I really enjoyed looking round MCM ComicCon on Friday afternoon – big thanks to Chris Whittle of Experience12 for inviting me to check out the PopCultr summit. I only had a few hours, so when I wasn’t listening to fab panels in the summit or running into old friends, I hung around Cosplay Central admiring all the work that was going on and soaking up the buzz. It was a lovely place to be.
The costume that caught my eye the most was on display there: Patterner Cosplay’s astonishing Firesong K’Treva, from volume 3 of The Last Herald-Mage series in Mercedes Lackey‘s Heralds of Valdemar cycle. The full costume was on display with photos by Lazzaro Studios and @Adoylible: a glorious combination or artistry, interpretation and technique.
I’ve often thought how award-winning, show-stopping costumers are elevated and challenged both by the long history of great artists of the medium before us and by the ever-rising standards of hall cosplayers coming up through the ranks. Nobody attains skills like Patterner Cosplay’s overnight; but the constant encouragement of seeing other cosplayer all around you is a huge help. It was so back in 1974 at Miyacon when the first recorded anime convention cosplay took to the stage in Japan; it was so for all of us doing Trek costume in the UK from that same year; it’s so today. Long may we all continue to be challenged, inspired and delighted.
