In September of this year, my son came to his mom and me and said, “I want to be Predator this Halloween.” Now, his mom and I didn’t just want to buy a Predator costume… we had to make it. While I have made a very basic Ghostbusters Proton Pack in the past, a Predator costume felt like it was way over my head. A quick google search came up with everything from EVA foam to Fiberglass Resin to Cardboard and Crayola Model Magic being used for a build. I had absolutely no idea what I was looking at or how to go about even starting a build. I even joined a Cosplay Facebook group for help. It was in all that madness that I decided to write this article. After all, cosplay is one of the things I really look forward to when I attend a convention like Wizard World. So why not feature, recognize and hopefully get some good info from the people that do it?
Amanda
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Mr. H: What do you like about cosplay? Is there a time you really messed up on a build? If so, what can you say about it? (What happened/How).
The things I love most about cosplay are The avenues of creativity like I stated earlier there are many different ways to bring a character to life, or mix fandoms. All it takes is a little imagination and design skill. The fact I get to literally put on another persona and escape reality for a short time, it’s kind of surreal when you give the one hundred and ten percent when in costume and act like the character. The general reaction from adults and children alike when they see their favorite character in the flesh, to them it’s as close to meeting the “real” Captain America or Wonder Woman as they’ll ever get and it’s a priceless feeling to see the raw joy in their eyes while interacting with them. I could go on but the list would be an article all by itself haha!
Mr. H: What type of materials do you typically use?
Mr. H: If I were completely new to cosplay, what recommendations could you give me in terms of building? There’s so much different information out there, where should a beginner start?
Mr. H: I understand you came in 2nd in the FX category at the NYCC. That’s pretty huge! Tell me about your build. What materials did you use, how long did it take to build and around what was the cost?
Craft store foam both 6mm and 2mm thick for the main construction of the suit. All of the silver parts are pieces that were either 3d printed then molded and cast out of a liquid plastic or taken from model car kits I purchased from a local flea market. Between the foam, molding and casting supplies, electronics, and paint I actually only have just over $150.
Hah, In an iron man suit I can barely make it 15 feet before I’m stopped again. But I love it, I feed off of everyone’s energy.
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Mr. H: What kind of materials do you typically use?
Mr. H: What recommendations might you make for someone wanting to try their hand at building their own costume? With all the information out there, is there a specific place someone should look?
It’s amazing to me to see the different skill sets employed by various different cosplayers. Due to article length limits, this article will have two parts. Be sure to follow the link here for the second part, featuring three additional cosplayers, one of them who happened to be at The Walker Stalker Convention recently in Philadelphia.