Chilling with MG

Random stuff

[mgshogun]

When I saw him wandering through the convention, I knew right away I had to stop and take a picture with him. It's proof that sometimes, the easiest place to find him is not on a page, but in a crowd of thousands!

[mgshogun]

I believe this photo was taken in early 2011. It's a great representation of what the cosplay community was like in that era. A bunch of us got together for dinner to celebrate a friend's birthday. I gave her the headphones, which she appreciated so much (score!).

After dinner, we just walked over to the San Diego Convention Center and hung out in the back. It was so much fun! I remember that I didn't get home until 4 am, which is absolutely insane, but I had a genuinely great time.

[mgshogun]

The Real Con Life: O RLY? and the Friend Support System

Looking back on those high-intensity years in the cosplay community (2009–2014), the most memorable moments weren't always at the conventions themselves. They were the times our crew showed up for each other.

I remember one day when a bunch of us drove out to LA to cheer up a friend who had just gotten dumped by her ex. We ended up taking her to a little local zoo to try and get her mind off things.

And there, plain as day, underneath an owl sign in the bird enclosure, one of our friends immediately dropped the classic, slightly-dated, and perfectly executed "O RLY?" joke.

It was such a simple moment—a spontaneous flash of that shared, absurd 2010 internet humor—but it was exactly the kind of emotional release we all needed. That's what that era was truly about: using the inside jokes and the shared culture as a tool to support each other through the real-life struggles.

[mgshogun]

The War Room: PC Setup Before Anime Conji 2011

This photo was taken right before we headed out for Day 1 of Anime Conji 2011. My friend is on my original PC, probably doing last-minute cosplay intelligence—securing reference images, checking con maps, or figuring out a final makeup detail.

This desk was my HQ in San Diego; I practically lived here. And I think this is the only picture of this whole setup that still exists.

Check out the detail next to the keyboard: that is a Microsoft Trackball Explorer. It was a cult classic—extremely rare and highly sought-after even by 2011. Unfortunately, mine got sticky and I had to retire it, but for a short time, it was the best pointing device I ever used.

This is the late 00s/early 10s PC experience: a big monitor, dedicated peripherals, and the machine being the central hub for all pre-con operations. No smartphone could do what this beast did.

[mgshogun]

Pillow Fight at Liberty Station: The Afterparty Vibe

This image was taken right after Anime Conji 2011 concluded, during a pillow fight gathering held at Liberty Station. The organizer wanted to keep the good times rolling and encourage more casual socializing, even though the con itself was over.

I showed up ready to rumble in my pajamas with a pillow, but the truth is, most of us were really just chilling, laughing, and sharing our passions with each other. It was a perfect, low-key decompression session. I remember meeting a few great new people at this event for the very first time, which was really nice.

In the picture, a beautiful girl is planning to playfully swat me with her pillow while I'm smiling for the camera. It was all in good, spontaneous fun, and a great way to close out the amazing Conji 2011 weekend.

[mgshogun]

Pre-Con Prep: Comfort Over Chaos

This image was taken right before my friend and I headed out for Anime Conji 2011 Day 3. As you can see, we had just put on our cosplays and were packing up our bags before leaving for the con.

My friend actually had an invite to crash in someone’s crowded hotel room at Conji, but she opted to stay at my house instead. Nothing beats having your own room and a real bed when you're powering through a con weekend! Plus, I live fairly close to the venue, so it was a quick, short drive every day.

It was all about prioritizing comfort and low stress so we could have maximum fun at the convention.

[mgshogun]

This image was taken at Anime Conji 2011 on Day 1.

I was cosplaying as Komui Lee from D.Gray-Man (always a fun character to embody!). My friend snapped this picture of me, very seriously, reading The Art of War by Sun Tzu. We thought it would be a hilarious and perfectly in-character contrast for Komui, who, despite his eccentricities, is a strategic leader. It's one of those little, silly moments at a con that always makes me smile!

[mgshogun]

The Day Fandoms Formed a Military Unit

These images represent some of my absolute favorite memories of the cosplay community. This occurred on Day 2 of Anime Conji 2011.

I was cosplaying as Denmark from Hetalia, but I teamed up with a cosplayer of Halo, Vash the Stampede (Trigun), and Vegeta (Dragon Ball Z). We decided we were a military unit and actually worked together, strategizing as we "climbed" up the hotel structure!

I will always cherish this memory because it perfectly shows that four cosplayers from entirely different fandoms can instantly collaborate, work together, and have a genuinely great time. I’m truly grateful that I was part of this remarkable, spontaneous event.

[mgshogun]

Anime Expo 2010: The Last Minute, Empty Con

I took this picture at the conclusion of Anime Expo 2010 (AX ’10) Day 4. Here, my gothic friend is mid-air, jumping while two people spin a microphone wire—a really fun, chaotic sight to see!

What I remember most about that year was how empty the convention felt due to some poor backstage management. However, this was a massive bonus for attendees like us! It gave us tons of room to move around and breathe, unlike AX's later years when it absolutely exploded in popularity. I’m so glad I took advantage of that space to genuinely enjoy the con.

The entire trip was really last minute; my friend had invited me the night before! I just went because I wanted to see them and hang out. I also brought a rose to my friend's partner, who loved it. In later years, the partner told me that simple gesture stood out for her a lot, which made me happy.

It was a tough trip, but I’m incredibly glad I went so I could hang out with friends and create these wonderful memories.

[mgshogun]

This was taken at a Seaport Village gathering in September of 2011.

This photo perfectly captures why I loved the cosplay community. A bunch of us could show up cosplaying characters from completely different fandoms and still interact together and have a genuinely good time! The shared passion for making things and being characters was enough.

It’s so unfortunate that the community largely shifted away from this kind of open, casual trend just a few years later. But I'm incredibly grateful that I have this picture to remind me of those truly inclusive days.

[mgshogun]

September/October 2010: Bittersweet Friendship

It’s kinda bittersweet for me to see this picture now, as I had a fallout with someone in the image some time later. But this moment itself serves as a perfect snapshot of a time when we were genuinely enjoying each other’s company, even when it wasn't at a big convention.

I believe this was taken around September or October of 2010. They were going through some tough relationship issues, so I drove all the way to LA to pick them up and let them crash at my house in San Diego for a few days. It was a way for them to decompress and get a break from a stressful environment. I really enjoyed hosting them at my place.

In this image, you can see me watching my friend as they spike their hair, just like Sora from Kingdom Hearts. I never tired of watching them do this; it was always so neat to see!

Did I wish everything could have turned out better between us? Yeah, of course. But that's just part of life.

[mgshogun]

This picture was taken at Anime Conji 2010! This was the inaugural year for the con, and let me tell you, it was full of glorious chaos. As the first major anime con in San Diego, a ton of anime and manga fans showed up.

I remember the registration line was absolutely swamped, but that didn't stop anyone from having a good time. A super kind touch was the hotel staff giving out a bunch of free cookies to keep everyone's spirits up!

My anime club was doing a character creation session for D&D, which was taking forever. So, my friend and I decided to ditch it and explore the empty hotel rooms on the first floor, where we started bouncing between the mattresses! As you can see, I captured that exact moment of pure, unadulterated fun. It was a blast!

[mgshogun]

I'm fairly confident this picture was taken in early 2010. I was at a photo studio with my local anime club, just goofing around.

I decided to pose with some books that were definitely full of... questionable content (you know the kind!). We took a bunch of funny pictures of me just being silly. And wow, someone really loved their books because there were seriously high stacks of them everywhere! Just a fun, random moment of friends and anime club shenanigans.

[mgshogun]

I took this picture during the summer of 2010, probably in May, as it was definitely before Anime Expo that year. At the time, I genuinely thought I was going to be moving away soon, so I was deliberately trying to attend as many events and make as many precious memories as I possibly could.

Here, I'm posing with the gothic girl after we had just come back from swimming in the ocean. I vividly remember the water being freezing cold, but the day overall was so much fun and completely enjoyable, just chilling with other cosplayers. It's a great snapshot of those last, carefree moments.

[mgshogun]

I took this image at Anime Los Angeles 2013 (ALA '13). We were in the drawing room, which ran all night long. It was a place where a bunch of us could gather, chill out, and just do whatever we wanted.

But one thing that truly stood out from this time was the person in the red shirt. They kept using Siri on their phone to make the most ridiculous and outlandish requests. This caused all of us to laugh so hard that we were literally rolling on the floor! This went on for quite a while, with each new request getting more bizarre than the last.

Red Shirt even wanted to invite us all to hang out in their room, but since it was about 3 or 4 AM, their roommates wisely declined.

It’s one of those spontaneous, unforgettable times where one person can take a good convention and make it an extraordinary, shared experience.

[mgshogun]

I took this picture at Anime Los Angeles 2013 (ALA '13), capturing a common sight: a photographer meticulously shooting a cosplayer at the convention. As you can see, there's a lot of lighting equipment and gear involved.

I always enjoyed observing these photoshoots. It was a perfect way to get some downtime from the intense con environment while still soaking in the creative energy around me.

However, with the rise of social media and the increasing professionalization of cosplay, I believe scenes like this have had a profound long-term impact on the community. For me, personally, this shift was a significant factor in why I ultimately decided to step away from the cosplay community a year later. The focus felt like it was shifting too much from passion to performance.

[mgshogun]

I took this picture of a gothic girl in her natural environment. This occurred right after Anime Expo 2010 when our mutual friend got dumped by their partner. A bunch of us gathered at the gothic girl's house so we could go on an adventure to cheer up our mutual friend. She was hosting them so they could process their emotions.

I remembered vividly that the gothic girl had a poster of Hannibal Lecter on her ceiling. Definitely an interesting person, that's for sure.