Calgary Expo 2015 & Avenue Magazine

Avenue Magazine interviewed me & put me in their magazine! How cool is that?!?!? 

Calgary Expo and Edmonton Expo 2014

So Calgary Expo literally happened the weekend I was moving North of the Wall. And the bestie Dejathoris got super sick. Which means (shocker) I have ZERO pictures. However, to make it up to me, she and I met up in Edmonton this past September for Edmonton Expo! So I'll use those pictures.

But let's rewind shall we? The biggest, bestest thing happened at Calgary Expo. I got to meet Peter S Beagle! AND he LOVED my costume!!! His people took a picture of me which means I have a picture of us!

You know how 15 year olds behave around boy bands? That's how I behave around authors. I'm not joking. Douglas Coupland remembered me from one year to the next because of how stupid I sound when I'm fawning. 

The other amazing thing I was able to squeeze in before I had to leave was the Being Human Finale panel. The only thing I was really disappointed in was the fact that only half the audience was caught up on the season which means that we couldn't talk/ask questions about the finale. What do we think protocol should be at Cons for that? Last year during the Game Of Thrones Lannisters panel it was established early on everything broadcast was fair game. But on average it seems that everyone's doing the Netflix or the streaming at the end of the season/series. ANYWAYS, they were delightful and wonderful and I miss the show ALL OVER AGAIN!!!

Well even though my time was short, it's still no reason to skip my favorite part about expos. Here was this year's BEST COUPLE:

Look at them, they are fabulous

Fast forward to July, this is important, I promise. Guardians of the Galaxy comes out and I'm in love all over again with Marvel (not that I ever fell out of love with Marvel, they're not like DC those shill selling bastards). Seriously, I want to do all the cosplay. I want Star Lord's jacket, I want a dancing baby Groot, I want to dress up my dog as Rocket and I want to be Gamora. DING DING DING! GAMORA!!!! I immediately start scouring the internet for pictures of Gamora's costume and settle on the Hot Toys action figure which has the best 360 images. I found some beautiful blue spandex, some distressed black vinyl and some black sheer stuff and I get to work.

I am Groot!

Instead of using a pattern, I made a 3D pattern on the bustform and then cut the fabric pieces from there. Also, to ensure as little bulk as possible I used the serger instead of using a traditional sewing machine to attach everything. I got some news in August and considering that I want this costume to work for as long as possible I build in secret pregnancy panels! I'm due in May (May the 4th to be exact, what are the odds??) so I'm hoping to wear it at both Norwescon 38 and Calgary Expo 2015! In Edmonton I used Ben Nye liquid makeup in green but I switched to an alcohol-based body paint for Halloween. It just bled everywhere!!! I kept seeing people that bumped into me walking away with green marks on them! (If you're reading this, I'm so sorry!). I reused Calhoun's boots from last year, and I left the trim on them for added detail.The entire costume is one piece that just slips on which is awesome! This is my first costume I can get in and out of without assistance! Finally, I'd been dying my hair purple since March so I decided to let the purple grow out from the roots a little to imitate Gamora's hair. However, I found a Gamora wig online that I will probably get for NWC and Calgary Expo. I'm already to tired to take care of it now!

Dejathoris indulged me in a costume I'd been bugging her about since a small movie came out in January. And I'm sorry if you feel that this is overkill but I had no idea Frozen would explode the way it did! From a cosplay perspective, I saw Elsa and all I thought of was I WANNA PUT DEJATHORIS IN THAT COSTUME!!!! She found the dress and shoes on a Vegas trip and hand dyed a silk chiffon scarf for the cloak. She then embellished it with snowflake stickers and pins.

We also got to show off some costumes you might recognize, and we got some amazing photos of them too!

And finally we have a new member to the Guild! I gave him a name but now I can't remember it.... Go figure, that one is actually new. Anyways, Dejathoris made him a perfect Inigo Montoya costume from The Princess Bride! All I remember is that Dejathoris made leather pants out of the stiffest leather possible and the pants themselves stand up on their own. AND that she made a screen accurate six-finger sword!

So the thing that stood out at Edmonton Expo is that there was a triple bill panel with J August Richards, Amy Acker and Summer Glau and it was spectacular! But it was only half full... Afterwards there was The Big Bang Theory with Kunal Nayyar and Simon Helberg. And that was a full house. Not that I'm complaining, but I had to wait in line to ask my question. And I think my question lost a little of it's oomph since I was green asking a question about race that I re-worded about 16 times so that I didn't get beaten up in the parking lot after the Expo or sued by the cast of the Big Bang Theory.

I really wanted to address the fact that the character Raj replaces Apu in pop culture for Indians and I was wondering how Kunal felt about that and what that means to him. I mean Apu may be drawn Indian but I'm pretty sure that Hank Azaria is not. But you know, when you're caked in green paint, the question looses its context of being asked by someone of the same heritage. I really wish I could do that over again. Also, I was behind three ADORABLE children asking ADORABLE questions and here I am all "Let's talk about race and discrimination and Indian representation in pop culture and nerd culture blah blah blah"... So... wrong crowd? I seem to have gotten side tracked here....

Anyways, since I'm going to be 8 months pregnant by the time Calgary Expo comes around again I only have two costumes in my arsenal that I'm considering. HOWEVER, I've started planning on Calgary Expo 2016 because I will have the most ADORABLE accessory with me. Well at least with me for pictures. I will probably let it sleep at home for the actual con itself.

Cutest Cosplay Couple at Calgary Expo

So I mentioned in my other post off hand about this Link and Zelda couple that me and Dejathoris saw during Calgary Expo... I ran up to them to take their picture because they were freaking ADORABLE. Holding hands and all that stuff...

I did not realize how freaking AWESOME they secretly were! Saw this over on the Observation Deck on io9...

Iron Cosplaying at Calgary Expo 2013

After a pretty rough start, I'd have to say that I had an amazing time at Calgary Expo 2013! Got to show off some pretty amazing costumes, got to see some pretty spectacular costumes, and got to see the likes of the Lannisters; Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey, and the great and wonderful Nathan Fillion! 

My Weekend looks at Calgary Expo: Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Friday was a little confusing... For the first time since the 2013 guest announcements I forgot to check the Twitter feed and got completely turned around... Needless to say, I missed the Princess Bride: The Hero, the Villain Panel. The room was full! Apparently I wasn't the only one. I ended up watching it on the Calgary Expo FlipOn channel and learned something heartbreaking... My dearest Westley chews with his mouth open!!! Seriously, other than that, that panel broadcast gave me all the feels. I really wish I could have been there...

Chris Sarandon and Cary Elwes

Friday we also took the opportunity to head on down to the Unicorn, where if you showed up in costume, you would get 25% off you bill... With all the other events going on that night, we were the ONLY ONES in costume... You would *think* that would be awkward, but a lovely couple bought me and Dejathoris a drink so it all was worth it! 

Dejathoris' Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Saturday morning we headed out early. Or at least in my mind what's early for a Saturday. There was an Special Effects panel in the Roatary House that we both wanted to go to.... In all the years I've been going to the Stampede grounds, I have NEVER.NOTICED the Rotary House... That's not weird right? Either way, I was a little disappointed in the panel itself. I think the presenter was more focused on SPFX jobs rather than teaching techniques. Or I misunderstood what the panel was about. The panel was 3/4 of the way through before they even started doing makeup on people, and they weren't really explaining what they were doing. However, got some great recommendations on some books to pick up. 

The day then transitioned into watching the folks battling out where the Coke Stage is in full armor and having lunch. This was one of my favorite add ons. Outdoor entertainment! People/Cosplay watching! Food Trucks! Just delightful! Whilst said people watching, I took a snapshot of what I think was the BEST Link & Zelda all weekend (and there were a LOT people!)

We then headed back to the Roatary House to watch the Iron Costumer competition. We've heard about these before but have been unable to attend. HOWEVER, one team didn't show up, so Dejathoris and I teamed up with this delightful couple in line behind us and put together a team! 

That's a chopstick horn helmet, by the way

The Theme: Time Travel

The "Special Ingredient: Chopsticks

Our Team Name: Tag You're it!

Our Costume: Flava Flav from 1992

Iron Costumer winners 2013

What do you think? We were up against a time travelling alien and a black hole with the Planet Express. Both were also awesome and some how WE WON! 

Our Iron Costumer Prize!

Saturday finished up at the Con by watching the Stargate Panel, in which I've learned that Michael Shanks' ALSO CHEWS WITH HIS MOUTH OPEN and that Richard Dean Anderson really doesn't give a shit. That second part, totally, totally awesome.

Screenshot from the Stargate Panel

Eliza Dushku really knows how to handle a con crowd. She was delightful while still promoting her projects and her social media outlets.  I really loved her panel. Plus, she said "Five by Five" SQUEEEEEEEEEE

Other than the adorable Link and Zelda I posted, my other major fave costume from Saturday would have to be this one: 

The Dread Pirate Roberts!

I was so excited when I saw this guy that I think I ran across the aisles and smacked him on the shoulder... 

There were also some amazing Game of Thrones cosplays... A spectacular Robb Stark/Dany/Melissandre group and a great Dany/Drogo pair. Loved them!!!

Sunday was all about the panels. Other than the fact that I was REALLY excited to show off MY Melissandre on the con floor. We saw the X-Files Panel, where Gillian Anderson raised $800 for a signed script and a kiss. This was just a delightful panel. The whole group of Robert Patick, Mitch Pileggi and Gillian Anderson were so wonderful and chatty.

This lead into the Game of Thrones panel with Lena Heady and Peter Dinklage. There were awesome! And they were not expecting the crowd of people... There was no seating left by the time they started. It was so intense that they requested beer. The highlight would have to be when a fan asked what was going to happen to Joffrey this season and the crowd split into hissing "SPOILERS!" and laughter. Lena handled this beautifully by just saying "That's my son!"

Finally we watched Nathan Fillion's panel. Who was delightful. Between talking about Edmonton and LA, Castle and the Whedonverse, he was just a phenomenal speaker... He also had a twitter challenge that two people in the audience flat.out.ROCKED. 

This sign deserves a stand alone PRO!!!

So overall pros: Almost all the panels I wanted to see were in the Coral (This is a major pro). And because of Princess Bride fiasco, I decided not to go to the other smaller rooms so I didn't have to miss the ones I really wanted to see live. (The rest of this week is going to be dedicated to watching everything on the FlipOn feed!). The use a space was delightful  Having a space outside where people could wander was really needed. I had no desire to fight the shopping crowds in the early Saturday since that was the craziest time of the whole day. It was a little cold and windy, but the space was worth it. The Photo Ops were in a different building and because I wasn't getting any autographs I was able to stay away from those areas. (I now find out that one of the booths I was looking for was in fact, in the autograph section!)

Overall Cons: None of the bank machines worked and sadly most of the food stands in the Corral and area were Cash only. Also, there was no where to just buy/get water. You'd have to wait in a line up 20 minutes long with hungry hungry people when all you wanted was a drink! 

However, there were so many many many improvements over the year before that I can't imagine the Calgary Expo not getting better and better each year! Here's to next year!

As always, more photos as I find them over at the Flickr

Steampunk - Indira

Pure Spec 2011

For Pure Speculation Edmonton (also known as PureSpec) we decided to try our hand at Steampunk. We spent endless hours extending the lengths of our creativity making three individually unique and personally reflective costumes. Since then, we've been able to wear these at several different events and even broadened our Steampunk assortment to include interchangable accessories. I'm going to split them out into three posts as we took lots and lots of pictures of our processes (yet only have one clear shot of each of us?!?!) I'm also going to focus on the original version of our outfits so that I try and stay on track.

Indira AKA Mrs Spiderman @Calgary Expo 2012

This post will probably be updated with better shots as time goes on, but the best place to look is our Flickr account....


What I really wanted to do here was create a cosplay outfit that works with my heritage...  Translation? I wanted to take a Sari and stick a crap ton of gears all over it. We started with coming up with backstories for our characters. Since Steampunk lit is mostly based in Europe and some of the Americas, we decided that Indira was an International Assassin. We made a bunch of weapons hoping that some of them would work with the esthetic.

Flash? What's a flash?

The outfit itself is Sari fabric we picked up at our local shop. We also picked up a complimenting golden orange taffeta fabric to fill out the skirt. Even though it's Sari material, it ended up looking more like a Lengha-styled outfit. Or at least what I think a Lengha would probably look like in the Steamunk timeline. When shopping for Saris, they will usually come with a length of material you can turn into a blouse. This will also have matching border pieces you can use to tie the outfit together. Mine unfortunately didn't have enough border to do all the areas I wanted so I settled on the neckline only.

Over the course of this endeavour, we checked out a lot of con floors selling Steampunk clothes and accessories. Once you check out two or three you will start to see some similar basic stock. You've got to keep an eye our for people that either sell the basic wares, like goggles for $10-$14 that you can then individualize, or people that have already done so but be willing to spend the $$. This is a LOT of detailed work and they do deserve to be compensated for it. We've found quite a few sellers online, but over time many have switched from offering goods direct to the consumer to retailers only (sad panda)... If you find a clearance sale, and you want to build up your steampunk wardrobe, purchase a few right then and there! You will be much happier.

Back on track, while searching through our local thrift stores we came across this really worn our red leather jacket. The colouring was perfect to compliment Indira's outfit. We turned this into a harness and gauntlets. The gauntlets have then the small amount of the excess blouse material added to tie the whole outfit together. One another note, I'd like to point out that gears are really sharp and whenever I forget to wear the gauntlets, I ultimatley get scratched to bits by all the gears all over my outfit.

Here comes the detail work... I purchased some watch parts from a few different Etsy sellers who were selling supplies. I then sorted out all the same size gears and glued one on every.single.flower. I am really proud of this work and if you compliment me while I'm wearing my Indira outfit, that is ALWAYS the first thing to come out of my mouth! This is where the gauntlets protect me the most. From my own skirt. I then hand stitched some chain around the skirt to give it some more dimension. There are two rounds of chain on the skirt itself. Its not something that photographs well, but reads really well in person.

Finally the goggles... I found a pair of ski goggles (what do you expect? It's Calgary). I spray painted the exterior gold. I cut off the band and attached some of the leftover leather from the harness (matchy matchy!)... Then on the goggles piece itself, I used some complimenting lace I cut off from one of my old shirts. I used some Modge Podge and adhered it. The extra "ocular" piece is actually a cut up cap from a creamer container. I then inserted a light inside for some extra dimension. Around the goggles itself I glued some accents: gears, hat pins and the

like. I really loved working on these pieces.Randomly gluing things all over the place was really fun. I wouldn't be surprised if I did this to more things in my home... It's addictive...

I've played around with my makeup each time, but the one things I really like to do is replace the traditional Bindi with a gear. I know that irritates some people but I enjoy it. And at the end of the day, I'm the one wearing it!

I keep searching for more international-inspired Steampunk ideas, so if there are any out there that I've missed I'd love to hear about them!

ZOMG Preview - Calgary Comic Con 2013

Preface: Last year I wrote a rant about how the Calgary Comic Convention was at risk of turning itself into yet another Trek Con.... Then I went anyways, to go nerd out in from of John Noble and Jasika Nicole like the good little Fringe fan I am (I already am going through withdrawl).... I had a lot of fun, but there were a LOT of problems at CCC throughout the weekend.

Lady GyRox and her crew are on the fence about going again this year, Dejathoris hadn't committed, and I had yet to look at Guavious' work schedule to see if he was even in town that weekend. Basically to sum up, I wasn't really sure I was going to go.

Last Fall they announced Weird Al. And as much as I want to see Weird Al, I'm not paying the amount they are asking for the Stampede Corral. I've yet to pay more than $35 for a concert there so I'm not dropping $72 per person. And my other rational was I didn't justify seeing Spike's (James Marsters) concert last year, I could go without this year.

Then they announced Walking Dead's Norman Reedus, Steven Yuen and Danai Gurira. I love me some Boondock Saints, but I can't actually get myself past the opening credits of the Walking Dead without hiding under a blanket so that wasn't working for me either.

Then they announced most of the X-Files Cast...  Gillian Anderson, Robert Patrick and Mitch Pileggi. All I could think of at this points was Congratulations Calgary Comic Con! You've successfully distanced yourself from becoming a Trek Con! Between this and the Walking Dead I thought that there was enough variety to appeal to a ton of people both local and tourist.

  After that, they announced a nice assortment of artists, they announced Stan Lee, John Carpenter, Lexia Doig, Michael Shanks... Did I mention Terminator panel yet? (With Linda Hamilton???) Oh! Lest I forget his royal Prince Humperdink, Chris Sarandon!!!! Just a lovely batch of guests. My interest was there, I just hadn't bought my tickets yet...

Then this past Monday on my Facebook page I saw a random post by Calgary Expo... BIG ANNOUNCEMENT TOMORROW... I thought about it and decided it could be one of two groups... David Duchovney is missing from the X-Files reunion and there is always the option of the New Star Trek crew making an appearance. After all, this is their bread and butter. I remembered to check their homepage on Tuesday morning in between "working" and I thought I was going to faint.

IT'S THE LANNISTERS!!!!

Immediately sent out emails to Guavious and Dejathoris asking them if they were in. Sent a feeler email to our 'Merican friend The Director to see if he wanted to come up and join the festivities. Haven't you heard? We are working on a Game of Thrones Cosplay Extravaganza!!!! This could be the most amazing thing that we've ever done. I want to tell Cercei how badass she is! I want to tell the Half-Man I love him! I want Cercei to throw a glass of wine and Tyrion to slap someone! I want... I'm not sure what I want because I might actually faint again.

And speaking of the problems from last year, Calgary Expo has done a pretty bang up job on their website explaining all the precautions they are taking to help facilitate an easier experience. I glazed over it earlier but I actually read through the whole thing this morning and I'm taking away some major pros:

1) Cell phone tower! Yay! Last year Lady GyRox and I got separated and couldn't call each other for hell or high water. Did you know that a payphone is now 50 cents? Did you know I don't know ANYONE'S PHONE NUMBERS?!?!

2) Traffic Flow and a shitton of signs! How delightful! But my favorite part of this is there will be NO STOPPING zones! Seriously, we need to implement this in malls, and grocery stores, and EVERYWHERE

3) They are moving around all the photo ops and autographs to a larger area. I'm all in favor of reorganization! I'm pretty familiar with the setup, and from what I'm reading, this could be awesome. I may need to bring non-cosplay shoes though. There is going to be a TON of walking!

Overall, I went from Meh to ZOMG I NEEDZ TO GO! I'm also really stoked because it looks like the whole Costume Guild will be able to go to the whole convention. Unlike last year...

Here's hoping I can find out some more about the evening events... Like if Kirby Krackle will be playing a separate show on the Saturday or Sunday... Inquiring minds want to know!

Pictures mostly from the CalgaryExpo.com,  and KirbyKrackleMusic.com