John Romita Jr. will be appearing at the Hard Rock Cafe on Las Vegas Blvd on May 4-5 to try and break his world record for consecutive hours sketching and raise money for the Heroes For Jordan Foundation.

We are looking for local Marvel cosplayer & costumers to be in attendance throughout the weekend to cheer John on!

If you’re interested & available, here’s the information:
Where: Hard Rock Café. 3771 S. Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
When: Friday May 4, 2012 11am to May 6, 2012 1pm

Let me know if you have any questions!

~Judy

[Edited By Moderator]

Last Tuesday, Marvel Comics fans gathered at over 1,100 comic stores around the country for the release of AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #1. The Marvel.com crew was at Midtown Comics when AvX #1 went on sale, and had the opportunity to interview AvX creators & editors Adam Kubert, Axel Alonso, Tom Brevoort & Nick Lowe. Plus we held a small costume contest for those cosplayers waiting in line in costume!

Check out photos from the event:

For more photos from the event, swing over to our gallery, Avengers Vs. X-Men Release Party at Midtown Comics!

Plus, here is Lorraine Cink, the host of The Watcher, live at the event!

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New Yorkers weren't the only Avengers Vss X-Men fans to come out in costume. At comic shops across the country and internationally, costumers showed their support loud and proud. Check out photos fans sent in from Chicago and the Philippines!

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Hope to see you all at C2E2 this weekend! Swing over to my post about Marvel's Cosplay & Costuming Plans for the convention.

Chicago here I come!

~Judy

Photos by Judith Stephens, Mike Prost, Scott Whipple, Miguel Frías, ComicXhub, and Ambush Comics

[Edited By Moderator]

We're a few short few days from kicking off C2E2 2012 in Chicago, IL. Marvel.com's Ryan Penagos, Blake Garris & yours truly will be there covering all things Marvel.

If you're attending, in costume or not, please make sure to stop by the Marvel Booth #515 for our Costume Events!

Marvel Avengers Vs. X-Men Cosplay Photo Op
Friday, April 13: 3:00 – 3:30 p.m.
-Stop by the Marvel booth in a Marvel Comics Avengers or X-Men costume, have your photo taken on the booth stage and appear on Marvel.com.

Marvel Costume Contest
Saturday, April 14: 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
-Compete in the annual Marvel costume contest with the chance to win great prizes!

All contestants and costumers will be asked to sign a model release to appear on marvel.com.

Stay tuned to Marvel.com to get all the news from the convention from panels to photos!

Unable to attend? Download the Marvel Events App for iOS and Android, or click to events.marvel.com to get the backstage pass with exclusive videos, real-time announcements from the convention floor, and up-to-the-minute panel, in-booth and signing schedules!

Also, don't forget, if you've got some shots of your or others in Marvel costumes from the weekend, send along all your photos to cosplay@marvel.com!

Have Fun!

~Judy

[Edited By Moderator]

Calling all cosplayers and costumers who are in the New York Area!

On Tuesday April 3, Midtown Comics will host an Avengers Vs. X-Men Release Party in honor of AvX #1 going on sale. Not only will you be able to get your hands on AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #1 a day early, but you'll also get the opportunity to meet & greet AvX creators & editors John Romita Jr, Adam Kubert, Axel Alonso, Tom Brevoort & Nick Lowe.

Plus we'll be hosting a Cosplay Photo Opportunity and Costume Contest. So make sure to stop by, in costume or not, for all the exciting events.

The Details:
Where: Midtown Comics - Times Square
200 W 40th St New York, NY 10018
www.midtowncomics.com
When: Tuesday, April 3 at 8pm
What: Avengers Vs. X-Men Release Party with signings, costly photo op and a costume contest.

Cosplayers & Costumers should note that there is no available changing location, so please come in costume and prepared to be amazing!

Not in New York? Stop by these other local comic shops, or check with your local comic store and see what events they have planned for the release of AVENGERS VS. X-MEN! Plus check out Marvel.com for more info!

Elite Comics with Jason Aaron
11842 Quivira Rd Overland Park, KS 66210
www.elite-comics.com

Meltdown Comics with Ed Brubaker
7522 West Sunset Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90046
www.meltcomics.com

Hope to see you at Midtown!
And don't forget AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #1 is on sale April 4!

~Judy

[Edited By Moderator]

We're a few short few days from kicking off WonderCon 2012 in Anaheim, Calif. Marvel.com's Ryan Penagos & Marc Strom will be there covering all things Marvel.

If you're attending, in costume or not, please make sure to stop by the Marvel Booth #201 for our Costume Contest!

Marvel Costume Contest
Saturday, March 17: 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
-Compete in the annual Marvel costume contest with the chance to win great prizes!

All contestants and costumers will be asked to sign a model release to appear on marvel.com.

 

Stay tuned to Marvel.com to get all the news from the convention from panels to photos!

Unable to attend? Download the Marvel Events App for iOS devices or click to events.marvel.com to get the backstage pass with exclusive videos, real-time announcements from the convention floor, and up-to-the-minute panel, in-booth and signing schedules!

Also, don't forget, if you've got some shots of your or others in Marvel costumes from the weekend, send along all your photos to cosplay@marvel.com!

Have Fun!

~Judy

[Edited By Moderator]

A few weeks ago, convention season started with a bang, with Katsucon & MegaCon being held on the same weekend!

Katsucon 18 was held in Maryland at the Gaylord Resort in National Harbor. I've been attending this convention since 2007, and every year brings amazing cosplayers, so many costumes, and good friends. This year was no different, plus with the World Cosplay Summit US Preliminaries being held Saturday night.

Throughout the three days of the convention, I was able to grab a few shots of Marvel costumes, including a stellar Magik in Darkchylde form, a Marvel group, and  three Lokis! Plus, check out a female Deadpool shot by Ljinto and cosplayer Vampy as female Punisher shot by Anna Fischer!

 

While Katsu was rolling along a few states south, MegaCon was being held in Orlando, Florida. First held in 1993, MegaCon is a multi-genre convention that covers comics, video games, anime and more! Although I wasn't able to attend, a few photographers sent along shots of Marvel costumes from throughout the weekend!

For even more photos from Katsucon & MegaCon, swing over to the Marvel Cosplay & Costuming Gallery!

2012 has kicked off with a bang and I'm exicted to see all the spectacular costumes that each convention will bring. Plus next weekend is WonderCon in Anaheim, CA. Marvel.com's Ryan Penagos & Marc Strom will be there covering all things Marvel. Next week I'll have convention happenings, but make sure to stop by the booth and say hi!

Also, don't forget, if you've got some shots of your Marvel costume or have attended a convention with Marvel costumes, send along all your photos to cosplay@marvel.com!

~Judy

Photos by Judy Stephens, Patrick Sun, Frank Hui, Ljinto and Anna Fischer

[Edited By Moderator]

Time for the first costumer profile of 2012, featuring an amazing costumer I discovered via the Super Hero Costuming Forum and Costoberfest last October. Mark has been costuming for several years and has amassed a spectacular profile of mostly villain costumes. So with no further ado, Mark take it away!


Me: Introduce Yourself
Mark: I'm Mark Meer, an actor, improvisor and writer from Edmonton, Alberta Canada. I work with Rapid Fire Theatre and the Canadian Comedy Award-winning improv soap opera Die-Nasty. I'm also a voice actor in video games for Bioware Corp. and a writer and performer on both CBC Radio's The Irrelevant Show and APTN's CAUTION: May Contain Nuts.

Me: How long have you been a costumer?
Mark: I've always been a big fan of Halloween (it's also my wedding anniversary), so I've always put together at least one costume a year. By the time I went to my first comic convention, I'd already amassed a fairly large collection.

Me: What was your first costume, Marvel and otherwise?
Mark: The first serious costume project I embarked on as a (so-called) adult was Doctor Doom. That first prototype lasted a few Halloweens--I later revisited Doom in a much-improved revamped costume a friend made for me. My first non-Marvel costume was Bizarro, I believe.

Me: Do you make your own costumes? If so, how did you learn the craft? If not, how do you go about creating your costumes?
Mark: I don't sew myself, so I generally enlist the aid of my more talented friends, many of whom work in theatre, like me. That said, my proudest costuming moment was putting together a Green Goblin from a couple of different masks I glued together and painted and a bunch of stuff I found in an afternoon of thrift store shopping. My friends Brian Parsley and Laban Boldero helped me make my most recent costume (Super-Adaptoid).

Me: How did the Marvel universe suck you in? Who are your favorite Marvel characters?
Mark: I've been a Marvel Comics reader for as long as I could read. Actually, the very first thing I ever read aloud was a Hostess Fruit Pies ad featuring the Hulk fighting the Wendigo and the Abomination. I really gravitate towards the Marvel Villains: Red Skull, HYDRA, Loki, the Spider-Man Rogues Gallery, Ultron. Doctor Doom is my favorite, naturally. And everybody loves M.O.D.O.K.!

Me: What would be your dream Marvel costume?
Mark: Galactus, probably. Or Ultron.

Me: How did you get into the costuming community?
Mark: I met folks from the Superhero Costuming Forum through the old Wizard Halloween Costume Contest and at Dragon*Con in Atlanta. I was utterly blown away by their level of talent and creativity! Half the fun of going to Dragon*Con is seeing what my SCF friends come up with.

Me: Cosplayer or Costumer? What would you say is the difference?
Mark: Not really sure. Tomato to-mah-to, I reckon. But that's just me.

Me: Do you attend conventions? If so, which ones?
Mark: I do my very best to make it to Dragon*Con every year, and am hoping to eventually make it to Comic-Con one of these days.

Me: Besides all this costuming business, what do you do for fun?
Mark: Well, I do a lot of improv and sketch comedy, and it's certainly fun, but I kind of make my living at that, so I'm not sure if it counts. My interests tend very strongly towards the geeky--comics, action figures, horror movies, zombies, H.P. Lovecraft, Doctor Who, Venture Bros... stuff like that.

 

Thanks so much Mark! I'm sure we'll be seeing even more from him in the near future!

Convention season is almost upon us, plus we've got lots of cool costly & costuming things cooking, so stay tuned!

~Judy

photos by Marc-Julien Objois

[Edited By Moderator]

Last December, cosplayers Yaya Han, MostFlogged, Anna Elizabeth, Wilbert Rivera, Martin Miller & Cyrstal Lee gathered in a beautiful townhouse on the Upper West Side of Manhattan for the cover photo shoot for the digital magazine, Champion!.

Champion! Magainze offers previews and reviews of comic books, toys, television, movies and more. The first 2012 issue features an exclusive cover, photographs and a costumed cosplay photo essay by pop culture icon Howard Stern, with true fans dressed in their own detailed recreations of their favorite comic characters from Marvel’s Scarlet Witch to Star Wars hero Chewbacca.

 

photos by Howard Stern for Champion! Magazine

Plus, a video preview of the shoot:

For more photos from the shoot and profiles of the cosplayers, download the Champion! Magazine app in the iTunes store here!

Follow Champion! Magazine on Facebook and Twitter, or visit their site at www.champion-magazine.com

With my camera in hand I also had the chance to attend the shoot, so stay tuned for the behind the scenes photos to come. Thanks to the cosplayers & the crew at Champion! for the experience!

~Judy

[Edited By Moderator]

Happy 2012 True Believers!

As 2011 rocked, we here at Marvel.com are working on a jam-packed-ride for all the cosplayers, costumers & fans out there! We're still working on the details, but expect more profiles, photo posts, and con recaps, plus much, much more!

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Plus I'll be attending these conventions:

Feb 17-19 - Katsucon in Washington, D.C.
April 27-29 - AnimeCentral in Chicago, IL
Jun 9-10 - AnimeNEXT in Somerser, NJ
Jul 27-29 - Otakon in Baltimore, MA
Sep 2-5 - Dragon*Con in Atlanta, GA

As always, stay tuned to my blog for all your Marvel Cosplay & Costuming News!
Plus follow along with my day-to-day actics on twitter @Omg_Dj_Judy

~Judy

With over 10 conventions, tons of cosplay & photographer profiles, meeting even more cosplayers & photographers, and good times all around -- this year has been an amazing ride!

Costoberfest 2011. The Recap.

This first annual Costoberfest, a celebration of Marvel Cosplay & Costuming, was a huge success. With over 200 entries, from around the world, it was a challenge choosing each day's cosplayer.

We had first time costumers to some who had been at this for over 20 years. From London to Russia to the Philippines and all across the US. Plus costumers of all ages, from children to adults joined in, not to mention the wide range of Marvel characters.

Plus, I posted articles on the What, Why, Who & How of Cosplay.

Costoberfest: The What & Why of Cosplay

Costoberfest: The Who and How of Cosplay (With a Little Where in There)

 

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Conventions!

I attended ten conventions this year, plus several more posts from cons I was unable to make, so it was a busy year.

Katsucon in Washington D.C. February 18-20.

C2E2 in Chicago, March 18-20

For the second annual C2E2, Chicago greeted Marvel with cheers and we, in turn, packed the weekend with tons of Marvel Comics news, panels, some Chris Hemsworth and, of course, cosplay & costuming.

Wondercon in San Francisco, April 1-3

With it being Marvel's first time at WonderCon in 10 years, the fans came out in droves. We packed the weekend with an exclusive limited edition UNCANNY X-MEN variant, panels, games, signings and costuming.

MegaCon in Orlando, March 25-27

Costumers gathered in Orlando, Florida for MegaCon. As I couldn't make it, I asked a few photographers to grab shots of the stellar Marvel costumes throughout the weekend.

AnimeCentral in Chicago, May 20-22

AnimeCentral, an annual anime, manga and video game convention held at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare boasts numbers over 15K and is the largest anime convention in the Midwest. This is the 3rd year I've been in attendance and I still love the location, overall mood and, of course, the cosplayers.

Fanime in San Jose, May 27- 30

HeroesCon in Charlotte, NC. June 3-5

AnimeNEXT in New Jersey, June 10-12

Akon in Dallas, TX, June 10-12

ToyCon & PressCon - Philippines - June 18-19, 2011

San Diego Comic-Con, July 20-24

We came! We photographed! We Video-ed! We conquered! This year's Comic-Con was an amazingly-super-duper-stellar time! This year the Marvel.com team rocked SDCC with massive video coverage throughout the weekend, plus over 500 photographs live in the San Diego Comic-Con 2011 Gallery!

  

  

Fan Expo in Toronto, August 26-28

This was Marvel's third official year attending the convention, and the fans did not disappoint. As I wasn't able to make it this year, Rich Herrera, our trusty video guy, grabbed photos of the cosplayers and costumers throughout the weekend!

Dragon*Con in Atlanta, September 2-5

Dragon*Con was a whirlwind 5 days of amazing costumes, good friends, and an overwhelming love for everything Marvel; basically, a dream experience!

I produced & found so many photos that I required two posts! Part one. Part two.

New York Comic Con, October 13-16

This year we blew NYCC out of the water! The Marvel.com team rocked with massive live video coverage throughout the weekend, plus over 300 photographs live in the New York Comic Con 2011 Gallery!

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Costuming & Cosplay Posts

With a plathera of Marvel movies & video games out this year, I spotlighted costumes for each release!

Studio Shoot with New York Cosplayers

In January, I got together with a few local NY cosplayers for a Marvel themed studio shoot in Brooklyn.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Cosplay

In honor of the Marvel vs. Capcom 3 release, I compiled a few images of fans cosplaying characters from the game.

Thor Cosplay & Costuming Post

With Thor in theaters in May, I wrangled together a selection of the amazing Marvel fans who've donned Thor-inspired costumes.

X-Men Cosplay & Costuming Post

With X-Men: First Class in theaters in June, I wrangled together a large-ish selection of the amazing Marvel fans who've donned X-Men-inspired costumes. The post has over 100 of cosplayers & costumers from throughout the eras and costume-changes.

Captain America Cosplay & Costuming Post

With Captain America: The First Avenger in theaters in July, I collected an extreme selection of the amazing Marvel fans who've donned Captain America-inspired costumes.

Behind the Scenes with Photographer Jay Tablante & the Lovely Ladies of Cosplay

In October, photographer Jay Tablante and his crew, Raffy & Ara, flew in from the Philippines for NYCC and to do an epic shoot with cosplayers Yaya Han, Riki Lecotey, Megan Marie and Marie Claude Bourbonnais. During the nine hour shoot, Jay shot over 10 costumes, most of which were Marvel characters. I took some time to swing over to the set to see Jay in action!

 

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Profiles!

Cosplay Profile: Yaya Han

I kicked off my monthly-ish profiles with Yaya Han, who has been cosplaying for over 10 years. Yaya has been a huge support for my blog, plus for the cosplay community as a whole. I'm super proud of each step she makes, plus lucky to call her a friend.

Photographer Spotlight: Jay Tablante

Over the last year, I was introduced to, profiled and then got to meet the mister Jay Tablante. Jay, a photographer from the Phillippines, spends his off time producing amazing Marvel (and other nerd-dom) photographs. This year, he continually added new pieces to portfolio, plus even more to come!

Cosplay Profile: Tally

One of the first Marvel cosplayers I met a few years back was Tally. She's happily posed for me multiple times over the history of this blog, plus she cosplays Pepper Potts & Rescue!

Cosplay Profile: Phillippines' X-Men Cosplay Team

We said Hi to the X-Men Philippine Cosplay Team, a cosplay group based out of Manilla that consists of over 20 cosplayers. Founded in 2009 by Miguel, Herwin Boydon and Kia Keary, the team is a group of cosplayers and artists dedicated to the mutant super hero team: the X-Men.

Cosplay Profile: Kearstin Nicholson

I stumbled upon Kearstin when I was looking for references for my own Mystique costume. I was blown away by her classic blue mutant, and while in Chicago, was in awe of her constant costume changes. She wore 4 costumes throughout the three days of the convention.

Photographer Profile: Stacy Hokett

Earlier this year I was searching the Internet for photos from the Marvel gathering at MegaCon, and preceeded to stumble upon Stacy's photo manipulations. I posted some of his work on my blog for the Thor Costuming post and I was happy to display more work of his work again. Plus, we finally got to meet a few months later at Dragon*Con!

Cosplay Profile: Chris & Miracole Burns

I met Chris & Miracole Burns earlier this year at SDCC, but we’ve been talking via Twitter for a while before. Plus we both have friends in the same circles but never had the opportunity to meet. I’m, as always, overwhelmed by the amazing craftsmanship and skill they put into their costumes.

 

Photographer Profile: Florencia & Jonathon

I’m always scrounging the internet for new and fascinating cosplay, and I stumbled upon Florencia & Jonathon via Deviant Art a few months ago. These two Spanish photographers have produced a series of stellar Marvel cosplay photographs, which I’m happy to share with you all.

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WHEW! Again, this year has been amazing. To every cosplayer, costumer & photographer I met and hung out with: This is all for you. Its because of your passion, drive and love that inspires me day after day. So, please bring your all for 2012; I can't wait.

Have a Happy New Year everyone! See you on the other side!

~Judy

    With over 10 conventions, tons of cosplay & photographer profiles, meeting even more cosplayers & photographers, and good times all around -- this year has been an amazing ride!