Dragon*Con starts this weekend, and for the first time in two years I won't be going. Possibly my favorite part of the whole experience is watching all the people turn out in costume, from the ridiculously elaborate Costume Contest people to the home-made Ma Kettle "Pot on the Head" frat guys showing up on a lark. I'm a little bummed, so I thought I would shamelessly leverage this space to live vicariously. Thus, my question for you, so we can all get to know each other a little better, is this:
Have you ever as an adult (or close to it) dressed up in any sort of super-hero/comic book costume, and if so, what did you dress as and why?
For being brave enough to share (bonus credit for photos!), you can ask me a question about whatever you like and I'll respond honestly. If I can't answer it for some reason, you can ask something else.
Note that by no means do you have to ask me anything to share your story, I know I'd love to hear it regardless.
So here's my answer to the main question:
For my thirtieth birthday, my wife threw a super-hero themed surprise party for me. Friends and family came in from all over, in full-on super costumes. Since I didn't know it was happening ahead of time, they recreated for me the outfit I used to run around my neighborhood in as a kid -- dish towel cape, sister's go-go boots, a meat tenderizer for Thor's hammer, and (best of all), my brother's American-flag-backed leather motorcycle gloves. This was as close as I could get, but it definitely brought back memories.
I have a photo here somewhere, but I can't find it 🙁 If I can get my hands on it some time today I'll post, but until then, I can't wait to hear your stories!
I cosplayed as Tubalcain Alhambra from Hellsing (an anime based on Dracula) for a convention a few years ago. I had to rent a white suit and grow a moustache for it, but it was fun…
I never did so. My geek level is not so high to dress up as a comic book character, even though I like comics very much.
Oh, and I guess my question for Jeff would be: If you had to dress up as a character for a convention/event/party/foil a terrorist plot, who would it be?
http://i961.photobucket.com/albums/ae99/dhabirunner/joker.jpg
here’s me as the Joker in 2008 at age 22
http://i961.photobucket.com/albums/ae99/dhabirunner/joker.jpg
and here’s me again the fallowing Halloween as Poison Ivy
http://i961.photobucket.com/albums/ae99/dhabirunner/PI.jpg
Jeff my question is, if you had to be one female hero/villain which one would you be from DC comics and which one would you be from Marvel
Gero: I’d probably go as The Rocketeer. Because that helmet is awesome, the jacket would help hid my prodigious paunch, and the pants would make me look buffer than I am.
alphaalpharomeo: I gotta know the story behind the Poison Ivy outfit!
If I had to be a female villain (assuming you mean to dress up as you did), I’d go with … Lady Death from Marvel (white Goth makup hides many flaws) and Granny Goodness from DC because she’s already fat so I’d look the part.
I’ll get the picture ball rolling if everybody’s feeling shy 😀
I went to a Halloween party two years ago as Captain America. I saw this hoodie and shield at the mall. The pants I actually found at Ross, they’re just skinny jeans that happen to be the perfect shade of blue. I didn’t have any red boots so I just borrowed my partner’s red chucks. It was a fairly well received costume.
Be kind, it was Halloween!
http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l607/DiCicatriz/ee723e85.jpg
That looks good, DiCicatriz, WAY better than the 1980s TV version of Cap!
I saw the brazeer in a costume shop and felt I needed to be poison ivy. My wife helped me out by buying fake leaves and sewing them onto a skirt she lent me. She also looked up on youtube how to do the makeup and altered it a bit.
I’ve never been to a comic/gaming convention. So want to go to one. My friend’s been to several. He went as Doctor Who once. And another time as Captain Mal Reynolds from Firefly/Serenity.
Well, it’s a bit disappointing, but nope, I’ve never dressed up. It’s not that I hate it or anything, it just hasn’t happened.
@Jeff 6: Fun Fact: every time Granny Goodness has been in an animated cartoon, she was voiced by a man…
Sorry, can’t help. I’m willing to show off pictures from the Calgary Comic Expo (I didn’t really dress up for it). I’m even willing to show how I dressed for Halloween last year (evil clown, not a comic book thing). But I can’t say I’ve dressed up as a superhero since back when I was 4, and dressed as Superman for Halloween.
Ugh. I haven’t had the chance to go to a convention, so I haven’t had the chance to cosplay. So I’m going to modify your question and say if I ever had the chance to dress up, I would go with Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) because that’s the only comic book series I’ve read. Although if I had the option to dress up as anyone, I’d go with Dr. Daniel Jackson from Stargate-SG1 since I look a lot like him, and he is one of my favorite characters of all time.
And the question (even though I have not answered the proper question) : Have you read any of Isaac Asimov’s books, and if so, which is your favorite?
When I went to Islands of Adventure a few years back I got a picture with the park’s resident Captain America double. He either had the most convincing muscle suit ever or he was really into his job, because dude was ripped. Plus, he had the epic salute pose nailed down. It was still ’08 then, so I told him I was glad to see him among the living lol.
Oh dear. As far as I can remember I haven’t dressed up as a superhero or anything. The fact that I’m not an adult either might have something to do with it. But also, I haven’t really done much dressing up as any particular character since I dressed up as Darth Maul for Halloween when I was 3 or 4.
If I were to dress up as a character, I might go for a character from Star Trek. I don’t know who, I’d never really thought that far. I’d just thought about dressing as a generic extra (i.e. Just wearing the Starfleet uniform, no character in mind).
I’m not sure if that would count, though.
Halfway through our wedding my wife and I changed into our Halloween costumes (it was a Halloween wedding). I was Spock and she was Arwen. Also in attendence was Jean-Luc Picard, the Devil, some random mexican, a she devil, a operative from Stargate, Death, a bar wench, and Cleopatra.
Well, as there aren’t such things as comic book conventions OR Halloween in Brasil, I really don’t have the opportunity to dress up. The closest I’ve come is t-shirts or caps with insignias like Superman or Batman (you know I HAD to have a Batman t-shirt right?) or wearing a starfleet badge. The actual closest to an uniform was when I went to see the GL movie when besides the GL shirt I actually wore my GL lightup ring. I don’t have a photo of me in the getup, but here’s the shirt:
http://www.posters.ws/images/965923/dc_comics_green_lantern_flame.jpg
The closest that I’ve come to a superhero costume is dressing up like Super Grover for Halloween twice, Pac-Man once and Skelator once.
Wait, I forgot. Once for Halloween, I dressed as Agent Smith from The Matrix. Can’t locate the picture for it, sadly. Another time I dressed as a random James Bond villain for a themed office Christmas Party. Again, neither of these things are really comic book or superhero, but that’s the best you’re getting out of me.
well if i shave my beard and cut my hair i could be batman begins comissioner gordon i was a cop for halloween (with a mustache of course) and a few people thought i was gordon. But if i really felt like spending time i could figured how to be the question or the sandman (dc not the spiderman villain)
I would love to be able to go to some type of Cosplay or comic con but I dont know where or when they have them. I dont really celebrate Halloween but my family and I do go to an October fest where they encourage kids and parents to dress up but not too scary. I went as the crow one year, I dressed up in my army sniper gear another, and dressed like a greaser like in west side story or the movie grease. So Jeff, if you could have any type of vehicle cost not an issue what would you go with?
Okay, picture time.
I did say I could show pictures from the Calgary Comic Expo. I’m not in many of them, mostly because they were taken by me. However, if you’re asking, I’m the doofus in picture 10 posing with the Tusken Raider.
The album can be found here:
http://s685.photobucket.com/albums/vv217/Myrowire/Calgary%20Comic%20Expo%202011/
So, maybe if Jeff feels like fighting his internet connection, he can live vicariously through my recent conning.
And this was me dressed as a James Bond villain:
http://i685.photobucket.com/albums/vv217/Myrowire/myro-villian.jpg
Love Asimov a lot. My favorite novel of his … that’s tough, but I’ll go with the Foundation series, with the second one being my favorite.
Tool: The Batmobile!
@Jeff, Which version of the Batmobile? I like the new one. I would go for a american muscle car from the 50’s to 70’s possibly a GTO or Z28 of the sort.
@Jeff: You know that some people actually build the tumbler in their garage?
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2008/08/gallery-home-ma/
Jeff, I think I came up with a question: Which fictional character do you think you’re most like/relate to the best/most try to emulate? I’d be willing to think up an answer myself if you want or, if you think the question is good enough to save for a future Sharing Day, that would be cool, but I doubt that I’d be able to come up with a new question tonight.
@worf, thats crazy! Some people have too much time and money but I just want one myself! I wonder if its street legal?
I might be too late (Don’t know). I have never really cosplayed before so I won’t ask a question, but this Halloween I’m planning to go as Kaname Tousen from Bleach. PS The Arrancar version not the soul reaper version, something like this:
http://www.deviantart.com/download/78037518/Tousen_Kaname___Wallpaper_by_cyberrob50.png
I haven’t, but I gotta give props: Once my sister threw a superhero-themed costume party, and this one guy showed up as The Enabler. He had a utility belt circled with Bic lighters and would go around offering to freshen up drinks or give people a ride home, and kept telling people they looked really cool with a drink in their hand.
Not a superhero technically, but Princess Sailor Neptune and elven princess for the Renaissance Festivals with my goddaughter (NOT as Arwen though)! No pictures up, but if you go to a con on the East coast and see a teal haired girl in an evening gown, that’s me!
I’m not much of a costume guy. The closest I’ve come since childhood is telling people I was dressed as a werewolf working the graveyard shift at work, in my usual clothing. The first two years I did that, Halloween wasn’t on a full moon, so I wasn’t supposed to be furry. By chance, the next Halloween was a full moon but I was, if you’ll excuse the expression, sick as a dog. I missed three days and told my friends at work that was because I dressed as a werewolf and then couldn’t drive to work without thumbs. Lucky thing I had an actual note from my doctor. My employers have a healthy skepticism toward absences during drinking holidays. And in this backwater, they all are drinking holidays.
Hi everybody 😀 I cosplayed once, but it was as a character of my own making, so I don’t know if that counts. It was at Animazement ’04 in Durham, where I got glomped by a tiny Chun-Li. Good times. 😀 I’d show the pictures, but I don’t think I ever got them developed, and this was years before I finally bought a digital camera.
Sorry to disappoint, but a question popped into my head a few days ago for you, Jeff: When HeroMachine 2.X’s Expanded version was up, before you got to just play with it online, I bought one of the $20 copies for all those nifty, untouchable items. Money well spent, since it was allowed for a free re-download, but my question is exactly who got that money?
Brad: All the sales went directly to me. Once UGO bought me out, as you know, they made it available free online, so no more money was coming in from that front.
Good one, Myro! I’d love to hear your answer, definitely.
For me … hmm. I think I’d like to be like Jean Luc Picard from ST:TNG. Not just because he’s bald and a stud, but for his manner of treating everyone with respect, while still being strong in himself and being willing to fight for his principles. I’ve always thought he was the purest embodiment of the spirit of the Federation as originally envisioned, and I think that’s a vision worth making real.
@Joel 30: Nice. I’ve wanted to go to one as Aizen for awhile, but I don’t like any of the pre-made outfits you can buy, and don’t have the sewing prowess to make one myself…
The only time I’ve ever dressed up was waaay back in the early 90’s, when I was still in high school. A friend of mine had invited me to go out to a Star Trek convention in Valley Forge, PA. He told me there would be a costume contest, and everyone who was going with us was getting dressed up. For some reason that I couldn’t tell you, I deceided to go as Ghost Rider. I actually wasn’t the only non-Trek costume there, thankfully, but my attempt to do GR was terrible. I couldn’t figure out how to do any kind of substitute for a flaming skull, so I just had this rubber skull mask without any flames.
Jeff, how’s the weather?
Weather’s gorgeous, Dan 🙂 Lows of 50, highs of 87 or so, gorgeous blue skies. It’s good to be a Coloradoan!
Last year at New York Comic Con, I didn’t have a good idea for a costume, so I got a trench coat, a fedora, a tie, and put makeup all over my face so that everything (even my lips) was the same color and I said I was the Question.
http://images.wikia.com/marvel_dc/images/4/4d/Renee_Montoya_Question_1.jpg
Then for C2E2 I just wore a White Lantern shirt because my cousin had torn the boots of my Supergirl costume
http://www.halloweenplayground.com/images/rubies/supergirl-costume.jpg
And, finally, this year for New York Comic Con, I am going as Senator Amidala from Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (yes, I like the prequel trilogy, and no, I would not rather dress up as Leia).
http://images.buystarwarscostumes.com/padme_amidala.jpg
So, my question for Jeff is: what do you think about DC’s new 52? Will you be buying any of them?
Wait, I changed my question!!!!!!!!
I just read that Hawk and Dove has sold out and ordered a second printing. That book is illustrated by ROB LIEFELD. do you have any explination as to how this is possible?
@Spidercow (31): That is truly awesome. I think I’ve found my costume for this year. 😀
Jeff (36):Most want to be like, I’d probably say Han Solo. Because, you know, he kicks that much ass. Let’s go for the Han Solo at the end of Return of the Jedi, the one that’s willing to stand up for an ideal and is loyal to his friends.
The one I’m probably most like is a little more obscure, I’m going with Nitz Walsh from Undergrads. A little more geeky than most guys, but not outrageously so. Loves Star Wars. Can be awkward around girls he’s attracted to. Has no idea what he’s doing with his life. That sounds like me. Also, in one episode, Nitz got a fake ID bearing the name Han Solo, which probably means we have the same role model.
@Myro, gotta love Han. Even as a kid, when the other kids wanted to be Luke, I was always Han. If only my hippie parents would have let me have the toy blaster. 🙁
Hey everybody! Didja hear that? I got to de facto buy Jeff lunch some years ago! Yay me!
But in all seriousness, I’m glad it went directly to you. Your product, after all, so you should be the one who got the sole profits from it. I got some great role-playing characters out of it, and I still use it today when I can’t access HM3. Can’t be online everywhere, ya know.
By the way, one of my nieces in particular still asks if we can get on Hero Machine to this day (she’s 12 now). I think we started on it when she was around 4 or 6, so you sir have definitely come up with something that has major staying power!
I definitely appreciated your support Brad, people like you were the only reason HM2 kept going on and eventually turned into 2.5 and 3.0a!
Zaheelee: The guy can move books, it’s true. I can’t explain it, but I guess anything that helps keep comics going as an industry is a good thing.
Not as an adult, no. But when I was a kid, my Mum made me a Greatest American Hero costume, right down to the insignia(an exact replica, too!) I loved that show.
yes, I used to attend anime conventions a long time ago. I stoped going becuase of the smell when it comes down to it. that and I got married. anyway i have had the following costumes
1) Spike (cowboy bebop)
2) Gohan (dragon ball Z)
3) Dosu (naruto)
4) Cobra Comander
okay so that last one wasnt anime but thats a good thing. wish I could share pictures but I lost them all.
no question from me.
If I ever did cosplay I would definiteely go as Rogue! Why?
I am a big fan of her, both the Fox show version and the goth evolution version. I’ve alway felt that because Rogue often absorbs the memories of these who is unlucky enough to experience her touch, she has a hatred for close physical contact and very crowded spaces like subway trains. As a result when she have to go into places she often cover up from the neck down to the fingertips and toes, in order to reduce the chances of accidently absorbing others’ memories. She also has some emotional problems from her negative relationship with her father, and the fact that her mother disappeared when she was young.
Her inability to control her powers comes from psychological problems and the fact that she keeps putting up mental walls.