On the Cosplay First Support Station in a again nook of the Petaluma Group Heart, Emma Wendel stood able to patch up any wounds — to costumes, that’s.
Round her on Saturday flowed the attendees of the ninth iteration of Petaluma’s free youth comedian conference, LumaCon. Whereas many attendees got here of their avenue garments, a superb quantity had been outfitted as characters from comedian books, animé exhibits, video video games and fantasy novels.
In the end some would wish a restore.
“You possibly can have little accidents along with your costume in case you’ve been carrying it for a few hours,” Wendel mentioned.
Geared up with stitching machine, scorching glue gums, tape, security pins, markers of all colours — and sure, simply in case, bandages — Wendel was dressed as Winifred Sanderson, chief antagonist of the traditional Disney witch movie “Hocus Pocus.”
For the numerous kids in attendance, the occasion hosted by librarians from Casa Grande Excessive College, Petaluma Excessive College, and Petaluma Regional Library is an opportunity to discover passions for comedian books, movie, cosplaying and stay motion position play or LARP.
Exterior the occasion, kids of various ages battled one another with foam swords, spears and bow and arrows. The fake fight is basically “freeze tag swordplay,” mentioned Joe Cochrane, a retired Petaluma librarian and one in every of LumaCon’s founders.
“Press this fashion!” one boy yelled as he led a bunch of his comrades in what seemed to be a flanking maneuver.
Christopher Melville, who runs weekly competitions in Sebastopol by way of his group Fanwar, hosted the LARP motion, together with a foam sword making workshop.
Again inside, college students from Casa Grande and Petaluma Excessive College squared off in California’s new official varsity-level highschool competitors: Esports.
As a small group regarded on, two college students at Nintendo Change controls competed in Smash Brothers Final — a recreation the place characters from a variety of video video games battle one another on fantasy battlefields.
Although simply an exhibition and never an official match, the battle drew cheers from spectators and teammates.
Down the hallway, Danni Baird wore a white wig, full armor and carried a fantastical firearm for her outfit as a member of Adepta Sororitas, an all-female cadre of warriors from the world of tabletop technique recreation Warhammer 40k.
“I’ve been to lots of comic-cons,” she mentioned, however the youth focus makes LumaCon particular. “I’ll at all times come again to this one,” she mentioned.
Baird stood by the desk of her buddy, Petaluma costume maker Shawn Thorsson, who wrote a guide and constructed a enterprise out of crafting armor, weapons and different props for fantasy fans. Whereas Thorsson’s books had been on sale, this present day wasn’t about enterprise, Baird mentioned.
“He actually does like serving to different cosplayers develop their abilities,” she mentioned. “It’s about constructing the neighborhood.”
You possibly can attain Workers Author Andrew Graham at 707-526-8667 or andrew.graham@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @AndrewGraham88
