As referenced in an earlier post, every Comic Con experience becomes its own thing. Comic Con isn’t something you do. Comic Con is something that happens to you. You set a course, pick a few guiding principles, and go along for the ride.
2013 is the first Comic Con I’ve attended since I started watching Doctor Who. I was always aware of the presence of the Doctor at the Con, but heading into this Con, I was determined to connect with some Who fans and get photos of the costumes.
A few notes to begin. I‘ve watched only the new Doctor Who. Of that, I’ve seen only the first two seasons. I am madly in love with David Tennant in the role of the Tenth Doctor. Even though I can’t imagine why any person would like anyone else in the role, I am determined to give Matt Smith fans the benefit of the doubt. After all, if there’s anything I’ve learned from watching Doctor Who, it’s that everyone should chase their passions with their whole heart and soul, no matter how daft they seem.
That’s actually the one thing that I enjoyed most at SDCC in my search for other Who fans this year. Whovians (as I discovered we are called) have an unbeatable zest for life. We are the Wolverines of zeal. There’s a relentless, optimistic view that informs the television series, and that infects the lives of the Whovians I met. I’m not saying every single Who fan is this way, but the ones passionate enough to dress up and head to Comic Con sure are.
I heard no arguing about which Doctor was the best. No one seemed to care who knew the most about Doctor Who trivia. New Who fans were always welcomed with open arms.
Even though some of my best friends are MSTies, I still hear a Joel vs. Mike debate on occasion at Comic Con. That never happened with the Whovians, even though there are literally 5.5 more incarnations to argue about.
Instead of arguing, there was a relentless drum banging of super-passion for their own favorite Doctor. There wasn’t a negative word spoken about any of the other Doctors, companions, or anything else. Sure, people grumbled about certain episodes being stronger or weaker, but overall if you had your favorite Doctor, people were content to listen to you rave about him until it was their turn to spread some love for their own favorite.
So to all of you who had to listen to me rave about my man-crush on David Tennant, go ahead and comment with your own favorite below.
Now, a couple of notes on the costumes.
When I downloaded my photos, I was not surprised to find only photos of the Fourth, Tenth, and Eleventh Doctors. First off, I haven’t seen the classic series, so it’s entirely possible that there were Doctor Who cosplayers that I missed because I didn’t even recognize the outfits. I did take pictures of a couple of people that I thought might be classic Doctors, but people later told me I was wrong. It was easy for me to spot Nine, Ten, and Eleven, since I’ve seen them the most. And, Four’s scarf is instantly recognizable.
Also, I was not surprised that I didn’t spot a Nine. The dress doesn’t really seem distinctive, and there isn’t as much geek love for Eccleston as for the other new Doctors. I would guess that there were no Nine costumes in the convention, but I would be glad if someone could point me to a photo that disproves my hunch.
That said, there were a lot of Doctors at the Con. It’s a great costume and is easy to pull off. Talking to the people, they also love the fact that it’s not bulky, awkward, or hot. It’s easy to walk the floor, look, shop, and attend panels in the suit. Plus, everyone immediately knows you are ready to have a conversation about Doctor Who as you’re standing in line for the next panel. I had even thought about going as the Tenth Doctor this year, and I’ve never done a costume for Comic Con.
That’s the good news for Doctor Who cosplay. The bad news is that there are so many Doctors, it’s hard to pull off something unique or different from the others. Some people managed a distinct look by getting a different prop from a specific episode and/or being a girl. But, it’s tough.
The really bad news, though, is that I got some great advice on where to get a Ten costume for next year. (Sorry, I should have said that the “really bad news” was specific to my wife).
So, on to the pictures. Go the the SDCC Photos page. There’s commentary on all the photos. Be on the lookout for a poll on the Doctors. Just be aware that Gerry and Marty are the best Doctors of all time for reasons you will learn when I post my daily recaps.
As always, questions/comments are not just welcome, but are appreciated.
Casual Comics Guy 
Leave a Reply