We’re just back and recovering from our first Con of the year. We’re not doing many this year as we’re also saving up to buy our place, so I’ve been looking at the Cons earlier in the season with longing. We’ve come to the conclusion that the biggest draw to conventions for us is meeting our friends, whether in cosplay or not, and enjoying catching up with them.

As usual we stayed at the Crowne Plaza, so that we could nip back and forth during the day if needed. The weather forecast was for hot weather, and we knew from last year that the area outside the ExCel is a formidable heat trap. It was a good decision – even with reasonably simple cosplays it was a huge relief to be able to step back into air conditioned coolness over the course of the weekend. This was especially useful when Lady M overheated with heatstroke from the fierce sun on her first day.

I had three costumes lined up: Friday saw me wandering around as Obadiah Stane – the villain from the first Iron Man film, as depicted by Jeff Bridges. I have a bit of an obvious headstart on that costume, already having a beard and having my head shaved – and I hadn’t really expected much of a response to this one as he’s relatively unknown and not particularly flashy.

I made two props: a massive cigar, and his patented paralysing device, which combined with my suit and a suitably expansive and expressive way of approaching Tony Stark cosplayers. A quick spray of white dye over the beard and I was ready to stride the convention floor with gusto. It was great fun. Within moments of getting into the queue I heard people asking each other if I was Obadiah Stane, and from there on out I had nothing but praise and enthusiasm from everyone I met. It also helped focus attention when talking to security and to convention staff.

Saturday had me wandering round as a very casual version of Booster Gold: time-traveller and self publicist extraordinaire. (And protector of the time-stream, but not many people know about that.) This was fun for so many reasons, partly because he’s such a relatively unknown character – except for people like myself who have an avid appreciation for him and his hidden history.

So many people are used to my normal appearance that the wig and dyed beard completely threw them. People who know me and my cosplays well, were still shocked to hear my voice – a few actually flinched a little when they worked out who I was. Essentially though this was a jeans, tshirt and leather jacket ensemble so it was easy enough to moderate my temperature. Mid afternoon I still gave in and removed the wig so I could take advantage of cooling breezes off the water.

Sunday was a return of my Captain Boomerang – an old favourite for messing about as one of the Suicide Squad and one of the Flash’s Rogues.

As might be expected of such an inveterate thief, I also included props from the previous two cosplays – Obadiah’s cigar, and the Legion Flight Ring worn by Booster – I’m starting to accumulate items from various costumes and characters to wear as trophies for this one, which is fun as a form of refinement.

This was definitely the hottest costume to wear, with multiple layers – and by mid afternoon I decided I’d had enough, so swapped out into a Squad UK vest to cool down.

Was the Con perfect? No, there were a few inconsistencies with how a couple of security people interacted with us – and we made a complaint on that front – but broadly there were no hitches. There weren’t so many large displays from the main comics companies, but the Comics Village was well represented, and we enjoyed ourselves hugely, and bought a lot of merchandise.

Thank goodness I’ve booked all this week off to recover, I’m exhausted