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My Batman Returns Catwoman Cosplay Finally Happened

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It’s only been in the works since last year but I finally wore her to C2E2! It was a bit of a long road to get here. At first, I was just going to stock up on suits and try adding the stitching myself. I didn’t have the money this time around to commission someone for it. It’s easily a $1,200 costume depending on different things. But then I came across Mico Costumes who offered it for around $80. I’ve never actually seen a “mass produced” option before. I’ve searched on and off a bit over the years so I was really surprised when this popped up! Plus I figured it was cheaper/easier than ruining a bunch of suits I got off Ebay. I went with a Medium and prayed it would fit. A few weeks later my costume which included the suit, corset, whip, mask, and claw-less gloves arrived! I tried it on and it fit! I mean, it’s a bit long but I’m super short. It’s not really an issue though since it’s worn with boots. I wasn’t too impressed with the mask portion of the costume. That’s why I upgraded mine and ordered a cowl from Reevz FX. It was $150 but worth it. I feel like it really upgraded the entire look of the costume. Then the hunt was on for claws. I knew I wouldn’t be happy just half assing them or skipping them. I started contacting places I knew had sold them before but a few shops were on breaks. Then I came across Kitana Store on Etsy. She actually sells the entire costume with the gloves. I reached out asking if she’d be able to sell just the claws and she said yes! Since she’s located in Russia, shipping was a bit more but I paid a total of $65. The boots I bought off Ebay which helped save money because these things can easily be $80+. Instead I paid $35. That means I spent a total of $330. That sounds like a lot but when you start looking at the prices of custom costumes, it’s not horrible. Plus I did everything over months which made it easier to pay for. I am preparing though to upgrade the corset. It’s not bad for something that costs a total of $80 but it’s not a real one and doesn’t really lay like it should during certain poses. I’m not in a rush though since I’m not sure when I plan on wearing her again. I’m just throwing some feelers out there with a few commissioners. As far as how comfortable it was? I was really surprised that it wasn’t that bad! It was pretty easy to move in, I didn’t get too hot. I was always a little worried something would rip or bust but it never happened. I was able to kneel, bend, sit, with no real issues. In all I think I wore the costume for about 4 hours which honestly isn’t too shabby. I had people asking for photos which felt really great and all of you online who’ve been commenting as I’ve shared things on social media have been wonderful land mermaids. I want to thank all of you for the super kind comments and support. It really does mean a lot, especially with a costume like this. Now onto photos!

The following were taken by Butter Half Cosplay Photography. She was fantastic to work with. If you’re in her area, or she’s offering photos at a convention/event near you, I highly recommend booking her. She has very reasonable rates but more importantly she really put a lot of work into prepping for the shoot. Then the day of she was great with helping me pose and feel comfortable. You can also find her on Instagram



And here are a few random photos that were taken by my friends over the weekend. I need to send a huge thank you to my squad. They did everything from rubbing me down in baby powder, to carrying my bags, to fixing my lipstick when I couldn’t because claws. They kept an eye out for creepers as well which is always appreciated.



And this one gets highlighted because I love it.



And that’s it! I only wore her Saturday but would have worn her again on Sunday if the day was longer. If anyone has any issues just let me know and I’ll try my best to answer them! And be sure to give Butter Half Cosplay a follow! Also, I’ll do another General C2E2 post later in the week!

It’s Already Time For C2E2

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This time next week I’ll be heading to Chicago for C2E2! If you know me, you know I love this convention and it’s one I attend pretty much each year. It’s just the perfect size and not overly crazy like some of the other conventions out there. The main reason I love going though is the fact it’s Ground Zero for my friend group. I get to see my friends from Chicago and St. Louis plus this year Katy is flying over from the UK! I’m really excited about seeing everyone and just catching up and not worrying about anything. After looking over the schedule, there are a few panels that caught my eye but nothing that I have to attend. I only have one photo op right now and that’s with Charlie Cox from “Daredevil.” I’m very excited about that and still trying to figure out what to wear!

Saturday I have a cosplay photoshoot set up for Catwoman. I’m nervous about finally wearing her. I know it’ll be fine but you know how brains are. I feel confident in the photographer that I picked though. Her rates were fair and her portfolio looked solid. Plus I feel more comfortable just because she’s a woman. Sorry, not sorry. I hope the weather keeps it together though and the rain stays away. I’d love to be able to take some photos outside. It’ll be fine either way!

One thing that’s new this year is the hotel. Normally we stay at the Hyatt but this year we picked the new Marriott. It almost feels like cheating in some weird way. I mean, we’ve used the Hyatt for years and they’ve always been super good to us! But it’ll be fun to try a brand new hotel and hopefully the bar/lounge areas won’t be as crowded. That was the only downfall of the Hyatt. It was party central and the last few years they were doing construction on the lobby/bar areas which meant it was even worse than normal. Plus the wait for the elevators. I’ll be curious to see if over time the after hour events get split between the two hotels.

Are any of you heading to C2E2? Or maybe another convention soon? Let me know!

Convention Plans For 2018

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I’m honestly glad to be finished with conventions and traveling for the year. I love it, but it’s exhausting and expensive! I’m already planning for next year though and I am excited to get back to it once I’ve recharged a bit.

C2E2: April

This will be my first convention of 2018 and it’s one of my favorite shows! It’s normally the one show where my squad can all get together and just hang out and nerd out. The show has a great balance of celebs and comics. I love their Artist Alley and the show just has a really good vibe. If you feel that NYCC is too crowded and overwhelming, I highly recommend C2E2! I’ll be debuting my Catwoman cosplay there too. If you follow me on Twitter, I posted some sneak peaks!

Heroes Con: June

I’ve only been to this show once before but I fell in love hard. If you’re looking for some amazing talent all in once place, this is the convention for you. Plus it’s very affordable. I think a weekend pass is only $40. Don’t quote me on that though. The cosplay is pretty on point as well! Plus I’ll be rooming with Karl and Jenna and I can’t wait to party with them.

Baltimore Comic-Con: September

This is my local show, which means of course I’ll be there. I missed it this year because of London and was legit sad about it. It’s another pretty affordable show, plus I can drive to and from and can save money on a hotel. If you’re in the area, give it a shot! Even if you just attend for a day, it’s pretty worth it.

And that’s probably it! I might try and check out Keystone Comic-Con in September. It’s the newest ReedPop event and is up the road in Philly. Even if I don’t go for the entire weekend, I might try and drive up for a day just to see. If you’re up in Philly, this might be a show to add to your list! It’s nice to have another convention nearby that isn’t Wizard World.

What shows do you guys have on your list for next year? Let me know!

New York Comic Con Weekend

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It was a pretty last minute decision to attend New York Comic-Con last weekend. I mainly attended to see friends and to see the “Psych: The Movie” panel. Once I saw that panel was announced I knew I had to make it work. I only went Saturday and Sunday. It’s just a “short” three hour drive and it’s a pretty easy drive as well. I hopped in the car around 5:30AM and took off up the road. I think I got to NYCC around 8:30, maybe 9AM. I stayed in Jersey to save some money and took the ferry across. My badge had to be picked up at Will Call and it was painless. Granted, I’m sure most people by Saturday already had their badges. But I was in and out, and the same goes for security as well. The lines moved pretty swiftly and bag check was smooth. I didn’t cosplay though so I have no insights on weapons or any cosplay related issues. The first thing I did was head down to the Queue Hall to make sure I was good to go for seeing Psych. There was a decent line but once 10AM rolled around and the convention opened, it didn’t take long to get my badge tapped and to “reserve” my seat. After that I just wandered around! I attended solo which meant I could do whatever I wanted!

One of the first places I stopped was the Sideshow Collectibles booth. I’ve been friends with Susan who works there for awhile now but we never had the chance to meet before! It was really nice to finally catch up with her and talk about Hot Toys and football. Plus the booth had some amazing items on display. I finally saw the Yondu Sixth Scale Figure in person and man, it has to be the best that Hot Toys has put out. I think once I have a few more Reward Points saved up, I’m going to order him. They had a few of the new Ragnarok figures on display too including Hela and Gladiator Hulk. I’m beyond thrilled to see more female figures coming from Hot Toys. Speaking of Sideshow, don’t forget that Spooktacular is just around the corner! Only 11 days to go! If you’re not familiar, Spook features contests, reward points, discounts, and horror related figure announcements! Be sure to follow Sideshow on every form of social media for your chance to win!

The next thing I did was drop off my sketchbook to Brian Level in Artist Alley. I love AA but man, they need to figure something out. I know that the Javits is under construction and space is even more limited than normal, but it was way too small and hot. I normally love just taking my time in AA and checking everything out but it was pretty impossible with the crowds this time around. I really hope that a fire alarm never goes off during NYCC because it’ll end in disaster, no question about it. Anyway, Brian was the only sketch I had done during the weekend and I requested my boi, Pennywise.

Guys, how amazing is this?! If Brian is ever at a convention near you, I highly recommend getting something by him. He really puts his all into every commission he does and is 100% worth the cost. This is my third piece and they just keep getting better. I know he normally does C2E2 but he’s all over the place. Be sure to follow him on Twitter to see where his next show is, or if he’s taking non-con commissions! That was honestly it for Artist Alley. I didn’t even buy any prints, but remember my goal was to spend as little money as possible. The only other things I bought was a little Zero figure from Nightmare Before Christmas and these adorable Baby Groot earrings from RockLove Jewelry.

I mean, RIGHT?! They were super affordable too which is even better. I think in all (not counting food/parking), I only spent maybe $70? That’s very impressive for someone like me who normally makes it rain cash during a convention! So this is me tooting my own horn. Of course, like I mentioned before, the main thing I was there to see was the “Psych: The Movie” panel. I ended up with really great seats and we saw the first twenty minutes of the movie! It was like the show never ended. The fans were singing the theme song, the cast were great. I mean, it was just really special and I’m glad I was able to attend. If you missed the date, the movie will air on USA Network December 7th!

And that really sums it up. I was able to catch dinner with friends, hangout with others during the show. But man, I need that expansion to hurry up and finish. The crowds at NYCC are just out of control. The Javits just can’t handle the amount of people coming and going there. I spent most of the time sitting on the floor against the wall because there’s just not enough seats in areas like the food court. Sunday I tried to use the bathroom three times but each line was just beyond long. I ended up just waiting and using a bathroom at the ferry terminal. I’ve said it before, but I have such a love/hate with this convention. I enjoy the show but I hate the convention center with a fiery passion. I really hope that when the expansion is finished, it helps alleviate some of the crowd issues, and means more room for Artist Alley.

Oh and one more thing, I randomly ran into this guy!

Patrick Warburton is one of those actors where you don’t see them enough in the wild, so you’re not 100% sure it’s him. But then he speaks and you’re like ah, yup! It’s him! He just has that voice. He was super nice and took photos with a good amount of people. Just goes to show, you never know who or where you’ll run into a celeb during a convention! And this photo op cost me nothing!

San Diego Comic-Con Flashbacks: Attending As Press

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I never in a million years thought I’d attend San Diego Comic-Con as Press. But then it happened! After attending my first year, I started When Nerds Attack. It was myself and Melinda, then a few others jumped on board like Mario, Erin, and Lindsey. It started out with just sharing tips and advice. How does Hall H work? What about food? Where should I stay? How do I even buy badges? At the time, there weren’t many blogs dedicated to San Diego, or conventions in general. I can’t remember why I applied for Press. Maybe someone pushed me to it. Maybe I thought what the hell? I mean, you have nothing to lose. So I did it, then imagine my shock when I was approved!

But covering San Diego as Press is something you can’t really ever be prepared for. On top of you own “To Do” list, you now have another list. You start getting emails about interviews, or checking out off-site events early. Now you’re getting Press Releases to post, and you feel the pressure to provide as much coverage and news as you can. It might sound like fun, but it’s work. It’s a lot of work. I was going from waiting in the Hall H line, to running to a Press Room, hoping that I didn’t miss the wristbands that they were handing out. Then there’s the whole “Oh fuck, I’m in this room interviewing these celebs!” You try to think of new or fun questions, you have no idea how any of it works. My first room, I pretty much just sat there and watched everyone else. I was taking mental notes for the next time around. Oh and now that question you thought was really original has been asked four times. It’s stressful. Is it fun? Yes. It’s different. But it’s a lot of work and a lot of stress. You’re no longer doing Comic-Con for yourself, you’re now doing it for everyone who reads the blog and who can’t make it to the Big Show. You have contacts asking when your review will be up, when can they expect to see the interview on your site. That’s why I ended up stepping down. I was starting to dread something I really enjoyed. Luckily, Lindsey reached out and asked if she could take WNA over. I was actually thrilled someone wanted to step in. I didn’t want the website to just disappear, but I knew I couldn’t do it anymore. I wasn’t making any money off of it, I was still working my full time job. It was hard to balance everything and keep the quality at the level that I wanted, and that readers expected.

With all that being said, I wouldn’t change it for the world. I was able to have some once in a lifetime experiences thanks to starting that blog and taking the chance to apply as Press. I made some amazing friends because of it as well. So, next time you think about maybe complaining about SDCC coverage, or wondering why a SDCC related blog isn’t responding to your tweet right away, remember they are people too! And they have a lot they need to do in order to try and bring you coverage and information. Not to mention, we want to have a little “us time” as well, and maybe see a panel for something we enjoy too!

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