Creating my Heroes

The first time I remember dressing up as a character from a movie or show was for my Star Wars themed 8th birthday party. My mom made me a hand-sewn Princess Leia dress from Episode IV: A New Hope. I remember helping my mom cut out the fabric with her sewing scissors, and stitching together my small white hooded dress.

That was my first memory of Cosplaying.

Since then, I have loved dressing up as characters from my favorite movies, shows, comic books, and video games, and I've had a lot of great experiences at costume parties and Comicon because of it!

My sister Bre and I have done lots of Cosplays together and made a lot of fun memories in the process. More recently, my husband has done some Cosplays with me as well.

Cosplay as a Hobby and a Culture

The word "Cosplay" is a portmanteau of the phrase "costume play", and was coined by Nobuyuki Takahashi in 1984.

The art of Cosplaying is different than typical Halloween costuming, in that the process is more than just going to Wal-Mart and picking out a $15 costume from the Halloween section. Cosplay takes time, dedication, and is a replication of a certain character or theme. Oftentimes, going to the lengths of interacting with the world around you as the character would.

While I would say that Cosplay has become more of a "normal" thing over the last 10 years, there are a lot of people out there who still think cosplay is super weird and embarrassing.

I assure you, we who enjoy it have more fun than those people.

It takes a special person to be able to proudly Cosplay. You really have to not care what other people think of you. I once went to Culvers to get an early dinner with some friends after our first Comicon, and boy did the people in there whisper about me and my sister's costumes.

Cosplay is an art form and takes time, commitment, and some serious effort to make something amazing. It's a cultural phenomenon, starting in Japan and quickly gaining traction in the States. Cosplay is fun, and freeing, and brings people together.

And who doesn't want to step into the shoes of their favorite characters for even just a few hours?

My Favorite Cosplays

The Cosplay's below are some of my favorite from the last six years. While I probably have 10+ finished Cosplay's under my belt, these are probably the best, and the ones I've had the most fun with.

Raven from Teen Titans

Raven has always been my favorite Teen Titan, and back in the fall of 2015 I decided I would be her for Halloween.

I had my sister Bre cut my hair short like Raven's, which I actually loved! This also was my first time ever really trying darker makeup.

The gloves for this Cosplay were the most challenging part to make. I cut out some of the blue material from the bed sheet I used for my cape and got to sewing.

Raven has a broach that fastens her cape, and it matches the circular pieces on her belt. For these, I found buttons (like campaign buttons) at Hobby Lobby, and spray painted them gold. I used scissors to cut out red, reflective scrapbooking paper and hot glued them on the gold pieces to look like gems.

I was also very impressed with how well Bre's Peggy Carter Cosplay turned out! She looked amazing.

Katara from Avatar: the Last Airbender

One of my proudest creations was definitely my Katara cosplay from season 3 of Avatar: the Last Airbender. Katara is one character that I have Cosplayed as a lot. Four times to be exact. And with each time, I have improved my Cosplay. This was my most recent design, and I am very happy with it.

I have always loved Katara's Day of the Black Sun armor, which she uses throughout the end of the season, and was so happy with how my design for it turned out.

My armor was really fun to make, being my first ever attempt at Cosplay armor. I grabbed a pair of scissors and cut up Celsius boxes for my arm and shin guard plating, and shaping it till it looked just like Katara's. I spray-painted the cardboard, and then fastened leather straps from an old purse to the cardboard with hot glue.

The dress for the costume I found at the Goodwill for $3, and I made a lot of adjustments to it before it was ready. I cut out white fabric for the clouds at the bottom corners and sinched the waist with the use of my Dad's sewing machine. I also cut out and sewed on the collar, and the belt around the middle.

This was such a fun project, and I have gotten a lot of use out of this costume!

Agent Sarah Walker & Chuck Bartowski

This was me and my husband's first couple Cosplay, back when we started dating. I had a lot of fun with our Chuck Bartowski and Sarah Walker Cosplay, and taking it to the next level, I went to the lengths of bleaching my naturally black hair.

The top for this outfit I found at Goodwill. The corset was ordered off Amazon, and I made the skirt for this Cosplay myself, adding the tool and lace to the red material.

I also made Ashton's pocket protector and badge, and my "Sarah" Weinerlicious nametag.

When Ashton and I were at this Comicon, we met my husband's favorite author, Jim Butcher, (well known for the Dresden Files and Codex Alera series) who knew immediately what characters we were. Ashton said his favorite part of the day was when Butcher said we were "an adorable Chuck and Sarah."

It's pretty cool when your favorite author compliments your Cosplay!

Thor: Goddess of Thunder

Thor is definitely my favorite Avenger, and when the comic book series about Jane Foster as Thor came out I had to start collecting it.

For this Cosplay, I cut up an old skirt of mine, spray painted a sports bra I had been meaning to throw away anyways, and bought a bright blonde wig from Amazon. The corset is the same one from my Sarah Walker Cosplay a few years prior (always keep your Cosplay items!), and the cape we originally bought for Ashton for our Wonder Woman + Superman-themed wedding.

Thor: Goddess of Thunder is a comic book series that will actually be making a big-screen debut with the 2022 film, Thor: Love and Thunder. And apparently, Natalie Portman is beefing up for the role, which I am very excited to see.

Lara Croft

I've loved Lara Croft since I was about 5 years old. That was back when the Tomb Raider games were first coming out on PC and the first Playstation and came in those pyramid-shaped boxes.

In 2017, my husband and I went to Comicon and I decided to Cosplay as my childhood hero. For this outfit, I already had almost everything I needed in my closet.

I cut up strips of an old white shirt for my "bandages", and cut some holes in an old grey tank top and smeared red paint under it to make it look like a stab wound. I also made her jade dragon necklace out of modeling clay, and thin pieces of leather.

If you're unfamiliar with the Tomb Raider series, the shorthand of it is that Lara is a brave adventurer that gets shot at and chased by bad guys a lot. This Cosplay was from her very first expedition, to an Island off the Dragon's Triangle near Japan.

How I prepare for a great Cosplay

• Inspiration
• Knowing my Character
• Assessing what materials I'll need to use
• Tools: Sewing Machine, Needles Thread, Hot Glue, and Scissors, etc.

These are the building blocks for any great Cosplay. Before I start working on anything I go through this list, start working through my creative process, and gather my materials.

My Creative Process looks like this...

Inspiration

Before I get started with a Cosplay project, I think of a character that inspires me. This is usually the easiest part of the process.

My inspiration typically comes from comic books and TV series. I loved creating my Thor: Goddess of Thunder Cosplay, the helmet especially was fun to craft. Katara's armor, Raven's belt, and Sarah Walker's skirt and badge were all fun projects that I am proud of.

Knowing my Character

Who is my character, and what liberties can I take with my Cosplay?

Some of the most fun characters to dress as have multiple costumes or costumes you can kind of come up with yourself. Not every detail HAS to be exact for it to be a great Cosplay. I used my archery bracer in my Tomb Raider Cosplay, but she didn't have one in Tomb Raider: Reborn.

For example, this Sailor Moon Cosplay (not mine!) is amazing, but Serena doesn't use this much armor at any point in the Sailor Moon series or movies if my memory serves. It would make a lot more sense if she did though!

This Cosplayer did an amazing job of representing her character while adding creative embellishment.

Another example is creating an alternate world version of your character. People that do steampunk versions of characters are able to do some pretty amazing stuff with their Cosplay! To me, getting to be being creative is one of the most fun parts of Cosplay, and what makes this art form so unique.

What materials do I need?

This is all based on judgment, and also what is available.

Cosplay creation is a lot like designing clothing. The look and feel of the material are just as important as the color. For most capes you want them to billow. For boot covers, you want them to look and feel like leather.

My cape for my Raven Cosplay was a Queen-sized top sheet from the Goodwill that I sewed into a cape. The color was perfect, the material was soft and comfortable, and Raven is the type of character that would want to hide in it rather than have it flow out behind her. It was also cheaper than buying expensive material from Hobby Lobby.

I made my armor for my Katara Cosplay from Celsius boxes, old purse straps, hot glue, and spray paint.

You can make literally anything into Cosplay material. When you don't have a lot of money to put into a Cosplay, it's okay to get scrappy. You can still make something awesome with cardboard and determination.

I typically look around my house and see what I have available, then after I gather what I already have, I go to a craft or thrift store to buy the rest.

Gather your Tools

This is the fun part! What do you need to make your masterpiece?

Hot Glue:

I use Hot Glue pretty much all the time, but especially when making a Cosplay. It is an essential element to almost any costume I am working on. This is especially true for crafting accessories!

Scissors:

This is a given. If you are working on a Cosplay, you will need a good pair (or two!) of scissors. My favorites are my Fiskars Seamstress scissors pictured above.

It's important to use all-purpose or seamstress scissors when cutting fabric. Another thing is that if your scissors are rusted at all, or have nicks in them, it's possible to fray or snag the material. Always check the quality of your tools before using them.

Sewing Machine:

If I am crafting an entire outfit from scratch, like my Katara dress, I will need my sewing machine. It honestly took me a long time to figure out how to use this tool properly, but it is an essential item to have and be acquainted with.

Needle and Thread:

While I don't always need my sewing machine, I always need to stitch at least one thing while working on a Cosplay. I like to have red, blue, black, and white thread and my needle kit on hand any time I'm working on a Cosplay just in case I need them.

The most important part...

The most important part is having fun! I know a lot of Cosplayers that buy their Cosplay instead of making it, and I also know a lot of Cosplayers that dedicate years to perfecting, designing, and crafting their Cosplay. Either option is perfectly acceptable! The goal with any Cosplay is to have fun.

I always pick a character that I love and know I will enjoy portraying. Cosplay is something that I will continue to practice and work on, and getting to do this with my family and friends has made for some really amazing memories that I will get to treasure the rest of my life.

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-Leah H.