First Cosies – as in cosplay – awards coming soon in Newman
The first ModestoCon – its mission “to further the culture of geekery, to educate the public in all aspects of geekery,” its website says – isn’t coming until July, but the group behind it is having its first big event next month.
The NorCal Cosies, billed as the only Central California awards and recognition for cosplayers, will be held Jan. 9 at the West Side Theatre in Newman. Tickets are almost gone for the event at the 240-seat venue, event chairwoman and Modesto Convention Corp. Vice President Carrie Shea said Monday, but there will be a free Cosie-Con outside the theater for several hours before the awards program.
For the uninitiated, cosplay is short for costume play, which is dressing up and behaving as a fictional character – often from comic books, superhero movies, sci-fi and anime. Its biggest stages have been comic-cons in cities like New York and San Diego, and it’s become popular enough to launch a TV reality show (the now-canceled “Heroes of Cosplay” on Syfy) and the magazine Cosplay Culture, available at Target and other major newsstands.
Modesto has earned its fame as the home of geek culture icons such as George Lucas (known for “American Graffiti” and the “Star Wars” saga) and “Marvel’s Avengers” star Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), as well as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel” star James Marsters (Spike).
From modestocon.com
In Stanislaus County, cosplayers have had recent days in the sun at Steam House Con in Turlock in October and the Central Valley Con in Modesto in early December. And there are several groups, ranging from local to international, that have members in the area. Shea belongs to the Avengers Initiative/West Coast Avengers and dresses as Marvel characters Black Widow and Emma Frost.
At the NorCal Cosies ceremony, audience members will get to vote on the three finalists in each of nine categories: kids 12 and under, teens, adults, over-30, plus size, groups, hair/makeup, professional and craftsmanship. A 10th category, photography, won’t be open to audience vote.
“We started accepting entries and nominations in July, so people entered and nominated other cosplayers,” said Shea, who lives in Newman. Organizers received 734 entries, she said, and in November narrowed down the field to the finalists. The competition was open to residents of 43 California counties, the farthest south being Fresno and Monterey.
The day before the Cosies, the finalists are scheduled to appear in costume at a meet-and-greet, Shea said. They also will be at the Cosie-Con that Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and have the option of appearing in costume or in semiformal wear at the awards ceremony. Whether they’re in costume or not, an image of each contestant in costume will be projected in the theater as he or she is introduced, Shea said.
Avery Klemm, our presenter in the professional category, just recently was featured on the show ‘Talking Dead.’ He was their cosplayer of the month.
Carrie Shea
on the bearded Klemm, who in photos bears a striking resemblance to Andrew Lincoln’s character, Rick GrimesFinalists’ costumes include superheros Captain Marvel, Captain America, Deadpool and Thor, among others; villains such as Poison Ivy, Catwoman, Two Face and Mr. Freeze; and characters from “Alice in Wonderland,” the video game “Assassin’s Creed” and other sources.
On the ModestoCon event being held in Newman, Shea said, “The idea of ModestoCon is it’s everybody’s con. We want to reach out not just to Modesto (but the larger cosplay community). Many of us cosplayers have had to drive two to three hours to events.”
She estimated that in Stanislaus County, there are at least 1,000 cosplayers. “There are 30 in the city of Newman alone,” she said.
As for locals’ costume preferences, “it’s entirely across the board – comic books, anime, video games. We have the 501st (Legion), which is entirely ‘Star Wars.’ There is the zombie club, which is completely all about zombies.
“In the West Coast Avengers Initiative, we go out to events that support children,” Shea added. “We were at a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) walk in Lodi, the Superhero Run in October.”
The free Cosie-Con outside the West Side Theatre will include artists, vendors, costumed members of cosplay groups, performances on stage and, at 2 p.m., a “geek fashion show,” Shea said. “All these different designers make clothing lines that appeal to different groups ... all themed toward geek culture.”
The red-carpet entry into the Cosies will begin at 4:30 p.m. “That way, people (not going to the awards) can stay outside after the con and watch the red carpet,” she said.
The West Side Theatre is at 1331 Main St., Newman. For ticket information, go to www.westsidetheatre.org. For more on the NorCal Cosies, go to modestocon.com/cosies.
This story was originally published December 28, 2015 at 2:17 PM with the headline "First Cosies – as in cosplay – awards coming soon in Newman."