So Apparently I’m a Complete Slacker
I attended college at a very turbulent time in my life, and though it resulted in many negative experiences, it also provided me with great stories to laugh about and share with others. Today, I’d like to tell you about this one class that I had… I don’t remember the name, exactly, but it can be best described as a physical education class that focused on nutrition. In case you haven’t read my previous posts, I’ll set the stage by explaining that it took me somewhere between 1.5 to 2.5 hours to get to the campus in the morning, and the same at night. Because of this, most of my efforts were focused on my core Computer Science classes – the others weren’t my priority, but I certainly wanted to get decent marks.
Photo by Scott Adams.
So this gym class was actually simple, but varied. We did some weight training, cardio, figured out how to plan completely balanced meals, and were even taught to calculate our levels of fat in probably the most uncomfortable way ever: we measured our fat flaps. Yep, fat flap measurement is a thing, folks – there’s a better name for it, of course, but it evades me at this moment. I’m also fairly certain that nothing can meet the eloquence of “fat flap measurement,” so I won’t bother to find the right term. You’re welcome. But, altogether, it was a standard physical education class – I liked certain things, and wasn’t totally enthusiastic with others. However, I carried the torch like a good college kid, and always felt I did a pretty decent job in that class.
Fate had another plan, it seems. In general, I get along with most people I meet – but this teacher, we’ll call him Franz, was a bit different. It’s not that I had anything against the man, but I just felt that I didn’t really connect with him like I did other teachers. In college, I always tried to know my professors to at least a basic degree. My logic was the following: if the teacher knew me, they would be less likely to give me bad marks. Now, keep in mind, I wasn’t out to deceive or give myself an unfair advantage. I simply wanted my teachers to know how my brain worked so that they would understand that deep down, I meant well, and actually cared about my results. I mean, sure, I didn’t give my 100% in non-Computer Science classes, but I was still aiming to get decent marks, so there was effort invested. And the way I saw it, it was easier to flunk a guy that they never met and seemed to keep to himself, rather than “Matt Refghi,” the guy who’s in Computer Science and who appreciated weight training, and actually cared about the class – despite keeping to himself. But, alas, Franz was a weird one to get along with… so I mostly kept to myself and did everything that was asked of me. I wasn’t getting top marks, but I was doing decently in most assignments.
Photo by Jason Lengstorf.
Then there was this one weight training class where we had to do bench pressing, among other things. When it was my turn, I found an area that wasn’t being used, and did my reps. The teacher had said that we could take 1-2 minute breaks in between sets, and since I was particularly tired that day, I was very adamant about using that time. So I would do a set, then sit, and monitor the clock. Though I never sat idle for more than 2 minutes at a time, it seemed that Franz had a tendency look my way only when I was resting, not when I was doing my reps. At one point, he even stopped by and asked me if I was doing anything, and I assured him that I was. But he just kept looking at the wrong moments. I laughed at the luck I was having, but I knew deep down that I had done absolutely everything that I was asked, and that I had followed his rules. My timing wasn’t even slightly off, by the way – I was taking 2 minute breaks, then immediately returning to my reps – no slacking. Unfortunately, Franz always seemed to look at the wrong time.
That was the first hint of trouble, in my eyes. Then came one of the field trips – we were to hike a local mountain, and do these treasure hunt type challenges while there. Given that I lived far away from the city, I had to get up really early to leave for such an event. Still living with my parents, I went to look in their fridge to see what was available to eat. In a hurry, and having found no appealing options, I prepared something really basic: two peanut butter sandwiches. I then ventured to Montreal, and proceeded to fulfill my hiking obligations. Since I didn’t spend much time in Montreal those days, I just did a combination of metro plus taxi to get me to where I needed to go that day. (When stressed, I often prefer simplicity at a cost, rather than complicating my life with bus schedules and stuff like that.) It was a rough hike for a guy who spent most of his time staring into a computer (especially back then), but I did it… even if it involved plenty of back and forth to wear us out. At lunch, the whole class got together to eat at a particular location on the mountain. Satisfied with my progress, I chewed like the triumphant computer nerd that I was, but then caught sight of Franz’s face.
Photo by yaybiscuits123.
Peanut butter sandwiches, two of them. Remember how I said Franz taught us NUTRITION? What’s nutritious about a lunch that comprises solely of two peanut butter sandwiches? Just from his expression, I understood: in that small moment, he had proof that I had not applied the stuff he taught in his class (building a nutritionally balanced meal). Once again, I proceeded to have a laugh internally, and tried to just shrug it off. I completed the day’s tasks, and arrived home where I plugged myself straight back into that glowing box. But you know what? I completed the hike, that day – Franz or not.
Photo by Eamon Curry.
Then… the marks came in. Know what I got? 60%. SIXTY. PERCENT. You know, the lowest possible passing grade. I knew for a fact that I deserved to have more than that – after all, I remembered most of my grades from my assignments. In an effort to understand, I thought to back to where it could have gone wrong, and I always came back to the weight lifting incident, and the double peanut butter lunch. In those moments, he probably felt that he understood the essence of my being – a guy who didn’t really care, and just did whatever he needed to do to pass. He misunderstood, of course, but I began to see the 60% as what it probably was: Franz giving me the bird. He probably knew that he couldn’t fail me because I had the good grades, but he didn’t want me to do well either. There’s such significance in that specific grade; he made me pass, but only that… not a trickle more.
I was absolutely certain that I didn’t deserve such a shitty grade… but I was tired of fighting. I had way too much stress in my life back then, and my papers at home weren’t all that organized. The college allowed students to dispute their grades, but it was a gamble of sorts – three teachers would re-evaluate the grades, and a new grade would be elected. If the three teachers agreed that the grade should be lower, that would be the law. I had previously filed a dispute for another class, and it took my grade from a high 60 to a mid 80 – so I was confident in my instincts. But unfortunately, I wasn’t organized enough to gather all of my old assignments from that class, and I was stressed enough as it was, so I never disputed it. I also knew that my effort wasn’t as significant as it would have been for a core Computer Science class, so the potential gain was only about 10-15%. Still, to this day, whenever I see the list of my grades, I picture a tiny Franz next to the 60%, flipping me off. As always, it’s always better to laugh about such things – can you imagine the chances of him always seeing the worst possible moments of my performance? This world’s hilarious, at times.
The Monk and the Gorilla
It was around the time where I was getting to be too old for Halloween, so I didn’t do the whole candy collection thing. Instead, I served as a candy dispenser for the kids who wandered over to my parent’s place. I decided I would also dress up to entertain the children that passed, but I wasn’t exactly sure of what I would do. All I knew is that I had a mask, and a monk’s robe.
The mask was designed to make my head look like a large, sinister skull. Not quite unique, I know, but this one was different – when I first saw it, it struck me as being particularly high in quality. As a result, I couldn’t help it – I had to buy it. I didn’t have any specific plans, but I knew that somehow, somewhere, the mask would be entertaining. In fact, it reminded me of the time I bought a giant stuffed bear, another occasion where I felt the potential for comedy outweighed the price.
The skull mask
It’s also worth mentioning that I bought the skull mask in a very strange location – it was in a theatre supply store that occupied the entire first floor of an old skyscraper. And by old skyscraper, I mean from looking at the exterior, you immediately wonder why they haven’t demolished it yet. I imagine the foundation was strong enough to warrant keeping it open. Still, the exterior showed some serious wear and tear, and the majority of the floors were visibly abandoned.
But the building never collapsed under my weight, or anything. In fact, there were two other businesses in there, both of which were gyms. I knew this because I was a member at one of these gyms, and I often went to work out after school. Despite the existence of these small pockets of life, the building always seemed better suited as a location to film a horror movie. I suppose it’s therefore appropriate that I should find a creepy-looking mask there.
As for the robe, there was really nothing special about it – it was brown, had a hood, and when I wore it with the mask, it made me look like an undead priest of sorts – and a large one, at that. So it was in this attire that I took a seat outside of my house’s front door, on a lawn chair. Every now and then, I’d stand up and slowly make my way around the front porch, head bowed and arms joined.
Eventually, a mother took notice of my seated figure, and I could hear her explaining the sight to her child. I could tell from her voice that she was on the sidewalk, which was easily six metres away from me. The distance actually added to the scene, as the lawn itself was dark – the only light was next to the me, the undead priest.
Since I knew someone was watching, I felt a certain need to entertain. I therefore gradually made my way back into the house to seek out my brother. He had a gorilla mask, but no costume to speak of. We discussed how we could bring his mask into the scene, and arrived at a decision. Soon afterwards, I found myself back at my post, with the mother and child still present. My gorilla-faced brother then exited the building, and stood before me. Apart from the mask, he was dressed as a civilian.
For some reason, we decided it would be entertaining to stage a fight between both he and I. According to the plan, I threw him to the ground, and started to swing fake punches at him. He groaned along with my fake hits, playing into the scene. Unfortunately, what might have been entertaining for 16-year-old boys was certainly not entertaining for the little child who was witnessing this. After all, if the mother had to explain the scene, then the kid couldn’t have been very old. Once the fighting started, I heard the woman gasp, and then the shuffle of her leading her child out of there.
I know, not my finest moment – but it’s not like I got out of bed that morning, and decided I’d traumatize a child. If anything, the mistake allowed me to exercise more caution around children. After all, they should be allowed to keep a certain innocence until they are inevitably introduced to TV, movies, and the like. Dressing as a creepy skull-faced monk was probably scary enough. Probably.
Montreal Comiccon 2011: Top 10 Costumes
After my second consecutive visit to Atlanta’s Dragon*Con, I decided it was time to give my hometown a chance. In Montreal, the closest we have to Dragon*Con is Montreal Comiccon, which was first held in 2006. Dragon*Con is a much older convention – it dates back in 1987, and comprises of multiple large hotels (lobbies, conference rooms, ball rooms), whereas Montreal Comiccon’s primary space is one large convention hall. As a result, the scale of Dragon*Con is far from being matched by Montreal – which means the celebrity guest list is also a bit disappointing, in comparison.
Despite the differences, I attended Montreal Comiccon this year – and in my opinion, it’s worth doing so at least for the costumes. After all, it is still a young event, and it will undoubtedly continue to grow as the years pass. This year, they apparently had more than 20,000 visitors, leading them to book a larger venue for 2012. That’s an impressive visitor count, considering that Dragon*Con itself gets roughly 40,000 visitors – and to do so, they have a lot more rented space, celebrities, and events.
So anyway, given that I enjoyed the costumes, I thought I’d list my favorites from the event. Before I begin, here’s an explanation of what I consider when evaluating a costume:
First, the more realistic the costume looks, the more I like it. If I get a feeling the character being portrayed might actually exist, then that’s a success. To give you an example, I never really liked the Batman movies until I saw Batman Begins. To me, that’s when the character really became respectable and interesting to watch.
Second, the more specific the reference, the less people will recognize it – but the more value it has to those that do. Sure, people might appreciate how cool a costume looks, but will they understand very subtle references? In my mind, I see subtle references as a gamble – those that understand it will have a greater payoff.
And now, the list:
10 Kara Thrace from Battlestar Galactica
As a devout fan of the re-imagined series of Battlestar Galactica, I was pleased to encounter a rendition of Kara Thrace (“Starbuck”) at Montreal Comiccon. Don’t get me wrong – Battlestar Galactica costumes are quite common, and because of that, I’m rarely impressed with them. However, this girl just seemed to be particularly accurate in capturing the essence of Kara Thrace. To get an idea of what I mean, see these photos of Kara. I really like that she used the cards and cigar approach, as I always felt this was the best way to introduce the character. In fact, that’s exactly how they did it in the mini-series.
Also, I should probably acknowledge the guy standing behind her in the picture. He’s dressed in the same uniform as Kara, but I can’t tell if he’s trying to be a specific character, or just a generic male Colonial solider. In any case, it’s nice that these two were walking around together – it helps their costumes.
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9 Batman
While the dark knight is a common character at conventions, not all costumes are of the same quality. When I went to Dragon*Con 2011 this year, I found one particular Batman that really impressed me – to the point where he made it into my top 10 list. At Montreal Comiccon, I encountered another Batman that I felt ranked higher than most. In this case, however, the Batman had the advantage of having access to the old-style batmobile, which was present at the convention. I’m not certain if he was hired by those showing off the batmobile, but in any case, it made for some cool photos.
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8 Poison Ivy
Next we have Poison Ivy, who is one step ahead of Batman (in this case, anyway).
Poison Ivy is depicted as one of the world’s most prominent eco-terrorists. She is obsessed with plants, botany, and environmentalism. She uses toxins from plants and mind controlling pheromones for her criminal activities, which are usually aimed at protecting the natural environment.
This costume doesn’t seem to be based on any image of Poison Ivy, according to the searches I’ve been running. It seems to me that there’s a high level of creativity at work here, and that’s definitely appreciated. I’m also amazed by the fact that she’s wearing such a tight corset… surely that isn’t an easy feat.
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7 Lady Sif and Scarecrow
This duo is comprised of one character from the Marvel Comics universe, and another from DC Comics. Sif is from Marvel, and is described as a “warrior and lover of Thor, who spends much of her time worrying about and searching for him, and often accompanies [him] into battle.” Scarecrow, on the other hand, is DC Comics character who is “[a] psychologist [that] uses a variety of drugs and psychological tactics to exploit the fears and phobias of his adversaries.”
Though these two characters are seemingly unrelated to each other, I thought they were both nice costumes.
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6 Elektra
Next up is Elektra, a female ninja assassin from the Marvel universe. When I searched for images of Elektra, I found quite a few varieties – but never the exact costume that this girl was wearing. In any case, the costume is of a good quality, and the girl wearing it struck me as a natural fit for the character.
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5 E’lara from Hunted: The Demon’s Forge
This next costume is referencing a game called Hunted: The Demon’s Forge, specifically, a playable character named E’lara. Despite the fact that I never played the game myself, I couldn’t deny the quality of the costume. To compare the costume with the character, see the following Google search.
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4 Space Marine from Warhammer 40,000
Though I’ve never played the Warhammer 40k miniature wargame, I did play a PC game titled Dawn of War II. The costume appears to be that of a space marine, one of the featured races available in the Warhammer universe. Upon seeing it, I knew that it deserved a spot in my top costumes list, but at the same time, I felt it could have been better. I like when I can look at a costume, and feel that the depicted character might actually exist. In this case, the texture of the costume made it obvious that it was not a hard material like metal, and as such, I could not entertain the notion that the character might exist. However, even though it was clearly a costume, I had to recognize the effort that likely went into making it.
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3 Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash from My Little Pony
These next costumes are the result of some creativity, as they are trying to represent characters that are part of a whole other species: ponies. For starters, I must mention that I don’t know very much about ponies. Shocking, I know. From that, you can probably derive that I don’t know much about a show titled My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic:
The show follows a studious unicorn pony named Twilight Sparkle as she is tasked by her mentor Princess Celestia to learn about friendship in the town of Ponyville. Twilight becomes close friends with five other ponies: Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie. Each represents a different facet of friendship, and discovers themselves to be key parts in the “Elements of Harmony”. In the series, the ponies share adventures and help out other residents of Ponyville, while working out the troublesome moments in their own friendships.
The girls below decided to depict the ponies Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash, respectively. Even though I’m a guy, and I’ve never seen the show, I must admit that they did a great job.
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2 Fionna and Cake from Adventure Time
Adventure Time is an animated series that was produced for the Cartoon Network:
The series focuses on the adventures undertaken by two best friends, Finn the human boy and Jake the dog with magical powers, who dwell in the Land of Ooo.
While the regular protagonist is Finn, this costume references a special episode where the female version of Finn is introduced: Fionna. Similarly, a female cat named Cake is introduced as the opposite of Jake, a male dog. This costume is therefore a very specific reference, which I always appreciate. Beyond that, I have to say that this girl was exceptionally accurate in portraying the character, right down to the sword.
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1 AndrAIa from ReBoot
Okay, I’ll admit it… there’s a certain nostalgia behind this particular costume – consequently, I may be slightly biased. What we have here is a real-life representation of a computer-generated character: AndrAIa, from ReBoot. ReBoot was a Canadian CGI-animated tv-show, one which took place within the a mainframe computer. It was an action-adventure series, and back when it aired, I didn’t realize that it contained numerous Computer Science references, most of which were comical.
In addition to the unique world, I recall that the characters often would change age, depending on what was happening in the series. I’ve always been a fan of shows that have the guts to do that, rather than sticking to a certain formula. That said, if I’m not mistaken, AndraAIa was introduced as a child, and it was only later into the series that she was shown as an adult. The costume worn by the girl below is for the adult version of the character, and it is a very detailed one at that.
So in the end, what we have is a reference to an old TV show that originally aired from 1994 to 2001. Not just any reference, mind you, but a reference to a specific version of a particular character. I appreciated encountering this girl, as she really did a excellent job crafting her look to match the on-screen persona.
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That concludes my Top 10 costumes for Montreal Comiccon 2011. If you’re mentioned in my post, and would like me to credit you by name, please feel free to e-mail me at mref…@gmail.com. You can also post a comment below, as I always enjoy hearing from Dragon*Con attendees and cosplayers.
If you’re interested in seeing my other top costume posts:
How My Sister Made Her Own iPhone
While I was in Atlanta earlier this year, I tried to convince my sister to buy herself an iPhone. Though I consider myself a PC enthusiast, I can’t deny Apple‘s prowess when it comes to delivering a superior user experience. So, with a firm belief in the iPhone, I proceeded to explain the many benefits of the device. When my sister started showing concern for the inconvenience of re-arranging her cellphone plans, and the associated cost, I suggested first trying an iPod Touch. After all, that’s how I came to own an iPhone – I had first tried the iPod, and was amazed by the experience. I then realized that carrying a regular cellphone plus an iPod would be a bit too much, especially since the iOS experience was clearly superior to my old device. So, given my thought process, and knowing that we had similar mindsets – I felt pretty confident she’d decide to buy an iPhone in the end.
Only, she didn’t. Instead, she took a completely different approach… she made her own. How? Well, she went ahead and taped her old phone to the iPod Touch. Yeah, that’s right, taped. When she first told me, I had quite a laugh; however, after some thought, I realized that it was pretty clever. Given this unusual proclamation, I figured I’d show you exactly how the beast was created to begin with, and then show you how it looks.
To create it, she needed the following items:
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First, she unrolled some carpet tape onto a table.
She then put the iPod Touch in its case, and cut off a piece of the carpet tape – large enough that it would fit vertically down the back of the iPod. Using the iPod as a guide, she cut a piece of tape that was roughly 1.5 inches wide, and 2 inches tall.
Next, she removed the protective sheet from one side of the piece of tape. Then, she pressed the exposed portion of the tape to the back of the iPod case – while making sure that it wouldn’t obstruct the iPod’s camera.
Finally, she removed the remaining protective sheet, and attached the back of the regular cellphone to the now-adhesive iPod cover. While, again, ensuring that the camera remained visible.
And that’s all she did. Now, you have to admit – that’s a fairly clever way to combine two devices. The use of carpet tape ensures that they can be separated whenever desired, without any damage. My only concern is that this makeshift iPhone might not be completely appropriate from a social and professional standpoint. I couldn’t see myself using such a device when I’m in a meeting with a client, for example. As clever as it is, I’m concerned it will suggest that the person is having cash flow issues. After all, if you have the cash, why not buy one complete device, rather than slapping two together? In any case, her creation is still fairly unique – see the action shots below, I’m sure you’ll agree.
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Dragon*Con 2011: Top 10 Costumes
Earlier this month, I attended Dragon*Con 2011 – in full compliance with a personal ritual of mine. It was my sister who initially suggested we attend Dragon*Con for the first time, and that was last year. I knew after attending that I wanted it to be repeated on a yearly basis. It was a great excuse to spend time with my sister, and at the same time, it was a lot of fun. It also resulted in three blog posts, and that means the experience was significant enough that I felt it was worth sharing. That is a powerful statement, given my own obsession with posting only the non-mundane. One of those blog posts listed my Top 5 favorite costumes, and I really enjoyed sharing my selection. It became clear to me that I would easily be able to produce at least that one type of post, with every year I attended. That said, this blog post contains my Top 10 favorite costumes for Dragon*Con 2011. Before you start with the list, here’s an explanation of what I consider when evaluating a costume:
First, the more realistic the costume looks, the more I like it. If I get a feeling the character being portrayed might actually exist, then that’s a success. To give you an example, I never really liked the Batman movies until I saw Batman Begins. To me, that’s when the character really became respectable and interesting to watch.
Second, the more specific the reference, the less people will recognize it – but the more value it has to those that do. Sure, people might appreciate how cool a costume looks, but will they understand very subtle references? In my mind, I see subtle references as a gamble – those that understand it will have a greater payoff.
And now, the list:
10 Horseman
To start us off, I have a costume that is completely original – I asked the guy to be sure. I’m not certain what compelled him to dress up like a horse, but I can nonetheless appreciate the creativity that went into the costume. Not to mention, the effort it likely took to make it look that good.
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9 Darth Rooster
Most people can identify a Darth Vader costume with ease, even if they haven’t seen the Star Wars saga. I, for example, have only recently gotten around to watching the first Star Wars movie, A New Hope. Shocking? Yes, people tend to react like that. Yet, I have known about Vader for a very, very long time. Despite my current appreciation for the Star Wars universe, I can’t help but be slightly disappointed by seeing exactly how common the related costumes are.
Considering the above, I was pleasantly surprised when I spotted a unique variation of a Vader costume. For some reason, this guy decided to modify a Darth Vader suit, and made him look like a dark, evil rooster. I really found that funny, and knew he would be in my Top 10 for putting a lot of work into that comedic twist.
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8 Fawkes the Phoenix
Though I don’t know much about the Harry Potter universe, I had to include this costume in my list. According to the google searches I ran, it seems she’s portraying a character known as Fawkes the Phoenix. Despite my lack of knowledge, I found that the costume had a great combination of vibrant colors, and a clever design.
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7 Batman
Some costumes are so common at conventions that you can grow tired of seeing them. Batman seems to be a popular choice, so I have a tendency to only take pictures of the best ones I encounter. One particular Batman costume really stood out, and was so high in quality that I felt he could potentially be real. The design reminds me of Batman Begins - granted, it’s more cloth-based than the one in the movies, but still struck me as being particularly realistic.
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6 Alan from The Hangover
That’s right, folks – a Zach Galifianakis look-a-like. Galifianakis gained a huge amount of popularity from playing Alan in the films The Hangover, and The Hangover Part II. At Dragon*Con 2010, I saw an imitation of him, and listed him as a runner-up for my Top 5 Costumes list. It wasn’t just about his costume, I also enjoyed a comment he made after I took a picture of him.
Remember, tigers like pepper.
This year’s Alan didn’t make a comment, but seemed a better fit for the character. As I’m saying it, I realize that might not be a compliment, given as the character being portrayed looks like a fat, possibly homeless man. The humour behind his character also lies in the fact that he has a very strange behaviour, so that’s not very positive either. In any case, this year’s Alan seemed to be the best natural fit for the character, and jokes aside, I think he did a good job with his behaviour and costume as well.
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5 Hancock
I’ve been to Dragon*Con for two years in a row now, and there were only two moments where I had to question whether I was actually looking at a celebrity, rather than a person in a costume. Last year, it was a Zach Galifianakis look-a-like. This year, I thought I saw Will Smith… as John Hancock, from the movie Hancock. While I never actually saw the movie, I remembered seeing plenty of pictures of Will Smith’s character – so when I saw this guy in his costume, I was really impressed.
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4 Solomon Grundy
When I originally spotted this guy, I didn’t know what character he was dressed up as. He looked like a white version of Hulk, though less muscular, and quite tall. So tall, in fact, that it gave him a towering presence – it lead me to question whether it was natural, or he was wearing platform shoes. Either way, it certainly made the character feel realistic, and possibly a threat.
I stayed a few minutes, observed his behaviour, and realized that he had a tendency to attack men, and yet, was extremely friendly towards women. I’m not sure if he kept that up all the time, it could have been just a coincidence – but I really enjoyed seeing this unique behaviour.
As it turns out, the character being portrayed is known as Solomon Grundy, a villain from the DC Comics universe. According to Wikipedia:
Named after the 19th century children’s nursery rhyme, Grundy was introduced as an enemy of the Golden Age Green Lantern (Alan Scott), but has since become a prominent enemy for a number of superheroes, such as Batman and Superman
Upon reading this, I also realized that I even had a picture of him fighting with Superman. It was probably a coincidence, mind you, but a great one at that.
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Credit: Ruby Rinekso as Solomon Grundy.
3 Squirrel Girl vs. Doctor Doom
As I was taking a break from taking pictures, a girl dressed as a squirrel wandered into my general vicinity. I was particularly amused when I noticed that there were also plush squirrels attached to her belt. She was accompanied by what appeared to be a guy in a regular Doctor Doom costume. When I approached, I realized that this particular Doctor Doom was actually covered in squirrels, as if they had been attacking him. I enjoyed the humor behind the costumes, but wondered whether it was an original idea, or a reference to something.
Surprisingly, when I asked, they mentioned that Squirrel Girl was an existing super hero in the Marvel universe. Not only that, they were depicting a very specific scene from her comic books, one where she manages to defeat Doctor Doom with the help of her squirrel minions. They even pointed out that there was a picture of the scene on Squirrel Girl’s Wikipedia page. I always appreciate specific references, and this was a great example of one. Not only that, but even if you didn’t know who Squirrel Girl was, the combination of costumes was excellent – both very well made, and amusing.
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Credit: Andy Floyd as Doctor Doom, and Becky Montgomery as Squirrel Girl.
The only downside, of course, is that I must now live in fear of squirrels – I never realized they had such destructive potential.
2 Women of Mass Effect 2
I am a huge fan of the Mass Effect series, and was thrilled to see a group of women dressed up as characters from the game. Specifically, the characters portrayed were Jack, Samara, Miranda Lawson, and Tali’Zorah nar Rayya. The costumes themselves were very impressive when it came to quality, and accuracy. I can only imagine the work that went into creating some of those costumes – particularly for Samara and Tali. While the Jack and Miranda costumes may seem like they might have been easier to make, I must mention that the women were doing a great job at reflecting the character’s personalities. Together, they made for one amazing photo opportunity – I really appreciated that.
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1 Maurice Moss from The IT Crowd
Many years ago, I discovered a British show named The IT Crowd, and I found it an excellent comedy that also was related to my line of work. Here’s a quick description from Wikipedia:
Set in the London offices of the fictional corporation Reynholm Industries, the show revolves around the three staff members of its IT department, comprising two geeky technicians, a genius named Maurice Moss and the workshy Roy Trenneman, headed by Jen Barber, the department’s ‘Relationship Manager’ who knows nothing about IT. The show also focuses on the bosses of Reynholm Industries: Denholm Reynholm and his son Douglas.
Given that it is a British show, and that few people I now have seen it, I never thought I’d see a reference to it at Dragon*Con. Yet, there I was sitting outside one of the hotels with my sister, when Maurice Moss walked by. Not the real Moss, of course, but he was an extremely good imitation, on multiple fronts. Before I dive into the details, I suggest checking Google Images to see what the character normally looks like.
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Credit: Lucien Freeman as Maurice Moss.
The fake Moss was a success due to a few factors:
- He was dressed pretty much exactly like the character.
- His hair was parted just like the real character, though it may have been on the wrong side of his head.
- He spoke just like character, and though I believe it was a fake accent, I couldn’t figure out for sure – and that’s great.
- He was holding a cup that had a picture of the actual Moss character pasted underneath it.
Points 1 to 3 were all contributing factors towards my choosing him as the best costume. However, it was really #4 that sealed the deal – it is a very specific reference to a particular episode in the series. In the episode, Moss claims to have acquired a cup that features his face underneath it, all to ensure he can tell it apart from the others. To better showcase the humor behind the cup, I’ve found a YouTube clip where Moss first introduces it. It appears at the 45 second mark, and while it does get some attention in the clip, there are numerous other references in the episode that make for quite a funny episode.
The episode actually ends with a frustrated Moss attempting to locate his cup among multiple seemingly identical cups. The flawed strategy of putting his face on the bottom is what lead to all this, as the cups all look like duplicates of each other until they are flipped. Naturally, when I saw the cup he was holding at Dragon*Con, I had to say “Hey, you finally found it!”
That concludes my Top 10 costumes for Dragon*Con 2011. If you’re mentioned in my post, and would like me to credit you by name, please feel free to e-mail me at mref…@gmail.com. You can also post a comment below, I always enjoy hearing from Dragon*Con attendees and cosplayers.
If you’re interested in seeing my previous Dragon*Con related posts:
- Dragon*Con 2010: Costumes and Celebrities
- Dragon*Con 2010: Top 5 Costumes
- Dragon*Con 2010: Costume Runner-ups