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!
One of my two favorites from this batch: Sharknado!
Dr. Clayton Forrester and Joel Robinson from the amazing colossal Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Minion working the con. Somebody’s gotta do it, and I’m sure Minions can use the work until Despicable Me 3 starts filming.
BMO from Adventure Time.
Rigby from Regular Show. Doesn’t seem right without Mordecai.
Sesame Street Yip-yip appears to be emerging from the McCormick Place mandatory eyesore carpet.
Sauron in repose. Even a Witch King can’t cut in line without a VIP pass.
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.
My best guess is gender-swapped Strawberry Shortcake, being photographed by Poison Ivy.
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.
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.
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!
Gamorrean Guard and Kid Deathstroke. They’d make a great buddy-cop film.
A Death Star walks the earth, and we’re DOOMED. And her giant evil genocidal superlaser lights up, too.
Cortana, HALO troopers, and applicant.
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.
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.
Explosive anime duel! This is how some people passed the time during the long, uninvolving parts of the Costume Contest.
Furry graffiti artist, leaving a mark on one of several oversize whiteboards. Markers were provided; you just had to bring your imagination.
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.
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.
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.
Vanille from FFXIII, with special guest Desmond from Assassin’s Creed II.
Sora from the Kingdom Hearts series technically counts as FF family, far as I’m concerned. Surprise Easter egg: background Catwoman.
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!