I don’t know when it was exactly, but suddenly cons got hot. From DragonCon to PotterCon, I wasn’t the only one I knew who was obsessed with the opportunity to meet my favorite comic book writers, shake hands with my favorite Stargate Atlantis actors and get to sit in on a panel for an upcoming movie I’d been dying to see.
Now with Halloween behind me, I’ve got an opportunity to plan my best cosplays and join my daughter in doing so! Whether it’s a superhero or an anime character, these are my top picks for 2017.
With “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” premiering in November, it’s a hot time to get back into the magical world of Harry Potter, and this is one costume that isn’t just your average robe. Dress as Harry’s stag or Hermione’s otter; it’s a cool way to utilize the universe in a new costume twist.
Is there anything hotter than Star Wars right now? You can go new generation with Finn or Rey (or Kylo, it’s always great to be the bad guy), but it’s never old to go as Han or Leia (or a well-timed Chewie). Dress up and speed off to Tatooine or guide yourself on a journey to find Rey’s parents. It’ll be a hit either way.
Sailor Moon
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMeNoEOBSIE/
Serena Tsukino is always a popular pic. How much better can you get than Sailor Moon? It’s one of those great group costumes as well, so a whole friend group can don the blue skirt, white shirt, and red neck scarf to go full Sailor Soldier on everyone. Round up your Sailors Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Rini and Tuxedo Mask to complete the crew! Need a refresher on the squad style? Hulu is now streaming videos of Sailor Moon dubs, including the original 90’s English version.
While many girls may not want to dress up as Aang (though many have!), they can always dress up as Korra and her motley crew for a girl-centric take on The Last Airbender. Korra’s not only more recent, but she’s also super relevant right now, as girls (myself included) like to trade the princess costume for something a little more action-oriented. Just make sure you take along Naga to complete the look!
With Gal Gadot’s debut as Wonder Woman premiering in 2017, it’s time to get your Lasso of Truth and star-spangled hot pants, because Wonder Woman is the all-girl, all-star, power player to be. She was also very popular at Comic-Con this year–but that’s to be expected, she’s always been a great tough-girl superhero to look up to!
Pikachu
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJl0-8xj9yK/
With Pokémon sweeping back into everyone’s life with Pokémon Go, it’s a no-brainer that a well-timed Pikachu is totally warranted. Plus, what’s cuter than going all yellow and getting a lightning rod tail? The costume ideas on Pinterest are limitless, and you can even get a friend to be Squirtle!
Kiki’s Delivery Service – Kiki
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMUO8nRjh5p/
Miyazaki is always a favorite of the cosplay community because of his bevy of internationally loved characters, and Kiki the Witch is always a great costume. Grab a broom, a plum dress and a red bow, and you’re all set!
From little witches to full on power-up Pikachus, it’s never been a better year for great costumes for all ages. Just grab your creativity and let your love for anime, superheroes, wizards and space heroes take center stage!
About the Author: Cassie Phillips is a lover of Comic-Con and always has a hard time just picking one costume to choose from. She’s dressed up as a Quidditch player this year. She hopes you enjoy this list!
Gwendoline Christie (Captain Phasma) inducted Rogue One‘s Felicity Jones into a very exclusive club when she gave Jones her very on action figure of her character, “Jyn Erso,” from the upcoming Star Wars film Rogue One during Star Wars Celebration in London on Friday, July 15th.
“This is actually the very first toy being revealed from Rogue One,” Christie continued. “It’s not as good as mine. But, you know, it’s great nonetheless.”
Although she likely knew it was coming, Jones was visibly pleased when the figure was unveiled. “She’s got a pretty cool ‘Han Solo’ gun-belt,” she beamed.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story opens on December 16, 2016
Jyn Erso action figure for “Rogue One: A Star Wars Series”
Jyn Erso action figure for “Rogue One: A Star Wars Series”
Jyn Erso action figure for “Rogue One: A Star Wars Series”
April 10th is Star Wars: The Force Awakens star Daisy Ridley's birthday, and Mark Hamill shared a funny pic of their "training" on Twitter. https://twitter.com/HamillHimself/status/719239858087182336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw The photo is an homage to the way…
When the original cast got back together for Star Wars: The Force Awakens there was one notable change: Leia was no longer a princess. She was a "general." In fact, Leia not only…
The American Toy Fair is the largest toy trade show in the Western hemisphere. The annual event is held in New York City by the Toy Industry Association, whose more than 900 members account for approximately 90-percent of the annual U.S. domestic toy market of $22 billion.
So it’s kind of a big deal.
One of the highlights of the show are the awards. They give out awards for best educational toy, most innovative toy, and best toy for infants and toddlers.
The Best Toy for Boys is defined as “The best toy developed specifically for boys of any age.” So what toy is it that was “developed specifically for boys?”
LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens Millenium Falcon
LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens Millenium Falcon by The LEGO Group
That’s right girls, forget that the main character of the film is a woman. Forget that she spends more time piloting it than Han Solo or that she actually inherits the Falcon at the end of the movie. Forget that she comes with the set and is shown on the box piloting the spaceship.
Star Wars is for boys.
Other nominated toys “made specifically for boys” included the Air Hogs Millennium Falcon and Star Wars Bladebuilders Jedi Master Lightsaber — got the message yet, girls?
Shopkins Scoops Ice Cream Truck
On the other hand, the Best Toy for Girlswinner was the consumer-culture driven Shopkins Scoops Ice Cream Truck followed by an assortment of other pink, purple and pastel items. (Notable exceptions included the “Girl Scouts Cookie Oven” and “Zoomer Kitty.”)
To what purpose do we divide toys by gender? What good does it do to tell girls they are only allowed to play with something if it is pink, purple and covered in flowers? Why do we tell a boy interested in nurturing pets or in role-playing owning an ice-cream shop that his interests are wrong? Where are the toys for those children?
It just goes to show you that despite what I believe are truly good intentions and lots of ink and timid steps towards progress, the industry is hopelessly mired in incredibly rigid and antiquated gender norms that should have died generations ago.
Before next year’s Toy Fair, I’d like to give the industry an opportunity to re-examine this flow chart, which I hope will make it easier for them to determine if a toy is “specifically made” for a girl or a boy.
You can meet a lot of wonderful people on the comics convention circuit, and one of our favorite discoveries of the past year was our new friends at ESJ Cosplay.
Made up of cosplayer Emi and design team Sendy (mom) and Jose (dad); ESJ Cosplay has been knocking it out of the park with fantastic costume after fantastic costume — doing multiple conventions and multiple costumes every year.
You can follow ESJ Cosplay on Instagram (@esjcosplay) or Twitter (@EmSeJo).
X-23 Costume by Jose Ramirez Photography by NixDad
X-23 Costume by Jose Ramirez Photography by NixDad
Winter Soldier Costume by Jose Ramirez Photography by NixDad
Winter Soldier Costume by Jose Ramirez Photography by NixDad
Thor Costume by Jose Ramirez Photography by NixDad
Snow White
Rey (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)
Rey (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)
Rey (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)
Rey (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)
Rainbow Dash
Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan) Costume by Sewmany costumes Photography by Heroic Imaging
Ms Marvel (Kamala Khan) Costume by SewMany Costumes Photography by James Rulison
Ms Marvel (Kamala Khan) Costume by SewMany Costumes Photography by York in the box
Mabel Pines (Gravity Falls)
Lydia Deetz (Beetlejuice) Costume by Sendy Ramirez Photography by Jose Hernandez
Loki Costume by Jose and Sendy Ramirez Photography by Wonderwallvisions
Loki vs. Thor Photography by Wonderwallvisions
Loki Costume by Jose and Sendy Ramirez Photography by Wonderwallvisions
Jedi Snow White
Frida Kahlo
Frankie Stein (Monster High)
Fifty Sue Costume by Jose and Sendy Ramirez Photography by Wonderwall Vision
Fifty Sue Costume by Jose and Sendy Ramirez Photography by Wonderwall Vision
We are big fans of the LEGO series of videogame adaptations, so we couldn’t be more excited to report that LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens has been announced and will be released on June 28, 2016.
The LEGO games have consistently mixed action, puzzle-solving with strong visual humor in a fun multiplayer, family-friendly package. This looks like a must-buy.
From the official game description:
“The Force is strong with this one… The No. 1 LEGO® videogame franchise triumphantly returns with a fun-filled, humorous journey based on the blockbuster Star Wars film. Play as Rey, Finn, Poe, BB-8, Kylo Ren, Han Solo, and the rest of your favorite characters from the movie!
In LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens, players relive the epic action from the blockbuster film Star Wars: The Force Awakens, retold through the clever and witty LEGO lens. The game will also feature exclusive playable content that bridges the story gap between Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens also introduces Multi-Builds and Blaster Battles to the LEGO videogame universe. With Multi-Builds, use available LEGO bricks to open up new paths, then break them apart and re-build them again to open up another! And another! During Blaster Battles, use your surroundings as cover to stand against the First Order. “
Hasbro launched a new version of Star Wars Monopoly, and in doing so they have created a great disturbance in the force. Once again, they have left out Rey, the main character from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and included no other women in the set.
Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker represent the “Legacy” tokens — fair enough, I guess. But the Episode VII tokens are villain Kylo Ren and … second lead Finn. The choice to exclude the main character of Rey yet again is not only puzzling for logistical reasons, it deprives gamers of the opportunity to play as a woman. (Adding more tokens so we could include Han and Leia would have been a great choice.)
Many retailers are marketing this as Star Wars: The Force Awakens Monopoly. How will parents explain to their daughters that the main character from the movie is not an option for them when they play the game?
Reaction has been swift and brutal on social media, but perhaps no one put it as eloquently as this little girl.
We’re not sure if Hasbro thinks that girls don’t play Monopoly or that they don’t like Star Wars. Both assumptions are incorrect. It’s 2016, Hasbro. Time to get with the program.
Illustrator Ralph Sevelius created his Disney Princesses/Star Wars mashups as a bit of whimsical fun more than two years ago to celebrate the purchase of Lucasfilms by Disney. They were moderately popular on social media at the time, but with the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, they are suddenly more relevant than ever.
Female fans are used to being ignored by science fiction franchises. The lack of merchandise from recent blockbuster films has led to hashtag campaigns including: #WheresNatasha, #WheresGamora, #WheresNatasha (again), and most recently #WheresRey — a campaign targeting the fact that the two female leads of the new Star Wars film — Rey and Captain Phasma — were left out of a Target-exclusive 12″ action figure set.
That one set seemed like part of an ongoing problem. For the previous six Star Wars movies, if a girl wanted to get a Star Wars t-shirt, she had to look in the boys department. Lucasfilm had not licensed a single Star Wars product for women or girls.
Lucasfilm CEO Kathleen Kennedy addressed the issue directly at the Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit in October.
Kathleen Kennedy: We have to make sure that we create products that are, in a sense, appealing to both boys and girls. What’s wrong with that? Even with simple things like t-shirts. There is a fantastic story with this young woman who came to Lucasfilm in 2009. She plays the character of Ahsoka in both Rebels and she also had a role in Clone Wars — and she came to Lucasfilm in 2009 saying, “Why aren’t there clothes that are tied to Star Wars for girls?”
She struggled for quite a while and then put a company together called Her Universe. And it’s doing unbelievable business. And it’s — in fact — the t-shirt that I ran down on the Comic Con floor and grabbed and put on before the Comic Con convention. It just shows that anyone who steps out and does something in quality; they find that there’s plenty of young girls and women out there who are just as interested as the boys.
But the changes went much further than Her Universe. With the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens — for the first time ever — Star Wars is being marketed directly to women and girls. Action figures, clothing, hand-bags and even a make-up line have been licensed — even if they are sometimes a little hard to find.
Female action figures have been flying off the shelves, with some items such as the Captain Phasma Black Series figure already selling for premium prices on ebay. “We underestimated the demand,” said one Disney executive on condition of anonymity. “We’re rushing to get more product into retail channels. It’s a good problem to have.”
To help female fans find the merchandise that is still out there, Heroic Girls has put together this guide highlighting some of the best Star Wars merchandise made for women and girls.
We’ve broken down our guide into sections, you can jump ahead if you like to”
Still a favorite among both kids and adults, Funko has made a full line of Pops for Star Wars, including multiple Reys, a Captain Phasma, and quite a few Leias from the original trilogy.
Star Wars Black Series
The “Black Series” is Hasbro’s name for their line of ultra-detailed collectible action figures. Rey has her own figure that comes with lovable droid BB-8, but the early sought-after prize is the hard-to-find Captain Phasma figure.
Captain Phasma – Black Series Action Figure
Action Figures & Playsets
The most encouraging development is the prevalence of toys developed for children. There are Rey and Phasma action figures, and playsets fully integrated into the consumer line right along side the boys. While there are tons of female figures and sets, our favorite might be the Rey’s Speeder Bike set, which comes with a bonus Rey action figure, dressed to survive the harsh desert landscape of Jakku.
Rey’s Speeder Bike Set
LEGOs
LEGO has always done an above-average job of prioritizing diversity, and they continue that tradition with their Star Wars sets. Our favorite — again — is Rey’s Speeder Bike, which comes with dual stud shooters, opening storage hatch and side-mounted bag, blaster, buzzsaw, electrobinoculars and an “Unkar’s Thug” minifig, that we will go out on a limb and say is a bad guy .
Rey’s Speeder Bike – LEGO
Build-A-Bear
Build-A-Bear has a full line of The Force Awakens characters — no Captain Phasma, but they have this awesome Rey.
Build-A-Bear Rey
Disney Infinity
Disney Infinity 3.0, the latest iteration of the popular toys-to-life franchise, is all about Star Wars. The default set comes with Anikan Skywalker and Jedi-in-training Ahsoka Tano, giving kids a choice of gender, right out of the box. The Force Awakens playset is similarly gender-balanced, coming with both Finn and Rey. There are also sets featuring Leia, and the women from Star Wars Rebels.
Ahsoka Tano – Disney Infinity 3.0
Plush Toys
While there are several to choose from, our favorite Star Wars plush to date has to be the “Itty Bitty Rey” from Hallmark. We won’t justify this decision. Just look at it.
It’s adorable!
Itty Bitty Rey by Hallmark
Clothing
The days of raiding the boys department are finally over. Disney licensed apparel for women and girls to a ton of retailers, including Target, Macy’s, Kohls, Amazon and Her Universe. Here are a few of our favorite items.
Her Universe
If there is one person to thank for the fact that Disney is now Star Wars making merchandise for women, it is Ashley Eckstein, the voice of Ahsoka Tano on Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels. Ashley pushed Disney to give her a license to make Star Wars merchandise for women and girls — and when they said, “no,” she went out, recruited experts in fashion and apparel — and came back and asked again, and again, until the answer was, “yes.”
Her Universe proved once and for all that there was a market for quality geek merchandise and apparel for women. Ashley is the woman that made executives wake up and realize that women love comics, science fiction and fantasy just like the guys, and Her Universe remains the gold standard for female-friendly Star Wars apparel on the web.
BB-8 Bomber Jacket – Her Universe
Rey Resistance Youth Tee – Her Universe
Stormtrooper Circle Skirt – Her Universe
Try Not Triangle Chiffon Tee – Her Universe
Macy’s
While Macy‘s doesn’t have much Star Wars clothing for girls, they have an incredible selection for juniors and women, with t-shirts, dresses and jogger pants.
Mighty Fine Juniors’ Star Wars The Force High-Low Graphic T-Shirt – Macy’s
Juniors’ Star Wars Jogger Pants from Mighty Fine – Macy’s
Plus Size Star Wars Luke and Leia Graphic T-Shirt from Hybrid – Macy’s
Juniors’ Star Wars Storm Trooper Sheath Dress from Hybrid – Macy’s
Target
Target provides a wide assortment of entry-level Star Wars fashions for both women and girls. We buy a lot of stuff for the girls here because we want it to look good, but we don’t want to spend a ton of money on clothes they will outgrow in six months.
Star Wars Darth Vader Graphic Sweatshirt – Target
Girls’ Star Wars Leggings – Target
Girls’ Star Wars Trooper In Ya Face T-Shirt – Target
Girls’ Star Wars T-Shirt – Target
Kohl’s
Kohl’s — the second largest department store in the United States — has some truly stunning Star Wars apparel that elevates your fandom above simple cotton tees.
Rock & Republic Star Wars Embellished Hoodie – Kohl’s
Women’s Rock & Republic Star Wars Poster Graphic Tee – Kohl’s
Juniors’ Star Wars Princess Leia Tee – Kohl’s
Juniors’ Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens Graphic T-Shirt – Kohl’s
Amazon
Amazon partnered with Disney to license a fairly extensive line of Star Wars apparel and accessories that they carry right along side apparel made by other manufacturers. While many stores carry merch for women, online is still one of the best places to find apparel for girls. If you’re having trouble finding clothing that let’s your little girl’s geek flag fly, Amazon is a great place to look.
Star Wars Juniors’ Episode 7 The Force Awakens Rebel Graphic Tank – Amazon
Star Wars Girls’ Rey and BB-8 Walking Girls Short Sleeve Graphic Tee – Amazon
Star Wars Juniors’ Henna Trooper Tattoo Art Racerback Graphic Tank Top – Amazon
Star Wars Big Girls’ Galaxy Far Away Tee – Amazon
JCPenney
JCPenney has some cool designs that you can’t find anywhere else — including skirts, leggings and overprint tees.
Star Wars Short-Sleeve Burnout T-Shirt – JCPenney
Star Wars Bodycon Skirt – JCPenney
Star Wars Galaxy Leggings – JCPenney
Star Wars Long-Sleeve Reversible Sweatshirt – JCPenney
Jewelry & Accessories
Loungefly
Hip bag and apparel maker Loungefly has bee cranking out some really attractive Star Wars handbags, wallets, cosmetics bags and more. And they are quality products. The wallets are made from leather. The totes are lined, with zippered products. If you want to display your geek pride over your shoulder, but all the bags you could found were made from cheap vinyl and plastic — your days of waiting are over.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens BB-8 Embossed Wallet – Loungefly
Star Wars: The Force Awakens Captain Phasma Embossed Mini Dome Bag – Loungefly
Star Wars Tattoo Flash Print Coin/Cosmetic Bag – Loungefly
Next Star Wars Ewok Face Crossbody Bag – Loungefly
Kay Jewelers
While there are inexpensive costume pieces at almost every retailer, Kay Jewelers has rolled out an entire line of exquisite gold and silver Star Wars jewelry. There has never been a better time to get a Darth Vader pendant made out of black diamonds.
Star Wars Earrings Stormtrooper 10K Yellow Gold – Kay Jewelers
Star Wars Onyx Bracelet Darth Vader Sterling Silver – Kay Jewelers
Star Wars Necklace Spinning BB-8 10K Yellow Gold – Kay Jewelers
Charmed Memories Star Wars Rebel Alliance Sterling Silver Charm – Kay Jewelers
Makeup
Covergirl
Covergirl released a line of Star Wars themed cosmetics with six “looks” including “Droid,” “Mystic,” and “Chrome Captain.” Smartly, they also recruited Janelle Monae as their “Resistance Pilot,” and we pretty much buy whatever the Eletric Lady is selling.
Star Wars Chrome Captain – Covergirl
Star Wars Mystic – Covergirl
Star Wars Droid – Covergirl
Star Wars Resistance Pilot – Covergirl
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