After 20 years, Oregon's largest anime convention is still volunteer-led and bursting with enthusiastic energy. by Corbin Smith

More than twelve thousand fans descended on Portland last weekend to celebrate 20 years of Kumoricon, Oregon’s largest convention for appreciators of anime and the content world that surrounds it.

From Friday through Sunday attendees competed in video game tournaments, stood in as chess pieces in human-sized games, browsed the works of hundreds of artists and vendors in a massive market, and even waited in line to meet the person who voiced Shamir in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. But primarily, they wore cosplay, looked at cosplay, repaired cosplay, and plotted future cosplays. 

Compared to other conventions, like a big sports trading card convention I attended earlier this year, Kumoricon carries a softer, cheerier vibe. The fest is still proudly volunteer-run, despite its longevity and steady growth. While that trading card event was driven by the thrill of the exchange—the dream of something exploding in value—Kumoricon seems driven by the thrill of giving and receiving cosplay costume compliments.

You see the exchange often: cosplayers stopping others to say, “I love that, amazing job.” The complimented might mention something about the character or the other person's costume. It’s quick; everyone keeps walking on, but with a new little miniature bond sitting in their back pocket—forged from a pop culture connection and some light kindness. It’s all very earnest, and enthusiastic; a gentler world for gentler people. 

We photographed some cosplayers in attendance, and they told us why they attend conventions and a little about what goes into their costuming.

Jay is dressed as an original character, a Chinese moon moth named Uei. photo corbin smith

Jay showed off a cosplay of an original character—a Chinese moon moth named Uei—saying, "moon moths are from Asia and southwest China, so I tried to base her on an ancient Hanfu style. I bought a traditional Hanfu skirt from a reputable source called NewMoonDance. I’ve been cosplaying for fifteen years, and I’ve never been able to make anything that is my own. I made the top, handmade the wings, and painted them myself."

“Being in a con space when I was 13 was very supportive," Jay continued. "Everybody was always hyping each other up; there were silly little dances everywhere. It’s where I met my current fiancee, and all of my long standing friends. Cons were where you found your people."

Wesley as Lelouch from Code Geass. photo by corbin smith

Dressed as Lelouch Lamperouge from anime show Code Geass, Wesley expressed a love for Lamperouge's character arc—"going from a morally gray character, to pure evil, but for the good of good things. He’s just interesting. And also, I love big cape." Asked about the cape, Wesley clarified, "I love how it gets caught on things."

Hannah as Theodore from the rodent-led pop band 'Alvin and the Chipmunks.' Photo by corbin smith

Hannah's choice to dress as Theodore—of the virtual band Alvin and the Chipmunks—was based on the character being "fun and silly… we just munk around.” The costume's large black contacts are from Uniqso. "These are actually the mini-sclera, I’m afraid of the big normal sclera that covers your entire eye... I’ve seen them get stuck, so you can’t get your nail under there to pull them out."

Bonnie dressed as Anya from the indie horror game ‘Mouthwashing.’ photo by corbin smith Niko Suits dressed as Xie lian from 'Heaven’s Official Blessing.' photo by corbin smith

Niko Suits competes at the Master level of cosplay competition because they are actually a professional costumer, working in theater. "Pretty much anything—opera, ballet,” they explained. "If you’ve been [to a local show] in the last three years,  I’ve probably worked on it.”

Suits' mother encouraged them to take up sewing when they were young. “I have ADHD, so my mom was like, 'You need to have a hobby that is cheap and can keep you kind of quiet and sat for a bit," they recalled. "When I was 10, I was looking up Fullmetal Alchemist, and I found the cosplayer Reika—she’s kind of The Cosplayer. I found her, and I was like ‘YOU CAN DRESS UP LIKE THEM?' and it went from there.”

Tyler as Wirt from 'Over the Garden Wall.' photo by corbin smith

Tyler busked, tooting out videos game melodies and other popular tunes on a wireless electronic wind instrument, for all three days of the con. The activity worked well with cosplaying Wirt from Cartoon Network's Over the Garden Wall, who plays clarinet on the show. "I’m pleasantly surprised by how kind people have been," Tyler said. "I’ve been to Kumoricon the last five years, and I always see musicians out here play. So I finally decided to do it, and I’m glad I did. I’ve made over two hundred dollars so far."

April as Pumpkin Gal from 'Over the Garden Wall.' Photo by corbin Smith

The pumpkin head on April's costume—Pumpkin Gal from Over the Garden Wall—was much lighter than it looked, as it was crafted with an expanding foam, instead of papier-mché. April explained: “It's got a hard hat to hold it all together, cardboard on the inside to make the frame, and you just cover all the holes, spray it on, shave it, and boom."

Elee as Gyokuyō from 'The Apothecary Diaries.' Photo by Corbin Smith

“I actually learned to sew before I got into cosplay," Elee recalled. "My friends were like: Hey, you wanna come to this con, you wanna dress like silly little guys? And I was like, heck yes! It’s so fun to plan your outfits, spend all this time making your cosplay, and making everything for your outfit. Everyone is very excited to see what character you chose, and you have a fun time seeing what everyone else dressed up as—it’s just a very fun and positive experience."

Adrian as Isabelle from 'Animal Crossing.' Photo by corbin smith

Goblin as Maomao, also from 'The Apothecary Diaries.' Photo by Corbin Smith

Goblin is part of a cosplay collective called Too Broke for Cosplay, with fellow crafters Elee and Adrian, and credits Elee with teaching them to sew. At first, Goblin just did "tasks [Elee] didn’t like, like seam-ripping." Now they're working with furniture or upholstery fabrics on a heavy-duty Singer sewing machine. "When I hand make stuff, it lasts WAY longer than stuff I would buy online," they said. "There’s stuff I bought online that dies within one use and it cost $50-$70 dollars. This is my fourth time wearing this costume; I’ve only added to it, and it’s stayed as good."

SPOILER ALERT: Details follow for Season 12, Episode 7 of “The Masked Singer,” “Who Are You Fest Night,” which aired November 13 on Fox. It may have been a wipeout, but surfer Bethany Hamilton told Variety that she still enjoyed her brief appearance on “The Masked Singer.” Hamilton was the latest celebrity to be unmasked, […]

Four people have been arrested for alleged insurance fraud after they claimed a bear damaged their car — but it was really a person in a bear costume, according to officials in California.

Kelly Cercone is name you're likely unfamiliar with, but you have most assuredly admired her work. She's made her mark doing costume materials work on productions such as Westworld, American Horror Story, and Avengers: Infinity War/Endgame. Most recently, she's been...

Catégorie - GROUPES » Genre - Pop

for the last 19 years, Michael Pusateri has tracked children's Halloween costumes at his front door and published the stats online #

We want to hear your stories of how you navigate your relationship, or even a past one, this Halloween season.

The post Are Halloween costumes adding stress to your relationship? appeared first on Boston.com.

From a headless horseman to DunKings to Barbie.

The post These are the very best Halloween costumes we saw in Salem appeared first on Boston.com.

Halloween is around the corner, and it’s time to brainstorm the best group costume ideas for you and your friends. Whether you’re going to a Halloween party, trick-or-treating or entering a costume contest, the key to success is creativity, coordination and a dash of humor.

We've all been there: Spooky season has arrived, and you don't have any costume ideas for Halloween. Whether you're a casual fan of the holiday who is looking for a good Halloween costume, or a long time devotee of All Hallow's Eve who wants to top last year's effort, we've got you covered with some great Halloween costume ideas.

Boston-based Dunkin’, part of the Inspire Brands family of restaurants, is dialing up the excitement this spooky season with an all-new lineup of Halloween-inspired tricks and treats to take guests from morning to midnight. 

International Delight, a brand of Danone North America, Denver, Colo., is bringing main character energy to Halloween festivities this fall with the introduction of its creamer bottle costumes, based on two of the brand’s fan-favorite flavors: French Vanilla and Pumpkin Pie Spice.  

CREATES NEW RENT THE COSTUME (RTC) MARKET SEGMENT

La Tanya Nicole Louis is a distinguished expert in her field as an entrepreneur and professor

Halloween is just days away. By now you have probably picked out a costume. It is likely that you know where you are going and who you are going to meet there. But, have you decided how you are going to get home if you plan to drink alcohol? Take a few minutes right now to plan a safe ride home. Read more on how to plan ahead to avoid legal issues and embarrassment that go along with a DUI arrest and conviction.

Let's start with former slave, Harriet Tubman.

I couldn’t believe my eyes as I wandered through IKEA’s soft toy section. There, perched among the bins was Hedwig from Harry Potter. It was then I realized I was staring at IKEA’s new SKOGSDUVA snowy owl hand puppet. The resemblance to Harry’s faithful feathered companion was uncanny. While it might not deliver Hogwarts acceptance letters, it certainly brought a touch of magic to my shopping trip. With its fluffy white feathers and expressive eyes, this soft, cuddly version of […]

The post This Must-Have IKEA Item Completes Your Kid’s Harry Potter Costume appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

A.F. Branco Cartoon – Mainstream leftist media, along with the Democrats (The Party of the KKK), are trying their best..

This year, celebrants will likely be channeling characters from hit franchises like "Beetlejuice," "Inside Out" and "Deadpool"

A researcher studying the rise of extremism in Atlantic Canada warns Ku Klux Klan Halloween costumes are just one example of an insidious effort by far-right groups to normalize hateful attitudes.

A young Toronto Maple Leafs fan has caught the attention of the NHL with his Halloween costume this year. With the help of his dad, Grayson Haire, of Trenton, Ont., will wear a 3D version of an Upper Deck MVP Auston Matthews hockey card.

Anthony Daniels, who most famously portrays C-3PO in the Star Wars series of films, sits down with WIRED to discuss, in detail, the variety of costumes he has worn while filming Star Wars. Anthony explains just how he was able to fit into the costume and what his thoughts were when he first saw Ralph McQuarrie's designs. Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker is now available on Blu-Ray and Digital Download.

In 'Dune,' inhabitants of the desert planet wear full-body stillsuits for their survival. These stillsuits capture moisture and recycle it into drinking water. Jacqueline West and Bob Morgan, costume designers on 'Dune,' explain how they approached designing the suits for the film.

Archana Rao discusses the costume designing for ‘Kalki 2898 AD’, from using rubber-coated neoprene fabric to aged mul cottons and discarded materials

Last time, Neeta Lulla spoke about Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's costumes from the movie, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and this time, she spoke about Juhi Chawla's costumes in Darr. She took to Instagram to share about Juhi Chawla's costumes

Sometimes with hand sanitisers and other times with a burger, Katy Perry has pushed the fashion boundaries. A number of times, she has donned the costumes of articles that we could so relate to. Recently, as well, Katy Perry

While the script, directing, editing, and other technical aspects can make or break a film, more than often costumes also indirectly affect the film. Since costumes define a character, costumes become an essential part of the film. For instance, Sanjay

Of all the Halloween costumes out there, this guy and his girlfriend blew everyone away.

As a general rule, you probably shouldn’t be getting your Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from the party store. But these are exceptional times, and rather than potentially depriving medical professionals the equipment they so desperately need on the front lines, the team at [Robots Everywhere] has been looking into improvised …read more

Velayudhan Keezhillam, one of the senior-most costume designers of the Malayalam film industry passed away. The 66-year-old breathed his last at a private hospital in Chalakudy, on April 26, Sunday. As per the reports, the last rights of Velayudhan Keezhillam were

Badly injured from a crow attack, little Wasabi-Chan was nursed back to health by a crafty rescuer in Japan.

Whip up some cool Halloween costume ideas, starting with simple cardboard.

Wouldn't it be nice if you could create your own costumes with little time or money invested? Well you can. In fact, there are numerous costume ideas that can be created yourself for next to nothing. Better still, there's little or no sewing involved.

Honest Paws is celebrating Halloween 2018 with a fun Instagram contest.

ArmoryShop is already proving its craft with high-quality Star Wars costumes and armor. With their new website, they'll be able to cater to clients from all parts of the world.

Tim Simpson designed disguises for the hit ITV show, now he is part of a network of 8,000 people making coronavirus pandemic protective clothing

SUBBUTEO-style kits are a top seller at a Hampshire fancy dress shop despite England's World Cup exit.

Until it's time to gather once more, to dance and to celebrate dance together, let us admire these hauntingly beautiful costumes from Pacific Northwest Ballet's canceled April production of "Giselle."

The Louis Vuitton show at Paris Fashion Week earlier this month brought this gorgeous bit of theater: On a grandstand behind the runway sat 200 actors, dressed in costumes representing fashion from the 15th to mid-20th century.

Until it's time to gather once more, to dance and to celebrate dance together, let us admire these hauntingly beautiful costumes from Pacific Northwest Ballet's canceled April production of "Giselle."

It is not common place for students to be greeted at their school gate by their principal wearing fancy dress, but this is exactly what one school leader is doing each day to put his school community at ease and have a laugh.

The mundane task of putting the bins out just got interesting, as people around the world don fancy dress for their weekly walk to the kerb — all in the name of finding some fun during social isolation.

You’re in luck if you love Miss Phryne Fisher, TV’s elegant lady detective.

A Colorado costume shop is creating beautiful pieces in some big-time Broadway shows.

There are thousands of Swarovski crystals involved.

Party People Entertainment, Code Red, and NOVA Mas International said they will not take part in the Bermuda Carnival 2020 Parade of Bands due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and will have a ‘Costume Carry Forward System,’ which will allow them to portray their 2020 themes in 2021. Party People Ent posted an announcement online, saying, […] (Click to read the full article)