CosPlay & Demons at SDCC!!

The convention center – main site for the San Diego Comic Con

The Mecca for Sci Fi geeks – Trekkies & others – is the San Diego Comic Con.  Over 130,000 people gather annually to celebrate graphic novels,  TV shows, movies, cosplay, video games, Dungeon & Dragons – and heavens know what else!  My very first San Diego Comic Con was overwhelmingly a blast! The people! The costumes! The panels! The exhibits!

Actress Laura Stephens getting ready as Lolita Capt. America

If you don’t know about SDCC, a big part of the fun is that people dress up – “cosplay” – costumed role playing – and others take pictures of them and with them. One of my roomies, actress Laura Stephens, got nationwide coverage for her Lolita Capt. America costume.  Costumes and SDCC go together!

I had to ask what “steampunk” meant.

A very hunky Wolverine

Demon on the loose in the Exhibit Hall! Photo from Heavy.com

In the exhibit hall I got to get a close-up view of an awesome and huge demon, complete with wings and horns.  Whew!  He was at the booth for the Cinema Makeup School. For a closer look, click this: http://youtu.be/4FTtCq2IQrw

I talked to Katie from the school about who they were and why they were here.  Katie said the school is based in Los Angeles and teaches everything from beauty makeup through airbrushing, photo hairstyling, character makeup, prosthetic and more. Classes run from one week to 4 ½ months. Their website is www.cinemamakeup.com.   Oh man, I wish I could go hang out in LA long enough to take their full course! So far my own makeup specialty is bullet holes and blood, small potatoes to this crew.

Makeup students were at the booth applying bruises and small injuries for people who stopped by. Apparently each day they demonstrated a major effect, like this demon and on another day, an arachnid femme fatale.

This demon is the creation of Wayne Anderson, a graduate of the school who was featured on SyFy’s Face Off. To get the actor into the makeup this time took only about 2 to 2 ½ hours, but it took a couple of months to put the whole effect together. The horns were made of resin. Each piece was molded.  I must admit I was a little scared to talk to this otherworldly fellow directly, but I bet it was hot in there. He literally had a wing man, who made sure passersby didn’t impale themselves on the wings tips. I wonder how much the whole thing weighed!

Lots & lots of people in the SDCC exhibit hall!