Most Epic Costumes for 2010 - it's a Lantern Corps shutout!

MARGIE COX AS CAROL FERRIS

For a few years I've been a proud member of THE SUPERHERO COSTUMING FORUM (the SCF for short). While I'm not there daily like I used to be, it's still my "home" for my costuming needs, advice, tips and comraderie. *There's an application process because we choose to maintain a level of adult maturity that may not be welcome by youngsters just googling for superhero costumes.

The members of the board got to nominate their favorite Female and Male costume creations for 2010. Winners Margie Cox (Star Sapphire Carol Ferris) and Aaron Rivin (Kilowog of the Green Lantern Corps) deserve a huge round of virtual applause for what they managed to accomplish.

It should be no surprise that with DC Comics' crossover event Blackest Night followed by Brightest Day, that the various Lantern Corps were on everyone's minds. In 2010 the costumers managed to pull off some of the most challenging costumes including Larfleeze, Avarice Lex Luthor, Brother Warth and even little props like Dex-Starr, Xax of Xaos, and Ch'p. It would take days to showcase all of the wonderful Lantern Corps costumes seen in 2010. You can get a really great idea from the sister site, THE LEAGUE OF LANTERNS. Plenty of prop makers were busy sculpting masks, corps rings and power batteries long before DC Direct ever got them to market. These are fierce costumers. Some get hyped by the competition of being first; others of being the best. When I can't answer a question, these are the people I send you to.

AARON RIVIN AS KILOWOG

Margie crafted her Star Sapphire costume on her own. It's hard not to be envious of her. She's a lovely person who is always extremely gracious and generous with her time. She does a ton of charity work to raise money for Base Camp. And to top it off, she has mad skills. Her Star Sapphire costume was made WITH SCRAPS from one of her older projects. Yeah. You want to hate her but you just can't help but be in love with her. If you recall, I was first going to tackle this version of Carol Ferris but after seeing Margie whip this out in a weekend, I went with the more modest Silver Age version.

Aaron's Kilowog costume was a full-blown collaboration. The muscle suit, mask, uniform, and ring were all made by people connected to the SCF. He credits the costume to the following:

• Mask by Matt Geuther (maskmasters.com)
• Muscle suit and Hands by Brandon Lane (FlexDesigns)
• Green Lantern Bodysuit by Brian Parsley (GreenarrowFL)
• Green Lantern Ring by Shane Browning (Shane9mm)

CONGRATULATIONS TO MARGIE AND AARON! As always, an unlimited amount of thanks go out to DJ Spider and LoganAllenWolf, our illustrious admins at the SCF. You can also find us on Facebook.

Shameless plug: I designed Dex-Starr's costume for the 2010 Comic-Con International. This Dex-Starr seen with DC's Dan DiDio was co-created with Jill Pantozzi who accompanied Dex as her own Rage Lantern.

Please vote for me for Top Geek

Please vote for me for iiNet’s Top Geek! I’m sure the competition is tough as I’m not a hardcore gamer but I am your average comic book girl and would love to win this title. Yes, I’m pandering. I’m begging, in fact. I have no problem admitting that. It takes only a couple seconds and no registration process is necessary.

I’ve been reviewing comic books and interviewing creators since 2007 for websites like Dynamic Forces and the Girls’ Entertainment Network until launching my own site AmberUnmasked.com. I started my YouTube channel in 2008 to discuss comics, conventions and bring you interviews with creators and celebrities.

Even though I’ve been writing as long as I’ve been cosplaying, it’s my role as Wonder Woman for NJ’s annual domestic violence awareness fundraiser that most people know me. At Comic Fusion, we spend all year collecting artwork and then auction it for our local domestic abuse shelter. This year we raised $16k with the help of fine comic artists like Adam Hughes and Allison Sohn. I’ve also been modeling for over a year for CosplayDeviants and for prestigious art schools like Joe Kubert’s School for Cartooning & Graphic Arts in NJ.

New Pin-Ups based on vintage styles with modern rockabilly edge

Ever since I realized there was a resurgence in the vintage pin-ups of the WWII era, I knew that I would eventually find a way to partake in the scene. The pin-up look is more than wardrobe. It’s hair, makeup, and setting. A perfect pin-up shoot embraces all of this like recreations of dark brunettes in diners or red lipsticked blondes saluting the soldiers.

So far, I've only done two retro inspired shoots, one in Pittsburgh and one recently in Ohio. If you go to AmberUnmasked.com and click the top menu for Photo Galleries, follow it to Glamour for both the shoots. All of the details about where I found the dress and shoes are explained there.

The photos by Jay Fife were done specifically for him to use as reference for his pencil/graphite illustrations. If you'd like Jay to create a custom commission piece from one of my photos or any other character you want, he's available for commissions right now. The picture below is one Jay did using one of our other photo sets from Halloween. He created me as the Bride of Frankenstein (that bleached out stripe in my hair is good for more than Rogue!) and he invented a hardcore steampunk scene inside the mad scientist's laboratory. This picture should be available as a print for the 2011 convention circuit.

Don't forget that you can join the AmberUnmasked Facebook Page which is easier than trying to get me to accept friend requests.

Power Girl wishes you a peaceful season!

On behalf of the Justice Society of America, I send you my very best wishes for a peaceful and happy holiday season! ~Power Girl

Thank you for all the fantastic support in 2010. I've been costuming since 2006 and blogging about it since then. Over the years, I have expanded to reviewing comic books, then interviewing creators, actors, models and costumers. A year ago I started modeling and it's been an incredible experience. I would not have been able to do it without friends and strangers taking time out of their days to read the articles and leave me notes about what you like.

May 2011 be filled with good luck and prosperity!