CosBlog #5: The Third Colossus by Isaac Jones

Fanboys (and girls) are a special breed in the gaming world. With their zealous enthusiasm they single-handedly have the ability to make or break games, breathe life back into flailing franchises and (if they use their powers for evil) start flame wars across the Internet. Their undying devotion for a developer, game or character has spawned web-rings, epic works of art and the desire to participate in the ultimate fan tribute—cosplay. This weekly blog highlights some of the best cosplay found around the net. These fans put their blood, sweat and tears into their work, and it shows.

While Shadow of the Colossus is beloved by many, I never would have expected it to spawn Cosplay tributes – especially those of the imposing Colossi. But Cosplayer Isaac Jones took on the task and succeeded in all regards, showcased in fantastic photography that plays with perspective and makes the costume look larger than life. Enjoy!

Who: The Character
This Cosplay was modeled after the third colossus that appears in the game “Shadow of the Colossus."

Why: The Decision
“Shadow of the Colossus” was hands down one of the most beautiful games I have ever played. Actually a better word may be “experienced”. It was a treat for all the senses but, elegantly empty at the same time. I really relate to this game and felt like I needed to take on the challenge of making a Cosplay from it. I took some time deciding which of the biped colossi I would recreate and came to the conclusion that I connected with the third colossus the most.

What: The Process
As a low estimate, I would say that the colossus took about 80 hours to make (although it was more likely over 100). The base of the colossus was made with faux fur, a pair of black jeans and 4 basketballs (for the feet). The “rocks” were made with a combination of cushion foam, ceiling texturizer, black spray paint, stone texture spray paint and love. The “rocks” were attached to the fur with a mixture of rubber cement and contact cement. The “weak spot” on the stomach was constructed with an EL sheet, covered with a stencil and hooked up to a couple of AA batteries.

The hardest part of the colossus was actually starting it. By that I mean getting the scale correct. The proportions of the colossus are pretty different from those of a human. Although accuracy is my main goal when Cosplaying, I had to make some calls and choose which proportions I would keep and which I would have to alter. I made a pretty costly mistake early on while trying to figure this stage out. I almost ended up scraping the entire project but, I kept with it because I knew making this Cosplay was a step I had to take.

Where and When: The Debut
The colossus first debuted at ACEN 08. I was planning on entering it in the masquerade that year but, there was some confusion and I didn’t end up participating. I was a little disappointed but it did give me some extra time to work on it for ACEN 09. In this time I added the glowing “weak spot”.

The photo shoot took place at Fabyan Park. It was organized and shot by the lovely and amazing photographer Amanda who goes by the name “elemental." She was fun to work with and I really appreciate what she did for my Cosplay.

Links: The Cosplayer
Besides cosplay.com I can also be found at isaacjonesdesign.com

The Gallery:

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