This year at Dragon Con, I made a point to ask people if they made or bought their costumes. Some people were offended by the question, but most seemed willing to answer. I was just curious about methods. Nosy me. Zelda’s armor pieces were made with fun foam. I was dying to know how she did it so I could fix Wonder Girl, alas she did not know. If people hadn’t been treating her like Angelina Jolie, I would have been able to talk with her longer. That’s okay, it’s a sign of a costume well done.

I was pleasantly surprised by the number of costumed goers that did not make their costumes. It was nice to hear people giving recognition to seamstresses, costumers, and friends. The lovely Six I met on Friday had Outrageous Outfits in Austin make her jaw-dropping dress. It’s not just manipulative Cylons, superheroes commission costumes too.

The X-Men have dozens of costume variations. It’s dizzying trying to figure out which continuity a given Rogue is from. The sleek, non-spandex look of the movies is popular among fans. However, the movie look isn’t any easier to make. Troublesome spandex is replaced with thick leather or pleather. Which is why Rogue and Cyclops opted for a commission for their con duds. Cyclops wanted those particular costumes but neither of them had the tools to make the detailed leather suits. I think they turned out great. If I had the means, I’d order a few commissions too.

Be careful when ordering a custom costume from an online source. Costume boards and fansite forums are full of deals gone bad. If you can not get good references for a potential costume maker, stay clear. Everyday someone loses hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a reproduction con. Always triple or quadruple-check before agreeing to a commission project.

I’d like to thank the people that have asked me about commission costumes. I’m flattered by the offer, but I’m not yet confident in my sewing skills to ask money for my efforts. I’ll practice. Maybe I’ll be able ready to sew the next time Dragon Con rolls around.

I noticed my friend Manny over at MyDisguises has been searching the web for Dragon Con pictures. Here are a few costumes I think Manny would like.

First up is one of his favorite characters: Ralph Hinkley, aka The Greatest American Hero. I know Manny loves the show, heck so do I. So when I saw Ralph over in the corner of the Marriott I had to ask for a picture. You can find GAH costumes through various retailers, however non are this nice.

Next up is the recent TV show and successful comic The Middleman. Manny never misses a show. I didn’t find a Wendy. Oh bother. The Middleman was very friendly and was hanging out with Ultimate Kitty Pryde on Saturday (dead camera). The Middleman deserves a second season. It’s a little corny. It’s a little cheesy. It’s a lot of fun.

The last costumes I think Manny would like are the Key Master and Gate Keeper from Ghostbusters. I can’t say whether he’s a big fan of the movie or cartoons, but the costumes rock. I think he’d appreciate the uniqueness. How often do people dress up as the Key Master? Exactly. Plus, these costumes are great examples of do-it-yourself. I love the strainer on the head. Perfect.

What do you think?

Dragon Con was a lot of fun this year. Sure, I missed some events and photo shoots, but I saw lots of costumes and met cool people.

I’m going to list some of my favorites from Dragon Con 2008:

Favorite Group: No question…G.I. Joe. This group was based on the cartoon/comics not the crappy black uniforms of the forthcoming live action movie. Lady Jaye was my favorite when I was a girl. I know, Scarlett was ‘the’ chick, but Jaye was my favorite.

Favorite Craftsmanship: Medina from the Zelda games. She wore the hat most of the weekend. When I spoke with her and Link, they said they carved foam, insulation I think, for the headgear. It is light and comfortable with straps and shaping sorta of like a hard hat. They then painted and distressed it appropriately.

Favorite No-Fuss: The Buy More folks. This trio was friendly and just as excited about ‘Chuck’ as I am. Throughout the weekend I saw a few other people in the green Buy More polo. This costume is easy to put together and well received by fans.

Favorite Childhood Memory: Jem. Why not the Misfits too? No reason really. I just prefer Jem’s sparkles to the Misfit’s neon. Both groups were willing to pose for my camera, thank you. You might recall I toyed with the idea of a Jem costume. After seeing these lovely ladies I’m glad I didn’t try it.

Favorite Prosthetics: Professor Snape. I’m not putting down all the elves and Klingons and what-not with this choice, I’m praising Snape. She did a great job on the costume as a whole, wearing the trademark dragon-hide gloves and long black cape. What makes this incredible are the face prosthetics. Her make up blending and facial hair put her work over the top. Great job.

Favorite Hero: Donna Troy/Troia/Wonder Girl (1). Donna has never been high on my list story or character-wise, but this costume rocks. I’ve seen a lot of women try to pull off this look but none have succeeded as well as this young lady. Perfect unitard. Great star and bracelet work. Just great.

Favorite Cartoon: Back with the Joes. They win twice. Heehee.

Favorite Sci-Fi: Col. Tigh. This one was a hard choice. There were aliens and troopers and Trek and so much to see. In the end, Tigh sold it. He looked like he needed that flask. The Andorians get an honorable mention because I think Jeffrey Combs is awesome.

Favorite Pose: Superman and Batman. I love the staging of it. Great shot.

Favorite Parade Costume: Tie between Kuzco and Zod. Both of them really played to the crowds. Kuzco had the self-centered act down pat. His dancing was a sight to behold. Zod (I only snapped his campaign vehicle) demanded obedience and votes. Kneel before Zod in 2008. It was a fun choice for the parade.

Favorite Dragon Con Costume: There were a lot of costumes I didn’t capture. For example, Munky’s Rogue was really impressive. There was ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ Audrey that I just missed. I’m going with Arthur. It takes a lot of courage to wear leotards, and he did with confidence. Plus, sidekick. No one ever wants to be the sidekick. Three cheers to Arthur!

There ya have it. That Costume Girl’s favorite costumes from Dragon Con 2008. Still more to come from the D*C vaults.

Dragon Con is over and everyone is home. It was a great weekend with lots of really awesome costumes. I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this if Costume Craze hadn’t helped. I’m just sorry it didn’t turn out as planned.

Sunday night we went to the Wolf Pack Elite party. It was pretty intense and completely different from the Shindig. The WPE had a drawing based on a sci-fi logo game. Two of the logos had me stumped and I didn’t complete the answers. About three minutes after I turned in my incomplete form I figured out the two logos. Oh well. They also had the presentation of their costume awards. Munky, the young lady that introduced me to the WPE, was recognized for her Queen Gorgo dress. I wish I could have gotten a picture of her. She looked stunning.

After the party we continued our sweep for costumes. While canvasing the Marriot bar we accidentally ended up in line for another Dr. Horrible screening. It was nice to see another screening, but the group in charge was not prepared for the show. It needs work if they’re going to try again next year.

The trip back was a little longer than the trip down. I’m still going through the my card looking for usable pictures. I haven’t cracked open MWP’s card yet. Stay tuned for lots of pictures.

ThatCostumeGirl’s Dragon Con 2008 Gallery

Saturday afternoon was a bust for me. My camera died at the beginning of the Stargate panel. I’m sorry folks. There was an Ultimate Kitty Pryde there I wanted a picture of. Most of that afternoon went pictureless. I didn’t get a back-up camera until just before the Whedon Shindig. It’s strange using someone’s camera.

We helped set up for the Shindig then went up to the room to put on the EMT costumes. As always, they got a great response from the party goers. The bands were appropriately folksy. There was a large gathering of Rivers dancing in the corner. I tried to take lots of pictures for the Browncoat yearbook. I don’t know how many turned out yet.

We left the party early to scout for costumes. I had hoped that a late night scavenge might make up for the dead afternoon. Our reflective tape ruined most of the pictures people took. We call it Troning pictures.

Sunday morning brought out Kitty Pryde. The shoulders turned out a little wide and my gloves looked wonky, but I liked it. ManWithPez decided on wearing his Ariel EMT costume. Lo Pan played with my gloves. I shook hands with Avery Brooks. It was shaping up to be better than Saturday.

Off to find the Wolf Pack Elite party.

ThatCostumeGirl’s Dragon Con 2008 Gallery