The best costumes we saw at Phoenix Fan Fusion 2024

If you attended Phoenix Fan Fusion 2024, you encountered cosplay. A lot of cosplay.

Costumes are one of the hallmarks of any geek event and Phoenix Fan Fusion 2024 was certainly no exception. Thousands of people came to the three-day event dressed up for the occasion, adopting the identities of superheroes and superheroines, as well as any number of characters from movies, television shows, anime and video games.

This year, costumes inspired by Marvel mutants and characters from “Breaking Bad” were in abundance due to the actors from the “X-Men ‘97” animated series and Giancarlo Esposito (a.k.a. drug kingpin Gus Fring) being special guests.

And then there were some who went above and beyond with their costumes. We encountered many fantastic and memorable cosplayers during the three-day event that stood out from the crowd and grabbed people’s attention with their creative, unique or impressive efforts. Here’s a look back at the individuals who, in our humble opinion, showcased the best costumes at Phoenix Fan Fusion 2024.

Ricky Vaughn

Greg Nadeau’s costume depicting pitcher Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn from the 1989 sports comedy film “Major League” stood out at Fan Fusion, not just because he was portraying a jock hero at a well-known hangout for geeks. It was the first time we’ve ever encountered the character being cosplayed at Fan Fusion or elsewhere, which makes it unique. Nadeau says he made Vaughn’s signature eyewear himself, gluing a skull and crossbones pendant onto a pair of horned-rimmed glasses.

Exact Change Man

Superheroes of every description attended Fan Fusion 2024, including a few you probably never heard of before. Case in point: Valley resident Brian Baker's satirical character, Exact Change Man, which he dreamed up himself. "I wanted to build a hero around an abstract concept," he says. "And I had a change belt." While he doesn't posses an alter ego or a secret lair, Baker says his costumed hero has a suitably corny catchphrase: "Today's loose change is tomorrow's exact change."

Strawberry x Miku

The crowd at Fan Fusion’s annual cosplay masquerade went wild for this costume made by local anime fan and cosplayer ljordanarts. Inspired by a 15th-anniversary collectible figure of virtual Japanese pop star Hatsune Miku, which was designed by illustrator En Morikura and featured a strawberry motif, the outfit took ljordanarts an estimated 180 to 200 hours to craft. In other words, all of the cheers she got during the masquerade were well-earned.

‘Dune: Part Two’ popcorn bucket

Anything can inspire a memorable Fan Fusion costume. Just ask Amanda Dixon, who cosplayed the “Dune: Part Two” popcorn bucket that went viral earlier this year because of its resemblance to a sex toy. The Mesa resident says the costume was a last-minute project she put together a week before the event. “I made the costume in one day and bought a pass to Fan Fusion just to come in costume,” Dixon says. “I think it's hilarious. People should have fun with things.”

Dance Dance Eeveelutions

A group of nine people participated in this group cosplay, which depicted each of the various evolutions of Eevee from Pokemon. During the annual cosplay masquerade on Saturday night, they stole the show with a high-energy song and dance number showcasing moves from various decades and some delightful costumes. It may not have won any awards, but it was decidedly fun.

Judge Claude Frollo and Esmeralda

At Phoenix Fan Fusion 2024, a pair of attendees showed off their love for the criminally underrated Disney animated flick "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." Vanity Lang of Phoenix dressed up as the film's sanctamonius villain Judge Claude Frollo while her friend and cosplayer Rage the Gemini became the Romani woman Esmeralda. Both hope to add more friends to their ensemble at next year’s Fan Fusion. "We'd love to add a hunchback and other characters from the film,” Lang says.

Princess Peach and Rosalina

Willie Graves and Joshua Novek made a splash during Fan Fusion’s cosplay fashion show on Friday by respectively dressing as Princess Peach and Rosalina from the Super Mario Bros. series. The pair of longtime gamers each wore stunning floor-length gowns and waltzed down the runway while being cheered by the audience. “These are our two favorite characters, so we thought, ‘If ever there was a place to dress up as them, Fan Fusion was it,’” Graves says.

Darth Waiter

Former Valley resident Alex Canto has a yen for clever costumes, including plenty involving character mashups or groan-worthy puns. In 2017, the cosplayer appeared at what was then Phoenix Comicon as Edgar Allan Poe Dameron, a mix of the late writer and the dashing X-wing pilot from the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy. Two years ago, Canto went viral for his mashup of The Mandalorian and the DeLorean from “Back to the Future.” This year, he came as “Darth Waiter,” who was happy to take our “First Order” for such menu items as “seven-Leia dip” or “Boba fettucine.” May the puns be with him.

Towelie

Fans of “South Park” will recognize Karla Puente’s cosplay of Towelie, the perpetually stoned character who appeared in multiple episodes of the legendary animated show. Consisting in an oversized blue towel with googly (and suitably bloodshot) eyes, she wandered the convention offering advice and catchphrases like, "Don't forget to bring a towel!" Fellow attendees were definitely amused.

The Powerpuff Girls

The Valentin family of Winslow got plenty of attention and praise by transforming into The Powerpuff Girls, complete with oversized papier-mâché heads, at Fan Fusion. Their DIY costumes had everyone laughing and cheering, proving that you don't need superpowers to make a splash — just some creativity and a lot of glue. Edward Valentin was Bubbles while his son Tim played Blossom and daughter Analia was Buttercup. The animated characters have never looked more adorably heroic.

The Rodian Family

The first thing you should know about Rudder and Angele's impressive hand-sewn costumes, which took almost a year to create, is that neither of them is portraying Greedo. Instead, the Chandler couple came to Fan Fusion as Rodians, the same reptilian species as the ill-fated "Star Wars" character famously blasted by Han Solo in “A New Hope.” “We don't know Greedo,” Angele says. “We might have a mutual uncle somewhere who’s far removed. It's a large planet.”

Hello Kitty Fett

Mesa cosplayer Brooke Nez stole the spotlight at Phoenix Fan Fusion dressed as Hello Kitty Fett, a mashup of Boba Fett and Hello Kitty. Their bright pink plastic armor covered in chrome paint was a purrfect blend of fierce and adorable. This whimsical warrior had fans grinning from ear to ear, proving that even intergalactic bounty hunters can have a cute side. This is the way.

Hobgoblin and Flaming Fist City Guard

Last year, Valley residents Colin Jones and his son Anthony impressed many people with their astounding costumes of a Moria Battle Dwarf and the Lich King from “The Lord of the Rings” series. This year, they celebrated their mutual love of “Dungeons & Dragons” by portraying a Hobgoblin and Flaming Fist City Guard from the legendary tabletop role-playing game. Both costumes were made from EVA foam that was molded, shaped and painted over several months.

Jester Lavorre

Tucson’s Cat Fielder, who cosplays as Tunaphish, has put more than 200 hours of work into her costume of Jester Lavorre from the tabletop gaming web series "Critical Role" over the last 17 months. All her hard work paid off, as the colorfully gorgeous ensemble, which depicts the character's pirate phase, boasts extensive hand-embroidery and detailed stitching. It won a individual “Best in Show” award at Fan Fusion’s cosplay masquerade, which Fielder says is an added bonus. "Sewing all this was very time-consuming,” Fielder says. “But its a labor of love and I do it because it's my passion."