EvilleCon 2016

For a con at which I would likely spend the least time, I probably spent more time preparing than any other con to date (save perhaps Chicago TARDIS, where I met Alex Kingston for the first time). I applied to do a panel at #EvilleCon2016 several months ago and was shocked to have my proposal accepted. It's not that I didn't feel I had something to offer to the con community at large, but I knew this con was Anime-centric and therefore would not necessarily be an audience with which I could easily identify or that would have much interest in what I had to present. I got to work almost immediately after getting my name on the roster as to what I would talk about for an hour. I of course had some serious concerns as to whether anyone would actually come to my panel and if it would be received well. So, as I pieced my presentation together, I did some online polling, asking fellow cosplayers about screen-accurate cosplaying: 

What's YOUR definition of SA? 

Do you prefer SA for your own cosplays?

Do you appreciate it with other cosplayers?

What suggestions might you offer to those who are aiming for SA?

What else would you like to say about SA cosplay?

I also procured some pictures of those who responded and included those in my presentation. So, to everyone who contributed*, THANK YOU! Once my presentation was up to my standards, I started thinking about my cosplay that I would wear for the panel. It was a fairly natural choice for me to go with River Song's third outfit in the Doctor Who episode, The Husbands of River Song, as every bit of this cosplay is screen-accurate. Since this ensemble is terribly fancy, it's not something I would wear all day at a con, as there is quite a bit of delicate beading to the dress and it's not the cheapest thing I've ever purchased for cosplaying. As I was so focused on tending to the details of my panel, I didn't take the time to get any good full-length shots of what I'd put together, but I think you get the idea:

River Song in The Husbands of River Song
Always River

We (the husband and I) arrived a couple of hours before my panel was to take place, so we used that time to mingle among the other con-goers. I also handed out flyers with my panel information. I think doing this was extremely beneficial to the attendance, and I will most certainly be doing this any time I do any sort of panel or presentation at a con. If you follow my social media, I'm sure you saw this all over the place: 

Much to my delight, several people I talked to were already planning on attending the panel but appreciated the reminder of the time & place without having to consult the full program. The con itself was a relatively small vendor room upstairs. If you were looking for anime collectibles, this is where you needed to go! I liked the size of this con in general, as it wasn't too crowded so that you felt jostled around, but it seemed to have lots to do for a good variety of fandoms.

With about a half an hour until my panel, I used my husband as a pack mule and brought in the million things needed to run a panel. I was very glad close (free!) parking was not an issue and that getting into the bathrooms to change into my cosplay was not a problem, either. We headed to my panel room and waited for the panel before me to wrap up. 

There were 5 or so people in attendance in the panel in my room, so I thought that would be about what I would get for mine. I know fan-run panels sometimes get a bad reputation at cons, as, for the most part, there's little to no screening of panelists other than the written proposal. I've been to some real stinkers, and I've been to some amazing ones. I just wanted to be as prepared and professional as possible, while those who attended had some fun and learned something. Since this was to be my first time out, I really didn't know what to expect, so I had prepared myself for the very worst but had also told myself that if no one came or if nothing worked, it was OK - I'd just try again until I got it right.

As the time approached, people started arriving - so many that they had to form a line to get in! I couldn't believe it - this was already far beyond my expectations. There was a good mix of all levels of cosplayers in the que and I was excited to get this show on the road.

I set the husband to work getting my banner adhered to the front of the table while I got my PowerPoint ready to go. The entire set-up went off without a hitch (thankfully!), so I set to greeting everyone as they came in. Every seat in the room was filled and they even had to go and get more chairs. Again, I was just astounded by the response so far. 

A teacher in my "real" life, I'm fairly used to being in front of large groups and have always enjoyed public speaking, so at the very least, my nerves were not horribly out of control. I was excited, don't get me wrong, but it was a happy jitter over just how well everything was going. 

So, I presented to almost 50 people (wow!) in just under 45 minutes, which was exactly how I'd planned it. I did my best to include the audience and allow them some time to show off their own cosplays and share their tips for creating screen-accurate cosplays. Since I was going it alone rather than having someone to bounce the conversation off of, a big part of my panel was just that - making it a conversation rather than me talking AT a group of people. I've always appreciated such interaction in panels I've attended, and wanted to carry that over. Everyone has a tip or a trick of the trade that the rest of us may not have thought of. For instance, when looking for cosplay items of a character of say, anime, did you know you can change the region of your internet search so that it pulls results from Japan? How about that?! And did you know that Jareth's (The Goblin King) staff in Labyrinth is actually a modified bull whip? You never know what you'll learn in a fan-run panel!

My very supportive husband stood in as my photo/video-grapher, and captured some great shots:

It's All in the Details: Creating Screen-Accurate Cosplays
EvilleCon 2016

There is some video footage, too, that likely requires some editing and so is forthcoming on my YouTube channel. I'm also releasing the PowerPoint presentation both for those who were there and would like a refresher, as well as those of you who could not attend but would like to see what I came up with. I absolutely appreciate comments and suggestions from those who attended as well as any questions you have about the presentation. I simply cannot thank everyone enough, from those who helped in my research to those who came and supported me to those who were there in spirit. 

It's All in the Details: Creating Screen-Accurate Cosplays

© AlwaysRiver 2016

Doing this panel was a completely rewarding experience and I can't wait to do it again! I've applied to present a different panel at Fandom Fest in Louisville, KY this summer - keep your peepers peeled for word on that.

Next up for me is Wizard World Comic Con in St. Louis, MO. I'll be meeting David Tennant for the 2nd time, Matt Smith for the 3rd time, and Billie Piper for the 1st time. I've got 3 cosplays planned that I've been working on for several months. Of course you'll see those across my social media upon their debut. 

Let's Kill Hitler / Day of the Moon / Let's Kill Hitler

Thanks for reading, and keep living the #conlife!

#AlwaysRiver
#EvilleCon2016
#conlife

*Special thanks to: 

Cat Smith, Amanda Rae-Prescott, Hannah Rose Marney, Rachel Stewart,  

Lisa Helena Roberts, Monica Boes, and Miriah Marsh

Lexington Comic & Toy Expo 2016

A new year means it's con planning time! It's been almost 4 months since my last con (Chicago TARDIS), so I was definitely ready to get back to the #conlife! For my first con of 2016, I headed to Lexington Comic & Toy Expo in Lexington, KY. I'd been planning on hitting this one for quite some time, ever since they announced an appearance by Peter Davison (the 5th Doctor of Classic Doctor Who). This would bring my total number of Doctors I've met in the past 3 years to 6! I was also excited that I was going to see Manu Bennett again, but he most unfortunately canceled a few weeks back. My expectation was that #lctc2016 was going to be a relatively small con, and with it being less than 2 hours from home, I made plans to just hit it on Saturday. I'll go ahead and say that it was SO huge and SO enjoyable, that I'll be booking my room and getting my 3-day pass for next year and likely every year after. However, I did manage to fit quite a lot into my short visit, so here's my experience in a rather stuffed nutshell:

As per usual, I had been planning my cosplay for quite some time, even before the Christmas episode, The Husbands of River Song, aired. Here's a side-by-side of the debut of my completed cosplay for River Song's first outfit from THORS:

Cosplay photo by Sci-Fi Photo Guys

I am really happy with how it turned out, and I received several compliments and posed for lots of pictures. My only complaint is that wearing a leather jacket, 2 belts, and high-heeled boots for a full day at a crowded con is not the most comfortable. I don't know how River runs all over time and space with all this going on. For those interested, 2 of the components of this cosplay are screen-accurate: the dress is by All Saints and the necklace is from House of Fraser. The top belt and holster were commissioned and created for me by Archaic Leatherworks.

First on the agenda for me and my good friend Becca was to pick up our badges and have a trip around before heading to the one panel I wanted to catch. Lines were crazy long but we didn't manage to have to wait too long at all, strode right up and got our wristbands and our badges for the James Marsters concert later that night. This con was pretty spread out and there was a lot of back-and-forth between the first and third floors. We wound up on the the 3rd floor straightaway, which was apparently just overflow from the main floor. In the entryway we found a couple of TARDISes as well as a familiar door:

Carol Singers will be Criticised

Knock Knock Knock Sherlock

We then entered a small-ish room that we thought was the main event, so I initially thought there were an awful lot of people there for such a small vendor room. HA! Well, we popped around in there for a bit before realising that there was much more on the 1st floor, so down we went. We figured out where the photo op room was and spied James Marsters through the back entry, much to the delight of Becca. Past the op room was the primary part of the convention - now it all made sense! This room was huge and, like I said before, way too much to sufficiently check out all in one day. As I was not in the mindset to pour over comics, and I'm fairly certain there's nothing new on the River Song front that's not already in my collection, we decided to see who we could find in the autograph arena.

The lines for The Doctors were not bad at all. We only had to wait a matter of minutes before getting up to Colin Baker (the 6th Doctor). He was the first of the Doctors I met at my first con in 2013, so he holds quite a special place in my heart. I had brought some bourbon balls from Schimpff's Confectionery near my home as a gift for all 3 of the Doctors. We all had quite a laugh when I told Colin he had to share with Peter and Sylvester. He ate one right then and there and was just as gracious and lovely as the first time I met him. He signed my Doctor Who stamp (photo below) for me to add to my growing collection of these. I'm quite happy I got to see him again and he will remain one of my favourite people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting.

Right next door was Peter Davison (the 5th Doctor). I don't believe he does many appearances in the states, so this was quite a special occasion. I of course had him sign my stamp as well. So I now have signed stamps from 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, & 11. I do someday hope to add a couple more to that collection, even though it can sadly never be complete. I told him about the chocolates and we had some good razzing with Colin. I hope in the end Peter and Sylvester managed to snag at least 1 bourbon ball a piece!

I didn't have anything for Sylvester to sign, as he'd signed my stamp at Dragon Con, so I didn't want to take up space in line just to say hello (even though that's totally acceptable, if you're ever wondering if you can do that without having to buy anything). Peter and Colin were also offering voicemail shout-outs, which I think is super cool, but the problem is, no one calls anyone on the telephone anymore, so really, who would hear it except someone calling to tell me I've won a free cruise? 

We found ourselves with just a tad bit of time before the panel, so we walked around for a while just admiring cosplays and seeing all the things there are to see. We ran into these characters and I got some T-Rex kisses. Or they were trying to eat my face, you know, whatever:

We got in line for Karen Gillan's panel and met some lovely people. I was asked to pose for a few pics, some of which are popping up on my Instagram. The line was really nothing compared to some I've been in, so it was totally bearable. As I've said in previous blogs, some of the best people you'll meet and the most fun you'll have will be in a que. I asked about the panel room and found out it was quite small, which could be good or bad. But we were fairly far ahead in the line, so I didn't worry too much. 

We filed right in and I managed to snag us 2 seats 4th row centre - not too shabby. Unfortunately, no photos or videos were allowed, so I've nothing to show for that. Karen was, as always, perfectly delightful, funny, and generous with her time and attention to the fans. I'm pleased I was fortunate enough to see her this close and didn't have to view on a screen from the back of a huge room. This is one of the many things I enjoy about "smaller" cons like this one.

Immediately after the panel, it was time for my photo op with the 3 Doctors. Again, while in line, I met some fabulous cosplayers, most notably a Missy and a 12th Doctor, both of which who were great fun and with which I'm pictured in the aforementioned Instagram. I also cornered a Matt Murdock cosplayer and snagged this sauciness:

River Song meets Matt Murdock

The op room seemed, for the most part, quite organized. They only had 1 backdrop and therefore 1 op going at a time, which I thought was unusual for a con with so many guests. As far as I can tell, though, no one had to wait too horribly long and everyone seemed pleased with how everything was functioning. Upon my turn, Sylvester remembered me from Dragon Con and Colin joked that he'd already put away all the bourbon balls. Peter said it seemed like I had quite a history with these fellows. Well, they are my husbands, after all! This has got to be one of my all-time favorite photo ops. I'm looking like a bad-ass, and there are my goofy Doctors - such a hoot! This here is perfect is what this is:

The Husbands of River Song
clockwise: Sylvester McCoy (7), Peter Davison (5), & Colin Baker (6)

This was the only op I purchased, since I've got quite a few cons coming up and well, you have to make some executive decisions. With 3 or so hours until the James Marsters show, we headed back to the main hall before grabbing a little something to eat. Both Becca and I were excited that Henry Winkler was there (she didn't know he would be, so another fantastic surprise). As a kid, I was a huge fan of his (and still am, truth be told). I had a Fonz shirt that I literally grew out of. I will always associate Henry with the good parts of my childhood. He was so lovely to meet, and I'm glad we took the time to get this little memento:

River Song and Becca meet Fonzie

Before dashing out to par down my cosplay, we found a Dalek. He should check his records again, though, because, you know, I'm River Song:

A rather docile Dalek, unsuspecting of my sonic trowel

Back into the main hall we went, just to see if there was anything on our not-to-be-missed list. Unlike other cons, the artists and vendors seemed to be mixed in and there was no specific designation as to who was where. We saw quite a few professional cosplayers, several comic book vendors (which is always good to see), a splattering of authors and quite a few artists. I picked up a couple of River Song stickers as well as some promotional discs from Big Finish, but that was about it. Again, when living the #conlife, you start to think of money in terms of photo ops and autographs (if that's what you're into, and I certainly am), as well as how much space you actually have left in your house for memorabilia. At the end of the day, my scores were minimal, but perfectly satisfying:

LexCon Loot

The James Marsters show was to be in the same room as Karen Gillan's panel, so we went ahead and staked our place in line. Front row seating was more than twice as much as a standard ticket, so we decided to just take our chances. We did some great people-watching, as on the other side of the convention center, Disney on Ice was about to start. There were of course lots of kids in costume, which was adorable. There was even a dad dressed as Prince Charming. I'm sorry, but that's just a little too sweet. Moving on...

While we were several rows back for the show, the room was, as I said, not big at all. I've never seen a concert at a con, so this was an extra-special opportunity. I didn't bring my actual camera, so just took a single phone shot from my seat. You can, however, see the entire show on YouTube!

James Marsters One-Man Show

The show marked the end of our day at LexCon, but I will definitely be back next year for the full experience! Thank you to everyone who took the time to compliment my cosplay and/or to get their photo with me. It's the best feeling to have all your research and work recognized. And thanks to the staff, volunteers, and everyone who worked to make this con so enjoyable. You are appreciated!

Next up for me is EvilleCon, at which I'll be presenting my first panel, 

"It's All in the Details: Creating Screen-Accurate Cosplays." 

Join me, won't you?

Until then...no Spoilers!

#AlwaysRiver
#lctc2016
#conlife

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