Hello! Long time, no see - sorry. It's been a mad, mad world in reality and I've had neither time nor, if I'm honest, inclination to blog as I didn't feel I had anything exciting or new to talk about. But this weekend I had a thorough geek out at NorCon and wanted to share the photos and videos I took over this two day TV and Film convention in the heart of beautiful Norfolk. Despite everything (including a truly series of unfortunate events on Thursday that left my eldest's Scarlet Witch cosplay sadly unfinished), this year I managed to wear my first new outfit since we started taking this whole cosplaying at cons as a regular pastime. Since I don't really look like anyone in fiction, at least no one I'm interested in or find possible to cosplay, I tend to go for outfits I personally like the look of in my top fandoms. After two years in my black Anakin, this year I went for my own twist on Han Solo's Bespin costume from The Empire Strikes Back. I did play with the idea of doing a Han/Leia crossover but wussed out on attempting the hair. I'd treated myself to Star Wars Costumes - The Original Trilogy so I could get some really detailed information and images of the costume before doing my own take on it. Did you know that Han's jacket is actually grey and only appears navy blue in the film?
Ironically, the jacket I have here was a cheap charity shop buy that was originally grey and that I dyed to navy blue. The top is a long sleeved white t-shirt - I did intend to make my shirt, then bought a cheap white collared shirt, but settled for the tee in the end because it was more comfortable. Cosplaying can be a truly uncomfortable experience so easy options are good! The leggings are also cheap bought ones - I did try making some leggings for my youngest's cosplay, but honestly the fabric costs more than just buying basic ones. At first I went for painting on the yellow bars down the side, but this ended up going disastrously wrong. Iron on vinyl turned out to be a time consuming but infinitely more satisfactory option (they took five hours including cutting out the bars and ironing the little buggers on. Thank goodness I only had to do as far as the knees!).
The belt is from Jedi Robe - I absolutely cannot fault this company for their Star Wars accessories and attention to detail, especially since I have yet to learn any leatherwork skills myself. My Anakin belt came from them as well, and they are beautiful, quality items that won't let you down. The boots were a birthday present from hubs. Sadly my wide calves make buying riding or full length boots a challenge and these weren't cheap, but will hopefully last me for years. My gun is the Han Solo The Force Awakens NERF blaster painted up - this just about fits in the belt holster but you can't do the safety strap up over it (you have to go through the trigger bit) which means a bit of a wobble when walking around, but since I found it more comfy to rest my hand on the gun anyway, it wasn't a big issue for me. Finally I had a Millenium Falcon keyring as a necklace, and a pair of golden dice hanging from the belt, as well as a couple of Sabacc cards that the Odeon cinema were giving away when the film released. Overall I'm pleased with the general look.
Having tested the cosplays out at Invasion Colchester, our local geek event on the streets of our home town, adjustments were made ready for NorCon just four weeks later!
Left to right: Hana Solo, Plague Knight (ShovelKnight), Quicksilver (X-Men), and the Tenth Doctor.
Last year I focused on Star Wars cosplays, but this year I tried to pick out the more unusual ones. There were an awful lot of computer game orientated cosplays, which I don't know and can't claim to be interested in, but I did find a few interesting and original oddities.
Gambit, X-Men - one of my favourite characters
Karl Ruprecht Kroenen, Hellboy
The Rocketeer
And we couldn't resist a few selfies with some of the guests and other cosplayers.
Ryan Gage - Alfred from The Hobbit, a rehabilitated Hitler in Red Dwarf, and star of The Three Musketeers. Also thoroughly adorable.
The very lovely Hugo Myatt who played Treguard, the dungeon master in 80's adventure series Knightmare (a big fave of mine as a kid)
The completely charming Guy Henry, who provided the voice behind the computer generated face of Grand Moff Tarkin in Rogue One, as well as Voldemort's Minister of Magic in Harry Potter: The Deathly Hallows, and star of Holby City.
No Solo is complete without his co-pilot!
And two Hans are always better than one...
This was NorCon's second year as a two day event, and our first as weekenders. This allowed our two boys to cosplay on the first day and opt for normal attire on the second. Despite missing out on her Scarlet Witch cosplay, eldest was able to double tag with her Tennant Who on Saturday, and a re-run of her Rey on the Sunday (though sadly she no longer has the long hair for it). Sunday also featured a bonus event at the con in the form of the Norwich POP Orchestra performing two sets of film themes including ET, Thunderbirds, Superman, Dark Knight, Back to the Future, and concluding on a medley of Star Wars themes...including a heart rending performance of Leia's Theme, a piece that has always made me cry but now even more so with the passing of Carrie Fisher. Add to that a montage of on and off screen video clips featuring the princess, and I think a lot of tears were shed. I'm going to finish with some videos taken at the convention, including a short clip of Jurassic Park with a baby Blue visiting the audience, and Captain Picard taking a bow for Star Trek.
At the beginning of next week I celebrate two very important anniversaries within a day of each other. My 23rd wedding anniversary is on the 8th of May. I've now been married for more than half my lifetime, a very peculiar concept. It seems a long time to spend with one person, and yet it doesn't feel like any time at all. I still get a shock when I look in the mirror and the face looking back isn't the same one as in this wedding photo, lol. I can only hope that fate will allow us to spend another 23 years together.
It will also be my fourth anniversary as a published author. Here, the reverse feels true. It feels like I should know what the heck I'm doing having learned so much, and yet it's no time at all in the publishing industry, where it can still take a year for a book to be released after contract. But in that time I've released fourteen novels, novellas and short stories. I've had four publishers, and lost three. I've seen huge, huge shifts in the publishing industry, authors behaving badly, amazing success stories, and the darkest sides of publishing. It's been quite a rollercoaster!
And while Keir and I share a fourth anniversary, May sees the first release in an exciting new collaboration between authors in the SFR Brigade - Project Portals! Four volumes of first chapters from a smorgasbord of science fiction romance, fronted by Sender Najan, our Master of the Portals! The exclusive cover reveal took place at The Galaxy Express 2.0 HERE, where you can find out more about the project and the cover art.
Chook Update
On Saturday, while roaming the garden, my chooks were attacked by a fox. The damn thing actually came INTO MY HOUSE to maul Effie and try to drag her off. Having heard the squawking, I ran into the back room, thinking the furry ginger back belonged to a braver than usual cat. No. The fox tried to run with Effie but I stomped on it and chased it down the garden screaming blue murder and set to throttle the beast.
Then just as I was about to run it from my territory, Spaghetti jumped out in front of it and got grabbed. I went for the fox again. Maybe it was me screaming, but it dropped Spaghetti too and ran for it.
By now my youngest had come into the garden - my special chicken wrangler. I picked up a stunned Spaghetti and put her in a nest box, then herded the others into their fenced run. Chiana had got herself trapped between the garden fence and the back of the run, but at least she was safe from the fox and I managed to retrieve her later. Effie had disappeared and my heart dropped to my shoes.
Then youngest found her hiding in some plants. I put her in the nest box too. Surprisingly, considering the mauling she got, Effie decided she didn't want to be fussed over and marched out to join the others in the run. Spaghetti was another matter. Eldest and I checked them both over for injuries (during which the fox returned TWICE and was chased off by my 11yo who I'd put on guard duty). The two chooks appeared unharmed, although Effie has lost a sizeable number of feathers. I think they saved her life. Spaghetti, although we couldn't see any injuries, went into deep shock. At the time of writing we have her in a box indoors, in the quiet and dark with food and water. It may be an injury in her throat we can't see or just shock. We have to wait and see.
The fox returned a third time and I chased it off. I can't believe the boldness of it coming into my house. The chooks are secure inside their run, but we now plan to build something bigger and stronger, since we can't safely let them wander the garden again unless we stay out with them. No fox is getting MY girls. This weekend has SUCKED.
ADDITIONAL: famous last words. Spaghetti recovered but sadly the fox returned and she was not so lucky a second time. We also lost Rush, and Kyru was mauled and in deep shock. We are debating rehoming our remaining girls as I can't take losing any more to that predator. I failed my girls.
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