For me, San Diego Comic-Con is a sensory overload. A sensory overload of awesomeness that is! It’s only now (a week later) that I’m starting to process everything I saw and experienced. Whew! Here are some of my highlights from the con!
Cosplaying as the Millennium Falcon
When I decided to make my Millennium Falcon skirt, I had no idea what a challenge it’d be. It was one of the most difficult craft projects I’ve ever worked on. During the construction process I began to worry…would people think I’m crazy for wearing a foam starship around my waist?! I put those thoughts aside and kept plugging away, hoping that it would all come together. Amazingly, it did! When I hit the convention floor, I couldn’t believe the response. It was overwhelming! Since the convention, my skirt has been featured on some sites like Bit Rebels, io9, Technabob, & On Wednesdays We Wear Pink! I’m so thankful that everyone got a kick out of my “hunk of junk”. <happy R2-D2 sound> To read more on how I constructed my Millennium Falcon skirt, check out my post on The Star Wars Blog!
501st Legion Photoshoot
The 501st Legion is a group of talented people who create screen-accurate costumes. In the words of it’s founder Albin Johnson, the 501st is, “a worldwide costuming club that dresses in costumes of the Galactic Empire and associated ‘bad guy’ characters.” They also organize and attend charity events in costume which makes them even more awesome! Every year at Comic-Con the 501st members come together to do a group photoshoot. This year I was invited to check out the shoot by my dear friend Elton Hom (who is also a member of the 501st). He knew I’d be cosplaying as Miss Death Star that day so he thought it’d be fun if I stop by. Seeing so many of my favorite Star Wars characters (Stormtroopers, Tusken Raiders, Darth Vaders, etc.) all in one place was a little mind-blowing.
Miss Death Star & Tatooine’s finest!
The details and craftsmanship on their costumes were like nothing I’ve ever seen before. They looked straight out of the Star Wars films! Not to mention all the 501st members I met were so incredibly nice and a lot of fun to hang out with!
Photo via TK 6682
I even had the honor of meeting the Supervising Director of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Dave Filoni!
Photo via Elton Hom
I didn’t think the day could get any better until the members let me photobomb their group shot! UH-MAZING. I swear I had to pinch myself and ask, “is dis real life?” Thank you guys for letting me crash the party!
Photo via Lesley Farquhar
Fun fact: I didn’t want to be late to the photo shoot so I had to be driven to the convention center in costume. Only problem is, I can’t sit down in the Death Star skirt! Instead I had to crouch down on all fours in the backseat of my car. I can only imagine what onlookers must have thought as we drove by!
Her Universe “Geek Girl Trendsetters” Panel
I’m obsessed with the Her Universe clothing line. They make some of the best geeky (Star Wars, BSG, Doctor Who) clothing & accessories for women. Thanks to Her Universe, I don’t have to shop in the little boys section or alter an oversize tee to have a cool, geeky t-shirt. So when I heard Her Universe and Ashley Eckstein (the creator of Her Universe) were hosting a panel at SDCC, I knew I had to go! The panel was called “Are You A Geek Girl Trendsetter?” and included a fashion show/contest where fangirls could show off their geek chic outfits. I wasn’t sure if I would enter the contest but after some encouragement from friends, I put on my Millennium Falcon skirt and headed to the panel. I was immediately relieved when I saw the lovely Amy Ratcliffe and my favorite cosplayer Victoria Schmidt, who had both entered the fashion show as well.
Amy Ratcliffe (@amy_geek) wearing an R2-D2 inspired skirt
Victoria Schmidt (@scruffyrebel) in her Dr. Who inspired ensemble
I also saw my friend and hero, Bonnie Burton! Bonnie is the author of The Star Wars Craft Book and she’s the host of Geek DIY, a new craft show on Stan Lee’s YouTube channel. (You gotta check it out! It’s so much fun to watch.) While waiting with the other 24 contestants, I admired everyone’s outfits—there were decoupaged accessories, a parasoled Captain America, a dress made from Star Wars bedsheets and even R2-D2 inspired shoes. Here are some of the fabulous creations I saw:
Super Mario Bros. Piranha Plant cocktail dress by Lindz
Amy’s hand-painted R2-D2 Tom’s
Geek girl trendsetters
I always love Amanda Jean’s geek chic style!
Amanda’s lil’ Chewie hair clip!
Star Wars dress & purse made from vintage bedsheets!
The judges for the Her Universe panel were: jewelry designer Tarina Tarantino, senior buyer for Hot Topic Ed Labay, social media manager for Hot Topic Courtney Lear, actress Jaime King, actress Clare Grant, and author/geek extraordinaire Bonnie Burton.
We all modeled our geeky ensembles and shared our inspirations for our outfits. As each girl showed off her creation, I was in awe of the talent and craftsmanship that went into each design. So imagine my surprise when I took 1st place! I was totally shocked and completely honored that the panelists liked my Millennium Falcon skirt. Squee!
The Top 6 Finalists
Not only did I win a bag full of Tarina Tarantino jewelry and giftcards to Michael’s & Hot Topic, I even got to be interviewed for MTV Geek!
Me with Ashley Eckstein & Cat Taber!
The whole experience was surreal. Getting the chance to meet Ashley Eckstein, Catherine Taber (voice of Padme Amidala on The Clone Wars) and so many talented, crafty gals at the panel was definitely a highlight for me.
This year’s Comic-Con was more exciting and memorable than I could have ever imagined. My only regret is that I didn’t get to check out more panels! However I met some great new friends and reconnected with some of my old friends too.
One of my best friends, Stephanie Thorpe!
I’m so grateful to be a part of a community that is fun, supportive, and inspiring to be around. If you want to see some of the photos I took at this year’s con, check out my cosplay roundup on The Star Wars Blog or my album on Flickr! Thank you SDCC! I can’t wait to see what’s in store for next year!
