GIMeagan Blog

CosBlog #23: Wander by Hime no Toki

2010-03-17T19:45:00Z

We’ve already featured one amazing Shadow of the Colossus costume on the CosBlog, and this impressive Wander tribute continues the trend. Check out Hime no Toki’s take on the brave protagonist of Team Ico’s masterpiece below.

Who: The Character
Wander from Shadow of the Colossus

Why: The Decision
“I fell in love with Shadow of the Colossus. The game is simply amazing, from the graphics to the power of the story behind it. I love Wander for his determination to bring life back to the one he loves, and risk everything to do so. His story is so profound, and yet the game is so simplistic all the same, it's a beautiful blend of art and story. It doesn't need to be complex to get the message across or in order to be entertaining and thought-provoking. I absolutely love the works of Fumito Ueda and Team Ico, it didn't take any second thought or convincing for me to make this, I knew it had to happen. So without a moment's hesitation, I set about to make this dream costume a reality. I put my heart and soul into this costume.”

What: The Process
“This costume was a project from start to finish. One thing I will say is though it looks simple, there's a lot going on in this design and it took loads of research and work to complete. It took roughly four months from start to finish, and I had started brainstorming and gathering materials even months before the actual work began. It ended up costing around $500 for all the materials.

“I don't think I have ever been quite so meticulous with detail as I was with Wander, I wanted every stitch to be in place, the wig to be styled just right, every pattern to be replicated accurately, and every strap on the sandals to match up with what the character is wearing. Even the subtle details were important. I used my knowledge in leather work and sewing for most of the costume, there was a lot of hand and machine embroidery done throughout. I made sure to pick fabrics that had a texture and color to compliment Wander's garments as they appear and flow in game. I did leather work for the sandals, leg gaurds, belt, and bracelets. I embossed the symbols on the leather belt myself and paid careful attention to detail to make sure the symbols matched, it was really hard to find good reference but thanks to the artbook and studying the game, I was able to replicate it pretty well.

“The tabard is probably the most impressive piece, I spent hours studying the pattern in the artbook and on screen while making the template, and it was well worth it - I was able to replicate it pretty accurately and to scale, all of the symbols are appliqued on with fabric and embroidered by machine around each and every one, and it had to be done four times (front and back, and inside on both sides). I did a lot of hand embroidery for the headband, the stitch marks on the pants, around the tabbard edge, and on the under-tunic. The sword is layered balsa wood that was fiberglassed, it's pretty light-weight. If you want the full details, just go to the links provided for my Coscom and ACP accounts - I discuss the process at length there for how I made this piece.”

Where and When: The Debut
“I debuted Wander at OhayoCon 2009, where it won the honor of Best in Show craftsmanship. I didn't get around to doing any scenic photoshoots until I was back in Florida. I was happy to find out Consplayers would be in Florida, and shooting at the Maitland Art Center close by which was my dream location for this costume. The photos are all credit to Robert from Consplayers.com who did an amazing job! We did the shoot during the heat of summer, but it was worth it.”

Links: The Cosplayer
Cosplay.com
Anime Cosplay Paradise

The Gallery

Miss the past few CosBlogs? Check our or CosBlog Hub for the full archive and details on how to have your own costume featured.

CosBlog #22: FF XIII Launch Edition

2010-03-10T23:07:00Z

To celebrate the launch of Final Fantasy XIII, this week's CosBlog features a dedicated group of Final Fantasy fans who channeled their passion for the franchise into amazing costumes. Check out our interviews with several of the cosplayers and a slew of images below. Enjoy!

Lightning by RainerTachibana

Who: The Character
"Codename Lightning, main character of the flagship title of the Fabula Nova Crystallis compilation, Final Fantasy XIII."

Why: The Decision
"I've always been a very big fan of Final Fantasy since I was a very young kid. My first title was FFVII, and I've been following the series through each installment since then.

"Lightning is a very unique character. She is strong-willed, resolute, relentless and unforgiving, and yet she has a soft, kindhearted aspect to her personality that's not apparent from the outset. All in all, she is a very real character, and one that people can easily relate to. I know I could. I was drawn to her character the moment I watched an early trailer, and when I watched the last few trailer releases, I was totally won over.

"Also, it helps that she has pink hair, which I love. Hahaha."

What: The Process
"I planned this cosplay as far back as 2007, but I didn't actually start on it till the second half of 2009, when I decided to debut it at an end-of-year event in Singapore together with my FFXIII teammates.

"The base of the costume was made by my personal tailor who did an awesome job, and I added detailing and crafted the accessories and props. We used a one-way stretch in a lovely ivory shade for the jacket, and a dark sandy color of the same fabric for the lining. Picked a red spandex for the cape which I felt was a good decision because it flowed and flipped in the wind beautifully. I was eyeing suede for the skirt but because there wasn't a suitable color, I went for a heavy drill instead. The leg pouch was red pleather which I spent a long time drafting and stitching by hand and gluing and taking apart and redoing. It caused me some amount of difficulty because I'd not made such a complicated pouch before and also, I'm hopeless at handstitching. The cuffs around the bicep were cut from pig's leather, and worn via velcro closure. Boots were also pleather, which were dyed from their original color to a more accurate shade of brown, and silver straps were leather belts sprayed metallic. Pauldron was craft foam, primed and painted. The pendant, worn on a simple silver chain, was also cut from foam, handpainted and glossed.

"Blaze Edge, Lightning's sword, I cut and sanded from light basswood, and the components pieced together using hotglue. I added an additional layer of detailing using craft foam and small stainless steel components. The total time taken was probably 60 - 80 hours, spent on and off."

Where and When: The Debut
"Lightning was debuted at EOY'09, an annual event in Singapore. The photoshoot was held half at the Singapore Changi Airport T3, and half at the Singapore Expo. We picked these locations because of the metallic structures and super-modern feel that is prevalent in Cocoon, the floating city of FFXIII."

Links: The Cosplayer
"I run a personal cosplay blog - which I promise to update more regularly. And more of my works can be viewed at my gallery on DeviantArt."

The Gallery

K-iricos as Hope Estheim

Who: The Character
"Hope Estheim from Final Fantasy XIII. I did the one and only default costume."

Why: The Decision
"I chose Hope because of the fact that I had greater confidence portraying the look of his as compared to the originally plan of Vanille. Second will be the resemblance in terms of height (short). I got very much attracted to the series because of the heavy influence from Rainer Tachibana when she first showed me the series. I fell in love with the character designs instantly."

What: The Process
"As for costume making, I left most details for my tailor to complete. All I did was to add on details on the scarf and did little alteration to the pants. Final costs were around 100 bucks or less since it was tailored. Most difficult task should be the painting and modifying of my boots to get the color as accurate as possible. The end results were somewhat satisfying though there are still lots to improve.I also want to mention that the Hope wig belongs to Rainer, who lent it to me for the shoot."

Where and When: The Debut
"First debut of the costume was during the end of year event in 2009 in Singapore. Photo shoot was held at the airport although we got chased away few minutes after we started. Then we went off to the Expo. Location was chosen by Rainer Tachibana as she is more familiarized with the series and is more experienced."

Links: The Cosplayer
DeviantArt and Cure

The Gallery

Jesuke as Snow Villiers

Who: The Character
"The character is Snow Villiers from Final Fantasy XIII"

Why: The Decision
"I was kinda attracted to the series because of the visual effects and the design concept of the environment and my friend Shizuka asked me whether I’m interested in doing Snow. Well, it was quite challenging, but worth the try!"

What: The Process
"It took awhile, like three days or so as I already started the costume quite long ago but I stopped for awhile. After that they say they want to cosplay in an event which was like 6 days to go and I try to finish it up as soon as possible and I have done it ^^. Material wise is of course cloth, craft form, paints, buckers, zips, aluminum…cost overall was below $60. The difficult task I think was the inner shirt because there are two types of different color cloth had to sew together and of course the necklace because had to make the necklace from scratch."

Where and When: The Debut
"It's in Singapore event which held on national library during 2009, called End-of-year event. Photoshoot is somewhere in airport and Singapore EXPO (which has very nice lighting). Because FF mostly is futuristic feel and more on glass, white scenery so we tend to choose Singapore expo as the place was very suitable for it."

Links: The Cosplayer
DeviantArt

The Gallery

[Photographer Credits: Zera, Windy]

B-eckiee as Oerba Dia Vanille

Links: The Cosplayer
DeviantArt

Yyumii as Serah Farron

Links: The Cosplayer
DeviantArt

Group Photos

CosBlog #21: Cammy White By Illiara

2010-03-04T06:15:00Z

This week's CosBlog sees one Street Fighter fan's take on Cammy White throughout her various costumes and iterations. I think it's safe to say that cosplayer Illiara has taken a notoriously hard character to pull off and succeeded in spades. Enjoy!

Who: The Character
"The character I’m cosplaying as is Cammy White from the Street Fighter series. I’ve done several variations of her costume, Alpha, Delta, and Swimsuit (complete with tan lines)."

Why: The Decision
"I’ve been playing the Street Fighter series since growing up so I suppose that is what initially sparked my interest in Cammy. I always cosplay characters that I like from a series that I dig so it was inevitable that I’d cosplay as her eventually, but I was initially asked to be Cammy as a part of a Street Fighter cosplay group that a friend was putting together and I happily agreed. Swimsuit Cammy came later based on a fanart I saw that had me in a fit of hysterics."

What: The Process
"Each costume took a different amount of time to create. I spent the most amount of time on Alpha Cammy, but it’s hard to guess how many hours went into it because another girl and I were creating accessories/costumes for about a dozen Shadowloo Dolls at the time. If I had to guess I’m say maybe around 10-15 hours? All of my Cammy costumes include copious amounts of spandex so it was tricky at first, but got easier the more I worked with it.

"The toughest part was out of all 3 costumes I think would have to be cutting that circle from the back of Aplha Cammy. Spandex is a little tricky to work with and I was nervous that cutting the hole in the back would turn out, eh, less than circular. My only disappointment with it is that since there is no tension in the back it leaves the sides a little saggy and I end up looking like a box. Haha! I was fairly new to working with spandex at that point so it was certainly a learning experience. :p"

Where and When: The Debut
"Alpha Cammy was debuted at Anime Vegas 2007. However, the costume received far more attention at Anime Expo; I think the size difference between the two conventions made a huge difference. Small cons rather than large cons are an entirely different experience. The Alpha Cammy pictures here were shot by Eric Joseph during Anime Vegas 2007.

Delta Cammy was premiered at Anime Vegas 2008 where I met the American Voice Actress from SFIV. She was really excited to see a Cammy cosplayer and ran over to ask for a picture. I was totally stoked when she told me who she was and that she dug my costume. :D That was the convention that I discovered how impossible my gauntlets made it to take pictures with my camera! I ended up having to give it to a friend to take snapshots of costumes that excited me. All of my Delta Cammy pictures were taken in San Francisco during Wonder Con. By Annisse Damfatale or Eurobeat King.

Tan Line Cammy debuted at San Diego Comic Con 2009. I wore it strictly for the sake of shooting, but had to go nab a friend in the convention hall so I wandered about a few minutes, saw a few other Street Fighter characters so we got a couple of pictures at the Capcom booth before heading out for the shoot. Not a lot of people got the joke, but the ones that got it were super excited/amused by it. My favorite part about it was watching them think about it and then seeing the moment of recognition occur. :D The pictures for Tan Line Cammy were shot by Benn Robbins.

Links: The Cosplayer
DeviantArt, Flickr, TheGamerGirls

The Gallery

CosBlog #20: Katt by Heidi Rogers

2010-02-25T16:41:00Z

This week veteran cosplayer Heidi Rogers proves that no costume is impossible to pull off with a lot of creativity and some crazy airbrushing skills. Enjoy her take on the acrobatic Katt from Breath of Fire II.

Who: The Character
Katt, from Breath of Fire II.

Why: The Decision
“Breath of Fire II is, and always will be, an awesome old school RPG! I own it and have played it to death repeatedly, and still haven't grown tired of it. It’s one of my very favorite games, and my favorite character has always been the spunky Woren gladiatrix, Katt. While she puts up a ‘tough as nails’ front, she cares very much for her friends, and has a heart of gold.”

What: The Process
“Katt was a little bit of a challenge to create, as almost everything from her costume had to be made from scratch by patternmaking. I wanted this costume to be as accurate as possible while still being functional, and had a lot of fun thinking of different ways to make things work. I love a challenge!

“A lot of people who see me from a distance think I’m not wearing any clothes, which always gives me a laugh. To pull off the pantless catgirl look, I made a full bodysuit that comes up just under the top of her halter and stays up with clear bra straps. I dyed it just the right shade of orange, and then airbrushed the whole thing, placing the belly button over my own. The airbrushing process was the most difficult and stressful part of making this costume, since if I messed up, I could easily ruin the entire bodysuit!

“I then added the tail, and made toe socks out of the leftover bodysuit fabric. They have black claws made out of Fimo ( a polymer clay) that sit over my toenails, and I put heavy foam in the shape of pawpads on the bottoms so I can walk around without shoes! My favorite part of the costume though is definitely her staff. I made it from PVC piping, Fimo, and round Christmas ornaments, and love how it turned out after everything was painted and put together.

“I worked on this costume for about three weeks, right before a convention. Altogether, I’d say it cost me about $100 in materials and for the wig.”

Where and When: The Debut
“This costume is one of my favorites, and it was first debuted at Anime Reactor in 2005 in Chicago, Illinois. I’ve since worn it to several other conventions…I just can’t get tired of it. ^_^

“My photoshoot was done in a little park near my home with a friend who was practicing photography, and I had a blast watching people do double takes whenever they’d walk by us!”

Links: The Cosplayer
You can see more of my costumes at my website, Cosplay Kitten, by visiting.

The Gallery

Miss the past few CosBlogs? Check out the CosBlog Hub for a full archive and information on how to submit a costume of your own.

CosBlog #19: Ada Wong by Yaya Han

2010-02-17T21:19:00Z

I’ve been itching for the perfect chance to feature costume designer, model, and cosplay queen Yaya Han’s work for some time. Luckily, A recent photoshoot showcasing her tribute to Resident Evil 4 provided the perfect opportunity. When finished here, be sure to check out Yaya’s website to gander at her numerous other costumes. The quality and craftsmanship illustrate why Yaya is regarded as one of few “professional cosplayers” worldwide, and why she is often whisked away to be a guest at major international conventions. Enjoy the photos!

Who: The Character
Ada Wong - Resident Evil 4

Why: The Decision
“I love the Resident Evil games and RE4 is my favorite. Not only was it fun to play, the story and characters really grabbed me and I especially loved the chemistry between Ada and Leon. She is such a mysterious, sexy and elegant character.”

What: The Process
“I made this costume in about two days, and used a matte casa satin for the dress because it came in a nice wine color and I thought it would be befitting the evening dress look. The dress is lined to my waist and I installed multiple sets of plastic boning to give it more shape. The designs were hand painted on and the outlines are embroidered, and the dress laces up with eyelets in the back. I couldn't find red eyelets and didn't want to stick with the chrome ones, so I hand bound all the eyelets in burgundy thread. The gun is a modified airsoft handgun with laser, and I got the holster at the same airsoft store. I found the shoes after trying on a million pumps that were all too big, and added the criss-cross straps. The wig was ordered off eBay and then cut by me and I made the scarf out of black chiffon. I spent about $100 on this costume, which is one of my cheaper projects.”

Where and When: The Debut
“I first debuted this costume in Monterrey, Mexico, at a huge anime and sci-fi convention. Brian, who is my Leon, and I were Cosplay Guests and Resident Evil is a beloved game in Mexico, so we thought Ada and Leon would be great for that event. And everyone loved us! We didn't have time for a real photoshoot, but when we re-wore the RE costumes at Anime Weekend Atlanta, photographer Ljinto did a shoot with us in the parking garage. We didn't even plan ahead but just walked around and snapped photos along the way. And we got lucky and met a couple of zombies even for action shots. I really love Leonard's photos, he managed to make the images very believable and intense even in a limited location.”

Links: The Cosplayer
My website is yayahan.com and Brian can be found at bountyhardware.com. I also post frequently on Twitter at and Deviant Art.

The Gallery

Miss the past few CosBlogs? Check out the CosBlog Hub for a full archive and information on how to submit a costume of your own.

CosBlog #18: Altaïr by Dustin Guinn

2010-02-10T17:40:00Z

This week’s CosBlog entry highlights a different facet of cosplay culture – commissioned costumes. Participating in cosplay isn’t limited to those with skills on par with professional seamstresses. Some cosplayers create every inch of their costumes from scratch. Some combine found items with those made by hand. And others still prefer to commission their costumes in order to insure quality. Assassin’s Creed fan Dustin Guinn shows his love for the series through a custom Altair costume by Facing Costumes. Check out the result of their amazing collaboration below!

Who: The Character
"Altaïr ibn La-Ahad, from Assassin's Creed (Assassin's rank 9). In total I've got 14 throwing daggers, the short sword, the Assassin's long sword and the always fashionable hidden blade."

Why: The Decision
"I had missed all the hype for the game and hadn't heard anything about it at all until it was out. Prior to owning Assassin’s Creed, I was really into parkorur and free running. The moment I picked up the game, I fell in love. I enjoyed everything about the game. Playing as Altaïr was awesome. When I beat it, like alot of people, I wanted to be Altaïr. My girlfriend suggested that there was no better way to go about it than cosplay."

What: The Process
"I didn’t make this costume. I commissioned it from Facing Costumes. I wish I had the talent to make something like this, but I don't have the time or capabilities to do so. I’ve always advocated Facing Costumes’ work on this piece. This being said, I’ve only had positive feedback and responses. Other than people that suggest I cut off my ring finger for more authenticity! I enjoy wearing the costume and taking on the persona of Altaïr and I never mind telling people about the amazing work Facing Costume's does."

Where and When: The Debut
"A-Kon 19, May 2008 was the first time I wore the costume to a convention. It was an amazing experience. Everyone was really excited and people seemed to really love the costume. I returned the following year, A-Kon 20 and then did a real photo shoot because I didn't have any non-convention photos. A really good friend of mine, AshleyJ--an awesome photographer whose into cosplay photography-- agreed to do the shoot. We all live in Texas, and at the time of the photo-shoot it was June '09. It was close to 100 degrees at ten in the morning. We took the photos at two locations. The first location was an abandoned concrete, shell of a house by the Trinity River. The second was a massive church known locally as Fort God. Both yielded some great photos that we all feel are fairly accurate to the game. The whole photo-shoot took around 3 hours. I had a lot of help from Ashley and her fiancé Jason, as well as my girlfriend Erin, in the crazy Texas summer heat while in heavy latex. Without these three people the photos wouldn't have been nearly as awesome and I really appreciate the three of them agreeing to help. We would like to do more photos of Altaïr and eventually cosplay Ezio."

Links: The Cosplayer

Dustin on DeviantArt
AshleyJ on Flickr
AshleyJ on DeviantArt
Facing Costumes

Gallery

Miss the past few CosBlogs? Check out the CosBlog Hub for a full archive and information on how to submit a costume of your own.

Custom Vinyl: Silent Hill Staples

2010-02-05T22:39:00Z

I’ve been on a bit of a Silent Hill kick the past few weeks and these little guys are the reason why. After creating my first custom Munny figures a few weeks back, I began feverishly debating what I should take on next. I almost instantly had my mind made up to pay tribute to BioShock with a Big Daddy and Big Sister duo, but got sidetracked by the thought of bringing to life two of Silent Hill’s most iconic monstrosities – Pyramid Head and a Nurse. Trapping myself into finishing these guys this week, I preemptively tied my CosBlog entry on Wednesday to Silent Hill. If you haven’t checked it out yet, do so here!

On to the specifics! I spent quite a bit of time researching the various iterations of each character that I could draw from, and ultimately decided to reference the Silent Hill movie for several reasons. Not only do I find them the most interesting, but the source material coming from a movie allowed me to watch and rewatch clips in order to get a good grasp on the costumes. You can read my breakdown of creating these critters below. Or you can skip to the photos. Your choice!

Creating the nurse gave me an opportunity to bond clay to a Munny for the first time. After washing, sanding and priming, I covered her head with Super Sculpy and began working it into the final form with a dull butter knife. I decided to augment the Munny’s chest with clay as well. Let’s face it; the odd fascination most have with Silent Hill’s nurse population stems from the juxtaposition of sex and gore. So really, I couldn’t leave her cleavage out.

Working the clay took a few hours to finish, and when done I began the drying process. After reading the instructions online several times over, I baked the Munny head and body in the oven for fifteen minutes. The vinyl figure came out of the oven a bit soft, but didn’t lose any of its shape in the process. After a half hour everything cooled down and hardened as expected.

From there I primed the Munny again with a base coat of flesh-colored paint and began mixing various skin shades and yellow hues which I stippled all over her body. I intentionally layered colors to give her skin a mottled look, using toilet paper instead of a brush so that fibers would stick to the figure and make her skin look like it was peeling. The result is pretty cool. I used more yellow and green tones in the mask, with darker browns in the crevasses to play up the change in depth. To make her veins pop, I painted stark lines of purple and red on her chest, arms, and legs, then went over it again with the yellow color to slightly subdue the look.

Moving onto clothing, I stained a white nylon sock with coffee grounds in order to make it look grimy. Then I glued it to her body using liquid latex, making sure to accentuate her chest and legs. I added little pockets on the front of the dress for more detail, and continued to stain the outfit with, of all things, chicken and beef bouillon cubes. I was having trouble finding small enough circular objects to use for buttons, so I decided to kill two birds with one stone and use nails. The nails secured the dress in place and once painted, the heads worked perfectly.

Almost finished at that point, I made the nurse hat out of Wonderflex, and then used some extra stained fabric to line it. Her switchblade razor is made from the same material. For the last step I added spots of blood to introduce a bit more color, coating her dress, hat and razor with various diluted and non-diluted mixtures of special FX blood. With that, she was done!

Obviously, Pyramid Head’s helmet was the biggest time vampire of the whole project. So let’s start with the easy stuff. I scavenged through the craft store to find fabric that could pass for human skin, sewing it together with leather cording for extra detail. Once finished, I rubbed leather stain and oil in a few places to make it more interesting. Easy enough. I painted the body with the same technique as the Nurse – layering shades of color dobbed on with toilet paper for extra texture.

On to the helmet. I drew heavily from the design in the movie, except for a few slight modifications so not to obscure the endearing Munny elements – namely the iconic ears. I didn’t want to cover the entire head with the helmet, so I lobbed off the top half, leaving just a bit of the lower half showing. I started creating the helmet with Wonderflex after working out a template in paper. From there I glued layers of thin foam to the base of the helmet, securing the seams with black electrical tape. Drywall tape was used to get the grid-like pattern, and a second layer of foam was added on top. The hardware came last. When finally finished layering things on, I coated the entire thing with several layers of plastic primer, allowing nearly a week to pass and insure it was fully dry before I started the detail work.

The painting process started with a coat of black paint, and then I stippled grey over the top to provide texture – again with toilet paper. From there I added various shades of burnt orange and red for rust around the hardware, and took a knife to the foam to scratch in silver in various locations. Last, I flicked the entire thing with some fake blood dobbed on a toothbrush, which has since been decommissioned from active duty.

I left a small vertical band of the Munny’s head attached, which I stuck inside the bottom of the helmet for support. From there I glued the piece on with hot glue, coated it with liquid latex, and layered purple and reds along the joint to make it look like his skull had fused with the metal. All done!

Last came the Great Knife. I used an actual steak knife for this thing, filing down the serrated edges by hand before wising up and using a massive grinder to do the rest of the work, including shaving down the handle to be a bit more proportional. I used the same painting technique for the knife as the helmet, and used silver to highlight the sharpened edge. For the final touch I added some brown leather cording to the hilt. Then came the blood. Blood on the fused section of the helmet, on his skirt, and his sword. I let it dry in coats to make it look crusty. You can check out the final product in the gallery below! Thanks to Nick for the photos!

Overall, I am really happy with how these guys turned out. They were a ton of fun to make and gave me a chance to test my skill in a few new mediums. I plan on entering them in a custom contest at a local collector’s shop that runs until the end of the month, but will sell them through Etsy or eBay afterwards. If anyone is interested in picking them up before I list them, let me know.

So what’s next? I don’t want to spoil it, but my next custom Munny will involve clay and carving vinyl once again. I’ll be sure to blog about it when it’s finished! Thanks for reading!

[Interested in making your own custom creations? Kidrobot.com has all the information you’ll need to get started.]

CosBlog #17: Silent Hill Tribute By Vox & Ash

2010-02-03T16:22:00Z

Cosplay isn’t always pretty. Sometimes cosplayers use their skills to recreate grotesque characters, as evidenced by these stunning Silent Hill costumes by Vox and Ash. Combining their knowledge of costume design, stage makeup, prop construction and more, these are by far the most faithful – and as a result disturbing – Silent Hill costumes I’ve seen to date. Enjoy the interview and gallery below!

Who: The Characters
Vox: “The nurses have changed physically over the games, but their purpose has stayed the same; to kill you. This variant of the nurse is based off of Silent Hill: Home Coming, and the Silent Hill movie. (Since that game’s nurses were heavily based off the movie’s nurses.)”

Ash: “Pyramid Head is an immortal boss from Silent Hill 2 and the Silent Hill movie (I don’t include homecoming because the creature that might as well be called Pyramid Head is actually called the Boogeyman). Pyramid Head exists solely to torture the main character and can only die through suicide. Some people see him as a kind off a demi-god, some as the personification of the relational frustrations of James Sunderland in Silent Hill 2. I see him as very simply one of the scariest creatures I have ever seen this side of Cthulhu. He is huge, never speaks and has a sword big enough to make Sephiroth blush, and is truly twisted to boot.

Why: The Decision
Vox: “Well, I was fond of horror video games and movies and I loved making costumes. Halloween was always my favorite holiday. When I met AshGroovy, he shared the same love of all that is horrifying, and naturally, as nerds, we worked together to create these costumes. We wanted to go to a convention and to make a cosplay together using theatrical makeup (something else that is a hobby of ours.) So, we chose from his favorite video game series – Silent Hill. The nurses are scary as hell, yet pretty sexy. What’s not to like?”

Ash: “I love Pyramid Head and Silent Hill. The games are downright disturbing with Silent Hill 2 being a game that would literally ruin me for hours after playing. One of the major bosses in Silent Hill 2 is Pyramid Head and from the first time I saw him doing ‘something’ to a pair of mannequin legs, I knew I was in for a ride. He scares the hell out of me, and I knew I wanted to cosplay him. I was originally going to do the Silent Hill 2 variant, but I realized that the movie creature would truly be a challenge.”

What: The Process
Vox: “It took a few months to gather/research materials and about one month of hardcore working on it every day for a few hours to build them. We used basic materials that you will see in most cosplays, but we did use a lot of latex, vinyl, and foam. AshGroovy also had a camera and LED screen in his helmet, so I’m guessing that isn’t something of the ‘norm’ for cosplay. I am very proud of him for constructing that helmet to the degree he did, in the time limit he did it in. In the end I think on everything, we spend about $500. Some materials we had at home already, so I’m just estimating. Ash’s helmet was the most expensive thing. For my nurse, the most difficult task was probably keeping my hair up in the mask. My hair is very long and is mid-thigh, so hiding all that hair is a real pain. The second most difficult thing is probably the makeup application. It can take a few hours, so that isn’t always fun.”

Ash: “The costume was the culmination of a lot of work. The planning alone took a while because I really wanted to get the helmet correct. I used a scale rule and a protractor literally pushed onto my computer screen with images from the movie to get the dimensions and the angles correct. I drew up blueprints and even studied the pattern of dots on the side of the helmet. I tried to be as accurate as possible so I was basically as blind as the actor was in the film (at first at least). I tried series of holes but nothing gave me a good enough view. I eventually installed a pinhole camera into the helmet and installed a screen so I could see. The helmet itself is made on a base of foam board with elements made out of sculpty, foam, plumbing parts, wood dowel, conduit… the list goes on. The smock is hand sewn and airbrushed with details. The boots are normal boots attached to a framework of wood support (no I am not that tall). All and all the construction phase along took over a month of working every day. The latex scars on my body were mapped out and are individually created on the spot every single time the costume is put on. The makeup alone for Vox and I to get ready takes just shy of three hours. The costume was expensive in time and materials, so if a person wants to do it well, and this is probably true of all Silent Hill creatures, be prepared to invest a lot of time and money.”

Where and When: The Debut
Vox: “We debuted out costumes at Anime-Central 2009. We were very surprised at the positive turn out on how many people liked our costumes and a little taken aback by it. They were very difficult to walk around in, especially for Ash. He was wearing 15–inch boots he constructed himself and they were heavy, so he was very tired by the end of the day…and stairs were his mortal enemy. We wanted a picture from a Cosplay photo booth when a photographer named Judy Stephens asked us if we could do a photoshoot. We happily obliged, and she led us to the side of the hotel along a drop off dock for trucks. We spent about 15 minutes out there, trying to take some photos before we got rained on. She was a wonderful photographer, shooting us at all kinds of angles. We saw the photos a few days later and they were beautiful. I was very impressed and recommend her to any cosplayer who wants seriously good shots taken of them.”

Ash: “…ditto, and if you need to get away from Pyramid Head, just go for the stairs.”

Links: The Cosplayer
Vox on DeviantArt
Ash on DeviantArt
Judith Stephens Photography

The Gallery

Miss the past few CosBlogs? Check out the CosBlog Hub for a full archive and information on how to submit a costume of your own.

CosBlog #16: Kai by Miss Fawn

2010-01-27T20:54:00Z

This week we’ve got a fantastic take on a character that stole the show in Heavenly Sword. Nariko’s tough-as-nails persona was memorable, but Kai’s quirky personality and gravity-defying antics made for a character you couldn’t take your eyes off of. Miss Fawn’s interpretation of Kai is impeccable – down to the scraped knees, acrobatic poses and wide-eyed expression. Check out her gallery below!

Also worth mentioning, this post marks the launch of the official CosBlog Hub! If you’ve missed past CosBlog entries, visit the hub to check out the full archive.

Who: The Character
Kai from Heavenly Sword

Why: The Decision
I chose to cosplay Kai because of her unique look and personality. She's the type of character that makes you want to know why she is who she is. You just can't look away from her cat-like actions!

What: The Process
It took a few days to gather all of the materials and accessories for Kai's costume. After I found everything it only took a few hours to complete and cost around $50-$75.

Kai's "dress" was the easiest cosplay outfit I've ever made. There was no precision measuring or sewing. She is basically wearing a tattered sack tied with a sash, so that's what I made! The most difficult task for me was Kai's hat. I have a very small/thin head and honestly look horrible wearing hats. I had to add extra material inside the hat to make my head appear more round like Kai's. It's difficult building a hat from scratch, but more difficult for me to make it look good on my head!

Where and When: The Debut
I haven’t debuted my costume at any Con yet. It sort of got passed over by my more recent costumes. I may debut it in the near future.

The photoshoot took place in a hay loft at a friend's farm. It was towards the end of January and there were snow flurries and high winds as we were shooting! It wasn't the most comfortable shoot I've done, but it was the most realistic environment I could imagine Kai being in.

Links: The Cosplayer
Cosplay.com
Deviantart.com

The Gallery
Photos by Jim Brey. Hair, Makeup & Costumes by Miss Fawn

Miss the past few CosBlogs? Check out the CosBlog Hub for a full archive and information on how to submit a costume of your own.

CosBlog #15: Amy Sorel by RiCah Baltazar

2010-01-21T16:45:00Z

Deviant Art
Multiply Account

The Gallery

Miss the past few CosBlogs? Enter "CosBlog" in the search bar above for a full archive of past editions. Or simply hit the blog tab above and search through past entries by hand.

Interested in having one of your costumes highlighted on GameInformer.com’s CosBlog? Check out the CosBlog FAQ for more information.

Things I Want: Entry #5

2010-01-18T18:22:00Z

The premise is simple. When brainstorming blog ideas for Gameinformer.com I started thinking about all the cool stuff I have on my desk. Then my mind wandered to all the cool stuff I would like to have on my desk. Then I made the leap to assuming that if I like cool things, you probably do, too. So here is a list of some things I want. There is no rhyme or reason to this blog. Instead, I post whatever tickles my fancy as it comes to my attention – even if it won’t fit on my aforementioned desk. Here you can expect to find an array of geek goods including toys, comics, games, artwork, clothing and even costumes for your pets.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a new Things I Want blog, but don’t fret, I’ve not stopped wanting things during this absence. In fact, the holidays have brought many new things to my attention that now fall under the category of “want.” Check out a slew of geek-related goodies below, and as always, feel free to share some cool stuff you want in the comments.

Team Edward [James Olmos] T-Shirt [Link]

Momiji Dolls [Link]

Marvel Rogue Bishoujo Statue [Link]

Twitter “Follow Me” Stockings [Link]

Mario Crochet Plushies [Link]

Game Inspired Mobiles [Link]

Geek pillows [Link]

Preacher T-Shirt [Link]

Black And White Catwoman Statue By Steve Rude [Link]

Tokidoki X Marvel All Stars Hoodie [Link]

Alien USB Drive [Link]

Watchmen Wooden Coaster Set [Link]

PSP Skin By Tara McPherson [Link]

Vegetable Plush Toys [Link]

Battlestar Galactica Propaganda Posters [Link]

Wall-e And Eve Macbook Decal [Link]

Aphrodite IX Faux Bronze Statue [Link]

Do you want these things too?

CosBlog #14: Ivy Valentine by BelleChere

2010-01-13T16:56:00Z

Playboy’s Annual Girls Of Video Games

2010-01-07T21:08:00Z

As someone completely unapologetic about her love for lady Lara Croft, it would be a bit hypocritical of me to get up in arms about female protagonists showing a bit of skin. Games featuring fierce (and usually half-naked) females never aggravated me – instead I gravitated to them. In the empowering vs. degrading debate, I’ve always sided with the digital heroines. That hasn’t changed much. If you were to walk into my office today you would see posters, pinups and statues of iconic females from games and comics (Lara Croft and Top Cow’s bikini-clad Witchblade being repeat offenders). So no, skin and sexuality don’t bother me much, as long as there is substance behind the pretty face.

All this being said, it shouldn’t surprise you that I never bat an eyelash at Playboy’s annual Girls of Video Games spread. The past few years have seen D-list characters bare all in provocative poses. No real harm, so no foul in my book. This year one particular character caught me off guard, however.

Playboy seems to be escalating their game. Playboy’s 2007 and 2008 spread saw characters from Age of Conan, Clive Barker’s Jericho, Tabula Rasa, Ride to Hell, Afro Samurai and Rise of the Argonauts – more often than not featuring secondary or lesser-known characters. This year several high profile games made the list (all of which are appropriately rated M). Hecuba Manaros from God of War III is no surprise, as the series comes with trademark topless women and sex minigames. Same goes for Beatrice from Dante’s Inferno. A game that uses Cleopatra’s nipples for an enemy spawn point isn’t afraid of pushing boundaries. Just wait until you see the various decorative motifs that adorn the wall in Hell’s circle of Lust. Then there is Bella Antonelli from Mafia II, Skylar St. Claire from The Saboteur and Lolita Chang from CrimeCraft – all games which aren’t afraid to explore sexual themes. So what character got me up in arms? Madison Paige from Quantic Dream’s Heavy Rain.

I was immediately annoyed when I found out that Madison was included in the Playboy feature, and a lengthy rant to an unwilling ear followed. Heavy Rain is my most anticipated game of 2010. I can’t wait to get my hands on it. Everything about the game has been crafted to feel grounded and believable, including the visuals, story and characters. While I found all the characters intriguing from the get go, I was drawn to Madison’s atypical beauty and style – she stuck out as a character lacking the exaggeration of most female leads. (I even featured her in my “Ten Characters with Character” piece). It was refreshing.

After thinking a bit about why I was so annoyed, I realized that it boiled down to the fact that I like Madison, while I have no real thoughts or opinions about the other characters included in Playboy’s feature. I would probably be equally annoyed if Eidos ever caved and shipped a real Lara Croft nude code. Or if Naughty Dog had a moment of insanity and stripped down Uncharted’s Elena Fisher – one of my new favorite leading ladies. Along the same lines, what if Ubisoft threw Jade from Beyond Good & Evil in a centerfold?

Once my initial annoyance subsided I hunted down the photos online – being too lazy to go out and buy an actual Playboy. And in all honesty I was surprised. When I decided to blog about the subject I contacted the folks over at Sony to see if they had an official statement or to try to get a quote from Quantic as to why they thought Madison would be a good fit for the spread. While they were unable to give me any sort of official report, it was obvious that they felt the picture was in good taste and in line with the mood of the game. And after seeing it, I have to agree. Madison’s pose is anything but tacky or vulgar and feels like a scene (albeit a voyeuristic one) right from Heavy Rain.

Surprisingly the other characters’ submissions aren’t bad either. While the past iterations of Playboy’s feature have been a bit trashy, most of the 2009 entries have a “slice of life” feeling. Sexy, but not overtly sexual. The Mafia II piece looks like a retro pinup and Beatrice from Dante’s Inferno is very authentic to the game – veiny skin and all. The only one that feels a bit explicit is CrimeCraft’s addition – playing off a cheesy schoolgirl fantasy. (You can find censored versions of the spreads here, but keep in mind the link is probably still NSFW.)

After seeing Madison’s piece my peeved-ness wore off. Heavy Rain is a game for adults after all, and as evidenced by demos back at E3, Madison isn’t afraid to be sexual. Even if it gets her in a bit of trouble. It’s not a reason to throw her or her creators under the bus.

So while I’ve come to grips with Madison Paige’s inclusion in the feature, I wanted to see what all of you thought Playboy’s feature and the developers who chose to include their creations. Our industry obviously explores mature themes quite often, and the practice of sexualizing female characters isn’t new. Still, do any of you find the concept offensive? Does it diminish your opinion of a character or a developer? Or is it all in good, clean fun?

(I realize we’re talking about sex, nudity, and yes…boobs. So try to keep the conversation tasteful. Or I will modify your comments to make you look like an idiot.)

CosBlog #13: Irenes by Xero

2010-01-06T17:59:00Z

Who: The Character
Irenes, a mermaid from the game Chrono Cross.

Why: The Decision
Chrono Cross is a game that I have been in love with since it's release nearly ten years ago. The music, story and designs really had an impact on me. While I've never really cared for mermaid costumes, I found Irene's design to be brilliant. The colors, the armor, the hair, just everything about it worked so well together. I also really enjoyed Irenes' back-story and her cute accent.

What: The Process
This costume took around 6 months of planning but only two months to actually construct. I used craft foam, Crayola's Model Magic, metallic spandex,wire, acrylic paint, and an incredible amount of hairspray. If I had to add up the cost of materials, I would guess it would be around the $400.

Overall it was a very difficult costume to make but the hardest part of all was the wig. I'm still learning how to style wigs and making hair go vertical proved to be quite the challenge.

Where and When: The Debut
I wore my Irenes costume for the first time at Otakon 2008.

I thought that having a photoshoot next to the ocean would be ideal but the waterfalls outside the Baltimore Convention Center proved to be even better. It wasn't until I examined the photos later that I realized that the setting was almost identical to Irenes' home location (Marbule) in the game. It had multiple waterfalls, pools, and varying pathways; things that I really didn't notice until I made comparisons. Needless to say, it was a pleasant surprise.

Links: The Cosplayer
Besides Cosplay.com, I also have an account on ACParadise.com

The Gallery

Miss the past few CosBlogs? Enter "CosBlog" in the search bar above for a full archive of past editions. Or simply hit my blog tab above and search through past entries by hand.

Interested in having one of your costumes highlighted on GameInformer.com’s CosBlog? Check out the CosBlog FAQ for more information.

CosBlog #12: Tira And Big Sister By Rune McKinney

2009-12-17T16:59:00Z

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.

I was impressed by Rune’s Tira costume when she submitted it, and even more impressed by her Big Sister tribute when I surfed through her Cosplay.com portfolio. As a result, this week you get two awesome video-game inspired costumes. Enjoy!

Who: The Character
Tira from Soulcalibur IV, second player form

Why: The Decision
I chose to do Tira because of her outfit, I loved all of the details put into her outfit. The skulls on the hat, the armor, and of course her weapon Eiserne Drossel is just to best thing ever. But also I chose to cosplay as her because of her personality in the fourth Soul Calibur game. She'd go from crazy sweet to really pissed in a blink of an eye, which would change her attacks. So what better costume to where to a con than Tira, where you can be crazy happy then really angry. It makes for really awesome photos.

What: The Process
It took me about 6 months to make the whole outfit. What I did to create my outfit was first plan out what each fabric looks like and what I would need to make them. The first thing was the skirt, it looked like it was made out of leather so I bought a nice soft vinyl used for interior furniture. Painted a purple color over the fabric so when the light hit it, the fabric would give off a purple shine. Not too much purple but enough to look like the game. Then I cut strips of the fabric the same amount as Tira's in the game, then cut smaller about half a inch thin pieces to thread through the fabric to give the weave effect.

But in order to do this I had to punch holes into the fabric to thread the thin stripes. Once I had the stripes threaded and spaced right I pinned and cut them, then after cutting I sewed each one on the reverse side of the skirt to keep them in place. After the skirt was finished I then went to my top, which my mother helped with. We bought a swim suit top pattern an altered it.

We pinned the fabric to my body as we sewed that way it would hug my body the right way. Once we had the pieces we took an old bra sewed the pieces onto the bra and worked our way downward. When the whole top was done we then cut the holes needed in the sides and under the chest. Hemmed them and started the tail.

My mom made the back flaps that had to attach to the back while I braided the bottom flaps tail piece which connected too my resin and model magic made thorns and emblem. Once the top was ready I went in and painted the edges with a bright pink fabric paint. After three coats, I ironed the paint to make sure it set, then I went in and sewed the bottom holes which were under the chest with bright pink yarn.

Afterwards I punched holes onto to top so we could attach the real metal chain, which hooks on and off so I can take the top off since there is no zipper. The bra piece also detaches in the middle so I can get it on and off. Which works out because in the game the bra piece overlaps in the middle slightly.

The shoes are made out of old cowboy boots which I chopped off the toe and added a wonderflex curled toe too instead. I made a boot cover out of the same vinyl that the skirt and shoulder pads are made out of. The shoe itself was painted with green fabric paint, The white top of the boot was glued onto the top and hole punched for the wooden skull emblem's chain to go through.

The skull emblems were made out of wood which were hand cut, the skulls were made out of model magic and the outer rim is wonderflex melted on top. Which then the whole piece was spray painted with a dark grey and lightly brushed with black to give it an age effect. The chain attached is real metal chain.
Now to the head pieces, the wig is a short black bob that I attached another half of a purple wig too. The hat was made out of a toy Viking hat that was sanded down so none of the details would show through, then I built a wire frame over in the shape of the horn pieces, which then was covered with soft foam, which I carved into the shape so when the fabric laid over and was sewn it would stay. Once the basic form was built, my mom sewed the black fabric cover over, I then painted each design by hand with gold fabric paint.
For the lace I bought three different laces and dyed each one with a mix of purple, red and violet till I got the color I liked. When the lace was done I sewed the feather like pieces together the threaded a bright pink ribbon through the top border lace like she's got in the game. Once threaded I sewed them all together and sewed them to the bottom of the skirt and top of the vinyl tights. The last thing was rip holes in the tights and sew them up with bright pink yarn and then hem the vinyl shorts which I wore under the skirt and made them look like the ones in the game.

For the shoulder pads me and my mom took a pattern for puffy sleeves and just sliced the sleeve up. Making sure the pieces were spaced enough to not over crowd. Then in between the sewn strips we sewed bright pink yarn, just like Tira's and just like Tira's we added a light grey ruffle to the bottom of each sleeve.
For the skulls that are attached to the hat and white collar I went and bought some old 2 inch high pale white skulls and painted them grey and aged. For the collar I made a pattern from scratch and sewed the right side to the left that way it would have the same seam like the game does. Then I hand painted the pink edge and emblem on the back. The neck was made out of a shiny tinted cotton lace which I cut to look like there was hearts in the middle as well as give it the feathered look.

Now the hula blade was made out of half inch to an inch water piping then covered with a foam water piping cover, then metal taped so when I added the wonderflex it wouldn't melt. For the outside of the blade, I drew up a pattern for my dad to follow so when he cut the wood it would be the right size and thickness. Once our wood model was down we both cut out wonderflex and melted the pieces together over the wooden model so that they would all be the same.

After all three were made we then measured the angle so that the three piece would be equal, that way I could really hula hoop with it. We marked the angle then melted the three blades on, the outer ring was cut and added on based off what room was left. Was the basic sword was melted together and formed I then started the spine and bird skulls.

The spine and skulls are made out of model magic and hand sculpted based off what I could see in the game. They were attached individual and carefully over a course of three days. Once the whole sword was done I then primed it, filled cracks and sanded till my liking. After which I then I spray painted staying true to color of the game, I even went in and painted by hand small details on the blade to make it stand out.
The last things that were made for the cosplay were the armor gauntlets and gloves. The glove was a formal glove I found at a fabric store that I added the same pink thread stitching on the inside and top outside like Tira's. The gauntlets are made out of wonderflex, each piece was first made out of an wooden model like I did with my hula blade. Then I melted wonderflex over the wooden models so each one would be the same.

The fingers were melted onto each others then glued to the glove. The top hand piece was two wonderflex pieces that were melted on top of rope so it would have the ridges needed. The forearm was done in the same way. After all of the armor cooled down I went in and sprayed painted them, then metal brushed them to give a real metal look as well as worn down look.
So with all the work I think the toughest thing was actually the top. The total cost was around $300.

Where and When: The Debut
Sakuracon 2009 in Seattle,Washington

The Gallery
(Photo credits go to Darkain, Eurobeat King and BangBangNeko)

Who: The Character
Big Sister from BioShock 2

What: The Process
Click here for a tutorial on how to make a Big Sister helmet.

The Gallery

Links: The Cosplayer
Cosplay.com account
Deviantart account
Model Mayhem account

Miss the past few CosBlogs? Enter "CosBlog" in the search bar above for a full archive of past editions. Or simply hit the blog tab above and search through past entries by hand.

Interested in having one of your costumes highlighted on GameInformer.com’s CosBlog? Check out the CosBlog FAQ for more information.