Saturday, March 9, 2013

Saturday Steam: Epbot Reader Costume Gallery!

In one week I'll be at MegaCon here in Orlando, glowing it up as Lady Vadore. EEEEEE!! I know I've worn the mask and corset twice now, but I'm still ridiculously nervous. And excited. I'm, like, nerv-ited.

I've been making minor adjustments to my costume this weekend, from replacing my tusks (how often do you hear a girl say that?) to jazzing up my cane. I've also added a small microphone and speaker, so maybe I can shout less and be heard more this time. :)

John and I will be at the con all three days, so feel free to tweet me if you'd like to find us to say hi. I'm still working out which day I'll be in costume, but I'm hoping it will be the latter half of Saturday, so I can see Wil Wheaton's panel in the morning. Depends how well I can manage to truck the costume in and change there at the center. I need John's help to get into the corset, so THAT should be interesting. (My kingdom for a companion bathroom!) Anyway, I'll be sure to bring plenty of Epbot and Vader-riding-a-My-Little-Pony pins, so just track me to down to claim one!

Since I'm working on *my* costume, I thought it'd be fun to show off a bunch of *your* costumes for today's roundup. These are all Epbot readers, and I believe everyone here made and/or assembled their costumes themselves, so this should be great costume inspiration as well as a fun way to put faces with a few of your fellow readers.

Heeeere weeee gooooo!


Let's start off with Caitlin S. and her guy at Otakon:


Love it. Love it all.


And Signe A. as a steampunk Jedi:



Adam H. with two of his mates in Salem, MA:
Aw yeah, men in goggles. Am I right, or am I right?


My iPhoto just ate the name of this file, so I'm not sure which of you lovelies sent it in. Sorry! Still, I have to show you these amazing back packs:

 I'm especially smitten with the clockwork wings. WANT.
(Again, let me know if this is you!)

[Update: Helen tells me that's Joe Hernandez of Penny Dreadful Productions, the steampunk production group I've admired for years. Still not sure on the winged lady, though!]


Julia C. not only made herself an entire steampunk Wonder Woman ensemble:


She also made costumes for her entire group!

That's Green Lantern, Hulk, and Wolverine with Julia, and she tells me she was sewing for weeks to get all the costumes ready.

You've got to see all the detail on Julia's chest plate, though - it's my favorite part:

GORGEOUS.


Here's Carrie R., looking dapper:


And Amanda G. as a steampunk Riddler!

Photo by iM photography


I would wear Allison O.'s costume all day, any day - convention or no!

LOVE. 
I'm such a sucker for poofy skirts and boots.


Scott N. makes a deeLIGHTful steamy Buzz Lightyear:
 SO AWESOME.

And check out Jessica W. as a glammed up Captain America:
She even painted that parasol herself!

Keila K., looking sweet:
...with a gigantic gun strapped to her back. Hee!

In fact, let's take a closer look at that gun:
Niiice. I'm digging that leather detailing!

Ok, just a few more:

Here's Kristen B. and her hubby at their very first convention - a steampunk convention!
She put both outfits together, and check out the sweet hair piece she made, too:



Meagan W. makes a kick-ass steampunk mechanic:
Mrowr.

And finally, here's Sjöfn, whose name is beyond awesome even though I have no idea how to even BEGIN to pronounce it:

I love her costume to death, but I think I love Sjöfn's pose even more. SO CUTE.

Well, I hope you enjoyed, and that this helped any of you looking to make the leap into steampunk cosplay yourself!

*******

Ah, but wait, I have one more thing to share!

Part of the reason I'm sprucing up my Vadore costume is because after MegaCon I'll be shipping it off to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where it will be placed on display in a museum for the entire summer! (I KNOW, RIGHT?!) 

The Sawyer Home, part of the Oshkosh Public Museum.

Being asked to be part of an exhibit like this was a huge honor, and I can't even tell you how excited I am.
Anyway, I mention this because the museum is looking for more rayguns and steampunk accessories to include in their exhibit, so they've asked me to help spread the word. "Accessories" include any and everything from goggles to USB drives to masks, bags, or flasks. Shipping will be reimbursed by the museum, and your item will be returned after the exhibit closes in September. The museum will credit you with a plaque next to your item, so you makers out there could see this as a form of free advertising. (I believe they'll credit websites, as well.)

If you have something you'd like considered, e-mail a photo of your item(s) to Mike Breza, the museum's assistant director. (He's a cool guy. Tell him I sent you.) His e-mail is mbreza [at] ci.oshkosh.wi [dot] us.

Ok, NOW I 'm done. Happy Saturday, everyone!

30 comments:

  1. Well, that settles it, I have to go visit my family in Wisconsin this summer so I can go see your costume. Woo-hoo! And fabulous costumes, fellow Epbotters!

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  2. Jen! Order a pop-up changing tent for the Con. I bought one last year for Dragon*Con and I'm glad we had it. We kept clothes changes in the car and just popped up the little room in the parking garage next to the car. It then folds up and tucks back in the car. I bought a Sqivvy but there are many brands.

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  3. !! What an awesome gallery to wake up to! :)

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  4. as a corseter I know they can be a challenge at first, but if you practice once or twice by yourself before hand, you'll likely be able to put it on alone. There's all kinds of tutorials out there on how to do this, but there are a few techniques ranging from using door handles or your elbows to pull the laces. I use the door handles technique to lace up an overbust and the elbows technique to lace up an underbust alone. They truly work and it's great to be able to lace up without help!

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  5. SO much fun!! I especially love the Steampunk Buzz Lightyear (fabulous!) and Meagan's steamy (oh yes!) mechanic, but they're all great. And your costume in a museum- that's awesome!! Congrats on that, I think a trip to that museum will be on the to-do list of many Epbotters.

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  6. So that means you'll have to come up with a different costume to wear all summer, hmmm? ;)

    Suggestion on the corset issue - Can you not just wear it, then add the rest of the costume on later? Corset, skirt, boots, light jacket... lol Hell, you could wear bot the corset AND the boots for the costume, then all John would have to carry after you change is the skirt and jacket... ;)

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  7. OMG! I'm 2 hours from Oshkosh! Sweet!! Time to plan a Saturday day trip...

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  8. Would Sjöfn be pronounced Shaun? I had a teacher a few years ago named Sjon, and his name was pronounced Shaun.

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  9. Jen, the guy in the fourth picture is Joe Hernandez. I went to high school with him - years ago!! He works making props and sets with Penny Dreadful Productions. He has also been a zombie in The Walking Dead since the very beginning. He has several scenes in just about every episode in the first season. Joe is an amazing guy and he's unbelievably talented when it comes to making props and costumes. I was thrilled to see a pic of my friend on your blog!! How cool!

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  10. Ooh, we're going to Wisconsin in July -- and Oskosh is less than two hours away from Wausau! I may have to visit Lady Vadore... (I'll be happy to give her any messages you like...)

    ALl these costumes are fantastic!!!

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  11. i live an hour away from oshkosh, and go in that direction a lot. any idea of the dates of the exhibit? maybe i can get some photos for you!

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  12. I live only 2hrs from Oshkosh!!! I know what my family is doing for vacation this summer!!! What a great way to introduce the kids to steampunk!

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  13. Your Lady Vader costumer is amazing. If I were closer to you, I would go to a con, just in the hopes of seeing you!

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  14. Everyone's costumes are lovely and beautiful. It's amazing to see what amazing things people can do! Steampunk Buzz Lightyear is my favorite.

    Congratulations on your museum invite!
    (Also, I'm so flattered and honored to be included. Our first convention and first cosplay, so it was a lot of fun. Thanks for making my night, Jen!)

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  15. Oshkosh?!? I live near there! I can meet Lady Vadore; if not in person, at least in mannequin. Honestly Jen, you should have made a tour stop in central/north WI. We get the shaft when it comes to tours. At least one of your greatest creations is coming!

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  16. Jen, look around the convention location for a family bathroom, which is a euphemistic name for one where either a disabled person can be assisted in doing their business or moms can take their little ones to change them. They're pretty much mandated under the ADA these days, so just ask a convention staffer and I'll bet you'll be able to find one. Whether or not it's conveniently located is another issue -- as I learned when I was in a wheelchair after surgery for a few months, sometimes the accessible bathrooms may be accessible to get into but not necessarily to find!!

    And your Lady Vadore costume is so fantastic, I'm not surprised it's being put on display. You and John are incredibly creative AND talented!

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  17. These are all great! I have a friend from Oshkosh and he goes home a lot, I'll have to tell him to go check the exhibit out! I have another friend living in Wisconsin now so I'll have to let him know too :)

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  18. Since I also live in WI, I might have to make a trip up north to see your costume in person! It would be cooler to see it on *you*....but since that isn't likely, I'll take the next best thing! Very cool Jen!!!!

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  19. Whoa. Never thought I'd see my hometown (Oshkosh) mentioned on here! Congrats! If I make it home, I'm going to check it out, for sure!!

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  20. I used to live just a few miles from Oshkosh, and the Sawyer Home was one of my favorite places. The architecture, of course, is incredible, but as a small museum, they always have nothing but amazing collections. Your costume will fit right in!

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  21. I think we'll be there on Sunday only so I might miss out on getting another photo with Lady Vadore. :(

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  22. I'm so excited about MegaCon this Saturday! The panels are going to be awesome. I will definitely tweet you guys up. I'll be crossplaying as the Fourth Doctor and a friend of mine will be the Tardis. My hubby will play the part of handler for the day. :) Hope to see you there and see your Lady Vadore costume in person! Save a button for me!

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  23. Jen, will you be attending the Steampunk World's Fair in (I think) New Jersey / NYC this year? It's one of those places, just not sure where exactly, but I know it's May 17th! I am considering going for the first time, but I was wondering if you had any thoughts on that particular event?

    Nicki

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    1. I don't like traveling that much, so no plans right now for any cons farther away than Georgia! I believe the World's Fair grows every year, though, and seems like a great event. If you do go, be sure to share pictures!

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  24. That Buzz is so cute! Love all of the creativity in these costumes. And thank you for the museum info! I've send off pics to see if they're interested in my mechanical arm.

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  25. So excited about your Lady Vadore costume being featured at the exhibit, that's amazing!!! Also totally loving all the steampunked super heroes, especially Wonder Woman!

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  26. I do hope I'll get to see you in your Lady Vadore costume and get a picture with you. Me and my hubby will be there Sunday as Nyan Cat and Tacnayn. This will be my first Con so I'm kind of excited and apprehensive at the same time, lol!

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  27. I found how to pronounce Sjöfn: http://www.forvo.com/word/sj%C3%B6fn/ Icelandic is crazy (I mean that in the best way possible!).

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  28. Yippee! I'm catching up on your blog and I live in Wisconsin! I can't wait to make a day trip to Oshkosh to check out the exhibit!

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  29. All of those costumes= way too cool for school.

    Awww! I saw this post way too late! *Sad face* Only one day left until the exhibition in Oshkosh ends. Dang it! That would have been so freakin' cool...

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