Month: May 2019

Meandering About at Meadowlark Comic Con

The year 2019 has become categorized as the year of conventions. Taking the form of many cosplays, ideas, plans and an abundance of fun memories. The Meadowlark Comic Con in Medford is an ever-growing event that has only been around for two years, making this the second time around.  It was held at the Ramada Inn of Medford, Oregon in the conference room building which provided ample room for vendors, local artists and fandom participants to freely engage in this safe space. The excessive heat for a spring day couldn’t have been more welcome, as the parking lot contained local food vendors who provided the perfect balance of delicious eats. Luckily, the conference room was well air conditioned, because let’s face it, conventions can be humid environments that put any deodorant to the ultimate test. 

I spent my day swaggering about as Arriety from Studio Ghibli’s The Secret World of Arriety. This is one of my favorites of Studio Ghibli. The tale taken from the story book The Borrowers by Mary Norton. Arriety is the daughter of Pod and Homily. These tiny people live behind the walls of a great old home in the country where they borrow items from the large humans, such as sugar, crackers and tea. I instantly fell in love with The Secret World of Arriety. With my rapid interest in cosplay, I became determined to become Arriety.

Arrietty by Crystal 2019

To create this Cosplay, I had to make props that made me look small. In the movie, Arriety is carrying a large sewing pin sword. I created this by taking a large foam ball and painting it yellow several times over. I seriously lost count, because the foam sucks up paint like it’s nothing at all. I used a yellow acrylic paint, and when I was finally happy enough with the coating of yellow, I followed up with a Modge Podge Gloss coat, to give it a shiny and plastic appearance. For the Needle Portion, I used a gardening dowel that I sanded down by hand and sharpened one end slightly, for effect.  I then spray painted it with a silver metallic spray paint. All of which I purchased at the local hardware store. It was simple enough to attach the foam to the dowel but getting it to stick was the difficult part. I used double sided tape wrapped around the dowel on the side I wished to attach the foam ball to. That held the ball in place but didn’t secure it. Using my hot glue gun, I carefully filled the excess room around the dowel and ball until it was positioned properly and fortified where I wanted it.

The large red clip troubled my mind the most. I have never made a prop like it before and became easily obsessed with searching the dark reaches of the internet to find different patterns and ideas. I even toyed with the idea of breaking down and trying to buy one that was specifically made and sold with the movie itself. But I maintained my desire to hand create Arriety’s possessions on my own. I found a 6 pack of large clips in the Dollar Tree in the laundry organization section. I took one of the white ones and painted it red, hoping it would be big enough, but it didn’t quite have the effect I was looking for. I then sat down with my craft foam, scissors, pencil and hot glue gun and drafted my own clip modeled around the clip that I had already painted red. I had finally constructed the clip how I wanted it. I then began the multi-coats of red acrylic paint and once more coated it in a modge podge gloss to give it that extra shine.

I made the belt from a Dollar Tree table runner that was a gorgeous taupe color. Just super easy stitching and a fun little part of the costume that made the process enjoyable. Because, that’s what it’s all about after all.

I made the borrowing bag from an old sheet that I had lying around and was ignored and underappreciated. I had some green fabric scraps in my sewing gear and decided to personalize my bag with my choice of strap color. I didn’t have a pattern for the bag, but I had every google image of it imaginable. I seriously had some sleepless nights of nonstop searching for more pictures of this bag, so that I could have a full understanding of how I should start to construct it.

The boots I purchased at a consignment shop for a whopping $8. I used a brown shirt that was bound for Goodwill and re purposed it to make my boots look a little more similar to Arriety’s. I only cut the pieces how I needed them and used the trusty hot glue gun to assemble them. The only issue I had with the hot glue gun was that the glue was a bit visible near the edges of where the fabric was placed and glued on. Also, while standing on the exceedingly hot pavement throughout the convention, the dry glue on the bottom of the boots began to soften again and each step became stickier with each stride. I must have been blessed by the cosplay gods to not have lost a boot much the same as Cinderella.

The dress. I am ashamed to admit that I did not make my own dress. The convention snuck up on me and I decided to find the cheapest easiest route. To my delight, the dress was a perfect fit and a very close look for Arriety.

I gave the cosplay contest try on my own, which was terrifying and the perfect outlet for my melodramatic disposition. I had no intention of winning, but it was a great experience nonetheless. I fully intend on revisiting this convention next year. It is an affordable bit of fun for fanatics of all kinds, and kids 12 and under get in for free! I highly recommend the Meadowlark Comic Con 2020. Check out their website for more information!

The Rogue Valley’s Complimentary Comic Con

Let’s face it, these days there aren’t a whole lot of community recreational options that aren’t going to charge an entry fee. The Medford Comic Con has been put together and sponsored by the Jackson County Library Service for a grand total of five years now. Each year has seemingly grown tremendously and promotes literacy with a hand from pop culture’s finest entertainment pool. And perhaps a bit of Deadpool himself.  With no admission fee, this small-town comic con provides families and friends with a healthy space to get wildly weird. This year was a beautiful weekend that supplied this valley with a plethora of artists, vendors and food trucks set up to explore in and around the Medford library and Rogue Community College campus buildings. The streets quickly filled up with fans of all kinds and cosplayers alike. Of course, I was drawn to this event for the cosplay opportunity and to meet and interact with the local community that shares these same nerdy interests that I do.  And most importantly, to spend a day of quality time with some of the most genuine, down to earth friends of mine.

DC Bombshells: Wonder Woman by Zara, Raven by Rebecca and Mera by myself

The cosplay of the day was to bring back the DC Comics Bombshells that my home girl Zara and I debuted at the Emerald City Comic Con earlier this year. This time around we had the pleasure of having the very lovely Raven, cosplayed by Rebecca, accompanying us. It was great to have these two beauties at my side for the day. We even entered the cosplay contest that took place on the second floor of the library. This was my very first experience participating in a cosplay contest and it easily became one of my new favorite aspects of a convention. There was so much energy from the crowds and fellow cosplayers. To enter, contestants had to sign up early in the day to get a spot in the contest.  The contestants are then placed in categories divided by age and whether they are single or group cosplays. Once the chaos was organized, the groups were ushered down to meet with the judges to talk about the cosplay that they were presenting and to explain the efforts (not including the several mental breakdowns and pricked fingers) that went in to the costumes. They are then lined up one more time for the catwalk performance portion. As there were three of us entered, we hastily put together an impromptu walk/pose combination for the judges. It was a regular walk of the mannequins sort of ordeal. While we weren’t awarded, the memory will remain a cherished relic years from now. But I tend romanticize too much.

I do hope this inspires everyone to get in touch with their deep-rooted, bizarre selves and find time to attend a local convention nearest home. It truly is an enjoyable affair.