Creating Cosplay: Creative or Creepy?

For the past 6 weeks I have been working on learning about and integrating myself into a more recent culture that has developed around the world. That culture is Cosplay. In the past 6 weeks, I have focused on learning the most basic steps in joining the world of Cosplay. My main focus, and something that has taken up more than 2 of the 6 weeks, is creating costumes. I have already created my first one, which is a full body Carnage costume. The following pictures are of the process and end result of having created Carnage. I started with a basic completely red spandex suit. From there, I made nails for the hands, and then painted the pattern onto it with a substance called Puffy Paint. After that had dried, I made the two eyes using a white cloth, and made the mouth using black hot glue and craft foam. After the eye and mouth were attached, I made the spine using two elastic strips, velcro, craft foam, and black hot glue. On October 30th I performed a stress test on the suit to see how it would hold up in a crowded environment. It did well, and I only had to reinforce 2 or 3 areas when I got home.

While walking around in the suit in public, I received many responses. From compliments, to questions, to outcries of confusion. The most common question was who I was, this did not surprise me that much as Carnage has not shown up in popular culture as of yet, but if Sony does not drop the movie, he will appear in a film before 2020. I cosplay for many reasons. One reason is that I enjoy creating the costume, the effort and art that is involved with making a costume is very fun and the end result is very rewarding. Another reason I cosplay is for the reactions, the pride that fills me when I am recognized far outweighs the odd looks and rude comments from those who dislike my creation for being abnormal and possibly awkward. My next couple of  projects have a medieval theme and their production starts late November early December. I hope I will enjoy the creation as well as the reactions as much as I did with Carnage.~Parker