My cosplay journey

Recently, prompted by my remembrance of a cosplay I’d completely forgotten I’d done, I got curious about what I’ve cosplayed over the years. So, head with me back to the deepest, darkest depths of 2014 for a look at where I started, some mistakes I made and where I am now!

The Rocketeer (v1) #

First worn:

MCM Comic Con London, October 2014

Also worn at:

MCM Liverpool Comic Con, March 2016 & 2017; Various halloween’s

Do you still have it?

Everything but the rocket park forms part of version 2!

I started cosplaying in 2014 at the tender age of 27 (which shows it’s never too late to start a hobby!) when I finally had a group of friends that want to go to a comic con. I’d wanted to go to one for years, but never knew anyone else who did.

I decided to start off my journey with a very simplecomplicated cosplay. The Rocketeer¹ needed two substantial props (a helmet and rocket pack) and I had no experience making them. I ended up on prop making forums and decided to use fibreglass to make them as that was the main suggestion. DO NOT do this. The pack was heavy, brittle and fell apart mid way though my first day at MCM London. I had to use the downstairs stationary shop (anyone remember that?) to get tape and string to fix it!

Steampunk airship engineer #

First worn:

MCM Comic Con Manchester, July 2015

Also worn at:

MCM Comic Con Manchester, July 2015; The Asylum Steampunk Festival, Lincoln 2015, 2016 & 2017

Do you still have it?

Most of it, yes! I think some bits fell of the gauntlet and got lost.

I was going through a steampunk phase at the time and decide to make some sort of airship engineer with a mechanical arm. It was my first time working with foam, and it shows in some rookie mistakes. I didn’t seal it so I had to put so much paint on (which rubbed off everywhere!), and the cogs constantly fell off. I still have it in a box somewhere, and most of the other pieces have now been re-used in other costumes.

Bucky Barns #

First (and only) worn:

MCM Comic Con Manchester, July 2016

Do you still have it?

No! The arm gave me an allergic reaction and I think the shirt got donated to charity

I attempted to recreate the casual Bucky Barns look from when he attacks Tony Stark in the Winter Soldier. The arm came out badly, the wig even worse and I managed to give myself a horrible allergic reaction from making and wearing it. I only have selfies of me wearing it, which I’m kind of glad of 😂 This is the one that prompted me to makes this list as it was a “Oh yeah, I forgot I made that”. The arm got thrown out immediately afterwards.

No Face #

First (and only) worn:

MCM Comic Con London, October 2016

Do you still have it?

No. The mask is on my wall and the bulk of the costume was used in other projects, including Aloy!

I really like how this one tuned out in terms of looks, however thanks to several critical mistakes I made it was very uncomfortable to wear. The material was far to thick making it incredibly warm, you couldn’t see anything with the mask on and it weighed far too much. I didn’t drink enough during the day and ended up horribly dehydrated on the train home on Sunday. Learn from my mistake, DRINK WATER DURING THE CON! The mask is now a display piece on my wall and the fabric has found it’s way into many other cosplays, so it wasn’t a waste.

The Rocketeer (v2) #

First worn:

MCM Comic Con Manchester, July 2017

Also worn at:

MCM Comic Con Birmingham, November 2017; MCM Comic Con London, May 2018; Wales Comic Con, April 2019; MCM Comic Con Manchester, July 2019

Do you still have it?

Yep! The rocket pack needs re-doing at some point as it’s looking rough but I’m not getting rid of this one

I’d been wearing the outfit without a rocket pack for the past few years, but the lack of such a signature prop was driving my crazy. With significantly more experience I re-made it using foam, cardboard and made my own straps so it was much more robust. The helmet was still the original, but it received some better padding. All in all it was so much nicer to wear, though I’d recommend against using cardboard in any place that might get bumped into!

Cthulhuesque Cultist #

First (and only) worn:

Halloween, October 2017

Do you still have it?

Not all of it. I still have the mask and cloak but the sash was binned as it looked bad close up

Ok this one is 100% cheating, but it involved slush casting to make the mask and I’m still proud of how it came out and I consider it a costume. I’ve still got all the parts, so I could wear it again if it wasn’t that the latex mask is sweaty and uncomfortable to wear long term.

Caduceus Clay (v1) #

First (and only) worn:

MCM Comic Con, London 2018

Do you still have it?

No, I kept it for a while but I needed the space

I managed to put this together pretty quickly! I’d already been to MCM in May with my Rocketeer, but then the Critical Role cast announced they where attending and I had to go! My fav of campaign two was (and remains) Caduceus, so off to find a pink wig and as much reference images as I could! I honestly think this is the point where I really got into cosplay on a deeper level. This costume had so many firsts: First time working with foam on this scale, making garments, using face paint/makeup and wearing a wig. I’m still so proud of what I achieved, and I’m still to this day amazed about how good it looks given I’d never done most of this before!

Sylas Briarwood #

First worn:

Critter Castle, February 2019

Also worn:

MCM Comic Con London 2019

Do you still have it?

I’m not actually sure! I think I eventually got rid of the very polyester jacket, but I still have everything else

A boost of confidence had me linking up with other Critical Role fans and that led to me heading down south to stay the weekend with a bunch of critters in a cool castle like youth hostel. I wasn’t sure what facilities would be available (and I was a bit over the Cad makeup after spending ao much time in October in it), so time to make another. Sylas Briarwood from CR campaign one had been on my list for a while, especially with the chance to make Craven Edge. I forget how well this turned out, I got some fantastic pictures of me wearing it! I also met some absolutely fantastic people over that weekend that have become my cosplay buddies and best friends, so the cosplay has a lot of good memories associated with it.

Caduceus Clay (v2) #

First worn:

North west Critical Role meetup in Manchester, April 2019

Also worn at:

MCM Comic Con London, May 2019; Critter Castle 2: Electrical Boogaloo, August 2019, Critter Castle 3: This time it’s Percival

Do you still have it?

No, I knew I wasn’t going to be wearing it again (less interested in CR + makeup is a pain) so I got rid of it for more space

Whilst I was incredibly fond of my first version of Cad, I felt I could do so much better with what I’d learnt. And oh boy was it a glam up! Better makeup, better foam crafting for the armour, a brand new staff with a glowing crystal and loads more! One of my first memories of wearing this is the should poppers breaking about five minutes after I put it on in the car park. Thankfully someone had some super glue!

Kashaw Vesh #

First worn:

Critter Castle 2: Electrical Boogaloo

Also worn at:

August 2019; MCM Comic Con London, October 2019; An impromptu garden photo shoot, May 2020

Do you still have it?

No, I wasn’t going to wear it again so I got rid to clear up some space

I really wanted to do another critical role character and really liked both the character and armour design for Kashaw. I also wanted a cosplay that did not involve me being in makeup all day like Caduceus would! I really like how sharp the corners on the breastplate came out, and as wobbly as it is (I bought the wrong plastic pipe!) I still have the spear in my weapons pile.

Rincewind #

First worn:

MCM Comic Con London, October 2019

Also worn at:

MCM Comic Con London, May 2023; MegaConLive Manchester, July 2023

Do you still have it?

Oh yeah, every time I say I’m going to stop wearing this it comes right back out a month or so later!

I debated which Discworld character to start off with, but Rincewind had been there through my entire journey and I had to cosplay that cowardly wizzard 😂. This costume, to this day, has the issue that it sheds both copious amounts of red fluff and glitter; I feel Rincewind would disapprove strenuously that I’m leaving a trail for someone to follow. It’s also been the catalyst for a lot of people to reconsider re-reading or starting to read Discworld, something I’m always happy to be a part of! Fun fact: because of the fluff situation I’ve said I’m never going to wear it again about 3 times. Each time its been dragged out of retirement to serve as a replacement for a costume that I couldn’t wear!

Sylas Briarwood (Dalen’s Closet Version) #

First (and only) worn:

Critter Castle 3: This time it’s Percival, February 2020

Do you still have it?

The cloak and some accessories? Yes. The Armour? No. Too uncomfortable and not well made.

The design for the Dalen’s Closet version of Sylas was so good I had to make it. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out as well as I’d hoped (mostly because I rushed it) and was very uncomfortable to wear for long periods. It did have a very swishy cloak though and the biggest prop weapon I’ve ever made! I did get a few really good pictures of me in it, which made it somewhat worth it.

Flynn Rider #

First worn:

MCM Comic Con London, October 2021

Also worn at:

MCM Comic Con London, May 2024?

Do you still have it?

Oh yeah, with a new wig and probably bag it’ll be hopefully worn in May

I made this as part of a duo cosplay with my friend Lana who had a Rapunzel. It helped me out of the cosplay slump I’d fallen into thanks to lockdown, and holds the dubious honour of taking the longest to complete for such a small amount of work (as I started work on patterns some time in 2020). It turned out ok, involving more glue than I’m happy with, but as I’m using never having worked with faux leather before as my excuse 😂 The wig I wore for this con was another matter, and it’s now ended up getting used for Rincewind (as I tend to have colourful hair these days).

Aloy (Shield Weaver Armour) #

First worn:

MCM Comic Con London, October 2022

Also worn at:

Liverpool Comic Con, October 2023; MegaConLive London, January 2024

Do you still have it?

Yep, I’m hoping to wear it a lot more, though I’m starting to have to repair more bits before each con!

This is by far the most complicated cosplay I have done so far both in terms of quantity of parts and the amount of detail involved. I’d fallen in love with the game and debated on which armour to make, but the allure of the Shield Weaver set was just too strong (plus it save my butt many times in the final part of the game). I’m still over the moon about how it turned out, especially since it took 8 months of hard work to get from viewing the model to being the model! It was barely finished by the start of the con, with me working up to packing it and finishing some bits of the bow off in the AirBnB the night before.

Every photo of me in it blows my mind about how good I look (which is not something I can sya about some of my other cosplays), though sadly with all the parts it’s an absolute pain to get anywhere in it. It’s also gone through about plenty of revisions as after each con I find more things to improve. It’s so much more comfortable now than when I first wore it because of that! 10/10 my favourite cosplay, and I’m aiming to take it somewhere to get a proper outdoor photo shoot.

Vax’ildan (Comic book version) #

First worn:

MCM Comic Con London, May 2023

Also worn at:

MegaConLive Manchester, July 2023

Do you still have it?

Yep, this one’s got a lot more wear in it

The Legend of Vox Machina TV series brought me back into revisiting campaign one, and from that I finally got around to cosplaying Vax. I’d been wanting to do so wince I think the second Critter Castle but never found the time. The comic book version really attracted my attention, and with me wanting to take Aloy somewhere I’d need something more compact². I love having so many daggers, and it’s fairly comfortable to wear and move around in. Downside of all black though is you roast in direct sunlight!

Link (Breath of the Wild, Hylian Armour) #

First worn:

MegaConLive London, January 2024

Also worn at:

MCM Comic Con London, May 2024?

Do you still have it?

I literally just made it, it’s not going anywhere!

Breath of the Wild was another game where very early on I knew I was going to make a costume from it, it just came down to which one. The liked the Hylian and Snowquill the best, but when it came down to it the Hylian set won out because of the leather armour detailing. Even with plenty of time left to make it I still ended up crunching as I lost so much time to illness. It’s also reminded me why I don’t do cosplay construction in winter, it’s far too cold!

Special mentions: The abandoned cosplays #

Not all of the cosplays I started actually went somewhere. Not counting the many, many ideas that have come close to being started, I recall three that I began but were never finished. I attempted a new version of Bucky Barnes from (I think) Avengers: End Game in 2019 which came so close to being completed… before I realised I absolutely hated it! It ended up being abandoned and swapped a couple of days before the con for an already finished cosplay. I’ve started on an update of Caduceus twice based on new art that was released, with one taking so long to plan out templates that new art superseded it that I liked better. Ultimately, that then fell victim to both the pandemic and my declining interest in critical role.

And that’s it! #

Well that’s it for all my cosplays up until this post. I enjoyed going back through my photos to find out where and when I wore these, and remembering all the good times (and sometimes bad times) that came from them. I’ve come a long way from my misguided fibreglass days, and with every cosplay I discover new and better ways of making things.