Mr. Sandman

Bring me a dream

I had a wonderful weekend this weekend. I spent my time at a costume convention in UBC with a bunch of friends and I can't get over just how much fun I had. Costume conventions get a bad rep because everyone just assumes that the people that go are all Japanese obsessed freaks and weirdos that can't accept reality. Well that perception is quite blatantly false, but why would anyone believe me?

The fascination behind cosplaying/costuming is something that doesn't really exist anywhere else. For me, it is so freeing, to just dress up for fun and hang out with a bunch of like-minded individuals for a good weekend. To become something great just for a few days. Who hasn't wanted that?

Some of you probably have no idea what cosplaying is and it is kind of a difficult thing to explain. It's people creating costumes and props to dress up like their favorite movie, video game or anime characters just for the one purpose of having fun. These people spend hundreds of dollars (some spend thousands) to make these costumes just for a few days of fun with no promise of getting anything in return. It must sound strange to someone who has never done it, or witnessed the scene.

I have only being doing it myself for the past two years, but I have been fascinated by it for years before that. The amount work and attention to detail that people put into their costumes is just great and that one moment where someone recognizes you as their favorite character and they run across a great expanse just to shake your hand or give you a hug is unrivaled.

I feel this explanation is very disorganized and all over the place, I am just spitting out thoughts as they come. Costuming is not a generally accepted hobby, you tell people that you cosplay and they look at you like you have grown a second head and they are envisioning you in bondage gear whipping a furry. There are so many misconceptions about it, it's just easier to leave it unsaid, but what else can I do? I am still excited from the event and am looking forward to the next one!

Anyone that knows me in real life, knows I am a level-headed person, I don't put up with bullshit and girly things make me want to hurl usually. I am not the stereotypical cosplay. I don't have anime intravenously downloading into my brain, in fact I haven't watched any anime in about two months, it's so few and far between for me. I don't wear cat ears, I don't mix Japanese words into my speech and I most certainly don't 'squee' or 'glomp'.

So then you are probably wondering, why do I go to these things? Well reason number one, is because it's like halloween, but better, you can dress up as anything and it's almost guaranteed someone there will know what you are. People with like interests gravitate to you because you dress as something you like and if they like what you like, you are bound to make a friend. Also who doesn't love a little attention.

I don't know how else to explain it or what else to say about it, but I love it. I love the people I meet and creativity and fun involved with the entire scene. So there, my ultimate geeky secret is out.

Me as Chell from Portal 2, Photo by Clint Hay
you can see the photos I took here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150753804660790.724324.710825789

Now that's out of the way, obviously I didn't write much this weekend, but Winter is still underway, 12,000 words in and it's going better than I ever thought it would. I figure I will finish the first draft of Winter and keep putting Rain through CC until Winter is done and then I will start the Rain overhaul and put Winter through CC. It is exciting, I can't wait to share Winter, I feel already that is several times better than Rain and that my experience shines through. It's great.

Alright, I really have little else to say right now. For those of you interested in finding or more about cosplay, I do recommend looking into and watching some clips from the upcoming documentary My Other Me, it truly is fascinating.

For those wondering which con I will be at next, it will likely be Aki-Con in Seattle. Feel free to ask me any questions about costuming and such.