Our Favorite Cosplay From Flame Con, NYC’s Awesome Queer Comic Con

Flame Con turned a Brooklyn hotel rainbow bright this weekend, and the cosplayers really kicked it up a notch.

I’m a big fan of Flame Con, which is in my experience a happy and inclusive event where everyone feels like a friend and every panel features a topic I’m anxious to hear discussed. After more than a decade of covering New York Comic Con, which gets more crowded and chaotic each year, Flame Con is a breath of fresh air.

Provided with such a safe and welcoming space—it’s the sort of Con where free stickers featuring your preferred pronouns are offered at the entrance—the cosplayers let their creativity run wild. Here are some of my faves.

I saw two absolutely fabulous Ursulas. This one had tentacles attached to strings so that they could move around, puppet-like. And the Power Rangers don’t stand a chance against this Rita Repulsa.

The other exquisite Ursula.

My camera can’t do justice to the full effect of this fierce cosplayer, who towered over six feet on dangerously high heels.

This excellent punk Bucky Barnes had the coolest and most creative Winter Soldier arm I’ve seen yet.

Much magic abounds amongst The Adventure Zone crowd.

This lovely person wasn’t cosplaying, but I adored the “Mama Bear pride” shirt a lot. I keep tearing up about it.

True Blood‘s best character, Lafayette, and the much-revered Diva Plavalaguna from The Fifth Element.

ROSE QUARTZ WAS FRAMED!!!

Merciful Minerva! This funky retro Diana would definitely save the day.

Cosplay has grown increasingly mainstream, so that most of the guests at the hotel bar didn’t even blink to find themselves sitting next to wizards, aliens, and superheroes. My favorite cosplay moment came as I watched a lady help her friend, who was dressed as Diana in the blue gown from the Wonder Woman ball scene, adjust the sword concealed down her back so that she could hop onto a bar stool and grab a drink. That’s what true friends are for.

(via Flame Con, images: Kaila Hale-Stern)

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