This is Why I Cosplay

Something wonderful happened at Stan Lee's Comikaze.  As you know, I LOVE the web series, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. I love the series so much that I did one of my VlogTalks about it. You can watch it below.


This review was so inspiring that it actually got my mother to watch the series - yes, my mom. And even my brother and my dad. Wow! I must have been VERY excited about this series.

OK, so I'm all hyped up to go to Stan Lee's Comikaze at the LA Convention Center. I get my copy of the fun filled weekend schedule that the convention puts out and, lo and behold, the cast of The Lizze Bennet Diaries is going to do a panel discussion. Well, obviously, for me, this is a non-brainer. I MUST go to this panel, even if it means missing the Dr. Who Cosplayer's gathering that was scheduled very close to this panel time.Sigh... the hard decisions of a cosplayer.

So, I get to the panel discussion room early and get a super great seat - 3rd row, center seat. Yep, GREAT seat.
The Lizzie Bennet Diaries Panel at Comikaze.

The panel is AWESOME! Everyone in the cast is so cool and tell great stories. I even get a chance to ask a question about how they made the web series so addictive. They said it was because they used the concept of a "mystery box." It made you want to keep watching to see if they would show something they were talking about, but not showing. Well, it sure worked.

OK.... so, now comes the super good part.

I stayed around at the end of the panel to take pictures with the cast. (see them below) When I got to Ashley Clements (the star of the show), she insisted someone take a picture (on her iphone) of her with ME because of my awesome Dr. Who Dalek costume!! Talk about a validation! This is truly why I cosplay! She then instagramed the photo. SEE it? Here it is!!!! Awesome!!

Lizzie Gets Exterminated - Madison Brunoehler as a Dalek with Ashley Clements of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.

Here's a little known fact, both Ashley and I are in Video Game High School Season 2, Episode 1. We're even in the same scene. How cool is that?

So, here are the other fabulous cast members that I got my picture taken with.
Here I am with the amazing actress Mary Kate Wiles who plays Lizzie's sister, Lydia Bennet.

(Spoiler alert.... don't scroll down if you haven't watched the whole series. It's a tiny spoiler, but just the same, a spoiler)

Here I am with the oh-so-gorgeous Daniel Vincent Gordh who plays William Darcie.

 So, that's my fabulous story and why I love to cosplay!


How to Pack Your Bag for a Convention

I love my experiences cosplaying at conventions. For those of you who don't know what that means: Cosplay = costume play; Conventions = anime conventions, comic cons, etc.

Conventions take place in HUGE venues. The tickets can be expensive, the travel can be expensive, the housing can be expensive and so can everything else involved. I spend months preparing my costumes, so when I finally get to the convention (which I LOVE!!!) I certainly don't want the whole thing to get ruined because I didn't bring the right stuff with me. And, I don't want YOUR convention experience to be ruined because YOU didn't know what to bring with you to the convention floor. So, I've made this tutorial for you.

What do you bring to conventions? Did I leave anything out?
 

Here's a picture of me as K8 heading out the door to go to Stan Lee's Comikaze
My bag is packed and I'm ready to go.

 Here's a picture of someone taking my picture at Anime Expo 2013. Can you see my bag over on the side. It was super easy to just set it down so my picture could be taken. And with this costume, I surely needed everything in my bag to keep it together for all three days of the convention.