Cosplayers, I salute you

[locker_monster]

Is cosplay the right word to use when people dress up like their favourite fandom characters? All the on-line stuff suggests "cosplay" applies more to Japanese anime and the detail those fans go to to create their costume. Well, whatever the term, I never realized how expensive it is. A friend of mine and I want to go as Doctor Horrible and Captain Hammer, respectively, for Halloween but we don't want to spend a lot of money. Seems you can't be cheap even if you want to.

Luckily, my Captain Hammer costume will be relatively cheap. I already have the shirt and a pair of grey pants, and my friend has a pair of boots that I can borrow. Not a pair of army boots, mind you, but we only have two weeks or so to get all of the compenents, so accuracy isn't key. I might care to get more accurate stuff if I attend the local comic book con next year. I'm hunting for a pair of black leather gloves, but any pair of black gloves will do. Friend said her dad might have something, so that works.

But Doctor Horrible is the expensive one. You can't buy a simple t-shirt. You got to have the lab coat, preferrably with the buttons going down the side, white gloves, white boots, and the humdinger, the goggles. I think my friend will have to cheat and do a low budget version. Find a regular lab coat, fake some white boots (I suggested taking some tube socks and putting them over white runners), and using any ol' pair of goggles. http://doctorhorrible.net has some good suggestions, but all of them are costly. I thought maybe it might be easier to go as the red Doctor Horrible from the end, but finding a red lab coat would probably be more difficult.

It's funny, there's a Stormtrooper battalion here in the province and I always see them at every local convention. It's never occured to me just how many manhours and how much money they put into their costumes.

Comments

[drhaggis.livejournal.com]

With costuming, or any project for that matter, there are three factors: Cost, Time and Accuracy. You can only control two. The third factor has to give. You have a deadline and a limited budget, so accuracy has to give.

For the gloves, boots and goggles try a local industrial safety place. The white Dr. Horrible gloves are insulated gloves, and his boots are white rubber boots. Painting galoshes white will work too. Captain Hammer gloves are motorcycle gauntlets, so try any leather place, especially biker shops, there are a couple along Mcleod trail.

For the record, stormtroopers will run over a thousand dollars, depending on who you know. A good Darth Vader is 5-6 thousand. Jedi are a couple of hundred, depending on your boots.

Cosplay/Costuming is not a hobby for the unemployed.

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

Never tried dressing up like a fandom character before so it's all new to me. You really do have to be willing to shell out the big bucks if you want the best possible costume.

I'll have to check out the places you suggested. Thanks for the help. :-)

[newnumber6.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I can imagine how much time and money it takes to get just what you want. It's very impressive. I'd probably only attempt it if I won a lottery or something.

Still, kudos for trying. Another thing you _could_ do I suppose, if you're going to go lower-budget anyway, is claim that you're not actually going as Doctor Horrible and Captain Hammer, but their new sidekicks. That way Doctor Horrible could be "Lab Assistant Horrible" or something, with safety glasses instead of goggles, and an outfit that looks sciency without being exact.

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

For those Stormtrooper guys, it's worth it for them because they wear it everywhere and get a lot of uses out of their costumes. For someone like me, this is likely a one off; I might wear the outfit again for a con if I'm feeling extra geeky. But if there was a costume I really wanted, I don't think I would let money stand in my way.

Hee, Lab Assistant Horrible. Who knows what kind of groupies Doctor Horrible has picked up since joining the ELoE. :-D

[browncoat2x2]

Our stormtrooper armour arrived in the mail just a few days ago. Now it's time to put it all together :oD

Our suit is completely fan made, meaning, not cast off an actual screen used suit, and as such is not entirely screen accurate, but honestly, for a fan made suit (and you know it was done with love) it's not a bad place to start (beats the heck out of the new licensced Stormtrooper costume you can buy from Rubies. It looks like crap)

We paid about $450 for ours on ebay, plus shipping, and it came already trimmed, which I count as a win. Still, it will be a long time assembling it and fitting it to my lucky duck of a husband before it's done...

I can't wait!!!!!

[browncoat2x2]

There's a Dr. Horrible costuming group drhorribledress and they have lots of links on where to get appropriate Dr. Horrible accessories.

On the goggles, the one's he wears are no longer made, so you won't find them. If you've got a Princess Auto out your way, you can get a pair of welding goggles for $5 from them, they're green, but they can be painted and weathered.

My hubby just wore black boots when he dressed up, and I made the coat for him. Oh, Princess Auto had some whit leather welding gloves too, $11. You can also order from them online. :o)

Good luck!!

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link. I doubt my friend has the time and money to make her own lab coat, but your tip about the goggles at Princess Auto might interest her. If it's only $5 then it's not a bad deal. And it looks like one of the Calgary locations is nearby where she works. Plus who knows, I might want to go as Doctor Horrible for the local comic book con next year with all the good info I'm finding.