(Images: Alex Garland for CHS)

Christy Lee Elliott is a bartender and social media manager at Linda’s and works as a prop fabricator, painter, and mold fabricator at Ghost Ride Productions in Bellevue. For six years she has combined the two lines of work by organizing Linda’s Prom.

Elliot is also a big fan of the movie Mars Attacks! — Tim Burton’s 1996 classic comedic sci-fi. So when it came time to choose a cosplay costume for Emerald City Comicon 2016, held this past weekend at the convention center at the base of Capitol Hill, the film’s iconic Martian Girl character was an obvious pick.

Over 20 hours went into painting spirals on the Martian dress, which was sewn together with the help of Elliot’s mom, “very talented seamstress” in her own right. That 20 hours did not include making the Martian gun, the wig construction, the handbag, or eyeball ring.

The costume was a hit. Elliot was stopped dozens of times by ECCC attendees in the three hours CHS spent with her at the Washington State Convention Center. We asked Elliot a few questions about her experience.

CHS: What do you love about Comicon?
CLE: I love how much fun everyone has. Everyone is so excited to be there, to see each other and to dress up as their favorite characters. I also love finding new artists and buying too much stuff that I can’t fit on my walls.

CHS: Why do you spend so much time making a costume and getting dressed up to go to Comicon?
CLE: It’s a challenge. I look at a character that I love and figure out how I can put that together, I love fabrication. It’s what I do at my job at Ghost Ride and it makes me so happy.

CHS: What inspired you to choose Mars Attacks?
CLE: Mars Attacks is one of my favorite movies. I grew up loving horror and comedy and it’s a perfect blend. And who doesn’t think about the gum chewing Martian woman swaying on the screen when they think about Mars Attacks? She’s so iconic.