Have you ever gazed up at the night sky in complete awe just marveling at the tiny specks of stars? You know there’s a whole universe out there waiting to be explored, but all you can do is look up and daydream about its faraway secrets. Well, that’s what it feels like being a superhero nerd deep in the heart of Texas. While everyone else talked about the latest football game I’d shut myself in my room, wrap myself up in my Justice League blanket, and dream of comic con. As soon as I set my sights on Fordham, my dreams were finally coming true. I have no shame in admitting I purchased my tickets even before enrolling in school. As October drew closer and closer, my excitement grew.
Yet just as Superman has his Kryptonite, I had to face my own obstacles. My nemeses were two big monsters known as Midterms and The Phlegm. Alas, the week before the con not only did I have two midterms, I also became horrifically ill. And I don’t mean a mere case of the sniffles; I was completely bed-riden. Honestly, I don’t remember most of the week, I just remember being terrified that I would have to wait until next year for my comic con experience. I had to reschedule one of my midterms and skip the Friday events of the convention to rest up. But I was determined and nothing was keeping me from this. Countless tabs of Tylenol and immeasurable amounts of Powerade later, I was ready to go.
Since I’m new to cosplaying (a fancy word for dressing up as a character) and can’t sew to save my life, I thought I’d keep it simple. I decided to dress up as Zatanna Zatara of DC Comics. (Try saying that name five times fast). Though she may not be as well-known as Batman or Superman, Zatanna’s been around since 1964 and has appeared in shows like Justice League: Unlimited, Young Justice, and Smallville. She’s a magician, both on stage and in real life, who casts her charms by speaking or writing words backwards. Check out my attempt:
Not too shabby for someone who could barely stand a day ago. I used a blazer, tights, and boots I already had, as well as a $15 leotard from Forever 21, a $20 halter top, and got the gloves and top hat at Party City for less than $10. I grabbed my girl Katie and we hopped on the next downtown D train. As we got closer to our destination, we spotted more people in costume. By the time we got on 34th street, there was a horde of characters all headed in the same direction.
The first few moments, we were in complete awe. The sheer dedication of some people astounds me; some costumes were so detailed. There was someone cosplaying as Castiel the fallen angel from Supernatural lying motionless on the floor. Literally, she did not move the entire time we were looking at her. We also found a lonely “Beast,” a pretty rad Venom from Spiderman, and of course two guys that Comic Con would not be complete without, Batman and Superman.
I’d have to say the pinnacle of awesomeness was this guy as Bumblebee from Transformers, but there were also others who took a more abstract approach. For example, a few Sailor Moon Storm Troopers. Hey, why not? Or this Lego Iron Man and Lego Run DMC! It’s important to remember that cosplayers come in all shapes and sizes, from the itty bitty to the big and grinny.
While we were wandering around, I felt a tap on my shoulder. “Can I take a picture with you?” a guy asked me.
Among all these amazing costumes and you want to take a photo with me?? It turned out, he wasn’t the only one. Throughout the day people were shouting “Zatanna!” and snapping my picture. Considering I spent about $35 and threw it together in just a few days, I felt pretty accomplished. And, it was awesome to be around people who knew exactly who I was. We made plenty of buddies and even snapped a pic with a cool Harley Quinn.
I didn’t personally see any celebrities, but my friend Rebecca managed to get autographs from Gareth David-Lloyd of Torchwood and Doctor Who and from John Barrowman of Arrow. Jealous!
Now that I’ve gotten over the sheer majesty of the event, I can walk into the next year feeling like a pro. I’m already wondering who I should dress up as next year, and which guests will be there; it will be all that’s on my mind for the next four years. Oh and maybe school, since I guess that’s important too…