GeekGirlCon Blog

Ask GeekGirlCon: Do You Plan To Cosplay At GeekGirlCon ’13?

Written by AJ Dent, GeekGirlCon Staff Copy Writer 

Cosplay is a crucial part of the fun at GeekGirlCon, and this year is amping up to be especially costume-filled. With October 19 and 20 less than two months away (can you believe it?!), we GeekGirlCon staff members are getting all our gear ready for the big event. And do we ever love discussing our ideas!

When it comes to her upcoming attire, Copy Writer SG-1 explains, “I’ve never cosplayed at a con before, despite having been to many Star Trek conventions and four years of Emerald City Comic Con. I’ve decided that my first GeekGirlCon is the perfect place for my first cosplay!

I’m going to be Jayne Austen. Yes, I spelled that like Jayne Cobb from Firefly! My costume will be a cross between Regent-era, Jane Austen style—such as Elizabeth Bennett wore in the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice—and Jayne Cobb’s mercenary look from Firefly.

If you want a peek, you’ll have to come find me at GeekGirlCon ’13!”

This year’s geek gathering will mark the first cosplay event for other staff members as well. “True confession: I’ve never done cosplay before,” admits Copy Writer Erin Doherty. “And if it involves role-playing the character, I probably never will (I may be a Leo, but I don’t actually enjoy having all eyes on me). However! I do like a good costume now and then, and the upcoming GeekGirlCon will actually be my very first con ever—so it seems like a grand opportunity to have some fun!

I’ve been trying to think of characters that I love that are also low-cost and low-effort. So far, I’m thinking Kaylee from Firefly, in her mechanic coveralls: it’s cute, it’s simple, and most importantly, it’s comfy! Arthur Dent of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy fame is also simple and comfy, and since it’ll be my first con, it might be comforting to have something on hand that says “DON’T PANIC” written in large, friendly letters.”

Twitter Administrator and Board President Kristine Hassell had a similar disclosure: “Confession time. I’ve never cosplayed before. And I don’t count the star tiara with bracelets when I did my Diana Prince/Wonder Woman spin, I mean real and proper cosplay.

When fellow staffer and design manager extraordinaire Rachelle asked me if I wanted to participate in her group cosplay this year, it didn’t take much ruminating. I jumped at the chance! What better way to make my cosplay debut, right? The idea was right up my alley: a punk girl biker gang based on the amazing Senshi from Sailor Moon. I am an old-school punk from back in the day and Sailor Moon was one of my first anime series… so yeah! Sign me up to be a Senshi, please!

Think Ichiko from Shimotsuma Monogatari meets Malcolm McLaren and Harley Davidson with some Sailor Senshi flavour. Trust me, it’s going to be amazing to see all of us in our gear! Rachelle even designed matching patches for our group to wear on our jackets!

I will be rocking the Sailor Luna cosplay. If you’ve seen Sailor Moon, she was the cat who wasn’t really a cat. I’m not sure if I’ll wear ears so folks will know which Senshi I am, so you’ll have to find me at the convention to find out!”

Facebook Administrator Anna Daniell is also pumped to cosplay at GeekGirlCon. “I plan on dressing up as Mabel Pines from the cartoon show Gravity Falls. I really like that Mabel is cheerful, silly, and sees the good in everyone. Her collection of sweaters is amazing and she even has a pig named Waddles. (Who doesn’t want an almost-talking, adorable pig named Waddles?!) She is also voiced by Kristen Schaal which makes her six times cooler in my book. (I did consider crossing Mabel with Louise of Bob’s Burgers for a double Kristen Schaal cartoon cosplay, but cosplaying is difficult enough around a volunteer shirt.)

One of my favorite things about her character is how close she is with her brother. Though we are not twins, my brother and I have always been close. A couple years ago we went on a road trip together and every time we weren’t sure where to go or what to do we would exclaim, “Adventure!” and just go with it. I could see my brother and I discovering dinosaurs and fighting gnomes together in a little town in Oregon. First, I just need to find a grappling hook…”

Personally, I’m having a tough time deciding between characters to embody. As a copy writer for GeekGirlCon, I feel I should rep journalism by donning an April O’Neil jumpsuit. Since I’m looking forward to snapping candid photos of fellow geeks, though, I know I’d enjoy wearing a spy-tastic Carmen Sandiego hat and trenchcoat with camera in hand.

Finally, I’m tempted to go all out and devise a Demona costume to channel my inner gargoyle. Can you tell I dig early ‘90s cartoons and women with strong personalities? To help me decide, I’ve been taking votes on which femme fatale to cosplay. Which one sounds the most fun to you?

AJ Dent
“Rock On!”