Heroes come in many forms: first responders, TV or movie superheroes, sports stars, support animals.
A Phoenix event will honor many kinds of heroes with Superhero Saturday, filled with cosplay, special guests, exhibitors, face painting and balloon animals, a Minecraft area, costume contests and auctions. The event returns for its third year on Saturday, January 15, after being canceled last year at the height of the pandemic.
Superhero Saturday is the main fundraiser for the Phoenix Police Sergeants and Lieutenants Association. The money raised goes to the Childhelp Children’s Center of Arizona, which helps child victims of crime and also supports families of officers in need.
Lt. Mark Schweikert, president of Superhero Saturday, has a long-standing interest in comic books, comic art, pop culture memorabilia, and conventions that highlight these topics. With Superhero Saturday, he has been able to combine these interests with giving back. He wanted the event to honor different kinds of heroes, including local ones.
“The idea behind this is a celebration of the heroes of Arizona, where firefighters, police officers, various members of the community, cosplayers, guest athletes, we all contribute. This is a good grassroots community event, where you see a police officer in a different light,” says Schweikert.
What to expect on Superhero Saturday
Fans will have the opportunity to meet special guests including former Arizona Diamondbacks player Luis Gonzalez and award-winning comic book artists and writers like Steve Rude, Jim Krueger and Gene Ha.
Suppliers include cosplay and design companies; cartoonists and comic shops; local authors; sports card dealers; local makers of custom rugs, etched glass pieces, and jewelry; and a local puppet-themed ice cream truck named Puppet Pie.
The Kingdom of Umbria, a group of craftsmen dedicated to the skills and activities of the Middle Ages, will perform sword fighting and jousting.
A car show will showcase more than 50 classic cars and movie replicas, including specialty vehicles like KITT from “Knight Rider” and Ecto-1 from “Ghostbusters.” First aid vehicles will also be at the event.
Live and silent auctions on Superhero Saturday
Superhero Saturday raises money through sponsorships, car show registration fees, donations, vendor booth fees, and live and silent auctions.
The silent auction will feature signed prints from Giancarlo Esposito, who plays Moff Gideon in “The Mandalorian,” and Jason David Frank, who played the Green Ranger in “The Power Rangers” franchise.
The silent auction will also feature original comics by local artists, airline tickets, Arizona Cardinals sports memorabilia and Luis Gonzalez memorabilia.
During the live auction, attendees can bid for a chance to take a helicopter ride with the Phoenix Police Department’s Air Support Unit.
Cosplay on superhero saturday
Cosplay is an important part of Superhero Saturday. Cosplay artists and groups will represent Marvel, DC, Transformers, anime, Disney, and other characters from television, movies, and comics. The miniature ponies will also be dressed in cosplay.
Professional cosplayers of local and national renown will participate. Four Arizona-based cosplayers – Ryann Kay, Amber Skies, KristinaDM89 and Polyxenastorm – will help judge the costume contests, which are divided into categories of kids under 12, beginners, officers and masters.
Schweikert says it was important to create an environment where everyone felt comfortable and could show off their cosplay skills.
“We emphasize that heroes come in all shapes and sizes. I really strive to be more inclusive,” says Schweikert.
Costume contests will have face-to-face and virtual elements. Admission is $5 for those 13 and older and free for those 12 and under.
In the costume competition, contestants can win medals, trophies, or Phoenix Fan Fusion passes. The winner in the virtual fan favorite category will walk away with $300 cash.
Two cosplayers behind Superhero Saturday
Amber Skies, who has been a part of Superhero Saturday since the beginning, will serve as grand marshal and help judge the masquerade. She has appeared on the Disney Channel.
Ryann Kay, a costume designer, cosplayer, and circus performer for Vertical Fix, has also been involved with Superhero Saturday since it began.
Kay has cosplayed characters like Azula from “Avatar the Last Airbender”, Sheik from “The Legend of Zelda”, Arya Stark from “Game of Thrones”, Anna and Elsa from the “Frozen” series, Snow White, Kohaku from “Inuyasha “, Astrid from the “How to Train Your Dragon” series, a Death Knight from “World of Warcraft”, a “Cosmo Sailor Venus” character inspired by the “Sailor Moon” series, and a Moon Elf from “Dungeons & Dragons”. Dragons”.
As a circus performer, she is trained in various skills and apparatus, including trapeze, aerial straps, and acrobatic jumps and lifts with a partner.
Kay went to costume design school and has worked with Renaissance festivals and theater companies like Arizona Broadway Theatre. She has been making costumes since she was 11 years old and started cosplaying about four years ago. Her experience helped her when she got into cosplay and learned new skills, like making accessories and armor out of foam.
“I think cosplay is fascinating because of the strategies or things that people use to create a super realistic character, like a girl who has floating wings. These unrealistic outfits, they find a way to make them come true,” says Kay.
She often incorporates headdresses, wings, or elf ears into her appearance, spending one to five months, sometimes longer, perfecting them. Although Kay has felt more comfortable being in the public eye as a cosplayer, she enjoys the process of making costumes more than wearing them.
“I also like to wear the costume, but the part where you do the costume is my favorite. That’s why I’m good at making them for my friends and helping them with repairs. Sewing, crafting and designing is my absolute favorite part,” says Kay.
While Kay will change a character in some way, she tries to stay true to the original version as much as possible.
“There is the stress of not wanting to disrespect a character while trying to do it, at least in the back of my head. I always want to make sure that I respect someone else’s art, someone else’s design and character,” says Kay.
superhero saturday
When: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, January 15.
Where: 2200 N. Central Ave., Phoenix.
Admission: Free.
Details: https://www.superherosaturday.org.
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