Image Description: Me (a white woman, with short, spiky hair) pose on the show floor of Denver Comic Con. I’m dressed as Jillian Holtzmann from Ghotsbusters 2016, wearing grey pinstripe pants and vest, a white striped shirt with the sleeves cuffed to my elbows, a silk scarf, and a silver “Screw U” necklace, and burgundy men’s Oxford shoes.
Image Description: I took a selfie while sitting and waiting for a panel to start. I’m dressed as Captain Marvel, in royal blue and red, with a yellow stripe. My hair is very tall, and I have blue eye shadow.
That may be a stretch, but I went to Denver Comic Con this summer, and it is evident that a great many people take cosplay very very seriously. I would count myself among those people, but I didn’t finish my Mass Effect costume, and I lack the funds to be as hardcore as the more serious cosplayers. I spent money on comics and graphic novels for my classroom, instead.
A quick, shameless plug: I went to DCC with my friend Dextra, an indie artist. I have a few of her pieces, as well as a fantastic T-Rex dress with her artwork on it. Her Facebook page has links to her etsy and Redbubble shops.
DCC is a celebration of geekdom in all its glory. I registered for a half-credit educator’s track and sat in several amazing panels on diversity and representation in comics and pop culture. Pop Culture Classroom sponsors several conventions during the year, and Denver is one of them.
Highlights from the panels:
College students presenting their projects through an intersectional feminist lens
High school (!!!) students presenting their projects analyzing the representation of an identity politic (gender, religious identity, mental illness, LGBTQ, race) throughout the eras of comics
The “Indigenerds” discussions of stereotype and representation of Native American characters in popular culture
The two Star Wars panels: one on critical reading, and one on stories of resistance
I added several titles from Native Realities to my library. I bought several of Jeremy Whitley’s titles, too (including some My Little Pony single issues, duh). He signed them for me. He happens to be one of the kindest people ever, and made sure to show me the three-panel dialogue exchange with a female Deaf pirate in one of the books I bought!
One last thing, speaking of Deaf characters: two different panels mentioned the graphic autobiography El Deafo by Cece Bell, which several of my students have read (and loved). It’s about a deaf bunny. You should read it. I also found out about Matt Fraction’s run of Hawkeye; issue #19 is in ASL! So: even though the comics world still needs work in regards to representation of disability (a couple panels mentioned that weakness), it’s improving, bit by bit.
Wacky Wednesday: Denver Comic Con Cosplay is Life. That may be a stretch, but I went to Denver Comic Con this summer, and it is evident that a great many people take cosplay veryÂ
