10 Years of Texxx-Man Cosplay (2014-2024)

On a sweltering Friday August 1, 2014, a young man heads to his first convention and wonders how much he'll enjoy it. The young man I'm referencing to is yours truly. 2024 marks 10 years since I stepped onto the cosplay scene. I've done over three dozen cosplays as of this writing and won two cosplay contests at two different conventions (2019 and 2020 respectively). So yes, I'm an award-winning cosplayer. I'm not ashamed to refer to myself as that, because I earned it. In the past decade, I've had numerous and incredible moments on social media and at cons as a cosplayer. I'm unable to go through every single cosplay moment I've experienced, but in this story, I'll be counting down my top five cosplay moments from the last 10 years. Also, I'll be highlighting 10 of the most fascinating cosplayers I believe have been inspiring to me and a Q&A session. Before I begin, I want to thank everyone on Vocal for supporting me and allowing me to express myself. Plus, if you would like to support me, please consider sending me a one-off tip, big or small, by going to the end of this story or any story I've written. Your tips will encourage me to write more stories like this and also, subscribe to my page. Finally, please follow me on social media. Information on those will be found in my profile. Now on to my favorite cosplay moments. These are not in any particular order.

5. My Very First Spider-Man Suit

In late November 2018, I was the proud owner of this amazing Captain Spider-Man (or Captain Spidey, as I would call it) suit. I wanted to cosplay as Spider-Man for the longest and when it arrived and tried it on, I felt like a web-slinging superhero. I've worn this suit (pictured above) many times at different events. Unfortunately, in 2020, it got stolen by a unknown thief. Luckily, I ordered the suit again less than a year later and it was good to wear it again. This particular suit is one of my top favorites to wear. As of 2024, I have seven Spider-Man suit and on the pursuit of my eighth.

4. Promo Ready

On the second and final day of The Cosplay Con in North Little Rock, Arkansas in November 2017, I and several cosplayers had an opportunity to be part of a promo for The CW Arkansas and with actress Ciara Renee. If you don't know who she is, she played Hawkgirl on the DC series Legends of Tomorrow. It was the first time I've participated in something like this and had a great time doing it.

3. Meeting A Power Rangers Star

2019 was a great year for two reasons, but I'll discuss the other reason in a bit. September of that year was something special, because I attended Arkansas Comic Con in Little Rock, Arkansas for the first time. It was a two-day event (Saturday and Sunday) and while I was there, I've met two incredible people and took photo-ops with them. They were the late Kevin Conroy, who voiced Batman in Batman: The Animated Series, and the late Jason David Frank, who needs no introduction. Jason, who passed away in 2022, was someone I loved watching on tv as a kid, but had a huge dislike of him as an adult. Weeks before my trip to Little Rock, I had a change of heart and told myself that I had to meet him. Otherwise, I wouldn't have the opportunity to do so again. So on the second and final day of con, I was in line waiting to have my picture taken with Jason while he was wrapping up his panel. When he completed his panel, he went behind a set of curtains, which is where we would have our photos taken with him. Jason popped his head out and mingled with us for a bit. When it was my turn to have my picture taken with him, he was so generous and respectful. At the end of our photo-op, I shook his hand and told him that it was nice to meet him. This particular encounter with arguably the best Power Ranger ever changed my life. The reason why I disliked him previously was because at the time, I thought he was being too cocky and arrogant on social media. After meeting Jason, I've gained a lot of respect for him and the accomplishments he achieved, even though he wasn't my favorite Power Ranger. While many people may not have liked him, he was humble and cared about his fans. I don't live vicariously through famous people and I stand by that, because at the end of the day, they're regular people just like us. When you meet someone famous, both of you are strangers. I know it's hard to hear, but it's true. You don't know them personally and vice versa. Even though Jason is no longer with us, the Power Rangers franchise will live on forever. I'm thankful that my friends convinced me to meet him.

2. The Most Exciting Convention In Arkansas

After an almost three year hiatus from attending cons, my sights were set on a convention that I wanted to attend for so long and I did exactly that. Spa-Con in Hot Springs, Arkansas is a three-day event (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) that occurs in late September every year. I've asked one of my cosplay friends, who has been a cosplay guest for multiple years at this con, if it was an event he would recommend to me. He said that it was and added that I would enjoy myself there. So on the day of the road trip, a friend and I attended the first and second day of the event. It was his first time attending any convention, so I wanted it to be memorable for him and myself. Let's fast forward to the second day of the con and the cosplay contest. After the winners of the cosplay contest were announced, the winners and participants came together for a group photo. We had to remain still for a while because the confetti wasn't coming out, which was supposed to happen once the group photo was taken. After a few minutes, the photo was taken and everyone was relieved that they didn't have to kneel, pose, or stand for any longer. I was kneeling for the photo for several minutes and my legs were cramping afterwards. Nonetheless, it was worth it and loved being part of that wonderful group photo. That weekend was so memorable and enjoyable. Out of all the cons I've attended in the past 10 years, Spa-Con was the most exciting one I've gone to and I would recommend everyone to take a trip down to Hot Springs every September, if you can. I used to live there for a couple of years, so returning there in almost a decade for a con was a bit emotional, but exciting.

Four down and one final moment to go. Before I reveal the number one cosplay moment, I want to remind everyone again to subscribe to my page on Vocal, follow me on social media, and if you loved this story, please send me a one-off tip at the end of this story. By doing this, you're supporting your favorite creator on Vocal and motivating them to write more stories. In my case, I like writing stories about the things that interest me and sparks my curiosity. I've been a creator on Vocal for almost six years and I hope that my stories will either inspire you, motivate you, or both. Either way, I want everyone to take away something I've written and learn from it.

On that note, here's the number one cosplay moment.

1. My First Cosplay Contest Win

Without a doubt, this cosplay moment is arguably the best one I've accomplished. This took place at GlitchCon in Springdale, Arkansas on August 2, 2019, which was the day after I celebrated my fifth cosplay anniversary. GlitchCon is a three-day pop culture event (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) which is usually held around late July or early August. I've attended this con for six consecutive years (from 2014-2019) before the Covid-19 pandemic unfortunately broke that streak. Hopefully, I'll be back there soon. The staff at that con have known me for years and as one person on that con staff would say that I was the life of the party at GlitchCon. I guess you can say that I was somewhat popular every time I attended. So onto the cosplay contest. There were several categories that cosplayers participating in the contest could win. One of those categories was Judge's Choice and I when my name was called and got on the stage to accept my award, I couldn't contain my excitement. I was jumping for joy and with glee. After five years of not winning a cosplay contest, I finally achieved something fulfilling. Winning a cosplay contest was like winning an Oscar. I believe it's a great comparison, because cosplayers are like performers, even if they love doing it for fun. I posted my award on social media and I received a plethora of congratulatory posts. While I couldn't reply to all of them, many people were happy for me. It's a night that I'll remember for years to come.

Texxx-Man Cosplay's Most Fascinating Cosplayers

Since stepping into the cosplay scene 10 years ago, I've met some of the most amazing cosplayers at cons and on social media. The following cosplayers I'm about to mention have not only been inspiring, but marvelous in their own way. Cosplay is a way to express ourselves and also brings us together. Behind every con that we attend, there's always a story. Making cosplay memories is one of the things we aim to do. So without further ado, here are my 10 favorite cosplayers of the last decade. Please check out their pages and give them a follow. Tell them I sent you.

Q&A Session

I've invited people on TikTok to ask me any questions they have for me and here are some of my answers to them.

What is your favorite baseball moment?

Without a doubt in my mind, my beloved Texas Rangers winning their first ever World Series title in franchise history. I'll always remember the date and time this moment took place: November 1, 2023 at 11:01 PM. I even recorded a reaction video of Josh Sborz getting the final out and I was screaming with joy and was stunned that my team finally won a championship. I would say that the third try was the charm. I've been a die-hard fan of the Rangers since I was 13 and I'm glad to have finally witnessed something phenomenal. When your team wins a World Series, it's a big deal. One of those perks is that they have a parade, which took place in my hometown of Arlington, Texas. I wasn't able to make it down to the parade, but I've seen pictures from it. It was reported that around 500,000 spectators were there to support the World Series champs. I've have some World Series gear I bought since my amazing team won it all. I'm still looking to purchase my first Rangers jersey.

What inspired you to cosplay?

It was all thanks to a former colleague I've worked with and he introduced me to cosplay. I didn't know what it was, so I did a quick Google search. When I did, I jokingly said that I would never become one of those weirdos who dress up as characters at conventions. Unfortunately, I regretted those words and changed my mind about it. Almost a year later, I started doing cosplay and since then, I still love it. I was diagnosed with Autism at a very young age, so cosplay was kind of a lifesaver for me and gave me the chance to be myself, something that my abusive parents never allowed me to do in my childhood. No matter who you are or where you came from, cosplay is for everyone, regardless of age. My advice to would-be cosplayers and current cosplayers: cosplay and imagination has no expiration date. Be the inspiration to someone, because you are somebody.

What is your favorite food?

I have many favorite foods, but my go-to guilty pleasure has to be pepperoni pizza. I like other kinds of pizza, but this one is my overall favorite. Whether I buy it from a grocery store or order one from a pizza place, it's a delicacy that's worth enjoying. However, I have to be more careful eating too much pizza, because if I consume so much cheese, I get constipated. I'm a bit lactose intolerant, so I'm very weary of certain foods I have that has loads of cheese or dairy in it.

What was your first cosplay?

It was the 11th Doctor from Doctor Who. I was unfamiliar of what that character or tv series was. I ordered the costume weeks earlier and the con I was going to attend was weeks away. So it was the cheapest option I could afford at the time. A last minute decision, if you will. Also, I ordered a Sonic Screwdriver. Nevertheless, I had a wonderful time at my very first con. Besides, bowties are cool.

What will the next 10 years as a cosplayer have in store for me? Only time will tell. On that note, here's to 10 more years of cosplay fun!