Let's hope the costume will fit for the statistics I chose! I picked 177.5 CM for the height, and 147 for the weight. I hope it will fit okay and look decent. I'm so excited! I wonder if any other Gatchaman cosplayers or any other Tatsunoko cosplayers will be there! This will be the third time I went to AnimeNEXT as well!

There had better be pics Allen!!

Originally posted by Madilayn There had better be pics Allen!!

Oh there will be!!!!

Oh yes, Allen ... pictures, please!! I'm sure you'll have lots of fun!

Oh good! Have a wonderful time!

Where is AnimeNEXT?

It's in Somerset, NJ. Oh yeah, and I was just reading about the place I got the costume from (www.cosplayhouse.com), and well I've heard some people say they were satisfied with their work and is very good, and others who weren't satisfied, such as one person who ordered a XXX-Large costume and got either a medium or large instead, and another person who said the tie on their costume was too long, and the costume slowly came apart or something like that. And I also learned that the pictures they use for referencing their costumes are taken from other websites, and aren't really the ones pictured. And I found out before reading that that the guy in the Eagle costume on the page was taken from deviantART: http://MalottPro.deviantart.com/art/Gatchaman-Mark-Costume-42712583 And now I"m worried the costume is gonna look lame now. I also heard one person say that sometimes you need to process an order more than once or something. Some of the comments about the site as cosplay.com: http://www.cosplay.com/showthread.php?t=179826 http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.cosplay.com/showthread.php%3Ft%3D180132&ei=2yfLS6iqF8P38Abwl_3tBA&sa=X&oi=forum_cluster&resnum=3&ct=result&cd=1&ved=0CBMQrAIoADAC&usg=AFQjCNF-kOyKVLCliYoS48-WY_Vg4dY_NA http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.cosplay.com/showthread.php%3Ft%3D162828&ei=2yfLS6iqF8P38Abwl_3tBA&sa=X&oi=forum_cluster&resnum=3&ct=result&cd=2&ved=0CBQQrAIoATAC&usg=AFQjCNFsDsPbwHLCt-bZLxG-OVu5isUNZQ http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.cosplay.com/showthread.php%3Ft%3D177995&ei=2yfLS6iqF8P38Abwl_3tBA&sa=X&oi=forum_cluster&resnum=3&ct=result&cd=3&ved=0CBUQrAIoAjAC&usg=AFQjCNFTvupaV2uvFvWIbZl5NgGPNekO3Q http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.cosplay.com/showthread.php%3Ft%3D170309&ei=2yfLS6iqF8P38Abwl_3tBA&sa=X&oi=forum_cluster&resnum=3&ct=result&cd=4&ved=0CBYQrAIoAzAC&usg=AFQjCNGk6Kgs2UccESw29DL2WMwtiG_6JQ http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100312174237AAEjJo8 http://blog.chucksanimeshrine.com/2009/06/cosplay-house.html

I hope your costume works out for you, Allen. Please let us know what it's like when you receive it. FWIW, every site has god and bad comments. I think what matters is the percentage of good and bad comments. How many people had bad experiences as compared to good experiences? I wish I could join you at your con! But NJ is a little far for me to travel at the moment.

Originally posted by AllentownDarkWater It's in Somerset, NJ.

*cough*sputter* What??? How come I wasn't made aware of this?? When? Where?? At the Convention Center???? ETA: Just googled this and saw that it is at the Garden State Convention Center. Also saw about the registration. Is this along the lines of Comic Con? (sells out early and basically the only way you'll get in if buying at the door is from the tickets relinquished by people who either cancelled or are no-shows?). Hmmm, might have to think about attending this one!

Originally posted by Transmute Jun I wish I could join you at your con! But NJ is a little far for me to travel at the moment.

Oh, TJ, you hurt me deep!

Originally posted by Hinotori Oh, TJ, you hurt me deep!

LOL, I'm in the middle of working right now, Hino, as you know! A weekend trip to the East Coast isn't in the cards for me during the school year. You know that! In the summer is another story. ETA I just looked it up, and saw that it's right in the middle of my summer course that I'm teaching! Bleargh... If I hadn't been teaching that one, I could have tried for it...

Originally posted by Hinotori

Originally posted by AllentownDarkWater It's in Somerset, NJ.

*cough*sputter* What??? How come I wasn't made aware of this?? When? Where?? At the Convention Center???? ETA: Just googled this and saw that it is at the Garden State Convention Center. Also saw about the registration. Is this along the lines of Comic Con? (sells out early and basically the only way you'll get in if buying at the door is from the tickets relinquished by people who either cancelled or are no-shows?). Hmmm, might have to think about attending this one!

Well I've been there in 2009 and 2008. I'm only going on Saturday though, because I can't afford to stay the whole 3 days. I hope CPH doesn't shiest me with the costume!

Originally posted by Transmute Jun ETA I just looked it up, and saw that it's right in the middle of my summer course that I'm teaching! Bleargh... If I hadn't been teaching that one, I could have tried for it...

I was going to entice you with free room and board, but I see that wouldn't have worked anyway, at least not this year. But maybe if they hold it at the Exhibit Center again next year....

Originally posted by AllentownDarkWater Well I've been there in 2009 and 2008. I'm only going on Saturday though, because I can't afford to stay the whole 3 days. I hope CPH doesn't shiest me with the costume!

I saw that they release the con's schedule a week in advance, so I'll take a look then and decide if I want to go or not. It would be either Saturday or Sunday for me (was thinking Sunday, since it's a little cheaper), but I'm so close that, travel-wise, it doesn't really matter.

Unfortunately that is right at the end of my school year, so although I would love to Hino, I don't think I could take you up on the offer for next year. Cloud considers what her Principal might say if she asked for the last week of school off to visit a friend in NY.

If I'm not teaching that course next year, Hino, I'll definitely seriously consider it!

Yayyy!! Oh, and CD, I know saying NY sounds cooler, especially when you're asking your principal for time off, but it really is NJ. (sorry, that's the Jersey Girl in me. We're really not fond of being confused with NY. It's a Jersey thing...) Also, if you fly into JFK, no offense, but I won't be going out there to pick you up!

That is okay Hino. What I am imaging happen if I did try something like that, would be the Principal saying sure go ahead but I will not guarantee where your classroom or all your materials will be located for the following year. Now if next year they moved the dates to the weekend after you might be lucky and get a third body sleeping on your couch, since TJ will already have claimed the bed.

Are you saying that I'd kick poor Hino out of her bed?

Originally posted by Transmute Jun Are you saying that I'd kick poor Hino out of her bed?

No, I was kind of thinking she had an extra bed in her home. You know, in the case a relative comes for a visit or something.

Actually, if it ends up that I'm sleeping in a #1 shirt that night, the bed is all TJ's!

LOL I am not sure how successful you would be getting that shirt from TJ. Ooooo, but I just had a thought ... if you take it from TJ's when you visit THIS year, then she would have to go out next year to get it back. Now Cloud is being evil.

What? You guys are planning on taking my Number 1 shirt? I guess I'll just have to wear it at all times. Until it transmutes into my Birdstyle...

I can see negotiations happening here....Bed..or Number #1 shirt and sleep on the floor... I can see which option Hino is going for!!!

hi Allen, I contacted the bloke who made the Eagle cossie on DA, he's a pro special effects / costume maker. I asked if he could make me up a swan helmet for my costume, he said he could for $800. That was bit out of my range so Ive been working on making my own. Just thought I'd let you know incase you were thinking of contacting him to make one.

Helmets are expensive! I think they cost as much as an entire costume, or more! I had my Swan costume made for me for under $300, including a yo-yo. Of course, I bought the gloves and boots myself (another $75 or so) and I don't have a helmet. I've also spent a small fortune on gel insoles and bandaids, to help my feet through wearing those boots for days at a time...

Originally posted by Transmute Jun I've also spent a small fortune on gel insoles and bandaids, to help my feet through wearing those boots for days at a time...

Ah yes - those absolute necessities!! I can't live without them. My absolute favorite pair of shoes I can't wear without bandaids around both of my big toes to counter the rubbing of the peeptoe bit.

And my boots don't even have peeptoes! But the heels on them are really high (higher than anything else I own) and they're platform boots on top of that. They're so high, I end up balancing on my toes all day (like a ballerina... except I'm not that graceful) and that's where I really need the bandaids... The adhesive padding from Dr. Scholl's is great too. You can cut to to the shape and size you need. There's also moleskin that you can do that with.

Cosplay House said the costume I ordered comes with a helmet. I'm still worried the costume will be too loose and look stupid, and I don't know what the helmet will be made of.