Tampa Bay Comic-Con 2019: Stranger Things, Huffle Punk, & Tad Cooper Gets His Wings!

Tampa Bay Comic-Con was a mixed bag for me this year. It's a huge convention primarily aimed at families (kids get in free), so the crowd was older and less inclined to cosplay and silliness. I mean, I didn't see a single conga line! What's that about?

John and I decided to shoot video on Saturday (coming soon!) and flash on Sunday, but there was so little cosplay on Sunday I barely took 30 photos, and we left after just 3 hours. Like I said, this is more of a low-key shopping crowd.

The good thing about lots of families? Lots of cute kids in costume!! This little Jawa had just met James Arnold Taylor - the voice of Obi-Wan - and she was still over the moon and beaming. I love that she has a baby Jawa doll!

  

John hard at work filming on Saturday.

Saturday was the Big Day, with massive crowds and plenty of film fodder. It was also physically exhausting, since Tampa Comic-Con is the only con we've been to that doesn't provide a food court or seating. We circled the hall twice in disbelief, searching for a place to sit down, but nope. Only a hand full of stand-up tables. (There IS seating downstairs in the center, but it's limited and far away). So while I still had a great time, this con definitely beat me up!

Where my Gravity Falls peeps at?

 (LittleBoffin & JazzyBachelor)

Still two of my favorites! I've never seen an Yzma cosplayer replicate her epic eye bags - PLUS the potion bottle label flipped down to form the skull! GENIUS.

These two are always so in character, btw, and I can't wait for you to see what they did for our video on Saturday - as two different characters! Stay tuned, it's hilarious.

 

 Yep, the latest season of Stranger Things was in FULL EFFECT.

I can't get over the Demogorgon in Hop's shirt. Bahaha!

 Then when "Suzy" handed me her card:

FOE & Tell: Hoopy Froods, Sock-Hopping Tribbles, & Gondor Calls For Aid

It's been too long since I shared some of my favorite FOE finds! (That's Fans of Epbot, btw, a fan-run Facebook group.) I find new favorites all the time, but it takes me a while to compile everything, and then John hunts down everyone a month or two later to ask for their permission to share here. So prepare to ooh and ahh, laugh a bit, and of course judge me for how old some of theses posts are. ;p

 Bahaha! Yes, yes she does.

(Psst, Erin, next you should "accidentally" send her a jetpack and some steampunk clothes!)

*****

When Kelli found an adorable little whale statue at OSH (Orchard Supply Hardware, I think?), she knew EXACTLY what to do:

... name him Arthur and put a tiny pot of petunias on his head.

(The little flowers are from Michael's.)

This is a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy reference, in case you're lost. I highly recommend reading the books if you haven't! And I know it's been a while since Kelli posted this on FOE, but if any of you happen to see this whale sometime, please, grab it for me! I'll pay you back. See, I'm turning 42 next year, and, well... NEED.

Which reminds me, Shanda just inspired one of my next Cricut projects:

Now there's a hoopy frood who really knows where her towel is. Bravo, Shanda!

*****

Warning: after you see this next post from Morgen you may have to fight some Extreme Crafting Urges:

A few details: 

 

 Eeeeee!! C'mon, who else wants to make tiny dioramas on tiny golf ball planets now, ala The Little Prince? ::raises both hands:: I hope you're displaying this under a little glass cloche, Morgen; I feel like that would set it off beautifully.

*****

Megan and her friends made their own Star Trek Sock Hop dresses, and I can't handle the cute: