Tag Archives: r2d2

2014 Comikaze Expo: Talking With Cosplay Fans (Day 2)

It’s been a pretty long time. I finally returned to Comikaze to talk with cosplay fans at the 2014 Comikaze Expo. If I had to sum up trending costumes, I’d say Marvel has really figured out how put obscure characters in the spotlight. I saw MANY people dressed up as characters from Guardians of the Galaxy. I probably should have talked with some…

Comikaze Expo Video Timeline Breakdown

00:00 A basketball showcase

00:39 I’ve never been more creeped out/impressed with a take on Bram Stoker’s Dracula than this. Check out her work here.

01:44 Wall-E and Eve wander the halls gather attention from many. It’s very impressive how Eve floats right next to him.

02:08 A fan favorite, R2D2 shows it’s inner child, literally

02:22 Aang is really a Jimmy John’s delivery guy from Wyoming. Who would have guessed?

03:37 El Chapulín Colorado is not very well known. That’s because he’s from Mexico. He’s a clumsy hero with a hammer

04:14 Uncle Fester is a regular at the conventions and I finally spoke to him about how he transformed into the lovable oddity. He assured me that he’s carrying real fat and actually more scary without the makeup.

06:03 Radioactive man is an original creation that shines bright. He works with electronics so the costume probably was a cinch to make.

07:38 It’s a guy with a small body or a puppet with a large head. This is a pretty fun costume and the guy pulls it off well. Check out his work at lincolnworld.com.

09:00 Zapp Brannigan and Leela tell us about their love for Futurama and energy efficiency.

Mark Interviewing Futurama

Interviewing Futurama’s Leela and Zapp Brannigan

11:17 fans try to break a world record of connected Tetris pieces.

11:44 a very impressive Slender Man cosplayer strides across the halls on tall stilts

11:52 Smoke (Mortal Kombat) loves every single Mortal Kombat and plays Diablo and hopes to get Dragon Age Inquisition. She shares her thoughts on gamergate. Oh yeah. She’s also vegan. Check her out on Facebook

14:05 Raiden was probably one of my favorite cosplay fans. It’s probably because I just like led lights. His hard work of constructing the outfit for 3 months definitely paid off. We get his thoughts on the future of Mortal Kombat on the big screen. When he’s not Raiden, he’s a longshoreman.

16:03 I’ve always heard how crazy Game of Thrones. I’ve only watched the first episode and was pretty shocked at not just the nudity but very carnal nature of the show. It seemed that I would find very young fans getting into the spirit of some characters from one of TV’s grittiest shows. I asked about the dragon and it turns out to be a creation of one’s mother who’s a big fan of the show.

18:38 Harley Quinn loves being fun and awesome while carrying a bat around. If there was another Batman movie with Harley Quinn, she’d want Sarah Michelle Gellar to play her because she loves Buffy. She’s a musical theater dancer that dreams of being on Broadway.

21:07 These two girls do Anna and Elsa from Frozen so naturally because they’re sisters! One is in marketing and one is a scientist.

22:52 I bumped into the Chicano Joker/Harley Quinn represent the Mexicans of Southern California.

Interviewing Chicano Joker

Interviewing Chicano Joker

24:14 I probably sound like the biggest ignoramus when it comes to Lord of the Rings. How crazy is the facial hair on Fili and Kili. They agree with me on the franchise being stretched out a bit thin. They’re no stranger to the cosplay scene.

28:00 Hellboy loves men with giant fists and wants to be a game artist.

30:26 Mystique is a model that’s been in makeup since 9am. This is her first Comikaze and she’s very impressed with the large robotic cosplayers. Check out EI School of Professional Makeup if you’re seriously into makeup.

32:28 The Pikmin do it all for the ladies.

33:40 A weeping angel from Dr. Who can send you back in time and tells us who her favorite Dr. Who is. She took a month and a half to make her costume. She wants to be a homicide detective.

2012 Comikaze: Talking With Cosplay Fans (Day 1)

We didn’t capture as much footage of last weekend as we had hoped. Sorry guys. There’s no costume contest video 🙁

Check out some interviews with cosplay fans below.

00:00 – Steampunk fans tell us why they love the culture. It’s very accepting but remember to bring some katanas for self-defense

02:03 – Marvel Girl and a gender bender Catwoman. He loves her because she has good taste. Marvel Girl wanted to take a picture with Stan Lee. She wants another X-Men movie done right and Catwoman agrees. Her favorite moment is watching other fans loose their cool while meeting Stan Lee

04:20 – Henchman of the Mighty Monarch (Venture Brothers) are a little older than most of the kids out at Comikaze but they just as much spirit and enthusiasm. They would love to see a movie made or a Dr. Strange.

07:10 – Tifa Lockheart is a standard cosplay character at conventions and this one picked Tifa Lockheart because of peer pressure. She games a lot and hopes to one day work for Disney.

10:02 – This New California Republic Soldier (Fallout) is somewhat obscure but still gets recognized by gamers. He wanted to cosplay a character that was less known and he really pulled it off. He’s studying history but doesn’t know what he’ll do with the degree. His flag doubles up as a signature canvas.

13:10 – The R2D2 couple caught the attention of many people and cameras. All you could hear is “Awwwww”

14:28 – Walter White (Breaking Bad) is a fan of the show and shares with us the secrets to making the meth used in the show (raspberry rock candy)

16:09 – I ran into a lot of memory card issues while recording this interview. What a shame. Suki (Avatar: The Last Airbender) wanted to show her face entirely. She made the costume herself and worked on her costume for months. She liked the costumes of the movie but doesn’t offer any praise for the movie.

18:25 – Steampunk Storm (X-Men) is part of a group of cosplay friends who really turned heads with their rendition of a steampunk X-Men. It’s hard to tell, but she’s a bit older than she looks (came to this country in the 60’s).

WonderCon: Interview with Mantium Industries

While strolling through the WonderCon floors, we noticed some interesting versions of the Star Wars R2D2 droid that were made of aluminum and carbon fiber. We spoke with Mantium Industries and discovered what they’re up to. A representative from Mantium Industries was kind enough to discuss their building process, customization, and future projects.

While most people will stop to ask about the robots, Mantium Industries also crafts cosplay gear like swords and costumes.

Check out Mantium Industries