Derek Mckinney of Vancouver, Washington, is dressed in steampunk costume as a zoologist who pursues mythical creatures. "Everything's handmade. Most of it is from goodwill and garage sales," he says.
Amelia Templeton/OPB
Thousands of fans of comics, video games and TV shows gathered at the Rose City Comic Con in Portland this weekend.
The convention celebrates fandom of all kinds. For some, the event is an occasion for cosplay, the chance to dress up as their favorite character or build an elaborate costume.
Zombies mingled with Hogwarts students and Star Wars storm troopers.
A man named Kevin Free transformed himself into an evil animatronic bunny with glowing eyes from the cult video game Five Nights at Freddie’s 3. Building the costume took about two weeks.
Kevin Free, in a handbuilt costume, dresses as an evil rabbit called Springtrap from the cult game Five Nights at Freddie’s 3.
Amelia Templeton/OPB
“I can solder LEDs and wiring and sound-effects. I can work with foam, I can work with special effect make up," Free said. "So I think one of the things that I really love about it is that it is so versatile. You can incorporate so many mediums into one thing."
Free works in city administration in Vancouver, British Columbia, and said that helps pay for his cosplay hobby and his travel to Comic-Cons. Online, he goes by the name Iuki Cosplay. He said some cosplayers find professional work as prop makers and make up artists.
In a large hall, illustrators and artists, many of them Portland locals, displayed their work.
"For me, the big thing is just meeting potential fans, meeting readers that already follow the comic and hopefully trying to spread my work out there and have more people read it," said Diana Huh, who was promoting her webcomic, "The Lonely Vincent Bellingham."
Huh was born and raised in Portland and works in Los Angeles as a storyboard artist for companies like Warner Brothers and Disney.
Her webcomic, influenced by the manga Huh read growing up, features exquisite illustrations and a slice-of-life story about "a not so kind man who trespasses into the house of a vampire and her two wicked children," she said.
"I'm a huge fangirl at heart," Huh said. "That's why I love conventions like these."
In another corner of the convention, people waited patiently in line for an opportunity to have their photo taken with a celebrity -- for a price.
In one corner of the convention, a poster lists the celebrity guests, and the cost of a photo with them ranging from $30 to $90.
Amelia Templeton/OPB
A poster listed celebrity guests, and the cost of a photo with each, ranging from $30 to $90 per celebrity.
Life-long Star Trek fan Jacob Hansen was waiting patiently in line with his niece and twin brother to get his photo taken with the actors who played Uhura and Chekov on Star Trek, a relative bargain at $70 for the pair.
Hansen bought most of his Star Trek costume on Ebay, but he also pinned on the medals and ribbons he earned as a marine sergeant in Iraq, Afghanistan and Djibouti.
“Putting this together last night made me feel like I was getting ready to leave for the service again. It’s a lot of fun wearing it and I get to show it off, so I enjoy it,” he said.
Hansen said he isn't bothered by celebrities charging money for a fan photo.
"I don't mind it, I just wish Carrie Fisher wasn't so much money," he said.
Hansen, who works as a pizza delivery guy, said he was hoping to get his picture taken with Fisher, who stared as Princess Leia in the Star Wars movies. But at $90 for a photo, she was out of his price range.
