Reverend Scapegoat

Had an absolute blast at this one - Obviously, Michael Biehn being there was a huge plus for me and the rest of the UKCM; but seeing just how massively popular the Cosplay scene has become over the years is great, and some of the costume making and prop building talent on display is always the best part of a con for me!

There was a bigger range of stalls this year than I've seen before - Albeit some are of questionable relevance to the target audience, I suppose if they make money they'll be back and if they didn't, they won't! Lots of Funko Pop figures, and some good deals ( As well as the odd chancer ), and some really cool merch from the artists, crafters and makers I've been watching get more and more popular at Glasgow's local events over the last few years.

AFAIK, both Masquerades were filmed on decent kit, and will be posted on the Costume And Play Facebook and websites.

That was badass, dude, if you're the guy I think you are. Epic win, well played, sir!

Sam is going to remind Showmasters that we have the hive - It's at their disposal should anyone wish to get photos in front of it. I doubt that there'll be much opportunity for pics with Mr Biehn there, but you never know! It's up to him, his agent, and Showmasters. I wouldn't advise everyone bugging Michael about it though, let's let it happen through proper channels if it's going to.

Hey guys - Sorry for the inactivity, I've had a hell of a year thus far and was on a bit of a hiatus... I can confirm that the UKCM now WILL be attending Film And Comic Con Glasgow ( Thank you, Chantelle and Zoe for sorting it out! ) Not certain yet how much space we'll have, but I'm told we'll have at least one table, maybe two, so we /should/ have the hive display back in all it's icky glory, for any photos you guys wanna take in front of it :) I've had a sideways move within the UKCM, so Sam / Boltie / Amber-The-Alien is now in charge of the Hadrian's Wall squad itself, so I'll prod her in this direction and make sure y'all are kept informed as plans progress! And thanks for the geek love! We love that you love us

For future reference, there is a lift directly opposite the main Arena entrance, and you CAN get into the upstairs section that route, albeit it's a bit of doubling back, and you might need to ask staff to open some doors upstairs...

Was good to meet you in the icky flesh at last, albeit briefly, Claymore61! That costume is insane!

Yup, we'll have our display table of props and costumes again, and the Alien hive backdrop for chestburster pics :)

Aaaargh! It's 4:15am, I'm still painting stuff! This is what happens when you have Collectormania the week before another event, then you're DJing a geek party ( In Walkabout ) the week after THAT, then the weekend after THAT you have a DayZ zombie special at your Airsoft site for which you need to make ~90 LARP-safe melée weapons for under £3 each, and ~30 zombie masks... ammadie. SEE YOU ALL ON SATURDAY!! ( And yes, we will have the Alien hive for more photos, assuming wherever we're put has space - We don't know where we'll be yet, but we DO have a table! ) (( Stockingfairy - Still on for Borderlands group pics on Sunday, right? ))

Nice one! I suspect he's gonna have some good stories to tell!

You don't need to do a skit - Usually, you'll just come out to your chosen song, and answer some questions... But being as any time I've judged, we've marked on craftsmanship, accuracy and performance, being in character can sometimes tip the scales towards a win if two costumes are of similar quality and resemblance to the reference material.

( Reverend thing = Long story. Short version : Universal Life church = Legit thing where you can be ordained online. I can marry people ) Cap'n - You sign up at the Cosplay desk, providing reference pice and music if need be. Then you go on stage, show off your costume, tell the host a bit about it, and hopefully win some schwaaag.

( Psst... You realise that this is me, right, Swany? )

TBH, the most embarrassing thing that's been said to me when in costume is "Thank you!" A few of us had our BDUs on ( Camouflage trousers / shirts ) whilst we travelled overseas a few years ago, and we were mistaken for genuine military. That was awkward!

Unless we have a Xeno to hand, the UKCM sometimes get "OOH! STARSHIP TROOPERS!" or "OOH! G.I. JOE!" Mind you, Abe the Alien once got "OOH! DARTH VADER!", so, y'know... *Shrug*

I was replying myself when Zara's post appeared- And yeah, costumers/cosplayers WANT photos to be taken. Why else do we spend so much time making our gear?! Just make sure you DO please ask if we're not already posing or obviously in-character - Helmet off, having a sandwich, sitting on the floor having a rest... that kinda thing, we don't want pics taken of!

That's me converting from the Canadian dollar figure that I was told was paid for the event at which that pic above was taken. Her agent's website states:

By way of example, for a 3-day event, including panels, signings and photoshoots; Sigourney's going rate is about £60,200... That's before her expenses.

Those look great!

The laws relating to the carrying of replica weapons are tied in with "breach of the peace" - In short, if you carry it in a public place and cause fear or alarm, you can be arrested ( Or shot, if you're REALLY stupid! ) Being as conventions like Collectormania are on private property, and prop weapons are part of the expected proceedings, you're fine once you're inside... But make sure you have a decent bag to carry your kit to and from the event. Ideally, odd as it may sound, NOT a rifle-bag. A 2-zip holdall that you can put a wee lock on is ideal - And I'd advise that you put a wee printed note inside on top of your gun explaining what it is. You might hear people try to tell you that "If it's got a red tip, then it's legal" - That's utterly false. Red tips ( "Blaze Orange", actually ) are an American legal thing, and irrelevant in UK law ( albeit some con organisers include mention of them in their rules, because they've believed the wrong people! ) The only mention of a gun's colour in UK law is in the Violent Crime Reduction Act - Wherein it's illegal to SELL a Realistic Imitation Firearm to someone who isn't both over 18, and a member of a properly insured Airsoft skirmish site or re-enactment group. Confusingly, it doesn't matter whether the gun is actually capable of firing BBs - the definition of a Realistic Imitation Firearm is basically "It is gun-shaped, gun-sized, and gun-coloured". So even if it's solid plastic with no moving parts - It still counts. Imitation Firearms ( Note no "Realistic" ) are also known as 2-tones, and must be at least 51% brightly coloured. It's legal to buy these once you're over 18, even if you don't have a smirmish site/reenactment group membership... However, spraypainting them black or silver is classed as "Manufacturing", and is also illegal ( Again, unless and until you join a site/group ). Hope that helps - If you have any specific questions, ask away! Here's a link to the UKCM's carry rules: http://forum.alienslegacy.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=11540

^ That's Abe, the UKCM's head bug! Gareth ( Abe's human ) and a few other UKCM members flew over to meet her, and present her with the Aliens Legacy Gold Award. Lucky sods, I couldn't afford it

I'll keep an eye out for anything I can use as a base gun for you, if you're looking to have a pistol made?

Aye, Glasgow isn't going to have anywhere near the level of craziness that LFCC sees anytime soon, unless Showmasters decide to bring Stan Lee back for an encore or something similarly epic. It's a lower-key, quieter event - To me, it's more about the punters than the special guests anyway. I go to hang out with costumers and geeks, and if there's a good guest or two on the bill, then that's a bonus!

Oh yeah, I thought I recognised your forum handle. :) LOL Sadly, I couldn't make LFCC, as I was needed up at Section 8 for Airsoft shenanigans... But glad to see the rest of my ultimate badasses were taking care of business!