Basking in the convention afterglow...

I spent this past weekend in one of the best ways possible - running around Boston Comic Con dressed as a superhero. I was incredibly pumped for this convention in the weeks leading up to it for many reasons, and looking back I have to say that I had an amazing time.

Last year I attended BCC as Black Cat with my boyfriend as Venom. This year I was flying solo, and for a while I wasn't even sure I was going to attend. I went back and forth on the idea for a few months, not really sure if I was up for going on my own. But when I heard that Ivy Doomkitty and Bellechere - 2 cosplayers who have inspired me in so many ways - were going to be guests, I knew I had to go.

For BCC this year I crossed another cosplay off my list - Power Girl. I had so much fun wearing this costume, but I swear this costume was cursed from the beginning.  At one point Saturday morning, I was ready to skip the costume and just go to the con in my normal clothes. From wig troubles to fabric mishaps, shoe issues to boob problems, it took all of the tricks and skills I've learned over the last year to get this costume together and out to the convention floor. Once I did, though, the response was incredible. 

While at BCC I had the pleasure of meeting two of my cosplay idols, Ivy Doomkitty and Bellechere. I also was lucky enough to get a seat in the room for Ivy Doomkitty's panel, "So They Say You Shouldn't Cosplay". Ivy hosted the panel, and along with Bellechere and Bethany Maddock, the panel talked about some issues that are hugely prevalent in the cosplay community right now, such as body shaming and age/size/color discrimination. 

After the panel, I was able to meet all three of them in person at their respective tables. They say you should never meet your heroes in person, but I've followed all three of them for a while, and this was like a dream come true. Bethany Maddock is so sweet and so funny, I wanted to just hang out at her table all day. After taking a couple of selfies together, we talked about BCC and the upcoming GraniteCon. After hearing Bethany rave about GraniteCon, I think it is going to be the next one on my list. Bellechere is beautiful, funny, and refreshingly real. She is one of the reasons I finally took the plunge into cosplaying to begin with. I had the chance to talk to her for a couple minutes at her booth and was able to finally thank her in person for all the inspiration she's given me. She was all smiles, and complimented my costume (which in turn made me beam from ear to ear). She was also nice enough to pose for a photo with me. Lastly, I was able to finally meet Ivy Doomkitty. Along with Bellechere, Ivy is a huge inspiration for me. She has helped me find my confidence and jump into cosplaying feet first. After a short, but slightly embarrassing, fan girl moment, I was able to tell Ivy how much she has helped and motivated me. She hugged me and told me that I was a brilliant cosplayer who rocked this costume like few could. She took some pictures with me and told me that I owed it to myself and to everyone around me to keep following my cosplay dreams because I had awesome talent. As I walked away, I was elated. The 10 minutes I spent with her at her booth made my weekend. 

 

After this weekend, I've decided that I'm ready to take my cosplay to the next level. Since I started cosplaying, my boyfriend has been encouraging me to build myself a facebook page for my cosplay. He has insisted since the start that I had talent and that I should share it with the con-going community. Honestly, the reason I haven't done this yet is because I've been afraid of what people would say. But I have to be like a duck, in the words of Bellechere. I have to just let it roll off my back like water. Sure there will be negative comments, but there will also be positive ones. I've already had positive feedback from three talented cosplayers, as well as countless strangers, plus the support from friends and family. I'm ready to put myself out there and see where it goes.

Too Much of a Good Thing can be Wonderful...

     I haven't been cosplaying for very long, just over a year really. But in that short time I have realized that I truly love this new hobby of mine. It provides me with a creative outlet, it brings me out to new cons and places I may otherwise have never gone. It has introduced me to some awesomely talented and super friendly people. In truth, I really only have one problem with this hobby, and that is that cons are so few and far between for me. I love this hobby, but I don't have may opportunities to build my costumes.

     But Mike pointed out something to me the other day. It's not that I don't have the opportunity to build the costumes, it's that I don't have much opportunity to show them off. The reality is that I can build as many costumes as I want so that when a con does come around I have an enormous cosplay wardrobe to choose from. So, with Boston Comic Con coming up, and (possibly) Granite State Comic Con coming up after that, I'm starting two new costumes.

     My first new work-in-progress is Power Girl. I don't expect this to be a challenging costume really. If my sewing skills were better, I would make the pattern for the white suit myself. But, sadly, they are not. So I'm starting with a ballet leotard as my base and I'm going to go from there. I am going to use Worbla to make her shoulder armor, and I'm also going to make my own boot covers and maybe even gloves if I can find a pattern to use. The cape is the only part that I am kind of stuck on, mostly because of the type of cape it is, but trial and error will get me there eventually!

     My second work-in-progress is a female take on Assassin's Creed. I know it's a costume that has been done and redone a thousand times, but I absolutely love this franchise and have had the time of my life playing these games. Cosplaying my take on their character is the best way I can think express that. I'm really looking forward to the challenge this one is going to be. I'm looking forward to using Worbla again while making the bracers, and also to figuring out a way to make my own hidden daggers. I'm also going to use this costume as my first attempt at drafting my own pattern to make my outfit. I haven't decided yet if I am going to make this a dress or just a feminine version of the classic Assassin's robes, but I'm really looking forward to drafting this one out.

     So, that's my plan for the next few months. Power Girl and my very own Assassin. I'll do my best to post WIP photos, and to update my progress for each along the way!
   

Between two evils, I always pick the one I've never tried before...

   

     That's me cosplaying Mad Moxxi from the video game Borderlands. I made this costume for PAX East 2013, and I was super proud of it and how well it turned out. Not bad for a first cosplay, huh?

     I watched my boyfriend and his buddy play Borderlands from the time we first started dating up until now (now they play Borderlands 2), and through all the sessions that I watched, I always loved seeing and hearing Mad Moxxi. She was so sassy, so overtly sexual, and completely unapologetic. For me, it was love at first sight! She reminded me of the bombshells that I love so much: Jayne Mansfield, Marilyn Monroe, and my personal favorite Mae West. At PAX East 2014 I actually found out from Moxxi's creators that I was dead on. They modeled her after Mae West and her larger-than-life sexuality and perosnality.

     This costume, for me, was a huge triumph for a couple of reasons. I had never cosplayed before. I'd seen pictures of guys and girls who had amazing talent and had this awesome ability to bring characters to life. I was inspired by all the love and energy that went into their creations and told myself that if I could create something half as awesome as what they had done then I was on the right track. Once I resolved that I was going to take the plunge and try my hand at cosplay, I had to teach myself how to sew. I had to design the costume, research the character, do whatever I could to bring Moxxi to life. It was such a huge challenge, but when I had finished it, I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment that I hadn't felt in years.

     Looking back, even though it was a rookie effort, that costume rocked! So much so that I brought it out and wore it again for PAX East 2014. It still isn't perfect, and there are still some changes and tweaks that I want to make to it, but overall I still love this costume. My goal is to take it and revamp it in time for PAX East 2015. Some characters just can't be ignored, and for me Mad Moxxi is one of those gems that I'll bring back time and again.

It's better to be looked over than overlooked...

     After much encouragement from my boyfriend, I've finally started my own blog. At first I was a bit reluctant. I mean, the way I see it, there are many more interesting things to read about than little old me. But then Mike (my boyfriend) put it into a different perspective for me. He said that I shouldn't think of a blog as entertainment for others, but rather as a journal for myself. So, here it is. My blog/journal/online cork board where I can talk about my interests, my hobbies, and anything else that pops into my mind.

     But first, a little bit about me. I'm 26 years old and I live with my boyfriend and our cat, Moxie. I have love of all things mini-pigs that sometimes borders on unhealthy fascination. I'm a part-time law student, full-time manager who cosplays on the side.
   
     My list of favorite games is on the side over there, but my favorites are Diablo 3, D&D, and Assassin's Creed. We've also just started playing Malifaux and Dropzone Commander, both tabletop games.

     I want to use this page to talk about my cosplays, both past and future. I want to share pictures of my models, pictures from cons I go to, and pretty much anything else that makes me smile.