Cosplay Feature | Nakie Doggo Cosplay

Let's talk Hamilton first. What was the first song you listened to?
I was actually really reluctant in listening to Hamilton. I didn't really get why people were so obsessed with a musical about our founding fathers. I finally gave in when I was completely bored out of my mind. I listened to it in chronological order, so the first song I ever heard was "Hamilton". By the time I got to Daveed Diggs' verse, I was sold!

What convinced you to put together an Alexander Hamilton cosplay?
The Hamilton cosplay actually wasn't originally mine. My best friend Alisa was the one who accidentally the coat when they were out thrift shopping for another cosplay. Alisa wore it for a Friday of SacAnime 2016. I didn't have a cosplay for Sunday, so Alisa let me borrow it, and the rest is history (no pun intended)! Since then, I've made a lot of modifications to it, and definitely improved on my beard-makeup, haha. Personally, I think Alisa made a much better Hamilton than I did! Alisa and I have been planning to do an Eliza/Hamilton photo shoot, actually!

Daveed Diggs is such a joy in both acts. Do you enjoy him more as Lafayette or Jefferson?
I love Daveed, as an actor and singer, but I definitely prefer Lafayette over Jefferson, in the play and in history, haha.

How did you get acquainted with cosplay?
I first got acquainted with cosplay in fifth grade. One of my best friend's sister actually got me into it. She had been cosplaying off and on for a few years before me. She was the one who took me to my first SacAnime, back when it was still at the Lions Gate hotel (at least I think that was the name of it, haha). If I remember correctly, my first cosplay was Germany from Hetalia. I know everyone says not to be ashamed of your first cosplay, by every time I look back at those photos I cringe a little bit.

Are there anymore cosplays that you are working on for conventions this year?
I have tons of new cosplays coming up! I think I'm making some real show-stoppers this year, including my Voltron cosplay group, Mulan, Te Fiti, and many more!

Te Fiti sounds very interesting. It's very nice seeing people cosplay as Moana characters not based on Moana and Maui. Very green, but you seem to have a grasp on painting yourself? (ie: Mettaton & Marshall Lee)
Oh yes, I've definitely had quite a bit of practice when it comes to face paint. I've experimented with a lot of different brands of paint, but not a lot of colors, so it's definitely going to a new adventure trying to jump straight into such a bright color(green). I actually didn't use face painting tutorials to learn how to apply paint. Instead, I watched a lot of different makeup gurus, and drag queen tutorials to learn!

What inspired you to do a Yuri!!! On Ice cosplay? Minami is such a colorful character in the series, and a personal favorite of mine.
I actually didn't intend to cosplay Minami. I had planned on cosplaying Yuuri or Viktor, but I realized that the show would be so popular, it would be really difficult to create a stand-out cosplay. So, I choose a character who (at the time) had the least amount of screen time. I loved his cute personality, but that's not usually the type of character I'm drawn too. However, as the show progressed, and more fan works started coming out, he definitely grew on me!

Which events do you plan on attending for the remainder of the year? Are there any out-of-state events that you would like to attend in the future?
I'm hoping to go to a lot more events this year! I'll be at SacAnime Summer, SacCon, and the next CVCG for sure. Since SacAnime is my home con, I always love going out there and showing support all the artists and vendors. I'd like to go to Wizard World Sacramento too, depending on the guest this year (seriously, I would kill for them to get the Voltron cast this year). Tracy Comic Con also invited me to go to their con in November, which I'm really excited for! Hopefully I'll be able to make it out to the San Fransisco Anime Festival this year, too! I would love to be able to go to Dragon Con one day. It seems like such an awesome con, with a beautiful venue that I would love to go to! My only worry is that, if I go to Dragon Con, my cosplays couldn't even hold a candle to the absolutely stunning cosplayers that attend!

See more Nakie Doggo Cosplay | Instagram

Silicon Valley Comic Con 2017 | Coverage

Returning for another weekend of fun last month was Silicon Valley Comic Con. This is one of my most anticipated comic cons this year, so being prepared was a top priority in terms of having all the gear necessary. Cameras were packed. Film was packed. Microphone and mini tripod for vlogging packed. Everything packed except a wind shield for windy audio.

Attending as press means I did not get to wear a wristband. This means I didn't really get to experience the scanning process. Basically I flashed a badge and walked through. However, it seems a bit more thought was devoted to making sure a steady flow of traffic entering and exiting. There was never really a gridlock jam like last year. Another thing to note is all wristband scanning happened outside of the convention center, so there was no one allowed inside to ghost, even in the spacious lobby inside.

The artist alley contained a wide variety of content. Some I recognized, even local favorite artist Riri Mon had a table. Since this is a comic con, there was a big presence of independent comics that took on all sorts of topics and art styles. It's one of the reasons why I enjoy walking around the SVCC artist alley. The creativity in this artist alley is incredible, and the familiar artists I see at other events always bring new things that are relative to the event content.

Notable exhibitors this year include NASA, Wordpress, Acura, Warner Brothers, Joby and Lowepro. These were the booths that grabbed my attention each day, making sure I didn't get stuck too long in one particular spot. However, rest stops at the Wordpress tables was extra convenient since they had charging stations for phones. Not an exhibitor, but the couches and tables with chairs offered plenty of spots for people to take a break. This helped prevent people from sitting against walls and crowding up space in the exhibit hall.

Special guests were somewhat spread across the exhibit hall. There wasn't one particular area where the event guests could be found together. You kind of had to walk around, but Celebrity Row contained most of the celebrities. The likes of Steve Yeun, John Cusak, Grant Gustin and Tom Felton had another area for autographs and photo-ops. Lines for them were considerably long and there was no space in the exhibit hall to accomodate large crowds standing in a line.

Food was readily available in the exhibit hall and in the lobby area. Local spots like Psycho Donuts had a little pop-up shop serving up donuts and a selection of bottled soft drinks. There was another local food spot that set up, and they served a small assortment of Asian foods; the name is slipping my mind right now. However, just outside the convention center were the ice cream and hot dog vendors. That is something to take advantage of. Hot dogs were $5, but they were loaded with bacon, onions, jalapenos, mayo, mustard and ketchup.

There was so much going on the two days I went. Schedules were quite busy, but I made sure to check out one panel on Saturday. Finding Your Path to Greatness as an Actor of the Future with Anjali Bhimani was such a great panel to be at, but I'll be writing up a bit more on this in another article pretty soon. It was that good!

Anjali Bhimani (Fallout 4, Overwatch)

I am already looking forward to the next SVCC. Dates for next year will be April 6-8, 2018. Coverage this year spanned over 2 of the 3 days, but I'll be pushing to cover SVCC from beginning to end next year. This event has expanded so much that I think it is worthy of drawing in out-of-state crowds. It brought up some southern California folks, so it's obviously catching the attention of people outside the bay area. The special guests line-up next year has a tall order to fill after having an amazing line-up last month. Tickets for next year can already be ordered online with a 25% discount, making the 3-day adult pass $74.25.

The video below is a little vlog that I made. Not really little, it's 40 minutes long, but includes clips during Saturday and Sunday. There are some audio issues in a few parts, mostly due the not bringing a wind shield for the microphone. Check out the video since it shows off the exhibit hall and other random happenings at SVCC.

Links to more SVCC 2017 coverage
Photo Gallery | Facebook
A Panel with Anjali Bhimani -- coming soon
Instax Snaps -- coming soon

Grape City Con 2017 Coverage

Adam as grapes.

This past weekend was Grape City Con in Lodi, California. The convention practically unites the central valley crowd, and even lures a few bay area folks, like us, for a day of fun. It was cozy having ample time to hang out with all of our local cosplay and photographer friends. Many of us are enthusiastic about Grape City Con, especially us since it’s always nice to be out on a Sunday in April. With that said, this is one of the smaller conventions I’ll be covering this year.

Video games of all platforms.

Layout of this event was mostly spread out in three connected halls with the exception of programming location. Attendees that wanted to check out panels and the costume contest went over to Jackson Hall. Most of the foot traffic throughout the day was across the quad from Jackson though. Hall one, Chardonnay Hall, had the special guests and video game tables. There was an auction table located dead center here, which wasn’t hard to locate. Chardonnay Hall also had tables and chairs for people that wanted to sit down and eat and/or relax.

Zinfandel Hall connects to Chardonnay, and this giant room houses mostly artists and some dealers. This hall was probably the busiest whenever I walked around. Aisles were the least spacious in here. Plenty of local artists showed up to sell their work. Recognized quite a few artists that also have booths at other events in the northern California area.

Cabernet Hall

The third hall, Cabernet, had all the vendors that sold retail products and collectibles. If you came to shop for toys or comics, then this was the hall you would spend most the day in. There was so much to variety, even though Funko products seem to be at every booth not selling vintage toys. Found some vintage Disney stuff (watches and plush) that were almost purchased, but luckily held off from making any purchases.

In the back, there was a wrestling ring set up for local wrestlers to flaunt their talent and hopefully be named the champion of their own match. However, good friend Big Trent and SacLord held their own match for the sake of photos. It looks like they both got the upperhand for one photo each though.

Big Trent v SacLord

The small venue made it easier to snap some quick photoshoots in the beautiful outdoors area without having to walk very far. Sunny weather probably convinced more people to cosplay. This venue is great for pictures outdoors. I utilized a stage area for some cosplay photos with a couple friends. This was a great way to spend the last hour before having dinner with some friends.

Overall, this con is a great one to experience for the first-time con-goer, and I definitely recommend making a pitstop here next year. It certainly makes you want to be at more events. Just because an event is smaller than others in area doesn’t mean it won’t be as fun. That falls on what you plan to do at events and the company you keep at events. Grape City Con offers a quality exhibitor hall packed with enough to keep you shopping for the day. The local vibe was nice and relaxing after an exhausting weekend at WonderCon. It’s always nice to do events back-to-back weekends.

Grape City Con 2017 Links
Photo Gallery | Facebook

WonderCon 2017 | Cosplay Favorites

The cosplay down in Anaheim is definitely different than the cosplay that we are used to in the bay area. There was considerably more, but maybe that's to be expected at an event as big as WonderCon. Characters are up to more interpretation with many favorite characters in different styles than normal. Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask as Beauty and the Beast and My Little Pony characters as RPG classes were just a few of the ones that we saw. We curated some our favorite shots from WonderCon, so check out the photos below. Enjoy!

Be sure to check out our main WonderCon 2017 coverage article for more on this amazing event. Also, check out all the other amazing cosplays in our photo gallery via Facebook & Flickr. :)

Assaultron

Fallout 4 is a staple in our game library, and this was the first Assaultron that we have ever seen at an event. We have seen our fair share of Power Armor suits, but none are like the Assaultron. One of our favorite characters from Fallout 4 is KLEO, so our eyes lit up the moment we saw this cosplay. The craftsmanship on the armor pieces was flawless, and this is definitely a cosplay to remember. 

Overwatch <3

It’s obvious Overwatch is one of our favorite games, so we kind of gravitate towards all things Overwatch at events. The gathering was a must-see for us, mostly with it being easy to see all the Overwatch cosplays at once. Things get extra fun when a cosplayers takes on an event skin or legendary skin.

Logan & X-23

With the new Logan movie coming out, it wasn’t a surprise to see a few Logan cosplays. This father-daughter duo of Logan and X-23 was just too good to pass up. I feel bad because they were stuck in those poses for a long time (their cosplays were that good that people couldn’t stop taking pictures of them). Cheers to you!

Homestuck

One of Justin’s missions at every convention is to find a Homestuck cosplayer and snap a picture. Something about their cosplays is just so interesting and up to many different interpretations. We managed to capture a few shots from different Homestuck cosplayers, but this one is our favorite. 

Aloy

Horizon Zero Dawn was also a new release for this year and we were very surprised to see a cosplayer from the game. Aloy is the main protagonist and this cosplayer captured her so well. When asked if she finished the game she replied “No, I had to stop playing so that I could finish this cosplay.” Such commitment and we hope she has time now to finish the game because it is beautiful! 

Studio Ghibli Characters

We encountered this cute group of little girls who cosplayed a group of Studio Ghibli characters. Watching them interact with each other was heartwarming. To see children cosplaying children rather than young adults as children was also one of the reasons that we enjoyed this group so much. This group dressed up as characters from Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke,The Secret World of Arrietty, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, and My Neighbor Totoro.

WonderCon 2017 Coverage

Anaheim Convention Center

This is our first event coverage of 2017 that is outside the bay area, so we're very excited to post some content on WonderCon. Many folks know this was a staple event in San Francisco up until a few years ago, and it's rather neat seeing just how much it has grown from a location change + general maturing year after year.

Anaheim Convention Center offers a spacious and clean environment practically everywhere you walk. Of course some aisles in the exhibit hall and outdoor areas near badge scanning get clustered up, but that's kind of expected at every popular event you attend, regardless of it being a CCI event or something else. WonderCon offers a large variety in the exhibit hall that can fill up a weekend schedule quite easily, and if shopping around isn't an all-day thing for you, then there was plenty of programming/panels happening each day to keep busy.

Most aisles were like this, maybe busier if booths had a line.

Guests of all mediums can be found at this event. For comics there was Sergio Aragones (Groo the Wanderer), Kevin Eastman (TMNT), Mark Waid (The Flash), Bob Layton (Iron Man) and Gerard Way (The Umbrella Academy) to name a few. Disney fanatics walking around the exhibit probably spotted Margaret Kerry (Tinker Bell model) sitting at a booth that catered to Disney collectibles. It's great to see WonderCon having such a diverse line-up of guests around the exhibit hall.

Mark Waid

The possibilities are endless in terms of meeting random professionals walking around WonderCon. Our luck reeled in voice actors from Overwatch Keith Silverstein & Jonny Cruz, who voice Torbjorn and Lucio respectively, on Saturday. We might have a little something else to post on this later on. Quite a few voice actors attend events on their own, and aren't really promoted by events. They are simply there to take in the festivities like regular folks.

Panels and screenings scheduled during the weekend gave attendees a chance to see their favorite talents and companies show off their new shows and movies. These panels ranged from ABC's The Goldbergs and Imaginary Mary, Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, Warner Bros. Pictures, Riverdale, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and plenty more throughout each day. These panels also offer people an hour to sit down and relax while watching special guests talk about their projects.

Badge scanning and food trucks ;D

Food is very accessible in the convention center and just outside the venue with a line-up of food trucks parked just outside the badge scanning area. So if you were craving a particular food, then there was a good chance a food truck met your needs. The smell of all the food kept us drooling for food, but held off each time knowing we had places to eat at in Downtown Disney across the street.

We really miss the WonderCon event being held in San Francisco, but it's grown so much since they left the bay area. There really isn't a solid reason to come back, in our opinion, as we're pretty sure the programming we enjoy the most is due to WonderCon being near Los Angeles. A quick trip down south is easy, and branching out of the bay area for some travel is always welcomed. It's quite surprising how many friends from local events made the trip down as well, so at times we bumped into people we love hanging out with, and that makes any day more enjoyable.

The northern California crew :)

There are more WonderCon articles to come! Listed below is a list of what is posted so far, and that list will be updated after articles are posted. All the cosplay photos are already up on Facebook and Flickr since we know that's what people want to see first. Enjoy!

Nerd Gazette x WonderCon 2017 Links
Photo Gallery | Facebook & Flickr
Imaginary Mary Interviews
Meeting Torbjorn and Lucio

Cosplay Feature | Big Trent

Meet Big Trent

Big Trent is someone we have known for a long time in the cosplay world. He is most recognized for his Batman and Power Rangers cosplays, plus he is practically at every convention in the Sacramento area. We decided to ask him a few questions so folks can learn a little bit more about the cosplayer wearing Batman's cowl.

How did you get acquainted with cosplay, and what inspired you to start cosplaying?
My interest in cosplay really began with the 20th anniversary of Power Rangers back in 2012 that really reinvigorated my love for the franchise and resparked my childhood dream of becoming the Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger.

Of all of your cosplays that you have done, is there one you are extra proud suiting up as?
As much as I love my ranger suits and being a Power Ranger, I am most proud to be Batman.  Not only do people not mind that I am a black Batman, people seem to celebrate and respect it.  Always warms my heart to hear people enjoy it.

Why did your Batman cosplay disappear for a while?
Batman had to take a break for a while because SacAnime was the only con I was able to attend during that time period and I really wanted to try out cosplaying as Luke Cage which I would need my goatee for on the final day of the con.

B A T M A N

Have a particular Batman actor that stands out to you the most? Are they also your favorite Bruce Wayne?
First and foremost, Kevin Conroy's take as Batman and Bruce Wayne will always remain iconic and number 1 in my book.  But for live action, I was really inspired by Ben Affleck's take as Wayne and Batman who's already been through a whole career as Batman and now has to deal with forces beyond just street criminals and lunatics on to gods and monsters.

You must be excited for the upcoming live-action Power Rangers movie coming out this month?
I am very excited for the 2017 Power Ranger Movie!  This franchise has been near and dear to my heart for the last 24 years and I'm happy that Hollywood still see's value with it for the casual audiences.  Can't wait to see a new take on the original MMPR story.

There have been many series of Power Rangers through the years. Which suit captured your interest the most? 
Definately the Gold Zeo Ranger suit is my favorite suit.  Incredibly uncomfortable to wear, but man it looks so dope!

Blue | Red | Gold

Is there a Power Rangers suit you would like to wear, but isn’t as available anywhere or requires you to make it yourself?
If I could I would get the new 2017 Red Ranger movie suit.  I've seen some people make an entire suit but they don't look quite as good.  Some people have perfected the helmets though.  Maybe in time suit makers will perfect the look of their own replicas.

We saw you debut your new Luke Cage cosplay this year. What made you want to cosplay him?
My reasons for wanting to cosplay Luke Cage were simple.  Because the cosplay was simple basically.  And I had never cosplayed fully as a Marvel character up to that point.  All I had to do was wear the right hoodie, grow a goatee and shave my head completely bald.  Also did it because I loved his series on Netflix!

Luke Cage

Any new cosplay plans coming up that you can share?
Eventually I want to cosplay as Cyborg and as the White Dino Thunder and Blue Ninja Steel Rangers.

What events will you for sure be at this year?
I will be at Wondercon at the end of March, basically all the Sacramento conventions, Silicon Valley Comic Con, and Fanime.

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See more Big Trent | Facebook & Instagram

His precious :D

East Bay Comic Con 2017 Coverage

The atrium of guests

East Bay Comic Con has a been a favorite event each year since it began in 2014. It is one of the few events that continues to improve each year. They also live up to the "comic con" title by actually focusing on comic book artists and dealers. Deep down this is one of those events we look forward to attending as the new year begins. It gives people an event to enjoy early on in the year before the usual large scale events start happening around California.

This year was a little different with the venue change, but the enjoyable experience of EBCC remains the same. The move to the Crowne Plaza made things slightly more spacious, especially the atrium area that had tables for special guests and access to panel rooms. There was a really nice pond that had a bunch of Koi fish in it. For some reason fish fascinate us everywhere we go. However, the hotel parking lot was practically full around 10am, so we parked across the street near Starbucks. Everything became instantly fun once we got into the venue though.

Dee Wallace

EBCC is a bit smaller than any of the other cons that we go to. It is a one-day event instead of a full weekend. There is a healthy amount of programming and shopping to do, so having a filled day at EBCC is easy to do. The guests were amazing from well known comic artists to awe-inspiring actress Dee Wallace (Cujo, E.T., The Howling).

Shopping around at EBCC offers such a wide variety of products and collectibles. We were kind of just scoping out anything related to the Netflix show Stranger Things, but nothing really surfaced for us. However, we did buy something. LEGO has been at the heart of our nerd collecting, so we picked up LEGO 5004468 (basically a chicken suit minifigure in really cute packaging).

We bumped into a few friends and familiar faces from events. Taking photos of their cosplay work here was rather fun. The mood of EBCC is rather relaxed, so people aren't running from place to place with things to do. Big Trent rallied as many DC Comics cosplayers to hold an impromptu gathering in the atrium.

DC Comics cosplay gathering

The bay area deserves more of these events throughout the year. It has always been our wish to see EBCC happen twice a year, but there hasn't been wind of that being a possibility. South City Comic Con and Mouse-Con (events organized by EBCC showrunners) are happening later this year, but their location is in South San Francisco. All in all, EBCC is still entertaining and memorable enough as the one-day event that it is. We can't wait for the next one.

Check out our event photo album on Facebook and Flickr. Enjoy! :)

Cosplay Feature | Sugarcoateddame

Beatrice | Over the Garden Wall

Our next Cosplay Feature is on Sugarcoateddame! She is a wonderful cosplayer, and has become an even greater friend. We're really happy to be doing a cosplay feature on her, so let's get to it. :)

How did cosplay grab your attention?

When I was a kid who was just discovering geek culture, I dove at anything anime related I could get my hands on. At the time I was really into Cyborg 009 and found an anime magazine that featured it on the cover. The magazine came with a promotional DVD that had a segment on anime conventions and interviews with cosplayers, which completely mesmerized little eleven year old me. These cosplayers talked about how they'd hand stenciled patterns onto their fabric for accuracy, spent 40+ hours on one piece of armor, and put a large chunk of their paycheck into making cosplays for their friends to complete their groups. The hard labor was a bit much for me to comprehend at the time (I discovered the reality of all of this later in my cosplay journey) , but I thought it was incredible that you could dress up like your favorite character and go to a colossal costume party. I had to get in on that.

Are there any particular cosplayers that inspires your cosplay work?

Absolutely! Mostflogged, J.Hart Design, and Amazon Mandy are on my list of inspirations. Anyone who can sit behind a sewing machine, crank out a quality piece of work, then dive into the next project has my full respect and admiration.

The first time crossing paths was you dressed up as Captain America? It was at Big Wow Comicfest 2015.

Oh gosh, I remember that!! The fem Cap I wore that day was borrowed just for that convention. It was my first comic centered con and a majority of my cosplays were anime/cartoon/other pop culture related. Thankfully, a close friend of mine and fellow cosplayer, Comiclz, set me up with her amazing fem Cap cosplay for the day so I could blend in better with that crowd. I'm so happy to have met you there! I think it was the following Sac Summer that we really started to talk.

Captain America

The one cosplay of yours that we’ve seen you as at various events is Mey-Rin from Black Butler. What is it about Mey-Rin that captures your interest to cosplay her?

She's a girl after my own heart. How could I not be absolutely enamored with a sweet, clumsy, cockney maid who's also a badass sniper? What a woman. I decided I had to cosplay her for Fanime 2011 when Yuya Matsushita (the actor for Sebastian in the Black Butler stage play in Japan at the time) was going to be a special guest. Unfortunately, due to running late to his panel with some car troubles, I wasn't able to meet him in that cosplay, but she's easily one of my favorite cosplays I own.

Mey-Rin | Black Butler

How long did it take you to put together your Mey-Rin cosplay?

Oh man, it's such a blur, but at least 3 months. I was 15 when I first decided to cosplay Mey-Rin, so my grandmother was the main seamstress on that project. Like most of my cosplays, it was modified from my trusty McCall's M4948 pattern. I'd printed out screenshots from the anime,manga and stage play, then did some light work on it when asked. Honestly, god bless my grandmother for all she did before I learned to properly sew on my own.

We can tell from your Instagram that you’re in love with Luffy from One Piece. Do you identify with any of his characteristics from the anime?

Love is an understatement, haha! You shouldn't have mentioned Luffy, I could go on for days. But to keep it short, I wish I was more like him. I'm a pre-timeskip Usopp. Luffy has been my ray of sunshine and, as cheesy as it is, an inspiration to me. He's goofy, brave, and doesn't know the meaning of giving up. He believes in his crew and believes in himself. Fact: he's going to be King of the Pirates. I need that kind of determination, man.

Luffy | One Piece

Dead Kenny was the brand new cosplay we saw at SacAnime Winter 2017. What made you decide to put together this cosplay?

I've learned the hard way that Sacramento weather during winter is cruel and will not feel sympathy and show mercy on you if you're dressed skimpily, so I wanted something warm for Sac Winter this year. My Kenny cosplay I sewed from back in high school was collecting dust and my love for South Park is still raging strong, so I thought now would be an opportune time to bring that cosplay back onto the con floors. I didn't have the time or funds to go as wild with the gore makeup as I would have liked to, but wearing white out contact lenses spooked a few con goers, hehe!

Dead Kenny | South Park

Is there a dream cosplay that you would like to do, but can’t do at the moment?

Esther Blanchett from Trinity Blood is my ultimate dream cosplay above all else. If I was aiming for complete manga accuracy, I'd need an entire year dedicated to sewing and crafting it to my liking, maybe more! She was one of the first female characters whose design appealed to me so strongly, so I want to portray her with intricate detail. Maybe next year will be the year...fingers crossed!

How do you manage your time when you are working on a new cosplay?

I wonder this sometimes too! My weekly schedule has me bouncing from one place to the next during the day, so I try and rely on those sweet weekend and night hours to cram in that sewing. If my time isn't managed, I'll find myself hunched over my sewing machine in a cold sweat the night before I leave for the con, which is super common with a lot of my cosplay friends, so I don't feel as bad.

Are you planning any new cosplays for the rest of this year?

I am! I'm afraid I might have taken on too much, actually. My current project is Princess Shirahoshi from One Piece. It'll be my first time sewing a mermaid tail, so it should be a learning experience. All of the fabric is sitting out waiting to be sewn. My second big project of the year is going to be a female Genji from Overwatch. I have absolutely no armor experience, so there's another learning experience! 2017 is going to be a fun cosplay year. A much more casual cosplay that I have planned for the year is Boa Hancock from the One Piece Jeans Freak figure line. Comfy cosplays are something I always look forward to.

What events can we expect to see you at this year?

Fanime is always a definite yes for me. I've never missed one in all my years of attending. I just found out that I'll be attending Anime Expo as well, so I'll be bringing out the big guns for that. Sac Summer is a very hopeful maybe!

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See more Sugarcoateddame | Instagram

Juuzou | Tokyo Ghoul

SacAnime Winter 2017 | Vlog

This is our first full-length vlog episode together. We were quite amazed at how much footage we shot throughout the whole weekend at SacAnime Winter 2017. Video has always been a priority for Nerd Gazette, but something would always hold us back from creating. I feel like the new year with a refreshed motivation pushed us to make this happen, and it's a good thing we did.

Not only did we capture the essence of our weekend together, but the vlog episode ended up being over 14 minutes long. A sliver of footage was left out of the final version for the sake of keeping things flowing steadily. This was also our chance to realize the iPhone 6s is good enough for making these videos. Eventually we would like to upgrade to nicer gear, but this will do for now. The iPhone gives us 4k video, slow motion recording, and time-lapse – basically the necessities for us to record. One thing we want to add soon is an external mic attachment to improve the audio.

We did our best to capture the main happenings of the weekend for the video. I guess 3 days of recording really adds up. This really gives us a direction to approach future events when it comes to making videos like this. Check out the video below. Enjoy! :)

–J–

Cosplay Feature | Icy Burd

Mako | Kill la Kill

This is our first Cosplay Feature, and it's on our good friend Icy Burd! Justin first met Icy in the aisles of Sac-Con March 2015 as a quick photo opportunity. The friendship basically took off from there, and we've been hanging out at events quite often ever since. We hope this new article series is fun to read, as it has been for us to put together. Enjoy! :) 

What inspired you to start cosplaying?
Disney princesses at birthday parties from when I was little were a large inspiration and helped me spark to make costumes!

Is there a cosplayer that you look up to?
I've always adored Anzujaamu and SasukeAvenged ever since I've started cosplaying!

Any specific cosplay of yours that you are extra proud of?
Maybe my Madoka? I feel really good as her, but my Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle makes me feel as if I'm in her timeline so it's between those two as of right now!

Sophie | Howl's Moving Castle

Our favorite of yours is the updated Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle; how did you put it together?
It's honestly a really quickly put together cosplay! I decided to do Sophie the weekend before because I got a gray wig for Christmas, but since my dress was really baggy and poorly made, I asked my friend who bought the dress at a thrift store if I could borrow it!

You posted a 2015 vs 2017 comparison of your Sophie cosplay on Instagram. It's a nice journey to see how much you've grown as a cosplayer. Do you see yourself putting together another Sophie for future events?
Yes! She was really fun to be and I got many compliments on how old the cosplay looks timeline wise which grew confidence for me due to that being my goal!

2015 (left) vs 2017 (right)

Are there any more cosplays that you are working on this year?
I'm currently planning out Sheeta from Laputa Castle in the Sky and Mercy from Overwatch I hope to make this year! (And Sapphire from Steven Universe ;D)

Seems to be Studio Ghibli characters are a perfect fit you?
I guess so! I love Studio Ghibli's films and I love the way the characters are designed and how aligned the films are with nature which gives a grand vibe when cosplaying them!

Cosplay aside, what is your favorite part about going to conventions?
I love going to see my friends and the amazing cosplays people bring! I gain a lot of nostalgia from attending them as well!

Are you currently watching any anime series? What is your all-time favorite?
I've currently been rewatching Sailor Moon lately as well as Ranma 1/2! My all-time favorite anime is at ties with Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball, or Record of Lodoss War! But if I had to choose it would be Sailor Moon!

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See more Icy Burd | Instagram

Yukiteru Amano | Future Diary

SacAnime Winter 2017 | Sunday Coverage

Sunday at SacAnime is an interesting day. Of course we're still excited to be there. The feeling of sadness on it being the last day creeps up. However, we're feeling that fatigue, so part of us want to make the day go by as smooth as possible.

One thing we'll miss is our 7-Eleven lunch dates, but this shouldn't be a common date spot for us in the long run. However, those 2 for $2 deals are a lifesaver to us when we need a quick bite and drink. We'll probably have 7-Eleven food just as much during SacAnime Summer since the oh-so-awesome Sacramento Greek Festival moved to October this year.

We went to the cosplay gatherings for Haikyuu, Fairy Tail, and Star Wars. They all had pretty decent crowds, especially Haikyuu and Star Wars. Like gatherings on Saturday, these were held inside the convention center due to rainy weather. This worked out fairly well for Fairy Tail since the turnout left people with space to move around and take pictures.

The Star Wars gathering was quite bittersweet. It was a tribute to the late Carrie Fisher and the impact that she had on Star Wars fans. It was slightly unorganized though; the person who was supposed to be leading the gathering was a no-show. Luckily, there were people who took the initiative in organizing things to make the tribute go as smooth as possible  (a big thank you to them).

Towards the end of the day we started to say goodbye to our friends. Its always sad to say goodbye until the next con but we know we will see them again. The weekend concluded at In-N-Out since we wanted to chow down burgers and fries. I think our time at SacAnime throughout the weekend was one of our best spent yet. SacAnime Summer is a few months away, but there will be plenty of events going on while waiting that will make the time go by fast. Check out the Upcoming Events on the left side to find out where we will be next!

View more of our photos from Sunday on our Facebook page photo album. :)

SacAnime Winter 2017 | Cosplay Favorites

Stranger Things | Eleven
We have recently been on a Netflix binge-watching phase with our new favorite show, Stranger Things. It was a delight to see all of the Eleven cosplays especially when they are holding an Eggo waffles box.

Overwatch
This game has always been a favorite ours, even though there was a long spell of not playing the game last year. Due to he holiday events, we have been playing more than ever with our favorite mains (mine: Sombra, his: Bastion). However, we definitely enjoyed seeing all of the McCree and Soldier: 76 cosplayers. My personal Overwatch cosplayer has to go to Ana in her Halloween event skin. Justin's favorite was the Widowmaker ornament cosplayer. He says that it is very unique with most cosplays focusing on skins, but to base Widowmaker on a spray is quite awesome. Witch Mercy was also a delight to see, as Mercy cosplays are a rarity here.

LazyTown | Robbie Rotten
This is a special favorite of mine from SacAnime Winter. Beautifully crafted and delightfully funny, this cosplayer captured the essence of this mischievous villain.

Hamilton
Yes, we are diehard fans of the popular musical Hamilton. We have been known to bust into song once or twice if the situation depends on it. ;) This Hamilton cosplay by our friend Jordon was something to sing about all weekend, even though it was only seen on Saturday over the weekend.

Howl's Moving Castle | Sophie
Studio Ghibli cosplays are a mainstay at events. Icy dawned a new Sophie outfit (Howl's Moving Castle). It was a standout for us with her vintage dress. We even had a mini photoshoot in the rain – check out more photos of Icy in our Sunday photo album.

Dishonored 2 | Emily Kaldwin
With Dishonored 2 being released in late 2016, the desire to cosplay the older, more sophisticated Emily Kaldwin has been in full swing. This cosplayer looked the character perfectly. Ever since the first trailer showing an older Emily at E3 2015, her mature look and fashion had me hooked. A few Emily cosplays were bound to appear since Erica Luttrell, the voice actor of Emily, was a special guest at SacAnime during the weekend.

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