Months of intense needlework and beading mixed with blood, sweat and tears paid off for selfconfessed geeks on Sunday as winners of the annual Con.ect Convention Cosplay competition were named.
From beloved cartoon characters, to superheroes and the more macabre, thousands of people flocked to Nelson Mandela University’s sports centre in Summerstand to experience an atmosphere unlike any other where anyone could dress up and be part of the event.
Since its inception five years ago, Con.ect has been showcasing some of the Eastern Cape’s best cosplayers and stalls offering items not always seen.
Erika Visser, 17, of Walmer, said she enjoyed attending Con.ect because it was a space where everyone felt comfortable and accepted.
“Everyone is so accepting. You can dress up as anything and feel comfortable because other people here are really interested,” Visser said.
Avid gaming enthusiast and figurine collector Natalie le Clue, 31, said she was impressed to see that pop culture was thriving in Port Elizabeth.
“What I like most about Con.ect is seeing how the love of pop culture brings people together regardless of how diverse your interests might be,” Le Clue said.
The highlight of the twoday event was the Cosplay competition, with 20 competitors vying for the top spot as number one cosplayer and to scoop a litany of prizes.
The winner, Jessica Slabbert, 23, as fictional character Harley Quinn from DC Comics, spent six months putting her outfit together.
“I made my costume by hand, from the shoes to the pants and corset – it took me about six months to put it all together,” she said.
“When my name was called out, I almost lost all the feeling in my legs. I am very excited but also shocked because the competition was so tough.
“I can now pay back the money I used to make my costume,” she joked.
Third-place winner Wesley Waqas Bosch, 38, a health and safety officer by day and an avid cosplayer by night, created his look from scratch.
Bosch’s spectacularly detailed Predator costume, which took him a year to complete, included moveable parts and glowing lights.
“Last year, there was someone dressed as the Alien character and I thought it would have been awesome for Predator to be represented as well.
“I would love to do this full time. I have not been to any other competitions, but I would love to go to Comi Con.”
Marvin Carstons, 50, who received an honorary mention for his costume as The Inquisitor from the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop war game, said his impressive costume, which included a 12kg gun and metres of leather, had taken him two months to complete.“I had built the top half of the costume for Night at the Museum, where some cosplayers saw it and encouraged me to extend it,” Carstons said.
Stall holder Ziyad Rassool, of Angelic Enchantments, said he was surprised by the number of people who attended the event over the two days.
“There was a lot of foot traffic and a lot more purchases than we expected. It is great to see people with social anxiety being able to express themselves,” Rassool said.
Comic book creator and graphic novelist Ziyaad Rahman, of Cape Town, who sold handmade portraits of comic book characters as well as his own creations at the event, said returning to Con.ect for the second time had been an extremely positive experience.“The reception we got was extremely positive, maybe not as many people as we thought, but there has been a lot of interest,” Rahman said.
Con.ect managing director Janelle Vermaak said she was extremely impressed with the turnout at the event and the effort many cosplayers had put into their costumes.
“It has been better than ever,” Vermaak said.