Good Cosplay Thread - pt3 - The Pros of Cons

figmentPez

Staff member
Welcome to the Good Cosplay Thread Part 3 - The Pros of Cons.

Part 1 is lost to mists of time, but Part 2 can be found in the Hall of Fame (hopefully).

Everyone is welcome to post what pictures they find, and I love it when the cosplayers themselves post in the thread.

Make sure to help me fill out tags for the thread. Characters, cosplayers, conventions... please add tags.

Be sure to help me identify cosplay I don't know, or correct me when I'm wrong. Also, if you know the name a cosplayer goes by, and if they have a website, Flickr photostream, Youtube channel, DeviantArt account, blog or other home on the web, I'd love to know about it.

--

When I started the last Good Cosplay thread ten months ago, having no idea it would run to 2,000 posts. In hopes of getting this thread off on the right foot, I've gone through the old thread and picked out some of my favorite photos. It was hard whittling it down, so I went with the best images, not necessarily the best costumes.

*Disclaimer*, I'm not a cosplayer or a photographer. These were chosen by my personal preference, and may not reflect a general concensus of artist merit.*

It was very difficult to pick photos, and I had over 60 that were on the "short list" before narrowing it down to the final 30 that will make up the first 3 posts in this thread (please hold your replies at least until I get done with these three "best of" posts.) I estimate there were over 7,000 cosplay photos in the last thread, and I hope no one feels bad if one of their favorite pics didn't end up in the half-of-a-percent that I chose. (Damn, I once figured that I sifted through over 100 pictures on Flickr to find one photo for the thread. I've probably flipped through well over a half a milllion photos by now, even if my numbers aren't as conservative as I think. :wtf:)

One last note. I'll be switching photo labels to below the image, since Google image search seems to expect them there, and the "best of" photos will be larger sizes. I'll go back to the medium size when I move on to new photos.


So, what draws my attention, and makes me like a cosplay photo?

Well, sometimes the character is captured perfectly. As in this photo, with it's wonderfully mad smile.

the Joker : DC Comics


Other times it's just my fondness for redheads, though this Sally is excellent beyond a beautiful canvas.

Sally : The Nightmare Before Christmas (Cosplayer: Tallest Silver)


I also have a fondness for wings. Even when I don't know what character is being cosplayed.

Golden Wings


I'm also drawn to colored glasses, favorite or obscure characters (especially those I haven't seen before) but a wonderful location can really compliment a costume:

Setting the photo as an epic adventure.

Steampunk Slave Leia


Or complementing the colors of the costume.

Zafina : Tekken


Giving a super-hero a city to protect.

Ms. Marvel


Matching the setting of the source material...

Big Daddy and Little Sister : Bioshock


... or completely breaking cannon.

Batmen by the pool


Even something as simple as a set of stairs can provide the perfect backdrop.

Wonder Girl / Donna Troy : DC Comics


The right setting provides wonderful lighting and color, showing off wonderful costuming.

Black Canary : DC Comics (cosplayer: Kelldar)
 

figmentPez

Staff member
Conventions aren't always the perfect location for photos, but it's really about the cosplayer. A wonderful pose can more than make up for a simple background.

female Joker and male Harley Quinn : DC Comics


And enthusiasm can matter more than a flawless costume.

Kid Flash : DC Comics


A bright smile makes almost any costume look better.

Scarlet Witch : Marvel Comics (Cosplayer: Panda)


But sometimes it's important for a character to look menacing.

Mary Marvel : DC Comics (Cosplayer: A Riddle)


Some cosplayers seem to be made for the costumes they wear.

Punisher


Others embrace the personality they're dressing as.

Deadpool


A great cosplay photo can tell a story...

Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy


either mirroring the source...

Marvel Zombies: Polaris, Spider-Man and Captain America


Or it can break out of character, and provide an alternate take.

Inky and Pac-Man


Cosplay should be fun.

A certain Jack and Jill from Freakazoid
 

figmentPez

Staff member
Some costumes are eye catching for the amount of work that went into their fabrication.

Atomic Robo


Or how difficult they must be on the wearer.

Pennance / Hollow


Making an excellent costume requires great skill, and some body types fit certain characters better than others.

Red Sonja and Captain Morgan (Cosplayers: Belle Chere and her husband Jerry)


I'm a big fan of the way color plays in photos.

Sarah Pezzini: Witchblade (Cosplayer: virtual.girl)


Providing a rich backdrop

Rogue


Or setting the photo in another place or time.

WWII-era Pin-up (Cosplayer: Aktrez)


Lighting plays a big role in catching my attention.

Splicer: Bioshock


As does the occasional mash-up of ideas.

Jedi Riddler


Occasionally, I'll post a photo that isn't really cosplay, but still bears some connection to conventions or geekery in general.

Kissing Booth $100


And I really love the chance to add in my own attempts at humor.

This lantern carries a terrible curse!
Ooh, that's bad.
But it comes with free cookies!
That's good.
The cookies are also cursed.
That's bad.
But they've got lemon icing!
That's good!
The icing contains contain potassium benzoate.
:confused:
...That's bad.
Can I go now?

Sinestro


And those are my picks for the best photos of the Good Cosplay Thread - Part 2. I'll be back soon with new photos.
 
"Unknown but possibly a female War Machine" - This could be City of Heroes Cosplay. The one on the left I don't know (it could be a Warmachine version of Pepper Potts' Model 1616), but the one on the right looks a bit like a Malta Gunslinger.
 
I

Iaculus

Dude in the cowboy hat looks more like summat out of Gears of War to me. Gunslingers wear baggy fatigues, not full body armour. Observe:

 

figmentPez

Staff member
I would just like to say how happy I am that figmentPez is back to post more pictures!
Agreed. MORE!
Also, awesome title!
Thank you. I'm glad you're enjoying things. I certainly am.


Disney Cosplay


Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Belle (Beauty and the Beast), Jasmine (Aladdin)



Why isn't Snow White smiling?



Snow White



Belle



Belle



Unknown, Rogue (Marvel Comics), Belle - The unknown has been identified, by LittleKagsin, as Umi from Magic Knight Rayearth.
 

Cajungal

Staff member
I'm more put off by those costumes than anything. I mean, they're good, but they're also a bit creepy. Those human eyes staring out from behind the masks look strange.
 

Cajungal

Staff member
Hey, what they do in those costumes later is non o' my business. But those eyes... I can't look at em for too long.
 
It's not really a comic cosplay (only if you took the clerks miniseries) but it was too much fun to wear to keep this from you.

My best buddy since elementary school and myself as Silent Bob & Jay.

Here's more of it.
 

Dave

Staff member
It's not really a comic cosplay (only if you took the clerks miniseries) but it was too much fun to wear to keep this from you.

My best buddy since elementary school and myself as Silent Bob & Jay.

Here's more of it.
I love it! But then I'm a big J&SB freak.
 
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