The best cosplays from the first Game of Thrones Official Fan Convention
A couple of weeks ago, we Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon fans got together at the first Game of Thrones Official Fan Convention, held in Los Angeles. We celebrated the cast and crew, the lore, George R. R. Martin’s work, and more.
One of my favorite moments from the weekend was the Cosplay Contest. There were countless amazing cosplays roaming around the convention.
The cosplay contest at the first Game of Thrones Official Fan Convention
During the contest, we were able to take a closer look at these outfits, and vote for the winners.
The final four were impossible for me to choose from. These cosplays were near perfect: we had an Arya Stark, a Hound (complete with prosthetic mask), and a Jon Snow/Ygritte couple; the Jon was spot on down to the expressions. Jon Snow and Ygritte took first place and The Hound and Arya tied for second, justifiably so.
I kept seeing a Jon Snow cosplayer named Zak around the convention the whole weekend and became intrigued. I wondered what Kit Harington would say if he saw him. I didn’t have to wonder for long. During Kit Harington’s panel on Sunday, Zak approached the mic to ask him a question and Kit Harington greeted him with, “Oh, hi Jon!”
Zak kindly let me ask him a few questions regarding his cosplay.
We chat with cosplayer Zak McIntosh, aka Con Snow
How long have you been cosplaying and at what point did you decide that you’d start cosplaying as Jon Snow?
In 2012, my friends started to jokingly call me Ned Stark’s Bastard, though I didn’t know what that meant. I started to watch Game of Thrones with friends, and they all pointed at Jon Snow when he popped up on the screen, saying that was me. I decided to grow out my hair after high school, and I went to a Halloween party dressed as Jon Snow. It was such a big hit that I was told over and over again that I should take it to Comicon. I decided to try it out at Wizard World Sacramento in 2015, and here we are.
How many conventions have you attended as Jon Snow?
Different, individual conventions – 10. Repeat conventions, about 30-40. The first official Game of Thrones fan convention we just went to was the first one since COVID hit.
You’re known as Con Snow. How does that make you feel?
At first, really proud. Very much a small generalization of what Kit Harington said in his panel, “I’m the guy from the thing and now the thing is over.” I wasn’t doing it for clout or for attention, it was a thing to do and what everyone else wanted me to do. I did it for our fellow Game of Thrones fans.
What did Kit Harington say to you the first time he saw you in cosplay?
He did a double-take, looked me up and down and was like “This is brilliant.” Asked me for my name. He was really kind. Couldn’t interact much due to being pushed for photo ops.
What about other members of the cast?
I’ve met a handful of them in passing but when Miltos Yerolemou saw me, he tapped me on the chest and said “This is brilliant, mate! This is good!” I ran into Kate Dickie and she was shocked. She said “You’re the one who looks most like him! Can I take a selfie?” Iwan Rheon signed my shield. I asked him if we could take the photo the old way, and he replied with, “As you wish, Bastard.” Great guy. Kristian Nairn, Joe Dempsey, and Kristofer Hivju also praised my cosplay and my resemblance and commitment to looking like Jon Snow. When I went to take a picture with Nicolaj Coster-Waldau, he kept pointing at me saying “But you look like Kit. He looks like Kit!” A member of the official Game of Thrones Twitter page also kept stealing me away at a convention to take pictures. He ended up introducing me to Liam Cunningham and his reaction was to say, “Oh my god, you’re my new best friend!” Nothing but great experiences.
How hard did you have to work on the Jon Snow expressions? Or did they come naturally?
Honestly, I’d get drunk watching Game of Thrones with my friends, pause the episode, and copied the expressions as he made them. I also set up a mirror and worked my face into them.
Do you make your own costumes?
No, I do not. But all the pieces I get are handmade by some amazing Etsy shops, and eBay before Etsy was a thing. They’re not cheap and it shows, and it makes the costumes pop out even more, and it helps support these amazing leather workers, seamstresses, and artists. However, the boots I wore to the cosplay contest this past convention were $10 boots from Goodwill.
If you could cosplay any other Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon characters as accurately as you do Jon Snow, who would it be?
I would probably do the Crabfeeder. His whole design is just so cool.
With the next Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon conventions not being announced yet, it only gives fans like Zak even more time to perfect their cosplays. You can follow Zak McIntosh on his Instagram, @con.snow and look at the progression of his costume and cosplay journey.
dark. Next. Ewan Mitchell on becoming Aemond Targaryen: “He’s a whole other monster”
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