COSPLAYER OF THE YEAR!

JAMES HANNON

AMBER LOVE 18-DEC-2014 I sent out a single tweet declaring JAMES HANNON my favorite cosplayer of the year but that didn’t feel like enough. He’s too amazing for a single tweet! Here are some James facts that you should know:

He’s the PR liaison for the 501st NER which is the garrison that covers New Jersey. The 501st is the volunteer costume group of STAR WARS fans that have strict guidelines about the quality and accuracy of their costumes. They do a ton of charity work including helping me and the group out every year at Comic Fusion’s Superhero Weekend. Plus he formed a DC super villains group if you want to ask him about that!

James is also a published author, screenwriter and director. He took his premise for a documentary about the Ducky Boys gang of the Bronx and turned his work into a book. He does signings on a fairly regular basis and is always happy to talk about the Ducky Boys and other NY gangs.

There were a time I was able to get James on the air for Vodka O’Clock. He and several other volunteer cosplayers and artists were interviewed at this year’s Superhero Weekend at Comic Fusion.

James also shares his writing and game designing talents right here at AmberUnmasked. He went to GenCon and blogged all about his experiences there. He’s taken his game design for Chopper to conventions like Dreamation.

Year after year, people who enjoy the hobby of dressing up in costume causes more drama. It’s that drama which has made plenty of us back out and all but give up because the fun got sucked out of something we loved. Cosplay is not about being a sexy girl on television despite what this year has turned it into. There are people of all ages, all genders, all classes that get into it for their own reasons. James is a stellar example of the patience and kindness that a great cosplayer should have. Don’t let the drama and cameras dictate your fandom or how you choose to participate in a subculture that is now mainstream.

Founder and Editor-in-Chief of AmberUnmasked.com and Vodka O'Clock Podcast. Author of The Farrah Wethers Mysteries, comic book short stories, prose, and non-fiction. Cosplayer and figure model.