Why Parental Supervision of Minors Cons is Important

Youve all heard the story of the 17 year old girl who was found bloody and unconscious at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con. At first reports stated that she was attacked and sexually assaulted but it was later confirmed by  the San Diego Police Department that no such thing had occurred. She had in fact fell while attempting to climb a 6 foot gate and was discovered by the pool of the Marriott Hotel at around 1am. Throughout this entire ordeal I have repeatedly asked myself the same question: where were her parents?



Ive noticed an increasing trend throughout the years as conventions have become more popular. Parents drop their kids off and leave. When did a Comic-Con become a Day Care Center? Do parents not realize that the organizers of these shows are not legally responsible for their children? Arent they the least bit curious as to where their kids are going and whom they are spending time with? Arent they concerned for their safety? Your child is a minor and a minor requires adult supervision. As someone who has completed several certified courses in Early Childhood Development and was in Early Childhood Education for 10 years, this boggles my mind.

Because the underage Roger Rabbit cosplayer at this years San Diego Comic-Con was not properly supervised, her evening ended with a suspicious 29 year old male (its not okay for a man that age to spend time alone with a minor ever) and suffering from a  6 foot fall. Her injuries include eye socket and skull fractures and bleeding from the brain. She also had drugs in her system. Shes lucky she wasnt killed.

Where were her parents?

Everyone needs to learn from this horrible situation. Comic-Cons, shows and events are not a "get out of parenting for the afternoon" card. If your child is a minor, you need to provide them with adult supervision. If you cant do it, find someone else who can. And if your child doesnt like it, thats tough. End of story, No excuse. Failing to do so can have deadly consequences.


                                                Visit me on my Official Facebook Page

Read More..

Insulting Photo Requests Cons

"I HATE Angelina Jolie! But that new movie  looks cool. Can I take your picture?

These were the words that were spoken to me as I toured the convention floor in my Couture Maleficent costume. This costume was important to me for many reasons. I had put a lot of work into making the horns, gloves and staff. It took me an hour to do my makeup and put my contact lenses in. Maleficent is my favorite Disney villain and Angelina Jolie is my favorite woman in the world. My Couture Maleficent was a labor of love and I created it to express my fandom for the character and the woman who was bringing her to life on the big screen. So imagine my utter disgust that someone told me directly to my face that they hated her.

Normally when I encounter a difficult person at a convention, I simply walk away. I feel that is the classy way of dealing with a situation and it certainly gets the point across that I want nothing to do with you. Unfortunately in this case, I was at this particular show as a guest and didnt want all of the hard working people who put the show together to look bad on account of my behavior. As such, I posed for a photo for this incredibly rude woman (who was a vendor) who insulted me.

Yes, I consider it insulting when I spend hours upon hours creating a costume and accessories in the image of a particular Hollywood actress and you tell me that you hate her. Sadly, I know many other costumers who have faced the same infuriating situation. People have insulted their character and expressed their hatred for them. They have gone as far as getting into debates with costumers. Why is it these individuals feel that this is appropriate? What are they thinking? Or perhaps it is the simple fact that they are NOT thinking. To quote the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz:

"Well, some people without brains do an awful lot of talking dont they?" 

 Dont be a douche bag. Cosplayers are not interested in your disapproval of the characters we are portraying. We could easily tell you we hate your hair and that outfit you put on. If you have nothing nice to say, dont say anything at all. If you dont like how we are dressed, then keep on walking. Insulting photo requests are not the best way to ask for a picture. And to my fellow costumers, if you have a run in with the village idiot, walk away or better yet, tell that person to step off. You are not interested in their petty anger towards a fictional character. Go away.



                                            Visit me on my Official Facebook Page.

Read More..

Baltimore Comic Con 2014 Coverage

The Baltimore Comic-Con celebrated its 14th year in the state of Maryland with its first ever three day show.  Guests in attendance included Cliff Chiang, Mark Waid, Gail Simone, Adam Hughes, George Perez and many more. Exclusive variants were available for purchase such as George Perezs Sirens #1, Big Trouble In Little China #1 and Robocop #1. Many panels took place during the course of the three day event including the topics of Cosplay and Comics. The Kids Love Comics Program included several sketch sessions and even a how to make your own cape and superhero mask. Media Guest of Honor was Star Wars actor, Peter Mayhew. The Harvey Awards which honors artists, writers, creators and publishers in the industry was held on September 6th.

A complete guest list can currently still be viewed on the Official Baltimore Comic-Con website. Taking place on September 5th-7th, the show was located in the Pratt and Howard Street Lobby which was a different area from past shows. The Costume Contest took place on Sunday and featured a grand prize of $2,000.

My photographer of Green House Photography and I arrived in Baltimore Saturday. I was originally going to attend the show as Elsa from Frozen. I was decked out in an Elsa wig, gown and makeup for the car ride to Maryland. However by the time we arrived, I decided to take everything off. Many factors contributed to my decision. First and foremost I was still exhausted from my trip to Dragoncon just one week ago. The travel to the state of Georgia, photo shoots, multiple costume changes and socializing had taken a toll and I had not yet recovered. I had also not slept well the previous evening. I wanted to attend Saturdays Baltimore show as a civilian and not have to pose for photo requests or be bothered. Apparently my plan did not work out too well. Almost immediately after hitting the convention floor in a black lace halter dress, someone called out: "Are you Victoria Cosplay?" It wasnt the first time I was stopped out of costume.

We visited friend and artist Billy Tucci. We also stopped by Adam Hughes table to get a book signed. We did some shopping. I was overjoyed to find a DC Direct Zatanna figure marked at only $40. It was quite amusing carrying the box throughout the con. People kept stopping to tell me that I looked like the doll. We took pictures of some impressive costumers. I also got to catch up with some personal friends. I had planned on attending Saturdays Prop Your Cosplay panel but was overcome with a wave of exhaustion and retired to my hotel room where I slept for several hours. Brian of Green House Photography returned to the show to take photos. In the evening we had dinner with friends.

On Sunday I had scheduled a photo shoot based on the television series Once Upon A Time and Once Upon A Time In Wonderland.  I was dressed as Regina The Evil Queen. This was my second year organizing a shoot based the show. Before the shoot, my friends Cosplay Jesus (who was dressed as Jafar) and Kevin D Cosplay (Robin Hood) walked the convention floor and posed for photos for con goers and the photographer at the Comic Wow! booth. There was a total of six of my costuming friends and the addition of a new friend who was also dressed as Regina. Our Wonderland characters featured The Jabborwocky, Jafar and The Red Queen (Lucid Cosplay). Once characters were Robin Hood, Little John and Regina. The shoot lasted 2 hours.

After we departed, we stood in Gail Simones line so I could get my Batgirl trade signed. I got to thank her in person and expressed how well she understood Barbaras frame of mind after regaining the use of her legs. I told her a bit about my car accident and how I was once in a wheel chair.  After meeting Gail, we went to visit my friend George Perez which is always a delight. I purchased the exclusive issue of Sirens #1 which he graciously signed. After mingling a bit more with friends and a little more shopping, we decided to head back to our hotel and prepare for the car ride home.

The staff at the Baltimore Comic-Con, affectionately referred to as "minions", were very pleasant and helpful. A great deal of stress must be involved volunteering at shows and dealing with the massive crowds but you wouldnt know it from the staff. They were absolutely delightful. A large seating area was arranged on the show room floor to eat and rest up. The guest list is my favorite part of the Baltimore-Comic Con. Its one of the few shows left that celebrates all of the talented creators, writers and artists in the industry. This is why it remains a shining light amongst the over crowded and pricey  pop culture cons that have taken over the scene.

Thank you Baltimore Comic-Con for putting comics and their fans first!

All photos by Green House Photography. For a full gallery of the event, CLICK HERE. Images from our Once Upon A Time photo shoot can be seen HERE. 

Read More..

Product Review Pinky Paradise Cat Eye Lenses

Pinky Paradise is the largest circle lens store on the internet. They have a large variety of colored contact lenses including special effects. There is an entire section devoted to cat eye lenses which I will be reviewing today. The G&G Cosplay Cat Eye Lenses (Green 082) are listed on the Pinky Paradise website for $21.90. Made in South Korea, the lenses are good for one full year. The Cat Eye Green Lenses comes with a free contact case. You also receive hair accessories to hold back your hair as you place the contacts in your eyes. You can find a direct link to the item HERE.



I selected these lenses for a specific costume; Cheetah from Wonder Woman. When it comes to applying makeup or body paint, inserting the contact lenses is always the first step. You must put them in makeup free with clean hands to insure that you do not get any makeup or paint into your eyes. It also ensures that you will not smug or ruin your makeup or paint. After putting in the lenses, I applied makeup to my eyes (three colors of eye shadows, eye liner and mascara). Once the smokey eyes were done, I began to paint myself.

During the three hour process, I noticed that the lenses constantly moved about. Not only did they move but they completely rotated in my eyes. I repeatedly had to stop painting to readjust the lenses. It was difficult trying to paint myself with the lenses moving and impairing my vision. This made my job a lot harder. I applied eye drops but that did not help. Prior to this, I had worn the contacts a week earlier for roughly 4 hours. I was hoping they just needed to adjust and that my second trial run would be better. The situation did not improve and I had the same problem after wearing them for 5 hours which resulted in a headache.

.

I contacted some of my personal cosplay friends for advice and they informed me that cat eye lenses, no matter the brand, are "notorious" for spinning in the eyes. Apparently the only way to avoid the problem is to purchase weighed lenses. The spinning is no fault of Pinky Paradise. Its the sad reality of how these lenses work. One friend I spoke to, told me they simply fix the lenses throughout the course of the day at a convention. Once I was done getting ready and began to take photos, I did have to fix the lenses often. This was difficult because I was painted. I had to leave one of my fingers bare so that I wouldnt get any paint in my eyes. If you plan on using any brand of cat eye lenses that are not weighed, I would recommend you do so for a costume that doesnt require you to wear paint.  I will say that the color of the lenses are absolutely beautiful. The green really pops and they photograph well. They truly do look like the eyes of a feline. It was the prefect compliment to all of the work I completed on the costume. 

Photos by Green House Photography

Visit me on my Official Facebook Page

Read More..