Calgary fever dream! (Patreon)

When I think about events in my life that drastically changed it’s trajectory, going to Calgary will always be in the top. I was just starting to get into cosplay, and I was coming fresh off of my first guest appearance in Mexico, when out of the blue, a friend of mine asked if I wanted to go to Calgary for a comic book convention. I was incredibly hesitant because I had just got back from Mexico and had so much to catch up on. Lucky for me my friend was incredibly insistent and told me that we would be staying with a friend so there would be no cost other than the flight. I didn’t really feel keen on staying in a stranger’s house, but the convention had reached out and they were going to let me do a couple panels which was really exciting because I wasn’t able to do any in Mexico due to the fact that… I don’t speak Spanish.

Immediately jumped at the opportunity and said yes out of excitement! Unfortunately when I showed up to the place we were staying in Calgary I realized I made a huge mistake because there were 20 cosplayers all staying in one house for the next week. People were literally sleeping on the floor and under pool tables and anywhere they would fit. It was literally a madhouse. Imagine 20 cosplayers all stressed out, trying to finish costumes for a convention all at the same time. If you are imagining it to be a hell, you are absolutely correct, but lucky for me, I thrive in hell. I was born in hell.

I loved every aspect of this so much that I ended up staying for over a month. I had quickly gotten to know so many people and had so many wonderful experiences in such rapid succession. The cosplayers I met there changed everything about my life. The passion that these people had was so strong, and it was honestly one of the first times I had ever felt a sense of community. We had breakfast together, we cosplayed together, we travelled together, we worked out together, we laughed together, we slept together, we cried together, not necessarily in that order though.

It’s so weird to look back at this trip because some of the people in these photos are now the most popular cosplayers in the world, and others have fully moved on and have entire families and regular jobs. So few of them are still doing the thing they made me fall in love with and I’m so proud of myself for being one of the few who kept this passion going.

Calgary was where I met so many amazing people, and truly honed my skills and love for cosplay. I learn to make props and sew and cast thing out of resin. It was the first place I ever did a panel on being a man in cosplay ( It was rare back then), it was the first time I ever wore a Spider-Man suit, it was my first time seeing mountains, and it was my second time meeting Stan Lee, BUT! It was my first time having everyone be mad that I didn’t wear a dance belt while meeting Stan Lee.

I really feel like I could go on and on about this trip but I sort of feel like the more I talk about it, the more I remember, and the more I remember, the less it feels like this visceral phantasmagorical fever dream.

Man what a weird time…