Geek + Cosplay = Social Acceptance

I have to say, geek and cosplay friends have been a second family to me. The friends I first met at Transformers conventions starting in 2003, expanded with the first Retro Con founded by some of those friends in 2012, got even bigger in 2014 when I joined the cosplay community. And not to mention my friends from video game and anime conventions and toy shows, as well as fan and collectors' groups here on Facebook. These friends made me comfortable sharing more of myself with others. I never dreamed that the things I had from childhood, the things most people I grew up with gave up when they weren't popular or "cool" anymore, would be making me friends 30 years later.

Joining the Costuming Fans

I created a new page based on my cosplay called, well, Catapilla Cosplay. I've been dressing up at conventions since 2002 but really got into it last year and met so many amazing people being part of a parody series and the audience for my friend's cosplay show. If you are on Facebook, check it out, maybe give it a like.

Current cosplay includes:

 

Neo from "The Matrix";

Sherlock Holmes from BBC's "Sherlock" series;

I have also been a Blues Brother with my friends at Give-No-Effs Cosplay. Check them out and give them a like too;

And teamed up with Notchback K.I.T.T. to cosplay Knight Rider. I was the first Michael Knight cosplayer they have seen.

Catapilla Cosplay on Facebook

Give-No-Effs Cosplay on Facebook

Notchback K.I.T.T.

Vgxpo and a Day in Philly

I took a rare Saturday off and headed to Center City last weekend for the Video Game Expo. I hadn't been to the show since 2005 when it was in Fort Washington or the Convention Center itself since 2006. While I was down there I got to see the construction on the Strawbridge's building and checked out the Big Belly recycling bin/compactors and parking kiosks which I had read about and I think they are really helping to make the city better. The show was a little disappointing compared to the older Vgxpos I had been to but there was a very good selection of old games, consoles and accessories for sale. Nintendo had a large booth featuring New Super Mario Brothers Wii Sports Resort and Punch-Out for the Wii, Contra Rebirth on Wii Ware and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for the DS. The arcade was not as varied as in past Vgxpo shows and the cabinets were far apart but it was still fun. The highlights included Mr. Do!, Gauntlet 2, Xenophobe, Roadblasters, Primal Rage, Robotron 2084 (always a favorite) and a NEO Geo. Guests with booths included wrestlers The Smoke and Blue Meanie, actor Gil Gerard (Buck Rodgers), voice actor Neil Kaplan and a custom K.I.T.T. Trans Am. My friends Tony and Rose dressed as a Star Wars Imperial Biker and officer respectively and later, in their Ghostbuster outfits. I picked up some used NES and SNES games as well as a Metroid manual. Afterwards I met up with my friend Tracy for dinner at the Irish Pub. It was just nice being in Center City again and I hope I'll make more trips down there soon.

Here are some of my photos from the show:

The Nintendo booth


Classic consoles for sale


Custom K.I.T.T.


The classic arcade


Halo co-op