y'all at the con !

Hours of the vendor hall :

WED, JULY 20 (Preview Night) - 6:00 PM-9:00 PM
THU, JULY 21 - 9:30 AM-7:00 PM
FRI, JULY 22 - 9:30 AM-7:00 PM
SAT, JULY 23 - 9:30 AM-7:00 PM
SUN, JULY 24 - 9:30 AM-5:00 PM

(click on image to enlarge)

"Every Anime Opening Ever Made"

2011-07-16T11:41:00.001-07:00

Derek Lieu edited together 93 opening credit sequences to present you "Every Anime Opening Ever Made". Tongue-in-cheek of course, nevertheless Derek managed to break down the opening sequence to very familiar elements - my favorite ? The running sequence ! I found some quotes from Derek about this video.

It's always amused me the repeated imagery that exist in anime opening credit sequences. This video doesn't cover them all, but it has a lot of the big ones. Interesting thing I learned, if a character is running it's overwhelmingly to the left of the screen.

I first started thinking about this years ago when I saw the X-Men intro that they made in Japan to replace the American one. The part that especially hit home was Wolverine, and Cyclops standing on some nondescript land mass.

See the video on YouTube. Oh, interesting to note on his Twitter, he remarked "It's odd anime haters think I made my anime OP video because I don't like anime. Who would put that much effort into something they hate?"

Rumble in the AX Jungle

2011-07-16T11:38:00.000-07:00

Anime Expo 2011. Ackson pwn me :(

TONIGHT - Comic Book Vixens @ House of Blues Hollywood

2011-07-16T11:20:00.000-07:00

Tonight at House of Blues - Hollywood, Devil's Playground presents Comic Book Vixens. Doors 9 pm. Show 10 pm. 18+ Saturday July 16, 2011

I N T E R V I E W

2011-07-16T03:07:00.000-07:00

Jack Walsh (filmmaker, Atlanta, GA) Director/producer of "Four Days at DragonCon"
Judith Stephens (photographer, New York)
Rob Dunlop (photographer, London, UK) "Photographer of Cosplay Fever !"

There are 260 cosplayers in this volume representing 30 states in America. I've email some brief questions to those in the book. To find out more about a cosplayer in the book, note the name and check it against the list. (Not all cosplayers answered the questions.)

Alex (Sonoma, CA)
Alexander (Chicago, IL)
Angela (Jersey Shore,NJ)
Anne-Marie (Quebec, Canada)
Anya (Oklahoma City, OK)
Aoi-Mizuno (Boston, MA)
AXLE (Conroe,TX)
BB (Staten Island, NY)
Becki (Plano,TX)
Ben (Colorado Springs, CO)
Brandi (Atlanta,GA)
Brian
Brie
Brook
Chaos-Shadow (Florida)
Charlotte (Dallas,TX)
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Zander Yurami (Little Rock, AR)

2011-07-16T03:05:00.001-07:00

Tell me about the outfit you are wearing

This was The Riddler from the Batman comics. Out of all the bad guys in the DC comics line, he was always my favorite. He had no super powers, he was not really strong, but he had the greatest mind of them all.

Tell me about the process of making your outfit ?

It was pretty easy to do. Simple suit pattern and green fabric. The hardest part was finding purple dress shoes. lol

Any interesting stories from people’s reaction to your outfit at the con ?

The best story I have involves the one riddle I brought with me. Once people figured out the answer, their reactions were priceless.
“What do you never want to play, but never want to lose? ”

The answer? “The Game”

How did you get started cosplaying and what got you interested ?

How did I get started? Well, it started off many years ago when I wanted to be Link from LoZ for Halloween. I throw together a tunic from a green “tall tee” and made the hat from some scrap green fabric. Looking back on it, the costumes didn’t look good at all. As for what got me into cosplay, I have always loved to make stuff, and was already pretty good at sewing, so I decided to give it a go.

What are the con did you first attended and what’s your favorite con that you’ve attended so far and why ?

My 1st con was All-Con 2008. It is a small con, and a good one for any 1st time con goer in the DFW area. As for my favorite, that is easy. AnimeFest, the same con you took my pics at. AnimeFest is a pretty big con, and not as up tight as some cons in the area.

What does cosplay mean to you ?

Cosplay means a lot to me. It has given me something to in my free time, it has greatly improved my sewing and prop making skills, and it has let me meet so many new friends.

If you had unlimited funds/technology/time, what is your dream cosplay ?

That is an easy one. I would upgrade all my Ghostbusters equipment to have 100% screen accurate parts, lights, and sounds. As well as an ECTO-1

Zach (Los Angeles, CA)

2011-07-16T03:04:00.002-07:00

Tell me about the outfit you are wearing – who are you cosplaying and how did you decide to pick this particular character ?

Squall from Final Fantasy 8. I decided to make a new Final Fantasy costume, and particularly liked the design of the coat and weapon. I had an idea for making the gunblade interior light up, so I actually started with his weapon.

Tell me about the process of making your outfit – was it easier or tougher than you imagine it to be ?

Working with pleather is never very fun, and sewing fur to pleather is a lot worse. However, the Jacket came together really well, and I learned a lot about making my own belts and belt buckles from this project. The weapon was the most difficult, working with EL wire to create the lighted section within the lion.

How did you get started cosplaying and what got you interested ?

Originally I saw a documentary at my college that a film student had made about cosplay, and decided to try it.

What are the con did you first attended and what’s your favorite con that you’ve attended so far and why ?

Anime Expo 2005

What does cosplay mean to you ?

It is a highly creative, hands on way to have a fun experience with other people that have the same interests in anime or games.

If you had unlimited funds/technology/time, what is your dream cosplay ?

Probably one of the giant monsters from a Miyazaki movie.

Yan (Florida)

2011-07-16T03:04:00.001-07:00

Tell me about the outfit you are wearing.

Suzaku Kururugi from Code Geass R2. Suzaku is just one of the most adrenaline junkie mecha pilot I have ever seen. I have always liked his character and his unique sense of justice in the Code Geass series. Apart from that, I guess the fact that people around that time were very much into the series and the fact that I like being liked by people at cons made me want to somehow pull off a good Code Geass Cosplay.

Tell me about the process of making your outfit – was it easier or tougher than you imagine it to be ?

Our outfit itself was ordered and it came out pretty good. However, in my case, some of the measurements are off so I had to personally make a lot of adjustments in order to have myself a perfect fit of the full clothing including the gloves and the jacket. Aside from that, I couldn’t find any good wigs for Suzaku so I spent some hours cutting my own hair to make as similar to his as possible and that was fun.

Any interesting stories from people’s reaction to your outfit at the con ? ^^

In my case, more often than not, I cosplay with my girlfriend Kim (Anya, in the picture). And we have done quite a few couple cosplays. I liked how people who see us and notice us would always comment about how we look cute together, or pull off a really good pair, or just plain “Awwww you guys are sooo cute!” That really makes me happy.

How did you get started cosplaying ?

I used to mainly dress up as a character but not in conventions since I used to be in an anime club in my previous university. I have also been in conventions before but wasn’t really in cosplay. Until I met Kim is when I actually started cosplaying. I just didn’t imagine that people would think that we really look cute together, sometimes, even when we’re not even in cosplay.

What are the con did you first attended and what’s your favorite anime con that you’ve attended so far and why ?

The very first con that I attended was in the Philippines way back then. Here in the US, the first one that I attended was Anime Weekend Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia. My favorite con is FanimeCon in California. It’s the best one and the most enjoyable one. Mostly because a lot of people liked my cosplays with my girlfriend and their compliments made me happy. The people are all so nice as well. Another thing is that the fact that there were so many photographers in California as opposed to here in Florida where there’s none.

What does cosplay mean to you ?

Cosplay is when I get the chance to be someone who I never thought would actually exist in real life and in myself.

If you had unlimited funds/technology/time, what is your dream cosplay ?

My dream cosplay would probably be like a plug suit that would actually look good on a person and has the correct material. I wouldn’t mind Suzaku Kururugi from Code Geass or Setsuna F. Seiei’s plug suits from Gundam 00 and maybe also Wizard from Angelic Layer.

And specifically about you two, I would love to hear how you two met. Like I said before, y’all make such a cute couple ^^

Let’s see, there’s definitely a lot to talk about. We actually met at an event called the Asian American Student Assembly in the University of Florida. I came to the event alone and just when I was about to enter the ballroom, I saw this really cute girl pass me and got inside before I did, maybe even almost pushing me aside. When I got inside, she was gone. There were a lot of people in the event so I had to stand in the back but then I got tired standing. So I decided to go look for a chair to sit on and luckily I found one.

Eight maybe nine chairs to my right was the girl I saw before and she was still so cute and that I couldn’t really keep my eyes off her. Every now and then she would glance back and some time later, she stood up to take her drink to the trash and that’s when I decided that when she comes back, I definitely should talk to her. When she did, I got a little worried but I decided to get up, go to her, know her name and be friends with.

After the event, she invited me to go to this bubble tea place called Lollicup with her and her friends and so I did, Checkers after that and then went to a party at her friend’s. A few days later, I told her I’m in love with her and asked her out. She said “Yes and I like you too!”, and that made me really happy. I found that she was really into cosplaying and so she wanted me to cosplay with her. I did and I still do, I really like cosplaying with her and, much more than that, I like being with her. I’m always glad that I went to that event, otherwise I wouldn’t have met my Hime, Kim.

Love you Hime!

Whittany ( Washington DC )

2011-07-16T03:03:00.002-07:00

Well, first of all , tell me about the character you are portraying and how you become to pick that particular character to cosplay !

I chose to cosplay Lucy from Lynn Okamoto’s haunting anime, Elfen Lied. Lucy is a Diclonius whose goal on this Earth is to wipe out the human race and can do so very effectively with the use of her “vectors”, which are large invisible hands that generate from her back. Having been held captive, and fitted with a helmet thats main goal was to limit the use of her “vectors” Lucy planned her escape. When the opportunity came she went through every obstacle wether it be huge metal walls or human bodies and was once again a force to be reckoned with. The half helmet that i debuted originates from the very beginning of the anime, as Lucy escapes the compound and is almost executed by a sniper. The shot from the weapon splits the helmet apart but didn’t have the power to take her life as well. Elfen Lied has to be one of the darkest anime series that i have yet come across since i first stumbled into anime.

Choosing to cosplay as a character from such a gruesome series not only challenged me to try to be the best Lucy i could be, but also gave me the chance to try and bring the character to life in all her dark glory. Plus, there is always the shock value that you get when you debut a cosplay that you have done well, that has the potential to either make people scream with joy and rush up to hug one of their favorite characters or back away and stay their distance for fear of the character itself. Its safe to say that i received both reactions while at Otakon 2009 and felt the thrill of knowing that it was a job well done.

And your outfit, tell me how you put it all together ?

There wasn’t much to be done on an actual outfit because in actuality Lucy doesn’t wear anything while seen wearing the helmet. Needless to say i was NOT going to be seen at Otakon by thousands of people in that manner. So the top and bottom i created out of a sports top and a pair of shorts. I wrapped the top and bottom with medical bandage wrap and then figured out there was no way to get out of the cosplay since i had made it with me IN it. Out came the scissors and hours later i had the top fitted with a zipper on the left side that allowed for a much easier removal. Then came the fun part as i proceeded to fling stage blood all over the fabric and most of the wall it was hanging on.

Most of my work was obviously spent on the helmet. Whereas the top and bottom were made in as little as three days the helmet took three weeks. The first step in making the helmet was to make a mold of my face, so that when completed, the helmet would actually conform to my face structure. Then i had a lot of fun working with clay to build the actual shape i wanted the helmet to take on. After that i had to make both a positive and negative mold so that the area in between could be filled with something called Wonderflex, which i had previously shaped. Wonderflex was the best material to use in this case because once the helmet was completed it would have left it very light in weight but durable enough that it could go through some basic wear and tear and not be affected. Then to smooth out all my edges and the surface i used a material called Gesso. This was painted on the helmet in layers. I had to apply Gesso and then sand it to a smooth finish and then apply more Gesso, then sand, ect. ect. After that process, all that had to be done was the painting. I tried to add a small detailed effect on the surface of the helmet to give it a dull, worn texture. Then for the Horn I basically did the same process.

Once the Helmet and Horn were completed i was able to sew it onto the wig. With the helmet not being very heavy the wig was able to keep the Helmet in its place throughout the entire convention. And once i added my crazy pink contact lenses and dipped my hand in some very sticky stage blood, Lucy was complete.

Dang, the mask sounds like it took so major time ! How were the reaction of the people at Otakon when they saw you ?

I had a variety of reactions while at Otakon but there were four that really stood out and i don’t think i will likely forget them.

The first was a girl that, from the moment she saw me, was behind her friend and wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. She didn’t want to look at me, let alone get close to me, which was pretty hard for her since her friends were pushing her towards me and asking me if could just run up and hug her. i gave her space though because i really didn’t want to scare her THAT badly.

Another reaction that i got that really gave us some good laughs was a girl that started screaming “Lucy” and just about tripped over people in her haste to catch up with me. But the funniest part was when she did, instead of asking for a hug, she looked right in my eyes and said i just need to touch you. And sure enough she stuck her finger out and poked me. Just poked me in the shoulder and proceeded on her merry way leaving my friends and i dying from laughter behind her.

The next was a group of very loud and exuberant boys. They asked if they could get a photo with me, and as i posed for the camera, around me, all of them crippled over in horrible positions of pain, screaming that i was chocking one of them with my “vectors” and ripping another guy apart as he was wriggling around on the floor. It was priceless and I really wish i could have gotten a copy of that photo.

The last i have was on the last day 2 men walked up to me, one was very shy and quiet, but they asked if he could get a photo with me. He seemed nervous to touch me while we posed so i threw my arm around him and he broke into a huge smile for the photo. Once the photo was taken he laughed and pulled up his pant leg to show me a huge tattoo he had of Lucy, wearing the helmet and not much else but a coat of blood. It really felt great that i was up to his standards of his favorite anime character, so much so that he would ask for a photo.

Aside from Lucy, what who else have you cosplay ? And along the same line, how did you get started in cosplaying ?

Since Otakon 2009 was only the second convention that I have been to, i’ve only ever cosplayed once before. I ended up taking the safe route and did Misa from DeathNote, which was exceedingly simple. So of course i was just one the the numerous Misa walking around Otakon 2008. With Otakon 2009, i wanted something that i could really work at, something that would be eye catching! And sure enough, as Lucy, it was hard to walk ANYWHERE without having to stop every 2 seconds for another photo. Though, secretly, i LOVED it! lol. I got started cosplaying in 2008 when i went to my first convention. Just seeing all those con goers, looking amazing as their characters, i just knew it was something that I had to become a part of.

Would you with Lucy for future cons and working on anything for the future ?

I will definitely keep Lucy for any other conventions i might attend in the future. And with my husband, who is military, having just been assigned Okinawa, Japan as his new duty station, i cant wait to attend even bigger conventions overseas. Im not currently working on any new cosplay at the moment, but that is just because i am in the middle of choosing who i should cosplay as next. Im split between Lady Jagara from Wolf’s Rain or the wolf Okami from the hit ps2/wii game. Decisions Desisions lol

And finally if you have unlimited money, unlimited time and technology was no concern, who would you cosplay ?

Hmm now that is a TOUGH question. If i had all of that at my disposal it would have to be Misane from Witchblade in her second powered up figure. ^^ Ive been desperatly trying to figure out the best way to achieve creating a cosplay as technical as this one, but at the moment its just in my dreams lol.

TwiliteSea (New Jersey)

2011-07-16T03:03:00.001-07:00

Tell me about the outfit you are wearing – who are you cosplaying and how did you decide to pick this particular character ?

The character I’m cosplaying is Haaarrrr-ley Quinn [Harley Quinn] from Batman: The Animated Series. Harl’ is one of my favorite characters ever and I’ve wanted to cosplay her for a couple years now but never got around to it, because I felt my skills weren’t up-to-par. Batman is one of my biggest fandoms and was a big part of my childhood, so I’m happy to pay respect to that, and to Harley’s character in general.

Tell me about the process of making your outfit – was it easier or tougher than you imagine it to be ?

I actually made this on a whim, and it seems I do my best work on whims! The costume is constructed out of 4-way stretch lycra, which really is the best stuff to use for form-fitting bodysuits, and super-hero costumes in general.

It also came in super handy for this costume because of the hood/mask thingy; just slips right over my head with ease! I don’t use official patterns so everything I did as I went along and with some trial and error. The gloves I made my own pattern for so I can nail the pointy-fingers that all of Bruce Timm’s women seem to have. Same goes for the shoes. The diamonds were first painted on, but I hand-sewed red diamonds on because the paint didn’t look very nice. The hardest part of this costume was getting the back of the costume to line up, while having a zipper thrown in there. The mallet, one of the few props I’ve made, is made entirely out of the cardboard box the fabric came in! It’s a lotta fun to bonk people on the head

I’m STUNNED the costume came out as well as it did, especially the hood. Easily my favorite costume.

Any interesting stories from people’s reaction to your outfit at the con ? ^^

Oh I freak people out all the time when I do Harley’s voice. If you knew me, you’d know I LOVE doing voice mimicry and when I wear this costume, her voice just comes out naturally ! People always ask me, “Where’s Mistah J?” and I respond (in character), “Oh Mistah J’s on vacay!”. Commence the fanboy/girl squeals. But I love it. It just means they love this character as much as I do!

How did you get started cosplaying and what got you interested ?

Ya know, I don’t recall when I first found out about cosplay. But I always loved dressing up as characters and acting stuff out on my own, so I was gonna end up in all this eventually haha.

My first “costume” was awful and sadly, there is evidence of it, haha. My first “big” con was Otakon 2004 and from then on, I was hooked on the hobby. My first few costumes were all handsewn- learned from my grandma- and the first time I sewed something via machine was for Katsucon 2005.

What are the con did you first attended and what’s your favorite con that you’ve attended so far and why ?

My first con was AXNY back in 2002. My favorite con? Hmm, I think that’d be AnimeNEXT! It’s always a fun con for me and since it’s close to home, it’s not very stressful like other cons. Mostly, all I do at that con is goof off with my other NJ/NY-pals (who I have met thru this hobby and I’m grateful for), so that’s A+ in my book!

What does cosplay mean to you ?

What does cosplay mean to me…(geeze why do I feel like this is a pagent question?) Cosplay to me, plain and simple, is just a dorky little hobby where people play dress up. Whether they choose to do it for fun or to be famous is totally their choice, but for me, I do it for fun. I could really care less about the “proper” construction of my costume or whatever; so long as I’m having a good time and I’m not having wardrobe malfunctions, I’m hap-pay.

I still feel like a 4-year old wrapping rainbow construction-paper strips around my limbs and thinking I’m Sillywhim!

If you had unlimited funds/technology/time, what is your dream cosplay ?

Oh boy…being obscure here, but that would have to be one of the fireflies or Spectromen from the Walt Disney World parade “Spectromagic”. That parade means the world to me and has the power to turn me into a 5 year old upon listening to just the music. TON of lights all over the costumes and the construction on both is insane.

Tony (Berkeley, CA)

2011-07-16T03:01:00.000-07:00

Tell me about the outfit you are wearing – who are you cosplaying and how did you decide to pick this particular character ?

The Castlevania Alucard outfit, came out of a combination of factors- I had discovered the Masquerade Ball event (AX07), and wanted a more appropriate cosplay than my Vampire Hunter D cosplay. I think it was the year that Castlevania: Symphony of the Night became available on Xbox360- my friends asked me if I had a 360 to get it, and I told them I had the original Playstation version! That’s when the idea was born, and finding the original Kojima artwork for SotN just made it seem perfect.

Tell me about the process of making your outfit – was it easier or tougher than you imagine it to be ?

Well, it wasn’t so much easier or tougher, but more involved than I initially thought. There were many things to do to bring it all together: finding suitable patterns, altering them, and figuring out how to understand the instructions. By the time of AX08, I didn’t have the vest made, and I didn’t have the right matching gold colors for the coat- I had made it in a silver theme instead. But I had enough to wear to the ball, including a matching themed mask.

There weren’t enough entrants for the ball that year (AX08), so it was opened up for anyone in appropriate costume to enter. I didn’t feel the cosplay was ready, but I entered anyway, and I won as Masquerade Ball King!

This year (Summer 09) I finished the vest, even designing it to be functional where it wasn’t apparent from the artwork, which lead to fabricating the metal buckles. I picked up the sword from a dealer at Fanime and replaced the steel blade with a plastic re-cast (to meet weapon policy). I still have plans to make a new coat in the proper gold theme, and make the Alucard Shield prop.

Days and weeks are almost bad measurements of how much time I spend on the costume. I could only focus on certain tasks for a few hours a day, on and off for weeks. I’m usually distracted by other things I’m working on aside from cosplay. And then after a con is over, unless another one is coming right up, I tend to put aside my cosplay projects for months. So it’s only my own fault it drags on so long!
Only in a couple of cases I’d get hung up on the planning stage- not knowing what to do for a particular piece of the cosplay. I’m getting better at it though, which makes it easier to get things done right and faster.

Any interesting stories from people’s reaction to your outfit at the con ? ^^

The most common thing I get is someone calling me Sephiroth, for which I yell back, “No! Wrong videogame!” and they’re stumped for a bit. There was one stunning ballerina (Princess Tutu?) who insisted on having her picture taken with every bishounen, and that included my sparkly vampire Alucard.

How did you get started cosplaying and what got you interested ?

I think my first cons were ACEN near Chicago, in 2000 and 2001, so that was my first exposure to cosplay. After I moved to California, my friends were regulars at cons, and some of them did cosplaying, which got me interested. I kept thinking about what I could cosplay, I wanted it to be something cool, something that wasn’t done very often. I decided I wanted to cosplay as Vampire Hunter D, and eventually debuted the outfit at AX in 2006. So that was my start!

What con did you first attend and what’s your favorite con that you’ve attended so far and why?

I’ve been to small and big cons, seen various problems that keep me from saying any one is my favorite, but I always tend to have fun with friends (new and old) wherever I’m at, which is why I keep going to them.

What does cosplay mean to you ?

Cosplay is a hobby that challenges me, to bring a character from anime/manga/games/art to ‘reality’. From interpreting the original source, concepting the outfit, construction, wearing it and acting the part (mostly just for the camera), it’s a rewarding outlet for my creativity.

If you had unlimited funds/technology/time, what is your dream cosplay ?

Well, whatever my current plans are that I haven’t made yet would be my next dream cosplay. I don’t have any ideas in mind that are completely impossible to me, though maybe I just need the extra time! I want to revamp my Vampire Hunter D outfit, and I have plans for Cornelius (Odin Sphere), Gordon Freeman (Half-Life), and also to do some fully armed-and-armored character from World of Warcraft.

TokyoToasterPilot (New Orleans, LA)

2011-07-16T03:00:00.000-07:00

Can you tell me about the character and what led you to choose it ???

Dejiko is the main character of the Di Gi Charat mangas as well as the anime of the same name created by Koge-Donbo. She is a princess of a planet that is also called Di Gi Charat. By looking at her you can tell a catgirl which and when she speaks she ends each sentence with the cat sound ‘nyo’. Degiko is also the mascot for the Anime goods store in Akihabara (Tokyo) Japan called Gamers, which is a retail chain of Broccoli, the production company for Di Gi Charat. I choose to cosplay as her because I am rather short 4′11″ so I try to cosplay as character that are pretty much vertically challeged LOL. I have been wanting to cosplay as herfor year but never thought I could pull it off. My friends say her personality reminds them of me. Plus she is tiny….like me. I personally think my friends like to dress me up in cutesy stuff and show me off. But anyway lets see, Dejiko is tiny but does have a temper which results in her being violent at times and will resort to using her special ability, eye-beams, to inflict damage on others. Me on the other hand I dont think I have a temper….but maybe I do…..okay okay a tiny bit. >^_^< But I can not shoot out laser eye beams out of my eyes. Degiko is very close friends with her sidekick Puchiko who is the exactly opposite personality to that of Dejiko’s. Hmmm My best friend is definately like Puchiko except she is much taller I height. Dejiko is very cheerful, carefree and adsolutely adorable!!! She has green eyes and green hair and her maid-like dress of fluffy royal blue to navy dress with big cat b ells tied to her hair with blue ribbons. On the very top of her head are her cat ears, which are white with pink inside and have a set of large, and of course non-functional green cat eyes.

Hmmm…lasers coming out of your eyes sounds like a fun ability Wish I had that for special occasions ^^ Tell me how you put your outfit together ? It sounds like you’ve been thinking about Dejiko for a while so I assume you had plenty of time to work on the outfit ?

About 3 months. It’s a rather simple costume really, very comfortable. I actually got help from my mom, friends and a online. I was never really good at sewing but pretty decent with alterations and prop making.

Who else have you cosplay and how did you get into it ?

I haven’t really cosplayed alot. But I did dress up for dance performance. I have been far too nervous to even try to cosplay, then one day I was like what the heck why not, so I cosplayed as Random school girl simlar to Kaolla Suu (Love Hina), Anna Kurauchi (Kore ga Watashi no Goshujin-sam), Unico (Tezuka Osamu’s Fantastic Adventures of Unico), Gloomy Bear (Mori Chax), Miku Hatsune (Vocaloid). I have also dress up in Sweet lolita fashion as well, and even did my own rendition of the Neil Tennant (leader singer of my favorite group the Pet Shop Boys) from the “Go West” video and “Don’t Know What You Want But I Can’t Give it Anymore” video. And the dance group I was in even did our rendition of MIni Moni “Okashi Tsukette” video.

I basically have always love to be in costume since I was a kid. My mother used to like to make my costumes >^_^<. Halloween is still my favorite time of year…. and sometimes Mardi Gras.

I grew up around anime, from what I can remember I did watch some Osamu Tezuka Films like Astro Boy, Unico, etc, Sazae-San, Dr Slump Arale-chan, Doraemon, Himitsu no Ako-chan, and of course Hayao Miyazaki Films Like, Kaze No Tani No Nausicaa, Laputa, Tonari no Totoro. I even try to build my own cloud climbing glider that Nausicaa flies. Mind you I was only 8 or 9 years old trying to build it out of cardboard, what ever plastic I could find, and tent material. We all know that would have never worked but I so wanted to be Nausicaa. I live in Japan for most of my childhood life until about middle school I moved back to the US, and I kind of lost touch with Japanese Animation. Then about end of high school and begining of my college life I started to be more exposed to Anime again. I didn’t go to my first Anime convention till I was 20. Yes! I am a late bloomer in the cosplaying world. But I do throughly enjoy it!

Okay, really general easy question, one I’ve been asking everyone is what cosplay means to you ?

I pretty sure everyone you have asked this question have given pretty much the same answer, but here we go. To me cosplay not just about dressing up as a character, you can do that for halloween. But cosplay is a form of presentation of art in costuming. There are many technics that are involved in creating a costume. You know, like pattern making, cutting, sewing, gluing, pianting, sculping, molding, alterations, etc. Also it gives people the opportunity to express and display their creatvitiy as well as just having fun with what they have created. Cosplaying shows the dedication and personal connection each “cosplayer” have towards a particular character. Some people can really relate to character that they are protraying just like one relates to music. Some characters cosplayer view as a cute representation of a personality that they themselves may have. Cosplaying is also fun, you spend a great deal of time and effort into you costume so you might as well have fun with it too. Everyone wants to know what it feels to be in another individual shoes for example being a celebrities, so why not with a characters from books, cartoons or a video games. *giggles*. I find it to be rather rewarding to see “wow I can actually make something with my own hand” and have people just love it!. It is also makes you feel really good when seeing the reactions from convention goers, especially younger crowd, who are just getting into everything, and knowing that in some way you made theirs as well as your own convention experience a postive and memorable one.

So how was your reaction by folks at AX to your outfit ?

I thought that everyone who wanted a picture just absolutley loved/adore it. At on point I was surrounded by children who wanted to hug me and take pictures and had one little girl who wanted to just hold my hand the whole time. I do remember that when I would pose for one camera, hundreds would follow. On photographer wanted me to hold their infant daughter while he snapped pictures. *giggles*

And finally, if money, time and technology was of no matter, who would you cosplay?

That is a hard question to answer. Right now I would have to say Sky Girls including the Sonic Diver they ride in.

Okay, thanks a lot ! Hope to see ya at future cons !

Thomas (Santa Cruz, CA)

2011-07-16T02:59:00.002-07:00

Curious how you decided to go with that outfit ? I’ve don’t think I’ve seen anyone in 5 cons do a Daft Punk cosplay. *EDIT : At AWA, I saw another guy doing Daft Punk but didn’t get a chance to photograph or talk to him.

aha sure! well i grew up with Daft Punk , and they are my main isnpiration in becoming a DJ. and when thy got their helmets first in 2000, i was Stoked , i was like this is like Star Wars gone Techno! so around 2009 i finally met somone who makes pretty legit Daft Punk helmets. and so i bought one from hime, planning on getting the Guy Manuel soon for next year, then i’ll have the duo! and Daft Punk also fits into the Anime Genre since they releases that Interstella 5555 movie. and so its pretty awesome i get away of dressing up as something real lol. but yeah thats aout it =]

Funny enough I talked to a cosplayer in..well, I believe from San Antonio who talked to me about his plans to cosplay Interstella 5555. Would have been awesome if they managed that ! So how was the reaction at Fanime about your outfit ?

well there was this funny encounter at Fanime. Someone else decided to dress up as Daft Punk as well, and as the same one. so we ran to each other. both of us stopped in our tracks immediately. and while he was looking at my helmet he raised his arm and made a gun shape with his hand, then put it against his homemade helmet. i liked his helmet as well. but quality and style wise there was no comparison, i had the helmet that looked very close to the real thing. so after we both slowly approached each other then raised both our arms, and we gave a gentle hug. haha then firmly he shook my hand, asking me all thses questions about how i got a helmet like mine. and afterwards there fans laughing and watching us converse, so we both started to pose and have the cameras do the rest.

Fanime was great! nothing compared to San Diego Comic-con! i was only there for a day and people left and right were snapping shots of me, some believed i was actually one of the band members who showed up to premere the music did for Tron 2, since Daft Punk is doing the soundtrack. its incredible every 5 seconds ill here , “Hey its Daft Punk!” or “Its Harder Better Faster Stronger Robot! ” i love all the reactions, i even was offered autographs lol. i was extremely flattered=D well i took a picture with Adam Sessler [one of the tv hosts from X-play], and when i asked him for the picture he comedicly responded” Ha yes! i would love to, mysterious man in the robo helmet.” with a big grin underneath the helmet, the picture was taken. but other than that just alot more crazed fans is all haha.

Love that Fanime story of how you two facing each other and slowly approaching each other !!! So, who else have you cosplay ?

haha it was funny. and nope never my first cosplay , and probably my only one because i’m putting a lot of time and money in on getting these costumes perfect! XD

I gotta ask, was that helmet pretty expensive ??? And how did you got about getting the rest of the outfit ? Mail-order ?

the rest of the outfit not so much, i’m getting studs on the back soon, but the acutal helmet was 350 and the other one is more expensive cause its harder to make, so that one will cost 500.so to get matching costumes and finish everything will at least cost over a grand to get better and matching outfits.

So do since this was your first time cosplaying, are you planning other outfits ?

not anytime soon.. no, i mean once you have a couple Daft Punk Repicas, its soo hard not to show em off LOL!