[Neither Brandon nor James attended this year’s Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo this year, but that doesn’t mean that C!TB wasn’t covering it. We sent our team of unpaid, unrewarded and unappreciated staff to the Expo to soak up the sights, take some pictures and get some interviews. In the first part of his rundown, Ryan Tomko and Cece Wower talk to some great cosplayers.]

The 2013 Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo was held a few weekends ago and, as is becoming tradition, I was asked by my good friends James and Brandon to take a press pass and “do whatever.” I’m not much of a writer, and since all of our requests for guest interviews to the PR Team for the Expo were basically ignored, I fell back on my favourite thing about comic conventions to provide some form of coverage – Cosplayers.

I love that these conventions provide a stage for the nerdiest of the nerds to show off their creativity and passion in such a visual way. Because let’s face it: we are all geeks and nerds at these things, so there is no reason to be ashamed about the fact that you love Sailor Moon so much that you dress your adult boyfriend up as Artemis, Sailor Moon’s cat, in a white, skin-tight bodysuit and make him walk around with you all weekend. (Yes, this was actually a costume we saw at the convention, and no, I did not take a photo of it because it was, umm, gross.)

My beautiful assistant (and fiancé) Cecilia Wower and I conducted the following interviews with some of our favourite cosplayers at this year’s Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo. We set out to create a Top Ten list but ended up with way more material than needed, so our feature will now be split into two Top Nine lists…because who doesn’t love randomly numbered lists?

Please note that I didn’t bother ranking our Top 18, these are simply placed in the order they were interviewed. I do have my favourites of course, but remember my fiancée will most likely read this article too, so I have to be careful…

Without further adieu, here is Part 1:

_____

Ryan Tomko: “I’m nervous; I don’t know what to ask these people. What are good questions?”

Cecilia Wower: I don’t know, just make stuff up.”

RT: “Okay, I can do this!” (Approaches a guy dressed in a homemade Ironman costume) “Hi there, we’re from Comics! The Blog, can we ask you a few questions?”

Ironman: “Oh sweet, I love finding myself in places.”

RT: “Hahah…”

CW: “We’re actually doing a little article on cosplayers here at Comicon this year, so I’ve got a couple of questions for you about your costume. What exactly inspired Ironman today?”

IM: “There’s a number of things, it was just kind of a decision between us.” (Gestures towards his quiet and non-costume wearing sidekick friend) “We were sitting around going, like, ‘okay what could top the Halo suit from last year?’ ‘Well it needs lights, that’s for sure!’ The Avengers, right?”

RT: “Very cool.”

IM: “I wore it for Halloween originally, that was good…I dunno I’ve always loved comics since I was young and I like being…big.”

RT: “…..”

CW: “Tony Stark kind of resonates with a lot of people, right? I mean, he’s got that playboy attitude but obviously this superhero mentality; a guy who’s super super wealthy and can do whatever he wants, right?”

RT: “So how long did it take you to actually wire all these lights and stuff together?”

IM: “Two months.”

RT: “Two months…wow that’s ridiculous.”

CW: “Together?” (motioning to Ironman’s still quiet little buddy)

IM: “Yup. Yah.”

CW: “What is your costume made out of?”

IM: “It’s made out of foam, the majority. All the armour. The helmet is actually made of paper originally.”

CW: “Paper mache, okay…”

IM: “No, not even paper mache, it’s just a paper skeleton.”

CW: “Oh, okay…and these are like Christmas lights? Or like, your own intricate electrical system?”

IM: “Not exactly, the ones in the hands are LED pathlights that I got at Home Depot for like 3 dollars. The chest light is a thermos lid with a piece of Tupperware glued over top…”

RT: “So very highly technical stuff…”

CW: “Are you in the costume contest today?”

IM: “Umm, not officially…”

CW: “So just cosplay, okay. Are you here to see anybody in particular?”

IM: “I was hoping to meet Stan Lee but I thought when they said ticket sales were only online I thought that was only admission, not photo ops.”

CW: “Stan Lee’s panel is free though, so you can always go see that. He’s fantastic; we saw him last year and definitely recommend it.”

RT: “Alright, so what do you have planned for next year’s costume?”

IM: “Next year? Oh we don’t know yet, but…” (inaudible due to some random other fan walking up next to our voice recorder)

Random Other Fan: “Can I get a picture of this year, because that is freakin’ awesome!”

Ryan sees a vision from his past, and bolts over to a busy corner of the convention hall to conduct an interview before they run away:

RT: “Alright, so what are you guys dressed up as?”

Barf the Mog: “I am Barfolomew. Barf…I’m a Mog. Half-man, half-dog…I’m my own best friend.”

RT: “Hahah… (gestures towards the person beside him) …and you?”

Lord Helmet: “And I am Lord Helmet.”

RT: “Lord Helmet, very cool. Did you guys make your own costumes?”

BtM: “Absolutely.”

RT: “Yah? How long did it take you guys to complete these?”

BtM” “Uhh, 8 hours, not counting the failure that we scrapped and started anew…and many hours….”

RT: “Have you guys dressed up like this before at any other cons?”

BtM: “We always dress up, but this has been our best success as far as popularity and quality…this is our best.”

RT: “Cool. Okay, so what’s on the table for next year?”

BtM: “We don’t know, we’ve hit a bar which we don’t know if we can…we can’t do anything modern because everybody does it. Star Wars, Star Trek, that stuff we love it but, we’re talking SPACE BALLS…John Candy! We gotta research and find those iconic movies, classics.”

RT: “Well we absolutely love it, thank you very much for your time.”

Another large crowd gathers around a few costumed con attendees, so Ryan and Cecilia swoop in to ask them a few questions:

RT: “Hi there, do you mind if we ask you a few questions about your costume?”

Wonder Woman: “Yah, sure. Wait, no…I mean ‘No, I don’t mind?’”

RT: “No, you don’t mind…yah, that’s better! Excellent, so first off, who are you dressed as today?”

WW: “I’m dressed as Wonder Woman…”

Hawkgirl: “And I’m Hawkgirl.”

RT: “Perfect! Did you guys make your own costumes?”

WW & HG in perfect unison: “Yes.”

RT: “Wow, how long did it take you guys to make these?”

WW: “Umm, mine was probably about 20-30 hours…hers was…”

HG: “…I would say closer to 60-80.”

Suddenly, out of nowhere, my friend Greg who WASN’T AUTHORIZED TO ASK QUESTIONS stole the greatest question I was totally gonna ask next…

Greg: (Pointing to Hawkgirl’s wings) “How many birds died so you could have that?”

HG: “I don’t wanna know…”

WW: “They were turkeys, so they’re big!”

RT: “You used real turkey feathers for the wings??”

HG: “Yes, I had to special order them from the States to get them…”

Greg AGAIN INTERRUPTS EVERYONE:

Greg: “So you actually had to pluck all of those turkeys?”

WW: “No no, we ordered bags of feathers.”

HG: “Yah, that’d be way too much effort.”

RT: “That’s probably a lot easier, exactly. Have you guys dressed like this before, or do you change it up every year?”

WW: “Every year we try to have a different costume.”

RT: “So do you have something lined up for next year already?”

WW: “Mmmmnot yet. We’re still in the planning stages.”

CW: (Cecilia takes this opportunity to jump in with the technical questions) “The helmets…are they Warbla?”

HG: “It’s Sintra and Bondo.”

RT: “Jeez…very very impressive.

Ryan tells Greg to go home so he doesn’t ruin any more interviews, then spots an adorable pair of kids wearing costumes:

CW: “We’re with Comics! The Blog, and we’re doing a piece on people who are dressing up for Comic Con this year, do you mind if we talk to you a little bit about your costume?”

Doctor Who: “Okay.”

CW: “So why did you decide to dress up as the doctor today?”

DW: “Umm, because I wanted to…and my Dad gave me the idea.”

RT: “It’s a very cool idea! Are you any specific doctor?”

DW: “Umm, I’m the one that’s on right now.”

RT: “Oh ok, so the best doctor…”

CW: “Awesome, awesome…”

RT: “So do you watch the show too? Are you a big fan?”

DW: “Yah.”

RT: “What’s your favourite episode so far?”

DW: “Umm, I don’t know…all of them.”

RT: “What about the ‘Angels’ one?”

(His counterpart, dressed as a weeping angel, finally speaks up)

Weeping Angel: “Blink…” (Based on the tone of her voice, she probably rolled her eyes at me as well…)

DW: “Yah, that one!”

CW: “Did you guys both make your costumes?”

WA: “Uhh, our Dad did.”

RT: “How long did it take you guys to make these?”

DW: “Mine took two days…”

WA: “…mine took three months.”

RT & CW: “Three months?!?”

RT: “Wow…”

CW: “Very impressive…”

Non-costumed Dad: “Umm, a little bit at a time; doing the hair…doing the dress…I kinda half-assed learned how to sew…”

DW: “Mine’s all made out of cardboard!”

RT: “Nice and light, right?” (Turning to the Weeping Angel sister) “And what are your wings made out of?”

WA: “Foam and Model Magic.”

CW: “Model Magic…that’s…intense…”

Dad: “Crayola Model Magic?”

CW: “Ohhh! Oh the CRAYOLA Model Magic, I was thinking of some other product…”

Dad: (Holding up the mask and headpiece so we can see it clearly) “It’s coat hangers with foam core boards sandwiched, and then craft foam. And then this is Crayola model magic. (points out the intricate hair on the mask)

RT: “So are you guys gonna dress up next year? Do you have any ideas what you’ll dress up as?”

WA: “Not sure yet, but I would love to do Legolas still.”

DW: “I wanna be a Dalek next year.”

CW: “A Dalek?? That would be very cool!”

RT: “Well thank you guys very much!”

A very bright costume catches the corner of my eye, so I head over and ask for a quick interview:

RT: “Alright, so what are you dressed as today?”

Samus: “Samus, from Metroid.”

RT: “Did you make this yourself?”

SA: “I did, yup.”

RT: “Wow…how long did it take you?”

SA: “About five months.”

RT: “Five months…okay, and what is it made of?”

SA: “Foam. All foam, the whole thing except for this helmet (which) is made of fiberglass.”

RT: “And how did you get the lights working, like did you need like an electronics degree or anything?” (For some reason I thought that you could get something called an Electronics Degree)

SA: “Well I bought LED strips and I glued them on and I just kinda wired it and…my dad taught me how to solder, so…”

RT: “Well jeez, it’s very impressive! Are you in the costume contest?”

SA: “Yah, I just signed in.”

RT: “Excellent, well congratulations and hopefully you do well!”

A creepy looking costume is walking right towards us, should I stop and ask the wearer some questions or go cower in a corner somewhere? These are the questions that run through my mind constantly during Calgary Expo…the things I do for the readers of Comics! The Blog…

RT: “Alright, so what are you dressed up as today?”

Weird Bird Thing: “Just a combination of whatever I had lying around.”

RT: “Really?? So this is just like from your imagination basically?”

WBT: “Pretty much.”

RT: “Wow, and you had a creepy bird costume helmet lying around?”

WBT: “I actually did.”

RT: “Uhh, ok…have you used it before in anything else?”

WBT: “No, not really. I bought it cause I liked it.”

RT: “Do you dress up every year?”

WBT: “Nope, this is my first year actually.”

RT: “First year, really? Are you getting a lot of attention, or…?”

WBT: “More than I thought…”

RT: “Do you plan on dressing up again next year?”

WBT: “I think I will…maybe an improvement on this one.”

RT: “Very cool, well it’s a great costume! Thank you very much.”

A giant scrum is forming around a group of cosplayers. I elbow my way to the front and get in the way of countless people’s photos, again all for YOU readers:

RT: “Hey guys, great costumes! We’re with Comics! The Blog, could we ask you a few questions?”

Destro: “Let me grab Cobra Commander…”

RT: “Well, we’ll start with you guys and then he’ll come over. First up, who are you guys dressed as?”

DS: “Cobra.”

RT: “Cobra…all of Cobra?”

Baroness: “Yup.”

RT: (Even in my limited knowledge about GI: Joe, I’m pretty sure Cobra entails more than 4 people, but whatever.) [Ed. Note: Without Channing Tatum or Dwayne Johnson there, I’ve literally exhausted all my knowledge.] “Did you guys make your own costumes?”

DS: “Yes sir.”

RT: “How long did it take you to finish these things off?”

Storm Shadow: “I did this a couple hours hung-over this morning…”

BN: “This was about like a week in progress.”

RT: “A week? That’s not too bad. (Turning to Cobra Commander, who has now joined us) And did you make your helmet?”

Cobra Commander: (muffled, since he is still wearing his helmet) “No no, this is all made by friends in the States. It’s all fiberglass.”

RT: “Have you guys dressed up for Comicon before?”

SS: “Yes…I have.”

BN: “NO. My first time.”

SS: “This is her first comic convention (points to Baroness); this is his first time dressing up (pointing to Destro). And HIS costume (points to Cobra Commander) pays for itself. He just shows up at costume competitions as a ringer.”

RT: “Just takes the money?”

SS & CC & BN: “Yup. Yah.”

RT: “Are you in the costume contest this year?”

All in unison: “No.”

RT: “What, why not?”

SS: “Our friend is judging it; it wouldn’t be fair.”

RT: (Shocked by the revelation that Cobra only enjoys winning if the contest is fair and just.) “I guess…yah. Well they’re all excellent costumes. Are you guys gonna plan on dressing up next year then?”

DS: “Oh, absolutely.”

RT: “Are you guys getting a lot of photo requests?”

SS: “Yah…”

BN: “Uhhhhh even before we got here…”

(Suddenly, Cobra Commander rips off his helmet and reveals… he is just a normal person underneath.)

CC: “Whoo!” (Obviously enjoying the blast of fresh air he received as he removed his helmet. Well, as fresh as air at a Comic Convention can be.)

RT: “There we go, now we can hear you!”

DS: “We normally do (this) during the week, so we’re used to it. So, yah….no, I’m kidding…I’m totally…”

RT: “…I was gonna say…”

SS: “I show up like this at bars…”

DS: “People want photos of me all the time…”

RT: “This isn’t paint; this is your face normally…”

DS: “Yah, exactly.”

RT: “Oh ok, well that makes picking your next costume basically just Silver Surfer then.”

DS: “Yah, I’m pretty much just Silver Surfer or Destro, that’s right.”

SS: “Next year he’s gonna show up just his whole body painted silver.”

BN: “OH MY GOD….”

DS: “I’m gonna be the Silver Doctor Manhattan.”

RT: “Well that’s an alternative…”

BN: “Doctor Manhattan!”

RT: “Alright, well thank you guys very much!”

(As I put away my recorder and attempt to take their group photo, the horde around me bumps and pushes me as I click the shutter, causing my one useable shot to be blurry. Stupid karma…) [Ed. Note: Blah blah blah whine whine whine what am I paying you for oh wait]

We spot a girl in a Black Cat costume making her way to one of the exits and stop her before she escapes [Ed. Note: RYAN THIS IS NOT THE RIGHT LANGUAGE TO USE] and start to chat:

RT: “We are interviewing our favourite cosplayers today, do you mind if we chat with you for a bit?”

Black Cat: “Sure! Of course not!”

RT: “Is it going?” (Motioning to the recorder being held by Cecilia who has rejoined the interview team)

CW: “It’s going…”

RT: “Alright, so first off: did you make your own costume?”

BC: “I did, yes.”

RT: “Yah? Wow, how long did this take you?”

BC: “Uhh, probably about two weeks or so,”

RT: “Two weeks, that’s not too bad…”

BC: “Yah, it’s hard with exams, you know? I had finals, so…”

RT: “Wait, which University does Black Cat go to?”

BC: “She goes to the University of Manitoba.”

RT: “Does she?”

BC: “Yah, she travelled here.”

RT: “I have never read that in the comics before, I didn’t realize she was Canadian.”

Greg: (Yes, Greg is somehow back too) “Manitoban, yah!”

RT: “Ok, well I thought New York maybe, but okay, yah!”

RT: “Are you in the costume contest today?”

BC: “I am not, no.”

RT: “Have you ever dressed up before?”

BC: “Yes, lots.”

RT: “Yah? What have you been?”

BC: “Oh gosh…ummm…I’ve been Samus from Metroid; I’ve been Talia al Ghul; Batman…it’s hard to think on the spot! I’ve been cosplaying for years.”

RT: “What got you into cosplay?”

BC: “Oh, I’ve always just been a nerd at heart. Ever since I was little, I played the video games, read comics…it always stuck with me.”

RT: “So as a kid, what was your absolute favourite Halloween costume ever that you wore?”

BC: “It wasn’t even comic related, but I was like, a bat. So I guess kinda Batman-ish.”

RT: “Very cool, so you’re always DC-ish then, or…”

BC: “DC…well, this is Marvel, so…”

RT: “Oh yah, that’s right! I’m horrible…”

Greg: (out of nowhere again) “Way to go…you screwed up…”

CW: That’s TWO! (In reference to an earlier gaff interviewing He-Man and She-Ra)

RT: “I have screwed up twice so far, I am not very good at this.” (I asked He-Man and She-Ra about how their relationship worked being dressed as cousins. Not only are He-Man and She-Ra actually brother and sister, but the couple I asked weren’t even actually a couple. There are many reasons why this interview did not make the final cut…) [Ed. Note: There is also a reason I don’t pay you]

Greg: (really contributing so much to these interviews) “Do you even read comics?”

RT: “I’ve read like FOUR comics, so…and they’ve all been Spider-Man I think…” (Probably too late to pander to the interviewee, but I thought I’d give it a shot.)

CW: “I’m taking away your Comics! The Blog (press pass)…”

RT: “Are you gonna dress up again next year?”

BC: “Yes, of course!”

RT: “Do you have your idea in mind already?”

BC: “Oh gosh, no. It takes some prep.”

CW: “What kind of materials is your costume made out of?”

BC: “Uhhhh…leather? Like a fake-leather. This fluffy, kinda stuff…”

CW: “…Fake fur?”

BC: “Fake fur!”

RT: “Okay, well thanks very much!”

BC: “You’re very welcome!”

After this I told Greg he was the reason I kept screwing up. I had to blame someone…

As we recollect ourselves after seeing Peter Dinklage (!) walk directly in front of us as we waited in line for sodas, another giant robot costume trots by:

RT: “So first off, who are you dressed as today?”

Optimus Prime: “Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots.”

RT: “Very nice. What was your inspiration?”

OP: “Well, one of the first movies I saw as a kid was Transformers: The Movie. The original cartoon, and fell in love with it ever since.”

RT: “Did you make your costume yourself?”

OP: “Absolutely, every piece of it.”

RT: “Wow, how long did it take?”

OP: “This took maybe about three months. Bit by bit, chugging away at it. Trying to get it looking as good as I could.”

RT: “And is this your first time dressing up at Comicon?”

OP: “No actually, I love doing this! It’s one of the funnest things to do. I came as Ironman Mark I a couple years ago.”

RT: “So do you have plans for next year already?”

OP: “Rock ‘em, Sock ‘em Robots.”

CW: (Audible Gasp) “Whoaaaa…”

RT: “So you’ll have to have a partner then obviously.”

OP: “Of course, I’ve got one picked out already. It should be a lot of fun.”

CW: “So what are the most of the materials in your costume?”

OP: “This is entirely cardboard.”

RT: “Are you in the costume contest?”

OP: “I am entered into the costume contest.”

RT: “Excellent, well good luck!”

OP: “Thank you very much, I appreciate it.”

———

And with that, the first part of Fake Geek Boy Ryan and Exceedingly Patient Cece’s Calgary Expo cosplay rundown comes to a close! Tune in tomorrow - that’s a thing you do with the internet, right? You tune it? Am I steampunk? - for the second half, where I’m just guessing Ryan will embarrass himself at least once and Cece will be wonderful as usual. Seriously, Ryan, you struck gold with her.