Friday we were back at New York Comic Con. This was our fifth year at the event. Check out my posts on differences between Comic Con before and after Covid + an Adam Savage panel, NYCC 2022, and New York Comic Con 2023.

Yesterday I shared about my DIY Truffula tree. Today, take a peek at my Lorax costume, my favorite costumes from the event, and messages from a The Simpson’s Legend Matt Groening and Newspaper Funnies Frontman/Creator of Mutts, Patrick McDonnell.

DIY The Lorax Costume with Truffula Tree

I made a face mask with scrap fabric to cover my mouth and a mustache out of felt, wire, hot glue and elastic.

How to make DIY costume moustache that won’t fall, flop, or fail

Using two layers of felt and wire when creating a DIY costume moustache is essential, otherwise the moustache will flop around and not stay on properly. You don’t want to become unrecognizable when the edges of the moustache are not clear, nor do you want to be constantly adjusting a faulty cosplay.

As you can see in the above photo, the wire should be wrapped around the entirety of the edge. I then made a triple-wrapped ellipses of wire to bend around my nose just right. Tightly wrap the wire around itself at the ends, if there are any poking out points you can add a dab of hot glue.

Orange Novelty Custom Cartoon Character Glasses for The Lorax Dr. Seuss Costume

One of the DIYs I was most excited about for this costume was some glasses I drew eyes for and had custom made on Zazzle. Unfortunately I didn’t place the order for them until after I returned from my Spain painting retreat, and they arrived in the mail as we were on the train back from the Con!

If you’re more forward thinking, order your own novelty cartoon character glasses for your DIY Lorax costume on Zazzle.

Oh well. They’re here for Halloween.

Geared up with my Truffula Tree, I was ready for the Convention, and so were my boys. My teen went as The Dude from The Big Lebowski

and my younger son went as…the little dude.

Favorite Costumes from New York Comic Con 2024

Where to start?! My favorite costumes are always the 90’s nostalgia ones. I’m unfamiliar with much of the video game and anime lore of today. When We went to our first con in 2019, I thought that it was strictly comics or characters represented at the convention. But any favorite fandom is up for grabs!

Beetlejuice & Lydia costumes were popular this year and last, but this guy took it next level with his giant table on wheels reminiscent from the film.

This guy did a great job–his Blue was so cute! He even handed this envelope to me after this picture, it had a crayon and a coloring page in it. Love the extra effort!

AND MY ULTIMATE FAVORITE….

Wearing the same costume at comic con is SO not like wearing the same prom dress, its a thrill to see someone else who’s such a fan of the same thing. We complimented each other and commended each other for the details we ourselves hadn’t committed to.

I only saw her once, but someone else mentioned her. When I looked back at this photo for this post I realized how FIRE her style is overall. That orange daisy mini paired with an orange turtleneck? FRAN FINE VIBES. The tights with socks and sandals?? She painted that bag. Honestly I should have gotten her number because we should be friends. LMK if you can locate this Lorax

Conversation with Matt Groening and Patrick McDonnell

Their conversation wasn’t with me. It was with each other in for a panel.

A few highlights:

Matt Groening’s dad was a cartoonist, but he thought he’d grow up to work at a tire warehouse drawing comics on his lunch break. His brother, Mark, inspired his character Bart.

They both spoke with reverence for Charles Schultz, and acknowledged that Charlie Brown’s character was revolutionary for the time. being open about sadness, loneliness, and isolation was once radical, and he put it in the newspaper every day.

Wild.

Patrick McDonnell talked about the challenge of cranking out comics at such a frequent rate. It’s a crazy way to do art–you must reach a meditative state and you have to trust the universe.

This is something that resonates with me deeply, believing in the muses, or as Pharrell puts it, “I don’t think we make much happen when it comes to creativity. We’re just antennas and transistors–we’re speakers. You know? We’re just lucky to get the transmission.”

Creatives are Speakers.

We must listen to what needs to be heard, and amplify those voices.