Phoenix Fan Fest 2015: Cosplayers
by Durrilion
I have always loved costumes. Halloween was a favorite time of year (though not so much with the trick or treating, but that’s another story). When I learned how to sew a whole new world open up for me. After attending my first convention (as a humble attendee) I was blown away by the costumes (or more correctly cosplays) I was seeing. So one of the things I always try to do when on assignment for Video Jouzu is photograph the cosplayers. These talented, hard working, and super dedicated fans deserve some time in the spotlight. To my dismay I didn’t get as many photos as I wanted (everyone was moving so fast, and there were so many people, plus I had panels to attend).
Here are the few pictures I did get of these talented, fun loving people!
Anya Graves, from BurlEscapades was impressive in her version of the Witch Doctor from Diablo 3. Anya and the rest of the BurlEscapades troupe have a ‘Nerdlesque’ show coming up 6 February 2016. Look for them on Facebook for more details.
This young lady agreed to pose for a picture, but preferred to not be named. The ‘Ghostbusters’ will always be one of the best movies from the ’80’s. With the new movie coming out 15 July 2016 hopefully we will see more of this iconic outfit at future cons.
This man’s suit caught my attention from two booths away! I like the unusual, and this outfit definitely fits the bill. My thanks to Mr. Chris Cox for posing!
It’s never truly a convention until you run into Deadpool. Well at Fan Fest I ran into two, and saw a few more that I couldn’t catch. Up first is Batpool, followed by Deadpool Claus and his helper, Combat Elf. The more I learn about Deadpool, the more intrigued I am with him. Who knows maybe one day I’ll have a Deadpool mashup cosplay of my own.
I love a good animated adventure movie and ‘The Road to El Dorado’ is one of my favorites. These two gentlemen looked good as Tulio and Miguel. They seem to capture some of the fun and adventure from the movie. I look forward to meeting them again in the future.
I will always be drawn to the unexpected. By now it must be difficult to come up with a new twist on a fan favorite. Mashups seem to be all the rage, and crossplay is picking up steam as well. During my exploration of Fan Fest I ran into these lovely ladies. They were delighted to pose for a picture. ‘Hannah’ told me she also cosplayed “Antoinette Stark, my friends call me ‘Tony'”. I loved it!
Once again, Arizona based non-profit costuming charity group ‘Heroes United AZ’ is hard at work. At Fan Fest this team of cosplayers took time out of their own fun to help collect toys and food for local charities. I have had the pleasure of meeting several of the Heroes in the past. They are a great bunch, and it’s refreshing to see so many people work to help others. Check out their Facebook page for more information and if you’d like to help.
The Legend of Zelda was one of the first video games I ever owned. My brothers had better luck than I did playing it, but I still have a soft spot for the main character. His name is Link by the way. Zelda is the Princess. This gentleman has, in my experience, one of the best Link cosplays out there. If you know him, let him know I said that, and that I look forward to meeting him at future con’s.
Wearing a cosplay based on a new video game, Cynorme (SIGH-norm) definitely stood out. To check out more of her work go to Facebook and/or Tumblr and search for Cynorme. In the meantime I’ll be wondering what she has up her sleeve. Or should it be sleeves?
My friend Natalie Arvizu looked stunning in her Annie cosplay on Saturday. With her warmth, and bright smile how could anyone not be captivated by this talented cosplayer? Sunday I had the pleasure of meeting her and Itty Bitty Geek. They were both in ‘normal’ clothes so it took me a minute to recognize them. It was so great running into them, and having a brief moment to chat. ‘Natalie Arvizu Cosplay’ is on Facebook, and also instagram (as Narvizu). Itty Bitty Geek can be found of Facebook too.
With so much happening at conventions it’s easy to forget to look around. Luckily I have friends who like to sneak up and say hi. Nicole and Kiba did just that, and it was a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately we were both off in slightly different directions, but Nicole gladly posed for a pic. Kiba I think saw something much more interesting than my camera. It’s okay. Kiba is awesome at conventions, so I forgive him. For more about Nicole check out her ‘Nicole’s Corgi Cosplay’ page on Facebook, and for Kiba head over to ‘Kiba the Cosplay Corgi’ on Facebook as well.
It’s been a year since the last ‘Hobbit’ movie premiered, but love of Tolkien’s novels and the films lives on. I have seen Elves, Uruk-hai, Dwarves, Hobbits, and even Gandalf. Until Fan Fest I had never seen Radagast cosplayed before. This was impressive. My poor little camera failed to capture all of the detail put into this ensemble. Please trust me when I say it was amazing!
The ‘doppleganger theory’, according to urbandictionary.com, states that everyone of us has an identical ‘twin’ some where out in this great big world of ours. Now considering the population of the world, it seems more like there would be hundreds if not thousand of people who look identical, or nearly so. There’s also a myth that meeting one’s doppleganger will lead to a tragic end for either one or the other; sometimes both. Well I met one of mine once, many years ago. I’m still around, and the last I heard so was my ‘twin’ (though that was several years back). I brought that up, because this cosplayer looks an awful like Jeremy Renner. His name is Ron by the way, and his Hawkeye cosplay looked pretty good to me. I’m sure everyone did double takes all day. As far as celebrity look-alikes go, it could be worse. I’ve been told I look like Jim Carey.
AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’ is one of the few shows I still make time to watch when it comes on telly. This group is but a part of The Walking Dead Cosplay AZ. They can be found on Facebook, twitter, and instagram. They love the show’s storyline, and characters. Some of the members have also read the books and comics, so it’s safe to say they know ‘The Walking Dead’.
I first met Jake and Hannah of ‘Magic and Mischief Cosplay’ at Comic and Media Expo. They were ‘Fear’ and ‘Sadness’ from ‘Inside Out’. While at Fan Fest they reprised those characters along with friends, to cosplay the entire emotional cast. Sadly I was unable to get a photo of that cosplay. Luckily the next day I saw them as the cast of ‘Treasure Planet’. From left to right we have ‘Jim Hawkins’, ‘Captain Amelia’, ‘Long John Silver’ (I believe) and ‘Doctor Doppler’.
On twitter I try to post a picture of a ‘new’ geek related t-shirt every Tuesday. So naturally I have an affection for this particular article of clothing. Now make it a ‘Firefly’/’Serenity’/Browncoat t-shirt and I will love it! This two friendly sci-fi fans agreed to pose, though preferred not to be named. Thanks for posing, and I have to track down those shirts. They’re shiny!!!
One of the last photos I took, is by far my personal favorite. It is also my biggest fanboy moment to date! I saw two ladies who looked familiar. Suddenly it dawned on me, ‘The Breakfast Club’! Excitedly I asked for a picture, and they told me they had the rest of the group with them. Well I have to admit it (mostly because there are witnesses – 🙂 ), I practically bounced like a kid at Christmas. With the group assembled, they took position, just like the original cast! A friend of mine said this cosplay team also does the cast of ‘Firefly’. I can’t wait to see that! Meanwhile here’s (back row) Justin James as John Bender, Cole Brandt as Andrew Clark, (center row): Jules Scott as Allison Reynolds, Cassie O’Coyne as Brian Johnson, and (front row): Hannah Nothnagle as Claire Standish.
All in all my brief visit to Phoenix Comicon’s Fan Fest was fantastic! Cosplay is one of the few ‘hobbies’ that is only as expensive as you want it to be. Even on a budget it is possible to re-create the look of a favorite character. It just takes imagination, a little time, and patience. To everyone who stopped for pictures I thank you again! To everyone I couldn’t get to this time, I’ll see you at the next con!
