I normally have some anxiety issues when I go to a convention. I am not good with crowds and do not like to be touched at all. You would think that someone like me would not want to draw extra attention at a massive event like New York Comic Con.
You'd be wrong. I've really grown to love the challenge and community of cosplay. I'd like to have a signature costume that people know me for. I also prefer to have multiple costumes instead of one costume for an entire weekend. That's the OCD kicking in. I don't like the idea of people thinking I don't change my clothes every day.
This year, I set out to do three new costumes but got derailed by illness. Wander from Wander Over Yonder got replaced with an updated Fry from Futurama costume. That was Sunday. Friday was Wilson from the indie survival horror game Don't Starve and Saturday was Chris from the web series Bravest Warriors. Both were brand new costumes.
The big challenge for Wilson was not the makeup (I have the skin tone for it), prop fabrication (foam carving is easy), or fabric painting (done it for years); it was the hair. The only way to get Wilson's wild coiffure of spikes right was sculpted foam. I had to, essentially, piece together a giant hat with fun foam and glue. An actual wig would have required a massive infrastructure and would have been next to impossible to paint.
The charm and draw of Winston was his illustrative style. He's basically an animated Ed Gorey-esque cartoon. He has heavy, visible inking on his vest and hair. Even synthetic hair would not achieve the same level of detail as foam. Then there's matching the lines on the vest and the torch and selling dark whimsy on the show floor.
The second new cosplay was Chris from Bravest Warriors and he had his own challenges. In broad strokes, he is the Charlie Brown figure of the group. He is so kind but he can never catch a break. I could not safely get his full chest armor into NYC on the train, so I had to go with an alternate costume. The Wankershim episode is one of the best and features a great alternate costume sight gag. Everyone at the event is redressed in Wankershim t-shirts by the Emotion Lord; Chris loses his chest armor in the process.
I felt more confident with this costume but still had reservations. To actually function at NYCC, I had to scale back on Chris's gauntlets and shift the top past the thumb and fingers. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to carry a bag or go to panel without undressing and redressing every single time. Accuracy is a big deal to me and I feel like the shifted proportions combined with the alternate costuming was pushing it. I will do full chest armor when I drive myself to a sci-fi friendly convention.
So what was the reaction? On Friday, it was as mixed as you would expect. I'm surprised more fans targeting the gaming booths didn't recognize Wilson. Like Shaun of the Dead last year, the quirky indie costume that I loved got more play in The Block and super nerdy panels. When I sculpted the wig, I realized how similar the proportions were to Loki's helmet. That was the only real source of confusion. The costume could go over well at the Chiller Theatre Expo contest where I can actually glue down the wig and do the full contour makeup design. I think I still might do my R from Warm Bodies or Otto from Otto; Or, Up with Dead People design there instead and aim for winning best makeup.
When I was recognized, it was a delayed reaction, for sure. People were not expecting that character to walk around at NYCC. The game isn't new, but it is a small indie title that is still growing in reach. I want to say the concept art of Wilson walking around with the torch in front of the blue forest background is iconic, but iconography requires more reach than this game has.
The important part, for me, was how confident I felt. That costume fit perfectly. The wig needs some adjustments to be just right--the two side spikes need to shift down the side of the head more--but the concept worked. The simple makeup was effective and haunting. It was simply a cream injury stack from Ben Nye I've used for years--yellow to even out the skin tone, maroon to set some depth, and a few taps of black blended in for just the right shade of grey--and some setting powder. I had the pieces cut for the actual vest rather than the last minute sweater vest alteration; I just needed more time to stitch and line it properly.
Saturday was a wash. I really liked my Chris from Bravest Warriors cosplay. I never sculpted armor for a costume before and the process just made sense. My paint job was on point. The wig needed a little more finessing but was a good first strike on gravity-defying spikes on a wig. The Wankershim t-shirt is adorable and got the biggest smiles out of fans. The concept and execution mostly worked.
The reason I call Saturday a wash is that I made myself very sick wearing the costume. It turns out I'm allergic to Plasti-dip, a product that came highly recommended to me to protect the foam on a budget. I should have realized sooner that the not-migraine (so much worse and in a different spot), nausea (but in the upper part of my stomach, not wear you'd normally feel it), cold sweats, chills, and breathing problems were connected to the armor on my skin. Anytime I took the gauntlets off to use my bag, I started to feel better. It wasn't until I almost passed out a panel I'd been dying to see for weeks that I ripped off the armor--gauntlets, side panels, and spats--and started to feel better. When I made the connection in my head, I tied them up in a plastic bag, took off the wig (character doesn't work without the gauntlets), and immediately started to feel like a human being again.
Basically, I'll have to redo all the armor with a more expensive sealing/strengthening medium that I've used before on other props and never had a bad reaction to. It really was a shame. I was getting great feedback on my approach to the costume and took a lot of photos. I'm heavy for the character in this form--the armor proportions on the chest were gamed to make me look thinner, the same way I increased the size of my head to look more cartoonish with the Wilson wig--but people responded to it very well.
Sunday was the showstopper day. I had good reactions from the Fry cosplay last year, but the jacket wasn't right. This year, with some light alterations--basted the hood folded over on itself to form that high collar--the jacket was 95% right. The white stripes on the waist and cuffs drove me insane but didn't ruin the effect. I just need to find a pattern I can alter to get the solid red jacket in the right proportions.
The jacket made all the difference. I got stopped a lot. I had some incredible cosplayers I respect compliment me on the cut and color of the wig and even made it into Bleeding Cool's cosplay coverage for the first time. When I went up to the press room to unwind, quite a few of my fellow writers/photographers approached me to ask for my photo. I had to politely decline at that point. I needed to get the wig off my head, kick my feet up, and actually each something for the first time that day (3PM or so). Being that on for five hours straight is taxing. I agreed to pictures on my way out and am curious to see if they actually make it onto some of the other sites that had photographers approach me.
I have to give it up to all the competitive cosplayers out there. I don't think I could do what they do all day long. Sunday was the only day I lasted until I left and that was six hours earlier than Friday and Saturday. I know what I need to do to get into that shape and mindset and I intend to continue working for that goal. I'm never going to be drawn to cosplaying as a traditional superhero or ultra hunky character, but I'd like to reach the point that I'm not worried about being called "The Fat [X]" in online coverage. It hasn't happened yet, but the right photo at this size would do it.
All in all, cosplaying in three completely different outfits head to toe at NYCC this year was a hugely rewarding experience. I walked away with a far better understanding of the craft and a new-found appreciation for the big names in the community. I also know that I'm not alone in my odder fandoms and can continue to push the boundaries of pop culture cosplay when I'm not entered in competitions.
Thoughts on cosplaying? Or on NYCC cosplay? Share them below. I have more to say in upcoming posts.
