Quote:

---

Rohun wrote:

There's some great advice here. Not much I can add. Don't underestimate the heat, dehydration and sweat. I wear spandex and I'm utterly soaked within a couple hours. Keep an eye on your cape. If it's long pick it up when you move around. If your convention is anything like the one here in Toronto the crowds are huge and people are bumping shoulders. From my experience they'll generally give you room to move around (Batman can be quite intimidating) but still be mindful. Escalators and revolving doors scare the crap out of me.

Taking off your cowl and chilling out is one of the best things you can do. Fresh air on your face after a couple hours in the cowl is the best feeling in the world. It also helps to shake the crankiness you might get from wearing the mask and posing for pictures too long. I know I get pretty grumpy after a while.

Also don't plan on doing too much while in costume. As others have said it can take about an hour to cross a room. You'll be a hit and be posing for hundreds of pictures. Be prepared for that. I know I wasn't my first time out and my first costume wasn't much to write home about.

Put some insoles in your boots. You'll thank me later.

Most of my interactions with people tend to be very positive. I'm surprised considering Fan Expo is a pop culture event that includes multiple genres (Comics, Anime, Sci Fi, Horror and Gaming).
The only genre attendees I've received smugness from are the gamers. Generally the smug college boys who play Halo or Call of Duty (No offense to gamers here, I'm one too. But I think you know the type I'm talking about. It has more to do with their age and social group than anything else.) Upon entering the convention I heard one make a smart ass comment about me to his friends. I looked him in the eye and asked "What was that?" He looked down at the ground and said "Nothing." Everyone else has been courteous and excited to have a picture with Batman.

I've been cautious about children pulling on the suit, or some little brat deciding it's a good idea to punch Batman. I couldn't have been more wrong. At the conventions or even birthday parties the kids have always been well behaved and an absolute treat to engage. Seeing a kid's smile because they got to meet Batman really warms your heart. It's the best part, in my opinion.

Have fun with it. Work on some poses. My favourite is one from the Batman Begins promo shots, left hand open out front, right hand cocked for a punch. Look at pictures of Batman and emulate them in the mirror.
Even do some mock fights with people taking your picture. Some guy asked me to "punch him in the face" once and it was a blast posing for that one. I wish I could have had him send it to me. I've done others where I'm sizing up the person in the photo and such. It's nice to mix it up, otherwise you'll be doing the same thing for hours. Try not to smile! Sometimes it's hard as people make jokes and you can't help but laugh when that camera clicks. But Batman looks weird when he smiles. Really weird. It's almost creepy.

Also if you're single, chicks dig the suit. Honestly. The world likes to think costumers are nerdy, lonely people but I've had my butt grabbed, requests for hugs more times than I can count. I don't know about other heroes but Batman gets the ladies. There are a lot of pretty geeky girls out there and they're more fun.

Make sure you eat something before you get in costume. You'll need the energy. And as Liam said drink lots of water. Juice is great too, get those sugar levels up.

If you're usually shy trick yourself into having confidence. You're not yourself anymore, you're Batman. You're going to interact with a lot of people so get comfortable with the idea. Back straight, shoulders back. If you're wearing spandex, flex those core muscles! You don't have to be ripped for it to make a difference, trust me on that one.

If anyone gives you crap do your best to shrug it off. There will be more people taking pictures and enjoying your costume then there will making demeaning comments about you. Stand up for yourself and talk back, most people run away with their tails between their legs when they realize their target will look them back in the eye. If a confrontation is imminent and unavoidable take off your cowl if you can. I'm a black belt, in shape and can definitely handle myself in a melee. But that mask is a serious handicap. Not to mention the cape.
As a disclaimer I don't recommend anyone participate in a fight. But the world is full of arrogance and you never know if some guy wants to prove to his buddies that he can beat up Batman.

Interact with other costumers! This is one of my favourite parts of Cons, but it's difficult with all the posing for pictures. I love talking shop with other costumers. We tend to see the ingenuity that goes into the hobby more so than the people who just want pictures. We notice the details other people miss. It feels great when someone comes up to you and comments on a piece of your costume when everyone else only sees the whole package.

If you're only attending for one day give yourself time to go out of costume. It feels strange being incognito after being in the suit but at least then you can enjoy what the event has to offer as a "civvy."

When all is said and done head over the flickr.com and look for pictures from the event. Every year I find a good handful of myself that other people have taken. Also check out facebook groups for the event where people have uploaded their albums.

---