Comic-Con 2020: All dressed up and nowhere to go

With this week’s Comic-Con International moving online because of the coronavirus pandemic, there’s a whole world of cosplayers with a lot of creativity to show off. Since they can’t strut their stuff in the Gaslamp District, photographer K.C. Alfred asked them to suit up and show us their powers at various spots around San Diego County.

Dean LeCrone as Dr. Artemus Peepers

Dean LeCrone dressed as Dr. Artemus Peepers, a steampunk hero, at the Oceanside Pier. This would have been his 30th year attending Comic-Con. LeCrone, a cartoonist, said his favorite year was 2016, when he won the Syfy Channel’s Weirdly Awesome Costume Contest.

(K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Sheila Noseworthy as Medusa

Sheila Noseworthy dressed as Medusa at Lake Miramar. Noseworthy took a month to make this outfit out of foam and Dollar Store finds. She has been going to Comic-Con for 10 years, and says it is one of the best places to people-watch, even if you don’t have a ticket. “Going in cosplay gives you a license to go chat with other cosplay people and makes you appreciate all the arts and comics,” she added.

(K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Colleen Rodriguez as Marvel’s Thor

Colleen Rodriguez, in San Diego’s Gaslamp District, dressed as Marvel’s Thor in an outfit made of cotton, super suede and a 3D-printed piece. She has been going to Comic-Con for six years, four of them as a vendor.

(K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Shawn Richter as The Mandalorian and Lisa Lower as Cara Dune

Shawn Richter dressed as the Mandalorian and fiancée Lisa Lower as Cara Dune from the Disney+ series “Star Wars: The Mandalorian” at Balboa Park. Richter has been going to Comic-Con for 11 years. His outfit is partly handmade and 3D printed. Lower has been going to Comic-Con for seven years. The two do charity events in cosplay.

(K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Matt Mullis as Captain America

Matt Mullis dressed in Captain America’s Stealth Suit, from “The Winter Soldier,” near the USS Midway Museum in San Diego. Mullis has been to Comic-Con the last two year, and after ordering the suit made custom modifications with stars and stripes along with weathering it. The first time he went to Comic-Con, his outfit was well received at a Marvel cosplay contest.

(K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Justin Wu as Bumblebee

Justin Wu wears his B-127 costume, also known as Bumblebee from the “Transformer” series, next to his custom Camaro. Wu spent six months preparing this cosplay getup, made of foam with mechanical parts and electrical wiring for lights and sound, and was going to debut it at this year’s Comic-Con. Although disappointed the event was canceled, he uses the outfit for charity work visiting children with disabilities and cancer at hospitals. Next Comic-Con, he jokes, will be even bigger and better as he adds family members to his Autobot crew. He has previously attended as Captain America, Batman, Kylo Ren and Ironman.

(K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Tita Ghanjanasak as Harley Quinn

Tita Ghanjanasak dressed as Harley Quinn from “Batman: The Dark Prince Charming” at the San Diego State University Transit Station. Ghanjanasak has been going to Comic-Con for four years and she loves the “Game of Thrones” cosplay.

(K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Galdino Sanchez as a Stormtrooper and Lance Mah as Darth Vader

Galdino Sanchez is a Stormtrooper and Lance Mah is Darth Vader, shown here next to the Apollo 9 capsule at the San Diego Air & Space Museum. Sanchez, whose outfit is made of ABS plastic, has been going to Comic-Con for 23 years. Mah, who has been going for two years, made his outfit from Fiberglas, wool and plastic. The two say they have no problem with Comic-Con being canceled this year as people’s health and well-being outweigh everything else.

(K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Shane Holly as Spartan 2296

Shane Holly dressed as Spartan 2296, from the video game “Halo,” on board the Flagship Cruises Cabrillo in San Diego Bay. Holly spent two years working on this 3D printed and fabricated outfit. He has been to every Comic-Con since 1997. His favorite was the first time he took his daughter and they cosplayed together, as they have done for eight years.

(K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)