Friday, June 27, 2014

Heroes Con 2014 recap

I have been to Heroes Con one time before, back in 1999 when it was much smaller. There were fewer vendors, fewer professionals, fewer cosplayers, and more space to walk around. I went there to help one of the vendors which meant I was attached to a booth and could not go out and walk around the room. Now I have returned (yes, it required 15 years for me to get back) and went this year to enjoy the con.

I have been to several conventions by myself and attended this year with some friends, Brandy and Rob, and this made all the difference. Con going can be fun but here is a secret: It is better with friends. Walking around cons can be fun what with all the cosplayers but it is infinitely better when you are among friends. I suppose there is a life lesson in this.

Heroes ran from Friday morning until Sunday evening. I spent the first day going around and getting the books I brought with me autographed. I call that taking care of the business. When that was complete, I started looking at the artwork. The con was full of artists selling their wares as well as many people selling crafts related to superheroes or comics in some fashion. I bought several pieces of art from several different artists. I will put pics of those up in a later blog.

Late Friday night, my friends came in and so began the better part of the con. Now, as anyone who has been to several cons can tell  you, Saturday is the busiest day of the con. Heroes was no exception. Before making our way to the con, the three of us put on our costumes. Now let me say this. I have only worn a costume one time before. I went as John Constantine to Dragon Con 2013 and it did not go over well. Very few people knew who I was and even fewer wanted pictures. Heroes had a very different reaction to me.

Brandy went as Ms. Marvel and Rob went as Tommy Monaghan (Hitman). Rob went off on his own way so I was Brandy's con buddy for the weekend. My main responsibility was to hold her purse when people wanted photos of her and I was holding that purse a lot that day. I also held it a lot on Sunday when she came as Gambit.


Apparently, I need to go back and take con buddy 101 with remedial purse holding.

Now, as I said, I dressed up as Constantine on Saturday and many people recognized my outfit (unlike Dragon Con) and wanted pictures. That is the good news. The better news is that no one I know took any pictures so there is no photographic evidence of this and nothing will appear on my Facebook wall. One thing that surprised me is the lack of Zatanna cosplays here. Constantine and Zatanna have been a couple in the comics and would make a good couple in a photo shoot. So, of course, the time I come as him, there are really no opportunities for a collaboration.

Now I expected many more people would want Brandy's photo than mine and I was not disappointed. I was happy to step out of the frame so people could just photograph her as Ms. Marvel. Brandy, sometimes, would not have that. "Get in here!" she sometimes said and I, as a good dog, obeyed.

Further proof of my dog status came on Sunday when I was preparing to walk away and she said "Stay!" I stopped and looked back at her with the sad eyes. I moved one step away before she declared "I said stay!"

The big class photo shoot was Saturday and it was a lot of people in a very small space. So I opted out of that. Apparently it grows every year and needs a bigger space.

I learned how to take selfies this year. Brandy taught me and, well, you think it would have been self(ie) explanatory.
Brandy is the pretty one and no, her eyes are not normally that color.

Thanks to Rob, I now know what brimping is. I also took a photo of it.

Valerie Perez was there as Wonder Woman. She has a great WW outfit.


I finally got to see DJ Spider as Rogue and Halo, cosplays of hers I have wanted to see for some time.











Also, got to see Brandy as Gambit, also a want of mine.


Charles Vess had Stardust statues for sale at a ridiculously low price. I now own a Stardust statue.

As always, there were a lot of fantastic cosplays on display and many cosplayers acknowledged each other. One guy dressed as Thor even gave me a head nod. I shall always cherish the memory of that.

Richard Case was there. This means a lot to me since he was the artist on my favorite run of "Doom Patrol" (written by Grant Morrison). I know have some original Richard Case art. You cannot hear it, but I am squeeing in joy.

So, overall, I am glad I came. Would I go back? Absolutely. Will it be another 15 years? Hope not. .









Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Heroes Con 2014 photos

Stephanie Buscema
Ashleigh Arca
Courtney Arkham (Z)


Kathy Taylor

Danger Zone Cosplay


Bailie H. and Jon Salyer

Laura Angell

Sophie Scruggs

Valerie Perez




Pepperbots Cosplay

Ja'Mez


Robert Smith



Moony
Amayuh Grayston



DJ Spider
Xio Sosa
Oro Munroe

Lady Melancholic






DJ Spider


Riddle's Messy Wardrobe

Deanna Cooper





Lucid Cosplay



R. Gibson as Hitman





























Amberle Linnea















Valerie Perez










Riddle's Messy Wardrobe






DJ Spider










Deanna Cooper








Lucid Cosplay