As 2015 San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) takes over downtown, the question – at least among devoted, costumed fans is “who are you wearing?”
Much like the red carpet, outfits – specifically, elaborate costumes – are very important at Comic-Con.
For many of the fans who partake in Comic-Con, their outfits and props are 100 percent original, or pieces that they have collected over each convention, pieced together like an intricate puzzle.
After talking with many of the fans, what may seem like a four-day convention to the general public is really much more than that. These costumes were not created overnight, but have taken anywhere from 10 hours to three months to make, according to some conventioneers.
Comic-Con is one of the biggest pop culture and entertainment conventions, many fans prepare all year just so they will have the perfect costume.
Some enjoy tradition, and support the same costume each convention; other fans are always up for a new challenge.
So, year after year, where does the passion and creativity for putting these costumes together come from?
Many fans told NBC 7 they have grown up creating costumes for Halloween and other Comic-Con events, and this convention in San Diego is just another chance to show off their creative side and be someone else for the day.
Couple Becky Albright, dressed as “Mistress of Fear” at Comic-Con on Friday, and her “Scarecrow” boyfriend turned heads in their creative handmade attire.
When NBC 7 asked Albright about potentially taking her talent to the next level and creating costumes to sell, she said she has made some props and sold them, but because she has a job outside of Comic-Con, it would make creating these costumes full-time pretty difficult.
Fan Jaclyn Rene “Cosplay,” not only creates her costume for each Comic-Con, but she has a new costume that she personally makes for each day of the convention. This year, she has three outfits lined up for the event.
For instance, her “Hawk Girl” costume that she wore Friday, which she painstakingly created, includes handcrafted wings and individual foam pieces. On Thursday, Jaclyn Rene dressed as Ariel from “The Little Mermaid.” On Saturday, she said she plans to dress up as classic Wonder Woman.
Other colorful costumes on the convention center floor this year range anywhere from “Mario Brothers” to “The Walking Dead.” There were even some from the new web series, “Con Man.”
Sky Haarsma, who plays Thalia Skye on “Con Man,” was enjoying the day with her family Friday – in costume, of course – after being on a panel for the web series Thursday. She was easy to spot walking around in her Thalia Skye attire.
Though this was her first time being featured as an actress on a Comic-Con panel, she says she has attended “The Con” every year and was very excited to be able to show off her character to fans.
As you walk the hallways and panel rooms at the San Diego Convention Center, one thing is for sure: costumes are woven into the very fabric of this unique event.
