The Best Cosplay Of Tampa Bay Comic Con 2017

I hope you're ready for some stellar cosplay, gang, because I've got a heaping helping from last weekend's Tampa Bay Comic Con, and I can't even finish this intro because LOOKIE:

"DOGGONE IT, CAS."

This pup won Friday. (Super)Naturally.

TBCC is always a pretty great con: not too crowded, decent panels, and a new-ish convention center with plenty of nearby parking. This year there was another con going the same weekend - and yet another happening next weekend - so the crowds (and cosplay) were definitely less. There also weren't many big celebrity guests to draw folks in, though we did have some excitement Saturday when an "overzealous" Kate Beckinsale fan prompted a police report and drastically increased security measures. By end of day there were police with big guns (automatic rifles, I think?) posted at the floor entrances, and the show hours were extended an hour to compensate for the kerfuffle.

You'd think that might freak people out, but honestly, I think most folks assumed the cops were cosplayers, ha. Of all the places where tactical gear and big guns blend in...

 

Incredible, fully-lit Fallout armor. There was even a functioning fan in back!

Tampa Bay attracts a huge amount of families, and it was nice to see lots and lots (and LOTS) of kids out on the show floor.

Most kids wore store-bought Halloween costumes, but there were plenty of homemade wonders, too:

Not to mention SO MUCH CUTENESS.

Not every little girl wants a poofy skirt, of course. Some want a life-sized dragon dipped in the blood of her enemies:

DIY Overwatch Pop-Up Card - Free Templates!

Here's a super simple craft I put together that I am ridiculously excited about, because it combines two things I love: pop-up cards and Overwatch.

Eh? Eh?!

 

(For you non-addicts: "Heroes never die" is something this character, Mercy, says in the game. A lot.)

And best of all, I've done all the hard stuff for you! I'll give you the template below, so all you have to do is print, cut, and glue.

You also have the option of swapping out Mercy for another character. The graphic I used is one of the "cute big-head" sprays from inside the game, so you can find almost all of the other characters with a quick Google search:

The font I used is Coalition (a free download here) which is pretty close to the official Overwatch logo font, in case you want to make your own card with a different saying.

But for those of you who like mine the way it is, let's do this:

YOU WILL NEED:

- printed template (right-click and download the graphic below)