Due to last years massive crowds, the show was moved to a bigger convention center. The extra floor space was indeed a smart move on behalf of the show. On Friday I remained in civilian wear and stopped by Billy Tucci and George Perez table. I also said hello to some friends over in Artist Alley and walked the floor with the lovely Lucid Cosplay. Towards the end of the show, I was approached by none other than Kevin Porter, who plays Batman in the Bat in the Sun films. He was only at the show on Friday. We had a nice long chat and it was such a pleasant surprise to finally meet him.
On Saturday, I was part of a Justice League shoot as Zatanna. Other members included Green Lantern, Black Lighting, The Flash, Superman, Wonder Woman, Mera, Green Arrow and Black Canary. We stood in the hallway for roughly 2 hours as people took our photos. On Sunday I elected to once again to attend as a civilian, say hello to a few more friends and get some shopping done.
Although there were some great costumes at this years show and I enjoyed the larger convention center, there was some confusion regarding exits on Saturday which caused a massive crowd spending up to an hour trying to get out. Hopefully this will be corrected next year.
Conventions have the power to bring liked minded people together and create friendships. I was thrilled to spend time with my friends and to make some amazing new ones. Nothing is better than fellow geeks coming together! To view a full gallery, Click Here!
I first discovered Nataschas cosplay work while scrolling on my Newsfeed on Facebook. It was one of those moments when you literally stop. The German beauty literally looks like a comic book character come to life. With her high quality costumes and stunning photography, Natascha aka Knightess Rouge, has developed a huge following including Batgirl writer, Gail Simone. Natascha took some time to chat with the Confessions of a Cosplay Girl Blog about her craft, the sudden firing (and re-hiring) of Gail Simone and what fasinates her about Barbara Gordon.
Natascha: It was quite a long process. I started planning and organizing the costume about three months before I started working on it. As soon as my ReevzFX cowl arrived (which is btw. AMAZING. I love his work!), I started working on the bat-suit. It took me three tries with different materials until I got the result I wanted. Fortunately I managed to make the cape without any problems. Its made from pleather and yellow lining and has a little zipper in the back. My belt is made from pleather and the little "capsules" are made from an aluminium pipe and bolt nuts. That was quite a lot of work! It took me a while to find ideas for the belt. I really wanted to make it on my own and Im proud of the result. I always wanted to make a Batgirl costume since I was little, so it was a big dream to come true. I wouldve never gotten that far if I didnt have some amazing people around me who gave me tips and helped when I needed help. A big thank you at this point to Janet Drake, Laban & Jaz Boldero, Bob Kieffer and Shawn Reeves.
Natascha: I know theres a lot of controversy about this topic, but personally I find her appealing no matter if shes Batgirl or Oracle. I agree that Oracle had a very important meaning and was a very different character. She gave hope & motivation to many people, but so did Batgirl. Oracle was older and more experienced. Its difficult to compare a teen/young woman to an adult, dont you agree? Barbara Gordon as Batgirl was the very first character I idolized and shell always have a special place in my heart. I also loved her as Oracle, no doubt, and I think she was extremely important for the comic world, but we have to realize that its only the beginning of Barbara Gordons story right now in the New 52. Theres so much more to come and Im sure shell grow to an even bigger hero. She always managed to fascinate people and so itll continue. I refuse to only see her as "Batgirl" or "Oracle". I see her as Barbara Gordon in all her variety and how much she means to people. The things that happened in the past are not lost. You can re-read her stories all the time and theyll never disappear. Keep them close to your heart and remember what you loved about her. I always try to be open to her new adventures. Theyve never disappointed me.
Natascha: Yes, a few times. I always get so exciting when she does!! THE Batgirl writer calling you "the real Batgirl" is about the best feeling ever. I remember almost tearing up when she first followed me and tweeted me. Unforgetable. Sometimes I cant believe all these wonderful memories are real.
This year I attended my first MegaCon show held in Orlando, Florida on behalf of Three Muses Clothing. The event took place on February 17th-19th at the Orange County Convention Center. 
On Sunday I went to the show as Wonder Woman which was recently upgraded by Candy. A new gold layer was added to the corset and I literally squealed with delight when I saw what a difference it makes. I hung out at the Hero Initiative booth and posed for photos. I met several of my followers on Twitter and Facebook and one of them introduced me to his 5 year old son who was dressed as a Minion from the film "Despicable Me." I left to meet my friends and we made the rounds around the convention center where I spotted and chatted with friend and artist Eric Basaldua. Candy made quite a splash with her debut of her Dazzler cosplay! After the show we had dinner, I packed my things and made my way to the airport to return home. Duties as a preschool teacher were beckoning and I had mandatory training on Monday. To say I was exhausted is quite an understatement but I took Tuesday off to rest.
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Last years trip to Megacon was a whirlwind and a bit of a blur for me. I was invited last minute and flew to Orlando Saturday afternoon, having to leave Sunday afternoon. I also had work the following Monday so rest was nonexistent. This year I was able to plan ahead and extend my stay. I flew to Florida Thursday and didnt leave until Monday. Thursday I was able to spend some time with friends and make new ones. On Friday I attended the show dressed as Snow White. After picking up our badges, we went to see comic legend George Perez. I was able to tour the entire convention center this time and realized how much I missed last year. There were far more artists and vendors there than I had thought. My friends and I did some shopping, met up with friends and I posed for photos upon request. I really enjoyed the childrens reaction to Snow White. My favorite memory was when a little girl gave me a hug. I found a fellow Disney Princess; a stunning girl dressed as Belle in a beautiful gown she created. A friend introduced me to Adam Hughes which was very exciting for me. The day ended with dinner at Dennys with friends where oddly enough, I was recognized (out of costume) as we waited for our table. 
On Saturday I was dressed as Huntress. When my friends and I arrived at the convention center we were in for a bit of a shock. The crowds were huge, as in San Diego Comic Con huge. It was extrememly difficult to navigate through the crowds. The Dealer Room became impossible to walk through. After paying George Perez another visit, we watched a Belly Dancer show. After the show, we made our way to the main entrance where we ran into some fellow cosplayers and photographer Grace Moss. We took some photos then headed to the area where the DC shoot was to take place. I have to report that the shoot was poorly organized. There was a lot of confusion, conflicting direction and no leadership. People began breaking off and taking pictures in groups of their own, including myself. We ended up leaving, took some shots outside then made our way to a friends hotel room to rest before my shoot with SGH Photography. We had dinner at an Italian Resturant and were pleasantly surprised to find out the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation was also there. We saw Patrick Stewart walk by our table and caught glimpses of the rest of the cast. We also happen to be outside when the cast took a group photo with the staff of the resturant.
