Totally Rad Costumed Convention Photos From The 1980s

Could #5 be Harlock as a woman?

Amazing!

Pretty sure #5 is Wilma Deering full dress uniform from the Buck Rogers TV series.

5. Looks like a dress uniform from the Buck Rogers TV series (80s) and the Mugato from Star Trek.

 My guess on #5 is a female version of Trelane and Mugato from Star Trek TOS.

#5 is Wilma Deering from Buck Rogers

Too bad the Yoda looks really creepy.

I think 8 are several Harlock versions.

http://dv.gd/qwy

I was gonna say Char Anzable, but either may be right  and I thought the white ape might be a Mugato – I can see a horn.

The thing to remember is that back in the day there was a LOT more original costuming than there is now, at comic-cons at least.  People would regularly create an unpronouncable alien planet, which led to the running joke masquerade category “Best ambassador from the planet Fred”.

I’ll lay odds that filker and Master-level costumer Janet Wilson Anderson is in that crowd shot somewhere, but it’s been years since either of us were that age.

Pretty sure #9 is a bride from Big Trouble in Little China. 

5 is definitely the Dress Uniform from Buck Rogers – Wilma would be so proud!

These are amazing.

The first pic (with all the medieval costumes, not numbered), is without a doubt a Chronicles of Amber (by Roger Zelazny) ensemble pic. I can name most of the characters:

Back row: Llewella, Bleys, Gerard, Caine, Oberon, Eric, Corwin, Deidre
Second row: Julian, a woman as Benedict (or possibly Vialle), Random, Flora, Dworkin, Fiona
Third row: Brand or Rinaldo, ?, Dara, ?, Coral?
And… two unicorns. :D

Got to be the best Amber cosplay I’ve seen pics of. Incredible.

These are amazing.

The first pic (with all the medieval costumes, not numbered), is without a doubt a Chronicles of Amber (by Roger Zelazny) ensemble pic. I can name most of the characters:

Back row: Llewella, Bleys, Gerard, Caine, Oberon, Eric, Corwin, Deidre
Second row: Julian, a woman as Benedict (or possibly Vialle), Random, Flora, Dworkin, Fiona
Third row: Brand or Rinaldo, ?, Dara, ?, Coral?
And… two unicorns. :D

Got to be the best Amber cosplay I’ve seen pics of. Incredible.

Pretty sure #5 is Buck Rogers dress uniform as mentioned by others, and seen with awesome tunage here: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPl0u1nCEhw :)

It looks like a pretty standard lead actor costume for a warrior from a Beijing opera to me…

Dude with the wicked neck beard and red robe is the closest I’ve seen in real life to children stacked on top of each other under a big coat pretending to be an adult. That is clearly the face of an infant. And a collicky one at that.

Dude with the wicked neck beard and red robe is the closest I’ve seen in real life to children stacked on top of each other under a big coat pretending to be an adult. That is clearly the face of an infant. And a collicky one at that.

10. “My dear, is that a galleon on your head or are you just glad to sea me?”

#5 is definitely a cross-gendered Harlock and a Mugato. I met her at Phantasmicon 1981.

One thing that would make this trip in the TARDIS fully complete is to once again taste Ringworld author Larry Niven’s Irish Coffee.

The large group is, indeed, the Royal Family of Amber. You see 21 of the 22 costumes in this pic (brother Benedict is cut off on the right side). I’m Deirdre (in the back row in black and silver). We had two “Pages” (in green) with oversized Tarot cards of each of the characters. Mr. Zelazny was kind enough to sign them for us (he was Guest of Honor at that con).

#10 is the incomparable Adrian Butterfield and Victoria Ridenour in their Beauty and the Beast. They received Best In Show.

#9 is a Chinese Opera costume that entered out of competition.

#2 is Karen Kuykendal in one of her original designs. She made amazing works of art out of paper mache and broken glass Christmas balls. You may know her for her Tarot of the Cat People.

None of these photos are of Janet Anderson. She was still on the East Coast at that time.

Second row is Vialle
Third row is Brand, Merlin, Dara, Martin, and Lorraine
Fourth row is the two Pages that held the oversized Tarot Cards

Benedict was there, but cut off on the right side of the picture.

#1 was the Royal Family of (Roger Zelazny’s) Amber series, in honor of Roger Zelazny being the guest of honor at 1980′s Westercon. All the costumes are characters from the series. I was Bleys, and am 2nd from left in the back row.

This is, indeed, totally rad.

#8 looks like they are dressed as Ice Pirates

Nice.  Not as overwrought as contemporary costuming.   First time I’ve ever seen cosplaying of Amberites.  Greatest fantasy series of all time!

1980 is too early for BTILC.

#2 looks like Mrs. Howell (of Gilligan’s Island fame) got spaceshipwrecked.