Cosplayin It- Halloween 2011

Regular C&D readers know I usually have one go to fit that changes through the years with my TK-stylee.   As Halloween creeped up though I have been talkin' with fellow cosplay enthusiasts pals @wynk & @geekpinata pictured above on what we were thinking of creating and being at parties this year.  Hearing from them and others how cool it would be to bust their interpretation of Black Canary, Poison Ivy, Nightwing and others made me think that I needed to up my game and expand beyond the ABS plastic- cosplay life.

I had a meager budget to throw at a few costumes for the different parties I was planning on attending so i decided to go real cheap on one to have more time and skrill to rock on the other.  As you can see I went with Dexter and The Flaming C.

Here is my cosplay recipe for both:
Dexter

Dexter is stronger than ever in Season 6 and though this isn't in any way an original costume, it still is rare to find more than one Dexter at a party and the variations between how you can play on it--be it lab-geek, forensic mode, pre-kill (with syringe) or post (with knife)-- and so on.  I did a mix of forensic/killer mode.  Deter really is a dope, relevant fit on the cheap.

Ingredients:
Red or dark brown wig
Green (or grey) henly
Cargo or khaki pants
Boots
Black gloves
Fake knife
Fake blood spray
Metal chain
Cardboard
Black ducktape


Instructions:  From top to bottom you need to style the wig so the hairline is high to try and amplify the forehead/eyebow area for his menacing dark passenger gaze or goofy smile.  This is cosplay afterall not just costuming so you can't just dress the part you gotta be the character.  Roll or push up the sleeves of the henly to give more attention to gloves.  I found the miami metro police ID of Dexter at a nice costume props blog.  Print it out, laminate it, cut the cardboard to frame the id and mask it up with the black tape.  Cut a slit on top to weave the chain through.  You have your id now!  Works great when heads don't recognize you as Dexter.  
Spray you self with blood across one side of your face, neck, chest and arm.  The only things I needed to buy was the metal chain $3.99 (Michael's), the fake blood spray $7.99 and bloody blade $4.99.  So this Dexter fit cost me less than $20 and shouldn't be more than $60 depending on how you rock it.  Prep time was like 20 minutes, mostly to apply blood spray right and styling the hair.  Other options: black plastic/leather apron, lab coat, syringe, clear goggles, plastic face shield, black plastic bags, fake scalpel, surgical gloves.

The Flaming C

Conan O'Brien and Bruce Timm created The Flaming C as a Superhero alter-ego when Conan visited the WB Animation Studios earlier in the year.  Since then, the character has blew-up across the interwebz and even had it's own Museum Gallery and mock panel at this year's Comiccon.  With so much love for Team Coco and the lack of quality cosplay that peeps have yet to drop you know I had to do this right.

C&D got it down like dat!!  At Comiccon this year I was fortunate to roll with my homegirl Betty Geek that snatched me a Flaming C oven mit & cape that was the start of my primary fit.  From there...here are the..
Ingredients: 
Orange hair paint   $2.99
Blue/orange/purple snowgoogles
Synthetic hair (for beard)   $2.99
Gold pimp chain   $4.99
Yellow fabric 
Industrial velcro tape 
Foam 
Cardboard
Yellow, white, orange, purple and black ducktape  $7.99
Turquoise windbreaker   $34.00
White belt    $14.99
MJ beltbuckle   $12.99
Purple shorts    $14.99
Cellphone belt holster
Fishnet stocking  $7.99
Purple socks   $5.99
White stan smith adidas
 
Instructions:  I went with just painting my hair being that some fashionista friends advised it would look better without a wig combined with facial hair-- which unless you get it professionally done-- are both uncomfortable over the course of an evening.  Let alone trying to eat and drink while gettin nasty fake hair in your mouth...ugh!  As I was shopping around for the top I couldn't for the life of me find a longsleeve shirt in that color.  I started looking at running thermals and underarmor types but none fit the look and I don't got big ass muscles to look that heroic.  

My GF pulled a Hurley windbreaker off the rack and put it on me backwards.  Perfect!!  I swear she is an undercover cosplayer (hawtie on the left).  Hand drew a stencil for the white lightning logo, white star of david and the flaming C logo in purple, black, orange and yellow.  Shit took forever to bust it right but I like how it turned out once I applied it to the jacket.  With any non-permanent type of application patience is key otherwise the adhesive will be lost and won't look as clean.

Picked up a gold bling plastic chain from a Spirit store and took off some some links to shorten it before applying to the cape.  Repurposed one of my stormtrooper shoulder armor and used an old yellow shirt to wrap around the armor.  I then used the same fabric and cut a smaller piece and adhered it to the yellow shoulder pad to make the dangling tassles.  

Since I was already wearing fishnets...I wasn't gonna be throwing on no purple speedos.  I went with some smedium swim trunks from American Apparel.  The belt and ganja buckle was from Hot Topic.  GF bought me the stockings and purple socks from H&M.  I couldn't find the sock garters so I skipped em and since I was approaching my costume budget I just used my white, clean summer sneaks instead of buyng the golf loafers.  Total price was $102 and I invested around 10 hours putting it all together.

Was it worth it?!  Hell to the muthaeffing yes.  The above pic was even picked up by Team Coco yo!
I so got the cosplay bug that I even helped the GF style a sexy Lady Vader that was fitting for Betty Geek's Superhero Stripperpole Party we rolled to.  Here is a collection my three nights of Halloween festivities:

Illest cosplay from my crew had to be Geek Pinata's Poison Ivy, handcrafted from real leaves that she individually pieced together one leaf at a time...incredible mama!  I would say the leaf count was over 600, at least three bags of glue sticks and over 40 hours of work.  Thats some ill dedication Crys and a pissed off neighbor from making their tree/bushes nekkid!  Another of my crazy nerd pals rocked an Elektra cosplay that was hand-stitched direct from cut fabric.  I am so lucky to have these beautiful geeks as my fam!!  And newfound homeboy, Jake, rocked a mean handpainted Hulk.  Seriously sick.  Last year he was the painted Venom that I saw reblogged hundreds of times over.

Alright so two more nights of Halloween Cosplay...what you got planned next??  Please share some of your party pics or dope cosplay ideas too.  Thanks y'all and Happy Halloween!  Peace.  Oh and if you are curious about all the Flaming C crotch grabbing, thats my Hip Hop steez yo!





This post was written by:
big O