Carnival. It brings to mind Rio dancers, New Orleans floats, and the spectacle of Mardi Gras. This time think Brit.

The Notting Hill Carnival is an annual street party, the largest in Europe, that takes place during the August Bank Holiday.

This year’s Carnival is August 24-25th. Over the two days, 1.5 million people will take to the streets. A whopping 7,500 participants will entertain the masses. Three hundred food stalls will serve Caribbean treats. That doesn’t’ count the more than seven thousand police and 200 medical staff keeping everyone safe.

The Carnival was started in 1964 to help ease race relations in an ever melting London. A large number of Caribbean immigrants had set up new lives and brought with them tangy food and steel drum beats. A local street party organizer had the idea to tailor the event to the growing Trinidad population. It’s grown every year since, only getting official support in the 80s.

The Carnival opens Sunday with Children’s Day. It’s a family friendly event that showcases the youth. The parades, the bands, the dancers are all under 21. These kids don’t take the easy way, oh no, their costumes and dances are just as intricate and mind blowing as the adults taking the street on Monday. About 30 million sequins, 15,000 feather plumes, and 30 liters of body paint cover the thousands people.

Music and food are just as important as the spectacle at this event. The parades have hundreds of musicians marching. Bands and singers line the streets. Steel drums started it all, but the scene now includes reggae, r&b, and ska. The food vendors serve jerk meats, lots of plantains, and of course the British staple, curries.

The Notting Hill Carnival theme for 2008 is “Welcoming the World.” It represents China’s handover of the Olympics to London. Go have fun. Dance and eat well. Most importantly, dress for the spectacle.

Photo credits: MyVillage, KOCIAK, MyVillage, MyVillage, Haldon, and MyVillage. Links to their profiles and websites can be found in the gallery.

Well folks, there’s about a month left until Dragon Con. I still have quite a bit of work to do on my costumes. While I work on my armor, we’ll walk down memory lane of Dragon Cons past.

My first D*C was in 2006. It was a whirlwind of people, costumes, and celebrities. I had a blast. Lucky for me I knew other attendees who knew the ropes. I only had two costumes that first year, Kaylee Frye and Inara Sera. I wasn’t there for the costumes, though, I was there for the spectacle. Every minute of each day was loaded with lines to get into panels, with panels full of engaging stars, and with people expressing themselves. It was great.

I met the men of Battlestar Galactica. I got in Mickey Rooney’s way. And I picked up Erin Gray’s (very charming) autograph for my dad. Someday I’ll make a Col. Wilma Deering uniform. All the incredible costumes got under my skin and I had to come back and bring more than two outfits.

When I returned to Dragon Con in 2007 I was more prepared for all the excitement. Though I admit you’re never really prepared. D*C expands each year to include more fandoms, more costume contests, and more tired bodies than you can count. We entered the Whedon Track contest and took Honorable Mention.

I watched person after person ask for ManWithPez’s picture in his Serymour Krelborne costume. I talked with the incomparable Ron Glass. This time I got an autograph for my mom from William Katt. My highlight was swooning over Brent Spiner. Yep, I’m one of those. Heh. All in all it was too much to take in just a weekend’s time.

This year promises to be even bigger and better. Sean Astin and Adam Baldwin are the big question marks. Each year they plan on attending then cancel at the last minute due to work commitments. I’m crossing my fingers that they’ll both make it to Dragon Con this year. While I don’t think I’m ready for the big time contests yet, I am going to try to participate in the more informal Hallway Costume Contest.

I want to thank the Wolfpack Elite for taking me under their wings and helping with techniques. I look forward to meeting them and seeing their incredible creations. These folks are very talented and versatile.

One more thing, I’m claiming a prime curbside location for the parade this year as well as hitting most of the contests. You’re going to see some incredible stuff when I get back. Just you wait!

I’m giving you a break from Heroes talk. Last night was one of the funniest nights I’ve had in ages. I saw Eddie Izzard Stripped US tour.

Some of you may be familiar with Eddie’s Executive Transvestite look. He’s quite the eye-catcher. He’s well known for his long eyelashes, magenta lips, carefully coifed hair and high heels. He broke into the US almost ten years ago with the Emmy winning ‘Dress to Kill’. That’s not to say he’s only been around for ten years, cause he hasn’t, that was just the first time most of the US thought, “Whoa. Who is this guy? He’s great!”

Last night he was on. There was a simple desert backdrop. He bounded onto the stage wearing a red lined black tailcoat, black tee, jeans, and a pair of converse. The makeup was subtle with an emphasis on the eyes. The opening joke was perfect for hooking the local audience. The show was filled with his typical stream-of-consciousness jokes and digression. It was wonderful. A little dancing. A little technology. And a short encore to finish the evening. Eddie was on stage for almost 180 minutes without an intermission or an opening act. Stamina, my friends.

Heh, Teehee. There was this table and it was a surprise! Hahahahaa. You had to be there, sorry.

Eddie Izzard has not just made his mark as a fantastic sexy comedian but as a strong dramatic actor too. He has starred in stage productions, Hollywood blockbusters, and currently co-stars with Minnie Driver in FXs “The Riches”. If you haven’t watched “The Riches” yet I encourage you to give it a try. It’s dark. There are many layers and many gray actions. Right and wrong are constantly warring for a middle ground. He portrays the father to a family in hiding…from its family. They’re travelers who want out but don’t know quite how to accomplish the exit.

I was originally drawn to Eddie Izzard for his wit. His look was a bonus. The first time I saw him out of costume he wore tight pleather pants, platform heels, and a brightly colored chengosam. His lips were vivid and his eyes were mesmerizing with their thick black liner and long lashes. He is a master at committing to a style and making it work. He makes the clothes work for him. They are a way to express himself, but they are not him. Make sense?

In a recent interview with William Smith, Eddie talked about being known as a transvestite, “I refuse to use the word ‘drag’ because I’m just wearing a dress — it’s not a costume.” While the transvestite is Eddie, he doesn’t want people to only see him as a bloke in a dress.

I want you to feel that confident when you step out. Whether you’re in your street clothes, business suit, or Jane Jetson costume…believe you make those clothes look good. It’s all you.

Well things have wrapped up here at Heroes Con. It was a great weekend. I had a wonderful time and met a lot of incredible people. I can’t wait to go through all my pics and see what I captured.

I sat in on a panel by Savannah College of Art and Design about character design. It was very informative about motivations and costume design. I talked details with Wonder Girl artist Sanford Greene. He is excited about my attempt to create the armor costume.

I’ll tell you more this week after I’ve rested up and edited some photos. I hope your weekend was as packed full of incredible moments as mine was.

Day One is over and Day Two is winding down. Heroes Con has been a blast. I’ve seen some great costumes including Elseworld Wonder Woman, Iron Fist, and of course Iron Man. The folks here are organized and friendly. I haven’t run into any person not-in-the-know. Well done, Heroes Con.

Heroes Con is first a comics convention. All the other goodies just make it sweeter. Goodies? Nickelodeon Magazine put on a nice panel for kids that included a 3-D presentation. I have my paper glasses to prove it. I’ve gotten to chat with some of my favorite writers and artists. Kelly Sue DeConnick and Steven Niles (30 Days of Night) are friendly folks willing to talk about story or industry. Speaking of…I sat in on the State of the Industry panel yesterday. I was “this close” to Dan DiDio. It was tempting, but I didn’t kick him in the shins. Turns out he’s an okay guy as long as he’s not making decisions. Heehee.

There was a quick draw competition yesterday evening. I entered it for moral support. The munchkinette was nervous. I sat next to her and she did fine. In fact, her drawing of Bat Girl took 3rd place and won her some cool art gear. The munchkin drew a page full of Venoms and earned Honorable Mention and free comic book. Very awesome. But I digress…and brag.

I talked with some Klingons, some 501st folks, and many more people. Tonight is the benefit art auction, but I won’t be there. I’ll be attending the Can’t Stop the Serenity and Equality Now event this evening. There will be food, a movie, and a costume contest with a certain gal participating.

Pictures and such will follow in a few days. Have a great weekend!