All the Whos down in Whoville: a family cosplaying as nine different Doctors.
Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover:
Each year when there isn’t a pandemic fully raging, my wife Anne and I love attending entertainment and comic conventions throughout the Midwest and occasionally a bit beyond. We’re fascinated by the spectacle of each and every in-person nexus of geek cultures that presents a confluence of comics, artists, cosplayers, hobby artifacts, rare collectibles, IP-inspired handicrafts, talented performers and celebrity guests with fandom connections of varying levels of dedication and/or awesomeness.
This past weekend’s inaugural GalaxyCon Columbus (the one in Ohio) set out more than enough bait within reasonable road-trip range that the two of us were lured out of the house once more after previous 2022 outings to Star Trek: Mission Chicago, Indiana Comic Con, and Fan Expo Chicago. We’re the Goldens. This is who we are and what we do.
It’s time for the mandatory cosplay salute!
Much as we’d love to be everyone’s one-stop shop for post-con costume galleries, attendees are getting younger while Anne and I are getting older, and we’re doing a crappy job of keeping up with today’s popular animation, which was far easier (a) when my son was young and gave me an excuse to keep up, and (b) there were just…fewer series to watch back then, I’m pretty sure? I blame the streaming entertainment explosion for helping far too many pop-culture segments escape us. The talented cosplayers out there are stumping us a lot more than they used to with their secret identities. And, unlike the average Instagram photog, I feel sheepish posting too many unlabeled cosplay pics in a row.
Nevertheless, we tried to do our part in the name of cosplay appreciation. What’s presented below is a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of the sum total costume experience that we witnessed throughout our two days at the show. Other corners of the internet will represent those other fractions that we missed, which is the cool part of having so many people doing this sort of thing. Enjoy!
More Doctor Who representation with the Thirteenth Doctor and Captain Jack Harkness.
Harley Quinn, Robin, and Beast Boy.
Peacemaker and his partner Eagly, whose wings could flap.
The original Silk Spectre from Watchmen.
Ghost-Spider fronts a super-team uniting Black Widow, Wolverine, a Carnage-infected T-Rex, Iron Man and Deadpool.
Marvel may have canceled Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, but I will never stop braking for her cosplayers.
Fans of the Mark Waid/Chris Samnee Daredevil run remember that time when Matt Murdock’s shirt totally convinced everyone his blown secret identity was fake news. Bonus points for adding Christmas flair.
Christmas Jedi vs. Santa Sith.
Santa Wookiee is a tall reminder of how this is the first time we’ve ever attended a con in December.
Star Wars fun continues with Ahsoka Tano and Hera from Rebels.
Another Ahsoka teams up with Barriss Offee.
Quinlan Vos from Dark Horse’s old series, the one character Clone Wars did wrong.
Utinni!
The women of classic Star Trek.
Leeloo from The Fifth Element.
They’re all submicroscopic / They’re sometimes isotopic / They’re horridly myopic / The Atoms Family!
Once all pieces were in place, Anne was the first on Saturday to photograph Rosie the Robot from The Jetsons.
Woody Woodpecker! [insert iconic laugh]
Donald Duck and Goofy took the weekend off from their day jobs and flew up for the occasion.
Te Fiti from Moana, being stalked by Ghostface.
Carl Fredricksen from Pixar’s Up.
Anne thought this one was really pretty, but we have no idea who she is. Can anyone out there help out a couple of stumped, appreciative olds?
To be continued! Other chapters in this very special miniseries:
Part 1: The Stars in Our Galaxy
Part 3: Who Else We Met, What Else We Did
Part 4: Columbus Is Our New Chicago