Posted in: Comics | Tagged: comic con, new york, NYCC, skin tight

Skin Tight USA – A Front Row Seat

Published Thu, 17 Oct 2013 16:00:05 -0500

Joe Glass writes;

Capes, tights, and insane bulges are common at NYCC but no more so at gay con party Skin Tight USA.

The lycra superhero brigade joined together en masse last Saturday night at Stonewall Inn to take part in the con special edition of STUSA. No costume? No problem, you can rent something tight and revealing for free! Just be prepared to get changed out in the open, so secret identities should probably stay at the door.

It's not a one time only event though, oh no. Starting as a leather night called Hard Comixxx in 2005, it's been running bi-monthly to monthly at either Stonewall Inn or Phoenix Bar ever since, and been featured on Oprah Radio, the NY Times Style section, and filmed in three superhero documentaries as one of America's premier superhero fetish nights. It recently celebrated its 50th anniversary event, in itself a coup for NYC.

They're hoping to stick with Stonewall for the future, which is in itself important. Stonewall Inn has its own heroic history as a pivotal movement in gay rights in the 70s.

(Fun fact: Jonathan Hickman created a gay character in his series Secret Warriors called Stonewall, but actually had no idea of the significance of the name. It was one of those happy accidents that sometimes occurs in the creative process.)

Loads of con goers, gay geeks, and fans of hot bodies in form-fitting clothing turned up to show what they had and maybe meet their own special superhero, including games journalist, Jonah Falcon, himself at NYCC to cover the games at the event.

A fan of the tight standards of superhero fashion, if something of a lapsed comic reader himself, Jonah let me know that the night is a lot of fun and is worth a punt. And when I mingled among the gathered crowds and chatted to some of the patrons, I found a ton of like-minded comics fans (especially a lot of Green Lantern fans it seemed), which is always a nice change for me, as I rarely find many gay geeks to hang out with at my local. Everyone there seemed very friendly and welcoming, in fact; and like any good con, there were some really fantastic costumes on show too!

So, if you have something to show, was maybe always a fan of Kyle Rayner's butt or you just love getting in your tight spandex and play an off-hours superhero for the night, check out Skin Tight USA, and prepare to be astonished.

Skin Tight USA will next be at Stonewall Inn on November 23^rd 2013, and then be taking a break in December, but hopes to come back as a monthly event at Stonewall Inn for 2014.

Report by Bleeding Cool contributor and creator of The Pride and co-writer of Stiffs, Joe Glass. You can follow him on twitter @josephglass