SDCC is geekdom’s largest showcase, so it’s no wonder that cosplayers prepare elaborate costumes all year so that they can bring their “A” games to Comic-Con. That said, this being my first-ever SDCC, I was surprised by how few costumes there were. Cosplay round-ups past have made it seem like there’d be costumes galore, so I was surprised by how few and far between the costumes seemed as I walked around the convention center and San Diego. Perhaps someone else who went can comment below and tell me how this year compared to previous years as far as number of costumes at the con? In any case, there was still plenty to catch my eye. This was Comic-Con after all, and tons of people arrived ready to make a splash!
Group Cosplay
I love group cosplay. What could be better than one person painstakingly recreating a character in real life? That’s right—a group of people doing it! By far, the best group effort I saw was this father/son Silver Surfer duo:
I was impressed that this kid had the patience to be covered in silver paint and pose so much. Clearly, he’s a little comic geek in training! Father-son bonding at its best!
I have to give props to the group of ladies doing Lost cosplay:
While conventions are inevitably rife with costumes from the latest hot property, it’s always cool to see what stories withstand the test of time and continue to inspire their fans to pay homage to their favorite fandoms by dressing up. Thanks, Lost ladies! WE HAVE TO GO BAAAAACK!
Then there was the Sleeping Beauty cosplay:
All three fairies were in tow along with Sleeping Beauty and Maleficent, but the princess and the evil queen were where it was at as far as personality. Still, all of the costumes were really well made, and true to the look and feel of the original Disney film.
Hey, and did you know that Friendship is Magic?:
With all the focus on Bronies, it’s hard to believe that My Little Pony was originally designed with little girls in mind! Well, these two haven’t forgotten, and while they didn’t exactly create ponies, I admire their commitment to performance. They’re not just putting on the mane, they’re embodying it.
Kid Cosplay
I love seeing kids at cons. It always amazes me, and slightly freaks me out, that the comic book community has become so overwhelmingly adult. It’s become more about adults recapturing their youth rather than about the youth themselves—you know, comics’ original intended audience? Thankfully, there were plenty of kids in attendance showing their stuff and having a great time. In addition to the awesome Silver Surfer kid up top, there was—
Adorable little Dalek girl eating her weapon!:
Cute, smiley anime girl!:
Tiny Amidala!:
Doing Their Own Thing
There are those who cosplay in groups, there are those who cosplay the latest characters, and then there are those who do their own thing and are wonderfully, sometimes hilariously random.
I’ve often wondered how one could cosplay Ursula from The Little Mermaid. Well, now I need wonder no more:
With The Hobbit coming out at the end of this year, I guess Gandalf isn’t exactly a random costume choice, but here’s a particularly good one:
And then I’ve just got two words for you. Lemon. Pledge.
Superheroes
Despite SDCC becoming an increasingly Hollywood event, there’s thankfully always those who stay true to the con’s comic-book roots.
I loved this woman’s Scarlet Witch costume:
Catwoman and Red Skull also made an appearance:
And here’s a fabulous Batgirl:
I love that she did old-school TV series Batgirl, don’t you?
G.I. Joe Cosplay
There seemed to be several odes to G.I. Joe at SDCC. Or, rather, to those devoted to taking them down. COBRA was well-represented at Comic-Con:
Star Wars Cosplay
Of course, Star Wars represented at SDCC, and in some pretty unexpected and awesome ways!
Check out this awesome Ewok mother and child:
And who says that women get to have all the fun when it comes to Leia cosplay? (Bonus points for the Star Wars/Futurama crossover!):
Chewbacca knows how to let loose!:
What’s going on behind those visors?:
And there was even a Jabba:
But surprisingly few Hans and Lukes. Huh.
Well, I hope you enjoyed that walk down cosplay lane. Now get cracking on your costumes for next year! SDCC is only 357 days away!
Photos by Emily Heyer.
Teresa Jusino might just engage in cosplay for the first time next year. But first, she has to learn to sew. Her Feminist Brown Person take on pop culture has been featured on websites like ChinaShopMag.com, PinkRaygun.com, Newsarama, and PopMatters.com. 2012 will see Teresa’s work in two upcoming non-fiction anthologies, and her “Moffat’s Women” panel will be featured at Geek Girl Con in August! For more on her writing, Get Twitterpated with Teresa, “like” her on Facebook, or visit her at The Teresa Jusino Experience.
