Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover: photos from the fifth annual C2E2 convention in Chicago. In this installment: more photos from around the exhibit hall and other convention areas, but with fewer super-heroes than last time. If you recognize any of the unlabeled characters, pretty-please-with-sugar-on-top feel free to chime in so proper credit can be given. Thanks very much in advance!
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One of my two favorites from this batch: Sharknado!
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Dr. Clayton Forrester and Joel Robinson from the amazing colossal Mystery Science Theater 3000.
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Minion working the con. Somebody’s gotta do it, and I’m sure Minions can use the work until Despicable Me 3 starts filming.
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BMO from Adventure Time.
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Rigby from Regular Show. Doesn’t seem right without Mordecai.
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Sesame Street Yip-yip appears to be emerging from the McCormick Place mandatory eyesore carpet.
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Sauron in repose. Even a Witch King can’t cut in line without a VIP pass.
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Maybe a Medieval Times booth doesn’t count as true con cosplay, but it’s a fun experience. I went several years ago as a chaperone on my son’s sixth-grade field trip. He was mortified, but I had a blast.
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My best guess is gender-swapped Strawberry Shortcake, being photographed by Poison Ivy.
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This happy maze ghost thing was someone’s mascot, but I didn’t take notes because this was taken seconds after walking into the show floor at 10 a.m. with several thousand other fans who weren’t willing to stop stampeding.
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Until my wife and I started watching Doctor Who last December, all the Doctors we saw at cons didn’t mean quite so much. Now we can’t get enough of them.
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A gold Dalek who stands to benefit greatly from the New Dalek Paradigm, which for us constitutes spoilers because we’re still trying to finish season 5. We’re working on it, I swear!
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Gamorrean Guard and Kid Deathstroke. They’d make a great buddy-cop film.
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A Death Star walks the earth, and we’re DOOMED. And her giant evil genocidal superlaser lights up, too.
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Cortana, HALO troopers, and applicant.
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Transformers reunion! Left to right: a Constructicon, this one guy, Soundwave, Bumblebee, Arcee, Starscream, this other Autobot, and an Insecticon. Behold the remnants of my childhood toy memories.
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Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece snaps a pic of Eren (in Titan form) and Mikasa from Attack on Titan. [Updated 4/28/2014 — special thanks to @viachristinaa!]
Special section #1: characters that stumped me, probably anime or video games. Heed this lesson well: someday you’ll be old and have gaps in your geek culture knowledge just like me, your friendly Ghost of Internet Yet to Come.
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Explosive anime duel! This is how some people passed the time during the long, uninvolving parts of the Costume Contest.
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Furry graffiti artist, leaving a mark on one of several oversize whiteboards. Markers were provided; you just had to bring your imagination.
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Link and…another Link? Or maybe a New 52 Green Lantern I haven’t seen? Meanwhile, lurking in the back is Ensign Ro, the only Star Trek costume on the premises, and I didn’t even know she was there until I uploaded this photo.
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I took the photo, told myself I’d remember names from somewhere later, but a thorough search of my memory indicates I only imagined I recognized them. If that makes any sense.
Special section #2: Final Fantasy characters, always a personal favorite.
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Cloud from FFVII. Pretty sure his companion is neither Vincent nor Auron. It’s not Edward Elric, is it? I’m at a loss once again.
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Vanille from FFXIII, with special guest Desmond from Assassin’s Creed II.
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Sora from the Kingdom Hearts series technically counts as FF family, far as I’m concerned. Surprise Easter egg: background Catwoman.
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My other favorite costume from this entry: Yuna from Final Fantasy X.
To be continued! In our other installments:
Part 1: Costumes on the Show Floor, Comics Division
Part 3: the Costume Contest
Part 4: Creators, Actors, One Panel, and More!