Our love for the year-round, extremely well-stocked, very helpfully staffed, highly browse-worthy costume stores of greater Los Angeles is known. Of any minuses people might occasionally yammer about when it comes to living in a movie-dominated city -- there are too many movies to see, it's hard to pick, so on, so forth -- the selection of costumes and masks and make-up is not one.
It's fabulous, period. We all have our favorites -- we're sweet on Halloween Town and Hollywood Toys & Costumes, among others -- but the shops around town are solid. Grease paint and rainbow wigs, any day of the year.
Because these places aren't just about October. Hi, Comic-Con people. You've got the car gassed. You've got a hotel room, or a San Diegan's floor to sleep on. But do you have your outfit pulled together? Something that will wow the crowd? Will you get stopped every two minutes by people wanting to take a picture with you?
We're just asking.
Things to remember: 1) Lines, bathroom lines, panel lines, signing lines. Can you stand for long periods in your get-up? 2) It doesn't always have to be an homage to a known hero or property. Mixing it up is fine. Mauve hair, glowing skirts, plaid platform shoes, sexy kilts. All of it. 3) Outlandishly attired people at Comic-Con just about make our weekend, and make everyone's weekend, and make the news, and make it just large, large like the Hulk. They light up the night sky brighter than any saucer.
4) Can you walk the eight blocks back to your hotel in it? At nighttime?
5) Why haven't you started calling stores yet? Comic-Con runs July 23-26 in San Diego. Soon.
