Almacon

Turns out I felt kinda bad about my rebellious streak at Ohayocon, so much I wanted to make up for it. When I saw a Facebook post asking for volunteers at Almacon a week before the convention, I impulsively filled it out and sent it in, even though I'd never worked at a convention before nor previously even considered it.
They must have really needed volunteers because they promptly put me on the schedule. I clicked the "5-8 hours" button for availability, and they scheduled me for seven hours. Spread out over 13 hours total. Well played, Almacon!
Two hours watching an autograph line -- no shenanigans from signature seekers like I pulled, fortunately. My line was kind of short. J. Michael Tatum's line, which was much longer, was later so I didn't have to deal with that.
Two hours checking for wrist bands at the dealer's room. It was at capacity, so I also had to control access, zero-sum-game style, two go out, let two in, which made it more complicated. There was a line, but I got them all in by the time I left.
An hour in one of the anime rooms, which was cool. Durarara was streaming on Crunchyroll, so all I had to do was remaximize the screen each time a new episode would start. That I can handle.
Lastly, two hours watching the door for a game of Cards Against Humanity, 10:30-midnight, played by some of the celebrity guests for the entertainment of the audience. Adults only, so I had to check IDs. Michigan provides special driver's licenses to minors - vertical format instead of horizontal, which made it easier. An apparently intoxicated cosplayer (Catbug?) decided she wanted to sit in with the guests and had to be escorted out, but I didn't have to deal with that cause I was way back at the door.
Lots of down time, so I still got to do the usual convention stuff.
I met comics creators Comfort Love and Adam Withers and got a print.

Star Wars! It's going on the wall. I'm wearing a coat over my Voyage Trekkers Marine costume cause it was cold.

A married comics creating couple, like some others I could mention, they publish The Uniques, Uniques Tales, and Rainbow in the Dark, and they live in Flint, like me! The Star Wars print is Adam's. Comfort showed me one she's working on, featuring prequel characters, which will probably join its mate when it's finished.
Also, a panel, with Chuck Huber, Mike McFarland, and J. Michael Tatum talking about their careers in anime and other stuff.

Almacon is at Alma College, with classrooms and chalkboards.

And see what fellow cosplayers were up to.

Lenalee Lee and Komui Lee from the anime series D Gray Man. The characters are brother and sister, members of the Black Order, tasked with fighting evil Akuma demons. The yellow thing she's holding is Timcanpy the golem, a cross between a radio and a Predator surveillance drone.

Deadpool and a penguin themed character? It was getting pretty late.

Rorschach from the Watchmen comic, ready to liquify some filthy miscreants.
The patterns shifted on his mask, which was pretty cool!

Ohayocon cosplayers!

Ohayocon 2014 was filled with awesome cosplayers, as I've come to expect from these things.

Some of whom are on these stairs in the Columbus Convention Center.

 From anime...

Team Natsu from Fairy Tail! Minus Natsu and Gray. Those guys are always late!

Mikasa from Attack on Titan! You can tell by her trademark scarf.

I don't recognize this character, but she has a bear, as does the girl on the left.

American animation...

The Scooby gang! I think they also had Fred and Daphne with them but they weren't around at the time.

Queen Elsa and Princess Anna. This was a great cosplay idea with the weather we've been having! I heard them say they also had the post-Let-It-Go Elsa outfit.

Comics...

Iron Man versus ... one of the Venoms?

Here's a Venom. I don't know how he could see out of this thing.

Daniel Halifax and Cecily Parkinson, as SuperDan - the chestplate symbol is Kryponian for "H"! Grown adults who make costumes and go to conventions - people after my own heart! He's also got pics posted of himself as Iron Man and Batman, which is awesome!

 And lots and lots of different variations on various themes...

Samurai Vader!

A mix of anime, video games, webcomics? They seem concerned about the blue fellow.

My own cosplay so far includes Soldier A, desert and woodland variants, marine from Voyage Trekkers, sack brigader from The Other Grey Meat, and a samurai from a show to be named later once I get in some decent progress on it...

Fake sword for my samurai outfit and fake rifle for Soldier A. I should work on something to combine the two!

Ohayocon 2014

First anime convention of 2014, Ohayocon in Columbus, Ohio!
I've been going to probably too many of these things lately, especially in the snow and ice, but I wanted to get to this one mostly for one reason - meet voice actress Brittney Karbowski!

To attend her panels, and also get her autograph.

She plays Black Star, the last remaining unautographed main character on my Soul Eater banner. Black Star is this guy.

He's Black Star! His opponents quake in fear of their impending deaths!

So it was early Sunday afternoon, after more than an hour in Brittney's autograph line, almost up to the front, when con staffers came around with the last thing an autograph seeker wants to hear - "we're sorry but..."
Her scheduled time was up and she had to catch a flight, leaving me, the dozen or so folks in the room with me, and the hundred or so waiting out in the hall sans autograph.
Much grumbling was heard from my fellow signature seekers, filing dejectedly out as Brittney started packing up her stuff. I didn't grumble. I lingered, though.
"Since there's only one of us left...," I pointed out to the staffers.
"Please exit out the back door," they responded.
One option left - a direct, personal appeal to the artist herself.
"Brittney," I called out desperately, as staffers closed in. "Just one more?"
Time does indeed stop in situations like this. She looked up, figured out what I was doing there, and had to decide what to do with me.
"Sorry, I have to go" would have been truthful and fair. So would ignoring me have been.
What she said was, "Yes, of course." And she signed it. And all was right with the world.

With cool Black Star logo! And Xs and Os so I'm pretty sure she wasn't mad!

So now it looks like this.

Blair the witch cat, played by Leah Clark, remains unautographed, but I don't know if she goes to cons out here.

I also managed to tell Brittney I like "Angel Beats," the anime show that got me hooked on anime shows because of its awesomeness, and in which she plays one of the leads, which was cool!
On my way out, one of my fellow autograph seekers seemed surprised to see me.
"Did you get it," he asked, incredulously.
"Yep," I said.
Then he gave me a high-five. I hope no one saw that, cause I didn't want to rub it in. Maybe this wasn't the best example for me to provide to those younger, though perhaps it could be a fortune-favors-the-bold thing. I certainly am not prone to such acts of open defiance!
Perhaps it had to do with what I was wearing.

I'm with voice-actor-extraordinaire Vic Mignogna. Snappy salute, sir! I looked it up, left-handed salutes are permitted in at least the Navy if the right hand is busy, and anyway he's a civilian.

I wore my Soldier A outfit, woodland pattern, on Sunday to meet Brittney and Vic. "Soldier A" is from a song of Vic's of the same name, my first attempt at a cosplay outfit. I wanted him to see what it was he inspired. He seemed to appreciate it, which is very cool!
Saturday, I went with my new, not-quite-finished Samurai outfit.

I'm with Tia Ballard again? Yup!

I bought the wooden sword and kimono at Anime Crossroads in Indiana last month, and a set of samurai-ish sandals online. I still have to get whatever it was samurai had on under their kimonos, so I just wore regular pants and my Blue Milk Special tshirt.
The headband I think I got at Kings Island around 1986. This would be the first time I have ever worn it in public. I'm pretty sure it's the kanji for "matsuri," meaning "festival." I should wear this at Matsuricon!

Youmacon voice actors!

Youmacon's voice actor panels and autographs sessions were awesome. I love these guys!
I started this blog with a picture from last year's Youmacon, so this is sort of full circle for me. It was of me and voice actor, director, etc. Caitlin Glass. She let me get a new picture with her, which is very cool.

We're in focus this year!

The voice actors for whom I had stuff to autograph, I've met them before. Not, however, when I had my Soul Eater and Fullmetal Alchemist banners. They're becoming quite crowded now.

Youmacon additions include Caitlin, Sonny Strait, and Todd Haberkorn.

From Youmacon, Sonny, Caitlin, Todd, and Tia Ballard.

Sonny Strait, a comics artist and creator as well as voice actor, doesn't have his characters on either banner, so he drew them in - Ragnarok the demon sword on Soul Eater and Maes Hughes for  Fullmetal Alchemist. The Hughes sketch is quite detailed because the autograph line was slow.

He'd draw some, look up, see the line hadn't moved, sigh, then draw some more.

He had enough time during the entire session to create quite the work of art on the table cloth.

These are all his characters, I think. Hughes' drawing reflects his fate - oops, spoiler!

I asked Todd Haberkorn to sign both banners, program, and a print of him as Mr. Spock, because he's doing Star Trek now too.

And he did. He's very nice.

One of the panels I went to featured the anime series Fairy Tail, with voice actors Tia Ballard, Todd, and Funimation producer Sarah Sullivan.

Todd plays a fire-wielding wizard; Tia, a blue talking cat who can fly.

I went to the Fairy Tail panel at last year's Youmacon too, even though I hadn't seen any episodes yet. I knew the voice actors from other stuff. But Netflix picked it up a couple months ago and that means I can watch it! The panel made more sense this time.
Tia's on my Fullmetal banner because she played Shao May, a sort of miniature panda bear. I asked for a picture with her too.

I will never wash my Voyage Trekkers marine shirt again. Actually, that would probably ruin the fabric glue anyway

Next up is Con Alt Delete in Chicago and Anime Crossroads in Indianapolis, both in December. Vic Mignogna is scheduled for Chicago - he plays the lead in Fullmetal, the one who's not a suit of armor. His character is also on the Soul Eater banner. And he's Captain Kirk in Star Trek Continues, with Todd's Mr. Spock.
My samurai cosplay project is underway, though not quickly enough for December. I stopped by Joann's fabric for supplies. They were having a half-off sale, which meant the stuff was cheaper, but also that the store would be packed. They passed out numbers for the cutting stations - they were on 23 when I drew the number 56. So I had lots of time to shop, and picked up a plastic, wheeled storage cabinet for my Living Room Wars action figures and accessories.

Crafters are crazy good at organizing stuff!

I'm still deciphering the hakama pattern. It's a set of line measurements based on size to be applied to a simple rectangle of cloth - an honest-to-goodness geometry worksheet straight out of high school.

Not quite ready yet...

Youmacon 2013

Youmacon 2013 in Detroit was awesome! I went as a sack brigader from The Other Grey Meat on Friday, and a Galactic Union marine from Voyage Trekkers on Saturday.

The Ben Nye makeup worked well, much more stable than the water-based stuff I used last time.

I'm checking out the latest captain's blog, cause Sunstrike never tells us anything.

Got a photo request, sort of. A Detroit News photographer snapped a picture of me unawares for their website gallery, then asked about it after. I do the same thing for the Clarkston News, so I'm familiar with the tactic. Voyage Trekkers representin' east of the Mississippi!

It's captioned "Phil Custodio, 44, of Flint, portrays 'A Space Marine' from Voyage Trekkers. (Todd McInturf / The Detroit News)."  I was waiting for a movie so I had turned off the LEDs on my ray guns.

Cosplayers (or "codplayers," as the Detroit News referred to us in their story - I kind of like that one!) did fantastic, imaginative work, filling the newly refurbished Cobo Hall with thousands of anime and other characters.

A dark elfish-type outfit, backed by a line filled with Steam Powered Giraffe fans.

This Peter Parker lets his Mary Jane Watson share in the fun!

More on Youmacon later!

EE degree needed

With some hacksaw, drill, file, and screwdriver work, I pretty much have the arrangement set for my Voyage Trekkers assault ray gun (heavy).

Have you ever seen such precision!

The look I'm going for is something like the original series phaser rifle from Star Trek.

Something like this-ish.

Paint's applied, so now it's time for the electronics. The replacement electronics. I connected the LED setup ripped from the original toy to a 9-volt battery, lit them up, then promptly burned those suckers out. So is a 9-volt more powerful than three AAA batteries, or something? Huh. Anyway, I have new LEDs for it, to go in some holes I drilled along the sides, the window thing, and down the barrel.

I'm using the plastic lid as a test circuit board. Why? Is that a problem?

It all should be ready by Youmacon at the end of the month. Also at the Detroit convention will be my Sack Brigader from The Other Grey Meat. I'm planning to get some better makeup, to try and avoid the whole sweaty-makeup mess.
TOGM put an album of my Category 2 zombie costuming on their Facebook page, which was very cool! I'm on there along with Tom Gatto, cosplaying the Phantom (my boss), Sylene the purple-haired Category 3 as cosplayed by June Maillet, who created the webcomic along with her husband James Maillet, and other TOGM stuff. Quite an honor!
My next project won't be ready for anything anytime soon, but it's started, at least. The sewing pattern I ordered arrived.

Emma the cat has no idea what this is all about.

I like how the instructions start with "Do not be alarmed!" My plan is to use this pattern to make a samurai outfit. I have a manga character all picked out, something actually based in Asian culture, which is a key requirement for participating in cosplay contests at the anime conventions I've been to.
It will be a challenge. Not least of which is Lizzie the cat. Lizzie's usually the one who shows up in the floor photos I put on here. She's not in this one because she was half a second from rending the very thin paper sewing pattern into a million pieces. She was locked up in the bathroom for this picture.
Then there's the whole "sewing" thing.

More ray gun!

I'm working on a new ray gun for my Voyage Trekkers Galactic Union Marine outfit. Multistate anime conventioneering has been expensive lately, so I'm going kind of cheap on this one. I got a clearance bazooka thing from Meijer's for about $5. I'll augment it with PVC.

This, to start with.

I'm heading in this sort of direction.

To be repainted in standard Galactic Union white and black, along with LEDs and stuff.

The thing was set up for lights and sound, with soldered wiring, circuit board, bulbs, speaker, and everything. So I can see what that's supposed to look like.

After I ripped it apart, of course. Wiring looks like string and string means cat toy!

My finished version will not look anything like this. Mine will have more tape.

The wiring didn't survive the dismantling process or something, which is OK. I had no intention of using it in my version anyway. The old batteries had been drained probably long ago and new ones won't work.My plan is through-hole LEDs on the sides and top, and brighter ones shining from inside.
I'll looking to have it finished by Youmacon in Detroit at the end of October.
By the way, Voyage Trekkers' second season is now complete, with a completely kickass four-part finale! Here's Part 4, the finale of the finale, AKA Episode 10 of Season 2. Thrilling and hilarious!

Along with my VT Marine costume, I'm looking to reprise my Sack Brigader from The Other Grey Meat at Youmacon. I got a picture of me in it at Anime USA posted on a Facebook page that wasn't mine, a first for me, courtesy of the Bloomsburg University Manga and Anime Club of Pennsylvania.

This would also work for Halloween, with the sack and everything.

Shortly after this picture was taken, I was fumbling around with the sack, camera, two banners, program book, and entry badge for autographs by voice actor Kari Wahlgren, and dropped the badge. This was bad, since it was a sponsor badge, which is what Anime USA calls its VIP, premium level and gets you to the front of lines.
And I didn't notice until I was cleaning up for the Metro ride home a couple hours later. I have 10 pockets in that outfit and a sack, and I checked all of them inside and out before I accepted the reality that I was dumb enough to lose my badge two hours into a three-day convention. My last hope was the lost-and-found at the front desk, which I considered an extreme long shot. Damned if they didn't have it, though. That was very cool, since someone could have easily scored a free sponsor badge.
I love cosplayers!

Anime USA!

Great time cosplaying at Anime USA in our nation's capitol, as well as Retrocon near Philadelphia!
Sack brigader from The Other Grey Meat on Friday at Anime USA.

I'm with very cool voice actress Kari Wahlgren. She said the costume was "intense." Perhaps thinking I was going for some sort of military commando look, I reassured her that I was just a zombie.

Quite self conscious, putting on the makeup and walking through the crowd, even though lots of others were doing the same kind of thing. I skipped the sealer or whatever else actors use to keep the makeup on their face in action, so I found myself in danger of sweating it off! I hung out in a darkened anime screening room until I cooled off. It was a story of a family with shapeshifting powers or something.
Took the Metro subway there and back, but not in full makeup.

Saturday was Voyage Trekkers day for me, in two states! I wore the uniform of a Galactic Union marine.

The conveyance device was for my two anime banners.

The day started with a drive up I-95 to Oaks, Pennsylvania, home of Retrocon, a convention filled with action figures, toys, and other cool stuff. Wore my cosplay uniform the whole way. Got some smiles from operators of the toll booths, of which there were, sadly, many. But more than worth it. I visited Rod and Leanne Hannah, creators of Blue Milk Special, Once Upon a Caper, and tons of other works.

Like Masters of the Universe!

The local chapter of the 501st Legion, Garrison Carida, was also there, raising money for charity. Blast-a-stormtrooper-for-the-betterment-of-others was great fun!

And Vader too, sometimes. Not to worry, her aim was way off.

The dart in the middle of the stormtrooper to my left's forehead - yeah, I put that one there.

Great cosplaying from cartoons and comics from the 80s, when I was a kid.

G.I Joe!

Optimus Prime! And, um, Jesus?

Then it was back to Washington for more Anime USA! Rode the Metro through downtown DC in full  Galactic Union uniform. Some kids may have stared a bit, but no one else seemed to care.
Got some great autographs at the convention!

Met Travis Willingham again, this time with fellow voice actor and also his wife, Laura Bailey.

Laura Bailey's the main reason I attended the convention, because she's in several of my favorite anime series, many as the lead. In Fullmetal Alchemist, she plays "Lust," a sexy (duh) villain.

Her autograph is next to her husband's. Awww. In the anime, their characters fight to the bloody, fiery, screaming death!
BTW, Stephanie Young placed her autograph in an interesting spot.

She also plays the titular role in "Gunslinger Girl."

Her character, Henrietta, is a cyborg assassin created by the Italian government to do their dirty work.
She has a crush on her secret-agent handler. Things do not end well.

Laura is also the lead in Soul Eater, playing Maka in the Harry-Potter-meets-Hellraiser series.

Close to Travis again. Dawwwww! Their characters are enemies again, but they don't fight.

I got a full set of autographs at Anime USA, which is a first for me, as well as attending all three days of a convention.

David Brehm is thought-ballooning Stephanie Young cause they're married and stuff.

I also stopped by the Maid Cafe. I highly recommend it.

She made me creme brulee. Heart!

Took lots of cosplayer photos this time. Some of my favorites...

Desert Punk!

Attack on Titan! I haven't seen this one yet, but my impression is that the attack is pretty serious.

Call of Duty: Ghosts. Sort of what I've had in mind in my previous outfits.

Deadpool!

Kingdom Hearts! These guys should have won the masquerade but they didn't.

Lara Croft!

Devil May Cry!

Schoolgirls? Who fight evil? Maybe?

Youmacon in downtown Detroit is coming up next. I wasn't sure I would attend, but then they announced Caitlin Glass was returning, along with Todd Haberkorn. They're on my banners, damn it! So I'm going after all. I'm looking at Voyage Trekkers cosplay, maybe with a bigger ray gun.
I'll also be working on an cosplay project from an actual work of anime! For later. Maybe much later...