Wai-con report

[rallamajoop]

We were actually pretty organised for this year’s con, which is to say our costumes and all of Lisa’s prints were done at least a day or two in advance so all we had to do on the last couple of nights was make finishing touches and cut out about six pages of bookmarks, sixteen pages of KHII cards, a huge pile of Christmas cards, an even huger pile of posters… yeah, I use the word ‘all’ loosely here. Most of it got done though, which is the most anyone can ask for. Lisa’s costume came out brilliantly, of course, and even though I’m not sure I ever want to see another zipper or pocket again, I can’t say I had any major regrets about how mine turned out either.

It says a lot about how much time we were expecting to spend at our table selling stuff that we hardly even looked at the program (except to find out when the cosplay competition was, of course). Good thing we didn’t – we hardly got to leave that table at all. But more on that later.

For us, I think the con was divided into two parts – before skit and after skit.

For those of you who couldn’t make it to the con, said skit was an FFVII battle scene, the neat part about which was that we got Lisa to apply some of her l33t flash-animation skills to put together a video of someone selecting battle commands from a menu screen to be played in the background. It was a neat idea, because we knew it could be damn cool if we could only pull it off, and it wouldn’t actually require us to talk or be able to act very well or anything. It was a really tricky and stress-generating idea, because we didn’t know up until the last couple of days whether the stage would be set up to let us do it, whether the video equipment would work on the day, whether we were going to be able to keep in time with the sound effects, whether we could find anything to use as the monster, whether Lisa would have the time to finish it, whether any of us would be able to find time to rehearse, or whether poor nekomiao’s twisted ankle would let her take part at all. That’s eight ‘whether’s. You can probably imagine just how having everything come together so well on the day came as such a huge relief.

I got to steal a kagebunshin move from Naruto, nekomiao got to run off with the Heartless plushie’s wallet, Lisa got to chuck a Cloud plushie at it and Alex omnislashed that sucker into oblivion. We had a couple of minor false starts on the day, but I don’t think anyone cared – the audience reaction was fantastic. We’re told we got a standing ovation, although none of us actually saw it happen – I think we must have been too busy doing victory poses at that stage. Someone was even nice enough to send us a link to a video of the skit here (yay!). Not the best quality, but if nothing better surfaces, we’ll still be happy with it.

So we won best group performance -- and then sat around and watched while people we knew cleaned up most of the other prizes. Both days. Wow. I would rant about how cool everyone else’s costumes were, but I’d be here forever. It’s bizarre to think that so much of the serious cosplay talent in this (okay, admittedly tiny) city are all people we know. Bizarre, but neat.

After that it was back to the table again. We were a bit better prepared than last year, which is to say that *some* of our stuff didn’t sell out until towards the end of day two. Some things are sadly inevitable – there is always going to be at least one guy who shows up, tells us how much he hates all the series Lisa does fanart for, helpfully ‘suggests’ she starts drawing for all his favourite series instead, and will not take a hint to push off. And while it shouldn’t have surprised us, it was still a little depressing how many people there were telling Lisa she should expand her KHII card set to a full 52 card deck. The enthusiasm may be nice, but so many people just don’t seem to get how much work there is in producing even one design - let alone cutting them all out by hand - even after we explain it to them. Still, on the whole we I think we had fewer bad fannish stereotypes this year than last year, and most of the people who came past the table were a pleasure to meet.

Final random fact: if you’re in a cosplay group with a Cloud, people will ask whether you have a Sephiroth. No other FFVII characters – just Sephiroth. And cool as it would have been if they were right, this is going to have to go in that bin with all the other assumptions I can’t quite get my head around.

So, in summary, Wai-con = exhausting as hell, but nonetheless awesome. I’ve got to say a big thankyou to the Pencafe crew and everyone else who helped mind our table during the con (manning it ourselves kept us busier than we ever imagined being, and we imagined being pretty damn busy). Thanks also to nekomiao and Alex for just generally being such great people to cosplay with, to cescat and nekomiao again for keeping us company while we all worked like crazy to get everything done, to yiji_chan for wig styling tips, and… well, to all those cool people I got to catch up with at the con (of whom there are far too many to list) just for being generally awesome.

We’re still tracking down photos and such, but Lisa’s got some of hers up here. cigerfei has some really great ones up here too, and I’m sure we’ll be collecting more for a while yet. ^_^

Comments

[nekomiao.livejournal.com]

OMG IT's OVER! That's all I wanted to say really...it's finally over and I can start sifting through my memories, deleting all of the horrible moments and just remembering the happy ones.

Like getting that basket for our skit and...omg you guys were too cool in letting us join in with that skit ;-;

and the 7th heaven table! And YAY!

And blargh to those people who always suggest that other series are "better" to fandom for and the people who are always looking for sephiroth. WE WERE LOOKING FOR A SEPHIROTH ALL YEAR ;-; yeah. It was so much fun though! =DDDD

[mihatenu-juri.livejournal.com]

Your skit and costumes were really really awesome! I still cant get over meeting that heartless plushie in the flesh! (oh how I regret not buying a pattern!)
The flash animation in the BG was really well done too ^_____^ I was squeeing the whole way through ^_^ (especially when cloud got chibi-fied)

^________^

[rallamajoop.livejournal.com]

Letting you join in? What foolishness is this! That skit would never have worked without you guys in it - some of the best stuff in it was all thanks to your ideas. ^_^ If you two are up for it, Lisa and I were hoping to record a decent video of that skit outside sometime so she can edit the menu screens into the foreground. Maybe we could come up with a couple of extra rounds to add in as well.

The trouble with cons is that although most fans are great people to meet, when you get that many in one place there's always going to be a few there to remind you that all those horrible fan stereotypes didn't come out of nowhere (and then they camp out at your table ><). And do they think you can find Sephiroth cosplayers under the bed or something?

Still, we're talking minor gripes here. Overall - just as you said, so very much fun. ^_^

[rallamajoop.livejournal.com]

That skit is going to be a hard act for us to ever beat, I fear XD Both the Cloud and the Heartless plushie were actually last minute additions to that skit - we weren't planning on using them until right up to the last day before the con. Same with the giant sword, actually - we were quite proud we managed to find a use for all our props in the end.

And hey, your costumes and skit were pretty awesome too. ^_^

We've still got some patterns left if you want one. I'd even be happy to wire up the eyes for you if you don't feel like trying out soldering for yourself.

[velithya]

♥♥♥♥♥♥

You guys were awesome, plain and simple. I'm so glad your skit worked out; you did get a standing ovation, at least from me, my group, and the cosplayers around us, and you know what? YOU DESERVED IT :D:D

[mihatenu-juri.livejournal.com]

OMG really?
YES PLEASE!

^____________________^

*he was soo cute and evil*

[rallamajoop.livejournal.com]

Aww, ♥♥♥♥♥♥ back at you, because your group were seriously just that awesome too. ^_^ *mad Axel fangirling*

It was really funny hearing about the standing ovation afterwards, because quite honestly, not one of us remembered seeing it happen. So we were all standing around going 'Standing ovation? What standing ovation? Did you see a standing ovation? I didn't see a standing ovation?' XD

[rallamajoop.livejournal.com]

Thanks! The reaction that skit got made all the work so much more than worthwhile. But... I'm going to have to ask who you are now, because I'm afraid I've got no idea. ^^;;;

[http://users.livejournal.com/drayke_/]

It definitely happened.
Actually, I think I got a photo of all of the cosplayers standing but it doesn't show anything of you guys so someone might claim it was from something else. It was definitely for you guys.

[rallamajoop.livejournal.com]

Huh, cool. If it comes out alright, do you think you could send us a copy of that? Since we all missed it on the day, it'd be nice to get to see. ^^;

[http://users.livejournal.com/drayke_/]

I'm not too sure, I can remember looking over at them and pointing the camera that way. It's one of the ones that velithya has so she'll send it when she's finished sorting them out :P

[yiji-chan.livejournal.com]

You know you can just ask me any single moment for help with anything, and I'll just come running. After all, what are friends for? ♥

I'm treasuring that KH2 card you gave me. I shoulda gotten you to sign it. DURN. XD

Butbutbut YOU GUYS WERE LIQUID AWESOME! :D

[lehni.livejournal.com]

zomg you guys were so awesome! The costumes and weapons were totally cool and the poor little heartless was so cute eeee! I can't believe it only took half an hour to put together, it looked so cool! I think my favourite bit was still Cloud slashing into the scenery, lol.

[rallamajoop.livejournal.com]

Well, it took a lot longer to script it all and put the flash animation together and such, the half hour was just the rehersal time the day before (and we probably could've used a little longer, because we were still a little off in a few places on the day, but I really don't anyone else cared very much ^^;). We're all a little in awe of the awesome job Mei did on all those giant props though. And you've gotta love the Heartless - even if it was so tiny that Alex didn't have much choice apart from attacking the scenery around it. ^^;;

I'm still amazed we got it all to work in the end, but that just makes it all the more awesome that it did come out so well. ^__^

[rallamajoop.livejournal.com]

Whee, thanks! ♥ And of course I'd offer you the same, although you guys always give me the impression you already know how to do just about everything I could expect to help with and then some. ^^;;

You can always get Lisa to sign that card for you later, you know - just bring it along next time you see us ^^. Speaking of which, you can make it for Saturday, right?

Ehee *happy glow*

Re: Ninjar of the niiight~

[rallamajoop.livejournal.com]

Hey! I'm the ninja around here! No trying to out ninja me!

I do remember the Ash from last year, and something about a Sasuke from '04... in a group with a Lee, an Ino and a Sakura, was it? We've had so many different Naruto cosplayers at this con since it's a little hard to remember which was when. ^^;

Eheh, that skit of ours is giving people all these funny ideas. *is flattered anyway*

[cielrose.livejournal.com]

ahhh! i'm trying to catch up on my f-lists i've been le tired!

well done! and i'm going to try to upload the ff7 skit onto youtube now that i have! you can see the standing ovation at the end!! lol it's mostly from the cosplayers...

i had so much fun with u all at the con! we must go out and cosplay again!

people are starting to ninja your skit idea everywhere, and hey for our ff7 ness for go3....let's make it a mission to find a sephiroth!!

<3 <3

Re: Ninjar of the niiight~

[jaseroque.livejournal.com]

I remember you! I was completely and utterly not there this year though (Aeris reporting in yo, remember me?) It was a real bummer to not be able to go to Waicon and catch up with everyone this year, but I'm in Japan, so.... well, I think as far as excuses go, it's a pretty good one.

[jaseroque.livejournal.com]

I don't wanna die. ;_;

[jaseroque.livejournal.com]

... again.

[cielrose.livejournal.com]

that makes two of us.....cept he needs to be taller than my zacky!!

[jaseroque.livejournal.com]

Haaah, good luck with that. Which Aeris are you going to do to match up with him? Classic or the new Crisis Core design? (I'll be doing classic, though I'm going to try and get KH2 Aeris done for day one, gods and yourself willing. (I promise to bring you back something shiny in return for all the patterns I'm going to be ganking off you this year ahahah.))

[rallamajoop.livejournal.com]

With all the con stuff, the old flist's been pretty crazy, huh? It's like Wai-con lives on in virtual form. XD

Can't wait to see that video! Although I'm going to have to ask - how are they 'ninjaing' it?

Absolutely we have to go out and cosplay again! ♥ As much as possible!

So... know any super tall, super hot people who do their own leatherwork? XD