I have had unique experiences when attending this show. The first two times I participated as a fan who was excited that there was finally a local anime convention. Last year I was a guest on behalf of actor Vic Mignoga who insisted I enjoy all the festivities after hosting a dinner party for him and his fans. This year I attended as a member of the press with my Blog photographer Brian and my gal pal Alisha. First Id like to say how impressed I was with the staff. They were very pleasant and helpful and also did a wonderful job with crowd control. As many of us know, the anime crowds can become a bit too hyper. That wasnt the case at all. It was a very pleasant and safe environment. The room reserved for LARPING was especially a stroke of genius (Im not a fan of it and felt relieved I wouldnt have to worry about someone invading my personal space).
Many vendors sold imported items from Japan as well as talented artist selling their original work. Guest in attendance including voice actors Sonny Strait and Michele Knotz, comedian Uncle Yo, bands Platform One, The Asterplace and my personal favorite, a performace by Kyo Daiko. I attended the show as my original "Hatsune Loves Rainbow Dash" cosplay while Alisha was Shutterfly from "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic". I met up with other friends and we had a great time shopping (my splurge was an original Rainbow Dash hat). In closing here are my favorite pictures from the show featuring cosplayers and items on display. My thanks to the staff at the Zenkaikon convention. I look forward to next years show!
Unfortunately I spent only about an hour at Fridays show due to transportation and traffic delays. I dressed up as Sydney Savage and had the opportunity to take pictures with J. Scott Campbell along with Ally as Abbey Chase. Mr. Campbell was very nice, posed for a fun picture and said he liked our costumes. I was also asked by an employee to pose at the Kotobukiya booth for their website. My photographer and I stopped by the Legendary Entertainment booth where we received free promotional t-shirts and a necklace lanyard. We ran into some friends and I also received my new Huntress costume (the mask would be delivered Saturday). That night we attended a private party where we had dinner with friends. I retired early that evening because of a sinus headache I had throughout the day. 
On Saturday morning I had to make a run to Kmart to purchase a black sports bra for Huntress. The mask was delivered by my friends Carlos Blanchard and Courtney Rose of Rage Custom Creations (Rage Custom Creations is also responsible for the entire Huntress ensemble). The crowds were massive on Saturday, so much so that it was rather upsetting. It was nearly impossible to stop and enjoy anything on the showroom floor. The crowds consistently knocked and pushed people over. Cosplayers were blocking entrances and exits to pose for photos and we couldnt find Artist Alley. We ended up leaving the show and returned to our hotel room to recharge. In all honesty we were debating on weither we should return at all. The crowds were San Diego crazy in terms of chaos. After catching up with Candy and Brema of Three Muses Clothing in the lobby of our hotel, we decided to make another try for it. With map in hand, we found Artist Alley and ended up having a ball. We spent time with several friends including Dustin Dorough of Hospital Heroes and Iggy Cosplay. I also got to see amazing artist and friend Billy Tucci , legend George Perez and met Young Justice Comic artist Christopher Jones. I was delighted to be asked for a photo by a gentleman who introduced himself as Joe Staton, the original costume designer for Huntress! He complimented my costume and my portrayal of the character. I was stopped at the Kotobukiya booth once again and was asked to pose with their Huntress statue. Saturday ended at the con with a quick shoot with Adam Jay of Superhero Photography. That evening Brian and I had some New York pizza with Candy and Brema and we all headed to Times Square for some fun at Toys R Us and the Disney Store.
Sunday was another day to debut a new costume that was sponsored by a friend; Snow White. I was really excited about this one because I had conquered my fear of facing racist criticism. I have seen comments online during my six years of cosplay where people have criticized me simply because I am Hispanic. Race isnt an issue for me when it comes to choosing characters I want to portray and it angers me when someone says I cant do something because of the color of my skin. When selecting Snow White as my next character, I knew that it may cause attacks from people best described as racists. At first I was troubled but it soon melted away. I will not allow anyone to ruin my hobby of costuming and I certainly dont care about the opinions of those who cant see past the color of my skin. They can shove their racist complaints up their big, fat hairy butts for all I care. On Sunday we took an Archery Lesson courtesy of the Tomb Raider team and took a photo with a life sized Alien courtesy of Sega. We took a tour of Artist Alley where I had a nice chat with artist Jamie Tyndall and was asked to pose with the Middle Eastern Magazine Amor. We ran into friend and artist Eric Basaldua and caught up with some friends before we had to return to the hotel and make our way back home. 
The show started out rough with all of the traffic delays getting to New York City and arriving extremely late. Factor in the massive aggressive crowds along with the other stresses of convention life such as wardrobe malfunctions and drama, and it can add up to a pretty miserable experience. Im happy to report that things indeed took a turn for the better and we ended up having a lovely time. Most of that is because of the wonderful people I have the privilege of calling my friends. I am undecided if I want to attend next years show. As I stated in my DragonCon report, Im weary of the big industry shows and favor events such as DragonCon, MegaCon and Wizard World Philadelphia. My last show for the year will be a local one in November. After that, I am unsure as to what shows I shall attend in 2013 (although DragonCon and Wizard World Philly is most likely a definite, yes). 
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.
This year was my first time attending the New York Comic Con Convention which took place October 13th thru the 16th at the Javits Center. I attended the show Saturday and Sunday and was eager to compare it to the crowds, chaos and excitement of the San Diego Comic Con.
Cosplaying is obviously one of my passions and I find that when I wear the metal bikini to events, people get out of hand. Something about the image of Slave Leia puts comic geeks into overdrive and majority of them dont know how to ask for a photo so they grab you. I literally lost count with how many times someone grabbed me by the shoulder or arm. It happened within a few minutes after arriving on the convention floor. I turned around and said to many individuals "Dont touch me." Its not a pleasant feeling walking around and a hand suddenly reaching out and pulling you back. I cant stress this enough: KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF AND USE YOUR WORDS. As usual the same problems arised; people asking for a photo while Im talking to a friend, trying to text or make a call or while Im attempting to take photos for my Blog. Even when I put my hoodie on (a clear sign saying Ive had enough of taking photos) people still stopped me. I began to shoot down the requests. And to top it off a "wrestling team" with a camera stopped me for a video interview and began asking me the most inappropriate questions ("Admit that Jabba turns you on", "Does Han pull on this chain in bed?", "Do you have a vibrator?") and when they werent getting the answers they wanted they claimed they "refused to believe I was a good girl". Assholes. I vowed not to cosplay Sunday. On a positive note, I did get many compliments. One woman thanked me for dressing up as Leia and many said I looked better and was prettier than the original princess (which is always odd to hear). Speaking of Cosplay, my friend Hannah arrived in her trademark flawless Harley Quinn and Alisha debuted her fabulous new Supergirl cosplay. Andrea, a beautiful woman I was introduced to by Alisha arrived as She Hulk and was a real crowd pleaser! Boothes had their mascots and representatives such as a lego BumbleBee. 
My opinion on the New York Comic Con was that it was a fun show with a lot to offer. Its better organized than the San Diego Comic Con (which in all honestly has too many attendees and not enough security and employees). Im not saying that the crowds are better in New York; theres a massive amount of people and at times getting from point A to point B is close to impossible. The crowd is overwhelming. The Artist Alley was my favorite area but the best part of this show (and any show I attend) is catching up with friends. I truly feel that the greatest thing about these events is that they bring people together. Its always great to spend a little time with the people you care about weither its gawking at geek stuff, sharing dinner or watching cartoons at your hotel (Daffy Duck is an asshole by the way). I want to thank everyone involved at the New York Comic Con for this years show. 
