Thinkgeek.com

Have you ever taken a whiff of someone who's been playing video games for that days straight? Did the combined odor of leftover pizza, Mountain Dew, and unwashed pit sweat make you wish you could bottle it into a fragrance and have it with you always?

Yeah, we didn't think so.

See Also:
Phoenix Comicon 2013 in 26 Animated GIFs
13 Favorite Phoenix Comicon 2013 Costumes
Le Slip Français Presents Indomitable, a New Line of Scented Men's Underwear

More »

Photos and video by Benjamin Leatherman

The Exhibitor Hall at Phoenix Comicon 2013.

If some of your geek friends have been a bit sluggish or down in the dumps the past couple days, it's only to be expected since they're probably suffering from a bout of post-Phoenix Comicon funk or still recovering from the event this past weekend. They'll probably recover from the affliction in short order, however, while going through all the photos they took or recalling all the things they saw, people they encountered, and sharing the experiences enjoyed during those four action-packed days. Maybe even a life lesson or two.

They ain't the only ones who discovered something about themselves or others during Comicon, as we also gained some insights while attending. And we're happy to share what we learned with you.

See Also:
13 Favorite Phoenix Comicon 2013 Costumes
Phoenix Comicon 2013 in 26 Animated GIFs
The Costumes and Cosplayers of Phoenix Comicon 2013
The Geek Girls, Booth Babes, and Sexy Super-heroines of Phoenix Comicon 2013

More »

Photos by Benjamin Leatherman

The throng of costumed and non-costumed folks at Phoenix Comicon 2013.

Simply put, there were two types of people who came to Phoenix Comicon this past weekend: those who wore a costume and those who didn't. The attendees who got into the spirit of the event and donned apparel were inspired by any number of comic books, cartoons, TV shows, video games, or movies. Some went the store-bought or lo-fi route, others spent a good chunk of their life building something killer.

In the midst of all the various versions of Doctor Who, Finn, The Joker, Deadmau5, or X-Men (all of which are commonplace at Comicon) were 13 different costumes that caught our eye and earned our respect. It was hard to whittle the list down -- especially with such worthy candidates as DIY samurais, game-inspired warriors, and clever genre-bending creations -- but here's a bakers dozen of our favorite outfits.

See Also:
Phoenix Comicon 2013 in 26 Animated GIFs
The Costumes and Cosplayers of Phoenix Comicon 2013
The Geek Girls, Booth Babes, and Sexy Super-heroines of Phoenix Comicon 2013
Phoenix Comicon 2013: Our Complete Coverage

More »

Photo and GIFs by Benjamin Leatherman

Cue up some of Meco's Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk, stat!

Describing Phoenix Comicon 2013 as busy would be a major understatement. As is the case with each and every version of the annual geek free-for-all, it was a vast hive of activity spread across the entirety of the Phoenix Convention Center, as well as adjacent venues and hotels.

We attempted to capture as much of the action, energy, and movement of Comicon as possible -- including the hubbub of the Exhibitor Hall, the chaos of cosplayers, the frenzied Zombie Walk, and the after-hours verve at various parties -- in more than two-dozen animated GIFs. There's more than a few unforgettable moments from special guests, including the always entertaining John Barrowman.

See Also:
Phoenix Comicon 2013: Our Complete Coverage
The Costumes and Cosplayers of Phoenix Comicon 2013
The Geek Girls, Booth Babes, and Sexy Super-heroines of Phoenix Comicon 2013

More »

Photos by Benjamin Leatherman

Costumed attendees of Phoenix Comicon's preview night.

ZOMG! Did you go to Phoenix Comicon's "preview night" on Thursday evening and see that full-sized mockup of the Mos Eisley Cantina? What about that gruesome zombie created by the peeps from Making Monsters at the Chamber of Fear booth or the first night of the Phoenix Ultimate Geek Smackdown? No, huh?

There's still three more days to catch all of these things, as Comicon proper officially kicks off today and runs through Sunday afternoon.

See Also:
10 Must-See Events at Phoenix Comicon 2013

More »

Benjamin Leatherman

A trio of geek girls partying after dark during last year's Phoenix Comicon.

If there are a few pieces of helpful advice we can impart to people attending Phoenix Comicon, which kicks off less than 24 hours from now, it's these tips: Drink plenty of fluids, take frequent opportunities to rest, and know your physical limits.

Not only will it help the body endure the hours of hiking to events at the Phoenix Convention Center and nearby hotels, but it will allow you enough energy to partake in any of the nightlife events or after-parties (both official and unofficial) that will occur over Comicon weekend. That includes the seven different events that will go down at places like the Hyatt and Renaissance, as well as at other nearby venues after the Exhibitor Hall closes at night.

See Also:
- 10 Must-See Events at Phoenix Comicon 2013
- Cara Nicole (a.k.a. AZ Powergirl) and Her Superheroine Cosplay
- Doctor Who and Torchwood's John Barrowman Talks Phoenix Comicon, the Face of Boe, and Chasing Down The Bionic Woman

More »

Jack Harkness and his special watch are on their way to Phoenix Comicon.

John Barrowman is one of Phoenix Comicon 2013's biggest celebrity gets. That's because Whovians everywhere love his portrayal of the sexy and sassy Jack Harkness on Doctor Who and its spin-off Torchwood.

Jackalope Ranch had some burning questions for Barrowman, who's scheduled to appear from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday, May 26, the Phoenix Convention Center. He responded with tales of chasing The Bionic Woman, his take on the Face of Boe, and 51st-century (non-existent) promiscuity.

See Also:
- John Barrowman (a.k.a. Captain Jack Harkness from Doctor Who and Torchwood) Is Coming to Phoenix Comicon
- 10 Must-See Events at Phoenix Comicon 2013
- Cara Nicole (a.k.a. AZ Powergirl) and Her Superheroine Cosplay

More »

Courtesy of Allen Amis/Anarchy Squared Creations

The Far East meets a galaxy far, far away: Allen Amis' Samurai Boba Fett armor that took seven months to build.

Some geeks slave over a killer cosplay outfit to wear at their hometown comic book convention. It earns them a variety of impressed stares, photo ops, and maybe some local notoriety. But when Valley prop maker/costume creator Allen Amis, who operates Anarchy Squared Creations, trotted out a full suit of samurai armor remixed with one of the sci-fi's most infamous rogues, it nabbed him worldwide acclaim and serious geek points across the Internet. Sites like i09, Neatorama, and others dug it hard.

Last year, the 40-something Chandler resident unveiled a Samurai Boba Fett costume at Phoenix Comicon that took him more than seven months and a couple thousand in change to construct. Given geekdom's unending groking of the Star Wars villain, it's no surprise what happened next.

See Also:
- 10 Must-See Events at Phoenix Comicon 2013
- Five Ideas for Star Wars Spin-Offs Disney Should Consider Making (and Four They Really Shouldn't)

More »

facebook.com/AZPowergirl

Cara Nicole as AZ Powergirl at one of the many comicons she attends each year.

If you've attended Phoenix Comicon at any point over the past couple years, it's likely you've seen Cara Nicole dressed in costume in the Exhibitor Hall, probably as her best-known alter ego AZ Powergirl.

Frankly, she's pretty hard to miss, even among the crowds of countless cosplayers that regularly attend the four-day event each year, as the statuesque blonde bombshell is fairly unforgettable when wearing the wowie-zowie red, white, and blue ensemble inspired by the DC Universe's Power Girl.

See Also:
- 10 Must-See Events at Phoenix Comicon 2013
- Vixens and Sexy Super-heroine Nerdettes of Phoenix Comicon 2012

More »

Art by Val Hochberg/Images courtesy of Phoenix Comicon.

Val Hochberg's epic depiction of Wonder Woman, which will appear on Phoenix Comicon's guest badge. See more Badge Art Contest winners via this slideshow.

Attention Phoenix Comicon fanatics: While there's still more than three weeks left to go until the event itself -- 24 long, agonizing days to be exact -- its organizers offered up a tasty appetizer earlier today to help whet your appetites and make the time pass more quickly.

This morning, the hard-working braintrust behind the annual comic book/pop culture megafest, which invades the Phoenix Convention Center over Memorial Day weekend, revealed the badge art for 2013. And, as in year's past, the pieces are amazing, amusing, and definitely easy on the eyes.

See Also:
- 10 Must-See Events at Phoenix Comicon 2013
- Five Life Lessons Learned from Phoenix Comicon 2012
- Phoenix Comicon Begins Voting For This Year's Badge Art Contest

More »