Today I will be sharing my experience at Cosography, a one-day cosplay convention that took place in Cocoa, Florida. Although this local convention was much smaller than the cons I usually attend, there was still a little something for everyone whether you were a cosplayer, photographer, or just a lover of nerdy things.
Keep reading for details on my first local Florida convention!
Katara and Moana, both are called to water.
She made such a lovely Moana!
June 17th, I went to my very first “local” con in my hometown county of Brevard, Florida. I was very fortunate having grown up just an hour or so from Orlando which is a hotspot for various conventions. In fact, I had spent the two weekends prior just there for Mega Con and Anime Festival Orlando.
Honestly, I didn’t even know my area had a convention center. It definitely can’t compare to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, but it’s nice to know that there is at least an option in Brevard. Plus, after having spent the last two weekends making drives to Orlando and staying in hotels, it was a nice change to go somewhere local.
Hawkeye cosplay from Marvel’s The Avengers
A great creepy Joker from Batman
My dad (once again ready to play photographer for me) and I arrived mid afternoon. I was wearing my Katara cosplay that I had debuted at Anime Festival Orlando (although it was so hot that day I totally forgot to put on her gloves then couldn’t find them later when I realized). Upon entering, someone immediately recognized my character and asked to take a photo which was pretty neat especially since it was a smaller con.
We went to the seller room, walking around talking with the different artists, vendors, and cosplayers as well as checking out the great nerdy merchandiser on sale – which included many one of a kind items!
So much nerdy merchandise!
Leilani aka Hellgirl was so sweet!
Cosplayer Kenneth was such a cool guy!
This weeping angel cosplay from Doctor Who was amazing!
The one panel I attended ended up almost being a little cosplay consultation as I was the only one that attended (at least initially, another joined near the end)! Normally, I’d feel a little uncomfortable in such an intimate setting (we all sat around a small cafe table for the panel “discussion”) but the two ladies, Summer and Leilani, hosting were so warm and welcoming, I felt right at home speaking with them. The topic was Cosplay Mashup which is where a cosplayer takes two different genres and combines them in their cosplay. These are often some of my favorite cosplays and can be super clever and creative. I left super inspired to make a Sailor Moon and Star Wars mash up cosplay. We’ll see if that idea ever comes to fruition…
Us ladies chatted until it was time for the Cosplay Contest. I hadn’t planned on entering since I hadn’t made this particular costume myself but the ladies all assured me it was fine and to still participate for the fun of it. While I wouldn’t win with a cosplay made by someone else, the show was still a fun way to just show off the different cosplays and let people take photos. I have a bit of stage fright so I wasn’t too keen to stand in front of a group of people but was persuaded to give it a shot. It was painless enough and the small crowd was really friendly and took lots of photos.
Me waiting for my turn to walk out (right) and being interviewed about my cosplay (left)
Can you tell I’m a little nervous?
No surprise when the weeping angel took first prize!
The winners of the Cosplay Contest!
The winners of the Cosplay Contest are announced and that concluded Cosography. Despite being a much smaller convention, I still had a lot of fun getting to meet and talk to other cosplayers. Bigger conventions can be a bit overwhelming so this was very refreshing. I felt much more comfortable engaging with strangers in a smaller setting. I most likely never would have gotten in front of any kind of crowd at a bigger con so this was a nice baby step in helping to get over my stage fright in case I ever do want to participate something bigger later on. Overall, I had a really fun time for the few hours I was there, and I am definitely looking forward to more local conventions in the future!
