Convention Fans

I can’t sew. Not even a button. And yet, I love wearing great costumes for conventions. I used to think that you needed to be an expert seamstress or clothing maker to produce a quality costume. It’s totally not true. That’s why I love running into fellow cosplayers who are able to create costumes without stitching everything together by hand. One such example is cosplay.com member, ssawall, who has created some costumes by modifying existing pieces to fit his costuming needs. (Although for the record, he can and does make pieces from scratch.)

Below is an interview I did with him, which talks about his costuming experiences, particularly about his incredible Two-Face make-up work (scroll down for some step-by-step pictures).

Have you ever attended a convention? Which one(s)?

ssawall: Unfortunately at this point I still have not gotten to attend a convention but I am really looking forward to it.

Do you make your costumes, or buy them?

ssawall: Well with the Superman Costume I bought the unitard with the S sewn onto it, but I made the cape. Every other costume so far, with the exception of The Question (which I made from scratch), I have bought parts and modified them to get the desired look.

What are some of your favorite costumes, and why are they are your favorites?

ssawall: My three favorite costumes are Two-face, Ghost Rider and The Question. The Ghost Rider Costume because it was my first costume that I was extremely happy with after completion, though I do hope to remake it someday even better looking than it is currently. The Question costume because it was the first costume I had done such extensive work on (I made the coat and pants from scratch) and turned out so excellently. And most recently the Two-face costume because like the rest it turned out amazing (there are a few things I need to fix though) and I had so much fun doing the makeup and wearing it.

How do you decide which characters to create costumes of?

ssawall: I decide to make a costume based on a few things. First, what characters I’m really interested in? Second, which of the characters do I think would actually look good in costume form? Third, can I actually make the costume without going bankrupt? LoL. Oh, and like last Halloween, do any of my friends have a theme I want to be part of?

How long does it usually take you to create a new costume, from start to finish?

ssawall: That again depends on the costume. But I would say anywhere between two/three weeks to a month/a month and a half, though the War Machine costume (if I ever get started on it) will most likely take many months.

How much do your costumes usually cost you?

ssawall: Well I used to say that the Ghost Rider Costume was the most expensive at about $140-$150. That was until the Two-face costume. I had trouble finding cheap suits of approximately the same style, so I bought two complete suits at Target. Total ran about $230.

How did you go about achieving the make-up for Two Face?

ssawall: Initially I went on-line and searched all kinds of costume stores to see what kind of makeup/prosthetics were out there that I would be able to use to achieve the look I was going for. I finally found a kit called the Burn Scar Kit made by Woochie, which contained latex and makeup. I also looked on-line to see how other people were doing Two-face makeup, specifically to see if there was any way to keep my mouth open. The first application of the latex and makeup took somewhere around an hour.

What tips/advice would you give to someone who is new to costuming, and isn’t sure how to get started?

ssawall: Best advice I can give is (a) research the character/costume extensively to determine your favorite version and to see what aspects of the costume may be in some and not in others; and (b) look around to see how other people have done it, [because] they may also be able to give you advice on how they did it and what not to do.

Do you have any make-up or costume brands you can recommend? What about online stores?

ssawall: Woochie is the only brand of that I actually know of. Otherwise I usually just grab what looks good and is cost effective. When it comes to stores I use local costume shops, e-bay and I do a google search for whatever I’m looking for then search the sites to get the best price.

You can see more pictures of  ssawall’s costumes by checking out his cosplay.com profile! If YOU are a cosplayer, or know some, and want to be interviewed, contact me! And don’t forget, nominations are still open for the Convention Fans Hottest Girls & Guys of Cosplay contest!

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