It's this July in San Diego, people - practically right around the corner - and thus it is time to start seriously fretting about whether to cosplay or not to cosplay.
While a serious Fantasy and SF geek, I am not a regular comics reader and never have been. The characters I'd want to dress up as are all from books, TV, or films, and would either be unknown to most people or wildly inappropriate for a middle-aged person like me - or both! For example:
Miss Europe of the Monster Blood Tattoo series by DM Cornish - love the series, am crazy about the costume, but would ANYone recognize me? No.
Any of the hot young pony-tailed students at the Marlovan Royal Academy in the Inda series by Sherwood Smith. Excellent non-revealing costumes and long hair! But there's that recognition problem again. Oh, and these characters are teenage boys. Hmm...
A Na'vi matriarch from Avatar! All I would need is a perfectly toned blue body, pointy ears, and yellow eyes. Yes! Alas, I am WAY too timid to EVER attempt this. EVER.So I asked my 15-year-old daughter (who is going as Gaara from Naruto) whom it would be appropriate for me to cosplay. Without hesitating for a single second, she proclaimed:
"Professor McGonagall!" Which I must admit has some appeal. But am I really that old?Next, I asked Rachel, young and eccentrically cool YA librarian at LAPL's Teen'scape Dept, whom she thought I should cosplay. "Someone age-appropriate," I suggested.
Her instantaneous answer? Frau Totenkinder from Willingham's Fables!!Yes, I guess I really am that old.
Awww. Frau Totenkinder is too old. So's Professor McGonnagall.
ReplyDeleteYou've just hit upon the major problem with media - where are the awesome women role models who aren't 22 and/or 70? Not much in between there. Unless you're Meryl Streep.
Yeah!! You can go as Julia Child!!
ReplyDeleteUm, time-traveling Julia Child with, uh, cooking powers.
Heh!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, though, it's just wrong how few middle-aged women are present in fantasy, science fiction, and comics.
Oooh, I just thought of a good one! She's young - but not SUPER young.
Balsa, the warrior from Moribito! She's about 30 years old AND she has awesome clothing and a sword. Not that anyone has heard of her, either...
Eva, if you'd like to cosplay as the Fairy Godmother from Kingdom of Hearts, I'd be happy to loan you my costume and wig since I won't be at Comic-con! It's kind of a one-size fits all costume. I can e-mail you a picture if you're interested...
ReplyDeleteMargo