The Energon Pub

News Credits: 1 · by **Primacron's Little Helper** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 3:20 am

There's a free newspaper in the UK which is distributed at train and bus stations called the Metro, it's quite a light hearted read and so I tend to read it most mornings on the way to work.

So, you can imagine my surprise when in a article on cosplay, David Jenkins mentions Botcon!

Cosplay fans love to make things hard for themselves but pretending to be a 50ft-tall robot that transformers into a fighter jet is really making a rod for your back - in many cases literally. However, for those who took part in the recent Transformers BotCon convention in California, the task was undaunting.

'I would argue that sewing and making patterns for a cloth costume would be the most terrifying and hard thing for me to do' says computer artist Laurel, 21, as she struggles in a polystyrene costume based on Brawl, a tank from the first Transformers film.

'For me, it's easy to do Transformers because I can't sew. You just glue stuff together and it looks good. This comes naturally to me.'

Some talented cosplayers are even able to make transforming costumes but such creations are rare.

'It's one in 50, maybe,' estimates Laurel. 'One every year or so'.

This year seems to be an off year but there are plenty of other fans wandering around the convention, including partners Jerry and Terra.

Jerry (pictured) has come as Optimus Primal, from Transformers offshoot Beast Wars. He's dressed up as a cross between a gorilla and a robot. Apparently this is merely to celebrate the series' 15th anniversary.

'I dress up in a lot of different costumes,' he says. 'Today was Beast Wars'.' Terra admits: 'He's getting me more and more interested in them.'

The article also has a nice picture of Jerry dressed as Optimus Primal!