Friday, July 30, 2021

MetroCon 2021: Cosplay, Dancing, & Coming Home Again

I am SO EXCITED to share all the fun and pretties with you from Metro last weekend, bots, but first, quick moment of realness: I'm concerned about con season this year. Especially here in Florida and Georgia. As of today John and I don't know if we'll be attending the rest of the conventions on our schedule, which has us pretty torn up. We want to be smart and safe and protect our loved ones, so just know if we do attend any more cons this year, it will be with every possible precaution.

I'm also happy to report that Metro felt safe. They required vaccination cards for anyone who didn't want to wear a mask, so the bare faces in the crowd were actually nice to see. Plus I know some - perhaps many? - of the mask-wearers were vaccinated but chose to wear masks anyway, like our group.

All that said, let's jump in to some happy:



Here's a compilation of all my Stories from the weekend, a few have loud music near the middle, so watch your volume. If you're on a desktop hit the fullscreen option so it's not so tiny.

(That incredible mushroom fairy at the end is @aundi_lanea, and I was *this close* to going Awkward Fangirl and asking her to be friends with me. :p)

In addition to shopping and dancing and just taking it all in, John and I also brought our trusty flash rig out for a few hours, so prepare for some PRETTIES. Woot woot!

Let's start with the incredible cosplayer I ended my Stories with, Duy Truong:



Duy always blows us away; he specializes in DRAMA and making jaws drop. I couldn't light the whole skirt with the flash, so go back to my video to see just how enormous it really is.

Look at all the details on the jacket. Look at them:



::swoon::

I almost tossed this next photo, but the more I looked at it, the more it became my favorite:



There's something about the stream of people in the background ignoring us that feels so surreal, and the visible flash gives it a behind-the-scenes vibe. I dig it.

There's a lot of Lolita fashion at Metro, and I'm a fan. Give me all the ruffles and sweet pastels!


Stunning.

And here's a Lolita Diva from Overwatch:




So cute!

I found an Ash from Overwatch, too:



Er, don't expect me to name all of these characters, though. Metro always reminds me I need to watch a lot more anime.


Feel free to tell me who I'm missing in the comments - and while you're at it, tell me if I should watch the shows they're from. (I just started My Hero Academia again; I've only seen the first season, but really like it. Hoping to get John to watch with me now that I'm starting over.)


Raven and Beast Boy from Teen Titans:


I always chase colorful makeup when we have the flash out; the colors practically GLOW in this light. That's actually with the green toned down on Beast Boy.


Do you read Lore Olympus? It's a webcomic that Google tells me is about to become a graphic novel, sweet!


Google also tells me this is Persephone, Thetis, & Minthe - and is it just me, or does Minthe TOTALLY look like Jennifer Aniston?

Had to get close-ups of all three:



Also let me apologize, ladies, for calling you by your colors instead of your names. I try to know character names, but I've been slacking lately.



(Cosplayers: @MeghanShort & @polychromaticos)


If you remember my black-out photography from Before you know I usually paint out the backgrounds completely, but this round I erred towards leaving more in. I kind of like a shadowy suggestion of the background; it reminds you we're not in a portrait studio.



::blank stare::

Well I know it's Star Wars. Anyone want to tell me if there's a canon Hyena character?


Another thing I love about cosplayers; they're FAST. So happy I found a Loki from Loki (heh), check out the perfectly raised eyebrow:



I immediately yelled, "YAAAS! THE SMIRK!" and we both cracked up. Good times.

Then I spotted a Sylvie!


So good.

I think I had a picture of this character in my Story video, too, but the colors are vastly better with flash:



Trying to keep myself together over here, but y'all, I'm so happy to be sharing cosplay pics again. This is the closest I get to feeling like an artist, and I've missed the whole process, from chasing to editing.


I mean, come on. Look at those colors, the details, the shading!


Fire Lord Zuko from Avatar, The Last Airbender:


Then I found a younger Zuko with Mai and Zuko's sister Azula:


(Azula: @tsukiemblem)

Several cosplayers incorporated masks, including my friend (& FOE) Traci here as Astrid from How To Train Your Dragon:


Check out the matching metal studs in her mask. NICE.

One more, 'cuz she looks super badass:



We caught these next cosplayers coming out of the food line, but they happily put down their snacks and busted out the BEST pose for me:



Jester and Veth from Critical Role! And Veth is wearing button bracers. EEEEE! Veth is a halfling who used to be a goblin who collected buttons, so not only is this a great callback, she even stooped down to be halfling height. LOVE.



This Aziraphale from Good Omens has wings that open/close! You can just see the ring on their finger; there are two cords that lift the wings.


No idea on the character, but soooo adorable.


Pretty sure this is a take on the evil queen from Snow White, but Google has failed me:



Her crown has a knife through a heart, and the dress and underdress are just stunning:



And while we're talking Characters Jen Doesn't Know, here's another one:



SO COOL.


Back to ones I recognize with Princess Peach from Mario Brothers, geisha style:

Her wig was perfect. The dangling flowers!

 Zombie Cap, 'cuz why not:

Usually pics with outstretched hands don't turn out, but I like how his hand is in shadow with the light on his face. Nice and creepy, aw yeah.

Then here's his brother as Spider-Man:

It is SO FUN when cosplayers give me dynamic moves like this.

Which reminds me:



My back hurt just watching her do this. She dropped super low, too!

Back to superheroes with Captain Carter:

Yaaaaaassss.

And Scarlet Witch:

With another excellent smirk.

I have more I didn't post here, so check out my MetroCon Flickr album for the rest. Cosplayers, as always feel free to download & re-post my photos of you: I do all this for free and for fun. Also tell me in the comments if you'd like me to tag/link to you!


I'll leave you with one last pic of our personal posse. That's Arielle, Traci, and Bianca behind John, and I highly recommend being friends with all of them. A++ would drag around a convention floor again.


Also can my man pose for a photo with flashes or what.


Love y'all to squishy pieces, go be weird this weekend, k?

::MWAH::

*****


P.S. If you like the silly stuff I do and capture here on Epbot and want to help fund the fun, you can support me through Paypal! Whether it's a one time tip or a monthly donation, every little bit helps me and John keep pouring our time and hearts into this little corner of the internet - so THANK YOU.


25 comments:

  1. I'm pretty sure the Cosplayer all in red is Alastor from Hazbin Hotel. So far, it's a single episode on YouTube, but I believe is in development for a full series. It's fun, but rather on the adult side of things with theme and humor.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazbin_Hotel

    https://hazbinhotel.fandom.com/wiki/Alastor

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Also, it's SUPER GREAT to see your Costume/Con photography again! <3

      Delete
  2. Confab with other Star Wars fans and that one might be a punny cosplay for Hyena-class Droid Bomber https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Hyena-class_Droid_Bomber

    ReplyDelete
  3. It's so exciting to see your convention coverage again. Your photos, as always, are spectacular! Thank you for sharing them.

    The Angel character under the Evil Queen is Angewomon from Digimon - I knew watching hours of it after school would be useful in the future ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I knew she seemed familiar! My husband showed my oldest Digimon way back in 2013-4, she loved it then but none of us have watched it in years.

      Delete
  4. The dangling flowers on Princess Peach's hair are called kanzashi :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. The catgirl in the pink dress is Mew Ichigo from Tokyo Mew Mew.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ama-Con in Texas is a go, but the vendors and many contests are outdoors. Masks are encouraged for the indoor events (gaming and dance).

    TXRed

    ReplyDelete
  7. The one in blue with the poisoned apple is from the Twisted Wonderland Disney game from Japan. It's kinda a battle/rhythm game. All the characters are based on Disney villains, and sorted into houses a little like HP. Don't think it's available in the US yet?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I thought it looked like something from Descendants, but didn't look much like Evie. Interesting sounding game!

      Delete
  8. All these interesting cosplay photos..... and then there's John. :p

    ReplyDelete
  9. Starting off my weekend and feelin' stoney, enjoying the costumes (so much anime I don't know), scrolling down and YIKES! WTF IS THAT?! That Hyena mask is some uncanny valley shit, but canid. Once I recovered, I was/am in awe of how well made it is.

    Your Pal,

    Storm the Klingon

    ReplyDelete
  10. The blonde under Spider-Man is cosplaying as Dio from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure - and yes, that is one of Dio's signature poses

    ReplyDelete
  11. Of all the things the pandemic took away, when life narrowed down to staying home… I miss conventions/cons the most. So so happy reveling in your pictures! Also amazed at all the comments above, with all the knowledge of all the characters!

    ReplyDelete
  12. My guess is the hyena isn't anything specific, but just a fursuiter having an excuse to wear it. The fandom has suffered rather badly due to a lack of conventions the past year and a half.

    ReplyDelete
  13. The one with the angel wings and head dress is Angewomon from Digimon!
    Great photos as always :D

    ReplyDelete
  14. Zombie Cap is actually comic book canon (from an alternate reality and an Army of Darkness crossover) and soon to be seen in the new "What If..." series on Disney.

    ReplyDelete
  15. To address your concerns about attending cons:
    People who have been vaccinated ARE getting sick with Delta variant. They are not getting AS sick, so needing oxygen and pneumonia rather than respirator or death. Which is the actual goal of vaccinations.
    So if you are vaccinated, and are not in a high risk group, and wear your mask at all times while in large indoor groups, and wash/disinfect your hands frequently then going to a con can be relatively low risk.
    This is the kind of math that everyone has to calculate for themselves. CDC and governments have to make blanket recommendations or restrictions based on a lot of considerations, including political and economic pressure. We as individuals can figure out our level of risk and our comfort level with particular situations.
    Preliminary studies on Pfizer vaccine indicate we may benefit from boosters down the road a bit, and if those become available I would strongly recommend them after discussion with your provider and depending upon which vaccine you got.
    Thank you for the wonderful photos and video! Glad you guys got to get out and do your thing.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I take care of my 95 year old mother, so I can't get out to cons. I love going vicariously with you guys! Adore the craftmanship and just the joie de vivre of everyone!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good for you Travelgrrl, you'll always treasure the time with your mom. and think of all the con crud you escape! take care of yourself.

      Delete
  17. Makes my heart so happy to see these photos, sharing your fun and art with us. I am ambivalent about how much 'normal' we can return to, but I won't lie - this is a delight. Soon we all-who-want-to will be dancing again, even if not now. I hope you find the right balance between fun and safe and stay well.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Wow, that Zombie Cap makeup is amazing! And I love seeing Zuko getting some cosplayer love.

    ReplyDelete
  19. are you coming to Megacon this month? I'll be working it, just don't know where and what I'll be doing.
    :-D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We have paid for hotels & acquired press passes for Mega, so definitely hoping/planning to be there! We could easily cancel, though, since we're watching the numbers of infected and definitely feeling concerned. :/

      Delete
  20. the evil queen cosplayer is vil schoenheit from twisted wonderland. gacha type mobile game only availale in japan as of now, but the character is based off the evil queen! all the characters are based on disney villains and attend a magic school with houses founded by the villains, a bit like hogwarts.

    ReplyDelete

Please be respectful when commenting; dissenting opinions are great, but personal attacks or hateful remarks will be removed. Also, including a link? Then here's your html cheat sheet: <a href="LINK ADDRESS">YOUR TEXT</a>