Beginner and Alternative Cosplay

I am obsessed with Halloween. I love make-up and costumes, and I will throw a kick ass theme party any time of the year if I can. Yet for some reason, I am a cosplay noob. I know this doesn’t make sense, but it’s true.

Some individuals, such as myself, may find it difficult to participate in cosplay when it’s not the norm amongst their group of friends. Or maybe your interests lie in areas other than the popular comic/superhero/sci-fi themes. If this is the case, transforming yourself into full cosplay for the first time may seem a little overwhelming, especially when going it alone.

My suggestion for beginners would be to start subtle and allow your cosplaying to evolve. For example, last year I attended FanExpo in what would appear to be my regular clothing; but a few fellow genre fans caught on and complimented me on my light cosplay. With my 80’s hair, high waited shorts, and tucked in Camp Crystal Lake Counsellor T-shirt, I rocked the Friday the 13th potential victim look. This year I tend to move it a step up and continue to progress through all of my convention experiences.

Horror is popular among conventions but we are different breed of geek. My group contains a mix of all interests, but I tend to lean toward Horror and TV. These are two categories that are not as obvious when it comes to costumes. You’ll see a lot of Comics, Superheroes, Video Game Characters, Star Wars, Star Trek etc.. I don’t often see a lot of genre cosplay, but when I do, it is always clever and well played! Last year two of my favorite cosplays were horror, and these costumes were in no way subtle – MacReady from THE THING and Samara from THE RING (They were in no way related and their rhyming was probably unintentional). The MacReady cosplay had the guy in full winter wear, complete with beard, make-shift blow torch, and a mutilated stuffed dog bursting from his chest. Samara displayed some serious dedication, keeping her lower body encased in a cardboard TV set (on wheels) as she pulled herself forward with her hands, giving the illusion she was endlessly crawling out of the TV. These were so epic and creative. But I am just not there yet.

I think my main issue is getting over the fact that putting in a full day, 3-4 days in a row, is exhausting, uncomfortable, hot and crowded. Large costumes make getting around difficult, I will forgo anything with heels because I am not insane, nor am I coordinated and the lack of/layering of clothes required for the costumes can really add to the discomfort. But I’ll get over it. Like I said it’s a personal evolution. This year I will probably go as Agent Dana Scully since I am really getting into X-Files (20 years late). Although this would have made more sense last year since Gillian Anderson was in attendance – Oh well! My back up is Mina from Manborg!

Here are some Horror/TV Cosplay ideas to get your wheels turning…

HORROR

Asami Yamazaki (AUDITION)
Elizabeth/David (PROMETHEUS)
Ripley (ALIEN)
Marie (HIGH TENSION)
Linda/Bob (HALLOWEEN)
Dreamwarrior (A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3)
Jack and David (AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON)

For anything horror related you check out my Halloween costume list from last year – lots of ideas, some simple, some complex:
http://thebloodtheatre.com/31-days-of-costumes/

TV
You can pretty much dress as anyone from these shows

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
The Walking Dead
Twin Peaks
Firefly
Mortal Kombat: Legacy
The Tick
The Following (Cult Members are fun)
Arrow
The Big Bang Theory
The Office
Mad Men
Dexter
24
American Horror Story
Deadwood
Arrested Development
Breaking Bad
The IT Crowd
True Blood
This list could go on forever…

Basically what I’m saying is, you dont have to be a pro cosplayer to partake in the fun. You can find your own way to cosplay and get inspiration from the things you like, no matter how different. Liking what you like just because you like it is what makes you an awesome geek, and that is why you came to Geek Chic Elite!

Let us know your ideas or what alternative cosplays have inspired you!