The breezes of March are upon us, and in some of the southernmost parts of the country trees are already blossoming. (For those of you still buried under record snows, be patient.) The month that's noted for in like a lion, out like a lamb will have many turning their thoughts toward flying kites, playing baseball -- and getting the final touches on those cosplay costumes for the spring and summer convention circuit!

So as the temperatures outside begin to warm and strong winds bring a change of weather, find yourself a cozy spot and prepared to be blown away, as we proudly present to you, dear readers, the much anticipated...

Critical Blast Bombshell, March 2019

The DC Doll

If Spring is when our thoughts and fancies are supposed to take a turn for the romantic, then why is Valentine's Day right smack dab in the middle of wintry February? Oh, who cares, when you have some gorgeous cosplay that's hot enough to melt the snow from your sidewalk?

So we're cutting out paper hearts, gluing on glitter and beads, writing rhymes in our fanciest cursive with red markers, and slipping this special Valentine into your decorated mailbox for all your little love notes and cards -- as we happily present to you, our readers, the...

Critical Blast Bombshell, February 2019

Batgirlio

Another year has come and gone. 2018 is officially in the rear-view mirror, and we've gone hurtling into 2019 like the Sweet Meteor o' Death.

But before we get too deep into the New Year, we've reached that point where we reflect on all that happened in the previous year that was good and notable, and cast our votes as to what was the best of the best ("of the best, sir!")

So here we go again! It's time to pick the Critical Blast Best of the Year for Movies, Television, Actors, Books, and Comics -- and, of course, to pick our CRITICAL BLAST BOMBSHELL OF THE YEAR! So use the handy form below to pick from this year's nominees -- or suggest one that you think is deserving that we missed (so long as the work happened during 2018). Voting is open through the end of January, and on February 1 we'll start tabulating the results and announcing the winners!

So long, 2018! You gave us some great entertainment!

Wow. 2018 has just flown right by! Hard to believe we've seen twelve incredible cosplayers already, and with our January 2019 Critical Blast Bombshell, it looks like there's no end to the creative people who are out there making our heroes pop out of the pages and screens and into the real world!

And every once in a while, you find a cosplayer who does a character you not only merely recognize, but whom you would swear was lifted right out of the medium and placed into the world. This month's Bombshell is definitely in that category, and one month in is already on target to be our Bombshell of the Year for 2019. (Granted, he's in a field of one right now, and we'll be adding eleven more to the competition before the year is out -- but for the next 31 days, the odds are definitely in his favor!)

So let's draw back the curtain on a new year -- and a new cosplay Bombshell feature -- as we proudly present to you, our readers, the...

Tis the season to be jolly, hang the holly, and oh! by golly get into the folly of...

You know, sometimes a line just doesn't go where you plan it to. But you get the idea. It's December, and everyone's thoughts are turning to that special person in the special outfit who brings us wonderful feelings of happiness.

Nope, not him. At least, not in the Critical Blast offices. We're still totally ready for Santa, sure, but it's our monthly cosplay model who is all the buzz today.

We couldn't wait until Christmas to unwrap this gift. So, please, gather round and feel the comfort and joy as Critical Blast presents to you our...

Critical Blast Bombshell, December 2018

Spittani

Like many comics fans, I've got more than my share of superhero emblem t-shirts. And, like many convention-goers, I've dabbled with full-on cosplay.

Over the year of living the dad-life, the writer-life, the IT-life, and the married-to-a-great-cook-life, I've developed a personal philosophy about such things. To whit: There's nothing like putting on the garb of a super hero to remind yourself that I look nothing like one.

And then there are people like our November Bombshell. If my building's on fire, if there's a hostage situation at our offices, if there's a kitten stuck in a tree, our November Bombshell could show up in any of his outfits and I'd readily believe he was there to save the day.

But feel free to judge for yourselves, gentle readers, as Critical Blast most humbly presents our...

As the Critical Blast Bombshell feature has grown over the years, we've seen all kinds of cosplay, running the gamut from heroes to game icons to cartoon characters to science fiction figures, done by cosplayers who've been at it for years or who have just entered the field. But we've never yet featured a cosplayer like Violette.

Violette is bundle of energy and optimism, which no costume can disguise, and her range of cosplay knows no limits. Wherever she goes, she makes people smile with her commitment to making the world a better place through superheroism.

She's done all this, and she's not even ten years old yet. Tremble at what she'll accomplish as she matures!

Every once in a great while, a cause arises, a call that requires the action of heroes -- some super, some magical, some simply out of this world.

This time the call came from a little girl named Galilee -- okay, specifically it came from her mom via Facebook, because Galilee is only 5 years old. But it was a call nonetheless. It seems Galilee was having a very common problem with an enemy we've all faced in our lives: bullies.

To be sure, people around the world began to respond. But it caught our attention here when it entered the world of the cosplayers, thanks to a cosplayer named Savannah Marie.

"I met Galilee about two years ago at Cincinnati comic con," Savannah tells us. "I remember her so well because she had this beautiful red hair and was so overly excited to see me."

Cosplay inspires the imagination of so many people. Some do it just for a lark, and some get bitten by the cosplay bug big time, churning out some truly stunning transformations that not only bring the characters out of the fantasy and into reality, but simultaneously bring the fans out of reality and into the fantasy.

Whether it's video games, comic books, or animated fantasies, there are always so many characters to pick from -- and our September Bombshell of the Month is one who can take them on from all media, as you will see.

So now, Critical Blast is proud to introduce to you our...

Critical Blast Bombshell, September 2018

Ginger Punk Cosplay

It feels like 2018 just got started, and here we are already in August. I'd say it was the height of the convention season, what with SDCC having just wrapped up and GenCon kicking off, but really the convention circuit has become a year-round event -- which keeps cosplayers busier than ever!

This month, Critical Blast has selected as their monthly cosplay Bombshell a cosplayer who not only strives to bring characters off the page and screen into life, he also isn't afraid to reinvent them. Whether he's ready for action as IRON FIST or ready for another cold one as Hawkeye from the Redneck Avengers, this Bombshell knows how to bring the heat to his cosplay game.

So without further yakking, Critical Blast is happy to introduce to our readers the...

At the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Rosemont, Illinois, anime fans came together to celebrate their fandom and share their love of a genre.

If you couldn't make it, fret not! Our own CosplayKitti was on the scene, capturing the moments and talking with vendors and attendees. Enjoy!

--Editor

The month has just gotten underway, and it's already getting hotter! 

Our Critical Blast Bombshell for July enjoys the unique opportunity to design costumes both as a hobby and as a profession, adding emphasis to the adage, "Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life."

With a portfolio of cosplay that runs through several genres (and mixes some of the together in the best of all possible ways), Critical Blast is pleased and proud to present to you the...

Ah, the comic art pin-up. What once used to be a one or two page bit in KATY KEENE grew into full-blown books in the 1990s from Image and Marvel when they turned pen and ink to ride the popularity of the SPORTS ILLUSTRATED SWIMSUIT issues.

Zenescope is continuing that tradition, but with a fan twist. Instead of a swimsuit issue, their pin-ups are dedicated to cosplay. It's something that's become a bit of a trend. And to make sure you're not just plunking down coin for a collection of art pages, Zenescope includes a short story to serve as the lead-in, with Skye Mathers costume shopping and then  having to take out a demon while wearing a LEGEND OF ZELDA costume. (Spoiler alert: Shang prefers Poison Ivy to Harley Quinn!)

I'd like to think that cosplay started simply enough; that fans saw a character, realized they could make themselves look like that character, then surprise their friends and fellow fans at conventions by showing up in imitation of that character. I'd like to think that this came first, before cosplay became inartfully synonymous with fetish photography and roleplay sexuality, but they probably happened nearly concurrently, as certainly some of the costumes couldn't exist in real life without being conforming, revealing, and fetishistic.

With the rains of Spring behind us, the clouds are parting and the visibility gets a light brighter, giving way to clear blue...

Look!

Up in the sky!

Is that a bird? A plane?

No, it's our June Bombshell, St. Louis Superman, aka Charlee Soffer!

Please give a warm welcome to our newest...

Critical Blast Bombshell, June 2018

Charlee Soffer

Lana Lang & Classic Superboy
Smallville Superfest

What is your interest in cosplay?

The flowers have been blooming, the grass has been getting greener (and taller) for a while now, but May is the month when things really start to get warmer and brighter.

So I think you'll agree this is the perfectly proper time to introduce our newest monthly Critical Blast Bombshell, a lady who exudes both light and heat in her cosplay, her performance, and even her identity.

Please give a warm welcome to our newest...

Critical Blast Bombshell, May 2018

Chaotic Flare

Bowser (SUPER MARIO BROS)
Photo: Albert Ng

What is your interest in cosplay?

Spring has sprung! The flowers are blooming, and we kick off the month with the Easter celebration! And what an Easter egg we have for our readers this month, as we introduce to you our latest cosplay master.

And with Easter on everybody's mind, what better and cuter way to hop right into things than with Judy Hopps, the feisty police bunny from Disney's ZOOTOPIA? Sure, it's not Peter Cottontail, but nobody among our peeps have been complaining.

Gentle readers, it is with great pleasure and delight that we introduce to you our...

Critical Blast Bombshell, April 2018

RavenGlitch

Judy Hopps (ZOOTOPIA)
photographer: Roberto Fioravanti

Having attended my share of conventions, I can attest to the fact that cosplay is an intergenerational thing. From toddler Captain Americas to nonagenarian Harley Quinns, cosplay is something that everyone can get into.

I've also seen it become a family activity, with one of my favorite cosplays evern being a mom and dad with two kids play out a simple-yet-magnificent group of LEGO Batman characters.

This month's Critical Blast Bombshell is still barely getting started in the field, and is already gaining a skill level that will have her competing with some of the top talent in the hobby. With an assist from her mother, this high school student is bringing to life characters from manga and anime with her elaborate costumes and wigs. 

We could tell you more about her--but why, when she has already so eloqently done so? Continue on, gentle readers, as we are pleased and privileged to present to you the...

It feels a little odd in these last few days of February to say that a long year has come to a close. But that's how it feels, now that all the votes, all the announcements, and all the awards are finally out of the way. And, of course, we like to top off our Best Of awards with a very special one to all of us here at Critical Blast, the Bombshell of the Year.

Each month, Critical Blast focuses on a cosplayer and highlights what makes him or her special, a focus that goes beyond how great he or she looks in a costume. Then, at the end of the year, you the readers determine which of that year's cosplayers are to be the esteemed Bombshell of the Year. And with your help, we can now announce the latest to hold that title.

It is with great pride that Critical Blast introduces to you our 2017 Bombshell of the Year...Jennifer of Themyscira!

Take it away, Jennifer!

February is the shortest month of the year. So to balance that out, we've made the farthest reach we can to find this month's Critical Blast Bombshell -- halfway around the world to Russia!

This month's Bombshell has been making a name for herself in the cosplay community through her Instagram photos of recognizable characters in natural, casual poses. She's also an object lesson in time management, as she has to juggle her considerable cosplay skills with the busy life of a full-time college student.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Дамы и господа, we are pleased and proud to present at this time...