Dirty Weekend on Cybertron, Part 3
Whew! Sorry for the split post, guys - the size of some of the images ran me right into LJ's posting limits. This is the last one, I promise.
- I ended up spending a slightly ridiculous amount of money on a signed comic in the charity auction, but it was for a very good cause: a charity that supplies meals to schoolchildren in the developing world (especially Malawi), which is often the only thing that makes it possible for them to attend school. So it was totally a rational decision, and had nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that David Kaye was running the auction, and doing little scraps of Megatron lines to encourage higher bids. Ahem. :) (Hey, somebody else payed £120 for a giant rubber duckie David Kaye signed. I don't feel too bad.)
- Another fantastic moment, possibly my favourite of the convention: I was talking to this guy about the cosplay costume he was putting together for next year, and I asked why he'd chosen that particular character, Rodimus Prime. And this bluff, squarely built, buzzcut, middle-aged guy from Northern England looked me right in the eye and said matter-of-factly, "Well, I'm a little bit gay for Rodimus." I salute you, sir. ;)
- There was also a fun cosplay parade and competition, including an adorable Shattered Glass Ravage. (Cliff's Notes version: Ravage is a robotic panther. In the normal Transformers universe, he's a stealthy, savage lone warrior. So in Shattered Glass - Transformers' version of a mirror universe, where the heroic Decepticons fight the evil Autobots - Ravage is a ridiculously cute, bouncy, excitable kitteh who couldn't even sneak up on lint. :)) Some of the costumes were barely more than a t-shirt and some ear finials, but others were incredibly elaborate, with fantastic weaponry. My favourites were the cosplayers who stayed in character. With most, the MC would ask, "And who are you?" "[Character name]," "Hehheh, right, and your real name is?" "Oh, I'm Alison from Newcastle," or what have you. Until he got to the one contestant playing Starscream.
"And you are?"
*contemptuous glare* "Um, the Supreme Leader of all Decepticons?"
But even that had to take second place to the cosplayer who came as Megatron, and who charged up the aisle, snarling and threatening the audience. (The fact that she was a skinny, twenty-something chick just made it better. :)) When she reached the front, the MC asked who she was, and without missing a beat, she replied:
"David Kaye."
I also had a bit of a soft spot for one other cosplayer. See, I was watching the beginning of the parade with my new gay-for-Rodimus pal (see above), and he pointed out a friend of his, who was resplendent in his Optimus Prime costume, lined up and ready to process up the aisle.
"Oh, yeah, he looks great," I said.
"Yes, but the thing is, I just know he's going to fall over."
"I'm sure he'll be okay."
"No." He turned and looked at me mournfully. "You don't understand. He forgot to give himself KNEES."
And the poor lad did make it up to the stage without taking a tumble, but it was painful watching him shuffle his way, inch by inch. Awww. :)
- Saturday night saw what was possibly the most awesome disco in the history of ever. Okay, for most of the night, it was cosplayers singing karaoke hits with varying success, but for about half an hour around midnight, comicbook artist Jason Cardy did a live mixing session, mashing up Transformers themes and dialogue clips with celestial-sounding electronic music, and it was GLORIOUS. Somewhere, there is video of me in the press of people, dancing like a flailing maniac and singing, "Moooore than meets the eyyyyyyye...", so we should all just cross our fingers that THAT never sees the light of day. :) The dancefloor was completely owned, though, by one of the other artists, Kat Nicholson (the one I wanted to draw me a Shockwave), who I've decided I want to be when I grow up. Because not only is she a fantastic artist, but I've never seen anyone dance in such an uninhibited, uncontrived, I-am-totally-comfortable-in-my-own-skin-and-about-to-kick-your-ass way, leaping off the stage and strutting like a boss. :)
- And finally, I leave you with this:
Yes, that is Optimus Prime's brain on a floppy disk. It's a reference to something in the old Marvel comics, but I think it's funnier if I don't explain it. :) Let me just say that one of the toy dealers was giving these away...
... under a sign that read, "FREE BRAINS! :)"
Oh, and just to round out the weekend - yesterday, I got a response on a dating site I'm signed up to, from a guy who was at Auto Assembly and thought he recognised me! Weird, huh? At least, if we do end up getting a coffee, the question of what on earth to talk about won't be as fraught as it usually is on dates. ;)
- I ended up spending a slightly ridiculous amount of money on a signed comic in the charity auction, but it was for a very good cause: a charity that supplies meals to schoolchildren in the developing world (especially Malawi), which is often the only thing that makes it possible for them to attend school. So it was totally a rational decision, and had nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that David Kaye was running the auction, and doing little scraps of Megatron lines to encourage higher bids. Ahem. :) (Hey, somebody else payed £120 for a giant rubber duckie David Kaye signed. I don't feel too bad.)
- Another fantastic moment, possibly my favourite of the convention: I was talking to this guy about the cosplay costume he was putting together for next year, and I asked why he'd chosen that particular character, Rodimus Prime. And this bluff, squarely built, buzzcut, middle-aged guy from Northern England looked me right in the eye and said matter-of-factly, "Well, I'm a little bit gay for Rodimus." I salute you, sir. ;)
- There was also a fun cosplay parade and competition, including an adorable Shattered Glass Ravage. (Cliff's Notes version: Ravage is a robotic panther. In the normal Transformers universe, he's a stealthy, savage lone warrior. So in Shattered Glass - Transformers' version of a mirror universe, where the heroic Decepticons fight the evil Autobots - Ravage is a ridiculously cute, bouncy, excitable kitteh who couldn't even sneak up on lint. :)) Some of the costumes were barely more than a t-shirt and some ear finials, but others were incredibly elaborate, with fantastic weaponry. My favourites were the cosplayers who stayed in character. With most, the MC would ask, "And who are you?" "[Character name]," "Hehheh, right, and your real name is?" "Oh, I'm Alison from Newcastle," or what have you. Until he got to the one contestant playing Starscream.
"And you are?"
*contemptuous glare* "Um, the Supreme Leader of all Decepticons?"
But even that had to take second place to the cosplayer who came as Megatron, and who charged up the aisle, snarling and threatening the audience. (The fact that she was a skinny, twenty-something chick just made it better. :)) When she reached the front, the MC asked who she was, and without missing a beat, she replied:
"David Kaye."
I also had a bit of a soft spot for one other cosplayer. See, I was watching the beginning of the parade with my new gay-for-Rodimus pal (see above), and he pointed out a friend of his, who was resplendent in his Optimus Prime costume, lined up and ready to process up the aisle.
"Oh, yeah, he looks great," I said.
"Yes, but the thing is, I just know he's going to fall over."
"I'm sure he'll be okay."
"No." He turned and looked at me mournfully. "You don't understand. He forgot to give himself KNEES."
And the poor lad did make it up to the stage without taking a tumble, but it was painful watching him shuffle his way, inch by inch. Awww. :)
- Saturday night saw what was possibly the most awesome disco in the history of ever. Okay, for most of the night, it was cosplayers singing karaoke hits with varying success, but for about half an hour around midnight, comicbook artist Jason Cardy did a live mixing session, mashing up Transformers themes and dialogue clips with celestial-sounding electronic music, and it was GLORIOUS. Somewhere, there is video of me in the press of people, dancing like a flailing maniac and singing, "Moooore than meets the eyyyyyyye...", so we should all just cross our fingers that THAT never sees the light of day. :) The dancefloor was completely owned, though, by one of the other artists, Kat Nicholson (the one I wanted to draw me a Shockwave), who I've decided I want to be when I grow up. Because not only is she a fantastic artist, but I've never seen anyone dance in such an uninhibited, uncontrived, I-am-totally-comfortable-in-my-own-skin-and-about-to-kick-your-ass way, leaping off the stage and strutting like a boss. :)
- And finally, I leave you with this:
Yes, that is Optimus Prime's brain on a floppy disk. It's a reference to something in the old Marvel comics, but I think it's funnier if I don't explain it. :) Let me just say that one of the toy dealers was giving these away...
... under a sign that read, "FREE BRAINS! :)"
Oh, and just to round out the weekend - yesterday, I got a response on a dating site I'm signed up to, from a guy who was at Auto Assembly and thought he recognised me! Weird, huh? At least, if we do end up getting a coffee, the question of what on earth to talk about won't be as fraught as it usually is on dates. ;)