Comics, Cosplay, and Coville

I don't usually like to delve into my personal life on this blog, after all, it's none of your damn business, (and it's never really that interesting,) but sufficed to say I have been having a rough couple of months. Yet, no cloud is so dark as to not let a little light through, (Well maybe a mushroom cloud, but then you have to hide in a refrigerator, and then people get upset...) anyway, the ray of light on my dark days has always been the anticipated arrival of New York Comic Con. This year marked a lot of firsts for me. It was the first time I went to the convention solo and the first time I tried my hand at cosplay... yes I made a costume.

I've never cosplayed before, but it has always been something I have been interested in, mostly the creative aspect of it. Maybe that is why I decided to go with designing a Sith Lord costume as opposed to any sort of recognizable pop culture figure. I was more intrigued with the process of imagination and creation than the process of trying to replicate something that was already out there... Also I got to build a lightsaber.

It all started for me when I got a chance to get colored contact lenses for free and I decided to get red and gold lens, like a Dark Jedi. At that moment in time I had some vague ideas of making a Sith costume, but for the most part I forgot about it and moved on with my life. The idea resurfaced in August, while I was going through some personal problems, as a way to give myself new focus. It seemed like the right kind of ambitious and creative project that could help get my mind off my own issues and build excitement for Comic Con. So I set to work researching techniques on the internet, running material tests, and eventually settling on a design for myself that I thought would be both challenging and manageable.

Various pieces, including contacts.

I won't go into to too much detail of my process, but I will tell you that there were a few times I thought I had bit off more than I could chew, and more than a few false starts. Yet, I kept going and with each new piece my apartment became more cluttered but my vision began to take shape, and it was exciting. I made the costume mostly of craft foam and fabric I bought at local stores. I hand-cut, hand-sewed, hand-dremeled, painted, glued, glossed, weathered, stitched, pinned, etc everything myself. (I was also advised to highlight that I made pouches for my belt, as they turned out to be very useful later on for holding my phone, money, and extra safety-pins.) Regardless, the creation process was a lot of fun, of course after I was done with all of that there is a cold hard realization waiting for me at the end... I had to actually put it on and wear the damn thing through the streets of New York.

So be it, and on that Saturday of Comic Con I woke early, stitched myself into my costume (which took a few hours.) Next I applied the colored contact lenses, (which also took a good hour of crying and cursing.) Finally, I put on a bit of make-up to pale my skin and darken my eyes and I was off to the show.

Perhaps the most surreal experience was riding on the train, a mask half covering my face, wondering what the transit police were thinking. At least I looked pretty fearsome, which worked out pretty well when opening a spot to stand on the crowded train. I don't think I really relaxed until I found myself walking through the streets of New York, my cloak blowing out behind me, lightsaber in hand, and a bus load of scared tourists scrambling to get out of my way. I felt fierce. You couldn't seem my mouth under my balaclava, but I was smiling. Once I made it to the Javits Center I was wholly unremarkable, just one in a crowd of costumed thousands.

Jedi and Sith were not "in" this year, so at least I stood out in that respect and I had a few people who wanted a picture with the newest Darth in town. I saw a lot of Ghostbusters, Batmen, Attack on Titan and other Anime that I have no idea about. (It's not really my thing.) Mostly, though, I was excited for the panels, and although I never got to see Bill Nye, (That damn line was packed,) I did get more than a few surprises. I got to listen to Ron Perlman talk, and I got to learn Dothraki from the guy who created the language for Game of Thrones. I also attended an awesome panel on writing and gaming (and got a few free books for my troubles.) One of the most interesting panels was the Max Brooks' panel where he talked about World War Z and explained how the movie went so horribly wrong from his book. On a whim I sat in on the American Dad panel, (because my feet were tired and I wanted to watch a cartoon,) and though Seth Macfarlane was no where to be seen the panel did get a surprise guest in the guise of Sir Patrick Stewart. I sat ten feet away from the man himself.

Full Costume

However, the best surprise and the moment that is going to stick with me for a long long time was when I sat in on the Sci-Fi Authors Quiz show. The only reason I went in there was because I was trying to get a seat for the panel after that one, and watching four unknown science fiction authors try to answer obscure science fiction trivia was entertaining enough to keep my interest for forty-five minutes. I had assumed it would be a minor distraction and a chance to sit down, at least until they announced the names of the four authors and I found myself staring at Bruce Coville.

If the name sounds vaguely familiar its because you probably picked up one of his books as a kid at those school-run book fairs, Aliens Ate My Homework, My Teacher is an Alien, Jeremy Thatcher Dragon Hatcher, etc. I am not lying when I say that this man was my first (and my most formative) favorite author. I used to read all of his books, and a few more than a few times. I had to buy Aliens Ate My Homework twice because I wore out the first copy. Suddenly sitting before me was the man who taught me that it was okay to be weird and to enjoy reading. Bruce Coville was the man that first inspired me to write, and without warning there he was, right in front of me.

After the panel ended and people were mulling about waiting for the next one to begin I found myself debating if I should risk losing my seat to try and talk with him as he was leaving the room. I didn't want to be that guy, and I had a pretty good seat. Very quickly though I ended that debate with a mental slap. "When was I ever going to get the chance again?" Coville wasn't even supposed to be at the convention. He was never listed as a guest. So I scrambled nervously over to him, which must have been a site to see. Considering I was more than a foot taller and dressed as a Lord of the Sith, I must have looked completely out of place as I meekly reached out and shook his hand.

Also Sgt. Slaughter was there... looking a little less "Yo Joe,"
and a little more like "Yo... let me catch my breath... Joe"

It amazed me that there weren't more people crowding around him to say hello. Instead, I found that I had him completely to myself for a good five minutes. During that time I gushed more than I meant to, apologized for my imposing appearance, and basically told him how much his books had influenced my life. To Coville's credit he smiled and seemed genuinely interested and touched by what I was saying. He even gave me advice, writer to writer. "Never give up." He told me the story of how one of his more popular series sat on his shelf for fifteen years, unpublished. Then he shook my hand and thanked me saying, "You write books and you wonder if anyone will remember them. It's good to hear that someone has." He smiled one more time, we said good-bye, and he walked off. I resumed my seat and for the first time in a while, I smiled myself. I don't believe in signs, but if I did... that was a pretty good one.

Of course there were plenty of other highlights I am glossing over. I got some good deals on shirts and figurines. I got a few free comic books and the usual assortment of other free promotional crap. I got to catch up with Kirby Krackle, (whom I told you about last week,) and see some awesome Nerd Rock at Rock Comic Con, (where I helped carry a stage-diving lead singer of Daenerys and the Targaryens.) I also got to catch up with my friends Sam and Adam, and eat a burger at a dinner dressed as a Sith Lord.

I had been nervous about cosplaying and going to the convention alone, but once again New York Comic Con did not fail to deliver on the surprises, the goodies, and the fun. Even better I got to go home on Saturday and strip myself out of my costume (which also took an hour,) and shed the skin of a Dark Jedi, because I am done with darkness for now. It's time to step back into the light, and my future is looking a little brighter these days.