A Very Nerdy Weekend

What better way to relax after a long, hard week of fourth-year university than a weekend of cosplaying?

A couple of weekends ago, Ryan and I attended Comic Con Aberdeen in cosplay for the very first time. We’d both been to a few Cons before and had thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the amazing cosplays, browsing crowded stalls and listening to panels from cast and crew members from various movies and TV shows.

We discussed the idea of cosplaying (dressing up as a fictional character) around a year ago when we bought weekend tickets to Comic Con Aberdeen 2022. I decided that my first cosplay should be a character from my favourite video game series, Kingdom Hearts. I’ve been a fan of the series for as long as I can remember. I used to play it with the help of my big brothers, and I’ve been replaying the series recently. I’ve even managed to convince Ryan to start playing (which I mentioned in my “My Lockdown Recommendations” blog post). Way back in 2016, my brother, Calum, returned from Glasgow’s Comic Con with a gift for me- a full-size wooden replica of a keyblade. The keyblade is the weapon wielded by the game’s protagonist, Sora. I was thrilled to be the proud owner of my very own keyblade. After getting my flat, I brought the Keyblade up from my home in Ayrshire to display in my living room. Aberdeen’s Comic Con was the perfect opportunity to use it in a cosplay.

Cosplaying is a notoriously expensive and time-consuming hobby. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time or money- or talent- to make my cosplay from scratch. So, I scoured secondhand sites like Vinted, Depop and eBay for suitable cosplays to buy for a reasonable price. I found my Sora cosplay on Depop for £15- an absolute bargain! The set came with homemade shoes made from a pair of trainers, foam and some form of clay- however, they’re two sizes too big for my feet. For a comfy day-two cosplay, I decided to wear a Spider-Gwen suit (unfortunately not pre-loved) since it required less work and time to get ready. I wore a mouth shell under the mask to smooth out my features under the fabric and made it easier for me to breathe and talk. It was perfect for a slightly comfier day at Comic Con.

Ryan prepared his cosplays at the very last minute. His first cosplay- President Loki from Marvel was particularly rushed but turned out amazingly. Ten minutes before we left to go to P&J Live for day one of the convention, the green blazer arrived in the mail, and Ryan quickly got dressed. The cosplay was complete when he added the Loki headset and “Vote for Loki” badge. For day two, he opted for a Daredevil cosplay from season one of the Netflix Original Daredevil show- all black with (slightly transparent) black fabric covering the top half of his face.

After months of preparations, the day was here. I woke up at around 6 am- the earliest I’ve gotten up for years- got changed, fixed my hair, tried (and failed) to spike up my fringe, sewed on a button I forgot was missing from my cosplay and threw it all on. We were ready to leave by 8:45 and ran downstairs to get a lift from Ryan’s dad- which I was particularly thankful for the second day since I was frozen dressed only in my thin Spidey suit. In the past, I’ve enjoyed taking the bus or train to Comic Con and seeing all the elaborate cosplayers on public transport, but P&J Live is quite far away from the city centre. So, I was incredibly grateful for the lift this time.

The entrance queue was the length of the car park when we arrived but moved quite quickly. We found our place in line in between a Hobbit from Lord of the Rings and a couple of anime (Japanese animation) cosplayers. We entertained ourselves by “cosplay-spotting”- as we like to call it. Essentially, we’d look down the line and point out cosplays from various shows, movies, comics and video games we enjoy- which was especially difficult for me since I committed to not wearing my glasses for the sake of an accurate cosplay.

Once inside the convention hall we were astonished to see countless movie and TV props and sets like the flying Ford Anglia from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the DeLorean from Back to the Future and the Iron Throne from Game of Thrones. On the right, there were video game consoles set up for groups to play and take a break from the hustle and bustle of the stalls. The gaming section was overflowing with people with young children and groups of friends. So we decided to sit out from gaming until we got home to our own consoles.

The stalls were selling everything you can think of- action figures, accessories, clothing, comics, paintings, art prints and even cookies. I’m sure it won’t come as a surprise that I bought quite a lot of stuff. My biggest purchase over the two days was a Doctor Who themed skirt from Astra Designs UK, which I’m sure will make an appearance on my blog or social media soon. I’ve never been an action figure fan, but I found a Space Paranoid version of Sora and knew it could find a good home on our windowsill. I bought a couple of handmade Harry Potter scrunchies, a Kingdom Hearts lanyard, a mini Roxas (from Kingdom Hearts II) figure, a Spider-Gwen comic book, an Attack On Titan necklace and a Howl’s Moving Castle art print to hang up in our next flat. I avoided the temptation to buy signed scripts, framed film reels and enamel pins.

Ryan bought a Marvel mystery bag, a Hulk statue, a bottle of aged mead, a book of Planet Hulk comics, a vintage Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figure, a pack of pin badges, a Squirrel Girl comic book(as a wee gift for me), three Marvel LEGO Minifigures, an Overwatch Winston plushie and a BB-8 mug (from Star Wars). I imagine the stallholders were pleased Ryan and I were attending!

Over the weekend, there was a wide range of guest talks and panels, which we mainly attended on day two (hence the lack of photos). We sat and listened to the sessions with Mark Williams from Harry Potter, Steven Ogg from Grand Theft Auto V and Booker T from WWE. The Star Wars panel was a highlight for us- it included Angus Macinnes, Lewis Macleod, Tim Rose, Paul Blake and Mike Quinn. We lingered around the autograph tables for a while but decided against paying for a selfie or autograph since we spent enough money at the stalls.

All in all, It was a very hectic but fun weekend, and I’m glad we took a couple of days away from uni work to enjoy the convention. I’ve always loved the conventions I’ve been to, whether the bigger ones like Aberdeen and Glasgow Comic Con or the small, local ones. I love seeing bewildered strangers walking past cosplayers on their way to the venue and seeing my favourite anime characters sitting cross-legged on the floor with burgers and hotdogs for lunch. Going to Comic Con in cosplay was an entirely new and fun experience. I felt more engaged in the event and more social since people complimented our cosplays and even asked for photos- something I’ve never really experienced before. But I’d be thrilled to do it again in the future.

Have you been to a Comic Con or other convention before? Have you ever cosplayed? Let me know all about it in the comments or on social media!

Photography: @sirozzwald_ on Instagram, Lesley Duff and Ryan Duff