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The "New" Me; Details inside, because this space is t-
Topic Started: Jan 29 2011, 09:09 PM (316 Views)
Cyros
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WARNING!
-oo small.

*AHEM*

If you go to a convention, gaming festival, or anything else similar, in this day and age you expect at least one person to be dressed up as someone/something else. Yes, I do refer to costume roleplaying (cosplaying, as the young'ins call it). Stereotypes and misdirections aside, it looks fun enough to try, and while I do have a few keens ideas on who I can portray, my current idea isn't to turn myself into an established character. Oh no. I wanna create someone new.

In short; I wanna create an alter-ego.

Perhaps that's not the best word in this case, but I refer you to an example of what I am talking about: Doctor Insano.

*insert Insano laughter here*

Okay, I'm not going to be ripping off TheSpoonyOne's character, but these days you see a lot of Internet celebs creating their own little "personas" that they have fun portraying. And it's not that really hard to do either; just get the right articles of clothing, get in the mood and just roll with it. Fun, and it could be a great way to unwind. In theory.

Recently, I've started to look into getting myself set up for creating such a persona. It'll be several more months before I head out to my next convention, so that gives me time to look around and build up my costume. And because I'm such a nice guy (debatable, but I try to stay nice), I'm allowing you guys to be part of the creative process.

Here's what my as yet unnamed character persona will look like (concept drawing will be added later):
~An all black color scheme (Cliché? yeah, but I wanna stay simple)
~Black trench coat (Another cliché, but a cool one. Looking for one that resembles Rorschach's, only black. Also shouldn't be too heavy on lining; I should be able to wear it to conventions in both the winter AND summer)
~Black gloves (Thinking along the lines of nice military gloves, that are thin yet can function well in a variety of weather conditions, for use in all seasons. Here's an example of a good pair I found already.
~Black boots (Yes, MORE black. Again, my costume would use some military style, but not ridiculously expense. This pair I found fit the bill good enough. Only issue is that they may wear out quickly, and I can't use them for practical survival use if need be (see Rich? I'm think ahead, sorta!)
~Black pants (I already bought a pair of black jeans this year, so I may be all set on that. Though maybe sometime a bit more sinister could be suggested)
~Black long-sleeved shirt (have plenty of those, nothing fancy about this item. Just need it to cover my bare chest and arms)
~Random game-oriented T-shirt (ANd I have plenty of those too! Mostly likely will stick with the black material ones, just to keep with the theme).

And last, but not least, the most prominent and possible expensive part of the costume (aside from the trench coat, I'd assume):
~Black motorcycle helmet (But I don't have a motorcycle... IRRELEVANT! The helmet completes the costume by hiding my identity. You could think of it as a MGS Grey Fox type of style. This seems like a good modest helmet, but still kind of wallet denting.

And there you have it. A small example of what I'd like to become. At least in my spare time. And conventions. I don't expect to become some sort of celebrity because of it, but what the hell, you should try something like this at least once in your life, right?

Plus, the look may help me fit into a Mad Max/Fallout type future, don'tcha think (again Rich, thinking ahead)?

So, for those who are experience with cosplay or know how to get decent gear for said costume, speak up! Maybe you'll think of ways to help make my vision more unique, or at least more practical. If anything, I'll get everything set up by the time AnimeNext and ConnectiCon come around. And then you'll get to see pictures of me blending in with the natives. Sneaky, am I right?
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Mad Mags

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I really suggest shelling out the extra money on boots and other gear that serves a more grounded role outside of the character. Cheap boots suck. By the time they're broken in, they're, well, broken.

Nine months outta the year, I wear Altama combat boots with the Panama sole, with green canvas uppers. It took about a month to properly break them in, which was not fun, but after that they're pretty damn comfortable, and obviously very durable.

These are mine:

http://www.altama.com/products/8853-olive-...d-boot-domestic

They make 'em in black, too:

http://www.altama.com/products/6853-black-...d-boot-domestic

Not cheap. If you want to save 20 bucks, you can choose the Chinese version, but stick with Altama brand. Stay the hell away from Rothco/Propper "military" stuff.

If you want to be really cool, try some Jump Boots:

http://www.mooremilitaria.com/Corcoran%20Boot%20Large.jpg

They're available here:

http://www.mooremilitaria.com/prod02.htm

Again, its even more expensive, but good footwear is worth it. I wear my Altamas constantly during the summer and they've paid for themselves many times over.

Incidentally, Moore is where I got my 2nd Pattern Jungle Fatigues for my Peace Walker costume.

If you get the Jump Boots, you can tuck your pants into them and not look like a total dork. If you tried that with those zip up things, you would look like a dork.

As for gloves, get these:

http://stores.alleghenywholesale.com/-strs...LACK/Detail.bok

They look like military gloves because they actually are military gloves. I spent a lot of time trying to find these specific gloves for my Naked Snake outfit (which is currently serving double duty as my militia gear). I own several pairs, which was easy to justify given the price. I even have a pair that I use as my daily work gloves. In true military fashion, though, its hard to get a pair that actually fit. I'm somewhere between a size 2 and 3.

Want a good coat? One that won't make you look like a Value City hobo? Well, like the boots, be prepared to spend some cash:

http://www.walkabout.com/shop/coat-dz-durapelriding.asp

I don't know about you, but that screams "AWESOME" to me.

Get some black SWAT style pants. Not only do they look "military", but the side pockets are really handy for conventions, especially if you don't want to carry a separate bag. Again, though, stay away from Propper brand for these. They suck.

Also, try and find a turtleneck to cover the gap between your shirt and helmet. If you want to stay cooler in the summer (HAHAHA at this point), you can cut off the sleeves. With the coat on, nobody will know anyway.

I wouldn't worry about not having a motorcycle. My winter boots are a pair of very expensive Sidi On-Road Simpatex motocross boots. They are by far the most comfortable article of clothing I own. I can shovel snow all day in them and still walk inside with my feet sweating. Motorcycle gear is some of the most well designed gear out there. I have a set of goggles headed my way as we speak that will replace my usual glasses for field use.

I have found that while you can often get by without spending too much money, you really do get what you pay for in the end. This is really true if you're trying to create some sort of identity for yourself via this outfit, though unless you actually do something with this alter ego, people will think you're cosplaying one of The Stig's cousins or something.

Which leads me to this question: what are you going to be doing with this character? If you just plan on going to conventions wearing all of this black and sweating to death without doing much else, you're just going to be some dude who wears all black and sweats a lot. I don't think Spoony started out cosplaying his own character at cons. Hell, I'm not even sure he actual cosplays Insano at all. I think he just uses him as an avatar online, and not a very serious one at that.

There's certainly Youtube celebs that amp up their own real life personalities for a certain effect. The gear reviewer Nutnfancy is said to be playing a character, even though he seems pretty real.

If you're using this as an online avatar, that's probably way more comfortable, but the question still remains- what's this character's mission? Are you doing reviews, interviews, commentary, or what? I understand the need for occasional escapism. I'll even admit that I indulge in that pretty frequently. I even use the handle "Vapor Serpent" in the field (sounds pretty awesome shouting it over the radio. Give it a try), sorta using my own "character" when I'm out there. I'd like to think I'm doing a bit more than merely playing a part when I'm doing that stuff, though.

Either way, though...If there's one thing I wouldn't do with that costume, its wear some sort of t-shirt with it. Any sort of badass aura you're going for would instantly be destroyed with a Galaga shirt, or likewise. It'd be really confusing- is this guy a random gamer with some nice clothes who came here on his bike?

Just my two cents.
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