This year, San Diego Comic Con was the best experience I have had in recent years. Maybe part of that was rooming at the awesome Hilton Bayfront hotel (I pray I stay there next year). But a large part that is that I was able to cover what I wanted to cover. I’m pretty late for putting up our pictures because I went right into another convention after this. On the second day you’ll see amazing cosplay, various video game banners, and of course storm troopers.

But before I show you that, below are pictures from what was almost the experience of a lifetime. My roommate Cricket reminded me of an event (that I almost missed in my email) that was a meet and greet for Kevin Smith. Those that know me, know that for the past 14 years I have sat in Hall H every year to watch him speak (except one year he didn’t make it due to traffic). Every year I hope that my press pass will allow me to score an interview with @thatkevinsmith and I thought this year was it! Unfortunately, the event was poorly organized and Mr. Smith got through about three questions before the event was over. I didn’t even get a picture with him for my Facebook (or to fawn over for the rest of my life). I’ve attached pictures below so you can see the proof of how close I was to the most amazing SDCC ever. Sigh. I have video of the event, but I have to edit it, so that will come later.

Enjoy the pictures from Day 2. I have plenty more to show you from my adventures at SDCC!

Day 2 Cosplay:

On March 15 – 16, the word “momo” took on a completely different meaning as thousands of anime, gaming and science fiction fanatics met on Georgia Tech’s campus in Atlanta for MomoCon 2011.

Since its birth in 2005, MomoCon has quickly become one monster of a convention, with attendance jumping from 700 to about 8,000 people from 2005 to 2010. The reason? MomoCon is absolutely free to attend and offers a cram-packed weekend of all the geekdom you could ever ask for. However, the word “free” also means, “register now” as you will may be caught in expansive lines to get a badge.

Events:

Boredom was never an issue at MomoCon.

With the vast amount of panels, performances and special events taking place throughout Saturday and Sunday, I usually found something interesting to do. Admittedly, I did not get to attend as many panels and discussions as I wanted to, but the webcomic roundtable was hilarious and informative.

After the roundtable, I was able to swing a couple of interviews from special guests, including Carly Dorsey and Charity Youngblood from Overlord Academy and Kittyhawk (below) from Sparkling Generation Valkyrie Yuuki (NSFW at Youtube). Be sure to check them out here!

I also attended a couple more events, including a steampunk music performance. One panel I wanted to attend was a holistic, or entire, view on the past 27 years of the Mario franchise. The impromptu nature of some events set MomoCon apart from other conventions I have attended and constantly fed my short attention span.

As I walked into the GT College of Management building, I noticed a string ensemble playing anime and video game music outside the entrance. I walked inside and there was Goku leading a dance crew in the courtyard. Spontaneous events like these kept me wondering what would happen next.

The vendor room in the Biltmore Hotel was one of the best elements of MomoCon. Lines for the vendor room were exceptionally long on Saturday, so I waited until Sunday to check it out. This was a decision I did not regret.  Sadly, I was unable to take photos of the ornate crystal work and golden chandeliers that lined the ceiling of the Biltmore Ballroom, but most of my friends did not notice these details because their eyes were glued on the merchandise.

Vendors crammed about every corner of the first floor, selling a massive collection of anime and gaming themed trinkets, plushies and artwork. I slapped my hand every time I thought, “Where’s my wallet?”

Gaming:

I was unable to get into any of the gaming tournaments during MomoCon, mainly because the video game room was packed full of gamers competing in Smash Bros. and Marvel vs. Capcom 3 tournaments.

At least 20 standard and LCD TV’s sat on top of tables in this room. Many of the tournament participants were staring intently into the screens, with a crowd of people behind each one’s back.  Some people bit their nails while waiting their turn.

Venue:

When planning for a such an expansive event such as MomoCon, the venue will always be a point of concern. “Good” solutions to fix space issues do not exist when you are dealing with thousands of people, building regulations and a tight budget.

There are a couple of things to note about MomoCon’s choice of venue that helped, and harmed, elements of the convention.  The GT Conference Center and Hotel was one of the most convenient elements of MomoCon. Many con-goers stayed in the hotel, which is attached to the conference center where the artist alley and game rooms were located.

My group was able to get the hotel two weeks before the event, and we were surprised to learn that it was nearby a Publix grocery store and several restaurants.  Across the street, panels and performances took place in the GT College of Management. At times, this venue felt cramped, especially with the amount of people sliding through narrow hallways and blocking passageways.

Traffic flow within the management building was frustrating at times, however, the staff did an excellent job of directing traffic at entrances of the building.  MomoCon made up for some space issues by sectioning off their convention into different buildings. Many similar events would happen in the same building, so a map was usually unnecessary to find panels or other events.

One could argue that sectioning off the convention “sections off the convention,”  however, I never felt like MomoCon was pulled apart by being in three different buildings.

Cosplay:

Cosplay at MomoCon was nothing different from other anime conventions I have been to, however, there was a slight emphasis on steampunk and zombie culture.  One of the most intriguing cosplays I saw was a Sailor Pluto steampunk mashup. I also saw zombie versions of every Final Fantasy VII character ever, as well as a not-so-female Misty from Pokemon.

Scary.

A cosplay battle also took place outside in the GT square, which included an Ash versus Team Rocket Pokemon battle, as well as a photographer versus a troll.

—

MomoCon was a satisfyingly full weekend of gaming, anime and science fiction. Despite some venue issues, the convention was organized and included many panels, special events and live performances to attend.  The word “free” is what most of these con-goers appreciate, and MomoCon is definitely worth the bang for your buck.

You can see all my pictures from the event here.

Luckily, we’re not so limited these days. Women (and men) have costume options covering pretty much every genre – and a few of these can get rather geeky. Your only limitation is your imagination (and possibly a few public decency laws dictated by common sense and an appreciation of the clothed body). Here are a few categories you can choose from – they’re just starters, obviously, but Milanoo has costumes for every kind of geek. (Don’t worry if your hair’s not purple or spiky – their cosplay wig section has you covered.)

RPG Style
A ton of costumes are out there for the JRPG fanatic – especially if you like Square Enix’s Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts series. Try your hand at being Aerith Gainsborough from Final Fantasy VII this Halloween, or, if you’re more into the recent games, dress up as Lightning or Fang from Final Fantasy XIII, or even Yuna from Final Fantasy X. If you’re more into couples’ costumes, you can even pick Kairi and Sora from Kingdom Hearts or Rinoa and Squall from Final Fantasy VIII – a lot cooler than dressing up as salt and pepper shakers. (Milanoo even has faux weaponry for the finishing touch to your RPG look – Limit Breaks not included.)

Other games
Even if RPGs aren’t your bag, you’ve got plenty of other options to go with when it comes to gaming. How about mimicking a classic? Street Fighter, for instance? Check out Chun-Li, Sakura, Ryu and Ken, but you’ll have to learn how to fight on your own (though we don’t endorse that). If you’d prefer to be Dante or Trish from Devil May Cry, you can do that. Or, if you’re looking for something that isn’t nearly as violent, try Phoenix Wright’s Franziska von Karma or Gavin.

Anime
The otaku among us will definitely appreciate MIlanoo’s selection of anime-related costumes. Not only do they carry multiple Sailor Moon senshi uniforms, but they’ve also got costumes from other anime classics, like Rei Ayanami from Neon Genesis Evangelion and multiple InuYasha characters, including InuYasha himself and Kagome. If you’re more into recent series like Naruto, there’s also a full range of costumes that allow you to portray those characters, including accessories that allow you to complete the costume, like masks, wigs and shoes. If you’re not into any of those, there’s always Pikachu (who could have also gone in the RPG section, but the costume is just too cute to leave out totally). They’ve even got school uniforms based on the ones from Azumanga Daiou, which surprised me quite a bit. If you like anime, there’s bound to be something up for sale based on a favorite character.

Movies and Comics
If you’re looking for something slightly more American Geek (let’s be honest, the other three sections were very Asia-inspired), Milanoo’s got you covered there, as well. They have “sexy” versions of a few DC classics, like Batgirl, Robin and Wonder Woman. There are also a few options for the guys, like Spiderman and The Flash. If you’re wanting things from movies, instead, you can go for Anakin Skywalker, Neo (from The Matrix) or even Captain Jack Sparrow (the latter of these gives you an excuse to ask why the rum is always gone). You’ll look like you just walked off the set, especially since there is a “custom” option for a few of these costumes that allow you to have them made to your measurements. There’s no better way to feel like a real super hero.

The Bottom Line
If you want to be something cool and geeky for Halloween and don’t have the time to make your own costume, buying one is definitely the way to go. Even if you do normally make your own costumes, there’s not a pattern for everything (for sale, anyway), and buying the necessary materials can add up quickly – and drain your wallet in the process. If you want fast, easy and affordable – Milanoo should be your first stop.

This post was brought to you by Milanoo.

With Halloween still a little over two weeks away, the clock is certainly ticking to get an awesome Halloween costume in order. But there’s still plenty of time, even for less seasoned costumers looking to enjoy my personal favorite holiday of the year.

For us cosplayers, costuming is a year round activity and while we frequent stores like Joann’s (www.Joann.com) or local fabric stores, and websites like Fabric.com four our creative needs, we still respect that creating your own costume can be daunting and for most people, buying a well made costume is still the best option. I’ve compiled a short list of reliable websites below for anyone looking to buy quality costumes, wigs and supplies for this upcoming Halloween.

HalloweenCostumes.com
http://www.halloweencostumes.com

The quintessential site for anyone looking to buy a quick costume that’s made well for a decent price. I’ve purchased things from them before, and their shipping times were quick as well. They have quite the selection too, including pop culture costumes, Sci-Fi, traditional Halloween outfits and any current trend costumers are looking to sport. (They have several different versions of Lady Gaga available, complete with inexpensive platinum wigs.) This one is great for people who don’t wanna be anything too specific also, and might need ideas still. It’s also ideal for anyone looking for Western culture costumes.

CosplayMagic.com
http://www.cosplaymagic.com/

Cosplay Magic is far more to the point for anyone looking to dress up as a specific character, especially from anime/manga or video games. The costumes are a bit more expensive than the previous reference, but if you just HAVE to be a member of Organization XIII from Kingdom Hearts to go with your friends, this is the fastest way to go about it for those who don’t sew. The costumes are a good quality too, and the site has a HUGE variety to choose from. They also sell pre-styled wigs as well to go with your costume, for all your spiky, anime hair needs. They ship pretty quickly as well, and even sell various jewelry and t-shirts from popular anime and games as well.

Cosplay.com Shopping
http://shop.cosplay.com/

Cosplay.com is still a huge hub for cosplayers everywhere. And while you can’t directly buy costumes there, they have a wonderful selection of very high quality wigs that will last you for years. The new updated site (which used to be called CosWorx) has a variety of Japanese and imported wigs, with very unique colors and styles. Most cosplayers have purchased a wig from them, myself included and the shipping times were fairly quick. While somewhat expensive, the investment would be a wig you could wear for years from now with proper care. (One of my favorite hard-to-find colors available here is the CosWorx Dark Pink.) They also have a special type of foam board, as well as accessories and shoes available, also.

Amphigory.com
http://www.amphigory.com/

Much like Cosplay.com shopping, this site specializes in wigs, but has many other things available also. This includes different types of hosiery, gloves, body suits, leg warmers. It even has sections for hair color, jewelry and an impressive cosmetics selection. The site has a nice array of price options available, for those who are looking for more quality supplies or those who are looking to save money but still buy something decent. Shipping is also fast, and the site even has a helpful little wig styling section too.

CosplaySupplies.com
http://www.cosplaysupplies.com/

This site is HUGE. And as the home page boasts, it has over 50,000 different kinds of products available. The selection is probably the widest of any site listed so far, and includes things like; craft materials such as Wonderflex, props, prosthetics, party supplies, body paint, beads, and pretty much everything you’d need under the sun. Can’t quite find any prosthetic skin attachments for a scar you need? Need a flying monkey on the railing of your house as trick-or-treaters approach? This is the place to go. In addition to having nearly everything… they have nearly everything, including basic costumes and even sewing supplies too. Definitely worth a bookmark for veteran cosplayers and people just looking to have fun on Halloween alike!

Aradani Studios
http://www.aradanicostumes.com/

An extremely awesome, unique site backed by a wonderful team of artists and crafters. Aradani specializes in things like elf ears and horns, but has since expanded into a wide variety of costumes and accessories too. Everything on the site is made from high quality materials, so prices can go pretty high for some things. While I love Aradani and I had to include this link, it may be a bit steep for someone just looking to shop for Halloween. (i.e. they have a full Forest Faun costume complete with prosthetics and hooves that’s amazing and custom made for you, but costs $2,000.) This is a SUPER popular site for those looking for Renaissance Faire attire, also. Shipping times are quick, and if you’re looking to dress up like something out of Lord of the Rings or The Legends of Zelda, you definitely wanna check this site out. It has a helpful “How To” section as well.

Perfect Occasion – Costumes and Magic Emporium
http://www.perfectoccasioncostumesandmagic.com/index.php

The final resource on my list, but certainly not the least. This site not only includes some basic costuming supplies, like wigs, pre-made costumes and body paint, but it has a section for magic supplies and party tricks, too. Cosplaying Roy Mustang? Do you actually wanna be able to snap fire from your fingertips to complete your costume? This is the site for you. It also has a section devoted to costume rentals too, for those who want a great quality costume for only a temporary period of time.

Here’s hoping you all have a lovely Halloween, and hopefully these resources will be to be useful for you in all of your costuming endeavors. Visit us in our forums and post pictures of your Halloween costumes too. We’d love to check them out!

Runes of Magic is opening their MMORPG to Australian gamers. To celebrate, they are having an exclusive launch party at Mana Bar in Brisbane. The party is invite only, so you have to register here.

The event is from 6:30pm to 9pm on Wednesday, October 6th. Developers and the publishers will be there to celebrate with gamers at Mana Bar. There will also be a cosplay competition with prizes.

GamingAngels’s @ponypony spent the weekend at AX, snapping photos, attending panels, and of course, shopping! The weekend started off with a fashion show* by X Japan’s Yoshiki, featuring his latest styles under H. Naoto. The graffiti-meets-goth premiere was followed with an acoustic set by X Japan as they filmed their latest music video, Born to Be Free.* The rest of the expo was spent checking out all the amazing costumes of the attendees, scoping out the video game tournaments and arcade, watching live performances by Japanese pop stars and drummers, sitting in on panels such as the challenges of marketing a Japanese anime DVD, and prowling the exhibit hall floor. After perusing steampunk necklaces, kitty ears, Yaoi novels (primarily purchased by girls :p ) gothic lolita dresses, wigs in all colors of the rainbow, and original artwork, our tired angel was “tied up” in a corset (who knew waists could be that small!) Check out the incredible cosplay in the photoset!

*Don’t have pix of these since cameras weren’t allowed.

Of course, tribbles aren’t the only tempting, adorable thing that graces this convention’s floor. There was the large number of simply cute and adorable cosplayers. Admit it: a 5-year-old dressed up at girl Batman with her daddy is just cute. I don’t have a picture, but take my word on that one. There was also a demo booth of a wii game called Just Dance, and I saw numerous little kids get up there and show us older congoers just how to move it.

Now, for my fellow Magic: the Gathering players, the card Howling Mine should be very familiar. This version of it was $1 per pull, and you were guaranteed to pull at least a rare magic card if not something more. It was quite addicting, and it took about $10 from my wallet. It was one of the first things I had seen during my day at the convention, and it made my day, as howling mine is one of my favorite Magic cards in existence. I found this at one of the many card merchants, and they had all sorts of Magic and Yu-Gi-Oh! cards.

On top of the excitement of that, many game, manga, and comic companies ventured out for the day. I saw the VIZ vendor, and I saw quite a few of the titles they’ve been putting out lately as well as getting to say “Hi” to one of the editors of the Shonen Jump magazine. The Dante’s Inferno demo area had a lot of traffic and tons of people stopping to pose with the statue just inside the area.

One of the unexpected things were the two DC comics giveaways. There were about 20 different comics, numerous buttons, and a comic ring from a series I don’t know, but I’m sure many of you comic fans might know. The line was longer than just about any other line I had seen all day, yet I stood there, with a couple of my friends and a very nice woman named Dee that I talked to about GamingAngels (and how awesome we all are!), and scored my very first comic books ever. I haven’t gotten to read any of them yet, but there’s a giant stack by my desk. I loved getting to see all the fans out and supporting their favorite artists.

Like last year, I explored artist’s alley. I found this booth that sold bead sprites and saw some absolutely beautiful ones. I bought a moogle, a health and mana potion, and a companion cube sprite, just because I absolutely loved the maker’s work. She did a wonderful job with all of them; she even made a foot-high Samus bead sprite. She had very colorful hair ribbons, too, so she was one of my favorite outfits for the day.

All-in-all, it was a very fun day, and I already can’t wait to go back next year!

For those of you familiar with Neil Gaiman’s works, you should recognize these two lovely ladies as the character Death. The shorter girl is a friend of mine, and the girl on the left is a young lady we met and chatted with at the con. To talk about the art of cosplay, let me talk about this for a minute: this is a great, simple cosplay that isn’t hard to pull off. It features articles of clothing that most people will have in their closet. The ankh necklace that my friend on the right is wearing was made out of tin foil just an hour before the con started, so it’s easy things to make at the last minute. I think both ladies very much liked being recognized and all of the photo ops that arose for them.

Most horror fans should recognize these characters. Yes, the picture is blurry, but I think that the epicness and horror of Pyramid Head and his trusty Nurse makes it work anyway. This couple is pretty well-known on the DeviantArt community, and they did a wonderful job pulling off these costumes. I didn’t get to ask, but I’m sure many people wonder how exactly, the pyramid is made. I could only imagine that it’s very heavy. A cosplay like this is great for serious fans of a game or comic that have the time and money to spend to make something as close to perfection as they can. The young woman playing as the nurse did a great job with the torn, messy, bloody dress and bandages. I really must give them props for this one.

Then, of course, we have Con Security… or this lovely Storm Trooper. There were so many of them running around, and there’s even the 501st Legion in San Francisco. These guys (and gals!) were great to see wandering around, posing with people for pictures. I remember a group of young women that grabbed their guns and held them hostage for a few minutes, looking oddly awkward and laughing a little too much. It’s always great to see cosplayers that are really cool and willing to play in character with other con-goers and normal, uncostumed people. I didn’t pose with anyone, but when you see people like the Storm Troopers or the one man dressed up like a taco… it’s kind of hard not to be tempted!

So there we have it. Some of the different complexities and highlights of the cosplayers of WonderCon 2010. Keep a look out for my other con coverage coming this week, and remember to appreciate the hard work these cosplayers put into their work and it’s okay to compliment them or take pictures… but remember to  always ask first!

WonderCon is coming up very quickly! The three-day convention starts April 2 and runs through the 4th at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, CA. From what I hear, the conference is jam packed with amazing talks, cosplay and comics. Top Cow sent us an email that explains what they will be doing at the con, in case you are planning your schedule ahead of time.

Top Cow will be at booth #407 with the following creators stopping by to greet and sign: pencilers Michael Broussard (The Darkness, Artifacts), Nelson Blake II (Pilot Season: Murderer, Magdalena), Sheldon Mitchell (Pilot Season: Stealth, Witchblade Annual) and inker Rick Basaldua (Witchblade Annual). Stop by the Image Comics (#407) booth for signing times.

iCosplay is available from the Apps Store for a promotional price of $.99. A Lite version is coming soon.