A convention SO big they split it into two costume contests. One night holds the single competitors and the next, the groups. We join Jesse, Carl, and Miguel, in their preparations for the single costume competition. Jesse has set his sites on Thorin from The Hobbit. It's a great undertaking considering all the layers that's involved with this cosplay. 

Originally, Jesse casts the armor pieces in pewter. Sadly, they're too heavy. Considering there's two other pieces to the costume, and a fur coat on top, Jesse decides to redo them in resin, paint them, and make them look like worn pieces of metal. At first, I was a little concerned as to how this would come out. However, Jesse surprised me with his skill, especially since he did all of them the night before the competition. They turned out amazing! I was so excited to see his costume come together. I have to say, Jesse has become a favorite of mine this season. He's really gotten into the spirit of Cosplay and embraced it for what it is, not just for the 'awards' it can bring. Ever since then, Jesse's costumes have been astounding.

Next up, Carl is working on the anti-hero, Haunt from Haunt the comic series. I've never heard, or seen, this character before. Which is, admittedly, sad! It's a simplistic looking costume at first glance, but when you take a closer look, its a lot more complicated. There is a lot of sculpting since Haunt isn't your average looking comic character. Then again, comic characters are never that simplistic in design either! Which is why I love them so much. With some ideas, Carl sculpts out the majority of his costume, by hand, before applying any sewing techniques. The end result, is a really awesome, hand sculpted, mast that looks perfect! He also did the gloves, and boots, before sewing it into a handmade body suit and applying some sculpting to the chest and upper abdomen part. It was pretty cool to see the whole thing come together. I have to say, I really liked this week's costume better than last weeks for Carl. I feel he really showcased his talent!

Lastly for the guys, Miguel. Now, he and Carl are looking at New Orleans as a kind of…redemption from their not placing in the costume contest last week. Miguel decides to go with an Injustice cosplay, and picks Shazam as his character. Taking some of what he learned from a previous costume of his, Miguel applies several different techniques as well as working with several different materials to make his Shazam cosplay outstanding. Leather, pleather, and spandex are just a few of the materials he used for the majority of his cosplay. Finished on time, he joins Carl for the competition.

As it turns out Jesse win's for best male hero, and Miguel wins judges favorite. Carl doesn't place, but he's more determined to keep going and better his next cosplay. The three head off to meet with the girls and see how they're doing.

Speaking of girls, this week Yaya got to design her own costume for a role in a web series, as the villainess. Which she builds, and wears, to the judging of the single cosplay competition. She's set to judge the group as well, with a much different costume. Meanwhile, Holly, Jessica, and Chloe set to do a Guillermo del Toro inspired adaptation of Peter Pan. While Indra, Riki, and Katie set up to do Soul Caliber characters. Once again, our finale comes down the girls. Team L.A. VS. Team Atlanta. 

Who will win?

As promised, this week our fun group of Heroes hit up Wizard World Portland, and they've got an ambitious list. Amongst the group some new faces! Katie, Meg and Michelle are the newest addition to the group, and they're all friends with someone on the show! Katie and Riki seem to be buddies, and Meg and Michelle both know Chloe. The three decide to do a group cosplay, since they've all never actually done one together. Time to work on some 50's style Batman Villain girls! Meg chooses Harley, Michelle decides on Cat Woman, and Chloe does Poison Ivy. Chloe, being the daughter of a props master and legend, makes animatronic plants with the help of her dad, and Grant Imahara. 

Meanwhile, Yaya is working on a Batgirl costume, unbeknownst to what the other girls are planning, as she gets to judge the costume competition for Portland. This is something Yaya's never really done before, as she admits to the various materials the New 52 Batgirl costume seems to have. It's ambitious, and nothing Yaya can't handle. With various materials, she manages to pull off the perfect Batgirl look, complete with a half wig, and armor looking, shiny, black pieces! Katie, the newcomer, takes on Wonder Woman from the (awesome) video game, Injustice. Riki is finishing her Ash costume, which turns out fantastically. With some help, she adds some LED and makes her bow light up! Katie's boyfriend also adds some lights to her rope lasso, and makes it glow.

However, before they even get to the con, there's trouble. One of Chloe's plants breaks, and she has to change her flight in order to meet with Grant to fix it. Meg and Michelle make the trek without her, and just as they arrive at the hotel, they run into Yaya and her fiancé. Riki and Katie both make it there without a hitch, and are ready to make the costume contest with their light up weapons. Chloe makes it just in time, and her Plants seem intact, but the same one that broke previously, has already broken again. Enter Riki to the rescue with some super smelly super glue! Just as everything seems like its going to go fine, Katie's lasso dies. Or, well, the batteries do. That's alright, though, Riki offers to share her batteries since she will be on stage before Katie. That's a fantastic thing to do…only, just as she's about to be called to get ready to go up, the batteries in her bow die. She convinces the guy running the line to let her go last. And the guy in front of Katie lets her borrow his extra batteries, they're not fully charged, but it's enough to light up her lasso enough for while she's on stage. 


Next up, the 50's Bat-Villains! Chloe, Michelle, and Meg make it on stage without a hitch! To make it better, all three of Chloe's plants work perfectly. The three strut off stage and wait to see who wins. Finally, Riki has to go up, and the batteries will not power on at all. Despite the bow not glowing, she makes a great appearance with a lot of stage presence. Time to give out awards and this always makes me antsy. As is, the judging is always intense. This time, Katie wins Best Female Hero. Michelle, Chloe, Meg, and Riki all win an honorable mention, and Yaya compliments everyone on their hard work back stage. Next up, New Orleans!

I'm really going to have to make it to one of these cons! I swear! If you love live tweeting, next week the heroes will be doing it, and I'm going to make sure I'm right there with you guys! Unless I have to work…and then I'll be there with you in spirit! Until then, who was your fan favorite? Tweet your answers to @SoraLostSoul and/or @GirlsOfGeek12!

Welcome everyone, to another exciting segment of Geeky Gifts! Today, we're going to take a look at Gifts for Dad since Father's Day is Sunday! Dad's have a pretty tough job; they put up with us! Especially dad's of us geeky kids. It's holidays like these that make finding a gift harder than some. After all, my dad has almost everything under the sun when it comes to things in his interest. So, what am I supposed to do? Thankfully, the world wide web is here to help me with my search and I've come up with some amazing ideas for not just my dad, but for you guys to check out as well.

My first pick for all things dad are something that can be given to any father, and they go over fantastically. Books are a wonderful gift, whether your dad is a geek, or not! Mine borders between the normal and geek, so for him, a book is a perfect gift. Thankfully, we've got a few nerdy things in common, and X-Men comic books are always a win in his eyes. I also have the advantage of my dad being a fan of The Dresden Files which just came out with the next book in the series. Now, not every dad likes stuff that mine does, but that's all right. Thank's to the wonderful world of books, there is something for everyone to enjoy and certainly something fun for dad. Take a trip to Barnes & Noble and there's plenty of book choices…but that's not all. they have some pretty cool merchandise too! From models, action figures, puzzles, games, and even some Pops figures. Whatever your dad's interest is, there's plenty of options. I'm also a fan of getting my dad stuff from Urban Outfitters. I know, I know, it's a strange place to get something for dad's, but they have some of the best, most random, book titles that are right up my families twisted sense of humor alley. They also have funny items, like novelty bandaids, beer glasses, even flasks. 

Speaking of drinking, this is a weird gift idea, but it's also something that's crossed my mind. Who doesn't appreciate a nice bottle of their favorite adult drink? I know that's something my dad personally loves, but the man has been known to say "A nice bottle of Scotch could be the key to world peace!" Well, I don't know about that; I just know it's something he likes. Throw in a nice Cigar and my dad's a happy camper. 

Not all dads are like that though, so what about the nerdy dad? Well, there's a lot of gift ideas for that too. Maybe someone's dad is really into geeky gadgets! Good news! Think Geek has a Father's Day page and a wide selection of gifts for the geeky dad out there. There's plenty to be had on the site, however, and there's a lot of electronic gifts that will please any dad. From accessories, to spy gear, they've got a selection any dad would love. My personal favorite is this lovely laser projection keyboard. It's something my dad can use because he's completely given up on using computers when he's at home, instead he's stollen my mom's iPad mini. Typical dad thing? I don't know, I just know mine loves all things electronic. If you're looking for something more local, Brookstone has a fantastic selection of electronic gadgets that aren't always readily available in normal stores.

Of course, there is the traditional Father's Day tie. Why give dad just any tie, when he can have a nerdy tie? My dad wears a suit to work nearly every day, and what a better way to accentuate that than with a tie that will not only compliment his outfit choice, but also show off he's geeky side! From Star Trek to classic video games, Think Geek has a wide selection of ties. Not to mention tie accessories! And the best part? The wide selection of geek variety means there's something for every dad out there! And nothing goes better with a geek tie than some awesome cufflinks. And if dad's not a tie guy? They've got a lot of other clothing options, like socks, and my personal favorite, robes. My dad isn't a big robe guy, but give him a Star Wars Jedi robe and he'll be around the house all day quoting the movies, being a dork, and pretending to lose his hand. 

My last few picks are two major things I recommend for any holiday, any occasion, and any gift. Jewelry and coffee mugs. Especially for Father's day! Now, I know, the idea of getting jewelry for dad is something a bit oddball, but hear me out here. Watches are fantastic gifts. Especially for the busy dad! who doesn't need to tell time!? There's such a wide variety of watches out there that everyone can find something for that special father figure in their lives. My dad adores watches, despite having like 50 billion of them, but he always loves getting a new one. Watches are also a great gift, because they can be personal, they can range in price, and have all kinds of themes. My dad's not openly nerdy, so I can go get him a cool watch from somewhere local, and he'll adore it. Same goes for mugs. Coffee mugs are fantastic. Everyone uses them for coffee, tea, even other beverages! You can never have enough, and again, they can be as personal or plane as you'd like! Anything nerdy, anything not, they're there. 

Alrighty guys, I hope you liked my dad's day picks! If you've anything you'd like to share, please Tweet me @SoraLostSoul and we'll geek out over gifts together!

This week our Heroes head down to Miami Florida for Animate Con! But not all our heroes are set to attend. Jesse, Indra, and Rikki sit out this one, while Holly, Jessica, and Chloe decide to team up again. Yaya is, of course, judging, and we meet two new guys to the cosplay group. Miguel and Carl. 

These two certainly bring their A-Game for this convention. Miguel sets his sights on a Digimon Cosplay, while Carl goes for Silent Hill, the movie. Both only have a week to get their costumes done. can they make it in time?

While they're doing that, Holly, Jessica and Chloe get some one on one time with Dragon Age game designers, and the chance to cosplay characters from a game that's not even been released yet. Which is pretty spectacular! Yaya is trying to revamp an old costume for the Judging ceremony, and everyone is in a mad dash to get everything done. As it turns out, everyone makes it in time, nearly, but there are some hiccups along the way. Carl's got some trouble getting his on, and Miguel's run out of time to finish the painting on some of the costume. Jessica had her costume partially made by a seamstress friend, and Holly made Chloe's vest.

To include in the drama, Carl nearly doesn't make it to prejudging, Jessica admits part of her costume was made by someone else, and Yaya notices Miguel's unfinished costume. So far, everyone has a slight disadvantage this round. Even worse, Carl's costume is falling apart, literally. Come costume contest time, there's plenty to be seen, and many of the cosplayers in the contest are just as amazing as our Heroes. 

While on stage, Carl's costume loses a head, so he leaves it to the judges; Miguel brings some mighty stage presence, and Chloe kisses Jessica on the cheek. It's a fantastic way to show her character's personality in such a short time. Turns out the judges were impressed, because our Dragon Age trio wins the Group Cosplay! Sadly, neither new guy places, but both are determined to bring it next time!

Next up, our Heroes hit Portland!

Ok, I will admit that I have a major problem these days and it can only be cured by…no, not more cowbell, but books.  I have been on a massive book buying spree over the past couple of months and I am not ashamed to admit it.  One of the best things about reading a book, is that you can almost do it anywhere, at the park, in the mall even the police department, but I would not recommend the last one. 

There have been a couple new releases over the past months and I am truly looking forward to turning their pages.

The first is Stephen King’s Mr. Mercedes.  I have been long awaiting this novel's release since I saw it noted in Entertainment Weekly.  A race against time to stop a killer from blowing up thousands…what could be better.  Now I am mostly a horror fan of King’s work, but he has written a couple of different books that I have enjoyed as well, so it will be great to see what he brings to the table with this one.

Second is Blackout by Connie Willis.  Not a new novel, but one that has been on my list for a while as I loved Doomsday Book and was looking for something else that will deal with some time travel snafus.  With a different storyline of historians going back to the past to witness some of the moments that has changed who we are as a race, it just seems like a great premise.  But as always, something has to go wrong with someone or something in the past that puts a hold on these trips while the present slowly changes into something else. 

The third book I am looking forward to cracking open is The Princess Bride by William Goldman.  Ok, I know that I am turning back the clock here, but can honestly say that I have never read the novel.  With so much love that has been given to the film over the years and this becoming required reading, for high schoolers I think, it would be nice to kick back and see if the film did the novel enough justice.  Butter Cup and Wesley changed the lives of many people over the years, at least if they were looking for love that is.

The fourth and final book I am going to try to get through this summer is Bless Your Mechanical Heart.  An anthology of stories based on or around robots and what they have and could do.  I must say that I am very intrigued with this book and even though I have not been privy to a couple of these authors work before, I do not think this will disappoint.  Getting a talented group of writers together and combining all of their works into one book has to be one of the most difficult, but exciting things to accomplish, especially when it is based around one subject that you have provided.

That is it for my Summer ’14 reads.  I really hope I am able to get a few more in there, I have some Peter Clines books that I need to catch up on and would love to get back to the Issac Asimov series as well.  Stay cool and make sure to keep your mind working, even when you are basking in the sun.  Have a great and safe summer!

As summer is rapidly approaching, I have devised my list of things to do to keep busy.  I will be trying to enjoy the weather as much as possible, but some days it just gets too hot and you are in need of a break from the heat and that is why I am thankful that I have Netflix.

I have a couple of series on Netflix that I am really excited to watch this summer starting off with Psych.  I am not going to lie, I think this show is fantastic and I am looking forward to watching the journey from beginning to end since I have missed so many episodes in the past.  The relationship between Shawn and Gus is captivating enough, but when you add Shawn’s father to the mix along with two detectives that are just trying to figure out what is really going on, it adds to the hilarity.  Not to mention that most of the references made in the show focus around the 80’s, which is my era, so I do not miss much of what is trying to be accomplished.    

The second series that I need to catch up on is Doctor Who.  I know I am behind the times on this, but it was never one of the things I really enjoyed after being freaked out from the opening sequence in the late 80’s.  What can I say, I was afraid of many things back then.  As I have gotten older, I would like to think that I have gotten past this and will give it another try, besides that, I am the only person in the group that does not follow this and would really like to understand what all of the hype is about.  I have finished the first season with Christopher Eccleston and am just starting to get into the Tennant era.  I have enjoyed it thus far and am looking forward to seeing what comes next.

The third and final series I am looking forward to watching is the original episodes of The Twilight Zone.  I must admit, that when I was growing up and these were being repeated, I got caught up in them once or twice.  With famous actors from the day doing a television show, you can see that a lot has changed over the years and it takes a special occasion to get a movie actor to come back to the small screen.  It was a normal occurrence back in the 50’s and 60’s and I am really looking forward to this and see what stories I have missed over the years since this came out.

These are the shows I am going to be watching and catching up on during the blistering heat of summer or just when I need to take my mind off of things.  Hope everyone has a great Summer ’14 and remember to keep the sunscreen on so you don’t get burned to a crisp.  

This week our Heroes hit up Ottawa Pop Expo; which just so happens to be an international convention held in the great country of Canada. Canada, you have brought us many a hot actor, and this week, you brought us one of the most exciting episodes of Heroes of Cosplay. Just so happens, I might have to drag Mattie to this one day. Maybe we'll even compete! Our lovely Heroes take to making their costumes for this con's cosplay contest quite seriously. This con is held to the Costumer's Guild Guidelines, which are far tougher than most convention contests. Nearly every costume piece must be hand made, and made well. This poses its own challenges for many cosplayers, but our Heroes meet it head on. Well, Yaya doesn't have to participate. She will be judging this competition, but that doesn't mean she's not about to cosplay. Suiting up is always the best part of a con, right?

Let's be honest, half the fun is slipping into something nerdy that everyone will notice and love. That's why I wear my TARDIS jacket almost everywhere. That's nothing like putting together your own costume and strutting your stuff. Well, everyone has picked their costumes, works on them, packs up, and head out. Similar to every other episode, right!? Yes, but this week, we get a lot of interesting work. Riki joins this week. Her costume involves a neat trick with some tarot cards and a book. Attach the cards, add a magnet to them, and her glove, and you have the coolest trick I've seen on a stage. It was pretty nifty, I have to say. Meanwhile, Jesse hand made rings; that's right, he cn cast metal now! Indra works on making some tails…only they don't want to stay up. Chloe sits out this weekend, as she's meeting with her boyfriend. Which kind of puts a damper on Jessica and Holly's plan. Holly's unable to make it to the convention, so that leaves Jessica on her own. Still, she decides to go and compete.

Her costume is inspired by Jim Henson's Company, and a meeting with the late puppeteers son. Holly accompanies her, and the two are blown away with the actual costumes of Skesis from The Dark Crystal. They leave with some books, and we learn just how much Jim Henson meant to Jessica. The costume they're making, ilke everything the two do, is large, brilliantly crafted, and has to be shipped to the hotel where Jessica is at. Only two boxes make it to the room the night before the competition. But it does arrive just as Jessica is helping Jesse with his hair!

Come contest time, Riki wins a judge favorite award, while Indra wins a cash prize for her embroidery work on her costume. Jesse and Jessica leave with nothing, but they had an amazing time and both are ready to hit the next convention. Next week's episode looks like it takes place in Miami Florida, and boy do Floridian's know how to con! I lived down in Florida for 5 years and loved their conventions. Never made it to Miami for a con, but it looks just as fun as anything down in Florida!

If you're also around next week, they will be live tweeting the episode! I don't know who 'all' is, but I'll be right there with you guys (unless I have to work, in which case, I'll be there in spirit!) Until next week; who was your favorite cosplayer this week? What is your dream costume? And which con would you most like to make it too? You can tweet me your answers @SoraLostSoul, @GirlsofGeek12, or comment below! I absolutely love hearing from you guys!