Believe it or not, the idea of wearing a costume to a conventions dates back to 1908 (yes, you read that right… 1908). Which is why it is kind of surprising that events like Dragon Con have only now started to become mainstream. Dragon Con is an annual multigenre convention where you are likely to see every character cosplay under the sun.
From Cynthia in Rugrats to Snuffles from Rick and Morty, cosplayers from around the world take over downtown Atlanta, Georgia for this five-day event. In 2019, a record-breaking 85,000 people came out to bask in the fandom glory. And like other conventions such as San Diego Comic-Con, Dragon Con is one place where cosplayers are guaranteed to bring their A-game. And since this event spreads out over seven different Atlanta hotels, there’s a chance that you missed some of their greatness. Here are ten cosplays from Dragon Con that you may have missed.
Disney Scouts
The creativity that comes hand-in-hand with cosplaying never ceases to amaze. It may have been hard to miss this group of nearly 20 cosplayers, but just in case, we wanted to do you the favor. This group of girls got together to bring to life the idea of Disney princesses morphed into Sailor Moon characters.
The color schemes line up with each Disney princess, but instead of ballgowns, this group styled their cosplays with skirts and bows in the fashion of the anime, Sailor Moon. The concept originated from artist Paige Christine who frequently combines separate universes to come up with brand new characters.
Ladies and Gentlemen… Michael Jordan
Talk about a blast from the past. In the cosplay community, you won’t find it rare to stumble upon a Lola Bunny or two, but not too many recreate the looks of the main characters. Cosplay isn’t just about making costumes from fantasy, game, or comic book genres. It’s simply a way to express passion and even nostalgia for fictional (and sometimes real) personalities. It’s pretty much just getting to enjoy Halloween year-round.
Grey Beard Cosplay dressed up as Bill Murray’s character from the 1996 film, Space Jam. At Dragon Con this year, he just happened to bump into the Tune Squad version of Michael Jordan (with his “Secret Stuff” in hand, of course)!
You’ve Got A Merc in Me
Since Toy Story 4 made one final appearance in theaters, it wasn’t surprising to see a Buzz Lightyear or Bo Beep at Dragon Con this year. Whether the cosplays are handmade or store-bought doesn’t make a difference because seeing iterations of your childhood heroes is a fascinating spectacle to be a part of.
One cosplay that we didn’t know we needed is this hilarious mashup of Deadpool meets Disney. Is this Deadpool cosplaying as Woody and Cable dressed as Buzz? Or have these cosplayers created a new idea altogether: Woodypool and Buzz Cable, if you will.
House of Disney
There’s a little bit of a theme going here, but they’re hard to pass up. If you’ve ever thought about getting into cosplay, clearly any Disney character mashup if going to go over well. This group of widely-respected cosplayers sewed together original concepts of Aurora, Snow White, Ariel, and Jasmine a la Game of Thrones.
This isn’t the first mashup done by this group. Kira and Cutie Pie Sensei (Jasmine and Ariel) were a part of the My Hero Academia and Avenger cosplay group that broke the Internet last year.
Real-Life Batman and Robin
If you thought you could never see movie-grade costumes at conventions like Dragon Con, you would be so very, very wrong. Just take these two masked vigilantes for example. The two are known as professional cosplayers and for good reason. Masked Mateo and Nashville Knight wear these suits of armor quite flawlessly and come across as a confusing mix of intimidation and awe. If you have ever wanted to feel the presence on the Caped Crusaders — Batman and Robin — in real life, look out for these two at your next convention.
Steampunk Marvel
If you think about it, if everyone went to meetups like Dragon Con dressed for screen-accuracy, the cosplay world would become diluted and repetitive. Thankfully, cosplayers have creativeness embedded into their veins, which is how variations such as this come to life.
Sara Parker of Nerdish Cosplay has a way with foam and stitches (you should see her Zelda cosplay). Like most cosplayers, she’s quick to see the flaws in her design, but to the rest of us, this Steampunk Captain Marvel is mind-blowing. If you look closely at her wire-laden arm piece, you’ll realize that this is actually the Infinity Gauntlet, complete with the Infinity Stones.
Welcome to the City of Atlantis
If you were going to get a group together to do the entire lineup of characters from the 2001 film, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, the massive convention in Atlanta, Georgia would be the place to do it (get it? Atlanta… Atlantis).
This family portrait includes the entire gang, from Milo and Kida to Audrey and Mole. Every single one of these cosplayers pulled off the exact embodiment of this beloved cartoon. Those who may have missed this incredible lineup can hopefully see this group at a future convention (or possibly Dragon Con 2020?).
Is That Lena Headey?
One of the aspects of cosplay that people get excited about is when someone is able to look exactly like their favorite character from TV or film. Megan, a.k.a Galactic Cat is giving full-on Lena Heady vibes in her Cersei cosplay.
Megan dabbles in other fandoms such as Sailor Moon, Harry Potter, and even Scooby-Doo. But after bringing her Game of Thrones cosplay to Dragon Con this year, it’s clear that her uncanny Cersei costume is a fan-favorite (and yes, she made the entire costume herself).
Troy Calypso
Seeing exact replicas of video game characters IRL is one of the most captivating parts of conventions. Instead of humanizing Troy from Borderlands 3, Kawaii Mayhem took to making her cosplay look like the game version. All of the armor and even the wig is made with foam and shaded and highlighted with paint.
Every single one of this cosplayer’s creations is just as impressive, whether it’s her Mysterio (Spider-Man: Far From Home version) or her Khaleesi. And if you’re wondering how she did the makeup for her Troy cosplay, she has a tutorial on her Instagram highlights!
Independence Day
This one you may have seen because it’s another cosplay that broke the Internet. Instead of just showing up in army gear and Captain Steven Hiller-esque shades, this cosplayer went all out. Cosplayer Arcanekani actually recreated a scene from Independence Day by carrying around a parachute with what we assume is an extraterrestrial lifeform in tow. Did we mention that the convention is spread out over the entire downtown area? Talk about commitment! He even had a cigar handy and a President Whitmore cosplayer right by his side.
This guy is known for his likeness to Will Smith, so you can enjoy seeing him doubling as other recognizable faces such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Hancock, and Jay from Men in Black.
