Harley @ NetherRealm for Injustice Game Release!

This Tuesday, Injustice: Gods Among Us was released.  Also this Tuesday, I dressed up as Alt Harley from the game and got to run around NetherRealm Studios in Chicago - yes, the studio that brought the game to life!  (They're also known for this one thing "Mortal Kombat".)  When I saw the concept for Alt Harley, her Michael Jackson jacket and goth boots spoke to me.  The artist asked if I would like to visit the studio to debut my costume.  I think I speak for many cosplayers (okay, I will go ahead and say ALL cosplayers) when I say DREAM. COME. TRUE.  What cosplayer *wouldn't* want to dress up and meet all the creators of the game, in the game studio, and get a tour and to run around and touch things!  That's right peeps, nanny-nanny-boo-boo.  NANNY BOO BOO TO YOU.  I'm jealous of myself, actually.  Here are possibly the 2 most joyous hours of my cosplay life:



Not really posing here, just swinging my arms in glee being surrounded by Midway era nostalgia.  Growing up around Chicago, Midway (now NetherRealm) was a pretty big deal; not like out in California where you trip over game studios.  This is Chicago's nerd cred right here.  I'm standing in it.  They practically have a Mortal Kombat museum in the main hallway, featuring action figures, trading cards, comics, and movie props.  I can't believe they just keep them on the shelves, with no glass, some one might take them!  SOMEONE NOT ME.  *caresses mint condition Sindel figurine* OH HOW DID THAT GET IN HARLEY'S POCKET.  Wait, what pocket?  Don't you know cosplayers always sew hidden pockets?  (Mine has two.)



Pretending to kiss Cyrax, but I didn't want him to mess up my lipstick.  I hate when dudes do that.  BTW, I *did* take close up photos of these masks and other props, including the insides of them, for cosplay/general prop making reference.  (These are from the movies!)  But that's for a different blog post.


Okay, enough MK nostalgia.  Here's what I'm here for - the Injustice: Gods Among Us team!  These are all of the concept artists.  They drew all the new character designs and all the backgrounds for the game.  In case you can't tell, they're only artists by day, and are superheroes by night.  The guy to my right (your left) is Justin Murray, who designed the Alt Harley that I'm dressed up as.  (The guy to his right, Hunter, designed her default outfit.)  I should stop there, or else I'm going to be listing every character with every artist, so I'll just stick with the Harleys.



Here's Jennifer from the 3D modeling department, she's the gal that turned the concept into reality.  I was super psyched to meet her, after staring at her work while figuring Harley's costume out.  I'm sure she knows it inside out, better than me... she was polite not to point out any discrepancies.... to my face....  Haha kidding, she wouldn't do that!  She's too nice - no wait, THERE ARE NONE.  IT IS FLAWLESS.  (Actually there are a few cut corners but I'll let you figure it out.)



Here I am playing with myself.  THREEWAY, AW YEAH.  Apparently this unoccupied desk belongs to a guy from QA who loves Harley, but left work earlier that day.  This will teach him to stay all day.  Also I should add I really liked his WWE controller skin.  We have something in common.  (CM Punk is from Chicago, but I'm glad Undertaker won 21-0.)


Anyway, here's a cooler, bigger Injustice controller!  I'm modeling it poorly, and this guy agrees. :/



This is the break room at NetherRealm.  How do they even get games done?  Maybe a solid month of playing vintage Midway arcades would get old after awhile; I'm up for that scientific experiment though.


GTFO Green Lantern, seriously. (Actually, I should probably be kicking him...)

And here, pictured below, are some super secret concepts for Mortal Kombat 10, specifically Raiden. *Please note this is not the actual concept,  because I had to sign an NDA.  But I did my best to replicate what I saw.

 After running around the studio for the last hour of the work day, I went out to take some awesome Gotham City pictures in downtown Chicago!  (Hullo, where The Dark Knight was filmed, yusssss!)  I'll get those up ASAP, but in the meantime here's a preview with a boring background.  Some days it RAWKS to be a cosplayer!



Photo by Kyle Johnsen